When George Marshall set out to play America's Top 100 golf courses in 2008, he already had a head start. His career with Salomon Brothers had taken him to Pine Valley, Cypress Point, and Shinnecock Hills, entertaining clients on some of the most revered fairways in the country.
"My biggest account, the CEO of the Capital Group called me up and said, George, I want you to join this club," Marshall recalls. "I said, what's this going to cost me? He started laughing. It's called the World 100 Club. You send away to Golf Magazine, and they send you a board with a bunch of gold pegs. You put a peg in every time you play one of the top 100 golf courses."
Marshall took on the challenge with the same determination that marked his Wall Street career. By the time he received his 2008 board, he'd already played 30 to 40 of the courses. He eventually switched to the 2013 ranking and spent years methodically checking courses off his list, often bringing his wife, Mi, an accomplished golfer who has won club championships at both Hawk's Nest and Bent Pine.
For Marshall, who didn't take up golf seriously until his twenties, the Top 100 quest became more than a bucket list. It was a masterclass in golf architecture and what makes a course truly special.
He discovered that the greatest day in golf involves playing Shinnecock in the morning, having lobster lunch at National Golf Links, then playing National in the afternoon, followed by a few South Siders on the veranda overlooking Long Island Sound. He fell in love with Ireland's warmth and humor. He found unexpected gems at places like Mountain Lake in central Florida, a Seth Raynor design that reminded him why certain architects endure.
"Seth Raynor golf courses are some of my favorites," Marshall explains. "Chicago Golf, National Golf Links, Fishers Island, Camargo, and North Shore Country Club. They're just so pleasing to the eye and fun to play."
Pine Valley also holds a special place in Marshall’s heart, having returned to play it more than 20 times.
But the journey also taught him what he didn't want. Tournament-caliber difficulty loses its appeal as you move up in age and play for enjoyment. Courses designed to challenge the world's best can make everyday golf feel like work rather than pleasure.
"Golf should be fun," Marshall says simply. "The older you get, the more you just want to have fun doing it rather than being challenged to a degree where you just don't enjoy it."
When Marshall retired from California in 2016 and married Mi, the couple knew they wanted to settle in Vero Beach. Their real estate agent gave them crucial advice: don't buy a house in a golf community. Find a house first, then join the course you like best.
"He said, ‘I want you to join a one-year invitation for the Mooring Yacht and Country Club’s Hawk's Nest,’" Marshall remembers. "Hawk's Nest is a great golf course, but I prefer Bent Pine."
The decision crystallized during a routine eye exam. Marshall's ophthalmologist, Dr. Bill Mallon, happened to be Bent Pine's club champion for 14 consecutive years. When Mallon noticed Marshall's LA Country Club shirt, he made a simple suggestion: "Go play Bent Pine."
One round was all it took.
"We just fell in love with it," Marshall says. "I mean, it's right next door to Hawk's Nest, but the difference is Hawk's Nest has palmettos that close in on you. My wife hits it straight a lot. I don't. When we played Bent Pine, we both just loved it."
Having played Pebble Beach, Augusta National, Seminole, and dozens of other legendary courses, Marshall brings an educated perspective to his assessment of Bent Pine. The Joe Lee design holds its own against courses with far more famous names.
"Of the courses in Florida that I've played, Bent Pine is one of my favorites," he says. "I'd rather play Bent Pine than Seminole. When you play Seminole, you're right on the ocean. The wind blows like heck. It's a tough golf course. To me, it's an experience, but it's got to be fun now to play golf."
At Bent Pine, Marshall found exactly what he was looking for after decades of chasing golf's greatest tests. The course challenges him without punishing him. The Joe Lee design rewards strategic thinking without demanding perfection. And the community welcomes serious golfers without taking itself too seriously.
"You learn a lot about somebody on the golf course," Marshall reflects. "There are so many people that you enjoy playing with because they're funny, they have a great sense of humor, they're smart, successful. It's just fun."
For a man who has stood on the first tee at Pine Valley and watched the sun rise over Shinnecock Hills, who has played across Ireland and Portugal and throughout California's finest courses, the conclusion is remarkably simple. After traveling the world in search of great golf, George Marshall found everything he needed right in Vero Beach.