The first golf course designed by Tiger Woods will not open as scheduled due to worsening economic conditions in Dubai.  The scheduled opening has been delayed by at least 6 months.

“It’s six months as of right now,” Woods said in an interview at the Memorial. “It’s going to be behind schedule. Obviously, the economy has turned over there and they’ve slowed down construction because of it.”

The total project, called “Tiger Woods Dubai”, includes 100 villas, 75 mansions, 22 palaces and a 360,000 square foot luxury hotel.  The course only had 3 holes under construction when the project was halted.

Woods has 2 other courses in the works – one  in North Carolina (The Cliffs at High Carolina) and one in Mexico (Punta Brava).  Both courses are awaiting permits but otherwise are on schedule.  The North Carolina course is expected to open in the middle of 2010 and the Mexico course is slated to open in late 2010.

Augusta National edged out Pine Valley Golf Course as America’s #1 course, according to Golf Digest.  The Golf Digest ranking is the oldest, most rigorous and most prestigious ranking in the game.

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The Merion Golf Club added 300 yards to the course in preparation for the Walker Cup Match in September (sort of a warm-up for the 2013 US Open for the course).  Merion is known for its narrow fairways, deep roughs and sculpted greens.  US Walker Cup captain Buddy Marucci is certain the the changes will challenge even the best golfers.

“Part of the genius of what has been done here is that the difficult holes were made more difficult, and the easier, shorter holes pretty much stayed the same,” Marucci said at a Walker Cup press event on Tuesday. “I think what has happened is the architecture that was there for 100 years just popped out even more, and the challenges are back to where they were.

“At some places, 300 and some yards might not be significant, but it has made a tremendous difference here, just by allowing that architecture to come back out.”

For the first time in 15 years, the British Open will be played at the Turnberry Resort in Scotland.  And to celebrate the return of the Open, the good people of Turnberry have lengthened the course by 247 yards (135 of which comes on the last 3 holes).

The new layout features 6 new tees, including a 200 yard drive over the bay near the famous Lighthouse hole on the 10th.  The changes have been made gradually over the years and were announced on Tuesday at a news conference at the course.  The overall length is now 7,204 yards, up from 6,957.

The British Open will be played at Turnberry July 16-19.