By Doug McAllister
Marketers are all about gimmicks. Their job is to find a bigger fool and get them to buy a whole lotta whatever it is that they're sellin'. In this case the marketers work for Taylor Made Golf and what they're sellin' is an expensive new putter by Kia Ma.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against real quality. My problem is...well...let's just get to the point at hand.
The new Kia Ma Rossa Putters are an interesting combination of a high-tech, milled head with Rossa's trademark AGSI insert and movable weights. I'll give them the movable weights. Taylor Made has become famous in recent years for their movable weights. But it's the AGSI insert that caught my attention and got me thinking. The insert is what ultimately comes in contact with the ball, right? So why go to the exorbitant cost of a "100% Milled" putter head if the contact with the ball is an AGSI insert that is found in any of Rossa's less expensive models?
I had to check out the difference for myself. Accordingly, I went to my local golf retailer and compared, head-to-head, Rossa's Core Classics Daytona with the new Rossa TP Kia Ma Daytona with the AGSI insert. The comparison—at least where my experience is concerned—showed that...can I get a drum roll, please...THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE IN FEEL OR PERFORMANCE BETWEEN THE ROSSA CORE CLASSICS DAYTONA AND ITS FAR PRICIER KIA MA COUNTERPART. NONE!!!! What we have here, it seems, is the putting gimmick of gimmicks—an inexpensive, though effective, AGSI insert housed in an ultra-expensive milled putter head. Nothing more!
The good news is that, if you want the excellent feel and performance of Rossa's AGSI inserts, they can be had at a considerably lower price in any of the Rossa Core Classics Models. And, if you want the superior performance and precision of a totally milled putter look no further than Rossa's original TP Kia Ma putters!
Avoid putting the two together in Rossa's new Kia Ma offering. You're smarter than that anyway, right?
So go with the inexpensive Rossa and putt 'em long and straight (except, of course, if you've got a testy breaker that needs just a nudge!).
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
MY FOREST DALE NIGHTMARE! GOLF ETIQUETTE BY GOLFING PROFESSIONALS
By Doug McAllister
So, have you been boning up on what golf etiquette is and how you can be an even greater good practitioner of it? Reading from THE RULES OF GOLF? Becoming more determined to be part of the solution and not a continuing part of the problem?
Great! Because today we need to address what might be an even bigger part of the problem: GOLF PROFESSIONALS in the form of Course Managers, Starters and Marshals who need, themselves, to step forward and be greater practitioners of good golf etiquette.
MORE IS MORE, RIGHT?
Ever teed off at your favorite course, right on time and giving the group in front of you an appropriate amount of space before letting the pill pop — only to find that, within minutes, the group following you is breathing right down your neck? In my experience, it's happening more and more and more as golf courses try to pack foursomes and threesomes and singles onto the course in numbers more befitting sardine cans than golf courses.
It's true! Many of the problems with golf etiquette are being started and exacerbated by irresponsible course managers and employees, trying to squeeze as much revenue as possible from crowded courses. Let me share with you the most irresponsible case of this that I have ever experienced.
A NIGHTMARE AT THE 'DALE'
Forest Dale Golf Course is a treasure. The oldest golf course in Utah, it sports a wonderful nine-hole track that is both quaint and challenging. I have consistently made it a point to play the Dale in order to savor a true piece of Utah Golf History. That is before my last round turned into a laughable nightmare.
Last November my foursome decided to play Forest Dale. We called the course in the early afternoon in order to see whether a tee time was available. PLEASE NOTE THAT. We didn't just show up at the course and ask to be worked into the rotation. We called and asked whether a scheduled tee time was available.
Now, I don't know about you, but scheduling a tee time means buying and reserving a playable piece of real estate — a reasonable block of time — on the course for a given day. It means that you are allowed to play reasonably over the course of — in the case of Forest Dale — nine holes. Two and a half hours, at the most, if good golf etiquette is followed by the players AND the course managers. Seem rational? I thought so. What ensued was the most bizarre and laughable episode of golfing experience that I have ever had.
We were given a tee time, placed on the schedule and arrived about twenty minutes early and checked in at the clubhouse. The first red flag that I should have recognized was that there were no motorized carts available. NOT ONE! I brushed that one aside and ran right smack into the next warning signal: a practice green stuffed with more golfers than I could imagine the place could hold. There were, literally, five players putting to each practice hole. That's right! At least fifty people (yep...5-0 people!) milling wildly on the practice green. By this time I was sufficiently benumbed that I stopped looking for dangers signs, otherwise I would have noted that there were three groups of golfers waiting on the first tee!
AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN'!
You are smarter than me. Had you seen what I had, you would have packed things up, gotten a refund and headed for the parking lot. Right? But, as noted, you are smarter than me. I shrugged it off, rationalizing that things would surely open up once we got out on the course. Wrong!
To make a long story short, after three hours on the course we had completed — are you ready for this? — we had completed just four holes. FOUR HOLES!! Less than half of the round completed in 30 minutes longer than it should have taken us to play the entire track!!
My mind tried to rationalize what was going on. I thought back. On the second hole, a par 5, I had counted six groups — two waiting to tee off, one teeing off, two in the fairway and one on the green putting. Six groups!! There must have been, I thought, a huge slow play logjam somewhere ahead. I finally couldn't take it any longer. I called the pro shop on my cell phone and reported the situation. The person to whom I spoke assured me that he would get right to bottom of things.
Nothing improved. As we waited behind the plethora of players waiting to play and playing the fifth hole, I made my second call. AND HERE COMES THE REVELATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR — THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS ABYSMAL STORY. "Well, we sent a member of the staff out on a cart to check things out," the pro calmly assured me, "and there doesn't seem to be any group out of order."
Okay, did you catch that? The pro was telling me that there were no open holes ahead of me on the course! As if he were describing business as usual, he was telling me that, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF GROUPS ON THE COURSE, PLAY WAS PROCEEDING AS IT SHOULD!! Holy crap! He was saying that he was aware of the etiquette crime being committed on the course at that very moment and that HE WAS THE MAIN PERPETRATOR! In other words, he had scheduled, probably, twice as many tee times as the course could — in accordance with good golf etiquette — appropriately support! And when we, abandoning the travesty of which we had been reluctantly a part, asked for at least a rain check (why I would ever want to play there again is the greatest of mysteries!) he, at first, refused.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY
You can see the problem. What is to be done when the keepers of the game and its rules and its etiquette become, themselves, the major problems? What do I think should be done? Simple:
1. Golf courses need get back to being the keepers of etiquette. They need to start groups at time intervals that allow for appropriate play, under the rules of the game and in keeping with good golf etiquette. Leaving players to police themselves off the first tee is a recipe for disaster.
2. The courses need, also, to step up and police play on their greens and fairways. In all of my years of play I have only played one course — the incomparable East Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs — that had the gumption to put offending players in their place. They warned slow players to move on and, if offenses kept on coming, players were required to pick up and move on to the open hole or be expelled from play! I am sure that there are many other courses out there that follow these procedures. The East Course is the only one that I have actually witnessed.
3. NOW I HATE THIS ONE AS A PLAYER WHO ENJOYS AN INEXPENSIVE ROUND OF GOLF, but — If it becomes a matter of cramming courses full of groups or raising greens fees to bridge the gap, chose the latter. I know I would far rather pay a few more kopecks than put up with a disaster again, the likes that I experienced at Forest Dale.
It's high time that Golf Courses, their managers, keepers and staffers become a part of the golf etiquette solution. Since my disastrous day at Forest Dale, I have wondered how a PGA-approved golf professional could sit in his clubhouse, load up the course with as many golfers as he did and keep his PGA card?
While you're mulling that one over...remember...Hit 'em Long & Straight!
So, have you been boning up on what golf etiquette is and how you can be an even greater good practitioner of it? Reading from THE RULES OF GOLF? Becoming more determined to be part of the solution and not a continuing part of the problem?
Great! Because today we need to address what might be an even bigger part of the problem: GOLF PROFESSIONALS in the form of Course Managers, Starters and Marshals who need, themselves, to step forward and be greater practitioners of good golf etiquette.
MORE IS MORE, RIGHT?
Ever teed off at your favorite course, right on time and giving the group in front of you an appropriate amount of space before letting the pill pop — only to find that, within minutes, the group following you is breathing right down your neck? In my experience, it's happening more and more and more as golf courses try to pack foursomes and threesomes and singles onto the course in numbers more befitting sardine cans than golf courses.
It's true! Many of the problems with golf etiquette are being started and exacerbated by irresponsible course managers and employees, trying to squeeze as much revenue as possible from crowded courses. Let me share with you the most irresponsible case of this that I have ever experienced.
A NIGHTMARE AT THE 'DALE'
Forest Dale Golf Course is a treasure. The oldest golf course in Utah, it sports a wonderful nine-hole track that is both quaint and challenging. I have consistently made it a point to play the Dale in order to savor a true piece of Utah Golf History. That is before my last round turned into a laughable nightmare.
Last November my foursome decided to play Forest Dale. We called the course in the early afternoon in order to see whether a tee time was available. PLEASE NOTE THAT. We didn't just show up at the course and ask to be worked into the rotation. We called and asked whether a scheduled tee time was available.
Now, I don't know about you, but scheduling a tee time means buying and reserving a playable piece of real estate — a reasonable block of time — on the course for a given day. It means that you are allowed to play reasonably over the course of — in the case of Forest Dale — nine holes. Two and a half hours, at the most, if good golf etiquette is followed by the players AND the course managers. Seem rational? I thought so. What ensued was the most bizarre and laughable episode of golfing experience that I have ever had.
We were given a tee time, placed on the schedule and arrived about twenty minutes early and checked in at the clubhouse. The first red flag that I should have recognized was that there were no motorized carts available. NOT ONE! I brushed that one aside and ran right smack into the next warning signal: a practice green stuffed with more golfers than I could imagine the place could hold. There were, literally, five players putting to each practice hole. That's right! At least fifty people (yep...5-0 people!) milling wildly on the practice green. By this time I was sufficiently benumbed that I stopped looking for dangers signs, otherwise I would have noted that there were three groups of golfers waiting on the first tee!
AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN'!
You are smarter than me. Had you seen what I had, you would have packed things up, gotten a refund and headed for the parking lot. Right? But, as noted, you are smarter than me. I shrugged it off, rationalizing that things would surely open up once we got out on the course. Wrong!
To make a long story short, after three hours on the course we had completed — are you ready for this? — we had completed just four holes. FOUR HOLES!! Less than half of the round completed in 30 minutes longer than it should have taken us to play the entire track!!
My mind tried to rationalize what was going on. I thought back. On the second hole, a par 5, I had counted six groups — two waiting to tee off, one teeing off, two in the fairway and one on the green putting. Six groups!! There must have been, I thought, a huge slow play logjam somewhere ahead. I finally couldn't take it any longer. I called the pro shop on my cell phone and reported the situation. The person to whom I spoke assured me that he would get right to bottom of things.
Nothing improved. As we waited behind the plethora of players waiting to play and playing the fifth hole, I made my second call. AND HERE COMES THE REVELATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR — THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS ABYSMAL STORY. "Well, we sent a member of the staff out on a cart to check things out," the pro calmly assured me, "and there doesn't seem to be any group out of order."
Okay, did you catch that? The pro was telling me that there were no open holes ahead of me on the course! As if he were describing business as usual, he was telling me that, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF GROUPS ON THE COURSE, PLAY WAS PROCEEDING AS IT SHOULD!! Holy crap! He was saying that he was aware of the etiquette crime being committed on the course at that very moment and that HE WAS THE MAIN PERPETRATOR! In other words, he had scheduled, probably, twice as many tee times as the course could — in accordance with good golf etiquette — appropriately support! And when we, abandoning the travesty of which we had been reluctantly a part, asked for at least a rain check (why I would ever want to play there again is the greatest of mysteries!) he, at first, refused.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY
You can see the problem. What is to be done when the keepers of the game and its rules and its etiquette become, themselves, the major problems? What do I think should be done? Simple:
1. Golf courses need get back to being the keepers of etiquette. They need to start groups at time intervals that allow for appropriate play, under the rules of the game and in keeping with good golf etiquette. Leaving players to police themselves off the first tee is a recipe for disaster.
2. The courses need, also, to step up and police play on their greens and fairways. In all of my years of play I have only played one course — the incomparable East Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs — that had the gumption to put offending players in their place. They warned slow players to move on and, if offenses kept on coming, players were required to pick up and move on to the open hole or be expelled from play! I am sure that there are many other courses out there that follow these procedures. The East Course is the only one that I have actually witnessed.
3. NOW I HATE THIS ONE AS A PLAYER WHO ENJOYS AN INEXPENSIVE ROUND OF GOLF, but — If it becomes a matter of cramming courses full of groups or raising greens fees to bridge the gap, chose the latter. I know I would far rather pay a few more kopecks than put up with a disaster again, the likes that I experienced at Forest Dale.
It's high time that Golf Courses, their managers, keepers and staffers become a part of the golf etiquette solution. Since my disastrous day at Forest Dale, I have wondered how a PGA-approved golf professional could sit in his clubhouse, load up the course with as many golfers as he did and keep his PGA card?
While you're mulling that one over...remember...Hit 'em Long & Straight!
Friday, June 25, 2010
GET WITH GOLF ETIQUETTE — OR GET OUT!
By Doug McAllister
Since my comments about the mouthy golfer and his friend at the Fox Hollow driving range, I have had a chance to discuss things more with a few fellow golfers about that omnipresent question in golf: HOW MUCH SHOULD ETIQUETTE PLAY A PART IN THE GAME?
So let's discuss things.
In order to do justice to the subject, it will take two separate posts, one to discuss the responsibility of the individual golfer and one to discuss the role of the golf establishment in perpetuating good golf etiquette.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GOOD GOLF ETIQUETTE: A GOLFER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
When trashing my friend, Baldy Bermuda, some thought I was too harsh. The notion, after all, of a giant bat carrying away a lovable golfing nerd! Simply too much! What's wrong with a well-meaning guy getting verbally loud and obnoxious on a public driving range? Isn't golf supposed to be fun? Isn't a little exuberance to be expected and welcomed?
Certainly! Golf is supposed to be fun. But it must be remembered that golf is primarily an activity exacted in the space between the ears. As such, golf — I should qualify that, GOOD GOLF — demands tremendous concentration and even well meant silliness can be a tremendous distraction to other golfers. Baldy's problem was that his shorts shouted, at times, even louder than his mouth. But golf etiquette, as it pertains to attire, is entirely another discussion altogether. So, let's get back on track.
How can the golfer know what is and what isn't good golf etiquette? First of all, golf etiquette is best learned by example. Those who introduce friends or associates or children to the game have a responsibility to teach etiquette as much as any of the other aspects of the game. Sure, teach the full swing with the driver — but why neglect the equally important full swing with the rake in the bunker? Teach a young golfer the importance of taking a divot with an iron to achieve backspin AND be sure to teach the importance of replacing that divot when you're done! Golfers who have questions about the subject of golf etiquette need look no further than "THE RULES OF GOLF," published annually by the United States Golf Association. There's a whole section there on golf etiquette and it's importance. Read it and you'll have accomplished something that Tiger Woods apparently hasn't even done! In a nutshell the USGA notes, "The overriding principle [of golf etiquette] is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times." There it is. Short and sweet. In short, Golf's central rule is golden: On the course (and practice facilities!) do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
I suppose Baldy Bermuda might argue that he's just fine with people screaming and yelling and audibly evaluating their clubs and their swings RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS PUTTING OR SWINGING OR WHATEVER. So that gives him all the leave he needs to do the same at all times on the course. Unfortunately, golf etiquette works to a much higher standard. It demands that we look at other golfers and determine what their needs might be and, then, act accordingly.
THE MECHANICS OF GOOD GOLF ETIQUETTE
I could go on and on. But I won't. (There, everyone take a deep breathe and exhale a huge sigh of relief!) Suffice it to say that good golf etiquette involves being sure that the golf course, physically, and all those participating thereon are as good or better as a result of your play or participation on any given day. Period. If the course or any player is damaged — in even the smallest sense — as a result of your being there, it's a sure bet that good golf etiquette has not been served. In short, rake it and fix it and whisper it (such as when someone is playing) and yell it (when warning those ahead of your unintentional though decidedly errant "true flight" shot) and leave it better than you found it! Simple.
TOO MUCH FOR YOU?
And if you're not up to it — to taking the time to learn the processes and practices of good golf etiquette and then putting them to work in your golf experience with increasing devotion — fine. There are plenty of etiquette-less games and sports and pursuits out there from which to choose. Please! Do us all who love the game a favor and leave! Don't wait, do it today! Sell those clubs NOW. Give away your golf balls. Become a rambunctious rugger (that's a rugby player). Scoot into skateboarding. Hell! Become a soccer or hockey fan and be as loud as you want and beat the crap out of everyone you see! Just stay as far away from the great game of golf as possible. Thanks, in advance for your consideration.
NEXT TIME: Golf Etiquette for the Golf Establishment
HELAS!!
Since my comments about the mouthy golfer and his friend at the Fox Hollow driving range, I have had a chance to discuss things more with a few fellow golfers about that omnipresent question in golf: HOW MUCH SHOULD ETIQUETTE PLAY A PART IN THE GAME?
So let's discuss things.
In order to do justice to the subject, it will take two separate posts, one to discuss the responsibility of the individual golfer and one to discuss the role of the golf establishment in perpetuating good golf etiquette.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GOOD GOLF ETIQUETTE: A GOLFER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
When trashing my friend, Baldy Bermuda, some thought I was too harsh. The notion, after all, of a giant bat carrying away a lovable golfing nerd! Simply too much! What's wrong with a well-meaning guy getting verbally loud and obnoxious on a public driving range? Isn't golf supposed to be fun? Isn't a little exuberance to be expected and welcomed?
Certainly! Golf is supposed to be fun. But it must be remembered that golf is primarily an activity exacted in the space between the ears. As such, golf — I should qualify that, GOOD GOLF — demands tremendous concentration and even well meant silliness can be a tremendous distraction to other golfers. Baldy's problem was that his shorts shouted, at times, even louder than his mouth. But golf etiquette, as it pertains to attire, is entirely another discussion altogether. So, let's get back on track.
How can the golfer know what is and what isn't good golf etiquette? First of all, golf etiquette is best learned by example. Those who introduce friends or associates or children to the game have a responsibility to teach etiquette as much as any of the other aspects of the game. Sure, teach the full swing with the driver — but why neglect the equally important full swing with the rake in the bunker? Teach a young golfer the importance of taking a divot with an iron to achieve backspin AND be sure to teach the importance of replacing that divot when you're done! Golfers who have questions about the subject of golf etiquette need look no further than "THE RULES OF GOLF," published annually by the United States Golf Association. There's a whole section there on golf etiquette and it's importance. Read it and you'll have accomplished something that Tiger Woods apparently hasn't even done! In a nutshell the USGA notes, "The overriding principle [of golf etiquette] is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times." There it is. Short and sweet. In short, Golf's central rule is golden: On the course (and practice facilities!) do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
I suppose Baldy Bermuda might argue that he's just fine with people screaming and yelling and audibly evaluating their clubs and their swings RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS PUTTING OR SWINGING OR WHATEVER. So that gives him all the leave he needs to do the same at all times on the course. Unfortunately, golf etiquette works to a much higher standard. It demands that we look at other golfers and determine what their needs might be and, then, act accordingly.
THE MECHANICS OF GOOD GOLF ETIQUETTE
I could go on and on. But I won't. (There, everyone take a deep breathe and exhale a huge sigh of relief!) Suffice it to say that good golf etiquette involves being sure that the golf course, physically, and all those participating thereon are as good or better as a result of your play or participation on any given day. Period. If the course or any player is damaged — in even the smallest sense — as a result of your being there, it's a sure bet that good golf etiquette has not been served. In short, rake it and fix it and whisper it (such as when someone is playing) and yell it (when warning those ahead of your unintentional though decidedly errant "true flight" shot) and leave it better than you found it! Simple.
TOO MUCH FOR YOU?
And if you're not up to it — to taking the time to learn the processes and practices of good golf etiquette and then putting them to work in your golf experience with increasing devotion — fine. There are plenty of etiquette-less games and sports and pursuits out there from which to choose. Please! Do us all who love the game a favor and leave! Don't wait, do it today! Sell those clubs NOW. Give away your golf balls. Become a rambunctious rugger (that's a rugby player). Scoot into skateboarding. Hell! Become a soccer or hockey fan and be as loud as you want and beat the crap out of everyone you see! Just stay as far away from the great game of golf as possible. Thanks, in advance for your consideration.
NEXT TIME: Golf Etiquette for the Golf Establishment
HELAS!!
Monday, June 21, 2010
"LET THE RAT KILLING BEGIN"
By Doug McAllister
Now that the 2010 U.S. Open is on the books, let's, as my friend Rooster Cogburn would say, "Let the rat killing begin!"
As it pertains to golf, now is the time everyone — whether informed or not — starts to dissect what happened. It wasn't enough to witness the event on television or in person or through informed new stories. Now we have to endure writers from every station taking the thing apart from every possible angle and, then, telling us what really happened!
For example, a rather well-known golf blogger has begun a crusade against commentator Johnny Miller regarding his astute observations during the event. I won't dignify the blog with a repetition of allegations here. Suffice it to say that Miller said absolutely nothing about which to write negatively. End of statement!
And then there is the inevitable evaluation about Tiger's supposed breakdown. Why is it so difficult to simply look at Tiger as just another golfer and recognize that he might have an off day or be subject to nerves just like any other golfer — whether professional or not?
Phil's performance will be scrutinized ad nauseam, as will Ernie's.
And very few will give Graeme McDowell the credit he deserves.
Just like the galleries running to the next hole at last week's U.S Open, golf writers will also frantically race to the next venue: The Open Championship at St. Andrews. The speculation will begin about whether Tiger can tear that great course apart — just like he supposedly did the last time he won an Open there.
Kinda makes you sick doesn't it?
Once again, and this is a hobby horse that I will continue to frantically ride, golf is far larger and grander than any one golfer and whether Tiger does this or that or something else is entirely immaterial to the game. Yep. I said it. The game is light years beyond the outcome of the latest tournament or the current performance of today's "greatest golfer." The game is the frantic struggle of the teen who, just taking up the game, is dealing with the demons of the golf that she is freshly discovering. The game is the sixty year old, struggling with arthritic hands, wondering whether larger grips might help or Aleve (as propounded by several touring professionals) or whether the beloved game is slipping from those aching hands for good. The game is the solitary golfer who, just wanting some prime solitude, slips onto the Country Club at dusk, knowing that two, maybe three holes will be all that he will get and knowing that that's enough for today.
In other words, golf, in its purity, was never about the public spectacle. Sadly, that just the grubby, commercialized face that we have been conditioned to see. It has always been about the personal battle of every individual golfer on the globe to shave just one more stroke from the card.
So whether Tiger imploded or Phil fell apart or Ernie bounced back and forth like a...you get the picture! Because none of these outcomes or how they happened will affect your personal golf battle in the least.
Remember that! And continue teeing them up and working overtime to hit them — hopefully long and straight!
Now that the 2010 U.S. Open is on the books, let's, as my friend Rooster Cogburn would say, "Let the rat killing begin!"
As it pertains to golf, now is the time everyone — whether informed or not — starts to dissect what happened. It wasn't enough to witness the event on television or in person or through informed new stories. Now we have to endure writers from every station taking the thing apart from every possible angle and, then, telling us what really happened!
For example, a rather well-known golf blogger has begun a crusade against commentator Johnny Miller regarding his astute observations during the event. I won't dignify the blog with a repetition of allegations here. Suffice it to say that Miller said absolutely nothing about which to write negatively. End of statement!
And then there is the inevitable evaluation about Tiger's supposed breakdown. Why is it so difficult to simply look at Tiger as just another golfer and recognize that he might have an off day or be subject to nerves just like any other golfer — whether professional or not?
Phil's performance will be scrutinized ad nauseam, as will Ernie's.
And very few will give Graeme McDowell the credit he deserves.
Just like the galleries running to the next hole at last week's U.S Open, golf writers will also frantically race to the next venue: The Open Championship at St. Andrews. The speculation will begin about whether Tiger can tear that great course apart — just like he supposedly did the last time he won an Open there.
Kinda makes you sick doesn't it?
Once again, and this is a hobby horse that I will continue to frantically ride, golf is far larger and grander than any one golfer and whether Tiger does this or that or something else is entirely immaterial to the game. Yep. I said it. The game is light years beyond the outcome of the latest tournament or the current performance of today's "greatest golfer." The game is the frantic struggle of the teen who, just taking up the game, is dealing with the demons of the golf that she is freshly discovering. The game is the sixty year old, struggling with arthritic hands, wondering whether larger grips might help or Aleve (as propounded by several touring professionals) or whether the beloved game is slipping from those aching hands for good. The game is the solitary golfer who, just wanting some prime solitude, slips onto the Country Club at dusk, knowing that two, maybe three holes will be all that he will get and knowing that that's enough for today.
In other words, golf, in its purity, was never about the public spectacle. Sadly, that just the grubby, commercialized face that we have been conditioned to see. It has always been about the personal battle of every individual golfer on the globe to shave just one more stroke from the card.
So whether Tiger imploded or Phil fell apart or Ernie bounced back and forth like a...you get the picture! Because none of these outcomes or how they happened will affect your personal golf battle in the least.
Remember that! And continue teeing them up and working overtime to hit them — hopefully long and straight!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
CHEERS TO THE CHAMPION, GRAEME MCDOWELL!
By Doug McAllister
In a finish befitting a true U.S. Open, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland held on to win the 110th U.S. Open! Pretty stunning, really. Tiger was hard charging at the end of yesterday's play. Ernie and Phil were within striking distance. And, of course, Dustin Johnson entered the final round with a three shot lead.
But, as should be the case when so much is on the line, the putts didn't fall today as they had yesterday—for anyone! And that was especially true for leader, Dustin Johnson. Nicknamed "Flat Liner" because of his being seemingly impervious to the pressures of a major championship, Johnson quickly flat lined, literally, as far as hopes of winning his first major within the first few holes. Shot after bad shot and Johnson was dead! I suspect, had his caddy tried to find it, Johnson's pulse was gone before six holes had been played.
Not much better for Tiger. Bogeying the first hole was all it took. The spring left his step and the light left his eyes and, as is so often the case when things don't immediately go his way, Tiger threw in the towel, for all intents and purposes by the end of the front nine.
But then Pebble Beach wasn't the same friendly course it had been just 24 hours before. The lack of sunshine seemed to ominously set the stage for the day. It was as if Pebble were saying, "We'll see who's boss" to everyone who teed off. And everyone seemed to feel it.
Even McDowell seemed resigned to simply hold on, not make too many mistakes and, hopefully, come out at the top of the pack in the end.
But isn't that what a U.S. Open—and winning one—is all about. I had to laugh at all of the whining that went on all week about the course conditions and how they were so unfair. Hilarious! After all, isn't the course the same for all comers? So what is all this talk about whether Pebble Beach—especially hole 14—was unfair this week? Commentators chatted brainlessly about whether things need to be changed before the 2019 U.S. Open returns.
The only rational comment—at least among those that were aired on T.V.—came from the champion, Graeme McDowell. In his victory speech, McDowell was gracious and quick to note that the course was fair for all, rewarding good shots and punishing bad ones. In a nutshell, he summed up what I believe golf is all about. The whiners, after all, were those punished by bad shots and whined because they knew that their chances of winning were small at best. Ian Poulter crybabied above the rest. And to what end? What good did it do him? Perhaps he was able, by blaming Pebble Beach, to save a measure of face. Verily he had his reward. Besides, had the course been made simpler it would have been so for everyone and, given the state this week of Poulter's game, it wouldn't have made any difference anyway!
But the big winner was obviously McDowell, not only from the standpoint of toting away the big prize, but also because he, as a fellow Brit—Rudyard Kipling—once put it, "[kept his] head when all about [him] were losing theirs" and blaming Pebble Beach. Cheers to the champion!
Long and straight As usual, long and straight!
In a finish befitting a true U.S. Open, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland held on to win the 110th U.S. Open! Pretty stunning, really. Tiger was hard charging at the end of yesterday's play. Ernie and Phil were within striking distance. And, of course, Dustin Johnson entered the final round with a three shot lead.
But, as should be the case when so much is on the line, the putts didn't fall today as they had yesterday—for anyone! And that was especially true for leader, Dustin Johnson. Nicknamed "Flat Liner" because of his being seemingly impervious to the pressures of a major championship, Johnson quickly flat lined, literally, as far as hopes of winning his first major within the first few holes. Shot after bad shot and Johnson was dead! I suspect, had his caddy tried to find it, Johnson's pulse was gone before six holes had been played.
Not much better for Tiger. Bogeying the first hole was all it took. The spring left his step and the light left his eyes and, as is so often the case when things don't immediately go his way, Tiger threw in the towel, for all intents and purposes by the end of the front nine.
But then Pebble Beach wasn't the same friendly course it had been just 24 hours before. The lack of sunshine seemed to ominously set the stage for the day. It was as if Pebble were saying, "We'll see who's boss" to everyone who teed off. And everyone seemed to feel it.
Even McDowell seemed resigned to simply hold on, not make too many mistakes and, hopefully, come out at the top of the pack in the end.
But isn't that what a U.S. Open—and winning one—is all about. I had to laugh at all of the whining that went on all week about the course conditions and how they were so unfair. Hilarious! After all, isn't the course the same for all comers? So what is all this talk about whether Pebble Beach—especially hole 14—was unfair this week? Commentators chatted brainlessly about whether things need to be changed before the 2019 U.S. Open returns.
The only rational comment—at least among those that were aired on T.V.—came from the champion, Graeme McDowell. In his victory speech, McDowell was gracious and quick to note that the course was fair for all, rewarding good shots and punishing bad ones. In a nutshell, he summed up what I believe golf is all about. The whiners, after all, were those punished by bad shots and whined because they knew that their chances of winning were small at best. Ian Poulter crybabied above the rest. And to what end? What good did it do him? Perhaps he was able, by blaming Pebble Beach, to save a measure of face. Verily he had his reward. Besides, had the course been made simpler it would have been so for everyone and, given the state this week of Poulter's game, it wouldn't have made any difference anyway!
But the big winner was obviously McDowell, not only from the standpoint of toting away the big prize, but also because he, as a fellow Brit—Rudyard Kipling—once put it, "[kept his] head when all about [him] were losing theirs" and blaming Pebble Beach. Cheers to the champion!
Long and straight As usual, long and straight!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
AS PROMISED, A LIMERICK FOR THE U.S. OPEN DAY 3
By Doug McAllister
So the Open Day 3's in the books
And it's time to take note and take looks,
Of what happened today
During tournament play
Over Peb Beach's crannies and nooks.
Let's first look at Par 5, 14
The hole was a difficult scene!
Players claimed they were robbed.
They cried and they sobbed!
When errant shots rolled from the green.
Number 7 didn't play very well.
Poulter moaned the pin placement was hell!
But Johnson's sweet shot,
Was right on the spot,
And a birdie resulted...Do tell!
Poor Phil stumbled around the fair track.
Made some very poor shots, like a hack!
But he ended, it's true,
Near the top of the queue,
Hope tomorrow will see his game back!
And Ernie is still in the fight.
Don't count him out, after tonight,
He may still make the shots,
That he needs in tough spots.
Win his number 3 Open Delight!
It looked like the Tiger of old!
His 66 moved him, quite bold,
Back into the fray,
Everything went his way,
People claiming he'd won the thing, cold!
But Dustin had something to say.
Matched Tiger by end of the day.
His "Stupid Long" game,
And "Flatliner" nickname,
Kept him 5 strokes up, end-of-play!
So tomorrow, we'll see who comes through.
My prediction? Well, it's nothing new.
Tiger won't keep the pace;
He'll come close in the race.
Dustin Johnson will win, it is true!
So there it is, my Golf Open rhyme.
So until my next blog writing crime,
Hit 'em long, hit 'em straight!
Golf's legacy's great!
Regardless of who wins this time!
So the Open Day 3's in the books
And it's time to take note and take looks,
Of what happened today
During tournament play
Over Peb Beach's crannies and nooks.
Let's first look at Par 5, 14
The hole was a difficult scene!
Players claimed they were robbed.
They cried and they sobbed!
When errant shots rolled from the green.
Number 7 didn't play very well.
Poulter moaned the pin placement was hell!
But Johnson's sweet shot,
Was right on the spot,
And a birdie resulted...Do tell!
Poor Phil stumbled around the fair track.
Made some very poor shots, like a hack!
But he ended, it's true,
Near the top of the queue,
Hope tomorrow will see his game back!
And Ernie is still in the fight.
Don't count him out, after tonight,
He may still make the shots,
That he needs in tough spots.
Win his number 3 Open Delight!
It looked like the Tiger of old!
His 66 moved him, quite bold,
Back into the fray,
Everything went his way,
People claiming he'd won the thing, cold!
But Dustin had something to say.
Matched Tiger by end of the day.
His "Stupid Long" game,
And "Flatliner" nickname,
Kept him 5 strokes up, end-of-play!
So tomorrow, we'll see who comes through.
My prediction? Well, it's nothing new.
Tiger won't keep the pace;
He'll come close in the race.
Dustin Johnson will win, it is true!
So there it is, my Golf Open rhyme.
So until my next blog writing crime,
Hit 'em long, hit 'em straight!
Golf's legacy's great!
Regardless of who wins this time!
LET'S ALL TAKE A DEEP BREATH, MR. HICKS, AND GET A GRIP!
By Doug McAllister
While waiting to watch today's U.S. Open broadcast, I happened to tune in to the Golf Channel and listened in to some predictable, though sickeningly old rhetoric about the game. And what else was the inane jabber about? Who else? Tiger! The commentators were claiming, among other things, that the rest of the professional golfers in the world are a bunch of scared, impotent losers who can't look Tiger in the eye without wetting their pants! Some were so bold as to claim that Tiger is golf's savior, an inimitable star who has turned golf into what it is today. One commentator, Dan Hicks, even went so far as to claim that no golfer in the history of the game has been the champion that Tiger has been. Hicks said that he would love to debate anyone about this claim.
Well, Dan, here I am! Let's boogie!
First of all, despite Tiger's formidable accomplishments, there is only one name to consider when looking for the "Greatest of All." Bobby Jones. As the immortal O.B. "Pop" Keeler correctly noted, there would never be another like Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. And despite what others have done, when considering things in sharp perspective, none has come remotely closes to Jones' accomplishments! So let's get started.
MAJOR PERFORMANCE
Everyone is going nuts about Tiger's 14 majors, just 4 shy of catching Jack's record of 18. But, when looking at percentages we can see a different picture. In a short period of 7 years—from 1923 to 1930, Bobby Jones played 21 major championships. Of that number, Jones won a whopping 13 of them! He won 62% of all of the majors that he ever played! By comparison, as of today Tiger has played in 55 majors and won 14—for a 25% winning number! Not even close to Jones' record.
THE GRAND SLAM
First off, I don't give a tinker's damn for the so-called Tiger Slam. While holding all four major trophies simultaneously was quite a feat, it was not—as Tiger continues to wrongly maintain—a Grand Slam. There are a few things that need to be remembered about the true Bobby Jones' Grand Slam when comparing things to Tiger. First, it was a bona fide Grand Slam. By definition, the Grand Slam is winning all of the major events in the same calendar year. Period! I thought it was pretty telling when Sam Snead was asked about Tiger's accomplishment and whether Snead thought it was a "true" Grand Slam. Snead looked at the reporter with a look on his face, as if to ask, "Are you kidding?" and said, "The Grand Slam is all four majors in a calendar year. As far as my count goes, Tiger didn't do that."
Add to that the fact that Tiger had over six months to rest up and think about things between the 2000 PGA Championship and the 2001 Masters. Some might argue about what that has to do with anything. Tons! The Grand Slam is all about pressure. Pure unadulterated pressure—both physically and mentally! And when Jones completed his Grand Slam he did it over a period of weeks. The process, literally, nearly killed him. So don't come to me with the argument that a six-month rest between majors isn't an issue.
PURE CLASS
Interestingly, Jones gave up the game because his priority was always his family. He viewed the game as a game and recognized that his most important roles were as husband and father. Don't even get me started about Tiger by comparison. Tiger gave lip service to "taking a break from the game" in order to "save" his family. If he were half the man, half the golfer, that Jones was, Tiger wouldn't even be a spectator this week at Pebble Beach. Tigers break and his comparatively swift return to the game was more about marketing than morals.
------------------
I could go on and on. The record speaks far too well, far too loudly in support of Bobby Jones as the greatest the game has ever seen. Regardless of what Tiger does in the future, nothing is going to change things.
And I have to laugh at Earl Woods' foolishness when talking about his son's possible impact on the world—not just golf, on the world! Earl was not only stupid but consummately foolish when he had the audacity to claim that his son would, somehow, have a greater impact on the world than Gandhi. Was he channeling John Lennon? Totally ludicrous! Absolutely laughable! Perhaps if Earl had expanded his study of world history—if he could read at all!—he might have been wiser and kept his big mouth shut!
HELAS! (Hit 'em long and straight!)
While waiting to watch today's U.S. Open broadcast, I happened to tune in to the Golf Channel and listened in to some predictable, though sickeningly old rhetoric about the game. And what else was the inane jabber about? Who else? Tiger! The commentators were claiming, among other things, that the rest of the professional golfers in the world are a bunch of scared, impotent losers who can't look Tiger in the eye without wetting their pants! Some were so bold as to claim that Tiger is golf's savior, an inimitable star who has turned golf into what it is today. One commentator, Dan Hicks, even went so far as to claim that no golfer in the history of the game has been the champion that Tiger has been. Hicks said that he would love to debate anyone about this claim.
Well, Dan, here I am! Let's boogie!
First of all, despite Tiger's formidable accomplishments, there is only one name to consider when looking for the "Greatest of All." Bobby Jones. As the immortal O.B. "Pop" Keeler correctly noted, there would never be another like Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. And despite what others have done, when considering things in sharp perspective, none has come remotely closes to Jones' accomplishments! So let's get started.
MAJOR PERFORMANCE
Everyone is going nuts about Tiger's 14 majors, just 4 shy of catching Jack's record of 18. But, when looking at percentages we can see a different picture. In a short period of 7 years—from 1923 to 1930, Bobby Jones played 21 major championships. Of that number, Jones won a whopping 13 of them! He won 62% of all of the majors that he ever played! By comparison, as of today Tiger has played in 55 majors and won 14—for a 25% winning number! Not even close to Jones' record.
THE GRAND SLAM
First off, I don't give a tinker's damn for the so-called Tiger Slam. While holding all four major trophies simultaneously was quite a feat, it was not—as Tiger continues to wrongly maintain—a Grand Slam. There are a few things that need to be remembered about the true Bobby Jones' Grand Slam when comparing things to Tiger. First, it was a bona fide Grand Slam. By definition, the Grand Slam is winning all of the major events in the same calendar year. Period! I thought it was pretty telling when Sam Snead was asked about Tiger's accomplishment and whether Snead thought it was a "true" Grand Slam. Snead looked at the reporter with a look on his face, as if to ask, "Are you kidding?" and said, "The Grand Slam is all four majors in a calendar year. As far as my count goes, Tiger didn't do that."
Add to that the fact that Tiger had over six months to rest up and think about things between the 2000 PGA Championship and the 2001 Masters. Some might argue about what that has to do with anything. Tons! The Grand Slam is all about pressure. Pure unadulterated pressure—both physically and mentally! And when Jones completed his Grand Slam he did it over a period of weeks. The process, literally, nearly killed him. So don't come to me with the argument that a six-month rest between majors isn't an issue.
PURE CLASS
Interestingly, Jones gave up the game because his priority was always his family. He viewed the game as a game and recognized that his most important roles were as husband and father. Don't even get me started about Tiger by comparison. Tiger gave lip service to "taking a break from the game" in order to "save" his family. If he were half the man, half the golfer, that Jones was, Tiger wouldn't even be a spectator this week at Pebble Beach. Tigers break and his comparatively swift return to the game was more about marketing than morals.
------------------
I could go on and on. The record speaks far too well, far too loudly in support of Bobby Jones as the greatest the game has ever seen. Regardless of what Tiger does in the future, nothing is going to change things.
And I have to laugh at Earl Woods' foolishness when talking about his son's possible impact on the world—not just golf, on the world! Earl was not only stupid but consummately foolish when he had the audacity to claim that his son would, somehow, have a greater impact on the world than Gandhi. Was he channeling John Lennon? Totally ludicrous! Absolutely laughable! Perhaps if Earl had expanded his study of world history—if he could read at all!—he might have been wiser and kept his big mouth shut!
HELAS! (Hit 'em long and straight!)
Friday, June 18, 2010
...AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES: DAY 2 AT PEBBLE BEACH
By Doug McAllister
The tale of the top two. Tiger and Phil. Both slopped it up about as badly as could have been done, yesterday at the 2010 U.S. Open. Not a birdie between the two of them +3 and +4 respectively. Botched chances on a beautiful golf day.
Enter the dynamic duo, Day 2. What would be the tally 24 hours later?
Not long in finding out. Tiger finally chipped in to achieve his first birdie of the tourney. But then it was a roller coaster rid—up and down—birdie after bogey after birdie. The result? An improved round of only one over for a +4 total.
Phortunately Phil wouldn't phollow! Phil's phront nine phlew by with birdie after birdie. Phlawless! Except phor an unphortunate phlop at nine. Still, a round of 31. Phil's phinest in any of his U.S. Open nines! And he was quick in getting back his lost stroke, taking him back to Phive under...a score that he maintained to the phinish! I Phil phor real? Count on it. He's talked of philling out a career slam and a win at this year's U.S. Open would would be a phine step in the right direction!
Of course there are others who might have something to say about that. Graeme McDowell and Ernie Els played wonderfully today as well.
So it's on to the weekend. Enough of this nonsense. But, hey, aren't you surprised that I actually wrote two days in a row. Tune in tomorrow. I might even wax poetical with a U.S. Open limerick. Now, that's not something you encounter everyday. Certainly not something to be missed!
And don't forget, as always to bash them lengthily and accurately!
The tale of the top two. Tiger and Phil. Both slopped it up about as badly as could have been done, yesterday at the 2010 U.S. Open. Not a birdie between the two of them +3 and +4 respectively. Botched chances on a beautiful golf day.
Enter the dynamic duo, Day 2. What would be the tally 24 hours later?
Not long in finding out. Tiger finally chipped in to achieve his first birdie of the tourney. But then it was a roller coaster rid—up and down—birdie after bogey after birdie. The result? An improved round of only one over for a +4 total.
Phortunately Phil wouldn't phollow! Phil's phront nine phlew by with birdie after birdie. Phlawless! Except phor an unphortunate phlop at nine. Still, a round of 31. Phil's phinest in any of his U.S. Open nines! And he was quick in getting back his lost stroke, taking him back to Phive under...a score that he maintained to the phinish! I Phil phor real? Count on it. He's talked of philling out a career slam and a win at this year's U.S. Open would would be a phine step in the right direction!
Of course there are others who might have something to say about that. Graeme McDowell and Ernie Els played wonderfully today as well.
So it's on to the weekend. Enough of this nonsense. But, hey, aren't you surprised that I actually wrote two days in a row. Tune in tomorrow. I might even wax poetical with a U.S. Open limerick. Now, that's not something you encounter everyday. Certainly not something to be missed!
And don't forget, as always to bash them lengthily and accurately!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DECADE MAKES: DAY 1 AT PEBBLE BEACH
By Doug McAllister
Okay...so it's only the end of day one of the 2010 U.S Open. But, still, one has to stop and consider what has changed in ten years for Tiger and the rest of the field at Pebble Beach.
If you are like me, the 2000 U.S. Open was a monumental disappointment. I remember, for the first time in years, being totally bored with one of Golf's greatest events. I actually went out in the middle of the third round and mowed my lawn—stepping back in periodically to see if things had "improved." It just wasn't any fun to watch the field scrap for second place. It was also uncanny to hear comments from all over the golfing world, wondering whether Pebble Beach had become just another easy golf course and whether its days of hosting majors were over.
This year seems different. Sure, we have Tiger-Gate in all of its sordid hues. We have a Tiger who is somewhat toothless, given the hand that he has been dealt—perhaps, more accurately, the hand that he has dealt himself—over the past seven months. But, more to the point, I think the USGA has learned a few important lessons since Tiger last came to play Pebble. The course seems to be set in perfect U.S. Open difficulty and, as a result, on a gorgeous day with nearly perfect golfing conditions, the leaders were only able to manage -2 on the storied track.
Okay...so -2 is pretty darn sweet for a course the likes of Pebble Beach. But the course seems bent on redeeming itself at this year's Open. Watching the play, things seemed more like old times. Pros struggling to save par. Pros struggling to save bogey! Really good stuff. And, yes, I think Golf was very well served by Tiger only managing a +3!
Moreover, the USGA is sufficiently confident in Pebble Beach to have already extended an invite for the 2019 U.S. Open. Cool Stuff!
How can you not love Pebble Beach? It's a venue for the ages and I say that with the closest I've ever come to actually playing the place being TA Sports Tiger Woods Golf 2005 for Game Cube! My best round there? -22!
Tune in tomorrow. I'll be reporting in on Round 2. I'll be reporting on...you guessed it...who was able to hit 'em long and straight!
Okay...so it's only the end of day one of the 2010 U.S Open. But, still, one has to stop and consider what has changed in ten years for Tiger and the rest of the field at Pebble Beach.
If you are like me, the 2000 U.S. Open was a monumental disappointment. I remember, for the first time in years, being totally bored with one of Golf's greatest events. I actually went out in the middle of the third round and mowed my lawn—stepping back in periodically to see if things had "improved." It just wasn't any fun to watch the field scrap for second place. It was also uncanny to hear comments from all over the golfing world, wondering whether Pebble Beach had become just another easy golf course and whether its days of hosting majors were over.
This year seems different. Sure, we have Tiger-Gate in all of its sordid hues. We have a Tiger who is somewhat toothless, given the hand that he has been dealt—perhaps, more accurately, the hand that he has dealt himself—over the past seven months. But, more to the point, I think the USGA has learned a few important lessons since Tiger last came to play Pebble. The course seems to be set in perfect U.S. Open difficulty and, as a result, on a gorgeous day with nearly perfect golfing conditions, the leaders were only able to manage -2 on the storied track.
Okay...so -2 is pretty darn sweet for a course the likes of Pebble Beach. But the course seems bent on redeeming itself at this year's Open. Watching the play, things seemed more like old times. Pros struggling to save par. Pros struggling to save bogey! Really good stuff. And, yes, I think Golf was very well served by Tiger only managing a +3!
Moreover, the USGA is sufficiently confident in Pebble Beach to have already extended an invite for the 2019 U.S. Open. Cool Stuff!
How can you not love Pebble Beach? It's a venue for the ages and I say that with the closest I've ever come to actually playing the place being TA Sports Tiger Woods Golf 2005 for Game Cube! My best round there? -22!
Tune in tomorrow. I'll be reporting in on Round 2. I'll be reporting on...you guessed it...who was able to hit 'em long and straight!
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