Friday Oct 07, 2022
FIRST THOUGHT

When analysts look back on 2022 and determine whether it was a good or bad year for rounds played, the Midwestern states of Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin may prove pivotal. Through May, according to the National Golf Foundation, rounds were down 6.4%, 25.5% and 24%, respectively, compared to 2021's totals. The summer months, though, brought a powerful rebound. By August, Ohio and Wisconsin were just 9.6% and 2.3% off last year's pace, and Michigan was an impressive 6.8% ahead of 2021.

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> Question of the Week: What statistics — if any — do you track each golf round? And have you noticed improvement over time?

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

> World ranking officials will take time to review LIV Golf’s shrewd idea for points
[Bob Harig | Sports Illustrated | Read]

> For its next stop, LIV Golf looks to take on the world
[Rick Maese | Washington Post | Read]

> Why days of truly dominant PGA Tour seasons may be over, says Patrick Cantlay
[Jessica Marksbury | Golf.com | Read]

> The Last Stand: The best trees in golf
[Derek Duncan | Golf Digest | Read]

Hurricane Ian rips at the heart of Sanibel Island's golf community
Aftermath leaves Florida region's residents and courses looking at a long road to recovery, though hope and resilience buoy spirits
THE INDUSTRY
Deal expands Buffalo Groupe's research capabilities, which began when Longitudes Group joined the portfolio in January 2021
Read More
New design concept, amenities inspired by Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex members' lifestyles
Read More
Stefani to perform Friday, Jan. 20, after second-round play of the PGA Tour event at PGA West Stadium Course, while and Rucker will perform following third-round play on Saturday, Jan. 21
Read More
Greenwich, Connecticut, club enlists Malcolm DeMille to revamp the trophies for its annual The Witch tournament
Read More
Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenity hosted 2nd Epson 'Road to the LPGA' Tour event, bucked poor spring weather forecasts
Read More

Announced: By TrackMan, the first TrackMan Indoor Golf Day event, to be held Oct. 22 at select TrackMan-powered facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Nordics. Each location will plan and promote its own event, so dates may vary. The centerpiece of TrackMan’s indoor golf offering is virtual golf, which provides a true-to-life playing experience.

Released: By Kinona, its late fall collection featuring a chic neutral color palette that mixes with vibrant colors and patterns. Also, during Breast Cancer Awareness in October, the company will donate a percentage of sales of its pink apparel to the fundraising organization Play for P.I.N.K.

Announced: By PopStroke Entertainment Group, the reopening of its Port Saint Lucie, Florida, location on Oct. 8. PopStroke opened in 2019 and Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures later became a co-owner, with TGR Design as the designer for each location’s two 18-hole putting courses.

Ranked: By Newsweek, TaylorMade Golf Company at No. 70 on the publication's 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list. The results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model.

Elected: By the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Brit Stenson, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, as the organization’s new president at the recent 76 Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. Stenson's design portfolio includes Grandview, O’Meara Course, Huntsville, Ontario; The Rock (with Nick Faldo), Minett, Ontario; Tuhaye Ranch (with Mark O’Meara), Park City, Utah; Montgomerie Links, Danag, Vietnam; and Ile Aux Cerfs (with Bernhard Langer), Mauritius. Stenson will serve as ASGCA President through fall of 2023.

Announced: By PGA Tour Latinoamerica, its 2022-23 schedule, a 12-tournament slate that will take players to seven different countries. There are three tournaments remaining in 2022 and the rest will be played between March and June 2023. The upcoming season will also be the second where players compete for the Totalplay Cup, a points-based system that rewards player performance. Totalplay is also offering a U.S. $100,000 bonus to the top-10 finishers in the points standings.

Named: By PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America, its 2022 class for the PGA WORKS Fellowship, which provides the opportunity for a one-year, paid immersion in a PGA Section’s Foundation operations. The 2022 class includes Karena Ballard (George Mason University), Gateway PGA Section; Harrison Bruns (Northern State University/Oklahoma State University), South Central PGA Section; Davyon Collins (Dallas Baptist University), Colorado PGA Section; Ximena Davila (University of Texas), Southern Texas PGA Section; Amelia DeCeanne (Saint Louis University), Wisconsin PGA Section; Jacob Fagan (University of Oregon), Northern California PGA Section; Shannon Gilbert (Endicott College), Metropolitan PGA Section; Haleigh Gray (University of Northwestern Ohio), Northern Ohio PGA Section; Madi Guilmette (Central Michigan University), Michigan PGA Section; Destany Hall (Texas Southern University | Paul Millsap PGA WORKS Fellowship), Georgia PGA Section; Mia Hayasaki (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Sunny Harris Hutchinson PGA WORKS Fellowship), Carolinas PGA Section; Cristina Hidalgo (University of Northwestern Ohio | Southern Ohio PGA Section); Natalie Holl (Penn State University), Middle Atlantic PGA Section; Taylor Hunter (SUNY Cortland), Western New York PGA Section; Rosa Jones (Franklin Pierce University/Howard University), Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour; Alivia Mattiace (Oglethorpe University), Northern Florida PGA Section; Erin Martin (Widener University), Philadelphia PGA Section; James Thomas (JT) Moore (Saint Augustine's University), South Florida PGA Section; Hannah Randolph (Texas Tech University), Kentucky PGA Section; Torry Rees (Louisiana State University), Northern Texas PGA Section; Baylee Russell (Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis), Indiana PGA Section; Bryce Waker (Rowan University), New Jersey PGA Section.

#QOTD
"Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself."
— Plato
ICYMI
Amateur Players Tour offers a taste of pro-style experience
Three-year-old tour has grown to more than 4,000 members in 41 chapters nationwide by creating top-tier tournament opportunities for players wanting to compete against similar skill levels
rounds and weather icon.png
ROUNDS AND WEATHER
> The end to September was significantly impacted when Florida and, subsequently, the Carolinas were hit by Category 4 Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28. This resulted in a 4% decline in rounds played vs. last year and brought heavy rainfall to the affected regions (+765% vs. 2021).

> Outside of the hurricane-affected regions, the Great Plains and Central Valley finished as the top performing regions. Rounds played came in at over 15% vs. last year. This increase in rounds was mainly due to a decrease in rainfall (-90% vs. 2021) and cooler temperatures (-9 degrees vs. 2021).

> Days out for booking tee times continues to hold flat over the past few weeks, at around 2.5 days prior to play.

> As temperatures start to decrease and rainfall starts to subside, the Mid-Atlantic and Central Valley regions are expected to finish up vs. 2021 by over 30% over the next five days.
TUNING IN

PGA Tour: Shriners Children's Open
Site: TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Television: Today-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

LIV Golf: LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok
Site: Stonehill Golf Club, Bangkok, Thailand.
Streaming: Today-Sunday (LivGolf.com).

LPGA Tour: LPGA Mediheal Championship
Site: The Saticoy Club, Camarillo, California.
Television: Today-Sunday, 9 p.m. to midnight (Golf Channel-Tape Delay).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

DP World Tour: Spanish Open
Site: Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Television: Today, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

PGA Tour Champions: Constellation Furyk & Friends
Site: Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida.
Television: Today-Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

CALENDAR

OCTOBER
11-13: Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, Kiawah Island, S.C. | Info
26: Fore Hire Virtual Job Fair | Info

NOVEMBER
6-9: International Association of Golf Administrators, Point Clear, Ala. | Info

JANUARY
23-25: Golf Business Conference, Orlando, Fla.
24-27: PGA Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info

FEBRUARY
6-9: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info
10-12: West Michigan Golf Show, Grand Rapids, Mich. | Info

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

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