The First Call 09-10-2021

FIRST THOUGHT

Due to pesky technical difficulties, the Thursday, Sept. 9, edition of The First Call missed many of your inboxes. For that, we apologize. Go here to see the archived version. Along with today's new edition, the Features and Industry News sections from the Sept. 9 issue have been re-posted in today's issue.

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READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Royal Melbourne declares one shot par for the course
[Noel Towell / Samantha Hutchinson | The Age | Read]

> Rory McIlroy's next big investment
[Joseph Pompliano | Huddle Up | Read]

> Cattle, sheep and fun golf
[Kenny Pallas | The Links Notes | Read]

> 2025 British Open will return to Royal Portrush
[Associated Press | Read]

> Steve Stricker picks a younger, brawnier American Ryder Cup team
[Dan O'Neill | Morning Read | Read]

A $5 green fee? Youth on Course creates affordable golf for juniors

Having already subsidized more than 1 million rounds for kids, the California-based nonprofit receives $1 million GolfNow donation to help broaden reach

Fact of the Day

DID YOU KNOW?

Fifty-eight percent of golf ball sales in Rhode Island go through the green grass channel. That leaves 42% shared among off course, e-commerce, sporting goods and mass merchants.

Source: Longitudes Group Market Value Model 2021

THE INDUSTRY

Gulf Shores, Ala., courses raising funds for ovarian cancer research

Craft Farms Golf Resort, Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club seeking to raise $20,000 throughout September to benefit UAB Research for Ovarian Cancer and Laura Crandall Brown Foundation

GPC announces 2021 Foster and Ouimet scholarship recipients

Tyler Vitolo and Asher Katz are the respective winners of the Golf Performance Center's year-long Foster and Ouimet Cups competition

Montclair GC's racquet sports program riding wave of popularity

Ongoing $18 million investment into new facilities, amenities as racquet sports program recently ranked among the top 20 in the country by Club & Resort Business

Bent Creek GC completes major greens renovation

Bobby Weed-designed Jacksonville, Fla., course restores 31-year-old greens to their original size, updates drainage system and improves conditions and speeds

Chimera Golf Club expands partnership with NBC Sports Next

Las Vegas, Nev., club using full-service GolfNow Plus marketing platform to help brand, global reach

Desert Highlands names Todd Berry as executive chef

Arizona native specializes in using ethnic ingredients in classic cooking styles

SuperSpeed Golf reports on Aaron Rai's increased distance

Rai, a winner on the European Tour who just earned his 2021-22 PGA Tour card, has gained 20 yards of distance aided by its training system, the company reports

Golftec opens instruction, clubfitting center in Charlotte

New 2,900-square-foot Ballantyne facility features 5 teaching / practice bays along with a putting green

The Club at Pasadera hires Brad Coleman as course superintendent

Coleman to oversee agronomic maintenance of the Monterey, Calif., club

Golf Heritage Society announces 50th Anniversary National Convention

Organization will convene in Monroeville, Pa., Sept. 30–Oct. 3

Introduced: By Cleveland Golf, its Launcher XL game-improvement irons, which will launch in North America on Sept. 17. The line features Action Mass CB, an 8-gram weight placed inside the end of the grip, to help square up the club face at impact; a v-shaped sole for less drag; and loft-specific grooves. The 7-piece steel set will retail for $799.99; the 7-piece graphite set for $899.99.

FEATURES

How to turn your 'aha' moment into a scalable business

Tom Cox, co-founder and CEO of GolfBalls.com, joins 'ModGolf Podcast' host Colin Weston to discuss how the online retailer became more than a 'side hustle'

Listen

#QOTD

"What do you need to start a business? Three simple things — know your product better than anyone, know your customer and have a burning desire to succeed."

— Dave Thomas

ROUNDS AND WEATHER

> Rounds played over the past week were down -8% nationwide, though an improvement of +7% versus the prior week, and up versus 2019 by +106% as Labor Day weekend rounds were factored in this year's play.

> Temperatures over the past week were cooler than prior year by 1 to 2 degrees nationwide. Specifically, Labor Day weekend saw temperatures below last year by 4 degrees.

> Mountain Pacific saw the strongest rounds performance for the week, finishing as the only region of the country up versus prior year for Labor Day weekend by +10% versus 2020, and +113% versus 2019.

> Over the next week, rounds are expected to continue to pace behind prior year by ~10%. However, California and the Great Plains are showing rounds slightly up to last year's numbers for the next few days.

TUNING IN

European Tour: BMW PGA Championship
Site: Wentworth Golf Club (West), Virginia Water, England.
Television: Today, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).

PGA Tour Champions: Ascension Charity Classic
Site: Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis.
Television: Today-Sunday, 3:30-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER
9-10: National Golf Course Owners Association Multi-Course and Resort Operators Retreat 2021, Monterey, Calif. | Info
21-24: World Golf Expo 2021, Hainan, China | Info

DECEMBER
6-9: Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Show, Columbus, Ohio | Info

JANUARY
25-28: PGA Merchandise Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info

FEBRUARY
5-10: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, San Diego, Calif. | Info

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

LAST CALL

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