The Week That Was, march 29, 2015

     After an initial stall, Tiger Woods’ career as a golf course architect has shifted into overdrive. Fresh off the opening of his El Cardonal track at the Diamante resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the Jupiter, Florida-based designer has been hired to put his “signature” on two projects in China, including a redesign of Beijing Tian’an Holiday Golf Club, a 27-hole complex in metropolitan Beijing. For his trouble, Woods will bring home some serious bacon, as Golf magazine reports that Pacific Links International has agreed to a design fee of $16.5 million -- among the most lucrative ever for golf architecture. Golf didn’t provide any details on the new course that Woods will create, but it quotes Woods as saying that the redesigned layout in Beijing -- a venue that will become “the flagship” in PLI’s network of golf properties -- “will stand the test of time and be one of the most prestigious courses in China, and even Asia.” These days Woods has three other projects on his plate: A course in Dubai that will operate as a Trump-branded property, a second course at Diamante, and Bluejack National Golf Course in suburban Houston, Texas. And without question, other opportunities await.

     Mike Keiser has been making significant contribution to elected officials in Wisconsin in recent years, and he may soon see a return on his money. Republican legislators have written a bill that would modify existing regulations and enable the town of Rome to extend loans and/or cash grants to Keiser’s Sun Valley resort, which is expected to break ground this year. Details are still to come, but the public money would presumably enable Keiser to finance the construction of his four-course, 1,500-acre golf venture on more favorable terms than he could get from conventional lenders. Since 2012, Keiser has given more than $11,000 to Wisconsin’s governor, Scott Walker, and $10,000 to the state’s Republican Party. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign describes him as “a frequent, generous contributor to state and federal Republican candidates and committees and conservative causes,” and a watchdog group says that he’s also written checks to Mitt Romney, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, the Illinois Republican Party, the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

     ClubCorp plans to add a half-dozen high-profile golf properties to its ever-expanding portfolio. The publicly traded, Dallas, Texas-based firm has agreed to pay nearly $44 million for a group that consists of four private clubs (among them Temple Hills Country Club in Franklin, Tennessee and Firethorne Country Club in Marvin, North Carolina), a semi-private course (Ford's Colony Country Club in Williamsburg, Virginia), and a public course (Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton, Florida). “These clubs fit well with our stated goal to continue consolidating a very fragmented industry,” ClubCorp’s CEO, Eric Affeldt, said in a press release. Although it may desire to create a monopoly in golf operations, it’s important to remember that the company’s “central purpose” is “building relationships and enriching lives.” ClubCorp is buying the six-course collection from Stratford Golf Partners and Accord Golf Capital, which got them from Textron Financial Corporation.

     The crackdown on illegal golf construction in China will apparently force a Taiwanese group to close its golf properties in Shanghai, Ningbo (Zhejiang Province), and Harbin (Heilongjiang Province). Orient Golf, which owns and operates 15 golf facilities in more than a dozen metropolitan areas in the People’s Republic, has until the end of the month to close Orient Shanghai Golf & Country Club, Ningbo Orient Golf & Country Club, and Harbin Orient Golf & Country Club. The club in Shanghai hosts the Shanghai Classic, an annual event on China’s LPGA tour. Orient Golf, which is sometimes called Orient Golf Group and Orient Golf International, also has golf properties in Beijing, Dalian, Quingdao, Shenyang, Taipei, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Yantai, Yangzhou, and Zhuhai. For what it’s worth, the company’s CEO told the Want China Times that the endangered facility in Shanghai was “totally legal.”

     Gifts of Gab: That buzz you hear is coming from Cape Wickham Links, the much anticipated 18-hole track on Tasmania’s King Island. “I don’t think I have seen anything remotely like it,” said Daryl David, a course rater for Golfweek. “It is a course that will deliver in all my key wants: strategy off the tee, challenging approach shots, ground game in spades, fun factor, and a jaw-dropping walk in the park.” The course, which has been co-designed by Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver, is expected to have its official debut in late October.

     Greg Norman has officially launched his Great White Shark Opportunity Fund, a financing program for small and medium-sized companies. Does this mean we’ll soon be calling him the Great White Loan Shark?