Innisbrook's Copperhead To Get Refresh After This Year's Valspar

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook has that tired look going, especially with two-dimensional, volcano effect bunkers. But not to worry, the late Larry Packard's design won't be changed, just refreshed and made more sustainable with a new irrigation system in time for the 2016 Valspar Championship.

For Immediate Release...

PALM HARBOR, FL (March 12, 2015) – Salamander Hotels & Resorts today announced comprehensive enhancements to its famed Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort that will honor the guiding principles of legendary Course Architect Larry Packard.
 
The six-month restorative work will take place from May through October this year and includes replacing all fairways and rough, rebuilding each green, and reshaping bunkers to stay true to Packard’s masterful design. The announcement was made on the first day of the 2015 Valspar Championship presented by BB&T, an official PGA TOUR event, which is held annually at Copperhead. The tree-lined layout features rolling terrain and is rated by many professionals as one of the finest courses they play.
 
“Our vision is to respect and protect the vision of Larry Packard and his signature design, and continue to elevate the golf experience for our guests, members, partners and playing professionals,” said Sheila C. Johnson, Founder & CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and owner of Innisbrook. “Our exciting restoration will accomplish this goal in an environmentally sensitive fashion and help maintain Innisbrook’s reputation as a one of America’s top golf destinations for years to come.”
 
Copperhead has hosted a professional golf tournament for the past 25 years and is home to the Snake Pit, which is one of the toughest closing stretches of holes in golf. It opened in 1972 and is one of four layouts at the resort designed by Packard, who passed away last year at the age of 101. An architect of over 600 courses, Packard lived at Innisbrook for more than 40 years while the resort’s steakhouse even bears his name. Innisbrook’s three other Packard-designed courses: Island, North and South will allow the resort to continue to provide excellent alternatives for its members, groups and guests. In fact, many local residents rank Island as their favorite Innisbrook course and it is often played by professionals tuning up for the Valspar Championship.
 
"I've always enjoyed playing The Copperhead,” said Luke Donald, who won at Innisbrook in 2012.  “It is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I'm very glad to hear that Innisbrook is doing so much to make sure that it remains a great test of golf for years to come."

"As players, you judge a tournament by the course, by the facilities and by the people involved,” said Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Championship winner. “The Copperhead is very well-designed.  There is a resistance to low scoring, but it is very fair.  The course is in great shape with pure greens and uniform fairways.  It makes for great golf and with this news, it sounds like Valspar and Innisbrook are doing their part to make sure it stays that way for years to come.

As part of the plan to faithfully restore the intent and characteristics of Packard’s timeless design, Wadsworth Golf Construction Company – which was the original course builder – has been engaged to oversee the project work. Each green will be rebuilt to United States Golf Association specifications with TifEagle Bermuda grass, while several will be restored to their original size to allow for additional pin placements. Fairways will be replaced with Celebration Bermuda grass and a number of viewing areas around the greens will be modified to allow for larger tournament galleries in the future.
 
“This makes a significant statement by Salamander and Sheila Johnson to elevate this event for the Tampa Bay area, and is an important step toward ensuring our long-term commitment to this great event,” said Gary Hendrickson, Chairman and CEO of The Valspar Corporation.
 
The restorative project will also include the reshaping and rebuilding of Copperhead’s strategically placed bunkers. All tee boxes will be rebuilt and laser leveled, several will be expanded, and the forward tee length will be shortened to enhance the experience for junior, senior and women golfers. The length of the course for tour professionals, however, will remain at a challenging 7,340 yards.
 
“The Copperhead Course is a jewel on the schedule and this restoration will only enhance its standing among our players,” said Andy Pazder, Executive Vice President and Chief of Operations for the PGA TOUR.
 
In the spirit of recent sustainability initiatives by the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America, a new state-of-the-art irrigation system will be installed that will save 11 million gallons of water per year – enough to fill 1,100 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Prior to this year’s Valspar Championship, Salamander also added new sand to Copperhead’s bunkers, extended a number of tee boxes, and conducted multiple course aerifications and fertilizer applications.

Jaime Diaz's "The Story Of Rory"

Jaime Diaz traveled the globe trailing Rory McIlroy for the kind of magazine story we all relish heading into the Masters.

While the April Golf Digest cover is getting all the attention, this portion early on in the piece should prove interesting fodder for punters heading into the year's first two majors:

But there is evidence to support why McIlroy might not win at Augusta. In his six Masters, last year's T-8 is his best finish (see chart). In those 22 rounds, he has made an astounding 11 double bogeys and three triple bogeys. Just as amazing, considering McIlroy's length, his cumulative total on the par 5s is only 21 under. Although scattershot short irons have been responsible for most of his big numbers, McIlroy has had trouble on the iconic greens, consistently finishing in the bottom half of the field in putting.

"A firm and fast Augusta, or a typical U.S. Open setup, is probably the most difficult test for me," he says. "It requires so much discipline and precision, and that's something I'm still learning. I won a U.S. Open, but it was much wetter than normal, and even Hoylake was soft for a links. So if Augusta is fiery, winning there would get me closer to being a complete player, because I don't think I'm there yet."

Video: That Pre-Historic Gator Sauntering As Golfers Play

Much was made of the gator hanging out at Englewood, Florida's Myakka Pines Golf Club and for good reason: look at that tail! (They call that a tail right?)

The course posted some nice shots, reposted here by GolfDigest.com's Luke Kerr-Dineen.

A video surfaced later in the day of the reptile.

Naturally, the best part is seeing how undisturbed the golfers appear.

One Southern California Course Closes, One Opens (Again)

Montesoro Golf & Social Club, once known as Rams Hill, has reopened after the beloved-by-all-who-played-it eastern San Diego County course closed due to water issues. Taking its placed on the inactive list is Malibu Golf Club, sitting on old Bob Hope-owned-acreage between the Pacific Ocean and Thousand Oaks, California.

Tod Leonard with the good news on the old Rams Hill (thanks reader Scott), bought for just $842,000 by investor and golf fan Bill Berkley, and resurrected for $10 million after the prior owners allowed the course to go to seed and sold off the irrigation heads.

Why would Berkley invest in such a troubled property?

“It’s just a very, very special place,” Berkley said. “If you play golf here, especially at dusk, and you look up at the shadows on the mountains, it’s such a beautiful backdrop.

“When I leave San Diego, I want to get out of the city and put that in my rear view mirror. Borrego gives you that. It’s those things, combined with a fabulous golf course that I think is one of the best in San Diego County.”

Samantha Masunaga of the LA Times reports on the closing of Malibu Golf Club, an 18-hole public course that has gone through various iterations, owners and visions for the future. The current ownership group filed for bankruptcy after severely over...something.

In its filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the central district of California, Malibu Associates said it had about $76 million in assets and about $47 million in liabilities. The club, which the company acquired in 2006, was valued at $75.9 million, according to the filing.

Tour Players Love The Courses Favoring Their Games...Still

Not much has changed since Golf World published its poll/ranking of PGA Tour courses by players. They just love their "traditional" courses like Colonial and Harbour Town and Innisbrook, and have less affinity than you'd think for layouts that make them think like Augusta National and Doral. But mostly, they like the designs that fit their eye, not so much the ones they can separate their all important "I" from.

Rex Hoggard surveyed players for GolfChannel.com in the wake of all their Doral moaning. Making their complaining all the more troubling is how few book stops at their favorites.

Despite an impressive bump in field quality for this year’s event – five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are playing the Valspar Championship – the event traditionally struggles to attract top players. Still, it was included on every player’s “dream” list.

PGA's Grand Slam Moving To Trump National L.A.

With a major international airport just twenty-minutes away maybe the PGA of America's Grand Slam of Golf stands a better chance of luring the major winners to the toughest ticket to punch in golf. Most exciting of all is the showcasing of the PGA Junior League Championship on the same course the weekend prior.

Golf Channel replaces TNT a year before the contract expired, offering some hope that the annual telecast of the PGA Championship might get moved away from Turner's properties sooner than later.

For Immediate Release:

33^rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be hosted by Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles

Showcase of Major Champions Week to also feature PGA Junior League Golf Championship

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (March 10, 2015) – Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles, one of the most spectacular golf courses in the country, will host the 33rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Oct. 19-21, 2015. The showcase of major champions is part of a multi-year agreement between the PGA of America and the Trump Organization.

It marks the event’s first return to the U.S. mainland since 1993. Golf Channel will televise the event beginning this year.

In addition, PGA Grand Slam week at Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles will feature the 2015 PGA Junior League Golf Championship, Oct. 17-19.

“The  PGA of America begins a new chapter in celebrating the winners of the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship through an exciting partnership with The Trump Organization, the owner and operator of a large portfolio of exceptional golf properties,” said PGA of America President Derek Sprague. “The PGA Grand Slam of Golf has always been a showcase for the best in our game. We are pleased that Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles will provide a great challenge to the game’s finest players.” 

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features the most difficult qualification requirement in the game – a major championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome the PGA to Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles--- the perfect location for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf,” said Donald Trump, Chairman and President of the Trump Organization. “It’s an incredible course situated on dramatic bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and will be a challenging and exciting test for the best players in the world. The combination of the course itself and stunning location will no doubt be a major draw for spectators and television viewers alike.”

Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf will air live on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET and include primetime replays. Golf Channel’s coverage will be led by 29-time Emmy Award-winning producer Tommy Roy. Additionally, Golf Channel will cover Monday’s Pro-Am, as well as live news coverage on Morning Drive and Golf Central for both the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and PGA Junior League Golf Championships.

I'll be reporting both developments on Golf Channel's Golf Central at 6 pm ET.

Update on 2015-03-11 03:53 by Geoff

**Golf Central's report on the move to Los Angeles, which gives players from around the world one less reason to skip. There was no word on the purse today but the event figures to see an increase there as well to help lure the major winners.

My take on the news, which was really more exciting in (A) bringing an event to the LA area where spectators can walk with the major winners (even The Donald found that cool) and (B) the PGA Junior Golf League getting some great exposure potentially.

Update on 2015-03-11 04:34 by Geoff

**The replacement of TNT by Golf Channel does not mean a similar move is pending for the PGA Championship, controlled by Turner currently, writes Doug Ferguson:

Golf Channel will televise the event for the first time. It previously was broadcast by TNT Sports.
PGA chief executive Pete Bevacqua said Turner Sports will continue its relationship with the PGA of America and that both sides are committed to TNT showing the opening two rounds and early weekend coverage of the PGA Championship. Turner also manages the PGA of America website.

PGA CEO Bevacqua addressed the change in today's press conference from Trump National Los Angeles:

And I would also say, great partnerships and great relationships are what allow you to achieve great things in golf.  And we have very good partners in Golf Channel and our friends at Turner Sports and TNT.  And when we all sat down in a room, we understood what each entity was trying to do:  A change in direction for TNT and Turner in the fall months really gear towards entertainment and original programming that made sense for them and for us, and it allowed us the opportunity to join forces with a great partner in Golf Channel and NBC.

So Golf Channel will be televising the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, they will be building really a week‑long programming around this event, drawing more attention to PGA Junior League Golf, as well, extended coverage, coverage of the Pro‑Am.  We think that's another element, another ingredient in this recipe for great success for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Video: Matty Golfs Inside The Golf & Ski Warehouse

The mononymous Matty is back with his now-signature post putt reactions. As the Vermont spring takes its time arriving, Matty stays indoors and enlists Shaun Cayhill of the Golfskiwarehouse.com to help curb the winter blues. (Matty's previous epic is here.)

Anchoring Overrated? Adam Scott's Putting At Doral

During the debate over anchored putters, many wondered how the final year would play out: should players transition after milking their long putter, or should they throw in the towel and make the transition ASAP.

The number of odd-ball grips turning up at PGA Tour events suggests most are laying down and giving in to the forthcoming ban. No players in the WGC at Doral employed the long blade, according to a report by James Corrigan and Cam Cole.

While it's only one week, Alex Myers reports on Adam Scott's strong start with a standard-length Odyssey.

Over 72 holes at Doral, Scott only three-putted once, and he made 87 percent of his putts from inside 10 feet. That included a perfect 52 of 52 from five feet and in -- a range where anchoring, in theory, helps a golfer. But Scott was good from any range as evidenced by his daily average of holing more than 84 feet worth of putts, which put him 15th in the field.