Dylan Dreyer is a familiar face to a lot of Americans, as Dreyer is a co-host and meteorologist on NBC "The Today Show" most days of the week. She's also an avid golfer who will get a chance to parlay that love of the links into an opportunity to literally play links golf in Scotland as part of a GolfNow contest, with the entry deadline June 19. The winner will get to head to Scotland for the 2018 Open Championship and play some golf, including with Dreyer, while on the trip.
We had an email interview with Dreyer earlier in the week to talk about her love of the game, the places she would like to knock off her bucket list of courses and being able to cover some major golf in the future.
Ryan Ballengee: Where have you played your favorite round of golf (and it can be for any reason - company, course, score, etc.)?
Dylan Dreyer: One of my favorite places is Pine Oaks in Easton, Mass. It's a public nine-hole golf course where I learned to play and where I fell in love with golf. It's my comfort course. Whenever I go, I know what to expect and I know which holes I struggle with and which ones I love to play.
I also loved Bear's Best out near Las Vegas. It felt like playing a hole at 18 different golf courses. Each hole had a different feel, a different vibe and different challenges.
RB: What are some of the courses you've been able to knock off your must-play list, and are any still on the list in Scotland?
DD: I haven't had the fortune to knock off too many bucket list courses. I've played Bethpage Red, which I'm proud to say I shot a 96 (there is very little advantage on the ladies tees!). I also had the chance to play Bjorkliden Arctic Golf Course. It's so far north that the sun is still shining at midnight. It's the first time I finished a round of golf at 2 a.m. and could still see my ball!
I’ve never been to Scotland but it would be a dream to play anywhere in Scotland. Of course, I'd most love to play the Old Course at St Andrews.
RB: I believe I heard you mention you got out last weekend for a rare round since becoming a parent; how's the game right now?
DD: I will say the best golf I've ever played was while I was pregnant. I don't know if it was a center of gravity thing or what. My game hasn't been as good since having Calvin but it could also be because I'm more tired than I've ever been before!
RB: Do you use GolfNow for tee times around you in the NYC metro area?
DD: We've used GolfNow ever since moving to NYC. We weren't very familiar with the courses in the area so it was helpful to find tee times. It's how we found Patriot Hills in Stony Point, N.Y., which has been my favorite place to play lately. It's hilly and gorgeous with random wildlife always running around.
RB: You got to cover Triple Crown races this year on site, are there any particular golf tournaments you'd like to cover?
DD: I would love to cover the Ryder Cup. It's just so fun and such a different style of play. When it was Reed vs McIlroy, it was so exciting and entertaining to watch. To see it played out in person would be a dream!
