In the News

Billy Casper Golf (BCG), owner and operator of golf courses in 25 states, and Callaway Golf have partnered to host demo days involving more than 80 BCG courses nationwide during the weekend of June 18-20, which happens to fall on Father's Day and the U.S. Open.

Golfers will test men's and women's clubs and putters, as well as balls and accessories, from Callaway, and participating BCG pro shops will extend special pricing on select Callaway merchandise.

The number of rounds of golf played nationwide was down slightly in the month of April, while rounds played at resort facilities suffered a much steeper drop, according to a report by PerformanceTrak, a publication from the PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owner's Association.

Overall rounds played was down only 1.6 percent in April when compared to April 2008, but there were clear differences in results by facility type. For example, the number of same-store rounds (same-store rounds means, for example, that only facilities reporting rounds for both April 2009 and April 2008 are included in the results) played at private facilities was virtually unchanged, while same-store rounds played at resort facilities was down 8.0 percent.

Bethpage State Park (Black Course) has been named as the "Best Municipal Golf Facility" of 2009 by Golfweek magazine.

The newest addition to the magazine's extensive collection of rankings, the 2009 Golfweek's Best Municipal Courses list, features the nation's top 50 government-owned layouts that have raised the bar for public golf in the United States.

A little more than a month after The Love Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf closed because of damage to bridges linking different sections of the course, the highly-acclaimed layout will re-open to the public on June 1.

Initially, Barefoot Resort allowed public play on a modified 18-hole layout consisting of 14 holes on the Love Course and four on the Fazio Course. However, the decision was made to shut down both layouts until each could be returned to the quality and condition golfers have grown accustomed to.

SURREY, England – The World Golf Hall of Fame announced at the BMW PGA Championship that two-time Masters Champion Jose Maria Olazabal will be part of the 2009 Class of Inductees.
 
Elected on the International Ballot, Olazabal will enter the Hall of Fame along with previously announced inductees Lanny Wadkins and Christy O’Connor at the annual Induction Ceremony on Monday, November 2 in St. Augustine, Florida.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of the World Golf Foundation's The First Tee organization, has been named "Father of the Year" by the National Father & Son Team Classic, an annual golf tournament celebrating the father-son bond.

"Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. is a dedicated national and community civic leader who has devoted so much of his life in nurturing the youth of this country,” stated Ryan Hart, tournament director. “We are extremely honored to have him as our Father of the Year for the 2009 event.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., – The leaders of 11 of the U.S. golf industry’s most prominent Allied Associations met with members of Congress and their staffs Wednesday, May 13 to highlight and discuss golf’s very significant economic and social contributions.

In a series of meetings on Capitol Hill, golf’s leaders are carrying the message of the industry’s enormous economic impact. A study released last year at the inaugural National Golf Day, the 2005 Golf Economy Report, quantified golf’s annual direct economic impact as $76 billion, and highlighted the fact that the industry provides 2 million jobs and $61 billion in wage income. The study also found that golf generates more than $3.5 billion annually for charities across the country. 

Father's Day is fast approaching, and what would make a better gift than a trip to Myrtle Beach to participate in the largest father-son golf tournament in the world.

This July the "Seaside Golf Capital of the World," Myrtle Beach, will host the 12th annual Martin's PGA Tour Superstore National Father & Son Team Classic, a celebration of the game of golf and its ability to forge lasting family ties.

Eligibility for the tournament isn't just limited to fathers and sons. Other accepted pairs include grandfathers and grandsons, stepfathers and stepsons, fathers and sons in law and uncles and nephews. Golf is the feature attracted, but past participants know the importance of this one-of-kind event extends beyond golf.

Just how nasty is Bethpage State Park's Black Course during a U.S. Open? First, you'll have to consider that golfers are greeted with a warning label that reads, "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly-skilled golfers." And that's before you factor in graduated rough.

During U.S. Open media day, Tiger Woods called in to share his opinion on the subject.

"If it was set up the way we played the Open everyday, I don't think anybody would play golf anymore," said Woods, who won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage. "It's brutal the way we play it."

Golf Channel will bolster live tournament broadcasts of The PLAYERS Championship from TPC Sawgrass with Live from the Players news coverage to give the network 35 hours of PLAYERS programming.

Golf Channel's Brian Hammons and Nick Faldo will spearhead 12 hours of live tournament coverage, in HD, airing next Thursday - Friday (May 7-8) at 1 p.m. ET. At 9 p.m. ET, the network will air a condensed three hour prime-time replay that will be infused with topical features.