Is coming together good for golf?
+ Nine questions to think on; TFC readers have something to say; Andrew Green to work wonders on Olympia Fields' North course.
THE STARTER
🏌️ Keegan Bradley, a captain’s pick, secured the winning point for the U.S. in an 18.5-11.5 victory over the International Team. Bradley is also the captain of the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team. What do you suppose he learned?
🏌️ Tom Kim apologized to U.S. captain Jim Furyk and Xander Schauffele after claiming that unnamed U.S. players were cursing at Kim and his partner Si Woo Kim. Was that necessary? Would Ian Poulter have apologized?
🏌️ Television ratings for the Sunday telecast of the Presidents Cup declined 28% over 2022. Is that any surprise?
🏌️ Is the Presidents Cup really just an American strategic dress rehearsal for the Ryder Cup? If so, it hasn’t been working, has it?
🏌️ For the first round of the Dunhill Championship in Scotland, Billy Horschel and his partner, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, were paired with LIV player Dean Burmester and his partner, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Saudi backer of LIV. More meeting than golf?
🏌️ In all, 14 LIV players were in the field at the Dunhill, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Given the previous item, can this be seen as more than a coincidence?
🏌️ Rahm is playing DP World Tour events while his fines are appealed in an effort to pile up some Ryder Cup points, in case he will be eligible. Should this even be necessary?
🏌️ Rahm whisked off to Spain for the Open de Espana right after he and his wife, Kelley, welcomed the couple’s third child. Rahm lost in a playoff to Angel Hidalgo. Does the latter have anything to do with the former?
🏌️ The PGA Tour aims to “modernize” TV broadcasts, in part, by asking one player two short questions mid-round. Hasn’t the DP World Tour been doing this — better — for several years?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
A merger that may make the ideal match
Gary Van Sickle puts forth a proposal that would put a jolt into the Presidents Cup, as well as the Ryder Cup — and ponders if Samuel Ryder would approve.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
Are the Cups in need of change? If so, then what?
Readers of The First Call offer solutions on how to tweak golf's international competitions — the Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup.
:: TFC Inbox | Read
What we appreciate about golf in autumn
Fall has arrived and readers of The First Call share what aspects they like — and none involve pumpkin spice.
:: TFC Inbox | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 Before he was everything else, Kris Kristofferson was an athlete
After turning himself into an athlete, Kristofferson needed you to feel the power of a punch.
:: Sally Jenkins | Washington Post | 09.30.2024
📖 Susie Maxwell Berning, four-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer, dies at 83
Maxwell Berning won three U.S. Women’s Opens in a six-year span to cement her legacy in the early 1970s.
:: Ryan Herrington | Golf Digest | 10.03.2024
📖 This artist once spent a year in a cage. Now he’s trying to enjoy himself
With his extreme performance art, Tehching Hsieh gave the word endurance new meaning. In retirement, he’s working on cementing his legacy.
:: Jennie Livingston | New York Times Style Magazine | 10.03.2024
📖 'Postcards are the email of their day': How cat memes went viral 100 years ago
In the age of social media, we're living through a communications revolution. But this isn't the first one, nor is it the first time cats have been at the centre of social change.
:: Aidan Walker | BBC | 09.25.2024
BUSINESS
THE FIRST CALL
Week in Review: The industry’s names, news and notables making headlines. | Read
This week’s editions: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
Golf Industry Press Releases | Read
TFC / PR Newswire Feed | Read
PERFECT PUTT
Global golf participation is hot
Jared Doerfler dives into the numbers and puts perspective on why “golf participation is booming worldwide.”
:: Jared Doerfler | Read
Publisher Jared Doerfler analyzes the business of golf. Subscribe to Perfect Putt.
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
October = Breast Cancer Awareness month. Support the pink.
:: 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.
Melissa Humana Paredes, Canadian beach volleyball silver medalist at 2024 Paris Olympics: “After a long match or training day I have to go with pizza. And the pineapple haters can come at me because I love a Hawaiian-style pizza the most.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
HOME FRONT
Kukuiula | Kauai, Hawaii
Listing: Kaulu Custom Home No. 29.
Stats: 4,368 square feet | 4 bedrooms | 4.5 baths.
Price: $5.8 million.
About: Kukuiula is a luxury resort community on Kauai’s south shore, boasting a $100 million club facility that includes The Plantation House, designed to be the community social and recreational hub. Homeowners also enjoy access to The Spa at Kukuiula, a dramatic 20,000-square-foot retreat featuring state-of-the-art spa and fitness facilities; a Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole championship golf course; extensive pool facilities; a variety of dining options; a community farm and an upcountry fishing lake; and island pursuits programs for unlimited island adventure. With 4,368 square feet of living space, the residence boasts stunning white-water ocean views and a backdrop of Mount Haʻupu. With four ensuite bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen and expansive covered lanai, this home is perfect for seamless indoor-outdoor living. The lush backyard features a pool, spa and tiki hut with a built-in grill.
RELATED: Home Front archive
TFC EVENTS
The Friars Golf Club: Kentucky Bourbon & Horses
April 22-27, 2025 | Louisville / Lexington, Kentucky
:: Event and registration information
RELATED: A Beam who makes gin — well, bourbon, too
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Andrew Green embarks on Olympia Fields' North renovation
Andrew Green, following his appointment in July, has started the planning process for renovating Olympia Fields’ North course in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
Located in the southernmost suburbs of Chicago, Olympia Fields is one America’s most storied country clubs, dating to 1915. Once home to 72 holes, its golf offerings currently consist of the North and South courses.
The North course, designed by Willie Park Jr. and opened in 1923, has played host to the 1928 and 2003 U.S. Opens, won by Johnny Farrell and Jim Furyk, respectively, the 1925 (Walter Hagen) and 1961 (Jerry Barber) PGA Championships and the 2015 U.S. Amateur (Bryson DeChambeau). It also served as the venue for the 1997 U.S. Senior Open (Graham Marsh), the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship (Danielle Kang) and significant PGA Tour events, where winners have included Jack Nicklaus, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
"We are delighted to have Andrew Green spearheading the restoration of our North course," said Bill McErlean, president of Olympia Fields Country Club. "His vision and dedication to honoring the original design while incorporating modern advancements align perfectly with our goal of maintaining the course’s historical integrity and elevating the playing experience for our members and guests."
Green’s renovation will focus on restoring the classic design elements of Park’s original layout, enhancing the strategic challenges, and updating the course to meet contemporary standards of play. He will rely on historic photos to guide the landscape and design features.
"We are embarking on a journey to blend Willie Park Jr.’s amazing original vision for the North course with the modern demands of championship golf," Green told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. “While there will be a level of focus on future championships, the member experience will be at the forefront. We want to maximize the variety and excitement of each hole and allow all levels of player to enjoy their journey around the North course.
"Forward tees, more width and a better connection to the ground game will be at the top of my mind. Willie Park Jr. had a great handle on what makes golf great, so we know that infusing more of his character into the layout will only provide a higher quality of play for all."
RELATED: Design Notes archive
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