"Mr. Woods at least has the practice course in his backyard. That is more than his partners can say."

Paul Sullivan files an NY Times Business section front page story on the state of Tiger's design business and it doesn't come to many conclusions that we don't already know: the economy stinks, the projects were excessive in their scope and his scandal didn't help matters.

There was one interesting bit though about how Tiger's design contracts are structured. It seems he was  paid to present lots of plans, attend press conferences but incentives for actual field-time during construction--when real architects get serious about producing something that will last--did not appear to be part of the deals.

Regardless, Mr. Woods’s work with these projects is largely done. He has been paid the bulk of his contract fees. “Traditionally, a course designer’s job begins and ends with designing a great course,” said Mr. Bell, the head of the company.

In the meantime, there have not been any new projects announced by Tiger Woods Design. “We are evaluating opportunities from all over the world,” Mr. Bell said. “We’re staying focused on our original mission of finding great sites, great partners, and creating spectacular designs. I’m very confident about our future.”