Connect with us

Opinion & Analysis

Can a new app bring people back to golf?

Published

on

The game of golf is in trouble.

This is what organizations like the National Golf Foundation and various members of the national media have been drumming into our collective psyches over the last several years.

Whether or not you’re willing to buy what they’re selling, it’s hard to ignore the obvious: participation is down and golf’s leading organizations are working overtime to convince the iPhone generation to take up a game that’s been historically slow to embrace new technologies and changes in societal behaviors.

Peter Kratsios is the CEO of a tiny tech start-up with a huge idea. And on Memorial Day, he was also my partner at Eisenhower Park. We were playing the Red Course, one of three championship-caliber designs open to the public at this massive property just 28 miles east of New York City. We got paired with a couple of guys who would have gotten escorted out of any halfway decent country club. One of them was decked out in cargo shorts and a wife-beater; tattoos decorated his arms like sponsor logos on a Nascar driver. His companion was flicking ashes from what little remained of his cigarette and was disparaging the slow group in front of us in a tone guaranteed to offend the esteemed members of Bushwood in Caddyshack.

Barely out of the gate, I began thinking about the long day in store for us. Words like misery and agony were running through my head. Peter, on the other hand, was probably thinking about opportunity and conversion.

Kratsios is the man behind a product called GolfMatch that is available for Apple devices. The recently-released application comes at a time when the marketplace for golf-centric apps has become increasingly crowded. It seems like everyone and their cousin has an idea about how they can leverage technology to augment the game. Competition is stiff for anyone introducing yet another scoring device, GPS tracker or swing aid.

GolfMatch is uniquely suited to succeed because it’s none of those things. The app allows a person to discover other golfers in their area who are compatible with their playing style, handicap, age and other criteria. Essentially, it helps a golfer fill out their foursome from players with a common set of interests, eliminating the concern most people have about being randomly paired up minutes before a scheduled tee time.

[quote_box_center]“It all starts with the golfer,” Kratsios said. “You have to create a better experience for them. There’s a lot of tee-time aggregators out there, but what do they actually do to create a better golfing experience? Golfers want to play with other golfers at times that are convenient for them at courses at their price range. They also want to feel comfortable with someone their age or handicap and want to play from the same set of tees, because if you play from a different set of tees you already introduce a bit of disconnect.”[/quote_box_center]

GolfMatch got its start, ironically, through a series of random events. Kratsios took a job in digital advertising just after graduating from college in 2011. The idea for what would eventually become the GolfMatch app began gnawing on him shortly after he began working on an ad campaign for Nike Golf.

[quote_box_center]“They were coming out with a new glove and they wanted to target women, the ages of 36 to 50 in the Northeast between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.,” Kratsios said. “I was looking for more golf publishers for this campaign and I realized that there was nothing really being done to grow the game of golf from a technology standpoint. So I started to think about what I can do to bolster participation.”[/quote_box_center]

He met his first partner purely by accident when he tried to sprint to the train station from his office in the pouring rain.

[quote_box_center]“On the train, I sat down and saw this young lady sitting across from me laughing cause I looked ridiculous,” Kratsios said. “We started talking about what she did. She actually came out with an app for her company the day before and I mentioned that I had an idea for an app as well.”[/quote_box_center]

Kratsios and Jessica Brondo met for drinks the following day and began working on concepts. The third member of the company, Julio Rivera, was discovered through an acquaintance. At the time, Rivera was a mobile developer at Priceline.com. As coincidence would have it, Rivera was developing a similar idea in his off hours. Kratsios recognized the situation for the opportunity that it was and brought Rivera on board as the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer. Together, the pair have complimented each other and Kratsios credits Rivera’s insights as a novice golfer as being a critical factor in helping to bring the app to market.

golfmatch-img1

[quote_box_center]“I spent six months putting together financial models and go-to-market strategies,” Kratsios said. “I really knew what I wanted to focus on while still working at 24/7 Media. I was offered a promotion to join the media sales team as an account executive. I turned down the promotion, quit my job and moved home in the same day. I really took a risk.”[/quote_box_center]

Eisenhower

It took me a good 20 minutes to navigate the maze of parking lots flanking both ends of Eisenhower Park. I thought I was lucky to find a prime spot near the driving range, but I barely had a chance to stretch my legs when I was told the clubhouse was across the street and that I needed to drive back into the busy two-lane road that cut through the property like a major artery.

Kratsios arrived a few minutes later. It was my second time getting together with him and I was starting to recognize the signature spring in his step, the relaxed posture and the easy-going vibe.

We made our way inside a red-brick building that wasn’t much of a clubhouse, even by public muni standards. The old-fashioned ticketing counters where customers made tee-time inquires and paid their green fees conveyed all the warmth of an off-track betting site.

I was beginning to wonder how a place like this could have hosted the 1926 PGA Championship won by none other than the legendary Walter Hagen. In a friendly gesture, Peter placed a hand on my shoulder and told me not to judge the place until we were on the course. Growing up on Long Island, Eisenhower belonged to a rota of courses he competed on as a junior golfer.

His introduction to the game came at age seven when a neighbor offered to take him to the driving range. Naturally athletic, Kratsios found the act of hitting a golf ball easy from the get-go. For a while he juggled baseball, basketball and golf; eventually, golf won out. He excelled at it first in high school and then at Gettysburg College, starting all four years on the school’s NCAA Division III varsity team.

These days, he channels his competitive nature into running his fledgling start-up. Although he belongs to a private country club on Long Island’s North Shore, more often than not he comes out to places like Eisenhower, Bethpage or Van Cortlandt where he can get his company’s product in front of course owners and potential customers.

Relationship-building, Kratsios told me, is the key component for making GolfMatch a success. The software app that he and his partners have built can help course operators better identify golfers who have either played their courses or are considering playing them in the future. To put it plainly, a lot of munis need all the help they can get. Within Long Island alone there remains a handful of clubs that don’t take advantage of an automated tee-time reservation system. And even among those facilities that are technologically in step, most use a trial-and-error approach to find ways to incentivize people to come back.

[quote_box_center]“We’re providing a value-added service for every organization and every course that we work with,” Kratsios said. “We want to allow [course owners] to be in the drivers seat to keep their community and target them. Everyone loves that. Nobody is saying we’re hesitant to work with you. Everybody wants to bring more people to the course and to sell more tee times.”[/quote_box_center]

For a small service fee, GolfMatch helps course owners design and distribute bi-monthly marketing campaigns to a targeted list of golfers who have played or wish to play that course from data collected in the app. For course owners, these campaigns drive awareness to their properties, increase retention among existing customers and ultimately lead to additionally sold tee times.

There are about 2,000 active accounts on the GolfMatch platform. Rather than spend money on traditional marketing, Kratsios has leveraged social media, specifically Instagram, to connect with early adopters.

“We really pride ourselves on the community we’ve built on a social basis,” Kratsios said.

The GolfMatch Instagram account has over 8,000 followers and each post generates hundreds of likes. It’s a simple and effective way to connect with a broad spectrum of golfing enthusiasts.

golfmatch-img2

Like other entrepreneurs in the golfing industry, Kratsios is passionate about increasing participation in the game. Although he’s young and tech-savvy, Kratsios has some old-school views about how the game should be played. He applauds any effort by an individual or organization to get people interested in golf, but he’s not personally enthused about courses altering their greens by cutting holes the size of dinner plates, as TaylorMade’s “Hack Golf” initiative has supported.

He conceded that the game can be outlandishly expensive at times, and it’s certainly difficult to play at a high level, but those factors on their own aren’t driving people away or keeping new ones from taking it up. But combine those things with individuals consistently having lousy experiences on the course and you have the makings of a mass exodus.

Over the course of five hours, our playing partners turned out to be reasonably good companions, offsetting what they lacked in playing ability. Although they didn’t look the part, they were no less enthusiastic about the game than any of the old-money members of Shinnecock. With all the holdups we endured between holes, there was plenty of time to make small talk about golf (do fans really miss Tiger?) and about courses (how tough is Bethpage Black?).

As we all know from experience, a blind pairing works out fine on occasion; most times it doesn’t. If you’ve ever teed off with a golfer who hits a 5 iron farther than you hit your driver, then you know what I mean. A better player hangs out in the middle of the fairway waiting to play their approach while you spend a chunk of your round communing with squirrels.

Sometimes it’s not a mismatch of skill, but of attitude. You can’t expect a foursome to function if half the players show up to the course to play for bragging rights while the other half are there to socialize, chug beers or smoke blunts.

Insofar as the GolfMatch app is concerned, it might not always suggest a perfect foursome, but it has parameters in place to help an individual discover other golfers who view the game as a way to compete or a way to have fun, or anything in-between.

[quote_box_center]“I think everybody understands that the game needs to change; we need to innovate in order to get back some of those golfers that have left and to bring new ones into the game,” Kratsios said. “People at first might be a little confused about how we’re going to bridge that gap. But after we explain our story, it’s eye-brow raising.”[/quote_box_center]

Bridging The Gap

There wouldn’t be much to the GolfMatch story without the actual software app that Rivera, the company’s technology partner, coded entirely on his own under the duress of high expectations and demanding time constraints.

Given those circumstances, the initial release was naturally light on features. The app allowed a person to search for other golfers using a limited set of filters. The same approach applied to finding courses nearby. If you wanted to connect with a golfer, you clicked a button to follow them and crossed your fingers. Attempting to schedule an outing with other GolfMatch users was a crapshoot: a message to your followers may or may not have gotten noticed. Still, even with limited functionality, Kratsios was able to get members of the golf industry and investors excited about the app’s potential.

With the recently-released second iteration of the app, Kratsios and Rivera are planning to blow people away with a bevy of features that expands the software’s capability beyond that of a simple rolodex of golfing buddies.

The new match feature lets users look for pre-existing matches or post new ones to the platform. Once a match is created the owner can fill out the slots in his or her foursome from a list of friends, even from contacts who do not have profiles on GolfMatch. Schedule a day and time for your match and a push notification will be sent out to users who have been invited to participate.

If none of your personal contacts are into golf and you don’t know anyone on the platform, simply post your match to the GolfMatch community at large. A new set of filters help users discover public matches based on location and distance, as well by course name, or type of game (friendly, competitive, wager, family, or networking). If a match catches someone’s eye, they’ll make a request to join.

The experience of creating and filling matches has been engineered to be as seamless as possible. If one of your invitees drops out of your foursome, the match can be resurfaced.

“This allows the match to potentially get filled and to provide revenue for the golf course so that the tee time and green fee isn’t lost,” Kratsios said.

The only way setting up a match could be any easier is with a built-in tee-time aggregator, and if you don’t think Kratsios is working on making that happen, then you’re underestimating his resourcefulness.

If anything is going to prevent GolfMatch from fulfilling it’s potential, it’s the glacial rate of adoption. As Kratsios was quick to point out to me through our closing stretch at Eisenhower, the success of the platform hinges on being able to cultivate a large-scale community.

To that end, Kratsios has struck up relationships with Ship Sticks and the PGA Tour Superstore. These opportunities, and others like it, expose the GolfMatch brand to a highly coveted list of customers. In return, the GolfMatch platform allows these businesses to offer an on-the-course experience that complements their brick-and-mortar operations.

“[PGA Tour Superstore] want to transform their stores into a golf experience,” Kratsios said. “They want people to come in the morning and stay there all day on their simulators. When someone buys something at their store we want to help them bring that customer back in and to transform their consumers into our users.”

Kratsios is unabashedly proud of what his team (which has fewer members than most rock bands) has been able to accomplish in just 12 months. Although he’s only 25, Kratsios has all the characteristics of a classic workaholic. He sleeps with a plugged in iPad by his side, “cause you never know” as he said. Even the golf course, which has always been a refuge for him, now doubles as a place of business. Kratsios keeps his golf bag stocked with extra tees, balls and plenty of GolfMatch paraphernalia. It’s not uncommon to see him attaching marketing materials to the steering wheels of unattended golf carts. He acknowledges that running a start-up isn’t easy or glamorous.

On the teeing ground on the last hole at Eisenhower, Kratsios implored us to bear down and go for par, but it didn’t play out like a scene from Hoosiers. The less accomplished members of our group recorded doubles and triples. Even Peter wrote a bogey on his card. Out of the four of us, Kratsios was the only one who didn’t need advanced arithmetic to tally up his score.

It’s not about what you shoot, Kratsios told me afterwards. Easy for you to say, I said.

Dismissing my wisecrack, he told me the game of golf will be fine. The secret to its longevity and resilience is the camaraderie people develop when they take up the game.

[quote_box_center]”That’s the story that needs to be conveyed to future generations of golfers in all these grow-the-game initiatives,” he said.[/quote_box_center]

It’s no coincidence that GolfMatch is an attempt to do just that.

Your Reaction?
  • 1
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Rusty Cage is a contributing writer for GolfWRX, one of the leading publications online for news, information and resources for the connected golfer. His articles have covered a broad spectrum of topics - equipment and apparel reviews, interviews with industry leaders, analysis of the pro game, and everything in between. Rusty's path into golf has been an unusual one. He took up the game in his late thirties, as suggested by his wife, who thought it might be a good way for her husband to grow closer to her father. The plan worked out a little too well. As his attraction to the game grew, so did his desire to take up writing again after what amounted to 15-year hiatus from sports journalism dating back to college. In spite of spending over a dozen years working in the technology sector as a backend programmer in New York City, Rusty saw an opportunity with GolfWRX and ran with it. A graduate from Boston University with a Bachelor's in journalism, Rusty's long term aspirations are to become one of the game's leading writers, rising to the standard set by modern-day legends like George Peper, Mark Frost and Dan Jenkins. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: August 2014 Fairway Executive Podcast Interview http://golfindustrytrainingassociation.com/17-rusty-cage-golf-writer (During this interview I discuss how golf industry professionals can leverage emerging technologies to connect with their audience.)

63 Comments

63 Comments

  1. James

    Aug 12, 2014 at 9:08 am

    This app is just another waste. If I go to the course alone I want to play alone. If the course wants me to play with people I do not know, guess what I go somewhere else. I do not like playing with strangers. Being in SC also, we do not have overloaded golf courses like in NY…so this app again is a waste in that regard.

    the app that should be presented is showing people how to play golf faster. When your partner is in the sand trap hitting or where ever, don’t sit there in the cart and wait for him to finish before going to your ball. Grab a club, go to your ball, be ready…your partner once he is finishes comes to you…just this simple thing can speed up rounds a lot.

    And golf is down because disposable income is nowhere to be found. What killed golf was higher gas prices. For example, last year I spent over 3,000 bucks in gas. That amount in 2001 pre 9/11 would have been 800…giving me 2,200 to blow on golf……and back then I made the same thing yet I played 5 times a week, now I play 1-2 times a month.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Oct 20, 2014 at 3:28 pm

      James,

      I appreciate your feedback, as constructive criticism is the only way our product will get better. That being said, I would like to reflect on a few key points you made…

      You highlighted pace of play and $$ of golf as key contributors for declining play. Aside from our ability to connect golfers, our ability to solve fundamental problems for golfers that are time constrained and price sensitive is what makes our product so valuable to the golf industry. Although pace of play will never be completely solved due to human nature, finding time to play with buddies when it is convenient for you IS important to a large majority of the golfing population. Also, finding golf courses in your price range IS hard if you are not fully aware of the rates at all nearby facilities.

      We strive to solve those problems.

      Helping drive awareness to local courses is also very important to us. Although you may not find the same overcrowding issues that NY courses face, that trend is detrimental to the local courses you play. Without enough golfers, they cannot sustain revenue, and if they cannot keep up with costs, they will be forced to shut down. More than 150 courses shut down last year, while only 14 opened. That is a huge issue.

      We are very passionate about bettering the game of golf and growing participation, so if you could please email me directly at [email protected] I would love to discuss your thoughts on how to best solve the issues you and other golfers you know typically deal with.

      All the best,

      Peter

  2. Dave

    Aug 10, 2014 at 9:32 am

    If the key to saving golf is more social media gimmicks like this… I have no doubt that giving up the game is in my future…

    Thankfully I am pretty sure this is not the answer… the game needs to be bit more friendly for the average player.. and until it is I just don’t see it maintaining a level of mass appeal the industry would like to have.

  3. AS

    Jun 24, 2014 at 9:26 am

    Rounds are down. Have been for years. As the dollars poured in for new designs and better clubhouses the true sense of the game was diluted in a where it was more of a status symbol then a the wonderful game so many of us innocently played in the day. Looking back Tennis had its run when on a Saturday afternoon there was always a town employee to sign you up for an hour later in the day. Today every court you drive by is always open. The app sounds great. Too bad I have a droid so I can not look for some new faces to play with.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 25, 2014 at 9:25 am

      AS- I like the comparison to Tennis because there are many parallels between the two, and I’m also a huge Jets fan, so I love your profile icon! The Android version will 100% be released at some point this year…stay tuned!

  4. KK

    Jun 19, 2014 at 10:58 am

    American values are becoming more and more distant from golf values. That’s the big problem, IMO. It’s ok. Let’s just all move to Australia.

  5. Adam

    Jun 19, 2014 at 8:30 am

    Not sure what your point in giving digs to Eisenhower is. The app has nothing to do with the course you played. Many people don’t have the privilege to belong to North Shore, private clubs. They have to endure the old brick clubhouses of the muni. It’s odd that we all bemoan the decline of golf, but in the same breath act like royalty when we are paired up with people we judge to be beneath us. I have been playing golf all over Long Island my entire life and have rarely if ever, had to play with people who ruined my round. It’s a joy to meet new folks, not a burden.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 19, 2014 at 10:34 am

      Adam,

      I too find meeting new folks on the golf course to be an absolute pleasure. It is important to note that GolfMatch was not created to eliminate the idea of meeting new folks, it was created to help golfers find their ideal experience with golfers they want to play with at the courses they wish to play at.

      It is always nice broadening your network of golfing buddies.

  6. JDB

    Jun 19, 2014 at 5:42 am

    I think I would rather pair up with 22 year old hackers than 70 year olds who can still play decent. Pace of play is better with the young guys and they don’t piss themselves during their round. Honestly, that happened to me when I got paired with a 73 year old last year. I don’t think he knew he pissed himself, but he did. And just because you’re 100 years old doesn’t mean you don’t have to let me play through. When the old stop playing the young will start. Until then, I will have to suffer watching the elderly line up a six inch putt because it’s worth a buck!!!

    • Dan

      Jun 19, 2014 at 4:08 pm

      You mean the 22 year old hackers that don’t know when to be quiet, hit it all over the place, cant get out of the sand, wait for the green to clear when they are 235 yds out (but can only drive it 200 off the tee), spend the day on their cell phones and have no clue about etiquette????

      I’ll take the old guys and the Asian women at Bethpage, both of whom play pretty fast, b/c they don’t wait to hit their 2nd shot, have decent short games and dont f*ck around on the course

      • Mark M

        Jun 19, 2014 at 5:24 pm

        I’m not saying your wrong, but we all have to recognize that golf is a recreational activity. Not everyone will take it seriously and that’s ok. Hacking it around and screwing around on the course is someone’s idea of how to enjoy golf, and sorry but if you are not a professional that is relying on golf to feed your family you can’t criticize them. Also, the hackers are subsidizing your play because their green fees and beer money is helping to keep the course running. I don’t want to argue this, and I’m not saying your wrong, but this is the reality. Golf has long been in trouble because the attitude of the avid golfer to the casual rec player has always been one of contempt and smugness. It turns people off fast and scares those who might become serious players away before they even realize how much fun it can be.

        Join a private club and you’ll have a better chance of finding like minded players. Or play off hours (times when you only find avid golfers) at muni or public courses.

        The app is a great idea, by the way.

        • Dan

          Jun 20, 2014 at 9:56 am

          @ Mark M

          Not sure where you live or play, but luckily at Bethpage, even as a public facility is known to attract the better player and it shows. And while there are plenty of long rounds out there and no real marshals, the folks that play here luckily are not the 22 year old hackers, likely due to the demographics of Nassau County and Western Suffolk. Mostly 30s and up and most people can play, pretty well. And the ones who cant are usually marshaled by the group they are in. I dont care if you are a bad golfer, just dont be an idiot. IS that too much to ask?

          But perhaps its different where you play. As far JDB’s little story (as off color as it is), he’s dead wrong about the pace of play, for the reasons I described above. If you think that embracing the golf customer that “Hacking it around and screwing around on the course is someone’s idea of how to enjoy golf” is the future of golf, then say hello 6+ hour rounds and fights on the golf course. Bright future…………

          No I’m not a professional golfer, but I am someone when expects to finish a golf round in 5 hours, and its not my job to make sure that people who are learning the game can “screw around” on the golf course feel welcome. I play with good and bad. But they are mostly all “golfers”, not hacks who disregard the etiquette of this great game.

      • palboheitmeyer

        Jun 20, 2014 at 4:32 pm

        +1

      • Don

        Jun 24, 2014 at 2:09 pm

        Amen brother!

    • Jack

      Jun 20, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Wow. That’s disheartening to hear. I’ve played with senior golfers and they usually teach me a thing or two. Very pleasant and usually shoot a better score than any young hacker out there. Pay attention and you might learn something.

  7. paul

    Jun 19, 2014 at 12:24 am

    I will stick to playing silly early in the morning with random strangers. In two years I only met one group I didn’t like. Lots of interesting people play at 6:00am.

    • Matt

      Jun 19, 2014 at 11:34 am

      Agreed Paul, I love walking up and meeting new people. You never know who you are going to meet and I have rarely played with someone that I didn’t enjoy getting to know. For the guy that gave the 70 year old a hard time, I have to say that one of my favorite rounds this year was with an older fellow how was a blast to play with. He didn’t hit it 300 yards but was great to talk to. In my experience, these are the guys that hit it straight and play faster than the younger guys who spend more time drinking and looking for their ball in the woods. Give him a break and show some respect!

  8. Neil

    Jun 18, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    The same idea was made years ago in Japan.

  9. Joe S

    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    This app has worked out great for me so far. I always had the problem of being paired up with people of different skill levels than me and its not fun for anyone. Last week GolfMatch paired me with a a foursome of people I did not know, and now were planning another round. I highly suggest using this app

  10. blink3665

    Jun 18, 2014 at 5:48 pm

    Great idea. I often end up playing on my own because my friends can’t golf at the same times as I can. This would make getting paired up with like minded/skilled golfers much easier. That being said, usage will have to increase significantly before this app will gain any traction. It doesn’t do me much good if there are only 100 people in my area that use the app and only a percentage of them match up with me.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 18, 2014 at 8:00 pm

      I couldn’t agree more. It is definitely a product that works better with more users. We have made it a priority to partner with some of the largest golf organizations in the United States to reach critical mass not only on a National scale, but also on a local level.

      The match feature allows you to invite your buddies via text or email to help organically create matches with golfers who have yet to download the app.

      Hopefully we can play together at some point this summer!

  11. Philip

    Jun 18, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    I pair myself with random golfers every time I play on the weekend. Love it! Play with women, play with men, kids, older and younger people. Never had any issues – maybe because I just go with the flow and focus on enjoying myself.

    The only thing wrong with golf is 5 1/2+ hours rounds – a shrinking golfer base will help correct that issue and prices. Only the manufacturers/courses need a growing market – because that is how owners/shareholders think. If they are not growing, they are dying. Why are prices are always increasing? It is an artificial way of increasing sales without actually selling more.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 18, 2014 at 8:04 pm

      Philip- A shrinking golfer base definitely hurts the manufacturers and the courses, but the real shame in the situation is that if courses continue to lose golfers (aka revenue) they will slowly but surely close. Less golfers, means less wait on the course, which means a faster round….but that is a slippery slope!

      • Philip

        Jun 18, 2014 at 9:59 pm

        For sure, especially when our western business culture only knows grow or die. That being said, what I see really helping golf would be for people to play off the proper tees, which is never going to happen as long as the forward tees are referred to as woman’s tees.

        Another thing that could help and would work well with your app is for courses to set up times for playing based on handicap (official or just copies of a players last 5-8 rounds) and give priority to the better players. If the times do not fill up than higher handicaps can fill the slots. This would tend to put newer players at the end of the day when rates are cheaper and would maximize the number of rounds played in a day as the better players would tear through the course.

        A day could get divided into 3-4 blocks and as long as say 3 players were at the specified handicap level they could add a 4th person of any handicap as they would help to show the newer person that golf can be fun and not to long to play.

        Food for thought

      • Dan

        Jun 22, 2014 at 12:42 pm

        I believe courses should have a limit on how long a group can be on the course. For example say 4 hrs. If your 4 hrs is up and you only completed 16 holes, it will teach you to play faster.

        I gre up caddying and while the course was packed rounds were always completed in under 4:15

  12. terry

    Jun 18, 2014 at 5:16 pm

    not a bad idea. but as golfers, who are we saving the game for? what is our purpose in all of this? why should we be concerned with “saving the game?” what are we saving? it sounds to me like this game grew at a very rapid pace in a short amount of time and now everyone that’s heavily invested in it is scrambling to not let the market shrink more than it has. they are trying to scare golfers into thinking this is a life of death situation. when in reality, i would prefer a market correction. i would prefer for club prices to drop. i would prefer there to be less club companies. i would prefer to pay less for golf. i don’t need a $500 shaft to add 20 yards to my tee shot. professionals don’t need to make $1 million dollars for winning a pga tour event. the game was simple 20 years ago. it was fun and easy to enjoy. now its a chore. now its a headache. now you feel like a dumbass when you shoot 90 after investing $2200 into a new set of custom fit clubs. let the market correct itself.

    • chris

      Jun 19, 2014 at 12:33 am

      Could not have typed it better myself…

      Its like the housing crisis of sports, she will bounce back

    • Justin

      Jun 19, 2014 at 9:51 am

      +1

  13. Jeremy Beale

    Jun 18, 2014 at 5:07 pm

    This is my very problem. As much as I like playing with older gentlemen, sometimes I just want to play with a group of young 20 somethings like myself.

    However, where I think this App would help find my target demographic, I don’t think it would help grow the game for my benefit.

    Sad, truth Golf is an oldman’s sport.

    • Tony Lynam

      Jun 19, 2014 at 10:04 am

      I am 51 years old and play to a 5 handicap. Having spent 30 years in the Marines, I am still in great shape and have remained very athletic. Recently played with a friend in his early 30s (who has won the Outback Pro/Am and club championship) and the assistant pro in his late 20s, at his course. Played from the tips at 7000 plus yards and I out shot the assistant pro and hung with my friend for the most part. I like playing with people at any age as long as they have a game at my level, I will take that over playing with old or young golfers who are just hacking up the course. I hate when starters pair you up with golfers when it is pretty obvious our games are at different ends of the spectrum. Socially it all works out, but when you are their to play at a high level, it is a burden.

      • Jeremy Beale

        Jun 19, 2014 at 11:28 am

        Yea, I am a military kid born and raised and I also have been playing golf since I could remember(2 Handicap). The tips are my friend lol.

        But, I seldom ever (if at all) play with any young adults. Especially my friends because they are intimidated by my game. All I want is to do is have fun. But, like I said golf is not a huge sport for 20 somethings. The major golf demographic is between 35 and 55.

        I just want to play with the young adults who talk about everything, but the “real world”. Skill level/Handicap is not everything and if it is well golf is no longer just a game.

        • Jack

          Jun 20, 2014 at 10:07 pm

          Your friends are intimidated? I love playing with friends who are better than me. Lots to learn.

        • Dan

          Jun 22, 2014 at 12:44 pm

          20 something’s can’t find jobs to pay for golf

  14. John-Russell

    Jun 18, 2014 at 4:52 pm

    As a fairly new golfer, one of the biggest issues I came across was finding people with similar skill level to myself to go out and play with. GolfMatch has alleviated this problem for me. I have been able to set up multiple pairings with golfers in my area, with similar skill sets to myself which has resulted in a much more enjoyable round of golf for myself and the people I have met and played with from using GolfMatch. Just an all around great idea! I would recommend GolfMatch to anyone who is looking for that perfect pairing for a great round of golf!!

  15. William Wente

    Jun 18, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    Great Article!! Love what GolfMatch has done, and I’m excited to see where this App can go. This App can be extremely beneficial for golf courses.. It seems ridiculous that with the technologies avaliable today, I can still struggle to find pictures or information on golf courses, and this often leads to me playing elsewhere, or courses I’ve played. Keep it up guys!!

  16. Anthony

    Jun 18, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    Maze of parking lots?????
    Did you miss the sign that says golf course/2nd left (if coming in from Merrick Ave).

    This is my home track… You just need to know when to play Eisenhower to play rounds under 4 hours like we do every Saturday and Sunday morning. Get there between 3:30A-4A to be one of the 1st five groups out on the Red.

    And that will back up the argument why golf is not growing.

  17. Ken

    Jun 18, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    GolfMatch makes so much sense! I frequently play as a single and would jump at an opportunity to check GM before heading to the course. I can see that the app might also serve to organize tournaments and generate additional interest. Nice job!

  18. sgniwder99

    Jun 18, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    “As we all know from experience, a blind pairing works out fine on occasion; most times it doesn’t.”

    Now there’s an unfounded assertion if ever I’ve heard one. This is far from being something “we all know from experience.” It’s not true at all in my experience. The vast majority of people I’ve been paired with have been friendly and enjoyable to play a round of golf with. In fact, I can only remember a couple of problem pairings at all, and I’ve been playing golf as a single for most of my life.

    Rather than an app to make sure you never have to play with someone who’s not just like you, maybe some people need to learn to get along with different types of people a bit better.

  19. JOEL GOODMAN

    Jun 18, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    GOLF IS IN DECLINE FOR A COUPLE OF VERY SIMPLE REASONS. 1. THE COST TO ACQUIRE EQUIPMENT IS HIGH-MINIMUM $500 FOR ANYTHING USABLE, 2. GREENS FEES ARE HIGH ALSO-, IN FLORIDA IMPOSSIBLE TO PLAY FOR LESS THAN $25 AT ANYTIME. $100+ FOR THE NICE COURSES IN SEASON. 3. A ROUND OF GOLF IS 4 HOURS MINIMUM WITH 5 HOURS BEING NOT UNCOMMON. FIX ‘EM ALL AND THE GAME THRIVES..WHEN I WAS A KID WE PLAYED THE MUNI FOR 75 CENTS UNTIL WE REACHED 16 THEN IT WA $1.50

    • Rich

      Jun 19, 2014 at 12:23 am

      I think you need to realise it’s 2014, not 1914……..

      • Tony Lynam

        Jun 19, 2014 at 10:11 am

        Now that was funny! I live in Florida too and he had great points and should have left off the muni comment. He also failed to realize that Florida courses make their money on “snowbirds” coming down in season.

      • palboheitmeyer

        Jun 20, 2014 at 4:36 pm

        haha!

  20. Frank Dee

    Jun 18, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    Great article Rusty, but living in The Villages, Florida, I never have a problem being paired with golfers my age or handicap. With 36 executive Courses and 12 Championship courses, there’s always an opening @ one of the courses. Once the app is compatible with my Galaxy, I might be able to use it during the summer on Long Island.

    Frank Dee

  21. Ryan S

    Jun 18, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    You guys come all the way out to Long Island and you play Eisenhower Red? You must be a fan of a 6 hour round.

    Next time you should try out some local gems like Tall Grass or Great Rock.

    • Anthony

      Jun 18, 2014 at 4:11 pm

      Right…Because nobody has ever played a 5 hour round at Tall Grass or Great Rock during prime golfing hours. Especially Tall Grass when hackers hook the ball off 1 into the trees or slice it right into the fescue grass.

      I guess to play Eisenhower you have to do what my group of buddies do. Get to the course by 3:30A, set your chair down and sleep in your car so you are one of the 1st five groups out on Red. And if not, you will be first out on White. Then you can play in under 4 hours like us, and be home by 10:30…at least I can… I live close enough!

      And if you are lucky enough to be the 2nd group out on Red, because nobody beats that #1 group to the course, it’s like setting the pace with nobody in front. God Bless them.

      I will say Eisenhower has gone downhill since the new groundskeeper took over last year. She has ruined the course at times. It was an awesome track when they played the Champions Tour event there. Unfortunately that was a long time ago. But at the end of the day, they are still my home courses and don’t mind the early wake up calls and overnight sleeps in the car to tee off before 6:20A and be one of the 1st five groups.

      • Ryan S

        Jun 18, 2014 at 4:50 pm

        your friends seriously wake up that early to play at Eisenhower? Its justified to do that in order to play Bethpage Black or Red but i cant believe people do that for Eisenhower.

        If they are up that early why not drive the extra 20 minutes and hit up Bethpage? Even the green course at Bethpage is comparable to the Red course at Eisenhower.

        When i started out i played exclusively at Eisenhower until i realized how slow and infuriating all the courses are. Now i drive out east every weekend just to play a round in 4.5 hours. Better courses and better players.

        • Anthony

          Jun 19, 2014 at 12:40 pm

          I have a family, so it all started out for me as a time issue. The earlier I play, the earlier I get home. Then I became a regular there and got to know the other regulars. Soon enough I find myself in a group of guys rotating ever few weeks who sleeps over. The Red is one of the best courses on LI. I actually live 5 minutes from Bethpage. I drive the 15 to Eisenhower. It’s easier to get on I feel and don’t mind. Every weekend I am one of the 1st 4 groups out and am at the point I actually can’t play in the middle of the day because the pace even if at 4 hours sets me back. I’m so spoiled because there is always a hole open in front and behind with the regulars at Eisenhower. We are almost like a dysfunctional family every Sat and Sun lining up, checking chairs, and looking out for one another.

        • Anthony

          Jun 19, 2014 at 2:56 pm

          One more thing…

          The Green at Bethpage does not even compare to the Red at Eisenhower.

          The Red is a Championship Course that held a Senior PGA Tour Event for many years (The Commerce Bank Championship) that plays 6,400+ from the white tees and over 7,000+ from the tips. The Green maxes out at 6,000 yards with sever elevation changes that allows the course to play even shorter on some holes. It’s basically an executive course equivalent to Eisenhower Blue.

          I would consider any of the Eisenhower and Bethpage Courses my home because I’ve played them so much over the last decade, since moving out to Eastern Nassau County.

          • Peter Kratsios

            Jun 19, 2014 at 3:40 pm

            Anthony,

            I too grew up playing the Eisenhower courses, and continue to do so. The head pro, Mike Wade, taught me to play at an early age, introduced my to The First Tee program, and has been a huge influence in the development of GolfMatch. I would love to play Eisenhower with you and your buddies in the upcoming weeks.

            If you can create the match through GolfMatch, or join the one I organize, even better!

      • kasey

        Jun 19, 2014 at 3:14 am

        Why would anybody get up at 3:30 am to play that dog track? Sounds like a terrible experience just to play golf in under four hours. Sounds to me like the head pro has no clue how to run a tee sheet. Golf match solves a real problem for the majority. Great idea!

        • Anthony

          Jun 19, 2014 at 3:10 pm

          Because the earlier I get out the earlier I get home. When you have a family like I do, getting up when everyone is sleeping and only missing a couple of hours when the kids 1st wake up allows me to basically play as much golf as I want. There is nothing better than being the lead group at 5:40A on the White or Blue, 6:04A on the Red) and playing quick enough to not be waiting on a shot or have a group riding your rear end.

          I’d hardly call the Red Course a Dog Track. Holbrook CC is a dog track. Cantiague and Lido are dog tracks. The Red even though I think it has gone downhill the last year or so is still in GREAT Shape even on it’s worst days.

          The White has it’s issues, the fairway bunkers, and some greenside bunkers are hard and rocky, but overall the greens and fairways are in great shape.

          The White course design can get a little boring with every hold being elevated and almost the same sand trap design, but it’s different from the Red and a nice change of pace. Now if only the idiots that put the pin placements down would stop putting them on severe slopes and crowns it would be a much more enjoyable experience. I swear I want to ring their necks on certain days.

          The Blue Course was once the worst. Quite honestly after they added new sand greenside the course has been fine. The fairway bunkers are similar to the white, rocky and hard, but at least the holes vary and offer a variety of entry points. The only knock on the Blue is it plays only 6,000ish yards from the back tees. If they added another 350-500 yards to the course it would be right in line with all other amateur courses. They were supposedly doing that a few years back where they started to create new tee boxes, but then just left the project undone for whatever reason.

        • palboheitmeyer

          Jun 20, 2014 at 4:37 pm

          No way! I’m barely 1/3 thru my sleep at that time of the morning!

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 18, 2014 at 8:07 pm

      Ryan,

      We are Co-Sponsoring an event at Tall Grass July 27th. I think this will be right up your alley if you frequent that course! Stay tuned.

  22. Marc

    Jun 18, 2014 at 11:51 am

    Nice article to see. I haphazardly came across the app on the App Store while looking for a gps app, and I was pleasantly surprised with something different.

    The new match feature is awesome….totally brings the app full circle by grouping similar crappy golfers with myself lol…..kudos to those guys wish them nothing but the best!!!

    Thanks

  23. Max H

    Jun 18, 2014 at 11:51 am

    While on vacation last week in Florida, I used GolfMatch to find a game. Within 30 minutes, I was paired wih three gentlemen with similar handicaps as me and interested in the same type of game; Wager/Booze! GolfMatch is a great app for golfers of all skill levels and interests. I look forward to continuing to use GolfMatch!

  24. AJ

    Jun 18, 2014 at 11:30 am

    Whilst I appreciate this is a USA-centric article, the game isn’t in decline in the rest of the world from what I can make out.

    For me the biggest barrier to golfers in the US is simple: cash. Golf here in the UK is inexpensive (including all the top courses) and therefore the biggest hurdle of all isn’t there.

    There is also a massive over-saturation of the equipment marketplace, which simply didn’t exist even 10 years ago. I play with 6 year old blades and people look in my bag like I’m a freak.

  25. Brock

    Jun 18, 2014 at 11:06 am

    Not available for Android?? The biggest market share OS for smartphones and they only release it for Apple?

    Wow.

    • Peter Kratsios

      Jun 18, 2014 at 11:15 am

      Hi Brock,

      As one of the Co-Founders, I can assure you that we will be releasing an Android version shortly. Per the article, we have a small team and are working on perfecting the iOS platform before we tackle Android and Web. We look forward to hopefully having you on the Android version in the near future!

      Cheers,

      Peter

      • Brock

        Jun 18, 2014 at 12:02 pm

        Fantastic reply! I will definitely try it out when available. Thanks for the reply!

      • paul

        Jun 19, 2014 at 12:22 am

        Its always iOS first in the states because that is all kids want these days. Android is 2nd and maybe some day windows phone will see it to. Maybe…

    • Dan P

      Jun 18, 2014 at 11:21 am

      Most apps are released on IOS first because they don’t need as many iterations of it. Typically takes a few more months for the android app to come out (see Cyberdust a Mark Cuban app) since they need it for different operating systems, screen sizes, etc. I’m sure its in the works just takes lots of engineering.

    • Mat

      Jun 18, 2014 at 12:04 pm

      It’s always going to be that way. It’s just the reality of development, as Dan mentioned.

  26. Dan P

    Jun 18, 2014 at 11:05 am

    This app looks awesome, a great way for singles to pair up with people before heading out. Downloading it as we speak. As a former BU alum as well, Go Terriers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

Published

on

The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

  • 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
  • 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
  • 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
  • 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
  • 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

Key Stats For Copperhead

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

  1. Tony Finau (+.90)
  2. Nick Taylor (+.81)
  3. Justin Thomas (+.77)
  4. Greyson Sigg (+.69)
  5. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+91.3%) 
  2. Zach Johnson (+91.1%)
  3. Sam Ryder (+90.5%)
  4. Ryan Moore (+90.4%)
  5. Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1.32)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.29)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.24)
  4. Cameron Young (+1.17) 
  5. Doug Ghim (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+9.0)
  2. Xander Schauffele (+9.3)
  3. Austin Cook (+9.7) 
  4. Chesson Hadley (+10.0)
  5. Greyson Sigg (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1,71) 
  2. Min Woo Lee (+1.39)
  3. Cameron Young (+1.27)
  4. Jordan Spieth (+1.08)
  5. Justin Suh (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+3.75) 
  2. Sam Burns (+2.49)
  3. Davis Riley (+2.33)
  4. Matt NeSmith (+2.22)
  5. Jordan Spieth (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

  1. Xander Schauffele
  2. Doug Ghim
  3. Victor Perez
  4. Greyson Sigg
  5. Ryan Moore
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Justin Thomas
  8. Sam Ryder
  9. Sam Burns
  10. Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 (FanDuel)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 (FanDuel)

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 (BetRivers)

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 (FanDuel)

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

Your Reaction?
  • 4
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB1
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

Opinion & Analysis

Myrtle Beach, Explored: February in South Carolina

Published

on

As I gain in experience and age, and familiarity breeds neither contempt nor disdain, I understand why people return to a place. A destination like Myrtle Beach offers a sizable supply and diversity of restaurants, entertainment venues, and shops that are predicated on the tenets of the service industry. Greet your customers with a smile and a kind word, and they will find comfort and assurance. Provide them with a memorable experience and they will suggest your place of business to others.

My first tour of Myrtle Beach took place in the mid-1980s, and consisted of one course: Gator Hole. I don’t remember much from that day, and since Gator Hole closed a decade later, I cannot revisit it to recollect what I’d lost. Since then, I’ve come to the Grand Strand a few times, and been fortunate to never place a course more than once. I’ve seen the Strantz courses to the south and dipped my toe in the North Carolina courses of Calabash. I’ve been to many in the middle, including Dunes, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes among them.

2024 brought a quartet of new courses, including two at the Barefoot Resort. I’d heard about the North Myrtle Beach four-pack of courses that highlight the Barefoot property, including layouts from Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Greg Norman. I had the opportunity to play and shoot the Dye and Fazio tracks, which means that I’ll have to return to see the other two. Sandwiched between them were the TPC-Myrtle Beach course, also from Tom Fazio, and the Pawley’s Plantation trace, by the hand of Jack Nicklaus. I anticipated a bit of the heroic, and bit of the strategic, and plenty of eye candy. None of those architects would ever be considered a minimalist, so there would be plenty of in-play and out-of-play bunkers and mounds to tantalize the senses.

My nephew arrived a few days early, to screen a few more courses. As a result, you the reader will have an extra quarter of mini-reviews, bringing the total of courses in this piece to eight. It was inconceivable that CJR would play four courses that I had never played nor photographed, but that was the case. His words appear at the end of this piece. We hope that you enjoy the tour.

Main Feature: Two Barefoots, a TPC, and Pawley’s Plantation

Barefoot Dye

What Paul “Pete” Dye brought back from his trips to the United Kingdom, hearkened back to what C.B. MacDonal did, some 65 years prior. There is a way of finding bunkers and fairways, and even green sites, that does not require major industrial work. The Dye course at Barefoot Resorts takes you on a journey over the rumpled terrain of distant places. If there’s one element missing, it’s the creased and turbulent fairways, so often found in England and Ireland. The one tenet of playing a Dye course, is to always aim away from temptation, from where your eyes draw you. Find the safe side of the target, and you’ll probably find your ball. It then stands that you will have a shot for your next attempt. Cut the corner, and you might have need to reload. The Barefoot course begins gently, in terms of distance, but challenges with visual deception. After two brief 4s and a 3, the real work begins. The course is exposed enough, to allow the coastal winds to dance along the fairways. Be ready to keep the ball low and take an extra club or two.

TPC-Myrtle Beach

If memory serves, TPCMB is my first trek around a TPC-branded course. It had all the trappings of a tour course, from the welcome, through the clubhouse, to the practice facilities and, of course, the course. TPC-Myrtle Beach is a Tom Fazio design, and if you never visit Augusta National, you’ll now have an idea of what it is like. You play Augusta’s 16th hole twice at TPCMB, and you enjoy it both times. Fazio really likes the pond-left, green-angle-around par three hole, and his two iterations of it are memorable.

You’ll also see those Augusta bunkers, the ones with the manicured edges that drop into a modestly-circular form. What distinguishes these sand pits is the manner in which they rise from the surrounding ground. They are unique in that they don’t resemble the geometric bunkering of a Seth Raynor, nor the organic pits found in origin courses. They are built, make no mistake, and recovery from them is manageable for all levels of bunker wizardry.

Barefoot Fazio

If you have the opportunity to play the two Tom Fazio courses back to back, you’ll notice a marked difference in styling. Let me digress for a moment, then circle back with an explanation. It was written that the NLE World Woods course designed by Fazio, Pine Barrens, was an homage to Pine Valley, the legendary, New Jersey club where Fazio is both a member and the architect on retainer. The Pine Barrens course was plowed under in 2022, so the homage no longer exists. At least, I didn’t think that it existed, until I played his Barefoot Resort course in North Myrtle Beach.

Pine Valley might be described as an aesthetic of scrub and sand. There are mighty, forced carries to travers, along with sempiternal, sandy lairs to avoid. Barefoot Fazio is quite similar. If you’re not faced with a forced carry, you’ll certainly contend with a fairway border or greenside necklace of sand. When you reach the 13th tee, you’ll face a drive into a fairway, and you might see a distant green, with a notable absence: flagstick. The 13th is the icing on the homage cake, a callout of the 8th hole at Pine Valley. Numero Ocho at the OG has two greens, side by side, and they change the manner in which the hole plays (so they say.) At Barefoot Fazio, the right-side green is a traditional approach, with an unimpeded run of fairway to putting surface. The left-side green (the one that I was fortunate to play) demands a pitch shot over a wasteland. It’s a fitting tribute for the rest of us to play.

Be certain to parrot the starter, Leon’s, advice, and play up a deck of tees. Barefoot Fazio offers five par-three holes, so the fours and fives play that much longer. Remember, too, that you are on vacation. Why not treat yourself to some birdie looks?

Pawley’s Plantation

The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawley’s Plantation emerged from a period of hibernation in 2024. The greens were torn up and their original contours were restored. Work was overseen by Troy Vincent, a member of the Nicklaus Architecture team. In addition, the putting corridors were reseeded with a hardier, dwarf bermuda that has experienced great success, all along the Grand Strand that is Myrtle Beach.

My visit allowed me to see the inward half first, and I understand why the resort wishes to conclude your day on those holes. The front nine of Pawley’s Plantation works its way through familiar, low country trees and wetlands. The back nine begins in similar fashion, then makes its way east, toward the marsh that separates mainland from Pawley’s Island. Recalling the powerful sun of that Wednesday morning, any round beginning on the second nine would face collateral damage from the warming star. Much better to hit holes 11 to close when the sun is higher in the sky.

The marshland holes (12 through 17) are spectacular in their raw, unprotected nature. The winds off the Atlantic are unrelenting and unforgiving, and the twin, par-three holes will remain in your memory banks for time’s march. In typical Golden Bear fashion, a majority of his putting targets are smallish in nature, reflecting his appreciation for accurate approach shots. Be sure to find the forgiving side of each green, and err to that portion. You’ll be grateful.

Bonus Coverage: Myrtlewood, Beechwood, Arrowhead, and King’s North

Arrowhead (Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson)

A course built in the middle of a community, water threatens on most every hole. The Cypress 9 provides a few holes forcing a carried drive then challenge you with water surrounding the green. On Waterway, a drivable 2nd hole will tempt most, so make sure the group ahead has cleared the green.

Myrtlewood (Edmund Alt and Arthur Hills) and Beechwood (Gene Hamm)

A middle of the winter New Englander’s paradise. Wide open fairways, zero blind shots and light rough allow for shaking off the rust and plenty of forgiveness. A plethora of dog legs cause one to be cautious with every tee shot. Won’t break the bank nor the scorecard.

King’s North @ Myrtle Beach National (Arnold Palmer)

A signature Arnold Palmer course, waste areas, island greens and daring tee shots. Highlighted by the 4th hole Par 5 Gambler hole, if you can hit the smaller fairway on the left you are rewarded with a short approach to get to the green in 2. The back 9 is highlighted by an island green par 3 and a finisher with over 40 bunkers spread throughout. A challenge for any golfer.
Your Reaction?
  • 2
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Players Championship betting preview: Pete Dye specialists ready to pass tough TPC Sawgrass test

Published

on

The PGA Tour heads to TPC Sawgrass to play in one of the most prestigious and important events of the season: THE PLAYERS Championship. Often referred to as the fifth major, the importance of a PLAYERS victory to the legacy of a golfer can’t be overlooked.

TPC Sawgrass is a par-72 measuring 7,245 yards and featuring Bermudagrass greens. Golfers must be patient in attacking this Pete Dye course.

With trouble lurking at every turn, the strokes can add up quickly. With a par-5 16th that is a true risk-reward hole and the famous par-3 17th island green, the only safe bet at TPC Sawgrass is a bet on an exciting finish.

THE PLAYERS Championship field is often referred to as the strongest field of the year — and with good reason. There are 144 in the field, including 43 of the world’s top 50 players in the OWGR. Tiger Woods will not be playing in the event.

THE PLAYERS is an exceptionally volatile event that has never seen a back-to-back winner.

Past Winners at TPC Sawgrass

  • 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-17)
  • 2022: Cameron Smith (-13)
  • 2021: Justin Thomas (-14)
  • 2019: Rory McIlroy (-16)
  • 2018: Webb Simpson (-18)
  • 2017: Si-Woo Kim (-10)
  • 2016: Jason Day (-15)
  • 2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

5 Key Stats for TPC Sawgrass

Let’s take a look at five metrics key for TPC Sawgrass to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach has historically been far and away the most important and predictive stat at THE PLAYERS Championship. With water everywhere, golfers can’t afford to be wild with their iron shots. Not only is it essential to avoid the water, but it will also be as important to go after pins and make birdies because scores can get relatively low.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.37) 
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.20)
  3. Tony Finau (+0.99)
  4. Jake Knapp (+0.83)
  5. Shane Lowry (+0.80)

2. Total Driving

This statistic is perfect for TPC Sawgrass. Historically, driving distance hasn’t been a major factor, but since the date switch to March, it’s a bit more significant. During this time of year, the ball won’t carry quite as far, and the runout is also shorter.

Driving accuracy is also crucial due to all of the trouble golfers can get into off of the tee. Therefore, players who are gaining on the field with Total Driving will put themselves in an ideal spot this week.

Total Driving Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Rory McIlroy (22)
  2. Akshay Bhatia (25)
  3. Keith Mitchell (25) 
  4. Adam Hadwin (34)
  5. Sam Burns (+39)

3. Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

TPC Sawgrass may be Pete Dye’s most famous design, and for good reason. The course features Dye’s typical shaved runoff areas and tricky green complexes.  Pete Dye specialists love TPC Sawgrass and should have a major advantage this week.

SG: Total (Pete Dye) per round over past 36 rounds:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.02)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.90)
  3. Min Woo Lee (+1.77) 
  4. Sungjae Im (+1.72)
  5. Brian Harman (+1.62) 

4. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Prototypical ball-strikers have dominated TPC Sawgrass. With past winners like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, it’s evident that golfers must be striking it pure to contend at THE PLAYERS.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.02)
  2. Tony Finau (+1.51)
  3. Tom Hoge (+1.48)
  4. Keith Mitchell (+1.38)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.18)

5. Par 5 Average

Par-5 average is extremely important at TPC Sawgrass. With all four of the Par-5s under 575 yards, and three of them under 540 yards, a good amount of the scoring needs to come from these holes collectively.

Par 5 Average Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Schefler (+4.31)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+4.35)
  3. Doug Ghim (+4.34)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+4.34)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+4.31)

6. Strokes Gained: Florida

We’ve used this statistic over the past few weeks, and I’d like to incorporate some players who do well in Florida into this week’s model as well. 

Strokes Gained: Florida over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.43)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+1.78)
  3. Doug Ghim (+1.78)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+1.73)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+1.69)

7. Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger

With water everywhere at TPC Sawgrass, the blow-up potential is high. It can’t hurt to factor in some players who’ve avoided the “eject” button most often in the past. 

Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.08)
  2. Rory McIlroy (+1.82)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.62)
  4. Patrick Cantlay (+1.51)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.49)

THE PLAYERS Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), Total Driving (20%), SG: Total Pete Dye (14%), SG: Ball-striking (15%) SG: Par 5 (8%), SG: Florida (10%) and SG: High Water (8%).

  1. Scottie Scheffler 
  2. Shane Lowry 
  3. Tony Finau 
  4. Corey Conners
  5. Keith Mitchell
  6. Justin Thomas
  7. Will Zalatoris
  8. Xander Schauffele
  9. Cameron Young
  10. Doug Ghim
  11. Sam Burns 
  12. Chris Kirk
  13. Collin Morikawa
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Wyndham Clark

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Picks

(All odds at the time of writing)

Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):

Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.

Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.

Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.

Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.

Will Zalatoris +3000 (FanDuel):

In order to win at TPC Sawgrass, players will need to be in total control of their golf ball. At the moment, Will Zalatoris is hitting it as well as almost anyone and finally has the putter cooperating with his new switch to the broomstick style.

Zalatoris is coming off back-to-back starts where he absolutely striped the ball. He finished 2nd at the Genesis Invitational and 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational where his statistics were eye opening. For the week at Bay Hill, Zal gained 5.0 strokes on approach and 5.44 strokes off the tee.

Throughout the early part of his career, Zalatoris has established himself by playing his best golf in the strongest fields with the most difficult conditions. A tough test will allow him to separate himself this week and breakthrough for a PLAYERS Championship victory.

Shane Lowry +4000 (DraftKings):

History has shown us that players need to be in good form to win the PLAYERS Championship and it’s hard to find anyone not named Scottie Scheffler who’s in better form that Shane Lowry at the moment. He finished T4 at the Cognizant Classic followed by a solo third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The fact that the Irishman contended at Bay Hill is a great sign considering he’s really struggled there throughout his career. He will now head to a different style of course in Florida where he’s had a good deal of success. He finished 8th at TPC Sawgrass in 2021 and 13th in 2022. 

Lowry ranks 6th in the field in approach in his past 24 rounds, 7th in Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye designed courses in his last 30 rounds, 8th in par 5 scoring this season, and 4th in Strokes Gained: Total in Florida over his past 36 rounds.

Lowry is a player who’s capable of winning big events. He’s a major champion and won another premier event at Wentworth as well as a WGC at Firestone. He’s also a form player, when he wins it’s typically when he’s contended in recent starts. He’s been terrific thus far in Florida and he should get into contention once again this week.

Brian Harman +8000 (DraftKings):

(Note: Since writing this Harman’s odds have plummeted to 50-1. I would not advise betting the 50).

Brian Harman showed us last season that if the course isn’t extremely long, he has the accuracy both off the tee and with his irons to compete with anyone in the world. Last week at Bay Hill and was third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.54 strokes on the field in the category.

In addition to the strong iron play, Harman also gained strokes off the tee in three of four rounds. He’s also had success at Pete Dye tracks recently. He finished 2nd at last year’s Travelers Championship and 7th at the RBC Heritage.

It would be a magnificent feat for Harman to win both the Open Championship and PLAYERS in a short time frame, but the reality is the PGA Tour isn’t quite as strong as it once was. Harman is a player who shows up for the biggest events and his odds seem way too long for his recent track record.

Tony Finau +6500 (FanDuel):

A few weeks ago, at the Genesis Invitational, I bet Hideki Matsuyama because I believed it to be a “bet the number” play at 80-1. I feel similarly about Finau this week. While he’s not having the season many people expected of him, he is playing better than these odds would indicate.

This season, Tony has a tied for 6th place finish at Torrey Pines, a tied for 19th at Riviera and tied for 13th at the Mexico Open. He’s also hitting the ball extremely well. In the field in his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Par 5 average and 15th in Total Driving.

Finau’s problem has been with the putter, which has been undeniably horrific. However, this week he will see a putting surface similar to the POA at TPC Scottsdale and PGA West, which he’s had a great deal of success on. It’s worth taking a stab at this price to see if he can have a mediocre week with the flat stick.

Sungjae Im +9000 (FanDuel):

It’s been a lackluster eighteen months for Sungjae, who once appeared to be a certain star. While his ceiling is absolutely still there, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Im play the type of golf expected of a player with his talent.

Despite the obvious concerns, the South Korean showed glimpses of a return to form last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for 18th place and gained strokes off the tee, on approach, around the green and with the putter. When at his best, Im is a perfect course fit for TPC Sawgrass. He has remarkable precision off the tee, can get dialed in with his irons on shorter courses and can get up and down with the best players on Tour.

This number has gotten to the point where I feel comfortable taking a shot on it.

Billy Horschel +20000 (FanDuel):

Billy Horschel is a great fit on paper for TPC Sawgrass. He can get dialed in with his irons and his lack of distance off the tee won’t be a major detriment at the course. “Bermuda Billy” does his best work putting on Bermudagrass greens and he appears to be rounding into form just in time to compete at The PLAYERS.

In his most recent start, Billy finished in a tie for 9th at the Cognizant Classic and hit the ball extremely well. The former Florida Gator gained 3.32 strokes on approach and 2.04 strokes off the tee. If Horschel brings that type of ball striking to TPC Sawgrass, he has the type of putter who can win a golf tournament.

Horschel has been great on Pete Dye designed courses, with four of his seven career PGA Tour wins coming on Dye tracks.

In a season that has seen multiple long shots win big events, the 37-year-old is worth a stab considering his knack for playing in Florida and winning big events.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 30
  • LEGIT10
  • WOW4
  • LOL2
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP3
  • OB1
  • SHANK6

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending