Golfing News & Blog Articles

As a 501(c)3, and also the organization started to run national championships, protect the amateur game and make rules, I continue to struggle with this notion of the USGA moving into the business of growing the business of golf while tabling a decision on distance.

Besides giving a huge gift to Pinehurst Resort—which at least provides an elite tournament venue and is an American institution any golfer can appreciate—they’ve secured future U.S. Opens and new office space in a temperate climate. All good. (Well, except when when put in this carnal manner by a USGA ambassador.)

But it’s a bit odd to be reading how an amateur golf organization is actively looking to expand a role into areas that might include businesses they also regulate for the good of the game (alongside the R&A).

In Mike Stachura’s GolfDigest.com piece about Wednesday’s ceremonial signing in North Carolina, he quotes the USGA’s Chief Brand Officer Craig Annis, a former candy bar executive who positioned Mars as a leader in health and well being.

Annis explains the timeline of the deal announced today and suggests the USGA pursued government assistance, not the other way around.

Any concerns you had that next week’s U.S. Open was all business, only allowing essential folks on site and not just Hale America 2, can rest assured, Danny Noonan is only coming out of retirement for the practice rounds, reports the New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro.

The story is a fun look back at some of actor Michael O’Keefe’s backstory in jokingly throwing this idea out at Golf.com and his interesting tie to Winged Foot, along with the pro golfer who will go for the stunt, Danny Balin, and the looping gig broker, Michael Breed.

Asked if he plans to bring a lighter carry bag for O’Keefe next week, Balin said, “No, he’ll be carrying the full tour bag. I’m going to put him to work.’’

Balin said he DVRed “Caddyshack’’ on Tuesday night even though he estimated he’s watched the movie “15 or 20 times.’’

“I’m going to have to watch it to get the one-liners down so I can give it to him,’’ Balin said. “Because I’m going to be all over him during this whole … stunt.’’

Michael Breed, the former Golf Channel instructional personality who now teaches at Trump Ferry Point, was the middle man to this transaction, reaching out to Balin, his fellow Met Area pro, and pitching the idea of O’Keefe caddying for him.

“I try to take this somewhat serious, so I would never do this during a tournament round,’’ Balin said. “But I was like, ‘Yeah this will be cool. Danny Noonan. Monday and Tuesday.’ It’ll be a fun couple of days. It’ll lighten the mood up.’’

The USGA plans to have some fun with this, making it a social media event on its platforms.

Thank you for the warning.

Brooks Koepka, winner of the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Open, has withdrawn from this year's edition of the major tournament because of an ongoing knee problem.

The United States Golf Association is making a $36 million investment within the iconic golfing village of Pinehurst and announced that U.S. Opens in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 will be played on the Pinehurst No. 2 course.

Phil Mickelson headlines the field for this week's Safeway Open as he preps for the U.S. Open. Is he worth a bet? Here are our picks for the tournament.

The other short par-4 at Winged Foot is a visual gem with granite, strong fairway slope, attractive bunkering and a picturesque second shot.

The 384-yard 11th is arguably one of the more memorable on the property and could highlight how the game has changed since the West Course last hosted in 2006.

Given its distinct fairway tilt and narrowness, the intrigue during this year’s tournament may center around whether players automatically lay-up with an iron, or, use their strengthened ransverses abdominis’ to carry the ball 330 and gouge a lob wedge onto the green.

Another enjoyable flyover courtesy of the USGA and Deloitte:

September 9, 2020

USGA Announces Plans for Golf House Pinehurst, Test Center and Five U.S. Open Championships at Pinehurst

In an effort to expand its impact in golf and extend its mission to champion and advance the game, the USGA will establish “Golf House Pinehurst” in North Carolina, to include a new equipment-testing facility, innovation hub, museum/visitor center and offices by 2023, and host five U.S. Open Championships in the golf-rich state by 2047.

The announcement adds four U.S. Open Championships to be contested on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course – in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 – to the already scheduled 2024 event. The decision accelerates the USGA’s strategy to stage its premier golf championship at America’s most iconic venues with greater frequency. By doing so, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club will serve as the USGA’s first anchor site for the U.S. Open.

“There is no better place for the USGA to plant new roots than the Home of American Golf,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Thanks to the vision of North Carolina, Moore County and Pinehurst leaders, we are taking a bold step forward and forging a long-term commitment that will elevate our championships, foster greater innovation in golf, and ultimately help grow the game.”

“The USGA’s North Carolina history in golf is legendary, from Arnold Palmer to Webb Simpson, and we welcome this new chapter in golf history with the USGA’s new hub in Pinehurst,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We welcome the USGA’s selection of our state for this significant new component of its operations and new jobs, and look forward to growing with the game across North Carolina.”

Since we’ve had some idea what was coming—state funded incentives to bring more tournaments and USGA facilities to North Carolina—the main headline for golf fans involves the acceleration of a U.S. Open rota, as noted in the press release below. The positives are obvious: more regular returns to great venues, the downside being the excitement and intrigue that comes from occasional visits to a Merion, Los Angeles Country Club or Bethpage.

For Immediate Release…with interruptions.

USGA Announces Plans for Golf House Pinehurst, Test Center and 
Five U.S. Open Championships at Pinehurst

Agreement establishes a golf innovation hub in North Carolina and the
organization’s first U.S. Open anchor site  

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Sept. 9, 2020) – In an effort to expand its impact in golf and extend its mission to champion and advance the game, the USGA will establish “Golf House Pinehurst” in North Carolina, to include a new equipment-testing facility, innovation hub, museum/visitor center and offices by 2023, and host five U.S. Open Championships in the golf-rich state by 2047.

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. An overview of the equipment we use can be found here. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

 

As the “No. 1 ball in golf,” the Titleist Pro V1 arguably needs no introduction. It’s a ball that nearly every golfer has played, if only because they’re so popular you can find them – often in bulk – on just about any golf course in the world.

In this report, we’ll give you the rundown on what we learned about the 2019 Titleist Pro V1 in the Ball Lab and let you know how it stacks up against other golf balls on the market. Finally, we’ll give you the True Price – how much it costs to get a dozen good golf balls.

CBS Sports President Sean McManus previewed the NFL season and Sunday, November 15th came up—aka rescheduled 2020 Masters week.

The final round sounds as if it’ll have a similar setup to the 2019 Masters when tee times were moved up to get play in before inclement weather. This time, however, the expedited start will be making room for a mash up of mediocrity between 2019’s 5-11 Miami Dolphins against the 7-9 New York Jets.

What Clifford Roberts might have said to member/NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on that news? Maybe a passive-aggressive Heidi reference? Or a reminder that the Masters only happens once a year? Or…if you’d like to keep wearing that green jacket you’ll move this massive meeting of mediocrity?

Anyway, a 7:30-9 am or so setup, featuring threesomes off split tees, will be used again to accommodate the NFL on CBS based on the below Tweet and confirmation I received of the general window from CBS:

CBS sports chairman Sean McManus says Masters final round will end by 2:30 or so on Nov. 15 to make way for 3 NFL games at 4:05,including Fins-Jets.Also, in this ongoing call with writers,Romo explained to me why he likes how Dolphins are doing this rebuild.(More on this shortly)

We were delighted to welcome former Open champion Paul Lawrie to officially open our new 7th hole on the Championship Course 😊 Taking time out from this week's @tartanprotour event, Paul even made birdie at the first attempt! Look out for the footage soon... 👌 📸 @johnpaulfoto . . . #royaldornochlinks #friendsofroyaldornoch #lawrie #theopen #scottishhighlands #seventh #scenic #instagolf #golflife #linksgolf #photography #film

It’s not often that a nearly perfect golf course to get just a bit more perfect, so this a salute to Royal Dornoch for hosting the Lawrie Series/Tartan Pro Golf and unveiling a revamped 7th.

If you’ve had the privilege or dream of some day getting there, you likely know the walk from 6 to 7 at Royal Dornoch is one of the best in golf and while the view is elite, the revamp allows you to keep enjoying that scenery while playing a better-positioned version of the old hole.

As for the Tartan event, Chris Maclean subsequently won with rounds of 66-69. That’s some fine play.

The epic view looking down on the sixth and tenth before turning to the new seventh (you may need to click on the image and hit play to see the video):

I couldn’t help but scratch my head reading Laura Douglas’ excellent Pilot story on the forthcoming marriage of the USGA and Pinehurst, complete with more majors, more USGA jobs and more exposure for golf lovers to the organization’s collection.

The downside? Some will not be thrilled at all of the tax breaks given to a for-profit resort and a tax-exempt 501(c)3 which specifically mentions such charitable organizations are forbidden from attempting “to influence legislation”:

County leaders unanimously approved a 10-year incentive grant for the project primarily in the form of tax breaks calculated as 90 percent of the total property taxes paid above and beyond the current property tax value — provided the USGA meets job creation and capital investment goals. Funding would be paid from new tax revenues collected as a result of the organization’s investment.

More disconcerting for those who believe the USGA is to govern the game is the suggestion of trying to create a new golf manufacturing and business community in Pinehurst. These are the folks in charge of regulating such matters, yet seem to be in the business of trying to be part of growing the overall golf business in North Carolina.

From Douglas in the Pilot:

Charley Hull of England has withdrawn from the ANA Inspiration after testing positive for the coronavirus.

John Dell reports for the Winston-Salem Journal on the USGA moving its museum, Arnold Palmer Golf History Center, Green Section and ball testing from the recent multi-million dollar renovated Golf House to Pinehurst. The move comes less than a week after North Carolina’s legislature voted on a bill to subsidize a significant chunk of the cost for new facilities with the USGA on the hook for at least $5 million worth.

”Project Woodpecker” requires the creation of 35 new local jobs and a staff of 50 for ten years, along with multiple championships and a corporate hospitality tent for local politicos.

From Dell’s report:

The moves of the museum, the ball-testing facility and the agronomy department from headquarters in Liberty Corner, N.J., were confirmed Tuesday by a source who did not want to be identified. A news conference at the Pinehurst Resort to make a formal announcement is expected Wednesday morning.

In exchange for up to $43 million in incentives from N.C. lawmakers to the USGA, golf fans in the state can expect to see more USGA events, including its most high-profile, played more often in North Carolina. Legislation requires the USGA to host a major men's championship at least once every five to seven years and one major women's championship at least every 10 years.

Scotty Cameron Inspired by Justin Thomas – Key Takeaways

Scotty Cameron announces the release of the Inspired By Justin Thomas Phantom X 5.5 Prototype PutterThis putter features unique Justin Thomas themed aesthetics and same build as played by the pro2,020 will be available on 09/22/2020 for $850

Today, Scotty Cameron has announced the release of the Inspired By Justin Thomas Phantom X 5.5 putter. The timing for this release is almost storybook, as Mr. Thomas nearly won his second FedEx Cup last weekend. DJ refused to give up his lead, but JT made him earn the victory.

For those of you not familiar with the Scotty Cameron’s Inspired By limited putters, these are putters that, as the name suggests, are Inspired By the putters that tour players use. Unlike Scotty’s annual Holiday and My Girl releases, the Inspired By putters don’t follow a set release cycle. This makes their release a bit more noteworthy and boosts their collectability.

I believe that the Inspired By Justin Thomas putter is only the ninth Inspired By release since 1999. If you are looking to collect a set of Cameron putters, this one may be the most fiscally accessible.

Let’s take a look at what separates the Inspired By Justin Thomas Phantom X 5.5 from the retail Phantom X version found at your local shop.

The best player of the year award for my money is free of politics and top secret votes. Unfortunately, it lands well before 2020’s schedule has played out. With two majors to go, the PGA of America has opted to acknowledge the PGA Tour’s wraparound schedule pandemic push that centered around the FedExCup holding its dates, followed by a “new” season this week in Napa.

In return, the system used to determine winner failed to acknowledge the FedExCup champ in the top 4 spots despite an incredible run by Dustin Johnson, putting the playoff’s place in a surprising historical context given the shortened season placing even more emphasis on those events (theoretically at least).

PGA Tour players and the Golf Writers Association of America will award POY winners in September and December, respectively.

For Immediate Release:

JUSTIN THOMAS CAPTURES SECOND CAREER PGA OF AMERICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Webb Simpson wins his first Vardon Trophy

The PGA Tour was one of the first sports back in mid-June. With that return came questions. The biggest was this: Would it finish what it started? Aside from a hiccup here and there, the PGA Tour season concluded Monday. Here's how it did it.

2020 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER BUYER’S GUIDE

What’s your favorite band? The Beatles? Queen? Red Hot Chili Peppers? No matter what music you’re into, you can listen to it  (at a reasonable volume) on the golf course with a Bluetooth speaker.

This year’s test had speakers with clips that attach to your golf bag, magnetic strips that secure to the cart and speakers that can relay GPS distances to the green.

During testing, some models stood out for their sound quality and robust features. No matter your budget, you can buy a speaker to keep you swinging to the beat.

With an ever-increasing number of options, finding the right Bluetooth speaker to fit your needs can be a bit overwhelming. That’s where we come in. We put the top speaker devices on the market to the test to ensure you have the best information available when it comes time to buy.

Whether you’re looking to buy a Bluetooth speaker today, some buying advice to get started or just want a closer look at what’s on the market, this guide will help you find the right speaker to fit your needs.

Mike Dougherty of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News stopped in at Winged Foot where the rescheduled U.S. Open is set to start next week.

The focus appears to be on winning scores and rough, which is too bad since such projections rarely end well.

There is plenty of good stuff about the agronomic shift the club had to make due to the pandemic and the tournament’s new mid-September playing.

Speaking to superintendent Steve Rabideau about the hoped for outcome of preparations, it seems a high winning score would be gratifying.

As he reached into the rough to retrieve the golf ball Tuesday, Rabideau quietly offered a familiar refrain.

“Plus-8. Plus-8. Plus 8. … That would cap a very difficult summer,” he said. “And my guys know that’s what I’ve been thinking.”

Several of them were applying fertilizer to the rough nearby.

While it’s hardly a surprise that September in the greater Palm Springs area is dangerously hot, seeing the forecast for this week’s rescheduled ANA Inspiration still elicits the obvious question: why?

Obviously television and other tournament needs somehow left this date to the women for 2020’s second major championship.

Still, the Desert Sun’s Larry Bohannan tackles the very legitimate question: how hot is too hot?

The LPGA decided last week to allow caddies to use carts.