Boston's Green Monster Still Has It
+ A tip of the hat to Ahead's U.S. Open run.
ON THE TEE
🏌️ Phil Mickelson shot 8-over 78, including a 4-putt from 12 feet, in the first round of the U.S. Open. Given where he is and where he’s been, is this a surprise?
🏌️ At its peak, LIV Golf’s first event had about 105,000 viewers on YouTube. With no television contract, does LIV have a chance of attracting the number of viewers it needs?
🏌️ No commercials were shown on the LIV Golf telecast. Which U.S. corporations are willing to risk being associated with this series?
🏌️ In the meantime, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau battled down the stretch in front of a boisterous crowd at the RBC Canadian Open. Was this a statement from the PGA Tour?
🏌️ McIlroy has become the face and voice of the PGA Tour, a role he didn’t choose. But isn’t he really the adult in the room where the Tour and LIV Golf are concerned?
🏌️ Mike Whan of the USGA, who might be golf’s smartest CEO, adroitly avoided taking a stand on LIV Golf, allowing all who qualified to play in the U.S. Open. Wise move?
🏌️ However, there was no announcement from the USGA about reducing distance that elite players hit the ball. Are they running out the clock?
🏌️ The USGA is starting a grant funding program, with a target of $40 million, for a national program to develop elite-level players, starting with juniors 12-17. Isn’t this long overdue?
🏌️ Daily-fee courses are packed to the gills and many private clubs have waiting lists. Did someone really say golf is being threatened?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
The Country Club: Old world charm, new world demands
While this U.S. Open venue drips with history, the course has a sporty new look that is built to test today's modern players
:: Brad Klein | Read
Why Ahead feels at home at U.S. Open
The Massachusetts-based apparel manufacturer, based about 60 miles south of this week's championship in Brookline, has been an innovative presence at USGA championships since 1998
:: Ken Klavon | Read
Annika Sorenstam enters canned cocktails business
Ten-time major champion buzzes into the ready-to-drink cocktail marketplace seeking to differentiate the product with honey and a philanthropic initiative
:: Kelly Okun | Read
And the winner is …
Readers of The First Call look into the crystal ball and offer their pick to win the year's third major being played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts
:: The First Call Readers | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always …
📖 Greg Norman golfing for greed in plans for World Tour
:: Tom Boswell | Washington Post | 11.19.1994
📖 How do you build a golf ball? In Chicopee, there’s an extra ingredient: Pride
:: Dylan Dethier | Golf.com | 06.16.2022
📖 My round with Jack Nicholson at Brookline’s Country Club
:: John Spooner | Boston Magazine | 06.07.2022
📖 Chef Richard Blais on how rum is disrupting mixology
:: Becca Hensley | Esquire | 06.13.2022
DESIGN NOTES
Nicklaus Design celebrates return to BallenIsles East
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
⛳️ BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, broke ground in early April on a multi-million dollar renovation project tied to the club’s legendary East Course and the golf practice facility.
Course renovations will revolve around updating the course’s design, including bunkering, greens complexes and strategy, a complete re-grassing of the course and improvements to playing options for members and tournament players alike. The Nicklaus Design team, led by senior designers Chris Cochran and Chad Goetz, will also add length to the current 7,189-yard, par-72 layout.
In addition to the East Course renovations, the BallenIsles practice facilities are also being reimagined with new teeing grounds, target areas and practice greens. The new design incorporates modern-day practice areas and targets that will allow members to practice the wide variety of golf shots demanded on BallenIsles’ three championship courses. New short game practice areas, a pitch-and-putt course and a putting course are also part of the new practice facility that will include a new 3,500-square-foot Learning Center.
BallenIsles, a private club and community, was once known as PGA National, which was its name when Jack Nicklaus captured the only PGA Championship ever held in February, back in 1971. That course, always known as the East, was a 1963 Dick Wilson and Joe Lee creation that played host to many other significant events, including the PGA Team Championship and the Senior PGA Championship. Developed by John D. MacArthur, the facility later severed its ties with the PGA of America and its name then became JDM Country Club in 1973, which lasted until 1988. Whatever it was known as, in every era, the club and its championship East Course have always been held in high regard.
“It is exciting to work on this project, when just a year ago we were here celebrating the 50-year anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’ 1971 PGA victory and announcing our partnership with Nicklaus Design," said Ryan Walls, BallenIsles Country Club's general manager and chief operating officer. "Little did we know that we would be returning here, just a year later, to begin work. This is an important project for the club, as we continue to evolve the offerings to our membership and re-establish the East to its former glory, recognition and a great test of golf for all players.”
⛳️ The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts, was long renowned for its Pines course, a 1960s Geoffrey Cornish layout later modified by Robert Trent Jones that measured 8,325 yards — the longest course in the United States. Lesser known, but much admired, was the club’s second course, the Oaks, designed by Tom Fazio, that opened in 2001. However, both courses went to seed early in the pandemic period of 2020. In February 2021, Escalante Golf of Fort Worth, Texas, acquired the club out of bankruptcy and set about recapturing its former glories.
Currently, Coore and Crenshaw is redesigning the Pines, while Tripp Davis has recently completed work on the Oaks renovation, which reopened in May. Davis retained the Fazio routing, but he reworked the tee boxes into traditional rectangular shapes and redid bunkers to give the course a refined, yet “naturalistic” look, as Davis put it, with features more classical and more New England-like in appearance. Davis eliminated bunkers, added a few, and relocated others, along with installing overhanging grass edging on most of the bunkers. The course is set to host a LIV Golf event over Labor Day weekend.
⛳️ Following the successful debut of its first 10 holes in 2021, Oregon’s Bar Run Golf and RV Park is set to open its final eight holes later this summer. Located in Roseburg, in the southwestern portion of the state — but not on the coast — Bar Run bears the design imprint of Dan Hixson, who has also authored Pacific Northwest gems such as Wine Valley in Washington and Bandon Crossing and Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon. Hewn from a sand-and-gravel mine along the South Umpqua River, Bar Run features three holes that edge the river — 8, 10 and 11 — and other holes that incorporate machinery from a still-active mining operation.
⛳️ Metedeconk National Golf Club, one of the finest low-key, yet most demanding layouts ever built by Robert Trent Jones, is basking in the glow of a recently completed Raymond Hearn renovation project.
Set on the edge of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, roughly halfway between New York City and Philadelphia, Metedeconk opened 18 holes in 1987, with Jones and senior designer Roger Rulewich adding a third nine in 1998. The Michigan-based Hearn ventured east and aligned with Metedeconk president Fred Price, general manager Derek Kopp, green committee chairman Rob Bakos and superintendent Andrew Mallick in performing the work.
“It was a great team effort,” said Hearn. “I could not be more pleased with how things turned out. Strategy and shot values were enhanced on every hole with regards to current hitting distances that have increased since the club’s original opening.”
RELATED: Design Notes archive
HOME FRONT
Suncadia | Cle Elum, Washington
Listing: 1190 Southern Star Lane
Stats: 3,340 square feet. 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms.
Price: $2,699,000 million.
About: Settled in Suncadia’s Tumble Creek community, this home is a modern mountain masterpiece. With four bedrooms (all with en suite bathrooms) and a bonus bunk room, this home provides plenty of shared spaces, alongside added privacy. The great room with two-story windows allows for stunning views with plenty of natural light, while the adjacent dining room and gourmet chef's kitchen complete the main living area. The expansive heated outdoor living area leads to the built-in seating around a stone fireplace, as well as a hot tub. This makes this home conducive to all-season indoor-outdoor living. The neutral gray tones throughout give the home warmth, while keeping it the epitome of modern luxury. The special details include Wolf appliances, quartz countertops and hardwood floors throughout. Suncadia is roughly an hour’s drive from Seattle. As for golf, Suncadia Resort is home to two championship resort courses and a unique Par 3 course. The Arnold Palmer-designed Prospector Golf Course is adjacent to the 18-room Inn at Suncadia and set within a pine and fir forest with lakes and ponds. Tom Doak designed Tumble Creek, which is exclusive to property owners and is considered one of the best courses in Washington.
RELATED: Home Front archive
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️Landscapes Golf Management: Pledges its promotional support to ‘Phantom of the Open’ movie that debuts in major and secondary markets throughout June. … PXG: Hosts its second PXG Women’s Day to Play as the company celebrates its employees during Women’s Golf Month. … Club Champion: Expands store count to 42 locations in the United States with the opening of studios in Huntsville, Alabama; Westport, Connecticut; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Peachtree City, Georgia. … Malcolm DeMille: Designs the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship perpetual and champion’s trophies. … Legends Tour: Announces an agreement with Royal Albartross to become the tour's footwear partner. Royal Albartross will help support the Tour and its popular Alliance Series and Celebrity Series with a three-year commitment until 2024. … Audubon International, Epar: Non-profit conservation organization to work with the Australian environment compliance specialist to promote sustainability in golf across the continent
COURSES / COMPETITION
▪️Palmilla Golf Club: Los Cabos, Mexico, club hosts the inaugural Future Champions Golf World Series event held outside the United States. Winners were determined in 10 boys and girls age divisions. … R&A: Announces the respective sites for the 2023 and 2024 British Amateur and British Women’s Amateur championships. The British Amateur will be played at England's Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale golf clubs in 2023; Ireland’s Ballyliffin Golf Club in 2024. The British Women’s Amateur will be played at England’s Prince's Golf Club in 2023; Royal Birkdale in 2024. … Baltusrol Golf Club: To host On Course Foundation’s 2022 Simpson Cup, a Ryder Cup-style match for teams of injured service members from the United States and United Kingdom. The Simpson Cup is Aug. 28-31. … Troon: Sixty-seven of its affiliated courses are named to Golfweek’s “Best” lists — 51 daily-fee/resort properties on the magazine’s 2022 Best Courses You Can Play, State-by-State list and 16 private clubs on the Best Private Courses, State-by-State list.
GEAR
▪️Puma Golf: Celebrates the U.S. Open with its Love H8 apparel and accessory collection, which will be worn by Gary Woodland and Bryson DeChambeau. … Skechers: Brooke Henderson wins the ShopRite LPGA Classic wearing the brand’s Go Golf footwear and apparel. … Ogio Europe: Debuts a new line of limited-edition, waterproof golf bags, exclusive to the European market. The all-elements Woode hybrid golf bags have been released in eight color schemes. … Whiskers: Unveils its Americana Collection — red, white and blue, golf-specific laces in solid and pattern designs for men and women. … FlightScope: Through June 19, golfers can get $200 off FlightScope’s Mevo+ and $50 off Mevo launch monitors when shopping at FlightScopeMevo.com. … Adidas Golf: Introduces its CodeChaos 22 golf shoe in limited-edition and exclusive colorways to start and in-line colorways to follow. The footwear will be available in both laced and BOA models for men and women, alongside a junior BOA model. All models and colorways will be available beginning June 24. … Fujikura: Reports that its shafts were played in all the woods of the RBC Canadian Open winner, while its Ventus shafts were also played by the respective winners on the PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour.
PEOPLE
▪️PGA of America: Promotes Kevin J. Scott to be its first chief technology officer. Scott previously served as head of technology, leading the design and launch of the PGA’s consumer digital products — PGA.com and PGA Coach. … Black Desert Resort Golf Course: Ivins, Utah, course names Brenton Rice as general manager, Ken Yates as golf course superintendent and Jordan Rhodes as assistant golf course superintendent. … Mystic Creek Golf Club: Names Sandy Davison as director of golf to oversee all golf operations for the 18-hole El Dorado, Arkansas, facility.
PHILANTHROPIC
▪️NBC Sports Next: Donates $75,000 to Folds of Honor through its GolfNow 'Rounding Up' campaign over Memorial Day weekend. … First Tee College Scholarship Program: In honor of its 25th anniversary, the program selects its largest class to date, awarding scholarships to 25 high school seniors. … USGA: Awards a $25,000 IDEA Grant to First Tee — Massachusetts, which will help attract more diverse coaches and volunteers, particularly in underrepresented communities in Boston, Brockton and Springfield. The IDEA Grant program was launched by the USGA in 2021 with a focus on its championship host communities and for programs delivered through its Allied Golf Association network. … Make Golf Your Thing: Initiative awards 81 grassroots grants, totaling $750,000, to organizations dedicated to increasing golf participation among underrepresented populations. … The Thunderbirds: Host of the WM Phoenix Open announces a partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division to offer a new Thunderbirds Charities specialty license plate. The plate is available through the MVD for $25 per year, with $17 of each plate sold supporting The Thunderbirds Scholars program. … Youth on Course: Announces a partnership with the Texas Golf Association that allows golfers ages 6 to 18 years old to play at over 40 courses in the state, and over 2,000 others across the U.S. and Canada for $5 or less a round.
THE STYLE LINKS
Cool story on U.S. Open weekend from B. Draddy. The best thing about aging are the walks down memory lane.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
THE GOOD LIFE
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