Golf Confessions

This time of the year when everyone is trying to get on the course and enjoy the nice Spring weather, slow play can be an issue.  The sheer number of players can cause a lot of the problems, but there are other things that can contribute to this slow play.

The golf course architect can cause some of the problems that cause five hour rounds and longer.  When designing a course the designer should take into consideration getting to the green from the cart paths.  Some holes will have bunkering surrounding most of the green and little room to approach the green.  So the golfer will have to walk around a large bunker to get to the green. 

Courses that have very large bunkers and will have only one rack for the entire bunker. 

One slow player or one slow group can slow down the entire course, just like what happens on the freeway.  One stalled car can mess things up for everyone.  Players need to understand the pace of play and the course marshalls need to keep the groups caught up. 

If the pro shop had the rules of play posted and make it quite clear what would happen when this was not followed then everyone would benefit.  There are courses that will escort slow players off the course for slow.  The faster players ruin their day by trying to hurry and the slow players keep playing at their own pace.

Play ready golf and give others the opportunity to enjoy their day at the course.

There are many excellent places around the world to take a golfing vacation.  The two places that come to mind first are Ireland and Scotland.  After all Scotland is known as the home of golf and Ireland is not far behind.  If you decide to go to one of these two destinations you may want to tie in the playing of the British Open and or the Senion British Open.  This year the British Open will be played at Royal Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire, England the week of July 17th-20th, followed by the Senior British Open, played at Royal Troon south of Glasgow.  You may want to visit sites such as visitscotland.com for more information.

With the cost of travel up this year a trip close to home may be in order.  In the USA a trip to the west coast offers several great golfing destinations.  A trip to the west coast is not complete without a visit to Pebble Beach and Spy Glass just south of San Francsico.  There are also several other fine golfing destinations in California.  The east coast has become quite popular for golfers.  The Hilton Head area and Myrtle Beach both in South Carolina have many fine resorts.  North Carolina, east coast of Georgia around Savannah  and Sea Island you will find some really nice accomodations.  Then you travel south into Florida where there are many golfing facilities and you may also want to tie this trip into a visit to Disney in Orlando which also has several golf courses.

European destinations are getting more popular for golfing ventures.  The coast of Spain is very popular.

Get with your golfing buddies and plan a golfing vacation.  Take the wives along, if they do not golf they can tour while the guys play and find some great places to have a cool dinner after the golf.

Tiger Woods will be out of competition for a while and the door will be open for someone to gain ground in the Fedex points race.  Tiger has a comfortable lead and Phil Mickelson is a distant second. 

 With the Wachovia Championship coming up this week at one of the players favorite courses(Quail Hollow in Charlotte, NC) and then moving the next week to Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass.  The action on the PGA is heating up headed toward the second major of the year, The US Open which will be held at Torrey Pines in San Diego(June 9-17). 

The rest of the field has a chance to make up some ground on Tiger while he rehabs his knee after minor surgery.  It is unknown how much competitive golf, if any, Tiger will play before the Open.  Phil Mickeslon like Tiger Woods  played a lot of golf at Torrey Pines, both having grown up in southern California.  Each has won on the famed public course as professionals.

A couple years ago Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh were known as the Big Five.  Ernie and Retief have slipped some in their pursuit of being the top golfer in the world.  Vijay and Phil continue to play consistantly and put some minor pressure on Tiger.  But as long as Tiger continues to putt as he has done the past few years it is unlikely that anyone will gain much ground on Tiger.  After Tiger had his second eye surgery he seems to have some magical ability to read the greens and match his speed precisely with the line that he sees.

Vijay Singh would seem to have the best chance to catch Tiger if he could find the magic in his flat stick.  Vijay is perhaps the most consistant week after week in his ball striking, but lacks the ability to sink the crucial putt when needed to put the pressure on the leaders.

There is little doubt that Phil Mickelson has enough raw talent to beat anyone at any given time.  But Phil seems to have a wild streak that will cost him valuable momentum at a critical time during a tournament.  Unlike Tiger, Phil will not attack a course and play to his strengths.  Tiger is not afraid to put the driver in the bag and plod his way around a course with a long iron and squeeze all he can out of the round.  He knows he can rely on his iron game and putting to carry him thru some tough situations.  Whereas Phil will try to hit some miracle shots and they seem to more often than not back fire on him in the big events.

Ernie Els and Retief Goosen both have not played particularly well the past couple seasons.  Both, because of their immense talent have shown some brillance for short periods of time, but neither one has been able to get on a role.  Retief has had putting woes similar to Singh and this has held him back.  Enrie has had problems keeping the driver in the fairway.  Both of these players have been switching equipment and this shows they are searching for some answers.

It would do the game good to see four or five players step up and have the game so that any one of them could be a genuine threat consistantly each week.

Leading up to the Open the first of June there will be some great test of golf.  The Wachovia is played over a great course, The Players Championship is considered by the players as a fifth major.  Also thrown into the mix is Nicklaus tournament, The Memorial.  Jack is always trying to make his tournament very strong with the course set up and the field.

So let’s sit back and enjoy the golf and see if someone takes the challenge and emerges as the Tiger beater.  

In 1945 Byron Nelson set records that may never be broken.  Byron played in 30 events and won 18 which is 60% of the events he played.  At one point Nelson won an incredable 11 tournaments in a row.  Many historians beleive that this feat will never be broken.

Byron’s greatest competition was boyhood caddy companion Ben Hogan and another golfer that started his golfing career as a caddy in Virginia, Sam Snead.   These three great players were the same age and each set many golfing records.  Nelson had his winning streak, Ben Hogan is one of only five players to win the Grand Slam and Sam Snead leads the trio and all players with the most wins on the PGA.

Byron started his professional career in Texarkana, Tx.  Byron had gone to Texarkana from the Dallas area to play in a tournament and when he paid his five dollar entry fee and approached the first tee he declared he was going to play for the money.  This immediately made Nelson a professional.  In his first tournament as a pro Byron made seventy five dollars.  This was a huge amount of money during the depression.   

Like most young professionals Byron struggled at first and eventually borrowed money from his future father-in-law to stay on the tour.  The tour was hap hazard at best in those days and all the players had a hard time making a living.  In those early days all of the pros had to have a club job too make ends meet.

Byron was determined to make it on the tour and he kept a diary of his play so he could analize the areas that he needed to improve.  Nelson and Hogan first began competing against each other as caddies at Glenn Garden CC.  In their first match, Nelson won a caddy tournament  79 to 80.

Hogan’s skill as a golfer came along later than did Nelsons.  Ben fought  a terrible hook early in his career.  While these two future Hall of Famers fought it out in Texas another Hall of Famer was perfecting his skills in Virginia, caddying at the Homestead.

The three would go on to have some great battles.

I wonder how many people are like me and would like to see an official event on the PGA that is played with vintage balls and clubs.  All the players would use balls and clubs from the 1950’s.  The ball manufacturers could make up some Titleist and Maxfli balls to fit that era stats.  The clubs would be the old Wilson Staffs or whatever one may choose from that era.

A course would be chosen that would represent the best of that time period, something like Marion.  These modern players and fans would get a real look see  into how the game was played by players like Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Burke Jr., a young Palmer,Gene littler, Byron Nelson just to name a few.

The players would have to make some fast adjustments to the game they play today.  The ball would be completely different from the one played today.  And you can just imagine the look on some players faces when they hit a wedge from the rough and the ball continues to roll over the back of the green.  There were no square grooves in those days.  A player would probably have a hard time lining up a putt since the older players did not have majic markers to mark a line on their ball to line up with.

I think one of the hardest things would be handling the par fives.  The medal fairway wood and the hybrid clubs have made laying up on the par fives almost a thing of the past.  Before these medal clubs came along even the best players had to have a very good lie before they would take a chance with the old wood head clubs.  It was much harder to get the ball elevated and if you did not have a good lie the direction may be in question.  Now with these new medal clubs a player can have the same confidence as hitting an iron.

 Maybe this event once a year would be very entertaining for the fans and put a little humility into the modern professional.

What are your thoughts?

Ernie Els and Cliff Kresge discussed their families efforts to fight Autism.  Both Ernie and Kresge have young sons that suffer from this disease.  They, like many others are trying to find a cure for this situation that affects 1 out of every 150 young people in the US.  Hopefully with these two recognizabel figures from the PGA more attention can be brought forward and more people will be aware of this problem that affects so many.

Ernie who has not played very well after recording a win earlier in Florida insists that the Autism with his young son has not affected his performance on the golf course.  I know that these players are like the rest of society when it comes to their loved ones and family.  We all want the very best for our children and we would do everything in our power for them.  Ernie and Cliff are human and the things that go on in their lives when they are out on the golf course trying to make a living will creep into their heads.  People tend to forget that everyday things happen to these guys just as they do around your own home.  When they call home at night they get news about t-ball, dance recitals and the hot water heater blowing up just like everyone else.  The life of a professional golfer living in a hotel room week after week and eating all your meals out is not all the glamour that you may think.  This style of living gives you a lot of time to think about all the things you may be missing back home.  A lot of birthdays, ball games, gymnastic meets and all the other things that a lot of people take for granted are not shared by these athletes.

I know that Ernie and Cliff want the very best for their children, just being able to have a normal life is so important.  With a lot of help and maybe some devine intervention a cure for Autism will be found and these youngsters can enjoy a normal and happy life. 

I wish the best for these families and others that may be dealing with this situation.  To go public with this situation by private people takes a lot of courage, Sam Snead had a handicaped son and I know how much he loved his son and would do everything to help make his life easier.  This has to be in your mind all of the time. 

This week the PGA will pay tribute to one of golf’s greatest.  Lord Byron as he was known set some of the game’s greatest records, eleven in a row and eithteen wins in one season.  These records may well stand the test of time.  Not only was Byron a great golfer he was a true gentleman.  When you talk to the players they all have a kind word to say about Byron Nelson and the same was said about Byron in that no one remembers hearing Byron say anything bad about his fellow competitors.

This has been one of the most successful tournamnets the past many years after being associated with Nelson.  The Salesman Club of Dallas has also helped to make this one of the best when it comes to raising money for charity.

Byron Nelson grew up with the legendary Ben Hogan and Sam Snead was also the same age a Byron and Hogan.  Can you imagine three of the best golfers of all time being the same age.  That would be like three Nobel Peace winners being the same age, it just doesn’t happen.  What a golden area in golf this had to have been.  Byron gets credit for starting the modern swing and his career also came along at the beginning of the modern steel shafts.  Just think about going to the first tee and knowing you had to beat the likes of Sam Snead and Ben Hogan.

Byron cut his career short to enjoy his love for the country.  Nelson played during hard economic times and a lot of the money earned on the  tour came in the form of bonds.  He saved his money and bought his dream ranch in Texas and played sparingly after that.  To retire when you are in your thirties and you are just getting into your prime is not very likely in today’s golfing world.  Byron was always giving back to the game, Tom Watson credited Nelson with helping him with his game.

The Chinese are starting to play golf, there are approximatley one million Chinese golfers in China at the present time.  These are people that are playing on a regular basis and this number is growing very rapidly.  This week the European PGA-Asian Tour is sponsoring the Volvo China Open in Bejing.. 

This year the Chinese are also hosting the summer Olympics. The Chinese market will be the largest in the world since China has the largest population in the world.  You can imagine how the world leaders in golf equipment are posturing themselves for this huge market.  The Chinese will push to have a winner on all of the major tours around the world, the small country of South Korea has already made a huge impact on the ladies tours of the world.  South Korean, K. J. Choi has won on the PGA tour and is an established world class player. 

I beleive the Chinese will do very well in golf.  It is very evident that the game eventually comes down to having a strong mind set and being able to follow a rigid shot routine.  These tendencies will fit the Chinese quite well.  When you examine the success of the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan, their strong suites are and were their ability to stay in the moment and not let anything disrupt their concentration.  It was often said that Ben Hogan did not know who his playing partners were are what they had shot during a round.  Ben was totally focused on the round and focusing on one shot at a time.  These great players also have the ability to disect a course and play each round to their strengths.

Already a lot of the major golf companies use the likes of Tiwain and other Asian countries to manufacture their components.  As the number of players increase in China, the golf course architects, golf cart companies and everyone involved in all aspects of the game will be impacted.  This huge increase in demand for all that is associated with the game may put a crunch on the rest of the world that has enjoyed having the game to themselves for so many years.  You may see a lot of golf course superintendents, teachers and other skilled people migrate to China to take advantage of the boom. 

Can you see The Golf Channel with a satelite station in China doing the 19th hole?

Today the selection for golf balls is a varied as the golf equipment that you have to choose from in order to pound these balls down the fairway.  Just a fews years ago the golf ball world was very simple compared to today.  There were very few brands to choose from and you usually only had two choices with each ball manufacturer, and this was a 90 compression or a 100 compression.  This limited world was made up of Titleist, Maxfli, Spalding and Wilson for the most part.  Some of you may remember playing with the Acushnet Club Special.  I ran across one of those old relics in a draw the other day.  The world of golf balls has certainly changed, just like the clubs.  Now each brand has many different balls to choose from.  The modern ball is designed to go high and straight.  And of course and rightly so each manufacturer has a ball designed for the lady golfer.

One of the most noticeable qualities of the modern golf ball is its durability.  In years gone by the balata ball was the top ball for the better amateurs and pros.  This balata ball gave the player the most feel, but with it’s thin cover the ball would suffer severe wounds if you caught it a little thin.  Even when watching tour players you would see players constantly checking their ball after reaching the green to see if any damage had been done and the ball needed to be taken out of play.  Today with the modern ball and its durable covers a player could play the same ball forever.  The story goes that pure swinging Sam Snead once played an entire Los Angeles Open with one ball.  It boggles the imagination to think what Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and the likes would have done if they would have had the modern golf ball.  These tour players of today can select from a wide range of balls to fit their individual swings and equipment.  They can choose from low spin, high spin , soft feel a little harder feel or what ever the conditions may require.

Sam Snead was one of the first players that I saw that had his own personalizrd golf ball.  Sam played Wilson equipment most all of his career and he also used Wilson Staff balls.  Wilson printed balls for Sam that had the number 0.  Today Greg Norman has a shark, Tiger Woods has Tiger on his ball and several players have their names or a personalized logo for their identity.

In order to find what ball fits your swing and equipment best, you can check with your PGA pro or see a swing doctor that has all of the modern computerized equipment to analize your swing.  The things you hear so much today is all about spin, launch angle and ball speed.  To optimize all of these critical areas you will then get the most out of your swing. 

The money that the PGA is playing for has certainly gone up in recent years.  The top 25 players on the PGA have already topped the million dollar mark.  The thing that stands out to me about this list of top 25 is that there are 12 foreign players on this list.  The PGA is certainly turning into a world tour and the American players are not doing well relative to their dominace just a few short years ago.

The first major of the year was won by Trevor Immelman from South Africa.  Trevor has a home in Florida, but travels the world over playing golf.  With the merge of the foreign born players doing quite well on the PGA, the likely hood of another winner in the three remaining majors is very likely.

The LPGA is totally dominated by the foreign players.  The top 25 as of today shows only 5 players from the US in this group.  Most of the tournament winners come from outside the US.

The PGA and the LPGA are certainly the top places to play in the world.  These tours have the best competition and the big bucks are on these tours.  If one looks at the surge of the foreign players on both of these tours, it is very likely that the players from the US will have a very hard time finding a spot. 

Most of these players on both tours have found a spot on college golf teams to hone their skills and have gone on to claim most of the limited spots an each tour.  The US kids had better get their acts together if they have dreams of playing on the big tours. 

Unlike so many things in life you are not guaranteed a spot to play just because who you are.  It is a numbers game and you better shoot a number or you will slamming your trunk and headed down the road.  And just because you have a famous successful father that played will only open so many doors, you still have to shoot the number.  You don’t have to go very far to see what I mean, just ask Gary Nicklaus, Wayne Player or Guy Boros.

Once these players get a solid foot hold into the system it gives immense hope to the youngster in their homes over seas and these guys seem to have the internal fortitude to seize the moment.