The First Call 10-11-2021

FIRST THOUGHT

Fresh off the highly praised hosting of the 43rd Ryder Cup, Whistling Straits owner Herb Kohler received sobering news consistent with the pandemic times. Last week, Old Course Limited, a subsidiary of USA-registered Kohler Co. that owns St. Andrews' Old Course Hotel, Hamilton Grand and The Duke's Golf Course, reported that revenue dropped 63.4 percent in 2020. The financial dip should be shortlived, though, as St. Andrews and the Old Course prepare for the 150th hosting of the British Open.

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READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Goldman tees off with £140m purchase of The Belfry golf resort
[Mark Kleinman | Sky News | Read]

> Projecting the Top 10 in PGA Tour's New Player Impact Program
[Andy Wittry | SI.com | Read]

> She's playing college golf. She's 63.
[Jason Gay | Wall Street Journal | Read]

Fact of the Day

DID YOU KNOW?

Longitudes Group is currently tracking over 1,700 open sporting goods retail locations that include golf. This ranges from large retail chains with over 700 locations nationwide to single-location stores.

INDUSTRY NEWS

The Golf Club at Moffett Field welcomes new general manager

Scottsdale, Ariz., club hires Tucker Williams, who will oversee all elements of the 18-hole public facility from golf operations and agronomy, to food and beverage and sales/marketing

Troon selected to manage Grande Dunes’ Members Club, Ocean Club

Troon Privé will manage golf, club, food and beverage operations, golf course agronomy and membership marketing for the Myrtle Beach, S.C., club

KemperSports acquires Corte Bella GC

Phoenix-area private club expands company’s Southwest region footprint, club portfolio

ParOne, Fire Pit Collective form partnership

The entities will collaborate to distribute golf content to golf apps and websites

Duca Del Cosma Doubles Its Golf Shoe and Boot Sales in Canada

Italian golf fashion brand attracts high demand for summer & winter footwear.

FEATURES

Q&A: Justin Tupper

Justin Tupper, senior vice president of content and strategy for NBC Sports Next, shares his thoughts on scheduling "working time" and the significance of an acronym.

The First Call: Please give us a short overview of your company.
Justin Tupper: NBC Sports Next includes our tech-focused businesses focused on innovation, which have a direct-to-consumer component. GolfNow, GolfPass, SportsEngine and NBC Sports Edge are included in our group.

TFC: What is your handicap index?
JT: 2.6.

TFC: In one sentence, describe what you do for a living.
JT: I help grow our GolfPass business through content creation and strategic planning.

TFC: What time do you wake in the morning, and what time do you typically start the workday?
JT: I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and start work by 8 a.m.

#QOTD

"Don’t play too much golf. Two rounds a day are plenty."

— Harry Vardon

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

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

We are now one step closer to our long-awaited estimate of the carbon status of land used by Icelandic golf courses. After months of work, we have mapped all 61 sites. Thanks to @GreengrassMatt and @BryanBarkley for all the hard work and job well done. #CarbonPar #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/1sRfAScqS0
— Carbon Par (@CarbonPar) October 6, 2021