Golf's Best Trees + Breaking Down the U.S. Amateur at Merion

Smylie Kaufman is back home after broadcasting the U.S. Amateur at Merion, and he and Charlie Hulme start by discussing the course itself — its unique routing, the challenging closing stretch, the debate over how much green-complex slope can survive modern speeds, and why it's shaping up as such a compelling test for the 2030 U.S. Open. Plus the story behind Merion's wicker-basket logo and a few insider details from the clubhouse.

From there, the guys run their full list of favorite trees in golf — Merion, Pebble Beach, The Renaissance Club, Cypress Point, TPC Sawgrass, Panmure, Prairie Dunes, and more — plus - a couple of honorable mentions for trees that didn't survive.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro & catch-up: fresh off the U.S. Amateur at Merion
2:59 Merion's unique routing and standout holes
7:47 Tangent: the Bobby Jones cinematic universe
11:33 Merion's brutal closing stretch and the 17th green debate
12:49 Setting up Merion for a 2030 U.S. Open
18:46 The story behind Merion's wicker-basket logo
22:27 Merion trivia: director-of-golf tenure & clubhouse details
27:05 Best trees in golf: the debate begins (Merion's 8th)
29:03 Pebble Beach's 18th hole cypress
31:58 The Renaissance Club's 11th hole
32:52 Cypress Point: Walker Cup picnics & the 17th tree
36:42 TPC Sawgrass's tree-lined holes
38:29 Panmure: where Hogan prepped for the 1953 Open
40:08 Prairie Dunes' Chute at 15
41:49 Seminole's 16th hole
43:17 Monterey Peninsula's 11th hole
45:28 The Tree at Augusta National & honorable mentions
47:44 U.S. Amateur standouts: Ryder Cowan & Carter Loflin