Rick Langbert
The Shining Mountain Golf Course will soon be waving a Saudi Arabia flag, in yet another international development for the Woodland Park links that is no rookie to controversy.
The move is being entitled as a business move to help solidify LIV golf’s Colorado properties, as it enters a tough round of negotiations with the PGA tour. The LIV/PGA tussle has been touted as nothing less than golf’s holy Civil War.
The two sides have mutually expressed an interest in reaching a joint agreement but haven’t appeared to progress very far in obtaining this goal, following an earlier announcement that outraged victims of the 9/11 terrorism attacks by Saudi extremists.
It hasn’t been announced if Shining Mountain will serve as a site for any of their tournaments. But LIV executives admit they like what they see, as far as a potential battle room and fun, links atmosphere. In addition, Shining Mountain has experience with international ties, with the original owners hailing from Japan.
LIV golf tourneys, which now feature some of the best players of the game, operate a different product, with an emphasis on team play, a more casual fan atmosphere, with obnoxious and loud background music, a more laid-back dress code (with players wearing shorts) and an apolitical stance.
In one of their first major stylistic moves, LIV CEO Greg Normann has hired Woodland Park Councilman Frank Conorrs as the music director, in charge of all DJ selections, with absolutely no exceptions. Rick Bowery, local bar owner in Woodland Park, will assist Frank in his very important role.
“We heard about what Frank did at a post-city council meeting in Woodland Park in his musical selections to help soothe tensions. That is what we want to do with LIV golf. This is where the fun people play. We have no dress codes,” commented the LIV CEO.
Plus, Normann is impressed with Teller County’s affinity for firearms, an important ingredient for LIV golf, considering the high level of tension these days with the PGA tour. “We plan to hire Jason Mikesall as chief of security operations,” announced Normann.
Just last week, top PGA player Rory McInboe of Northern Ireland, vowed to engage in a wrestling bout with Normann during which the winner determines which way the current negotiations go. Now, the two are considering a shooting match.
“Bring it on mate,” said Normann, earlier given the nickname, “The Great White Shark” for his previous antics and aggressive play on the PGA tour. The Aussie executive has been quite aggressive in courting players over to the LIV league, including offering Tiger Woods a reported $800 million signing deal to join LIV, an offer that Woods turned down, with the comments, “Over My Dead Body.”
There has never been any love lost in the relations between Woods and Normann, according to numerous media reports. Another side, political issue is that LIV golf is enshrined in controversy with financial ties that are linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmon. It was embroiled in antitrust lawsuits with the PGA Tour, which supposedly ended at the end of 2023.
But based recent rankling’s between the two organizations, this fact is under serious scrutiny.
The loser of the shooting match will be required to resurrect the combined golf swings of TMC sport scribe Trevor Phibb and local Hollywood celebrity Charlie Camers. The series will be entitled, the “TMC Golf Experiment.
“That task alone would require me to deny alcohol for my native land (Australia) for at least a year by transferring liquor sales to Woodland Park and stock the SM Bar with plenty of beverages,” said Normann. “Let us just hope we don’t get any visits by Long John Dalie in the meantime. Then we are doomed. Or, we may have to limit the local operations of disk golf.”
Happy April Fools Day!
