DIGEST
07
P
GA of America
President Ted Bishop
has highlighted
positive trends for golf in a
message published by the
National Golf Foundation.
Highlighting golf’s
dependence on the
weather, Bishop notes
that “2013 had the fewest
days open for golf in
the past seven years,”
but that “golfers played
more rounds of golf per
day open than they had
in previous years.” 2014
appears to be continuing
the positive trend, with
Bishop adding: “Rounds
played are up this spring
in areas of the U.S. not
affected by the weather.”
Bishop also highlights
growth segments in
golf: “According to PGA
PerformanceTrak, golf
facility operators reported
growth in three of four
key performance revenue
indicators from 2012
to 2013, including golf
merchandise sales (up
2.2%); food and beverage
revenue (up 2.0%); and
total facility revenue (up a
modest 0.3%)”.
The message also reports
on positive uptake of golf
growth initiatives such
as Get Golf Ready, PGA
Junior League, Drive
Chip and Putt and The
First Tee program, as well
as improved figures for
televised golf.
Read the full message from
Ted Bishop, President,
PGA of America, at
Positive trends in golf
Pinehurst set for U.S. Opens
Golf participation
The world of golf is descending on the
Pinehurst resort in North Carolina for
the long-awaited dual U.S. Opens. 2014
is the first year in which the Men’s and
Women’s championships will be held on
the same course in consecutive weeks.
In 2011, Bill Coore, ASGCA and Ben
Crenshaw oversaw a widely praised
restoration of the No. 2 course at
Pinehurst, notable for its foundation on
sustainability, including the removal of a
large proportion of the course’s irrigation
heads and the replacement of Bermuda
rough with exposed, unmaintained
sandscapes between fairways.
Read a full article on the restoration from
the
Fought starts work at
Wilmington muni
Course renovations are under
way at the municipal golf
course in Wilmington, North
Carolina under the supervision
of John Fought, ASGCA.
Originally designed by Donald
Ross in 1926, Fought says
“it will look and play like
the wonderful design Ross
intended it to be.”
Crane Creek enters third
phase of masterplan
The greens at Crane Creek
CC in Boise, Idaho are to be
rebuilt to USGA specification,
beginning with the front nine
later this year. This represents
the third phase of a long-term
masterplan created by David
Druzisky, ASGCA, the first
two phases involving bunker
redesign, rebuilding of tees
and tree clearance.
St George’s to begin green
rebuilding project
Ian Andrew, ASGCA will play a
key role in a project to rebuild all
the greens at ASGCA founding
member Stanley Thompson’s
design at St George’s in
Ontario, Canada. The new
greens will be based on
Thompson’s originals, addressing
issues such as poor drainage
and shrunken green sizes.
New course set to open in
Gobi desert
Chinese golfers will be able to
enjoy links golf when a new
course designed by ASGCA
President Lee Schmidt and
Brian Curley, ASGCA opens
later this year. Set in dunes
on the fringes of the Gobi
desert and close to the city of
Hohhot, the course will include
traditional links features such
as a Redan hole, a punchbowl
green and ‘blowout’ bunkers.
More information on all of
the above projects and more
by ASGCA members is
available at the Golf Course
Architecture website:
Golf facility operators are reporting growth
