Joe Biden Plays His First Golf Round As President

It’ll be tough to reach Donald Trump’s 150 (or so) rounds of golf as President, but Joe Biden has his first round in the books.

According to Yahoo News’ Sebastian Smith, the round took place at Wilmington Country Club, home to the 2022 BMW Championship and where Biden joined in 2014. He was sporting a Beau Biden Foundation cap and Wilmington vest for those analyzing his fashion choices.

The Democrat's motorcade swept into the Wilmington Country Club for the unannounced outing around lunch time. Clearly surprised members of the private, upscale club paused between swings and putting to watch, some whipping out cellphones to film the spectacle.

The White House said Biden's playing partners were Ron Olivere, father-in-law of Biden's late son Beau, and senior advisor Steve Ricchetti.

This was not just the first time Biden has devoted a day to golf since taking over from Trump in January, but likely the first time many Americans realized that he plays at all.

One eye-opener when I searched Twitter for Biden and golf for photos: accounts that the President was dazed and confused according to a linked report. The site where this “report” supposedly sat? Progolfweekly.com and there was no such story posted and only one on Biden from last year.

The bots never sleep!

AP’s Jonathan Lemire Tweeted this photo of Biden and round recap from the President:

And Biden joked, after finishing his first round of golf as president, that “the course record was still intact” pic.twitter.com/LGJwoqAM7h

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) April 17, 2021

First Look At The Matsuyama Effect On Golf In Japan

An unbylined AFP story looks at Hideki Matsuyama’s possible impact on Japan’s golfdom.

Matsuyama’s victory was watched by a rapt TV audience in his home country, where around seven million people play golf.

It prompted blanket media coverage as newspapers rushed to publish special online editions.

At a large driving range in Tokyo on Monday, amateur players were savouring Matsuyama’s victory as they hit balls off the tees.

“When I saw that Matsuyama, who is usually very stoic, had tears in his eyes, and when I heard the emotion in the commentator’s voice, I couldn’t hold back my own tears,” said restaurant owner Teruyuki Onogi.

This sounds familiar…

At the driving range on Monday, restaurant owner Onogi agreed that Matsuyama’s win could help revamp golf’s image in Japan.

“As the news spreads, people might stop considering golf to be a sport played by old men, and take an interest in it,” he said.

“If we can create a more inclusive environment that allows people to take up golf more easily, I think Japanese will become better at it.”

Ball Goes Too Far, Files: The Story Behind Harbour Town's Bryson Range Extension

GolfDigest.com’s Shane Ryan documents the silly saga at Harbour Town where they had to combat long drives by erecting a temporary fence contraption to protect fans, workers and anyone near the 8th green.

It would have been $100,000 if they could even do an unsightly permanent extension and a temporary solution as Riviera must undertake annually for the Genesis.

Ryan talked to superintendent Jonathan Wright about the headache and costs of concocting a solution for the 400-yard club, only to have Bryson DeChambeau WD from the RBC Heritage.

"It was the most stressful part of our week," Wright said. "It was a bit of a process, man."

He and Morgan Hyde, the vice president of operations at the tournament, estimate that the total cost of the net and the lifts and the various smaller equipment needs ran to about $20,000, and that's not counting the roughly 30 hours of man hours it took to get it fully operational.

If you're a fan of futility or the universe laughing at your plans, you'll love this next detail: According to reports from the ground, players are still hitting balls over the net.

Which is why, when Wright heard that DeChambeau had withdrawn from the tournament, he didn't know quite how to take the news. Should he be disappointed or relieved?

"I would have liked the guy to be here because he's one of the top players in the world, so it hurt my feelings a little bit," Wright said. "But at least we knew we were a little bit more secure with spectators, you know?"

Let’s hope the CBS drones don’t get caught up in this fakakta mess:

Working the Heritage this week and they paid thousands for these cranes to hold up this net so Bryson doesn’t hit it over the range on to #8 green... Bryson withdrew today 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/PIbQimyu3U

— tea waivy (@imsowaivy) April 12, 2021

First Look At Renovated (Again) Muirfield Village

As the 2020 Memorial wrapped up play work had already begun on what Jack Nicklaus called his last chance to get the course where he wanted. With the 2021 edition not far way a PDF has been created to update players and caddies on the changes made.

Most notable changes are at the 3rd, 4th and 15th holes. The unimaginative bunkering is a bit of a surprise but in time hopefully they develop more character. The new landing area bunkers at 15 are also pretty artificial on what was once such a neat, rambling and natural par-5.

Bougle Run Opens: 14-Hole Short Course At Barnbougle Dunes

As noted in a previous post about short course openings in 2021, Barnbougle Dunes has added a much-needed short course to compliment its two world class 18’s for that late afternoon fun or early morning warm-up.

Coore and Crenshaw designed the “Bougle Run” course featuring twelve par-3s and two par-’s next to their Lost Farm design.

Garry Lu has the details and many stunning images of the new short course.

The Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, April 15th, 2021

The weekly news and notes edition to all free subscribers focuses on last week’s buried lede (second cut news) and shares a few more good reads.

Arizona: PGA Tour And DraftKings Can't Wait To Start Taking Your Money

The ink isn’t dry yet because Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has yet to sign the bill, but that didn’t stop the PGA Tour and DraftKings from announcing a new TPC Scottsdale-based year-round sportsbook.

Why this needed to be announced before the sports betting bill was signed is beyond me, but the appearance of desperation is kind of embarrassing. This couldn’t wait a week?

Anyway, start planning your budget now Scottsdalians. Though don’t expect any fun prop bets that might upset the players.

For Immediate Release:

PGA TOUR and DraftKings expand relationship with Arizona market access and plans for one-of-a-kind retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale  

Premium sportsbook planned at TPC Scottsdale as part of 
mutual commitment to fan engagement and innovation 

 SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – April 14, 2021 — Following the Arizona Legislature’s passage of HB 2772, which would authorize fantasy sports and sports betting in the state pending action from Governor Doug Ducey, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) today announced that they will expand their existing commercial relationship to provide DraftKings market access for retail and mobile sports betting in Arizona, pending regulatory approvals. As part of this agreement, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings have also announced plans to operate a premium retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale.

“When DraftKings became the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR last summer, a number of possibilities opened up to innovate together,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “This momentous effort to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook with the PGA TOUR is a testament to the vision of both organizations that we believe will ultimately benefit Arizona sports fans who want to legally bet on sports.”

The vision…to take your money.

The PGA TOUR and DraftKings plan to create a visually stunning “19th hole” experience at TPC Scottsdale where fans can gather year-round to place wagers, watch sports and enjoy quality food and beverage options. The PGA TOUR and DraftKings are working closely with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds, the host organization of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, to develop the project and maximize economic, tourism and charitable benefits to the local community. Several locations are being considered at TPC Scottsdale for the retail sportsbook, with details to be announced at a later date.   

“The PGA TOUR commends the State of Arizona and Governor Ducey for their forward-thinking approach to legal sports betting.” said Norb Gambuzza, Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “We are thrilled to work with DraftKings – along with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds – to explore a one-of-a-kind sportsbook experience at TPC Scottsdale and the world-class Waste Management Phoenix Open. ‘The People’s Open’ is one of the most attended events in golf and with this announcement we look forward to taking the fan experience to another level.”

Key word: taking.

Pursuant to the expanded agreement, DraftKings will also become the exclusive sports betting partner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open hosted annually at TPC Scottsdale. Additionally, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings will collaborate on co-marketing initiatives and exclusive hospitality experiences to position TPC Scottsdale as a premier global destination for sports bettors and avid golf fans. 

Look, I’m pro betting but good golly, let’s make sure it’s legal first and as a charitable non-profit organization, try ease into the accelerator. Yowsers.

"A Push to Move the Golf Course Atop a Native American ‘Stonehenge'"

Historians hoping to preserve the ancient Octagon Earthworks in Newark, Ohio, as a UNESCO World Heritage site faces a problem: the golf club that leases the property.

The New York Times’ Sarah Bahr explains how historians are looking to preserve the ancient Octagon Earthworks in Newark, Ohio and earn them an UNESCO World Heritage designation.

The problem? These earthworks have been part of Moundbuilders Country Club more more than 100 years but have not become an issue:

But now the club, which has leased the land for more than a century, is being asked to relocate so that the mounds can be properly embraced as an archaeological treasure, a move club members understand — they have preserved the mounds for generations — but one that they say will be difficult for them to undertake unless representatives of the state kick up the ante for the cost of creating a new golf venue.

The $1.7 million amount the state’s representatives have proposed under eminent domain is up from an initial offer of $800,000. But the club wants $12 million. The dispute heads to the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday.

It’s a terrific and balanced read, so as always I urge you to hit the link.

Also, here is 1930 Golf Illustrated story on Moundbuilders.

Horschel Apologies To Augusta Members For "The Fire Inside Me" Running Hot

I am and have always been a fiery competitor. Unfortunately, the fire inside me sometimes runs hot when I’m not getting the most out of my game. This leads to some instances where my conduct is not what I wish to show, especially as a role model to the younger generation. pic.twitter.com/YJfMqE6IS7

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) April 11, 2021

Being blocked by Billy Ho has it’s benefits. So I didn’t see this Sunday apology to the members of Augusta National from the AJGA National Chairman following his amped up and often embarrassing Masters antics.

To be fair, Horschel was in a featured group window both weekend days and there was more opportunity to see the club slamming, tossing and “Oh Billy” self talk. Undoubtedly, some of the uncontrollable rage Sunday might have come from Scott Van Pelt leading off the previous night’s Sportscenter with Horschel’s slide down the tributary of Rae’s Creek.

My favorite mix of replies to the Tweet:

2021 Masters Ratings: 5.52, 9.45 Million Average Audience For CBS

There’ll be quite a bit of alarm over the Masters all-time low ratings but I’d argue we are just seeing the effect of a star power void and increased streaming.

Yes, the ratings are the lowest for a springtime playing since Nielsen has been tracking, but still hit an average audience of 9.4 million/5.52 rating with a peak of 12.89 million as Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele got to the finishing holes. That would make it the most watched golf tournament since the 2019 Masters.

Let’s throw out 2020 (November) and 2019 (Tiger/early start to beat storms) for comparison purposes:

• 2018: 13.027 million average on a 7.9 rating for Patrick Reed’s win.

• 2017: 11.05 million average on a 6.8 rating for Sergio Garcia’s win.

A drop but CBS believes when all the numbers are in that this will the second-most streamed Masters other than 2019’s Woods win. With more cordcutting and three working options for viewing online or via apps, a nice chunk of the slide can be attributed to the better-than-most streaming options.

Also not helping: the languid pace of play (4:20 rounds) and the lack of any serious charges at Matsuyama until late. With many parts of the country reopening I’m sure CBS lost viewers to people happy to be out and about.

That said, this is a fine opportunity for all involved to also acknowledge golf’s “product” and star power issues in the post-Tiger era. Addressing this is no easy task and the PGA Tour is showing no signs of trying, believing if you just repeat the word “athletes” enough it’ll all work out in the end.

So it’ll be on the governing bodies to tighten up some equipment rules that might reward the most skilled, keep stars in the limelight just a bit more and shorten the length of rounds. One thing clear from the week: the ratings cannot be blamed on a lack of viewing options or production values.

On the Golf Channel front, going back to a comparable schedule in 2018 you can see the impact of multiple forces on the “Live From” show: increased ESPN presence, a larger streaming viewership and no real reason to watch with better alternatives. Weekend shows in 2018 prior to CBS live coverage hovered around 1.5 million viewers. This year, well less than half that many tuned in for a couple of shows earlier in the day before tuning out, focusing on streaming or going out for some golf.

2018’s ratings:

Golf Channel sent out an odd April Fools-tinged press release to tout their Live From ratings as the most-watched Masters daily preview show.

There are only two and one spends more time cover other sports than the golf.

The release also compared numbers to the totally incomparable fall 2020 Masters.*

GOLF CHANNEL’S LIVE FROM THE MASTERS COVERAGE WAS MOST-WATCHED DAILY PREVIEW SHOW ON ANY NETWORK DURING MASTERS WEEK

Live From… Viewership for Full Masters Week UP 46% from 2020 and On Par with 2019, Which Featured Tiger Woods’ Historic Victory

Live From… Shows Ahead of Thursday’s Opening Round and Sunday’s Final Round Rank as GOLF Channel’s Most Watched on Respective Days Since 2018

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 13, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Live From the Masters coverage on GOLF Channel was the most-watched daily Masters preview programming on any network from Monday, April 5 through Sunday, April 11, according to official national data provided by Nielsen.

Live From the Masters daily preview coverage averaged 437,000 viewers for the full Masters week from Monday through Sunday*. For Thursday through Sunday coverage before each Masters round, Live From averaged 633,000 viewers, outperforming the closest competition by 67%.

Live From’s full-week average of 437,000 viewers topped by 46% the show’s average during November’s 2020 Masters (299,000) and was on par with the 2019 Masters (442,000), when Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket and first major in more than a decade.

Additional viewership highlights from GOLF Channel’s Masters week coverage:

• GOLF Channel’s average viewership for Masters week programming from Monday-Sunday (6 a.m.-3 a.m. ET) was up 50% vs. November 2020.

  1. Extended Live From the Masters coverage on Thursday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. ET averaged 463,000 viewers – marking the largest audience for the show ahead of a Masters opening round since 2018.

  2. Live From the Masters on Sunday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET delivered an average of 697,000 viewers – ranking as the best figure ahead of a Masters final round since 2018.

In total, NBC Sports presented more than 55 hours of Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club last week as Hideki Matsuyama finished 10-under to secure his first Masters championship, marking his first major title and becoming the first Japanese man to win a major championship.

*Based upon regularly scheduled Live From… windows (Monday, 2-5 p.m. ET, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ET, Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ET, Sunday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET)

*Asterisks in a press release…never good.

Ryder Cup Promo Video Gaffe Becomes Big Issue For Rome's Mayor

Yes April 1 has passed but never discount its reach!

Lesson here for those cutting social-friendly videos: get the right Colosseum.

I don’t want to spoil too much here, but this is a bit like like showing Lambeau Field when you meant the Rose Bowl. Both old. Both football stadiums. But kinda far apart.

Here is a written report explaining the mess that Rome mayor Virginia Raggi is in for sharing a video on Facebook with the incorrect image. It’s a big mistake given that one ancient arena is intact and one has lost about half its upper shell. But it’s not like Raggi was in the editing bay when this happened!

Here is the offending video previewing Rome 2023 still includes the Arena of Nimes:

Latest Quads: Winners And Losers And The Green Jacket In Hartsfield

The latest post-Masters coverage from the newsletter devoted to the majors and in these editions, the devotion is to paying subscribers who free me to write what I want:

Champions, Cutmakers and (Point) Missers, a fancy way of saying a Winners and Losers column.

The Green Jacket was put on an airport chair and other Monday reads.

In other Quad related news, The New York Times’ Ben Smith devoted his weekly column to “Why We’re Freaking Out About Substack”, a column on the company that gives me the newsletter a home.

U.S. Open(s): Probably Can Have Only As Many Spectators As They Can Park On-Site

Tod Leonard gets an update from USGA CEO Mike Davis, who is working on the fluid situation of how many fans can attend the U.S. Open.

As California reopens and has seen a big decline in COVID cases, June 15th has been circled as the goal for full reopening of the state hosting the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. And as feared, it’s not the tournament site that’s of concern.

It’s the long shuttle rides for the venues that pose safety concerns.

“What we do know, and I think this is pretty much final, is that both in San Francisco and San Diego, we’re just not going to be able to shuttle people from distances,” Davis told Golf Digest. “It’s hard for us, because how do we even plan?”

Both venues are 36-hole facilities but with little parking space within walking distance and need to preserve the “other” 18’s for possible tournament infrastructure.

This year at Torrey, Davis said that optimistically the number for the total people on the grounds, including players, USGA officials and guests, media, corporate sponsors and a small handful of general admission fans would be no more than 10,000. He mentioned possible figures of 4,000 and 8,000, too. With those numbers in mind, the USGA has sent letters to various volunteer groups, such as hole marshals, that their services will not be needed. The idea is to reduce the number to the fewest possible critical jobs.

PGA Tour: No More Bubble Testing For Those Fully Vaccinated

GolfDigest.com’s Daniel Rapaport has bad news for the anti-vax set: the PGA Tour will let players and others in the “bubble” to get out of COVID testing 14 days after getting their second COVID-19 vaccine.

From an email obtained by Golf Digest and sent from PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan to players:

“As the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more readily available, more individuals are being vaccinated,” the email reads. “PGA Tour Health and Safety protocol requires individuals to continue testing onsite until 14 full days have passed since their second dose (Moderna & Pfizer) or 14 full days since their single dose (Johnson & Johnson). Once 14 days have passed, individuals are no longer required to take a COVID-19 test when considered ‘inside the bubble’ at PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions or Korn Ferry Tour events.”

Monahan had previously said the vaccine was a choice. But the policy certainly provides a nice perk to those players and their “team members” who do get it.

There is no data on how many players have received a dose or two, or how many might be refusing to be vaccinated.

Matsuyama's Grace Salvages A Bizarre Back Nine And The 2021 Masters

Because my subscribers wouldn’t want you to miss a Masters Monday recap, here is The Quadrilateral’s Sunday wrap of Hideki Matsuyama’s win.

A few key highlight videos that did not make the newsletter and which are also free:

And results of The Quadrilateral’s league at Masters.com. Well done! Hope you don’t unsubscribe because the host finished 50th.