Nick Faldo Is Ready for the Farm ... Really
+ How the U.S. Senior Open is about more than just the golf.
ON THE TEE
🏌️ Brooks Koepka says, “No,” then, “Yes,” to LIV Golf, becoming the latest big name to defect. Rory McIlroy used the word “duplicitous.” Is that fair?
🏌️ The R&A followed the USGA in allowing the LIV players who qualified to compete in the British Open at St. Andrews next month. Does the Masters hold all the cards?
🏌️ The DP World Tour banned its members who played the first LIV event from the Genesis Scottish Open, the week before the British Open, and fined them £100,000. The PGA Tour co-sanctions the Scottish. Is this a surprise?
🏌️ PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced changes to the Tour schedule, which will allow the top stars to take time off in the fall. Don’t they work only half the year anyway?
🏌️ In Gee Chun ran away from the field with an 8-under 64 in the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at long, wet Congressional CC. Best part? She earned a tweet from Justin Thomas.
🏌️ Emma Talley whacked her putter against her foot in the first round at Congressional, damaging the club and forcing her to putt with a wedge for the final three holes. She bogeyed two of the three and shot 78. Odds she’ll do it again?
🏌️ Charles Barkley doesn’t blame the LIV Golf players for taking big money. He said he’d “kill a relative” if he’d been offered $200 million or even $150. Do you have a relative like that?
🏌️ Three Currys are in the field for the American Century Championship celebrity tournament – pop Dell and sons Steph and Seth. What are the odds on low Curry?
🏌️ Are you still putting with the flagstick in the hole? Works for U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Nick Faldo calls it a broadcasting career
Six-time major champion will end CBS Sports lead golf analyst role in August; Trevor Immelman elevated as successor in 2023
:: Stuart Hall | Read
Q&A: Mimi Griffin | MSG Promotions Inc.
If you've enjoyed a U.S. Open experience since 1995, there's a strong likelihood it was shaped by Griffin, MSG Promotions Inc. founder, president and CEO, who offers her insight on the golf hospitality industry
:: David Droschak | Read
A 19th hole experience like no other
MSG Promotions Inc. has created a new 660,000-square-foot experiential initiative around the U.S. Senior Open’s closing holes that is beyond just golf and traditional hospitality
:: David Droschak | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always …
📖 Hair Apparent
:: Michael Bamberger | Sports Illustrated | 04.07.2009
📖 The 411 on the Underrated Golf Tour
:: Laz Versalles | Fire Pit Collective | 06.22.2022
📖 Tommy Bolt gave golf its deserts
:: Jim Murray | Los Angeles Times | 02.23.1993
DESIGN NOTES
Tom Weiskopf to open Utah’s Black Desert Resort
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
⛳️ Tom Weiskopf’s newest design, Black Desert Resort Golf Course, is on track to open this fall in Ivins, Utah, a suburb of St. George. Set amid ancient black lava fieds, the 18-hole resort/daily fee facility will be the centerpiece of a 600-acre resort community.
Weiskopf, the designer/co-designer of 70-plus courses around the world, and architect Phil Smith have designed the par-72 layout with playability in mind. Most fairways, for example, are 70 to 100 yards wide. The property’s distinct black lava rock, called basalt, originated as lava that intermittently flowed from small local volcanoes approximately 20,000 to 2.3 million years ago. No stranger to working in an ancient lava landscape, Weiskopf also designed the award-winning Ke’olu Golf Course at Hualalai Resort on the island of Hawaii, which is set in the dramatic lava fields of Ka’upulehu.
"Black Desert Resort is located at the convergence of three unique landscapes — jet-black lava beds, towering red rock cliffs of Zion National Park, and Utah’s beautiful Mohave Desert,” said Jared Lucero, CEO of Reef Capital, which is developing the resort. "The emerald fairways and greens laced among the lava fields are set against the red rock backdrop, making for an awe-inspiring setting."
In true Weiskopf style, Black Desert will feature two drivable par-4 holes — Nos. 5 and 14 — bringing both strategy and the risk/reward element into play.
“Black Desert is truly a spectacular place,” said Weiskopf. “The beautiful red rock backdrops remind me of Sedona (Arizona).”
⛳️ Tripp Davis and Associates are continuing renovation work at venerable Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, near Palm Springs. Following minor restoration work to the course in 2020, Davis embarked on a more comprehensive program in 2021. Members wanted improvements versus massive changes, said general manager and COO Brett Draper in 2021. “Basically, we are going to touch every hole on the golf course,” Draper said. “We are going to rebuild five greens, and redo our bunkers with new designs, new liners and new sand.”
According to head golf professional Nick Dekock, there is already more of a rustic, natural flowing shape to the bunkers that have been transformed so far. Lawrence Hughes crafted the original layout in 1951 and Ted Robinson performed the last true renovations in 1980.
Thunderbird has been one of the most exclusive clubs in the desert since its inception. The course played host to the 1955 Ryder Cup and also to the PGA Tour from 1952 through 1962. Davis’ renovation work will continue through the fall of 2022.
⛳️ Veteran architect John LaFoy will start a course renovation at Riverchase Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, in July. Work will focus on tees, fairway bunkers, green approaches and cart paths, and will also include tree removal and repairing the fairway on the eighth hole.
"This summer marks the beginning of an exciting new era at Riverchase,” said Phillip Miles, club president. “The improvements and enhancements we have planned on the golf course will deliver a truly premier experience that our members and their families will enjoy for many years to come. We’re also excited to position ourselves at the forefront of many of the emerging trends in golf course design and development with the work we’re doing with John LaFoy. There’s a true focus on improving playability and making the golf course more accessible for players of all abilities, and we’re excited to showcase this work to not only the membership, but the greater Birmingham golf community.”
The project is slated for completion in October.
⛳️ Tijuana Country Club in Mexico has enlisted Agustin Piza, of Piza Golf, to develop a master plan for restoring the Golden Age layout. Designed by William P. "Billy" Bell in 1927, Tijuana was then known as Agua Caliente Resort, which played host to the PGA Tour 10 times between 1930 and 1959. Gene Sarazen won the inaugural event, while Arnold Palmer tied for second in 1958. Leo Diegel, the PGA Championship winner in 1928 and 1929, represented the club for a time.
RELATED: Get To Know: Agustin Piza
Said Piza: "For me, this extraordinary restoration is like finding buried treasure. Beneath the existing golf course lies a golf course that should be, historically speaking, synonymous with Cypress Point and Pasatiempo. The Tijuana Country Club is a gem, a hidden masterpiece that played a key role in the Golden Age of golf course architecture. Our goal is to interpret Bell’s masterful design concepts with the hope of restoring the golf course back to its glory years."
RELATED: Design Notes archive
HOME FRONT
The Cliffs at Glassy | Landrum, South Carolina
Listing: 104 Park Green Way
Stats: 4,800 square feet. 4 beds, 4 baths, 1 half bath.
Price: $2,995,000.
About: This home overlooks the Tom Jackson-designed The Cliffs at Glassy golf course — with direct views of holes 10, 17 and 18 — and also contains a state-of-the-art golf simulator room with 10-foot ceilings. Situated along 4.2 mountainous acres adjacent to the course, this home sits at the end of a private cul-de-sac where with views of mesmerizing sunrises and stunning mountain vistas at an elevation of 2,580 feet. The home also features a recreation room that is ideal for entertaining and includes a full-size bar that seats five, an ice machine, dishwasher, convection microwave oven, trash compactor and beverage center. Outside boasts plenty of spaces on both levels to gather and enjoy the fresh mountain air and picturesque views, including a deck and large adjacent screened-in porch with remote powered retractable screens and a built-in Wolf gas grilling station. The porch is accessible through French doors in the dining room as well as from the kitchen. With a gas log fireplace as well as multiple outdoor heaters as fixtures, the porch affords year-round enjoyment. A club membership at The Cliffs is available with this property, giving the buyer access to all seven communities.
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️Oceantee: Signs a three-year partnership agreement to become DP World Tour's sustainable products supplier. Oceantee to launch Sustainability Series, a collection of educational outreach initiatives for fans at tournaments. … Junior Golf Hub: Partners with Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour to provide tour members with access to unique resources, guidance to college golf. … F45 Training Holdings Inc.: Taps Buffalo Groupe as agency of record. 54 Brands, a full-service B2B marketing company within Buffalo, to oversee the relationship. … PGA Buying and Education Summit: Schedule for July 11-12 Las Vegas show to include new golf industry careers program, AGM special events, Southwest PGA Section Town Hall and networking reception.
COMPETITION
▪️American Century Championship: NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry to be joined by brother Seth, father Dell in field, July 6-10 at Edgewood Tahoe. … Rocket Mortgage Classic: Announces field headliners, which include U.S. Open runner-up Will Zalatoris, Tony Finau, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler. … First Tee National Championship: Four AJGA-ranked players in the field of June 27-July 1 tournament that will send the respective winners of the girls’ and boys’ divisions to the PGA Tour Champions’ Pure Insurance Championship in September.
COURSES
▪️Harbour Town Golf Links: Local organizations construct oyster reef along the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, course’s iconic 18th hole. … Landscapes Golf Management: Sutton Bay Golf Course [Agar, South Dakota] rises to No. 55 on Golfweek’s recently released Top 200 Modern Courses in the U.S. list. … KemperSports: Property management company is selected to manage the private Cloverbank Country Club [Hamburg, New York]. It’s the company’s 13th addition to its portfolio in 2022. … Dormie Network: Selects David McLay Kidd to design 18-hole private golf course, Graybull, in the Nebraska Sandhills. … KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: Doubles its prize purse to $9 million. The purse is double the $4.5 million total awarded last year and represents a 300% increase since 2014. The winner receives $1.35 million.
GEAR
▪️Radmor: Signs RJ Manke, a former University of Washington All-American and Pac-12 champion, to a multiyear apparel endorsement agreement. … Royal Albartross: Adds matching belts, the Foxtrot Collection, that align with the 2022 Fieldfox line of golf sneakers. … Duca del Cosma: Italian lifestyle and golf footwear brand will reveal its 2023 spring collection at the upcoming PGA Buying and Education Summit and Show in Las Vegas. … True Linkswear: Tour ambassador Joel Dahmen wore True Lux Pros en route to matching his best finish in a major (T-10) and earning an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Open. … Rolex | Team Troon: Brand ambassador Matt Fitzpatrick wins the U.S. Open.
MEDIA
▪️Nick Faldo: CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst since 2007 announces his decision to retire from broadcasting following the Wyndham Championship in August. CBS Sports also announces that Trevor Immelman, who joined CBS Sports’ golf team in 2019, has been named CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst beginning in 2023. … GolfPass: Exclusively streaming season three of “Ask Rory”, in which four-time major champion Rory McIlroy answers fan questions by demonstrating his best solutions for game improvement. …
PEOPLE
▪️USGA: Recognizes Dave Johnson, director of grounds at The Country Club, with inaugural Marshall platter, which recognizes excellence in USGA partnership regarding agronomy and course preparation.
THE STYLE LINKS
Here’s a new brand alert: Fiori Golf. Get your summer flower power on with a relaxed and comfortable vibe in t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and button downs.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
THE GOOD LIFE
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