Finally golfers. 7 Mile Beach. 30 years after Mat Goggin told me he’d one day build a course here. @claytondevriespont.bsky.social

The new edition of the SAGCA's Golf Architecture magazine includes an article by @lukasmichel.bsky.social on the use of bunkering in modern golf design theory as well as two from @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social on diplomacy (yes, really) plus the use of bunkers at 7 Mile Beach.

Wrapping up a sensational 2025 with a reminder of the best of the best. Apologies to the many others who contributed to an unforgettable season of majors and Cup events. quadrilateral.substack.com/p/the-quads-...

Lucky we went the first day. Didn’t go too long after that. 😰

Change of sport for the day. Ashes cricket at the MCG. @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social was kind/brave enough to join me in the England supporters section. Lots of wickets and the Aussies ahead as per ****ing usual.

Our annual Holes That Aren't Holes Xmas Competition. Send your suggestion via DM or to [email protected]. Judge @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social will decide the winner who will receive our new Spanish #afterisalwaysbetter hat celebrating our new course build at Val de Rois in Galicia. Entries by Jan 10.

golf.com.au/news/clayton... Elvis Smylie. Ryo Hisatsune The Presidents Cup and Geoff Ogilvy.

In advance of this week’s Australian Open, the excellent @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social joined me for a Q&A on Australian golf, Royal Melbourne, equipment, and much more www.thefriedegg.com/articles/mik...

Always read @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social golf.com.au/news/clayton...

Not the worst view from a 17th green. Kauri Cliffs. NZ.

Designed by Frank Pont, the new 14th green at Hallamshire GC in Sheffield continues to take shape. @ivgd1.bsky.social @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social

Final checks at 7 Mile Beach the @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social way. 📷: @lukasmichel.bsky.social

"... Congrats to @ivgd1.bsky.social who has been working here since 2002 ... Everything is dialled in, the fairways are suitably wide, the pines are back from play, and the heather has regenerated ... a supremely idyllic place to enjoy a game." Ran Morrissett, GolfClubAtlas, on Eindhovensche

To those in favour of a free drop from a fairway divot….does that mean a great lie far into the rough must be declined, the ball moved into a more “deserving” spot? Just asking 🤷‍♂️

Mike and Josh enjoying a game at Club de Golf del Uruguay with Eduardo Payovich, former head pro and club historian.

Last year, we were commissioned to build a 6 green "course" for a client in Central Victoria. The mandate was to create multiple routing options from each tee. @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social : "Lukas Michel built greens that take shots from a variety of angles. It's immense fun finding new options."

An update on the second phase of our renovations to Royal Perth in Western Australia. m.youtube.com/watch?v=gu2j...

It's a bright and breezy morning in Yorkshire as construction of Hallamshire's new 14th green continues. 📷: @ivgd1.bsky.social

Maybe we add a new tee for 14 to the left of 13 green and make something like the famous Dell Hole at Lahinch. The preview play showed us the tees were likely to be a little small.

By some way the best vegetated course in Australia. Peninsula North. Indigenous coastal manna gums and heathlands.

The beauty of springtime heathlands at Royal Melbourne. 12th hole. Readying for Rory in six weeks.

14th tee, The Addington, Surrey, England. Before and after expert woodland management by John Nicholson & Ross Macneil. Photos: David Cannon #afterisalwaysbetter @ivgd1.bsky.social @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social

bit.ly/4mNvIOd. On Rory, and in contrast to last week, greens with fire and an appreciative crowd.

An admission: am having trouble suppressing giggles at the earnestness (and length) of Golf Channel’s Pre-Ryder coverage. So over the top it is almost reaching Monty Python sketch levels 😃

Hobart. Seven Mile Beach. Opening December. 10 green- a short 4 to the beach and 15 green - a reachable par 5. Blind second if you drive to the right.

An oldie….but topical 👇 golfdigestme.com/how-pole-vau...

Indigenous heathland and coastal manna gums - and a non-indigenous eucalyptus after this week’s high winds in Melbourne. The flora that belongs is always best Victoria GC on the Melbourne sandbelt.

@mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social: "There are 2 sorts of par3 - those where the pin position completely changes the shot you hit and those (usually with a small green) where no matter the pin position, you hit the same shot. Perdu at The Addington is an example of the former, the great 13th the latter."

#holesthatarentholes St Andrews Beach, Victoria, Australia 2nd tee to 7th green 📷: @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social

Huggy on the Walker Cup.

Grassing is underway on Stage 2 of our Masterplan for Royal Perth in WA in partnership with KruseGolf. This phase includes 7 new greens and adjoining tees plus a large Himalayas putting green. All shaping by @lukasmichel.bsky.social with oversight from @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social and Harley Kruse.

In Defense Of Cypress Point's 18th open.substack.com/pub/quadrila...

MacKenzie's Careful Embrace Of Cypress Point's Legendary 16th open.substack.com/pub/quadrila...

The Sandbelt isn’t always sand. Yarra Yarra GC - the new practice pitching/bunker green. @claytondevriespont.bsky.social

Memo for Scottish Golf (2): this morning at the U.S. Amateur there will be a 20-man for 17 spots play-off to get into match play. It’s what national championships do. What they do not do is have pathetic card count backs to decide who progresses and who does not. Just saying 🙄

Is Elanora the Fontainebleau of Sydney or Fontainebleau the Elanora of Paris? The rocky escarpment in the middle of the course has great similarities with our Parisian client 10,000 miles away. Harley Kruse explains how more native vegetation will in time make the Sydney sandstone more visible.

@mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social with contractor Ben Burke at Yarra Yarra GC. We are executing our partner Harley Kruse's plan to revegetate some key areas with indigenous species such as stipa, rice flower and trigger plant.

CDP and KruseGolf have been jointly appointed consulting course architect to Elanora Country Club, NSW, Australia. @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social: "We are delighted to be working at Elanora which I believe to be New South Wales's best golfing property north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge."

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www.golf.org.au/mike-clayton.... On Ian B-F Cam Smith and the unknowable. And the difference between Peter Thomson and Greg Norman.

t.co/jqg4P0tiJe. On Grace Kim and three of the finest half dozen shots hit by an Australian on the final hole of a major championship

The latest edition of the UK's National Club Golfer / Golf World. A piece on 7 Mile Beach by its co-designer, @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social.

images.ctfassets.net/3urhge2ecl20... On the new Royal Sydney and its 18th hole now being “able to hold its head up in polite society” (A.W Tillinghast)?

Included in Golf World's new article on its ranking of GB&I's links courses is this essay by our own @mikeclaytongolf.bsky.social.

t.co/1MFJb0W9sB On the US Open - with a tennis comparison from John Fitzgerald thrown in.