News
Morning 9: Shibuno’s win Ouimet-ish? | A sensible USGA rule change | Chamblee: Spieth must stop tinkering

|
By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected]; @benalberstadt on Instagram)
August 6, 2019 Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
|
1. Another Ouimet?
Helluva take from Geoff Shackelford regarding Hinako Shibuno’s Women’s British Open win.
2. USGA relaxes U.S. Open exemption rule for U.S. Am winners
From some hack named Ben Alberstadt...No longer will the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur champions have to make the difficult decision of retaining amateur status to take advantage of the exemption into the U.S. Open.
3. Spieth must stop tinkering!
….or risk oblivion! So says Brandel Chamblee, sort of.
4. How the FedEx Cup Playoffs work in 2019
Mike McAllister of PGATour.com refreshes us on the format for the end-of-season competition…
|
5. Pa Doc
Journalism students: This is a strong start to a feature: “Twenty-three years ago, a commercial real-estate agent named Charles (Doc) Cunningham took an old persimmon 5-wood and sawed it down for his 3-year-old grandson. It was the start of a long three-sided relationship between the man, the boy and the sport of golf.”
6. The 125
Who are the 125 golfers that made the FedEx Cup Playoffs?
Glad you asked…
Top 5, via PGATour.com…
1. Brooks Koepka: Looking to add the FedExCup to a three-win season that includes the PGA and a WGC.
2. Rory McIlroy: Shot a final-round 61 to win the RBC Canadian Open after winning THE PLAYERS.
3. Matt Kuchar: Two wins this season; finished a career-best second in the 2010 FedExCup.
4. Xander Schauffele: Back-to-back wins at WGC-HSBC and Sentry have him headed to East Lake again.
5. Gary Woodland: U.S. Open champ seeking his seventh East Lake appearance in the past nine years.
7. ICYMI: Zac Blair triumphant
Perhaps lost in the shuffle yesterday, and potentially omitted by some zombified newsletter compilers, Zac Blair won the Ellie Mae Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour to secure his spot on the PGA Tour for 2019.
With plenty on his plate, ZB had seen his game slide. Rededicated, Blair took home a trophy.
8. U.S. Women’s Am
Meanwhile, at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Old Waverly…
9. How does your swing speed compare?
Excellent stuff from Chris Finn of Par4Success, writing for GolfWRX
|
- LIKE4
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT1
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK1
News
Morning 9: Search warrant executed for black box in Tiger crash | Man makes 3 aces in 5 days

|
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
“We know exactly the optimal launch and spin you should be chasing” Ping’s Marty Jertson – On Spec podcast

On this week’s episode of the “On Spec” podcast presented on the GolfWRX radio network, host Ryan Barath had the opportunity to speak with Ping Golf’s VP of Fitting and Performance Marty Jertson about their new virtual fitting platform along with a whole bunch of other topics related to club fitting and beyond.
One of the key point made by Marty on the topic of optimization was
“…we now have the ability to pass information to the golfer on what exactly the optimal launch and spin you should be chasing “
You can listen to the full show below, the above quote starts at 17:30
- LIKE4
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
News
‘New Course’ by Gil Hanse set for summer opening at Les Bordes Golf Club in Loire Valley, France

The new owners of Les Bordes–the principals of European private equity firm RoundShield and a few outside partners–have spent two years invigorating new life into France’s famed Loire Valley region through the historic estate and globally recognized golf club.
Embraced by nature, a sense of community, and spread across 1,400 acres of mythical Sologne Forest, substantial investment since 2018 has created an environment for fun and adventure for families at Les Bordes. Located a 90-minute drive from Paris, the Loire Valley is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage region famous for its chateaux, medieval towns, fine wine, gastronomy, and breath-taking landscape.
New family facilities have been delivered across the estate including a natural swimming lake with a white sand beach, enhanced equestrian facilities, boating lakes, archery, fishing, cycle, and electric quad paths, and a new tennis center. Younger family members can experience a petting farm, go-kart track, pony riding, and adventure playgrounds, with a kids’ club, ice-cream shop, and zip lines coming this winter.

Gil Hanse designed the New Course at Les Bordes Golf Club. It is scheduled to open this summer. When it does, there will be three courses at the private golf club, which many cite as one of continental Europe’s finest. This is an aerial view of the 7th hole.
Les Bordes Golf Club is exclusively private and governed separately from the rest of the estate. The opening of its highly anticipated second 18-hole course will take place this summer. Named the New Course, it was created by globally acclaimed golf architect Gil Hanse, who authored world top-100 courses Castle Stuart and Ohoopee Match Club as well as the 2016 Rio Olympic Course. The New Course is Hanse’s first project in continental Europe.
Lauded for his restoration work, including two of the next three U.S. Open venues–The Country Club and The Los Angeles Country Club–Hanse has already completed work on an accompanying 10-hole short course at Les Bordes, the Wild Piglet.
The recently developed new golf courses join the existing Old Course, to provide members with a diverse yet complementary array of playing options. Commissioned by Baron Marcel Bich in 1987, the Old Course is one of Europe’s premier golf courses. A tree-lined, par-72 course measuring more than 7,000 yards, it weaves through the Sologne Forest, intertwined with a stunning complex of lakes that offer a sublimely serene setting.
This course was designed by the late Robert von Hagge, whose award-winning portfolio includes more than 100 courses around the globe; with the Old Course widely considered to be his masterpiece. The design of the course represents the epitome of heroic golf architecture, with exciting risk/reward decisions to be made throughout. Much like his later effort at Le Golf National, host of the highly successful 2018 Ryder Cup, the Old Course is perfectly suited to the match play format and provides a stage for the utmost in spirited competition amongst the Golf Club membership.
Throughout its history, the Old Course has been perennially ranked amongst the top five courses in continental Europe and has often been regarded as one of the most difficult courses in the world. Whilst the challenge of the course is still quite formidable from the back tees, recent improvements have made the course more playable and multi-dimensional. Overly penal rough and trees encroaching on the lines of play have been removed, resulting in a more enjoyable and strategically compelling course presentation. In addition, the implementation of a new maintenance program is already yielding much firmer conditions that promote the ground game to a greater extent and make the length of the course less impactful.
As a result of these developments, the global allure of Les Bordes Golf Club is greater than ever. Formed in August 2019, it is accessible to members only and their guests, and includes approximately 140 current members.
Additionally, leading London-based architects Michaelis Boyd have completed a full renovation of the clubhouse and 24 of the 39 member cottages, while work on a new member gym, sports bar, mini-spa, and private lounge and games room, including a golf simulator, is to be completed for March 2021.
“We are blessed with a beautiful site in one of the most stunning and culturally-rich areas of France, 90 minutes south of Paris,” said Driss Benkirane, founder of RoundShield and an avid 6-handicap golfer. “With my fellow owners, a group which includes my co-founder and a handful of other long-dated partners, we aim to create the pre-eminent European golf club and to build a relaxed and fun-filled community for all members of the family – golfers and non-golfers, adults and children alike.”
Near-term plans include the announced partnership with Six Senses for the transformation of the on-site 19th century ‘Chateau Bel Air’ into an 88-key luxury hotel and spa, the creation of a community village square with restaurants, shops, a farmer’s market, and an outdoor amphitheater centered around the estate’s 13th-century priory, and a variety of residential homes also designed by Michaelis Boyd, half of which have already been reserved by golf club members prior to a mid-year release to market.
- LIKE6
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole4 days ago
PGA Tour pro slammed on social media for not wearing Tiger red at WGC-Workday
-
Tour News2 weeks ago
Genesis Invitational Tour Truck Report: DJ testing driver shafts, Xander’s new irons
-
Whats in the Bag5 days ago
Collin Morikawa’s winning WITB: 2021 WGC Workday Championship at The Concession
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
‘Big Little Lies’ star Kathryn Newton showcases stunning golf swing at Pebble Beach
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Max Homa’s winning WITB: 2021 Genesis Invitational
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago
Daniel Berger’s winning WITB: 2021 AT&T Pro-Am
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago
Jordan Spieth WITB 2021 (Pebble Beach)
-
19th Hole3 days ago
The 555-yard par 5 that Bryson will try and DRIVE this week at Bay Hill