Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
FIRST THOUGHT

The accounting firm Hillier Hopkins recently surveyed 82 U.K. public and private golf clubs. Of the 71 member-based clubs, the number of visitors fell 30% in 2022, while the average club saw 70 new members join (down from 90 in 2021) and the average number of people leaving was 48 (up from 35 in 2021).

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> Question of the week: A number of players who have yet to win a major championship are showing signs of taking the next step — Max Homa has two wins already this PGA Tour season, Tony Finau has three wins since July, Tom Kim has two wins since August. Will a player win his first major in 2023? If so, who do you believe that player will be?

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

> Is Five Iron the future of indoor golf?
[Matthew Rudy | Golf Digest | Read]

> New PGA Tour rule can ban non-members for a year if they play 'unauthorized' events
[Rex Hoggard | Golf Channel | Read]

> ‘Change is coming’: Max Homa has big plans for the future of golf TV
[James Colgan | Golf.com | Read]

> Behind the scenes of Netflix's highly anticipated golf docuseries
[Shane Ryan | Golf Digest | Read]

Omni PGA Frisco already shining bright in the Lone Star State
PGA of America's new home outside of Dallas features just about everything, but it's the 36 holes of golf that will open later this spring that is garnering major attention
THE INDUSTRY
Per multiyear agreement, GVC will provide logistics services to True Linkswear in Canada and support a strategic growth initiative to directly serve the Canadian consumer
Read More
U.S. Open champ joins Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Adam Scott and Collin Morikawa for inaugural season in 2024
Read More
Shoelaces are available in shades of Viva Magenta, the official 2023 Pantone Color of the Year
Read More
Collection of women's golf lifestyle apparel features sporty looks for warm weather, complete with tops, bottoms, skorts, outerwear and accessories available in sizes XXS-XXL
Read More
Award-winning architect's new Independence, Minnesota, course design will open for play summer 2024, feature lake views on 13 holes
Read More
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, club opened its nine-month, multi-million dollar renovation, led by Nicklaus Design, at a grand opening ceremony on January 30
Read More
Conference will take place Feb. 6-9 in Orlando, Florida; attendees can interact with leaders to discover all that GHS has to offer
Read More
Trio of tournaments will take place at three Troon International locales simultaneously — Madinaty Golf Club, Royal Greens Golf and Country, and Al Hamara Golf Club
Read More
Collective celebrates memorable and meaningful 2022 as visits to the GoGolfKauai.com website were up over 130%
Read More
Championship donated $50 for each of the 958 birdies made in 2022; donations benefit the AngelEye Health System at BayCare’s Mease Countryside Hospital and Morton Plant Hospital
Read More
2021 champion Steve Stricker and major champions Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Tom Lehman headline early commitments for the PGA Tour Champions event, Feb. 17-19 in Naples, Florida
Read More
Gallagher, who previously worked in football operations, will now oversee the company’s operations as company comes off a year of record growth
Read More
#QOTD
"Golf was my first glimpse of comedy. I was a caddy when I was a kid. I was on the golf course rather than being in lessons, but I can play better now than I could then."
— Bill Murray
ICYMI
Design Notes: Tom Clark creates The Battlefield at Oklahoma’s Shangri-La
Greg Norman’s Avalon Links opens at Aurora Anguilla Resort in the Caribbean; Georgia’s venerable Valdosta transformed by Bill Bergin
TUNING IN

PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Site: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course; Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course)
Television [ET]: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

DP World Tour: Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Site: Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Television [ET]: Thursday-Friday, 3:30-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3:30-8 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

TFC PODCAST NETWORK

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Realizing the Azores' understated beauty
Pilar Melo Antunes, Azores Golf sales and marketing director, joins host Ann Liguori to tell the story of the nine-strand Portuguese archipelago — and why it's ideal for golf
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

THE 19TH HOLE WITH MICHAEL WILLIAMS
65,000 and counting: Club Champion has a club for everyone
Casandra Bausch, Club Champion's director of marketing, joins host Michael Williams to discuss the company's explosive growth and the array of available club combinations it offers
[Listen | More 'The 19th Hole with Michael Williams' episodes]

BEHIND THE GOLF BRAND
Power Tee is changing how golfers practice
CEO Martin Wyeth joins host Paul Liberatore to tell of his journey to create an automatic teeing system for indoors, driving ranges and country clubs — and, perhaps, golf's future
[Listen | More 'Behind the Golf Brand' episodes]

CALENDAR

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.