ON THE TEE
🏌️ Talor Gooch won his third LIV Golf League event of the year, with a birdie on the last hole to clip Bryson DeChambeau at Valderrama in Spain. With three victories, doesn’t Gooch deserve to be a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup?
🏌️ Two weeks after Rickie Fowler lost the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, he won the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his first victory in more than four years. Feel-good story of the week?
🏌️ A clerical error resulted in the public release of court documents that show, among many other things, the PGA Tour calling the DP World Tour a “distressed asset” and that the Tour’s ambitions are to own a share of the Ryder Cup. Given recent events, can the PGA Tour be called a distressed asset?
🏌️ The PGA Tour is working to assure the players that it will have control over the new for-profit entity resulting from the “framework agreement” among the Tour, the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour. Did they forget to tell the players that Yasir Al-Rumayyan — chairman of the new company — has veto power?
🏌️ Al-Rumayyan met quietly with some of LIV Golf’s captains at Valderrama to assure them that the league is alive and well, and looking toward the future. Is the talk of LIV’s demise just talk?
🏌️ Rory McIlroy said TPC River Highlands, site of the Travelers Championship — an elevated event, said “technology has passed this course by.” Maybe it has for McIlroy but how about everyone else?
🏌️ The USGA admitted it erred in the ruling that gave McIlroy a drop from an embedded lie at the 14th hole in the final round of the U.S. Open. That’s fine, but can’t we just get it right the first time?
🏌️ McIlroy and Sergio Garcia met at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles CC and mended fences, prompting Garcia to say, “I gained a friend back.” Feel-good story 1(a)?
🏌️ Michelle Wie West, who was golf’s next superstar about 17 years ago, is retiring at age 33 after the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. Wonder if she has had a sit-down with Rose Zhang to offer some valuable advice?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Reviving the Memories of Lawson Little Jr.
Because the former U.S. Amateur, British Amateur and U.S. Open champion did not play golf in the television era, his grandson, Chris Little, believes the story of his career is worth sharing — again
:: Ward Clayton | Read
How Stephen Curry's Underrated Golf is opening doors
Second-year golf tour is assisting junior players who might not otherwise have access to regional and national tournaments
:: Ward Clayton | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 When vertigo melted my brain
Can medical science truly explain the mysterious, mystical experience triggered by a simple malfunction in my inner ear?
:: Katy Vine | Texas Monthly | 06.16.23
📖 The night 17 million precious military records went up in smoke
Fifty years ago, a fire ripped through the National Personnel Records Center. It set off a massive project to save crucial pieces of American history—including, I hoped, my grandfather’s
:: Megan Greenwell | Wired | 06.27.23
📖 The man who broke bowling
Jason Belmonte’s two-handed technique made him an outcast. Then it made him the greatest—and changed the sport forever
:: Eric Wills | GQ | 06.29.23
PERFECT PUTT
‘The Merger’
Part 1: A detailed background
The Saudi PIF could have influence in 20 tours, and over $1 billion in prize money
Part 2: A legal analysis
Sports law Attorney John Nucci provides a rundown on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Saudi PIF deal
:: Jared Doerfler | Read Part 1 | Read Part 2
Each Monday, Jared Doerfler breaks down the business of golf. Subscribe to Perfect Putt here.
SCORECARD
1️⃣8️⃣ The golf industry’s week in review — the names, news and notables that are making the headlines. :: Read
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
Cheers to Michelle Wie West and her final competitive walk down a fairway. Thanks for a great ride. Enjoy your next chapter.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
19TH HOLE
Each episode of the “Course of Life” podcast closes with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole experience.
Tripp Davis, golf course architect: “I usually gravitate toward the local stuff based where I'm working … down in Florida where I am now I'm having a lot of grouper and it's a great fish.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
GOLF KITCHEN
Baby Spanish octopus ceviche
Anthony Capua, chef at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is one of those rare culinarians who embrace the food and beverage operations of his home club and also understands the need for a highly skilled club chefs nationally. His continued efforts to bring club chefs from around the country to Indiana for collaborative dining events helps drive that vision.
Serves: 2.
Ingredients
Baby Octopus
> 1 pound baby octopus
> 4 sprigs of rosemary
> 2 sprigs of thyme
> 2 ounces Spanish olive oil
> 1 ounce salted water
> Salt (to taste)
Garden Pico
> 5 garden heirloom tomatoes
> ½ red onion
> 9 cilantro leaves
> 1 lime (juiced)
> 1 lemon (juiced)
> 1 medium jalapeno (sliced)
> ¼ ounce Spanish extra virgin olive oil
Pickled Mustard Seeds
> ½ cup white wine vinegar
> ½ cup water
> 3 tablespoons sugar
> ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
> ⅓ cups yellow mustard seeds
> 1 small to medium-sized shallot (thinly sliced into rings)
Crispy Plantain
> 1 whole plantain
> Salt and pepper (to taste)
> 2 cups canola oil (for deep frying)
Compressed Watermelon
> 1 small seedless watermelon
> ½ cup rice wine vinegar
> 8 cilantro leaves
> ¼ cup white cane sugar
Garnish
> Edible flowers and sorrels (The chef's garden)
Click for preparation instructions
Wine Match: Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain.
More food and drink recipes can be found at GolfKitchen.com.
DESIGN NOTES
Glen Oak greenlights Chris Wilczynski’s plan
⛳️ Glen Oak Golf Club has adopted a new master plan for its 18-hole East Amherst, New York, championship course, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1969.
The new plan, developed by Chris Wilczynski, of C.W. Golf Architecture, was approved in December 2022 by club owner Tim Fries, former golf professional at Transit Valley Country Club. Fries has been owner and operator of Glen Oak, located in suburban Buffalo, since 2018.
"Over the years, the course has lost many of its RTJ traits and Chris’ plan strikes an excellent balance between the need for enhancing and updating the course aesthetics and infrastructure while keeping the original design intact," Fries said. "It’s been a fun experience working with Chris to develop this plan, and I’m hopeful we can bring it to life in the near future."
READ: This week’s complete Design Notes
RELATED: Design Notes archive
The plan’s first priority will focus on tree clearing to restore the playing corridors and strategic elements of the original design. The establishment of several acres of wetlands and native grass areas are proposed to diversify the environmental habitat and enhance the natural beauty of the property.
Also high on the to-do list is an overhaul of the bunkers, which have not been rebuilt since they were originally constructed. Many of the fairway bunkers will be repositioned to create more challenge. Many of the green complexes will be enhanced as well. Apart from rebuilding the greens on holes 7, 12, 15 and 17, the plan calls for expanding the remaining greens back to their original shapes and sizes.
“The RTJ greens feature interesting wings that create challenging pin locations,” Wilczynski said. “We want to maintain those qualities as they are part of the original design.”
⛳️ Troon has been selected to manage T-36 at Baytown, an innovative double-loop 18-hole golf course and restaurant currently under development in Baytown, Texas, 25 miles east of Houston.
Located on the former Evergreen Point Golf Course, T-36 at Baytown is the idea of developers Rio Valeriano and David Hinkle of Build Baytown I, and golf course architect Ric Buckton. Landscapes Unlimited is currently constructing the golf course, which is scheduled to open this fall, while The Birch restaurant is set to open in August.
The unique golf course design is being built on less than 65 acres of land, about 33 percent less acreage than a typical 18-hole golf course and will require about 30 percent less water.
The patent-pending Double Loop Course is Buckton’s unique creation and consists of a traditional 18-hole golf course with double tee boxes and two green complexes utilizing one common fairway. Every green complex will be separate and will have its own set of sand traps and/or hazards. The T-36 Double Loop Course can be played as a traditional blend of par 5s, 4s and 3s, as a par 3 short course, or as an executive course with a mix of par 3s and 4s. A little over 30 groups (approximately 120 individuals) consisting of golfers of all skill levels can play the nine, 18 or 36-hole experiences on any given day.
"T-36 at Baytown is an exciting new concept and will be a catalyst to major development on the southeast side of Baytown," said Mitch Harrell, senior vice president of operations, Troon. "We’re thrilled to be working with Rio and David in bringing the T-36 experience to life, both on the golf course and through tremendous food and beverage."
⛳️ Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach, Florida, broke ground in May on a $20 million golf course renovation project for its three nine-hole championship golf courses. Rees Jones and design associate and company vice president Steve Weisser have designed and will oversee the implementation of improvements and enhancements to the three courses.
Phase one of the improvements focuses on the first nine-hole course, Trepidation, as well as on the putting and chipping areas, and driving range. The changes planned for the third hole are illustrative of what’s in store.
The current third is a par 3 of 182 yards. Jones and Weisser identified that the green is only 45 feet wide and the entire perimeter falls away from the surface, limiting approach and recovery options. Jones’ team will add a wood bulkhead along the pond to expand the playable area. A left greenside bunker will be added and the green around behind the bunker will be extended. In addition, the green will be expanded at the front and to the right to add hole locations. They will further tie the right side slope into the ridge on the right to create a sweep of the approach in to the green. Also, tee surfaces will be expanded and elevated for improved visibility, flexibility and maintainability.
Phase one is scheduled to be completed and available for play in December 2023. The two additional courses, Redemption and Salvation, will be renovated in 2024.
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