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Alex Elias Originating from the Old Course at St. Andrews, ‘Eden’ is a Par-3 template that typically measures 160–180 yards, designed to test a mid-iron. Its green slopes heavily from back to front and is well protected by distinct, deep bunkers: the ‘Hill’ to the left, the ‘Strath’ pot bunker on the right, the ‘Eden’ bunker behind, and the ‘Cockleshell’ or ‘Shelly’ bunker short and right.
At Dedham Country & Polo Club (Dedham, MA) the Eden 12th plays downhill, a rarity since most renditions play more level or even slightly uphill. Because the primary trouble lies long, Brad McCluski, Director of Golf at Dedham Country & Polo Club, explained, “The goal of any Eden template is to keep the ball below the hole—especially at Dedham, where the downhill nature makes going long more likely. If players do end up long, it often leads to a difficult up-and-down, requiring an uphill chip to a green that slopes away from you.” While Shoreacres features the narrowest “Hill” bunker of any rendition, Dedham has two narrow bunkers, with the outer one wrapping around the back of the inner bunker. “I find it particularly challenging, as your lie can vary greatly in those bunkers,” said McCluski. “Because they're so narrow, the ball can end up against the lip or near the downslope on the left side, creating a variety of difficult shots.”
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Alex Elias  New apparel trends are constantly emerging in the world of golf. Decades ago, Jack Nicklaus helped popularize plaid pants. Then came Tiger Woods, who introduced a more athletic look—most notably with his iconic mock turtlenecks in the early 2000s. Today, style has evolved once again, with modern golfers favoring more tailored, performance-driven fits that seamlessly blend function and fashion both on and off the course. Most recently, patterned polos have become just as popular—if not more popular—than solids and stripes.
“Patterns have become the new stripes,” said Andrew Blatnik during his time as Director of Retail Operations at Oak Hill Country Club (Rochester, NY). “We offer solids, stripes, and patterns—but patterns have overwhelmingly been the favorite. I’d estimate that 75% of what I sell are patterns compared to solids and stripes.” That trend holds true at fellow New York club, Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, where Head Golf Professional Jeff Sullivan said, “Patterns are the new stripes. Here, it’s patterns first, then stripes, and solids.” Though patterns might seem bold to some, Sullivan added, “From a distance, it almost looks like a striped polo—but when you get up close, you notice and appreciate the pattern.” That subtlety is intentional, said Chris Frame, Director of Marketing at Holderness & Bourne: “Our patterns, even when they’re novelty prints, are designed to be small and understated—not overblown or comical. A lot of that approach comes from the necktie collections that our co-founders, Alex and John, inherited from their fathers—ties with neat little repeating patterns. From 10 feet away, they almost looked like textured solids. Up close, they told a story—always in a tasteful, appropriate way.” Across the country at Sedge Valley in Wisconsin, Director of Merchandise Todd Ogborn has seen the same shift. “Patterns are more popular than solids and stripes. People already have those and are always looking for the next style.” That demand hasn’t gone unnoticed. Brands like Holderness & Bourne have responded. “H&B’s product offering has always been anchored in solids and stripes, but over the last few years, we’ve made a conscious effort to increase our print and patterned polo styles,” said Frame. “We’ve been seeing overwhelming demand for prints and patterns from some of our best green-grass clients, so we took that feedback and ran with it. Microprints reflect our approach in general—tasteful rather than tacky, but never self-serious. Our design team has an eye for fun novelty prints that tie back nicely to each season and to the game of golf. Think sailboats, tour visors, darts, beer mugs, and the like.” |
