The Queen City searches for its PGA king
+ Voting for the best; Mike Purkey ponders the PGA Championship; Beau knows Dye's Oak Marsh; A fine California getaway.
THE STARTER
🏌️ Jhonattan Vegas led the PGA Championship after the first round with a 7-under 64. Does it really matter who the first-round leader is? Does it matter more that Rory McIlroy shot 75?
🏌️ A number of players, including Scottie Scheffler, criticized the decision not to play preferred lies in the first round of the PGA at soggy Quail Hollow, repeatedly complaining about mud balls. Do you sympathize?
🏌️ Are the final three holes at Quail Hollow — called the "Green Mile" — great holes or just plain hard?
🏌️ Why do people – particularly the golf media — feel the need to criticize the PGA Championship as not having an identity? It’s one of the four biggest tournaments in the world. Isn’t that enough?
🏌️ It’s billed as the best field of all the majors, so is the lack of star power on the PGA leaderboard just a coincidence?
🏌️ Sepp Straka, with his victory at the Truist Championship, became the second player with multiple wins in 2025; McIlroy is the other. Is Straka underrated?
🏌️ New Zealand’s Ryan Fox won last week’s OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, which got him into the PGA, and he shot a 4-under 67 in the first round. Why was Fox not on the last International Presidents Cup team?
🏌️ This year’s Truist was played at Philadelphia Cricket Club, one of the game’s grand old courses. When Tour players shoot low scores at places like this, it is an embarrassment or a tribute?
🏌️ Former NFL quarterback Sam Bradford qualified to play in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Who knew Bradford was an under-the-radar good player?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
For Quail Hollow Club, 'big' is the norm
This week’s PGA Championship is the third major event the Charlotte, North Carolina, venue has hosted since 2017, but its hosting of the PGA Tour’s Truist Championship since 2003 has helped the club set the stage.
:: Ward Clayton | Read
Rory McIlroy to win PGA? Not so fast
While a lot of pre-tourney talk concerns the newest member of the career Grand Slam club, there remain plenty of unanswered questions about this week. Don't worry, though, the Answer Man is here.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
Will tariffs bring dark days for golf?
The Trump administration's fluctuating surcharges for imported goods are certain to impact the golf industry. The questions with no discernible answers, though, are how high will costs go up and for how long?
:: Bradley S. Klein | Read
2025 PGA Championship: Just how will it play out?
Readers of The First Call offer their crystal ball as to what may be in store for this week's major at Quail Hollow Club.
:: TFC Inbox | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads — and listens — that are sometimes about golf, but not always.
📖 The Boston Celtics and the price of history
From Bob Cousy to Jayson Tatum, the franchise’s rich past and present are forever linked.
:: Wright Thompson | ESPN | 05.15.25 | Read
📖 Stephen A. Smith is running. To be Joe Rogan.
America’s best-known sports-talker is hosting boldface Democrats and MAGA luminaries and teasing a 2028 run. But what he really wants is ubiquitous political influence, and things of that nature.
:: Matt Flegenheimer | New York Times | 05.15.25 | Read
📖 How the most remote community in America gets its mail
Transporting letters and packages to the village of Supai requires a feat of logistics, horsemanship, and carefully placed hooves.
:: Sarah Yager | The Atlantic | 05.07.25 | Read
THE LIBRARY
Recent drops to The First Call’s video and podcast section.
🎧 Ashton Gaulin: The story behind the 'Mayor of Tempo Town'
Gaulin tells host Nathan Moore how he went from dropping out of community college to becoming a rising content creator with sponsorships that include Wilson and Sugarloaf Social Club.
:: Content Clubhouse | 05.15.25 | 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
THE STYLE LINKS
FootJoy’s special Legends drop for the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, gives a nod to Carolina blue.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
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.
Grant Boone, Golf Channel and NBC Sports broadcaster: “Any kind of barbecue - to drink I’m a fan of Italian and Argentinian red wines, and every great meal had to be finished with ice cream."
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
A PICTURE TELLS …
“Golf up here, a thousand feet above the distant waters of the Severn, is not just the shuffling of the elderly male but a battle in which we pitch ourselves endlessly against the elements and our own vulnerability, and feel in our legs the ache of altitude gained and in our hearts a connection that makes it all worthwhile.”
:: Words: Richard Pennell / Pitchmarks | Photography: Simon Pope
Image: Hole No. 18, Cleve Hill Golf Club, Cleve Hill, England.
HOME FRONT
Martis Camp | Truckee, California
Listing: 8070 Villandry Drive.
Stats: 7,180 square feet | 6 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms / 3 half bathrooms.
Price: $13,795,000.
About: Tucked into one of Martis Camp’s most serene enclaves, just steps from scenic community trails and across from Creekside Park, this modern retreat is a showstopper that captures attention — and imagination. Designed with both grandeur and livability in mind, this home is an entertainer’s dream, built to impress yet made for everyday mountain living. Step through the front door and you're greeted by an airy, sunlit great room anchored by a striking double-sided metal fireplace and framed by dramatic black steel beams. A skybridge above creates architectural interest, while the open-concept design seamlessly connects to a stunning kitchen. At the kitchen’s center: a massive Plax Stone island that serves as both a culinary workstation and social hub. Adjacent, a cozy dining/game nook offers a storybook view of the forest and direct access to the expansive back porch that features a hot tub, fire pit, and miles of trails just beyond. A private office enclosed in glass provides a quiet place to focus, while the nearby guest suite delivers tranquility with forest views. Upstairs, the primary suite is a private sanctuary, featuring a fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a spa-inspired bath with stunning views in every direction. Additional bedrooms, a bunk room and a media lounge ensure guests feel as pampered as residents. The lower level is a world unto itself — designed for unforgettable gatherings. Highlights include a game room, billiards area, full bar, 1,000-bottle glass wine vault and a theater that effortlessly transforms into a golf simulator room — perfect for honing your swing after a day on the Martis Camp course. Speaking of golf, ownership in this private community grants access to the acclaimed 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed championship course, considered one of the finest mountain golf experiences in the country. From its world-class practice facilities to dramatic fairways framed by Sierra peaks, Martis Camp offers golf that’s as inspiring as it is exclusive. Set on 2.2 acres with open space on two sides, this home blends natural beauty, architectural distinction and unmatched access to Martis Camp’s premier amenities — from the Lookout Lodge and ski lift to the Camp Lodge, Family Barn and its celebrated golf experience.
Home Front Archive | Read
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Beau Welling rejuvenates Oak Marsh at Omni Amelia Island
Omni Amelia Island Resort and Spa, the oceanfront destination off the Northeast Florida coast, reopened its Oak Marsh course in late April, following a comprehensive renovation carried out by Beau Welling Design.
The overarching goal of the $7.4 million renovation from Welling and his team was to protect the architectural feel of Pete Dye’s original 1972 creation. Additional objectives were to modernize the layout to meet the requirements of today’s game brought on by technological advancements in equipment; enhance the aesthetic attributes of the entire course; and provide a high-quality and consistent playing experience.
All the greens on Oak Marsh were rebuilt and regrassed with TifEagle bermudagrass. The layout’s fairways, tee areas, rough and green collars now feature Bimini bermudagrass. All the bunkers on the 6,471-yard layout were rebuilt and repositioned as needed. New drain pipes, liners and sand will make for more consistent playing conditions from these hazards. The tee areas are all renovated and utilize the “ribbon-tee” concept, creating opportunities for nearly unlimited tee placements.
Additional work expanded the native areas to enhance the overall aesthetic quality of the layout and to improve the turf growing conditions. Rounding out the renovation details, the course irrigation system was improved, and the driving range tees and landing areas were upgraded with new hitting mats incorporated. The existing cart paths were also replaced.
“Our team is incredibly excited about this renovation of Oak Marsh,” Welling said. “We were very mindful to preserve Pete Dye’s strategy and design intent as well as elevating the playing experience for today’s golfer. We have such a great relationship with the Omni team at Amelia Island, and we hope the overall aesthetic improvements, coupled with Amelia Island’s natural beauty, will truly showcase how special Oak Marsh is.”
Design Notes Archive | Read
The Philadelphia Cricket Club is about a 100 years old. Without tricking up the course, why would any reasonable person think a PGA-tour event wouldn't end significantly under par? Do they really think it was designed to be difficult in 2025? A hundred years ago people didn't really know exactly what 2025 would even look like.
Maybe the next Truist should be played with hickories & featheries.......