Restoring order after ... well, you know
+ We have The Skins Game to look forward to, right?; A sanctuary on Kiawah Island; and a metro Detroit course gets a long overdue makeover.
THE STARTER
🏌️ The winner of this week’s PGA Tour event — the Baycurrent Classic in Japan — will not receive an invitation to the Masters. Instead, the winner of this week’s Open Espana (Spanish Open) on the DP World Tour, will get the coveted spot. Sound right to you?
🏌️ Be honest: Had you heard of Steven Fisk before he won the Sanderson Farms Championship?
🏌️ Early in Ryder Cup week, Collin Morikawa publicly called for “chaos” among the fans during the competition. Think he regrets using that word?
🏌️ Have you seen the video of PGA of America president Don Rea rapping Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” on Saturday night of the Ryder Cup with the Americans behind 11½-4½? Should someone remind Rea of the first rule of finding yourself in a hole?
🏌️ Paul Azinger, 2008 winning Ryder Cup captain, said Keegan Bradley should have picked LIV players Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed. Agree?
🏌️ Does no one care about using Azinger’s successful approach to the captaincy? Or would other captains simply prefer to lose using their own method?
🏌️ PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has said his philosophy for the Tour is “parity, scarcity and simplicity.” Does that sound like fewer players competing in fewer events? Will that notion come back to haunt him?
🏌️ PGA Tour Champions players are complaining that Rolapp has cut their pension from $10 million per year to $8 million. Wait, why do Champions Tour players even have a pension? Isn’t that what the prize money is for?
🏌️ Lebron James took up golf over the summer and in short order called our game “the most complicated mind f**k ever.” Would you say he’s a quick study?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Lanny Wadkins speaks out on Ryder Cup
The eight-time U.S. Ryder Cup team member and 1995 captain earned his right to voice an opinion, and the Hall of Famer didn’t mince words about the recent edition — from chemistry to crowds.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are sometimes about golf, but not always.
📖 My life as a PGA Tour fixer
“I didn’t lead with money and favors to silence problems.”
:: Golf Digest | 10.09.2025 | Read
📖 ‘It’s money and greed’: Oil, politics, and dead cows in a small Texas county
A string of alleged cattle robberies unlocks a long and winding mystery about a family dynasty that rules one of the wealthiest counties in the country.
:: Mitch Moxley | Rolling Stone | 09.27.2025 | Read
📖 A journey into the heart of Labubu
I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?
:: Zeyi Yang | Wired | 10.01.2025 | Read
THE LIBRARY
Recent drops to The First Call’s video and podcast section.
🎧 | ▶️ Emma Carpenter — The next Jim Nantz?
The former collegiate golfer joins Content Clubhouse to talk about her multifaceted career, how she juggles her schedule and navigates modern and traditional media.
:: Content Clubhouse | 10.07.25 | Listen / Watch
🎧 Restoring a classic golf resort to greatness
The renovation of Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog course aligns with management’s forward-thinking thoughts on what today’s modern golf resort should be.
:: Driver$: Inside the Golf Industry | 10.07.25 | Listen
ARCHIVES: 🎧 Podcasts | ▶️ Videos
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
Industry press releases | Industry press release videos | TFC / PR Newswire feed
Golf Industry Job / Internship Board
LIFESTYLE
19TH HOLE
“Course of Life” podcast co-host Alex Lauzon closes each episode with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole food and beverage experience.
Epiphany Priebe, aka “Piff Golfs,” golf content creator and model: “At the Shangri La Resort in Oklahoma, I had the most delicious fried grouper sandwich, I felt like I was in Florida again.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
HOME FRONT
Kiawah Island Club | Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Listing: 140 Flyway Drive.
Stats: 8,560 square feet| 7 bedrooms | 8 bathrooms / 2 half-baths.
Price: $11,499,000.
About: A rare oceanfront sanctuary, this is a four-story retreat designed for those who value privacy, luxury and direct connection to Kiawah Island’s extraordinary lifestyle. Nestled on more than an acre of premier land, the estate is fronted by sweeping Atlantic views and connected to Kiawah’s pristine shoreline through a private boardwalk meandering across the dunes. This residence was masterfully designed by acclaimed architect Mitch LaPlante, who blended elegance and comfort for multigenerational living and grand-scale entertaining. Expansive walls of transomed windows frame uninterrupted ocean vistas, while custom finishes — from limestone and heart-of-pine flooring to intricate millwork and arched passageways — speak to a level of craftsmanship. Outdoor living unfolds across multiple levels, anchored by a heated saltwater pool overlooking the dunes. Approached by a winding, oak-shaded drive lined with palmettos, the home’s exterior is defined by cedar siding, a steep copper roof, and a turreted entry accented by a pergola portico. A raised lawn and welcoming courtyard set the stage for the grandeur within. A Kiawah Island Club golf membership is available with purchase of this home, granting privileged access to two of the island’s most celebrated private courses — the Tom Watson–designed Cassique and the Tom Fazio-designed River Course. Beyond these exclusive venues, homeowners are just minutes from Kiawah’s celebrated public courses, including Pete Dye’s legendary Ocean Course, host of the Ryder Cup and multiple PGA Championships, and Cougar Point, designed by Gary Player. Club membership also unlocks an array of luxury amenities, fitness and wellness centers, oceanfront beach clubs, spa services, dining destinations and boathouse facilities.
Home Front Archives | Read
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Zinkand concludes makeover of Michigan’s Knollwood
Zinkand Golf Design (ZGD), led by golf course architect David Zinkand, has completed an extensive renovation of Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Construction began in August 2024 and followed ZGD’s proposed master plan for the golf course, short-game area and driving range. The 100-year-old course already possessed a strong routing that took advantage of the site’s varied terrain — dramatic, rolling hills along the perimeter and gentler grading toward its center.
So, ZGD focused on the improvement of numerous course features. That included the creation of a new par-3 17th hole near its original footprint, and shifting the tees and landing areas of the ninth and 10th holes to elevate their strategy and playability.
“The existing 17th hole didn’t fit the charming, Golden Age allure of Knollwood, so a new concept was devised to not only better fit the property’s character, but also provide additional separation from the practice range,” said Zinkand, who has more than 25 years of experience designing, managing and shaping projects. “Similarly, the ninth and tenth holes were also realigned to take better advantage of a subtle valley along a small creek in the middle of the property, while improving player safety by increasing the distance between the holes.”
The project also involved significant bunker work. Many existing bunkers were repositioned and several were removed. Chronic issues of poor drainage, contaminated sand and underwhelming aesthetics were addressed via revamped shaping and the addition of CapillaryFlow liners.
“The bunkers we removed were generally greenside and eliminated in the name of improving playability and aesthetics,” Zinkand said. “We also added several, particularly along fairways, to capitalize on and embellish the terrain. All bunkers now exhibit a classic, Golden Age character with meandering lips and low leading edges for ease of entry and expanded visibility.”
ZGD’s makeover also included the expansion and recontouring of all 18 greens and their surrounds. The combination of higher modern green speeds and shrinking putting surface perimeters has resulted in too few pin placements and lost strategic interest. Fairway expansions and low-mown green surrounds now increase decision-making complexity for skilled players while providing a greater variety of shot options for all.
Also, ZGD addressed excess tree growth that had narrowed playing corridors. Limbs were trimmed to improve air circulation and turf health, and non-native tree species were removed to enhance sense of place. Off the course, the new driving range’s expanded tee box and new strip of synthetic turf combine to reduce natural turf wear. And the short-game area, which had been showing its age, now offers a more versatile and realistic practice experience with its enlarged green surface and refreshed bunkering.
“Since opening earlier this year, Knollwood members have been raving about the incredible results that Dave and his team delivered,” said Tracy Wilson, Knollwood’s general manager/COO. “ZGD’s deep knowledge of Golden Age architecture, exceptional construction skills and impressive attention to detail have created a private golf experience that now promises to rank among the best in metro Detroit.”
Design Notes Archive | Read