Golf's weekend unlike any other
+ The Masters is rich in tradition; Sergio Garcia knows who is to blame for golf's divisive landscape; Mike Purkey's nine things to consider.
THE STARTER
🏌️ Bryson DeChambeau led the Masters with a 7-under 65 in the first round and carried the flag for 13 LIV Golf players in the field at the year’s first major. Should the majors accommodate more LIV players?
🏌️ Tiger Woods faced a hilly 23-hole Friday after Thursday’s first round could not be completed. How much will that work against him making the cut?
🏌️ Jon Rahm thought his signing with LIV Golf would be what he called the “tipping point” to an agreement between his new league and the PGA Tour. Is he that important?
🏌️ The Telegraph reported that at least one high-ranking LIV executive was invited to the Masters but the identity was unknown. Anyone care to guess?
🏌️ It wasn’t Greg Norman, who bought a Masters badge on the secondary market and attended as a spectator. He said the patrons greeted him warmly. Probably would have been a little chillier in the clubhouse, huh?
🏌️ Akshay Bhatia raised his arms in celebration after making a 12-foot putt that got him into a playoff at the Valero Texas Open. But his shoulder dislocated and he had it taped up just before he won the playoff, which earned him a Masters invitation.
🏌️ Nelly Korda has now won four tournaments in a row, a feat not accomplished since Lorena Ochoa did it in 2008. She will go for five in a row at the LPGA Tour’s first major — the Chevron Championship — next week. Will you watch?
🏌️ The PGA Tour will start charging tournaments more money to hold their events, including a percentage of each venue’s hospitality income. Is it any wonder longtime sponsors are leaving the Tour?
🏌️ Is Masters Sunday the best day in golf of the year?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Black caddies remain a rich part of Augusta National’s fabric
Until 1983, the club’s corps of loopers was largely locals who knew how to navigate the course’s nooks and crannies — especially during Masters week.
:: Ward Clayton | Read
2024 Masters: 'Unofficial' swag to snag
Even if you are not attending the year's first major at Augusta National Golf Club this week, you can still look the part with this Masters-themed apparel and gear.
:: Janice Ferguson | Read
The inspiration behind 'The Long Game'
Director Julio Quintana and actor Julian Works talk about making the movie that highlights the improbable true story of five Mexican-American golfers winning a Texas high school title in 1957.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
Active in daylight during the Arctic summer and hibernating during the long winter nights, Alaska’s little brown bats are a unique population. Can their niche lives help them avoid white-nose syndrome?
:: Trina Moyles | Hakai Magazine | 03.12.2024
A new collection of columns from the Library of America shows how Red Smith became a master of the page, one sentence at a time.
:: Red Smith | New York Times | 04.10.1970
📖 Reflections on covering 50(!) Masters: You might say the place has changed a bit
:: Dave Kindred | Golf Digest | 04.16.2016
SUBSTACKED
The First Call | Extra has been publishing on Substack for a few years now and there is really good work being written on this platform. So, we’re going to start highlighting some of the pieces we come across.
Three Americans share 36-hole lead on a taxing day in Augusta. Plus, the 15th hole exposes players, Woods sets new cut record, quotables, Zach Johnson loses cool with patrons, this, that and tee times.
:: Geoff Shackelford | The Quadrilateral | 04.12.2024
BUSINESS
WEEK IN REVIEW
1️⃣8️⃣ The industry’s names, news and notables that are making the headlines. | Read
PERFECT PUTT
The money in the Masters
Publisher Jared Doerfler looks at the economics of the Masters.
:: Jared Doerfler | Read
Each Monday, Jared Doerfler breaks down the business of golf. Subscribe to Perfect Putt here.
ICYMI
This week’s editions of The First Call:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
TRAVEL
The First Call has partnered with SportGo Travel, an online booking service, to give you up to 50% off or more on hotel accommodations worldwide.
Whether you’re planning your next trip to a tournament, a buddies or girls golf getaway, or a family vacation, book your stay through SportGo Travel and save. Simply create your account and start planning.
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
Masters week doesn’t get any cuter than this.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
19TH HOLE
Each episode of the “Course of Life” podcast closes with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole experience.
Mia Hammond, 16, who was recently one of 10 girls selected for the USGA’s inaugural U.S. National Junior team: “I love getting a McGriddle and a Coke on the way to the course, it's my absolute favorite. And usually a club sandwich after the round when I'm done for the day."
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
HOME FRONT
Tributary | Driggs, Idaho
Listing: 900 Mountain Bluebird Court.
Stats: 3,328 square feet | 4 bedrooms | 4.5 baths.
Price: $3.5 million.
About: This modern mountain home features authentic materials, walls of glass and generous living spaces. A basecamp for adventure seekers, Tributary’s 1,500-acre low-density community offers a one-of-a-kind setting, rich in wildlife, ponds and wetlands, and a distinct town culture. The mountain recently added the new high-speed, six-pack Colter Chairlift that gives skiers access to untouched snow and cat-skiing powder. Operating since 1969, the resort has 2,600 acres of terrain and gets an annual average of 500-plus inches of snow. Visitors can use a mountain collective pass or purchase a day or season pass directly from the resort. The resort is popular with locals in Teton Valley and Jackson Hole, and lift lines are typically short — if there are any at all. Outside of Tributary’s exclusive lounge, Grand Targhee also offers a variety of restaurants and cafss, as well as the iconic Trap Bar & Grill for the best apres in the area. The golf course at Tributary was crafted by course architect David McClay Kidd, embracing the innate allure of southeastern Idaho with a thrilling and eco-conscious approach. Striving for harmony among residential, recreational and environmental elements, an additional 50 acres of wetlands were seamlessly integrated into the course.
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Beau Welling rejuvenates historic Atlanta Country Club
Longtime PGA Tour venue Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia has reopened following a comprehensive renovation project led by Beau Welling and his firm, Beau Welling Design.
The renovation included significant infrastructure updates and design alterations to the course, enhanced practice facilities and additional off-course amenities. As part of the renovation, Welling and senior designer Scott Benson revitalized the 58-year-old Willard Byrd-designed championship layout to increase playability and foster a communal golf experience while modernizing the golf course.
"Our team is very proud of the work we’ve done to reinvigorate both the golf course and the larger campus while preserving the longstanding ideals of which Atlanta Country Club is rightfully proud," Welling said. "For many years, Byrd’s design challenged the game’s greats as a prominent venue for championship golf. With this renovation, Atlanta Country Club will no doubt continue to be a true test for the elite player, but I’m even more excited about what this will do for the membership and their guests who will enjoy the elevated playability and sense of community that we hope to inspire with all of our designs."
One of the primary changes to the golf course is the installation of the Hydronics temperature control system underneath each green. The subsurface water pumps and piping allow the new 007XL Bentgrass putting surfaces to continue to thrive year-round, including during the heat of Georgia summers. Other agronomic improvements include a change from Bermudagrass in the fairways to Zorro Zoysia as well as a complete overhaul of drainage and irrigation systems across the entire property.
Based on feedback from the membership during the project master planning and initial surveys of the property, BWD added 13 forward tees throughout the course, including multiple elongated and winding "ribbon" tee complexes to offer additional options for tee placements and an increased variety of shot selections off the tee. While many holes feature design enhancements that sought to honor the original Byrd design, the par-3 fifth and par-5 11th holes were substantially redesigned in the renovation.
"As a membership, we are excited that the exceptional golf and overall experience at Atlanta Country Club is getting even better," said Larry Nelson, a World Golf Hall of Famer and an Atlanta Country Club member. “We recognized now is the right time to look toward the future and how this renovation can help us achieve our goals as a club, and we could not be happier with the work Beau and his team have done to cement our legacy as stewards of the game for generations to come."
Among the other work performed, numerous fairway and greenside bunkers were adjusted to recalibrate the bunkering strategy and now feature Bunker Solutions technology designed to improve drainage and create a more visually compelling appearance. Several existing cart paths were also rerouted to promote proper drainage and increase course aesthetics.
Around the clubhouse, the BWD team redesigned the practice area, including a 40 percent larger driving range and the addition of a multi-green short game area, as well as a new practice putting green. All these changes are intended to foster a more communal atmosphere for the membership which is highlighted by a new patio overlooking the 18th green which creates an excellent vantage point for spectators and/or members to watch golfers finish their rounds.
Founded in 1964 and opened in 1966, Atlanta Country Club hosted the PGA Tour’s Atlanta Classic from its inception in 1967 through 1996, where winners included Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and John Daly. It also played host to the inaugural Players Championship in 1974 when Nicklaus was the winner.
READ: This week’s complete Design Notes
RELATED: Design Notes archive
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