The First Call 04-28-2023

FIRST THOUGHT

According to a Stanford University study, Wednesday is becoming known for more than being hump day. It's also the most popular weekday for golf. The study reveals that golfers played on Wednesdays 143% more in August 2022 than August 2019. Also, rounds booked at 4 p.m. were up 278% more for the same time period.

IN THIS ISSUE

> Design Notes: Rees Jones fixes Broken Sound’s Old Course in Florida | Read
> PGA Professional Spotlight: Michael Andrusin | Read

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Which item(s) do you replace in your golf bag at the beginning of each season?

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

INDUSTRY NEWS

Drop Not Golf: Announces Mother’s Day special discounts

Apply MDAY10 for 10% off when purchasing the single package containing two devices and MDAY20 for 20% off when purchasing two or more two-unit packs; discount runs through May 14

NBC Sports Next: GolfPass reaches new heights

Popularity of golf has accelerated reviews since 2019, helping GolfPass double review count in half the time; Florida, California and Arizona lead U.S. states receiving golf course reviews

Leisure World GC: Attains ACSP for Golf Courses certification

Maryland course’s accomplishments include expanding native vegetation, removing invasive plant species, providing quality wildlife habitat and conducting water quality testing

Power Tee: Reports on 'robust' Q1 growth

First quarter 2023 is marked by new orders, installations and numerous clients expanding the number of Power Tee bays on their practice facilities

2K: Makes Spyglass Hill Golf Course available to play on the PGA Tour 2K23 video game. Spyglass Hill, located in Pebble Beach, California, is one of the host courses for the PGA Tour's AT&T Pro-Am.

LPGA, BMW Korea: Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, will host the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship. The tournament is set for October 19-22 and will feature a field of 78 players competing for a $2.2 million purse in a 72-hole, no-cut event.

Creatz: Parent company for Uneekor, acquires a controlling interest in the putter brand Evnroll. Creatz acquired a 70% share of the U.S.-based company. Evnroll founder and chief designer Guerin Rife will retain a 30% shareholding and remain as CEO and chief designer.

Piza Golf: Unveils plans for Zitara Ciudad Residencial and Golf Club, a master planned community in Aquacalientes, Mexico. It is the first large-scale project in Aquacalientes, spans 200 hectares and features an integrated development that includes residential, commercial, sports and cultural areas. There will be an 18-hole course designed by Agustin Piza that will include six illuminated holes and a driving range for nighttime play.

USGA: Commits to an investment in golf around the Los Angeles, California, area in advance of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. The USGA is collaborating with the community in four distinct areas, highlighted by a $1 million donation to restore the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, a nine-hole, par-3 public facility operated by Los Angeles County. Course architect Gil Hanse will lead the restoration project.

Fields Ranch: PGA Frisco’s Beau Welling-designed Fields Ranch West and Gil Hanse-designed Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, will begin accepting tee times starting May 2 and May 30, respectively. Rates for Fields Ranch East, a walking-with-caddie experience, will start at $252 for Omni PGA Frisco resort guests. For public guests, rates start at $277, while City of Frisco residents can book with up to 20% to 50% in discounts. Rates for Fields Ranch West start at $202 for resort guests and $222 for public guests.

LPGA: Announces a partnership with SeatGeek, making the technology platform the first tour-wide ticketing partner for U.S.-based tournaments. Fans will be able to purchase tickets on the platform and, through SeatGeek’s event-day feature, Rally, have them turn into a personal concierge with driving directions, customized entry instructions and weather updates. Also, the LPGA will have access to SeatGeek’s backend technology, Unify, to allow the Tour and tournament staff to manage sales and inventory, and capture better economics across the league’s entirety.

PGA of America: NBC Sports will provide live broadcast coverage of the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship for the first time in the Championship’s history on Golf Channel and Peacock. The PWCC, which annually golfers enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other Minority-Serving Educational Institutions, will be May 8-10, at Shoal Creek Club and Bent Brook Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama. Golf Channel and Peacock will air all three championship rounds at Shoal Creek, 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Lee Trevino sounds off on slow play, cites Jack Nicklaus penalty as model
[Jessica Marksbury | Golf.com | Read]

> Popstroke to expand with 13 new venues across the country in Las Vegas, Nashville, more
[Adam Woodard | Golfweek | Read]

#QOTD

"If Plan A doesn't work, the alphabet has 25 more letters."

— Claire Cook

ICYMI

Design Notes: Rees Jones fixes Broken Sound’s Old Course in Florida

Nicklaus Heritage inks its first deal at Jack’s Bay in the Bahamas; Roy Bechtol to make waves at Texas’ Austin Beach Club

PGA PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT

MICHAEL ANDRUSIN
PGA Teaching Professional, Morris County Park Commission Courses

The First Call: What is your favorite instructional tip to share with a golfer?
Michael Andrusin: Hitting balls with my feet together with a half-speed half swing.

TFC: Do you have a preferred style or philosophy for teaching golf?
MA: I tend to lean into ball flight. If I can get the golfer to understand why the ball travels in the directions it goes, then we can talk about the path and face of the club. Then we can look at the student and find out why their body produces that path and clubface at impact.

READ MORE >

> RELATED: PGA Professional Spotlight archive

ROUNDS AND WEATHER

> Rounds played for the week finished down 6% vs. 2022 mostly due to colder weather across the Central and Northern areas of the U.S.

The North region finished down 33% in rounds vs. last year as colder temperatures have led to higher seasonal blocks in the Wisconsin and Minnesota markets. The Great Plains and Central Valley regions finished down a combined 8% in rounds as both regions had temperatures that were 7 degrees lower on average vs. last year.

> Performance over the next seven days is projected to be down 4% vs. last year as heavy rains are projected across much of the Central and Eastern United States.

The Northeast region is pacing the furthest behind of last year at –20% as heavy rain is projected for six out of seven days.

> Weekday golfers as a percent of total golfers finished at 59% as heavy rains on Thursday and Friday shifted golfers into the weekend period.

TUNING IN

PGA Tour: Mexico Championship at Vidanta
Site: Vidanta Vallarta, Vallarta, Mexico.
Television [ET]: Today, 3:30-6:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
Leaderboard

LPGA Tour: JM Eagle LA Championship
Site: Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, California.
Television [ET]: Today, 6:30-9:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

LIV Golf: LIV Golf Singapore
Site: Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong), Singapore.
Television [ET]: Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (CW-Tape Delay).

DP World Tour: Korea Championship
Site: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Incheon, South Korea.
Television [ET]: Today-Saturday, Midnight to 4:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

PGA Tour Champions: Insperity Invitational
Site: The Woodlands Country Club, The Woodlands, Texas.
Television [ET]: Today, noon to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

TFC PODCAST NETWORK

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Liberated Gary McCord lets loose with his opinions
Longtime golf analyst joins 'Golf Innerview' host Ann Liguori to tell of his new YouTube podcast, his time at CBS, the Masters, 'bikini wax' and the impact of LIV Golf
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

THE MODGOLF PODCAST
Why time is our most precious commodity
Brian Esposito, founder and CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, joins 'The ModGolf Podcast' host Colin Weston to share how he helps web3 sport and entertainment tech companies succeed
[Listen | More 'The ModGolf Podcast' episodes]

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Sean Foley on Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Netflix’s ‘Full Swing’
Noted instructor joins 'Golf Innerview' host Ann Liguori to reflect on Masters storylines, along with his appearance in the streaming docuseries
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

MAKE GOLF YOUR CAREER

> Program Director
First Tee Northern Michigan
Harbor Springs, Michigan | More

> Head Women's Golf Coach
Union College
Schenectady, New York | More

> Golf Course Course Assistant
Foothills Park and Recreation District
Jefferson County, Colorado | More

> View a complete listing of jobs

Make Golf Your Career is a golf industry DE&I initiative launched by Make Golf Your Thing that allows job seekers to search, find and apply for opportunities throughout the industry in one place.

CALENDAR

JULY
25-27: GCBAA Summer Meeting, Lake Geneva, Wisc. | Info

> View complete calendar

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