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It's been a busy few days for the LPGA. After Sunday's final round cancellation and the ensuing uproar, Craig Kessler sent a note to players yesterday apologizing for the mess. He also went on a mini apology tour offering more insight into the what led to the decision to shorten the event. We knew the honeymoon period for Kessler would end at some point, but boy did it come to a screeching halt.

Matthew and I will certainly be discussing the note to players and Craig's additional comments on the next episode of The Mixed Bag. I have some questions for the FEGC community here in the meantime...

It's hard to outdo Mollie in terms of miscommunication and unseriousness. Do you think Sunday was equal to the Solheim Cup debacle?

If you're a casual LPGA fan, did Sunday make you less likely to tune in and/or get invested in the league?

Do you put part of the blame for the situation on the players who were vocal about not wanting to play in the conditions?

Content idea. I was looking over the Links Top 100 U.S. Ranking and it's...on the right track of what I'm looking for. I know the Fried Egg doesn't like rankings, but I'm basically looking for a collection of public courses that are egg-worthy. Could be 50. Could be 150. But I think what we are are looking for when we ask - hey I'm in so-and-so city, where should I play? - is what are the quality, strategic, egg-worthy or egg-adjacent courses that rankings don't properly capture? Even if there was just a way to sort public courses that have earned an egg, that would be an awesome start to this idea...

I am also happy to read about any nominations Fried Egg members might have.

Taking a solo trip to LA the week of the Genesis and going to play for a few days before going to Riv. I’ve got Soule Park and Rustic Canyon on the schedule for a couple mornings. What other architecturally interesting courses should I check out?

Also any tips on what to watch at Riv?

LIV got OWGR points for the top 10 finishers in tournaments with a SoF that resembles a DP World or KFT event.

If Brian Rolapp is a true psychopath, he will offer a PGA Tour card to the top individual LIV player. He's in the business of making it up as he goes, let's see how far he's willing to go.

We were recently alerted to a membership packet for Frontier Club, an upcoming Ohoopee-type golf enclave in Lodi Township, Michigan (just outside of Ann Arbor). Gil Hanse will design the course, and three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad is on the board.

The membership materials emphasize the club's land-centric approach. "Frontier Club began with a singular intention: to create a golf club rooted in the land itself and guided by first principles," founders Scott Kovanda and James Housler write. "From the outset, it was clear this would not be a club defined by scale, publicity, or excess, but by restraint, stewardship, and continuity."

The packet also highlights Frontier Club's small size and exclusivity. "Membership is intentionally limited and offered by invitation only," Kovanda and Housler's statement continues. "There will be no public access, no commercial presence, and no outside events."

(*Fried Egg Golf events guy Will Knights sadly deletes the email he just started drafting.*)

In case you missed this news in Sunday's FEGC Digest email, we have a new microsite with Jones Sports Co available exclusively for FEGC members. Access the Jones catalog of backpacks and gear, customize your item with your favorite FEGC logo, and Jones will drop ship your custom order directly to you!

We are all big fans of Jones, and we're thrilled to offer their catalog to FEGC members. To enter the site, use the password "fegcmember". Plus, we've made it so your FEGCMEMBER code will still give you 10% off at checkout.

Check it all out here:

Jones & FEGC Microsite

Hi Folks,

Soliciting advice from people who've continued their golfing careers after welcoming life into this world. We're expecting our first in early March and I'm wondering what people have found successful as far as continuing their golfing life post-parenthood. I know things will be hectic and crazy the first few weeks/months and the clubs will have to continue collecting dust, but interested to hear what methods people have found successful in the past that don't involve neglecting my partner and newborn child.

https://youtu.be/U79ISPdj_Ug?si=d2GWYHe_jSfXMU8e

Newest video with Doak at Childress Hall is exceptional stuff. I'm tempted to try and get into the caddie program as my only hopes of ever playing it.

Huge upset tonight with Jupe taking down the atl. Still a ton of complaints about the sim being fade bias and wedges going longer than reality. Also next week is Luke Clayton and Neal Shipley for the bay and Tony for LAGC. Seems like the bay cleaned house after the frogs smacked them last week. The inability for them to put out official rosters is hilarious. TGL has to be the most unserious thing in golf right now even with liv existing. Highlight of the night was JT icing kis at the very end and Derrick Stanford telling kis to just go ahead and putt because they’re trying to get off the air.

1. Frogs 2. Drive 3. NYGC 4. LAGC 5. Jupe 6. Bay

I doubt that anyone actually knows the details since Strategic Sports Group (the other "SGS") isn't required to disclose details of their investment or their operations.

Let's say a player is given equity in 2025, with an 8yr vesting period. Assume it's $5,000,000 ($5M) of equity, and the PGA Tour says that it's current market value is $5,000,000,000 ($5B).

In a normal business, the options for the equity owner would be:

1. After 8yrs, the equity would be vested and they could sell it assuming the market value of the company is up and there is a market available to sell the equity.
2. After 8yrs (or at any time), the company may offer to buy back the equity from the person, with some assumptions of the increased value of the company.
3. At some point, the original company (A) gets aquired by another company (B), and they are compensated for the vested equity, and potentially given new equity in Company B for the value of the unvested equity.

I'm curious what some of you golf-insiders might have heard about how this equity is being pitched to the players?

• Since this is a Private Equity investment by SGS, is there an expectation that PGA Tour Enterprises is eventually sold to another entity, hence an equity event occurs?
• Does SGS eventually plan to buyout all of the PGA Tour?
• I doubt the plan is to create an IPO for the PGA Tour, as sports leagues are typically not public (ever?), and they aren't a 12 month entity so reporting quarterly earnings would be odd (albeit not impossible)
• Is there some sort of equity-to-pension equation being pitched to them?Does that become like an accelerated pension redemption schedule?

Just curious if anyone has heard anything about his it's actually supposed to work.

Hello everyone! I am lucky enough to be totally absorbed in planning mode for a truly epic road trip that I am undertaking this April/May. I will be bookending this road trip with TWO Fried Egg Events. On April 25^th I will be in Ojai, CA at the Spring Festival enjoying some California sun after a winter in the Idaho Mountains. Fast forward to late May, where you will find me joining the crew for the SW Michigan Trip at Lost Dunes and The Dunes Club. In between I will be travelling the Mother Road, historic Route 66 in my van. Yes, there will be golf along the way, a LOT of golf!

Which brings me to the reason behind this post, I am looking for some help in picking out the courses that I will visit over the course of 20 days or so along the way. I have never played golf in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, or Indiana, so this is the main area I am seeking some assistance. Below are the courses that I am considering for this adventure, some of which are courses that I have never seen before but know I must on this trip. I am open to suggestions and hope that I get a chance to tee it up with some of you along the way.

Course Names in bold are spots I won’t miss for any reason.

SoCal

• Soule Park

• Rustic Canyon

• Goat Hill Park

• Furnace Creek (who can pass up the chance to play the lowest elevation course in the country)

• Torrey Pines North and Rams Hill are potentials

Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

• Laughlin Ranch

• Somewhere in Flagstaff Area. I have played everywhere in the Sedona area, but I may detour down to play an old favorite, Oak Creek CC and see some friends.

• UNM Championship Course is another favorite that I simply can’t miss. I have played extensively in New Mexico so the usual suspects have already been hit, and I will be exploring a few new spots.

• Mary Sanchez Golf Links

• Los Alamos GC

• Twin Warriors and Santa Ana

• Ross Rogers – Wild Horse Course. I may detour for a few days to hit up the Rawls Course and Rockwind Community Links again, but time dependent.

• Childress Hall…A man can dream!!!

Kansas Detour

• I simply will not miss Buffalo Dunes on this trip, so a detour is planned for western Kansas. Southwind is just up the road so it’s probably in as well.

Oklahoma

This is where I really need help, I want to see as much Perry Maxwell as possible, recommendations will be taken seriously!

• Dornick Hills is a must for me. Letter has been written and sent!

• Shawnee Elks, Buffalo Rock, and Muskogee GC. How much Maxwell still exist at these spots?

• Jimmy Austin Golf Club and Cherokee Hills look like places I would enjoy.

Missouri

• Carthage GC

• Neosho GC

• Branson Hills GC. I will be skipping Big Cedar and everything there, don’t need a big destination spot on this trip.

• Old Kinderhook

• St. Louis area courses Persimmon Woods GC, Far Oaks, and Annbriar hold some appeal to me.

Illinois and Indiana

I will most likely bypass The Chicago Area in favor of some sweet small-town stops. I would like some recommendations for the Springfield and Champaign area.

• Kankakee Elks

• Harrison Hills

• Culver Academy

• Warren Course

• Rock Hollow GC

Michigan

I have played extensively north of Grand Rapids so this trip will not venture up north. I still have a 2000 mile drive home!

• Lost Dunes

• Dunes Club

• The Mines

• Diamond Springs

• Point o’ Woods

A little more about this trip. I will be travelling in my Ford Transit van that is fully self-contained. I am open to great camp spots along the way. I am a walking golfer 99% of the time and just love seeing new places. Thanks in advance for any recommendations or help that this group can provide me with. Hopefully I will meet a few of you out on the road!

Course Names in bold are spots I won’t miss for any reason

Mailbag time! The new LPGA season is off and running. Send in your questions about the majors, Solheim Cup, and anything else women's golf adjacent and we'll get to as many as we can on our next episode. Fire away!

Back by popular demand (largely from myself), February's FEGC Hangout is going to be a wide-ranging wine discussion with Fatcork owner and friend of the program Bryan Maletis. On Wednesday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET, Garrett Morrison and Bryan will have a chat about wines from around the world, including from golf-friendly regions, and make sure you're ready for Valentine's Day.

Also, if you haven't heard, our Hangouts are now available as podcasts! You can find full details on the FEGC Podcast Page.

If you have a topic or question about wine that you'd like discussed, drop it in the comments here.

February Virtual Hangout

Date: Wednesday, February 11

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Link to Join Live

On my first listen through a classic Yolk with Doak (Episode 11, found here), Tom is asked what are Michigan's most overrated and underrated golf courses. He references a very expensive modern project that didn't quite live up to expectations, but won't name drop the course.

Three questions:

1- What project do you think he's referencing?

• I'm leaning Arcadia Bluffs

2- Michigan's most over-rated course?

• I haven't played Bay Harbor but I everything I read, watch and hear is telling me this has got to be it? Green fees are ridiculously high - this course is close to the DNP territory for me just for this reason. This one may be the consensus so interested in other perspectives.

3- Michigan's most under-rated course?

• Everyone is high on Belvedere, played it for the first time last year and it lived up to every bit of the hype. Deserves to be considered a Top 5 Public play in Michigan.
• Since that one is too easy - I played Rouge Park (Detroit) in 2025 for the first time. Ended up playing it 3 or 4 times total - pleasantly surprised - engaging layout. Preferred it over Rackham personally and I know that gets all the buzz as far as Muni's in Metro Detroit. A few gimmick holes don't get me wrong, but it was just fun.
• Also, getting back to Hidden River for the 2nd time in 2026. Played it in 2024 and it was a gem. Feels like secret is out but the setting and routing here I really enjoyed.

I find myself in Florida this weekend and started looking up Spring Training games. I wound up on the St. Louis Cardinals schedule, a team I have loathed for my entire life. Far and away my most hated sports franchise, and I stewed in that hatred for a little while. While I couldn't decide between Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, I decided those two are my least favorite athletes of all time. Aaron Rodgers rounds out the podium.

Curious what others stand out to you all