The First Call 09-15-23

FIRST THOUGHT

At least for one round at the BMW PGA Championship Ludvig Aberg has made European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald look like a shrewd decision maker. Donald recently selected the 23-year-old Swede with one of his captain's picks for the Ryder Cup matches outside of Rome in two weeks. Aberg, who turned professional in June and has already won the European Tour,, opened with a 68, four strokes off the lead.

IN THIS ISSUE

> Design Notes: Rees Jones resurrects New York’s Monster | Read
> Q&A: Jody Vogelaar | CMO, NBC Sports Next | Read

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What are your expectations for next week's Solheim Cup to be played in Spain?

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 responses to last week's question.

Design Notes: Rees Jones resurrects New York’s Monster

Tom Doak’s Pinehurst No. 10 set to open April 3, 2024; Florida’s Hunters Run races ahead with a Kipp Schulties renovation

INDUSTRY NEWS

True Spec Golf: It’s 'Shaftember' at all locations nationwide

Until Sept. 30, the clubfitter is offering 10% or more off all shafts and an extra 1% will be taken off your order for each additional shaft purchased

Club Champion: Fitting studio opens near Vancouver

The 3,000-square-foot studio features two indoor hitting bays, Quintic ball roll system and a build shop for golf club repair and assembly

Soleta GC: Names Alan Pope as membership director

Pope will spearhead membership marketing efforts for the new golf and lifestyle community slated for the Sarasota/Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, Florida, markets

Soleta GC: Hires Clay Batson as director of grounds

Batson will maintain the Myakka City, Florida, club's new Nick Price course and residential grounds

Players 1st: Announces a new round of investment from venture fund Scale Capital. The investment will enable the company, a provider of customer experience solutions for more than 2,000 courses globally, to accelerate its strategic growth goals in the U.S. market and fuel new platform capabilities.

Invited: Unveils a new name, logo and brand for Westlake Country Club to coincide with a massive capital improvement and course transformation for what was previously known as Lost Creek Country Club in Austin, Texas. The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023 and will showcase the enhancements as part of a multi-phase project that started in 2022.

2K: Debuts iconic Welsh soccer player and avid golfer Gareth Bale as a playable golfer for PGA Tour 2K23. In addition to appearing as a playable golfer, Bale provided guidance to VctryLnSprts to design his dream course, The Elevens Club, using PGA Tour 2K23’s Course Designer. Featuring many of Bale’s preferred architectural elements — big trees, undulating fairways and greens, water hazards, and a scenic waterfall on the eleventh hole — The Elevens Club is available and free to all players.

LPGA: Launches its online merchandise shop, the LPGA Pro Shop, as part of its partnership with Legends, a data-intelligence fueled solutions company. The LPGA Pro Shop will offer an expanded selection of LPGA-branded products for on and off the golf course from renowned brands such as Lululemon, Greyson, G/Fore, Yeti, and '47 Brand, along with 2023 U.S. Solheim Cup apparel from Dunning and Imperial. Also, the LPGA and Legends collaborated to develop new designs with non-traditional LPGA marks, including merchandise using retro LPGA logos, featuring LPGA block text, and headwear and t-shirts with modern, fashion-forward designs.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Lost in LIV-PGA Tour shuffle? The DP World Tour’s massive schedule change
[Dylan Dethier | Golf.com | Read]

> How Stacy Lewis is using analytics to prep her Solheim Cup squad
[Jessica Marksbury | Golf.com | Read]

> Netflix’s ‘Full Swing’ won’t be getting full access to the Ryder Cup team rooms
[Doug Ferguson | Associated Press | Read]

> Paige Spiranac defends golf attire amid constant criticism: 'It really rubs people the wrong way
[Ryan Gaydos | Fox News | Read]

> Mike Bloomberg might actually have a point with his absurd claim that remote workers are all playing golf every Friday
[Jane Their | Fortune | Read]

#QOTD

"If you think you’re done, you always have at least 40 percent more."

— Lauren Crandall

ICYMI

Q&A: Jody Vogelaar | CMO, NBC Sports Next

The chief marketing officer discusses how GolfNow's summer-long advertising campaign, which features a spokes-gopher as the central figure, came to be and how it has performed

ROUNDS AND WEATHER

> Rounds played last week finished down 4% vs. 2022 primarily driven by increased precipitation in the Northeast.

Northeast key markets, such as New England, New York, and Philadelphia, saw more than double the precipitation over 2022, resulting in the region finishing down 19% in total rounds vs. prior year.

> Pacing over the next seven days is currently up 11% with seven of the eight regions pacing higher than prior year. California is pacing the highest at +26% as the region is forecasted to see little to no rain over the next seven days.

> Average daysout remains elevated to last year at +6% with an increased demand for golf pushing golfers to book further ahead of the playdate.

TUNING IN

PGA Tour: Fortinet Championship
Site: Silverado Resort and Spa (North), Napa, California.
Television [ET]: Today-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

European Tour: BMW PGA Championship
Site: Wentworth Golf Club (West), Virginia Water, England.
Television [ET]: Today-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

PGA Tour Champions: Sanford International
Site: Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Television [ET]: Today-Sunday, 4-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).
GCSAA Fact Sheet

Korn Ferry Tour: Simmons Bank Open
Site: The Grove, College Grove, Tennessee.
Television [ET]: Today-Sunday, 1:30-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

TFC PODCAST NETWORK

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
CBS' Frank Nobilo looks back on 2023 season, ahead to Ryder Cup
The golf analyst joins host Ann Liguori to discuss topics ranging from the recently finished PGA Tour season to the upcoming Ryder Cup and how the respective captains know what they're doing
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

THE MODGOLF PODCAST
You are the CEO of your life
Claude Brousseau, director of player development at The Wailea Golf Academy, joins host Colin Weston for an inspirational conversation about golf and life
[Listen | More 'The ModGolf Podcast' episodes]

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
The art and zen of learning golf
PGA of America Hall of Fame instructor Michael Hebron joins host Ann Liguori to discuss his unique teaching style
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

Make Golf Your Career

> Member Billing / AR / Member Services
Foxfire Country Club
Naples, Florida | Info

> Dryvebox Partnership
Dryvebox
San Francisco, California | Info

> Teaching and Coaching Professional: WRGolf/RGX
Will Robins Golf
Citrus Heights, California | Info

> 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

SEPTEMBER
20-22: Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, La Quinta, Calif. | Info

OCTOBER
10-11: Golf Business TechCon, Las Vegas, Nev. | Info
10-14: Golf Heritage Society National Convention, Lexington, Ky. | Info

NOVEMBER
5-8: International Association of Golf Administrators Conference, Frisco, Texas | Info

> View complete calendar

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