From the CEO
Getting Right (Size) with It
It’s no surprise the recent report by the USGA and R&A on distance is getting a lot of attention. Golf has never been short on passion or opinion. Most are focusing on the question of ball flight distance by the most elite players, and how it may (or may not) be changing the pro game in a negative way. Also addressed are questions about the distance recreational players hit the ball, and excessive golf course length across the globe.
Cover Stories and Features
Practicing Visionary
Dr. Bennett York Saw Golf On His Land Even Though He Doesn’t Play
Beware of Barter
New Research Report Shines Spotlight on Negative Fallout from Bartered Tee Times
CBD Report - Guilt by association?
Like many movies these days, sequels are all the rave. And one of the latest storylines sweeping the nation can be called CBD Madness. Of course, this is a reference to the not-so-classic movie from 1936, Reefer Madness.
Room with a View
When top private golf and country clubs add new amenities for members these days, the scale and cost of these projects are usually large in size and luxurious and pricey by nature.
Case Studies
New Logo Infuses Cool Into 100-Year-Old Muni
Understatement goes a long way, especially in a traditional game like golf where taste is often measured in degrees of restraint. Steve Leary, the mayor of Winter Park, Florida, a beautiful hamlet that is a healthy jog northeast of downtown Orlando, understood that better than most. A former marketing executive and commercial real estate entrepreneur, Leary had long appreciated high-end understatement.
Dormie Network Offers Low-Carb Option On All Its Courses
Keto, the low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet that has made the rounds several times in the last couple of decades, is on the rise again, especially among men. Bolstered by new medical research that shows the old food pyramid was wrong, and in many ways contributed to obesity, more people than ever are discovering that cutting out bread and sugar while replacing potatoes with a slice of avocado leads to lower weight, better health and more energy.
FDA rulings raise questions on CBD promotions
Marketing mania surrounding the hemp plant’s high-profile curative compound, cannabidiol or CBD, is starting to catch the attention of the feds – the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture to be specific.
Robo picker automates practice ranges
Autonomous mowers and self-operating caddy machines are already found on golf fairways and greens. Now, the golf robots are coming to a range near you. At least that’s the golf goals of Echo Robotics.
CBD business playing the name game
The Great White Shark is the latest golf celebrity to take a bite out of the booming CBD business. The Shark, of course, is Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman.
The Technical Advantage
Today more than ever, golf’s greatest allure may be escaping to the great outdoors, far from the demands of business and corporate life. Golf resorts are going all out to meet and exceed the desires and expectations of their guests.
When Are Service Charges Tips?
Those of us in the service industry have always assumed there was a clear delineation between service charges and tips. These assumptions are being tested not only by the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations but also within state legislatures and numerous state and federal courts.
Be Ready When You’re Called
As an athlete and avid sports fan, I’ve heard coaches, commentators, teammates and fans use all sorts of idioms that speak to being prepared. Answering the bell. Staying ready so you don’t have to get ready. Being ready when your number is called.
Industry News and Trends
A Look Back: 2000
Judy Hutt tells the story of two regulars sitting in their favorite seats in the clubhouse after league play sipping beers. “You know Judy,” one of the men offers, “you ought to make these our designated chairs as much as we sit in them.”
Eye Rolling
I can handle when they talk back to me,” the HR director said, “but when they roll their eyes, it just gets under my skin.
NGCOA News
Parsons Builds Value Through Xperience At Scottsdale National
Knowing what you want and having the means to afford it doesn’t always mean the path is easy. When Bob Parsons, who made billions founding the internet domain hub GoDaddy, wanted the best golf equipment in the world, he found himself spending six figures a year on drivers, irons and wedges.
Eastwood’s Tehama Hosts Controversial Sheriffs’ Outing
This one falls into the “no good deed goes unpunished” category. Almost everyone in the world knows Clint Eastwood. He has been an entertainment icon for more than 60 years. And at age 89, Eastwood shows no signs of slowing down. His biopic “Richard Jewell” was recognized as one of the top-10 films of 2019 with several of the cast being nominated for Academy Awards. But Eastwood is also a good citizen, having served as mayor of Carmel, California, and continuing to support local and national causes.
Sheep Ranch to Debut at Bandon Dunes resort
Excitement is growing for what may be the most highly anticipated golf course opening for 2020. The tee sheet is full for opening day, June 1, at Sheep Ranch, an 18-hole coastal layout at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, near Bandon, Oregon. Sheep Ranch will be the fifth course at this rural destination golf resort, perched 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean.
Reynolds Lake Oconee Adds Off-Course Driving
A golf-resort vacation once meant bonhomie, multiple rounds with friends or family on pleasant, perhaps resplendent, layouts and delectable dining.