The Many Masters Memories
+ An American original readies for restoration.
ON THE TEE
⛳️ Tiger Woods dropped into Augusta National on Tuesday to test his right leg and ankle — and disrupt the golf world — to see if a possibility exists that he plays in next week’s Masters. Reports said he walked all 18 holes. Wonder how he felt Wednesday morning?
⛳️ Tiger Woods remains on the Masters competitors list until he tells officials he’s not playing. Doesn’t he know by now? Does it have to be this dramatic?
⛳️ Bryson DeChambeau has a broken bone in his hand and a bad hip. He’s competing at the Masters — and a long drive event the week after Augusta. Who’s giving him advice?
⛳️ Will a prominent player enter one of the LIV Golf Invitational events to test the PGA Tour’s response, all the way to litigation?
⛳️ Scottie Scheffler has gone from promising player to Masters favorite in fewer than three months, while Patrick Cantlay has gone in the opposite direction. If Cantlay had beaten Scheffler in the playoff in Phoenix, would the roles now be reversed?
⛳️ For all the heaping helpings of lavish praise for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, only 30 players compete in the final round at ANGC. Is that really the best Augusta National can do?
⛳️ Any critics of the format at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play still out there?
⛳️ The LPGA eliminated its 10-year minimum requirement to qualify for its Hall of Fame, the most rigid hall in sports. That means Lorena Ochoa, who competed for seven years and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, is now a member of the LPGA hall. The correct move but long overdue.
⛳️ Are you still putting with the flagstick in the hole?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Why there is nothing quite like the Masters
The First Call readers express their sentiments about the traditions and memories of Augusta National and the year's first major championship
Whiskers adding color to mundane market
Co-founder Kyle Groth joins “Behind the Golf Brand” podcast to discuss what differentiates his brand's shoelaces from his competitors and the move into the golf market
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always …
📖 66 years ago, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous tried LSD — and ignited a controversy still raging today
[Katie MacBride | Inverse | 02.09.2022]
📖 The life and confessions of mob chef David Ruggerio
[Gabriel Sherman | Vanity Fair | 03.24.2022]
📖 Golf’s craziest drama
[Alfred Wright | Sports Illustrated | 04.22.1968]
📖 For those adapting to golf’s greatest challenge, a new national event is set to launch
[David Droschak | Morning Read | 03.30.2022]
DESIGN NOTES
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
➡️ Foxburg Country Club, which lays claim as the oldest continually operated course in America, has retained Ron Forse of Forse Golf Design to assist in restoring, preserving and updating architectural and infrastructure features on this nine-hole course that dates to 1887. Located 65 miles north of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, Foxburg traces its roots to Joseph Mickle Fox, a star cricket-playing member of the Merion Cricket Club in Philadelphia. Fox traveled to St. Andrews and happened to meet and take lessons from Old Tom Morris, then brought the game back to his family’s home and laid out a rudimentary track, later expanded, that has survived to this day.
The newly formed Foxburg Golf Preservation Inc. is in the process of soliciting tax-deductible donations via its 1887 Project to assist in bringing Forse’s work to fruition. Forse’s plans include restoring greens, tee boxes and bunkers, as well as updating equipment and modernizing the irrigation system.
➡️ With his award-winning work at Michigan’s Meadowbrook, plus recent commissions at Olympia Fields (North) in Chicago and Mount Bruno in Quebec, Andy Staples has become much sought after as a restorer of Willie Park Jr. courses. He adds another to the list: Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto. Staples has signed on as consulting architect and to prepare a master plan for the club, which recently secured Park’s original drawings. Weston is best known among PGA Tour history buffs as the venue for the 1955 Canadian Open, when Arnold Palmer captured his first win.
RELATED: Design Notes archive
➡️ One of the world’s most prolific design shops, Clayton, DeVries & Pont (CDP) has contracted with Vingroup, one of Vietnam’s premier development syndicates, to create the design firm’s first two courses in Vietnam. Spearheading the project at Ha Long Xanh in northeast Vietnam will be Michigan-based architect Mike DeVries, best known for his work at Cape Wickham in Australia and for the Kingsley Club in his home state. Hendrik Hilgert will also contribute to the design, as will CDP partners Mike Clayton and Frank Pont. The 18-hole championship courses will be situated not far from Ha Long Bay, a spectacular Unesco World Heritage site. CDP is currently engaged with projects in England, Spain, Ireland and Australia, among other countries.
➡️ Renovation work begins in the coming week at Terravita Golf and Country Club, a Troon Prive-managed private club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Veteran architect Phil Smith is contributing the design portion, with Heritage Links handling the construction. Smith, a longtime associate with both Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, had his master plan approved in 2021, which revolved around rebuilding all 18 greens, resurfacing with Tiff Eagle Bermuda grass, adding and eliminating tee boxes, re-shaping fairways, rebuilding bunkers and installing a state-of-the-art irrigation system. Billy Casper and Greg Nash designed the original course in 1994 and while long acknowledged as a rugged, handsome test, it proved too testing at times. Smith vows to create a re-imagined layout that compares favorably to the best courses in the region, with emphasis on the fun factor. Work is expected to take seven months, with a re-opening in November 2022.
NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️ OnCore Golf names Gabe & Abes’s Golf as its Canadian distributor of the brand’s three-ball suite of golf balls — Avant 55, Elixir and Vero X1. … GolfForever, Philadelphia PGA Section partner. GolfForever will support the Section's 2022 Fall Teaching and Coaching Summit. … Golftec opens a 2,000-square-foot instruction and clubfitting center in Phoenix. … PXG celebrates the opening of its second Chicago retail store, the Oakbrook Terrace PXG, 8,445-square-foot facility that features a retail showroom with PXG’s latest apparel, accessories and bags, golf club fitting bays and a dedicated putter fitting studio and practice putting green. … Big Max, the European push-cart manufacturer, extends its support of the Golf Coaches Association of America and Women’s Golf Coaches Association through 2022. … Majors Challenge readies for Masters pool play as company touts ease of use, golf-specific platform. … Malcolm DeMille handcrafts Rapiscan Systems Classic Anthony Topazi Trophy, a one-of-a-kind trophy, for the PGA Tour Champions event.
COMPETITION
▪️Global Golf Post donates green fees for S.F. City Championship, which originated in 1917 and is the nation's oldest municipal tournament. … Intersport announces the return of the John Shippen National Golf Invitational, which invites the nation’s top black women and men amateur and professional golfers to compete for five exemptions on the LPGA and PGA Tour. … East Coast Women’s Pro Golf Tour announces its inaugural schedule, which is divided into geographical pods, the first being the Florida Launch pod that opens May 11-13 in Sebring, Florida. … U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance announces a schedule of over 20 tournaments in 2022, culminating with the USAGA Invitational, Nov. 10-12 at Bear Creek Golf Club [Dallas, Texas].
COURSES
▪️Pinehurst No. 2 ranks No. 1 in the North Carolina Golf Panel’s 2022 rankings. Rounding out the top five are Grandfather Golf and Country Club [Linville], Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club [Southern Pines], The Country Club of North Carolina — Dogwood Course [Pinehurst] and Quail Hollow Club [Charlotte]. … Volcano Golf Course, which is Hawai’i Island’s first and oldest golf course, reopens after being closed for nearly two years. … Silverado Resort and Spa [Napa, California], will host the women’s college golf’s Silverado Showdown, April 4-6. The University of Colorado and University of Oregon are co-hosts of the event. … The Tom Weiskopf-designed course at Black Desert Resort [Ivins, Utah] is on schedule to open in fall 2022. The 18-hole resort/daily-fee course is in the final phase of construction. … Troon has been selected to manage Broken Top Club [Bend, Oregon] and Olde Scotland Links [Bridgewater, Massachusetts]. … Mountain Ridge Country Club [West Caldwell, N.J.] hires course architect Andrew Green for its restoration project. Green, who will create a plan and oversee future renovations and refinements, calls the Donald Ross greens the “best I’ve ever encountered.”
DESTINATIONS
▪️Vattanac Golf Resort [Phnom Penh, Cambodia] opens a high-end golf academy, which includes hitting bays, short-game area, golf simulator rooms and PGA-specialized custom clubfitting service. … Sea Pines Resort's Quarterdeck [Hilton Head Island, South Carolina] will reopen on April 6. The dining destination has been rebuilt to include a rooftop oyster bar offering 270-degree views of the 18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links, Harbour Town Yacht Basin and Calibogue Sound.
GEAR
▪️Volvik USA launches its 2022 Vivid, a high-performance golf ball with a matte finish, 75 compression and a three-piece construction. … More Golf expands Mod/1 putter collection with the Endure and Testify models. … Edison Golf Co. now offers the newest KBS PGI (Players Graphite Iron) Series shaft in three options — the KBS PGI 80 in ‘A’ Flex, KBS PGI 90 in Regular Flex, and KBS PGI 100 in Stiff Flex.
INITIATIVES
▪️Arcis Golf, Els For Autism continue partnership as the Round Up 4 Els for Autism initiative begins nationwide this month. ... Gary Player launches the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, which is dedicated to helping underprivileged and vulnerable children. … Whiskers Golf to assist Ukraine humanitarian efforts with shoelace sales. Company establishes “Stand with Ukraine” program and all profits from sales of its yellow and blue shoelaces will benefit Save the Children Ukraine and the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund nonprofits. … The LPGA and IMG announce that Chevron U.S.A. is joining the LPGA Foundation Giving Circle at the Founders level, with a commitment to invest $1.2 million over the next six years to support the LPGA Foundation’s programs.
MEDIA
▪️NBTV Channels announces the upcoming launch of Golf Nation, an online and connected TV/OTT channel that brings golf lifestyle and premium video together on a shoppable streaming content platform. Suzy Whaley, former president of the PGA of America, has been hired as president of Golf Nation. … Golf apparel brand Radmor becomes the sponsor of “Drop Zone” podcast, hosted by Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier. … Dundonald Links [Ayrshire, Scotland] retains Dan Shepherd Public Relations for marketing and public relations in North America as the resort unveils new standalone lodges, clubhouse, restaurant and hotel rooms in advance of hosting the LPGA's Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open in July.
PEOPLE
▪️Ji Eun Baik makes East Coast Women’s Professional Golf Tour history by recording the tour’s first hole-in-one. Baik aced the fourth hole at Rio Pinar Country Club [Orlando, Florida] in the tour’s Winter Series Finale. … Indian Wells Golf Resort [Indian Wells, California] appoints Juan Leon and Michael Navarro as the resort's new executive chef and director of food and beverage, respectively. … Riviera Country Club [Pacific Palisades, California] names Jim Richerson, president of the PGA of America, as general manager of the club. Richerson will conclude his presidency in November. … TecTecTec! seeks experienced golf sales reps for California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin and Minnesota in advance of the company's launch of its KLYR laser rangefinder. …
The PGA of America announces that Billy Dillon, director of the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and men’s and women’s head golf coach, has earned PGA Master Professional status. He achieved his designation in Executive Management. … The LPGA and LPGA Hall of Fame Committee change their entry requirements into the LPGA Hall of Fame, which includes lifting the 10-year playing requirement to enter the Hall of Fame. The change makes two-time major champion Lorena Ochoa eligible for induction. Ochoa earned 37 Hall of Fame points in her eight-year playing career before retiring in 2010. The Committee also elected to induct under the Honorary Category the remaining eight of the LPGA’s 13 Founders not already enshrined in the Hall of Fame — Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith and Shirley Spork. … The Presidents Cup and American Junior Golf Association announce the return of the Junior Presidents Cup, Sept. 19-20 at Myers Park Country Club [Charlotte, North Carolina] prior to the start of the 2022 Presidents Cup at nearby Quail Hollow Club. Notah Begay III and Tim Clark will serve as captains of the U.S. and International Teams, respectively.
THE STYLE LINKS
Masters-themed swag is in full swing at Stitch Golf and its limited edition Master Of Style collection. Peach ice cream sandwiches, green and white umbrellas, pimento cheese, azaleas in bloom, Amen Corner — all featured on head covers, golf bags, hats and shirts @stitchgolf.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
THE GOOD LIFE
TUNING IN
LPGA Tour: Chevron Championship
Television: Today-Sunday, 5-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).
PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open
Television: Today, 1-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC).
PGA Tour Champions: Rapiscan Systems Classic
Television: Today, 3:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play has a dumb format. Lose and go home! Win and move on! If you don't like going to Austin and only playing one day, play better!