Climate Coalition: "Only a small increase in sea-level rise would imperil all of the world's links courses"

A depressing new report on even the slightest change in sea levels suggests most of the world's links are imperiled, with some already on the cusp of major damage in a perfect storm scenario.

From an unbylined BBC report on The Climate Coalition issuing a warning to golf, football and cricket as the sports to be hardest hit, with links courses the most endangered.

The Open is the only one of golf's majors played in the UK and is hosted on links courses, including - as well at St Andrews and Royal Troon - Royal Birkdale, Hoylake, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Muirfield, Sandwich, Turnberry, Portrush and 2018 venue Carnoustie.

It adds that "more than 450 years of golfing history" at Montrose, one of the five oldest courses in the world, is at risk of being washed away by rising seas and coastal erosion linked to climate change.

Research published by Dundee University in 2016 showed the North Sea has crept 70 metres towards Montrose within the past 30 years.

Chris Curnin, director at Montrose Golf Links, said: "As the sea rises and the coast falls away, we're left with nowhere to go. Climate change is often seen as tomorrow's problem - but it's already eating away at our course.

"In a perfect storm we could lose 5-10 metres over just a couple of days and that could happen at pretty much any point."

Now He's The Old Timer: Rymer Makes Champions Debut

The Big Timer Billy Ray Charlie Rymer returns to competitive golf this week at the Boca Raton Championship.

The former U.S. Junior Champion turned Georgia Tech star turned tour player turned morning television personality became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions. He's documenting his return in Rymer Reasons vlogs exclusive--EXCLUSIVE!--to GolfChannel.com.

His first trip to the course did not go quite as planned...

Pebble Pro-Am, West Coast Swing Have Their Swagger Back?

Amazing what a little tinkering with formats and emphasizing course design can do!

Not long ago the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was known for six hour rounds, has-been pros in the field and never-was "celebrities" getting too much air time. With the world's top-3 playing this year and plenty of celebrity intrigue to offset the corporate crowd--Golfweek posted the full field list here--Der Bingle's baby is back.

But as Ron Kroichick noted for MorningRead.com, the AT&T matters again as as stalwart event thanks largely to some key changes in format and rota.

Or put another way: Pebble matters again.

AT&T officials couldn’t do much about the weather, but in 2010 they shrewdly swapped Poppy Hills (unpopular among Tour pros) for Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course. They also trimmed the field from 180 pros and amateurs to 156 of each, and made a conscious effort to land better amateur golfers.

While athletes were always part of the event, their rise in celebrity status and the inclusion of more pro jocks seems to have given the event a boost. Let's face it, for a lot of PGA Tour golfers the chance to hang out with a world class athlete for three rounds is more interesting than getting paired with a corporate dude.

Unless said corporate dude has a jet and a third home on the Peninsula with a separate guest entrance.

Randall Mell at GolfChannel.com notes the improved golf professional component in saying Pebble has its swagger back.

Maybe it’s fitting Doral doesn’t host a PGA Tour event anymore. The old adage that the year in golf doesn’t begin until Doral wouldn’t hold up any longer. Today’s stars aren’t using the West Coast swing to get warm in a run up to the Masters. They hit the year hot with Johnson, Rahm and Jason Day among the big names getting on the board with victories in January.

The intensity only builds this week with Spieth looking to rebound from a missed cut in Phoenix last week. He is defending the title he won last year. It also builds with McIlroy making his first PGA Tour start of the year after coming off second- and third-place finishes on the European Tour last month.

Over at CBSSports.com, Kyle Porter notes the seemingly improved week-to-week quality of the tour. While I'll remind him of this column in mid to late May, the point should be made that the fall wraparound schedule has not harmed the West Coast Swing as folks like me feared. Perhaps it's the mediocre quality of those events and lack of eyeballs trained on them, but the West Coast still feels like the tour's bread-and-butter season for big venues, big fields and lots of eyeballs. As it and the Florida season should be given a quick study of history.

Also not to be discounted: the subtle but important inclusion of stars who don't play 25 events the previous year now being forced to play events haven't been to in at least four years.  That subtle PGA Tour rule could, for instance, explain Rory McIlroy's appearance this week. Or, at the very least, helped get him to Pebble Beach when making out a schedule in search of adding an event due to the rule.

Good Day Of Golf On Instagram: Pebble, Shepard, Braid, Carnoustie With Snow And Perth's Tee Markers

We’re going to see plenty of daytime Pebble Beach this week given the stunning weather, so I’m glad the PGA Tour posted a DJ Piehowski nighttime image from 2016 showing the 7th green.

Driving range bags at Bear's Club note your major wins and if you don’t have a Grand Slam trophy? You still get our name, your ball preference and your place next to the big winners.

Carnoustie got a nice dusting of snow. Hopefully no dustings of fertilizers for this year’s hosting of The Open Championship.

On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon with a specially made club that is on display at the USGA Museum. Look at the thought that went into this contraption!

February 6th was also James Braid’s birthday…in 1870. Second from the right. Five time Open Championship winner.

There should be extra stiff fines for any European Tour player who takes out his rage on this week’s ISPS Handa tee markers.

Sleep tight, golf fans. 🌌

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Feb 6, 2018 at 6:43pm PST

With 30 Tour pros as members of The Bear's Club, you can tell at the range that we are definitely in season ⛳️ #practicemakesperfect #thebearsclub #theseguysaregood

A post shared by Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) on Feb 6, 2018 at 5:59pm PST

Home of The 147th Open @carnoustiegolflinks has a dusting of snow today, but don’t worry it doesn’t snow very often in July 😂

A post shared by The Open (@theopen) on Feb 6, 2018 at 7:06am PST

One small step for man, one giant leap for the game we all love! On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard hit the only two truly out-of-this-world golf shots. Pictured here is the golf club that he used to hit two chip shots that may still be going. 📸USGA/John Mummert

A post shared by United States Golf Association (@usga) on Feb 6, 2018 at 9:09am PST

On this day in 1870, five-time Open Champion James Braid was born. 📸 L-R is Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid, John H Taylor; four men who shared 17 Open Championships between them 😱

A post shared by The Open (@theopen) on Feb 6, 2018 at 4:01am PST

This week's tee markers.👌 #WS6Perth

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on Feb 6, 2018 at 3:41pm PST

The Perth Super 6 Returns, Format Intrigues And...

While some may be confused by the format, I still feel like there is something curious and worth watching about this second-year event. Perhaps the lack of ease in explainin the format to a regular fan is the main issue, though really this is a just a normal golf tournament until a Sunday shootout. From there it's match play, with byes given to the stroke play leaders.

Anyway, in support of fresh formats, I give you the European Tour's FAQ page and infographic to explain the event start Wednesday evening on Golf Channel:

Q: What’s the bottom line?
A: - 156 players start for three rounds of strokeplay
- A standard cut to the leading 65 pros (and ties) will be made after 36 holes
- A further cut after 54 will reduce the field to 24 players for a final day of match play action
- If there are any ties for 24th position, a sudden-death play-off on the 18th will determine the qualifiers
- Sunday will bring five rounds of six-hole match play battles – Super 6
- The top eight players after 54 holes will receive a bye into the second match play round
- Any ties for the top eight will be decided by a score count back based on the last 18, 9, 6, 3 and 1 holes
- In Super 6, any results not determined after six holes of match play will be decided by playing a shootout hole
- The shootout hole is a purpose-built par three using the 18th green, but played from a new tee box positioned around 90 yards from the green on the right of the 18th fairway.
- Only one man will be left standing

Dubai Duties Free: Rory Spreads Host Role To Other Irishmen

There was a point you'd have to figure a player in their prime like Rory McIlroy would tire of the duties involved in hosting a professional tournament.

Thankfully for the Rory-rejuvenated Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the host will be handing duties off to a rota of Irishmen. In some cases this could be problematic, but given the charisma of Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, the event should keep the momentum going. McIlroy's Foundation will still be the Irish Open's charitable beneficiary.

Brian Keogh reports for the Independent on what the move means for Rory's career thinking and includes this from 2019 host McGinley.

"He has certainly helped regain the momentum of the Irish Open and he has done his bit. He wants to remain involved going forward but the Irish Open was a weight of responsibility.

"Even though he has won it, he has missed the cut for four of the last five years. So while his commitment to playing will remain, it is a question of handing over responsibility and we are happy to take on the mantle.

"We owe Rory a lot for where the Irish Open has come from and where it is going. So it is only right that we take responsibility off Rory's shoulders and let him do what he does best."

One last request this year Rory before you hand things off: put that call into Tiger! He needs some links golf under his belt!

A Few Instagrams As Pebble Beach Week Kicks Off, 2-5-18

The weather forecast is sublime for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Apologies to those hoping America’s elite got rained on all week.

For reasons unclear, there is a sizable gold-brick of a flower bed off the 8th tee at Pebble Beach. Maybe it’s a placeholder for the restoration of Chandler Egan’s imitation sand dunes? Natural, it does not look.

Lee Westwood photographed one of the world’s most venomous snakes, a King Brown, when it appeared on the Lake Karrinyup CC range where he’s getting ready for the European Tour’s ISPS Hander World Super 6 in Perth.

For those still suffering a Super Bowl hangover, The Onion addresses the difficult conversation many football fathers are having with their sons...about what it means to control the ball long enough to be deemed a runner.

It's @attproam week! 🎉🙌 Joining us? Be sure to use #mypebblebeach so we can share your favorite photos! 📷 @shermanchuphotographer . . . . #pebblebeach #bucketlist #golf #golfphotography #attproam

A post shared by Pebble Beach Resorts (@pebblebeachresorts) on Feb 5, 2018 at 10:02am PST

Number 8 showing some color this year. #attpebblebeach @attproam

A post shared by chrisodonnell (@chrisodonnell) on Feb 5, 2018 at 12:37pm PST

🐍 a King Brown mooching about on the range 🏌🏽‍♂️ Think I’ll take a ☕️break! #4thdeadliest

A post shared by Lee Westwood (@westwood_lee) on Feb 5, 2018 at 7:12pm PST

“God, this so awkward, he was watching the Super Bowl last night, and now he has so many questions and I can’t describe how it works,” said local father Michael Dorgan, who admitted to stammering his way through an uncomfortable 10-minute explanation of what a football move is. “I tried bringing out a football to show him what maintaining possession means, but I think it just confused him more. And there was this painful silence after he asked about controlling the ball long enough to become a runner. How do you explain something as complicated and mysterious as that to your son? I wish he just asked his mother.” #TheOnion

A post shared by The Onion (@theonion) on Feb 5, 2018 at 1:10pm PST

USGA Head: "It does make you wonder what golf courses will look like if we stay on this trajectory."

While new USGA President Mark Newell touched on concerns about distance at the association's annual meeting, Executive Director Mike Davis did the heavier lifting. Continuing his full-frontal attack on expanding golf's footprint, Davis largely backed up comments he made in 2017.

Golf.com's Dylan Dethier reports from Miami on the key comments in Davis' address.

"We all love hitting the ball far, but distance is all relative," he said. "I remember watching Jack Nicklaus, when he really got a hold of one maybe it went 280. That was the long ball then, and the long ball now is a lot longer."

Any potential rules change limiting technology would be sure to cause a stir among equipment manufacturers, who Davis said will be consulted throughout the process. But he was clear that he sees the issue of distance as a threat to the game at every level.

"This isn't just about the male elite game," he said. "It just isn't."

It looks like the U.S. Open's return to Shinnecock, recently narrowed after low scoring at Erin Hills, will be a point of comparison for the USGA in trying to convince those on the fence:

"An astonishing, perhaps even sobering example close to home will be this summer's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills that will be played at over 7,400 yards," Davis said. "One hundred and twenty-two years ago at the 1896 U.S. Open, care to guess Shinnecock's total yardage? 4,423 yards. Now, don't read too much into that – I don't want to see a headline next week saying the USGA is proposing going back to hickories and gutta-percha balls in the future, but it does make you wonder what golf courses will look like if we stay on this trajectory."

Davis talked to Golf Live's Ryan Asselta regarding driving distance and while Davis slightly walked back some comments made to the Wall Street Journal, the overall take from these on-the-record comments is this: something is brewing.

The State And Future Of Arizona's Golf Industry

The Arizona Republic's Russ Wiles uses the Waste Management Open as a reason to consider the state of Arizona's $3.9 billion golf industry. The story is lengthy and contains some very good info if you're in the industry (thanks reader John for the link).

The questions and answers posed by Wiles are many of the same you've heard by now: things aren't too bad right now and even encouraging where facilities have made some adjustments, but the industry certainly isn't growing and the all-important M's don't want to participate in something taking four-five hours.

Nearly two-thirds of active players are 40 or older.

Participation among minors "has been declining for several years, as younger generations opt to play other sports or engage in other activities," said IBISWorld.

Also, it takes a lot of time to play golf well — not just in spending what can easily be five-plus hours for a round of 18 holes, but in the years of practice it takes to become reasonably skilled.

"As an industry, we need to find ways to have a one- or two-hour experience," said Gurnow. That's in addition to other ways the industry might appeal to newcomers.

This was interesting and a huge issue on the jobs front if the only answer is another TopGolf (not that there's anything wrong with TopGolf!).

Labor tops the list on the expense side, including for clubhouse/golf-shop staff and course-maintenance workers. Water and other utility costs were next,then course-maintenance supplies/services, general-administrative expenses and food/beverage outlays.

The highest number of Arizona golf-course jobs are in course maintenance — estimated at 5,000 positions in the 2014 report, followed by food/beverage workers (2,300), golf-shop personnel (1,780) and administrative staff (1,040).

23's Latest Comeback: Hobe Sound Course Project Back On, To Be Designed By Weed

Bobby Weed! He's a fine architect, even finer family man and great friend of the game.

And now he's the architect of record for Michael Jordan's Grove XXIII, the on-again, off-again, very much on-again exclusive answer to the Bear's Club. Originally thought to be Tom Doak's project to lose, Jordan has turned to Weed for what sounds very much like a course aimed at lure a few tour pros from Bear's Club.

From the Forecaddie:

The par-72 layout includes plans for tees ranging from 5,445 yards up to 7,470. Weed is excited about finding a way to challenge players, with bunkers planned deep into the fairway landing areas, some 330-340 yards off the back tees. Plus he’s got some special angles worked up.

“I’m going to be in their head,” he told the Man Out Front.

The full press release announcing the project that is scheduled to open next year:

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (January 20, 2018) – Bobby Weed Golf Design (www.bobbyweed.com) has been selected to design the golf course at GROVE XXIII, an exclusive, members-only private club under construction in Hobe Sound, Fla. NBA legend and avid golfer Michael Jordan is the majority partner in GROVE XXIII. The golf course is scheduled to be ready for play in 2019.

 “Knowing the caliber of the membership and Michael’s passion for golf, we are designing a forward-thinking, progressive layout,” said Weed. “Golf course architects are in the best position to address how technology has changed strategic design.

“This project is an opportunity to update how architects provide all players with a fun and interesting challenge. It will be a course for tomorrow, a course with a refined edge.”

Weed is living on site throughout the duration of construction in order to personally shape features and supervise the work.

About Grove XXIII

Set on the site of a former citrus grove, the golf course is routed with the south Florida trade winds in mind. The two nines wrap around each other while traversing the site in opposing directions. This dynamic layout ensures that golfers will feel the breeze from every quarter.

The routing also features a unique crossover at the 5th and 14th tees, where golfers can switch from one nine to the other and still finish out a nine-hole loop. This singular feature offers the membership four nine-hole permutations, significantly enhancing both daily set-up and member tournament format possibilities.

Weed continued, “We are using proprietary player performance data to help establish the dimensions of features and rethinking the tenets of risk and reward that have long guided strategic golf design, but are stagnant today, especially in the face of equipment technology.”

The Weed design team has been provided with these player performance data by Darren May, co-founder of “Every Ball Counts” and appointed golf coach and ambassador to GROVE XXIII.

“The team environment encouraged by Bobby Weed allows a free flow of very valuable information,” May said. “To see this information integrated in the course design, and be part of the process, is extremely exciting.”

An intimate, contemporary clubhouse will be elevated above the open and expansive 225-acre property, offering long vistas to every golf hole.

I'm Just Saying Files: PGA Tour's Fourth Straight Playoff Edition

Six playoffs already on the 2017-18 wraparound schedule and four straight with Gary Woodland's triumph over Chez Reavie at the Waste Management Open.

The playoff was the sixth this season and fourth in a row. The list:

• THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES – Justin Thomas def. Marc Leishman with a birdie 4 on the second extra hole.
• Shriners Hospitals for Children Open – Patrick Cantlay def. Alex Cejka and Whee Kim with a par 4 on the second extra hole.
• Sony Open in Hawaii – Patton Kizzire def. James Hahn with a par 3 on the sixth extra hole.
• CareerBuilder Challenge – Jon Rahm def. Andrew Landry with a birdie 3 on the fourth extra hole.
• Farmers Insurance Open – Jason Day def. Alex Noren and Ryan Palmer with a birdie on the sixth extra hole.
• Waste Management Phoenix Open – Gary Woodland def. Chez Reavie with a par 4 on the first extra hole.

The common denominator, spoiled only by including the 78-player CJ Cup CJ CUP?

Full field events.

Just a reminder when the WGC's roll around and someone tries to tell you limited field gatherings of the world's best are better. Generally, they are battling an uphill fight to generate excitement, whereas the tightly contested events we've seen so far have featured nice leaderboard diversity and excitement to the end.

The Best Of Golf Instagram, Super Bowl Weekend 2-4-19

Matt Kuchar almost brought the house down with a Waste Management Open ace at 16 Sunday.

Nick Price sitting in his first USGA Annual Meeting as a member of the Executive Committee with a grin that can only say, "what have I gotten myself into?" I view this as legitimate punishment for skipping the last two World Golf Hall of Fame ceremonies.

A side view of Pebble Beach's 17th after Chandler Egan and Robert Hunter's big, and still-largely-uncredited-during-AT&T-week renovation. The work took place prior to the 1929 U.S. Amateur and introduced strategy and naturalness to the course.

Who says dogs can't see what's on TV?

"Kuuuuuuuuuuuuch!!!" - Fans at the 16th hole.

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Feb 4, 2018 at 1:37pm PST

Honored to welcome three-time major champion and World @golfhalloffame member Nick Price to the USGA Executive Committee! 📸USGA/John Mummert

A post shared by United States Golf Association (@usga) on Feb 3, 2018 at 4:13pm PST

#tbt The 17th green at @pebblebeachresorts from the time of Chandler Egan and Robert Hunter. Egan and Hunter reworked the course for the 1929 US Amateur. The work they did there was spectacular. You can learn more about their imitation sand dunes and why I believe Pebble Beach should return to this era by reading my new story, “The Promise of Pebble Beach”. Story drops Monday to kick off @attproam week. Stay tuned!

A post shared by Jay Revell (@jdrevell) on Feb 1, 2018 at 12:06pm PST

. . 피자 한판 시켜야겠네... . 저 선수들은 모르겠지? 가온이가 수도없이 뽀뽀하고 있다는걸... . 가온이가 농구 보는 모습이 재미있게 보였는지 미국 지역방송에도 나간다네요.. 페이스북, 트위터, 인스타그램... 오늘 많은곳에 가온이가 올라가서... 내 개가 맞다는걸 보이느라 오늘 농구보는 모습 다시 올립니다... 가온아!! 넌 내아들이야...ㅠㅠ . . #오늘은_NBA_basketball #NY #Boston . . #멍지네 #개스타그램 #대형견 #도그스타그램 #펫스타그램 #반려견 #가족 #소통 #일상 #데일리 #맞팔 #좋아요 #팔로미 #팔로우 #셀피 #럽스타그램 #l4l #dog #pet #goldenretriever #Retriever #Labrador #puppy #강아지 #애견 #사랑 #행복 . For licensing and usage, contact licesing@viralhog.com .

A post shared by 멍지네 (@mongji_mom) on Feb 1, 2018 at 3:40am PST