13 of our favorite golf photos from 2024 – from our staff’s phones!

Alan Bastable
Golf scenes from 2024 captured by our crew.
Clockwise from bottom left: Sean Zucker, Adam Christensen, James Colgan, Alan Bastable.
As golf becomes more global, so do our employees. This year alone we’ve sent teams to far-flung destinations like Paris, Melbourne and South Korea, as well as dozens of other golf courses closer to home. Our writers, filmmakers, and social media experts document their travels in a variety of ways, including with cell phone cameras. Here are some of our staff’s favorite photos from the year.

Sean Zucker
The photo was taken before the television cameras arrived. This is Janet Lin, crying with her face buried in her fiancé’s shoulder at the Paris Olympics. She had just learned that she had finished third and won a bronze medal for the Chinese team. This was the only event all year that had a third place feel and I was lucky enough to see the joy just a few steps away. — Sean Zucker

Nick Piastowski
Valhalla looks muddy, but it’s steep…oh, who am I kidding, it looks slippery. But at the PGA Championship in May, I was following a group of players and needed to keep up, so I took a step and skated in front of dozens of people, their oh Blocking the sound of my turf contact. But I’m okay. I braced myself and bounced back, albeit leaving a nice streak of dirt on the right side of my body, as you can see. It looked a little strange at the press conference. — Nick Piastowski

Alan Bastable
In the foreground is my 12-year-old son, Declan, tending the bunkers at Upper Montclair (N.J.) CC on the occasion of the LPGA Founders Cup Pro-Am, which I was lucky enough to attend . This photo makes me smile, because trying to execute proper lean technique in this environment doesn’t seem like a big enough ask, and my kid also had the wary eye of a pro caddy watching him at this moment. No pressure, kids! The good news is, his rake is much better than my shot. The threshold is low but still… — Alan Bastable

Emma Devine
This is Jason Day (if you can find him) playing in front of a raucous Canadian crowd during the second day of international play at the Presidents Cup. Labatt and INT’s healthy combination of sinking putts was a big boost to fans’ morale on Friday. — Emma Devine

Adam Christensen
Southern Montana’s mountainous landscape provides the perfect backdrop for a wild and unforgettable round of golf at Rising Sun Golf Course. The day included hitting all the clubs, dodging thunderstorms and lots of jaw-dropping views. It’s places like this that illustrate why the Rocky Mountain region is an underrated golf destination. — Adam Christensen

James Colgan
As golf writers, we’re lucky to have what most people would consider a “fun job.” Usually when people tell me I have an “interesting job,” I reply yes funny but often sound Much more glamorous than it actually is (looking at you, eating Chipotle at 11pm in Augusta five nights in a row).
In 2024, I stop saying that and start practicing the art of polite consent. I stopped because my job took me on the greatest trip of my life: halfway around the world to Oz, Australia, for two weeks visiting some of the best courses in the world. I can only describe the experience of playing Victoria’s “Sand Belt” courses as the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life, if that’s all I have once From my experience as a golf writer, I would be a happy man. In hindsight, golf writing in 2024 is a very interesting job. — James Colgan

Jessica Maxbury
This year, my mom told me she was interested in re-establishing her long-dormant disorder index. Yes! So we played a series of rounds together in the hot Arizona summer and I absolutely loved it. The one shot that tended to get my mom into trouble the most, though, was the short pitch. This is a very necessary shot to have in your arsenal, especially on the courses we frequent where we strive to be bunker friendly to achieve the high trajectory needed to overcome hazards like bunkers and water. I took this photo during a recent round of We-Ko-Pa and I love it because it shows a perfectly executed pitch from a tight lie on a treacherous bunker. The ball landed softly on the green, just like my mom wanted it to. I’m so proud! Spending time on the field with the people you love is the greatest joy of the sport. It’s so satisfying to have the opportunity to share small victories like this. — Jessica Maxbury

Dylan Detier
There’s no more spectacular PGA Tour venue than Kapalua, and there’s no better feeling than hope. It’s the first tee at Sentinel Field on the eve of the first game of the season, when anything is possible. I’m excited for the next one. — Dylan Detier

Connor Federico
We celebrated my mother’s 60th birthday in style with a hole-in-one on the uphill 9th hole at Hampton Mini Golf in Southampton, NY. With places like National Golf Links of America, Sebonack, and the Southampton Golf Club just across the street, I can’t think of another nearby mini golf course with as many (real ) golf history. The course faithfully recreates many local landmarks, including the Montauk Point Lighthouse, an ode to Shinnecock Nation’s history, and the classic Old Hooker Windmill in the background of this photo. We also enjoyed burgers, ping pong and football on this perfect fall afternoon. This is a must stop if you are traveling through the area. — Connor Federico

Josh Sens
There are many ways to make a living in the game. Taehyun Kong is a staunch supporter of South Korea’s G-Tour, the world’s largest screen golf league. But his side job is as a YouTube artist. I met him last fall at the headquarters of simulator giant GolfZon in the heart of Gangnam-gu, Seoul. After hitting a few shots over 300 yards off the screen, Kong turned to me with his left hand and showed me one of the many swing impressions he posts on his account. Here he is playing Bubba Watson. — Josh Sens

Josh Berhow
Here’s Godfrey Nsubuga, draped in a Ugandan flag blanket, talking to a local news crew after the first round of this summer’s U.S. Amateur. He became the first player to represent Uganda in the event, the culmination of a long journey that began with learning golf using golf clubs made from the eucalyptus tree. He failed to make it through stroke play, but storylines like this are one of the many reasons the U.S. Amateur is so exciting. — Josh Berhow

Last September I had the pleasure of playing at Hay Harbor, a small private club on Fisherman’s Island, and it was without a doubt my favorite golf tournament of the entire year. The weather was perfect: sunny, 80 degrees, and a cloudless sky. The nine-hole course is also in very good condition. The putter rolled completely in my favor as I took in the vast ocean views. I took this photo to capture the scale of the course, which was designed by George Strath, the architect of Royal Troon Scotland. But I’m not sure if my camera is correct. After the round, I collected my prize – a cold beer at the Pequot Inn. — Maddie McClurg

Jack Hersh
For the past few years my father and I have made the annual pilgrimage to Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands, and this spot on the seventh tee, looking back on the golf course, may have become my favorite place on earth. This year, the club released customized Dormie Workshop headgear depicting the image. I knew I would never buy it for myself, so I jokingly sent a picture of the hood to my amazing girlfriend, who then immediately conspired with my dad to get it for my birthday in two months. — Jack Hersh
Alan Bastable
Golf Network Editor
As executive editor of GOLF.com, Bastable is responsible for the editorial direction and voice of one of the sport’s most respected and visited news and service websites. He wears many hats—editing, writing, conceptualizing, developing, dreaming of one day breaking 80—and is honored to work with such a talented and hard-working group of writers, editors, and producers. Prior to taking the helm at GOLF.com, he was the features editor for GOLF magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia Journalism School and lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.



