The March 5-9 WGC-Cadillac Championship at the Trump National Doral Miami is "being transformed into a glamorous, sexy, multifaceted event as its organizers hope to lure in a younger, hipper, more affluent crowd," according to Ina Paiva Cordle of the MIAMI HERALD. Tournament Chair Butch Buchholz said, "We're bringing South Beach to Doral." The event will have "more food, more drinks, more fashion, and more music and entertainment than ever before." Trump National Doral VP & Managing Dir David Feder said that the resort's 60,000 square-foot clubhouse "will have been completely renovated, with additions such as a third ballroom, a new BLT Prime and other food and beverage outlets" by the time the tournament begins. The clubhouse's retail shop and fitness center also "have been redone." The tournament over the past two years has "ventured into music and fashion, culminating with this year’s creation of a full-fledged social and entertainment event." PGA Tour Exec VP/Championship Management & Tournament Business David Pillsbury said that this year's tournament will "offer an Escalade Lounge, 'where spikes meet stilettos,'" that will "give patrons the best views of the newly renovated 16th hole." The VIP experience "includes shuttles back and forth" from the clubhouse in Escalades. Cadillac will "have dozens of vehicles on display at the tournament, and is also creating a 'V-Series Performance Center,' an interactive area that will offer a golf swing analysis via a simulator." Ivanka Trump, the daughter of course owner Donald Trump, will host a "Friday evening fashion show featuring Carolina Herrera." The tournament also will "host a concert" on Saturday "headlined by Travie McCoy." The event also has "brought in former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush" as Honorary Chair (MIAMI HERALD, 2/23).
WORKING ON HIS LONG GAME: GOLF WORLD's Jaime Diaz profiles Donald Trump's growing golf portfolio as part of this week's cover story and writes Trump has been "devoting more of his battle-tested business acumen and personal chutzpah to compete for the best available golf properties in the world, and is picking off some gems." The $25M renovation to Trump National Doral is "front and center" after it was "miraculously completed in less than a year." However, Trump's "all-in commitment to developing part of his huge Scottish parcel of tumbling dunes by the North Sea near Aberdeen" led to Trump Int'l Golf Links opening in '12 and "established him as golf's most important builder today." Perhaps the "most intriguing" course he is working on is the Jack Nicklaus-designed Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. That is the "long-embattled public course in the Bronx where Trump ... won the right to manage the course scheduled to open this year." The site's "views of the Manhattan skyline and location on Long Island Sound have prompted both the USGA and PGA of America to scout the layout as a possible site for championships." Trump also is "considering a complete redo of the public Trump National Los Angeles" and has a "verbal agreement" with Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore to build a course near Charlottesville, Va. (GOLF WORLD, 3/3 issue).
