Friday Dec 03, 2021
FIRST THOUGHT

St. Andrews' Old Course is, well, old. But you would never really know it with the continued TLC it receives and this year is no different. Here are a few of the to-dos around the course in advance of 2022 and the 150th British Open in July: Revetting more than 70 bunkers around the course; building a new spectator mound behind the 7th tee to provide a better vantage point; laying fiber optic cabling around the course for the British Open; and repairing and reinforcing the gabion adjacent to the 12th tee in the Eden Estuary.

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READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Women’s golf market sales expected above $1.53 billion for 2021, study says
[Golf Inc. | Read]

> Kenny G in deep concentration
[Paul Thompson | The Ringer | Read]

> As Sean McManus celebrates 25 years leading CBS Sports, he’s having too much fun to walk away now
[John Ourand | Sports Business Journal | Read]

> An inside look at the Best New and Best Renovated Courses of 2021
[Derek Duncan | Golf Digest | Read]

Is a day of reckoning coming?
Rory McIlroy says 'there’s a lot of gray area' in regards to where players can and cannot play, and that clarity from the PGA and European tours would be appreciated
Looking outside golf to innovate the industry, game
Arjun Chowdri, CIO for the PGA of America, believes outside-the-box thinking, relationships can be win-win propositions
FACT OF THE DAY
DID YOU KNOW?
Forty-four percent of private golf clubs in the United States have swimming pools. The Southwest region, at 51%, has the highest percentage of swimming pools at private golf clubs.

Source: Longitudes Group Green Grass database
INDUSTRY NEWS
Foster to continue oversight of newly developed events division, Moments Live, and lead the company’s media network
Read More
Los Cabos, Mexico course sits at No. 98 on list
Read More

Announced: By the World Golf Hall of Fame, that its 2022 Induction Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 9, during the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The induction class includes players Susie Maxwell Berning and Tiger Woods, former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and the late Marion Hollins. 

NEWS AND FEATURES
Oceantee strives to merge golf, sustainability
Founder Ed Sandison started with a biodegradable golf tee. Next is a sustainable-based clothing line and "if I need to ruffle some feathers to get dialogue going about the environment, guilty as charged,” he says
rounds and weather icon.png
ROUNDS AND WEATHER
> Less precipitation this week compared to prior week helped improve play. However, the Thanksgiving holiday impacted overall rounds played with rounds down -26% vs. 2020, but up +87% vs. 2019.  

> Decreased rainfall and colder temperatures week over week are impacting play across the nation, but specifically in the North and Northeast regions. 

> Florida continues its positive run, finishing as the top performing region for the past seven days vs. 2019 and vs. 2020, despite colder temperatures over the prior year. 

> Strong performance is expected from the Central Valley and Florida regions. Both areas are on pace to finish up vs. 2020 by over 50% for rounds played over the next five days.
#QOTD
"Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner."
— Lao Tzu
TUNING IN

PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge
Site: Albany Golf Club, Nassau, Bahamas.
Television: Today, 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, noon-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-5 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1-4 p.m. (NBC).

CALENDAR

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

FEBRUARY
5-10: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, San Diego, Calif. | Info
18-20: Toledo Golf Show, Toledo, Ohio | Info
19-23: CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo, San Diego, Calif. | Info
25-27: Colorado Golf Expo, Denver, Colo. | Info

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