Show Him the Money!
+ Poll: Time for a mano a mano showdown?
ON THE TEE
🏌️ Dustin Johnson made a 35-foot, slam-dunk eagle putt on the first playoff hole to win the LIV Golf Invitational Boston. Are you still not watching?
🏌️ After signing World No. 2 Cameron Smith, LIV Golf’s strength of field is higher than how many PGA Tour events?
🏌️ Billy Horschel was complaining about LIV players at the BMW PGA Championship having no business on the DP World Tour. Does it matter that of Horschel’s eight DP World Tour starts this year, six were either majors or co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour?
🏌️ Rickie Fowler fired swing coach John Tillery, which was some people thought was news. Do coaches get too much credit for a player’s success and too much blame for their failure?
🏌️ International team captain Trevor Immelman’s picks were Cameron Davis, Si Woo Kim, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, K.H. Lee, Sebastian Munoz and Taylor Pendrith. Could this be the first Presidents Cup shutout in history?
🏌️ Sergio Garcia asked DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley in a contentious players’ meeting if he would be eligible for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Even if he were eligible, would he be chosen?
🏌️ Rory McIlroy took a funny swipe at the LIV Golf players in the BMW PGA Championship: “They are going to be pretty tired on Sunday; it will be the fourth day.” Shouldn’t McIlroy hope he makes it to the third day?
🏌️ The judge in the Patrick Reed vs. Golf Channel/Brandel Chamblee defamation suit is a 7.6 index at the Golf Club of Houston. Should the litigants just tee it up and play for the decision?
🏌️ The two saddest days in golf: (1) when Daylight Savings Time ends and (2) the day you have to trade shorts for long pants.
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Harold Varner III to LIV Golf hurts PGA Tour
One of the PGA Tour's most popular players does not sugarcoat his reasoning for making the controversial move to the Saudi-backed startup — money, not majors
:: David Droschak | Read
Q&A: Scott Van Newkirk | Troon CDO
The 15-year Troon executive discusses the importance of patience and perseverance, and shares what's on his musical playlist
:: The First Call | Read
Herb Kohler Jr. leaves robust golf legacy
Kohler transformed his grandfather's plumbing manufacturing company into a worldwide name, then turned a small Wisconsin coastal region into a leading golf destination. He died Sept. 3 at 83
:: Joe Passov | Read
HOME FRONT
Desert Horizons | Indian Wells, California
Listing: 75564 Vista Del Rey
Stats: 2,568 square feet total | 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms.
Price: $848,000.
About: This distinctive home offers a picture-perfect lifestyle in Indian Wells. A private, gated courtyard leads into the grand foyer of this three-bedroom residence. Featuring pristine tile, high ceilings and custom paint, the living space that features a living room, dining room and great room with a wet bar is ideal for entertaining. The master suite and chef’s kitchen have access to a tranquil patio setting that offers views of the fairways and distant mountains. The master suite boasts a spa tub, large walk-in closet and patio access, while the secondary master suite offers dual vanities and another walk-in closet. The third bedroom is available for sleeping or an optional office. Desert Horizons is located in the heart of greater Palm Springs, just 25 minutes to downtown Palm Springs, 15 minutes to La Quinta, and a mere 5 minutes to El Paseo. The private residential community features 510 homes. All homeowners and members have access to the community’s luxury amenities, including the exclusive 18-hole golf course at Desert Horizons, which is a classic Ted Robinson design.
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always …
📖 In the Nick of time
Fed up with mediocrity and losing to Auburn, the Alabama faithful welcome Nick Saban as a coach tough enough to bring back the glory of the Bear.
:: Rick Bragg | Sports Illustrated | 08.27.2007
📖 King Kohler
Kingdom dropped by the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews on the east coast of Scotland last fall to pay its respects to Herb Kohler.
:: Kingdom | 2010
📖 Why don’t Millennials have hobbies?
I sought the help of an algorithm to figure out how to spend my free time. It made me question my generation’s relationship with leisure.
:: Alisha Sawhney | The Walrus | 08.19.2022
📖 The inside story of LIV Golf vs. the PGA Tour: Money, innovation and loyalty
:: Dylan Dethier | Golf.com | 09.08.2022
DESIGN NOTES
RTJ II helps resuscitate Osprey Meadows
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
⛳️ Landscapes Unlimited, in conjunction with the original architect, Robert Trent Jones II, has begun restoring Osprey Meadows Golf Course at Idaho’s Tamarack Resort.
Located 90 miles north of Boise, Idaho, Osprey Meadows opened in 2006 to tremendous acclaim, capturing a Golf Digest Best New Affordable Course award and earning ranking accolades throughout the industry. Economic setbacks forced the course to close in 2015 and it has laid fallow since that time — until now.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to reinvigorate the award-winning Osprey Meadows Golf Course at Tamarack," Jones said. "The confidence that the Tamarack ownership has exhibited in the long-term value of this unique golf experience is unprecedented. We appreciate their vision and commitment."
⛳️ Jeff Stein is helping to restore not only The Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, New York, but the reputation of the original architect, Devereux Emmet. Creator of such heralded layouts as Garden City Golf Club, Congressional Country Club and Nassau Country Club, Emmet was one of the most underappreciated of the Golden Age’s great architects, mostly because so few of his courses went unchanged. In particular, Stein sees Seawane as truly distinctive.
⛳️ Designed by Billy Bell Sr. and Billy Bell Jr. in 1954, Newport Beach Country Club has witnessed many great names do great deeds on its golf course. Ernie Els, Fred Couples and Vijay Singh are among the greats who have captured PGA Tour Champions titles at this prestigious venue in Southern California’s Orange County.
Now add one more name to the list of significant golf figures who have left their imprint on Newport Beach — architect Casey O’Callaghan. No, O’Callaghan has never won a major, but he’s had a major impact on the golf course, recently finishing work on a renovation plan that culminated 10 years of projects.
Included in the renovation projects were rebuilding, adding and removing bunkers, rebuilding and adding tees, creating three new greens, expanding four others and modifying cart paths and landscaping.
⛳️ Tis the season, apparently, for reviving dormant, moribund or abandoned courses.
Woodlake Country Club in Vass, North Carolina, in the Pinehurst area, is the latest example. Once a thriving community with two championship layouts situated next door the state’s largest man-made lake, the development spiraled downward a decade ago due to economic and water issues. Its original course, designed by Ellis Maples and Ed Seay in 1971, closed in 2015 and its 1995 Seay/Arnold Palmer course shuttered in 2018. After a foreclosure auction in 2021, the new ownership group retained architect Kris Spence to revive the Maples course.
After clearing the trees and weeds and installing a new irrigation system, work commenced on rebuilding bunkers and resurfacing greens.
> Click here to read the entire article.
RELATED: Design Notes archive
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️Troon, Sandals Resorts and Beaches: Announce a collaboration on a series of sales and marking initiatives that will add unique experiences and new product partnerships for guests of Sandals Resorts and Beaches. … Lohla Sport: Winter Wonderlands women's golf-lifestyle apparel collection exceeds order projections by more than 100%. … PGA Show: Seeks new and innovative golf products for the 70th show’s United Inventors Association Inventors Spotlight Area in January. A portion of the event's floor will be operated and managed by the UIA, and dedicated for independent inventors and feature pitch panels, education and awards. … Landscapes Golf Management: Extends a multiyear agreement with the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to operate its Elmwood, Prairie Green and Kuehn Park golf courses. … Golftec: Opens a a 2,500-square-foot instruction, clubfitting center in Fairfax, Virginia. … Malcolm DeMille: Sculpts awards for Bridgewater Club in Carmel, Indiana, that feature the club’s iconic bridge and reflect the club's prestige. … True Spec Golf: Opens a new flagship studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, that is located near its new corporate headquarters and upgraded build shop. … ClearCourse: Acquires Club Systems International, a sports club management software provider to more than 1,750 sports clubs across 17 countries. … Motocaddy: Selects MKRAK to be the distributor of its carts and bags throughout Canada. … Imperial: Acquires American belt manufacturer J.T. Spencer, which is the belt licensee of Peter Millar and operates Peter Millar’s custom logo green grass belt program. … TMRW Sports: Announces that Proskauer, an international law firm, will serve as primary outside counsel to the newly launched TGL. The tech-infused golf league will operate in partnership with the PGA Tour and will launch in January 2024.
COMPETITION / COURSES
▪️LPGA Mediheal Championship: Past champions Matilda Castren and Sei Young Kim commit to the Ventura County, California, event, Oct. 3-9 at The Saticoy Club. … Southern Trace CC: Shreveport, Louisiana, club celebrates its two-year, $4.2 million course renovation and enhancement project overseen by member and course designer Jim Lipe. … Silverado Resort and Spa: Napa Valley, California, resort to host the PGA Tour’s Fortinet Championship for a ninth consecutive year, Sept. 15-18. … Presidents Cup: United States Team Captain Davis Love III and International Team Captain Trevor Immelman announce their respective captain’s picks for this year’s event, Sept. 20-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Davis’ six picks were Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Cameron Young. Immelman’s six selections were South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Australia’s Cam Davis, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and K.H. Lee, Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith. … Epson Tour: Announces the commitment of Carlisle Companies to the Tour’s 2023 schedule as a returning sponsor of the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic. The tournament will include an $85,000 purse increase to $335,000.
EDUCATION
▪️Audubon International, University of Guelph: Partner on training assistance for the Canadian university’s Diploma in Turfgrass Management Program. … Folds of Honor: Military nonprofit announces the distribution of nearly 9,000 academic scholarships worth approximately $40 million for 2022-23.
GEAR
▪️True Spec Golf: Reviews the newly launched Titleist TSR drivers and three head designs — the TSR2, TSR3 and TSR4. … PXG: Introduces PXG M16 putter shaft. … Ecco Golf: Unveils newest autumn / winter footwear collection that is highlighted by the Ecco Golf Biom G5. … Titleist: Introduces its TSR drivers and TSR metalwoods. TSR, designed to deliver more speed and distance, is the next generation of the Titleist Speed Project that began more than six years ago with the TS series and was followed by the popular TSi models.
PEOPLE
▪️Kohler Co.: Business and golf visionary Herb Kohler Jr. dies at 83. … Silver Creek Valley CC: Names Charles Lewis as general manager and COO to oversee all elements of the San Jose, California, private club's operation. … Outlyr: Names Ryan Cannon as executive vice president. Cannon will help guide Outlyr’s overall strategy and operations of its sports and lifestyle events portfolio. … European Photography Awards: Photographer Bill Hornstein wins platinum for his image of TPC Danzante Bay in the Islands of Loreto, Mexico. … PGA Tour: Announces the nominees for its 2021-22 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards. The Player of the Year nominees are Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith; the Rookie of the Year nominees are Tom Kim, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Young.
PHILANTHROPY
▪️Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation, Invited: Partner on a month-long fundraising campaign with club’s across the country to make golf more accessible for youths from all backgrounds and socio-economic status. … Ballenisles CC: General manager and CEO Ryan Walls and director of golf Jeff Fitzherbert played a combined 260 holes during the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, club's 100 Hole Challenge Golf Marathon to benefit The First Tee of the Palm Beaches. They raised $19,000.
THE STYLE LINKS
Gear up. It won’t be long now before the start of the 2022 Presidents Cup, Sept. 20 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
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