Deciding What Courses We Must Play in 2026

February 25, 2026·45 min·4 clips

Shawn recounts trying to finish PGA West's 18th hole in the dark with cell phone lights after sunset.

Hosts Sean and TJ, co-creators of the Must Play golf podcast, outline their travel goals for 2026 and review their 2025 progress. They plan to let their audience vote on which new courses they must visit. Each host selects three courses across specific categories: a Heavy Hitter (high-end track), a Value Find (affordable local gem), and a Wild Card (unique or quirky course). Sean's Heavy Hitter is PGA West Stadium Course in Palm Desert, a PGA Tour venue he once failed to finish due to darkness. TJ's Heavy Hitter is Quintero in Arizona, a top-rated public course he missed in 2025. Sean's Value Find is Arrowood Golf Club in Oceanside, featuring a challenging three-hole stretch called "The Quandary." TJ's Value Find is Rustic Canyon near Los Angeles, widely considered a national bargain with prime weekend rates under $90. Sean's Wild Card is Maderas Golf Club in San Diego, a highly-rated course he has avoided despite living 15 minutes away. TJ's proposed Wild Card is Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine, which he pitches as a fall destination complete with a pumpkin patch and dog-friendly restaurant. He also mentions Gearhart Golf Links in Oregon as an honorable mention. The hosts admit they failed to play their 2025 target courses, blaming busy schedules and a wedding. A surprising moment is Sean's story of attempting to play the final hole at PGA West in the dark using cell phone lights. TJ reveals the logo for Strawberry Farms is a complex design featuring a small strawberry on a tee with crossed clubs, which he criticizes heavily. They discuss the oddity of using a wedding ring as a ball marker, a habit they encountered with a playing partner. The episode has a casual, conversational tone filled with inside jokes and personal anecdotes about their golf experiences. Listeners who enjoy planning golf trips, debating course value, and hearing friendly banter between hosts will appreciate this episode. Those seeking in-depth course reviews or instructional content may want to skip.

As heard by us

A course wishlist with enough self-awareness to make the misses fun.

Must Play starts with train-beer banter and a simple frame: three courses each for a 2026 trip, with an audience vote helping narrow the choice.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a golf trip list with actual 2026 targets, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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