The Week That Was, december 16, 2018

     Gary Kern, who described his architectural practice as “contemporary design in the classic style,” died in late November. Over the course of a career that began in the late 1960s, after he was encouraged to enter the profession by Bill Diddel, he was responsible for nearly four dozen new courses, renovations, and additions to existing facilities, the vast majority of them in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.
     Kern was by no means a household name, and, unlike the better-known architects of his era, he was content to produce what he described as “an affordable product within a realistic budget” – courses that were, in the words of a golf pro familiar with Kern’s work, well-suited to “small-town pocketbooks.” In keeping with that approach, his courses were playable to average players.
     “I feel strongly that golf should be fun,” he wrote, “and the player should enjoy his golf experience without frustration.”
     Kern inspired his son, Ron, to become a course architect as well. Today, Ron operates out of an office in suburban Indianapolis, Indiana, not far from where his father grew up. The way Ron sees it, his father’s commitment to affordability made his courses economically sustainable.
    “In all of the financial turmoil of the past decade, none of my dad’s courses have closed because of financial hardship,” Ron Kern recently told the Farmington Press. “Instead, they have continued to provide the golfing public, of all means, with wonderful golf courses to test their golfing abilities and enjoy the greatest game.”
     Gary Kern relocated to the St. Louis area in 1983 and spent his final years there. In recent years – in “retirement mode,” as he called it – he spent his time “noodling around on the clarinet” and “worshipping and studying in Bible classes.” He was 80.

     Nicklaus Design reports that it’s slated to break ground on three new courses in Vietnam, all of which appear to have been commissioned by BRG Group.
     A track designed by Jack Nicklaus II is expected to begin construction “soon” at BRG Ruby Tree Golf Resort, outside Hải Phòng, while layouts in Hà Nam Province, in the northern part of the nation, and in Huế, along the Central Coast, are scheduled to start “in the near future.”
     Nicklaus Design and BRG signed a partnership agreement two years ago, as part of BRG’s self-described mission to “to refresh the Vietnamese golf industry and bring new vitality to the game countrywide.” So far, the arrangement has enabled Nicklaus II to design a third 18-hole layout at BRG Kings Island Golf Resort, in the Sơn Tây District of Hà Nội, and to redesign the course that became BRG Legend Hill Golf Resort, in the Sóc Sơn District of metropolitan Hà Nội.
     A press release isn’t specific about what’s going to happen at Ruby Tree (originally Đồ Sơn Seaside Golf Resort), which is currently home to an 18-hole, Phil Ryan-designed golf course. It may be that a second course is forthcoming, but it’s also possible that Nicklaus will simply redesign Ryan’s track. (Golfasian characterizes the layout as “a sensible course for golfers in the area” but “hardly anything to write home about.”)
   The press release also doesn’t mention the status of the proposed Nicklaus-designed second course at BRG Đà Nẵng Golf Resort. If and when it opens, the course will complement BRG Đà Nẵng’s existing, Greg Norman-designed layout, which is considered to be one of Vietnam’s best.

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

     Pipeline Overflow – Before he gets too deep into his responsibilities as Vietnam’s tourism ambassador, Greg “the Living Brand” Norman will begin working on designs for four new courses in the socialist republic. The tracks will take shape at Novaland-developed “tourism complexes” in the southern part of the nation, outside Hồ Chí Minh City. . . . The new owners of Astbury Hall, the estate formerly owned by former Judas Priest guitarist Ken “KK” Downing, aim to turn the 320-acre property in Shropshire, England into a “world-class” vacation destination. The plans largely follow the script created by Downing, who intended to add a new, nine-hole golf course to complement the 18-hole track that he designed. . . . The Southwest Florida division of Lennar Corporation, the big U.S. home builder, has set out to build a golf community in Punta Gorda. The community, called Heritage Landing, will include houses, a swimming pool, a tennis center, a fitness center, and an 18-hole Gordy Lewis-designed golf course. While I’m at it, I should remind you that Lewis is also creating the course that Lennar intends to build at Babcock Ranch, near Fort Myers.

     Duly Noted – As part of its effort to build relationships and enrich lives, ClubCorp has purchased a controlling interest in BigShots, a start-up that hopes to establish a chain of Topgolf-inspired entertainment venues with what’s been described as a “golf party atmosphere.” The Dallas Morning News says that ClubCorp will begin using BigShots’ games and simulators at its properties next year. . . . The European Tour’s real-estate arm has added a second Bulgarian club to its network of ostensible “world-class” golf venues. The newcomer is Pirin Golf & Country Club, a 10-year-old property that features an 18-hole, Ian Woosnam “signature” layout. Coincidentally, Woosnam also designed the course at Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, which became part of the tour’s collection in 2016, and he worked with European Golf Design on both projects. . . . Only a tiny slice of international visitors to Vietnam – 0.5 percent of them – enter the country to play golf, according to data provided by the nation’s tourism agency. If my math is correct, that slice will translate to roughly 75,000 golfers this year, which doesn’t seem to be nearly enough to justify the construction of 96 courses, let alone the 100-plus that some government officials believe are necessary to satisfy demand.

     Are you wondering how much of a week’s golf news I cover in this blog? The answer, unfortunately, is just a fraction of what passes my way. The golf business, particularly the development side of the golf business, has unquestionably perked up over the past year or two, and there’s no way for me to address all of it. So if your business requires a more comprehensive news digest, contact me via e-mail at golfcoursereport@aol.com. I’ll send you a sample issue of either U.S. or International Construction Clips, depending on your needs.