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
I drooled a few times watching how Donald Ross’ Pine Needles has been transformed by Kyle Franz. This week’s U.S. Women’s Open site takes about 15 minutes to get through and while it would be fun to see the before shots, it’s best we just focus on the present as the world’s best women prepare to descend on Pinehurst.
Enjoy!
It was another fun week at Wilshire Country Club where Nasa Hataoka dominated and set herself up as a U.S. Women’s Open favorite with her DIO Implant LA Open victory.
Wilshire’s 18th hole for the DIO Implant LA Open
They’ve traded in one kind of implant company for another but the LPGA’s LA Open remains a premier event on the schedule thanks to another return to charming Wilshire CC.
The mid-city Norman MacBeth design is easily the LPGA Tour’s best non-major venue and a chance for 17 of the world top 25 to shine in ET prime time. Plus, the biggest payday and even in women’s golf is just 43 days away, so he LA Open commences the run-up to Pine Needles.
Brooke Henderson defends.
TV TIMES (all times Eastern on Golf Channel)
Thursday, April 21 – 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Friday, April 22 – 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 – 7-9:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 24 – 7-9:30 p.m.
For a good teaser, here is The Fried Egg’s drone view appraisal of the course:
Whew, busy week. Part catch-up after the Masters and plenty of other fresh stuff too.
The PGA Club Pro has sent 20 to Tulsa and I have their names!
The LPGA and Chevron are reportedly eyeing something called The Clubs at Houston Oaks for the Dinah Shore/Chevron (From Beth Ann Nichols in Golfweek). But Mission Hills is already on the rebound with plans to host a Champions Tour event in 2023.
The PGA Tour Champions announced a partnership with healthcare company Grail to sponsor The Galleri Classic, named after Grail’s multi-cancer early detection test. The tournament will be March 24-26 on the Dinah Shore Tournament course at Mission Hills, which had hosted the LPGA Tour for 51 years. That PGA Tour Champions was last in the Coachella Valley in 1993, when Raymond Floyd won the final edition of the Gulfstream Aerospace Invitational at Indian Wells.
From Richard Goldstein’s NY Times remembrance:
Spork finished second in the 1962 L.P.G.A. Championship but never won on the women’s tour. Her legacy, apart from her role as a pioneer of the women’s pro game, lay in her tutoring countless women, from duffers to fledgling pros, and in creating schools to help would-be teachers pass on her knowledge to their own students.
Spork received the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award, the L.P.G.A.’s highest teaching honor, in 1998. She was inducted into the inaugural class of the L.P.G.A. Teaching and Club Professional Hall of Fame in 2000. She won the 2015 Patty Berg Award for contributions to women’s golf and was named the L.P.G.A. Teacher of the Year in 1959 and 1984.
In 1947, while attending Michigan State Normal College in Ypsilanti outside Ann Arbor, a teachers school now known as Eastern Michigan University, Spork won the first national intercollegiate golf championship for women. She graduated with a degree in physical education two years later.
During the 1950 golf season, she joined with leading women’s players, including Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Betty Jameson and Marilynn Smith, to form the L.P.G.A. But in its early years, prize money was meager, the tournaments received little attention in the sports media, and the players jammed together in autos as they traveled around the country.
Plus, Korda, Masters on Seatgeek, Corrections, Reads, Listens and Tweets.
And just a reminder that as the Masters nears there wiill be plenty more Quads as the major season heats up. So sign up. You can write it off, too. Or at least read up on the whole newsletter thing here.
Also a housekeeping note: iPhone users can now read Substack newsletters in their new free app. I’ve been enjoying it for a few days now and the reading experience is way, way better. The notifications come eerily fast. While email will always be an option, the Substack app should cut down on posts getting lost in spam filters and makes the comment experience better. As with the email edition, you can scroll text without somehow opening up an ad or trying to close out a pop-up video.
♥️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/UmgV99ORsa
— Nelly Korda (@NellyKorda) March 13, 2022
As the first women’s major of 2022 nears, Nelly Korda announced a significant setback but it sounds like things could have been worse if not for great medical care.
According to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, Korda was next scheduled to play the JTBC Classic in Carlsbad March 24-27.
It’s rare for a reason to avoid having back-to-back tournaments in a city, but the LPGA will be doing so this April when they return to Wilshire and debut an event at Palos Verdes CC. While those are two very different markets given the size of the city, it’s still fantastic to see a dual ticket offered as well as free admission for all service personnel and frontline workers. Why this hasn’t been done more at tournaments this year is beyond me, but credit Outlyr and the LPGA for doing so.
All the details…
Los Angeles Set to Host Consecutive LPGA Tour Events forFirst Time in April
with JTBC LA Open and JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes
Tickets on Sale Now for Both the JTBC LA Open on April 18-24
and the Newly Minted JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes on April 25-May 1
All Service Personnel – Military, Fire, Police, EMS and Front-Line Healthcare Workers –
to Receive Complimentary Admission to Both Tournaments
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2022 – The LPGA Tour and Outlyr jointly announced today that Los Angeles will host back-to-back LPGA Tour events for the first time, taking place in April 2022. The JTBC LA Open returns for a fourth year at Wilshire Country Club on April 18-24, followed by the inaugural JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes, taking place as Palos Verdes Golf Club, April 25-May 1. Both events will feature fields of 144 of the world’s best female golfers competing over 72-holes for overall purses of $1.5 million each.
Tickets are on sale now for both the JTBC LA Open and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes. Tournament Officials also announced the “LA LPGA Dual Ticket” – a weekly grounds pass that provides access to both tournaments, marking the first time that spectators will have the opportunity to purchase one pass for back-to-back LPGA events. Tickets will be sold exclusively via the tournament’s official websites; the JTBC LA Open at www.la-open.com and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes atwww.jtbcchamp.com.
In addition, all service personnel, including military (active, retired, reserve and veteran), fire, police, and EMS and their immediate family (up to four tickets) will receive complimentary admission to both tournaments. The JTBC LA Open will once again include the Hero Outpost on the 18th green, compliments of SERVPRO. The complimentary SERVPRO Hero Outpost tickets must be downloaded in advance from www.la-open.com and proper ID is required at the main entrance. Children under 17 also will be admitted free into the tournament with a paid adult.
“We are very excited to expand our footprint in Los Angeles with back-to-back events in the area for the first time, adding to the Tour’s already prominent presence in Southern California,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “We want to thank our friends and longtime partners at JTBC for providing us the opportunity to bring the stars of the women’s game to the heart of Los Angeles, one of the largest broadcast markets in the world.”
“Los Angeles has a rich history in professional golf, and we look forward to strengthening the LPGA Tour’s presence in embarking on a new spring tradition in women’s golf with these consecutive events in Los Angeles,” said Patrick Healy, executive director for the JTBC LA Open and JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes. “We look forward to working with JTBC in showcasing Wilshire Country Club and Palos Verdes Golf Club to the LPGA Tour’s global audience.”
Historic Wilshire Country Club returns as the host venue for the JTBC LAOpen for a fourth year and will welcome fans back to the championship forthe first time since 2019. The tournament made its debut in 2018, marking the LPGA Tour’s return to Los Angeles in more than a decade. Brooke Henderson captured her 10th LPGA Tour win at 16-under par at the 2021edition of the championship, contested without fans in attendance. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic. Wilshire Country Club, which opened in 1919, is one of a select few venues to host events on the LPGA,PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, as well as the PGA Championship.
“Wilshire Country Club has been a strong proponent of women’s golf and our members are excited about the return of the game’s best players – and the return of fans – to the JTBC LA Open,” said Mark Beccaria, President of Wilshire Country Club.
Palos Verdes Golf Club, often referred to as a “hidden gem” in Southern California, has a rich history hosting women’s golf events. Palos Verdes has hosted the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge women’s collegiate championship for the past 25 years. Past individual winners include Carlota Ciganda, Natalie Gulbis, Brittany Lang, Bronte Law, Andrea Lee, Leona Maguire, Lorena Ochoa and Annie Park. The JTBC Championship at PalosVerdes will mark the first professional tournament taking place at Palos Verdes Golf Club.
“We are privileged to welcome the LPGA Tour for this year’s JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes,” said David Klein, President of Palos Verdes Golf Club. “Our membership is excited to welcome back many familiar faces who competed at Palos Verdes during their collegiate careers, and we look forward to working with the LPGA Tour, JTBC and Outlyr in conducting a first-class event.”
Volunteer registration for both the JTBC LA Open and JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes is now open. Registration for both tournaments is $55, which includes a polo, hat or visor, food, and beverage, and two daily tickets. Forthose who register to volunteer at the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes, $5 will be donated to the Race to End Alzheimer’s Association. For moreinformation on how to volunteer, visit JTBC LA Open at www.la-open.com; and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes at www.jtbcchamp.com.
The JTBC LA Open and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes are ownedand operated by Outlyr, a global event management, sponsorship consulting and activation agency.
Former player and longtime Golf Channel analyst-turned-PGA Tour Radio commentator Mark Lye was fired by SiriusXM after a strange characterization of the WNBA. In an apparent defense of how much better he finds the LPGA than he did a decade ago, Lye trashed the WNBA while talking to co-host Kraig Kann, former LPGA Communications head.
Nick Piastowski of Golf.com reports that Lye apologized in the following segment for his comments but was fired by SiriusXM the next day.
“You know, the LPGA Tour to me is a completely different tour than it was 10 years ago,” Lye said. “… You couldn’t pay me to watch. You really couldn’t. Because I just, I couldn’t relate at all. It’s kind of like, you know, if you’re a basketball player — and I’m not trashing anybody; please, don’t take it the wrong way — but I saw some highlights of ladies’ basketball. Man, is there a gun in the house? I’ll shoot myself than watch that.
At this point, a co-host interjected: “Good luck getting some WNBA stars to come play for you.”
“Yeah, I know, I know,” Lye said. “I’m off their list. I’m sorry about that.”
The clip caught by a listener and shared on Twitter:
@NoLayingUp Mark Lye on pga tour radio just now. Whole station needs to be burned to the ground. pic.twitter.com/YFeTkrNG39
— Jill Lawson (@Jalawsons) February 5, 2022
Episode 2 of the LPGA’s all-access docuseries is now live on YouTube and embedded below. The stories of Gaby Lopez and Amy Olson continue, including a pickleball primer from Olson.
Check it out.
This gives me an idea too: imagine a channel devoted to the game that would share these stories. Like, just spitballing here, an all-inclusive place that really is devoted to the sport? You just leave it on all day, they care about the sport we love that has an $84 billion economic impact in America but it also beloved around the world. Too crazy?
Oh well, at least we have The YouTube to pick up the slack:
With all of the euphoria over Netflix’s investment into a documentary series that’s at least a year away, nice to see the LPGA taking on such project on a more manageable scale. Even better, it’s almost here to view for free on YouTube.
The press release and YouTube page where you can see a behind-the-scenes look at LPGA life:
“LPGA All Access: CME Group Tour Championship”
Behind-the-Scenes Documentary to Debut on LPGA Platforms
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 31, 2022 – The LPGA today announced the premiere of “LPGA All Access: CME Group Tour Championship,” a behind-the-scenes documentary detailing the excitement, competition and glamour of the Tour’s 2021 crowning event. The series will air on YouTube and LPGA.com, with three 15-minute episodes debuting at 8 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
Filmed on location in Naples, Fla., at the 2021 CME Group Tour Championship, “LPGA All Access” will share exclusive moments with players, caddies, sponsors and staff, both on and off the course. Featured moments include:
An in-depth look into the season-long competitive battle between Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda, who fought all week for the titles of Rolex Player of the Year and Race to the CME Globe Champion
2021 Chevron Championship winner Patty Tavatanakit’s preparations for the red carpet for the Rolex Awards, where she received the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award and the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award
Workout sessions and pickleball matches with Gaby Lopez and Amy Olson, who also shared a house for the week and made a relaxing meal of Mexican food from Lopez’s recipe book
Early-morning golf-course scouting with LPGA Tour Rules Official Annie Giangrosso and caddie Will Davidson, who looped for past CME winner Lexi Thompson
Interviews with LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan and CME Group Chairman/CEO Terry Duffy
“This documentary helps show the accessibility and personality of our players, along with the drama and intrigue of the CME Group Tour Championship,” said Brian Carroll, senior vice president of global media distribution for the LPGA. “Hopefully this is just the beginning of our storytelling in this format.”
The documentary was produced in partnership with toldright and Executive Producer Adam Hertzog.
Check out Matt Vincenzi’s item at GolfWRX looking at the difference between the LPGA’s best and male amateurs playing from the same Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions tees. In particular, he notes the play of winner Derek Lowe and very good (+2.8) golfer Mardy Fish.
Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott pointed out that the amateurs and LPGA pro’s played under the same circumstances: “They played in the same groups, from the same tees, in the same conditions. The celebs had the advantage of playing a stableford format, which is slightly more freeing than straight stroke play, but as far as head-to-head tournament play goes, this was a pretty good comparison.”
Much to the dismay of the “A” player in the local men’s league, the professionals unsurprisingly came out on top. While the tournament’s champion, Danielle Kang, shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s, the amateurs in the event combined for a grand total of zero.
Additionally, former Red Sox pitcher and 0.2 handicap Derek Lowe, posted rounds of 76-72-75-72, the best of any celeb. It was an impressive performance from Lowe and resulted in a final score of +7, which was still 23 shots worse than Kang.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
