ON THE TEE
🏌️ Talor Gooch won back-to-back LIV Golf League events in Adelaide, Australia, and in Singapore, beating Sergio Garcia in a playoff in Singapore. Isn’t it getting harder to criticize the quality of golf on LIV?
🏌️ Gooch was understandably disappointed when Australian taxes took 47.5 percent of his $4 million first prize in Adelaide — before the money ever hit his bank account. “It sucks,” he said. Isn’t half of a lot, still a lot?
🏌️ Gooch was surprised, to say the least, when Tiger Woods was chatting him up about LIV on the range at the Masters asking about his team, the RangeGoats. About Adelaide, Tiger said, “Man, they got some great golf there.” Why was Tiger so interested?
🏌️ Rory McIlroy, who said his withdrawal from the RBC Heritage was “personal,” expanded on that thought at the Wells Fargo in Charlotte. “My mind wouldn't have been there," he said. "It was more important for me to be at home than there." Was the designated event model not a completely baked plan?
🏌️ Following suit, Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler, skipped the Wells Fargo, which is also a designated event. Seeing a trend here?
🏌️ Tony Finau wins Mexico Championship by three strokes for his sixth victory on the PGA Tour after playing a practice round with Rahm, which he does regularly. Finau says it sharpens his iron play. What does Rahm get out of it?
🏌️ Slow play is a real problem on the PGA Tour and Jack Nicklaus has an odd reason. “The golf ball is a part of the problem. The longer the golf ball goes, the longer the courses get, the more you have to walk, the longer it’s going to take.” Really?
🏌️ Matt Kuchar will compete in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open and so will his 15-year-old son, Cameron, who made it through local qualifying with a 3-under 69. Don’t you think Matt will be practicing that much harder so he won’t lose to Cameron?
🏌️ Lee Trevino, the master of the sand wedge, says, “The 60-degree wedge is the worst thing that ever happened to a high-handicapper.” Worse than a 40-yard slice?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson make money leap
The LIV Golf members are Nos. 6 and 7, respectively, on Forbes’ World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023 list — a year after there were no golfers
:: Stuart Hall | Read
PERFECT PUTT
Drive Shack's downward slide
Drive Shack voluntarily delisted from the N.Y. Stock Exchange last year
:: Jared Doerfler | Read
Each Monday, Jared Doerfler breaks down the business of golf. Subscribe to Perfect Putt here.
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 The amazing story of how Philly cheesesteaks became huge in Lahore, Pakistan
A correspondent tracked down the ways immigration patterns and global politics — plus a bit of serendipity — intertwined to make the iconic sandwich a hit in the 13-million-resident megalopolis
:: Kunwar Khuldune Shahid | Philadelphia | 04.08.2023
📖 Faith, family, and fastballs: Clayton Kershaw has always belonged to Dallas
Clayton Kershaw built a Hall of Fame career in Los Angeles. But his heart has always remained in the Park Cities, where he and his wife, Ellen, grew up. As he rounds third on his playing days, he’s getting ready to come home for good
:: Mike Piellucci | D Magazine | 04.12.2023
📖 The Kentucky Derby's forgotten Black past
In the latter half of the 19th Century, African Americans were considered some of the best horsemen in the world, a fact that has long since been forgotten or erased
:: Tracey Teo | BBC | 05.04.2023
📖 Expert picks: Who will win the 2023 Kentucky Derby
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert assess the field for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby
:: Joe Drape / Melissa Hoppert | New York Times | 05.05.2023
19TH HOLE
Each episode of the “Course of Life” podcast closes with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole experience.
Wells Adams, TV personality and "Bachelor in Paradise" star: “Out at Lakeside [Golf Club in Burbank, California], for me it's the chicken salad … two scoops, with some sriracha. There's also a guy at the club named Frankie Fonseca and he has this drink he makes, "The Fonseca" — it's a tequila soda with half an orange squeezed in — amazing.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host | “Course of Life” podcast
HOME FRONT
Costa Palmas | Mexico
Listing: Sunset Golf Villa 14.
Stats: 8,200 square feet.
Price: $6,250,000.
About: The composition of the Sunset Villa home is meant to celebrate the natural and lush surroundings of the outdoor spaces through the use of natural colors and textures. Standout features include a courtyard with water features, desert landscapes and natural light, and an expansive pool and deck seamlessly blending the indoor and outdoor space. With a large living room and bedrooms, the lot size and architecture make a strong connection to the rolling greens of the golf course, mountains and daily sunsets.
Costa Palmas Golf Club provides a scenic experience with views of the Sierra de La Laguna Mountain range, Sea of Cortez and the marina. Designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones II, Costa Palmas is a true walkable 18-hole golf course, offering an unparalleled experience complete with generous landing areas off of the tees and superb green complexes. The course is comprised of three six-hole loops, each with a distinct transition. The Dunescape covers the first six holes, featuring greens with unguarded entrances from the fairways. These lead to the Upland six, which offers generously wide landing areas, trees and plenty of strategically placed bunkers. Rounding off the 18 is the Marina, the holes that provide glimpses of the Costa Palmas marina.
DESIGN NOTES
Texas’ PGA Frisco opens Fields Ranch West
⛳️ Fields Ranch, PGA Frisco’s showcase championship golf courses at the PGA of America's new home in Frisco, Texas, opened for play on May 2.
The Beau Welling-designed Fields Ranch West is accepting tee times for May 2 onwards. The Gil Hanse-designed Fields Ranch East will accept tee times for May 30 onwards after the conclusion of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, May 24-28.
Fields Ranch West rambles along Palmer Creek amid a prairie setting punctuated by live oaks and mesquite trees. Welling took full advantage of the site’s natural beauty to create a golf course that is not only picturesque, but combines being family friendly with championship caliber.
Fields Ranch East sits softly on the land and draws its design style and cues from the surrounding landscape. It combines the best of the property’s natural qualities with a thoughtful approach to strategic design. Upon opening to the public, it will play host to an eye-popping 26 additional championships scheduled through 2034, including two PGA Championships, two KPMG Women’s PGA Championships and two KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships.
“Fields Ranch opening will mark the beginning of a new era in championship golf in North America and we are so proud to launch this unprecedented golf and entertainment destination,” said Paul Earnest, director of golf and operations at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco. “What Gil Hanse and Beau Welling have created here will test the world’s best golfers as well as providing memories of a lifetime for players of all skill levels for decades to come.”
Omni PGA Frisco Resort will also be showcasing the opening of The Swing, a lighted, 10-hole, Par 3 short course, as well as The Dance Floor, a two-acre putting course. Both are co-designed by Hanse and Welling. The Swing presents a fun complement to the golf offerings with holes ranging from 45 to 100 yards. The Dance Floor is considered to be one of the largest natural grass putting courses in the world. It offers the chance to not only practice putting, but also enjoy a laid back atmosphere for golfers and non-golfers alike while navigating three 18-hole layouts and a casual putt-around area.
“No matter what you are looking for in a golf trip, Omni PGA Frisco Resort has all the aspects and amenities to provide a world-class experience for every guest,” said Jeff Smith, vice president and managing director of Omni PGA Frisco Resort. “In partnership with the PGA of America, we look forward to being one of the most sought-after golf destinations in the world.”
⛳️ Rees Jones, together with golf course developer and construction company Landscapes Unlimited, recently completed a renovation of Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, site of the 1998 PGA Championship, the 2010 U.S. Senior Open and the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Ahead of the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Jones and Landscapes worked on all three nines, the North, South and East and focused their efforts on bunker renovations. For the first phase of Jones’ Master Plan, bunkers were reshaped and relocated and benefitted from new drainage, sand and modern liners.
"Sahalee is a Pacific Northwest treasure," said Jake Riekstins, Landscapes Unlimited chief development officer. "Any time there’s an opportunity to smartly add modern infrastructure to a storied golf course while achieving a golden age style, the results are ‘wow’ experiences for different generations."
⛳️ The Topeka Country Club in Topeka, Kansas, recently began an extensive golf course renovation and enhancement project. Kansas-based golf course architect Todd Clark of CE Golf Design and golf course historian and designer Ron Whitten are leading the renovations, while Mammoth Golf Construction is executing the work. The project began in January and is expected to be completed by mid-summer 2023.
Aside from an irrigation system update in 2004 and a greens resurfacing project in the late 90s, the current project marks the first major renovation of the golf course since the original Perry Maxwell design debuted in 1940. Maxwell’s design added nine holes to the existing Thomas Bendelow-designed nine-hole course, which had opened in 1906. Clark and Whitten’s master plan focuses on modernizing the 83-year-old golf course and was approved by Topeka Country Club Stockholders in late 2022.
The renovation project includes adding, eliminating and laser-leveling tee boxes; installing new drainage; and adding 12 new fairway bunkers. In addition, all bunkers will be modified, reshaped and rebuilt using the Better Billy Bunker method which provides a technically advanced drainage and liner system, while providing optimal playing conditions much deeper into the life of the bunker.
As part of the renovation and to improve playability, invasive trees are being removed resulting in wider playing corridors as well as additional air circulation and sunlight to tees, fairways and greens, which will help improve agronomic conditions. Tree removal will also enhance the long-range views across the golf course and reveal the rolling topography of Topeka Country Club.
Many modifications are also being made to the overall routing including adding a cascading water feature to the 15th hole that feeds a pond in front of the 17th green — Maxwell’s original Topeka Country Club design did not include any water hazards. The new water feature is similar to what Maxwell created at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition, new cart paths will be added or rerouted throughout the property.
In 2019, Topeka Country Club unveiled an updated clubhouse and wellness center following a $7.5 million renovation and expansion. The multiphase project began in September 2017 and touched on every aspect of Club life, including a new pool, dining, banquet facilities, fitness, golf shop, locker rooms, and day-to-day operations. American icons such as Bob Hope, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, former U.S. President Taft and many others have been a part of Topeka Country Club’s rich history, with visits to the clubhouse and course over the last 100-plus years.
“In remodeling Topeka Country Club for the 21st century, we seek to install as much Maxwell authenticity as we can,” said Clark. “His wonderfully contoured greens are being preserved while reclaiming a few front and back corners to recapture lost hole locations. The bunkers protecting the greens will all be new and be shaped in a Maxwell style with playable bright white sand and contain the most efficient drainage component. We’re also adding fairway bunkers to a number of holes where none previously existed, to add both definition and challenge to certain tee shots and second shots.”
RELATED: Design Notes archive
THE STYLE LINKS
Need Mother’s Day gift inspiration? Here’s one for starters — and, remember, the date is May 14.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
SCORECARD
1️⃣8️⃣ The golf industry’s week in review — the names, news and notables that are making the headlines. :: Read
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