My Year in Golf: 2025
It was a very good year.
During the holidays, I like to look back on the year and take stock of what I did and what I learned. Golf is a big part of that reflection. To measure my year in golf, it helps to remember why I love it in the first place. In no particular order:
It’s a way to spend time with friends, meet new people, and build relationships and memories.
It’s an excuse to travel and see more of the world, and to feel the thrill of playing a course for the first time.
And it’s a personal challenge. A constant attempt to improve and get better at something that matters to me.
So how did 2025 go? By most metrics, it may have been my best year yet.
Bucket List Trips
It all started in January, when I played the Kapalua Plantation Course on our honeymoon in Maui. After watching the pros play it every year, getting the chance to experience it myself was something special and it didn’t disappoint. Incredible views of the Pacific Ocean from just about every hole. Stoked to finally check it off the bucket list.
From there, I was lucky enough to head back down to Augusta for the Masters and knock a couple more courses off the list at The Tree Farm and Old Barnwell. There was plenty of hype around both leading up to the trip, and I’m happy to report they exceeded it. These are two newer private courses in the Aiken, SC area that open to the public during Masters week. They ended up being two of the more expensive rounds I’ve ever played, but 100% worth it.
The Tree Farm is one of the most fun golf courses I’ve ever played. Super wide fairways, rewards creativity from tee to green, and has great variety (par 3 first hole, drivable short par 4 18th). It felt like the kind of place you’d want to play again and again. Add in a great clubhouse and dining room, plus the best pro shop I’ve ever been in, and the whole place just has an incredible vibe.
Old Barnwell is a bit harder to fully assess since we played in some wild conditions with steady 30 mph winds all day and a bit of rain, but even with that, it was awesome. Firm and fast, and definitely a course I’d love another crack at in calmer weather.
Getting to experience Augusta National for the third time wasn’t so bad either.
At the end of May, I made a spontaneous day trip up to Erin Hills to catch the Women’s U.S. Open. I’ve played the course a few times and it’s one of my favorites, so it was fun to see how pros approached it.
Then it was time for my first trip out to Bandon Dunes in mid-June. I covered the full trip here in my first-ever post, so no need to repeat it. Special place. Epic. Amazing. Unbelievable. Spiritual. Breathtaking. Incredible. All of it.
Settling In
After a travel-heavy first half of the year, I settled into a more normal routine, filling the rest of the calendar with some great local weekend golf around Chicago and back in Michigan.
In July, I played in my first competitive tournament - the North Shore Amateur - documented here and while I didn’t play particularly well, it was fun to play my first competitive golf since high school.
September had two big events on the schedule back in Michigan - our annual Michigan Masters guys trip and a 2-man, 36 hole team event I played with my buddy Scott.
The Michigan Masters
The Michigan Masters trip is something I look forward to every year. We played Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix, and it’s maybe my favorite course in the state. It was originally built in 1927 and has an old school vibe where you feel like you step back in time when you’re there.
How I Actually Played
So how did I play? Short answer - pretty solid. I’m ending the season with my index at 4.8, the lowest it’s been since the Covid summer when I played more than 70 rounds. My main goal each year is to finish lower than where I started, so it was nice to see real improvement.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, I already have one trip on the books to Sand Valley in Wisconsin, with the list of new courses set to grow yet again.
There are a few other things I’d love to make happen this year:
More golf with my dad and brothers. We haven’t done a Malach Boys trip since 2018, and I’d love to lock in a weekend together.
I still haven’t played overseas, and I want to change that as soon as possible. Scotland or Northern Ireland would be at the top of the list.
I came extremely close this year, but the quest for my first hole-in-one continues.
I could rattle off a million more places I’d love to play, but I’ll be respectful of your time if you’ve made it this far. 2025 was an epic golf year for me. We’ll see how 2026 goes. I can’t wait.
Great year indeed. Keep coming back to Wisconsin we’ve got some of the best.