The Week That Was, august 12, 2018

     On an as-yet unknown date, Nicklaus Design will break ground on what’s said to be its seventh course for one of Vietnam’s most determined golf developers. A press release offers virtually nothing the way of details, but it appears that Sean Quinn is working on a routing for a presumed 18-hole layout – it appears to be part of a venture called Paradise – that BRG Group aims to build in or near Huế, a vacation destination along the nation’s Central Coast. In 2016, Nicklaus agreed to design 10 courses for BRG, a partnership that’s so far produced Legend Hill Golf Resort and the third course at Kings Island Golf Resort, both in greater Hà Nội. For what it’s worth, Quinn has described the property in Huế as “stunning,” with “beautiful beaches” that will be viewed from several holes.

     Some information in the preceding post first appeared in the August 2016 and November 2016 issues of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.

     Regarding the aforementioned 10-course deal between Nicklaus Design and BRG Group: In a press release issued last month, the Empire claimed to be working with BRG “to develop 20 golf courses in Vietnam.” In addition, the North Palm Beach, Florida-based firm now contends that it’s “playing the lead role in developing courses across the country,” a claim that FLC Group and Vingroup would probably dispute.

     Pipeline Overflow – It took something like eight years, but come this fall the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa expects to open all 18 holes at what might eventually be Uganda’s premier golf course. The resort boasts of having “the only clubhouse in Uganda with a fully-fledged pro shop selling world-class golfing merchandise,” and it calls Kevin Ramsey’s course “a challenging layout for the ever-evolving golfer looking for an enjoyable golfing experience.” . . . Just months after it became the 27th link in the still-growing chain of European Tour Properties, the course that intends to redefine “the good life for affluent Georgians” has likewise made its debut. Tbilisi Hills Golf Club, which features a Lassi Pekki Tilander-designed course, is being marketed as an escape from “the tribulations of Tbilisi,” a city that’s said to have an unemployment rate of 22.5 percent. . . . An Indian motorsports company has hopped aboard the “short-course” bandwagon. Autocar India aims to build a race track in Andhra Pradesh that will be accompanied by a small, resort-style hotel and attractions including an “automotive-themed amusement park” and a five-hole golf course.

     The members of Old Hickory Country Club, a struggling venue in suburban Nashville, Tennessee, have sold their property to a group led by a local restaurateur. Steve Smith and his partners reportedly paid $2.3 million for Old Hickory, which has, according to the Tennessean, lost roughly 200 members over the past two decades. The club was established as an employee perk by E. I. DuPont Nemours & Company in 1926, with a six-hole course that grew to 18 holes in 1941. Smith has promised to elevate the track to “an A-level course instead of a B-level,” and the club, which currently has 325 members, believes he’s going to make it “one of the nicest country clubs in Davidson County.”

     Surplus Transactions – After protracted negotiations, Michael Lundy has won shareholders’ approval to buy Watertown Golf Club, a venue in Watertown, New York that’s operated since 1926. The club features an 18-hole course that claims to “both challenge and relax players.” . . . To ensure the viability of their home values, the residents of a long-established private community in Roanoke, Virginia have purchased Hunting Hills Country Club from its original developer. The residents reportedly paid $1.9 million for the club and its 18-hole, Buddy Loving-designed golf course, and they hope to generate additional income by welcoming public play. . . . SpiritLife, an addiction-treatment center outside Indiana, Pennsylvania, has purchased a nearby nine-hole, executive-length track. The Indiana Gazette reports that Cherrywood Golf Course, which has operated since 1987, is “a great family-oriented type of place for all ages” that was “kind of going downhill.”

     Duly Noted – Greg “the Living Brand” Norman, who admits to having his “fair share of joint issues,” has become a pitch man for a vitamin supplement that claims to promote “joint comfort, mobility, and an active lifestyle.” Norman’s new income source is the same company that sells Nugenix, the libido enhancer. . . . Arthur Hills’ design firm, most recently known as Hills & Forrest International Golf Course Architects, has added Shawn Smith as a partner and now calls itself Hills • Forrest • Smith Golf Course Architects. In a press statement, the semi-retired company founder highlighted Smith’s “passion for the unique architectural elements of the classic courses.” . . . The world’s largest golf-course management company has purchased America’s largest operator of tennis facilities. Troon hasn’t announced what it paid for Cliff Drysdale Management, but it calls its new subsidiary “a natural fit” and indicated that it intends to “focus on increasing the popularity of tennis on a global scale.”

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