The Drive of Bryson DeChambeau
+ Tom Doak begins to dig in at Sand Valley.
ON THE TEE
⛳️ Augusta National could have protected him from the media and the fans, er, patrons wouldn’t have roughed him up. Yet, Phil Mickelson still isn’t playing the Masters. He’s not even safe in golf heaven.
⛳️ Controversial British TV and newspaper personality Piers Morgan says Mickelson is the victim of “unedifying sporting crucifixion,” whatever that means. Another scary character in Lefty’s life.
⛳️ Most people would be better off watching golf instruction videos from George Knudson than George Gankas. (Look for yourself.)
⛳️ Next week’s Chevron Championship, the year’s first LPGA Tour major, says goodbye to Mission Hills CC, which has hosted the event since 1972. It will be held in 2023 and beyond somewhere in or around Houston. Someone had better start digging a hole for a pond beside the 18th green.
⛳️ Nelly Korda will miss the Chevron due to ongoing treatment for a blood clot in her arm. This is more serious than anyone was letting on.
⛳️ Jon Rahm is tired of answering questions about his poor putting, which he says isn’t all that bad. If he’s such a great ballstriker and he’s not winning, what’s the answer, Jon?
⛳️ For those of us in bermudagrass country, the first green shoots are popping, which means gnarly rough can’t be far behind.
⛳️ Lee Westwood wants the media to drag the LPGA Tour for playing in Saudi Arabia in the same way the men were criticized for taking Saudi money. Wonder what his new wife (and caddie), Helen, said about that?
⛳️ For the price of a new driver, you can purchase at least five short game lessons.
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Bryson DeChambeau playing the long game with long drive aspirations
Bobby Peterson, owner of One Stop Power Shop, believes major champ has chops to be factor on Professional Long Drive Association, confirms DeChambeau to compete in April event
Writer’s Take: Bryson DeChambeau loves to golf … and eat.
He began a YouTube video of his trip to the One Stop Power Shop in a remote portion of North Carolina last year with his secret on how to get “fresh food” from fast food restaurants. Order a specialty item so they have to make it from scratch. Good tip Bryson. I do the same myself on occasion.
When DeChambeau arrived to take long drive lessons from Bobby Peterson, he had no issue with breaking a major workout sweat. He did have one objection though on his second trip to Newton Grove, N.C. “He said ‘Bobby we’ve got to do something about the food,’’’ Peterson said. “The closest town is about 15 miles away … but I told him we have a great taco stand down the road.” So, picture PGA Tour star DeChambeau standing in line in front of you at the window of La Costena 2 and ordering a few pollo tacos to go. Classic my man.
:: David Droschak
What next? Taking a macro perspective of golf, world events
The First Call’s Bradley S. Klein draws upon his training in strategic and international studies to look at today’s golf industry
Jim Plumb uses growing old to his business advantage
While the golf industry seeks to attract a younger demographic, the co-founder of the Fore! Sixty online community joins 'The ModGolf Podcast' to share how he engages golfers over 60
How low under par is no fun to watch?
Readers of The First Call do not mind watching professional golfers work to earn their birdies
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always …
📖 Nicolas Cage can explain it all
[Gabriellea Paiella | GQ | 03.22.2022]
📖 Inside the cultish dreamworld of Augusta National
[Nick Paumgarten | The New Yorker | 06.14.2019]
📖 You don’t know this secret golf legend. But Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus do
[Michael Bamberger | Golf.com | 03.34.2022]
📖 Japan's humble birthplace of soy sauce
[Tom Schiller | BBC | 03.24.2022]
DESIGN NOTES
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
➡️ Central Wisconsin’s Sand Valley will begin construction on Sedge Valley later this spring. The third 18-hole design to be built on the resort property, after the award-winning Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes courses, Sedge Valley will feature the architecture of Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design. Inspired by the early 20th century collection of London-area heathland classics such as Swinley Forest, West Sussex, Woking and The Addington, Sedge Valley will feature a throwback layout with intimate connections on terrain replete with sandy soil, native ground cover and prominent rock outcroppings.
In true Old World fashion, Doak identified the best green sites he could find and created golf holes from there. "When you don’t have to think about stretching a course to 7,300 yards, you can start thinking about finding cool green sites without worrying about how close together they are," Doak said. "I don’t have to worry as much about a severe slope at the edge of the green being ‘unfair’ if you’re hitting a relatively short approach into it. My idea for Sedge Valley is to bring back a more intimate scale and build classically styled holes that everyone can enjoy, but which may require some compromises from the long and wild hitters.”
Sedge Valley is scheduled to open in 2024.
RELATED: Design Notes archive
➡️ Ten years in the making, the green light is finally flashing for The Angus, one of the most ambitious Scottish hospitality projects in decades. Set on 300 acres on the Shank of Omachie, above the Forbes of Kingennie country resort near Broughty Ferry, The Angus is approximately 10 miles southwest of Carnoustie, eight-time host to the British Open. The 175-room, five-star hotel will feature a luxury spa and the first signature golf course from former Open winner Darren Clarke, who will associate with Team Niblick, led by Graeme Webster, on the design. Work on the golf course will begin this summer, with an opening projected for 2024.
➡️ Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida, has retained Mark McCumber and Associates to create a new short game area that will include putting and chipping greens, a teaching tee and a practice bunker. In addition, McCumber will add new tees and alter the bunkering on the par-3 12th hole of the club’s Classic course to improve its appearance and playability. Home to Senior PGA Tour events from 1980 through 1990, where winners included major champions Don January, Peter Thomson and Bob Charles, the club is now embracing its future with the state-of-the-art short game area. August 2022 is the expected opening date.
➡️ John LaFoy has completed a classically styled, three-hole redesign on the Windmill nine at Bent Brook Golf Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Borrowing from the C.B. Macdonald playbook, LaFoy infused template designs at the par-4 sixth hole, which now sports a Redan-style green, and at the par-3 seventh, which features a Biarritz green, highlighted by a four-foot-deep swale sandwiched by the two green sections. Both sections offer player-friendly slopes to elevate the fun factor.
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️BetParx becomes the mobile sports betting sponsor for the Memorial Tournament and will become the PGA Tour's betting operator. … The PGA of America and Omni PGA Frisco Resort agree to a new six-year partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center. The relationship will begin in 2023, to coincide with the official opening of PGA Frisco and Omni PGA Frisco Resort. The medical center will integrate its brand into the daily operations of the PGA Frisco campus, with strategically located sun protection and sanitation measures, as well as by providing sun safety, healthy movement and healthy eating educational messaging to PGA Frisco guests. … Payne Stewart Golf Experiences, Skyhawks Sports Academy partner. Payne Stewart Golf Experiences will assist Skyhawks, which provides skill-based sports experiences for kids between the ages of 4 and 14 with a wide variety of programs that emphasize critical lessons in sports and life. … TurfHound extends its sponsorship of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section for the sixth consecutive year. … Troon to manage golf operations at Saddlebrook Golf and Tennis Resort, a 480-acre property in Wesley Chapel, Florida. … Malcolm DeMille designs the handcrafted modern cast bronze championship trophy for the Valspar Championship. … Golf Datatech reports that February equipment sales increased by 2.6% over January and are up 4.2% year-to-date.
COMPETITION
▪️The USGA and the R&A announce the moving of the Walker Cup Match to even years beginning in 2026. The scheduling change shifts the Walker Cup away from the World Amateur Team Championships, which will be played in odd years beginning in 2023. The Walker Cup Match will be held at St. Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland, in 2023, followed by Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California. The 2026 site has yet to be announced.
COURSES
▪️Cabo Del Sol closes its Desert Course for a major renovation. Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design has been retained to build several new holes for the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, course. Completion of the $15 million course makeover is expected to be in 2024. … Talamore Golf Resort, located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, installs 10 EcoBunker sod wall bunkers, which are lined with tiles that are layered and precision angled and will not require as much maintenance. … The USGA awards Oakland Hills Country Club the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Open Championships as well as four additional USGA amateur championships, starting in 2024. Adding to the two U.S. Opens and the two U.S. Women’s Opens in 2031 and 2042 announced in January, Oakland Hills’ South Course in in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, will host the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur, 2029 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2038 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2047 U.S. Amateur. Also, the USGA awards the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship to the Eisenhower Golf Course at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship to Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon. … The LPGA and LOTTE announce that Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, will host the 2022 LOTTE Championship, April 13-16.
DESTINATIONS
▪️The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau launches the Sandhills Pour Tour Passport program that highlights area breweries and awards prizes for stamped passports. … Golf Inc. Magazine recognizes Reynolds Lake Oconee amenities at Richland Pointe and at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia. … Pueblo Bonito Resorts launches its 'Margarita Mile' package where creative versions of the famous cocktail are served at all 5 Pueblo Bonito properties in Los Cabos. … Explore Branson touts spring golf specials and amenities, including three lakes and an array of lodging, live entertainment and family attractions.
GEAR
▪️Haas-Jordan introduces the Sunflector umbrella, which is made of a silver UV reflective outer canopy and features a 62-inch arc. … Cobra Golf introduces its limited edition LTDx black drivers and wedges. The clubs are now available in an all-black color scheme with a matte black crown and sole. … Radmor introduces it spring men’s and women’s collections, which are all-natural and sustainably sourced … TaylorMade Golf unveils its Tour Response, Tour Response Stripe and Soft Response golf balls. The Tour Response integrates the brand's Tour Flight Dimple Pattern seen in its TP5/TP5x balls; the Tour Response Stripe features the new 360-degree ClearPath Alignment design; and the 2022 Soft Response is the company's softest golf ball from cover to core. … BioMech Golf releases the BioMech Putt app for Android and the BioMech Max putter to its line of putters. The app is a putting analysis system that uses a sensor to measure and analyze a golfer’s putting stroke in real time and under real playing conditions. Also, the BioMech Max putter is built heavier than earlier versions to deliver improved feel and performance. … Adidas Golf and Vice Golf collaborate to create the Stan Smith x Vice Golf limited edition footwear — three distinctive colorways (solar red, signal green and white tint) that match the colorways of Vice’s golf balls. The shoes retail for $120. … PrideSports confirms that its replaceable spikes were worn by the respective winners of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, DP World Tour’s Steyn City Championship and Korn Ferry Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open. … Royal Albartross introduces its limited edition Pontiac V2 Major men’s shoe in white that features green laces and accents.
INITIATIVES
▪️Member for a Day, which assists nonprofits and charitable foundations with their fundraising goals through auctions, social media and golf, announces that the deadline for the Golf Fore Africa auction is March 28. Golf Fore Africa is a nonprofit founded by six-time major champion Betsy King to improve water conditions for impoverished Africans. To participate in the auction, click here. … The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America will fund $149,957 for turfgrass research beginning in 2022. Grants will support five new turfgrass research projects through 2024.
MEDIA
▪️SiriusXM announces that Mike Tirico, Curtis Strange and Steve Melnyk will join its Masters radio broadcast team. Tirico will be the lead play-by-play voice, while Strange and Melnyk will serve as analysts. Also, Suzy Whaley, a PGA pro and former PGA of America president, will serve as an on-course reporter. SiriusXM’s Masters week broadcasts will be available to listeners on SiriusXM radios in their cars (channel 92) and on the SXM app.
PEOPLE
▪️USA Solheim Cup Captain Stacy Lewis names Morgan Pressel as an assistant captain of the 2023 USA Solheim Cup Team. Pressel, the 2007 Chevron Championship winner and a six-time member of Team USA, will work alongside Lewis on the team that will face Europe at Finca Cortesin in Spain. … Volvik USA Inc. names Young S. Shin as president effective as of March 3. The announcement comes following the death of his son, Don Shin, who had served as president and CEO since the company’s inception in 2012. … Circling Raven Golf Club, located in Worley, Idaho, names Colin McMahon as its new director of golf and Kal Zaranec as its new head superintendent. … Tyler Campbell, director of performance at The Golf Performance Center in Ridgefield, Connecticut, is named one of America's 50 Best Golf-Fitness Trainers by Golf Digest.
THE STYLE LINKS
Puma golf ambassador Rickie Fowler has once again joined forces with Palm Tree Crew, the lifestyle brand of Kygo, a world-renowned DJ, songwriter and record producer, to create a second collaboration.
The collection captures the essence of Kygo’s laid-back vibes and blends it with Fowler’s personal, bold style and Puma’s popular golf and lifestyle silhouettes. Each piece is fabricated to perform on the course, yet deliver the comfort and style for everyday life. Each piece features the Puma cat and PTC’s gold palm tree logos.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
THE GOOD LIFE
TUNING IN
International Federation of PGA Tours: World Golf Championship-Dell Match Play
Television: Today, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m. (NBC).
LPGA Tour: JTBC Classic
Television: Today-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf Channel).
PGA Tour: Corales Puntacana Championship
Television: Today-Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
European Tour: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
Television: Today, 7-9:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 5-9:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
SUBSCRIBE | FOLLOW
Want to stay up to date with the golf industry throughout the week? Then sign up for The First Call daily newsletter, sent each Monday through Friday morning. Click here to subscribe.
Other ways to follow us:
Facebook: @FirstCallGolf
Instagram: @thefirstcall.golf
Linkedin: @TheFirstCall
Twitter: @firstcallgolf