The Week That Was, may 5, 2019

     As part of a “signing ceremony” that took place in Washington, DC – far from their usual places of business – BRG Group and Nicklaus Design revealed the forthcoming development of another golf course in Vietnam. The unnamed 18-hole track will take shape in an unidentified area of Quảng Nam Province, an expanse southwest of Đà Nẵng that’s famed for its production of Saigon cinnamon. Unfortunately, a press release didn’t say when the construction would begin or explain why BRG’s chairman, Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, came all the way to in our nation’s capital to make the announcement. Nor did it mention that only six months ago the partners disclosed that a course would “soon” be built at BRG Ruby Tree Golf Resort, outside Hải Phòng, and that ground would be broken “in the near future” on layouts in Hà Nam Province, in the northern part of the nation, and in Huế, a city north of Đà Nẵng. And, speaking of Đà Nẵng, Golfasian reports that the site of Nicklaus’ new nine at BRG Đà Nẵng Golf Resort “is being cleared for construction,” with the course expected to be playable a year from now.

     Pipeline Overflow – It took nearly five years, but Kevin Gaughan and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy have negotiated a “framework of cooperation” on a long-simmering plan to bring a pair of Nicklaus-designed golf courses to Buffalo, New York. The agreement is non-binding, but it indicates that the parties are making progress. . . . Gil Hanse’s first course in Thailand, Ballyshear Golf Links in suburban Bangkok, is scheduled to open early next year. The 18-hole layout, inspired by C. B. Macdonald’s Lido Golf Club on New York’s Long Island, is taking shape on property formerly occupied by the Yoshiharu Aihara-designed track at Kiarti Thani Country Club. Hanse, who’s “totally transforming the landscape,” has promised to deliver “classic, unique golf holes” and “a very interesting golf course to play over and over again.” . . . Details are practically non-existent, but a developer named Ernesto Báez has apparently set out to build “a pioneering project” outside Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo, Mexico. A local news group reports that Báez’s Caribe Country Club “aims to attract a new tourist segment” with houses, a marina, and a golf course.

     Michael Dell’s investment group is under contract to buy Boca Raton Resort & Club, a 337-acre venue that it views as “irreplaceable real estate in a rapidly growing South Florida market.” MSD Partners didn’t announce a price, but in a press release it says that it expects to close on the transaction within weeks. The resort, which dates from the mid 1920s, features more than 1,000 hotel rooms, meeting space, a marina, a spa, seven swimming pools, 30 tennis courts, an assorts of places to eat and drink, and a pair of 18-hole golf courses. (Its claim to golf claim is its Resort course, originally a William Flynn layout that was redesigned by Gene Bates in the late 1990s.) Blackstone Group, the seller, bought the resort in 2004, when it acquired the assets of Boca Resorts, Inc. Blackstone put the property on the market in 2014.

     Duly Noted – Greg “the Living Brand” Norman, whose brand is now co-owned by a marketing firm called Authentic Brands Group, has signed on as a “brand ambassador” for a company that offers private-jet services. Because he spends “an incredible amount of time in the air globetrotting for business and pleasure,” the LB says that his new gig is “a natural fit for my brand.” . . . Following in the footsteps of Scott McCarron, Scott Piercy, and the omnipresent Greg Norman, Bubba Watson has agreed to endorse CBD products. The message ought to be clear: Golf’s prevailing demographic – older people with a lot of aches and pains – is made to order for CBD providers. . . . Seeing as how we’re dutifully following the money, I’m obliged to mention that Individual #1’s trips to his golf clubs have so far cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $99 million. Also, he’s said to be on pace to make 301 such visits by the time his term ends in early 2021, a number that nearly equals the 306 that Barack Obama registered during his eight years in office.

     Duly Noted Once Again – The office manager who embezzled $150,000 or more from David McLay Kidd’s design firm has avoided a trial by entering no-contest pleas to four of the 16 charges that authorities in Bend, Oregon filed against her. The woman could spend four years in prison. . . . “Clueless” Keith Pelley claims to be “perplexed” by the criticism that the European Tour has received for staging tournaments in Saudi Arabia. The commissioner told Reuters that the events, one played earlier this year and another scheduled for 2020, are “the right decision for our tour” but reportedly failed answer questions about the kingdom’s wretched human-rights record. . . . Just weeks after it acquired OB Sports Golf Management, consolidation-minded Troon has swooped up another one of its golf-industry competitors. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based management colossus has picked up Green Golf Partners, which is said to have “a solid portfolio of courses” (18 in all) in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. GGP’s CEO called the partnership “a match made in heaven.”

     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 – a weekly compendium of stories collected from newspapers, magazines, and other sources – 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.