Toasting a reno, majors and return of the NFL
+ Was Justin Thomas snubbed?; Mike Purkey ponders the recent past and what's ahead; Cristie Kerr and the Solheim Cup — a perfect pairing.
THE STARTER
🏌️ Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx Cup and its $25 million first prize, pushing his season earnings to just over $62 million. Does anyone remember when, in 1988, Curtis Strange was the first player to win $1 million for the season?
🏌️ Is the shot of the year the 4-iron Scheffler hit to 5 feet on the par-3 ninth for his next full shot after his bunker shot shank on the eighth?
🏌️ Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will face off against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in the latest iteration of “The Match” in Las Vegas in December. Will this PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf match have a little extra juice?
🏌️ LIV will start its 2025 schedule with 4 international events — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Adelaide, Australia; Hong Kong and Singapore. Is the league signaling its priorities going forward?
🏌️ Without looking, how many Solheim Cup players can you name?
🏌️ Keegan Bradley received a captain’s pick from Jim Furyk for the Presidents Cup after having been already named a vice captain. Furyk will name a new vice captain to replace Bradley, who is the U.S. Ryder Cup captain. Why? Wouldn’t he benefit from doing both?
🏌️ Justin Thomas, however, will not be on the U.S. Presidents Cup team, nor will Jordan Spieth (wrist surgery) or Rickie Fowler. Are they now used-to-be stars?
🏌️ Callaway has spun off Topgolf from its umbrella and will now operate as a separate entity. Is this the prelude to a sale?
🏌️ Looking at the lineup for the Content Creator Classic last week at East Lake, is there a better name than Fat Perez?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Hey 19!
The First Call contributor Gary Van Sickle goes to great lengths to rank all of 2024's professional majors — yes, all 19 of them — using a unique theorem.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
Ben Cowan-Dewar's pursuit of a destination empire
The First Call opens the vault on this March 2023 profile of the Cabot co-founder and CEO whose quest to develop golf resorts that exude an authentic sense of place is guided by patience, persistence and perseverance as his pillars.
:: Shaun Tolson | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 Here’s how the first fact-checkers were able to do their jobs before the internet
:: Merrill Fabry | Time | 08.24.2017
📖 Troy Aikman ‘never lost at anything.’ He’s just now starting to enjoy it.
‘God’s Quarterback’ was the archetype American success story, but the triumphs everyone saw masked the inner turmoil no one knew about.
:: Zak Keefer | The Athletic | 09.06.2024
📖 Bill Belichick’s unexpected second act: Media star
The NFL’s most celebrated coach is gabbing with Pat McAfee and the Manning brothers, hosting a web show, and posting on Instagram. Mike Tirico thinks “he’s going to be great” as a TV talker, but is Belichick’s future in the studio—or back on the sidelines?
:: Tom Kludt | Vanity Fair | 09.05.2024
BUSINESS
THE FIRST CALL
Week in Review: The industry’s names, news and notables making headlines. | Read
This week’s editions: Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
Golf Industry Press Releases | Read
TFC / PR Newswire Feed | Read
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
Eastside Golf x Nike shoe collaboration has some of the coolest bottom sole graphics. Like artwork for your feet.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
19TH HOLE
Each episode of the “Course of Life” podcast closes with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole experience.
Brittany Lincicome, LPGA major champion, who was playing last week’s FM Championship: “Since we're here in Boston, I can't wait to get to Fenway Park. So I'll be having a Fenway Frank for sure.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
TFC EVENTS
Solheim Cup + Kerr Cellars
9.11.2024 | Aldie, Virginia | Event and registration information
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Nathan Crace reinvigorates Tennessee’s Old Fort
Old Fort Golf Course in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, reopened Aug. 30 following a renovation from architect Nathan Crace and Wadsworth Golf Construction.
Located 35 miles southeast of Nashville, Old Fort was originally designed in 1985 by Leon Howard and was later renovated in 2003 by Denis Griffiths. When the city's municipal course reopened, Mayor Shane McFarland hit the ceremonial first tee shot.
"It has been a long time coming, but we feel that it has been worth the wait," said Trey Adams, Old Fort Golf Course's club professional. "We are truly excited and ready to showcase just how great this course is now."
The $1.6 million renovation project got underway in January 2024 when bunkers were reshaped and relocated. In addition, Crace added several new bunkers, eliminated others and worked with Wadsworth to enhance the drainage system so that all the bunkers would drain more consistently. In March, the greens renovation began, when cool weather bentgrass was switched out and replaced with warm weather Prizm Zoysia. Crace also restored the greens to their original sizes. The putting surfaces had shrunk approximately by 10% prior to the restoration.
The par-72 Old Fort is located on the banks of the Stones River and sits adjacent to Fortress Rosecrans, a historic earthen fort from the Civil War. Old Fort has served as a qualifying site for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Simmons Bank Open.
RELATED: Read this week’s complete Design Notes
RELATED: Design Notes archive
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