The Week That Was, november 17, 2019

     One of the 13 (or maybe 20) golf courses planned to open over the next decade in Saudi Arabia will take shape at a so-called giga-project called Qiddiya that’s conceived to be the arid kingdom’s “capital of entertainment, sports, and the arts.” Qiddiya, which will sprawl across 85,000 acres of desert roughly 30 miles west of Riyadh, has been master-planned to include – take a deep breath – a variety of housing types, a slew of hotels, several concert and entertainment venues, skiing and ice-skating facilities (summer recreation!), a Six Flags theme park, a water park, a motorsports-themed park, a wildlife park, an equestrian center, large indoor and outdoor sports stadiums, an aquatic center, a grand mosque, schools, shopping areas, a hospital, and places to eat and drink. A press release doesn’t say where the water for these attractions (including an 18-hole, “ecologically sensitive” golf course) will come from, but its safe to assume that desalination plants will also be part of the mix. Qiddiya is being developed by an entity owned by the kingdom’s Public Investment Company and led by Michael Reininger, who previously had stints with Walt Disney Company and St. Joe Company. Reininger expects to debut phase one of Qiddiya in 2022.

     Pipeline Overflow – It’s taken something like 15 years, but FM Group seems to finally be ready to break ground on its Jack Nicklaus golf course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Aberdeen Evening Express reports that the developers “hope to begin construction” on the 18-hole “signaure” layout at the Ury Estate “by the end of the year.” . . . The owners of Quicksand Golf Course, an 18-hole venue in San Angelo, Texas, will reportedly add nine holes and perhaps a hotel with meeting space. The new nine will complement Quicksand’s 23-year-old, Michael Hurdzan-designed track, which bills itself as “one of the toughest courses in Texas.” . . . Jeff and Patricia Hoops have hired Terry LaGree, a principal of Harmony Links Golf, to design the golf course for their Grand Patrician resort in Milton, West Virginia. LaGree, whose motto is “Delivering Next Generation Golf Today,” intends to produce a “tribute” course whose nine par-3 holes and synthetic greens have been “inspired by the most famous golf holes in the world.”

     Pipeline Overflow Overflow – Delhi Golf Club, one of India’s oldest and most exclusive golf venues, is about to debut its Gary Player-redesigned golf complex. The club believes that the re-do will provide “more challenging playing conditions,” serve as “a nurturing ground for budding golfers,” and ultimately be regarded as “one of the best golf courses in the country.” . . . Sometime next spring, Tim Lobb expects to unveil his fourth course in Turkey. The track, which is said to be the first 18-hole course in the nation’s capital city, will be the centerpiece of Regnum Ankara Golf Estate, a 500-acre community with houses tailored to first-time buyers. . . . Come next summer, Johnny Morris’ Big Cedar Lodge expects to open its 18-hole Payne’s Valley course, which Forbes is generously hyping as “a fun, playable, and visually impressive” layout with “great holes throughout.” In addition to Payne’s Valley, the first public venue designed by Tiger Woods, Big Cedar offers golf travelers brand-name work by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Fazio, Tom Watson, and Coore & Crenshaw.

     Duly Noted – Topgolf Entertainment Group will soon blaze new frontiers in Asia, as the Dallas, Texas-based company has struck a deal with partners who aim to open 70 Topgolf-branded venues in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines. “We’ve done a fairly thorough analysis of cities across the world in which a Topgolf venue could be successful,” the company’s CEO acknowledged in a statement published by Fortune, “and we realized there’s twice the opportunity internationally than exists domestically.” . . . A company that bills itself as “the leading manufacturer of custom needlepoint accessories” is going to put Jack Nicklaus’ good name on “a special Nicklaus Collection” of belts, bar wear, key fobs, and god knows what else. Sadly, a spokesperson for the empire has called such products “the perfect fit for our brand.” . . . When he isn’t stripping naked for photos or protesting against the injustice of the U.S. tax code, Greg “the Living Brand” Norman complains about Tiger Woods’ manners, dreams of living until he’s 110, and draws a direct line between “a pure golf shot” and “having an orgasm.”

     In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”