I’ve long considered the day after the Masters to be the official beginning of the amateur golf season (unless you live in CA, AZ, FL or Hawaii that is). With Tiger back on top, every dad in America laced-up his 990s yesterday and headed to the local golf shop —frothing at the mouth— to gear-up and get back out there. Maybe instead of hitting the range a more interesting thing to do with your golf fever would be to plan a trip to Scotland. Nothing is Scotland remotely resembles the lush and perfect conditions at Augusta, but it is just as pure in its own way.

There are two big challenges with a long golf trip in Scotland: logistics and walking 12 miles a day for more than a week straight. The logistics just takes some research and planning. The walking bit just is what it is. If you walk when you play normally — you are obviously going to be better prepared for the physical endurance needed.

There are a few different ways to successfully explore the fountainhead of golf. One way is to hire a tour organizer who makes the itinerary, drives the van and greases the starters to get your tee times. This is the easiest way to do it, but also the most expensive. I would argue that it is considerably more fun, and a lot less expensive if you plan the trip yourself. The big caveat here is that you have to do all of the driving —on the left side of the road — which is the stuff of nightmares for Americans. After two rounds of golf in the rain and dozens of miles walking the driving becomes even more difficult than you might think. Though on our trip, the driving insanity only served to heighten the adventure.

To help with planning we were lucky to have the assistance of our friend, mentor, and Scotsman Graeme Russell. Graeme spent years playing golf and drinking whisky all over Scotland (and America!) while he was a brand ambassador for The Macallan (come here young man, let’s talk about what you want to be when you grow up) so he’s as much of an expert as you are going to find and it’s quite obvious that he is uniquely qualified to help build an itinerary. We asked for his advice and Graeme quickly shot back a rough game plan. “There are four main areas of golf as follows: St. Andrews and Fife: The Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie being the main courses.  East Lothian: Muirfield and North Berwick the two classics. Visitor days for Muirfield are on a Tuesday and Thursday and these are the only days you can play your own ball,” he told us.

It’s as if he has thought about this a bit. His golden advice was just flowing free and easy. “On the West Coast, you’ve got Prestwick, Troon, and Turnberry. Prestwick is a historic club and the home of The Open Championship. Finally, the North, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Castle Stuart, Royal Aberdeen are all great courses.” What I didn’t know at the time was that what Graeme was recommended was akin to someone playing 10 of the top 50 courses in the U.S. back-to-back-to-back over the timespan of a little more than a week. “At your age it is unlikely that this will be a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip to Scotland so there is no need to try and play every championship course — since it is pretty much impossible to do all at once.” So we narrowed it all down to 3 of the 4 golf regions and started to plan for tee times and hotels. It takes some research and a lot of time on Google Maps, but eventually, we got every hotel booked and as many tee times arranged as possible.

Being the most famous golf course in the world, it was expected that everyone (including Graeme) told us that we have to play the Old Course. If you hit one links in Scotland this is the one. As the name suggests, it is historic and old, famous, and unbelievably fun. Even though it can be tough to secure a tee time — there are a few possible points of entry. The first thing you can do is plan extremely far in advance and book your tee time a calendar-year out. There’s also a “local ballot” where you can try for a close-in reservation based on what the tee sheet looks like the next day. These spots are rare, but it could work out for you. The failsafe way (outside of bribery or actually being a member) to get on (if you have a little bit of flexibility) is to stay at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel which sits right on the 18th green. They don’t have any special access per se, but the property is so close to the Old Course that there’s a bit of a workaround for those willing to wake up early and wait a bit.

When I say early, I mean early. Our phone rang at 3:30am. It was the night-manager Ian on the line. “It’s time to go gentleman.” We quickly get dressed and took a drowsy jaunt across the 18th fairway to the Old Pavilion to get in line. When we arrived at 3:45 am there were about 15 people who had arrived before us. One man said he queued up at 1 am. (Good god, that is nutty.) The group was mostly American and every new arrival was greeted with exuberance and some relief that we aren’t the only crazy ones. We waited for a few hours for the office to open and filed in one group at a time. There were several openings for the day and it was first come, first served. If you are flexible with when you can play there shouldn’t be a problem getting a time that day. We snagged a 7:30 tee time which gave us time to walk back over to the Rusacks to get breakfast and grab our gear.

Why go to such trouble to travel so far and spend so much for this experience? Part of it is about exploring the traditions of the game and part of it is about camaraderie. There’s a certain bond that can only form with the help of pot bunkers, tall grass, weather and post-round drinks. There’s also a certain friendliness and charm to the people, plus the quirk of the land that is magical.  Out on the local Elie links (which was a small but highly recommended excursion from our plan)— we noticed a father and son out playing together. They were walking (nearly all golf in Scotland is played under your own power) and they had the family dog tethered to their pushcart. My pal Randy and I both looked at each other and right then and there we realized that golf in Scotland is a much more casual affair than in the states. It’s all part of the allure. The historic courses that serve as the templates for thousands of courses everywhere, the friendly people, the beautiful wild terrain, life-threatening adventures in a rental car and all of those punishing bunkers. It makes for an adventure of a lifetime that should be revisited every summer if possible.

STAY

Macdonald Rusacks. If it weren’t for Ian we wouldn’t have been able to play the Old Course, and that would have been a real disappointment. The days are long out there sometimes playing (and walking) two rounds in a day. You want a nice hotel like the Russacks to rest your weary bones. On top of being the most perfectly situated hotel to the Old Course, the Rusacks is a really nice place to stay. Our room had insane views of the golf course and a great breakfast. I never plan to stay anywhere else in St. Andrews. 

The Caddie Closets at the Greywall’s Hotel is a fantastic hotel that overlooks Muirfield. They have a super cozy bar and excellent views of one of the most historic clubs in all of the U.K. It’s close to the town of Gullane —which in addition to its own great golf course— has a few nice restaurants and pubs. 

GEAR

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” This is especially true out on a wet and windy golf course. 

Even in summer, the weather in Scotland can be touch-and-go. Be prepared for chilly temps and the possibility of rain. The number one most important thing is waterproof shoes. You need to bring two pairs. It’s like Lieutenant Dan said. “Try and keep your feet dry when we’re out humpin’. The Mekong will eat a grunt’s feet right off his legs.” These Ecco waterproof shoes will be the difference between an enjoyable trip and a miserable one. Good shoes are worth the upgrade. I suggest bringing two pairs that you have already broken in. You’re out there walking 13 miles a day, you have to have good shoes. Don’t cheap out here or all you will remember about historic golf courses is how miserable you were.

The other critical thing you need to pack is waterproof clothing. Skip the umbrella and hit up Galvin Green who makes the best golf rain gear. Buy Goretex pants and jacket from them and make sure to pack a layering program as the weather can be erratic. I wear the Patagonia Capilene base layer shirt and pants. They are light, easy to wear under khakis or rain pants and dry out easily. Dunning makes the most technical golf fabrics out there and the layering pieces are excellent. Don’t forget a knit winter hat — it’s going to come in handy more than you might think for a summer trip. Nike Golf has comfortable shoes and good layering pieces as well. And buy a rain hat at a club when you get there — it’s the perfect souvenir.

COMFORT

There’s not much by way of refreshments on the course. Bring a water bottle, some protein bars and definitely a flask. You’ll want a nip depending on wind or rain. (Not having a flask was my one big regret.) Or you might need a drink because of your putting.

The other thing is balls, both your own and the little ones with the Titleist logo. Again, you’ll be walking a dozen miles a day. You’ll be getting close to a half marathon’s dose of chafe daily. You need this stuff, trust me. Secondly, golf balls are really expensive in the UK. Bring a few dozen for your trip and save some money for branded club merch.

COURSES

Our itinerary went like this. Warm-up round at the Eden Course at St Andrews Links. Next, we went to Elie – which was a recommendation of a Scottish woman on the bus at Heathrow, seriously. It ended up being one of our favorites. After that, we played at Kingsbarns. People seem to really love it, but we found it a bit too American for our liking. It was still great don’t get me wrong, but not as pure as some of the other Scottish golf we played. The next morning was the early call at the Old Course. Obviously, it is a fantastic and truly special experience. It lives up to every bit of the hype you have heard. That opening tee shot definitely gets your heart racing! After we played the Old Course in the morning we went to Carnoustie in the afternoon. This was sub-optimal timing, but the fact that our Old Course round was sort of up-in-the-air we had to do it like this. Turns out playing Carnoustie in the second half of a double-header is ill-advised. We got affiliated there — with the highlight being fishing multiple balls out of the burn and the sausage roll.

After a much needed night’s rest we drove out to North Berwick for a blue sky morning at the famed North Berwick West Links. This place is truly special and there are so many memorable (and famous) holes — the 15th Redan being the most famous. When you visit North Berwick as a guest they make you a member for the day and allow access to the clubhouse. This is a nice perk and a great place for post-round beers. The following day we played Gullane 1 and 2 back-to-back. Last summer Gullane hosted the Scottish open and it was awesome to see the pros playing there on TV. These courses are both highly recommended.

After a good sleep at Greywall’s we headed to the west coast for our final swing. The first stop was Western Gailes. This golf course was probably the most punishing after Carnoustie, but it was probably in my top 3 for the trip. The whole course is only 200 yards wide — tucked between a rail line and the sea. This meant the place is super tight and the grass is quite long and unforgiving. You need to really make shots to score here. Also, the bacon roll for breakfast was delicious — don’t miss that. On from Gailes we headed to Turnberry. The Ailsa course was our pick for the most beautiful round on our trip. What a stunner with incredible coastal views.

Our last stop was at the historic Prestwick Golf Club. Even though we had played so much golf, we were both really excited to get a chance at such an amazing place. Everything had come together for us by the time we tee’d off at Prestwick. We were used to walking. We were playing the ground as one does in Scotland and we had learned that it doesn’t matter how you score, it’s just great to have a chance to play these iconic courses.

Find more at ACL GOLF.

This time around we had an altogether different experience than last year —although we went to the same Waffle House and sat in the same booth— because we attended the tournament on a practice round day, not during competition. You could feel the difference in the crowd. Everyone was as respectful as one would expect on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, but things were a bit more relaxed. The players showed this in their own ways —the tradition of skipping balls off of the pond on number 16, joking with patrons on the tee boxes— the patrons did as well.

One big thing about Monday at the Masters was the ability for patrons to bring cameras and take photos. This means real cameras and not iPhones. Like every other time at ANGC, phones are not permitted on the course, ever. One can’t emphasize just how great it is to be in a phone-free environment. Oh my gosh, you can actually see what is happening. No one is walking and staring at their phone. No one is having annoying private conversations in public. I don’t cringe for the people filming the players. NO SELFIES. I could go on and one about how great this is as a patron. The one downside is the fact that you need to set up a pre-arranged meeting place should you get separated. We failed on this and it came into play during a thunderstorm late in the day. (That’s a story for another day.)

Instead of bringing my big DSLR (which I loathe traveling with at this point. I need to make the move to mirrorless.) I went low-tech and took advantage of the relaxed photo policy to shoot the Masters on film with my Yashica T4. I didn’t put much thought into this going into things. In hindsight, I should have brought one type of film (I shot on some Fuji and a more colorful Kodak 400) and I should have brought more film altogether. Having only 50 or so shots made me really think about composition — which is sort of a good thing too. But it certainly didn’t provide much flexibility. I just figured that I either got something good or I didn’t. That’s perhaps the beauty of film.

There’s a lot of well-publicized things about The Masters that you probably already know. There’s practically no branding out there. The food is super inexpensive and sold at what basically seems to be at cost. The merch is extensive and also not egregiously marked-up and finally, the parking is free. This is basically the opposite of every other tournament and basically all sporting events. It really shines a light on the fact that the golf competition is above all else. If you like pure golf, this is the place for you.

My pal and ACL contributor David Coggins got a chance to go on the Masters new podcast Fore Please! Now Driving… and talk about manners and the patron experience at Augusta National.

The really interesting thing about The Masters is that you don’t need to be a golf nut to enjoy it. Even the most casual fans would find much to like about the experience. Partially because it is just so unique for this day and age, but also because the place is just so beautiful and pure. If you get an opportunity to visit Augusta, definitely do it. We’ve resigned to make our way to The Masters every chance we can. If only for the chicken biscuits and the beautiful flowers.

There’s a lot to love about golf, but there’s also a lot to dislike about golf shops. As someone who is interested in clothing and retail, there’s a lot of room for a new type of golf shop. So instead of trying to piece together good stuff for golf via the internet and country club pro shops my friend Cory Heenan and I decided to open the golf shop that we wanted to shop at. The name ACL Golf started because I wanted to spare my Instagram followers from having to see a lot of golf posts when they probably didn’t sign up for that sort of thing. Sort of like when someone you follow has a baby and their feed becomes 100% kid zone. So ACL Golf on Instagram was formed, and then the idea to open a shop came along and we jumped at it.

The inspiration for the store comes from our own frustration with finding things we like to wear to play golf. Our circle of friends is made up of creative people who work in the fashion or design communities and our collective approach to the game of golf is slightly different than what is presently represented at retail. We hope you like it and would be satisfied if it made a few people look at golf a bit differently. The shop is open now and will run through the end of the year in Los Angeles. We hope to see you around and for those that aren’t in Southern California, you can follow along at ACL GOLF. I’m going to attempt to put the ACL merch into an online shop in January if you like those snapbacks. More info about the shop is below.

The brand list includes Dunning, NWKC, Haywood, Bubba Whips, Sugarloaf Social Club, Outerknown, Salt & Stone, Claret Dreamer, Billykirk, Swet Tailor, Jones Golf, Phanz, Adidas Golf, Lie + Loft, Bombas, Pappy & Co, Malbon + more.

Location: Platform
8850 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
Hours: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Daily

Fishing close to town is like you’re in on a secret. If you head out for stripers in Jamaica Bay, within sight of JFK, you can still make it back to Manhattan in time for cocktail hour. It’s one of the great things to do in New York. So when I heard about going after redfish right in Charleston I was very intrigued. Terrific fishing in one of the great destinations on the East Coast, and you can still have dinner at Melfi’s.

Charleston is an ideal quick visit from New York. It’s a short, easy flight, there are great hotels (like The Dewberry), terrific stores (Ben Silver, Indigo & Cotton), and you know every meal will be good. Now I know another reason to head there: redfish. The Low Country flats are a 20-minute drive from the center of town, and it’s a nice 80-minute drive to charming Beaufort for access to even more flats. 

After falling in love with bonefish I was eager to get back on the flats for redfish. When they’re tailing—feeding on crabs and shrimp with their tails and its black spot visible—it’s a sight that quickens the pulse of every angler. Guide Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff, from Orvis-endorsed outfitter Charleston Shallows, took me out on his Hell’s Bay flats boat. He’s remarkably good at navigating the flats, finding fish and poling you in a position for your best cast.

But now comes the hard part: sticking a 40’ cast in front of its nose. As Jeremy said,  “The window where you want to drop your fly in is very….tight.” Oh, so that’s how it is? But that’s the fun part. These aren’t long casts in front of a cruising fish, but short, accurate casts in front of fish that keep changing directions. To make matters more complicated you’re often casting into grassy areas when you strip in your fly can ride up on the grass out of the water.

So it’s a lot to think about. With the help of a good guide, you quickly get a sense of where you want to put your fly—though getting it there is another issue. You want quick casts with minimal false casting. Then strip. Stop. Strip. And, in a perfect world, a set. They peel away, stripping off line, remarkably strong. I used a 9’ 8-weight Helios 3, which is just about the perfect rod for redfish. You also want a reel that has a strong drag, since it will be tested.

Beaufort is a sweet, sleepy coastal town 70 miles southwest of Charleston. Bay Street Outfitters is right on the main drag and it captures the southern approach to sport: you can buy a Barbour, a sport coat, a Yeti or a bowtie. They lead a school with Orvis which is a great way to get into the sport. But even half a day with a good guide can help your education immensely.

Captain Tuck Scott, picked me up at Anchorage 1770, a charming, easygoing hotel on the main strip. Beaufort is also a town worth staying at for a few days, with the wonderful little bookstore, McIntosh and the terrific Old Bull Tavern. Tuck takes you out in the Intracoastal Waterway, past white herons and old shacks on stilts, into the beautiful low country flats. We were there while in time for the tide to come in and when it did then the fish would follow. Tuck poled over to a tailing fish, whose tail was particularly red (like flamingoes, redfish gain color from eating shrimp).

Tuck said “They’re not going to come a long way for it” which was his diplomatic way of saying cast closer to the fish. They weren’t too spooky, so I got another chance. “Strip. Stop. Wait. Strip,” he said. I obeyed. “Strip, he’s on.” I could definitely feel that. Then it peeled off, the line running and you know why you go fishing. We landed him—not going to set any records, but it was a lovely copper and pink redfish. The appeal was clear. Later we stopped at Shrimp Shack for a fried shrimp roll at sweet iced tea. I had the rest of the afternoon to lazily wander through Beaufort. This was a tradition worth getting used to.

Prior to the launch of the brand Jack and I spoke a few times. He and Kevin knew what they wanted to do with the company, but he wanted to think a bit differently about how people would come to find EVERGOODS. Instead of hiding everything behind closed doors the EVERGOODS crew showed every step of the process –posting prototypes to Instagram and sharing everything. It was an approach reminiscent (and apparently inspired) by what Kuiu had done with great success. Eventually, they launched on Kickstarter and sold over $161,000 in a snap. I wasn’t surprised when I checked-in with the Kickstarter and saw that they were quickly over 100K in sales. I also wasn’t surprised when I got the Civic Panel Loader 24L and it turned out to be an amazing bag. It sort of reminds me of a Goruck x Arc’teryx hybrid. It’s sleek and super functional. The materials are good-looking and even though I’m not really a big backpack person, I found that it was the bag I kept pulling-out for trips.

As two new EVERGOODS pieces get launched I wanted to talk with Jack about how they built their brand, how made in the U.S.A. is changing and how being based in Montana has been a huge positive.

ACL: You guys pretty much exploded Kickstarter. Were you surprised at the response?

Jack Barley: We had a pretty good idea of the level of interest as a result of our newsletter following. We were, however, blown away that so much of our funding happened so quickly in the campaign.

KS campaigns are pretty straightforward. Your revenue can be sales you drove via existing following, newsletter, press and Facebook advertising. And then Sales that come from people who find you on KS via KS sorting algorithm. The breakdown often comes down to 75% what the brand drives via the above and 25% can from KS. The more you drive the larger the KS 25% will be.

These numbers held up for our campaign. Typically brands that make a million or more on KS spend a couple hundred grand on FB ads during the campaign. Evergoods actually spent zero dollars on ads. I would say if we did not spend a year and a half to build a following in advance we may have funded but we would not have nearly quadrupled our funding goal.

How did that launch strategy help EVERGOODS?

Before we envisioned using Kickstarter, my partner Kevin and I had actually gone after some investment capital. We had created a multi-year product schedule with some crazy number of SKU’s and would need the money to pay ourselves and then manufacture this level of product. After a couple meetings with a very interested party, there was a feeling between Kevin and myself that this was not the way forward that would allow us to control the future of EVERGOODS. So, we looked at what it would take to get 2 products ready and crowdfund the business. We both put up the money to rent, build-out, and operate our design facility for a year and a half working full-time with zero pay to get the first two bags ready for the campaign.

This forced us to be very picky about how we spent our money as well as gave us the ability to fully own the development process. To be honest, if we had not gotten the bags to a level they needed to be we would have delayed our July 11^th launch date.

Launching this way also forced us to get creative in how we spread the word about what we were up to. I listened to a podcast in December 2016 chronicling how another guy (who had previously founded a successful hunting company) was starting a new brand with less than ideal capitol and he built a blog and was able to grow it to several thousand followers before his launch. I thought I can do that – the blog part anyhow – and the least that will come of it is that we will learn how to tell our story and solidify our vision for what we want EVERGOODS to be.

Were there downsides?

Hindsight is 20/20 and we are grateful we went this route. What it hurt was adding a toll on our personal lives. Rent and mortgagees and medical and food all still have to come. The financial hardship is real. Our wives were our biggest champions and we needed their support.

We talked a bit during your build phase before launching EVERGOODS. You took a slightly unconventional approach of building the brand with transparency on social media and a blog from early in the development phase. What was your thought process?

It is funny when you are forced to get creative you can often come up with something better than you imagined possible. In the beginning, I wanted the blog to be an inside look at what it takes to build a business or outdoor gear brand. All decisions are huge in the early stages and that made for some content that our reader most likely had not ever been privy to experiencing.

We are reimagining how and when we will post our content this year as we build towards Kickstarter number 2. We have our early adopters but also people coming to the blog who are not necessarily going to go back to and read from the beginning. It’s an interesting challenge.

Do you think that approach helped you guys actually make more noise than launching the brand in a traditional way (keeping quiet during the build-up and then debuting everything at once)?

For sure. We were lucky to have so many friends in the press world willing to share our blog and story with their following. I think they found our initial concept and execution of some value for their reader and jumped on board early sharing our early, prototypes and blog with their viewers. This really bumped up the sign-ups were got.

Right now you only have four products. It seems more and more that people love brands or experiences that are simple. Do you plan to retain this level of simplicity?

We hope to stay self-funded and there is a limit to how much work the two of us can get done. After the successful launch on Kickstarter, we went back to our multiyear product outline and opted to add two more complimentary goods to the lineup this summer. We really want to design our future heritage pieces, so there’s a lot of up-front effort to get things right. Once a design is finished we’d love to just keep selling it, rather than re-designing every few seasons. We are more interested in quality than quantity.

What did you learn at Goruck? How did that shape your approach at EVERGOODS?

That when there’s a will there’s a way. Small business is really hand-to-hand combat. But, the things I was bad at GORUCK in the early days I was able to think about a bit more clearly in the early days for EVERGOODS. Cash forecasting, factory OPS, marketing outreach, and most importantly what I hope is a more rounded approach to how we answer the design challenges that we lay out in front of ourselves.

How much does being in Bozeman affect what you are trying to do? Seems like the ideal place to launch an outdoor brand.

Bozeman is the inspiration for what is EVERGOODS. I spent years working here for GORUCK building products that not many people in the area used. As I worked here and began to experience and enjoy the proximity of downtown and the mountainscape I began to wish for products that thrived in both environments. Typically, mountain product fits amazing but is not necessary in fabrics and features sets that make them excel in the every day.

You actually inspired us to realize we could be a part of Bozeman and we should own that and it paved the way for our partnership with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. Their tagline is MAINSTREET to the MOUNTAINs. We just gave them 1% of last year’s revenue. That felt really good. Thanks for being a sounding board and helping us clarify that opportunity.

Do you think the Made in the U.S.A. movement is over? Have you noticed consumer attitudes trend away from domestic manufactured goods?

I cannot say that it is over. I can share some numbers. When we moved our production to Vietnam ( as opposed to US Manufacturing like we promoted) after our campaign we offered a full refund to all backers. We only lost 30 out of 600 or so. I expected this number to be higher. Additionally, we had been speaking with a Japanese distributor under the assumption they could sell our USA made goods. I called them to say we were moving production and they went to a dozen Japanese retailers and asked them how important U.S.A. made was and it was not close to the top of their lists on what is important in being able to sell to the Japanese consumer. This came as a surprise to our Japanese partner and ourselves.

I know from other people I have spoken to over the years that it’s just unnecessarily hard to make stuff in the U.S.A. because of there’s just so little manufacturing left here and that there are just so many challenges (lack of options for factories, the price of labor makes it expensive considering the quality). Why did you ultimately decide not to make in the U.S.A.?

There are a million bags in the market. What makes these bags unique?

I think our bags are a combination of decisions regarding fit, function, access, ergonomics, and materials that make them their own thing in the pack world. They have heft but are also so nimble and easy to use and get in-and-out of. Initial feedback is supporting this and we are stoked people are pleased with their bags.

What have you learned about yourself as an entrepreneur? What advise would you give to someone starting out?

That it is all doable. Even though I helped create GORUCK, Jason really drove what the brand became through the events platform. I spent most of my time living product and production.

Starting out: be bold. Know your story. Work it and refine it. Then go after it. And be willing to be wrong. Be willing to ask for help.

My Griswold dates back to the late 1930s or early 1940s. It’s a small cross logo pan that’s not really that collectable. The fact that collectors pass it up is a good thing, it means that it can be purchased for relatively little. Even if you had to pay $150 per pan it would be worth it to me considering the versatility and longevity if properly cared for. I started researching the era of my skillet and it led me to eBay where I found people were trading some cast iron for hundreds, and in some cases thousands of dollars. The high-dollar stuff is really just for collectors, but almost all of that stuff would still work as well now as the day it came out of the foundry a century ago, which is crazy town.

One of the things that makes this old cast iron great is the fact that the cooking surface is machined to a smooth finish. If you buy inexpensive modern cast iron (like the stuff Lodge sells) the face of the pan is rough and is a bit more sticky than a milled cast iron pan. I don’t want to say they are cheap, but you are getting what you pay for with pans that don’t have a machined cooking surface. They can still do a lot and are very affordable, which for some budgets is important. If that’s all you can swing, it’s a great buy.

If you want to go for an upgrade (and don’t want to hunt for old iron on eBay) then Field Company makes –in my opinion– the best new cast iron. It’s all milled like the old Griswold cast iron, so the cooking surface is clean and smooth, which is spectacular. Field Co. skillets have some weight to them, but aren’t as heavy as some other new cast iron pans I have come across. Having a good weight is important –not too heavy, but also not too light– but so is finding a balance point with a pan that makes it easy to hold and maneuver. Field Company gets this right and are a great buy in my opinion. Even if they were $200 you’re going to own it forever and like your favorite pair of jeans, you’ll be using it everyday. Ask old Kent Collins, he knows what’s up.

When properly seasoned, both old and new are a non-stick dream, but the vintage stuff ends up feeling better. These days I mostly use my Lodge out on the grill to roast veggies and to give me a good sear on a steak. My family of Griswolds (at this point my collection has expanded to a #4, #6 and #9) and my #10 Field Co. stay in the kitchen and work the lion’s share of my cooking. There’s a lot of info out there on how to season your pan. I use a combination of the steam method and these Japanese brushes (without soap). I also use this oil to season my pans: Cast Iron Oil. Field Company has a good guide here. I think the most important thing with maintaining the seasoning is to avoid soap, always dry the pan on the burner and season with oil at the end. Trial and error will get you where you need to go. If you mess up and remove the seasoning, you can always oil it up and put it in the oven at 500 for an hour and it will start back on the road to being non-stick.

There’s so much information out there on cast iron that it almost becomes more confusing than it needs to be. There’s really not much to figure out if you want to get one. Figure out what size you want, what your budget can afford and then how to clean and season it. If you know that, then you will easily figure the rest out. Here’s a guide to buying old cast iron on eBay. This company sources rare and good Griswolds if you want a non-eBay source. These cast iron skillets are just so versatile you can pretty much do whatever you want with them. The utility and resilience of a good cast iron pan is almost impossible to believe. It’s one of the few things you would buy that can get used almost daily and will last forever. You can count on one hand the things you can put in that category.

Anyone who has followed this site will know that I’m interested in where and how things are made. The ProV1 – and now the new AVX– are my ball of choice, through the years I’ve noticed that the ProV1 and ProV1x boxes list Ball Plant III as their place of manufacture. So that’s what I wanted to see – and Titleist was nice enough to allow me inside with my camera (recently Titleist began offering public tours) to see the ProV1 being made.

Titleist golf ball manufacturing goes back all the way back to 1935 when the Acushnet Company unveiled the first ball with the Titleist script. The inspiration to make a better golf ball even goes back decades earlier. It’s an interesting story that still drives the search for unmatched quality that permeates every aspect of ball manufacturing at Titleist. (There’s a Golf Channel segment at the bottom of this post which beautifully tells the full history.)

In a lot of ways, this factory was similar to some of the other American factories I have visited. The employees – many of whom have worked at BP3 for a long time– all had tremendous pride in their work. As we walked the line people would tell stories of their time working there, of their friends and relatives who also worked there. It’s a fairly automated process, but the people who are involved are highly skilled. Titleist has a long history of making high-quality golf balls and the company has a tremendous amount of IP in the space. It also puts in god knows how much into R&D to continue to push boundaries (which must be working if you consider the PGA Tour debate about the ball), but to me, the people are what make BP3 and the ProV1 so good. A golf ball with a Titleist logo is an American icon and those people in New Bedford are the ones who carry on the tradition.

Like a set of irons, what is good for you isn’t necessarily the right thing for everyone. There are a lot of good golf balls out there and it’s important to find what suits your tendencies and your game. But considering the standards that Titleist has maintained over decades, there’s no denying that there’s something special going on at Ball Plant III.

This week we went to the Masters for the first time. It was better than I could have ever imagined. Never in my life have I been to an event that was meticulously managed, more seamlessly executed and more enjoyable. Every touchpoint is considered. Every brand moment well-thought out. No organization goes to greater lengths to think through every aspect of something the way ANGC does with the Masters.

If you can find a way to make it to Augusta once in your life, do it. You won’t regret it. It’s the most meticulously manicured piece of land I have ever encountered. It’s an 18-hole American Versailles. Before setting foot on the grounds I heard that ANGC was stunning, but I never knew just how beautiful of a place it is. I wondered about the history of the land that Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts choose to site what would become one of the most famous golf courses in the world. The acreage was originally the Fruitlands Plantation and was later a nursey before the land was sold to Jones and Roberts. The fact that Augusta National was a nursey is the reason the holes are all based on flowering trees or shrubs like azalea, Pink Dogwood, and Carolina Cherry. Another interesting historical tidbit is that Magnolia Lane was originally planted al the way back in 1858 and 1859 by Belgian born horticulturist L.E.M Berckmans. There is a lot of interesting historical information known about the site.

The night before the opening round of competition we planned our approach to the day over Velvet Hammers at the Augusta Country Club. Seasoned Masters patrons instructed us to start by organizing on the #1 tee to hear the honorary starters Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, and then head immediately to Amen Corner while it was quiet. Obviously, I had seen this stretch of the course on TV, but it wasn’t until my visit to the Masters did I learn the origin of the name for the 11th, 12th and 13th holes. Famed Sports Illustrated writer Herbert Warren Wind named Amen Corner and along the way it has become the most iconic part of the golf course. SI has done an amazing job digitizing its archives and the original April 21, 1958 story of Amen Corner is below. If you can’t be bothered to read the scans, you can see that story online here.