THIS WEEK'S EDITIONS OF THE FIRST CALL

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Looking at the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams, what are their respective strengths and weaknesses? 

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> Last week's question: What were the best moments of the 2025 PGA Tour season? | Read

BUSINESS

Blue Jeans Golf: Closes the first round of its $20 million Series B fundraising, led by Old Tom Capital and Creator Sports Capital. Founded in 2021 by Devin Charhon and Michael Canfield, Blue Jeans Golf is a golf investment and management company in the Golf Lite category. Golf Ranch, the company’s tech-enabled driving range brand, is an example of the Golf Lite category, creating a physical and digital space for golfers to connect. This equity round will fund Golf Ranch’s 2026 growth pipeline, enabling the acquisition and development of new sites nationwide. It follows the recent close of a new debt facility, which is being deployed for previously acquired sites in Glendale, Arizona, and Grand Prairie, Texas, as the fifth and sixth Golf Ranch locations, and supporting the company’s remaining 2025 projects. Combined, the Series B equity and debt financing position Golf Ranch to expand to 10 to 12 locations by the end of 2026.

COURSES

Myrtle Beach National: Phase 2 of architect Brandon Johnson's renovation of King's North is on schedule for an early October reopening. Johnson completed the front-nine redesign in summer 2024, and the Arnold Palmer original closed again in May 2025 for the renovation of the back nine. Johnson is enhancing King’s North’s rugged aesthetic while reimagining its greens and surrounds. The result will be a course that offers golfers more strategic options on approach and recovery shots, in addition to striking new visuals. Among the highlights are significant updates to holes 10, 13, 15 and 16, where golfers will see dramatic changes in how the greens and surrounding areas play and appear.

EVENTS

Bernhard Academy: Announces the launch of five new online leadership and management courses for Autumn / Winter 2025. These interactive digital sessions are designed to support professionals at every stage of their career, offering practical tools and insights to help participants become effective leaders. Covering personality styles, decision-making, change management, delegation and navigating challenging conversations, each class is delivered online at 3 p.m. (GMT) and lasts up to 90 minutes — making them both flexible and accessible to busy professionals worldwide. All sessions will be led by Phil Helmn, program leader at the Bernhard Academy and author of "The Power of People" and the forthcoming "The Power of You." The courses will be held Oct. 14 and 28, Nov. 11, and Dec. 2 and 16. For information, visit BernhardAcademy.co.uk.

GEAR

Breakthrough Golf: Introduces the Stability Carbon Pro putter shaft, which represents a complete reengineering of the original Stability Carbon shaft. According to CEO Barney Adams, the company has "created a shaft that provides a tour-level feel without compromising on stability." The shaft has 35% more high-modulus carbon fiber, a 10% increase in bending stiffness and zero torque, and is 3–4 swing weights lighter than the original Carbon. The shaft is available at BreakthroughGolfTech.com.

Alma Mater Footwear: Luxury sneaker brand releases its first-ever golf shoe, the Beta. The Beta Longwing and the Beta Lite are available for purchase in select stores and nationally online at AlmaMaterFootwear.com. The Beta showcases Alma Mater’s three-piece engineering, which uses a midsole that features the same cushioned foam that is used in the world’s top running shoes; a spikeless outsole design that was created through collaboration with a leading maker of gravel bike tires to create better rotational traction; and a unique rand that zip ties the midsole with the outsole. The Beta Longwing is available in two colors and features premium leather and a nubuck longwing, while the Beta Lite sports a technical nylon upper for a more athletic look. The shoes retail for $288.

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