We pushed out a few forum updates today and hopefully you've already noticed but if you haven't:
We added the comments feed that has historically lived in the Clubhouse to the homepage of the Forum. (note: we have not finished this update for mobile yet but should have it done in the next day or so at the most)
We added a new Sort By options for posts. If you'd like to sort posts by the ones with the most recent comments you can do so by opening the dropdown near the search bar in the forum home page and selecting the option for Recent Activity. This will sort order posts based on the timestamp of their most recent comment (sorted newest to oldest).
We're almost done with Post and Topic following. If you click on a specific post now you'll see a + FOLLOW button in the upper right hand corner of the page. Clicking this will subscribe you to email updates of comments made to that post. Topic following will follow shortly. Additionally, there was a small bug in this feature this morning that should be remedied but if you follow and don't get emails know that we'll squash the bug in short order.
Aside from that, I'll most likely make a change to the Clubhouse later today to make it more focused on members-only articles and course profiles and remove the thread of comments as they now live on the forum home page. Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Cheers!
P.S. We're still working on many other forum enhancements (most notably being able to add images to comments) but as always I'm happy to hear any and all feedback.
We pushed out a few forum updates today and hopefully you've already noticed but if you haven't:
We added the comments feed that has historically lived in the Clubhouse to the homepage of the Forum. (note: we have not finished this update for mobile yet but should have it done in the next day or so at the most)
We added a new Sort By options for posts. If you'd like to sort posts by the ones with the most recent comments you can do so by opening the dropdown near the search bar in the forum home page and selecting the option for Recent Activity. This will sort order posts based on the timestamp of their most recent comment (sorted newest to oldest).
We're almost done with Post and Topic following. If you click on a specific post now you'll see a + FOLLOW button in the upper right hand corner of the page. Clicking this will subscribe you to email updates of comments made to that post. Topic following will follow shortly. Additionally, there was a small bug in this feature this morning that should be remedied but if you follow and don't get emails know that we'll squash the bug in short order.
Aside from that, I'll most likely make a change to the Clubhouse later today to make it more focused on members-only articles and course profiles and remove the thread of comments as they now live on the forum home page. Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Cheers!
P.S. We're still working on many other forum enhancements (most notably being able to add images to comments) but as always I'm happy to hear any and all feedback.
Yesterday, as FEGC member Pearce Barringer noted in his own forum post, TGL announced that architect Gil Hanse had joined the screen-golf league's roster of hole designers. Accompanying the announcement was an awkward, faintly surreal video of a bemused Hanse making a WWE-like entrance into an empty SoFi Center. I'd love to hear the instructions the director of this piece of content gave him before hitting record.
TGL also unveiled one of Hanse's designs, a 590-yard par 5 called "Stone & Steeple." The hole features a few recognizable Hanse motifs: a threatening boundary wall, a lone bunker guarding the second-shot layup zone, and a rambling "Sahara" bunker, strewn with turf islands, cutting across the fairway. The neighboring graveyard even has precedent in Hanse's body of work: in his renovation of Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon, he moved the second green about 50 yards back so that it abutted a 19th-century cemetery.
The most striking aspect of Hanse's design is the double diagonal formed by the two sections of fairway on either side of the Sahara bunker. The basic idea, I gather, is that the farther players hit their drives without carrying the bunker, the more to the right they will end up, and the worse their angle into the green will be. On the other hand, if they want to make the long carry over the bunker on the left side and earn a shorter second shot from a better angle, they will need to bring the wall into play.
Classic strategic-school stuff, in other words. I think I'd enjoy playing this hole, if it were real. And you know what? It basically looks real. And that might be a problem.
So far, the reception of "Stone & Steeple" on social media has been chilly. There seems to be an emerging consensus among TGL viewers that the virtual-hole designs, unconstrained as they are by physical and economic realities, should be crazier, more video game-like, more purely inventive. As my colleague Joseph LaMagna put it on X, "TGL's biggest whiff is designing realistic holes. It makes zero sense to play holes like [Hanse's] in the one arena that's free from practical constraints."
That's probably right. The realism of Hanse's hole registers as a bit unimaginative.
But I have a hard time getting worked up about it because — confession time — I don't really care about TGL. I could barely make it through a single match in the first season. And this is not to say that the product is bad or that the people who enjoy it are rubes. It's just not for me. A huge part of what I love about golf is the relationship between the player, the course, and nature. When you strip away nature — the outdoors, the elements, the land — I lose most of my interest.
But what I'd like to hear Hanse address at some point is why he was interested in TGL. In a press release from the league, he said, "Starting with a relatively blank slate for TGL has been liberating. Designing holes for TGL has given us an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and step into other aspects of golf course design in the virtual world."
As an architect who typically likes to derive inspiration from physical terrain, why was he compelled by the prospect of a "blank slate"? And in what sense did he stretch beyond his "comfort zone" here?
These are not passive-aggressive questions. I'd genuinely like to hear his answers.
Yesterday, as FEGC member Pearce Barringer noted in his own forum post, TGL announced that architect Gil Hanse had joined the screen-golf league's roster of hole designers. Accompanying the announcement was an awkward, faintly surreal video of a bemused Hanse making a WWE-like entrance into an empty SoFi Center. I'd love to hear the instructions the director of this piece of content gave him before hitting record.
TGL also unveiled one of Hanse's designs, a 590-yard par 5 called "Stone & Steeple." The hole features a few recognizable Hanse motifs: a threatening boundary wall, a lone bunker guarding the second-shot layup zone, and a rambling "Sahara" bunker, strewn with turf islands, cutting across the fairway. The neighboring graveyard even has precedent in Hanse's body of work: in his renovation of Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon, he moved the second green about 50 yards back so that it abutted a 19th-century cemetery.
The most striking aspect of Hanse's design is the double diagonal formed by the two sections of fairway on either side of the Sahara bunker. The basic idea, I gather, is that the farther players hit their drives without carrying the bunker, the more to the right they will end up, and the worse their angle into the green will be. On the other hand, if they want to make the long carry over the bunker on the left side and earn a shorter second shot from a better angle, they will need to bring the wall into play.
Classic strategic-school stuff, in other words. I think I'd enjoy playing this hole, if it were real. And you know what? It basically looks real. And that might be a problem.
So far, the reception of "Stone & Steeple" on social media has been chilly. There seems to be an emerging consensus among TGL viewers that the virtual-hole designs, unconstrained as they are by physical and economic realities, should be crazier, more video game-like, more purely inventive. As my colleague Joseph LaMagna put it on X, "TGL's biggest whiff is designing realistic holes. It makes zero sense to play holes like [Hanse's] in the one arena that's free from practical constraints."
That's probably right. The realism of Hanse's hole registers as a bit unimaginative.
But I have a hard time getting worked up about it because — confession time — I don't really care about TGL. I could barely make it through a single match in the first season. And this is not to say that the product is bad or that the people who enjoy it are rubes. It's just not for me. A huge part of what I love about golf is the relationship between the player, the course, and nature. When you strip away nature — the outdoors, the elements, the land — I lose most of my interest.
But what I'd like to hear Hanse address at some point is why he was interested in TGL. In a press release from the league, he said, "Starting with a relatively blank slate for TGL has been liberating. Designing holes for TGL has given us an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and step into other aspects of golf course design in the virtual world."
As an architect who typically likes to derive inspiration from physical terrain, why was he compelled by the prospect of a "blank slate"? And in what sense did he stretch beyond his "comfort zone" here?
These are not passive-aggressive questions. I'd genuinely like to hear his answers.
Hey everyone. I thought it would be good to get this going for the NYC area. Always down to get out for a round and occasionally hit the sim in the winter. 31 married w/ no kids
Hey everyone. I thought it would be good to get this going for the NYC area. Always down to get out for a round and occasionally hit the sim in the winter. 31 married w/ no kids
Interested to see what Gil brings to the screen golf. I've only played two of Gil's courses, Sewanee and Mossy Oak, but like everyone, I've seen my fair share on TV and social media. I'd say Gil usually brings their surroundings. Not exactly something you can change and their surroundings. Not exactly something you can implement in TGL.
Side note, is this a sign of things to come for a working partnership with the PGA Tour? I'd love to see Gil get his hands on a course or two. I know TGL and the Tour are separate, but in partnership with one another. One can dream.
Interested to see what Gil brings to the screen golf. I've only played two of Gil's courses, Sewanee and Mossy Oak, but like everyone, I've seen my fair share on TV and social media. I'd say Gil usually brings their surroundings. Not exactly something you can change and their surroundings. Not exactly something you can implement in TGL.
Side note, is this a sign of things to come for a working partnership with the PGA Tour? I'd love to see Gil get his hands on a course or two. I know TGL and the Tour are separate, but in partnership with one another. One can dream.
I love sand based turf as much as everyone and understand the agronomy benefits. Who doesn't love blowouts and open/isolated spaces. That being said I kind of wish there would be a few new parkland style courses. Ones not suffocated by trees and housing, not restorations doing a bunch of removal, and not perimeter tree lined places where the trees don't really come into play. Would be interesting to see one of todays top teams have to route the land and trees without bulldozing the lot.
Maybe there are such places that have been built and I'm just not aware of them. (I know Sedge was kind of done this way but is still sand with no trees in play)
I love sand based turf as much as everyone and understand the agronomy benefits. Who doesn't love blowouts and open/isolated spaces. That being said I kind of wish there would be a few new parkland style courses. Ones not suffocated by trees and housing, not restorations doing a bunch of removal, and not perimeter tree lined places where the trees don't really come into play. Would be interesting to see one of todays top teams have to route the land and trees without bulldozing the lot.
Maybe there are such places that have been built and I'm just not aware of them. (I know Sedge was kind of done this way but is still sand with no trees in play)
A tradition here at Fried Egg Golf, we posted this year's Content Cornucopia this week, a collection of our favorite pieces of content from others in the industry. Of course, we can only fit so much in there. What else would you all add to the list?
A tradition here at Fried Egg Golf, we posted this year's Content Cornucopia this week, a collection of our favorite pieces of content from others in the industry. Of course, we can only fit so much in there. What else would you all add to the list?
Have the thought of going to a resort outside of London with my family. Would require a high end resort for my family. I dream of playing a round of golf in the morning while my family lounges around the resort and then going to a show in the west end in the evening. Is there such a place that is close enough to the city?
Have the thought of going to a resort outside of London with my family. Would require a high end resort for my family. I dream of playing a round of golf in the morning while my family lounges around the resort and then going to a show in the west end in the evening. Is there such a place that is close enough to the city?
Planning a trip to Cabot Citrus Farms in March. Anyone have a suggestion for a course near the PIE airport where we can play after a 12:30 arrival and get the round in before dark?
Planning a trip to Cabot Citrus Farms in March. Anyone have a suggestion for a course near the PIE airport where we can play after a 12:30 arrival and get the round in before dark?
I'm jazzed that I'm getting to play Landmand in Homer, NE in July. Have any of you folks played this season? What are your impressions?
I found the Egg article from 2023 and I THINK I recall it coming up on the pod, but I would love to hear anyone's thoughts...especially after it's had a season to grow in a bit.
I'm jazzed that I'm getting to play Landmand in Homer, NE in July. Have any of you folks played this season? What are your impressions?
I found the Egg article from 2023 and I THINK I recall it coming up on the pod, but I would love to hear anyone's thoughts...especially after it's had a season to grow in a bit.
I wanted to offer a sincere thanks for a wonderful year, even though it's not quite over yet. I started at Fried Egg Golf last October and, while very excited, was a little unsure what I was stepping into. What I've found has blown me away, and I wanted to share a little gratitude for that.
Everyone I work with is sincere, passionate, and curious—I cannot tell you how much that matters on a daily basis. And on the flip side, everyone I've met who is a member of FEGC has been a delight. It's so fun to have a job where people are excited about what you're doing because it truly brings them happiness. To that end, I wanted to recap a fun year and preview what could be in the future.
This year we built and launched some really fun features:
A new website (that came along with a very fun process of membership and content migration—thanks to all who patiently stuck with us through a few bumps in the road)
Major hubs to elevate our coverage of the year's most exciting events
A member clubhouse to house member articles and a feed of comments
A community forum that has allowed members to chat more freely amongst themselves
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but when I list them off, I'm pretty happy with the year we've had. Andy and I talk about our product a lot, and one thing we continually focus on is the process. Obviously the output matters, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to continually improve and deliver new and exciting features.
Looking ahead, I'm so excited for what 2026 will bring. It feels like the possibilities are almost endless. From my point of view, I continue to focus on how we can make your days just a little bit brighter by injecting some fun and insightful commentary into your lives (thankfully we have a world-class team of writers, podcasters, video producers, and social media savants to do the real work). To that end, we sincerely focus on bringing a true and earnest point of view and experience that we hope is unique and fresh. In addition to this, I've been so inspired by the community and fun I've witnessed at our events. Will does a tremendous job planning and hosting, and one thing I would like to do is capture a bit more of that magic in our membership's digital community. Obviously we have our forum, but I hope to make some additional strides in this area. Areas that I hope we can improve are our members ability to discover fun and interesting new places to play based on other members’ recommendations as well as continuing to help our members meet, connect, and play together.
If you ever have feedback, please share it with me. I sincerely want to know what we can do to make your golf more enjoyable.
To wrap this up, I want to reiterate how grateful I am for all of you. You truly allow us (and me) to do something we love. Cheers to a happy and safe holiday season!
I wanted to offer a sincere thanks for a wonderful year, even though it's not quite over yet. I started at Fried Egg Golf last October and, while very excited, was a little unsure what I was stepping into. What I've found has blown me away, and I wanted to share a little gratitude for that.
Everyone I work with is sincere, passionate, and curious—I cannot tell you how much that matters on a daily basis. And on the flip side, everyone I've met who is a member of FEGC has been a delight. It's so fun to have a job where people are excited about what you're doing because it truly brings them happiness. To that end, I wanted to recap a fun year and preview what could be in the future.
This year we built and launched some really fun features:
A new website (that came along with a very fun process of membership and content migration—thanks to all who patiently stuck with us through a few bumps in the road)
Major hubs to elevate our coverage of the year's most exciting events
A member clubhouse to house member articles and a feed of comments
A community forum that has allowed members to chat more freely amongst themselves
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but when I list them off, I'm pretty happy with the year we've had. Andy and I talk about our product a lot, and one thing we continually focus on is the process. Obviously the output matters, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to continually improve and deliver new and exciting features.
Looking ahead, I'm so excited for what 2026 will bring. It feels like the possibilities are almost endless. From my point of view, I continue to focus on how we can make your days just a little bit brighter by injecting some fun and insightful commentary into your lives (thankfully we have a world-class team of writers, podcasters, video producers, and social media savants to do the real work). To that end, we sincerely focus on bringing a true and earnest point of view and experience that we hope is unique and fresh. In addition to this, I've been so inspired by the community and fun I've witnessed at our events. Will does a tremendous job planning and hosting, and one thing I would like to do is capture a bit more of that magic in our membership's digital community. Obviously we have our forum, but I hope to make some additional strides in this area. Areas that I hope we can improve are our members ability to discover fun and interesting new places to play based on other members’ recommendations as well as continuing to help our members meet, connect, and play together.
If you ever have feedback, please share it with me. I sincerely want to know what we can do to make your golf more enjoyable.
To wrap this up, I want to reiterate how grateful I am for all of you. You truly allow us (and me) to do something we love. Cheers to a happy and safe holiday season!
Howdy folks. One of the goals of our community is to get members together on golf courses, enjoying each other's company and exploring new courses or revisiting tried-and-true favorites. To that end, I've created a new forum topic dedicated to housing playing opportunities: Filling Foursomes. We will greatly improve the process of posting playing opportunities and finding partners in our product over the long haul, but for now I hope this minimal change can help bring a little structure to the forum if you're trying to find a game.
As for posting in Filling Foursomes, please just be clear about when and where the tee time is and if there are any booking considerations (e.g., cancellations within 24 hours may incur a fee from the course). Additionally, I believe that everyone in our community always has the best intentions, but I'll state the obvious: this is not a place to resell or mark up tee times for a profit.
Howdy folks. One of the goals of our community is to get members together on golf courses, enjoying each other's company and exploring new courses or revisiting tried-and-true favorites. To that end, I've created a new forum topic dedicated to housing playing opportunities: Filling Foursomes. We will greatly improve the process of posting playing opportunities and finding partners in our product over the long haul, but for now I hope this minimal change can help bring a little structure to the forum if you're trying to find a game.
As for posting in Filling Foursomes, please just be clear about when and where the tee time is and if there are any booking considerations (e.g., cancellations within 24 hours may incur a fee from the course). Additionally, I believe that everyone in our community always has the best intentions, but I'll state the obvious: this is not a place to resell or mark up tee times for a profit.
Candyroot Lodge, a new public golf facility in the sand hills outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, marked the end of its first week of construction with an Instagram post. Mike Koprowski, who collaborated with Kyle Franz at Broomsedge Golf Club and joined Andy Johnson on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast last year, is designing Candyroot's first course.
Initially, Koprowski was engaged by Candyroot's owners to build a single course, tentatively named Downbonnie. Since announcing that venture in May, however, the owners have brought on additional investors and developed bigger ambitions. Koprowski now tells me that Candyroot will feature multiple regulation layouts (three or four), plus a short course. An architect has not yet been selected for the second course, but interviews are ongoing.
If Candyroot Lodge follows through on its plans, it would be one of the largest and most exciting public-golf projects of the 2020s undertaken by developers not named Keiser.
Candyroot Lodge, a new public golf facility in the sand hills outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, marked the end of its first week of construction with an Instagram post. Mike Koprowski, who collaborated with Kyle Franz at Broomsedge Golf Club and joined Andy Johnson on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast last year, is designing Candyroot's first course.
Initially, Koprowski was engaged by Candyroot's owners to build a single course, tentatively named Downbonnie. Since announcing that venture in May, however, the owners have brought on additional investors and developed bigger ambitions. Koprowski now tells me that Candyroot will feature multiple regulation layouts (three or four), plus a short course. An architect has not yet been selected for the second course, but interviews are ongoing.
If Candyroot Lodge follows through on its plans, it would be one of the largest and most exciting public-golf projects of the 2020s undertaken by developers not named Keiser.
Here are three recently announced renovation projects that caught my eye:
Todd Eckenrodeis restoringWilliam P. Bell's mid-1920s design at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. Annandale has good potential (the historical aerials are tantalizing, but sadly not much can be done to bring back the property's former vistas and openness), and Eckenrode knows Bell and California Golden Age architecture as well as anyone in the industry. This is a project to track.
Trey Kemp, a very capable Dallas-based golf architect, has started the first phase of his master plan for Hogan Park Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in Midland, Texas. Hogan Park is an important hub of the game in the growing but somewhat golf-poor Midland-Odessa region. Over the past decade, Kemp has developed a specialty in reviving municipal courses in Texas. His work at Stevens Park and Rockwood Park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has been especially well received.
Architect Nick Campanelli and influential golf writer Bradley Klein have been engaged to renovate Willie Park Jr.'s design at Shuttle Meadow Country Club outside of Hartford, Connecticut. Campanelli and Klein plan to adapt some ideas from Huntercombe Golf Club, Park's strange masterwork in the English heathlands. Golf Course Architecture has a thorough writeup on the project.
Here are three recently announced renovation projects that caught my eye:
Todd Eckenrodeis restoringWilliam P. Bell's mid-1920s design at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. Annandale has good potential (the historical aerials are tantalizing, but sadly not much can be done to bring back the property's former vistas and openness), and Eckenrode knows Bell and California Golden Age architecture as well as anyone in the industry. This is a project to track.
Trey Kemp, a very capable Dallas-based golf architect, has started the first phase of his master plan for Hogan Park Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in Midland, Texas. Hogan Park is an important hub of the game in the growing but somewhat golf-poor Midland-Odessa region. Over the past decade, Kemp has developed a specialty in reviving municipal courses in Texas. His work at Stevens Park and Rockwood Park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has been especially well received.
Architect Nick Campanelli and influential golf writer Bradley Klein have been engaged to renovate Willie Park Jr.'s design at Shuttle Meadow Country Club outside of Hartford, Connecticut. Campanelli and Klein plan to adapt some ideas from Huntercombe Golf Club, Park's strange masterwork in the English heathlands. Golf Course Architecture has a thorough writeup on the project.
Every once in a while when i run out of pods to listen to i throw on an SGS episode from a handful of years back. Commentary is hilarious and it’s interesting hearing the state of golf then and seeing how much it’s changed. I noticed on Apple Podcasts that there are no episodes pre June of 2019, are those available anywhere or are they the lost pods?
Every once in a while when i run out of pods to listen to i throw on an SGS episode from a handful of years back. Commentary is hilarious and it’s interesting hearing the state of golf then and seeing how much it’s changed. I noticed on Apple Podcasts that there are no episodes pre June of 2019, are those available anywhere or are they the lost pods?
And you never know what surprises await you when you do one of the add-on events. Case in point, after playing the add-on day at Watchung Valley before ECCC, playing with the owner of the course on his chip and putt course(Merry-Go-Round) and discussing how he and Blake Conant designed it!
I can't make this date, but I recently had a chance to play Poppy Ridge with Jay. It's a great layout with some really fun greens. If you can attend, you are in for a treat. If you get a chance, do a quick tour of the old 9 that was not remodeled and it will give you perspective on what an amazing transformation Jay achieved with his work.
Always Thankful for what you do and hoping to get to a couple more events next year! That Commadore room dinner was really cool and lucky I got to have a member out with us. Playing Interlachen with the club historian and dropping that lazer of a foul ball at the Twins game are experiences I'll always remember.
Played it a few times. Be prepared for usual high winds and wild greens that are fun to mess around on. It can beat you up but also be scoreable from hole to hole. Just need to have a "have fun and mess around" mindset. I've know guys try to take it very seriously and hate it (they are big 90s design fans though). Ive seen my brother shoot 67 and have the tips course record for years, but also have seen him shoot 80 there.
Side note: wonder if Old Dane will be open by then. I cant remember off hand.
It’s easy enough to get into the city from there and the course is decent but there’s a lot better golf (and a lot better hotels) to be had around London. You’re compromising on both the golf and the hotel to go somewhere that has them together, which may be the right option for you.
I live in Belgium, but visit the UK often for work and play. If you want luxury, I recommend Woodhall Spa. Renovated by Doak. There is a Marriott there that can be a place to stay right at the property. Another is The Grove, Kyle Phillips 18 hole course and a hotel and spa. https://www.thegrove.co.uk/golf/
Other option, harder to get to...which is towards the coast, is Princes GC, which has a small lodge (Royal St. George and Royal Cinque Ports are also nearby)
Go play Dunedin GC. Original Donald Ross, recently renovated (mostly greens, bunkers) by Kris Spence. Lots of fun, and you can walk. It's a semi-private, and you can get tee times, but you are at the mercy of the season...peak winter season has a pretty full tee sheet. March may be busy because of Spring Training crowds, particularly the Canadians, as Toronto plays in Dunedin.
I have exactly one memory: I heard the ending of the Evian was wild, so watched it on golf channel replay that night. Grace Kim taking 10 strokes on 9 swings playing the 18th three consecutive times fulfilled the wild promise.
I lived in Augusta for 5 years so know the area decently well.
Aiken GC is a fun course. Highly recommend.
Forest Hills might be a little cheaper and it’s an old Donald Ross. Unsure of the conditions right now though.
Augusta Country Club is a great track but probably hard to get onto.
Palmetto Golf Club is solid.
Another cheaper option is Bartram Trail in Evans, GA. It’s nothing special but it’s pretty fun.
This is an interesting conversation. I have attended 3 events run by the FE. All three were Kingsley club, where the courses in the area were a huge attracttion. I could spend abit more on a day at Kingsley, and play some great, affordable golf (Wolf River, Champion HIll and Belvedere) around the event. When Belvedere was added, the event went up in cost, but not to the extent that my 36 holes and having to feed myself 3 meals did when I played Belvedere the previous 2 seasons on my own.
I have also played a Golfers Journal event, at a club I play at for free several times a season and could golf weekly if I really wanted to. I found this event was in their "lower tier" for pricing, and I felt the club did a great job hosting, but TGJ did a weak job as our hosts. Gifting was poor (socks, a journal and a hat), we missed lunch as pace of play was not enforced, and subsequently missed awards that evening. Drinks were advertised as to be provided, but were not.
The cost vs value was not there with TGJ, but I have left all 3 trips to a FE event happy and wanting to get back to another. I was super impressed this year with WIll and Abby's work. I can't stress enough how delighted I was to know we could play Belvedere until the sun went down because dinner was arranged, but I did not remember seeing that advertised.
As for costing, I am in the golf industry and golf has never been more expensive to maintain. For example, I will pick on a FE sponsor, but a Toro 6500D fairway mower used to run you about $65,000-$85,000 (Canadian funds...I work in Canada) and now that unit will run you closer to $145,000 and you have to wait up to 18 months to get it. If the cost of production or parts increases before delivery is made, you're on the hook for that too!
Urea (nitrogen) prices have early doubled since covid, Phosphours is being hoarded by China, and wildly expensive. Trucking product across north america wth fuel costs has gone through the roof as well. A typical maintenance budget has likely gone up 35% since covid on just inputs alone (fertilizer/pesticides) and course accessories most golfers can't do without (benches, yardage signs, bunker rakes) are about to go up by somewhere between 10-25% due to tariff wars. And, the more rounds a golf course puts out, the more inputs need to go into it to get it back up to "standard". Superintendents get fired when they can't provide the standard set, but a clubs popularity/number of rounds are truly to blame in most cases for the conditions.
All these get passed onto the consumer.
Personally, I wish FE ran more events closer to me. They do a great job. The food, gifts and clubs they pick are awesome. The people who show up are delightful and I have truly made friends across North America who I have seen at the Kingsley event the last 3 seasons. I also find it cool that they go back to the same clubs. I love going to my local coffee shop and they know who I am. But being at Kingsley or Belvedere only for a day the past two years, and knowing the staff and them knowing me from my two previous visits was a real treat.
Keep up the tremedous work on these events!
This is an interesting conversation. I have attended 3 events run by the FE. All three were Kingsley club, where the courses in the area were a huge attracttion. I could spend abit more on a day at Kingsley, and play some great, affordable golf (Wolf River, Champion HIll and Belvedere) around the event. When Belvedere was added, the event went up in cost, but not to the extent that my 36 holes and having to feed myself 3 meals did when I played Belvedere the previous 2 seasons on my own.
I have also played a Golfers Journal event, at a club I play at for free several times a season and could golf weekly if I really wanted to. I found this event was in their "lower tier" for pricing, and I felt the club did a great job hosting, but TGJ did a weak job as our hosts. Gifting was poor (socks, a journal and a hat), we missed lunch as pace of play was not enforced, and subsequently missed awards that evening. Drinks were advertised as to be provided, but were not.
The cost vs value was not there with TGJ, but I have left all 3 trips to a FE event happy and wanting to get back to another. I was super impressed this year with WIll and Abby's work. I can't stress enough how delighted I was to know we could play Belvedere until the sun went down because dinner was arranged, but I did not remember seeing that advertised.
As for costing, I am in the golf industry and golf has never been more expensive to maintain. For example, I will pick on a FE sponsor, but a Toro 6500D fairway mower used to run you about $65,000-$85,000 (Canadian funds...I work in Canada) and now that unit will run you closer to $145,000 and you have to wait up to 18 months to get it. If the cost of production or parts increases before delivery is made, you're on the hook for that too!
Urea (nitrogen) prices have early doubled since covid, Phosphours is being hoarded by China, and wildly expensive. Trucking product across north america wth fuel costs has gone through the roof as well. A typical maintenance budget has likely gone up 35% since covid on just inputs alone (fertilizer/pesticides) and course accessories most golfers can't do without (benches, yardage signs, bunker rakes) are about to go up by somewhere between 10-25% due to tariff wars. And, the more rounds a golf course puts out, the more inputs need to go into it to get it back up to "standard". Superintendents get fired when they can't provide the standard set, but a clubs popularity/number of rounds are truly to blame in most cases for the conditions.
All these get passed onto the consumer.
Personally, I wish FE ran more events closer to me. They do a great job. The food, gifts and clubs they pick are awesome. The people who show up are delightful and I have truly made friends across North America who I have seen at the Kingsley event the last 3 seasons. I also find it cool that they go back to the same clubs. I love going to my local coffee shop and they know who I am. But being at Kingsley or Belvedere only for a day the past two years, and knowing the staff and them knowing me from my two previous visits was a real treat.
Keep up the tremedous work on these events!
Not sure about the rest of the clubs. He wasn’t a golfer, so they probably went to a garage sale. Shoot me a note to bgracely@gmail.com if you decide to give it a try.
I am glad we have paid for our 2026 round already, as surely adding Gil to the webstire will add a few more quid to the cost.
I think as clubs (just not in the UK, but everywhere) chase to be "greater than they currently are", they run the risk of losing what makes them popular in the first place. So many clubs work to keep up with their neighbours, but did they really make themselves better? Or did they spend money to do some work, and that offers everyone a sugar high that wears off quickly?
