The First Call 01-13-2023

FIRST THOUGHT

Rory and a blast from the past were noteworthy storylines in Thursday's opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Rory, as in Sabbatini, not McIlroy, and 56-year-old Jerry Kelly are celebrating silver anniversaries at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Sabbatini and Kelly opened with rounds of 65 and 70, respectively, and made their 25th straight start in the tournament. Neither player has missed a start since Sony took over as title sponsor of the event in 1999.

> Question of the week: What part of your golf game are you most looking forward to in 2023, and why?

Send replies on this question or other topics to shall@buffalogroupe.com. For your response to be published, you must include first and last name, along with city and state of residence. Read last week's responses.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> For Sidney Wolf, a driving force for golf in Puerto Rico, hosting the Latin America Amateur is another major milestone
[Shane Ryan | Golf Digest | Read]

> Latin America Amateur Championship adds U.S. Open exemption for winner
[Gabby Herzig | Sports Illustrated | Read]

> Luke Donald hoping Hero Cup can lead the way to Ryder Cup success
[Sky Sports | Read]

Fleeing the cold? Here are 5 worthy hot spots to take your game

Golf and cold weather is not the ideal combination, so if you're looking to take your game to a warmer climate for a quick trip, this list of destinations from Georgia to Greece is a start

TFC PODCAST NETWORK

THE MODGOLF PODCAST
Want to play more golf? TGA has your answer
Twilight Golf Association founder Nick Conrad joins host Colin Weston to tell how his initiative gets more players onto the course and competing — regardless of skill level
[Listen | More 'The ModGolf Podcast' episodes]

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Why singer Steve Azar's life could be a country song
Music composer / singer joins host Ann Liguori to discuss his career and how golf fits into the equation
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview With Ann Liguori' episodes]

FACT OF THE DAY

DID YOU KNOW ...

Three golf courses designed by Ted Robinson in the Pacific Northwest command, on average, 18% higher home values than the zip code in which the golf course sits.

Source: Longitudes Group green grass database, Zillow average home values

THE INDUSTRY

Dumbarnie Links history dates back to 1837, The Hercules Club

Course on east coast of Scotland that opened for play in 2020 has a rich golf history dating back to 1837, when it was previously called the Dumbarnie or Colinsburgh golf club

Club at Savannah Harbor welcomes new director of golf

John McLaughlin will oversee all golf operations for the 18-hole facility annually recognized as one of the Best Courses You Can Play in Georgia by Golfweek

Cleveland Golf releases women's Bloom package set

Bloom, a new all-in-one complete package set, is specifically engineered for the beginner and intermediate women golfer and includes a driver, 5-wood, 5-hybrid, 7i-SW and putter

Pine Canyon, Symmetry Realty to donate $22,600 to Sharon Manor

Private golf course and residential community in Flagstaff, Arizona, will donate to Sharon Manor Transitional Housing, a program of Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona

TGA Sports ambassador Danny Guise qualifies for Sony Open

Former Wake Forest golfer qualifies for first PGA Tour event and surviving a playoff in the Monday qualifier

GolfForever to exhibit signature products at PGA Show

Brand will showcase the GolfForever Swing Trainer and its mobile app alongside an appearance from 1997 British Open winner Justin Leonard

Caddie S.A.K. to make PGA Show debut

Company to exhibit its golf dashboard carryall, which contains multiple compartments, pockets and panels, and attaches directly to the cart’s canopy frame

ANOA Shipping Tag to premiere at PGA Show

Company to introduce its reusable shipping label holder that allows golfers to securely ship golf travel bags or any baggage handled by FedEx, UPS or DHL

PGA of America announces programming for PGA Industry Stage

Presentations on innovation, technology, trends and player development headline three-day schedule

Announced: LPGA Foundation, the election of three new members to its board of directors — Miriam Hernandez-Kakol, Jose Tomas and Lynette Vanderwarker. The nonprofit organization empowers and supports girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives.

Selected: By The Masters Tournament, R&A and USGA, Santa Maria Golf Club in Panama City, Panama, to host the ninth Latin America Amateur Championship, Jan. 18-21, 2024. The LAAC will return to Panama for the second time in the event’s history and make its debut at Santa María Golf Club.

Named: By the PGA of America, Paul Levy, a PGA past president, as Captain of the 2023 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team. He will lead the U.S. contingent of 12 boys and girls as they compete in the 12th Junior Ryder Cup at Golf Nazionale and Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy, Sept. 26-28. Levy, who served as the 40th PGA president, was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2021.

Announced: By Castore, its plans to debut at the 2023 PGA Show, Jan. 24-27 in Orlando, Florida. Castore, a British sportswear brand founded by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon, will showcase its golf apparel collection that uses laser-cut ventilation to enhance breathability, sources fabrics from family-owned Italian mills and uses techniques that minimize product weight.

> More Industry News

#QOTD

"It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it."

— Dale Carnegie

ROUNDS AND WEATHER

> Rounds played finished this past week up 13% vs. 2022 due to significantly warmer temperatures in the Northeast and Central Valley regions. Some markets saw increases as high as 20 degrees warmer than last year.

Northeast markets finished up 613% to 2022 due to the weather improvements. California was the only region to experience rounds decline vs. last year, finishing down 40% due to continued heavy rain throughout the week.

> Pacing over the next seven days is projected to finish up 1% to prior year due to continued weather improvements in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic that are partially offset by declines in California due to continued heavy rain.

The Northeast region is projecting to have the highest finish over the next seven days (588%) due to significant temperature improvements vs. prior year. The California region is forecasted to have the worst performance over the next seven days, projecting to finish down 28% as heavy rain continues to affect the region.

> Weekday golfers, as a percentage of total golf business, continues to trend upward, finishing close to 70% for the week.

TUNING IN

PGA Tour: Sony Open
Site: Waialae Country Club, Honolulu.
Television (ET): Today, 7-10:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 4-6 p.m. (NBC), 6-8 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

DP World Tour: Hero Cup
Site: Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Television (ET): Today, 2-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 p.m. (Friday) to 8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-7 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

Augusta National, R&A, USGA: Latin America Amateur Championship
Site: Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Television (ET): Today, 9 a.m. to noon (ESPN2); Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (ESPN News); Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ESPN2).

CALENDAR

JANUARY
23-25: Golf Business Conference, Orlando, Fla. | Info
24-27: PGA Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info
28-29: Columbus Golf and Travel Show, Columbus, Ohio | Info

FEBRUARY
1: Women Fore Hire Virtual Career Fair | Info
3-5: Philadelphia Golf and Travel Show, Philadelphia, Pa. | Info
6-9: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info
6-9: Golf Industry Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info

> View complete calendar

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