After Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Fla., was ravaged by Hurricane Irma, the Houston, Texas club stepped in to be the site of the USGA event, which begins November 11. Champions Golf Club sustained 30 inches of rain from Hurricane Harvey in August, but the water subsided quickly. When Hurricane Irma ravaged Florida in…
USGA Postpones Women’s Mid-Amateur at Quail Creek CC
Heavy rain in August had already affected preparations for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at the Naples, Fla., property, which was scheduled for October 7-12, but Hurricane Irma ultimately forced the tournament to be postponed. No rescheduled date has yet been established. The first United States Golf Association event in Collier County will have to…
Omaha CC, Saucon Valley CC Land Senior Opens
When the 2021 tournament returns to the Nebraska club, which also hosted it in 2013, it will tie the record for fastest return of a Senior Open. The 2022 tournament will be a record third for Saucon Valley CC and will coincide with the Bethlehem, Pa. club’s 100th anniversary. The United States Golf Association…
Golf Leaders Cite Distance as Impediment to the Game
Mike Davis, chief executive of the United States Golf Association, said that increased hole distance has had a negative effect on the game, forcing golf courses to expand and use more resources, while making a round take more time to play. Last year, Jack Nicklaus told BBC Sport that the focus on distance is “the most ridiculous thing in the game.”
Newport (R.I.) CC to Host 2020 U.S. Senior Open
The 41st Senior Open will be held June 25-June 28, 2020, and will be the fifth championship to be held at the property, which hosted the inaugural U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur championships in 1895.
USGA, The R&A to Develop Single World Handicap System
Handicaps are currently delivered through six different systems around the world and the organizations aim to adopt a universal set of principles and procedures. The joint committee led by the USGA and The R&A plans to announce its proposals later this year.
Storm Forces Closure of Buenaventura GC
The Ventura, Calif., property suffered damage during strong storms last month, with nearly every hole affected and 13 holes severely impacted by water, mud and silt. The head agronomist from the United States Golf Association is working to help assess the damage and formulate a plan to restore the course to the shape needed for play.
Living History
A variety of factors have prompted clubs to get serious about capturing and presenting their pasts in a way that can also promote the value of membership for generations to come. Here are some do’s and don’ts for creating permanent archives that will properly put the “story” in history.
Course Renovations Will Prepare Seminole GC for 2021 Walker Cup
As the storied Juno Beach, Fla. club completed the first stage of a three-year project that is bringing new bunkering and tee boxes to its Donald Ross-designed golf course, it got the good news that it will be the site of the prestigious amateur competition. It will be Seminole’s first USGA event and the first Walker Cup held in Florida.
French Lick Resort to Host 2017 Senior LPGA Championship
The Indiana resort will host the tournament that is part of the Legends Tour in July 2017. Coupled with the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship that will begin in 2018, there will now be two major championships for senior women players.
USGA to Eliminate Penalty for Balls Accidentally Moved on Putting Greens
The new local rule will go into effect January 1, 2017. Though both the USGA and The R&A had been discussing the issue for a long time, Dustin Johnson’s one-stroke penalty in the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club accelerated the process.
U.S. Women’s Open To Stay at Trump Property, USGA Says
Responding to a request from several United States senators to suspend planned events at properties owned by the Republican presidential candidate, the United States Golf Association said it has not changed its position for holding the 2017 tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.
Anti-Bigotry Group Pressures PGA and USGA to Sever Ties with Donald Trump
Three men with prominence in the African-American golfing community who have helped the organizations promote minorities’ history in the game have formed a group known as Golfers Opposing Bigotry and are calling for major tournaments planned for Trump-owned clubs to be moved.
Simsbury Farms GC to Receive Pro-Bono Consultation in June
The West Simsbury, Conn., property is one of six facilities selected by the United States Golf Association and the American Society of Golf Course Architects Foundation for the consultation, which will provide the property with a new perspective and prioritize areas for improvement. One of the property’s goals is to become more inclusive to all skill levels and groups.
USGA, ASGCA to Provide Pro-Bono Site Evaluations
Six public golf facilities, including Carolina Springs Golf Club, Fountain Inn, S.C.; Connecticut National Golf Club, Putnam, Conn.; Carey Park Golf Course, Hutchinson, Kan.; EdgeBrook Golf Course, Brookings, S.D.; Point University Golf Club, Lanett, Ala.; and Simsbury Farms Golf Course, West Simsbury, Conn., have been selected to receive free site evaluations this year from United States Golf Association agronomists and American Society of Golf Course Architects architects. The organizations will accept more applications later this year.