The Week That Was, june 9, 2013

     A family feud has forced the sale of two golf courses and other properties in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. South Street Partners, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based investment group, reportedly paid a price north of $350 million for Kiawah Partners, the development entity that’s developing the 10,000-acre island. The purchase includes courses designed by Tom Fazio and Tom Watson as well as financially challenged Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland and Christophe Harbour, a long-delayed resort community on St. Kitts that’s been master-planned to include a Fazio-designed course. Charles P. “Buddy” Darby III and a cousin, Leonard Long, co-founded Kiawah Partners in the late 1980s but in recent years haven’t been able to see eye-to-eye on the foreign properties, which now have an uncertain future. Kiawah Island’s renowned Ocean Course, which hosted last year’s PGA Championship, wasn’t part of the sale.

     One of the inherent problems with an industry steeped in tradition is its members are often reluctant to change. An aspect of this problem -- the use of technological innovations that might enhance the appeal of professional golf -- was discussed at last week’s KPMG Golf Business Forum in Scotland. “I think golf has a long way to go,” argued the head of a technology company who believes golf isn’t exploiting readily available opportunities. “Everyone understands there is an issue, but there doesn’t seem to be a willingness to act.” Here’s an example of what he’s talking about: These days the Royal & Ancient is patting itself on the back because during next month’s Open Championship it’s going to erect, “on a trial basis,” several electronic scoreboards with “video capability” that will broadcast live action and statistics. Sadly, this is what passes for a high-tech breakthrough in our business. When you think about how, say, the X Games engages with its fans, golf is hopelessly behind the times. And it’s going to stay that way until the dinosaurs in charge become extinct.

     Speaking of the Golf Business Forum, I was amused to find, in a round-up of bon mots spoken at the event, this priceless nugget from one of HSBC’s top golf honchos: “I don’t think golf has a reputational problem, but it does have to monitor its reputation all the time. We choose to sponsor events in golf rather than players, as we see individuals as too much of a risk.” Is HSBC claiming some kind of moral high ground? Because that’s like Bernie Madoff bragging about the money he donated to Jewish charities. This is an appropriate time to mention that HSBC, one of golf’s sweetest sugar daddies, was in the news again this week. The state of New York intends to sue two of the company’s divisions for allegedly ripping off homeowners involved in foreclosure proceedings. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

     A short time ago, while on a golf holiday in New Mexico, David Pfaff died. For many years, Pfaff was Pete Dye’s right-hand man, and he later served as the in-house architect for Landmark Land Company. He established his own firm in Carmel, California in the mid 1990s but didn’t really hit big until last year, when his course at Royal Isabela Golf Course in Puerto Rico was unveiled. The track has received nothing but praise. The Golf Channel has called it “possibly the most interesting golf course in the world,” and last week Forbes said “it is impossible not to be moved” by the course, which “offers one jaw-dropping vista after another” and features “one of the greatest holes in golf.” I spoke with Pfaff shortly before Royal Isabela opened, and he was hoping to design the property’s next course. It’s unfortunate that he won’t get the chance. He was 74.

     Mike DeVries has landed what may be a career-defining commission. The Traverse City, Michigan-based architect has been chosen to design King Island Links, an 18-hole track on the northern coast of King Island in Tasmania. The property has all the elements needed to create a true world-class destination layout, one that could someday be compared to the celebrated courses at Barnbougle Dunes on Tasmania’s main island. “He is one of the up-and-coming architects in the world, which is one of the reasons why we selected him,” one of the course’s developers told the Examiner. So now, for DeVries, the challenge awaits. Can he deliver the way Tom Doak and Coore & Crenshaw did at Barnbougle Dunes?

     In keeping with one of this blog’s core philosophies -- “Never believe anything until it has been officially denied” -- I can say with some confidence that the Open Championship will return to Northern Ireland for the first time since the 1950s. The year: 2018. The venue: Royal Portrush Golf Club. The news was first reported by the Irish Sun but immediately denied by both the Royal & Ancient and the club, so you know it’s true.

     After a one-year hiatus, Tiger Woods has returned to the top spot on Forbes’ annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid athletes. The magazine figures that over the past year Woods collected $13.1 million in winnings plus $65 million in endorsements, appearance money, and course design fees. The total: $78.1 million. Only four other professional golfers were named to Forbes’ top 100: Phil Mickelson at #7 ($48.7 in total earnings), Rory McIlroy at #21 ($29.6 million), Ernie Els at #78 ($19.5 million), and Brandt Snedeker at #81 ($19 million).

     International travelers are finding their way to Abu Dhabi’s golf courses in ever-larger numbers. During the first quarter of this year, the number of “overseas” rounds played at the emirate’s seven golf properties was up by 90 percent over those played during the first quarter of 2012, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. Surprisingly, the emirate’s championship-caliber properties -- Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, and Yas Links -- have combined to ring up just 9,215 overseas rounds so far this year, not quite one-third of the total number. The TCA notes that this is the trio’s best performance ever, but some may wonder why Abu Dhabi’s most heavily promoted courses don’t capture a larger share of the market. On the brighter side, it’s worth noting that Abu Dhabi’s championship layouts last year registered a nearly 95 percent increase in rounds played over the numbers posted in 2011.

     Jack Nicklaus never wore sunglasses when he played competitive golf, but he swears that his new line of shades -- especially the more expensive “signature” models -- can improve your game. I hear they’re especially effective when combined with a lifetime’s worth of lessons.