Traveling Golfer has unveiled a heartfelt July 2025 episode honoring the life and legacy of one of golf’s most imaginative course designers, the late Mike Strantz.
Known for his hand-drawn course concepts and visual poetry on the links, Strantz’s work continues to dazzle golfers two decades after his untimely passing.
The episode, hosted by veteran broadcaster and golf insider Tony Leodora, traces Strantz’s trailblazing footprint through some of the Carolinas’ most iconic layouts: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue, and Bull’s Bay. Audiences will experience these Strantz masterpieces while discovering the stories, strategies, and signature elements that make each course a spiritual journey for serious golfers.
“I want golfers to stand on the tee and be dazzled,” Strantz once said.
This episode ensures they will.
Leodora revisits Caledonia, Strantz’s first solo design, celebrated for its Parkland charm and dramatic 18th hole gallery. Next door, True Blue showcases Strantz’s bolder side with wide waste bunkers and theatrical elevation changes. Rounding out the trio is the exclusive Bull’s Bay, a visual marvel just north of Charleston that features sweeping vistas and a clubhouse perched on the highest point in Charleston County.
Though not part of the episode, the segment also nods to Tobacco Road, Strantz’s most polarizing and celebrated work, calling on golfers to plan their own “Strantz Tour.”
“Before he ever moved dirt, Mike moved people—with a pencil,” said Jeff Jones of Maverick Golf Design, capturing the artist-turned-architect’s essence. There are stories about his genius and artistic capabilities. He could arrive at a property and literally sketch what the golf course would look like — while he was riding a horse.
The Traveling Golfer airs nationally across television and streaming platforms, reaching more than 170 million households. For episode details, visit Traveling Golfer website.
Real John Daly is a Producer and fill-in Host for the Traveling Golfer. He writes and produces for the TGD Newswire at www.thegolfdirector.com. He is a former player on the Celebrity Players Tour who still holds a single-digit handicap. He was the host of Real TV, the groundbreaking reality show in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He is currently the Co-Creator and Co-Host of Undercover Jetsetter with Susan Anzalone, a show on travel, food, wine, mixology and, of course, golf. They show you how to jet set the world and at home. They also co-authored the book, The TV Studio In Your Hand: How to Shoot, Edit & Deliver the Easy Way on Your iPhone.
