Features

Pebble’s Ripples

tm_pebble-beach
Pebble Beach was an elusive hunting ground for Arnold Palmer as a player, but he has since found peace there as an owner and course designer. His victory thrusts all foundered, yet his love for this idyllic stretch of Californian coastline has never dimmed. Chris Rodell charts the Quixotic bond between the King and one of his least obedient subjects Photography by Patrick Drickey stonehousegolf.com

Inland Game

tm_midwest
Ice fishing, da Bears and lots and lots of wind come to mind when one thinks of the Great Lakes, but the same breezes that give Chicago its Windy City nickname also tickle many a fairway across the Upper Midwest. Both the P.G.A. and the U.S.G.A. chose Wisconsin to host several recent championships. The state with the most golf courses per capita is not Florida, California or South Carolina, it’s Michigan. And the Ryder Cup is coming to the Chicago area in 2012—though whether or not it will attract the same fans that fill Soldier Field every NFL season remains to be seen. Either way, there’s golf here. To find out where it is, we asked Kingdom correspondent Chris Rodell

Who Dat!

tm_drew-brees
Few people know the thrill of winning a Super Bowl. Fewer still know what it’s like to bring victory home to a city in need of some good news. Drew Brees did just that, and became one of New Orleans’ favorite sons. Mike Andrews wonders how the quarterback finds time for golf…

An audience with The King

tm_apqanda
Back home in Latrobe after a great season at Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer was absorbed with his new iPad when Kingdom correspondent Chris Rodell dropped by for a chat. The rain outside meant there wouldn’t be any golf played, but the King was happy—as always— to talk about the game, his family, and why someone might call a penalty on himself

Racing For the Stars

tm_space
You need only look up to see it, but space—that is, the potentially infinite blackness overhead—is perhaps best experienced by closing one’s eyes. For the moment, there’s not a tremendous amount of distance between the imagination and the relatively few realities we’ve discovered “up there.” Less certain is how our next round of discoveries will be made; the Shuttle program is ending this year, the most recent NASA mission has been scrubbed and a new plan is just now starting to take shape. But we are still making strides, and many of them were little more than dreams themselves just a few years ago.

Cat Power

tm_jag
Jaguar’s XFR is powerful, luxurious and unbelievable value—our editor wakes up to the stuff that dreams are made of

Easy Does It

tm_els
Ernie Els is Arnold Palmer’s kind of man, and golfer. Personable, friendly and above all a crowd pleaser, he plays the game in the style and spirit of the King—hard, fair, and with flair. Paul Trow was at Bay Hill when the big South African received the royal assent

Trump Talks Clubs

tm_trump
What makes a good golf club? What kinds of services, amenities and courses do members expect? What’s often missing? What’s a waste of a club owner’s time and money? What will define the great golf clubs of the future?

Ribera del Duero

tm_wine
Just three words, iambic in rhythm. Say them once and you’re speaking Spanish. Say them again and you’re reciting poetry—and just wait until it’s poured into your glass. Kingdom’s John Halnan practices his verse…

Model Pilots

tm_model-planes
In a world where surfing is online and mail doesn’t require a stamp, Kingdom’s editor wonders if model aircraft still fly. With glue, duct tape and a pile of spare parts, two ends of the hobby spectrum offer a resounding “yes”