Greg Norman Leaves Medalist Golf Course

Greg Norman is pulling his name from the course he founded. Last week, Golf Digest’s Tim Rosaforte reported that Norman insisted that his name and that of his co-deisgner Peter Dye be taken off all course material. Norman has requested all his memorabilia returned. He also demanded that his signature shark be taken down from above the bar in the men’s locker room. This results from Norman’s anger at the club board’s hiring of former Dye protege Bobby Weed to probably restore much of Dye’s original design. In a letter to Medalist President De Mudd in December, Norman said, “The design integrity of the original designed course has been compromised by your alterations without consultation or discussion with neither Pete Dye nor me.” The letter Norman sent to Medalist equity members has appeared on the internet and is available to read below. Just click the images to enlarge.

However, it seems that there be two sides to this story. Former club member Jim Kaat contacted Geoff Shackleford via his blog and shared a different view of the controversy. Kaat recounts how Norman’s tinkering with the course desing led Kaat to resign as a member. He sums up his experience at the club saying, “If Greg had not de-Dyed it and it had the management team in place it has today, I would never have resigned. Many of us thought it should be one of the great clubs in America of which to be a member. For me, there’s only one person who prevented that. Greg Norman. It’s sad. He was the greatest golfer on the planet, charismatic, attractive, a magnetic personality. His mismanagement of the Medalist and his comments about many issues in recent years have caused me to look at him as a pathetic figure. Sad but true.”

Greg Norman’s letter to Medalist equity members:

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It’s not even 2013 and we already have a new golf kerfuffle. What do you think Rockheads? Let me know in the comments below!