Trump Aberdeen's Proposed Second Course Seen As Another Dunes Destroyer

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Business Insider’s Thomas Colson reports on outrage over the proposed second course at Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen.

Trump's second course will adjoin the existing one and be built on a different area of sand dunes that remain part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are fears that those, too, will now be destroyed, meaning the entire sand dune system will eventually be destroyed - or "stabilized."

"I think it will lead eventually to further damage to all of the sand dunes," said the LSE's Bob Ward.

"There will be nothing left of the natural dune system. At the moment if you go there, you go along the shoreline and there's a very large dune bank that protects the inland including the golf course. And once you go inland, there was this whole dune system. But part of it has already been destroyed by the golf course - and now a bigger area is going to be affected by this second golf course. The whole thing is going to be unrecognizable."

The council said the new course "will contribute towards the significant social and economic benefits expected to be delivered by the wider development proposals within the Menie estate."

Adding to the matter: the failure so far to deliver the promised economic benefit. Trump Golf will claim it needs the second course but given the abundance of links that seems a stretch.

But the current course has posted losses of over $1 million a year and locals say the economic benefits promised by the Trump Organisation when they built the first course have never materialized.

Guy Ingerson said: "Mr Trump and his organization promised the world: Thousands of jobs, lots of new amenities for the local community. That hasn't happened. So why are we allowing him to create a new golf course when he hasn't delivered on the existing promises made?"

Bloomberg recently offered this look at the drop in Trump’s net worth while in the White House and the golf properties stood out as a strength compared to other assets. They cite $18 million in debt, $108.3 million in and while a -19% income change from 2015-2020, and a $271.7M valuation.

Golf has been one of the few bright spots for the Trump empire during the pandemic, thanks to enthusiasm for a socially distanced outdoor sport. The number of rounds played last year was among the highest ever, according to Mike Loustalot, co-founder of Sagacity Golf, which collects data on the industry. But all isn’t well at the 19 courses his company owns or manages. Two in Scotland, Trump Turnberry and Aberdeen, have consistently lost money, U.K. filings show. After the Capitol attack, the PGA of America voted to end an agreement to host next year’s tournament at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, saying holding it there would hurt the group’s brand. The opening of Trump World Golf Club Dubai, Trump’s second course in the United Arab Emirates, has been delayed for years. That course, and two in Indonesia, are listed on his website as “coming soon.”

Masters Lifts 72-Hour COVID Negative Test Result For Average Patrons

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The Augusta Chronicle’s Will Cheney reports on the change in policy for spectators at the 2021 Masters:

Fans attending the practice rounds and the Masters will no longer be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry. Those attending are still encouraged to get tested before arriving to Augusta.

Ticket holders were notified of the change in an email Wednesday afternoon. The protocols can also be found on the Masters website under the Patron Info tab.

The new policy only applies to those with practice round tickets, daily tournament tickets and series badges. Berkman’s Place ticket holders will still have to take the at-home test 72-hours prior to arriving and an on-site test the day of attending.

This last portion is interesting for a few reasons:

—The policy makes sense given how little non-Berckmans fans would be indoors on club property.

—A 72-hour negative window is pretty pointless given how the test will be administered before the person likely hangs in an airport or on a flight.

—The club is committed to resisting the option of adding fully vaccinated patrons or health care workers in a show of support to getting the country back to normal. Seemed like a tap-in. But so was adding women as members.

-The Augusta Chronicle or Golfweek misspelled Berckmans.

SBJ: Nantz And CBS Come To Terms

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Jim Nantz has said he hopes to broadcast fifty Masters and his chances improved with a new deal at CBS. Terms have not been disclosed but he needs to stick around until 2035 to accomplish his goal.

John Ourand broke the news for Sports Business Daily.

Nantz’s current deal was set to expire this summer.

This is yet another feather for CBS as it rides a huge upswing on their early season coverage and major golf production upgrades in recent years. The Masters and PGA of America are undoubtedly thrilled to know they’ll have gravitas in the booth. And the PGA Tour is assured of having the very best in the business, especially in looking so fascinated by the dreaded CEO interviews.

The Ground Game Makes Good TV, Files: Spieth And Wolff At Austin CC

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No need to say much other than it sure is fun to see players use the ground so beautifully.

The PGA Tour’s Twitter account agrees. Artists at work, 2021 WGC Dell Match Play:

Spieth and Wolff are in a fascinating bracket both because of the recent strong play by their other group members (Fitzpatrick/Connors), but also because their Friday scenarios are wild.

From GolfDigest.com’s Christopher Powers:

Now, rather than being 2-0-0 and controlling his own destiny, Spieth is 1-0-1, as is Wolff, who will play Matthew Fitzpatrick on Friday. Fitzpatrick won his Thursday match handily over Corey Conners, the group’s fourth member, bringing his record to 1-1-0. Should Spieth lose to Conners on Friday, a Fitzpatrick victory would advance the Englishman to the knockout stage, while a Wolff win or tie would put him in the knockout stage. Even if Spieth wins, he may still have to beat Wolff in a sudden-death playoff if Wolff beats Fitzpatrick. A Spieth win and a Fitzpatrick win or Wolff-Fitzpatrick halve are Spieth’s two dream scenarios. Got all that?

First Look At "The Hay" And The Inspiration For Its Fun Logo

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Erik Matuszewski of Forbes has some first look Martin Miller images and details surrounding the April 16th unveiling of the reimagined Peter Hay Course. Now “The Hay” and reworked by TGR Design, the opening marks yet another landmark day for par-3 course legitimacy and a big upgrade for the resort.

On the backstory of the course and costs when it opens:

Hay had a passion for introducing newcomers, particularly juniors, to golf and in 1957 developed one of the nation’s first short courses at Pebble Beach. The former Peter Hay Golf Course at the same site hosted generations of young golfers along with a wealth of junior tournaments and charity events over the years, but despite its prime location had gotten a bit rough around the edges, with scruffy bunkers, some bare spots and crooked tees. Woods’s design team took advantage of the Monterey Peninsula’s expansive water views while incorporating more variety into hole lengths and shot options, and adding more puttable areas within the green surrounds.

Hay’s vision carries forward with the new course, as juniors 12 and under can play the par-3 course for free. All golfers will have access to the 20,000-square-foot putting course for no cost. Resort guests and the general public can play The Hay for $65.

At first glimpse you might wonder about the logo but the story behind it is great fun.

R.I.P. Bob Lewis Jr.

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Bob Lewis Jr. (left) (John Mummert/USGA)

Bob Lewis Jr. (left) (John Mummert/USGA)

A couple of nice remembrances have been posted paying tribute to the former Walker Cup captain and lifelong amateur golfer Bob Lewis Jr.

Lewis was the 2021 recipient of the Bob Jones Award last week according to Ryan Herrington of GolfDigest.com, who noted this about his role in reinvigorating the Walker Cup:

Lewis, however, perfected a sales pitch honed over four decades of playing top-level amateur golf. Sure you could turn pro, but why forgo a chance to compete in the game’s biggest amateur event? Regardless of how many zeros might appear on your first few paychecks, you’ll never be able to buy the memories you’d be sacrificing. The Walker Cup is two days that can last a lifetime.

“I remember him saying how you’ve got 40 years to play professional golf, why can’t you wait a few more weeks to get started,” said Jeff Overton, an Indiana University All-American who was one of five graduating seniors Lewis convinced to remain amateurs through the summer of 2005 and who secured the winning point at Chicago G.C. “He sold me on what an experience it could really be.”

David Shefter at USGA.org offered this on Lewis’ playing career:

Bob Lewis Jr., the 2021 recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award and a veteran of a combined six Walker Cup Matches as a competitor and captain, died on March 23 at the age of 76. A three-time USGA runner-up, including the 1980 U.S. Amateur, Lewis, who competed in 31 USGA championships, was one of the game’s best amateurs to have never claimed a USGA title. Nevertheless, his skill, integrity, competitiveness and sportsmanship made the Ohio native one of the most respected people in the amateur game.

Lewis, who received the Bob Jones Award on March 19, played on four victorious USA Walker Cup Teams – 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987 – compiling an impressive 10-4 overall mark.

The USGA posted this tribute video:

Major(s) News And Notes, March 25, 2021

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We’re just 14-day from The Masters and so it features prominently in this week’s free edition of The Quadrilateral.

But there are plenty of other notes, maybe a cringe or eye roll or two and hopefully just a bit more excitement about major championship season.

Subscriber info and other FAQ’s here.

Bryson's Agent On NFT Flop: "Golf is still a niche sport.”

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Brian Wacker devotes a lot of space to recapping the NFT saga of Bryson DeChambeau and gets this intriguing blame from agent Brett Falkoff.

“Whether he made $2,000 or $20 million, he had no idea how this was going to play out,” Falkoff said. “What it shows [by the total] is that golf is still a niche sport.”

Golf was the problem here, not the crappy art and terrible rushed rollout. Right.

Climate Study: Links Feature Prominently In Scotland Areas That Could Be Underwater By 2050

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The Herald’s Jack Aitchison looks at the areas most threatened. St Andrews (above), would see all but a few areas lost based on projections by Climate Central.

The areas of Scotland that could be underwater by 2050

Glasgow Airport, the Old Course at St Andrews and the Kelpies in Falkirk are among the key sites that could be flooded, if research by Climate Central is correct.

The organisation is made up of leading scientists and journalists who research climate change and its impact on the public.

It has created an interactive map, using current projections to show which areas of the country could be lost to rising sea levels by 2050.

If you really want to get depressed here is the interactive map.

North Berwick is not in a great spot either:

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Guardian: Portrush In The Pole Position For 2025 Open Championship

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It would be a speedy return by R&A standards, but 2019 Open Championship host Royal Portrush is in the “pole position” to stage it again in 2025, reports The Guardian’s Ewan Murray.

While insiders at the R&A and the club insist no formal agreement is yet in place for 2025, Portrush is understood to be at the front of the queue as background talks proceed positively.

This year’s Open will take place at Royal St George’s, 12 months later than originally scheduled because of the pandemic. The 150th Open is scheduled for St Andrews in 2022, with Royal Liverpool and Royal Troon to host in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The R&A could be in a position to announce the 2025 host course this summer, with current focus understandably on the landscape for Royal St George’s.

Amazing for a course that Chief Inspector Dawson said for so long just would not work!

DeChambeau's NFT Art Sale Is Met With A Cool Reception

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Bryson DeChambeau can relate to the great artists. They slave at the canvas only to be met with rejection. Again and again and again. But the great ones keep on creating non-fungible token friendly art because that’s what they were born do. And Bryson will no doubt get back on Photoshop, tweak some pixels, yell at someone, and learn from the one item that sold for a decent amount.

BD, I genuinely believe you can come back strong with his next set of NFT trading cards. Maybe only have your name once on the front of the card? I don’t know, just a thought. You’re the artist.

Anyway, his inaugural blockchain-based digital art went on sale for a mere 24 hours and failed to generate more than T24 money at this week’s WGC Dell Match Play. Three of 67 cards definitely sold, only a handful saw any meaningful bids, and there were accusations of impropriety. Or, at the very least, there was confusion about the Opensea’s rules.

The one non-fungible token that did produce a decent amount bidding into the evening hours was, not coincidentally, the “piece” of DeChambeau teeing off at Bay Hill and limited to one edition. The work included actual fungible elements with the artist’s work, aka “unlockable content”:

This NFT is limited to just one edition. This NFT commemorates Bryson’s raw power and the distance that comes along with it. With his newfound distance, Bryson can attempt shots that most cannot. In addition to winning the Distance NFT card, this auction’s highest bidder will be awarded the opportunity to meet Bryson at a US golf event (mutually agreed upon date and time) as well as incredible items including a personally autographed US Open flag, a custom set of Cobra golf clubs, $1,000 Bose credit, and six dozen Bridgestone Golf Balls. Must be holding this NFT on April 15, 2021 to redeem this offer.

The winning bidder does not have a screen name, going simply by: 0xf6d249f4785960502c10cbdb874f5993f09a9195

In case you run into the lucky winner on the street, those fluent in ethereum tell me the b’s are silent.

As for the next time artist Bryson dares to put his soul on the line, perhaps his reps will give the art time to breathe. When the work is this profound and layered, buyers need more time to look for deep meaning in those digitally blurred images before storing it on their blockchain.

For the sake of comparison, the NFL’s Rob Gronkowski offered similar trading card sets recently and did $1.6 million in revenue. Gronk’s auction on OpenSea ran four days instead of one.

There were also issues:

The artist will need to get himself together quickly. Less than 12 hours after the auction’s end, DeChambeau opens the WGC Dell Match Play against France’s Antoine Rozner, winner of this month’s Qatar Masters. Maybe Rozner will go all Jean Girard on him and ask how the auction went?

1.26: PGA Tour's Strong Ratings Run Upended By NCAA Tournament, Honda's Weak Field

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The Honda Classic drew what is fast becoming seen as one of the worst schedule slots on the PGA Tour: after The Players, a week before the WGC Dell Match Play and up against the NCAA Tournament.

Showbuzzdaily.com has all of last week’s sports numbers here.

March Madness has been madder than most this year, adding to the woes. The Honda drawing an opposite event strength field did not help. Then again the 2019 Valspar, the last comparable event held on a similar weekend, did not do much better despite drawing some quality players:

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Faxon: Injury "Way More Serious Than Koepka's Letting On"

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Concerning words from Brad Faxon while talking on Michael Breed’s radio show:

“There was rumors around here, The Honda Classic was last week where I live, I was on the range with caddies and talking, and I have instructor friends, I think this injury is way more serious than Koepka’s letting on. I've heard, you know, patella injury, post collateral ligament, PCL. I've dealt with multiple ACL injuries, and I've heard rumors he's out for six to eight months. So I don't think the Masters has a chance. I'm not saying I want that to happen for Brooks in any reason. We need him on the TOUR. He's a hell of a player, but I think he's going to battle this one. PCL's a tough injury to get over. Couple that with the other parts of the knee that got injured and we may not know the true story … but I know we're pulling for him.”

Rory Turns To Pete Cowen For Swing Help Ahead Of Masters

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James Corrigan reports for the Telegraph on Rory McIlroy moving to guru Pete Cowen as he tries to win the Masters. He was not able to get confirmation but Bob Harig of ESPN.com did get this from McIlroy’s righthand man:

"Pete is an addition to Rory's performance team,'' Sean O'Flaherty, McIlroy's agent, wrote in a text message to ESPN.

What’s unclear according to Corrigan: if Michael Bannon, who has worked with McIlroy for over two decades, remains on the “performance team.”

Two weeks ago McIlroy walked back post-round comments that he would be making changes to his team.