Solheim & Presidents Cups Coming This Month Good Good Guys Made A Bad Bad Video September 2026 GOLF JOURNAL OHIO Memorial Tournament To Be Championship Series Event
Ohio Golf Season Is Winding Down Labor Day is the historical end of golf season in Ohio, but serious golfers throw on a comfortable sweater and enjoy the cooler temperatures in September and October. Plus, the orange, red and yellow leaves offer a beautiful backdrop to Ohio courses. Local golf courses are not as crowded and cooler temperatures make spending time on your favorite course more pleasant. As the 2026 season comes to an end on the PGA Tour there is a ton of golf news to keep every Golfaholic interested. Both the Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup will be contested this month. The women travel to the Netherlands to attempt to retain the Solheim Cup, against a very strong European Women’s team. Team USA will take on the International Team at the Presidents Cup which will be contested in Chicago, at Medinah Country Club, later in the month. Good Good has raised quite a fuss with their Callaway video advertisement in which a woman is pushed to the ground. Most of their marketing partners have cut ties with the huge internet influencer. Golf Channel was forced to cancel the release of the Big Break that was scheduled to air in late August. Good Good even gave up their sponsorship of the PGA Tour event that was to be held in Austin, Texas this Fall. Good Good may want to think twice about scripting their next video. We hope you get a few more rounds in before the snow flies and maybe we will see you on the Back 9. FRED ALTVATER PUBLISHER Back 9 Media Group Also Publishes: Michigan Golf Journal Indiana Golf Journal American Golf Journal Back 9 Report Ohiio Gollf Journall
32 06 16 18 35 Presidents & Solheim Cups To Be Contested In September U.S. Senior Women’s Open Was A Huge Hit At Barton Hills Island Resort’s New Cedar Course Opens For Play Treetops To Host Huge September Events Memorial To Be Championship Series Event In 2028 Bunker Hill Turns 100 Years Old Toptracer Grows Globally 06 12 16 18 20 24 28 Good Good Makes Bad Bad Video Golfers Choose Performance Over Celebrity Promotion Lawyers File Suit Against Trump Takeover Of East Potomac Georgia State Parks Golf Courses Are Great Value Words Of Wisdom From Golf With Dad 22 30 32 35 38 FIND INSIDE Ohio Golf Journal is Published By Back 9 Media Group Publisher: Fred Altvater, USGTF Teaching Professional Advertise with Ohio Golf Journal, Contact us for more information Be sure to take advantage of the links to social media, videos and other content provided within the articles Ohiio Gollf Journall
Solheim Cup & Presidents Cup Will Be Held This Month Golf fans have two big international team events that will be held in September beginning with the Solheim Cup, September 7-13 followed by the Presidents Cup, September 22-27. Solheim Cup The ladies of the LPGA will travel to the Netherlands’ Bernardus Club, located 60 Ohiio Gollf Journall
Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee and Allison Lee. Angel Yin has not played on the LPGA Tour since June and there are questions surrounding her health and readiness to play. Captain Stanford has put two names in an envelope for replacements if Yin is deemed unable to play. Team USA Automatic Qualifiers Three Captain’s Picks will be joined by the nine automatic qualifiers, Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim, Lauren Captain’s Picks American Team Captain Angela Stanford chose two veterans and one Solheim cup rookie to round out Team USA. Meghan Kang will be competing in her fifth Solheim Cup and has been an important member of past teams with an overall record of 7-3-3. miles south of Amsterdam. The host venue is not well known in the states, but the DP World Tour has held three tournaments there. Both the 2021 and 2022 Dutch Opens, as well as the 2023 KLM Open were contested on the Dutch course. Bernardus opened in 2018 and was designed by American architect Kyle Phillips, who also built highly acclaimed Kingsbarns, in Scotland. Bernardus is privately owned, but is open to the public by purchasing a one-day member pass that allows access to the course, the spa, the restaurant and other amenities. Captain Stanford noted that Kang is the emotional leader for the Americans. For a European hosted Solheim Cup a high energy player like Kang could help keep the American team loose and mentally focused. Rose Zhang will be playing in her third Solheim Cup. She has seen both the good and the bad. Zhang was 0-3-1 in her inaugural Solheim Cup debut in Spain, but was 4-0 in the team’s win two years ago in Virginia. Lindy Duncan will see her first international team competition at Bernardus. Although this is her first time competing in this event, she has been a pro since 2013 and has seen the lows and highs of professional golf. After making a quadruplebogey 8 on the final hole of the 2022 LPGA Q Series, she failed to regain her tour status and struggled with severe mental insecurity. Her mental issues became so problematic that she considered quitting the game.
European Team The European Team is led by Anna Nordqvist, who was a Solheim Cup standout for many years. She will bring her passion to a very strong European team. While many players on the American Team are younger and relatively unknown, the Europeans have several familiar names on their roster. Lindy may not have the Solheim Cup experience of the other players on the team, but she has seen the depths of despair and now seeks to find joy in her game, as well as her life. The team will consist of eight automatic qualifiers, Charley Hull, Esther Henseleit, Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Celine Boutier, Carotta Sigunda, Linn Grant and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Nordqvist’s four Captain’s picks include, Leona Maguire, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud, Mimi Rhodes. Maguire has Solheim Experience and led the team that defeated the U.S. handily at Inverness. Lopez, Nadaud and Rhodes are Solheim Cup rookies. Something that could help the Americans, three past Solheim Cup stalwarts, Georgia Hall, Madelene Sagstrom and Emily Kristine Pedersen have opted out of the competition. Hall and Sagstrom are both coming off giving birth and Pedersen has seemed to have lost her game of late. The Americans are 11-7-1 in the Solheim Cup, but the Europeans have won two of the last four events played, plus earned a tie at the 2023 Solheim Cup played in Spain to retain the cup. Team USA is experiencing a ten-year drought and has not won on European soil since 2017. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Presidents Cup The Presidents Cup will be held September 22-27 at historic Medinah Country Club in Chicago. Its distinctive Byzantine-style Moroccandomed clubhouse features minarets and classic Moorish architecture. The club boasts three championship courses with No. 3 being the course used for big events. It hosted the 1949, 1975 and 1990 U.S. Opens, plus the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships. It was also the site of Europe’s triumph in the 2021 Ryder Cup. The course may look a little different this time as the International Team Captain, Geoff Ogilvy recently completed a renovation of the course. Team USA will have their work cut out for them against a very strong European Team. Team USA The American Team will be led by Captain Brandt Snedeker. He inherits a very strong team loaded with seven of the Top 10 ranked players on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). The six automatic qualifiers will feature world number one, Scottie Scheffler, who will be joined by Wyndham Clark, Cam Young, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa. After the Tour Championship, Captain Snedeker must decide on his six Captain’s picks. The next six on the Presidents Cup points list are, Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Justin Thomas and Jacob Bridgeman. Will Snedeker pick the next six on the points list, or will he choose #13 Patrick Cantlay, #14 Akshay Bhatia, or #15 Mav McNealy. All good choices to be sure. He could also decide to give youth a chance. Jackson Koivun, Michael Brennan, and Michael Thorbjornson are young
Presidents Cup History The American Team has dominated the Presidents Cup since its inception in 1994. In the previous 15 matches the United States is 131-1. The International Team captained by Peter Thomson won the third Presidents Cup, in 1998, when it was held at Royal Melbourne. The teams dueled to a tie when darkness forced an end to a playoff featuring Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player declared the 2003 Presidents Cup deadlocked and settled for a tie. Final Thought Once again. the American team is much stronger and deeper than the International team. Captain Olgilvy will have his work cut out to keep it close. It will be no surprise if Team USA adds yet another Presidents Cup victory. International Team Geoff Ogilvy will lead an International Team that, on paper does not stack up favorably versus the deep American Team. The 2026 International Team will be comprised of six automatic qualifiers, based on OWGR rankings and six Captain’s Picks. The automatic qualifiers will be determined following the TOUR Championship. Si Woo Kim is currently the leading International player at #13 on the OWGR. Hideki Matsuyama #24 and OPEN Championship winner #25 Ryan Fox are the three highest ranked players for the International team. Tom Kim recently won on the PGA Tour and has been a solid performer on past Presidents guys who won the final three regular season events at Minneapolis, Detroit & Wyndham. Cup Teams. Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Corey Connors, Nico Echavarria, Sung jae Im, Ryo Hisatsune, Jason day and Casey Jervis round out the top 12 on for the Internationals. Aldrich Potgieter and Nick Taylor could be possible picks for Captain Olgilvy. Joaquin Niemann has been dominating the LIV circuit and would be a solid addition to the International squad, but he is suspended from the PGA Tour and not eligible for the Presidents Cup. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Senior Women’s U.S. Open A Big Hit At Barton Hills Sweden’s Maria McBride hoisted the trophy and found redemption at Barton Hills in the Senior Women’s U.S. Open. Last year at San Diego Country Club, McBride was tied for the lead going into the final round and stumbled home with a 78 to finish T-4, eight strokes behind winner Becky Morgan. This year, once again playing in the final twosome with Morgan, McBride closed with a 73 to finish at 6-underpar 282, two strokes better than Annika Sorenstam, who applied pressure with a 1-under-par 71, to finish runner-up. leading the field in driving distance for the week. “It was a huge goal for me to try to get the trophy. Maybe not this year, but maybe in the next few years.” Annika led the field in greens in regulation, but McBride posted the lower scores. Even in defeat Annika found Barton Hills very accommodating. “It’s been a great week in so many ways. The club has been fantastic. The golf course has been wonderful and a good challenge, and obviously the USGA puts on a nice championship. So, you know, gave it a run. Just wasn’t Karrie Webb was third with Catriona Matthew, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Jackie Gallagher-Smith and Charlotta Sorenstam, Laura Diaz, Becky Morgan and Leta Lindley rounding out the top ten. Last year, in San Diego, McBride came undone when she made a 9 on a par-5 in the final round but this year her chip-in for eagle on the par-5 ninth hole gave her the lead back. Sorenstam made bogey on No. 14 and McBride made birdie to go two shots up. “It’s amazing obviously,” said McBride, who played the first eight holes 4-over par and the last 10 holes 3-under par while From USGA.org Ohiio Gollf Journall
enough. Congratulations to Mimi for playing so solid today. I mean, it was quite windy. It was quite blistery there on the front. She just kind of hung in there.” McBride came to Ann Arbor with a ton of confidence having won the LPGA Legends Championship the week prior to the Senior U.S. Women’s Open. “It was big obviously, and knowing that coming down the stretch me and Angela [Stanford] was really tight playing the last hole,” she said about how winning last week impacted this week. “We were tied playing the last hole. I made a birdie on the last, and that really boosted my game. Then having a big lead coming into today is sometimes a little hard because, you know, you feel like I shouldn’t really lose that many shots. But with the wind today as well, it was a little
bit trickier than it’s been the previous days, and I started off a little rough, but you know, the chip-in on 9 kind of turned everything around for me.” There have now been eight different winners of this championship, with three of them from Sweden, McBride joining Sorenstam (2021) and Helen Alfredsson (2019). Next year, Tacoma Country and Golf Club will play host for the ninth edition of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, which will once again be looking for its first two-time winner. The 2027 Senior Women’s U.S. Open will be contested at historic Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Three Michigan Women Make The Cut At U.S. Senior Women’s Open Three Michigan Golfers, Elaine Crosby, Michigan State University Women’s Golf Coach, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll and former LPGA player Tracy Hanson made the 36-hole cut in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Barton Hills Country Club last month. Former LPGA player, Suzy Green-Roebuck an Ann Arbor resident and long-time member of Barton Hills was also in the field, but did not make the 36hole cut. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Island Resort Opens New Cedar Course staying on golf packages this year may also reserve Cedar tee times online separately from their package. Next year the course will be fully integrated into Island Resort & Casino’s golf package offerings. “We’re excited to open our third golf course and give guests the opportunity to experience something truly special,” says Tony Mancilla, general manager of Island Resort & Casino. “With its Golden Age-inspired architecture, Cedar offers a style of golf unlike anything else on property, and I believe it has the Island Resort & Casino opened its new Cedar Course for limited play last month. Currently nine holes are open with a second nine coming in the future. The Cedar Course joins Sweetgrass and Sage run as the third championship course at Island Resort & Casino. For the remainder of 2026, Cedar will operate as a preview experience, with limited tee times available exclusively through online booking. Rounds will be offered at $45.00 per player, providing golfers with an early look at architect Paul Albanese’s newest creation. Guests Ohiio Gollf Journall
potential to be our finest course. It’s an authentic, strategic golf experience that further establishes Island Resort & Casino as one of the Midwest’s premier golf destinations.” Back 9 Report visited Island Resort and Casino this summer and General Manager Tony Mancilla told us about all the changes and new things happening at this wonderful Upper Peninsula destination. Click HERE to see the full video. Place video pic here Designed by renowned golf course architect Paul Albanese, the Cedar Course is rooted in the principles of Golden Age golf architecture, blending strategic design with a natural, landdriven routing. Built across gentler terrain adjacent to Sage Run, the course offers an experience that is less dramatic than Sage Run’s elevation changes yet more contoured than the rolling landscape of Sweetgrass, creating a distinctive and highly playable round. “This may be my favorite site of all three courses we’ve done up here,” says Albanese. “It just sets up really well for some great golf. Cedar gives players a chance to experience the strategy, creativity, and fun that defined the Golden Age—without it ever feeling forced.” Inspired by legendary venues including National Golf Links and Prestwick, Cedar features bold green complexes, strategic bunkering, and classic design concepts that reward imagination and thoughtful shot-making. Signature holes include the opening “Bottle” hole, inspired by National Golf Links, the memorable par-5 sixth with its Sahara-style bunker and a boomerang green inspired by Alister Mackenzie, and the drivable eighth hole inspired by Riviera Country Club’s iconic 10th. Other design inspirations include the short Double Plateau 3rd hole and a Punchbowl green and Church Pew bunkers at the 9th, further reinforcing the timeless architectural character found throughout the course. Click HERE to watch video with the Cedar Course and the Sage Run Course Superintendent, Matt Sly, who talked about the new course and what to look forward to on your next visit. Place Matt Sly video pic here Now offering 45 holes of championship golf, Island Resort & Casino features Sweetgrass, Sage Run, and the new Cedar Course, along with 454 guest rooms and suites, a luxury spa, multiple dining venues, live entertainment, and one of the Midwest’s best casinos. Golf packages currently include Sweetgrass, Sage Run, Greywalls, and Timberstone, with Cedar joining package offerings beginning in 2027. For more information, visit https:// islandresortgolf.com.
Treetops To Host Big Events in October Masterpiece Progressive Dinner Experience a fall dining experience unlike any other on the Masterpiece at Treetops. Fantastic fall colors provide a visual panorama of breathtaking views. Wine pairings and delicacies prepared by the Treetops Fall Charity Invitational Endows College Scholarships Dinners, October 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. These spots tend to fill up quickly. Do something unique for your 2026 Michigan Fall Color Tour. Enjoy Treetops six-course progressive dinner with 5 drink tastings. Complete the experience with a special lodging package for the Fall Progressive Dinner Experience, plus breakfast the following morning. Click HERE to make your reservation today. Treetops Culinary Staff blend perfectly with the Fall colors. Guests traverse the Masterpiece on golf carts sampling the fare at several stops before retiring to the restaurant for a delicious dinner, desert and live entertainment. Reservations are required as only 60 spots are available for each date of the Progressive Presented by Pepsi, October 4-6, the 39th Annual Treetops Fall Charity Invitational will be held. Proceeds from the event will be used to endow college scholarships for Gaylord High School graduates. Since 2018, the Invitational has raised over $360,000 for the Treetops Resort Endowed Fund, held through the Otsego Community Foundation. Every dollar is used exclusively for scholarships. Since then, 72 Otsego County students have received $133,000 in scholarship support, helping them take meaningful steps toward higher education and future careers. The event originally started nearly 40 years ago and has generated over $1.6 million for students and regional causes. Ohiio Gollf Journall
The entry fee includes 54 holes of golf over three days, two breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners, and entry into the skins pot. Ask about lodging options to make the event memorable for your team. The Par Three Shootout, on Saturday evening, is always a blast as only the top five teams qualify for the four-hole shootout. Click HERE for registration information. The Masterpiece surrounds every golfer with outstanding views, but its dramatic elevation changes, demanding carries and undulating greens create a stern challenge for even the very best golfers. It shows no mercy and asks the question, How bad do you want this? Sunday’s round on the Smith Tradition course allows golfers to relax slightly and enjoy the recently renovated Rick Smith-designed Tradition course at Treetops. If your team struggled on the Masterpiece, the Tradition provides more room off the tee and better angles pins, allowing for scoring opportunities. After your round on the Tradition, you might just think you have finally figured out your swing, which makes the post-round trash talk and cold drinks taste better. A shot-gun start will begin both days, October 17-18 and every team plays scratch which means straight up golf. No handicaps, No gimmicks and No excuses. Tournament registration includes: - Two drink vouchers - Saturday lunch voucher - Sunday chili lunch - Post-tournament reception and awards Click HERE to register today as the field fills up quickly. Treetops Toughman/Princess Scramble The Toughman/Princess Scramble brings two days of championship golf, fall color, trash talk, heroic recoveries and at least one teammate who cannot be trusted with a wedge under pressure. The mission: Survive on Saturday….Go Low on Sunday. All teams will play Treetops’ granddaddy, the Masterpiece on Saturday. It is one of the more difficult tracks in northern Michigan and has ruined many a golfer’s handicap over the years.
The Memorial Tournament Will Be A PGA Tour Championship Series Event By Greg Johnson The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, founded and hosted by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, has officially announced it will be one of the events on the PGA TOUR Championship Series beginning in 2028. The PGA TOUR Championship Series will feature the PGA TOUR’s top 120 players competing head-to-head in 23-24 events annually. These include THE PLAYERS Championship, four major championships, plus postseason and international team events (Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup). Also beginning in 2028, the PGA TOUR season will be shortened to seven months, February through August. “The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is proud to be included in the PGA TOUR Championship Series, professional Ohiio Gollf Journall
golf’s preeminent competition structure,” said Dan Sullivan, executive director of the Memorial Tournament. “True to the Memorial’s founding pillars created by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, the Tournament has remained, since its inception in 1976, focused on honoring golf’s greatest traditions while consistently hosting golf’s most accomplished players of today. We recognize Workday for their long-standing partnership and support, joining so many others in ensuring the Memorial remains well positioned going forward. Our focus is to provide the patrons, community, volunteers, and partners with the opportunity to enjoy the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations. Since its inception in 1976, the Memorial has eclipsed $60 million in donations to charity. The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. For more information, visit www. thememorialtournament.com or call 614-889-6700. highest level of competition on the PGA TOUR on one of the premier courses in the sport to benefit charitable partners in central Ohio and beyond.” The Memorial Tournament strives to meet three important goals every year. –– Honor individuals who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf. –– Showcase the world’s best golfers for the enjoyment of spectators. –– Benefit several charitable organizations in Greater Columbus in alliance with the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation,
Editorial Callaway Pulls Good Good Golf’s Television Advertisement By Fred Altvater Good Good Golf has been one of the internet’s biggest success stories. Their website provides golfers, especially younger golfers, golf products, video content and host golf tournaments around the country. The team at Good Good Golf, in conjunction with Callaway, produced a new television advertisement promoting Callaway’s newest driver. A huge problem with the advertisement came when a woman golfer tried to reach into her playing companion’s golf bag to test the new driver and the owner, a man, ran over and pushed the woman to the ground. While standing over her prone body the man further extolled the woman to never touch his new club. Definitely not a good look given today’s political climate. Even though the ad was pulled from the television rotation, it can be viewed HERE on YouTube. Ohiio Gollf Journall
The CEO of Callaway, Chip Brewer posted the following apology on Facebook. At a time when the fastest growing segment of the golfing public is women, the advertisement sends the wrong message and was quickly banned. Callaway has announced that it has cut all ties with Good Good, plus Golf Galaxy, Dick’s and Golf Galaxy have pulled their merchandise from their shelves. The problem arose from the fact that Good Good thought it would be funny to push a woman to the ground. The marketing team at Callaway, who approved the advertisement, is guilty as it should have never been approved for release. Callaway recently divested itself from the TopGolf franchise and realized a big upturn in their share price. The advertisement immediately had a negative effect on the stock market, but their share price has rebounded somewhat. In the apology, Brewer admits Callaway’s error in the approval process and in a subsequent post announced changes to their marketing team. Every woman golfer I have talked with abhors the advertisement and the message that was sent. My parents went to great lengths to stress that men were to never be abusive to a woman, in any manner. The American public and golfers can’t seem to get enough of video content, but sometimes the creators don’t read the room before they begin filming. The advertisement sent the wrong message and was summarily dismissed, but the damage was done. Over the past five years, female participation in golf rose by 45%, adding 2.5 million women golfers. Women and girls account up to 60% of participation gains in traditional green-grass golf, since COVID. These women and young ladies pay for green fees, buy golf clubs, as well as apparel, shoes and other golf products, which has given a huge boost to large golf retailers such as; Callaway, Titleist, PING and TaylorMade. In a sport that has worked hard to attract women to golf courses and then keep them coming back, we hope everyone learned a lesson from this huge error in judgement.
Bunker Hill Golf Course: A Century of Tradition and a New Chapter in Medina, Ohio the course’s 100th anniversary, and after spending a day playing the property and hearing its story from co-owners Stephen Ross and Arnold Ingraham, plus General Manager Chad Gibson. That century of history isn’t just a number on a plaque., it’s baked into every hole, every The Bunker Hill Golf Course in Medina has been owned and operated by the same family for generations. It doesn’t have the manicured, corporate polish of a country club, but it has a livedin quality that comes from decades of the same people caring for it. Next year marks By David Theoret Ohiio Gollf Journall
Several years ago, Bunker Hill went through a reconfiguration. The Gold and White tees were altered specifically to make the course more playable for golfers of all abilities. The result can be seen most clearly on the 6th hole, the course’s number one handicap hole and a genuine test from any set of markers. It’s basically a 90-degree dogleg left, and from the back tees, playing building, and honestly, every conversation. The property was originally named Bunker Hill Farm, in honor of Boston’s historic Bunker Hill, after a family member fought in the actual Revolutionary War battle, in 1775. The farm became a golf course in 1927, which means the club’s 100th anniversary next year is really the continuation of a story that started with a Revolutionary War, over 250 years ago. The family stewardship began in 1939, when Berneta and Roger Ingraham purchased the course. Their younger son, Arnold, took over in 1980 and quietly modernized the course’s infrastructure without losing its character. Arnold also started weekday evening leagues that have become one of the club’s signature offerings, the kind of grassroots community golf that keeps a course relevant for decades. Stephen Ross joined as co-owner in 2020, and today the course is in the best shape it has ever seen. The Ingrahams still live in the large white house near the clubhouse, a quiet, everyday reminder that this isn’t a corporate-owned operation trying to manufacture a sense of heritage. The heritage is right there, living on the property.
443 yards, it takes everything you’ve got just to reach the corner of the dogleg before you can even think about the green. From the White tees, at 342 yards, the hole plays completely differently: a long iron over the corner sets up a short pitch shot onto the green, which is exactly the kind of adjustment that makes a hole feel fair rather than punishing depending on which tees you’re playing. It’s a smart piece of design work, and a good example of what that tee reconfiguration was meant to accomplish. From the back tees, Bunker Hill plays 6,806 yards to a par of 72, with a course rating That’s really the story of Bunker Hill in a nutshell. It’s a historical community golf course with a Revolutionary War name, a family that has owned and lived on the property for over 80 years and tee boxes that were thoughtfully reworked to welcome every golfer. As it heads into its 100th year, Bunker Hill remains exactly what it’s always been: a well-run, familyrooted course that Medina County golfers are lucky to call their own. For tee times, outings, or event bookings, visit www. bunkerhillgolf.com. of 73.5 and a slope of 135, numbers that reflect just how much teeth this course has despite its public, communitygolf roots. The Hybrid Tees bring that number down to 5,790 yards for players who want a more manageable walk without sacrificing the character of the layout. Bunker Hill has also built a reputation as a community gathering place, by hosting numerous outings, leagues, and weddings throughout the year. The Event Center offers five distinct spaces, ranging from a casual pavilion to a formal banquet hall, all of it overlooking the rolling fairways of the golf course. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Toptracer Reports Global Growth From Golf Business Review Toptracer is reporting global growth in range use and installations. The company said every Toptracer screen worldwide was used for an average of six hours a day throughout 2025, while global installations rose 29% compared with the first half of 2025, before its largest-ever activation at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Ohiio Gollf Journall
At The Open, Toptracer traced 60,433 shots on the Tournament Range and 8,170 shots across all 18 holes, debuted AI tracing, recorded 28,880 virtual rounds of Royal Birkdale in the Global Challenge and logged 103,675 shots across 20 hospitality simulators, with several thousand lessons delivered onsite by PGA GB&I professionals. President and general manager Scott Blevins said new features including Toptracer Go were helping “raise the bar” globally, while broadcast technology director Ludvig von Schenck said AI Tracing makes the platform “leaner, faster, and more accurate than ever” as Toptracer prepares to launch a new global tournament later in 2026. PGA Tour’s $30 Million Sponsorship Reset The PGA Tour has released a few the names of the sponsors for the new 2028 Championship Series. Travelers, Sentry and Sompo are all insurers prepared to support tournaments within the Tour’s new premium structure. Travelers has confirmed that its long-running Connecticut event will remain among the Tour’s leading tournaments. Sentry will transfer its title sponsorship from the old Hawaii event to the Torrey Pines tournament, that saw previous sponsor Farmer’s Insurance fail to renew their contract. Sompo inked a multi-year agreement that will begin with a tournament at Silverado Resort before moving to an as-yet-undisclosed Championship Series market in 2028. The Arnold Palmer Invitational and Jack Nickaus’ Memorial Tournament have also been confirmed for the top series. The Genesis Invitational, hosted by Tiger Woods, has not yet confirmed that they will be a part of the new Championship Series, but are expected to be one of the 24 top tier events in 2028. The Tour says it already has an initial group of ten of the expected 15 regular-season Championship events lined up. The emerging line-up provides early evidence that the PGA Tour can sell its premium product. It also turns the 2028 overhaul into a series of practical commercial decisions. Existing title partners must decide whether stronger fields and greater scarcity justify a higher commitment; host markets must determine how much top-tier status is worth protecting; and companies considering golf sponsorship will have to choose between premium national exposure, or a lower-cost regional tournament on the Challenger Series.
Club Performance Drives Equipment Purchases By Ed Travis with 69% having less than a 19 handicap and 80% playing at least 26 times per year. Fifty percent (50%) of respondents cited selftesting, including custom fitting as the most trusted source of information, before making a purchase. Golf magazine and website reviews came in at 8% just behind recommendations from friends at 11% and local professional’s recommendations at 10%. Take from that what you wish but more significant is the purchasing influence of social media and PGA Tour professional’s endorsement at 2% each. A recent study by Buffalo Groupe of purchase decisions by avid golfers found that frequent players care more about the performance their gear delivers rather than loyalty to any brand. This was not a surprising outcome, since avid golfers by definition tend to be more concerned with their scoring and therefore their shopping habits reflect the quest of finding clubs and gear to lower their handicaps. In the study of Buffalo’s opt-in group of players were the classic frequent better player profile Ohiio Gollf Journall
These avid golfers also said that while a product’s brand name was a consideration when buying golf balls, tees and gloves 24% of the time and the importance of brand preference fell to 16%, when buying clubs. Buffalo Groupe President Emily Clark in the press release announcing the study said, “Today’s golfer is a savvy, performance-driven shopper, and 8 in 10 are willing to change what’s in their bag if it means becoming a better player. Brand loyalty alone no longer wins. Golfers want proof that a product will improve their game. For brands and retailers, that means investment in hands-on and in-store experiences, like demo days and custom fittings, matters just as much as the product itself.” What does this all mean? First the study, while very interesting and thought-provoking, is very small, just 500 golfers, and though it is statistically valid there are so many subgroups (juniors, beginners, et al.) that could possibly skew the conclusions. Second, since avid golfers were the entire sample surveyed, their responses are probably different than the entire 29 million on-course golfing population. For my own mother-in-law survey, standard pricing, discounting and sales promotions were factors not covered in the study but presumably they have an impact on buying decisions on all but the highest price point equipment. A mother-in-law survey is when you have neither the money, nor time to do proper in-depth statistically valid survey and instead simply ask your mother-in-law, since she knows everything anyway. It is also important to remember golf retailers and equipment manufacturers know the facts revealed by Buffalo’s survey which are already part of their strategy and marketing and incorporated it into their planning as part of their understanding of market potential. Buffalo Groupe should be congratulated for spending the money and taking the time to do this and it would be even more informative if they repeat it in future years and expand the sample to more types of players.
Lawmaker’s Question Trump Decision on East Potomac Golf Course By Fred Altvater Ohiio Gollf Journall
In January, the Trump Administration, through the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Federal Parks System, nullified the final 45 years of a 50-year lease with the National Links Trust. The lease for three federally owned golf courses in the D.C. area, Rock Creek Golf Course, Langston Golf Course and East Potomac Golf Links, seemed to be cancelled for apparent reason, other than President Trump wants to turn East Potomac into an upscale golf property. The National Links Trust was updating the three properties and operating them for the benefit of local residents. They had instituted training programs for area youth as golf shop retail employees, as well as a caddy program, which helped local youth earn Evans Scholarships, providing an opportunity to earn a full-ride college scholarship. The Trump administration wants to develop the East Potomac Golf Links into a private club, but lawmakers are not sure if that is even legal. As they investigate further, they may just find that the reasons for breaking the lease were not legal, as well. Representatives Jamie Raskin, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Don Beyer and Glenn Ivey, along with 43 others, wrote a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron calling on the administration to preserve the park’s historical features and affordability. “We write with strong objections to your rushed ‘redevelopment’ of East Potomac Park, as well as the lack of clear public communication as to the changes planned for a beloved historic and recreation site,” the lawmakers wrote. “Any significant construction… requires compliance with bedrock environmental and historic preservation laws, robust public consultation and review, and protection of the existing uses of the site.” The letter concludes with a series of questions to which the lawmakers requested answers no later than mid-August. 1. What is the cost of redeveloping East Potomac Golf Links? 2. Will the beloved and heavily-used walking and biking paths and lanes through the Park be preserved? If so, will any changes be made to those paths and lanes? 3. Will the similarly beloved and heavily visited cherry trees within the Park be preserved? If so, are there anticipated impacts on health or access to those trees? 4. How much more will it cost for the public to play golf at East Potomac Golf Links under the “Washington National Plan”? The similar courses that you have cited as cost models in your redesign proposal feature prices that are as much as double the current East Potomac Golf Links prices. What justifies this increase? 5. What is the relationship between the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation and members of the Trump Administration and specifically President Trump? 6. What are the Department’s plans to assess project compliance under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the wholesale redevelopment of East Potomac Golf Links? If these plans move forward, what is the Department’s anticipated public comment schedule?
Attorneys filed a counter lawsuit against the Trump Administration for terminating the lease with National Links Trust. The suit challenges the abrupt termination of the National Links Trust lease at East Potomac Golf Links. The legal and political battle led to a May 2026 compromise, though oversight and planning disputes continue. The basis for the lawsuit questions the alleged National Links Trust defaults as the reason for the lease termination. National Links Trust had already invested several million dollars to renovations with other projects being delayed by government red tape. The lawsuit also claims that the administration bypassed environmental laws when thousands of tons of dirt from the White House East Wing renovation project was dumped at the East Potomac location. Federal judges have also expressed skepticism regarding the administration’s transparency over hidden overhaul blueprints for the 100-year-old municipal layout. It is a shame that a federally-owned golf course with a viable lease that was providing low-cost access to D.C. residents, plus providing job training for area youth become a private golf club which would serve a few well-heeled golfers, rather than the general public, as it was originally meant to be. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Find Great Golf Value At Georgia State Parks Golf Courses By Mike May If you are planning a driving trip to Florida this fall, or winter, chances are you will pass through Georgia. If so, you should seriously consider making plans to play one of the many golf courses located within Georgia’s state parks system, all of which are part of the Georgia Golf Trail. In addition to well-designed and affordably priced golf courses, these state parks also have diverse outdoor recreation opportunities, on-site restaurants, and modern housing options which often include cabins, a lodge, and camp sites. “The golf courses within Georgia’s state parks are fairly priced first-class golf destinations in a relaxing family friendly environment,” said Doug Hollandsworth, Founder of the Georgia Golf Trail. Highland Walk Golf Course The Georgia rolling hills provide a plethora of uphill
and downhill tee shots at the Highland Walk Golf Course at Victoria Bryant State Park. The easiest downhill tee shot is at the par-four 1st hole, but the most memorable shot comes at the 7th where a well-struck tee ball, from the elevated tee, will soar forever in the Georgia sky. Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course At the Rickard B. Russell State Park, Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course is considered the ‘Crown Jewel’ of Georgia’s State Park courses. The water views are simply stunning, with 10 of the 18 holes skirting Lake Richard B. Russell. The Creek Golf Course The Creek Golf Course, at Hard Labor Creek State Park, provides a great experience for all golfers. The setting can best be described as tranquil, scenic and serene. Wallace Adams Golf Course The views from any tee box at the Wallace Adams Golf Course at the Little Ocmulgee State Park reminds golfers of the most famous Georgia golf course, Augusta National. In fact, the course has been affectionately dubbed, “Little Augusta.” The greens are perfect, pure, and true. Even the pine straw appears is manicured, just like the Masters. Brasstown Valley Golf Course Nestled among the mountains in northern Georgia, Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa is the quintessential mountain golf getaway. The atmosphere is refreshing, relaxing, and reenergizing. The golf course is very well maintained, cleverly designed, and entertaining to play. Click HERE to learn more about Brasstown Valley in this video from the Golf With Dad. Georgia Veteran’s Memorial Golf Course The Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course is located on the premises of the Lake Blackshear Resort & State Park. The par-72 layout features 130 sand traps, four sets of tees, and at least one grey fox! Click HERE to watch a video from Golf With Dad about the Creek Golf Course. Brazell’s Creek Golf Course The Brazell’s Creek Golf Course at Jack Hill State Park is an exceptional par-71 layout. Georgia’s own Denis Griffiths designed the course. A 1,500foot wooden bridge winds its way through a canopy of trees, connecting the front nine with the back nine. The Lakes Golf Club The Lakes Golf Course at Laura S. Walker Park is the southernmost golf course on the Georgia Golf Trail. The fairways and landing areas are defined with gentle, links-style mounds that accent the course’s three large lakes while the greens are large and undulating. Loblolly pines, just like the ones you see at the Augusta National add to the challenge. Ohiio Gollf Journall
Meadow Links Golf Course The Meadow Links Golf Course is affiliated with the George T. Bagby State Park. When Meadow Links opened in 1998, Golf Digest ranked it as “the nation’s sixth best new affordable public course.” It remains one of the nation’s most affordable public golf courses. Great Value The Georgia Park System’s collection of courses accommodate all skill levels, are well maintained, fun to play and easy on your wallet. As you are driving through Georgia make plans to stop and visit these great Georgia courses. Click HERE more information about Georgia’s state park golf courses.
Change Your Attitude For More Fun and Success Self-talk on the golf course can be good, or bad. Golf is a difficult game, why make it harder? Belief in one’s capabilities and a positive attitude will help improve not only your scores, but also your enjoyment. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? Why don’t I believe in myself? Why do I think I can’t do this? Words Of Wisdom Why do I allow myself to feel insignificant? “ These thoughts constantly run through everyone’s mind, but in this example, they belong to PGA Tour player, Harry Higgs. During Friday’s post-round press conference at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Higgs, who had not made a cut on the PGA Tour all season, was the last player to get into the field. After two rounds, in one of the most important tournaments all year, Harry made the cut and was on the first page of the leaderboard. By Jeff Johnson, Golf With Dad Ohiio Gollf Journall
What made the difference? It wasn’t the result of a new putter, or swing thought. Harry made a conscious choice to no longer see himself as SMALL. He realized that he was WORTHY of success. His new motto became, “Why not me?” Regardless of the outcome, he was going to walk the fairways of Shinnecock Hills with his head held high like he owned the place. What a valuable lesson for us to apply, not only on the course, but in life as well. Harry made his choice... What choice will you make? Power To Change During a round of golf after a errant shot, or missed putt have you uttered the words, “I knew I was going to do that!?” That negative pre-shot mindset creates that poor shot. Unknowingly, you have programed your mind to expect a less than satisfactory outcome. The mind does not understand no, not and never. It only hears, “I am going to hit this shot poorly.” Thus, it should be no surprise that your result is less than perfect. We all have the POWER to CHANGE! I use a two-word fix for that dilemma... GET AMNESIA! Forget a poor shot immediately. The past can be a heavy burden to bear, but we must forgive ourselves and forget it. The only shot that matters is the current one. Scottie Scheffler calls it, “Being present where I am”. The next time you utter the words “I knew I was going to do that”, let it be because you visualized a beautifully struck 7-iron, or draining a 30-foot putt to win a couple bucks from your golf buddy. You will be amazed how your golf game and your life will change. For more great golf information and travel tips visit: Golf With Dad on YouTube.
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