The alarm abruptly comes to life at 3:30 AM, piping a rude stream of noise deep into my dreams. I fumble for the snooze button until an inkling of consciousness hits and I begin to remember the excitement of the day ahead.

Moving quickly, I check the weather forecast one last time, get dressed, kiss my wife goodbye, grab a snack, coffee and my Mini 3 Pro, and head out the door by 3:50. Hitting the road with enthusiasm, I crank music to get pumped up for the adventure that lies ahead, peering at the horizon as the first hints of light start to come into focus.

What awaits at my destination an hour-plus away? Clear skies? Interesting cloud distortion and a vibrant dawn? A dreaded layer of morning fog? Or even worse, completely overcast and rainy conditions?

Regardless, with golf scheduled later in the morning, it’s sure to be an excellent day, and I’m a happy camper as I cruise towards another glistening golf property.

This is the routine I’ve fallen into as an aspiring golf photographer and content creator, embracing the pre-dawn darkness to get into position for the best possible lighting one can find.

Yes, this year, I’ve gone all in.

During peak season, I was visiting, capturing and playing one or two courses a week, depleting my PTO bank with zest.

By my count, I’ve shot 30 golf courses from the air this season and am now proud to possess a treasure trove of content from a season that’s exceeded the bounds of my imagination.

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Here are some of my favorite shots of the 2024 season:

The top experiences of the year have been nothing short of extraordinary, as I’ve had the privilege to visit some amazing places for the first time and return to some gems that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed in the past, as well.

For this post, though, I’ll focus on the top five experiences of the season that particularly stood out. Spanning four states, these golf adventures took me across the country as I honed my content creation skills and put my game to the test at an array of challenging venues.

Cabot Citrus Farms and the PGA Show

In January, I joined the WiscoGolfAddict team for a much-needed golf-oriented escape from the Midwest cold as we attended the PGA Show in Orlando and, of course, carved out time to get in a few rounds in the area.

Headlining the trip was a visit to Cabot Citrus Farms, one of 2024’s hottest new U.S. properties. The place lived up to the insatiable media buzz that surrounded its grand opening, especially in our round on its crown jewel, the Karoo Course.

Spilling over a wild landscape of sandhills, the property is the opposite of what one would typically expect in Central Florida. Architect Kyle Franz has worked his magic to turn its predecessor, the World Woods Pine Barrens course, into something truly remarkable with out-of-this-world greens complexes and mass tree removal to rightfully expose the surreal sandscape.

Quick loops at the resort’s two short courses, The Wedge and The Squeeze, were thoroughly enjoyable as well, and it’s clear that Cabot has something special cooking here. We’re already looking forward to a return trip next month to play The Roost, the second 18-hole layout on property that just opened.

My first-ever PGA Show followed, a trip down the rabbit hole of the burgeoning golf industry, opening my eyes to the sheer number of brands and companies that are hard at work elevating golf to untold heights. The cavernous exhibition hall at the Orange County Convention Center was a joy to explore, filled with thousands of like-minded golf addicts.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

In my youth, a round at this property spawned an interest in great golf architecture, an obsession that continues to escalate to this day. As I found out firsthand, Pete Dye’s masterpiece by the sea is well-deserving of all the accolades it enjoys, with challenging, bold holes built atop a magnificent oceanfront setting.

This past spring I returned for another loop at The Ocean Course, and was just as awestruck as I had been 22 years prior. With perfect April weather and low wind, I was able to take on this notoriously tough course with confidence, delightfully shooting in the low 80’s.

The Ocean Course is also one of the most photogenic properties I’ve seen, and during another family trip to South Carolina in the fall I made a point to return and capture it in all its glory from the air.

Madison’s Top Ten Golf Courses

As a Madison native, this project was near and dear to me. I had never seen a comprehensive ranking of the area’s golf properties, so early in the season I decided it was time to put my best foot forward and tackle this initiative that I had been considering since I got into writing.

However, with many years passed since my last visits to many of these courses, it was imperative to play and capture as many as I could to ensure I had a current perspective on the area golf scene free of previous bias.

So, throughout the season, I systematically checked off the top ten courses on my list, playing nine of them and capturing all ten.

While Madison lacks elite-level golf you’ll find in other state hotbeds like Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Central Wisconsin, it has a deep lineup of solid, well-kept layouts that are worthy visits. While University Ridge solidly placed first in my ranking, there frankly wasn’t a huge drop-off from #2 to #10 and I had terrific experiences at each venue.

Sand Valley

It had been three years since my only visit to Sand Valley, so this summer it was high time to return.

Joining my longtime friend, Wrede, and his two buddies, we did the trip justice by booking rounds on all five courses (including The Lido) and took up residence in one of the resort’s exceptional four-bedroom cottages.

In my first Sand Valley trip, I had only played Mammoth Dunes and The Sandbox, so this time around I looked forward to first-time plays at the original Sand Valley course, The Lido and Sedge Valley.

Battling oppressive mid-summer heat, I unfortunately had to sit out of the round at Sedge due to cramps, but was able to return on a perfect September day with my dad to check it off the list.

In my opinion, Sand Valley is only rivaled by Bandon Dunes as the best golf destination I’ve visited (it’s not a coincidence that both are Dream Golf properties, by the way), with all five of its courses boasting world-class golf in breathtakingly beautiful settings. I was most taken by the original Sand Valley course, but every round on the trip knocked it out of the park.

BOYNE, Michigan

Michigan is a state that’s struck a chord with my golfing spirit several times in the past, a hotbed of excellent properties set to a wonderful glacially-formed landscape.

Sound familiar?

It sure is, coming from the other side of the lake where the golf is just as excellent. But Michigan’s public golf scene tends to fly a little more under the radar than Wisconsin’s, and that’s especially true for BOYNE Golf.

Headed into a WiscGolfAddict team trip to BOYNE resorts in the northern L.P. this summer, I knew virtually nothing about the ten (!) golf courses under its umbrella, save for the better-publicized Bay Harbor Golf Club.

After playing seven of the courses over five days, this was a truly epic experience with all rounds exceeding expectations. The destination offers impressive variety, with a wide range of architectural styles and natural settings across its three resorts. Exceptional course conditioning, top-notch amenities/lodging and blissful scenery were all constants throughout the week, though, making this an A-list trip and one of my most cherished adventures of the season.

There are plenty of places worth visiting in Michigan, but you’d do yourself a disservice by not considering BOYNE for your next golf trip to the region.

These were but a few of the many memorable experiences of the year, and I’ve had the joy to stockpile many others. There’s no doubt that my immersion in the game has escalated this season once again, as I’ve played more rounds, visited more courses, written more articles and created more content than any other season past.

My updated personal Top 50 courses played features many new entrants and significant shifting in order. This goes to show just how productive of a season it has been, with the list becoming ever-more-exclusive by the year.

My golf game wasn’t half bad this year, either. While my overall scoring average increased this season, I managed to drop my handicap slightly and recorded three 75’s, thrice matching my lowest score shot in the past seven seasons.

I’ve tinkered more with equipment this season, too, mainly in an attempt to pump up existing strengths – namely, wedge play and putting. I’ve tested out new brands and techniques, relying on experts in each micro-area of the industry to yield gains in areas that I didn’t even know held promise.

Closing Thoughts

2024 was an unforgettable season of golf, writing and photography, and as I reflect on it I become equally excited for the season ahead. With another trip to the PGA Show, a first-ever visit to Streamsong and return to Cabot Cirus Farms just a few weeks away, 2025 promises to start off with a bang.

I can’t wait to see what other adventures are in store next season, and look forward to writing about more great experiences in the year ahead.

What were some of your highlights and proudest moments of the 2024 season? We’d love to hear all about it in the Comments section!