USGA, Golden Gophers Announce Golf Sustainability Study

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Oh to be a fly on the University of Minnesota's Les Bolstad Golf Course when the researchers say, "you know, if the ball didn't fly so far we wouldn't be having these back-ups on our par-5s, we wouldn't have to redesign holes to be relevant for the college kids and we wouldn't have to ask donors to pay for it all." Oh, and the allure is not really making anyone want to come play the course. Oh well, we can dream...

For Immediate Release...with a fancy, only mildly self-congratulatory video embedded at USGA.org celebrating the partnership.

USGA and University of Minnesota Announce Research Partnership to Tackle Golf’s Challenges and Foster Innovation
   
FAR HILLS, N.J., and MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Nov. 2, 2015) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) announced on Monday a five-year master research partnership to study and develop solutions to golf’s present and future challenges.

“Participation and growth are central issues for the health of our game, but there are many other critical and complex factors that will contribute to its long-term sustainability,” said Mike Davis, USGA executive director. “This agreement will further the USGA’s mission to apply fact-based research and deliver tested solutions back to the industry, particularly in three areas: the game’s cost, the time it takes to play and golfer enjoyment.”

The partnership, which allows both parties to identify projects and assign funding on an individual basis, leverages the full assets of the University of Minnesota, recognized as one of the most comprehensive public research universities in the U.S. The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; Carlson School of Management; College of Science and Engineering; and Humphrey School of Public Affairs are among those that are expected to contribute throughout the five-year period.

“We look forward to expanding our existing interdisciplinary research to build a sustainable future for the game of golf,” said Eric Kaler, University of Minnesota president. “This unique strategic partnership with the USGA will help us to identify and advance solutions through some of the university’s key strengths and mission: science, research, teaching and learning, and community engagement.”

The partnership will utilize the university’s Les Bolstad Golf Course as a living, learning laboratory to support critical research projects, as well as a classroom for demonstrating best practices in course design, maintenance and operations. The historic layout, established in 1929, is open to the public and valued by students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.

“We firmly believe the impact of our work will transcend golf by identifying core concepts and solutions that can be applied to all sports and public green spaces,” said Rand Jerris, Ph.D., senior managing director of public services for the USGA. “This partnership accelerates learning and solution development by augmenting our own in-house research team with investigators from different disciplines, working jointly to advance core economic, environmental and social principles in the game.”

With an emphasis on innovation, projects will focus on technology, resource management, best practices for facility operations and design/renovation, community and economic impact studies, and participation behavior. In addition to conducting research on-site at the university, the partnership will utilize golf facilities nationwide for collecting data, which will be processed and analyzed by UMN students and faculty working closely with USGA experts. 

“In this time of significant societal change, it’s important that golf remain relevant to its broad customer base,” said Brian Horgan, professor in the UMN department of Horticultural Science and Extension turfgrass specialist who is leading the partnership. “A transdisciplinary approach to research will allow golf to be responsible in its consumption of resources, and help golf facilities provide an experience that is affordable, enjoyable and compatible with the time people have available for recreation.”

This partnership will complement the series of studies conducted by universities nationwide that the USGA has funded since the 1920s, particularly in turfgrass and agronomic research.

The organizations will also explore the potential for online and on-campus educational programs, as well as partnership opportunities with other organizations and institutions to foster information-sharing worldwide.

Analytics Coming To Golf? PGA Tour, Microsoft Going To Try

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I'm just a fan of analytics right now, what with all the championships they are winning for baseball teams, so why not quantify the sport least quantifiable!

Granted, if one or two stats come out of this, and we get some better uses of ShotLink to see how a course is playing, then it's a victory. But I can't wait to see some of the ideas about how to play the game that come out of this...

PGA TOUR and Microsoft Strike Three-Year Technology Agreement to Bring Instant Insights to Golf Fans Everywhere

Microsoft to provide PGA TOUR with engaging technology and media solutions for fans, players and broadcast commentators across TV and digital devices

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., and REDMOND, Wash. (November 2, 2015) –The PGA TOUR and Microsoft have entered a three-year relationship that will focus on utilizing Microsoft solutions to create new ways for fans, players and broadcasters to engage with the PGA TOUR. The solutions will be designed to instantaneously mine the TOUR’s vast video library and statistical information to enhance and simplify the way data is interpreted, providing fans, players and commentators new and engaging ways to access insight as never before.

 “The PGA TOUR is thrilled to enter into this relationship with Microsoft which, at its core, is designed to produce deeper, richer and more immersive content for our fans to consume across all of our platforms,” said Tom Wade, the PGA TOUR’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We also look forward to partnering with such an iconic global company to continue to improve the presentation of our sport to our fans.”

Over the next several months, the PGA TOUR is primed to adopt Windows 10, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office to make data analysis easier to interpret and understand for every golf fan, as well as players and broadcast commentators. Microsoft will create innovative solutions by helping the PGA TOUR analyze information faster and more efficiently, giving fans instant access to insight about players, courses and conditions.

When there's a stat that tells us how many eight-footers they make while their neck is tight or they are going through a divorce, then they'll have something.

“Through its collaboration with CDW on ShotLink, the PGA TOUR has been on the cutting edge of technology innovation and real-time insights around historical information, drives, putts and course conditions for golf fans everywhere,” said Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We believe the TOUR’s commitment to our Windows 10 platform and Microsoft Cloud offerings will enable fans and broadcasters to access ShotLink and other PGA TOUR content in ways that have not been previously possible across all digital devices.”

I know, four paragraphs before a Cloud reference.

There are several technology integrations underway, including the development of new apps for the latest Microsoft devices and platforms across Windows 10, Surface and Microsoft’s Lumia phones. Microsoft will also utilize the 80,000-plus hours of PGA TOUR library footage and other information to deliver this content to fans and commentators in new and engaging ways.

Additionally, the TOUR will look to enhance its employee productivity and infrastructure with the addition of Microsoft’s newest products as part of its backend business operation. This will include Windows 10, Office 365, Media Pilot and Cloud Services. Through this multi-faceted relationship, Microsoft becomes the “Official Operating System,” “Official Analytics Partner” and “Official Office Productivity Software” of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.

Surface's for everyone!

Big Changes Coming To Euro Tour Final Series, China Swing?

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I'm glad someone went to Turkey for the start of the European Tour's Final Series, which now makes a weird leap to the HSBC Champions in Shanghai without some of Europe's best players. That, reports Alex Miceli at Golfweek.com, is about to come to end.

Miceli says there may be fleeing from HSBC and BMW from the current China swing that is carried out over the next two weeks, leading to big scheduling changes for both European and PGA Tours. The real domino may be HSBC ending its run in Shanghai:

The fate of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, however, remained uncertain.

HSBC, the London-based banking company, has sponsored the prestigious event since 2005 but reportedly was looking at not extending its contract with the World Golf Championships past this year because of increased scrutiny of the bank and its expenses.

“This is our last year of our golf portfolio, so we are in discussions with everybody,” Giles Morgan, HSBC’s global head of sponsorship and events, said at the Sports Matters industry conference in September in Singapore, according to Agence France-Presse.

Morgan has been outspoken (and maybe a tad inconsistent) about appearance fees as well, but carries a great deal of power in the golf sponsorship world.

Justin Thomas: Another Week, Another Millennial Wins

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Unlike old guys Emiliano Grillo (23) and Smylie Kaufman (23), Justin Thomas (22) has been contending in PGA Tour events longer, so the third straight win by this youngster seems like shocking. Still, on his 39th try as a professional Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. John Strege with some notes from the win, which is also likely to get Thomas into the world top 50.

Besides finally coming through after several strong showings that led to weekend struggles, Thomas only had one huge hiccup during Sunday's final round, dunking his wedge approach into the 14th hole pond. He bounced back with a near-ace at the par-3 15th, then holed a nice putt at 17th while Kevin Na looked on.

Na continued to play some amazing golf but had his usual oddball antics late in the round, capped off by hitting three-wood off the 18th tee when he desperately needed to reach the par-5 in two and drain an eagle putt.

Also noteworthy in the exciting final round: a second place finish by Adam Scott, who looked much better over putts and appears to be striking the ball as well as ever. More importantly, his body language suggested someone who his moving forward and no longer dwelling on his understandable frustration over the impending anchoring ban.

One other fascinating component of Thomas's win: his "Class of 2011" mates Patrick Rodgers and Justin Spieth stayed up to watch the middle-of-the-night proceedings (assuming they were in their normal time zones). Rodgers was channel-flipping between the CIMB and Stanford's fortunate escape from Pullman while Spieth merely tweeted a congratulations at a early morning hour. Or, perhaps, he had just returned from late night Trick or Treating dressed as C-3PO?

Anyway, it's a camaraderie that is pretty unusual in an individual sport and certainly something hard to see happening between, say, I don't know, Tiger and Phil?

 

The final round highlights:

Victor Dubuisson Is Back And Staying In Europe

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While the Reuters game story understandably focuses on Rory McIlroy's putter letting him down during the Turkish Airlines Open final round, the second victory in Turkey by Victor Dubuisson marked the re-emergence of the 25-year-old Frenchman after a rough year on the PGA Tour.

Check out this very groovy European Tour "interactive" recap of his win.

The PA story focused more on Dubuisson's emotions pouring out after a resurgent week that also gives the European Tour a piece of good news in the face of concerns about player loyalty.

"It was so hard because there were so many personal reasons why I did not play so much this year," said Dubuisson, who declined to reveal any details.

"That's why I am so emotional. I played a few events on the PGA Tour at the beginning of the year and I was not feeling good to be far away from my family. I did not play well and I was feeling lonely so decided to come back to Europe. Now, for the next three or four years, I will just stay in Europe 100 per cent."

You can view the European Tour highlights from round four here.

Dubuisson was in many of the highlights from best shots in Turkey this week. Most of them around the greens.

Happy John Peterson Had A Prominent Co-Conspirator!

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Lost in the joy over John Peterson going all Happy Gilmore to kick off his CIMB Classic final round: Jason Dufner was the lone shooter of this defiant act.

The question stands: will the PGA Tour Fines Dept, LLC be calling to inform Duf that a portion of his winnings will be donated to charity because he knew of this stunt and didn't stop it, or for violating the PGA Tour's policy of shooting video during tournament action.

His case with the Fines Dept. will be weak since Dufner was Instagramming a few photos of Peterson from the week in Malaysia. So Jason, we are hear for you. If we need to Kickstarter this to pay off the fine, do not hesitate to reach out.

Alex Myers at GolfDigest.com with the lowdown on Peterson's joyous act that will no doubt be seen by Commissioner Finchem as an all-out act of terrorism. And here it is, shot from the grassy knoll to the stunned silence of the crowd (not that this was atypical reaction to any shot played in the CIMB):

Stevie Williams Book Excerpt: I Felt Like Tiger's "Slave"

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Break out the tissues because Stevie Williams is finally telling all about his days carrying Tiger's luggage (with help from journalist Michael Donaldson) and it's a tearjerker.

In the excerpt posted by New Zealand's stuff.co.nz, Williams explains how he knew nothing of Tiger's philandering and was kept in the dark during Tiger's rehab, except for an email from the boss. But he sets things up with the week in Melbourne when Tiger's affair with Rachel Uchitel was about to be revealed and the boss got out of town in a hurry.

But the joy of winning dissipated in the strangest fashion. No sooner had Tiger fulfilled his media obligations than he fled to the airport in a chopper, leaving me to head back to the hotel on my own. As I was driving, I got a text from Mark Steinberg which read, 'There is a story coming out tomorrow. Absolutely no truth to it. Don't speak to anybody.'

Steiny!

Williams goes on to explain all of the things he got off his chest about how he was treated during the scandal by Tiger, Steiny, Steiny's "lackeys" and had this to say about Tiger's most irritating traits.

One thing that really pissed me off was how he would flippantly toss a club in the general direction of the bag, expecting me to go over and pick it up. I felt uneasy about bending down to pick up his discarded club – it was like I was his slave.

Technically, I believe that is part of the job if the boss says so. Go on...

The other thing that disgusted me was his habit of spitting at the hole if he missed a putt. Tiger listened to what I had to say, the air was cleared and we got on with it – his goal was to be the best player in history and my goal was to keep working as best I could to help make that happen.

For a little while longer, anyway.

The book goes on sale Monday.

Lorne: An Ode To Glen Abbey

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Lorne Rubenstein sounds resigned to the demise of Glen Abbey and while he points out that it's no Pebble Beach, there is plenty of history there.

He writes:

Then there was the first Open at the Abbey in 1977, won by Lee Trevino. The Abbey has hosted 26 more Canadian Opens since; I’ve attended most every one and caddied in a few, for Jim Nelford first, and then, in 2004, for Richard Zokol. The Abbey has been a terrific home — well, all but a home — for the Canadian Open. But times change. Land values swell. It’s not a shock that ClubLink is interested in turning iconic golf holes into what will likely be cookie-cutter homes. Any other view is sentimental and clouded. I say this as a golfer and writer long smitten with the game’s history.

Tiger To Design Course In Nashville?

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With his golf game looking increasingly like it'll be on ice for the forseeable future, Tiger Woods at least has picked up another design job.

According to GolfNewsNet, the job comes from the same developers of Bluejack National, which opens this week without Tiger able to appear at the ribbon cutting due to this second back surgery in a little over a month.

Dallas-based Beacon Land Development is planning on a 1,200-acre development, located 30 miles south of Nashville, that would feature a Woods-designed golf course, according to the Nashville Business Journal. The community, as one might guess, will also feature a music venue.

Beacon Land Development is the firm which hired Woods to redesign Bluejack National.

"Are guns welcome at Trump hotels? Depends on whom you ask"

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Following Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate discussion, Jonathan Allen of Reuters seeks to answer the question: are guns welcome at Trump hotels?

Allen sets up the moment from the debate:

Trump, who has spent months as the Republican favorite in polls, was in the middle of saying that gun-free zones in schools and elsewhere are a "catastrophe" that only make it easier for shootings to happen when a moderator asked him about his properties.

"We called a few Trump resorts," said moderator Carl Quintanilla, "that do not allow guns with or without a permit. Would you change those policies?"

Trump's eyes drifted up in thought for a split second. "I would change them," he said almost immediately, in a tone suggesting he had not considered it before but liked the idea. "OK. I would change them."

But Allen reports good news for those wanted to carry a Glock around the Blue Monster just in case the group in front of you gets too slow.

But the Trump Organization said there was nothing to change: guns are already allowed at Trump properties, even if the boss and some resorts appear unaware of this.

"While laws vary substantially from jurisdiction to jurisdiction," the company said in a statement, "we allow security personnel and other licensed individuals the ability to carry a firearm in an effort to protect themselves, our guests, associates and the general public." The firm, based in New York City, is opposed to gun-free zones, the statement said.

It declined to say why Trump and some of his hotels seemed unaware of this policy. Spokeswomen for Trump, who has been attacked by his Republican rivals who accuse him of being a less-than-serious candidate, did not respond to requests for comment.

Allen says calls to Trump properties either were not returned or garnered irritable hang-ups.

 

"Public park vies for pro golf, sparking New Orleans debate"

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AP's Cain Burdeau looks at the lack of community consensus over City Parks' $13 million Rees Jones renovation that is remaking the New Orleans park post-Katrina. A Zurich Classic date post-2020 is mentioned as a possibility.

Burdeau writes:

A group called the City Park for Everyone Coalition filed a lawsuit against the park, alleging it had violated wetlands protection laws by digging up the golf course and filling in wetlands.

In July, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed with the plaintiffs and said the park had illegally removed a 1.3-acre area of wetlands.

Golfers, too, have expressed doubts about the pricy course in the public park.

"I'm expecting nothing but fantastic out of it," said Carl Poche, a pro golfer from the New Orleans area. But he said building a top-flight course in City Park is contrary to the spirit of the park, where he fondly remembers playing rounds during the summer as a young man.

"It was mainly for people who couldn't afford the country club," he said.

Feherty Has More To Say On Move From CBS; Guest Wish List

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Marika Washchyshyn at golf.com talks to David Feherty about his move from CBS to NBC and for the first time the funnyman mentions that there was a bit of a money issue.

Answering a question about rumors of wanting more booth time and less golf course time:

It was a combination of things. Money was always an issue, of course. I have been doing this for about 19 years, it was time to make that change. But the other aspect was that I’m going to be doing basically the same thing at NBC/Golf Channel. I’m going to be working more four-day events there than I was at CBS. Because I’m working all four days, whereas I was only working five four-day events at CBS, I’m going to work less events overall but more of the four day ones [by extension, more time in the booth]. The first few days, I’ll be in the tower like I was at CBS, but look, I’m an outside pet. Someone has got to be out there stirring things up on the course.

There was also this about his Golf Channel interview show and desired guests. It really is sad that for all the First Team All-Conference sucking up he's done to Tiger, the Big Bat hasn't been able to find time for an appearance.

There are a number who are on my bucket list, some of whom haven’t been able to come on because of scheduling, like Freddy [Couples], Ernie Els, Phil, Tiger. But really, I’d say Tiger. I want to show the side of Tiger that I know, the side the media doesn’t show. Part of the reason he hasn’t been on is that he’s not ready - he gets defensive, because we in the media have given him such a hard time.

And it just goes to show that even kissing up to Tiger doesn't earn you the chance for a one-on-one!