New Norman course

[Daryl David]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9793877/Greg-Norman-announces-building-million-dollar-shark-shaped-golf-course-Port-Lincoln-SA.html




Oh my.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

This the top. Sell everything.

[Tom_Doak]

This the top. Sell everything.

Are you thinking it will sink the whole world economy, or just Australia’s?

[Tim Martin]

Desmond Muirhead would have endorsed the concept.

[Kyle Henderson]

I think the shark just jumped himself.

[Pete_Pittock]

It is Shark Week on Discovery Channel.

[Alex Miller]

This the top. Sell everything.

100 acres of residential land, a commercial center, and a desalination plant is included.

[Rob Marshall]

You have to be kidding.

[MCirba]

The good news is that the course is open to hosting tournaments on the new UBERWORLD tour. 

[MKrohn]

Interesting place Port Lincoln, reputed to be the richest town in Australia (as measured by millionaires per capita). Most of the money made selling blue fin tuna. As per the video below, there are plenty of risks to catching tuna, if you go to the 32 minute mark, you can see the tuna cowboys at work tangling with sharks.


For those of us who live on the east coast, Adelaide is a great golf trip, if this thing ever gets built (doubtful), its still an hour flight to get there.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mv2XyMs2MI

[Ronald Montesano]

Does look like a blue fin tuna in the rendering.

[Peter Pallotta]

I think the shark just jumped himself.

Very nicely done!

Drones -- the unintended consequences!

[Tom_Doak]

I failed to mention that I went to see this very site in Port Lincoln ~10 years ago, for a friend who was looking to do another Barnbougle there.  I didn’t think it was up to that.  And back then, it didn’t seem suited to a large residential project, either.  But I will admit I didn’t have what it takes to visualize a shark-shaped land plan.


I wonder if Greg Norman has ever gone shark-cage diving?  (It’s a thing in Port Kincoln.  I passed up that opportunity, too!)

[James Bennett]

Port Lincoln has a population of 10,000, and the next big town is 30,000 at Whyalla 3 hours away.
Adelaide is 6 hours by road, or one hour by air on a small plane.
Lots of money (as noted above) due to tuna.
Not a lot of rainfall, and a summer drought.
No local water resource, and any bore water is under pressure.


Getting water to irrigate the course for perhaps 7 months of the year will be a key issue.
Getting enough rounds played to make the course viable will be another.


Very pretty spot, and nearby Coffin Bay is idyllic, especially if you love Oysters.


James B

[John Emerson]

Seeing this article and drawing made we want to poke my eyeballs out.  It is something that can’t be unseen.  At least once every couple of weeks we have a “what golf does poorly”, or “sustainable (or lack there of) golf” type of thread…this is one of those things. 

[Tom Bacsanyi]

This the top. Sell everything.

Are you thinking it will sink the whole world economy, or just Australia’s?

Whole thing, like in Ghostbusters:


Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff.[/size]Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes…Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave.Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.

[Tom_Doak]

In the early 90s Mr Muirhead was rumored to be planning a course in Japan based on The Bible, but the whole economy crashed before it was built - and it still hasn’t recovered to this day.

[John Emerson]

Another thing that irks me about this thing is that GN has plenty of money.  He can’t be doing this only for the money right?  Is this just an “eff you” (and by you, i mean golf industry and sustainability) type of job? If it’s the latter…he’s a psychopath 

[Phil Burr]

Desmond Muirhead certainly came to most minds when looking at the overhead, but maybe GN is onto something here as a new tribute course.  We have Tour 18, Bear’s Best, Architects Golf Club, etc.  Why not a tribute to the great players and their nicknames?  Along with a shark-shaped hole, how about a bear hole for Mr. Nicklaus?  Or a king hole (crown-shaped?) for Mr. Palmer?  How could an architect incorporate tusks into the inevitable walrus hole?  The imagination runs amok when you think of the possibilities for a tank hole honoring KJ Choi.  And what would John Daly’s “Wild Thing” hole look like?

[Daryl David]

Desmond Muirhead certainly came to most minds when looking at the overhead, but maybe GN is onto something here as a new tribute course.  We have Tour 18, Bear’s Best, Architects Golf Club, etc.  Why not a tribute to the great players and their nicknames?  Along with a shark-shaped hole, how about a bear hole for Mr. Nicklaus?  Or a king hole (crown-shaped?) for Mr. Palmer?  How could an architect incorporate tusks into the inevitable walrus hole?  The imagination runs amok when you think of the possibilities for a tank hole honoring KJ Choi.  And what would John Daly’s “Wild Thing” hole look like?

What great player’s tribute hole would be the “Ass Hole”?

[Jeff Schley]

Is there not another more practical use of the capital required for this project? Wonder who ran the numbers on this project for a risk adjusted return.

[Pete_Pittock]

should be easy. The shark doesn't have any teeth showing.

[Kalen Braley]

Norman hasn't been relevant in years (its been 13 years since he had that hot run to almost win The Open at age 53).  So its understandable he's desperate to move the needle again with something as contrived as this.

P.S. That part of Australia gets less rain annually than here in drought infested Northern Utah so not surprised they'll need a desalination plant for something like this...

[Jim Hoak]

I don’t want to be unkind, or even more of a golf course snob, but has Greg Norman ever built a golf course that was any good at all?  I’ve never seen even one I would give any Doak Scale number to—other than to say it was a total waste of money.  Very sad!

[Peter Flory]

I don’t want to be unkind, or even more of a golf course snob, but has Greg Norman ever built a golf course that was any good at all?  I’ve never seen even one I would give any Doak Scale number to—other than to say it was a total waste of money.  Very sad!

He did a sand belt style course in IL and named it Royal Melbourne...