"Himalayas" at St. Enodoc. The hole is named for the massive sand bunker James Braid located in the landing area, the highest such hazard in golf. With the majority of golfers curving their shots left to right, the bunker is frequently visited, and less frequently conquered.

When Frank Giordano decided to go to a college prep school at age 13, he started caddying at the Brooklawn Country Club near his home in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to earn his tuition money.  A baseball player at the time, Frank soon learned that the grace and power, the elegance and explosiveness he admired in Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays were also evident in the gifted golfer.  During a short game clinic he gave to the members at Brooklawn, Julius Boros demonstrated a delicacy of touch in the powerful exercise of his massive hands and forearms.  The naturalness of such poetry in motion, and the unassuming manner by which Julius exhibited such talent, made a lasting impression.

Over the next 55 years, Frank played courses across the United States, the Caribbean islands, and the British Isles.  It was when his own children were ready for prep schools that Frank, whose day job was as a Professor of English Literature at the University of Houston, began publishing stories about golf as a free-lance writer.

“Over my 30 years writing career, I wrote regularly about golf courses and resorts for the Golf Traveler magazine, Private Clubs magazine, and Diversion, as well as for in-flight and city and lifestyle magazines.  I also served as ghost writer for a long series (over 2 years) of Hank Haney’s articles, for a year-long series by LPGA professional Betsy Cullen, and for several other teaching professionals.  My work appeared in Golf, Golf Tips, LINKS, and Golf Illustrated as well.  For the prestigious River Oaks Country Club in Houston, I wrote their history in the early 1990s. As a life member of the Golf Writers Association of America, I interviewed many of the leading tour professionals and golf instructors in Texas while I lived there, and worked often with golf course architects like Robert von Hagge, Bruce Devlin, and Joe Finger.”

His most recent pieces have appeared in the Pilot newspaper in Southern Pines, North Carolina.  Frank is currently preparing articles on the North & South golf tournament held at Pinehurst Country Club and an article on golf in Myrtle Beach for a Chinese golf and travel magazine. He has also published two books and tens of articles on wine and art.

His paintings of golf courses are exhibited and sold online and in several galleries in the Sandhills area of North Carolina. Frank may be contacted directly via email at warcinc@nc.rr.com.

"Ballyhack #5." Long ascending fairway, strewn with large natural bunkers faced with thick grasses around the puzzle-shaped sand areas, requires a marksman's accuracy in placing shots. Pitching and chipping severely tested by greenside mounds and bunkers.

"No. 17 at Ballyhack." The final par 3 at Ballyhack Golf Club outside Roanoke, Virginia is a short pitch over a deep ravine to a contoured green. The hole is beautifully framed by the tall trees behind it, but shots hit short or to the right right are doomed. The trisected green requires a precise approach to the correct landing area as tee balls finding the wrong segment usually end up with bogey.

Played between dunes, the long downhill par three second at Bandon Trails is so exhilarating that the golfer doesn't mind that Coore & Crenshaw is leading him away from the ocean.

"St. Enodoc #16." James Braid's St. Enodoc course on the western coast of Cornwall, England, presents several views of the estuary leading out to the Irish Sea. The wind-swept course is often played under dramatic cloud formations.

"Cabot #14." The tiny little par 3 at Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia would be an easy pitch if not for the ever present ocean breezes.

"Up 18 at Mid Pines." One of the finest views in the entire Sandhills of North Carolina golf region. Late afternoon shadows and forward right bunker make distance control challenging.

"The Second Hole at Mid Pines." The medium length par 3 second at Mid Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina is a picture postcard of a hole. The pond in front and left hardly ever comes into play on this gem crafted by Donald Ross with the bunkers and contoured green offering the real challenges.

"The eleventh at Legacy Golf Club." The set of par 3s crafted by Jack Nicklaus II are among the best in the Sandhills of North Carolina. The most striking visually is #11, with a wild swamp between the elevated tee and the green 180 yards away, sitting perilously close to the lake on the right. A low to mid-iron deftly shaped from left to right is the safest play here.

"In the Pines." The tranquil charm of Donald Ross's playground in the Sandhills of North Carolina is evident in this painting.

"Payne Stewart." The iconic pose after Stewart sank the putt to win the 1999 US Open is immortalized in the Zenos Frudakis sculpture beside the 18th green at Pinehurst #2. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow can detract from the joy expressed in winning his third and final major championship.

For those interested in learning more about his work and perhaps purchasing or commissioning a piece, please contact Frank Giordano directly via email at warcinc@nc.rr.com.