Another Trump Course Bags a Different PGA of America Event

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Today's press release concerning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and Trump National G.C. - Los Angeles is below.

I don't know a lot about the course, myself, other than it's a Pete Dye design. How does it stack up compared to the Grand Slam's most recent sites in Bermuda: Port Royal Golf Course and Mid Ocean Club?

<sub>33rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be Hosted by Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles

Showcase of Major Champions Week to also Feature PGA Junior League Golf Championship

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (March 10, 2015) – Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles, one of the most spectacular golf courses in the country, will host the 33rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Oct. 19-21, 2015. The showcase of major champions is part of a multi-year agreement between the PGA of America and the Trump Organization.

It marks the event's first return to the U.S. mainland since 1993. Golf Channel will televise the event beginning this year.

In addition, PGA Grand Slam week at Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles will feature the 2015 PGA Junior League Golf Championship, Oct. 17-19.

"The PGA of America begins a new chapter in celebrating the winners of the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship through an exciting partnership with The Trump Organization, the owner and operator of a large portfolio of exceptional golf properties," said PGA of America President Derek Sprague. "The PGA Grand Slam of Golf has always been a showcase for the best in our game. We are pleased that Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles will provide a great challenge to the game’s finest players."

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features the most difficult qualification requirement in the game – a major championship.

"We are thrilled to welcome the PGA to Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles--- the perfect location for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf," said Donald Trump, Chairman and President of the Trump Organization. "It's an incredible course situated on dramatic bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and will be a challenging and exciting test for the best players in the world. The combination of the course itself and stunning location will no doubt be a major draw for spectators and television viewers alike."

Golf Channel's coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf will air live on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET and include primetime replays. Golf Channel's coverage will be led by 29-time Emmy Award-winning producer Tommy Roy. Additionally, Golf Channel will cover Monday's Pro-Am, as well as live news coverage on Morning Drive and Golf Central for both the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and PGA Junior League Golf Championships.

"This was truly a trifecta of circumstance to the betterment of all parties. From a spectacular venue in Trump – LA, to TNT's shift to focus on original entertainment programming in this telecast window and Golf Channel's ability to elevate this unique event with a primetime showcase and robust news coverage surrounding the event," said PGA Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. "Turner Sports has been and continues to be a valued, long-time partner of the PGA of America and both parties remain committed to our exclusive presentation of the PGA Championship on TNT, now entering its 25th year, and our 12-plus year partnership for the management of PGA.com.”

Established in 2006, Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles features a 7,242-yard, par-71 layout with expansive lakes, massive bunkers, waterfalls and some of the most scenic views in the game from every hole.

The winners of golf's four major championships in 2015 are eligible to compete in the 33rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf. The major championship lineup for 2015: the Masters, April 9-12, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia; the U.S. Open Championship, June 18-21, at Chambers Bay in University Park, Washington; the Open Championship, July 16-19, at St. Andrews, Scotland; and the 97th PGA Championship, Aug. 13-16, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

PGA Junior League Golf
PGA Junior League Golf is the key youth program of PGA REACH, the charitable arm of the PGA of America. The program is designed to be a fun, accessible and inclusive opportunity for boys and girls ages 13 and under to learn and play the game of golf. The 2015 PGA Junior League Golf Championship follows an explosive 2014 season of growth with 17,500 boys and girls participating on 1,425 teams.

"Playing in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf signifies that you achieved a great milestone in the game. The boys and girls in the PGA Junior League Golf Championship finals during Grand Slam week also have accomplished something very special," said Rory McIlroy, PGA Junior League Golf Official Ambassador. "To have the finals at a great course and on a week celebrating major champions is an experience these young players will cherish for a lifetime."

During PGA Grand Slam of Golf Week, eight 10-player teams matching East vs. West regions will compete in a two-person scramble format, with coaches allowed to substitute every three holes in order that all team members may participate.

"PGA Grand Slam week also will be a showcase for future stars of the game at the PGA Junior League Golf Championship," said Sprague. "This popular program has grown tremendously and makes for a truly special week in golf."

The final matches at Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles will be Monday, Oct. 19.</sub>

[Benjamin Litman]

I'll post some pictures later tonight, but, for now, I'll say that it might be the biggest waste of money ever on a golf course. I say that both because it is apparently the most expensive course ever built and because the course itself is ordinary. Most of the holes blend together, and while the views are spectacular, the design doesn't maximize them or the land. Unfortunately, what I remember most about my experience is the obscene Trump fountain in front of the clubhouse. I'm sure that makes the Donald happy (the website calls the club "the pinnacle of nature and opulence," after all), but it doesn't make me happy.

I like Pete Dye's work from what little I know of it, but this WAS a Pete Dye course BEFORE Trump bought it. (It was scheduled to open as Ocean Trails Golf Club in 1999, but a landslide destroyed the 18th hole, and the opening was delayed by five years, during which time Trump bought the club and renovated the course.)

UPDATE: Here's a GCA thread on the course: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60344.0.html

[Ed Brzezowski]

Personally I do not see how it could be any better than The Mid Ocean course.

The question I have to you west coasters is how does Trump get away with the " massive lakes and waterfalls"? It seems the drought is on the national news at least once a week. What is the source for these water features?  I doubt the Donald would allow reclaimed water on his course. If gems like Pasatiempo are going brown due to water restrictions how does this course boast waterfalls and what I assume are man made lakes?

Please don't tell me the man can make his own water?

[BHoover]

Personally I do not see how it could be any better than The Mid Ocean course.

The question I have to you west coasters is how does Trump get away with the " massive lakes and waterfalls"? ... Please don't tell me the man can make his own water?

He probably brings in excess crates of Trump Ice.

I find it ominous that the USGA, PGA and PGA Tour are getting in bed with Trump. His reaction to the setup at Pinehurst last year was troubling.

[Benjamin Litman]

I find it ominous that the USGA, PGA and PGA Tour are getting in bed with Trump. His reaction to the setup at Pinehurst last year was troubling.

I'm with you, Brian, but don't forget the R&A.

[BHoover]

I find it ominous that the USGA, PGA and PGA Tour are getting in bed with Trump. His reaction to the setup at Pinehurst last year was troubling.

I'm with you, Brian, but don't forget the R&A.

It's not so much his courses that bother me. I thought Doral was fine for a challenging tournament course. It's just that this guy has a history of leaving destruction in his wake--exhibit A, his involvement in killing the USFL in an attempt to backdoor his way into owning an NFL franchise.

[Chris Roselle]

I played it a few years back and this picture is the best to survive (I know, I know, it has to be the one with the waterfall in it).  I found it to be in excellent condition and from the back tees very challenging.  Not a course I would enjoy playing every day as I thought it to be too penal but the views are pretty solid.

[Jon McSweeny]

The question I have to you west coasters is how does Trump get away with the " massive lakes and waterfalls"?

First off, even a fifteen-year old boy would balk at using the word "massive" this recklessly.

More importantly, unless the Donald has put his hairstylist in charge of course operations, I presume the water for those features is recirculated. While there is some loss during the process, the water consumption for those features is probably negligible. Particularly in comparison to the course as a whole. That's speculation on my part, but I'd be very surprised if he is pumping fresh water through those features all day.

The energy used to power those features, however, is not so easily recycled.

And without really bogging us down, Pasatiempo - owing to its location- is really its own animal in terms of water consumption versus the other California courses typically discussed here. While drought conditions may present throughout the state- how the various localities adapt can be enormously different.

[Stephen Davis]

Hopefully, this will lead to a redo of the course. I think it is a course with fantastic views, but the routing is fatally flawed. As a native of the South Bay, I would love to see this course redone in a way that befits the land available.