John Clarke

The New York Times • 18th May 2022

This P.G.A. Champion Lost the Wanamaker Trophy. Oops.

It’s nearly impossible to talk about the P.G.A. Championship‘s Wanamaker Trophy without mentioning how the five-time champion Walter Hagen lost it in Chicago after winning the event in 1925. As the story goes, while out in Chicago celebrating the win, Hagen gave his taxi driver $5 and asked him to take the cumbersome trophy to his hotel. It not only never arrived, but Hagen never admitted the loss to the P.G.A. until he lost the championship in 1928 and had to turn the trophy over to the winner.

The New York Times • 15th April 2022

The (Really) Big Boats Have Arrived

It has taken a few years, delayed by the pandemic, but formal Maxi yacht racing is coming to the Caribbean, considerably increasing the competitive opportunities sailors have to race their sleek monohull behemoths that can reach 100 feet long.

The New York Times • 24th December 2021

Michael Spies Has Become Sailing’s Guru of Speed

Before Sunday’s race, Michael Spies of Australia had sailed the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 43 times. In 1999, he won after breaking the race record by half a day. In 2003, Spies won again. He also has helped fellow sailors find the right boats and refit them into superior racing yachts. His latest effort is the Maritimo, a 54-foot racing yacht he found in the United States for Bill Barry-Cotter, a former motorboat racing champion who also races sailboats.

The New York Times • 17th November 2021

Race to Dubai Players to Watch

The European Tour winds down for the year this week at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with a close battle over who will win the Race to Dubai and be crowned the No. 1 golfer in Europe. After 42 tournaments in 23 countries, the winner walks away with a portion of the record $9 million in prize money. Here are five players to watch.

The New York Times • 8th October 2021

A Sailing Season Full of Drama

When Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, and the five-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts started SailGP in 2018, they wanted to bring the excitement of Formula 1 to sailing. So far this year, the series has had crashes, Black Flags and broken bones. “You’ve got the best sailors in the world on these boats, and they’re not easy boats to sail,” said Phil Robertson, the driver for Spain’s team. “It’s very high tech — more of a machine than a yacht. But it’s one of the coolest things to happen to yacht racing.”

The New York Times • 27th August 2021

Andrew McIrvine Is on a Mission to Save the Maxi Association

When Dr. Andrew McIrvine, 70, who said he had been sailing since he was 12, took over running the International Maxi Association as secretary general in 2013, he said he inherited a yachting race organization of aging sailors.

The Wall Street Journal • 6th June 2021

Hit a Golf Ball in Yellowstone Park? Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

When Jake Adams teed up a golf ball in April and drove it 280 yards into Yellowstone National Park, he didn’t expect to land in the sights of the law. Now, “they’re building a federal case against me,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal • 22nd February 2021

You Can Ski During Covid—Just Make Your Car the Lodge

Welcome to skiing during Covid, where making a trip to your favorite ski area means booking a slot online, gearing up at your car and do-it-yourself après ski.

The New York Times • 9th December 2020

An American First on the European Tour

The controversial golfer Patrick Reed is leading the race to become the No. 1 player, which will be settled in Dubai.

The New York Times • 9th December 2020

How the European Tour Saved Its Season

The pandemic forced the golf tour to start almost from scratch. But six months later, it’s holding the tournament that will determine its champion.

WSJ • 3rd December 2020

Fly-Fishing the Hemingway

WHEN ERNEST Hemingway’s well-worn steamer trunk containing his fly-fishing gear disappeared from a train bound for Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1940, the loss was so crushing that the author never again waded in the shallows. Instead, he concentrated his angling efforts far offshore, catching record-breaking pelagics like sailfish and marlin.

WSJ • 5th August 2020

Forget Planes, Trains or Automobiles: Pandemic Forces Creative Travel Workarounds

Try telling a one-armed Irishman stranded in the Caribbean he can't sail home to his daughter's wedding because of the pandemic lockdown. He'll do it anyway, and he'll do it single-handedly. How? "Carefully."

The Wall Street Journal • 24th June 2020

Oversize Sneakers Are Hot But Very Hard to Wear. ‘I Just Can’t Balance.’

Cassandra Wilson wanted a competitive edge in her next marathon, so she tied on a new trendy pair of clunky, oversize sneakers. The inaugural run, earlier this year, went OK. It was walking that was difficult.

WSJ • 4th June 2020

Iguanas, the ‘Chicken of the Trees,’ Skitter onto Florida’s Menu

Even now, Raj Deonarine wakes up thinking about iguanas. Most mornings, he jumps into his black Toyota Scion with a snare lasso tethered to a 14-foot fishing pole. “When you see a big one, your heart rate picks up and the adrenaline gets going,” Mr. Deonarine said.

The New York Times • 23rd December 2019

Smoke on the Water and Other Sydney Hobart Challenges

Hundreds of sailors this month are about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Then one uninvited guest showed up: smoke from nearby bush fires.

The New York Times • 23rd December 2019

For the Sydney Hobart, an Indigenous Crew Puts to Sea

Some sailors prepare all their lives for an event like the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Then you have Naomi Cain, a 42-year-old upstart who started sailing six weeks ago.

The Wall Street Journal • 25th November 2019

Dunkin’ Breaks Up with Foam Cup—And Fans Start Hoarding Foam

When Dunkin’ said it was ending its long-term union with the foam cup, it hoped the split would be amicable. Dunkin’ diehards in New England are refusing to let go.

The New York Times • 13th November 2019

The Golf Course Is Built Where? Are Those Baboons?

The idea to build a golf course on top of a dormant volcano next to a game preserve was absurd, but Sol Kerzner , a South African hotelier, had a plan. “The first helicopter flight into the vast open bushveld was interesting,” Gary Player said.

The New York Times • 13th November 2019

Players to Watch at the Nedbank Golf Challenge

Lee Westwood has returned to defend his title, and the rest of the field hopes to take it away from him.

The Wall Street Journal • 30th October 2019

Chasing Bonefish in Bermuda

It's not all cocktails in cricket in Bermuda.