Talking Golfgetaways: Your Golf Getaways Podcast

Could the new Quicksands short course at Gamble Sands be the coolest 14 holes you’ll ever play? We talk with golf architect David McLay Kidd about the creativity and effort behind the resort’s newest attraction expected to open for preview play in September 2020. Plus: An update on DMK’s project in the Bahamas’ Abacos Islands.

How does a $28 golf experience stack up against a $495 day trip? Hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into a compare-and-contrast discussion about two recent golf trips on opposite sides of the country with two dramatically different price points: Pebble Beach Golf Links and Cheraw State Park Golf Course.

In the long overdue Part 2 of our interview with Dan Hixson, co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch speak with the golf architect about his creative 27-green, double-course “reversible” routing at Silvies Valley Ranch in Eastern Oregon. Hixson also talks about his anticipation of playing the Tom Doak’s similar concept “The Loop” at Forest Dunes, and dives into what he thinks makes a golf hole truly great.

He’s been to all the countries. And he loves golf. That’s what makes Lee Abbamonte the perfect guest for “Talking GolfGetaways” podcast. Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch talk about everything from Afghanistan to Scotland to Bandon Dunes to what’s still on Lee’s bucket list (turns out he hasn’t played all the courses … yet) in this fun (and sometimes a little profane) interview with a New Yorker who has a truly fascinating life story.

Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch talk about everywhere from Pebble Beach and Bandon Dunes to Erin Hills and Whistling Straits as they explore what factors make a golf getaway “too expensive” — and how that question might just be unanswerable since each traveler brings his or her own perspective to different price points across the country and worldwide.

“Doctor Bern” joins co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch for a wide-ranging discussion about the Golf Heritage Society and how his love for the game fuels an obsession with antique clubs and collectibles. As his title suggest, Bernacki is also a medical doctor, so he offers a health-care provider’s perspective on the coronavirus as it relates to opening golf courses.

In the longest podcast in the history of podcasts, “Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance welcome longtime golf scribe and editor Vic Williams for a conversation on all things golf, lodging and food in the Lake Tahoe area — after the threesome dive into a variety of Coronavirus-related news and updates, including a new course being built in Mitch’s backyard.

If you want to dive straight in to the Tahoe-Truckee-Carson Valley portion of our two-hour podcast with longtime golf writer and editor (and Reno resident) Vic Williams, we’ve got you covered with this shorter version of the conversation between Williams and “Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance on everything from a Coore-Crenshaw “hidden” gem (if there is such a thing) to golf-travel options that range from affordable to ultra-luxurious.

“Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into all things Coronavirus, in a supersized episode that talks about companies and individuals who are making a different in troubling times, plus commiserates with travelers about how the pandemic has put our golf plans on hold (rightly so) for now.

Podcast host Mitch Laurance and his wife, Hall of Fame pool legend Ewa, recap a recent visit to Alabama’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area, full of golf, food and other fun (glass-blowing, anyone?) in a supersized episode highlighting everything from Kiva Dunes to the Safari Club at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

Friend of the podcast Bruce Sitka joins Mitch and Darin for a golf-travel conversation about a few of our favorite Florida and Wisconsin hotspots, plus a rundown of where to golf when you’re headed to Long Island, home to some of the premier private clubs in the country (and a public gem you don’t want to miss).

Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch take a detour from their beloved single-malt Scotch whisky to talk beer — lots of beer — with travel journalist Tom Bedell, who specializes in hops and barley along with fairways and greens. In this episode, Bedell travels everywhere from the Craft Beer Trail of Northern Alabama to the sunny shores of San Diego with suggestions for the best spots to mix his two favorite pastimes.

“Talking GolfGetaways” podcast hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into everything from dramatic-drop 3-pars to the South’s best milkshakes with David Pursell, CEO of the Pursell Farms boutique resort and FarmLinks golf course in Central Alabama — plus shooting pool on Gomer Pyle’s table, which boasts a rich heritage of American celebrities.

Hickories at Belvedere Golf Club, Tom Doak’s reversible Loop at Forest Dunes and the otherworldly wonders and history of Mackinac Island highlight an episode recapping host Mitch Laurance’s visit to Michigan.

Continuing our love affair with one of Scotland’s true links gems (not so hidden anymore), hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch welcome Brora Golf Club secretary Tony Gill onto the podcast to discuss why this little spot in the northern Scottish Highlands should be a must-play on any itinerary.

In the first of two episodes with Dan Hixson, the “Talking GolfGetaways” podcast takes a look at the golf designer’s childhood motivations to get into the business, as well as his first original design at Bandon Crossings and a peek into his latest project reclaiming an Oregon quarry for golf.

For a true behind-the-scenes discussion of how Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail came to exists and continues to thrive in an ever-competitive market, company president John Cannon joins “Talking GolfGetaways” with thoughts on the legendary golf-course designer, future expansion and what make the Trail a perfect destination for golfers across the country.

What happens when the Golf Trip Experts team gets to meet up with Ben Crenshaw, one of the legends of the game? A conversation that spans everything from Tiger’s historic Masters win to Ben and Bill Coore’s latest creation at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Associate Editor Eric Hart joins “Talking GolfGetaways” to recount a truly memorable day on Maui.

One of the most successful real estate developers of the past couple decades, David Southworth joins the podcast to discuss his hospitality philosophy and why The Abaco Club in the Bahamas ranks among the best destination clubs in the world.

Looking for some coastal golf? Chad Leonard, regional manager for Honours Golf in the Gulf Shores region of Alabama, joins the podcast to discuss why golf travelers should put this Southern combination of sand, surf and swinging on their next itinerary.