My experience in a Linksoul LS2MAN tournament: Think surfer-casual with a competitive edge

Linksoul’s LS2MAN tournament series mixes tranquil scenery with just enough competitive golf to keep things low-key but interesting. 

Khaki pants, tucked-in polos and $1,000 bets are not for everyone.

Too many golf tournaments are pressure-packed affairs that are more nerve-wracking than enjoyable, but Linksoul, an apparel and lifestyle brand co-founded by John Ashworth and Geoff Cunningham, is trying to introduce a tournament series that is based more around a shared love for the game, a vibe and fun.

The LS2MAN tournament series is comprised of six events in locations like Ireland, California and Oregon. It mixes tranquil scenery with just enough competitive golf to keep things low-key but interesting. 

I had the opportunity to play in the recent Linksoul LS2MAN event at Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, California, and instead of those khakis and polos, I saw board shorts, T-shirts and guys rocking streetwear-style looks. Think surfer-casual blended with golf and The Dude from “The Big Lebowski.”

Hey, now that I think about it, Ashworth looks a little like Jeff Bridges in that movie.

For those of you who are not golf hipsters, Goat Hill Park, which is owned by Ashworth, is a short public course in the heart of Oceanside that is full of blind shots and extreme elevation changes. It’s a Mecca for West Coast players and its motto is etched into the pencils you use to write down your scores, “World Class, Working Class.” 

Linksoul LS2MAN Oceanside event
Kelly Slater (left) was among those who played in the Linksoul LS2MAN Oceanside event at Goat Hill Park. (Linksoul/ Lauren Miller)

At just 4,582 yards from the back tees, tournament organizers, in keeping with the vibe, banned drivers and fairway woods, except for persimmon clubs, which several golfers proudly brought to the course on each of the two days. Your average muscular gym rat would be disappointed that they couldn’t grip and rip their driver all day long. (Cough cough, me.) This was the opportunity to bring out your inner-Tiger Woods and cut the ball over the bunker or around the trees.

Linksoul LS2MAN Oceanside event
Linksoul LS2MAN Oceanside event at Goat Hill Park featuring a dog in a golf cart. (Linksoul/ Lauren Miller)

The air around the first tee smelled like a nearby campfire and dogs were warmly welcomed to enhance the scene. I knew it was going to be a good day when I was greeted by a dog named Mulligan, who ran up to me and jumped excitedly.

This tournament brings out all types of golfers and looked like a scene from “Happy Gilmore.” You had the players who are there to win and others who were still under the influence of mushrooms from the night before. Almost every golf cart had a speaker. 

The guys we played with on the first day arrived late and ran to meet us on the 5th hole. They got their cart when we turned after the 9th. This course wasn’t an easy trek, and I guarantee they managed to hit their step goal within the first couple of holes. The better of the two used the Mizuno muscleback blades and they kept repeating Loverboy’s “Everybody’s Working For The Weekend” because they got a birdie early in the round when that song blasted on their speaker.  

In college, the pressures of competitive golf really began to take a toll on me and my love for the sport. The pressure to perform and go low caused my muscles to tighten, my thoughts to run wild and my scores to rise. Many golfers experience the same feeling, and in my case, it made me fall out of love with tournament golf.

The LS2MAN ignited a spark in me to try my luck at tournament play again. It felt liberating to be able to hold my own against a field full of men. It also reminded me that I can still go low, without spending four hours stressing over the things I can’t control.

I felt lucky to take part in the LS2MAN series and I see myself being involved in the future. You can learn more and sign up for updates for the 2023 LS2MAN series here.

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3-Tournament Lineup Rounds Out the 2022 Golfweek Senior Amateur Schedule and a look at 2023!

Senior competitive golf continues to grow bigger and better than ever. USA Today Sports and Golfweek are excited to play a large part in that growth. During the past year, over 750 senior golfers have competed in a Golfweek Elite Senior Amateur …

Senior competitive golf continues to grow bigger and better than ever. USA Today Sports and Golfweek are excited to play a large part in that growth. During the past year, over 750 senior golfers have competed in a Golfweek Elite Senior Amateur Tournament, while also trying to qualify for the U.S. Senior Amateur through one of the twenty-five WAGR exemptions offered by the USGA.

This year, as part of our Elite Senior Amateur Tournament Series, Golfweek partnered with The Mid-West Golf Association to conduct The International, the third highest ranked senior amateur tournament in the world. With a field, drawing players and teams from: Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Canada, an Mexico, we expect The International to move into the number two spot in the world. We are extremely excited to announce that Cartersville Golf & Country Club, just outside of Atlanta, has been chosen to host the 2023 International – Senior Division, to be held October 4-7, 2023

The USGA will again grant twenty-five exemptions into the U.S. Senior Amateur which will be held in 2023 at Martis Camp in Truckee, CA. Golfweek tournaments are WAGR counting events offering senior golfers the opportunity to play for national ranking (2022 National Senior Rankings) while also seeking exemption into the U.S. Senior Amateur through WAGR standing.

Here are the remaining 3-tournaments in our lineup for 2022 and a glimpse at the tournament schedule for the first seven months of 2023.

Bookmark this page and as tournaments open for registration, click on the tournament name for more information and to register.

REMAINING 2022 AND EARLY 2023 GOLFWEEK ELITE SENIOR AMATEUR TOURNAMENTS

November 2-4: The Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown, Casino Del Sol, Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, AZ

Nov 29-Dec 1: The Golfweek TOC, PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, FL  Champion and Fazio

December 14-16: The Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup, Jacaranda Golf Club  Plantation, FL

January 16-18, 2023: The Golfweek Player of the Year Classic, Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, Tampa, FL

March 26-28, 2023: The Golfweek Senior Division National Championship, Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert, CA The Mountain Course

March 30-April 1, 2023: The Golfweek Senior Amateur, Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert, CA The Firecliff Course

June 12-14, 2023: The Golfweek Senior National, Grandover Resort, Greensboro, NC

Save the DATE for the trip of a life time. BIG INFORMATION SHORTLY!   July 3-8, 2023: The Golfweek European Challenge, Galway Bay Golf Resort, Blackrock, Salthill, County Galway Ireland.

2022 Golfweek Senior National Match Play Championship

The Golfweek Senior National Match-Play Championship consists of four separate brackets, senior (age 55-64), super-senior (age 65-69), legends (age 70-74), and super legends (75+). Over the course of three days, players in each bracket will be …

The Golfweek Senior National Match-Play Championship consists of four separate brackets, senior (age 55-64), super-senior (age 65-69), legends (age 70-74), and super legends (75+). Over the course of three days, players in each bracket will be whittled to one Senior National Match-Play champion in each division. The Golfweek Senior National Match Play is not a one loss and done tournament. As players are eliminated from match-play they will enter a consolation stroke-play competition using the stableford scoring system. Duke University Golf Club will be the perfect venue to host Golfweek’s ninth annual Senior National Match Play!