The First Call 01-07-2026

FIRST THOUGHT

We at The First Call love a good golf stat. But it's still winter and the tours have yet to crank up, so juicy stats are a bit scarce at the moment. So, we resorted to Google and typed in "golf stat of the day." The AI Overview spit out this nugget from Yatta Golf, an online golf apparel website, that reported "about 2% of golfers consistently break 80, while roughly 15% hit 80 at least once in their lives." The piece goes into more depth if you're looking for more specifics.

POLL

▪️ Will Brooks Koepka return to the PGA Tour in 2026? | Vote
▪️ Previous: How often do you expect to play golf between Christmas and New Year's Day (including those two days)? | Results

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

▪️ Looking into a crystal ball for 2026, what do you believe will be the major storylines in golf? | Respond
▪️ Previous: What golf resolutions do you have for 2026? | Read

TFC PODCAST / VIDEO NETWORK

RECENT DROPS

🎧 GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Oh how the Irish eyes are smiling
Guests: Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington and Ed Walsh, the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.
Listen | Archives

🎧 GOLF AND THE GOOD LIFE
AI and golf travel planning: What it gets right and where it falls short
Hosts: D.J. Jones and Connor Evers, Haversham & Baker Expeditions.
Listen | Archives

ARCHIVES: 🎧 Podcasts | ▶️ Videos

GOLF INDUSTRY NEWS

LPGA | TMRW Sports: Announce formation of WTGL

Teams of LPGA Tour stars will compete in WTGL’s inaugural season, coming winter 2026-27

PGA Show: Reports on scheduled industry programming

Event will offer a comprehensive schedule of complimentary professional development programs on the Show Floor, Jan. 20-23 in Orlando, Florida

Tour Edge: New Hot Launch expands golf ball line

Company touts "extreme distance and optimized launch in a soft two-piece design"

True Spec Golf: Reviews Mizuno's M-13, M-15 irons

Mizuno's senior product engineer dives into their design and technology while testing them in the bay with True Spec master fitters

Signature Sports Group: Advances owned media vision

Names Eric Gibson as president to lead and scale the company’s platform-led strategy

Golf VX: Launches January Winter League across U.S. locations

Popular indoor golf league returns with flexible scheduling, team scramble format and competitive prizes

Bobby Jones Links: General Manager University trains the next gen leaders

Ten-year-old initiative, formerly known as the General Manager in Training program, helps identify and cultivate future Bobby Jones Links leaders

Golf VX: Opens to Duluth, Georgia, location

Golf VX Dultuh is an indoor golf and social destination that is open for year-round play, signature cocktails, craft bites and community events

Marriott Golf: Paragraph Golf & Spa Tabori redefines luxury golf, wellness

Perched on Mount Tabori, the resort features a championship-level golf experience, luxury spa and sweeping panoramic views of Tbilisi, Georgia

KemperSports: To manage Lyman Orchards GC

KemperSports portfolio expands with daily-fee property in Connecticut

Troon: Partnership with Buffalo Creek GC

Troon Golf, the resort and daily-fee management division of Troon, will provide agronomy, operations and sales and marketing advisory services for the Rockwall, Texas, course

Hak Golf: To showcase Drydots in PGA Show's Inventors Spotlight

New magnet-based accessory that helps keep golf gloves dry while on the course will compete for several honors during the annual Orlando, Florida, show, Jan. 20-23

Majesticks Golf Club: Re-signs Sam Horsfield for the 2026 LIV Golf League. ... Power Tee: Appoints Tony Eccleston as managing director of UK and Europe. ... Ecco Golf: Adds PGA Tour player Aaron Rai to its tour ambassador lineup.

EXPANDED NOTES >

ICYMI

World Golf Village's Sips & Styles creates a distinctive retail experience

New initiative transformed traditional product promotion into an interactive, high-energy experience that engaged club members.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

▪️ Among golf signatures, Arnold Palmer’s artful mark was in class by itself
[Michael Bamberger | Golf.com | Read]

▪️ LPGA players will join TGL in new league next winter
[Beth Ann Nichols | Golfweek | Read]

▪️ For Oklahoma golf course superintendent, one job is enough
[Howard Richman | Golf Course Management | Read]

TFC GOLF JOB BOARD

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED LISTINGS

▪️ Head Golf Professional
The Club at Starr Pass
Tucson, Arizona | Info

▪️ Paid Media Specialist
Acushnet Company | Foot Joy
Fairhaven, Massachusetts | Info

▪️ Foundation Development Director
Middle Atlantic Section
Stafford, Virginia | Info

▪️ The First Call Job Board
▪️ Buffalo Groupe Job Openings

CALENDAR

JANUARY
19-21: Golf Business Conference, Orlando, Florida | Info
20-22: BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, Harrogate, England | Info
20-23: PGA Show, Orlando, Florida | Info

FEBRUARY
17-21: Club Management Association of America World Conference and Club Business Expo, Anaheim, California | Info

COMPLETE CALENDAR >

To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.