13 golf photos we loved from 2024 — straight from our staff’s phones!

As golf has grown globally, so has our staff. This year alone, we’ve sent our team to places as far away as Paris, Melbourne and South Korea, as well as dozens of golf courses closer to home. Our writers, video producers and social media document their journeys by all means, including the cameras on their phones. Here are some of our staff’s favorite photos from the past year.

He shot this one before TV cameras came along. It’s Janet Lin, crying at the Paris Olympics with her face buried in her boyfriend’s shoulder. He had just found out that he was guaranteed third place and a bronze medal in China. It’s the only event all year where third place feels like that, and I was lucky enough to see the excitement unfold right away. – Sean Zak

The Valhalla hill looked muddy, but accessible … oh, who was I kidding, it looked slippery. But at the PGA Championship in May, I was trailing a group of players and needed to keep up, so I went down – and slipped in front of a bunch of people, well I block the sound of my connection with the turf. But I was fine. I braced myself and went back up, although I was left with a good mess on the right side of my body, as you can see. Made for a rare appearance at press conferences. – Nick Piastowski

That’s my 12-year-old son Declan in the foreground, looking at the bunker at Upper Montclair (NJ) CC, during the LPGA’s Founders Cup pro-am, which I was lucky enough to play in. Bring Declan in the loop for me. This photo makes me smile because, as if trying to do a raking technique in this area isn’t a big enough ask, my kid, at this point, also has the pro caddy’s watchful eyes on him. No pressure, baby! The good news is, his appointment was much better than my shot. A low bar but still… – Alan Bastable

This is Jason’s day (if you can find him) walking out in front of a raucous Canadian crowd on his way to the international return center on Day 2 of the Presidents Cup. A healthy combination of Labatts and INT sunk putts provided a vital boost to fans on Friday. – Emma Devine

The mountainous terrain of southern Montana was the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable wild round at Rising Sun Golf Course. The day consisted of hitting every club in the bag, escaping the thunder and plenty of jaw-dropping views. Places like these show why the Rocky Mountain region is an underrated golf destination. – Adam Christensen

As golf writers, we are fortunate to have what many people consider a “fun job.” And usually, when people tell me that I have a “fun job,” I say so is something it’s fun, but usually sounds it’s better than it was (check it out, five nights in a row at 11pm Chipotle in Augusta).

In 2024, I stopped saying that, I started making the art of polite agreement. I stopped because my job took me on the biggest trip of my life: a trip halfway around the world to Oz – Australia – for two weeks through some of the biggest courses in the world. I would describe the experience of playing Victoria’s “Sandbelt” courses as the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and if that’s all I can do. always take from my time as a golf writer, well, I’ll die a happy young man. In retrospect, writing golf in 2024 was a very interesting task. – James Colgan

This year, my mother told me that she is interested in re-establishing her long-term disability index. Yes! So, we played a series of rounds throughout the hot Arizona summer together, and I loved it. However, one shot that often gave mom problems was the short voice. It is a necessary shot to have in your arsenal, especially on the course we used to go to, and we have worked hard to be friendly with the sand wedge to achieve the high trajectory you need to overcome hazards such as bunkers and water. I took this photo from a recent round of We-Ko-Pa, and I love it because it shows a very well-used tone from the strong manga over the treacherous house. The ball landed a little on the green, just like my mother wanted. I was proud! Spending time on the course with the people you love is the greatest joy of the game. And having the opportunity to share small victories like this is very satisfying. – Jessica Marksbury

There’s no more amazing PGA Tour site than Kapalua, and there’s no better feeling than hope. This was Sentry’s first game on the eve of the first tournament of the season, when anything can happen. I’m excited for the next one. – Dylan Dethier

We celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday in style with a hole-in-one on the elevated 9th at Hamptons Mini Golf in Southampton, NY Surrounded by the likes of Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America, Sebonack and literally across the street from in Southampton. The golf club, I can’t think of another small golf course that has so much (real) golf history around it. The course includes faithful reproductions of many landmarks, including the Montauk Point Lighthouse, an ode to Shinnecock Nation history and the old Old Hook Windmill in the background of this photo. We also enjoyed burgers, Ping-Pong and foosball on this beautiful fall afternoon. You have to stop when you are walking in the area. – Connor Federico

There are many ways to make a living in this game. Taehyun Kong is a veteran of the South Korea-based G-Tour, the world’s largest golf league. But he has a side gig as a YouTube entertainer. I met him this past fall, at the iconic GolfZon headquarters, in the heart of Seoul’s Gangnam district. After blasting a couple of 300-plus-yard drives off the screen, Kong turned left to show me one of the many impressions he wrote on his account. Here, he does Bubba Watson. – Josh Sens

This is Godfrey Nsubuga, wearing a Ugandan nightgown, speaking to a local news team after the first round of the US Amateur this summer. He was the first player to represent Uganda at the event, and it was the culmination of a long journey that began with learning the game with golf clubs made from juniper trees. He didn’t make it during the playoffs, but stories like this are one of the many reasons why the US Amateur is such a great event. – Josh Behow

This past September, I was lucky enough to play Hay Harbor, a small private club on Fisher Island, and it was without a doubt my favorite round of golf all year. The weather was perfect: sunny, 80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. And the nine-hole course was in great shape, too. Putts just rolled in my favor as I took in the wide ocean views. I took this photo in an attempt to capture the scale of the course, which was designed by George Strath, who designed Royal Troon in Scotland. But I’m not sure my camera did it justice. After the round, I collected my winnings – a cold beer at the Pequot Inn. – Maddie MacClurg

My dad and I made an annual trip to Dornoch, in the Scottish Highlands, a few years ago and this place at number 7, looking back over the links has become my favorite place in the world. This year, the club released a custom Dormie Workshop cover featuring the image. Knowing I wouldn’t buy it for myself, I jokingly sent a picture of the cover to my amazing girlfriend, who quickly conspired with my dad to give it to me for my birthday two months later. – Jack Hirsh