Short Notice june 29, 2012

For months, Donald Trump has been raging about the wind farm that the Scottish government wants to build within view of his soon-to-open links course in Aberdeenshire, contending that it’ll not only ruin his business but also wreck the nation’s travel industry. This week, however, Jack Nicklaus submitted a brief on behalf of the planet. “I can’t see wind turbines putting people off from playing golf,” Nicklaus told the Scotsman. “That suggestion is just crazy.” So much for Nicklaus’ invitation to Trump’s inaugural event, eh?

Speaking of Scotland, the people who run the nation’s golf business hope to spend more than $11 million over the next eight years to “grow the game.” This isn’t, ultimately, a very large amount -- just $1.4 million annually -- but Scottish Golf and related entities believe it’ll fund a variety of initiatives that will ensure, in the words of the Scotsman, “the long-term sustainability of clubs and courses.” The next step is to find the money, which the newspaper says will come from “a variety of public-sector and private sources.”

     The Biebs and Bubba: They're pals, apparently.

In my recent ramblings about young celebrities who should be helping us grow the game, I failed to mention maybe the biggest, most famous star of them all: Justin Bieber. This unfortunate and regrettable oversight is ample proof of how sadly out of touch I am with youth culture. I didn’t even realize the Biebs played until I stumbled across notice of an incident he had with “paparazzi hiding in the bushes” at Calabasas Country Club in California. “dear paps,” Bieber tweeted afterwards. “golf is supposed to be a relaxing sport. u arent supposed to be in the bushes yelling at me with cameras. let me finish the game.” I can understand if the powers that be in golf don’t care for my suggestion that Britney Spears promote golf in television commercials. So let me ask: Would Bieber be a suitable alternative?

Golf is still occasionally being played at Cordillera Golf Club, but now it’s being done under the cloud of a bankruptcy filing. The tony club, part of a community that occupies 12 square miles in the Vail Valley of smoke-hazed Colorado, has faced a cash crunch for two years or more -- three of its four golf courses didn’t open last summer -- and last week its owner, David Wilhelm, was forced to seek Chapter 11 protection. If you’re wondering, the club features regulation-length courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, and Hale Irwin, plus a “short course” designed by Dave Pelz.

Brits are beginning to play golf again. Over the past six months, according to a survey by Sport England, the number of people who play at least once a week in England has increased by 69,000. “Golf is heading in the right direction,” concluded the COO of the England Golf Partnership. “We have responded to earlier, disappointing results by understanding the needs of golfers and developing improved plans to keep people playing regularly. But there is still more work to be done, particularly to encourage young adults.” One caveat: The survey reports that 20 other sports have also been trending upward in England since the end of 2011.