My Top 10 Golf Photos of ‘24 - Walker Simas
#1: SCALE AT OLD BARNWELL
This photo was taken in the late part of December, 2023 but it’s been stashed away in my files and this was the perfect opportunity to use it. Routing of golf holes is something that’s almost impossible to discuss in a way where the point lands- much like trying to show someone a 2D drawing of a 3D object. I’ve become obsessed with capturing this effect when I can. These two holes sit side by side on a 2D plan, yet carry much more weight when experienced in person. Even someone disinterested in the routing of golf holes will find themselves staring at the amphitheater right of the 6th looking up to 18 green.
#2: CABOT IS MASSIVE
In 2021 I decided that golf construction was not the best-fit path for me to satisfy my long-term goals. I did, however, want to continue learning, so I moved to Tampa to work in the turf equipment business. Our HQ was 20 minutes from the front gates at World Woods- a half-dead golf course being propped up by local revenue. Cabot had already bought-in and expressed their vision for the place, so I went to go play it for the first time to better understand the transformation when it was finished. Throughout the next four years, Cabot Citrus Farms became a key case study for how a massive golf & hospitality operation works. This photo was taken in early February as we toured the grounds prior to opening their gates for preview play. A few months later, we were able to film our first video as a collective group of Sticks, which you can watch here.
#3: “THE FRAY” @ STREAMSONG BLACK
In March I had the opportunity to do what everyone knows is the greatest gift in golf - playing golf with your Dad. He’d played Streamsong a bunch, and it was a bit of a crime for me to live in Tampa and not see the place. This picture was on the 12th at Black (my least favorite of the 3), but illustrates something I care about deeply when it comes to design. For this example, I’ll call it “The Fray” - the (hopefully) rugged, worn-in line between maintained turf and an area meant to be left alone. This concept looks different everywhere you go, but for the ethos of Streamsong, it was perfect.
#4: ANGLE OF FEAR
TPC Sawgrass is an icon in professional golf for a reason, and it was a treat to see it this year for The Players. The 16th hole uses the water right of the green to intimidate players from reaching the green in two in hopes for an eagle chip, pitch, or putt. The massive tree located short of the green is a factor, and let’s not forget about the trouble down the left off the tee. By itself, it is a pretty good hole. What makes it great, in my opinion, is the look over to the island green 17th. Pete Dye was known for obscuring the view of the golfer, confusing him to the point of insanity. Very seldom does the fear or anticipation for another hole distract (in a very real way) from the task at hand. It’s also why I got a better photo than the cameraman sitting in the fairway.
#5: THE P!NK P!G
Back in June I went on my first site visit to Broomsedge after having Mike Koprowski on for a couple interviews. The site he found in rural South Carolina was previously a hunting ground, and came with a pink cabin now dubbed “The Pink Pig”. In the beginning, it became a war room of sorts where founding superintendent Shawn Fettig ran his operation as the maintenance facilities sprouted out of the ground. It was also the home of this old stove, which I hope they keep.
#6: BACK YARD GAMES
When I arrived at High Pointe for the first time, I was not shocked to see that golf had made its way to the house we lived in across the street. Tucked between the main entrance to the club and a state forest, it was extremely dark at all times of the day. We had a few mats and a shag-bag, and there were competitions held on a daily basis right next to the weber.
#7: THE RACE TO OPEN
Shortly after my arrival was a race for opening day at High Pointe, and eventually the first cut pins. Trey did the honors and picked the hole locations, and the Jr. of course superintendent Chris Danbrook was the one cutting them. It was a special day and a special week for all involved. Not without its stress, everyone on site had this child-like giddiness to get out there and experience the thing they had been working so hard to create. Zooming in on Trey for a moment, who had just as much involvement as anybody in this re-incarnation- seeing him take it all in was a cool moment to capture. We drove up the hill to the back tee on 14 to place the wooden, self-sanded and branded tee markers he’d made. He got out and just stood there for a bit. It might have been the highlight of the entire summer, looking back on it.
#8: THE GARDEN THAT IS CRYSTAL DOWNS
By August I was fortunate to get a few spins around Crystal Downs, a place I’d wanted to see for so long. Captured here is the 16th, which might be the toughest (good) tee shot for a right-handed cut player I’ve ever seen. On this specific tee shot, there’s so much to like: the golf takes up a minimal amount of the landscape, and the horizon line (hill) makes sure you have a blind second into a gettable 5, keeping the hole a mystery until it’s crested. Also, how good is that birdhouse?
#9: GOLDEN HOUR
This picture was during one of many (but far too few) late afternoon rounds with staff and my fellow caddies at High Pointe. It also illustrates ‘the tie’ to the hops farm where the old front nine was located. The journey from the new 1st, through the new front, into the old section (8,9,12-16), back into the new (17,18) is remarkable. Particularly at the end of the day, the way the sun hits the old holes is something you don’t want to miss out on.
#10. ROAD TRIP
Speaking of things you don’t want to miss out on… A road trip with your buddies is almost impossible to beat. Taken on our way to go see Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix, this was a day that WAS impossible to beat. The previous day we’d tackled Kingsley Club and Champion Hill, two courses on opposite ends of the “awareness” spectrum. But the final day of Strike Michigan was especially beautiful. If you want to see more, click here to subscribe to SICKS YouTube Channel- where this episode will air the final week of January 2025.
Thanks for following along, and here’s to an electric 2025.