Checking Off Bucket-List Courses Gets Easier
+ Just when you thought Pinehurst Resort couldn't get any better.
ON THE TEE
🏌️ The PGA Tour begins 2023, as usual, in Hawaii at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, now one of the Tour’s “elevated” tournaments that the top 20 players were going to be required to play. Yet, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy — the prime ringleader in the creation of the elevated events — took a pass. What kind of message does that send?
🏌️ NBC also begins the year minus Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch, replaced by Curt Byrum, Brad Faxon and Smylie Kaufman. Which does NBC care about more: the reduced overhead or the quality of the announcing?
🏌️ The wrong Scott Stallings received a Masters invitation in the mail and immediately let the right Scott Stallings know he had it. Don’t you think the right Stallings should invite the wrong Stallings to be his guest at Augusta?
🏌️ Patrick Cantlay continues to insist he’s not going to join LIV Golf, despite the insistence of the swirling rumors. Didn’t Brooks Koepka also deny, deny, deny?
🏌️ Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, told two-time green jacket winner and LIV Golf member Bubba Watson there would be a table just for him at the champions dinner “in the corner.” He was laughing when he said it, wasn’t he?
🏌️ Cameron Smith headlines the field at the PIF Saudi International next month, along with defending champion Harold Varner III. How many more LIV Golf members will join them?
🏌️ Lydia Ko married Jun Chung just six weeks after she won the CME Group Tour Championship. Any questions about her focus?
🏌️ Barry Lane, former European Ryder Cup member and European Tour standout, died at age 62, the DP World Tour announced Jan. 1. For years, Lane was one of Europe’s most underrated players.
🏌️ What’s your New Year’s golf resolution? Practice more? Play more? Walk more?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Is Thousand Greens app golf’s LinkedIn?
Manish Goel sought to play golf's exclusive private courses and found out he was not alone. So, the retired tech executive created an app that connects club members with their bucket-list courses
:: Ken Klavon | Read
How nature, courses are coexisting for the good
Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses heads into 2023 with significant momentum
:: David Droschak | Read
Pinehurst Resort taps Tom Doak for No. 10 design
Noted course architect to create distinctly different layout on land that used to be site of The Pit
:: Stuart Hall | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 Wrong image but the right touch
Kathy Whitworth may not be an LPGA cutie, but she could soon become the biggest tournament winner in golf history
:: Barry McDermott | Sports Illustrated | 7.25.1983
📖 What really irritates golf-course superintendents?
:: Golf.com | 12.30.2022
📖 The brotherhood of the bloody heads
A growing number of men are taking solo trips to Turkey—and returning with a lot more hair
:: Max Berlinger | Air Mail | 12.31.2022
OFF THE PLAYLIST
One golfer’s song of choice for the course. Hey, and if you don’t like it? Share your choice. Seriously.
🎶 “Having A Party” | Sam Cooke [Spotify | iTunes]
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️ Bonfit: Selects Read the Greens, Golf Media as its public relation agency, which will work with the Bonfit Sport Division. … Strawn & Sampson: Publishes Oak Hills Country Club's centennial book, “Preserving Greatness: Celebrating 100 Years of Tillinghast’s Texas Masterpiece,” that chronicles the San Antonio club's history. … Play Today: Receives a $1.2 million (AU) investment by Clive Mayhew, a tech entrepreneur, investor and chair of Fishburners, to launch the web3 golf company. The Play Today scoring app will allow golfers to connect online and feature an integrated consumer digital wallet, a golf NFT marketplace and a golf MetaVerse. … GCSAA: Golf Course Environmental Profile survey shows U.S. golf courses decreased use of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in 2021, and a decrease in fertilized acres. … Payntr Golf: Reaches key sales milestones in 2022, including year over year unit sales being up 590% and year over year revenue being up 415%. Payntr also introduced two new shoes — the Payntr X 002 LE and Payntr X 003 F. … Greenwood Golf: Announces that its golf balls are now available through Walmart.com. Greenwood Golf is reportedly the first black-owned golf company to work with the retailer. … NBC Sports: Announces its 2023 PGA Tour broadcast schedule, which features more than 450 hours of live coverage across the NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock platforms and begins with this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. Golf Channel and Peacock will provide early-round and lead-in weekend coverage of every FedEx Cup event and four-round coverage of five tournaments.
COURSES / COMPETITION
▪️ Farmers Insurance Open: Announces early player commitments from Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Will Zalatoris, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Max Homa and Hideki Matsuyama. The tournament is scheduled for Jan. 25-28. … PIF Saudi International: British Open champion Cameron Smith commits to play in this year's tournament, Feb. 2-5 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. … Cabo Del Sol: To revamp the layouts at Cove Club and the former Desert Course. Jack Nicklaus and Fry/Straka will direct the respective redesigns. … Pinehurst Resort: Selects course architect Tom Doak to design the destination’s 10th course, which is slated to open in 2024. … BallenIsles Country Club: Members of the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, club approve a $19 million renovation and expansion project of the club’s existing complex, which should be completed by late 2024. … Champion Hills Golf Club: Private Hendersonville, North Carolina, destination ranks No. 21 on Club + Resort Business' Top Ranked Clubhouses list as judged by an independent panel of club general managers. … WM Phoenix Open: Receives early commitments from Scottie Scheffler, the reigning champion and 2022 PGA Tour Player of the Year; Xander Schauffele, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist and a seven-time PGA Tour winner; and Sam Burns, a four-time PGA Tour winner. The tournament is Feb. 9-12 at TPC Scottsdale.
DESTINATIONS
▪️ Branson Golf: Recognized as a leading North American destination in 2022 as it claims five of Missouri's top-10-rated courses.
GEAR
▪️ Wilson Golf: Upgrades its Duo Soft golf ball for players motivated by faster ball speeds and longer distances. Balls will be available for purchase on Jan. 19. … Srixon: Introduces its ZX Mk II woods, which feature a stronger Rebound Frame design that allows for smoother energy transfer from the clubface to the golf ball while generating enhanced ball speed and distance. … OptiShot Golf: Expands its golf simulator technology with the new BallFlight launch monitor and Orbit golf simulator swing pad that allow customers to further customize their at-home golf simulator bundles. … PXG: Introduces its 2023 Aloha Capsule Collection, tropical-inspired apparel and golf accessories lineup featuring rich colors and distinctive hibiscus floral prints.
PEOPLE
▪️ PGA of America: Michael Block of Mission Viejo, California; Sandra Changkija of Kissimmee, Florida; and Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, won their respective 2022 PGA of America PGA Professional, Women’s PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year Awards. … Wilson Golf: Adds Kevin Kisner and Trey Mullinax to its professional golf advisory staff. … LPGA: Elects Stephen C. Mills, former president and general manager of the New York Knicks, to the LPGA Board of Directors as an independent director for 2023. John Veihmeyer, retired chairman of KPMG International, replaces Diane Gulyas, who is retiring, as the new Board chair. Also, Gemma Dryburgh, Mel Reid, Elizabeth Szokol and Kelly Tan have been elected to the LPGA Board as player directors, succeeding Lydia Ko, Amy Olson, Alena Sharp and Michelle Wie West, whose terms expired. … Foxhills Club and Resort: Promotes Sean Graham to director of golf. Graham, who previously served as the club's head of golf operations and retail, will oversee the Chertsey, England, club's major golf course modernization project. … Callaway Golf: Signs a multiyear partnership with global music and entertainment star Niall Horan to collaborate on game-expanding initiatives to help connect with a wider, younger audience. … GCSAA: Fred Yelverton, an North Carolina State University professor and Extension specialist, will receive the Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2023 GCSAA Conference and Show on Feb. 8 in Orlando, Florida. … NewEngland.golf: Adds golf industry veteran Rick Zurak to its team of writers. … Srixon/Cleveland Golf: Staffer Paul Earnest has been named PGA director of golf and operations at the newly designed Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas. … NBC Sports: Announces the addition of Brad Faxon and Smylie Kaufman to its 2023 golf commentary team. Faxon will serve as a hole announcer, while Kaufman joins John Wood, Notah Begay III and Arron Oberholser as on-course reporters. Also, Curt Byrum, a 22-year veteran with NBC Sports, will serve as hole announcer starting in 2023. The main tower combo of Dan Hicks (play-by-play) and Paul Azinger (lead analyst) returns for a fifth consecutive year.
PGA SHOW
▪️ Divots Sportswear: To make record 46th trip to PGA Show and will debut 2023 collections for Divots, Byron Nelson and Carnoustie Sportswear brands. … Relfo: Sustainable apparel brand to showcase its current ranges alongside its 2023 SS and AW products. The company will also plant five trees for every visitor to its Show booth. … PGA Show: Golf Travel Pavilion to have representatives from such golf destinations as the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Los Cabos, Morocco, Scotland, South Africa and Spain, along with tour companies. … Margin Golf: To showcase its Margin Tee, an innovative holder and flexible tee, at Demo Day on Jan. 24 and in the Inventors Spotlight, Jan. 25-27. … AGM: Product Preview Reception returns on the eve of the PGA Show, Jan. 24. Attendees can get an advance look at the newest products to be debuted before official opening of the PGA Show. … PGA Show: Inventors Spotlight Exhibit Pavilion to showcase the newest golf training aids, teaching aids, accessories and equipment, allowing attending PGA pros, industry leaders and media to gauge their interest. … PGA Show: New Career Zone to provide employer-led panel presentations and networking events, allowing PGA professionals, college students and second-career professionals to connect with employers on the Show Floor.
THE STYLE LINKS
Quality custom logo head covers from Dormie Workshop. As someone once wrote, “Your own brand is the best brand.”
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
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