As I start cataloging this year’s body of work, I’m struck by just how remarkable it’s been. I’m endlessly grateful for the experiences, but what stands out most are the events we’ve hosted for our members at The Golfer’s Journal. These gatherings are more than just events; they’re moments of connection, camaraderie, and shared passion for the game. I want to take you behind the scenes, giving you a glimpse of life on the road and what makes these events so rad.
And with that I present - One For The Road. A recap of the travels, courses, people and things I see. Up first the wild ride at Old Barnwell with The Golfer’s Journal.
Old Barnwell—Aiken, South Carolina—a place where golfing madness finds harmony across 500 acres of undulating, sandy earth, a playground carved out for hardcore golfers. They say Nick Schreiber, the club’s visionary, wanted a bastion for inclusivity, a place to crack the fortress of traditional golf and fill it with fresh air, diversity, and a healthy disregard for stodgy norms.
This course isn’t the work of your typical designers—no, Old Barnwell was sculpted by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant, mavericks taking their first shot at solo work. They poured their souls into this place, turning wide fairways and grand greens into a cathedral for the bold. Every hole looks like unique piece of art from the tee, with bunkers lying in wait like an ambush, greens undulating like some ancient far off Irish links and fairways that are as wide as they are dangerous. They demand precision from the players but leave room for a gambler’s guess. Old Barnwell feels like you’re playing a proving ground - with a smile.
But Old Barnwell isn’t just about golf; it’s about a vision, maybe even a revolution. They’re hell-bent on inclusivity, throwing open doors that most clubs keep locked tight. They’re sponsoring female golfers who have the talent but lack the funding to chase their dreams. They’ve opened the gates to historically Black colleges, sending a big, brash invitation to anyone who felt the game was never theirs. They’ve even created a youth caddie program with a hope to channel that into its future. And then there’s the kids' course—a place where the seeds of golfing madness are first sown. It’s not some scaled-down afterthought. the kids’ course at Old Barnwell mirrors the grit and beauty of the main course, built to spark a fierce love for the game. The fairways are short but unforgiving, the greens a playground for learning the delicate art of control and patience.
This isn’t just a golf club; it’s a testament to what the sport could become—a grand experiment in connection and grit.
But First… Palmetto.
We rolled into Aiken, South Carolina, on a crisp March morning and headed straight for Palmetto Golf Club—a living relic, one of the oldest continuously operating courses in America. There’s a timeless quality about this place, a course first carved into the earth in 1892 by Herbert Leeds. Then, in 1932, the legendary Dr. Alister MacKenzie—the wizard behind Augusta National—came through to work his magic, converting sand greens to grass and adding that distinctive MacKenzie flair. Since then, heavyweights like Gil Hanse, Tom Doak, and Rees Jones have each come by, carefully refining what’s become sacred ground.
Palmetto’s layout is tight, the greens small and sharply contoured, making you second-guess every putt. The land itself rolls with enough movement to deliver a few blind shots and some severe uphill and downhill lies, keeping everyone on their toes. Foster McCune, Brad Gehl, Casey Bannon, and I tore through the course, with every unpredictable bounce and break. Afterward, we grabbed a plastic bag of cheap beers for the crew and an iced tea for me, then claimed our spot on the porch of that iconic clubhouse. We kicked back, talked shop, and soaked in the moment before heading off to our Airbnb, looking forward to what the next two days would bring.
Old Barnwell
As we always do the day before an event, we rolled up to Old Barnwell and got straight to work—breaking down and building up the gift packages for our members. It’s a chance to get familiar with the layout, meet the staff, and get a feel for the energy of the place. For me, pre-event day is usually a mix of helping Foster with the gifting setup and heading out with my camera, capturing shots that build the anticipation for those lucky enough to attend—and maybe a touch of FOMO for the folks who couldn’t make it.
When the prep is wrapped up, we head out for a round, taking the course in as golfers and not just event hosts. I’m snapping shots the whole way, trying to capture the experience. Having a good game here isn’t exactly easy; Old Barnwell is the kind of course that demands your attention. The fairways might be wide, but they’re riddled with hazards, each hole asking you to take on its angles and lines. Failure to get off the tee properly, and you’ll be scrambling just to save par.
Most new courses these days go too far in the wrong direction—obsessed with tricked-out greens and hazards that feel like they’re there just to look tough, lacking any real value. But Old Barnwell is breaking that mold, pushing the design to a new level with features you don’t see often. Those long humps guarding a few fairways, for example—at first glance, they’re just adding some visual intrigue. But they’re waiting there like silent sentries, snagging any stray balls and punishing those who aren’t paying attention to what’s in front of them.
The routing is damn near a masterpiece in itself. With almost no trees in sight, you can scan the landscape and spot other groups pressing forward along distant fairways. But even with all that open space, my first time around, I never knew quite what to expect next. The layout plays with your perspective, making you second-guess every line, every shot. It’s a constant game with the architects, one where they’re always a step ahead, setting up tricks and traps that reveal themselves only when it’s too late to adjust.
The next day, we were up before dawn, stumbling through the dark to get everything dialed in before the members rolled in. Early March in Aiken is colder than you'd expect—layers on, fire pit blazing, coffee in hand as we waited for the first signs of daylight. As the sun began to edge over the horizon, melting the frost off the fairways, the members of The Golfer's Journal started to arrive, eyes bright and ready to get after it.
Old Barnwell was still a bit bare-bones, rugged, with a temporary clubhouse and a tented setup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No frills, just the essentials. And with a 36-hole day ahead of us, we made sure everyone was set for the grind.
Its walking-only track, so most members carried their own bags or pushed a trolley around, embracing the game at its core. A few lucky ones managed to secure a local junior caddie or two, kids who somehow got out of school for the day—don’t ask me how, but they seemed happy to be there (obviously).
As the players set out, I grabbed my gear and headed out to the course. My mission? To make sure everyone went home with a photo or two of themselves, but also to document the event like I would any other assignment. Over 100 golfers and 36 holes make for a long day shooting, and let’s just say some of these folks aren’t exactly tour pros. You’ve got to stay on your toes, constantly aware of where they are and where I am, dodging strays while trying to work. I didn’t get hit into once which makes for a good day to be honest.
I witnessed a few incredible shots out there—but the highlight? Catching the swing of a hole-in-one. It came in the afternoon, a perfectly struck shot that seemed to hang in the air before dropping right into the cup. The place erupted. It catapulted the twosome into contention for the win. And on the 17th hole no less. Electric.
The day wrapped up with a playoff on the 18th hole. The entire field sticking around to watch as the sun dipped below the horizon. People lingered, swapping stories and talking shop, dissecting each hole, trading favorites. The usual banter filled the fading light as travel bags were tossed into the backs of rental cars and shoes were swapped out—everyone getting ready to head back to reality.
If you want to snag a limited edition print from Old Barnwell hit the Prints section.
If you'd like to learn more about what events we have at The Golfers Journal please subscribe and check out the events page. Thanks to Old Barnwell for hosting us and providing a rad playground for golfers.
