Golf Can't Get Out Of Its Own Way Files: Emily Nash Files

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I know every sport laments the inability to capitalize on great news and accomplishments, but given golf's current predicament as an expensive, time-consuming sport played by an unusually high number of nebulous male characters, the Emily Nash story does not help. Actually, it's a colossal embarrassment.

Worse, early reports that the female high school golfer who earned medalist honors despite knowing she was ineligible actually had no idea of any such rules. Her coaches did. Oh, and she played the same tees as the boys.

Bill Speros has the full roundup at Golfweek of stories and angry Tweets. Deadspin weighed in. The story is going viral internationally, including in The Guardian.

To recap, Nash won the Central Massachusetts Division 3 boys’ golf tournament but was denied a trophy strictly because she's a female.

Emily is taking it all in stride according to her dad, who clarified a few things about the situation on Facebook according to GolfChannel.com's G.R. Team.

Player Reactions Suggest Shot Clock Golf Might Get Ugly

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I was fascinated reading the different takes to next year's Shot Clock Masters on the European Tour if nothing else because they were so far apart in assessing pace.

Josh Berhow at Golf.com included this quote from Dustin Johnson, asked if more tournaments should have a shot clock.

"Yeah, absolutely," he said on Wednesday, prior to the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, when asked if he would like to see a shot clock on the PGA Tour. "I think it would be very interesting. You'd see a lot of guys getting penalties on our Tour. Yeah, that would be quite fun, actually. I'd have plenty of time but there's a lot of guys that wouldn't. They would be getting a penalty on every hole."

And then there is Henrik Stenson, who plays at a very nice clip when he's on, but can be shockingly slow when he is game is off. Ready golf is not his thing when he's struggling, so if he plays in the Shot Clock Masters he might be in for a rude awakening. A penalty-a-hole awakening:

"I think you can tell that on any golf course around the world on a Saturday morning game, if you have players that are ready to play and hitting and when it's their turn, it can be very quick," Stenson said. "But if you have a foursome where the other three are standing around waiting, while one player is doing his hole preparation and execution, then it's going to be a very slow game. It's certainly enough time, as long as you are preparing while the others are hitting and getting ready."

Video: Restoring Winged Foot's Greens

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Nice three-parter here from the USGA and Rob Cowen on the restoration of Winged Foot.

For a course wanting to talk restoration, this will be an invaluable piece to share with golfers still not aware of how a high quality project proceeds. Also of note is the blend of bringing back the old while changing everything under the hood to grow turf in the 21st century.

The piece is in three parts, but if you watch Part 1, YouTube will take you to parts 2 and 3.

Trend? Pre-Recession Golf Course To Become Olive "Agri-hood"

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Marilyn Kalfus of the Orange County Register reports the latest on a long planned conversion of a failed Palm Springs golf course development into an "agri-hood".

It seems the now-abandoned course once called Avalon is now going to be Miralon with olive trees instead of fairways.

Agri-hoods are a hot trend. There are about 150 so-called farm-to-fork neighborhoods around the U.S., says Ed McMahon, a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute. They’re as close as Rancho Mission Viejo in Orange County and The Cannery in Davis near Sacramento, and as far-flung as Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga.; Willowsford in the rolling hills of Loudoun County, Va., and Kukui’ula in Hawaii, where Kaua’i residents can harvest guava, papaya and pineapples.

“It’s a concept whose time has come,” said Paul Habibi, professor of real estate at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. “We’re increasingly looking to sustainability as an important objective in real estate development.”

There was also this, in a Jenkins-esque bit of reporting:

The Olive Oil Times, which touts itself as “the world’s No. 1 source for the latest olive oil news,” recently devoted a spread to the planned olive oasis. “Golf courses require a lot of water to stay lush and playable,” the story noted.

Allenby Contemplated Retirement But Now He's "Refreshed"

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Evin Priest catches up with a rejuvenated Robert Allenby as he tees it up in the Sanderson Farms, this week's PGA Tour event where they are doing deep into the eligibility list to fill a field.

Depending on how you look at things, Allenby says he's refreshed after a break and the former Alien-abductee--or whatever happened in Honolulu--is ready to get back to what he does best: firing caddies.

"I was thinking I'd take a couple years off (and) get ready for the Champions Tour at (age) 50.

And what a boon for that tour.

"But when golf has been your whole life, it's hard to stop."

Lucky us!

Reminder: Asia Pacific Amateur At Royal Wellington

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The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, hosted by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, Masters Tournament and the R&A, kicks off Thursday at New Zealand's Royal Wellington. An invitation to The Masters is on the line.

Michael Jones with a preview for Golf Australia.

Telecast times:

ESPN2 Coverage – All Times Eastern U.S.
Thursday, Oct. 26 (First Round)            1-4 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 27 (Second Round)            1-4 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 28 (Third Round)            1-4 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 (Final Round)               3:30 – 6:30 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 (Highlights)                 4-4:30 p.m.

Greg Turner and Scott MacPherson have remodeled the course in 2014 into the one we'll see this week.

A nice preview video that should whet your appetite for Royal Wellington:

Butch Harmon For The World Golf Hall Of Fame?

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That's the case Jerry Tarde makes at GolfDigest.com before sharing a short Q&A with the famed instructor.

While I fully support his place in the Hall--after some early figures in the instruction and game development world get their due to ensure no recency bias--a Butch induction might force the players whose careers he made to show for the World Golf Hall of Fame ceremony! Maybe.

What Hasn't Merion Hosted...A U.S. Women's Open?

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I hate to be picky given Merion's incredible list of USGA events hosted, with another Curtis Cup on the way in 2022. But since Pebble Beach is finally going to host the U.S. Women's Open, and it's about the only significant event Merion has not hosted, why not?

Matt Adams and I both picked Merion in a Golf Central hypothetical question from Todd Lewis...I also picked the Dodgers in five.

What Could Go Wrong Files: HSBC's Latest Photo Stunt Kicks Off WGC In Bizarro Fashion

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Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Hao Tong Li spooked Hideki Matsuyama on the eve of the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. The bizarro rollout continues a long HSBC tradition of making golfers look sill all in the name of tournament promotion. 

It worked!

GolfChannel.com has a nice slideshow of previous oddball tournament kickoffs, and you'll notice most are for HSBC events.

 

Analysis: Pebble To Host 2023 Women's Open, 2027 U.S. Open

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An early and pleasant surprise arrived today with the USGA Executive Committee and the Pebble Beach Company finally committing to a U.S. Women's Open date and another men's Open.

The move is intriguing, assuming you are concerned with the dealings of major championship golf a decade from now. Which most aren't. Nonetheless...

--It's been a long time coming for the Women's Open at Pebble Beach. Discussions have been "tabled" for some time.

--This marks a 8-year turnaround to Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open after most recently going 10-years (2000-2010) and 9-years (2010-2019) between men's Opens.

--2027 will be year-one of the USGA's next television contract.

--This certainly rules out Olympic Club as a U.S. Open venue for 2027 and could suggest the Lake Course may have a PGA and Ryder Cup in its future.

--The USGA has cooled on new and unproven venues.

--If this is the makings of a rota with a few fun ones thrown in from time to time, it's quite a good rota!

For Immediate Release:

Venue to host its first U.S. Women’s Open Championship, seventh U.S. Open

FAR HILLS, N.J. (October 24, 2017) – The USGA today announced Pebble Beach Golf Links as the site for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open and 2027 U.S. Open Championships, the 14th and 15th USGA championships in the course’s storied history.

Pebble Beach, which is already scheduled to host the 2018 U.S. Amateur and 2019 U.S. Open Championships, will host the 78th U.S. Women’s Open – and its first – from June 1-4, 2023. The 127th U.S. Open – the seventh at Pebble Beach – will be contested June 17-20, 2027.

The legendary course on the Monterey Peninsula, designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant and opened in 1919, has produced several of the game’s memorable moments in its previous five U.S. Opens. Jack Nicklaus’s 1-iron tee shot that struck the flagstick in 1972, Tom Watson’s chip-in to thwart Nicklaus in 1982, Tom Kite’s pitch-in en route to victory in 1992 and Tiger Woods’ record 15-stroke victory in 2000 are all stamped in the game’s lore. 

“We are incredibly proud to bring the U.S. Women’s Open to Pebble Beach for the first time,” said Diana Murphy, president of the USGA. “The USGA is committed to bringing our championships to golf’s greatest venues and the opportunity to have the best players in the world, female and male, compete at this iconic course will provide a fantastic showcase of the game. Our friends at the Pebble Beach Company have always been wonderful partners and we are excited for all of our upcoming championships with them.”  

During the course’s 98-year history, it has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Women’s Amateurs and one PGA Championship. These will be the 14th and 15th USGA championships contested on the course, moving it to fourth all-time among host sites.

The 1972 U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach was the first to be played on a course that is open to the public. It is one of six public-access courses to host a U.S. Open.

“The USGA’s relationship with Pebble Beach dates to the 1929 U.S. Amateur and it has proven itself time and again during the 11 previous championships,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Pebble Beach Golf Links is a national golf treasure and our partners at the Pebble Beach Company have committed to hosting four USGA championships in the next 10 years, including the 2018 U.S. Amateur and 2019 U.S. Open. The commitment from their hardworking and dedicated staff and the support of the Monterey Peninsula region, as well as our faith that Pebble Beach will consistently challenge the best players in the game, make it an ideal venue to host USGA championships for years to come.”

“We take great pride in our special, longstanding partnership with the USGA,” said Bill Perocchi, CEO of Pebble Beach Company. “This announcement is a milestone in the history of Pebble Beach and one we are thrilled about, especially as we prepare to host the U.S. Amateur in 2018 and U.S. Open in 2019 during our centennial celebration. To be entrusted with hosting our seventh U.S. Open, and to be given the honor of hosting our first U.S. Women’s Open, is truly special and exciting for all of us here at Pebble Beach.”

To download course images of Pebble Beach Golf Links, visit: Pebble Beach Images

Other future U.S. Women's Open sites are: May 31-June 3, 2018 at Shoal Creek in Shoal Creek, Ala.; May 30-June 2, 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.); June 4-7, 2020 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas; and June 3-6, 2021 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.

Other future U.S. Open sites are: June 14-17, 2018 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.; June 13-16, 2019 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links; June 18-21, 2020 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.; June 17-20, 2021 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif.; June 16-19, 2022 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.; June 15-18, 2023 at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club; June 13-16, 2024 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.; June 12-15, 2025 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club; and June 18-21, 2026 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

USGA Championships at Pebble Beach Golf Links
1929 U.S. Amateur: Harrison R. Johnston def. Dr. O.F. Willing, 4 and 3
1940 U.S. Women's Amateur: Betty Jameson def. Jane S. Cothran, 6 and 5
1947 U.S. Amateur: Robert H. "Skee" Riegel def. John W. Dawson, 2 and 1
1948 U.S. Women's Amateur: Grace S. Lenczyk def. Helen Sigel, 4 and 3
1961 U.S. Amateur: Jack Nicklaus def. H. Dudley Wysong Jr., 8 and 6
1972 U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus def. Bruce Crampton by 3 strokes
1982 U.S. Open: Tom Watson def. Jack Nicklaus by 2 strokes
1992 U.S. Open: Tom Kite def. Jeff Sluman by 2 strokes
1999 U.S. Amateur: David Gossett def. Sung Yoon Kim, 9 and 8
2000 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods def. Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez by 15 strokes
2010 U.S. Open: Graeme McDowell def. Gregory Havret by 1 stroke
2018 U.S. Amateur
2019 U.S. Open
2023 U.S. Women's Open
2027 U.S. Open

Go Figure Files: China State School Teaching Golf Edition

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It's tough to fully grasp the Chinese government's ratched-up war on golf, but as The Telegraph's Neil Connor writes, one state school in Shanghai is teaching golf as an important social skill developer. And now other state schools are following suit.

Jingwulu Primary School, in Jinan, in the eastern Shandong province, introduced the sport to “foster children's strong determination, self-discipline and manners,” headmistress Ji Yankun said.

“I don’t think I am being over dramatic in calling it a gentleman’s sport, as there is so much good etiquette involved,” she told The Telegraph.

The school has installed practice nets in its grounds and drafted in coaches from Shandong Gold Golf Club to provide compulsory training to nine-year-old pupils.

The golf club is also consulting with four other schools to roll out the training across the province.

“Many children have fallen in love with the sport, which has been called 'the green opium',” said Shandong Gold's Jiang Chunqiu, using a phrase which is often used in China to portray golf as highly enjoyable, but a dangerous foreign import.

Well it can be addictive.

This Will Actually Be A European Tour Event Title: The Shot Clock Masters

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We knew next June's Austrian Open was going to take slow play seriously with shot clocks and penalties and referrees. But this? The Shot Clock Masters...near Vienna. Psychoanalysis free of charge.

Alistair Tait fleshes out some of the details for Golfweek.com but does not reveal what the winner's jacket might look like. A track suit jacket perhaps?

Every player will be timed on every shot in Austria. The other big difference from GolfSixes is that the event will use the Tour’s official timing policy. Each player in the 120-man field will have 50 seconds for the first player in a group, with 40 seconds for subsequent players. A one-shot penalty will be handed out to players going over the time limit, and a red card will appear beside their name on the leaderboard.