Green Reading

Quail Creek owner content with proposed sale to CCU

When the principals in Glenmark Holding LLC purchased Quail Creek Golf Club from GGG of Myrtle Beach in October 2004 through the created company Chestnut Holding LLC, they considered building housing. ``As a buyer of the course at that time during a housing boom, we looked into a housing development,'' principal course owner Mark Nesselroad said Monday.
Then they learned Coastal Carolina University might be interested in the layout as a valuable amenity and attraction for its PGA Golf Management Program. An easement requiring the land remain green space in perpetuity was placed on the 175 acres, and a lease was negotiated with CCU that could have been extended to 15 years. Whether the owners knew the housing market would tank or not, they may have saved themselves some aggravation and helped the university in the process.
The course owners and CCU officials have negotiated a deal in which the school will take over ownership of the course early next year, pending approval of some state bodies, for the remaining debt, which Nesselroad said is less than $3 million.
``We're making a donation to the university subject to the indebtedness,'' Nesselroad said. ``We felt at some point in time it would be an appropriate donation to the university. It had been in our thoughts and based on where we are with other things it would make sense to do that this coming year.''
Nesselroad estimates the value of the donation is between $800,000 and $1 million. "It's a substantial donation to the university," he said.
 

McPherson closing out season this weekend

Kristy McPherson and the rest of the LPGA Tour wrap up their season this weekend in the $1.5 million LPGA Tour Championship presented by Rolex at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club in Richmond, Texas. McPherson tees off in the 120-player event on the first tee at 8:10 a.m. Thursday with playing partners Meena Lee and Se Ri Pak. The group goes off the 10th tee at 11:40 a.m. in Friday's second round. McPherson enters the season-ending event 17th on the LPGA Tour money list with $728,111 earned in 23 events.
Golf Channel will have live coverage of all four rounds, with air times of 4-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3-5 p.m. Sunday. McPherson's good friend and U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Angela Stanford will be fitted with a microphone during Thursday's opening round, and new LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan will join Brian Hammons and Dottie Pepper in the booth during Friday's live coverage.

Moore a different breed

You've got to love Ryan Moore. In late August, Moore earned his first PGA Tour victory with a win at the Wyndham Championship. Surprisingly, Moore had no equipment sponsors, though he had previously been with Ping and used much of the company's equipment.
"I'm certainly not against sponsorships," said Moore after his win. "This year was kind of like a fresh start, kind of get it back to the basics and just go play golf and not worry about any of that other stuff on the side, and, you know, it's been great for me."
Now, Moore has apparently found a new set of irons that meets his requirements _ Scratch Golf's SB-1 irons and two 1018 wedges. Moore put the equipment in his bag at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and was reportedly not being paid to use them. He was also using an Adams driver and hybrids. In the three events Moore has had the Scratch Golf equipment, he's racked up three top-10 finishes. Moore reportedly recently signed a deal that gives him an ownership stake in the Scratch Golf company.

PGA Tour players give new grooves a test run

Several PGA Tour pros used the last event of the PGA Tour season -- the Children’s Miracle Network Classic -- as a trial for irons and wedges with new conforming grooves that are designed to give shots less spin off irons, particularly out of the rough.
“This is my third start with the new groove, conforming groove, and I only had to change two wedges,” Davis Love III, who plays Titleist clubs, told The Tour Van Web site. “I've really been working more on the wedge game, just to get used to them. . . . Several times I've come out with a new ball or new set of irons and played well because, you know, you've spent some time, adjusted to it. It's a new toy.’’
Winner Stephen Ames, a Nike staffer, also switched to the new grooves and earned his victory with a fully-conforming bag.
“This is a great plus, especially coming out of this Bermuda rough here, where it really flies out of,'' Ames told The Tour Van. “I'm not sure how it's going to react yet, but the Bermuda rough you're definitely going to get more fliers and everything. We got a couple, and the way the ball was reacting on the greens and everything, it was perfect.''

Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson didn't play the final month of the season but said he played the latter part of the year with the grooves that will be required next year on his TaylorMade irons and his wedges.”

National golf numbers worrisome but not bleak

National Golf Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Beditz came to Myrtle Beach on Tuesday to present the findings of a study commissioned by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.

While the audience consisting primarily of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday members was most interested in hearing about how the Grand strand stacks up against competing golf destinations and how efficient the area is at converting leads into customers, Beditz also delivered news about the state of golf nationally.

The good news is rounds are up 5 percent nationally in 2009 compared to 2008, but comparisons to 2000 reflect the same issues nationally that are being combated on the Grand Strand.

Rounds played last year are down nearly 6 percent compared to 2000 to 489.1 million. Since 2000, rounds per course are down 8.5 percent for an average of 33,243.

Perhaps most disturbing, core golfers who play eight or more rounds per year are down 16 percent since 2000 to 16.6 million, while occasional golfers playing less than eight rounds have remained relatively steady at about 12 million.

Helping existing course owners is the continued closing of layouts across the country to help correct an overabundance. The number of courses nationally peaked in 2005 following a building boom at around 16,000. But there will be a projected 145 closings in 2009 compared to just 55 new courses for a fourth consecutive year of net declines.

The NGF estimates, based on courses self-reporting, that 10 to 15 percent of the nearly 16,000 courses are at-risk financially. Courses closing isn’t necessarily a bad thing. More than 500 have closed in the past four years. But when private clubs struggle they sometimes convert to public status, thereby taking a piece of the available rounds. About 400 have become public in the past 10 years.

Though rounds are up nationally according to NGF statistics, the recession has kept golfers closer to home and hurt golf destinations such as Myrtle Beach. The NGF study showed the number of golf vacations are down 26 percent from golfers in regions that include the entire East Coast, Gulf Coast, Midwest and Southwest. Asked if the current economy has affected their golf travel, 52 percent in those areas said it has had no impact, 34 percent are taking fewer trips, 22 percent are spending less on trips, and 2 percent said the economy has had a positive impact on their travels.

“It’s the worst overall golf market since the depression,” Beditz said, “. . . yet the golf industry is stable and recovering. We’ve seen the worst of it and we’re improving. We’re holding golfers and we’re holding rounds: that’s a positive. The market is under as much pressure as it’s ever been and it’s holding up.”

Barron's PGA Tour ban upheld

Grand Strand residents Zack Byrd and Jeremy Pope are participating in the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament this week, but Nationwide Tour member Doug Barron is not. Barron was suspended for a year earlier this month for violating the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy's ban on the use of performance-enhancing substances.
He filed a lawsuit in Memphis, Tenn., seeking a Temporary Restraining Order to allow him to play in the Second Stage. But Monday, a Federal Court in Memphis denied the request. So right or wrong, look for Barron on a mini-tour near you in 2010. Maybe he'll surface on the Strand-based NGA Hooters Tour.

Boyd qualifies for Senior PGA Championship

Bob Boyd of Wilmington, N.C., a member of the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame and cancer survivor, was able to finish 18th in the final standings of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit despite skipping the Tour Championship. He chose instead to participate in the regional stage of Champions Tour Q-School, but didn't advance to the final stage. Boyd fell four spots in the Order of Merit, but managed to hit the 18th spot on the number. That's the magic number on the money list to be exempt into the Senior PGA Championship next May at the Colorado Golf Club in Denver. So he'll play in at least one event on the Champions Tour.

Golf Dimensions' Smith fondly remembered

I received several responses to my article about the passing of Golf Dimensions co-founder and chairman Bob Smith Sr. at the age of 78, and undoubtedly the most poignent came from former Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday president Mickey McCamish, who is now living in Tennessee.
McCamish wrote in an email, in part:
``I recall my September 1994 first meeting with Bob to talk about the Senior Tour Championship; that meeting started a friendship that lasted until his death. Bob was a tremendous, generous, patient person, and one of the kindness individuals that I've ever known; he was such a gentleman. I believe that Webster should issue a revision redefining Gentleman as Bob Smith. I feel most fortunate that during my life that Bob Smith was a part-of my life; he made me a much better person.''

Plenty on line this week at Disney

As the final event on the 2009 PGA Tour season, this week's $4.7 million Children's Miracle Network Classic provides players their final opportunity to move into the top 125 on the money list and retain their PGA Tour cards in 2010. There are some interesting names on or around the bubble.
Those hoping to hold onto their spots on the money list are Ricky Barnes at 121, Robert Garrigus at 123, Rich Beem at 124 and David Duval at 125 with $623,824. In 126th with $613,027 is Chris Riley. Others on the outside looking in are Jeff Maggert at 127th, Tim Herron at 128th, Nicholas Thompson at 132, Todd Hamilton at 133 and Stuart Appleby at 134 with $562,837 earned.
Former Grand Strand resident Kris Blanks, whose instructor is Hugh Royer III of the Champions Golf Academy at Long Bay Club in Longs, is 171st on the money list with $296,931 in 19 events as a PGA Tour rookie and needs a miraculous finish to keep his card _ similar to Bishopville native Tommy Gainey's runner-up in this event last year after doing next to nothing all season.
Other players are vying to move into the top 30 on the final money list to ensure an automatic trip to the Masters and U.S. Open in 2010. Ryan Moore is 30th with $2,222,871 earned, while Heath Slocum is 31st at $2,195,565. Occupying spots 32-34 are Jason Dufner, Luke Donald and Steve Marino.
The inaugural Kodak Challenge is concluding this week, and it appears Kevin Streelman will collect the $1 million winner's check. The competition celebrates beautiful holes and continues with the 485-yard, par-4 17th hole at the Magnolia Course. Players must play at least 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes throughout the season to compete for the $1 million. A player's lowest score relative to par on his best 18 Kodak Challenge holes are counted. Streelman, whose instructor is Alasdair Dyer of Barefoot Resort, leads the Kodak Challenge at 16 under by two strokes over Bo Van Pelt, so Van Pelt will likely have to hole a long iron from the fairway for eagle to catch Streelman, who can guarantee a win with a birdie on the hole in any round.
The Children's Miracle Network Classic will be televised on Golf Channel from 1-4 p.m. each day Thursday through Sunday with replays from 7-10 each evening.

McPherson back in action

While Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson is all but done for the 2009 season _ with the exception of the Shark Shootout in December _ Conway native Kristy McPherson is back in action this week for first time since late September when she tied for 61st at the CVS Pharmacy LPGA Challenge. She's playing in the second annual $1.1 million Lorena Ochoa Invitational at Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico, which was won by McPherson's good friend Angela Stanford last year.
Ochoa hosts a field of 36 players for the 2009 edition including Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen, Natalie Gulbis, Jiyai Shin, Yani Tseng and Ai Miyazato. Golf Channel will have coverage from 4-6:30 p.m. each day Thursday through Sunday. McPherson is also entered in next week's $1.5 million LPGA Tour Championship presented by Rolex at The Houstonian Golf & Country Club in Houston. She is 16th on the money list with $713,500 earned entering the final two events of the season.