The world of golf has never really known anyone like Greg Norman.
Norman reached higher than the other professional golfers of his era, as if he'd been born to seek the most rarefied air. His ambition tested the limits that bound his rivals. He understood the power of branding and the tricks of marketing, and he became, like a concept in a fantasy world, a force that could always be with you. He didn't just bring a few thrills to our mundane lives. He designed our clothes, built our houses, raised our beef, bottled our wine, and designed our golf courses. He taught us how to play golf and occasionally how to love it, even the miseries of it. He went farther than any golfer before him and blazed trails for those who envied his success.
Along the way, Norman built an empire. He became a conglomerate, a veritable multinational corporation who put his pants on one leg at a time. He rubbed shoulders with presidents and hobnobbed with royalty. He married a tennis champion. He flew as high as a golfer had ever flown.
And he became a very rich man, a man with pockets so deep that he could even make someone else -- his first wife -- wealthy beyond belief.
But today, it appears that Norman is falling to earth.
His design business, which was once lavishly supported by a buoyant housing market, has fallen on hard times. Norman's firm has little or no work in the United States, and a couple of months ago, to cut costs, it was forced to close its design office in Australia.
"I've got a lot of money out there that is not being paid," Norman recently groused to the Wall Street Journal.
Welcome to the real world, Greg.
The Journal calls its account of Norman's current troubles "White Shark's Crash Course." In the story, Richard Gillis reports that Norman's firm currently has 45 golf courses under contract, though only 14 of them are actually under construction. The other 31 are either "dormant," which is another word for dead, or "in the planning stage," a phrase that nowadays usually translates as "on the back burner indefinitely."
Of course, such synopses don't really qualify as "news." I'm sure that nobody reading this blog will be surprised to learn that the golf design industry is suffering. There's pain everywhere.
More important, are Norman's struggles, as Gillis contends, "a sign that something is very wrong with the golf business"?
Gillis' story doesn't really support that claim, and I don't buy it. Should Norman's firm be immune from the economic maladies that have crippled the industry? If so, why? Doesn't Norman come to the table with plenty of competitive advantages that, say, Kyle Phillips, Tim Liddy, Mike Nuzzo, and other, lesser known architects don't have? Are Norman's problems more important than those of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, or Rees Jones?
In fact, is it possible that Norman's pain is actually a sign of the golf industry's improving health? Could it be that his firm is hurting because, in a time of extremely tight money, developers are taking a closer look at architects who can design courses that are cheaper to build and maintain? Maybe Norman's business has fallen off because the era of "prestige" golf courses -- those created primarily to sell over-priced houses -- is over.
Or is Norman simply falling out of favor as a designer? After all, some of the most celebrated golf courses that have opened in recent years were designed by such architects as Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, and the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Maybe these "rising stars" are moving up on the desirability scale while Norman moves down. It happens. Tastes change. Ask Tom Fazio.
So don't cry for Greg Norman, even if the Wall Street Journal wants you to. In fact, Norman is probably hurting less these days than most other architects are, because doors open for him in places where his competitors aren't even allowed to knock.
Besides, Norman is a conglomerate. If his design division has to tread water for a while, he can still sell primo Australian beef and shiraz and shark-logo polo shirts. And he's still got plenty of money, not to mention a wealth of corporate connections, to keep him on his feet. Heck, he's trying to buy Valderrama Golf Club.
Greg Norman may be falling to earth, but he clearly isn't going to land with a thud.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Week That Was: July 18, 2010
I'm sorry that the weekly news post is late this week. Here in suburban Washington, DC -- just for reminders, it's the capital of the free world and arguably the most powerful city in the nation -- we lost electrical power on Sunday afternoon and, at least in my neighborhood, didn't get it restored until just after six o'clock this morning.
That's nearly 90 hours. In late July.
But I'm back online now. What's a little misery between friends?
spain Norman's Next Conquest?
The Great White Shark has meaty prey in his sights.
The Daily Mail reports that Greg Norman wants to buy Valderrama Golf Club, arguably Europe's most delectable golf property. To acquire the club, Norman has joined forces with David Spencer, the former CEO of Leisurecorp, the company that's built a pair of Norman-designed courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
china Seeing Red Over 'Green Opium'
The golf boom on Hainan Island has ticked off some Chinese environmental groups.
According to CNN, the groups have mostly trained their ire on Mission Hills Hainan, which has three recently opened courses and could eventually have seven more. (Also in the master plan are three shopping malls, a spa, and meeting space, all to complement the existing 525-room hotel.)
Like environmentalists everywhere, those on Hainan worry that the slew of planned golf courses will damage the island's natural attributes, in particular its famous rain forests, and eradicate some of its 300 endangered species.
"Where does this begin, and where does it end?" asked the CEO of a group that promotes sustainable golf.
Perhaps it was a rhetorical question.
Nonetheless, an answer came from Ken Chu, one of the principals of the group developing Mission Hills. Via e-mail to CNN, Chu said, in part, "Our current project in Haikou has transformed a barren, lava-rock landscape into an economically productive community."
Take that, you tree-loving pinkos!
philippines A Golf Course for Bataan Island
The recently established Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan is creating a master plan for its future, and it appears to be taking some cues from Las Vegas.
AFAB hopes the master plan will attract private-sector developers willing to build all the usual attractions on the former 4,375-acre Bataan economic zone, including port facilities, business parks, and a duty-free shopping area. But what caught our eye were the tourist traps, which include a casino, some hotels, a resort area, an "eco-park," and a golf course.
“We’re not out to compete with Subic or Clark,” AFAB's chairman told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “We're looking at what they already have so that we can complement the businesses that are already there.”
australia Is Ashlar Golf Club Ready to Relocate?
Last week, the members of Ashlar Golf Club were scheduled to vote on what amounts to a land swap that will give them ownership of the soon-to-open Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in suburban Sydney.
The deal has been orchestrated by Urban Pacific, a developer affiliated with Medallist Developments. Medallist, which is owned in part by Greg Norman's Great White Shark Enterprises, is eager to build on Ashlar's coveted home.
If Ashlar's members approve the move, they'll take over the Norman-designed course at Stonecutters Ridge in 2011. They've been told that the Stonecutters Ridge property is valued at $30 million.
australia Gainsborough Greens Will Get a Makeover
Mirvac, a big Australian residential developer, plans to completely overhaul Gainsborough Greens Golf Course in suburban Brisbane.
Mirvac will make the 20-year-old course the centerpiece of a 2,300-house development. It hopes to start selling lots in the community this fall.
The company has hired Ross Watson to oversee the renovation, which will include the construction of six new holes. When he's finished, Watson told Gold Coast Business, the course will offer golfers "a unique Australian bushland golfing experience that is both pleasurable and challenging."
georgia Player Makes Sea Island's Cut
A investment group led by Gary Player is on the short list of bidders likely to buy the tony Sea Island resort in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the property "will likely be sold at a steep discount."
Player's competition for the resort, which has a pair of 18-hole golf courses, includes:
-- Anschutz Entertainment Group, a California-based firm that owns the Los Angeles Kings and other sports-related assets, including the Kingsmill golf resort in Williamsburg, Virginia;
-- Starwood Capital Group, which owns Starwood Hotels & Resorts (it controls the Sheraton, St. Regis, Westin, and W brands) and is said to "covet" Sea Island; and
-- Huizenga Holdings, a company run by H. Wayne Huizenga, who at one time or another owned Waste Management, Blockbuster, AutoNation, the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Panthers, and several golf properties in Florida.
Player, you may remember, controls a recently created billion-dollar investment fund, funded mostly by Middle Eastern interests, that aims to buy “iconic resorts where there are existing hotel, residential, [and] golf amenities that have been over-capitalized.”
That's nearly 90 hours. In late July.
But I'm back online now. What's a little misery between friends?
spain Norman's Next Conquest?
The Great White Shark has meaty prey in his sights.
The Daily Mail reports that Greg Norman wants to buy Valderrama Golf Club, arguably Europe's most delectable golf property. To acquire the club, Norman has joined forces with David Spencer, the former CEO of Leisurecorp, the company that's built a pair of Norman-designed courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
china Seeing Red Over 'Green Opium'
The golf boom on Hainan Island has ticked off some Chinese environmental groups.
According to CNN, the groups have mostly trained their ire on Mission Hills Hainan, which has three recently opened courses and could eventually have seven more. (Also in the master plan are three shopping malls, a spa, and meeting space, all to complement the existing 525-room hotel.)
Like environmentalists everywhere, those on Hainan worry that the slew of planned golf courses will damage the island's natural attributes, in particular its famous rain forests, and eradicate some of its 300 endangered species.
"Where does this begin, and where does it end?" asked the CEO of a group that promotes sustainable golf.
Perhaps it was a rhetorical question.
Nonetheless, an answer came from Ken Chu, one of the principals of the group developing Mission Hills. Via e-mail to CNN, Chu said, in part, "Our current project in Haikou has transformed a barren, lava-rock landscape into an economically productive community."
Take that, you tree-loving pinkos!
philippines A Golf Course for Bataan Island
The recently established Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan is creating a master plan for its future, and it appears to be taking some cues from Las Vegas.
AFAB hopes the master plan will attract private-sector developers willing to build all the usual attractions on the former 4,375-acre Bataan economic zone, including port facilities, business parks, and a duty-free shopping area. But what caught our eye were the tourist traps, which include a casino, some hotels, a resort area, an "eco-park," and a golf course.
“We’re not out to compete with Subic or Clark,” AFAB's chairman told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “We're looking at what they already have so that we can complement the businesses that are already there.”
australia Is Ashlar Golf Club Ready to Relocate?
Last week, the members of Ashlar Golf Club were scheduled to vote on what amounts to a land swap that will give them ownership of the soon-to-open Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in suburban Sydney.
The deal has been orchestrated by Urban Pacific, a developer affiliated with Medallist Developments. Medallist, which is owned in part by Greg Norman's Great White Shark Enterprises, is eager to build on Ashlar's coveted home.
If Ashlar's members approve the move, they'll take over the Norman-designed course at Stonecutters Ridge in 2011. They've been told that the Stonecutters Ridge property is valued at $30 million.
australia Gainsborough Greens Will Get a Makeover
Mirvac, a big Australian residential developer, plans to completely overhaul Gainsborough Greens Golf Course in suburban Brisbane.
Mirvac will make the 20-year-old course the centerpiece of a 2,300-house development. It hopes to start selling lots in the community this fall.
The company has hired Ross Watson to oversee the renovation, which will include the construction of six new holes. When he's finished, Watson told Gold Coast Business, the course will offer golfers "a unique Australian bushland golfing experience that is both pleasurable and challenging."
georgia Player Makes Sea Island's Cut
A investment group led by Gary Player is on the short list of bidders likely to buy the tony Sea Island resort in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the property "will likely be sold at a steep discount."
Player's competition for the resort, which has a pair of 18-hole golf courses, includes:
-- Anschutz Entertainment Group, a California-based firm that owns the Los Angeles Kings and other sports-related assets, including the Kingsmill golf resort in Williamsburg, Virginia;
-- Starwood Capital Group, which owns Starwood Hotels & Resorts (it controls the Sheraton, St. Regis, Westin, and W brands) and is said to "covet" Sea Island; and
-- Huizenga Holdings, a company run by H. Wayne Huizenga, who at one time or another owned Waste Management, Blockbuster, AutoNation, the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Panthers, and several golf properties in Florida.
Player, you may remember, controls a recently created billion-dollar investment fund, funded mostly by Middle Eastern interests, that aims to buy “iconic resorts where there are existing hotel, residential, [and] golf amenities that have been over-capitalized.”
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
singapore Re-Making a "Classic"
After a two-year overhaul, the Classic course at Laguna National Golf & Country Club officially re-opened last month.
The Classic course -– now known as the World Classic -– was redesigned by Andy Dye, its original designer and also the designer of Laguna National’s Masters course.
Kevin Kwee, the club’s owner, directed Dye to create a “stadium” course -– the first of its kind in Asia, according to one source -– that can accommodate major tournaments. Dye ended up creating a 7,800-yard track that’s something of a replica course, where each hole has been “inspired” by holes from some world-famous courses, including Augusta National Golf Club, TPC Sawgrass, and Kiawah Island’s Ocean course. (“It’s the future of golf,” he said in a press release.)
Kwee, an auto dealer and the executive director of Group Exklusiv, hopes to add a 150- to 200-room hotel sometime in the future.
LagunaGolf.com.sg
The Classic course -– now known as the World Classic -– was redesigned by Andy Dye, its original designer and also the designer of Laguna National’s Masters course.
Kevin Kwee, the club’s owner, directed Dye to create a “stadium” course -– the first of its kind in Asia, according to one source -– that can accommodate major tournaments. Dye ended up creating a 7,800-yard track that’s something of a replica course, where each hole has been “inspired” by holes from some world-famous courses, including Augusta National Golf Club, TPC Sawgrass, and Kiawah Island’s Ocean course. (“It’s the future of golf,” he said in a press release.)
Kwee, an auto dealer and the executive director of Group Exklusiv, hopes to add a 150- to 200-room hotel sometime in the future.
LagunaGolf.com.sg
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
scotland New Life for Tim Blixseth's Scottish Dream?
The supremely chic Yellowstone Club World project in St. Andrews still has a heartbeat, with a new set of developers who say their goal is “to create a truly private international golf course and club resort.”
Yellowstone Club World -– essentially a time-share concept for 150 of the world’s richest people –- was arguably the most ambitious development idea of the early 21st century. It was conceived by Tim Blixseth, a Rancho Mirage, California-based developer who’d made a name for himself by opening Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, a private ski community featuring a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course. At one time or another Yellowstone Club attracted such residents as Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates; Frank McCourt, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Annika Sorenstam, the former LPGA star and golf course designer; Dan Quayle, a former vice president of the United States; Greg LeMond, a former champion cyclist; and Bill Frist, a former U.S. senator.
Yellowstone Club showed such promise that Blixseth super-sized it and took it global. It morphed into Yellowstone Club World, a private destination club that was to offer its members vacation opportunities in some of the planet’s most desirable locales. The members, who were to pay initiation fees of $3 million to $10 million, would have entrée to a 14th century chateau outside Paris, a castle in Ireland, a villa in Tuscany, a stretch of private beach in Mexico, a fishing lodge in Alaska, even a dude ranch in Wyoming. They could also use the club’s yachts and private jets to get from place to place in style.
One of the YCW properties was to be built on Feddinch Farm in St. Andrews, a site that reportedly offers views of both the historic village and St. Andrews Bay. The plan was to build a lodge with 40 suites for members and, like a few other YCW properties, a private golf course designed by Weiskopf.
The project was approved but nothing came of it, mostly because Blixseth’s marriage collapsed and took his budding empire down with it. As part of his divorce settlement, Blixseth was forced to give Yellowstone Club and the property in St. Andrews to his wife, Edra, and before long both properties were suffocated by their debt and went bankrupt. The farm in St. Andrews is now controlled by receivers.
The receivers have agreed to sell the 260-acre property to a London-based development firm, Scotia Investments, which is reportedly at work on a development plan that will satisfy the British courts and local planning authorities.
Scotia is affiliated with Jirehouse Capital Trustees, which aims to assemble an international investment group to fund the project. Stephen David Jones, the principal of Jirehouse, is a director of Scotia.
Weiskopf, who’s based in Scottsdale, Arizona, recently confirmed that he’s still involved with the project. If the course is ever built, it would be his second in Scotland. Years ago, he and Jay Morrish co-designed Loch Lomond Golf Club in Luss.
Jirehouse.com
Yellowstone Club World -– essentially a time-share concept for 150 of the world’s richest people –- was arguably the most ambitious development idea of the early 21st century. It was conceived by Tim Blixseth, a Rancho Mirage, California-based developer who’d made a name for himself by opening Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, a private ski community featuring a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course. At one time or another Yellowstone Club attracted such residents as Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates; Frank McCourt, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Annika Sorenstam, the former LPGA star and golf course designer; Dan Quayle, a former vice president of the United States; Greg LeMond, a former champion cyclist; and Bill Frist, a former U.S. senator.
Yellowstone Club showed such promise that Blixseth super-sized it and took it global. It morphed into Yellowstone Club World, a private destination club that was to offer its members vacation opportunities in some of the planet’s most desirable locales. The members, who were to pay initiation fees of $3 million to $10 million, would have entrée to a 14th century chateau outside Paris, a castle in Ireland, a villa in Tuscany, a stretch of private beach in Mexico, a fishing lodge in Alaska, even a dude ranch in Wyoming. They could also use the club’s yachts and private jets to get from place to place in style.
One of the YCW properties was to be built on Feddinch Farm in St. Andrews, a site that reportedly offers views of both the historic village and St. Andrews Bay. The plan was to build a lodge with 40 suites for members and, like a few other YCW properties, a private golf course designed by Weiskopf.
The project was approved but nothing came of it, mostly because Blixseth’s marriage collapsed and took his budding empire down with it. As part of his divorce settlement, Blixseth was forced to give Yellowstone Club and the property in St. Andrews to his wife, Edra, and before long both properties were suffocated by their debt and went bankrupt. The farm in St. Andrews is now controlled by receivers.
The receivers have agreed to sell the 260-acre property to a London-based development firm, Scotia Investments, which is reportedly at work on a development plan that will satisfy the British courts and local planning authorities.
Scotia is affiliated with Jirehouse Capital Trustees, which aims to assemble an international investment group to fund the project. Stephen David Jones, the principal of Jirehouse, is a director of Scotia.
Weiskopf, who’s based in Scottsdale, Arizona, recently confirmed that he’s still involved with the project. If the course is ever built, it would be his second in Scotland. Years ago, he and Jay Morrish co-designed Loch Lomond Golf Club in Luss.
Jirehouse.com
Monday, July 19, 2010
talking points Ben Crenshaw, Freedom Fighter
Here's Ben Crenshaw on his favorite British Open venue -- the Old Course at St. Andrews -- as told to Kevin Robbins of the Statesman:
“It’s the most democratic golf course in the world. If you’re a beginner, you can play it. And if you’re an expert professional, it holds your attention, maybe more than any golf course in the world. And it’s because of the undulations, and it is definitely a golf course that you are not dictated to, as to how to play it.
“And I think that’s what’s fascinating about it. So many tournament golf courses today, there’s only one way to play [them] for the major championships, I’d say, apart from Augusta. You have prescribed fairway height and length and width. It essentially becomes penal. The risk and reward is not quite there in major tournament golf. In other words, you’re playing down narrow lanes. You just don’t have choices.
“I just generally like that freedom to choose.”
“It’s the most democratic golf course in the world. If you’re a beginner, you can play it. And if you’re an expert professional, it holds your attention, maybe more than any golf course in the world. And it’s because of the undulations, and it is definitely a golf course that you are not dictated to, as to how to play it.
“And I think that’s what’s fascinating about it. So many tournament golf courses today, there’s only one way to play [them] for the major championships, I’d say, apart from Augusta. You have prescribed fairway height and length and width. It essentially becomes penal. The risk and reward is not quite there in major tournament golf. In other words, you’re playing down narrow lanes. You just don’t have choices.
“I just generally like that freedom to choose.”
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Week That Was: July 11, 2010
japan Sayonara, Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs Group has lost control of Nanso Country Club in suburban Tokyo, Japan. The club, which features a 36-hole golf complex, is now being managed by a court-appointed lawyer.
Goldman Sachs, which purchased Nanso in late 2006, had placed the property under bankruptcy protection in January 2010. Three months later, it proposed a "revitalization plan" that called for the club to repay its debts using money it would borrow from Goldman Sachs. The plan didn't sit well with the club's 2,600 members, who voted against it and took the issue to court.
“The members didn’t want Goldman Sachs to integrate Nanso Country into its network, making it just another club in its franchise,” said a lawyer representing the club's members. “They are seeking to rehabilitate their golf club by themselves.”
around the world Ball Bearings
A group of golf course architects has written an "open letter" complaining about modern golf balls, saying that "the excessive length the golf ball now travels directly challenges the future development and sustainability of golf."
In particular, the designers contend, today's juiced balls have "created major issues for golf in relation to the environment, safety, and cost" and have had "significant adverse affects as regards golf’s architectural and cultural heritage."
The architects include David McLay Kidd, a Scottish designer who now operates out of an office in Bend, Oregon, as well as Peter Nordwall, the president of the Federation of Scandinavian Golf Course Architects; Graham Papworth, the president of the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects; and Donald Steel, the past president of British Association of Golf Course Architects.
"As the next wave of golf course construction will be in the developing and highly populated world," the letter says, "excessive golf ball distance is a barrier to actual and responsible golf course development."
australia How Good Is Lost Farm?
Will the second golf course at Barnbougle Dunes be better than the Tom Doak/Mike Clayton-designed first course, which is generally acknowledged to be the top public track in Australia?
We won't know until later this year, when the resort's Lost Farm course opens, but Bill Coore is certainly doing his best to lower expectations.
“People are always asking if the Lost Farm will be better than Barnbougle Dunes, but there is no way it could be,” says Coore, who's co-designed the new course with long-time partner Ben Crenshaw. “What it will be is different. We have aimed to build a golf course that complements the first course.”
Until Lost Farm opens, the only thing we know for sure is that it's taken shape on a dramatic site along the coastal dunes of northeastern Tasmania, with some holes playing along the coast and others taking golfers inland.
“I think it’s quite a good mix, and it certainly won’t be boring,” says Richard Sattler, the complex's owner.
virginia Kingsmill Has a New Owner
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, a Colorado-based company that operates tourist facilities at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and other national parks, has purchased Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The resort features a 422-room hotel, a spa, a marina, six restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses. (Designers: Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, and Curtis Strange with Tom Clark.)
"Kingsmill is one of the country's premier resorts, and we are very excited to acquire such a high-caliber resort that complements our existing portfolio of properties and is consistent with the expansion of our company," said Xanterra's president, Andrew Todd.
The seller is an affiliate of the Busch brewing company. The transaction is expected to close next month.
Goldman Sachs Group has lost control of Nanso Country Club in suburban Tokyo, Japan. The club, which features a 36-hole golf complex, is now being managed by a court-appointed lawyer.
Goldman Sachs, which purchased Nanso in late 2006, had placed the property under bankruptcy protection in January 2010. Three months later, it proposed a "revitalization plan" that called for the club to repay its debts using money it would borrow from Goldman Sachs. The plan didn't sit well with the club's 2,600 members, who voted against it and took the issue to court.
“The members didn’t want Goldman Sachs to integrate Nanso Country into its network, making it just another club in its franchise,” said a lawyer representing the club's members. “They are seeking to rehabilitate their golf club by themselves.”
around the world Ball Bearings
A group of golf course architects has written an "open letter" complaining about modern golf balls, saying that "the excessive length the golf ball now travels directly challenges the future development and sustainability of golf."
In particular, the designers contend, today's juiced balls have "created major issues for golf in relation to the environment, safety, and cost" and have had "significant adverse affects as regards golf’s architectural and cultural heritage."
The architects include David McLay Kidd, a Scottish designer who now operates out of an office in Bend, Oregon, as well as Peter Nordwall, the president of the Federation of Scandinavian Golf Course Architects; Graham Papworth, the president of the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects; and Donald Steel, the past president of British Association of Golf Course Architects.
"As the next wave of golf course construction will be in the developing and highly populated world," the letter says, "excessive golf ball distance is a barrier to actual and responsible golf course development."
australia How Good Is Lost Farm?
Will the second golf course at Barnbougle Dunes be better than the Tom Doak/Mike Clayton-designed first course, which is generally acknowledged to be the top public track in Australia?
We won't know until later this year, when the resort's Lost Farm course opens, but Bill Coore is certainly doing his best to lower expectations.
“People are always asking if the Lost Farm will be better than Barnbougle Dunes, but there is no way it could be,” says Coore, who's co-designed the new course with long-time partner Ben Crenshaw. “What it will be is different. We have aimed to build a golf course that complements the first course.”
Until Lost Farm opens, the only thing we know for sure is that it's taken shape on a dramatic site along the coastal dunes of northeastern Tasmania, with some holes playing along the coast and others taking golfers inland.
“I think it’s quite a good mix, and it certainly won’t be boring,” says Richard Sattler, the complex's owner.
virginia Kingsmill Has a New Owner
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, a Colorado-based company that operates tourist facilities at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and other national parks, has purchased Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The resort features a 422-room hotel, a spa, a marina, six restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses. (Designers: Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, and Curtis Strange with Tom Clark.)
"Kingsmill is one of the country's premier resorts, and we are very excited to acquire such a high-caliber resort that complements our existing portfolio of properties and is consistent with the expansion of our company," said Xanterra's president, Andrew Todd.
The seller is an affiliate of the Busch brewing company. The transaction is expected to close next month.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
worth reading The Long and the Short of It
In recent years, developers have routinely built golf courses that are 7,000, 7,200, even 7,500 yards long. But are ever-longer golf courses the future of golf?
Not if Jeff Brauer, an Arlington, Texas-based designer, has anything to say about it. "When golf course development resumes," Brauer writes in the current issue of Golf Course Industry Magazine, "most new golf courses should be vastly shorter."
Brauer's argument against long courses is familiar: They cost too much to build and too much to maintain. They drink too much water. And they take too long to play.
Instead of designing "championship" courses for the biggest hitters -- a group that represents less than 1 percent of all golfers -- Brauer advocates the construction of "companionship" courses that he says could easily accommodate more than 97 percent of the world's golfers.
Maximum length: 6,800 yards.
"In this age of belt tightening," Brauer concludes, "wasting resources on so few in so many places just doesn’t make sense."
Brauer's essay is called "Should Future Courses Be Shorter?"
Not if Jeff Brauer, an Arlington, Texas-based designer, has anything to say about it. "When golf course development resumes," Brauer writes in the current issue of Golf Course Industry Magazine, "most new golf courses should be vastly shorter."
Brauer's argument against long courses is familiar: They cost too much to build and too much to maintain. They drink too much water. And they take too long to play.
Instead of designing "championship" courses for the biggest hitters -- a group that represents less than 1 percent of all golfers -- Brauer advocates the construction of "companionship" courses that he says could easily accommodate more than 97 percent of the world's golfers.
Maximum length: 6,800 yards.
"In this age of belt tightening," Brauer concludes, "wasting resources on so few in so many places just doesn’t make sense."
Brauer's essay is called "Should Future Courses Be Shorter?"
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
india Singh Has Sung
The home course of Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s top-ranked and best-known golf pro, is about to get a makeover.
We’re talking about Chandigarh Golf Club in Chandigarh (in the state of Punjab), which features a 7,202-yard track that opened in 1962 and is among the oldest courses in northern India.
Singh is reportedly upset at the way the course has deteriorated in recent years. A recent news report said he was concerned about “the apathy and indifference” of the club’s leaders and believes the club has gone “backwards rather than forward as a prime golfing destination.”
In response, the club has commissioned David Hemstock to create a master plan for renovations. The work is expected to take place over the next five years.
Hemstock, who’s based in Biggin-by-Hartington, England, has two new courses that are currently under construction in India, one for the Hyderabad Golf Association in Hyderabad and another at Kovai Hills in Coimbatore for Rakindo Developers.
ChandigarhGolfClub.in
We’re talking about Chandigarh Golf Club in Chandigarh (in the state of Punjab), which features a 7,202-yard track that opened in 1962 and is among the oldest courses in northern India.
Singh is reportedly upset at the way the course has deteriorated in recent years. A recent news report said he was concerned about “the apathy and indifference” of the club’s leaders and believes the club has gone “backwards rather than forward as a prime golfing destination.”
In response, the club has commissioned David Hemstock to create a master plan for renovations. The work is expected to take place over the next five years.
Hemstock, who’s based in Biggin-by-Hartington, England, has two new courses that are currently under construction in India, one for the Hyderabad Golf Association in Hyderabad and another at Kovai Hills in Coimbatore for Rakindo Developers.
ChandigarhGolfClub.in
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Week That Was: July 4, 2010
philippines Hanafil Will Blow Its Deadline
"All is not well at the old Binictican golf course" in Subic Bay, reports the Manila Standard.
Hanafil Golf & Tour, Inc. can't rustle up the money it needs to transform the 18-hole golf course into a "world-class" 27-hole complex. Hanafil and its parent company, Hana Tours -- South Korea’s biggest travel agency -- have all but admitted that they won't be able to complete the project by November 2010, the deadline they'd agreed to.
But help could be near. The Standard says Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco has agreed to buy at least a 50-percent stake in Hanafil, mostly because the Binictican golf course will complement his nearby Nabasan beach resort.
switzerland How Orascom Climbs Mountains
Sand or snow -- they both serve the same purpose for Sami Sawiris, the Egyptian hotelier who developed the El Gouna resort on the Red Sea and is now building a ski community in the Swiss Alps.
The El Gouna model has made Sawiris a billionaire, and he's using it to build the Andrematt community in Switzerland. Andrematt will eventually become a veritable town with villas, apartments, hotels, and a golf course, and Sawiris' Orascom Development Holding will control all of it, down to the garbage collection.
"Since we provide everything," Sawiris says, "we make money."
canada The Anatomy of Cougar Rock's Failure
Seven hotels, a casino, a slew of cabins and time-share condos, a guest ranch, a health spa, a campground, and a championship golf course -- Cougar Rock seemed to have plenty going for it. But 10 years after it was originally proposed, the big resort in Alberta is all but dead, and the developers and the province are playing the blame game.
"It's an ugly mess," the Edmonton Journal says, "that could get even uglier."
canada A Preview of Lambton's Makeover
Inside Toronto got a preview of the redesigned 27-hole golf complex at Lambton Golf & Country Club in Etobicoke, which will officially open next month.
The club, which has been closed for nearly a year, hired Rees Jones to oversee the biggest overhaul in its history. The club has already spent $7 million, and Inside Toronto reports that still more upgrades are in the works.
Lambton, one of the oldest clubs in suburban Toronto (it opened in 1902), hosted the Canadian Open in 1907, 1910, 1925, and 1941.
abu dhabi Kyle Phillips, Yas Man
In a press release, Kyle Phillips talks about the new golf course he's designed on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
“What makes Yas Links so intriguing,” says the Granite Bay, California-based architect, “is how traditional it is, because nothing like it has ever been attempted before in the UAE. There are a lot of very good courses in the UAE, but up until now there hasn’t been anything that would feature on a golf connoisseurs ‘must play’ list.”
Phillips is responsible for some highly regarded tracks -- among them Kingsbarns Golf Links in St. Andrews, Scotland and the Dundonald course at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland -- but he says the three finishing holes at Yas Links “are three of the best closing holes of any course in the world I know.”
poland A New Clubhouse at Modry Las
The best golf course in Poland has broken ground on its clubhouse.
We're talking about Modry Las Golf Club, which features a one-year-old, Gary Player-designed course that's been ranked among Europe's top 100. The clubhouse will include all the usual attractions -- a restaurant, a sports bar, a pro shop -- along with 11 guest suites, an exhibition gallery, and an indoor practice area.
"We want to create a place where members and visitors not only enjoy the experience of playing a world-class course but can savor their time off the course as well," said Arthur Gromadzki, the club's chairman.
"All is not well at the old Binictican golf course" in Subic Bay, reports the Manila Standard.
Hanafil Golf & Tour, Inc. can't rustle up the money it needs to transform the 18-hole golf course into a "world-class" 27-hole complex. Hanafil and its parent company, Hana Tours -- South Korea’s biggest travel agency -- have all but admitted that they won't be able to complete the project by November 2010, the deadline they'd agreed to.
But help could be near. The Standard says Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco has agreed to buy at least a 50-percent stake in Hanafil, mostly because the Binictican golf course will complement his nearby Nabasan beach resort.
switzerland How Orascom Climbs Mountains
Sand or snow -- they both serve the same purpose for Sami Sawiris, the Egyptian hotelier who developed the El Gouna resort on the Red Sea and is now building a ski community in the Swiss Alps.
The El Gouna model has made Sawiris a billionaire, and he's using it to build the Andrematt community in Switzerland. Andrematt will eventually become a veritable town with villas, apartments, hotels, and a golf course, and Sawiris' Orascom Development Holding will control all of it, down to the garbage collection.
"Since we provide everything," Sawiris says, "we make money."
canada The Anatomy of Cougar Rock's Failure
Seven hotels, a casino, a slew of cabins and time-share condos, a guest ranch, a health spa, a campground, and a championship golf course -- Cougar Rock seemed to have plenty going for it. But 10 years after it was originally proposed, the big resort in Alberta is all but dead, and the developers and the province are playing the blame game.
"It's an ugly mess," the Edmonton Journal says, "that could get even uglier."
canada A Preview of Lambton's Makeover
Inside Toronto got a preview of the redesigned 27-hole golf complex at Lambton Golf & Country Club in Etobicoke, which will officially open next month.
The club, which has been closed for nearly a year, hired Rees Jones to oversee the biggest overhaul in its history. The club has already spent $7 million, and Inside Toronto reports that still more upgrades are in the works.
Lambton, one of the oldest clubs in suburban Toronto (it opened in 1902), hosted the Canadian Open in 1907, 1910, 1925, and 1941.
abu dhabi Kyle Phillips, Yas Man
In a press release, Kyle Phillips talks about the new golf course he's designed on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
“What makes Yas Links so intriguing,” says the Granite Bay, California-based architect, “is how traditional it is, because nothing like it has ever been attempted before in the UAE. There are a lot of very good courses in the UAE, but up until now there hasn’t been anything that would feature on a golf connoisseurs ‘must play’ list.”
Phillips is responsible for some highly regarded tracks -- among them Kingsbarns Golf Links in St. Andrews, Scotland and the Dundonald course at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland -- but he says the three finishing holes at Yas Links “are three of the best closing holes of any course in the world I know.”
poland A New Clubhouse at Modry Las
The best golf course in Poland has broken ground on its clubhouse.
We're talking about Modry Las Golf Club, which features a one-year-old, Gary Player-designed course that's been ranked among Europe's top 100. The clubhouse will include all the usual attractions -- a restaurant, a sports bar, a pro shop -- along with 11 guest suites, an exhibition gallery, and an indoor practice area.
"We want to create a place where members and visitors not only enjoy the experience of playing a world-class course but can savor their time off the course as well," said Arthur Gromadzki, the club's chairman.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Shameless Self-Promotion, July 2010
Have Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam made the International Golf Federation an offer it can't refuse? Will a U.S.-style golf community draw crowds in Turkey's favorite golf destination? Can a "floating" golf course in the Maldives raise awareness about the consequences of global climate change?
Those are some of the questions we address in the July issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report, which hit the streets earlier this week. As most of you know, the World Edition provides much of the raw material that eventually finds its way into this blog.
In the July issue, we also profile new golf course projects in Kazakhstan, India, Vietnam, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Italy, Namibia, Portugal, and other nations, including designs by David Hemstock, Robin Hiseman, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Ross Watson.
The issue also has reports on the state of golf construction in South Korea, Ron Garl's new course in Nigeria, and the planned overhaul of the PGA Centenary course at the Gleneagles resort in Scotland.
If you're interested in taking a look at the World Edition, give us a call (301/680-9460) or write to us at WorldEdition@aol.com.
Those are some of the questions we address in the July issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report, which hit the streets earlier this week. As most of you know, the World Edition provides much of the raw material that eventually finds its way into this blog.
In the July issue, we also profile new golf course projects in Kazakhstan, India, Vietnam, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Italy, Namibia, Portugal, and other nations, including designs by David Hemstock, Robin Hiseman, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Ross Watson.
The issue also has reports on the state of golf construction in South Korea, Ron Garl's new course in Nigeria, and the planned overhaul of the PGA Centenary course at the Gleneagles resort in Scotland.
If you're interested in taking a look at the World Edition, give us a call (301/680-9460) or write to us at WorldEdition@aol.com.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
canada Weir and Andrew Get To Work
Mike Weir and Ian Andrew may still be waiting for their first new design commission, but they’ve picked up some renovation work that will keep them busy this summer.
Weir is Canada’s top professional golfer, and Andrew is the nation’s most promising architect. They operate via Weir Golf Design, and this year they’ll oversee renovations of “classic” golf courses in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Two of the courses were designed, at least in part, by Stanley Thompson, who has roughly the same stature in Canadian golf as Robert Trent Jones has in U.S. golf. (In fact, Thompson and Jones worked together for a while in the 1930s.)
Club Laval-sur-le-Lac, in suburban Montreal, has hired Weir Golf Design to redesign and rebuild its Blue course, which has nine holes built in 1917 and nine that were added in 1994. Weir and Andrew aim to create a track that can challenge professionals while offering the club’s members a course that, in Andrew’s words, is “fun and interesting to play.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to wonder if Weir and Andrew might also take a look at Club Laval-sur-le-Lac’s Green course, which hosted the Canadian Open in 1962. The Royal Canadian Golf Association is reportedly considering the course for another Canadian Open, perhaps in 2012 or 2013. Late last year, Bob Weeks of Score Golf said that the club brought in Weir and Andrew “in possible anticipation of the Open coming there.”
The partners will also create master plans for future renovations of Islington Golf Club in suburban Toronto and Truro Golf Club in central Nova Scotia.
Islington opened in 1924, with one of Thompson’s first golf courses. Truro opened in 1903, with a nine-hole track that Thompson lengthened and redesigned in 1930. The club added nine holes in 1967.
WeirGolfDesign.com
Weir is Canada’s top professional golfer, and Andrew is the nation’s most promising architect. They operate via Weir Golf Design, and this year they’ll oversee renovations of “classic” golf courses in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Two of the courses were designed, at least in part, by Stanley Thompson, who has roughly the same stature in Canadian golf as Robert Trent Jones has in U.S. golf. (In fact, Thompson and Jones worked together for a while in the 1930s.)
Club Laval-sur-le-Lac, in suburban Montreal, has hired Weir Golf Design to redesign and rebuild its Blue course, which has nine holes built in 1917 and nine that were added in 1994. Weir and Andrew aim to create a track that can challenge professionals while offering the club’s members a course that, in Andrew’s words, is “fun and interesting to play.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to wonder if Weir and Andrew might also take a look at Club Laval-sur-le-Lac’s Green course, which hosted the Canadian Open in 1962. The Royal Canadian Golf Association is reportedly considering the course for another Canadian Open, perhaps in 2012 or 2013. Late last year, Bob Weeks of Score Golf said that the club brought in Weir and Andrew “in possible anticipation of the Open coming there.”
The partners will also create master plans for future renovations of Islington Golf Club in suburban Toronto and Truro Golf Club in central Nova Scotia.
Islington opened in 1924, with one of Thompson’s first golf courses. Truro opened in 1903, with a nine-hole track that Thompson lengthened and redesigned in 1930. The club added nine holes in 1967.
WeirGolfDesign.com
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Week That Was, 6/28/10
scotland A Green Light for Trump's Golf Course
Elected officials in Aberdeenshire have approved Donald Trump's long-awaited golf community, with "the world's greatest golf course." Trump plans to break ground on the Menie Estate's Martin Hawtree-designed golf course right away, in the hope of opening it in 2012.
"My team will [now] finally get to work and build the world's greatest golf course for Scotland and for the great game of golf," Trump said. "We are building on the finest piece of land I have ever seen, and we will turn it into a national jewel."
australia Eastern Golf Club's New Course Is Approved
Eastern Golf Club’s relocation is virtually a done deal, as local officials have approved the plans for the club's new 27-hole golf complex in nearby Yering.
To fund the construction of the new club, Eastern plans to sell its existing property. The club is expected to announce the buyer sometime soon.
idaho Huntsman Springs Gets a Rave Review
A local television station says that David McLay Kidd's golf course at the Huntsman Springs resort community in Driggs is "incredibly beautiful" and "provides something that golfers don't often get."
canada Doug Carrick's Course at Predator Ridge Opens
The opening of Doug Carrick's new course at Predator Ridge Resort, says the Globe & Mail, "continues the impressive run of high-profile course openings by top architects that has made British Columbia the country's hottest golf destination."
The $10 million track, called the Ridge, combines 10 new holes with eight redesigned and rebuilt holes from the resort’s Peregrine course. It stretches to 7,190 yards.
"Blessed with spectacular mountain scenery and the country's balmiest climate," the paper says, British Columbia "has become a magnet for both golf tourists and baby boomers seeking a congenial spot to spend their retirement years."
florida Pulte Sells Golf Course in Fort Myers
PulteGroup, Inc. of South Florida has sold Crown Colony Golf and Country Club, the centerpiece of a 403-acre gated community in Fort Myers.
The buyers are a group of homeowners who've converted the Ron Garl-designed golf course into an equity club.
“Our plans include operating as a total private club, implementing an aggressive plan to increase membership both from within and outside the community, and providing our members with a first-class golf and dining experience,” said Jack Ayers, the club's new president.
canada After Renovation, Kamloops G&CC Reopens
The first nine holes of the redesigned, 96-year-old Kamloops Golf & Country Club have reopened, and the second nine is scheduled to reopen in August.
The club's $4.6 million renovation was overseen by Ted Locke.
"It's completely different playing this course now," said a member. "Even on the original holes, you have to play differently."
georgia Barrington Hall Golf Club Has New Owner
Chris Marcum has purchased Barrington Hall Golf Club in Macon. The club has been teetering on the brink of foreclosure for months and was nearly closed earlier this year.
“This golf course is not a profitable golf course,” Marcum said. “There’s a reason why it was in the condition it was in and was heading for foreclosure.”
Marcum's family owns Sherman Hills Golf Club in Brooksville, Florida.
canada Development Planned at Course in Murray River
Northumberland Community Development Corporation has sold Eagles View Golf Course in Murray River to an unnamed company from Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Eagles View is a 9-hole, Jeff Fuller-designed golf course located along MacLures pond, the province’s largest body of fresh water. It opened in 2002.
“We are in the community development business, and its time for NCDC to turn the golf course over to the private sector for further development,” said Jamie Richards, the NCDC's co-chairmain. “I believe the new owners realized early on that this golf course and the lands around it have enormous potential.”
south carolina New Management for Spartanburg Club
Macon, Georgia-based Private Club Associates has signed a multi-year agreement to manage Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg. CCC features an 18-hole “championship” golf course that was designed by Tom Jackson and opened in 1984.
CCC is the third golf property that PCA has taken over this year. PGA pros Lucas Glover and Matt Bettencourt are members of the club.
Elected officials in Aberdeenshire have approved Donald Trump's long-awaited golf community, with "the world's greatest golf course." Trump plans to break ground on the Menie Estate's Martin Hawtree-designed golf course right away, in the hope of opening it in 2012.
"My team will [now] finally get to work and build the world's greatest golf course for Scotland and for the great game of golf," Trump said. "We are building on the finest piece of land I have ever seen, and we will turn it into a national jewel."
australia Eastern Golf Club's New Course Is Approved
Eastern Golf Club’s relocation is virtually a done deal, as local officials have approved the plans for the club's new 27-hole golf complex in nearby Yering.
To fund the construction of the new club, Eastern plans to sell its existing property. The club is expected to announce the buyer sometime soon.
idaho Huntsman Springs Gets a Rave Review
A local television station says that David McLay Kidd's golf course at the Huntsman Springs resort community in Driggs is "incredibly beautiful" and "provides something that golfers don't often get."
canada Doug Carrick's Course at Predator Ridge Opens
The opening of Doug Carrick's new course at Predator Ridge Resort, says the Globe & Mail, "continues the impressive run of high-profile course openings by top architects that has made British Columbia the country's hottest golf destination."
The $10 million track, called the Ridge, combines 10 new holes with eight redesigned and rebuilt holes from the resort’s Peregrine course. It stretches to 7,190 yards.
"Blessed with spectacular mountain scenery and the country's balmiest climate," the paper says, British Columbia "has become a magnet for both golf tourists and baby boomers seeking a congenial spot to spend their retirement years."
florida Pulte Sells Golf Course in Fort Myers
PulteGroup, Inc. of South Florida has sold Crown Colony Golf and Country Club, the centerpiece of a 403-acre gated community in Fort Myers.
The buyers are a group of homeowners who've converted the Ron Garl-designed golf course into an equity club.
“Our plans include operating as a total private club, implementing an aggressive plan to increase membership both from within and outside the community, and providing our members with a first-class golf and dining experience,” said Jack Ayers, the club's new president.
canada After Renovation, Kamloops G&CC Reopens
The first nine holes of the redesigned, 96-year-old Kamloops Golf & Country Club have reopened, and the second nine is scheduled to reopen in August.
The club's $4.6 million renovation was overseen by Ted Locke.
"It's completely different playing this course now," said a member. "Even on the original holes, you have to play differently."
georgia Barrington Hall Golf Club Has New Owner
Chris Marcum has purchased Barrington Hall Golf Club in Macon. The club has been teetering on the brink of foreclosure for months and was nearly closed earlier this year.
“This golf course is not a profitable golf course,” Marcum said. “There’s a reason why it was in the condition it was in and was heading for foreclosure.”
Marcum's family owns Sherman Hills Golf Club in Brooksville, Florida.
canada Development Planned at Course in Murray River
Northumberland Community Development Corporation has sold Eagles View Golf Course in Murray River to an unnamed company from Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Eagles View is a 9-hole, Jeff Fuller-designed golf course located along MacLures pond, the province’s largest body of fresh water. It opened in 2002.
“We are in the community development business, and its time for NCDC to turn the golf course over to the private sector for further development,” said Jamie Richards, the NCDC's co-chairmain. “I believe the new owners realized early on that this golf course and the lands around it have enormous potential.”
south carolina New Management for Spartanburg Club
Macon, Georgia-based Private Club Associates has signed a multi-year agreement to manage Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg. CCC features an 18-hole “championship” golf course that was designed by Tom Jackson and opened in 1984.
CCC is the third golf property that PCA has taken over this year. PGA pros Lucas Glover and Matt Bettencourt are members of the club.
Friday, July 2, 2010
russia For Russia, No Love
So much talk, so little action.
That’s my view of the golf business in Russia, which has managed to build only 10 golf courses since way back in the 1970s, when Armand Hammer told Leonid Brezhnev that he needed to commit to golf if he wanted to woo Western money. The Russian Golf Association will tell you that it has a grand plan to build 500 golf facilities by 2018, but few developers have as yet stepped up to build them, and the nation’s highest-profile projects -– new courses in suburban Moscow designed by Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus –- were started but not completed and now seem to be going nowhere fast.
But Moscow, a bustling, crowded metropolis that Forbes says is home to more billionaires than any other city in the world, is still full of development potential. And that’s why RGI International, Ltd. has teamed up with a landowner who wants to build a to-be-named golf community on 650 acres roughly 40 miles west of the city. The community will include houses, a tennis center, and a golf course.
RGI, a publicly traded company, was among the first developers to build modern, Western-style houses and retail space in Moscow. It’s led by Boris and Emanuel Kuzinez (sometimes spelled Kuzinetz), who serve as CEO and managing director.
The company's funding comes, in part, from Morgan Stanley, which has a 15 percent stake in RGI.
That’s my view of the golf business in Russia, which has managed to build only 10 golf courses since way back in the 1970s, when Armand Hammer told Leonid Brezhnev that he needed to commit to golf if he wanted to woo Western money. The Russian Golf Association will tell you that it has a grand plan to build 500 golf facilities by 2018, but few developers have as yet stepped up to build them, and the nation’s highest-profile projects -– new courses in suburban Moscow designed by Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus –- were started but not completed and now seem to be going nowhere fast.
But Moscow, a bustling, crowded metropolis that Forbes says is home to more billionaires than any other city in the world, is still full of development potential. And that’s why RGI International, Ltd. has teamed up with a landowner who wants to build a to-be-named golf community on 650 acres roughly 40 miles west of the city. The community will include houses, a tennis center, and a golf course.
RGI, a publicly traded company, was among the first developers to build modern, Western-style houses and retail space in Moscow. It’s led by Boris and Emanuel Kuzinez (sometimes spelled Kuzinetz), who serve as CEO and managing director.
The company's funding comes, in part, from Morgan Stanley, which has a 15 percent stake in RGI.