(Pictured: Augusta Country Club) Last year’s course renovation at the 120-year-old club that borders Augusta National followed a land deal between the two clubs that is expected to eventually lead to a new tee setup for Augusta National’s No. 13. And those practicing for this year’s Masters Tournament are commenting on how tree removal that…
Masters Moment
The majority of the golf and club market is enjoying a period of stability that is a welcome relief from ten years of contraction, consolidation, and member attrition/transition.
Chicago Tribune Opinion Piece Defends All-Male Clubs
Teddy Greenstein wrote that “men’s clubs are not a bad thing. At least in some cases,” noting that a quarter of the nation’s all-male golf clubs are in the Chicago area, and that each club’s own culture should dictate whether it opens membership to women.
Golf Courses Rank High on “Most Unwanted” Features Among Homebuyers
A list compiled by the National Association of Home Builders found that only elevators were less desirable than golf courses for new home-buyers. “Just shoot me if I ever mention developing another golf-course community,” an unidentified real estate developer in Southwest Florida said.
February Ice Storm Changes Look of Augusta National
The home of the Masters Tournament not only lost its famous Eisenhower Tree in the February ice storm, but countless other trees as well, giving the golf course a more open look. Brandt Snedeker noted that on the seventh fairway, “you don’t feel like you’re going down a bowling alley as much,” while Mike Weir added that the 17th hole is “much friendlier.”
Ice Storm Claims Eisenhower Tree at Augusta National
The 65-foot-high loblolly pine that the former President and club member lobbied to have removed as a permanent impediment to his game when playing the 17th hole was removed after suffering major limb damage that made its recovery impossible, the club said. Damage was extensive at many other courses in the region, and then the week was topped off by a 4.1-magnitude earthquake.
Augusta National Building Hospitality Venue
The facility will be called Berckmans Place, and it is expected to be ready in time for the 2013 Masters.
Notes Off the Cuff
It still holds true that winners still find ways to continue winning.