When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
There is some truly blissful viewing here watching the Toptracer techology track Rory's monster carry yardages and his range balls bounding through the trees 350 yards away.
Note the drive that carries 365! (Link here if embed does not work.)
The range at Quail Hollow is not nearly long enough for @McIlroyRory at the #PGAChamp š³ pic.twitter.com/aTjqCLqlOh
ā Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 9, 2017
If you listened to this week's ShackHouse, you know we're excited to learn from guest Amanda Balionis that CBS is emptying the bucket and giving us lots of technology on this week's PGA Championship telecast.
Martin Kaufmann explains at Golfweek.com what to expect, including this:
For the first time CBS will have Trackman on all 18 holes, cranking out data such as ball speed and curvature, and wireless Toptracer technology to track approach shots.
āIām most excited that we can use the technology on all 18 holes,ā Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, said during a conference call last week.
CBS also plans to use: ARL Virtual Eye, which shows Trackman tracing of ball flight over a hole graphic adjacent to live shots of players hitting tee shots; bunker cameras; a cable-mounted camera tracking action on the practice range and 4K coverage on DirecTV of the final three holes.
This is clearly a response to good feedback the network has received to its efforts this year, and even if some of the technology is useful only to a hardcore fan, the high-tech look helps modernize the telecast. It's also no coincidence that CBS's contract for the PGA is up after the 2019 event at Bethpage, and discussions about the next deal are expected to start later this year.
I've been a bit leery of the proposed Players for PGA trade because of potential issues with finding quality venues and locales for a May PGA. On the PGA Tour side, reducing the wraparound season to finish before Labor Day has made fantastic sense from day one, but we are clearly a long ways from sorting out the particulars. Rex Hoggard tries here for GolfChannel.com.
Though as Bob Harig notes in his assessment at ESPN.com, the puzzle pieces are tough to put together with World Golf Championship events in tough places on the schedule.
But this is PGA week and the focus in rolling this out was on the major championship. My review here for Golfweek gets into some of the confirmed elements that have me (and I think) others feeling good about what is a huge change in the Grand Slam ebb and flow.
Alex Miceli at MorningRead.com considered the worldwide ramifications and interestingly the European Tour is already positioning itself in interesting ways.
It's a basic question, but after hopefully taking in some of the coverage today online or at Golf Channel, do you like the switch?
Pelley!
Wasting little time...about 10 minutes to be exact...the European Tour announced a shift in the BMW PGA Championship's date to September.
I'd give then an "8" for passive aggressiveness, even this could end up being a great switch.
With the PGA Championship moving to May and the Players to March, the European Tour immediately seized on the likely shortening of the PGA Tour playoff season to push their marquee event into a month where the field stands to improve. Furthermore, the European Tour's Race To Dubai should also benefit from the U.S. calendar changes.
More on the PGA move to May later, as we learned a few fun things in today's press conference that I'm writing about for Golfweek. In the mean time, for immediate release...
The European Tour today announces that the BMW PGA Championship will move from its current date in May to a new September slot from the 2019 season onwards.
The prestigious Championship, which is part of the European Tourās Rolex Series, will be played at Wentworth Club from May 24-27, 2018, before moving to September for its 65th anniversary edition the following year.
The move comes following news announced earlier today that the 2019 US PGA Championship will move from its traditional August date into May, with The Players Championship on the PGA Tour moving from May to March.
The specific date of the 2019 BMW PGA Championship will be released in due course but it will be central to a strong and robust end of season schedule on the European Tour.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: āSignificant changes to the global golfing calendar have given us the opportunity to move the BMW PGA Championship to a more favourable date from 2019 onwards.
āWentworth Club is an iconic location in the realm of British sport and the BMW PGA Championship is always hugely popular with the public as was seen in May when it launched our Rolex Series with 110,000 spectators in attendance over the course of the week.
āThis is a new chapter for the event but we expect similar interest in the autumn, as was shown historically by the World Match Play Championship when it was played at Wentworth Club at that time of the year.ā
The BMW PGA Championship was the first of eight Rolex Series events to be played on the European Tourās International Schedule in 2017, all of which are part of the Race to Dubai. Swedenās Alex Noren claimed the title in May, overturning a seven shot deficit with a stunning final round of 62 to win by two strokes over the West Course, which had undergone a multi-million pound revamp in the period between the 2016 and 2017 Championships.
Noren joined an illustrious Roll of Honour for the Championship which includes Seve Ballesteros, Arnold Palmer, Tony Jacklin, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, JosĆ© MarĆa OlazĆ”bal, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy.
When you break down the career Grand Slam winners and the many legends who have won three of four legs, the opportunity facing Jordan Spieth becomes impressive. 
Mention that he can do this at a younger age than Woods and Nicklaus and it becomes, as Jim Nantz noted in the piece I wrote for Golfweek, one of the great accomplishments in the history of the game.
Jaime Diaz assesses where this feat would fall in the game's history and notes that Grand Slam is not a perfect measure of greatness.
Walter Hagen, who won 11 major championships, didnāt have a real shot at what evolved into the Grand Slam because the Masters wasnāt even played until he was well past his prime. And what of Bobby Jonesā āoriginalā Grand Slam in 1930, winning the U.S. Open and Amateur and their British counterparts in one year, which has never been replicated by any golfer over an entire career? That feat, or the still unattained the calendar professional Grand Slam, or even the Tiger Slam of 2000-ā01, would all have to be more exalted than the career Grand Slam.
Ryan Lavner reminds us that Tiger Woods, the last in the modern era to achieve the feat, didn't have much time to ponder the possibilties but pulled off the slam in his first try.
Not only was Woods, at 24, the youngest to win the career Grand Slam, but he was the fastest, too ā needing only 93 starts, compared with Nicklausā 125.
āTheyāve been the elite players to ever play the game,ā Woods said that day. āAnd to be in the same breath as those guys, it makes it very special.ā
Besides Woods, the only other players to complete the career Grand Slam in their first attempts were Gene Sarazen (age 33) and Ben Hogan (40).
Jack Nicklaus narrated this tribute:
Honored to narrate this #GrandSlam piece for @GolfChannel. Best of luck to @JordanSpieth & all the players competing in the @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/IwR0dJFw8n
ā Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) August 7, 2017
Not that there's anything wrong with the member guest!
I bring you great news from soggy Charlotte: now you can come to a major and not discern the players from the spectator.
Baba-booey!
Allowing the players to wear shorts in the practice round--a policy already adopted on the European Tour--screams Bushwood member-guest.
I realize I'm in the minority on this one, as every poll and every player declares how much they enjoyed letting their underexposed skin breath. And yes, pro golfers are real athletes these days, confused almost daily with linebackers, decathletes and boxers, so why not let them show off their physiques? Says the theory.
For me, the casual look reaffirms the fourth major as the fourth major.
For the first time at the #PGAChamp, players are able to wear shorts during the practice rounds and they are lovin' it. pic.twitter.com/dryYtfIOY7
ā PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 7, 2017
I at least have one person agreeing with me...
For some reason seeing all the pga guys in shorts makes me feel uncomfortable It's like their legs are making their pro debut & are so white
ā Elayna Bowser (@elanez) August 8, 2017
Lots of fun stuff to cover from Steph Curry to PGA Championship news to Jordan Spieth's shot at history. We try to put it all in perspective and give out a few picks too. And if you listen, you know there are some sweet giveaways, so get those picks posted below (and don't forget to leave an email address).
As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device's podcast subscription page.
Here is The Ringer's show page.
Same deal with Soundcloud for the show, and Episode 45 is here to listen to right now. Or this new platform or wherever podcasts are streamed.
ShackHouse is brought to you by Callaway, and of course, the new Steelhead fairway woods along with the new O-Works from Odyssey as well (hint, hint!).
Exactly a year ago the Rio Olympic course opened to the first practice rounds while many of us were getting our first introduction to new smells and brutal takes on coffee. Golf's place in the Games was still very much in doubt and predictions suggested the entire thing was dead on arrival.
The Rose's, Stenson's, Fowler's, Watson's, Kuchar's, Reed's and others of the game showed up and had the times of their lives, followed by the Park's, Ko's, Juntanagarn's, Thompson's and Lewis's of the women's game putting on a similar great show one week later. The course was a huge success and to this day, is believed to be shuttered because some do not know what rustic golf looks like.
The course is very much still alive, despite the latest bizarre Tweet from the courses greatest hater (AP's Stephen Wade) that received pushback from the Mayor. On Instagram you can follow the latest from the course, including wildlife sightings and, less thrilling, images of the new cart fleet.
A year later golf is locked in through the 2024 Games and will be headed to established venues in Tokyo and Paris. However, should golf make it to the LA Games in 2028, it will be contested at private clubs for all three. The impact of such venues is bound to impact atmosphere and venue enthusiasm. But ultimately all of that will be ignored if the format is built around a great competition and the Olympic spirit instead of the schedules of players and tours. The IOC has signaled it wants bold and fresh formats, as evidenced by 3-on-3 basketball. Now it's golf's turn to pitch similar updates to classic formats in hopes of exciting a younger generation while giving us all reason to support Olympic golf.
A post shared by Campo OlĆmpico de Golfe (@campoolimpicodegolfe) on Aug 5, 2017 at 5:02am PDT
We discussed today on Morning Drive...
For the first time the men's Open Championship edged the U.S. Open in a once unthinkable occrence. And while the 2017 KPMG LPGA was not a morning show, it also beat the U.S. Women's Open ratings.
While the Ricoh Women's British Open had its moments and there may be a Michelle Wie bump, I.K. Kim still held a huge lead heading into the final round. Translation: not the recipe for ratings success.
But are we seeing more evidence yet that sports and golf fans are preferring their golf in morning or prime time hours now that we learn the 2017 Women's British was the season's top rated broadcast?
Remember, all of the events in question are network broadcasts (NBC or Fox), so this is not a cable vs. broadcast network story. And maybe there is no story yet, but the interest in morning golf is a trend worth noting.
For Immediate Release:
HIGHEST-RATED OVERNIGHT TELECAST FOR WOMENāS GOLF IN MORE THAN A YEAR
The RICOH Womenās British Open Final Round coverage on NBC yesterday posted a .86 Overnight (11:30 a.m. ā 2:30 p.m. ET), +15% YOY, making it the highest-rated overnight telecast for womenās golf in more than a year (2016 U.S. Womenās Open; .98) and the highest-rated womenās golf telecast on NBC since 2014 U.S. Womenās Open (1.67). Final Round coverage, which saw I.K. Kim (South Korea) win her first major championship, also became the highest overnight rating at the event in more than 10 years (2006 on ABC; 1.30).
This is the first time in the history of the Womenās British Open that it reigns as the highest-rated womenās golf telecast of the year, to date, despite its morning/early afternoon telecast window.
The comparable final five hours of the RICOH Womenās British Openās Final Round coverage across Golf Channel and NBC was a .64 (9:30 a.m. ā 2:30 p.m. ET), which makes it the highest overnight rating for a womenās major 5-hour telecast in 2017 (FOX, U.S. Open Final Round, 2-7 p.m. ET; .63). And the comparable final three hours of broadcast television coverage makes the RICOH Womenās British Open the highest rated ( 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET; .86), +21% vs. U.S. Womenās Open on FOX (4-7 p.m. ET; .71) and +25% vs. KPMG Womenās PGA Championship (3-6 p.m. ET, .69).
Next up in womenās golf will be Golf Channel and NBCās coverage of the Solheim Cup, the biennial team match play event featuring the United States vs. Europe, being contested in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, August 18 ā Sunday, August 20.
Erik Matuszewski reports at Forbes on Golf Channel's purchase of Revolution Golf and its 2 million subscribers. 
He explains how this could be an Amazon Prime-inspired play:
Five years ago, Revolution Golf launched a premium subscription offering for which members pay up to $124 annually to access a library of exclusive video content, special offers on training aids, equipment, and exclusive member-only events. Two-thirds of the business's subscribers play golf at least once a week during the season. That participation is part of what makes golf unique ā the sportās fans are also passionate players.
Golf Channel is serving that passion. And not just via TV, but also through its continually growing digital businesses: playing, instruction, travel and now e-commerce.
As Golf Channelās McIntosh says -- āWe want to connect the world to golf.ā
Tod Leonard previews the U.S. Women's Amateur at San Diego Country Club.
This kicks off what figures to be a fun swing of national championships and a Walker Cup in southern California over the next month or so.
While the wives of country club members once were prominent in the Womenās Am ā partly because until 1979 only those who belonged to country clubs could enter ā it now mostly serves as a high-level competition for the young. There are 108 women this year in the bracket of 16- to 20-year-olds.
Youth was served last year when 16-year-old Eun Jeong Seong of the Republic of Korea defeated 19-year-old Virginia Elena Carta of Italy. Seong became the youngest player to win three USGA championships, though she chose not to defend the Womenās Am this year.
While Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club will get the majority of the attention, San Diego CC is a much-beloved course that has produced two legends, notes John Strege for Golf World.
When one enters the clubhouse, the Billy Casper Grill is on the right, the Mickey Wright Lounge on the left.
No other operating club in the U.S. likely has spawned two greater champions than Wright and Casper, each of whom were members in their youth, while Casper remained a member until his death. Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson were both products of Glen Garden Golf & Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, but the club went out of business a few years ago.
Wright and Casper are both World Golf Hall of Fame members.
Fox Sports 1 will cover matches beginning with Wednesday play, airing the action from 6-9 pm ET through Friday. Weekend windows are 7-10 pm ET Saturday and 4-7 pm ET Sunday.
Paul Sullivan uses his NY Times Wealth Matters column to talk to a nice range of golf course developers, including Warren Stephens at Alotian Club and Paul Schock of Prairie Club. The topic? The costs and perils of buying or building a golf course.
Most of the stories end on a positive note, but not after cautionary tales about spending.
This from Chip Smith, who bought the TPC Myrtle Beach but later sold it to Chinese investors in 2014.
But last year, when he and a partner, Doug Marty, bought a course in Florida, Wellington National, he said he realized just how much money it could cost to turn around a course and make it profitable.
āWe went into that one and evaluated the facilities and the golf course,ā Mr. Smith said. āIt was by far the worst one Iād ever seen in terms of being open and playable but being in awful condition. Doug likes to say we went in with an unlimited budget and exceeded that.ā
They shut the club for a year of renovations. It has now reopened and started to attract members. The two partners are betting that it can attract members from the surrounding equestrian community and nearby Palm Beach.
But recouping their investment will take time. The initiation fee is $7,500 and annual dues are $6,750, comparatively modest in an area where $50,000 and $100,000 initiation fees are common
I know, I know, the the ball just rolled forever at Firestone and those Trackman carry numbers CBS showed us were just made up.
Still, it was fun to see seven players get their season driving distance total over the 300 yard average plateau following play at Firestone and Reno. That makes 40 players averaging over 300 yards on the PGA Tour.
Just think, only one player did that in 2000. But these guys eat carrots, broccoli and do four minute planks! I know, I know.
I have to say though in the world of astounding distance numbers, Rory McIlroy's numbers were particularly wild at the 2017 WGC Bridgestone, notes Golf.com's Golf Wire.
McIlroy awed the golf world with his driving capabilities at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this week, and for good reason: 52 of his 56 tee balls (non par-3s) traveled farther than 300 yards. (And one that came up short was only 298.)
Of course, he ranked first in driving distance this week, averaging 328.7 yards off the teeāalmost 10 yards more than Jason Day, who ranked second at 319.2 yards.
Naturally he needs to find some magic on the Quail Hollow greens, but with his distance spiking at the right time, it's hard to discount the mojo factor for someone who feeds off of overpowering a course.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright Ā© 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
