Former PGA of America president Dick Smith dead at 80

“The PGA of America is heartbroken by the passing of our 27th PGA President Dick Smith.”

Dick Smith, the PGA of America president from 1991-92, passed away on March 8 after complications from a stroke, the PGA said. He was 80.

“The PGA of America is heartbroken by the passing of our 27th PGA President Dick Smith. A PGA Member since 1964 and a member of the PGA Hall of Fame, he had a great influence on our sport both as an administrator and a competitor,” said PGA President John Lindert. “One of the finest playing presidents in our Association’s history, Dick competed in 13 major championships during his career, highlighted by a 44th place finish at the 1970 U.S. Open and a 17th place showing at the 1992 Senior British Open.”

Smith was born in Ohio in 1942 and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. At age 10, he began playing golf with his father at the Mount Pleasant Golf Course, a public course in Baltimore where he also caddied.

Dick Smith speaking during the 54th Senior PGA Championship held at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. April 15-18, 1993. (photograph by The PGA of America).

In 1959 he won the Maryland State Jaycee Junior Championship. Smith attended Loyola College in Baltimore and turned pro in 1962. That year he came to the Philadelphia Section of the PGA as an assistant at the Green Valley Country Club, and would go on to win three section championships in succession and five overall. Smith worked at a variety of clubs during his career, most notably Woodcrest Country Club, Galloway National Golf Club and purchased the Williamstown Golf Center, which he operated for seven years. Smith and the Philadelphia Section created the Dick Smith Cup, an annual match between the assistants from the Central Counties Chapter and the assistants from the rest of the Philadelphia Section.

Smith played in five PGA Championships and a U.S. Open. That included the 1982 PGA Championship, where he opened with 76 in the first round, 13 strokes behind Raymond Floyd, who coasted to the title.

“I was an OK golfer back then, but that was the day when I realized how good the touring pros were compared to me,” Smith told Golfweek during an interview last year.

But among his peers, he more than held his own. He qualified for the PGA Club Professional Championships 15 times and the PGA Senior Club Professional Championship three times. In addition to being a five-time Section champion, he won more than 25 Philadelphia PGA championships during his career. He also captured the Section’s Player of the Year Award six times.

Smith came from humble beginnings and rose to the top of his profession. He served as Philadelphia PGA President from 1978-1980. He was in office for the PGA in the role of vice president during the Shoal Creek controversy surrounding the 1990 PGA Championship.

“Neither of our families had two nickels to rub together,” Smith told Golfweek for a story on Shoal Creek in reference to himself and his predecessor as PGA president, Pat Rielly. “One of our favorites sayings was ‘Never forget where you come from.’”

Smith was inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2005.

“His service as President of the PGA from 1991-92 was extremely impactful on our membership, the game and the golf industry,” Lindert said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Smith family, including his wife Adrienne, daughter Stephanie and son and quarter-century PGA Member Dick Jr., along with his grandchildren, Alexandria, Zakary and Marissa.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Fun Tiger Woods themed merch and apparel to celebrate his return at the 2023 Genesis Invitational

Celebrate the Big Cat’s return to non-major golf.

The Cat is back!

It’s the first time we get to watch Tiger Woods is making his first official PGA Tour start since last year’s Open Championship, and it’s the first time we’ll see him play tournament golf since the PNC Championship in December.

Like everybody else, we’re excited to watch some Tiger, so we decided to round up some of the best Tiger themed apparel and merchandise to help celebrate.

Let’s be honest, if you don’t have at least one piece of Tiger-themed merch, are you really even a golf fan?

Seriously though, having a TW hat, a red Nike polo, a Frank head cover or anything else related to the 15-time major champ is like having the jersey of your favorite NFL or NBA player.

Of course, having that Sunday Red polo and TW hat isn’t complete without black pants and shoes. Check out our list on both golf essentials to complete the look! Best Pants | Best Shoes

Finally, we can’t talk about Tiger for too long without mentioning Charlie Woods. If you want to create your own Tiger/Charlie dynamic, sign up for Golfweek’s Father’s Day Open at Innisbrook Resort this June.

Dow Finsterwald, winner of the 1958 PGA Championship, dies at 93

“What’s the expression? It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

Dow Finsterwald, winner of the 1958 PGA Championship, died Friday of a stroke in his sleep, his son confirmed. He was 93.

“He did all he could for the game,” his son, the head professional at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, told the Associated Press. “He enjoyed his friends and they always remembered. He loved the rules and he cared about the game. He had a wonderful life and he felt like for sure it was complete.”

Finsterwald won 11 tournaments during an eight-year span, and was named PGA Player of the Year in 1958. In his day, cashing in on a major meant landing a plum head professional job. In 1963, he left the Tour to raise a family and became director of golf at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a position he held for 28 years.

Finsterwald played on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams (1957, ’59, ’61 and ’63) and was the non-playing captain of the victorious 1977 team. He also won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in ’57. Finsterwald was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 2006.

Finsterwald was born Sept. 6, 1929, in Athens, Ohio. He got his start in the game at Athens Country Club, a Donald Ross design in the Appalachian foothills. Beginning in 1944, Finsterwald had swept its locker room, hosed down the showers, and opened the place each morning.

“My father said if you do a good job and save your money you can go to the World Series,” Finsterwald, who kept box scores of the Cincinnati Reds as he listened on the radio, told Golfweek in 2013. “It came September and instead of World Series tickets, I bought a set of MacGregor golf clubs. You might say baseball got me into golf.”

Finsterwald attended Ohio University, where he first met Arnold Palmer, who would become his closest friend, at Raleigh Country Club in North Carolina in the spring of 1948, when Palmer played for Wake Forest. Palmer threw a front nine 29 at him.

“That was my introduction to Arn,” Finsterwald said. “Quite a rude awakening to how good he already was and would be.”

Finsterwald wasn’t too shabby himself at the time. While still in college, he shot a final-round 60 in the 1950 St. Louis Open, which at the time was the lowest round that had ever been posted on the PGA Tour. After a stint in the Air Force, Finsterwald turned pro in 1955. In 1958, Finsterwald won his lone major, the first PGA Championship, contested in the stroke-play format and the first nationally-televised PGA, at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Dow Finsterwald
Dow Finsterwald at the 1977 Ryder Cup at the Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s Golf Course in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo: Associated Press)

The city of Athens, Ohio, threw Dow Finsterwald Day on Sept. 25, 1958, for its native son. He was feted with a key to the city and a hero’s parade, but the day is recorded in the history books for another reason: it marked the first time Arnold Palmer and an 18-year-old Ohio Open champion named Jack Nicklaus teed it up.

Finsterwald fondly remembers the driving contest from the elevated first tee. Palmer smoked one of his low bullets and reached the first green some 321 yards away. A then-beefy Nicklaus lumbered to the tee and smashed a tape-measure blast more than 350 yards and over the green. A rivalry was born. Not to be outdone, Palmer shot 62 to break Finsterwald’s course record by one.

Finsterwald had two legitimate shots to win the Masters only to be bested by Palmer. In 1960, he finished two strokes out of a playoff with Palmer when he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for practice putting during the first round. Two years later, they were locked in a tense duel when Palmer reeled off birdies on two of the last three holes to force an 18-hole playoff and defeated Finsterwald (77) and Gary Player the next day.

Dow Finsterwald
Dow Finsterwald, winner of the 1958 PGA Championship, speaks during a news conference at the 90th PGA Championship on Aug. 5, 2008, at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. (Photo: Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press)

Finsterwald never dwelled on what could’ve been. “What’s the expression?” he said. “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

Finsterwald always kept a hand in the professional game. He was captain of the 1977 U.S. Ryder Cup team, vice president of the PGA (1976-1978), a member of the USGA executive committee (1977-1979), and served as a rules official at the Masters beginning in 1978.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

John Lindert named 43rd president of PGA of America, succeeds Jim Richerson

The 106th PGA annual meeting was at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix.

PHOENIX — John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing and Michigan PGA Section member, was elected president of the PGA of America.

The 106th PGA annual meeting was this past week at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort where about 450 members gathered to also vote Southwest PGA Section Member Don Rea, Jr. as vice president and Gateway PGA Section Member Nathan Charnes as secretary.

Lindert, elevated after two years serving as vice president, succeeds Jim Richerson, whose two-year term has ended. Richerson is now PGA Honorary President. He was named general manager of Riviera Country Club in March.

Lindert has been a PGA Member for more than 35 years. In 2019, he was inducted into the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame. He has served on four national committees and has collected numerous accolades, including Michigan PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year in 2009 and Michigan Section PGA Professional Development Award in 2021 and 2015.

As a competitor, Lindert, who played his college golf at the University of Arizona, is a past Toledo Chapter Stroke Play Champion and played in the PGA Professional Championship five times.

“This is a remarkable time for our Association, and I truly believe that we have the right people in place with the passion and desire to elevate our profession and our Association over the coming years,” said Lindert. “We have an opportunity to strengthen our position as an Association in the sport of golf and, most importantly, use that position to improve the lives of our PGA Members.”

106th PGA of America Annual Meeting
The 106th annual meeting for the PGA of America at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix on Nov. 2, 2022. (Photo: Todd Kelly/Golfweek)

Rea lives in Gilbert, Arizona, and is the owner and general manager of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public golf course in Mesa, Arizona. He previously served as secretary and is a member of the Southwest PGA Section. Off the golf course, Rea was an umpire for nine years in the minor leagues and has worked several MLB spring training games.

Charnes is the general manager and director of golf of WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Evansville in 2001, where he played on the golf team.

In addition, five people were named to the PGA Board of Directors:

  • Larry Kelley, PGA – Five Star Golf Cars & Utility Vehicles,
    Ludlow, Vermont
  • Steve Parker, PGA – Portage Country Club, Akron, Ohio
  • Paige Cribb, PGA – Coastal Carolina PGA Golf Management University Program, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
  • Russ Libby, PGA – Hidden Hills Golf Club, Jacksonville, Florida
  • Jeff Lessig, PGA – Verde River Golf & Social Club, Fountain Hills, Arizona

John A. Solheim, who earned the PGA’s Distinguished Service Award for 2022, was also honored during the week.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Division II standout Joanna Coe, director of instruction at storied Merion, still thrives while competing on a national stage

“Merion was always an unattainable dream place. The first time I played here, I couldn’t stop shaking.”

It snowed on the first day of the Women’s PGA Cup. The wind gusted over 30 mph at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and the feels-like temperature was in the high 20s. Even the Swedes asked PGA officials, “Is this playable?”

The Americans trailed early but battled back over the weekend to win the second Women’s PGA Cup. Joanna Coe fielded quite a few questions from students when she returned to Merion Golf Club about battling the elements and coming through in the clutch.

As director of instruction at the storied club, Coe’s competitive drive and infectious personality fit in well at a place that’s synonymous with excellence.

“Everyone eats, sleeps and breathes golf here,” she said.

Coe has a poster of Nelly Korda in her teaching bay because she thinks there needs to be more of a focus on the best women in the world.

Suzy Whaley, the first female president of the PGA of America, describes Coe as a hard worker whose approachable and authentic demeanor makes people want to be around her.

“She loves the game and exudes joy when she’s around it,” Whaley said. “This hire was a very smart hire.”

Whaley applauds Merion for hiring a woman because of the message it sends to an industry in which it’s still a challenging climb for women and minorities, but she wants to make it clear, too, that Coe was the best fit for the job.

“In golf, we’ve made progress,” said Whaley, “but we have a long way to go to elevate women and minorities. Boards, employers and owners continue to be heavily skewed male, and human nature showcases that we hire people like ourselves.”

Even now when Whaley answers the phone at her facility, the person on the other end sometimes asks to speak to the golf professional.

Team USA poses for a photo with the Women’s PGA Cup during the final round of the 2nd Women’s PGA Cup at Twin Warriors Golf Club on Saturday, October 29, 2022, in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. From left to right: Ashley Grier, Sherry Andonian, Jennifer Borocz, Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth and Joanna Coe (Photo by Sam Greenwood/PGA of America)

The first time Rollins coach Julie Garner watched Coe compete was at a junior event at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. By the time Garner got to the course, Rollins alumna Peggy Kirk Bell, a World Golf Hall of Famer who happened to own the place, had already spotted Coe on the range and was blown away by her power.

“There’s just something special about Pine Needles, and of course Mrs. Bell,” said Garner. “It was just magical how it all came together.”

Coe, a four-time All-American, would go on to lead Rollins to the 2008 NCAA Division II title while winning individually. She also won the Ross Resorts Invitational at Mid Pines, an extra special victory as the Bell family owned Mid Pines, too.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfMOUmiJFVT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After competing for several years on what’s now the Epson Tour and missing out on her LPGA card one last time at Q-School, Coe came across a posting on LinkedIn for the assistant director of instruction at Baltimore Country Club.

She’d grown up “nerding out” over golf swings at the New Jersey Academy of Golf with her instructor Bruce Chelucci. As a teenager, she’d set up for his clinics, take his lessons on the course and absorb his teaching methods. Following in Chelucci’s footsteps felt like a natural next step.

“He didn’t charge me for lessons,” said Coe. “It was just this understanding that hey, we’re going to build something special together, so let’s just always help somebody out.”

After five years, Coe was promoted to director of instruction at Baltimore and then moved to Merion in March of 2022.

While she no longer plays professionally full time, Coe stays competitive in PGA events, noting that she’s played in more than 15 this year, though most are only one day. She was the Middle Atlantic Women’s PGA Player of the Year six times and was named the inaugural OMEGA Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year in 2020.

Joanna Coe of Team USA hits her shot during a practice round for the 2nd PGA Women’s Cup at Twin Warriors Golf Club on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/PGA of America)

In June, Coe won the 2022 Conestoga Classic on the second sudden-death playoff hole against Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield. She made nine birdies in that round. Most of the events she competes in are mixed, and Coe plays a reduced yardage.

“She’s meant to compete,” said Garner, noting the epic ping pong battles Coe used to engage in with former Rollins president Lewis Duncan.

Next year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltustrol will be her fifth KPMG. There’s already talk of a party bus of supporters coming out to watch in 2023.

There’s a lot of passion around elite-level golf at Merion, host of 19 USGA championships and a slate of big events on the calendar, including the 2026 U.S. Amateur, 2030 U.S. Open and 2034 U.S. Women’s Open.

During the Curtis Cup last June at Merion, Coe hosted dozens of kids at a junior clinic that featured Swoop, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot. Coe never imagined while working those junior clinics with Chelucci that this is how she’d one day grow the game.

“Merion was always an unattainable dream place,” she said. “The first time I played here, I couldn’t stop shaking the entire day.”

Now it’s home.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Division II standout Joanna Coe, director of instruction at storied Merion, still thrives while competing on a national stage

“Merion was always an unattainable dream place. The first time I played here, I couldn’t stop shaking.”

It snowed on the first day of the Women’s PGA Cup. The wind gusted over 30 mph at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and the feels-like temperature was in the high 20s. Even the Swedes asked PGA officials, “Is this playable?”

The Americans trailed early but battled back over the weekend to win the second Women’s PGA Cup. Joanna Coe fielded quite a few questions from students when she returned to Merion Golf Club about battling the elements and coming through in the clutch.

As director of instruction at the storied club, Coe’s competitive drive and infectious personality fit in well at a place that’s synonymous with excellence.

“Everyone eats, sleeps and breathes golf here,” she said.

Coe has a poster of Nelly Korda in her teaching bay because she thinks there needs to be more of a focus on the best women in the world.

Suzy Whaley, the first female president of the PGA of America, describes Coe as a hard worker whose approachable and authentic demeanor makes people want to be around her.

“She loves the game and exudes joy when she’s around it,” Whaley said. “This hire was a very smart hire.”

Whaley applauds Merion for hiring a woman because of the message it sends to an industry in which it’s still a challenging climb for women and minorities, but she wants to make it clear, too, that Coe was the best fit for the job.

“In golf, we’ve made progress,” said Whaley, “but we have a long way to go to elevate women and minorities. Boards, employers and owners continue to be heavily skewed male, and human nature showcases that we hire people like ourselves.”

Even now when Whaley answers the phone at her facility, the person on the other end sometimes asks to speak to the golf professional.

Team USA poses for a photo with the Women’s PGA Cup during the final round of the 2nd Women’s PGA Cup at Twin Warriors Golf Club on Saturday, October 29, 2022, in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. From left to right: Ashley Grier, Sherry Andonian, Jennifer Borocz, Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth and Joanna Coe (Photo by Sam Greenwood/PGA of America)

The first time Rollins coach Julie Garner watched Coe compete was at a junior event at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. By the time Garner got to the course, Rollins alumna Peggy Kirk Bell, a World Golf Hall of Famer who happened to own the place, had already spotted Coe on the range and was blown away by her power.

“There’s just something special about Pine Needles, and of course Mrs. Bell,” said Garner. “It was just magical how it all came together.”

Coe, a four-time All-American, would go on to lead Rollins to the 2008 NCAA Division II title while winning individually. She also won the Ross Resorts Invitational at Mid Pines, an extra special victory as the Bell family owned Mid Pines, too.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfMOUmiJFVT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After competing for several years on what’s now the Epson Tour and missing out on her LPGA card one last time at Q-School, Coe came across a posting on LinkedIn for the assistant director of instruction at Baltimore Country Club.

She’d grown up “nerding out” over golf swings at the New Jersey Academy of Golf with her instructor Bruce Chelucci. As a teenager, she’d set up for his clinics, take his lessons on the course and absorb his teaching methods. Following in Chelucci’s footsteps felt like a natural next step.

“He didn’t charge me for lessons,” said Coe. “It was just this understanding that hey, we’re going to build something special together, so let’s just always help somebody out.”

After five years, Coe was promoted to director of instruction at Baltimore and then moved to Merion in March of 2022.

While she no longer plays professionally full time, Coe stays competitive in PGA events, noting that she’s played in more than 15 this year, though most are only one day. She was the Middle Atlantic Women’s PGA Player of the Year six times and was named the inaugural OMEGA Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year in 2020.

Joanna Coe of Team USA hits her shot during a practice round for the 2nd PGA Women’s Cup at Twin Warriors Golf Club on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/PGA of America)

In June, Coe won the 2022 Conestoga Classic on the second sudden-death playoff hole against Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield. She made nine birdies in that round. Most of the events she competes in are mixed, and Coe plays a reduced yardage.

“She’s meant to compete,” said Garner, noting the epic ping pong battles Coe used to engage in with former Rollins president Lewis Duncan.

Next year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltustrol will be her fifth KPMG. There’s already talk of a party bus of supporters coming out to watch in 2023.

There’s a lot of passion around elite-level golf at Merion, host of 19 USGA championships and a slate of big events on the calendar, including the 2026 U.S. Amateur, 2030 U.S. Open and 2034 U.S. Women’s Open.

During the Curtis Cup last June at Merion, Coe hosted dozens of kids at a junior clinic that featured Swoop, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot. Coe never imagined while working those junior clinics with Chelucci that this is how she’d one day grow the game.

“Merion was always an unattainable dream place,” she said. “The first time I played here, I couldn’t stop shaking the entire day.”

Now it’s home.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

John A. Solheim of Ping named 2022 PGA Distinguished Service Award Recipient

The PGA of America honored him for his “decades of work in the golf industry and dedication to the junior game.”

John A. Solheim has earned the PGA Distinguished Service Award for 2022.

The PGA of America honored him for his “decades of work in the golf industry and dedication to the junior game,” according to a release sent Wednesday.

Solheim is the executive chairman of Ping, and son of company founder Karsten Solheim. John Solheim was a teenager when he started working for his dad in the garage of their house in 1959. Sixty-three years later, he has more than 170 U.S. patents to his name, influencing golf club and bag design.

He will be honored on Nov. 2 during the 2022 PGA Annual Meeting, which is being held this year at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix.

“I’m very appreciative to receive such a prestigious honor from the PGA of America,” said Solheim. “I’ve been blessed to spend my entire career in the golf industry. It’s allowed us to continue building a family business, which is very enjoyable for me to now guide our strong third generation in their leadership positions and still allow me to do what I enjoy most, design and develop future products.”

Ping has sponsored more than 50 American Junior Golf Association tournaments. In 2002, Solheim started the Ping Junior Solheim Cup for girls junior golfers, modeling it after the Solheim Cup, which was founded by his parents in 1990.

Past winners

1988 – Herb Graffis
1989 – Bob Hope
1991 – Gerald R. Ford
1992 – Gene Sarazen
1993 – Byron Nelson
1994 – Arnold Palmer
1995 – Patty Berg
1996 – Frank Chirkinian
1997 – George H.W. Bush
1998 – Paul Runyan
1999 – Bill Dickey
2000 – Jack Nicklaus
2001 – Mark McCormack
2002 – Tim Finchem
2003 – Vince Gill
2004 – Pete Dye
2005 – Wally Uihlein
2006 – Fred Ridley
2007 – Jack Burke Jr.
2008 – Dennis Walters
2009 – William Powell
2010 – Billy Casper
2011 – Larry Nelson
2012 – Dave Stockton
2013 – Lee Trevino
2014 – Bill J. Clinton
2015 – Deane Beman
2017 – Mark and Debi Rolfing
2019 – Barbara Nicklaus
2022 – John A. Solheim

The PGA of America says that the “PGA Distinguished Service Award honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Golf architects Gil Hanse and Beau Welling like each other, and players will love what they’ve created at PGA Frisco

Spoiler alert: It’s yet to be announced, but the course is almost certain to be added as the 2041 Ryder Cup site.

FRISCO, Texas — If the coffee at the soon-to-be-completed Omni PGA Frisco Resort doesn’t give you a sufficient morning jolt, a peek at the scorecard of Gil Hanse’s Fields Ranch East Course certainly will.

The sprawling and spectacular track — part of a 660-acre complex that houses Hanse’s East Course, Beau Welling’s West Course and the PGA of America’s impressive new home — opens with what we can safely refer to as major numbers. Major as in the numerous championships that will be played there, including the 2027 and 2034 PGA Championship and the 2025 and 2031 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

And major in terms of sheer distance — like an opening three-hole stretch that can play to 1,699 yards, including a 633-yard first hole that often plays into a stiff breeze.

Don’t come here half-asleep, the East Course seems to be saying.

But while the complex, which sits on a rare bit of rolling land on the northern tip of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, will best be known for the 26 PGA of America championships scheduled over the next dozen years, there’s an interesting bit of behind-the-scenes symbiosis that’s led to the finished work.

The new PGA of America home at the Frisco complex. (Photo by Gabe Gudgel/Golfweek)

Teamwork was the key

Gil Hanse, a golf architect who can’t squeeze enough room into his planner for major course re-designs these days, and self-described project “underdog” Beau Welling formed an interesting and complementary team to make a special piece of property into something that will change the dynamic of golf in the state of Texas.

During a recent media preview, the two sat down for a fireside chat and explained that this was the first time they’d ever worked together, but both sides were excited about the possibility of collaborating again in the future.

Welling not only created the plan for the West Course, a challenging yet playable layout that rolls through the former ranch land, but he also developed the entire site plan, meaning he accounted for details like massive crowds, TV towers and even future concession stands.

It’s all part of a property that’s expected to drive massive tourism and growth in and around the yet-to-be-finished Omni, a resort that will include a two-acre putting course; an entertainment area named The Dance Floor with a massive TV screen to be programmed by PGA of America officials; and a par-3, 10-hole short course called “The Swing.”

But as for the main attraction, Hanse’s East Course, the idea was to make this a track that could challenge the best players in the world.

Spoiler alert: It’s yet to be announced and won’t officially be for years, but the common knowledge among all the key players is that if the course gets satisfactory marks during its run hosting the 2027 PGA Championship, it’s certain to be added as the 2041 Ryder Cup site.

Gil Hanse designed the East Course and Beau Welling designed the West Course at Fields Ranch on the PGA Frisco complex. (Photo by Gabe Gudgel/Golfweek)

Prepping for a major (and a Ryder Cup)

All this left Hanse with a massive challenge, but in recent years he and managing partner Jim Wagner have been given plenty of opportunities to tackle big things. The tandem’s original design skills were on full display at the Olympic Course for the 2016 Games in Brazil, and restorations to major-championship courses have included Winged Foot, Los Angeles Country Club, Oakland Hills South, Baltusrol, Southern Hills and beyond.

But instead of reworking an existing course in advance of a major, this job called for sculpting from conception. That allowed Hanse and Wagner to put some of their routing theories into action.

“When the stage is set, we’d rather see positive outcomes determine champions as opposed to negative outcomes. We really enjoy watching golfers making birdies and eagles to win, as opposed to some guy double bogeys, another guy bogeys and barely hangs on,” Hanse said. “And so the way we’ve set up the finish is we’ve got, you know, a pretty tough stretch of holes on the back nine — the drivable 15th, 16 is a hard four, but then 17 is the shortest par-3 on the golf course and 18 is a reachable five for all those guys.

“So they’re going to have to make decisions and, hopefully, they’ll have positive outcomes determine the way that it all falls out.”

Of course, Hanse didn’t create everything from scratch. He’s openly admitted to “borrowing” design concepts from some of the biggest names before him, a practice that worked well on this project. When asked if greats like Donald Ross, Perry Maxwell and Alister MacKenzie influence his work, Hanse didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Every day. Every day they do,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we are very active in that side of the business as well. And so we’re constantly trying to explore and figure out what they did at their particular projects. And Jim and I are both very open in that we steal ideas from them. If we see something that we really like, we’ll certainly borrow literally from that, but it’s also really nice because we can talk about situational things — that we don’t want to necessarily build that green that Ross built. But that green site feels a lot like (one) at Oakland Hills. And so, then there’s a context and we can talk about those things that way as opposed to — we’re going to build exactly a replica of that.

“But we were always influenced by them, because it’s the highest art form in our profession is, is created during those times. And so we’re always inspired and certainly informed by what they did.”

Moderator Stephen Reynolds, left, Gil Hanse, and Beau Welling, during a recent event in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

Moving earth from west to east

While Hanse was working on his East behemoth, Welling was whittling away at some of the higher pieces of property on the ranch. The two realized early on that they had something the other needed.

The result was a massive movement of earth from the West Course to the East, largely to help the latter deal with Panther Creek, a tributary that winds through the region before dumping into Lewisville Lake.

Although the area is often dry, Hanse and Welling had to be ready for the occasional floods that plague the region. That led to loads of dirt being repurposed, although Welling wasn’t sure of the exact quantity.

“I’m terrible at numbers. I have no idea how much I don’t remember exactly. There was a big export of material from the west to the east,” Welling said. “So there were awesome parts of topography, like where the halfway house is, but then there’s all the stuff that was dead flat along Panther Creek and all that had to be amended in order to protect it from the floodwaters.

“And so we had to move the earth, not so much necessarily to create topography that we might have done along the way, but it really was just to elevate everything such that when the flood event does happen, it’s not inundating the investments been made in the golf courses.”

Although the area around the complex is still largely empty, a number of condominiums and mixed-use projects are either in the works or under construction. And Welling thinks that will make Fields Ranch even more important in years to come.

“I think what’s going to be really neat, long-term, is as the town and city now develops around them, this is going to be this oasis in the middle of the built-up environment that’s going to have flora and fauna and wildlife and whatnot,” he said.

Beau Welling, left, shows Gil Hanse a photo on his phone during a recent event in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

More to come?

Although they’re very different creatures — for example, when Welling mentioned at dinner that he’d had someone dress up as Sasquatch to walk outside the window at his recent wedding, Hanse laughed in disbelief and asked to see pictures — the combination created magic in this bucolic Texas pasture.

“I knew innately from the original phone call, this was gonna be such a massive, special thing and we just wanted to be a part of it and to get to be able to work alongside Gil. His guys, as you know, are special. I certainly consider him friends of ours now, and we really had a great time with all this,” Welling said. “We talked about collaborating and it’s not some marketing thing we’re talking about. I think the two firms really got to appreciate each other and I think part of that is that we’re real people.

“Like we don’t just sit around and talk about golf all the time. So I remember great dinners or we talked about music, we talked about football and we talked about whatever, so it was just really a wonderful great experience.”

That’s when the question came of whether this was the first time the two had worked together.

“Yes,” Hanse said, looking over at Welling. “And hopefully not the last.”

[listicle id=778059049]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Suzy Whaley makes history as first woman to captain United States men in PGA Cup, Americans victorious in England

Suzy Whaley made history Sunday.

Suzy Whaley made history Sunday.

Whaley, a PGA Honorary President from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, captained the United States to victory in the 30th PGA Cup at Foxhills Resort and Club in Surrey, England, against Great Britain and Ireland. It is the Americans’ first overseas victory since 2009 and their second Llandudno International Trophy win. In the overall series, which dates to 1973, it’s the 19th win for the U.S.

Yet for Whaley, she’s the first woman to not only captain the men’s PGA Cup team but win it, too. She was also captain of the victorious United States Women’s PGA Cup team in its inaugural event in 2019.

“I have been able to do a lot of amazing things in my career, and this ranks right at the very top,” said Whaley.

30th PGA Cup
Captain and PGA of America Honorary President, Suzy Whaley during single matches for the 30th PGA Cup at Foxhills Golf Club on September 18, 2022 in Ottershaw, England. (Photo by Matthew Harris/PGA of America)

The PGA Cup originated in 1973 at Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina as an outgrowth of the PGA Professional Championship. Structured after the format of the Ryder Cup, with match-play competition between the U.S. and Europe, the PGA Cup features the top PGA Club Professionals from both sides of the Atlantic.

The U.S. led 9.5-6.5 entering singles on Sunday, and American Michael Block started the day with an incredible comeback. Block, the PGA Head Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, in Mission Viejo, California, birdied five of his six final holes, including two lengthy birdie putts on Nos. 15 and 17, to win the match 1 up.

“It really set the tone for everybody else,” said Whaley, who followed Block across the back nine. “He fought so hard, and he earned us that first point. That first point is so crucial for the rest of the team. I have never seen anyone fight so hard for a point.”

PGA Life Member and Austin native Omar Uresti, a two-time PGA Professional Champion, earned the clinching point for the United States, 4 & 3 over Great Britain & Ireland’s Simon Lilly, to help secure a 15.5-10.5 road win.

“It started to get a little dicey,” admitted Whaley. “But in the end, we got it done.”

The United States holds a 19-7-4 advantage in a series. The U.S. won in 2019 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, on a miraculous final day rally.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Why did the PGA of America move to a Dallas exurb? You can guess some of the reasons (and there are more than 150 million)

“We were totally happy in Florida. We did an RFP, sort of assuming we’d get paid to stay, right?”

FRISCO, Texas — If the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a city bulging on steroids, the exurb of Frisco is an overly enthusiastic spotter egging on the beast, screaming loudly for one final rep.

In late August, city council members and officials from the city enjoyed a day most other municipality planners would dream of: the unveiling of a cutting-edge, multi-million dollar home of a national sports organization, one that will bring a dozen or more major events to town over the next decade. Celebrities stirred about the 100,000-square-feet facility, which includes practice bays, indoor putting greens, conference rooms, and a massive foyer/conference area.

Among those on hand at the event were Dallas Cowboys greats Tony Dorsett, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Drew Pearson, Billy Joe DuPree and the team’s owner, Jerry Jones, as well as LPGA Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth and former WNBA superstar Nancy Lieberman.

But for Frisco City Councilman Bill Woodard, while the ceremony was celebratory, it’s something he and fellow city officials have become comfortable with. Frisco — a once-sleepy prairie town that had a little more than 6,000 residents in 1990 but is now closing in on a quarter of a million — has used sports as a vehicle to distance itself from the numerous other small municipalities in the region, using unique public-private partnerships and massive incentives to lure teams. Or in this case, the PGA of America.

Although it seems to be working, it’s still a work in progress. Originally a train stop near a watering hole, Frisco’s humble beginnings have not kept its planners from thinking big. And when pro golfers are milling about town when the PGA Championship comes calling in 2027, they’ll have to fade into the background behind numerous other high-profile athletes.

The city is the home of the 12,000-seat Ford Center at the Star, a complex where the beloved Cowboys practice, and area high school football teams are often given access. The National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars practice at the Comerica Center, a 7,000-seat venue that is also the home of the G-League affiliate of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.

There’s more. The 20,500-seat Toyota Stadium that houses FC Dallas, a member of Major League Soccer, has hosted of the Frisco Bowl since 2017, and the Division I FCS football championship game for a dozen years.

And the movement to sports really began back in 2003 when the Texas Rangers moved their Double-A affiliate into what is now called Riders Field, an interesting and much-lauded park that sits at the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and the Sam Rayburn Tollway.

While we’re on it, let’s talk tolls and travel. Yes, Frisco is technically a bedroom community of Dallas, but the only way to get from the north part of town — where the two new PGA Frisco championship courses are housed — to, say, Reunion Tower in the heart of downtown Dallas is by taking the tollway. This is no small feat. Without traffic, it’s at least a half-hour commute and during rush hour, this can easily turn into an hour. Also, the cost? A cool $12.12 to make the round-trip.

But despite the distance from downtown, Frisco officials hardly seem worried. In fact, Woodard — who has been on the city’s council for six years after spending six years on the planning and zoning commission — was pleased but not surprised this day was finally here as he mingled with other city representatives off to the side at the opening ceremonies.

PGA of America Frisco opening 2022
The PGA of America Frisco had its official opening Aug. 22, 2022, in Frisco, Texas. (Photo: Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

“We’ve always believed we can act like a big city. And we can do a lot of things that other cities can’t,” he said. “And it’s that mentality that’s allowed us to go after these big projects that most people would say, ‘Well, there’s no way, a city that size can do that project.’ We find a way, and we’ve always had a very positive proactive attitude in doing that.”

How much will Frisco, others kick in?

Of course, that attitude includes giving large tax breaks to sports organizations. In fact, when city officials approved the incentives package for the PGA of America back in 2018, it was expected to top $160 million.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the breakdown looks like this:

  • For the initial development of the public portion of the project,
    the city of Frisco was on the hook for $13.3 million; the Frisco Community Development Corp., $13.3 million; Frisco Independent School District, $5.8 million; and the Frisco Economic Development Corp., $2.5 million.
  • Now that things are in motion, the city will also provide performance incentives, which could reach as high as $74 million.
  • And the state of Texas will allow PGA Frisco to run without hotel or sales taxes for a decade, along with some mixed beverage taxes. That is expected to save the project somewhere in the neighborhood of $62 million over the first 10 years.

Frisco’s Economic Development Corp. is also on the hook for about $1 million a year to help with the relocation from Florida, job creation and other incentives.

Those massive numbers, especially for a city that only has about 225,000 residents, were enough to woo the PGA of America, which had a number of major suitors.

In fact, Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America, said the group didn’t think it would leave its home in Palm Beach Gardens.

“We were totally happy in Florida,” he said. “We’d been there for 60 years, you know, all good. We did an RFP [request for proposal], sort of assuming we’d get paid to stay, right? That’s how it works, right? You get the state and the county to step up. They kind of did it. But we went to, you know, all the other places in the country that you would go to, so Charlotte and Atlanta and Phoenix and, you know, everywhere you can imagine. Frisco jumped out. They just jumped out.”

But why?

“Financially, they were attractive,” he said. “It’s obviously a business-friendly place. But this isn’t just a building. This is a destination where we can really get a return on our investment here in a way that we can’t elsewhere.

“And then, as you start adding it up — you’ve got a workforce that’s as good as anywhere, educated and willing. And then, the centrality was a big deal because you know we actually built something that our members are going to come see. There’s no reason to come to our old headquarters building right now. They’ve got a reason to come.”

PGA of America Frisco opening 2022
The PGA of America Frisco had its official opening Aug. 22, 2022, in Frisco, Texas. (Photo: Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

Omni, school district played major roles

Omni was quick to jump on the plan, and is putting the finishing touches on a project that includes 501 guest rooms and seven four-bedroom golf villas. The hotel will feature a dozen restaurants/food shops, three pools — including an adults-only rooftop infinity pool — 127,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, and a destination spa.

A 10-hole short course called The Swing and a 75,000 square foot putting course called the Dance Floor will also add to the flavor of the property.

And the school district’s involvement is key as well. Since Frisco ISD put up nearly $6 million for the project it’s getting a few key pieces in return — including use of the swing bays and simulators. Also, the new Panther Creek High School, the district’s 12th high school, recently opened its doors across the street.

Waugh joked during the opening ceremonies that Panther Creek will be one of the state’s best golf schools immediately.

“If they don’t win a state championship in like five years, either they’re not very athletic or we’re not very good teachers,” he joked.

So for now, this seems a match made in heaven — albeit a hot, muggy heaven. And while there are certainly those who have opposed the massive incentives offered up, Woodard said he and the city’s councilmembers believe those who live in Frisco are on board.

“I think overwhelmingly people are supportive of it. I mean, there’s always going to be detractors for one reason or another, but I think our residents have seen what we’ve built and what we are trying to do and the positive aspects of the job attraction and what that brings to the area,” Woodard said.

So is this finally it? Has Frisco landed its last big sports fish?

“I’m afraid to say it’s not possible to do something else because we kind of thought that with it with The Star and then the opportunity with the PGA came along and we’re like, ‘Oh we gotta make that happen,'” Woodard said.

“So I’ll just say that, you know, we’re looking for these great things, that’ll make the city that much stronger, and be a great place to live and work and to play.”

[vertical-gallery id=778292163]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]