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THE WORLD UNFOLDING

Read time: 4 min 30 sec

One golf course, one coffee shop, one restaurant, one kids activity, and one farmers market for each city. Print it. Screenshot it. Actually use it.

Four U.S. cities. Four international. All golf under $150.

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LOS ANGELES

Endless summer, taco trucks on every corner, and surprisingly affordable public golf if you know where to look.

Best months: March to May, September to November

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (5.5 hrs), Chicago (4 hrs), DFW (3.5 hrs)

⛳ Golf: Rustic Canyon ($60 weekday) — Gil Hanse design, wide fairways, no pretension

☕ Coffee: Sightglass Coffee, West Hollywood — minimalist, calm, excellent pour-overs

🍽️ Restaurant: Gjusta, Venice — bakery-deli hybrid, order the smoked fish

👶 Kids: Griffith Observatory — free entry, planetarium shows, city views

🥬 Market: Santa Monica Wednesday Market — where LA chefs shop at 8am

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DENVER

Your ball flies 10% farther at altitude. The craft beer scene doesn't hurt either.

Best months: May to June, September to October

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (4.5 hrs), Chicago (3 hrs), DFW (2.5 hrs), LA (2.5 hrs)

⛳ Golf: City Park Golf Course ($55) — Hale Irwin redesign, downtown skyline views

☕ Coffee: Huckleberry Roasters — local roaster, RiNo neighborhood

🍽️ Restaurant: Hop Alley — modern Sichuan, reservations recommended

👶 Kids: Denver Museum of Nature & Science — dinosaurs, space, hands-on exhibits

🥬 Market: Cherry Creek Farmers Market — Saturdays, May to October

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PORTLAND

Weird in the best way. Coffee obsessed. Golf courses that drain well even in the rain.

Best months: June to September (dry season)

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (6 hrs), Chicago (4 hrs), DFW (4 hrs), LA (2.5 hrs)

⛳ Golf: Eastmoreland Golf Course ($55) — second oldest in Oregon, tree-lined, classic

☕ Coffee: Heart Coffee Roasters — light roasts, minimalist space

🍽️ Restaurant: Canard — wine bar, small plates, walk-ins only

👶 Kids: OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) — submarine tours, earthquake simulator

🥬 Market: Portland Farmers Market at PSU — Saturdays year-round, largest in the city

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CHARLESTON

Lowcountry charm, shrimp and grits for days, and golf with marsh views.

Best months: March to May, October to November

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (2 hrs), Chicago (2.5 hrs), DFW (3 hrs), LA (5 hrs)

⛳ Golf: Charleston Municipal ($40) — 'The Muni,' recently renovated with Raynor-style greens

☕ Coffee: Black Tap Coffee — local roaster, downtown location

🍽️ Restaurant: The Ordinary — oyster hall, seafood focused

👶 Kids: South Carolina Aquarium — touch tanks, sea turtle hospital

🥬 Market: Charleston Farmers Market — Saturdays, Marion Square, April to November

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NOW LET'S GO INTERNATIONAL

LONDON

Golf was played here before your great-great-grandparents existed. The flat whites are better than you'd expect.

Best months: May to September

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (7 hrs), Chicago (8 hrs), DFW (9.5 hrs), LA (10.5 hrs)

⛳ Golf: Chingford Golf Course (£28 weekend) — edge of Epping Forest, 27 min from Liverpool Street

☕ Coffee: Monmouth Coffee, Borough Market — London institution since 1978

🍽️ Restaurant: Dishoom, King's Cross — Bombay-style cafe, bacon naan roll

👶 Kids: Natural History Museum — free entry, dinosaur gallery, whale hall

🥬 Market: Borough Market — Wed to Sat, food lover's paradise

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WARSAW

Rebuilt from rubble, now one of Europe's most underrated cities. Your dollar goes far here.

Best months: May to September

Getting there: One stop via Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or London. NYC ~10 hrs total.

⛳ Golf: First Warsaw Golf & Country Club (~$80) — Poland's original course, 25 km from center

☕ Coffee: Relax Cafe — specialty coffee in the city center

🍽️ Restaurant: Pyzy Flaki Gorące — traditional Polish dumplings, cash only

👶 Kids: Copernicus Science Centre — interactive exhibits, planetarium

🥬 Market: Hala Koszyki — renovated market hall, food stalls and bars

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CAPE TOWN

Table Mountain backdrop, penguins at the beach, wine country 30 minutes away. Not a typo.

Best months: November to March (their summer)

Getting there: One stop via London, Dubai, or Doha. NYC ~18 hrs total.

⛳ Golf: Metropolitan Golf Club (~$40) — central Cape Town, 18 holes on 9 fairways

☕ Coffee: Truth Coffee Roasting — steampunk decor, excellent espresso

🍽️ Restaurant: The Test Kitchen — Luke Dale-Roberts, book way ahead

👶 Kids: Two Oceans Aquarium — V&A Waterfront, penguin encounters

🥬 Market: Neighbourgoods Market — Saturdays, The Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock

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SEOUL

24-hour city, food everywhere, and yes, they take golf very seriously. Caddies are standard.

Best months: April to May, September to November

Getting there: Nonstop from NYC (14 hrs), Chicago (13.5 hrs), DFW (14 hrs), LA (12 hrs)

⛳ Golf: Sky 72 Golf Club (~$150) — near Incheon Airport, ocean views, 72 holes

☕ Coffee: Fritz Coffee Company — Mapo-gu, Korean specialty coffee pioneer

🍽️ Restaurant: Gwangjang Market — street food hall, bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes)

👶 Kids: Lotte World — indoor/outdoor theme park, aquarium

🥬 Market: Namdaemun Market — Seoul's oldest and largest, open daily

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Which city is your favorite? Hit reply and let me know.

And what should I write about next? I'm all ears.

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Until next Thursday,

Jeff