The golf course at the University Place, Wash. property was closed in October 2018 so its fine-fescue greens could be replaced with poa annua, after complaints about the “dirt-and-sandpaper” greens that were seen throughout the world when the course was the site of the 2015 U.S. Open.
George H.W. Bush Had Lifelong Connections to Golf
In addition to having a father and grandfather who were USGA presidents and serving himself as the original honorary chairman of The First Tee, the 41st president of the United States was honored by golf’s leading organizations, including induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. And his greatest contribution to the game may have…
Chambers Bay GC Closes to Replace Fescue With Poa
The golf course at the University Place, Wash. property will be closed beginning October 1st until March 2019, to redo all of its greens. Chambers Bay officials hope the change will help it attract another major golf championship, after complaints about its “dirt and sandpaper” greens when it hosted the 2015 U.S. Open. Chambers Bay…
Modernized Rules of Golf to Debut in 2019
In March 2017, the U.S. Golf Association and R&A released several proposed changes to the rules, asking for feedback from the golf community. Some proposed rules have been tweaked or further clarified, and will go into effect January 1, 2019. Beginning in 2012, the U.S. Golf Association and R&A started a process to modernize the…
Study Finds Correlation Between Green Speed, Pace of Play
Findings from an ongoing study by the Science of the Green has found “there is a positive correlation between green speed and pace of play; as greens are managed to play faster, the time it takes to play a round of golf also increases.” Their data found that an increase of one foot in the…
R&A, USGA Overhaul, Simplify Rules of Golf
After spending more than five years working to modernize the rules, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association have released a draft of the updated rules. The proposal, which could be finalized in 2018 and become effective in 2019 after six months of public feedback, reduces the number of rules from 34 to 24.
CC of Charleston (S.C.) Rumored to Host 2019 U.S. Women’s Open
The club hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2013, and hosts three amateur tournaments each year. The U.S. Golf Association will make an official announcement at a press conference on December 1 at the club.
Maple Creek G&CC and The Club at ArrowCreek Go Private
Maple Creek G&CC, with the oldest Pete Dye course in Indianapolis, increased membership by 50 percent in 2014 and is now near enough to the level that justifies going fully private, its owner says. The Club at ArrowCreek, in Reno, Nev., will go fully private on May 1.
GCSAA Set to Update Water Use and Conservation Survey
A nationwide survey of superintendents at nearly 15,000 U.S. facilities, sponsored by the U.S. Golf Association and the Environmental Institute for Golf, will compare golf’s current landscape to information collected in a 2006 study.
Forbes Weighs In on State of Golf Industry as U.S. Open Begins
“There remain concerns about the long-term success of the golf industry among a class of Millennials who are gaining purchasing power and are largely the target of networks seeking to raise their floundering ratings,” wrote contributor Darren Heitner. “However, there exist many signs that the state of the golf industry remains strong, despite Tiger Woods’ prolonged absence from the sport.”
Cottonwood Creek GC Experiments with Prairie Grass, Wildflowers
The U.S. Golf Association is teaming with the city of Waco, Texas to establish prairie vegetation on about 30 acres of rough, with plans to make Cottonwood a research site for how to make golf courses more ecologically friendly. To determine which unused areas of the course will be converted to native grassland, golfers were fitted with GPS devices to map their movements.
Cape Fear CC’s Golf Pro Featured for Playing All U.S. Open Courses
It took Joey Hines 30 years to play 49 courses in 17 states, and become what is believed to be the only golfer to have completed the unique circuit. Now he seeks to play all courses that have hosted a major.
Changes to Rules of Golf Unify the World of Golfers
In anticipation of golf’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro, the layout and format of the Rules of Golf will be the same in every country.