The only course that will remain difficult under all conditions will be one that is designed and kept for golf of a stereotyped, monotonous character, and this makes a most uninteresting proposition. BOBBY JONES
Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People
Barnes And Noble (online and in stores)
Bookshop.org option to support local independent bookstores.
Reviews:
"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)
"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.
“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner
"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette
"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass
"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine
"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine
A special Thanksgiving edition of the weekly News & Notes is available to all so check it out here.
As always, I’d point you to The Quadrilateral info site to answer questions (though it’ll be getting a year-end refresh soon), or the subscribe option for The Quadrilateral. Thanks to all for the support and Happy Thanksgiving!
Rory McIlroy reiterated the importance of majors as the PGA Tour focuses on financial incentives. My thoughts on this dichotomy are shared with a very profound solution.
Plus, Inverness and Olympic Club news, Slumbers on model local rules and media, capped off by some Reads.
Then the Quad dives into how major venues fared in Golf Mag's World Top 100, followed by a Frisco update, and some non-golf reads.
So much is at stake in the coming months and it’s a pretty stunning change from not that long ago when the “league” idea was declared dead.
This week’s News and Notes already landed via email but here is the weekly free edition brimming with joyful anecdotes about the biggest events in golf. Included this week are some thoughts on the sneaky-huge ramifications of PGA Tour players taking initiative on the skill discussion, plus notes on Ryder Cup shirts of yesteryear, next year’s Women’s Open finally securing official tournament dates, a dreamy view of the Old Course up for sale and more.
As always, you can get a better understanding of what The Quad is about here or sign up for free here.
I had to leave a few lesser notes on the cutting room floor but there’s always next week! In the meantime, we have plenty to chew on with the 46-inch Local Rule reactions ensuring widespread adoption in 2022's majors. But Phil doesn't agree and I speculate as to why.
Plus, a cow pasture wants the '31 Ryder Cup, Masters job offerings and a whole bunch of good reads both on golf and not
This would already have landed in your inbox if you signed up. And of course, if you have and a paid subscriber you can comment and read all past issues.
It’s still staggering to think the PGA Tour could not find a sponsor for a New York playoff stop. And yet it’s not after so many majors, Presidents Cups and playoff events in a short time. But this matters because the majors got pulled in on many fronts and, well, just check it out.
Plus a couple of Ryder Cup notes. It’s free every Thursday! Sign up!
A tragic and senseless-beyond-comprehension story of Pinetree Country Club Director of Golf Gene Siller responding to an armed trespasser driving onto the course. Two others were also murdered and the gunman remains at large.
Plus a quick roundup and links to The Open Final Qualifying results.
This one’s for all but if you like what you see, signing up is free.
Here is the R&A’s produced piece on Sam Forgan, who made it through qualifying to reach Royal St George’s.
A terrific performance by Nellie Korda to win the KPMG Women’s PGA for reasons other than being just 22:
It comes just weeks after a bad missed cut in the U.S. Women’s Open
Arguably too fast of a golfer at times, she dueled with Lizette Salas, a wonderful player and amazing story, but a very slow one.
Beth Ann Nichols’ Golfweek story filed from Atlanta Athletic Club included this:
At 22, Nelly came into the KPMG Women’s PGA, her 26th major start, the undisputed best player on the LPGA without a major. By week’s end, kids lined the barricades that led from the 18th green up to the clubhouse shouting her name.
On a sweltering Sunday, Nelly fulfilled the promise she’d shown from a young age, becoming the first American to rise to No. 1 in the world since Stacy Lewis in 2014, ending a drought that stretched 2,678 days. She also became the first American to win an LPGA major since 2018, when Angela Stanford won the Evian Championship.
“I’ve put in a lot of work and to finally get a win,” she later said on the 18th green, “or two wins under my belt, or three wins, sorry.”
Spectacular shot by @NellyKorda! 🔥#KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/2HLFvVqNhj
— KPMGWomensPGA (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 27, 2021
In all of the talk gender equity discussions of late, purses get most of the focus. But a closer look at the ANA Inspiration, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s Open Championship or KPMG PGA shows room for growth in statistics.
Granted, the priorities have been on just funding the events, trying to get more network coverage and upgrading to quality venues. Now that those things are happening and more cash is great, there is a glaring disparity in available stats for women’s events versus the men. With incredible advancements like ShotLink and a similar system developed by the USGA/Augusta National, it’s time to have real data at women’s majors. Because whether it’s for bettors or simply the increased interest, context and sophistication that comes with compelling stats, talk of raising the women’s game bar must include data.
So it’s nice to read the first step with KPMG continuing their pretty relentless push at bettering the Women’s PGA this week at Atlanta Athletic Club. As Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols writes, “it’s not ShotLink, but it’s a quantum leap in the right direction.”
The KPMG program will be similar to what’s on the European Tour, with caddies recording shots, club selections and the lie of every shot. They’ll turn in a special scorecard after every round and get paid a stipend for the efforts. KPMG is covering that, too.
Overall strokes gained and strokes gained by game area (off the tee, approach, around the green, putting) will be available as well as deeper insights into individual strokes gained by 25-yard increments and individual shots taken. Players, fans and media will know how close players hit it on average from certain distances. There will be shot dispersion charts, average birdie putt length and performance indexing over time against the field.
Phil Casey talks to Premier Golf League co-founder Andy Gardiner about the hopes of starting in January 2023 with players who would still like to earn world ranking points and possibly defect without repercussions.
Choice and other offshoots of that theme play a big part in the PGL approach this time with obvious restraint of trade issues in mind. Gardiner says:
"We went through establishing what the law says and how it applies to the players, we now know the position and that's why we are reaching out to the community to say 'There's a nice way of doing this, a great way of doing it, which is to make sure everybody gets a fair share'.
"All we've ever wanted is the ability to compete for the services of these guys in a fair and effective manner.
"I think we will be able to provide the players with the peace of mind they require, hopefully in the next couple of months, with a deal which says 'rght guys, you've now got the freedom to choose'.
"And you can choose another Tour that pays more, because that's just the case, and you can also choose it on the basis that's it in the best interests of the game long term and other parts of the game are involved in this.
"In other words there is no controversy, it's not as difficult a decision as the guys back in '68 had to make."
1968 being the year Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, among others, led players away from the PGA of America to form the PGA Tour.
The recent Saudi-led offshoot of the Premier Golf League concept prompted an unusual outpouring of PGA Tour and European Tour support from the other Five Families. It will be interesting to see if the PGL’s latest iteration prompts similar statements from Augusta National, the PGA of America, USGA and R&A.
*Whoops, sent this one out only to the paying folks. I send the first round’s notes to all subscribers. The link above though should give you access.
Documentation seen by the Guardian confirms world ranking points only apply on the basis that: “Tournaments on a tour must average fields of at least 75 players over the course of each season.” On this rule, the proposed tour clearly falls short; their 14 planned tournaments are for just 48 players.
The guidelines add: “A tour must demonstrate it has complied with the above guidelines for a period of at least one year immediately prior to being admitted to the OWGR system and must continue to comply with such guidelines following its inclusion in the OWGR system.”
The “average” language helps offset players and agents pointing to something like the Hero World Challenge’s 18-player field earning points.
Another interesting twist in the disruptor golf league world came Tuesday at Kiawah, as PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh made clear the Ryder Cup will only accept PGA of America members who get that perk through their PGA Tour membership:
“If someone wants to play on a Ryder Cup for the U.S., they’re going to need to be a member of the PGA of America, and they get that membership through being a member of the Tour,” Waugh said. “I believe the Europeans feel the same way, and so I don’t know that we can be more clear kind of than that. We don’t see that changing.”
Translation: should someone sign up for an SGL or PGL, and the PGA Tour follows through with threats to toss them off their books (with potential legal ramifications), the players would be Ryder Cup ineligible.
Whether that is enough to dissuade Americans, is unclear.
Adam Schupak filed this Golfweek with more details of Waugh’s remarks and his interesting assertion that these league conversations are healthy for the game, to a point.
“I actually think it’s healthy. You either disrupt or you get disrupted. That’s what this is,” he said. “You know, should it be a hostile takeover of the game? I think is way too far. They’ve created this conversation, which by the way isn’t new. It’s been around since 2014 in different forms, has created change. It’s created an alliance of the European Tour and the PGA Tour, which we think is really healthy for the game.”
G.C. Digital has the statements from the PGA Tour (Tour Championship, RSM Classic) and PGA of America (KPMG Women’s PGA) standing by their upcoming events in Georgia after MLB pulled its All-Star Game over the state Senate’s move to change voting laws.
The PGA Tour statement rightfully leans heavily on East Lake’s mission as the basis to stay put:
At the heart of the PGA Tour’s charitable mission is a commitment to serving and supporting communities where we play, across the country and around the world. In Georgia, this commitment has resulted in more than $38 million generated for local charitable organizations since the Tour Championship – our season-ending event – moved to Atlanta in 1998. The Tour Championship’s commitment to East Lake has helped our partners transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and thriving ones, which is a key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
The charitable and economic benefits that have led to these substantial changes would not continue if we simply walked away from those in need. We intend to maintain our commitment to the East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and First Tee of Metro Atlanta by staging the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in September. We love these partners, and we will work with them to continue to deliver much-needed support and influence positive change.
Our intention to stage an event in a particular market should not be construed as indifference to the current national conversation around voting rights. The PGA Tour fully supports efforts to protect the right of all Americans to vote and to eliminate any barriers that may prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted. It is the foundation of our great country and a critical national priority to listen to the concerns about voter suppression – especially from communities of color that have been marginalized in the past – and work together to make voting easier for all citizens.
The PGA of America is "monitoring developments”:
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a partnership between three organizations committed to diversity, equity and inclusion: PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG. Like many entities, we are monitoring developments related to the new state legislation on voting access. We believe elections should be accessible, fair and secure, and support broad voter participation.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
