By Todd Dobson
One of the more uncomfortable subplots of every Grass League season is identifying which franchises are walking into the opener with the least margin for error. No coaches here, no managers to fire mid-season — in this league, it’s the franchise itself that earns its reputation, event by event. When things go sideways, there’s nowhere to hide. The front office, the roster, the ownership — all of it is accountable.
The 2026 Grass Clippings Open tips off Wednesday at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe, which means it is time to ponder some grim matters. The scrutiny is real, the purse is real, and the points race has reset. Some franchises are entering with history and credibility on their side. Others are entering with something less comfortable than that.
A note worth making upfront: this list is not entirely obvious. A few of these picks could look foolish come next weekend. That’s the fun of doing it.
Dallas Horsemen — 2025 Result: 9th in Points Race
Let’s not bury the lead. The Dallas Horsemen are tied with the San Diego Munis for the most last place finishes in Grass League history. The only difference is the Munis have carved a new path having won the overall points race in 2025 where the Horsemen finished ninth. Good Good Golf — the franchise’s ownership group — commands over three million subscribers and more golf social media reach than almost anyone on the planet. The gap between the brand footprint and the on-course results is mind boggling, and it has been for two seasons now. It’s due for realignment. GM and owner Matt Kendrick is a respected golf mind. The pieces are there. But this is yet another event where “the pieces are there” is the best thing Todd Dobson can say about the Dallas Horsemen, and patience is a finite resource. The 2026 GCO is not a must-win. But it is very much a must-not-embarrass.
Hollywood Hitters — 2025 Result: 6th in Points Race
The Hitters occupy a strange place in this league’s hierarchy. 6th in the points race sounds respectable until you cross-reference it against the Summer Grind result, where they finished 9th, and against the Championship, where they earned zero purse dollars despite fielding a roster that included proven PGA Tour-level talent. Co-owner John Mallinger was a mainstay on the PGA Tour for years. He knows what success looks like. He also knows what this franchise has looked like in the biggest moments, and I would imagine he’s not satisfied. What Todd Dobson has heard is that the underperformance has been acknowledged within the Hitters headquarters and it’s evident in the retooling of the roster. They’re bringing in the big guns for the 2026 season opener. Names like John Peterson, Johnathan Randolph, Willy Wilcox, and co is an impressive haul, but we’ve been fooled in the past. The 2026 season for the Hitters and all other Franchises is a fresh opportunity. As they like to say in baseball, hope springs eternal.
Las Vegas Action — Expansion Franchise | No Events Played
Here’s your wildcard entry. Las Vegas Action didn’t exist twelve months ago. The Sports Group Endeavors paid $1 million for the rights to a franchise in the sport’s most theatrical city, and now they step into the Grass Clippings Open as the most scrutinized unknown in the field. No results. No points race history. No Championship pedigree. What they have is a city that eats franchises alive when results don’t match the marquee — and a league that is set to experience its highest-visibility season to date. The Las Vegas Action’s first event will take place on linear television. There’s no gentler introduction than that. The Action though have a star studded roster featuring names like Jennifer Song and Willie Mack III and currently hold the 1st pick in Thursday’s draft. First impressions in this league take a while to shake. If the Action stumble badly in Tempe, that narrative will follow them to the Summer Grind and beyond. A strong debut doesn’t guarantee anything, but a poor one starts a clock.
Minnesota Muskies — 2025 Result: 7th in Points Race
I have been a public defender of the Minnesota Muskies for as long as this league has existed, and I want you to know it has cost me something. Drew Kittleson is the number one par-3 player in the world. He proved it at the 2024 Grass Clippings Open with a win as well as the 2025 GL Championship, where he and Drew Stoltz finished T3. And yet — franchise-wide, the Muskies finished seventh in the points race in 2025 and 8th at the Summer Grind. When you have arguably the best individual player in the league and your franchise can’t crack the top half of the standings with any consistency, something is structurally misaligned. Owner Bryan Hoops has made clear he believes in this roster. Todd Dobson believes in this roster too. But belief without results is just optimism, and the 2026 GCO is a moment for the Muskies to demonstrate that Kittleson’s ceiling isn’t being held down by the franchise around him. The window to use “still building” as an explanation has quietly closed. They could learn a lesson from a fellow Minnesota Franchise. Don’t let Kevin Garnett walk out the door.
Scottsdale Strikers — 2025 Result: 8th in Points Race
The Scottsdale Strikers were the first franchise in Grass League history to sign a PGA Tour winner. Charlie Beljan is a legitimate professional golfer with legitimate credentials, and the Strikers made noise when they brought him aboard. The problem is that 8th in the points race is not where a franchise with that kind of signing should be finishing. The Strikers struck gold in the 2025 GL Draft and look to do so again this year. Owned by Riot Hospitality, an organization that clearly understands performance culture, the Strikers are facing a third season in which the talent pipeline is there but the results are yet to catch up. This is the year the résumé has to grow, or the Strikers risk becoming a story about potential that never quite became achievement. My eyes are set on the Tony Hendricks and Joe Neuheisel to hopefully rewrite the narative in 2026.
Tampa Bay Swamp Dawgs — 2025 Result: 10th in Points Race
Champions don’t typically end up on hot seat lists a year after winning a title. But the 2024 GL Champions — Tampa Bay Swamp Dawgs — are not exactly defending anything after a 2025 campaign that saw them finish tenth in the points race and tenth at the Summer Grind. Billy Hanes is still widely regarded as one of this league’s premier players. Brock MacKenzie is the kind of talent the league has been waiting to breakthrough. The pieces for a run are still here. But the Swamp Dawgs went from hoisting the trophy to the bottom quartile of the standings in a single season, and that is a regression that demands an explanation. The answer can’t be “we’ll be fine” at the 2026 GCO — the answer has to be shown under the lights. The good news is that owner and player captain, Ben Herman, hasn’t flinched publicly and has brought in Matt Parzaile to play alongside Billy Hanes next week. I wouldn’t be suprised if the Swamp Dawgs run away with it and I also wouldn’t be surpised if they turn in another lack luster performance.
