Robert Thompson's Going For The Green

Going for the Green has moved

2006-03-07T08:21:00.001-05:00

The archives (2004-2006) continue to be here, but course reviews and up-to-date commentary is at: http://canadiangolfer.com/g4g.

Going for the Green's new website

2006-03-06T11:44:00.002-05:00

As I've been warning, G4G is moving away from the blogger platform, though the G4G archieves will continue to reside here for the time being. I'm moving to ontgolf.ca/goingforthegreen, so for those that have me linked, I'd appreciate an update. Going ahead, I'm not likely to be placing any new work on this site, and have already been cross posting on the new site for a few weeks.

Update: The Going for the Green blog is now located at CanadianGolfer.com/g4g/

The move is designed to increase traffic to G4G and to bring new content to Ontgolf.ca. Any suggestions or comments on the move, the new format or any content you'd like to see covered are appreciated.

I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers for stopping by over the past two years and look forward to hearing back from you regularly on the new site.

Here's the press release about the move:

Ontario’s leading golf Internet site adds golf columnist Robert Thompson

March 6, 2006

TORONTO — Going for the Green, Canada’s premier golf blog written by noted golf columnist Robert Thompson, will be joining the country’s leading golf site, Ontgolf.ca, effective today.

“I’m thrilled to have Robert come to Ontgolf.ca and guide our commitment to adding more editorial content to the site,” said Jeff Lancaster, Ontgolf.ca’s publisher. “Internet users have been turning to Ontgolf.ca for years to find all the information they need on Ontario golf courses. Robert’s ongoing blog will certainly bring in new readers and intrigue and entertain Ontgolf.ca regulars.”

Ontgolf.ca, established in 2001, is Ontario’s premier Web site for information relating to golf courses within Ontario. In peak months, the site has more than 100,000 unique visitors each month, making it among the largest sports sites on the Internet in Canada.
Robert’s regular blog and news reports for Ontgolf.ca is part of a relaunch of the website, which now sports a new more distinctive look, additional content and Google mapping software that allows golfers to locate courses anywhere in Ontario. Starting today, Robert’s blog can be found at www.ontgolf.ca/goingforthegreen.

Among Canada’s best known golf writers, Robert Thompson has been the golf columnist with the National Post since 2003, and launched the notorious Going for the Green golf and business series for the paper in 2001. He is currently a contributing editor to Travel & Leisure Golf in the U.S. and is a regular contributor to the likes of Score Magazine and is a columnist with Ontario Golf magazine. He is also a course rater for Score, OG and Golf Digest, and his writing has appeared in programs for the Presidents Cup and the Canadian Open.

More than 100,000 readers have come to Goingforthegreen.blogspot.com since it was established in late 2004. The site has become a must read for all things golf in Canada, as well as providing readers with Robert’s opinion on golf courses and architecture, the state of the PGA Tour and linking to key articles and information from throughout the golf world. Several hundred readers log onto the site every day to read and interact on the blog.

“My golf blog has been a great platform for my opinions and writing and I look forward to updating it daily for Ontgolf.ca readers,” said Robert. “Going for the Green is meant to titillate and engage, and it will continue to do so for years to come.”

As part a renewed editorial push, Ontgolf.ca will be adding new content in weeks to come.

For more information:
Jeff Lancaster Robert Thompson
Publisher Editorial director
905-466-1278 Robert.thompson@ontgolf.ca

From Timbits to tee shots

2006-03-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

For those interested, here is a story I did with Tim Hortons' co-founder Ron Joyce in 2003 as a cover story for Ontario Golf. As many know, I've done some more writing on this subject lately, including a book with Mr. Joyce. Anyway, here's a story about Ron and golf....

Interviewed by Robert Thompson photos by Chris Gallow
With his Tim Hortons franchise days behind him, Ron Joyce has retired to the links
As Canadian as the Maple Leaf, Hockey Night in Canada and Anne Murray, Tim Hortons, along with its bite-size Timbits and famed coffee, has evolved over the past few decades as a vital ingredient of our national culture.
The country's most renowned restaurant chain emerged from humble beginnings, though, masterminded as it was by a man who grew up in rural Nova Scotia, failed to graduate from high school and spent years in the navy long before ever considering a business venture alongside a famed hockey player.
Now, at the age of 72, Ron Joyce is secure in the fact that he not only helped develop what might be Canada's best-known brand, but also orchestrated a venture that has become something intrinsically Canadian. Along the way it made him one of this country's richest men.
It seems an awfully long way from a day in February 1965, when Joyce, then 36 and living in Hamilton, began helping NHL great Tim Horton with his struggling restaurant chain. The pair slowly built up the operation until Horton was killed in a car accident in 1974, leaving Joyce in charge of developing the business. He spent hundreds of hours piloting his plane from Tim Hortons' Hamilton headquarters to distant locations in search of new franchise opportunities, and put time in at everything from training new store owners to actually baking donuts. The chain's growth was immensely successful, making the phrase "double-double" as commonplace in the Canadian vocabulary as "He shoots, he scores."
In 1995, with more than 1,000 Tim Hortons restaurants churning out thousands of cups of coffee and cruellers, Joyce sold the chain he still refers to as "his baby." Restaurant giant Wendy's, led by Joyce's golfing buddy Dave Thomas, snapped up Tim Hortons in a deal that made Joyce a billionaire and the largest shareholder of the burger chain.
So what's a donut king to do after selling his empire? Apparently a lot, and golf has played a significant role.
In the late 1990s, Joyce decided to build a golf course and resort on an oceanside piece of property he owned about a half hour outside Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, the town where he was born and raised. Canadian golf architect Graham Cooke was hired to build the course. Called Fox Harb'r after a local inlet, the course has nine inland holes before venturing to the sea where fairways and greens sit dramatically poised on the edge of rock-lined cliffs. Given the time and care Joyce put into the project, including $55 million for its construction, clubhouse and small airport adjacent to the property, it wasn't surprising to see Fox Harb'r snap up Golf Digest's Best New Course in Canada award in 2001.
But building golf courses isn't the only thing keeping Joyce busy these days. He has also continued to throw his time and support behind the Tim Hortons Children's Foundation, a group of retreats for underprivileged children that he set up in Horton's memory. There are now six of the facilities strewn across North America. If Joyce isn't talking about golf, there's a good chance he'll be talking about the Children's Foundation. And his fundraisers at Fox Harb'r have become legendary for Joyce's ability to draw the elite from Toronto's Bay Street financial crowd and have them plunk down thousands of dollars to play in a Tim Hortons Children's Foundation golf tournament.
Also legendary are the stories of Joyce's competitive nature, such as the time when he was flying back from Nova Scotia on his private plane with friends, and a gin rummy game broke out. Joyce and his partner soon found themselves down in the money as the plane neared the Hamilton airport. The co-pilot told Joyce that he should wrap up the game and prepare for landing. Joyce turned and indicated in his own inimitable style that the game wasn't over yet: "Circle," he told the pilot.
With his years of owning Tim Hortons behind him, you're likely to find Joyce circling the links of Fox Harb'r, his world-class golf course where he plays up to four games a week during the summer months. Or he may be making his way 'round the globe in one of his jets, or cruising the seas in his new sailing yacht, freshly minted from the dockyards of New Zealand. Or maybe just sitting on the verandah of his sprawling home at Fox Harb'r and enjoying the million-dollar views with a "double-double" in hand.
Interview
OG: Golf played a big role in your decision to sell Tim Hortons, didn't it?
RJ: When I approached Dave Thomas about buying the rights to his Wendy's Canadian operations, our first meeting was in Florida. I thought that if you took the Wendy's name and married it with Tim Horton's, we'd have a winner. But at the time, Wendy's couldn't make the chain work in Canada. So we said we'd try a joint venture in real estate and put the two companies in the same spots.
I met David there at Adios, a men's golf club that he was one of the founders of. The course was named after a racehorse - one of the great thoroughbreds of all time. There were 25 guys, like Arnold Palmer and the gentleman who owned Adios, who wanted to build a men-only club. David was among them.
We met for lunch and golf. I was such a bad player then - the saving grace was that he wasn't much better. It was the beginning of the partnership.
I remember playing double or nothing for $10,000. He went into the woods with his tee shot and then hit it out. His next shot went into the water - and he is sitting five, while I was sitting one. I was so far ahead of him that I thought I was fine, and took a mighty swing and hit into the water. Then the next one went into the water as well. David ended up winning with an 11.
Lots of people know Dave Thomas through his television commercials where he appeared as a Wendy's pitchman. What was he like?
He loved to bet. He got to the point where he never hit a ball without betting on something - longest ball in the fairway, or even hitting the fairway. He always had a little distance on me. But that's what made him interesting to play against - he had to have motivation to play, and in his case, it was gambling.
Your relationship with Wendy's didn't end with the partnership, did it?
A few years later I decided to move on. I spoke with another food company in Canada, but then Wendy's approached me. So now that's where we are today, with 2,400 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
I'm proud that it's basically the same management team I put in place years ago. Wendy's didn't tamper with what made the chain successful. And now it has gone to new heights.
I would assume you didn't play a lot while running Tim Hortons.
I didn't really have time. I think people who excel in anything are often totally dedicated to it, but are only really good at one thing. I look at the great athletes of all time, like Michael Jordan, who went from basketball to baseball and it didn't work. Or Wayne Gretzky, who probably wouldn't have been great at anything but hockey.
For me, it's business. That's true of so many things in life. When you find the niche you love, that becomes your passion. For me it was Tim Hortons. It was my world.
So how did you become such a passionate golfer?
When they built Glen Abbey, there was a thing called the 100 Club, and it was about a mile from our offices in Oakville. I got a call asking me to join. And I said I was interested, but I didn't play golf. So I took some lessons, and I thought, "Gosh, this is so time-consuming and I have so many things to do." I never got comfortable with the game and was never prepared to give up the time to get better. So I just lost interest in golf.
But I really got serious about it when I bought a condo in Boca Raton, Florida, when I was in my 60s. There was a golf course right there and I joined and started playing, sometimes twice a day. I got to the point where I could hit the ball reasonably well on that course. That was the beginning of it. But I was still very much involved with developing the Tim Hortons chain. And given my love of airplanes and boats, there was a lot of competition for my time. I could have done a better job of learning the game if I had been more focused on it at that point.
But you played a lot after selling the chain. Given your lifestyle and love of planes, you must have played some of the world's best courses with some pretty big names.
I've gotten to know Gary Player quite well and I like to play with him. I consider him a friend. The first time he played in Canada after Apartheid ended was at a Tim Hortons golf tournament.
I've also played with Arnold Palmer a few times and Jack Nicklaus - so I've played with the "Big Three."
In terms of courses, I've played Cypress Point, and three times at Augusta. I've played Ballybunion in Ireland. Each one of these great courses is part of a learning curve. I still belong to Hamilton, Burlington and Old Farm in Bristol, Virginia, which was Golf Digest's best new private course a few years back. And I'm a member of The Floridian, Wayne Huizenga's course in Stuart, Florida. So there's four - oh, five, since you've got to include Fox Harb'r.
How did you come to decide to build Fox Harb'r?
After I sold Tim Hortons, I knew I'd be less and less involved with the company. I decided I had to have a focus. And I had bought this wonderful piece of real estate in an isolated area of Nova Scotia where there isn't a lot of development. I thought if I could build something really special, then people would come there. It has proven to be that - and people are flying in from all over. And the future of Fox Harb'r is quite solid, even though we know there isn't a proliferation of golf courses. But it is a unique golf course, and we offer a runway, a health club, tennis courts, skeet shooting, fishing - it is becoming more of a retreat for people who enjoy that sort of thing.
You mentioned a runway. That's a little unusual for a golf course.
It had to be that way. I built the runway before I built the golf course because I had a plane, but also because of the remote nature of the property. I knew that if people were going to come, I had to make it easy to access.
It isn't a long drive from Halifax, but it's a really easy flight, and we have aircraft that we charter. We now even have a helicopter that we can use to fly people to spots. And there are so many wonderful golf courses in the area, like Highlands Links, Bell Bay or Crowbush Cove. People now can have a great golfing experience in the area. And our guests can fly from Fox Harb'r to anywhere they want to go.
You speak very passionately about Fox Harb'r. Is it because it is near your boyhood home?
I think I really fell in love with a marvellous piece of shoreline that to me was so amazing. When I first saw it I said, "Wow, this should be a national park." The reality is that it is a unique and beautiful piece of real estate that should be visited. Look at Peggy's Cove, which is spectacular. I think Fox Harb'r is the same sort of thing.
And the great thing about the north shore of Nova Scotia is that the water gets to 75 degrees, so you can swim or go boating. But there are weaknesses, like a lack of shopping. There's also no nightlife there, so you have to create your own - not that it's ever been a problem for me.
How well do you play?
I've never broken 90. The best round I've ever shot was 92. I had a 43 on one nine at Fox Harb'r and then had a 49 on the other nine, so it has been close.
You've got a very unorthodox swing.
Everyone tells me the same thing, but it is tough. I hate seeing a lady play the red tees, and I play the white tees and she out-drives me. I just hate it.
Friends have told me you've offered golf pros trips if they could fix your game.
That's true - anywhere they wanted to go if they could get me under 90.
But you still have a love of the game that seems to go beyond your skill at it.
If you love the game, it doesn't matter if you play badly. It is still a wonderful way to spend a day. There are days when I get so damned mad at myself when playing, but then I can hardly wait to get back on the course.
I find downhill skiing the same way. I was skiing near Calgary years ago and a friend of mine met a professional skier from Lake Placid. And this gal said that what bothered her about people is that they wanted to get up to the top of the hill and down again as quickly as they could. And they didn't care about the in-between, which was the fun part. I took the same attitude about golf. I look at a player like you, who shoots three or four over par, and I think that must be nice. But it is also quite nice just to go out there and play.
You really appear to be enjoying your life, from your planes to your boats to Fox Harb'r. You also seem to be enjoying spending your money.
Why not? I don't want a whole bunch of Brinks trucks following me to the grave. I mean, I started in this world with nothing and I think some people lose sight of that. I guess it is a power trip for some people and I wonder why they don't give to things like children's camps.
I'm not sure if it's the right way to go, but it is right for me. You must have leaders in business that generate revenue and jobs, I understand that. But you can pass it on down and let your senior managers work the business. And I have friends, like David Sobey, who just retired from Sobeys and has got a great balance with his friends and family. That's what I'm trying to accomplish as well.
Given your humble upbringing, are you ever surprised by your success in life?
I never imagined it. I can't even believe today what has happened. I look around me, at the golf course at Fox Harb'r, or Children's Foundation, and I am simply astounded. I look at Tim Hortons, which has grown and expanded, and realize it has become part of Canadian culture.
In many ways I guess if I had to do it again, I wouldn't have sold it. I would have stayed with it. But that is hindsight.
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Phil, buy my watch! Shackelford Vs. Titleist blogger

2006-03-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

Apparently getting hit by one of Phil Mickelson's errant bombs off the tee can be a good thing -- especially if he smashes your watch!
Golf's favourite chubby Masters winner hammered with a tee shot at Doral over the weekend, breaking his watch. When Mickelson arrived on the scene, he went into his golf bag, grabbed two c-notes that he apparently keeps for just this circumstance and handed them to the fan.

This description of the incident comes from the Sun-Sentinel:

Phil Mickelson's second shot on the par-5 10th struck a fan sitting around the green. The shot hit the man on his wrist, breaking his watch, while the ball bounced near the green 55 feet from the hole. After completing the hole, on which he made par, Mickelson walked over to the spectator and gave him a golf ball and money. Mickelson said he wasn't sure what brand of watch it was but knew one thing for sure, "It wasn't a Rolex," he said.

Great golf blogger and critic Geoff Shackelford has had a great debate going on about Titleist's comments about media bias when it comes to the golf ball. On this thread, literally dozens of comments were left about the issue, including several from occasional PGA Tour pro Sean Murphy. The thread can be found here. If you haven't been following this, here's the story so far: It started with a column written by Steve Elling of the Orl ando Sentinel about various issues relating to the distance the golf ball travels. Titleist answered back with an unsigned editorial alledging "media bias" when it came to the issue of golf balls and how far they travel. In my mind, I'm not biased, but professional golf is becoming increasingly ridiculous when it comes to distance. Now 350 yard drives are common place. I'd suggest we take the golf ball/club combination back 5% right off the top. That would still make Tiger Woods and JB Holmes among the longest in the game, but their average distance would be closer to 290 than 310. It would make a two club difference in most cases and bring some longer irons back into play. I'm not a fan of bifurcation -- having pros play one ball and ams play another -- and I don't think a 5% pull back would have much of an impact on the casual player. Of course I say this as TaylorMade prepares to launch a new driver/club combo that they say is longer than the ProV1.

In passing.... Golfweek has replaced Pine Valley as its best classic course in America with Cypress Point ... with golfers shooting the lights out at Doral over the weekend, when does the Blue Monster lose its nickname and become known as the Blue Pushover? ... At one time Dick Wilson created the toughest golf courses in the business. But with all the changes to Doral and Rees Jones blowing up the tough Blue Course at Royal Montreal, what great courses does Wilson have left? Deepdale? ... apparently Tiger's Sunday Nike shirt was "coral" and not his typical final round red ... speaking of Tiger, he hit less than 50% of his fairways en route to winning at Doral. Maybe Stephen Ames was right after all....

Thompson on TV

2006-03-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

In case any of my readers care, I was on national television this morning talking about a business story that is on the front of Financial Post Business Magazine. Not golf, but it is about coffee!

You can watch me, at least for today in the "editor's picks section" of the website, here.

New owner and pro at Paris Grand; Miller versus Woods; Kawartha rejuvenated;

2006-03-03T08:23:00.000-05:00

GolfNorth, a Waterloo-based golf company partially owned by Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsillie, has acquired Paris Grand out of bankruptcy. The club was placed into receivership last year and a bidding process was undertaken around Christmas. The final sale price wasn't released, but GolfNorth will now add Paris Grand to its list of courses that include the Doug Carrick-designed Calerin. Interestingly, Ian Chan will take over as director of golf. Ian helped launch Bond Head last year but was caught in the purge when new GM Nigel Hollidge came in and cleaned house. Ian has a strong sense of the game and undoubtedly will help transform Paris Grand, which rests in a competitive golf market.
In other news, in the worst kept secret in golf, The Muskoka Bay Club has announced that Jeff Boismier will come on as general manager, while Chris Goodman will take the role of superintendent. Both had worked at National Pines prior to its takeover by Clublink. Muskoka Bay is getting buzz as potentially the best new golf course to open since Eagles Nest a few years back. Now if they only had a decent website.

Golf architect Ian Andrew has some neat images of Kawartha and Jasper on his website. He also details why Kawartha might be the best unknown golf course in Canada.

News Journal Writer Ian O'Connor has found a rival for Tiger Woods. Problem is he spends his time in the television booth:

At long last, a player stepped forward to say he could expose Tiger Woods as a false god. A player with multiple major titles. A figure with a platform and resume that reduces an amateur-hour trash talker like Stephen Ames to a credibility-free bore.
That's the good news. The bad news is Johnny Miller's
age, 58, and his intention to stay in the NBC booth and out of the Ford Championship field.
"I'm not so sure Tiger could beat me if I played my best game and he played his," Miller said yesterday at Doral.

Glad to see you stepping up on this one, Johnny. Now if only someone who can actually play Tiger will offer to take him on. Oh yeah, that was Chad Campbell. Miller's full remarks are here.

SI's Alan Shipnuck, one of my favourite golf writers, comes up with his typical clever approach to dull pre-tournament stories with his "premature Masters preview." Worth a read, though I still think Stuart Appleby has a better chance of winning a Masters than Shipnuck does.

Rubenstein on Ian Andrew Golf Design

2006-03-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Lorne Rubenstein writes today on Ian Andrew and his new golf design firm. To be open, Ian and I are good friends and speak regularly. But I'm glad to see him get the nod from Lorne, whose power in the Canadian golf industry can not be disputed. Maybe the article helps gain some attention for Ian and what he wants to do in the business. He's Canada's best restoration architect -- no one is a close second -- and now someone needs to give him the opportunity to translate that onto a new course. The work he's already done -- Ballantrae north of Toronto, Muskoka Bay, Nobleton Lakes and Copper Creek (all with Doug Carrick, his former employer) -- show Ian has a lot of talent. He also has a distinct vision, one that should allow him to make interesting courses less expensively than some of his peers.

From Lorne's article:

Ian Andrew, 40, worked with golf course designer Doug Carrick for years, but recently went out on his own. "I want to build golf courses that are fun to play," Andrew said this week. "I'd like to find out if it's in me. Deep in my heart, I feel I can build better courses than what's out there."
By "what's out there," Andrew meant many courses built in the past 25 years. He said he and Carrick left on good terms, but that his vision differs from his former employer's. Andrew has written candidly of his views on his new blog, thecaddyshack.blogspot.com, and on his website, andrewgolf.com.

But Lorne points out, through Golfweek's Brad Klein, that it is a tough market Ian is entering:

"The niche [Andrew's] after is very small," Brad Klein, an architectural critic and close friend, said yesterday from Oklahoma City, Okla. "Doak, Crenshaw and Coore and Hanse are the go-to guys in that style. The fact is that golf course
construction is one-third of what it used to be [not long ago]. Sixty per cent of the projects are real estate-based, and the owners play it safe with those and go with the big names.

Thankfully, Ian works with two dozen Canadian courses as their consulting architect, so he's established even if the new work comes slowly. But I remain convinced that when the opportunity presents itself, Ian will silence his critics and build a course that matches his vision.

The whole article can be found here.

Jack and Arnie on Augusta; Geoff Cornish speaks

2006-03-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

According to a story on the Golf Channel last night, both Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are critical of the changes to Augusta National that have been instituted in the past year. Both said the alterations have dramatically changed the golf course. The remarks are interesting because they seem to run contrary to the Augusta party line, which says the golf course has "returned to the shot values developed by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie."
Nicklaus isn't buying any of it:

"I think they've ruined it from a tournament standpoint," Nicklaus says. "Augusta has meant a ton to me in my lifetime. It's a big, big part of my life, and I love it. That's why I hate to see them change it."

Palmer is similarly harsh:

"I love the place, just love everything that happens there," Palmer says. "But now, I'm not so sure. It's changed dramatically from the course I knew the last 50 years."

Nicklaus also takes the time to rip into consulting architect Tom Fazio:
Nicklaus says some changes, which were supervised by consulting golf architect Tom Fazio, looked as if they were done "by somebody who doesn't know how to play golf."

Many in the golf industry are critical of Fazio's role as a consulting architect to some of the world's best golf courses, especially since he has publicly spoken of having little interest in the history of many of the courses he works with. Few have had many positive things to say about Augusta's latest changes, though the club has taken a direct approach by inviting a number of big name golf writers to investigate the changes. I assume they think an invite to Augusta will thrill even the most jaded scribe into providing a positive review.
Apparently Palmer and Nicklaus aren't as easily impressed.

While Augusta has had more facelifts than Diana Ross over the past few years, the final tweaks have left some questioning why Hootie and the boys feel the need to alter the course on an annual basis.
Score's Bob Weeks blogged yesterday that more changes could be undertaken as Augusta National snaps up real estate on the course's periphery.

Canadian golf writer and golf designer, Jeff Mingay, writes a piece on Florida golf in golfobserver.com. Mingay talks about the courses used on the PGA Tour in FLA, and seems to have a general disdain for the flat, water filled tracks that dominate. That said, he takes a shot at Dick Wilson/Ed Seay/Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club, which I actually think is a pretty good golf course. I think Jeff takes his Augusta comparison a touch too far -- I see little in common, even these days, between Augusta and Bay Hill. But you can decide for yourself....

I had the opportunity to speak yesterday with Geoff Cornish, once assistant to Stanley Thompson, and one of golf's most distinguished historians. We had a fascinating conversation about the links between Thompson and Golden Age architects of the same period. Specifically, I've been doing some research trying to develop a theory that Ian Andrew and I have about the development of Thompson's distinctive bunker style. Cornish was a great help. His memory is sharp as a tack, though he is well into his 90s, and Cornish continues his notorious walking schedule -- five miles every day. An amazing man who has lived through amazing times.

Triplett making golf affordable in Tennessee

2006-03-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

There was a tournament in Tuscon over the weekend that no one pays any attention to because it goes head-to-head with the Matchplay championship. While no one was watching, Kirk Triplett, a veteran of the Canadian Tour, shot 64-63 to win the tournament. I must admit to having been pleased.
Almost five years ago I had the good fortune to play with Triplett in Mississippi at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic's pro-am. Triplett turned out to be a class act -- a fun guy who wanted to interact with the four hacks in his pro-am foursome. He also talked about the golf course he was working to design. We spent some time talking about this project and when I returned back to Canada, I wrote this column about Triplett's foray into golf design.

Nov. 22, 2001
By Robert Thompson GolfWeb Columnist

Kirk Triplett plays on multimillion dollar golf courses, but that's not what he's dreaming of these days.
After a practice round at the season-ending Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Triplett, who finished 38th on this year's money list, was thinking about putting the finishing touches on a course that he and some associates are opening in Murfeesboro, Tenn.
Triplett is hoping to buck the trend of $15 million courses with $150-per-round price tags. He thinks there should be more courses aimed at those who think $150 is simply too much for a round of golf.
"How do you bring new golfers into the game when it costs $100 or $150 per round," Triplett said after the Wednesday pro-am at the Annandale Golf Course in Jackson, Miss.
The notion that golf should be relatively inexpensive is the main philosophy behind the company that Triplett and his four partners have formed. Given Triplett's thoughts on the state of the game, it should come as no surprise that the company is called "Golf For Everyone."
That philosophy is also why Champion's Run, the name of the course that Triplett and his partners have developed, will cost only $22 per round. And that includes the cart. The projected opening is spring of 2002.
Sure, golf is one of the most popular sports at the moment, Triplett said, but there is also a lot of churn in the sport as players abandon the game. If golfers had an inexpensive course that had some of the features and service of a championship course, maybe they'd stay with the game longer. That's Triplett's thoughts on the subject, anyway.
So how does Triplett intend to make a course that will hold up to the scrutiny of the public for only $2 million? Simple: He made some calls to friends and formed a golf company that combines their unique skills. The designer, Stuart Moore, had spent years overseeing large budget golf designs before creating two of his own courses in Chile. Three other partners bring different areas of expertise to the project. What they don't bring is millions in associated costs. Each is simply using their skills and taking equity in the course.
The course name, Champion's Run, comes from the decision to use a new cold-weather hybrid Bermuda grass called Champion. It withstands the cold weather of the late fall and early spring months and doesn't require overseeding, Triplett said. Using this strain of Bermuda grass also cuts back on maintenance costs, allowing the group to proceed with their low-cost green fees.
For Triplett, 39, the company gives him a chance to cut his teeth in design. Moore will do the design and Triplett will consult on the project, offering advice on how the course should play.
"What I bring to this is my credibility as a PGA TOUR player," he said. "And right from the first hole, I was looking to see what I could do to make the course better for the more competitive player, while still making it playable for a newcomer."
The partnership is investigating several opportunities to work with cities or municipalities to create courses similar to Champion's Run. Cities have available land, but often don't have the cash advance to build public courses. By using the expertise in Golf For Everyone, Triplett thinks his company can build city courses at a low cost, allowing them to remain truly open to the public.
Triplett is clear that he isn't the designer on Champion's Run, just a business partner involved in the overall project. But that doesn't mean he isn't interested in entering golf design. He's had significant input on Champion's Run, at least equal to that of the many players who regularly place their names on courses.
Triplett is interested in developing a company that can give something back to the public players who continue to support the game.
"A lot of players want their names on designs," he said. "But I've always felt I could give more back to the game as an owner-operator."
Editor's note: Robert Thompson's columns on travel and architecture appear monthly on GolfWeb and PGATOUR.COM.

Course Preview: Tom Fazio's Coppinwood

2006-02-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

He's likely the best known and most expensive designer in the world, but Tom Fazio hasn't worked in Canada since developing the National Golf Club of Canada alongside his uncle in 1975. That's all changed with Coppinwood, a new private course scheduled to open in Uxbridge in late May.
The private club, which costs $75,000 to join, is the boldest new facility to open near Toronto in several years. At a time when numerous private courses are struggling (Summit Golf Club and Thornhill, for example), Coppinwood will try to portray itself as a superior golf facility and entice new members to pull out their cheque book.
So what do we know about the golf course?
In many ways Tom Fazio like a chain of high-end restaurants. You can be assured the food will always be good, but the chain will never take the risks to make it great. The same can be said of many of Fazio's courses. He'll never make a bad course (not with the budgets he works with -- regularly more than $10-million per course), but the facilities he creates are often more style than substance. Pretty golf courses where the aesthetics are remarkable, but the golf is, well, just good.
That was the point of an article by Golf Digest critic Ron Whitten last year when he asked the question, Is Tom Fazio Good For Golf?
Whitten essentially concluded this:
Clients love Tom Fazio because he creates more headlines than headaches. Golfers love him because he doesn't beat them up. And rival architects love him—well, they appreciate him—because his splashy impact has helped raise everybody's fees.
What does this mean for Coppinwood? Well, nothing so far. The course is reputedly built on a great site that had several Canadian architects drooling over their chance to build on it. Initially conceived as 36 holes, the course is now 18, with three practice holes. The partners behind the course, including the powers behind Maxium Financial, are astute businessmen with deep connections. They've hired a great pro in Euan Dougal, formerly of Eagles Nest and Bigwin Island. Everything seems to be lined up, so the only question is whether the course is great, or just good? If it is great, this could be a home run. If it is just good, it'll still be a success, but it'll take longer to fill up the membership.
The photos I've included with this write up make it hard to determine what Fazio has delivered. It certainly is pretty, with bold bunkers with clean lines and greens perched in dramatic locations. The vistas look great.
I'm planning on getting a closer look as soon as the snow departs, so I'll try to draw a better conclusion then.

Norman muses on Augusta; Rutlege wins!; Coore on minimalism

2006-02-27T21:22:00.000-05:00

So Greg Norman thinks all of the changes at Augusta are good -- even better, in fact, than the way the course played when he threw up on himself coming down the stretch. At least that's what he said in a story he wrote for Travel and Leisure Golf's latest issue.

Here's the grim details:

In fact, the golf course is 155 yards longer than it was a year ago and 460 yards longer than it was in 1999. At 7,445 yards, Augusta National is now the second-longest course in major-championship history. Only Whistling Straits, at 7,514 yards for the 2004 PGA Championship, was longer.

So it is long. Got that. But it doesn't take Norman long to get to the nitty gritty:

I think the big difference in this year's changes is that the club has tried to emphasize both power and accuracy. Technology has dramatically changed how modern golf is played at the professional level, and Augusta has adjusted as required to keep up. For many years, as the course got longer, the advantage
shifted to guys who could just wing it—hit it as hard and as high as they could.

Right. That would be fine, but two graphs later, Norman muses that it is precision, which somehow differs from accuracy, which is the real problem:

But Augusta is and always will be about precision. You have to know where to land the ball to get a desirable lie in the fairway (though there are very few truly flat lies) and where to land it on the green for an uphill putt. Precision is an invaluable asset, especially when you're dialed in. In fact, there are a few guys out there, myself included, who request distances to the half yard.

In the end, Norman concludes Augusta is better for all of the changes, even if the existing course has nothing to do with the one currently played.

What Augusta does better than any other course is blend significant changes seamlessly into the existing design. The quality of work done by the Masters committee is always phenomenal, and, from what I've heard, this year's work is
no exception.

What's the deal with all this sucking up Greg? Looking for an invite?

Canadian journeyman Jim Rutledge of BC actually finally fulfilled some of the promise he demonstrated when he was a teenager. It just took him 30 years to put it together. Well, Rutlegde, generally regarded by those in the know as one of the good guys of Canadian golf, won this week's Nationwide Tour event, giving him a good shot at landing on the PGA Tour full-time for the first time in his career.

You can find plenty of stories, including Lorne Rubenstein's discussion of Rutledge and the fact he jumped 486 spots up the world ranking (that's from nowhere to somewhere for those of you counting) with his win, in this google link.

Bob Weeks asks who are the 10 Canadians who have won on the Nationwide Tour (or variations on that theme). I came up with eight. Bob's blog can be found here.

More T&L Golf. Thomas Dunne, the editor in charge of architecture at T&L Golf, interviews Bill Coore, the astoundingly talented architect behind Friars Head and Sand Hills. Perhaps most interestingly is the comment by Coore on minimalism in golf architecture:

Q: The style of Sand Hills is frequently associated with the term "minimalism," and there has been a lot said about what this means. How would you define the term?
Coore: We've never applied the label "minimalism" to our work, although others have. Ultimately, I think the style that some call minimalism is really more of a return to the design concepts and philosophies of the 1920s and '30s. When architects didn't have the means to move earth like we can today, a premium was placed on finding good natural sites, and golf courses were laid out, as Ben likes to say, "very quietly on the ground." "Minimalism," though, has become a catchword, and I don't believe you can define it in any absolute way.

On the interesting and engaging side, golf writer and all-around good guy Tom Beddel takes you drinking, I mean golfing, um, actually drinking across Scotland. The piece is in this month's T&L Golf, but can be found here.

New golf architecture blog; Thompson in Shackelford

2006-02-25T13:45:00.000-05:00

So renegade upstart Canadian golf architect (and my good friend) Ian Andrew has started a golf blog called "The Caddy Shack." So far Ian has gone blog crazy, writing about taking his father to Ireland on their last golf trip (I was on the trip which was remarkable), the problems with green speeds, his logo and other things. Given that he's the most notable restoration architect in Canada (no one in this country is really a close second), I'm sure he'll have plenty of interesting posts on his work. Hopefully he'll give people a sense of how golf architects really work and some of the details on courses they've never even considered. Ian is thoughtful, but with strong opinions. It should be fun to see how the site develops. You can find it at thecaddyshack.blogspot.com.
I forgot to mention the appointment of Kevin Poole to the job at Ridge at Manitou. That's been corrected. Interestingly, apparently the demise of high-end golf in the Toronto area is not forthcoming for all courses. During a conversation yesterday with Chris Neale, the director of golf at Copper Creek, he noted the club is essentially packed full of corporate events from June through September. Maybe business is still strong or maybe Copper Creek just does a better job than other clubs...

Golf's premier contrarian and blogger, Geoff Shackelford, has a nice round up of the week in review and mentions my comments on the whole LPGA versus Associated Press situation. The situation has now been resolved, not a surprising move given the power of AP. The only surprising fact is that the LPGA tried to pull such a ridiculous move off on the first place.

Been a bad week for Canadians at the matchplay. First there was "9 and 8" Ames, and followed by Mike Weir's precedent setting meltdown against Geoff Ogilvy. Already one paper is calling Ogilvy's recovery, down four holes with four to play, as one of the great comebacks in sports. Or maybe it is one of the great choke jobs on Weir's part. Surely Canada's best golfer can't be faulted for Ogilvy's remarkable eagle on the final playoff hole, but there's no way the Aussie should have been in the position to make the eagle in the first place. It is called "close him out," something Mike should have done on the 15th hole.

LPGA's losing fight; New man at struggling Ridge;

2006-02-24T09:32:00.000-05:00

Only four days until G4G makes its big move to another site. I'll post something about it next week.

More on the AP versus Carloyn Biven/LPGA fight over copyright control. Looks like it isn't working out particularly well for the LPGA, as Honolulu Advertiser columnist Ferd "Don't call me Fred" Lewis notes in a piece today:

First-round Fields Open in Hawai'i leader Lorena Ochoa had just shot a
remarkable 8-under-par 64 when she sat down in the 43-seat interview tent yesterday to talk about it.Staring back at her were 39 empty white chairs.Paul Rovnak, LPGA senior media relations coordinator, sat next to her on the platform to ask questions, and two staffers were the audience. Otherwise the room was devoid of reporters and cameras. Only later did a couple of international reporters wander in.

In case you don't quite get the scope of the sleeping giant the LPGA was awoken, here are the stats on AP, which is ignoring the LPGA Tour at the moment:

The AP, alone, claims 6,700 newspaper, radio and television clients in the
United States and 8,000 more in 121 other countries.

Ironically, an AP story provides an update on the situation this morning:

Backed by several other news organizations, the Associated Press made
progress Thursday in talks with the LPGA about new restrictions on press
credentials but was unable to resolve the dispute in time to cover the start of the Fields Open tournament in Kapolei, Hawaii.

ESPN's Jason Sobel notes that fans watching John Daly lose to Phil Mickelson at the matchplay couldn't pick a favourite. Maybe the fans couldn't, but it is clear who the players prefer -- and he hangs out in a motorhome and his wife is serving time.

On the home front, the blogs about Stephen Ames' disaster of a performance against Tiger Woods and duly notes that Ames' comments about Woods' wayward drives are actually accurate. Not that it matters. I wonder if Ames' new nickname around the tour is Stephen "Nine and Eight" Ames. Has a nice ring about it.

On the home front, the Ridge at Manitou, a fine Thomas McBroom course located near Parry Sound, has a new pro. Kevin Poole, formerly of the fine Hunter's Pointe, takes over operations and the search for a couple of dozen members on an annual basis. The course is rock solid, but has so far only attracted a handful of members. A news release on Poole's appointment notes he was instructed on teaching by mentor Gord McInnis Sr., who taught Marlene Streit at Lookout Point.

Stephen Ames -- Time to shut your mouth

2006-02-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

Calgary's Stephen Ames was probably joking when, prior to the Accenture Matchplay start yesterday, he told reporters in California that Tiger Woods was spraying the ball a bit. He added that a great champion like Woods still finds a way to get the ball in the hole, but the notion was still clear: Tiger was ripe for the taking. He wasn't on his game and Ames would capitalize.
"Anything can happen," he told reporters Monday. "Especially where he's hitting the ball."
Wow, was Ames ever wrong.
Woods took Ames apart with birdies in each of his first six holes enroute to a 29 front total and the most one sided pounding of an opponent the Matchplay has seen to date. In fact, it will be the quickest defeat on a permanent basis, since Woods used the minimum number of holes to take Ames apart.
Sure Woods took his game to a new height, but Ames should be embarrassed by his remarks in the first place. It isn't the first time Ames has said something negative about Woods. A few years ago he commented that no one ever wanted Tiger as a playing partner and suggested Tiger wasn't particularly mature. Then at the Canadian Open in 2004, not long after his first win, he suggested he might sit out the Presidents Cup if he made the team. Turned out he didn't have to worry about that -- his terrible 2005 campaign in which he was dealing with his wife's battle with cancer took care of that -- but it was still indicative of the crazy stuff that comes out of Ames. Maybe it is his Caribbean background -- having grown up in Trinidad -- that has made him overly relaxed with his comments. Who knows? The reality is his peers also thought his latest remarks were not particularly sharp and Ames should probably think a bit longer before opening his mouth. (Note: A reader has suggested my comment on Ames' heritage is inappropriate -- this is my response: What I'm trying to suggest -- and I've heard it from other sports writers -- is that Stephen has a more relaxed way of dealing with the media. In other words, he simply voices his opinion without being too worried about the consequences. I'm betting that comes from growing up in a culture where the media isn't as intrusive.)
Â?That wasn't very smart,Â? Geoff Ogilvy said. Â?It's not the first time (Woods) has been motivated by something someone said to the press. That probably wasn't the most clever thing. Any motivation for 18 holes can help.Â?
Robert Allenby said he looks forward to taking on Woods today, noting he won't be embarrassed like Ames was: Â?Yeah, it should be great. I won't be beaten 9 and 8, let me tell you.Â?

In other news, the LPGA has picked a strange time to start a media war, especially since this war is with the media.

This month, the Ladies Professional Golf Association modified its media credential requirements to be much more restrictive. Among other points, photographers must agree that the LPGA has an unlimited, perpetual right to use their photos for free. Why is this an issue? Well most media organizations want and maintain copyright over their material, and freelancers, both in print and photography, usually only give up first rights to their work. Now the LPGA wants to perpetually control photos and tell newspapers and other media organizations how they can deal with them. Oh, and the LPGA wants to be able to use them -- whenever and however they want.

Among the rules to which LPGA photographers must adhere:
The LPGA gets unlimited, perpetual, non-exclusive rights to use any photograph taken at an LPGA event for "non-commercial promotion" worldwide at no cost.
LPGA has the exclusive right to purchase a commercial-use license for any image taken at an LPGA event at a 20 percent discount off the best terms usually offered or a similar price.
A photographer or news organization must promptly supply the LPGA with any photo or digital file it requests at no cost.
Photographers "must refrain from taking photos until after a player has made her swing or stroke." These requirements are even softer than the first draft of the LPGA rules, to which editors also strongly objected. The first set of regulations, dated Feb. 7, said news organizations could only use LPGA photos if they were accompanied by a text article and for coverage that has a deadline within 48 hours of the event.

Why the LPGA and commissioner Carolyn Bivens would go forward with such a policy and stir such controversey at a time when their sport is starting to garner some attention is anyone's guess. Some, like Geoff Shackelford, seem to think it is unusual for her to start such a battle given her background is really in advertising and not the content side of media. Unless you think developing ads is content.

In the press conference to introduce her as the new commissioner, Bivens seem to indicate that working with the media would be a strength. How wrong that has turned out to be...

Q: Two quick questions. One, how do you think your experience with
Initiative will translate to this new position? And two, any early
thoughts on given your background how you will go about increasing or changing some of the marketing and advertising that go along with the tour?
CAROLYN VESPER BIVENS: Okay. Well, let me take the experience piece of it first. Actually looking back at this point already in the rearview mirror,
I feel like my previously 25 years experience have prepared me for this job, and it comes at just the right time in my career, and as I said, at a very exciting time in the LPGA history. The fact that I work with and have worked with all media types, all media forms, with the networks, with publishers across a variety of platforms, I think will benefit me.

The Open Doctor makes a visit; Rough going at Winged Foot

2006-02-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

Another golf course is turning to Rees Jones to make it worthy of the USGA. The latest is Chicago's Cog Hill, which hosts the Western Open. This was in today's Chicago Sun-Times:

Cog Hill owner Frank Jemsek had been in negotiations with Jones and his staff for nearly a year in Jemsek's efforts to make the Western Open site a suitable U.S. Open venue. Jones associate Greg Muirhead visited Cog Hill last July before
Jones toured the course with Jemsek on Oct. 11. Jemsek revealed during last weekend's Chicago Golf Show that negotiations were successful. "They've cashed our check,'' said Jemsek, who said work will begin on a limited basis after this year's Western, which ends July 9.

So what is Jones doing, exactly?

The heart of the renovation will be on Dubsdread's last four holes. No. 15, which plays as a short par-5 now, will become a long par-4 with new tees shortening the hole. Nos. 16 and 18, both par-4s, will be lengthened with green-side hazards accentuated. And the par-4 17th, deemed much too easy by Jones, will be completely rebuilt with the green reduced and bunkers added.

Is it just me, or this all that Rees' office has become known for? In Ontario, he recently opened Grand Niagara, but there have been few courses with less buzz open in this country in recent memory. Have any of my readers played it? My contacts say it was nice, but built on flat land with few natural features. The club's website is not operating currently, but it says they are going ahead with a Greg Norman designed course on the same property. I'll believe that when I see the actual course.

The Orlando Sentinel's Steve Elling has a story on the US Open at Winged Foot in New York.Apparently the USGA thinks variable heights of rough will make everything equal again. I don't see how this is going to impact Bubba Watson's 350-yard drives, but who am I to say anything against the USGA?

When the pros pull out their whompin' sticks this summer at Winged Foot, they will be greeted for the first time by multi-fanged rough of variable lengths, a departure from the traditional, do-or-die norm associated with golf's most punitive set-up."It's a done deal," said Marty Parkes, a USGA spokesman.Under the new plan, the length of the grass will increase in inverse proportion to the misfire. Sort of like serving detention, the punishment for bursts of wildness will indeed fit the crime.Moreover, the rough heights will be adjusted depending upon the length of the hole, which means missing a fairway by a few yards on a 495-yard par-4 won't be as bad as hitting it sideways on a shorter two-shot hole.

Out of the rough; Tiger tales; Dream Golf

2006-02-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

G4G reader Dennis alerted me to a story by the Golf Channel's Adam Barr about the need for rough on golf courses. Barr argues the game of golf is difficult enough without rough, and generally I agree.

It’s bad enough to yank a ball 40 yards off line. Now you have to look for
it too, and then hack it out of grass that feels like steel wire in a bad mood?
That’s too much. And if rough is so necessary to good golf, then why did Augusta National stand up to the world’s best for generations without it?

Barr uses long dead architect Max Behr to support his point that rough doesn't make the game of golf more interesting, just more difficult:

Add the strategy layer: rough doesn’t help there, either. Behr opined that rough cramps the architect’s style in creating future threats, because the next shot out of rough is often an escape, not an intelligent or courageous negotiation of a hazard or challenge further along the hole. “The golf architect…is not at all concerned with chastising faulty strokes. It is his business to arrange the field of play so as to stimulate interest,” Behr wrote.

Thanks Dennis for pointing this out and the whole story can be located here.

So Stephen Ames is in -- at least for the time being. Ames, who wasn't scheduled to play the Accenture Match Play this weekend, will tee it up against Tiger Woods. Mike Weir takes on Stewart Cink. My pick? How about a resurgent Tom Lehman, who takes on Stuart Appleby in the first round. Apparently Lehman also thinks he might be able to make the Ryder Cup team that he is already captain of.

"I would have to prove to myself that I'm playing really well and I would
probably want to get the opinion of the guys on the team," he added. "That's so far down the road it's pure conjecture. I'm not even going to begin to think about it at this point. But I want our players to know how much it means to be a part of that, trying really hard to be on this team myself."

I've spent the last few nights reading Dream Golf, a book by Stephen Goodwin on the creation of Bandon Dunes by American greeting card magnate Mike Keiser. The book isn't out for another month, but it is among the most fascinating golf reads I've been through in some time. It is partly about golf architecture, partly about business and the business of golf. It also details one man's vision in the face of long odds. Needless to say Bandon and Pacific Dunes are among the most fascinating golf experiences I've had in my lifetime -- and there isn't much rough in play on either course. I played both of the first two courses twice when I was there two years ago, just as the third, the now heralded Bandon Trails, was growing in. I was on the phone with Keiser recently for a story I'm working on and he said there are plans for an additional two courses. And of course Keiser has been spotted scouting a location on the Saskatchewan/Alberta border. He said the property was "better than Sand Hills," the courses in Nebraska which is in the Top 10 in the World, according to Golf Magazine.

Fred booms all over himself, Tiger WDs, and RBC out of CanOpen?

2006-02-19T23:49:00.000-05:00

To my way of thinking, Fred Couples has to be one of the golfers who got the least out of his talent. One major! With that swing? How is it possible?
Well, Couples is now well past his prime and he's weighted down with a bad back and troublesome putter. But even with all of that in consideration, it appeared he might win yesterday at Riviera. Of course he didn't -- throwing up all over himself on three of the last four holes while Rory "Man I like to play fast" Sabbatini roared to the finish line.

The self-deprecating Couples' comments on Saturday should have made it clear that he was a longshot. Even while sitting right at the top of the leaderboard, he admitted his putting was in tough shape ("It would nice to have a longer, smoother putting stroke, but the clean and jerk is what I've got. If it was the Summer Olympics I would feel pretty good right now.") and that he wouldn't be playing as well on any other course ("What did I shoot? It was the biggest fluke of the year. If I had been playing a course I wasn't accustomed to, I would have shot 75 the same way I played. Thank you."). Turns out the miracle couldn't hold up over four rounds. Too bad.

On the other hand, Sabbatini, the winner, actually carries a second yardage book (the caddy obviously carries the first) just in an effort to slow him down while he plays. Of course, every story today will mention the Ben Crane incident from last year. Some say Sabbatini violated golf's clear etiquette rules when he played out of turn at last year's Booz Allen Classic. I'll tell you that if I had to play with Ben Crane, golf's version of Mike Hargrove, I'd simply putt out and move along too. God, even Crane admits he's too slow.

Here's a quick story about Sabbatini's win, of course referencing the Crane situation.

Tiger Woods had the flu and dropped out after making the cut. Apparently no one could tell the press directly that Woods was sick. Instead they issued a press release. Did they really need a press release to say Tiger's stripes were turning green?

"Everyone saw how Tiger felt this week," his agent, Mark Steinberg, said in
a release. "And he just can't shake it. He feels awful. This is an event he
loves to play in and strives to win, his hometown tournament. Tiger doesn't
want to pull out of any event, ever."

Score Golf's editor, Bob Weeks, blogged on Friday that Royal Bank has backed out of negotiations for sponsorship of the Canadian Open. That can't be good news for the beleaguered Royal Canadian Golf Association. The organization is months past the time when it initially expected to announce a new sponsor and with the bank out of the picture, one has to wonder who is going to step up. Could they run the tournament without a major sponsor? We might just find out.

Riviera's Ali G; New CanOpen date better?

2006-02-17T09:10:00.001-05:00

The LA Times has its own version of Ali G, but this guy goes by the name of TJ Simers. Simers love to ask pro athletes slightly awkward questions and see how they respond. Of course, if they respond in a hostile way, they receive more questions. Brad Faxon, generally considered a pretty thoughtful guy, was on the receiving end from Simers this week at Riviera. Simers asked why fans shouldn't cheer against golfers, boo them and the like. The questions wasn't well received:

Faxon returned for Round 2, incredulous at the suggestion that fans be
encouraged to cheer against a golfer, and so I reminded him that every time Woods plays against Mickelson, half the crowd is for Tiger and … "I'm rooting against Mickelson," I said, "and from what I read about most pro golfers, apparently so are you."
That was too much for Faxon to absorb, and he made it clear he wanted me to leave, and I had just gotten there, and from what I could tell all I had done wrong was disagree with his opinion."Why is it that all you golfers are such sourpusses?" I asked, and later, when I relayed this story to
KCAL's Alan Massengale, he wasn't surprised."I covered golf for ESPN in the mid-'80s, and it's so different now," Massengale said. "Now it's like talking to a machine; there's no personalities. The one thing they've forgotten — this is entertainment."I tried to get that point across to Faxon, between the belligerent interruptions from his caddy, before Faxon said, "Then go ahead, why don't you start rooting against someone?""I've already started my list," I told him, "and I think I know who's at the top of it."

Thanks to Geoff Shackelford for the link. Geoff has tons of info on his site about Riviera. Read it here at www.geoffshackelford.com.

Score Golf's Rick Young is apparently no John Gordon. Or at least Young, unlike the grand curmudgeon that is Gordon, is one of the few to feel the Canadian Open is better with its July date in 2007.

On the surface, it’s not exactly what you might deem to be the ideal scenario for the BCO being surrounded on all sides by events with much, much higher profiles. As if the players don’t already have enough reasons to take a pass on heading north (more on that in a second).

I don't agree with Rick, but he presents some interesting thoughts on the issue.

David Duval watch: Duval shoots 68 in his opening round. Is he in danger of making another cut? Weir shoots level par, for what it is worth, and Stuart Appleby hits a 385-yard drive on the third at Riviera.
Did you know? That Guelph's Cutten Club was attacked by eco terrorists last year that attempted to burn down its clubhouse? True fact. Or that Rosedale Golf Club in Toronto has shifted architects again, dropping Carrick Design and scouting out the likes of US architects Tom Doak and Mike Devries? True fact. Or that the new architect could be the sixth or seventh to work on the course?

No viewers for Pebble; All Woods, no Weir; Feature interview

2006-02-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

USA Today reinforces my opinion that golf fans are tired of seeing Glen Frey, endless shots of Bill Murray and Andy Garcia that CBS showed over the weekend. On Saturday you hardly saw Mike Weir, though he was leading. Instead, we were handed more shots of the fantastic Carmel coastline and interviews with country singers and hacks hitting hozzle rockets.
Apparently everyone was tired of it after three days and tuned out on Sunday, as Aaron Oberholser backed his way into his first win. Here are the grim stats, as per USA Today:

PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Sunday, 32.5 (1.9
million)
CBS Down 40.5% from last year's fourth-round
coverage.
Grinding, no-name winner Arron Oberholser simply doesn't have the star power of last year's champion, the always ratings-friendly Phil Mickelson.
Rival Olympics programming puts final nail in big ratings drop.

Apparently no one cares that Mike Weir is playing well and has won the tournament at Riviera twice in the past. That's because all the coverage is about Tiger and his strong start to the year. Even with Ernie Els in the field, everyone should be worried. That's because Tiger says he's not quite on his game and can still ramp it up.

"I just haven't played my best golf at the right time," Woods said
Wednesday. "I've played some good golf, but not my best stuff. And this track,
you've got to hit the ball well. You just can't get away with hitting it poorly
around here and expect to win."

Interestingly, despite his knee injury and his creeping age, Els says he will continue to play all over the world. Except Canada. Well, he didn't say that, but we know he won't be in Hamilton in September. That's a given.

You can read all of Doug Ferguson's story here.

Oh, and there's an interesting feature interview with.... drum roll please... me. Golflogic.ca, a fine site that offers Canadian golfers deals on green fees, is running a couple of blogs, and one has a short interview with your humble author. I don't say anything too outrageous (no overly bold quotes -- but you do get two lists of great golf courses!), but you might enjoy it nonetheless.

Rubenstein back on topic; the greatness of Riviera

2006-02-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

The Globe and Mail's Lorne Rubenstein is back on topic, speaking about Mike Weir's meltdown with Ernie Ball, a pro golfer who may need a walker, but actually played in the first Masters. All jokes aside, it is pretty amazing -- though I would love to have read more about Ball and less about Weir's inability to hit a wedge or putt.

Apparently Ball thinks Weir has still got the right stuff:

As for Errie Ball, the 95-year-old professional who still teaches, he concluded his observations about Weir with emphasis on the positive.
"Mike has a great golf swing," he said. "He handles himself well and I think he'll win a lot of tournaments. He's in his prime."
Case closed, for Ball anyway. And who's to argue with a 95-year-old professional who competed against Hogan and Bobby
Jones, just to name a couple of golfing supermen?

Who indeed? Well, I will. Weir is playing a different game than those that are currently dominating the tour. He's short off the tee and that puts a lot of pressure on the rest of his game. Witness Sunday, when he hit 13 of 14 fairways, but shot 78. If courses keep getting longer, it'll only be a few years before Weir is considered the Corey Pavin of our time.

However, Mike likes Riviera, the historic site of this week's tour stop, where he has won twice before. There's a good piece on his own website, written by Chris Cook, about the course and its history. Not sure who Cook is, though. The only reference I could find was to a media relations pro who worked at Texas Tech. Anyone know who Cook is?

His piece sets up nicely:

You can’t buy much for $243,827.63 these days. But back in 1926, that was enough for one of the greatest American golf course architects to carve a classic design out of a wild, overgrown canyon. Now, over 80 years later, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t think it was money well spent.

In fact, I think $243,827.63 is about the cost of recontouring the first fairway at Angus Glen's North Course, so I'd say George Thomas did a pretty good job with his budget, even if it was 1927.

New GM at Whitevale; Shackelford's big laugh; Crowbush recovers

2006-02-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

Apparently Whitevale, a little known course outside of Toronto has hired Alex Maggiacomo, the former GM of Bond Head. Alex didn't last a season at Bond Head after struggling to find golfers and an uneven business plan. Anyway, he's landed on his feet:

"The next 3 to 5 years will be a very exciting time at Whitevale Golf Club. With Thomas McBroom's golf course redesign nearing completion and with the proposal to construct a new clubhouse, Whitevale Golf Club is positioning itself to be one of the preferred private clubs in Ontario" said Maggiacomo.

What exactly does "positioning itself to be one of the preferred private clubs in Ontario," mean, exactly? Does that mean it is competing with St. George's or Toronto Golf? Who says these things and do they ever stop to wonder whether there is any value in canned quotes like this one?

Geoff Shackelford has a hysterical piece up on Golfobserver.com at the moment. Essentially it is a parody of a PGA Tour policy board meeting, it is well worth a read. My favourite bit is about J.B. "Don't call me John" Holmes:

Commissioner Finchem: Gentlemen, I wanted to call to your attention last week's win at the FBR by J.B. Holmes. You know if it wasn't for the recent intervention of our Vice President of Name Gentrification, John Blutarksy, our good friends on the CBS broadcast team would have been calling him by his former
name, John Holmes.
Scott McCarron: Oh you mean like the porn star?
Commissioner Finchem: For the record, and I want to be very clear on this, I'm not sure who that was, but it's my general understanding that we dodged a value perception nightmare.
Joe Durant: A value perception nightmare?
Commissioner Finchem: I really don't want to talk about this as I had never heard of this John Holmes.

Bob Weeks, recovering from his shoulder surgery and hopefully hopped up on pain pills, has a neat blog about the changes being made to Crowbush Cove, which had part of one of its dunes washed out to sea recently.

The Golf Channel's Brian Hewitt, who annoys me to no end, picks Mike Weir to win this week at Riviera.

Hewitt says:

But hiding is something Mike Weir doesn’t know how to do. He comes from the same stolid Canadian stock that makes hockey players the most honorable among all professional athletes when it comes to taking the good with the bad.

Can we speak about a single Canadian without making a reference to hockey? Please?

Weir's world -- pressure putts

2006-02-13T09:22:00.000-05:00

What can one say? Mike Weir starts by double bogeying the easiest hole at Pebble Beach. It can only be downhill from there. It isn't like Aaron Oberholser played like he really wanted to win -- it is just that everyone else (with the exception of Vijay Singh) played like they were looking to lose. I think more should be expected of Weir in these situations -- he's won big tournaments and should be able to step up and dominate someone like Oberholser. However, perhaps his final round score of 78 -- nine strokes higher than his worst of the three previous rounds -- is indicative that Weir's game isn't entirely back to where it was in 2003-04. Weir is now officially among the shortest drivers on tour (277 yards, 155th position), but unlike last year, he's putting very well (8th). It would seem to me that his short drives are placing a lot of pressure on his putting. It will be interesting to see how it holds up over the course of the year.

Playing the Top 100 in the world

2006-02-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

I've had the good fortune to play with one of those lucky enough to play the top 100 in the world according to Golf Magazine. Apparently someone new is trying it -- and they are blogging about it at top100golf.blogspot.com. The site has a cool list of the great golf courses the blogger has played -- and is worth a visit for that description on its one. Haven't encountered many good new golf blogs lately, so this one might be worth keeping an eye on.

Chubby's comments don't bode well for CanOpen

2006-02-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

Fascinating story in the Scotsman this morning. The piece, written by John Higgan, is an interview with Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler, a former tour pro turned manager. He dominates the UK scene, working with players like Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, and more recently, Ernie Els.

The wide ranging interview is very much worth reading for Chandler's candor about a variety of subjects. But this is what he had to say when asked about the new PGA Tour schedule for 2007:

"Besides, I'm not certain the new American schedule is going to work perfectly. For example, what will happen after the Open is that there will be a regular PGA Tour event, then the Bridgestone WGC event, then the USPGA, then another regular
week, then three play-off events, then a season-ender. If you play all of those and a warm-up event for the Open, you've been out there nine weeks out of 11 right at the top level. The leading guys are not going to want to do that."

Chandler's comments seem to reflect the thoughts that most players will skip the Canadian Open, the event that immediately follows the British Open. As he says, no one is likely to play "nine weeks out of 11." Doesn't look good for the fine folks at the RCGA. Not only are they months behind on announcing a new sponsor, but their date on the Tour schedule hasn't improved.

One player not likely to appear in Canada any time soon (remember when Els used to occasionally play at the Abbey?), is the Big Easy. But Chandler acknowledges Ernie likes to pound a few back every now and then.

If you look at Ernie, he mirrors a lot of what we as a company are all about. He likes a beer and he socialises and he mucks in. He's been great at all of that, as has his wife. He's been to Manchester to watch the football with us. And the cricket. There's a massive respect between Ernie and (cricket star) Freddie Flintoff. They've met a few times but only briefly. Beer for beer I'm not sure who would win but it would be a three-day game. They both have their certain strengths in that area. So they'll get on fine. It's the ones around the edges - like me - who
will suffer. So Ernie was a challenge more than a gamble. But we treat him just the same as everyone else. I am brutal with him. I am constantly asking, 'Would Tiger do this, or would Tiger do that?' If you want to be number one in the world - and Ernie does - you have to prepare properly and sometimes that means saying 'no' to other opportunities.

CBS sports -- all celebrities and commercials

2006-02-12T11:34:00.000-05:00

So I recorded yesterday's broadcast on the family PVR with the intention of watching Mike Weir, who was the leader for much of the day, on CBS Sports' broadcast of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
What did I get? Lots of Bill Murray, some country singer I'd never heard of (largely because I dislike contemporary country. More of an alt-country guy) and a bunch of shots of Phil Mickelson flubbing short putts. Oh, and then after three minutes of coverage, much of which was shots of the ocean crashing along the shoreline, CBS would cut to commercial. Since I was watching the broadcast while running on a treadmill, it meant I had to get off every three minutes to grab the remote and blast through the advertisements. After about a half hour, I gave up. Too much Phil, too many commercials and not enough Mike. No wonder everyone enjoys watching the Masters, with its limited span of commercials.

Rubenstein on home courses of the pros, GCA.com

2006-02-11T19:37:00.000-05:00

The Globe's Lorne Rubenstein writes in today's paper about where the pros play when not on the tournament trail. The place line on the story says Lorne was at the Abaco Club in Bahamas, a ultra private course that is referenced in the story a few times. Apparently the course has attracted interested from the PGA Tour's elite:

Els is scheduled to return next month. The local residents are betting that basketball legend Michael Jordan, who sometimes plays at the Lyford Cay Club in Nassau, will be here within a few weeks.

Jordan often tees it up with Redtail Golf Club owner Chris Goodwin at Lyford, but I suspect Abaco is a better course. Not like Jordan can't afford to add another to his list, which surely surpasses the 14 club rule.

Rubenstein also discusses the recent move by Tiger Woods and the speculation he might acquire the McArthur Club. Apparently he likes to jog on the cart paths, though I'm not sure how you make it from there to where he acquires the course. I'm sure a membership would be enough.

On the subject, Lorne says:

Meanwhile, the news that Woods is thinking of joining McArthur has led to all sorts of conjecture. Much of it can be found at golfclubatlas.com, an entertaining World Wide Web site where architecture wonks gather.

The Golfclubatlas thread was called "so far off the whole mark that it's unbelievable," in Rubenstein's article.

The entire article can be found here. The Golfclubatlas thread can be located here.

The greatness of Pebble Beach

2006-02-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

I've only walked the course, though it looked pretty stunning to me. Many feel Pebble Beach only sports greatness along the ocean holes. Ron Whitten, Golf Digest's architecture critic, used to be one of them. Now he's changed his opinion.

But then I played Pebble again, and came away doubting my own prior judgment. I couldn't find six bad holes out there. I couldn't even figure out which were the six I'd always considered as ordinary.

Pebble will likely decide whether Mike Weir comes out on top after 18 months in the wilderness. See Ron's story here.

Don't call this a comeback!

2006-02-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

Nothing better than quoting LL Cool J in a golf blog.
OK. Maybe I was premature in writing Mike Weir off, especially after he shot the lights out at Pebble Beach yesterday. Weir was on fire, playing the game at the same level as 2003. The only problem -- Luke Donald, who was one better than Weir's 63, and on Spyglass, arguably the toughest track played at the AT&T. Weir, who had five birdies in a row and has started strong again today, seemed surprised by how low Donald went:

"I knew there was going to be some low scores today," Weir said. "But 10 under at Spyglass? I thought of the lower scores, there might be more on this golf course than the other two. But Luke obviously played a great round over at Spyglass to do that."

Sure did. But Weir's in a good spot, especially if he plays well today.

As a follow up to Geoff Shackelford's posts on the proposed changes to Musselburgh, one of the most historic golf courses in the world, located outside of Edinburgh in Scotland. An interested party from Golfclubatlas.com wrote the club about the issue and the response they received is posted below. Let's hope the "architects" they quote do a better job than the awful reworking of Harry Colt's Eden course undertaken by Donald Steel for St. Andrews. Oh, you say Steel is supposed to do Musselburgh as well? Oh my.

Dear Mr Topp:

I have had your email forwarded to me. I am currently the Club
Secretary and fully aware of the developments of which you speak.I should advise that I am a keen golfer and historian and do understand very much the historical implications whenever our golf course make alterations or improvements.I can assure you that we have consulted eminent golf historians, the &A.and other golfing authorities to discuss the potential impact. Can I first of all state unequivically that the golf course will continue to maintain its authentic claim as an historic and antique golf course.I note that you are under the perception that the golf course is untouched and the layout as it was at the turn of the twentieth Century. I do not hope to disappoint you but the
course has seen many alterations over the last century and not all of these were beneficial. I can point to the ninth hole which is a complete new hole built only ten years ago. The original hole was replaced. Other changes include the relocating of the third green in 1987 and the realignment of the Fourth fairway. Personally I do not believe that the course 'is as it was'. What is true is the layout remains similar in the sense that the holes continue to run in the same directions as before. With the new
development that would continue to be true. However we at the Club have insisted that only top quality architechts and ground care specialists are involved in the alterations necessary. Having met the technical team hired for this project I am certain there is more than enough expertise to provide the
golfers here with a course similar to that which we are used but much improved in terms of its playability and cosmetic look. I am certain the plans will allow the course to continue to develop itself in line with its historic past and even allow the possibilty of new history being written as the golf course
moves into a new era. It should be remebered that very little has happened here for 100 years and the course has suffered as a result. A second phase plan allows for the course to be extended to 18 holes with new facilities which would
include a Musselburgh Golf Heritage Centre. The opportunity to educate golfers about Musselburgh's place in the game would be well represented by such a project. It will not be possible to hold another Open championship but I am
certain the golf course would regain some of its lost reputation in the golfing scene. I think what is paramount to remember is that the golf course can only retain its claims if people still play golf here. It is therefore imperitive that things the golf course adapts itself to the modern game and demands of golfers. Musselburgh racecourse needs to do similarly for its
patrons and as a result both facilities can mutually benefit by the initiative of the Racecourse.East Lothian council, the administrators of the area see the potential and have backed the project with considerable funding. We believe we
can emerge from the project with a much improved golf course and one that will allow its past to be celebrated in a manner which is long overdue. If you require more information please contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Robin McGregor, Secretary

Stanley Thompson golf

2006-02-09T10:16:00.001-05:00

As my Canadian readers surely know, and many of my American friends will also be aware, Stanley Thompson was Canada's preeminent golf designer. He died 53 years ago, but his courses -- places like Highlands Links, St. George's and Banff -- remain legendary homes of golf.

Anyway, an associate, Chris Parker, has compiled a website that lists all of the courses Thompson was supposed to have had some involvement with and attached the relevant websites. It is an impressive site for the information Chris has brought together on this vast array of courses, some of which I'd never heard of and was intrigued to see still claim some relationship to Thompson's work. I hope to seek a few of them out this summer.

On the other side, here is the website for the Stanley Thompson Society. I've never joined the society, though it is a worthwhile cause. I might do so this year. However, the organization's website is lacking in much of the detail Parker offers. For example, I couldn't find a list of Thompson courses that are actually members of the society. And in Thompson's course list, the society includes Brantford Golf & Country Club, a course that was built by Thompson's brother, Nicol. I know this to be true, as I've seen the advertisement for the course in a 1922 edition of Canadian Golfer, where Nicol listed it among the courses he designed.

Clublink's big deal; Weir's chances in Cali

2006-02-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

So after 10 days, 23 hours, 22 minutes and six, I mean five, seconds, Clublink has announced its much anticipated new "gold" course. Gosh, I almost said new golf course, but that would be too obvious, wouldn't it?

Drum roll please.

Is it the acquisition of Royal Woodbine, a public course headed toward obscurity? How about a Paul Takahashi upgrade of some track previously best suited for goats?

Envelope please.

It is the stunning announcement that Station Creek is being upgraded to a gold club -- gosh I almost said golf club again. I recall when this was called Gormley Green and I used to play it after taking my first gig in Toronto. It wasn't much then and I can only assume it is slightly more now. (note for Tim O'Connor, media guy at CL: I didn't call SC a goat track. Just said that was what Gormley Green used to be. That might have been hyperbole, but you get my point).

This isn't really news at all. What does intrigue me is the recent rise in Clublink's share price -- up to $11 for the first time in years -- and the thought that the three controlling parties might battle for control over the company once again. I'm meeting with CEO Bob Poile in a few months to discuss the company's strategy going forward, and will report back then.

In other news, Mike Weir is being tipped as one to watch at Pebble Beach this week by a San Diego paper. According to the PGA Tour blurb, Weir has five top 10s at the AT&T.

Mike Weir, with a second-place finish in 2005, has five top-10s in eight starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, including three consecutive dating back to 2003. Weir jumped into second place in 2005 with the low final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He shot a 5-under-par 67, aided by a superior ball-striking day that saw him hit all 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens.

Weir, who missed the cut in Arizona last week, says his game is back in shape after a terrible year in 2005. But even then, he finished second at Pebble. However, you've got to wonder whether players like Weir are heading the way of Corey Pavin. Weir, who is a short hitter in a a league that now includes bombers like Bubba Watson and JB Holmes -- guys who make Daly look average -- are going to hit the ball 40 yards in front of the slight Canadian left hander. And given that Weir's putting has been questionable for most of the last two years, that doesn't bode well.

Els and Accenture concerned about World Championships

2006-02-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

According to Ernie Els, the World Championships have little to do with the world outside of the US of A.

The Big Easy lashed out at the PGA Tour (well, maybe lashed out isn't the right phrase -- more like suggested quietly) that the events should be moved around the other parts of the known galaxy.

"It's a bit crazy," he said. "Why call them World Championships if they're going to be played in the same place all the time? World Golf Championships are meant to promote the game all over the globe."

The problem is that when they are moved around, few of the American players want to have to add hours to their jetshare and commute to places outside of Florida, California and Arizona. I'd be suprised if a player doesn't complain about having to travel to Canada for next year's Presidents Cup. So Ernie can complain, but I doubt he gets anywhere with this one -- even if PGA Tour commish Tim Finchem says he's taking one o of the events to Asia in the near future.

Els isn't the only one unhappy with the situation. Apparently World Championship sponsor Accenture is also concerned about the positions of the tournaments following the creation of the FedEx Cup. Regardless of Finchem's plan, it is never a good idea to aggitate your sponsors.

"At first glance, it's a concern," said Jim Murphy, global managing director of marketing for Accenture. "You're adding another element in the mix, and this is going to be a yearlong promotion. By definition, the FedEx Cup will be raised in
visibility. In doing that, will it move the World Golf Championships down a notch, or interfere with the ambition to be the next layer behind the majors?"

Now the truth is the World Championships never held a candle to the majors. But I'm sure you understand Accenture's point, hyperbole notwithstanding.

There's an Associated Press story about the issue here.

Fox Harb'r to remain open to public -- sort of

2006-02-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

Spent today with Ron Joyce, the co-founder of donut and coffee chain Tim Hortons. We're putting the finishing touches on his autobiography -- which currently has several working titles -- and I had the opportunity to talk about Fox Harb'r with Steven, Ron's son who runs the resort.
The initial course was built by Canadian architect Graham Cooke and won Golf Digest's Best New Course award a few years ago. It is a kinda course -- kinda private, kinda exclusive. In truth it does about 7,000 rounds per year, but Ron was anxious to take it fully private, with a very small membership (primarily those with jets to land at the facility's air strip.)
Apparently that plan has changed, and now Fox Harb'r will sort of be open to the public. The catch? You'll have to stay in one of 72 rooms on site and the total cost for golf and a room will run nearly $1,000 per day, putting it in the realm of Barbado's Sandy Lane.
An interesting piece of news is there are plans at Fox Harb'r to go forward with an additional nine holes -- and Steven has contacted Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw about doing the work. That would make it the first time Coore and Crenshaw have worked in Canada, though Coore has been scouting a location in Western Canada as well.

A Weeks worth of nods for G4G

2006-02-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Nothing better than blogs that reference other blogs. Anyway, Score editor Bob Weeks gave G4G a shoutout on Friday in reference to the blog about Mystic Golf Club near Ancaster and the question of value in golf. It looks like Bob might just become a dedicated blogger, which would be great for Canadian readers as he heads to the world's best golf tournaments. He also sees things from another perspective -- that of the broadcaster.
In other news, G4G is preparing for its departure from blogger and a move onto another, larger, website. I've long found blogger a bit finicky, and though I'm drawing more readers than ever (about 1,500 per week now and we haven't even hit golf season in Canada), I think it is time for a change. The plan is to move a majority of the content from this site to the new location and then just refer readers to the new location.
That said, all of my course reviews and other writing will remain on the new site. Little will change -- I'll just get a chance to encounter a greater number of readers.
Hope you will all stick with G4G as I make the change -- and I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Holmes hangs it out; Els chokes under pressure

2006-02-05T19:44:00.000-05:00

Interesting golf on this weekend, especially if you tuned in to the Golfchannel to watch Ernie Els fail to better Tiger Woods. This is intriguing because:

a) It was Tiger's second win in a row and
b) Ernie Els continues to demonstrate that he has a tough time measuring up.

I'm particularly interested in the second point. Ernie managed to stick with Tiger a few years back in South Africa at the Presidents Cup and it proved to be some of the best golf ever televised. But on Sunday he should have been in the driver's seat. Woods was holding his swing together with a US$3-million appearance check and some duct tape. His drive was erratic, while Els looked cool and collected. The Big Easy was sparkling through 18, and Woods needed a birdie on the final just to get into the playoff.
But when the pressure is on, Woods ramps up and placed his drive on the extra hole down the middle. Els, on the other hand, hit it into the trees and seemed flustered enough that he tried for the green in two, coming up short and in the water. It was a desparate move by a golfer who seemed convinced his opponent was better. Els is wonderful with a wedge in his hand, so why not hit it close and then wedge it on. Instead Els played like Woods was guaranteed an eagle, which wasn't likely.
Els should be able to stand up to the best, but he's proving that isn't the case. Els' website lists quack Jos Vanstiphout as his "mental coach," even though he isn't a psychologist -- just a failed Belgium pop singer.

Els' site is pretty defensive when the issue of Vanstiphout comes up:

By the very nature of Jos’s business, there are sceptics who look at what he does and question its merit. Their vitriol is perhaps driven primarily by ignorance, and possibly jealousy, too. Some say that most of the players he works with are already successful. Of course it is true that, as Jos once memorably put it, “you can’t take a mule and make it win the Derby”! But all of the players he has worked with have taken their careers to greater heights. You can’t argue with that.

Well maybe you can. For all of Els' talent, he should have won more often. He should have shut the door on Todd Hamilton at Troon. He should have a green jacket by now. He should have held it together and won at Shinnecock. He didn't and that leaves me wondering where is all this success that Vanstiphout claims to have achieved? Many journalists say Jos is a "sports psychologist," but I can't find record of that. We know he was a singer, then a salesman and now a self-described "mental coach." I think it is time for Ernie to trade Jos in for a new version....

On another note, J.B. "Don't call me John" Holmes hammed his way to a win in Phoenix. His swing is a bit odd looking, but it is hard to argue with the results -- he is averaging 315 yards off the tee. His length allows him to simply overpower courses just as Bubba Watson is capable of doing. The game is about power now and Holmes has it in spades. Holmes had this to say about his win:
It was one of my goals to win out here. It happened real quickly," Holmes said. "I didn't expect it so soon. I knew I had the ability. Every tournament I played, I just got more confidence and more confidence. It's just been a whirlwind right now.

Mystic Golf Club mystifies; Murray on Caddyshack II; Changes at Cruden Bay

2006-02-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

Lots of debate about the new Tom Pearson designed Mystic Golf Club near Ancaster. I reviewed it in November and found parts of it intriguing (including the terrific 9th and 18th holes), but also mused about the business model ($125 in Ancaster? Who will pay that?) and felt several of the holes were quite plain, on the verge of being dull.
Anyway, few saw the course last year and there's been tons of discussion about it on Torontogolfnuts.com, a forum of average hackers who talk about everything from the latest sale at Golftown to the value of Watsons Glen. In this case, there's been quite the debate on about the merits of Mystic, with some suggesting I'm off my rocker with my comments or that I must have had a bad game there.
I stick by what I had to say -- I think the course is great in spots, but I don't understand the business model or the notion of building an extraordinarily difficult golf course in the current market. Mystic also brings about questions about the value of golf. In other words, how does one value a course with a $125 green fee versus one with a $60 green fee? It is a fascinating question. Does nearby Copetown Woods, which has a green fee that is half of Mystic, present a better value to the average golfer? I'd say yes, if only because the average golfer rarely, if ever, pays more than $100 for a game. Apparently Mystic is now offering players all the golf they want for the green fee -- so if you're into 36 holes, this makes more sense.
Time will tell how successful the club will be -- and considering there are several clubs currently up for sale, this could prove an interesting time for Canadian golf.
And, for the record, I had one of my best games last year at Mystic, playing from the 6,800 yard tees.

In other news, Bill Murray was recently grilled by an astute media observer as to why he never made a Caddyshack II. Only problem was someone did -- Murray just wasn't involved. His response to the question is quite funny:

BILL MURRAY: You know, I'm under a doctor's care (laughter). You know, Caddyshack was a great thing. There were some extraordinary people in it, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, the guy who played the bishop, these are people who have passed away. They were great people, great actors and lots of fun, and it was an unusual thing. Can't you be happy with having seen it and watched it? You want it again? You're one of those guys that wants to make love twice a week. Once is plenty (laughter).

Thanks to Geoff Shackelford for pointing this one out.

The powers that be (re: greens committee) at Cruden Bay are preparing to blow up several holes at the fabled course in order "to make it better." Interestingly, Pete Dye thought it was pretty good as it was -- good enough to inspire him to build links-style holes in North America in the 1980s. Well, apparently that's not good enough -- and several holes, including part of the back nine, are in danger of being reconfigured. Read about it here as part of a thread on Golfclubatlas.com. It sports some amazing photos of the current course.

Angus Glen overhaul

2006-02-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was up at Angus Glen speaking with the club's omnipresent Kevin Thistle and had a chance to tour the work being done on the Doug Carrick/Jay Morrish designed North Course.
Interestingly, many, including the RCGA, have painted the changes, which are being overseen by Davis Love III's design firm, as being insignificant. The alterations are being made to prep the course for the 2007 Canadian Open.
Critics of the course have noted PGA Tour players apparently have something against it because of the Skins Game held their a half decade ago. I doubt PGA Tour players have memories that long (and it was only four players anyway), since I recall asking Stuart Appleby about playing in the British Open and he couldn't remember where they had played the year previous.
Anyway, the dozers have been brought out and there are major changes, in the realm of $2-million worth, currently underway at the North Course.

Among the alterations are:

#1 -- previously a par five with an unusual tee shot, the fairway has been leveled slightly and the bunker that played about 200 yards off the tee on the left side of the fairway has been removed and pushed into the landing area about 280 yards off the tee. A new bunker complex on the right side of the fairway has been constructed near the green.

#2 -- perhaps the hole with the most significant changes, this was previously a par four with a large fairway bunker on the left to protect the carry angle. Balls then rolled down a hill -- meaning one could get quite close to the green. Now the fairway has been shifted 40 yards left and the bunker removed. Players will now play to a plateau and then hit their downhill approach to the green.

#3 -- new tees push this hole over 400 yards and the inside bunker has been brought further into play.

I didn't get a chance to see 5 through 8, though I understand there are changes to five and the fairway bunker on six is being removed. Eight is remaining the same, and there will be some additional bunker work on nine.

#10 -- new tee deck constructed on the left of existing tees and fairway being narrowed.

#12 -- the other hole with the most significant alterations. The tee shot has been moved forty or fifty yards left, bringing the pond (which has been expanded) into play. The eyelash bunker on the right off the old tee has been removed.

#15 -- new tees have been added and the left side of the fairway has been regrassed with blue grass. New bunker complexes have been added which effectively split the fairway.

The only other discussion is whether they will use 17-18 of the North Course or use the holes on the South, which provide a better vantage point for spectators.

Overall impression: The changes look positive -- at least for one tournament that will be held over one week next year. $2-million seems like a lot to spend, but I'm sure Angus Glen's management is aware that the Carrick/Morrish design has not been that well received and was in need on some alterations. The course was constructed when Carrick was infatuated with wide fairways, and many of the changes are designed to add some strategy to the tee shots. Carrick has always focused on carry angles, and several of the alterations are designed to accentuate those angles, many of which were rendered moot by the width of the landing area. With that in mind, the changes look positive.

The $10-million question: Will the changes draw a better field. I'm sure the RCGA and PGA Tour are hoping so -- otherwise why pay all of this money and bring Davis Love III into the equation? But I doubt they will bring more than one or two additional players to Canada next July.

Jack and Tom in PEI; Turnberry's facelift

2006-02-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

The Globe's Lorne Rubenstein reports that IMG and Prince Edward Island will announce later this week that Dundarave will play host to a made-for-tv event featuring none other than Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will participate in an event on June 19 and 20 at
the Rodd Brudenell River Resort's Dundarave course in Cardigan, PEI, The Globe
and Mail has learned. The official announcement of a three-year contract between
Toronto-based IMG and Tourism PEI will be made tomorrow in Charlottetown.

Sounds like Shell's Wonderful world of golf to me. Nonetheless, Dundarave, designed by Jason Straka and Michael Hurdzan, is a fine golf course (it is likely the best on the island) and the concept could be engaging. One has to wonder, however, how much interest there will be in two over-the-hill athletes playing in an event without any real meaning. Will anyone care? Lorne's story can be found here.

Turnberry on Scotland's west coast is among my favourite courses in the world. Exposed to the element and perched right on the ocean, it is scenic and strategic, fun and grand. Well, after a lengthy disappearance, the course has been awarded the 2009 British Open. And I guess that even though it is ranked in the Top 20 in the world, it simply isn't good enough. Break out the shovels -- it is time to dig up Turnberry.

"The main thing I can tell you we're doing is building a lot more bunkers," said Stewart Selbie, Turnberry's GM. "Right now we have the fewest bunkers - 66
- of any of the Open venues. So we're putting in 30 just now and will have almost 100 by the time we're complete. That aspect will be finished by the time we stage the Senior British Open in the summer."

I didn't know that one determined a course's merits based on the number of bunkers they inserted, but the Scotsman's story makes it sound like that's how the R&A is judging Turnberry:

Although the number of traditional traps at the Ailsa is rising, the Ayrshire links still has a long way to go before it matches the 220 bunkers waiting to punish the errant golfer at Royal Lytham.
"There are a number of other changes in the pipeline which are yet to be finalised between ourselves and the Royal and Ancient," Selbie added. "The discussions are ongoing. . Obviously, there are going to be some changes to championship tees. Just adding length to the links is not necessarily the answer, although there are a couple of instances where we will be looking to add a little more distance around the 16th
and 17th holes."

The full, sad story is here.

Bell coming off of Canadian Open?

2006-01-31T07:39:00.000-05:00

According to well placed sources, Bell Canada is poised to walk away from its sponsorship of the Canadian Open. The Royal Canadian Golf Association said it would have the sponsorship deal wrapped up last year, but the issue continues to drag on. The 2006 Open is Bell's last year as title sponsor of the event.
That means the RCGA has to come up with a business willing to put millions into the golf tournament on a regular basis, despite a diminishing field and lacklustre consumer interest. It is worth noting the 2005 tournament at Shaughnessy in Vancouver was a financial disappointment, according to the recently released annual report by the RCGA. Typical profit for the tournament was cut in half as Vancouver fans stayed home, perhaps because they only recognized three names in the field -- and one was Mike Weir who went home early.
Speculation from golf business sources suggests RBC, the large Canadian bank, might be willing to step up and sponsor the event. Apparently the RCGA is still hoping for naming rights for the event, though that is seeming less likely.

Clublink acquires new course in Toronto area?

2006-01-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

Corporate golf giant Clublink has posted on its website that a new course will be announced by the company in nine days, 13 hours, twelve minutes and six, I mean five, I mean four.... well you get it. Go here and check it out for yourself.

My sources are telling me Clublink was in negotiations to acquire Royal Woodbine, a public course near the airport in Toronto. Hardly anyone talks about the club anymore and it would be a good fit for Clublink. Though I placed a call the the media machine at Clublink, I've not heard back yet. It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Royal Woodbine seems to be one of the public courses lost in the onslaught on new high-end public tracks -- the likes of Eagles Nest, Copper Creek and the like. Built largely on leased land, the owners are rumoured to be shopping it for around $10-million, though I hear offers are a fair bit less.
Apparently there are several clubs in the Toronto area for sale -- and the recently bankrupt Paris Grand, about an hour from the city -- is receiving bids for the end of the month.

UPDATE: Clublink's terrific media relations guy, Tim O'Connor, called me this morning to say, well, not much of anything. He didn't confirm or deny the company had spoken with Royal Woodbine and made some vague comment about the new course announcement on Clublink's website. I guess we'll have to wait eight days, 15 hours, 22 minutes and six, I mean, damn, five.... well you know the drill.

J.B. Holmes, the man with the incredibly long...

2006-01-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

Separated at birth? Probably not.

Of course everyone many not understand why PGA Tour long bomber John Holmes began using his initials when he turned pro. But he assumes you do. "You know," was his response to the question when asked about it by a knowing sportswriter who was clearly trying to be a wise ass. One John Holmes is known for his prodigious distance, and the other John Holmes was known for, well, his prodigious member.

Anyway, while trolling around the PGA Tour site yesterday, I went through the Buick's third round hole by hole. Turns out that almost all of the long drives were either Bubba Watson or JB Holmes, with a couple of Tiger Woods thrown in to add some variation.

There's a story about Holmes in the NY Times, and though it doesn't deal with his ability to hit the ball a long way off the tee, it does talk about his battles with dyslexia, a problem he dealt with during his schooling. Apparently his dyslexia led his academic counselors to consider his other skills:

"One strength he has, and it ties into his ability in golf, is very strong spatial skills," AmyCraiglow, his academic counselor said. "A lot of times, we could put certain things in certain spots on a wall and study them, like a visualization. It's also a very good skill to have as far as understanding distance and being able to see the golf course."

Distance is apparently not the problem, since Holmes has averaged well over 300 yards off the tee so far this year. You can find the NY Times story on him here.

And if you think the ball doesn't travel too far, tell that to Jose Maria Olazabol, who hit one 360 yards on the back nine at Torrey Pines on Saturday. And he's not even a long hitter...

On a related note, with Garcia, Woods, and Mickelson all near the top of the leaderboard, I'm going to tune in to watch golf for the first time this year. This one should be interesting -- and it just what the PGA Tour needs more of.

McKenna's golf game...

2006-01-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

For my American readers, this might not mean much. But with the resignation of former PM Paul Martin following last week's election, there's renewed speculation Frank McKenna, who resigned this week as Canada's ambassador to the U.S., will run for leadership of the Liberal party. This blog isn't political, but three years ago I had the chance to tee it up with McKenna as part of my Going For The Green golf and business series. The series ended after three years and 45 executives and CEOs were profiled, but I dragged this one out of the archives to give people a glimpse of McKenna away from the politics and boardrooms. And yes, if TaylorMade is reading, they should send Frank a new driver....

Business, politics and fairways:
Former N.B. premier Frank McKenna's tidy game
is also a deal-making asset
MONCTON - Even with a golf club in his hands, Frank McKenna still likes to talk politics. Only days removed from the federal election, McKenna seems keen on sizing up the decisions that led to a Liberal minority government, a result that surprised many. But rather than giving his views to a scrum of reporters, he's holding court at the Royal Oaks Golf and Country Club outside of Moncton.
McKenna starts our game with a big drive down the middle of the first fairway. He then addresses the election.
"I thought Canadians showed a lot of wisdom with this one," says the plain spoken McKenna, who stepped down as New Brunswick premier in 1997. "They realized the Liberals needed to be spanked, but recognized that Paul Martin is a different man from Jean Chretien. Once the fury was over, the public made the right decision.
"The Conservatives ended up as a viable alternative, which shows the public were strategic. I also think that in the last 10 days the public realized what they wanted. They wanted Stephen Harper to serve an apprenticeship."
His criticism isn't totally objective; McKenna spent time on the campaign trail with the Liberals even though he wasn't a candidate.
Not that he wasn't prepared to enter the fray, he says as we stand on the tee of the third hole. Martin wanted McKenna as his star in Atlantic Canada, but when Liberal candidates in the Fredericton area refused to step aside for McKenna, he chose not to run. "Mentally, my head was there as a candidate, but I wouldn't run if someone didn't step aside. The consolation prize isn't bad. I have a great life and I wasn't lusting after a return to politics."
While he won't acknowledge an interest in returning to public life, McKenna still keeps close ties with former political allies. For our game, McKenna has invited Ray Frenette, a former cabinet member in his government and the man who succeeded him as premier, and Bob Kenny, a well-connected Fredericton lawyer.
Royal Oaks was designed by Rees Jones, the U.S. architect know as the Open Doctor for his work renovating U.S. Open courses. The course is a fine test of golf: brutish par threes protected by nasty bunkers meet long four-shot holes punctuated by small ponds. Royal Oaks has received several accolades, including best new course in Eastern Canada by Score magazine in 2002.
It was at Royal Oaks two years ago that protesters showed up to rally against one of McKenna's golf outings. He invited George W. Bush, assorted politicians and CEOs to hobnob for a day.
The protesters came out because Bush and McKenna are both advisors to the Carlyle Group, a massive capital fund with strong political ties and some investments in defence projects.
"It was very strange," McKenna says. "I'd never considered the attention my involvement with the Carlyle Group would draw."
The meetings are not meant to draw public attention. Rather, he says the aim is to bring powerful business and political leaders together. Power Corp. chairman Paul Desmarais Sr. regularly shows up, as do representatives of such East Coast families as the Irvings and the Sobeys.
- - -
Even seven years removed from office, the man can't escape his public. On the second hole, a fan yells out as McKenna strolls back to his cart. "Hey there, Frank," the man says, before offering an introduction. "It's John from Chatham."
The two exchange pleasantries, though it isn't clear whether McKenna has a clue who the man is. Still, the incident is a sign of McKenna's continued popularity.
"It is a small province and I love it," McKenna says as we ride to the fourth tee. "But that also means there isn't a lot of privacy at times." As we ride to the 169-yard par three sixth, he muses about the years since leaving office.
"Life after politics was a closed curtain to me, something I never considered. I went hard at politics and didn't consider what came after. I never expected to receive so many offers."
He now sits on nine boards, as well as continuing a vibrant law career that brings him to Toronto regularly. One of the boards McKenna chairs is CanWest Global Communications Corp., the media giant that runs a Canadian TV network and owns many of Canada's largest newspapers, including the National Post. A member of CanWest's board since 1999, McKenna sat as interim chairman following the death of company founder Izzy Asper and made the role permanent following his decision not to run in the federal election.
"I'm a huge fan of the family and I'm very interested in their media assets," he says. We head toward the 10th hole, a well-bunkered par five, and McKenna continues. "It isn't as easy as it seems. It takes a lot of time. When Izzy was there, meetings were never easy."
Despite his hectic corporate schedule, McKenna finds time to play about 25 golf games a year, often on vacation with his family (his wife, Julie, and their three grown children all play).
McKenna started playing at university, he explains partway through our round.
"When I was a kid we didn't have the money and there wasn't a club to play anyway," he says.
The 56-year-old McKenna, who stands 5-foot-10, uses his thick build and strength effectively on the golf course, hitting long straight drives for most of our round. It helps him record a couple of birdies. He shoots 79 (with a 37 on the opening nine), while I card a 75, helped by four birdies.
Though McKenna complains about his putting and sand play, he is a strong, athletic player who plays a competitive game.
Golf, it seems, is a useful sport in politics and business. "It is a great place to bond with someone or do some business," he says as he chases yet another long drive up the fairway of the 398-yard 17th.
In McKenna's case, his tidy game has helped him politically, especially when he teed it up with former prime minister Chretien.
"We were playing at Ottawa Hunt and I was there to ask him for $300-million for our highways. Chretien is a good golfer and hits the ball not that long, but straight. He is also very competitive and hates to lose. So we get to the 18th hole and I need a short putt to beat him. He tells me that if I miss it he'll give me the money for the highways. But I hate to lose as well, so I make it. He just said, 'To hell with it. I'll give you the money anyway.' "
GREEN GUIDE:
Frank McKenna, lawyer, McInnes Cooper; chairman, CanWest Global Communications Inc. and Major Drilling Group International Inc.
Handicap: 9
Membership: Pine Needles Golf and Country Club (Shediac, N.B.)

Weeks is blogging

2006-01-27T00:13:00.000-05:00

I'm sure it will piss John Gordon off to no end, especially considering how fond he is of bloggers, but Score Golf's editor, Bob Weeks, has launched his own blog on the magazine's web site. For my U.S. readers, Bob is one of the elite golf media in Canada, working both print and TV. His blog shows promise -- as long as he has time put down all the swag he's surely taking from the PGA merch show and finds a moment to type.

Until now there really have not been any other mainstream media blogging about golf. Hopefully Bob's writing will stir up some additional interest. It'll be intriguing to see how he utilizes the medium -- because there's surely a lot of readers in Canada that will follow what he has to say about the game of golf and only so much can be addressed in a handful of editorials in his publication.

He gets off to a promising start:

As a press person attending this, there are two main functions: 1) find out what’s hot and 2) try to get as much free stuff as possible.
The first time I attended this about 15 years ago, a crusty old writer told me, “If you don’t leave here with at least $2,000 worth of stuff, you’re just not trying.”
So, as your humble correspondent, I'm going to attempt to do both and leave without having to pay for the extra weight in my luggage from all the swag.

Hope Bob makes out like a bandit, but from the look of his office the last time I stopped by, I'm not sure he needs more gear. Now your humble scribe is always interested in equipment, especially balls which will be scattered all over the world and act as great marketing....

Tiger's fresh start

2006-01-26T13:01:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what Tiger Woods does when he's not playing golf? Not much, apparently.

From his press conference in San Diego yesterday:

Q. What did you do during your time off?
TIGER WOODS: I didn't do much of anything. I just hung around the house and just really chilled and just laid low.
Q. Did you do any skiing?
TIGER WOODS: I did, I went skiing. I went for about four or five days. That was it.
Q. Are you any good at it?
TIGER WOODS: Better than I was before.

Of course I'm not buying any of this. "Didn't do much of anything," is really Tiger speak for, "I hit balls for five hours a day."

Geoff Shackelford picks up on some of Woods' other comments, including his apparent disdain for the never-ending cycle of lengthening golf courses.

Donald Trump is apparently building a golf course near Scotland's Royal Aberdeen. Or not. Or maybe. Who knows?

Apparently The Donald was scouting out a site near Royal Aberdeen and Murcar to build a golf resort. Of course this would be the first links to sport massive, completely unnatural waterfalls. And surely Trump would proclaim, even before the course is open, that "some people feel this is the best golf course in Scotland." He won't devulge who those people are exactly.

Anyway, the whole plan has hit a snag -- or it might be that The Donald's organization is just threatening to walk in order to gain concessions.

Legal issues have shelved US tycoon Donald Trump's plan to develop a links golf course in Scotland. The American property billionaire was believed to have been looking at a course on the North-east coast.A senior aide of the Trump Organisation said the plan had run into legal complications that had stalled months of work.Mr Trump is now looking at Ireland instead, although a spokesman said Scotland still remained the location of choice.The news comes as a blow to Scottish golf and the tourism industry.Yesterday they were celebrating the news that last year's Open at St Andrews generated £72 million.The Trump Organisation
has never revealed the nature of its proposed leisure development, but it is thought to have been planning a world-class golf course capable of staging such events.

World class events? Like the suit and tie culture of the R&A would ever award an Open Championship to the likes of Trump. The whole sordid saga is here.

Michelle Wie's new website

2006-01-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

As reported on the Golf Channel last night, click on this link, www.michellewiegolf.com, and see Michelle Wie's new website. Oh, and remember that it is Nike that's paying all that dough that allowed her parents to pay back the bank loans once she turned pro....
Update: One reader chastized me for this, but I don't think TaylorMade had anything to do with this link. It was simply someone who registered the URL and is now having a little fun with it. I doubt the domain name will remain active for very long....

Open won't be going to Ireland

2006-01-25T11:16:00.001-05:00

Ernie Els will be in Qatar, Tiger and Phil will be in San Diego. For Canadians, Jon Mills will be in the field at Torrey Pines, as will Stephen Ames.One other thing is certain: The British Open won't be going to Ireland any time soon.

That's the word in an article in the Herald in which David Hill, the R&A's director of tournaments, says it is just too tough logisitically to take the tournament to a place like Royal County Down:

Hill said it would be wrong to say "never" but the R&A had looked closely at taking the Open back there and to Royal County Down "and there is absolutely no way" logistically of coping with as many as 50,000 spectators a day."If we were dealing with all-ticket crowds of 15-20,000 then that would be different and would bring another seven or eight courses into play, but the R&A philosophy has been to encourage as many people as possible to come to the Open."

It is an interesting remark, since it appeared to me that Portmarnock, that presents a great course and a location near Dublin, would be an ideal club to host the Open Championship. I can't really understand how Portmarnock or Royal County Down differ dramatically in terms of logistics from the great Scottish links.
Hill also remarked that Scottish golf courses have had to pick up their promotion of tourism in order to compete with Ireland, which has done a great job of promoting itself as a golf destination.

He said there was an awareness that other countries had promoted golf more positively but Scotland was now awakening to the potential."There is a huge demand from Americans, and to take advantage of that marketplace needs the recognition by all golf clubs in Scotland that they have a duty to encourage as many visitors as they can reasonably take. Most of them already are," said Hill.

Long hitting Bubba; Weir's rebound; thanks Mr. Gordon

2006-01-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

Dave Davies in the Telegraph has an interesting story about the longest hitters on tour and the impact they are having on the courses they play. Bubba Watson's name is front and center. Vijay Singh had this to say:

"He is making a fool out of us all. Keep that name in mind - Bubba Watson. That guy hits the ball 350 yards through the air."

Davies also spoke with Irish designer Pat Ruddy, who had this to say about the explosion in distance:

"After these guys have driven the ball they have consumed over 70 per cent of the golf course. There's nothing left. The entire values of the game are being attacked by one club, the driver."

You can find the entire story here.

Toronto Star writer Jim Byers writes about Mike Weir's attempt to rebound to his 2003 form and his avid fanbase. Weir says calling 2006 a "critical year," is too strong:

"Do I think that's a little strong?" he asked. "I think that's probably a lot strong. What's critical about it? I don't have anything to prove in this game. I've proven myself and I'm just going to continue to work harder and get better. I feel like I've got a long career ahead of me."

The full story is here.

Oh, and a big shout out to avid reader, Sportsnet's very own golf analyst John Gordon. He sent me a kind note this morning about his story on Angus Glen's North course and the Canadian Open. Thanks for stopping by!

Death, taxes and spring golf covers

2006-01-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

As certain as death and taxes is the guarantee Canada's golf mags will place the new Canadian on the PGA Tour on their covers for their first issue. Last year it was David Hearn — and we all know how well that worked.
This year, it is Jon Mills. Mills shows a lot of promise -- he averaged 311 off the tee on the Nationwide Tour last year -- and he managed the make the cut in Hawaii, though a poor 78 meant he missed the cut this week at the Hope.
Anyway, golf rags aren't the only ones keeping up with Mills. Former Maclean's writer, James Deacon, reports on Mills for the Toronto Star yesterday.
Mike Weir has nice things to say:

Tellingly, he won at every level and he earned his PGA Tour card by finishing fifth last year on the Nationwide, an achievement built on season-long excellence. "That should bode well for him," Weir says of Mills' consistency, adding: "In terms of predicting success, I would say it's a better barometer" than if Mills had qualified through one week's play at Q-school.

Anyway, wait for Golf Canada, Score and all of the other mags to come out with Mills as their predictable cover. Of course the problem is that all the dailies have already written about him, leaving the monthlies in their dust.

David Duval watch: Shoots 64 on Saturday — makes another cut. Looks like three in a row, if you count his fine showing in Japan at the end of last year.

Golf season in Canada doesn't start until the Masters — on the PGA Tour it doesn't start until Tiger shows up. Apparently that will be this week. Ernie Els will show up at Doral, which should be worth watching.

Is Bubba Watson all that? Apparently SI's Chris Lewis thinks so. I have a hard time taking anyone named Bubba seriously, but this guy puts John Daly to shame when it comes to bombing it. He hit one 398 in Hawaii. Maybe Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls should ask Watson to take over as "consulting architect." Maybe he can hit it over the falls.

Oh, and as the media continues to proclaim the new Canadian Open date a disaster, Score magazine's Bob Weeks jumps in with a column entitled "A Mid-Summer Nightmare." Weeks quotes Stephen D. Ross as saying:

"We're sure to get good weather," said Ross. "There will be no conflict with the NFL as there is now. The kids won't be back at school, which has always impacted our volunteers. We're in the heart of the PGA Tour season, rather than at the end as we are now. And the players will be earning Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and FedEx Cup points."

Let's hope that's not just wishful thinking on Stephen D's part.

Weeks isn't the only one dumping on the new date. Writers are lining up to take a shot at this one. John Gordon, longtime fan of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, had this to say in his Sportsnet column:

On that day, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced that, starting in 2007 and running for the six-year duration of the new TV contract, our Open will be played in what arguably is a worse spot. The marquee players will not be thrilled with flying back from Britain to Ontario or Quebec. Needless to say, even fewer will endure the additional time changes if the RCGA wants to have our Open in Western Canada, let alone back in British Columbia.

Don't hold back John — tell us how you really feel.

18 Great Par Threes; Ames' return; Trump's Folly

2006-01-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

Ron Whitten in Golf Digest writes an interesting review of a course called Crosswinds in South Carolina that has 18 par threes all designed by different architects. Whitten says: "Yes, it's a gimmick, but it's a gimmick that works. What otherwise might have been just another fun-to-play but quickly forgettable par-3 layout is instead both fun-to-play and rather memorable." The entire story can be found here.
Michael Grange in the Globe and Mail writes about Stephen Ames' return to play and the fact he expects this season to be much better than 2005 when his wife was battling cancer. Ames told Grange: "It was a difficult year," he said. "Trying to play golf and deal with the problems at home. It was almost impossible to focus. I wanted to be home, but I needed to play in some respects. I could have taken some time off and wasted the whole year, but in the end I learned from it. You learn from the experiences that life gives you." I think Ames is a journeyman, though a good one. It'll be interesting to see how well he can do this year -- he's not a young man, after all. The full story is here.
There's also an intriguing story in a California newspaper about the low key opening of Donald Trump's Trump National. Doesn't sound like there's much hype behind this one.... "Got $300 burning a hole in your pocket and a burning desire for a bracing game of golf despite the relatively cool temperatures? Then head out to Rancho Palos Verdes' Trump National Golf Club, which quietly opens all 18 holes to the general public for the first time at 7 a.m. today. Plenty of tee times are available." Isn't this the same club of which Trump said, "Some people say this is the best course in California." I know the guys speaks in hyperbole, but who exactly are these people that think this course, with its ridiculous waterfalls, is better than Cypress or Pebble? Source.

Mills' knees aren't knocking; Paul zings the PGA Tour

2006-01-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

There's a good story on Canada's Jon Mills on the back page of today's Globe, written by all-around nice guy Michael Grange.
Grange goes over Mills' career pretty well and gives an indication of just how hard it is to keep your tour card as a rookie these days. Then Michael heads to Mills' wife, Megan, asks some questions and gets a funny response. Of course, there are reasons why you don't let you don't let your wife talk to the media, even someone as pleasant as Michael Grange. It is because of quotes like this:

"I was surprised how calm he was last week," she said of her husband's PGA rookie debut. "I've seen him knocking his knees at the Bell Canadian Open, but last week was like a regular week, and the same thing this week."

Then again, I think it makes sports stories more interesting to have some human element in them. And it is surely better than saying, "Well, I hit a 9-iron to three feet on 12...."

Mike Weir (who finally shot a good round yesterday) also had nice things to say about Mills:

"I like his game," Weir said. "He's long, which will help with the way the courses are set up out here, but more important, I like his demeanour. He's fairly relaxed and not awestruck. He's been a pro four or five years -- I think I got my card at about the same point -- and you're kind of ready by that time. It's a good time to get out here. You've played some smaller tours, you've worked your way up and you're hungry."

Mills isn't the only one who had a good day at the Bob Hope. Pat Perez shot 60!, while David Duval continued to put it in red figures.

If you're looking for interesting commentary on golf, plan to watch some ABC coverage and listen to Paul Azinger. Knowing that ABC won't be televising golf beyond this year means the gloves are coming off:

"I'm going to be no holds barred this year. If I think it, I'm saying it," Azinger told USA Today.

Zinger offers a lot to think about:

•On the subsequent 2007 schedule changes : "There's not a player out here that gets to vote on it. Input? They didn't ask anybody I know," Azinger says.

•On how to get Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and other star players in the same fields : "If (Tour officials) don't put their foot down, the stars will always play where they want...."

•On the Golf Channel: "You have to look for golf to find it on The Golf Channel; you stumble on golf to find it on ESPN. You've got ESPN on in all the bars, and then golf comes on, which is good for the players. The Golf Channel's not on in too many bars."

And the final word: "The Golf Channel already treats the Tour with kid gloves. You won't ever see an exposé of any player coming off The Golf Channel."

I guess that's telling it like it is. Fascinating.

Rubenstein on CanOpen date; Daly's debut; Giving Tiger away

2006-01-18T10:02:00.000-05:00

There's a funny story in a San Diego paper about a man who won the right to play with Tiger Woods in the pro-am for the Buick Invitational. The man determined it would be better if he gave the opportunity to his son Jeff. Interestingly, Jeff is struggling with his game at the moment and has that fear of killing a spectator that pops into the head of anyone who has played in a PGA Tour pro-am. He made this remark about playing with Tiger:
"My brother Brad is going to have to get out there and get the gallery ready," said Jeff, a sales executive for a payroll services firm. "They're going to need hard hats and safety goggles."
John Daly's "Daly Planet" (not the most original name, but I guess it works) debuts on the Golf Channel. Maybe once they get their 15 years of PGA Tour events, the station's programming won't be filled with infomercials and questionable reality shows. Anyway, this one has some promise, acccording to Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle and the show picks up with Daly coming to Niagara Falls to try and hit a ball across the gorge as a stunt for Thundering Waters, the course in the area which uses his name for marketing. Daly's comments sound like the show might be worth watching (and God knows the GC will surely show it over and over and over):
At 8:31 a.m. Daly says, "Time for that first cold one, isn't it?" Two hours earlier he said to a friend, "Thank God we're not drinking beer this early, they'd think we were alcoholics or something."
The Globe's Lorne Rubenstein writes that the new date for the Canadian Open, which will now follow the British Open, "is likely to be more damaging than helpful." Rubenstein paints the RCGA, the organization that runs the CanOpen, as a toothless tiger, unable to even manage the event's date. "The worst part of what transpired is that the RCGA had no say in the dates," Rubenstein writes. And is it just me, or does Stephen D Ross, the organization's executive director, appear to get zinged by Rubenstein in this remark: "Ross's voice during last week's announcement did betray embarrassment, which was appropriate. Humiliation would have even been more appropriate. The RCGA and the Canadian Open, which started in 1904, deserve better." The entire story can be found here.

New Ontario golf courses; Duval's comeback; end of CanOpen in BC?

2006-01-16T21:27:00.000-05:00

A website I'm not familiar with, called Teeing It Up Ontario, has a list of courses expected to open in the province over the coming years. Here is the list they put forward:

Ambassador Golf Club (Windsor)

Coppinwood Golf Club (Goodwood)

*Muskoka Bay Golf Club (Gravenhurst)

Mystic Golf Club (Ancaster)

OslerBrook Golf & Country Club (Collingwood)

River's Edge Golf Club (Bancroft)

Silver Brooke Golf Club (Lisle)

Sparrow Lakes Golf Club (Welland)

Stone Ridge Golf Club (Elliot Lake)

Tarandowah Golfers Club (London)

The Club at Bond Head (Bond Head)

The Maples Golf & Sport Club (Noelville)

Thundering Waters Golf Club (Niagara Falls)

Of course, several of these, like Mystic and Thundering Waters, had limited openings last year. You can find the entire list, including 2007 and beyond here. I'd take everything on the site with a grain of salt. After all, they ranked the Grand Niagara club (yes, the one that doesn't pay its bills) as the top new course in Canada in 2005. I don't know anyone who has been that blown away by Grand Niagara -- especially if they've seen Oviinbyrd and Bond Head.

Interesting note from a reader who points out the move for the Canadian Open to follow the British Open in 2007 virtually eliminates the chance for the tournament to return to Vancouver in coming years. There's a good chance no one will come when the tournament is only six hours away in Toronto, but add another four hours of flight time and you might have to offer some local hackers spots to fill out the field.
David Duval and good golf. Now there's something you haven't heard for a while. Except David shot 63 on Sunday at the Sony, including five birdies in a row. Golf Channel's Mark Rolfing said this morning that Duval would never return to form, but I think that Rolfing (perhaps the worst pundit in golf) could be wrong on this one. Here's Duval's comments following his round:
"This was good golf,'' he said. It started with a chip-in for birdie on the sixth hole, the first of five straight birdies that attracted a small crowd, not bad since he was first off at 7:57 a.m. He twice holed putts of 20 feet or more, and had two good par saves from about 10 feet on the back nine.
"I've been playing well,'' Duval said. "I finally holed a few putts for a change. I was just trying to make more and more birdies. I'm not one to protect a score. I wanted to keep forcing the issue.''

Announcing Andrew Golf Design

2006-01-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

My good friend and outstanding golf architect, Ian Andrew, has today announced the formation of his own firm, Andrew Golf Design.
Some of you may not be aware of Ian and his work, but I'd be surprised, especially if you live in Canada, if you haven't played a course he's had a hand in designing. After all, he worked with Doug Carrick of Carrick Design for nearly 20 years, helping craft new courses at Osprey Valley, Ballantrae, Nobleton Lakes, and a variety of other places. On top of that, he was the lead restoration architect in the firm, working on such great clubs as St. George's (for which he's received a lot of notice for the great bunker work), St. Thomas, Weston, Cataraqui, Brantford and many, many others.
Anyway, after a lot of soul searching, Ian made the determination to try his hand at starting his own firm, thus Andrew Golf Design. The plan is to continue focusing on restoration and renovation work on existing clubs (and hopefully expand his business in the U.S., where he currently works with a handful of courses) and get the opportunity to create a new Ian Andrew golf course.
I'm not sure what a new Andrew golf design looks like. But knowing how thoughtful and clever Ian is, as well as how plugged in to the current zeitgeist of architects like Bill Coore (Sand Hills) and Tom Doak (Pacific Dunes), I know Ian's work will be very different from most of what has been created in Canada in recent years. He's not the type to push land around for the sake of padding a budget; instead he's likely to actually embrace the natural concepts that have been a dominate part of his restoration work. And while most new courses in Canada, with the notable exception of Thomas McBroom's Firerock in London, and the Jason Straka's work at Georgian Bay Club and Bond Head, have been pretty standard, Ian's work at St. George's and Weston, as well as his willingness to embrace the vision of Golden Age architects like Mackenzie, Travis, Tillinghast and Thompson, mean his bunkers will be have a character sorely missing from many layouts.
Ian has a pretty cool website up at Andrewgolf.com that details his philosophy, work experience and has some great before and afters of his creations at places like St. George's. Check it out.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, Ian has created an amazing logo for his firm -- which is the jpeg in the corner of this post. If you are wondering, apparently the logo is Ian if he were Old Tom Morris. At least that's how I see it....

Canadian Open date for 2007

2006-01-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

.... is, drum roll please — exactly as expected!

That means the tournament now follows the British Open. In truth, on the PGA Tour it follows the U.S. Bank Championship, which has the worst spot -- opposite the British where all the good players are. Tell me why there's a tournament that runs against a major?

The Royal Canadian Golf Association released the following statement on the new position:

“The RCGA is pleased by the commitment the PGA Tour has made to the Bell
Canadian Open,” said Stephen D. Ross, Executive Director for the RCGA.

When did he add the "d"?

The new Tour television deal will heighten our identity as a premier event on
the PGA Tour. The 2007 Bell Canadian Open will be one of the key tournaments for
players to earn valuable points leading up to the season-ending FedEx Cup title.

Right, that'll get them up to Canada? And do we know it will be called the Bell Canadian Open in 2007? Seems that deal is running on life support.

These enhancements will only increase the profile of our event in North America
and around the world,” continued Ross.

Oh right. The profile where one of the Top 10 in the world shows up and the fans stay home, as they did at Shaughnessy.

Anyway, here's the sched:

Jan. 1-7: Mercedes Championships (TGC)
Jan. 8-14: Sony Open in Hawaii (TGC)
Jan. 15-21: Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (TGC)
Jan. 22-28: Buick Invitational (TGC, CBS)
Jan. 29-Feb. 4: FBR Open (TGC, NBC)
Feb. 5-11: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (TGC, CBS)
Feb. 12-18: Nissan Open (TGC, CBS)
Feb. 19-25: WGC Accenture Match Play Championship (TGC, NBC)
Feb. 19-25: Mayakoba Classic at Riviera Maya (Mexico) (TGC)
Feb. 26-March 4: The Honda Classic (TGC, NBC)
March 5-11: Tampa Bay Championship (TGC, NBC)
March 12-18: Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard (TGC, NBC)
March 19-25: WGC CA Championship (TGC, NBC)
March 26-April 1: Shell Houston Open (TGC, NBC)
April 2-8: The Masters: USA,CBS)
April 9-15: MCI Heritage (TGC, CBS)
April 16-22: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (TGC, CBS)
April 23-29: EDS Byron Nelson Championship (TGC, CBS)
April 30-May 6: Wachovia Championship (TGC, CBS)
May 7-13: The Players Championship (TGC, NBC)
May 14-20: BellSouth Classic (TGC, CBS)
May 21-27: The Colonial Invitational (TGC, CBS)
May 28-June 3: The Memorial Tournament (TGC, CBS)
June 4-10: Stanford St. Jude Championship (TGC, CBS)
June 11-17: U.S. Open (ESPN, NBC)June 18-24: 84 Lumber Classic (TGC, CBS)
June 25-July 1: Buick Open (TGC, CBS)
July 2-8: The International (TGC, CBS)
July 9-15: John Deere Classic (TGC, CBS)
July 16-22: British Open (TNT, ABC)
July 16-22: U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee (TGC)
July 23-29: Bell Canadian Open (TGC, CBS)
July 30-Aug. 5: WGC Bridgestone Invitational (TGC, CBS)
Aug. 6-12: PGA Championship (TNT, CBS)
Aug. 13-19: Carolina Classic at Greensboro (TGC, CBS)
FedEx Cup Championship Series:Aug. 20-26: Barclays Classic/New York City (TGC, CBS)
Aug. 27-Sept. 3: Deutsche Bank Championship/Boston (TGC, NBC)
Sept. 3-9: Championship Series event/Chicago (TGC, NBC)
Sept. 10-16: The Tour Championship (TGC, NBC)

Kane in Toronto; Wie falls apart; China claims golf

2006-01-13T07:05:00.001-05:00

Had the chance to speak with Lorie Kane in Toronto yesterday about her new sponsorship arrangement with CN, though I think that was the least interesting part of the story. What is most interesting were her comments on the changing face of the LPGA that appeared in my story in the National Post this morning:

Looking slim from several weeks of working out in PEI over her Christmas break, Kane, an elder statesman in the LPGA at 41, admitted she has adifficult time relating to the teen sensations on tour. These new players come equipped with physical trainers, nutritionists, mental coaches andoften million dollar endorsement deals, a far cry from Kane, who broke ontothe LPGA in 1996 at the age of 31. Instead of heading to a large U.S. college on a golf scholarship like most of today's young players, Kane stayed in Canada for university and developed her came with help from herfather, Jack.
"They come with the full package," says Kane. "Which is a little differentfrom where I came from . I was not ready to turn pro when I was 18."
Asked about Wie's chance of making the cut in Hawaii today, Kane wouldn't commit either way, but added "I'm hoping she does, for her. And for [women'sgolf], because we benefit any time she shows up in the paper or in the news."Though the youngsters on the LPGA are generating a buzz, they are also under tremendous pressure. Just take Wie, for example, who sits next to last afterday one at the Sony Open, likely dashing any hope of playing of the weekend.
Kane said players like Wie and Creamer play the game with abandon and without fear, but she is unsure whether they can keep in up over theentirety of their careers."The younger players come with an unbelievable focus and I don't know if itis because they just don't know any better," Kane said.

As for Michelle Wie, there's no chance she'll play the weekend this year after posting a nine-over 79. AP's Doug Ferguson says the teen dream was a little shaken up by her dodgy play.

''Today it was like, 'Wow,' " she said. ''It's like, 'I can't believe I'm doing this bad.' "
And as the 16-year-old got up from her chair, she finally figured out what would make it better. ''I want some chocolate," she said.

The reality is that it'll take more than chocolate. She could redeem herself today, but if she finishes last — or near last — it will be interesting to see if that's the end of sponsor's exemptions into men's tournaments, at least on the PGA Tour. In my opinion she was always out of her depth -- and this is just proving it. Why not back away quietly and try again in a few years? Besides, it looked like she was going to break into tears after her round, and the last pro golfer to do that after getting spanked was Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie. He cried on his mother's shoulder.

Apparently China creates more than just products for Walmart -- according to an academic, golf was created in the Asian country.

"When golf was introduced into China most people naturally assumed that golf was
a foreign game. In fact this is contrary to the historical facts. Golf, as we know it today, clearly originated in China." - Prof Ling.

I'm sure there will be some debate about this. But what difference does it make? It isn't like Mission Hills is going to rival St. Andrews any time soon.

Ford pulls out of Finchem's vision; Rolfing on Wie; and bad raters in Ireland

2006-01-12T07:42:00.000-05:00

Lost in the midst of all this news about the new TV deal is that struggling car maker Ford has dropped its sponsorship from the tournament at Doral. The event is being replaced by the CA Championship, sponsored by Computer Associates, and will be part of the World Golf Championships. The auto industry, especially the domestic auto industry, is very important to the PGA Tour. With the struggles facing all of the Big Three, it is possible they pull away from pricey events like pro golf. It would be fascinating to see what wrench that would throw into Tim Finchem's plans.

Mark Rolfing continues his astute insights into Michelle Wie on the Golf Channel this morning. In between offering congratulations to the Golf Channel for their part in the new TV deal (how many times can these guys pat themselves on the back?), Rolfing had this to say on Wie's chances this week:

"She needs to make the lowest score she can on each hole and see if she can make the cut."

Thanks for that insight, Mark. I assume she's trying to make the lowest score on each hole. If she's not, then she's in the wrong sport. Apparently Rolfing also believes the Golf Channel's participation in the TV deal is good for golf in Hawaii.

Rolfing is really pumped up about it, and not just because he's employed by two of the parties involved in the televising PGA Tour golf.

"The thing I really like about it, the reason I think it is so good for Hawai'i, is the focus is going to be on The Golf Channel when they start and they're really going to have to blow out these (first) two weeks," Rolfing said. "They're going to have to really promote it, make it a big deal and, in general, I think that will be good for the events. We sort of limped into the season last week (at Mercedes) and I think you'll really see them go all out to make these things big."

Ah, I get it. Tiger is going to now show up because the Golf Channel is televising the tournament! That's all Finchem needed to fix golf's problems — more Golf Channel.

While the National Post spends time talking about Mike Weir's comeback (He's healthy! He's hitting it father! He's happy!), the Globe and Mail uses a lot of column space for Lorie Kane. Kane, from PEI, says though she is now 41, she feels young and hasn't reached her peak:

"I might be 41 according to the calendar, but I don't feel 41," she said. "I don't know what 41 is supposed to feel like, but I feel like I'm in my late twenties or early thirties with my golf game. I'm still learning, I haven't reached my potential yet."

Kane is signing a sponsorship deal today, and I'm going down to lob a few softballs questions from the gallery.

Golf Digest Ireland has the world's most ridiculous rankings list in its latest issue and apparently it is garnering some controversey. Why? Well because there were a disproportionate number of golfers that voted from the Republic, meaning the country's best two courses -- County Down and Portrush -- didn't even make the Top 10. And the K Club, with its awful bunkering and over done mounding as the best club in Ireland? Come on. If that were the case, why would anyone travel there to play? I'd just stay in Toronto and play Royal Woodbine if I wanted that experience.

Here's the list, if you care:

For the record, the GDI Top 20 were: 1 K Club (Palmer); 2 The European Club; 3 Mount Juliet; 4 Portmarnock (Old); 5 Ballybunion (Old); 6 Ballyliffin (Glashedy); 7 Co Louth; 8 Druids Glen; 9 Co Sligo; 10 Lahinch (Old); 11 Royal Portrush (Dunluce); 12 Royal Co Down; 13 The Heritage; 14 Old Head of Kinsale; 15 Waterville; 16 The Island; 17 Royal Dublin; 18 Adare Manor (Resort); 19 Tralee; 20 Carton House (Montgomerie).

PGA Tour TV deal announced

2006-01-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

I don't have time to go into it, and since most of the news has already leaked anyway, check out the PGATour's site for the details of the TV deal.

The main points are these:

"CBS and NBC will provide weekend coverage of the PGA TOUR FedEx Cup competition for the 2007 through 2012 seasons. Also beginning in 2007, The Golf Channel will become the TOUR’s exclusive cable partner."

A win for the Golf Channel, it would seem.

No mention of the Canadian Open or a new schedule — yet.

The entire press release can be found here.

Keiser, Coore and Crenshaw in Saskatchewan

2006-01-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

Is Saskatchewan the next hotbed of Canadian golf? It might be, with Pacific Dunes owner Mike Keiser scouting out a site to build a new course.

This comes from a Lorne Rubenstein story in the Globe a couple days ago....

Golf is more stimulating when an architect provides choices. Along these lines, it's worth noting that Coore will visit a property some 30 kilometres south of Lloydminster, Sask., just inside Alberta, later this month. He's beenthere before and he'll be going again with the Alberta architect Rod Whitman.
They're going on behalf of Mike Keiser, who developed and owns the Bandon Dunes resort in Oregon. Crenshaw and Coore designed Bandon Trails there.Keiser's been taken with the Canadian property for a couple of years, and wants to help finance a course there.

Mills, Weir and some girl named Wie make their '06 debuts

2006-01-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

The National Post has an article by Jeremy Sandler today on the debut of long hitting Jon Mills, while other Canadian news sources note Mike Weir will make a start this week in Hawaii at the Sony.

Mills had this to say about his prep time:

"The last time I played -- actually played -- golf, it was just before it kind of started to snow down in Pennsylvania, so it was a little while ago."

Apparently Mills now lives in Indiana, though I can't explain why.

Interestingly, I don't ever recall Weir starting so early in the year. A quick look at his stats showed I was right -- the last time Weir played this early in the season, without participating in the Mercedes, was in 1999. He usually plays the Mercedes and then departs until Arizona or California.

Also, in case you are still paying attention, The Toronto Star's Dave Perkins weighs in on the ABC television deal and the earnings made by players. I guess significantly late is better than not at all to Canadian sports sections.

Oh, yeah. Every golf writer of any note is clicking away on their keypads to write up opinion pieces about Michelle Wie. Ugh. I'll tell you what I'm tired of -- pieces like this one in the USA Today which bring this wide-eyed fascination to Wie, a story which is getting old, fast. Apparently it is surprising that she's taking her driving test. Oh, and some exams. Please.

Wie had this to say:

"Whatever happens, I think it will be a successful week," Wie said Tuesday after a practice round with Sean O'Hair and Justin Rose that drew a gallery close to 100. "How you get there is the most important thing. Playing with the men will make me a lot better player."

Isn't that just about exactly what she said last year? And the year before? Apparently she wants to not only make the cut, but also finish in the Top 20. Unless she can figure out how to putt in the final round of tournaments, I suspect Wie will head home Friday night.

A story by AP's Doug Ferguson also discusses Wie's work with Canadian physiologist Paul Gagne:

Wie also has been loading up on the fitness, working with Paul Gagne, a physiologist who works primarily with hockey players. She said she has added five pounds of muscle, and coach David Leadbetter said the extra strength allows her to hold the club in position at the top of her swing.

Not a lot of talk about her putting, is there?

Canadian Open at Angus Glen to stay put in 2007?

2006-01-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sportsnet.ca's John Gordon has a so-called "scoop" on the site today saying the RCGA has agreed to keep the Canadian Open at Angus Glen in 2007. There has been some concern that the event's new date, in July following the British Open, might hurt turnout. Adding to the problem was the perception of some that the course was not particularly good. This stems from a skins game held prior to the course's official opening and attended by the likes of Vijay Singh and David Duval. Apparently they weren't big fans of the course, created by Doug Carrick and Jay Morrish.

It would have been surprising had the event been moved, since Angus Glen owner Gordon Stollery paid the RCGA to host the tournament twice -- once in 2002 on the South course and next year on the North.

In his article, Gordon writes:

But on Tuesday, a reliable source intimate with the tournament told Sportsnet that an announcement was imminent to the effect that the Canadian Open would be played at Angus Glen, albeit on a significantly altered course, and that moving it to Glen Abbey was not a consideration.

Let's hope they weren't too "intimate." The source might catch something and need a shot to alleviate any symptoms.

Anyway, Gordon also mentions the "source" told him Davis Love III visited Angus:

The source said PGA Tour veteran Davis Love III, also a course architect, had made multiple visits to Angus Glen to suggest alterations to toughen the course, designed in 2001 by Toronto's Doug Carrick and U.S. designer Jay Morrish. The source also said other PGA Tour players will be flown up to add their input.

Of course, that's hardly a scoop. It has been well known for two years that Davis was going to use Carrick's renovation plans to "rework" Angus and hopefully help draw a stronger field. I wrote about it in G4G in 2004 . I guess sometime a scoop is a scoop and sometimes it is something else... or maybe a scoop can get reused every year.

The truth is the RCGA probably wants to move the tournament, but they are locked into a deal and have little choice. Gordon Stollery and Angus Glen were their date for the prom and now they've got to dance.

All of Gordon's story can be found here.

Tiger's billion dollar charge; Golfobserver observes G4G and Augusta gets tougher

2006-01-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

Golf Digest has made what we already know official: Tiger Woods is golf's richest player. According to the publication, he could make $1-billion by 2013. "Research by Golf Digest revealed that ... Woods has earned another $481.8 million in endorsements and appearance fees. Assuming Woods continues on the same earnings trajectory, Golf Digest projects that Woods will reach the $1 billion mark in career earnings by the end of 2010. According to financial experts, Woods' net worth should surpass $1 billion by 2013, if not sooner." Just to give you a clear sense of why Woods and Phil Mickelson could afford to skip the opening event in Hawaii, note in the article that while Mickelson may have trailed Woods on the money list last year, he still made $45-million, $39-million of which came from "off course sources." I don't think we are talking ponies and college bowl games here folks. More likely Callaway, Ford and other cash. Also striking is Norman, Palmer and Nicklaus, who made little on the course ($15 grand in the case of Palmer), but $20-million, $25-million and $15-million respectively last year other ways. The full list can be found here. For Canadians, even in an off-year, Mike Weir apparently made $5-million, good for 27th on the list.
It took a long time, but the fine folks at Golfobserver.com have finally come to recognize this little golf blog, picking my piece on changes at the Canadian Open and including it in their roundup of golf news. The problem has always been that the National Post, the newspaper I write for, doesn't make its website accessible to those without subscriptions. By posting some of my columns on this blog, I was hoping to open up a broader readership. But since few golf bloggers actually break any news, and simply just point you to what is worthwhile on the web (a fine practice...), Golfobserver.com didn't really recognize the blogsphere. Well, apparently they do now, which is pretty cool indeed. My hope would be that they might even pick up on some of my course previews and reviews, like the Doug Carrick design in Scotland that I previewed here a few days back.
I haven't spent much time commenting on it, but Augusta has been touring writers through the course in recent months to show them the changes. Doug Ferguson at AP wrote a story about it a week or so back and had this to say: "Some of the tees won't be the same at the 70th Masters in April, and players won't need a scorecard to notice. The official yardage is 7,445 yards, courtesy of changes to six holes that added about 155 yards. It's the third time in the last six years that Augusta National has strengthened its golf course -- 520 yards since 1999 -- each in an attempt to restore the rhythm and shot value the way Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie designed it." Like several who have commented on this, I don't see how the current Augusta reflects the vision of Jones and MacKenzie at all. They dreamed of a wide golf course where playing to certain key areas of the fairway would make approaches slightly easier. Instead, this concept has been replaced by a target golf hybrid. Now players are expected to hit tee shot to spot A, then smack an approach to location B and hope like hell they end up below the hole. I'm not saying the tournament will be lacking in drama, but all of the changes could really make this more akin to the US Open than the Masters. I like those late round charges, and I think they are a key component in what makes the tournament interesting to most viewers.

Appleby's threepeat; PGATour asks about iPods, and Taylor's new R7

2006-01-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

Well, Stuart Appleby managed to pull off his third straight victory in Hawaii yesterday, bettering Vijay Singh in a playoff. In a story on his victory on PGATour.com, Appleby had this to say:

"I had to do something special coming in. I didn't do it, so I had to do it in the playoff," Appleby said. "Winning the Mercedes is awesome. Winning three times is a dream come true."

It is also good for the bank account. The win at the Mercedes was worth a cool $1.08-million. Not bad for a tournament where you also got to see Jessica Alba hanging by the pool.

I've posted my piece on playing with Appleby. One of the interesting facts I remember about our round was that Appleby played a controlled draw, perfect for Kapalua's wide, rolling fairways, and that he couldn't remember what British Open venues he'd played, or where the tournament was that year. "You know more about this stuff than I do," he joked as we sat on a bench waiting to tee off on one of the early holes during our round.

Also on PGATour.com is a small interview with Norway's Henrik Bjornstad, the first man from his country to make it through Q-School and onto the tour. The problem is the interview. The questions are all the interesting ones: "What has been your most nervous moment in golf, and why?" "How did you get started in the game?" and, of course, the hard hitting golf question, "What's in your MP3 player?" If you are still interested, click here.

Worth a read is a fun column by John Huggan in the Scotsman. Huggan does his predictions for the year, including this thought on March:

As the PGA Tour veers from the California coast to the "Florida swing," Tiger Woods is already looking for his fourth win of the season. No-one else has more than one. Paired on the first day of the Bay Hill Invitational, old chums Rory Sabbatini and Ben Crane begin to reminisce about their previous rounds together. Unfortunately, the conversation remains in limbo when the duo become separated somewhere around the sixth hole. Still, in a gesture of friendship and
goodwill, Sabbatini doesn't leave without saying goodbye. The South African eats lunch, hits balls for an hour, then has a massage as he waits for Crane to finish.
Mickelson announces he is taking the month off to spend more time with his parents.

Obviously the whole piece is worth checking out. Go to the Scotsman site.
This story appeared on my My Yahoo! page, but thanks to Geoff Shackelford for getting me to read it.

Oh, and if you are a gear pig, there's a story by Score Golf's Rick Young about updates to the R7 line, including the new, larger R7 driver, which is now 460cc. There is also a new shaft technology involved in the clubs, according to Young.

The r7 line up also comes equipped with the new TaylorMade RE•AX shaft that features a new technology developed by Fujikura, maker of the No. 1 shaft on the PGA Tour.According to TaylorMade, the new shaft technology promotes improved consistency shot to shot by reducing ovaling – a tendancy of the golf shaft to morph from a circular shape to an oval shape when subjected to the normal forces of a golf swing. This is achieved by weaving the graphite into a
strength-enhancing pattern placed in the midsection of the club, from just below the grip down the length of the shaft.

Canadian Open -- Bell one of several sponsors?

2006-01-07T09:54:00.000-05:00

Rumours out there suggest Bell Canada is backing away from the Canadian Open, but will still remain as a part sponsor. The speculation is Bell will become one of several sponsors for the event, and naming rights will disappear. Thank god, if this is true. I never called it "the Bell Canadian Open," and now apparently, I won't have to worry about it any longer. Expect something to be officially announced in February, six months after the situation supposed to be resolved.
The new TV deal sounds like it could put more pressure on the RCGA to come up with additional purse revenue, which could be a problem given the discussion about how badly ticket sales went at Shaughnessy this past September.

Why is there a photo of a chick in a bathing suit on G4G? Well that chick is Hollywood uber-babe Jessica Alba and I only put the photo up for pure journalistic explanation. Chris Lewis in SI writes a piece about why three of the "Big Four" aren't in Hawaii. While Lewis is speaking to Ben Crane, this occurs: "Asked on Wednesday if he could explain why anyone, however rich or family-committed, would pass up a chance to be here, Crane poked his head out of his pro-am golf cart, took a quick pan around the property, raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
It was right about then that Crane's caddie, Brett Waldman, as if for emphasis, looked up from a text message and announced that Jessica Alba was lying out at the pool down the road at the Ritz-Carlton." So see -- Ms. Alba does have something to do with golf. And I just wanted to give you the opportunity to live like a PGA Tour pro at a tournament in Hawaii. Really....
Ben Wright has a story in Links Magazine about what he hates about cart golf. I'm surprised he didn't write about his concerns about lesbians invading the LPGA Tour....

Cold in Canada, balmy in Hawaii

2006-01-06T20:41:00.000-05:00

Further proof that I need a holiday somewhere warm -- I caught myself drooling this afternoon looking at Kapalua, even though it was sprinkling rain there. How bad could that be? Everything was freezing here in Toronto.

Lots of people are still talking about why Tiger, Phil and Retief are missing from the field, and the scores so far are pretty high. Interesting to note that with all the discussion about protecting par given the distances players hit the ball, Kapalua is holding its own. And in places, it is as wide as a football field. So here's a course that runs contrary to the conventional wisdom that says narrow the fairways and grow the rough. At Kapalua the fairways are wide, but the greens can spell disaster. The wind can howl. Great fun to watch.

Announcer Mark Rolfing told an Hawaiian paper that players who win the Mercedes should be exempt for two years. Why Mark? Because the event is in Hawaii?

Here's Rolfing's logic:

“My suggestion would be rather than give just a one-year exemption into this event for winning a PGA Tour event, you would give a player two years. There is a precedent for that in that if a player wins on the PGA Tour now, he gets a two-year (tour-card) exemption. He gets two years for every tournament except this one. I don’t see any harm at all in giving a player two years. I think that would probably add, in most years, maybe 15 players, 20 maximum, to the field and it would pretty much ensure you the top players, which I think would ease the blow if some guys decided to skip the event.’’

Might work -- but it wouldn't make any difference to Tiger. Or Phil. Or Retief for that matter.

Interestingly, there seems to be a bit of friction between those who are playing in Hawaii and the big guns that aren't. Check out these quotes from Tim Rosaforte's Golf World column:

"I'm not sure why they're not playing," said two-time defending champion Stuart Appleby in a Tuesday news conference. "I guess they don't want to play. I guess they're tired or it's too far just for one week."
"It really hurts the field," said Fred Funk. "You get enough guys not showing up ... It would make a sponsor say, 'Why am I doing this? Why am I putting up all this money?'"

"This is a hard one to dance around," said Bart Bryant.

But Rosaforte suggests Tiger isn't in the field because his father's health is precarious. Let's hope he's wrong on this one, even though it is well known Earl has not been well. He can't even come to the course to watch Tiger play, and it was announced last year that the prostate cancer that had been plaguing him, had returned.

The entire Rosaforte column is here.

Golfing with Appleby

2006-01-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

Using the theme of Stuart Appleby's attempt at a third straight Mercedes, I took the time to go to PGATour.com and find a column I wrote about two years ago about playing with the Aussie when he was in Toronto. I hope you enjoy it....

Playing a round with affable Appleby

Watching Stuart Appleby up close is an awe-inspiring experience for any golfer who at some point has considered themselves even partially proficient at the game.
The ease with which he coils his shoulders and smoothly transfers his weight, thumping the little white ball well into the fairway is awe-inspiring. Unless you have to tee it up chasing him in a tournament -- then Appleby's swing is something to fear.
Playing in pro-ams with a PGA TOUR player is always a little bit like Christmas morning. You look forward to it for weeks, but when the event actually occurs there's always the possibility of being disappointed. In this case, the disappointment doesn't reside with receiving a bad winter sweater. Rather, it has everything to do with embarrassing yourself in front of someone who has mastered something so difficult.
I had the opportunity to tee it up with Appleby earlier this summer when he was in Toronto at the Altamira Charity Challenge, a golf exhibition that featured the likes of Shaun Micheel, Craig Stadler and organizer Peter Jacobsen.
It wasn't the first time I'd had the good fortune to play a game of golf with a PGA TOUR pro. In the past, I've been lucky enough to hit the links with Kirk Triplett and Matt Gogel, as well.
These are experiences I'll remember all my life. Triplett, dressed as Tiger Woods as a Halloween stunt, wanted to talk about Toronto, having spent time playing the Canadian Tour. He also gave each person in our group a tip on how to improve his game. Gogel spent time talking about his equipment and how difficult it was to fine a driver that worked for him.
Although every player I've spent time on the course with was friendly, I still find it a daunting experience to tee it up with a PGA TOUR pro.
When you hit the course with a seasoned golfer like that, you quickly find out just how far removed a good amateur is from the realms of the best in the world. When I teed it up with Appleby, alongside a mutual fund CEO, a marketing director and a television sportscaster, I was playing to a solid 2 handicap. But once I watched the Aussie bust one off the first tee, I knew he was in a league with which I couldn't ever compete.
Thankfully, given that some in our group were standing on the first tee feeling tighter than a cork in a wine bottle, Appleby turned out to be friendly and fun. He loosened up our group, something we needed badly. After all, there's nothing like adding several hundred spectators to the mix to make a bunch of weekend hacks look like they've never picked up a club. Thankfully no spectators were hurt in the first few holes, giving our group an opportunity to get to chat with Appleby, relax and keep a few balls in play.
Even with his outgoing Australian nature, it was hard not to recall that the 33-year-old Appleby had undergone a personal hardship few have experienced at such a young age. In 1998, just after the British Open, Appleby's wife, Renay, was killed in a freak car accident while unloading luggage in London, England. I'm a month younger than Appleby and am relieved to say that I haven't experienced anything like what Appleby went through following his wife's death. I hope I never do.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Appleby struggled immediately after Renay's death. He has since remarried, though, and is now is regarded as one the best players in the world.
"A few years ago, you couldn't ask him to do these things," Jacobsen says, referring to corporate outings. "But he's such a great guy. I'm glad he's doing so well."
Appleby was affable throughout our round. It's a good thing he was -- the game lasted almost six hours, more time than I like to spend golfing with anyone.
The highlight of the day came, not surprisingly, from the pro golfer in our midst. After hitting a tee shot into a greenside pond on the par-4 fourth hole, Appleby picked up and coached our group through the rest of the hole. On the following hole, a 176-yard par 3, he hit a little riser that finished over a slope in the green and found the back of the cup for a hole-in-one.
Given his level temperament, Apple didn't get overly excited about what had just transpired. As opposed to weekend players, who can tell you the exact distance and ball spin that resulted in their ace, Appleby couldn't even recall the last time he pulled the feat off.
On the next hole, a mid-length par 4, the tall Aussie drove the green and tapped in an 18-inch putt for eagle to go 1-2 on his card. As a spectator and playing partner, I watched this unfold with wide eyes, full of excitement and fascinated by the ease with which Appleby played the game.
It is hard to imagine anything better.

TV Time: Will the PGA Tour's new deal hurt the Canadian Open?

2006-01-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

Apparently there's a new TV deal in the works (at least that's what Golf World is reporting) though tour commissioner Tim Finchem is trying to lengthen the deal in order to come up with the same amount of cash he received for the one that concludes at the end of 2007.

Aside from the fact ABC is apparently bowing out of broadcasting golf altogether (leaving Paul Azinger and Nick Faldo without jobs), and a revamped Florida swing, the new TV deal could be bad news for the struggling Canadian Open. Without a commitment from Bell Canada that will see the organization push forward with a sponsorship extention, the Canadian Open could face some problems. Among them is this comment from the Golf World piece:

The source said the tour would likely reduce its subsidy of purses from 62 percent to "somewhere in the 50s," putting pressure on tournament directors to get that revenue from other areas.

The Canadian Open already has problems raising sponsorship money, so where it will come up with additional funds is the question. Surely Bell isn't going to pay more, so that means secondary sponsors will become more important. Finding sponsors willing to use their marketing dollars on sporting events has become increasingly difficult these days. Here's hoping the Royal Canadian Golf Association has an ace up its sleeve on this one.

As for all of the other details of the TV deal, Geoff Shackelford has covered it off nicely on his site.

Course Preview: The Carrick in Loch Lomond, Scotland

2006-01-04T08:02:00.000-05:00

Course preview: The Carrick, Loch Lomond, Scotland

Doug Carrick is among Canada's leading golf architects, having created Angus Glen, Bigwin Island and Eagles Nest, among others.
In the past two years he's had the chance to branch out a bit -- including a project called, interestingly, The Carrick next to the Loch Lomond course in central Scotland. The course has been built in a traditional Scottish heathland style (nice, considering how many new courses in the UK look like they were pulled from the American heartland) and is situated on an extremely hilly piece of property. Despite that, apparently the course is still very walkable.
It is being developed by the DeVere Group, which operates the wonderful Cameron House hotel on site. The only problem has been with the National Park Planning Authority, which have delayed the project for months. Once expected to open this summer, it is now delayed until at least early 2007, despite some of the holes having been completed for nearly three years at that point. There's environmental protection and then there's bureaucracy. It is clear which camp this falls into.
The site offers amazing views of central Scotland in one of the most breathtaking areas of the country. Of course it will be compared to its next door neighbour, the Weiskopf/Morrish designed Loch Lomond, but the DeVere people seem to think Carrick's course will hold its own. And this one will be open to the public, unlike the highly restrictive Loch Lomond.
So we'll just have to wait to see this finally finished -- which presents an excuse to go back for another jaunt around Scotland. In the meantime, Carrick's office could be involved in a number of projects, including one in Ireland, one in St. Kitts and another in India.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2006-01-03T20:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been hinting at it for a while, but yesterday it was official: I handed my resignation to the National Post, the Canadian national newspaper where I have been on staff since 2000. It was a tough decision, but one I made for a variety of reasons, some personal, some professional.
The result is this -- though I'm no longer on staff at the paper, I will remain as golf columnist. For those who don't read the Post, for most of the last six years I've written full-time as a business reporter, and I've interviewed the likes of Bill Gates, Carly Fiorina and others, and played golf with many of the country's top executives and politicians. Oh, and I also covered golf as a part-time arrangement, freeing up time to work on columns around my regular duties.
My new arrangement means I have a signed contract to write a weekly golf column for the paper starting in late March and running through to October.
The hope is this new relationship with the Post will allow me to pursue more golf writing, do some communications and business consulting, and work on another book (in the Fall). The reality is I have a lot of golf writing this year that is already assigned and will take up plenty of my time. There are also some golf book projects in the works.
This blog is also part of the overall plan. Expect to see some bold changes in the next while, a situation I'm currently working on. The aim is to bring this blog to a wider readership (from hundreds daily to thousands), allowing me to explore new areas with it. I'll let you know how it progresses.
Anyway, thanks for reading, now on with the golf....

Furyk signs with Srixon

2006-01-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

Interesting press release below noting Jim Furyk has apparently ended his long standing relationship with the Hogan Company (really Callaway now) and has signed on with Srixon. Apparently it is for the whole package, thus the quick note that Furyk is working with Srixon to develop clubs as well. I guess the final loyalty in the business lies with the almighty dollar. That said, I played some of Srixon's balls at the end of last season and came away impressed. Here's what Srixon said about Furyk:

"Srixon Sports USA, one of the foremost technology leaders in golf, today proudly announces a new partnership with Jim Furyk in which Furyk will play Srixon’s new Z-UR prototype golf ball and forged wedges and is currently working with Srixon’s club designers on a new set of forged irons. Additionally, Furyk will wear the company’s hat and glove and carry its signature red golf bag. Furyk will also be instrumental in helping the company develop future generations of product."

Welcome back....

2006-01-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here's hoping all of my readers had a great holiday season. Thanks for stopping by as often as you do. Don't hesitate to leave comments -- I'm trying to engage more with my readers and am regularly responding to comments left on Going For The Green.

On a personal note, I'm in the midst of finishing my book with Ron Joyce, the co-founder of Tim Hortons, and working on several golf stories for the spring.

There is also some professional news forthcoming, but it may take a day or two longer before I can make it public. Also expect to see some changes with this site in the coming weeks -- but it is all for the better. I promise!

The stars are clouded out in Hawaii

2006-01-03T11:25:00.000-05:00

So Tiger, Phil and Retief aren't showing up in Hawaii this week to kick off the first tournament of the year -- and one with a guaranteed pay day. All three are apparently spending "time with the family," and even Michael Campbell considered skipping the Mercedes Championship. Oh, and Pádraig Harrington is also staying away. I think this is the answer to the question: "At what point are professional golfers overpaid?" Two major winners are staying away and the other one says he considered not playing? Tim Finchem needs to address this situation fast, before someone takes the time to pencil lame duck on his forehead.

It is time the PGA Tour addressed the issue of players not appearing at events. If the Mercedes can't get golfers to attend -- and they have to have won an event the previous year just to get an invite -- how can the John Deere Classic, the or the Canadian Open expect to get anyone to come? The answer is they can't. At some point sponsors will clue into this and once they threaten to take their purses and walk, maybe we'll see this matter addressed. There's a story on ESPN's website where Jason Sobel contends players are independent contractors and therefore should not be compelled to play. That might have made sense before there were $1-billion TV deals. Now the tour relies on its stars in order to have the big money to payout every Sunday. Ignoring this is just ignoring the obvious -- that golf could go the way of tennis if things don't change.

In case you think the tournament will be dull with a number of its brightest stars missing, then read Jeff Mingay's Golf Observer column on the Coore and Crenshaw course on which the event will be played. Mingay writes:

Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the 7,411 yards par 73 Plantation course is somewhat of an anomaly on the pro circuits these days. In other words, it's a course that genuinely forces the world's best golfers to play thoughtful and inventive golf.

Anyone who has seen the course knows it is wide and full of huge downhill shots. In reality it is a difficult golf site. Coore makes this point in the article:

"We simply tried to apply traditional design principles to a non-traditional site," says Coore. "Fairways are wide and the greens are unusually large because that's the only way we knew how to create a playable course on such a dramatic property."

Mingay clearly is a big fan of Coore's work, which isn't surprising considering its quality and the fact Jeff works alongside Rod Whitman, a Canadian golf architect who has been known to jump on a bulldozer and do some work on Coore and Crenshaw projects. He's also co-designed courses with Coore.

Jeff also spends some time in the article discussing the resurfacing of Kapalua's putting surfaces. The entire story is here.

If you don't care about Kapalua at all, then read Geoff Shackelford's interesting Links golf piece on PGA Tour pros and design. Worth a read -- especially if you think PGA Tour pros put their names on projects just for the marketing value. Lorne Rubenstein writes about the death of Canadian Larry O'Brien, a man whose name you might not immediately know. O'Brien had a big impact on the Canadian Open, and we could use someone like him now.

The end of Bamberger

2005-12-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

Interestingly, I've had at least one reader note they bought one of Michael Bamberger's books after I mentioned it on my sight a week ago. Tonight I finished This Golfing Life, which I've been plugging away at for regular intervals over the last few nights and afternoons.
The book, like all of Bamberger's writing, is full of life, and the exploration of the game of golf. He might get a little overly sentimental in the last section, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. One of the most poignant portions of the book was Bamberger's comments on his career within the perspective of Brad Faxon's time on tour. Bamberger caddied for Faxon in 1985 and reflects on the similarities between golf and writing.

That's when I realized that making a living from a typewriter or from a set of golf clubs is about the same thing. You can't fake the results in either. You're on your own. The writer and the golfer, they both know, deep down, whether they're getting better or not ... The writing life, the golfing life is rooted in optimism.

Interestingly, Bamberger says earlier in the final section that, "Now, with the web and all, you can start your own career. Mentoring is not a growth industry." I've never met Michael Bamberger, but his writing has been a nice guide for me in my writing career. If you're going to be a good writer or reporter, you better know exactly what you are up against. Writers exist in the public realm and though they don't win by dropping birdies or slamming drivers up the middle, reporting is equally as revealing.
Bamberger may be tarnished in some eyes because of his role in the Michelle Wie fiasco. I must admit to being torn by what he did. But whatever happened, it doesn't overshadow his great writing I've had the good fortune to experience.

Have a great New Years and I'll catch up with you again in 2006, with a new hopes and a new golf season on the horizon.

Travel & Leisure Golf on Bond Head, Cabot Links

2005-12-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

Crusing online today and found the two short blurbs I wrote for the January issue of T&L Golf are now online. I'm not sure I've mentioned this before (though it is likely I have), but I'm contributing Canadian coverage to the publication, which has beefed up its focus on travel and destinations.
Anyway, the two pieces I wrote include a quick hit on Cabot Links, the project being pushed forward by Ben Cowan-Dewar, and a second short blurb on The Club at Bond Head, which was included in T&L's list of best new courses to open in 2005. Though Bond Head may have struggled as a business, it is a terrific design and the second course, which is scheduled to open in July, could even be better.
The Bond Head piece is here, and Cabot Links can be found here.

Tiger turns 30

2005-12-30T00:17:00.000-05:00

The greatest golfer ever to play the game hits his thirties today. Yes sir, the prodigy is all grown up -- Tiger Woods is 30.

Better than Nicklaus? Let the debate begin. Interestingly, the Scotsman was out last night (gotta love the five hour head start) with a story detailing the difference 10 years has had on Tiger's game. He dominated at the 1997 Masters, but with his improved swing and ability to intimidate and outplay his opponents, it is clear the current Tiger is the better model. Things get better with age, apparently, even if you had a bum knee.

The Scotsman comments on Woods at 30:

At 30, Woods is poised to pose more of a threat to posterity than he did at 20 for the simple reason that he won't make the same rash mistakes which cost him in the early days of his career. The interesting thing about 2005 from Tiger's perspective was how, in acquiring better course management skills, there was no dimming of the brilliance which sets him apart from all of his contemporaries.

While it may at first appear that hitting 50% of fairways is not actually better course management, Woods has come to realize that's his best bet at bettering modern PGA Tour courses. Hit it long, in the rough and wedge it out. Worked for Vijay in 2004 and worked for Woods this year. As long as the putter remains steady, Woods will best Nicklaus majors mark and I'm betting he does it by 40. Let's hope that at least some competitors remain in the picture to keep this from being all Tiger, all the time.

The Scotsman story is here.

Nationwide Tour splits with CPGA; Canada's Best New Course

2005-12-28T12:25:00.001-05:00

While seemingly every news source on the Internet is using the period between Christmas and New Years to rehash things that happened from January to December in an endless series of lists, there is still the glimmer of golf news. Among the stories out there is the split between the Nationwide Tour and the Canadian PGA. The two partnered on an event at Cambridge's Whistle Bear Golf Club (but started at Clublink's Diamondback) that didn't really catch on with anyone, including the sponsor, Samsung. Of course it did benefit some players, like Canada's Jon Mills, who used a win at the tournament to propel him onto the PGA Tour starting next week.
The breakup of this partnership demonstrates just how difficult finding a sponsor for Canadian golf has become. AT&T withdrew from the Canadian Seniors event a number of years back; Bank of Montreal dropped its involvement with the LPGA Tour in Canada; and Bell Canada has yet to sign back on to put its name in front of the Canadian Open. A couple of years back, the current commissioner of the Canadian Tour, Richard Janes, thought he'd landed a European Tour event in this country until all the sponsors pulled away from the table.
Some would argue Canadian companies need to step up and support golf, like CN did when it backed the LPGA a couple of months back. But what are they getting for their money? In Bell's case, its millions are being spent on a deal that attracts fans, but fails to draw players. And the proposed deal to move the tournament to July and follow the British Open won't likely help matters. Remember, a deal to renew the title sponsorship for the tournament was expected months ago. This is an issue that has gone strangely quiet as of late. Has BCE CEO Michael Sabia, a guy who likes to pound balls at Mount Bruno, one of Quebec's best golf courses, decided it isn't worth his company's money to continue sponsoring the event? If that's the case, who is going to step up? Rogers, which is already poised to lose millions on the Toronto Blue Jays?
In marketing it is always about the bang you get for your buck. In the case of the Nationwide event, the bang wasn't there. It remains to be seen whether the Canadian Open has the same problem.
Here's the full story on the Nationwide event. Note that Score's story draws heavily from the press release and has some editing problems...

Though the magazine has been on the shelf for a while, here's the web version of Golf Digest's Best New Course in Canada feature. Golf architecture editor Ron Whitten makes some interesting comments about Dakota Dunes (right) that suggest maybe he wasn't in complete agreement with its selection as best new in Canada. He notes that Graham Cooke's associate on the project, Wayne Carleton, "manufactured all green sites, and though a couple might seem a bit artificial, others merge perfectly into their surroundings." Artificial doesn't sound like the most ringing endorsement, now does it? Whitten does make some nice remarks about Georgian Bay Club: "Some holes cross ravines, others edge lakes and streams, and a few play along bottom land. Some holes are bordered by trees, others by meadows of native grass. The one constant: elaborate, free-form bunkers, most quite deep, with shaggy edges of unruly fescue." Interestingly, Georgian Bay Club apparently fired much of its staff a few months ago, apparently because of issues with the progression of its real estate sales. Nice course though.

Kerry Packer dies

2005-12-27T18:38:00.000-05:00

Many of you won't immediately recognize the connection between Australian billionaire Kerry Packer and golf. But Packer, kind of a version of Rupert Murdoch that wasn't as well known outside Australia, owned and operated Ellerston, one of the most exclusive golf courses in the world. He died yesterday at the age of 68.
Ellerston, created by Bob Harrison and Greg Norman, averages about six rounds per week, making it one of the most exclusive golf courses in the world. Harrison said Ellerton was also among the most difficult courses in the world:

Harrison said it was designed for golfers with handicaps of 12 or better and would not work as a public course."It was done specifically for the Packer family and they can hit the ball."

Hard to say what will happen to Ellerston given Packer's demise. The likelihood is it will remain the family's exclusive haunt.

Bamberger's intriguing life in golf

2005-12-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

I feel old. It is strange that one should sit in one's living room on Christmas morning, surrounded by my sister, wife and baby daughter, and feel this way, but that's the reality of the situation.
Why? Oddly enough, it is because of a gift.
My wife presented me with a copy of Michael Bamberger's This Golfing Life. Yes, that Bamberger. The one responsible for the Michelle Wie fiasco a month or so ago. While most know him as a writer for SI and for making a questionable decision involving a debatable drop, I know Bamberger for To The Linksland, and The Green Road Home, books he wrote more than a decade ago.
It was with some excitement that I ripped open a neatly wrapped gift to find Bamberger's compendium, This Golfing Life. I quickly flipped it open and eyed the contents. It wasn't hard to find what I was looking for -- a chapter entitled Fountainhead. It was in this chapter that Bamberger updated readers on what happened to the central characters of To The Linksland. Peter Teravainen, the wild swinging US pro lost in Europe, is pitching clubs in Japan, and John Stark, the Yoda-like pro at Crieff, still has Auchnafree, the six hole course in a field somewhere in central Scotland. While I was intrigued at finding out what happened to these central characters, I was also stunned to find out that Bamberger wrote the book while in his early 30s. Maybe I was surprised that someone could go searching for the heart of the golf at such a young age. It was also surprising to see how much he accomplished by the time he hit the point in life where I'm at right now.
It might sound overblown or sentimental, but Too The Linksland moved me in a way few books have. It made me seek out what Scotland has to offer, made me want to see and play places like Dornoch, Crail, Crieff and the like. And I know the book had an impact on others. My good friend Steve returned my copy of the book stained with tears that dripped upon the final pages. Like many others, he went to see Machrihanish because of Bamberger's book. And surely like other readers, Steve has had to explain to his significant other why exactly he wants to leave her and her children to fly across the ocean to play golf. I'm sure she hasn't read To The Linksland, so she won't understand. I'm sure she asks herself why Steve can't just be content playing the course up the street. But as anyone who has jumped in a rental car at the airport at Glasgow knows, there's nothing like an open Scottish road with the promise of a links at the end of it.
Bamberger's This Golfing Life has proven to be a great read. I busted my way through it in two days, fascinated by all of the writing Bamberger has done and the stories he's broken. For example, it was Bamberger's account of Ben Wright and the announcer's comments on the LPGA that eventually got Wright fired. Yes, Bamberger clearly enjoys being at the centre of a good story (witness the Michelle Wie debacle earlier this year), and is a bit of an idealist, but he's also pragmatic enough to recognize the importance of a well written feature and the role of character and personality within it.
As a journalist I was intrigued and jealous of the support Bamberger received from editors, first at the Philadelphia Inquirer, then later at Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated. As I near my first decade as a journalist, I've only encountered such editors occasionally and few have had a dramatic impact on my career. Hopefully I meet more on them in the coming years.
In some ways, Bamberger's update made me sad. He points out the experiences of the book took place when he was 31. The ramifications were dramatic -- he landed a gig at Sports Illustrated and became one of the best known golf writers in the world. This made me think. Bamberger's book was one of the reasons I started writing about golf. That was nearly eight years ago. I have yet to write anything as impactful as To The Linksland. Maybe I never will. But it is something to continue striving for.
I'm sure I started thinking about all of this because I'm poised on making a significant change in my life. How these changes will impact my golf writing remains to be seen. It has been an interesting year -- with a book under my belt, and intriguing possibilities for the future -- 2006 will surely present a myriad of options. That much I know.

Happy Holidays

2005-12-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays to all! I'm going to take a couple of days off and will return on the 27th. At that point I'm going to start discussing the future of this site, do some 2005 best of lists and start talking about golf in 2006.
Have fun with your families, and be safe.

Robert

2005-12-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

There's an amazing story of love, devotion and golf in the Wall Street Journal today. It is well worth reading, and here's a taste to get you to click on the link:

By KATHERINE ROSMAN Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNALDecember 23,
2005; Page W1
Like almost anybody who has picked up a golf club, my stepfather has always had a fantasy: To play at the Augusta National Golf Club. The legendary Georgia course is home to the Masters Tournament, and admission is strictly limited to its closely guarded roster of members and their invited guests. Neither I nor my stepfather knew a soul there. So when I said I wanted to surprise him with a round of golf there, everyone I talked to said it would be impossible. Why would an absolute stranger invite a 70-year-old suburban Detroit real-estate developer to Georgia to tee off at one of the world's most secretive and exclusive clubs?

For everyone who ever thought Augusta was just full of overly rich white folks who don't care about anyone but themselves, this story proves otherwise. The full story is here.

Quick hits: Mickelson wants mandatory play, Rubenstein says goodbye to Stan

2005-12-23T08:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Geoff Shackelford for finding Phil Mickelson's comments on the state of the tour. Interestingly, Mickelson seems to be in favour of forcing PGA Tour players to play a certain number of events. Phil's sharp enough to recognize sponsors might actually be willing to pay more if he and Tiger show up in Milwaukee and Toronto every few years. And more sponsor money means more jet fuel for the G5. Mickelson: "Well the Tour needs to be run independent of the players. And run as an entity just like Nascar does with their drivers. They force them to play certain events and you stand up and say, “look, if you don’t play these 12 events, and you don’t play the four majors and you don’t play the Players Championship and the World Golf Championship’s, you don’t have a card next year. You can’t play any of them.” Of course we’re going to play."
Lorne Rubenstein writes about Stan Leonard's death. The most interesting comment came from Gary Alles, who caddied for Leonard in 1962 : "Alles chuckled when he remembered Leonard, as do many people, as a feisty competitor who wasn't always easy to be around or to caddy for. One story has it that caddies during a Canadian Open in Montreal were so annoyed with him that they threw his bag into the St. Lawrence River.
"He was a grouchy bugger," Alles said. "But he could play." Like Al Balding, Leonard often felt his career was overshadowed by a lesser talent, Moe Norman. While Balding and Leonard won on the PGA Tour, Norman's inability to make putts kept him from winning anywhere but Canada. Though he couldn't roll it on the short stuff, Norman became Canada's golfing Rainman and Leonard (and Balding) both felt he was undeservedly given too much credit. Rubenstein's full story is here.

Tiger's time off

2005-12-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting headline in the Scotsman: Woods puts family life before Tour duties. In fact, Tiger, who spent much of the year complaining about the length of the PGA Tour schedule, mananged to play four events after that never ending ordeal finally finished. The Scotsman story makes a couple of interesting points, including this:

Not since the brilliance of 1999 had Woods performed so impressively. Long but not always straight off the tee, the truth is the world No 1 rarely puts himself in unplayable positions. Tiger's brain power always manages to figure out an escape route, no matter how improbable. It's in the area of course management that Woods believes he's made the greatest progress.

I don't know about this "course management" move that Woods apparently made such progress in. Or maybe that's bang on. After all, Woods was second in overall driving distance, averaging 316 yards off the tee (yep, that's right), while placing 188th in driving accuracy. So while he didn't hit many fairways, he did hit it so far that most holes were played with a slightly offline driver and a wedge. But of course, the ball doesn't travel too far. Much of the article deals with Woods' personal issues with turning 30. Apparently 30 is "old." God, I better get my application for the retirement home ready. According to Woods, with age comes maturity and better course management. Which really translates to being able to hit the ball a long way into the rough and then being strong enough to get a sand wedge through that rough in order to get the ball on the green.

"I'm very excited about turning 30. Maybe the best is yet to come because physically you're not going to change a whole lot in your early to mid-30s, but you benefit from sheer experience, learning how to manage your round."

Maybe Tiger is just pragmatic and smart, able to accept the changing reality in professional golf and apply himself to it in order to get the best result. That's my bet. Why is Tiger the best golfer in the world? Well part of it is physical, but he's also the smartest golfer going. Put the two together and he's nearly unstoppable. Expect another big year in 2006 when Woods finally feels up to returning to the PGA Tour at the end of January.

Dr. Reality Show or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Big Break IV

2005-12-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

Reality shows are largely drivel, contrived programming developed around unlikeable people lacking in social skills or charisma. I don't care if you think Boston Rob is the best thing since 50 Cent -- he's still just a yob who would have a difficult time making it on a tough construction site. Given the contrived makeup of the shows, most are not worth wasting time on. That largely goes for the Golf Channel's Big Break series of programming as well. Few of the participants displayed the necessary skills to take advantage of winning -- even if that meant playing on the Canadian Tour.
The only reality of these shows was that you would never hear from the participants again. They'd miss the cut in an LPGA event or a Nationwide Tour outing and that would be it. Back to obscurity.
I wanted to hate Big Break IV as well, but I tuned in because Carnoustie is among my favourite courses. And though I didn't watch all of the early shows, by the last half dozen, I was setting my PVR to record every Tuesday night at 9.
What was different this time? Well, it wasn't the ridiculous American vs. Europe hype, which seemed to smell a little bit of American jingoism. No, it was the golf course and the abilities of some of the players.
In my mind, it appeared the European team had the stronger chance of coming out with the winning player. The Americans, largely, had ugly swings with a capital "U," while the Europeans seemed more at ease with whatever Carnoustie could put up. Similarly, American TJ Valentine, despite having a great sports name, seemed so far out of his element in losing in his match that it was not entirely clear that former Nationwide player and alcoholic (how many times did they bring this up?) Paul Holtby was actually a strong golfer. On the other hand, I figured Thomas Blankvoort would have a good chance of using his finese to make it through to the end. I was wrong.
So it came down to Holtby vs. Woodman, or Paul vs. Guy, as the GC liked to show in its oh so friendly way.
The only downside I found to the early shows was how much of it was done on Carnoustie's disappointing and dull Burnside course. And the semi-finals should have been 18 holes, even if they were edited to fit into an hour.
Needless to say, it was encouraging to see a full 18 on the big course at Carnoustie, one of the nastiest creations ever devised for golf. Though the rough was low, as it is typically aside from Open Championships, Carnoustie is a full test of golf and would surely put Holtby and Woodman through their paces.
That said, the finale was a bit of a letdown. Guy probably should have taken this, but can a player of his caliber actually hit two straight shanks (or "hozzle rockets," as they were referred to on the show) and anticipate playing on the European Tour? How many spectators would he kill if he hozzled one in Spain or at the Scottish Open? In reality, he looked nervous and made some poor club selections. It also didn't help that he couldn't hole a single putt.
In contrast, Holtby was steady, if unspectacular, right up until the flubbed putt on 17. He still doesn't impress me that much as a player, but I doubt he'll embarrass himself out on the European Tour.
So what should the Golf Channel have learned from this exercise? Clearly the golf course is central to making it interesting. If they took the men to somewhere like Pacific Dunes or World Woods or a similar US course, the program might continue to gain momentum. Having the European players involved surely made it less one dimensional as well. Hopefully that is a motif they can continue to use. And I could have done without the in studio "commentary," that seemed to rob the program of its momentum. Brian Hewitt's "let's put a headline on this," schtick got old really quickly and didn't add anything to the show but fill time.
Even with all the issues -- and no TV show is perfect, well, maybe Veronica Mars is -- the Big Break IV proved to be addictive viewing. And if it is a guilty pleasure, well it is one I'm willing to publicly declare.

Stan Leonard dies

2005-12-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

Apparently no one in Ontario, myself included, noticed that Canadian golf legend Stan Leonard passed away last week from heart failure. He was 90. Reports say he died last Thursday after suffering a heart attack at his home.
Though he didn't turn professional until he was 40, Leonard was one of the greatest golfers the country has produced. He played in 12 Masters tournaments starting in the late 1950s, including one in which he held the third round lead and finished fourth. The Vancouver Sun, in a well written article by Brad Ziemer, quotes Richard Zokol:

"He was an absolute legend and just adored by all the members," said former PGA Tour regular Dick Zokol, who grew up playing at Marine Drive. "I remember what pride I felt as a junior golfer when he approached me and asked me to caddie for him in the Sun Match play and the B.C. Open."Zokol saw Leonard just last month at Marine Drive."He was on the putting green in November," Zokol said. "It was a sunny day and there was Stan, at age 90, practising his putting."

With Leonard gone, and the death of Moe Norman last year, only Al Balding remains from the great Canadians who played the game five decades ago.

Word on the street....

2005-12-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

... has it that Grand Niagara, a resort course in Niagara Falls that opened the first of two courses this past summer, has not paid some of its bills, specifically to some media relations pros who did work on the club's website and the like. The Rees Jones design seems to have come and gone without a word -- there is absolutely no buzz about this course at all, for better or worse. Not sure what the unpaid bills mean exactly (maybe they just don't feel like paying), but with a number of clubs in Ontario struggling to make their business models work, it could get interesting. Remember when Clublink bought all of those struggling clubs in the early 1990s? We might be in for a repeat.

Golfweek's Alistair Tait has a neat op ed on why more courses should allow walking. I totally agree. Tait puts the modern game in perspective: "As everyone reading this knows, Twain once said, "golf was a good walk spoiled." To put it in its modern perspective, golf is actually a good ride spoiled, because many people don't walk golf courses any more, not in some parts of America I visit." The entire story is here.
I rarely write about the LPGA, and for the most part don't care, but it was interesting to see Morgan Pressel gain admittance to the LPGA yesterday. She doesn't meet the age restrictions, but was let by the LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens because, "She presents a unique combination of academic and golf achievements and I'm impressed with Morgan's abilities." The question in my mind is what Pressel's move means to Michelle Wie. If the LPGA doesn't admit her are they saying Wie isn't as mature as Pressel? AP's Doug Ferguson noted in his story that Wie isn't expected on the LPGA Tour until she is 18. But can the LPGA afford to wait that long? What happens if Wie doesn't win anything by then?

The second best finish of the year?

2005-12-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

This morning I turned on the Golf Channel, fully expecting to see some infomercial for some product that would fix my slice, or make me a more efficient putter. Or maybe see a half hour on a great new golf shoe endorsed by Butch Harmon
Instead the TV displayed the South African Airways Open, and aside from the unfortunate name, the final nine holes of this tournament were as exciting as anything I've seen since the Masters.
Though Retief Goosen had led the entire tournament, Ernie "Bionic Knee" Els made a magnificent charge on the final day to close the gap. By the 16th hole, it was all tied up. On the 17th, Goosen made a remarkable chip from off the green to birdie a hole many felt he'd have a tough time making par on. Then on the 18th, a par five with an interesting green site (that Els surely knew well from the Presidents Cup a few years back), Els knocked his ball to five feet in two, while Goosen's ball came up long. Els couldn't convert the eagle and Goosen got up and down for birdie to take the tournament.
It was fascinating to see two greats go head to head on a golf course that played outstandingly hard and fast. No PGA Tour greens where the ball stops on a dime. Fancourt came off like the modern links it was fashioned to be, with balls bounding through the fairways, and hard greens forcing a degree of creativity rarely seen in North America.
Of course the tournament also caught Goosen and Els at the height of their respective abilities. It was a tremendous viewing experience and I felt lucky to be watching it.
I guess this proves that there can be some great golf after August -- you just have to seek it out.
If you want to read what the South African media had to say, go here. The story isn't very good, so if I find something more worth reading, I'll repost later.

Outsider on course for design stardom: Whitman's creativity overcomes lack of architecture degree

2005-12-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

As a follow to Lorne's piece yesterday, here's my story on Rod Whitman, a man full of character and a great golf designer:

National Post Wednesday, June 9, 2004 Page: S4 Section: Sports Byline: Robert Thompson Column: On Golf Source: National Post
Hardly anyone in this country knows Rod Whitman, but they should. And if enough people see Blackhawk Golf Club, the course near Edmonton he created, then they will.
It is the second course in Canada for the native Canuck, coming more than 20 years after his first, Wolf Creek, opened in Alberta.
It is a bold vision that is reminiscent of the best golf courses created in Canada by the likes of Stanley Thompson. In fact, Blackhawk may have more in common with Thompson's work -- including the great designer's predilection for wide fairways, strategic bunkering and occasionally wild greens -- than any Canadian designer in the last 50 years. Fairway contours rise and fall with the natural setting of the land, while greens undulate and curve, giving the course teeth.
"Golf is an outdoor game," says the one-time psychology major while sitting in Blackhawk's opulent clubhouse. "It should be rugged. It wasn't intended to be like billiards."
While Whitman isn't well- known to most Canadian golfers, for the last two decades he has worked in the course construction business with some of the game's most famous architects, and built his own courses in Europe. For a while, he toiled under legendary architect Pete Dye. More recently he has worked for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the team that has designed courses such as Sandhills in Nebraska.
Coore and Crenshaw are known for a naturalistic take on golf that includes rugged bunkers that resemble scars in the turf.
"I have fun working with them because you gain so much knowledge from them. They are simply two of the best minds in golf."
Unconventional to the core, Whitman doesn't work like many traditional course architects, and in the past it has cost him. He was pegged as the first architect to create what became Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, but a dispute over his lack of technical specifications meant the job was eventually handed to Doug Carrick.
"I don't consider myself a golf architect because I don't have a degree in that. I consider myself a course designer."
At first, Whitman's apparent lack of technical expertise bothered Al Prokop, one of the partners and general manager of Blackhawk. But his opinion changed as he watched Whitman sculpt the property.
"Most people want more paper and flash -- something you can roll out on a boardroom table to impress investors," says Prokop. "Rod doesn't give you that flash, but his work is amazing. Once a developer has been exposed to Rod and his work, I'd be surprised if they used anyone else. I wouldn't."
While conventional golf course architects appear comfortable in allowing shaping crews to create their designs, Whitman takes a hands-on approach, shaping greens by himself and overseeing all of the construction. That made Blackhawk quite affordable to build, Prokop says.
Whitman's time in obscurity may be near an end. He's working with former Canadian PGA Tour pro Richard Zokol on a couple of potential projects -- "For years I wouldn't have done something like that," he says -- and his work at Blackhawk is sure to garner a lot of attention.
Here's hoping Whitman breaks through to the mainstream. He's just the kind of outsider the golf course business needs to make it interesting again.

Nicklaus visits Toronto

2005-12-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

A little birdie told me the Golden Bear, Mr. Nicklaus himself, was in Toronto last Thursday after touching down in his G5. Apparently he was coming to town at the request of a developer to look at a piece of property north of Toronto for a potential golf course. Now, of course, Toronto really needs another high-end golf course, with Eagles Nest, Coppinwood and Bond Head all coming online recently.
It isn't clear where the property is that Jack visited. There are several undeveloped tracts of land that were zoned prior to the government's restrictions on the Oakridges Moraine. Could this be one of them?

Rod Whitman: "Highly acclaimed"

2005-12-15T08:25:00.001-05:00

The Globe's Lorne Rubenstein moves away from Mike Weir and into more interesting territory today: Alberta golf architect Rod Whitman. Whitman, who has worked with Pete Dye and Bill Coore, created Wolf Creek near Edmonton. More than a decade later his second Canadian course, the terrific Blackhawk, opened, once again near Edmonton. Interestingly, those in Ontario might have become more familiar with him had his proposed design for Angus Glen's South Course gone forward.

Anyway, Rubenstein's article gives a pretty clear indication of Whitman's talent:

"If the ability to create a wonderful product on the ground were the sole
measure of success in this business, Rod Whitman of Alberta, Canada, would be highly acclaimed instead of unknown," architect Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw's design partner, said in an interview at Golfclubatlas.com.

While the article touches on some of the eccentricities of Whitman (he sometimes lives with his ex-wife, he loves hanging out on bulldozers), it also discusses a couple of new projects for Whitman. One is Richard Zokol's Sagebrush, which is apparently going to go forward, despite all accounts that it would never get off the ground. The other is Cabot Links, the project Ben Cowan-Dewar is trying to get off the ground. I wrote about this project a few months ago and that article can be found here. Whitman is still talking a good line on the property:

I'd love to do that thing," Whitman said. "We've already done a good routing. The property is almost on the beach and the town almost surrounds it, like St. Andrews [in Scotland]."

I'm sure Lorne's editor added the [in Scotland] bit to make it clear Whitman wasn't building a version of St. Andrews in Aurora. Mid afternoon additional note: Lorne just sent me a note assuring me that it was some unthinking Globe copy editor who assumed readers wouldn't know where St. Andrews is located and added this to his text. I'm sure this is the case as Globe copy eds have long been fastidious about adding these kinds of ridiculous comments into the articles of writers at the paper. Sorry Lorne -- this wasn't meant as a shot at you.
Read Lorne's entire story is here (click on top link).

The postman just delivered...

2005-12-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

this.... hard to say how good it will be under all that snow, but there's a good buzz in golf circles about Tom Fazio's first course to open in Canada in 30 years. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Coppinwood.

New course preview: The Raven at Lora Bay

2005-12-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

In June, when the weather was warmer and I was sitting on my deck sipping a Coke, I had an opportunity to speak with Tom Lehman via phone while he was driving back from Collingwood. Lehman had been working on The Raven at Lora Bay, an Intrawest golf course that he was creating with Tom McBroom. I have little faith in PGA Tour pros when it comes to golf course design -- it appears more like a marketing vehicle than it does a true interest in golf architecture. More about taking the money and doing a ribbon cutting than figuring out where drainage tiles and greenside bunkers should go.
It appears that Lehman may actually be different. He appeared on site far more than Tom McBroom expected, and even took the time to see some of Toronto's interesting golf courses, like Toronto Golf and St. George's.

Anyway, with that in mind, here are some shots from the course, which will open next summer (photos are courtesy of Tom McBroom). It appears the bunker style is more reminiscent of McBroom's mid-period work, as opposed to the scruffy faced bunkers he's created more recently at places like Firerock. It is interesting how this style of bunkering has so quickly fallen out of vogue. Starting with the reworked St. George's, scruffy, wild looking bunkers have cropped up in a number of places, including McBroom's Ambassador Club, the reworked Weston Golf Club and The Club at Bond Head. Of course much of this is influenced by the re-establishment of the classicists through the work of Tom Doak and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

Regardless, McBroom and Lehman chose a more conservative style of bunker, though the lines and faces still look quite bold and distinctive. In other places, like the photo with Georgian Bay in the backdrop, the course has some of the aesthetics that were witnessed in the Georgian Bay Club, which is not suprising considering it is located on a site not too far away.

On first inspection, and without having seen the course, it looks like a relatively friendly resort course, not out of line with McBroom's recent work at Wildfire near Peterborough. My judgement is reserved on this one for the time being.

Mike Weir: "I was hurt"

2005-12-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

The Globe's Lorne Rubenstein writes (yet another) column apparently in defense of Mike Weir's lacklustre 2005 campaign. Not sure what was left to say, since Rubenstein already wrote a couple of versions of this story over the course of the year.
Anyway, Weir says

For people to question how hard I'm trying or to think I'm not trying, I can't believe they'd think that. I won't be packing it in for a long time. I still love the game.

i'm not sure who these people are who are questioning Weir's dedication to the game. I suppose I'm one of his critics, but I don't think his problems have anything to do with "not trying." The reality is that he's simply not all that long off the tee and that puts pressure on the rest of his game. Apparently his neck injury hurt his posture and his ability to hit crisp irons. That, in turn put a lot of pressure on his putting, which can be suspect. If there was one thing wrong with Mike Weir in 2005, it was his putting -- an atrosious 1.86 putting average that ranked him 173rd. Of course, the rest of his stats aren't so stellar either. His driving distance actually decreased in 2005 (so much for that vaunted increase in distance the R7 TaylorMade driver was supposed to give him) and he only average 280 yards off the tee. With so many tour pros carrying the ball in the air that far, Weir is at a clear disadvantage.

Despite all of this, Weir told Rubenstein he's healthy and ready to make a comeback:

"I had some injuries last year that I didn't want to get into too much with the media because I didn't want it to sound like I was making excuses. But I'm doing better. I feel I'm living in a 23-year-old body."

Let's hope he's right and then Lorne can write a column about Mike's great comeback. Weir is great for Canadian golf and I do hope he can make it back. That said, I still have a nagging suspision that Weir's best years are behind him. However, even when injured he can hang tough in the majors (witness his performance at the Masters), so there's always the chance he could do something spectacular again.

In other news, Darren Clarke's wife continues to battle cancer. Clarke, who narrowly missed winning his last two tournaments, spoke to the Scotsman about his situation:

"My wife is a battler," says Clarke, his eyes and voice suddenly distant. "She fights it so hard, and I have so much admiration for her. She actually encourages me to get out and play. She doesn't want me sitting around the house. But it's difficult.
We were together last week, and now I am here, with her undergoing more treatment. It's the first session I have missed for a long time. So that is hard for her.
She just gets on with it, though. Sometimes I don't know how; she is so brave and so strong. I know she puts on a brave face for me when I'm away. The boys are good. They know Mummy is sick, and has to go into hospital now and then. And they know she can't do too much at times. We have been keeping an eye on them, because it is hard for them, too. Tyrone is seven and a big boy; he is in 12-year-old clothes already. But he is the sensitive one. Conor is more rough and tough.

I'm a big fan of the gritty Irishman and I hope his wife's condition improves. It is hard to imagine he's able to focus all of his energy on golf at the moment, and has played well despite that. The entire Scotsman story is here.

Oh, and if you want a laugh, read Jay Flemma's account of a terrible round on a great golf course in which he goes all Hunter S. Thompson the night before and then blades one into the parking lot of Caledonia.

Angus Glen -- not finished yet?

2005-12-09T09:38:00.000-05:00

Well, according to sources close to the scene, Angus Glen's North course could still hold the Canadian Open. Nothing has been decided, says head honcho Kevin Thistle. That may change once Bill Paul returns from FLA next week and perhaps has a better sense of the new date for the Canadian Open. Word has it that the new date will follow the British Open.
Score Golf is running down its Top 10 stories of 2005 (for Canada). Interesting to see that Canadians James Lepp, who won the NCAA, and Richard Scott, who took the Canadian Am, are the top story. What about J.C. Deacon? He's the ninth story of the year, and cobbled together with the rest of the Canadians who made the match play section of the Am. Should have been higher. And how is a second lousy season by Mike Weir a top story for the year?

Bell Canadian Open no longer heading to Angus Glen in 2007?

2005-12-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

The Globe and Mail's Lorne Rubenstein writes today that due to schedule changes to the 2007 PGA Tour season, the site of the Canadian Open that year will likely be moved.
The notion now is the Canadian Open (note current sponsor Bell Canada has still not signed on as a sponsor) will be moved from the North Course at Angus Glen and back to Glen Abbey.
Why is this significant? Well, because the North Course has been considered a weak venue from the start, with little player interest. In order to try to fix that, the RCGA dumped on the course's designer, Doug Carrick, and brought in Davis Love III to make some changes. Those changes were largely made in the fall at a significant cost that was split between the RCGA and Angus Glen owner Gordon Stollery. Despite that, it now appears, according to comments from Bill Paul, the RCGA's tournament director, that the tournament will not be at Angus Glen at all. Oh, and they are going to have to cancel the Wednesday pro-am as some players may not make it to the course in time for a practice round following the British. This seems silly, as I've left Toronto on a Friday night and played in Glasgow the following day, so why, at the very least, couldn't players tee it up on Tuesday? Most wouldn't arrive until Tuesday even if they didn't play in the UK.

Bill Paul's comments to Rubenstein seem to indicate clearly the tournament won't be heading to Angus Glen:

"The timing of the new schedule doesn't look that favourable for us for 2007," Paul said from Palm Beach. "Can we afford to play at Angus Glen coming out of the gate that year? As we talk today, we're playing at Angus Glen, but I've had a meeting with Kevin (Thistle) and I'll have another when I get back."

Lorne's story ends on a downbeat:

The memory of when the Canadian Open was a must-play is a distant one, and fading further. No wonder anybody associated with the tournament has to be squirming these days.

You can read Lorne's entire story here.

Leggatt makes it back; changing the ratings game

2005-12-07T12:17:00.001-05:00

After being plagued with a variety of injuries since winning in Tucson in 2002, Ian Leggatt has had a tough time of it. Arm injuries, a reported allergy to grass (never a good thing for a golfer) and finally surgery to fix some of these problems, kept him from playing regularly on tour for most of the last two years.
Regardless of his troubles, Leggatt is back after making it through Q-School this past weekend. For Leggatt, who turns 40 this year, it could be one of his final shots at proving he belongs on tour. After all, that Tucson win came with a field of golfers few have ever heard of.
Score's article on Leggatt is here.
Leggatt will join Jon Mills and Mike Weir as the Canadians on tour next year. Calgary-via-Trinidad golfer Stephen Ames will also be in PGA Tour fields in 2006.
Also worth checking out is a story is a story by Brad King in the Island Packet about Joe Passov, who is the new head of Golf Magazine's course ratings panel. Now I know I've written enough about this damned course ratings issue following the announcement that Dakota Dunes had won Best New Course in Canada, but this article is worth checking out.
Among the notable issues is that Golf is adding new criteria to the process (before there was no predetermined categories for rating courses in the magazine), making it similar to the way Golf Digest and Golfweek do their rankings. In Passov's words, it has to deal with this:

Said Passov: "If you say to yourself, 'Well, I'm stepping onto this golf course, and I'm really happy to be here. It's held four U.S. Opens and there's the picture of Bobby Jones on the wall and Ben Hogan, and by golly I'm just predisposed to like this place because it just has an awesome feel.' "Some people can separate that and simply break it down into design elements. Other people, whether they can separate it or not, feel like it is an integral part of the golf course."

And apparently, as the Golf Digest list shows, some people have no sense of what differentiates a good course from a great one.
Passov added that creating clear categories to determine what makes a great golf course is a positive thing.

"In my opinion, that's not all bad," said Passov. "That means they're examining the process as best they can and trying to come up with the best and fairest rankings possible. But at the end of the day, it's still hard to be perfectly objective when evaluating a golf course. As best as you can try, there are still
some subjective factors: Peoples' personal likes and dislikes."

The entire story is here. Thanks to Geoff Shackelford for pointing this one out.

Myrtle Beach course to be turned into houses

2005-12-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you are wondering why I'm posting on this. Probably saying, "Thompson has really gone off on this one. Must be spending too much time transcribing tape and sitting in front of his computer."
Well, you'd be right, but that's not why I'm writing about a crappy Myrtle Beach course called Deer Track South (yep, another word could be easily substituted) that's about to be turned into housing.
That's because Deer Track is one of the reasons I play golf today, gentle reader. On a rainy, hazy day in March, 1998, I tackled the not-so-fabled south course with my brother and a university friend named Reg Knudson (there can only be one.)
The course never dazzled anyone. It was dull and the rain came sideways for a while, but we were determined to go forward, and seeing as there was six feet of snow in Toronto, we were not about to be stopped by a little drizzle. Anyway, we made the turn (we played the course back-to-front) and hit the fourth hole. Like the right of passage that is a golf trip to Myrtle Beach, the fourth hole had a common sight -- the charity shoot out. Essentially a large woman sat on the tee and asked you put up $5, which was being given to orphans in Saskatchewan or smokers trying to quit in Alabama. Something like that. If you hit the green, you got a sleeve of Titleists. But if you managed a hole-in-one, you walked away with $1,000.
Flush with money from a $25,000 per year job (my first after finishing grad school), I put up the cash, grabbed a six iron and hit a little right to left cut. Shocked that the ball actually did what I wanted it to do (this was well before my handicap hit single digits), I watched TopFlite II hit the green, and roll toward the hole.
"Where did it go," I asked the plump lady sitting in the lawn chair.
"Ah, honey. It is right behind the flag. Y'all find it right there. Here's your Titleists!"
I just nodded, given that I wasn't sure what she had just said.
My brother, being cheap, refused to participate in this game of skill, but my associate, Mr. Knudson handed over a fiver and promptly duck hooked his shot into some weeds 20 yards short of the green.
We grabbed our respective bags and headed toward the hole. By the time we were 20 paces short of the flag, it was clear my ball was not on the green. Immediate thought: It must have been long. Second thought: Will the chubby lady notice and will I have to return my Titleists?
My brother, being the optimist, assumed the ball had a better fate. He walked daintily toward the hole leaned down and then began jumping in the air.
"It is in! It is in the hole!"
This commotion, of course, awakened the big lady in the lawn chair who began hoofing it up the hole toward the green. We backed away and when she got on the green she pronounced that, yes, in fact I had made an ace. A hole-in-one. A one.
The rest of the round is a blur and if you ask me today, I can't really tell you any characteristics of Deer Track. Maybe it should become houses. Seems to me there were lots of trees and the ground held lots of water. It isn't the type of course I ever again visited during my three subsequent trips to the Grand Strand.
The next day, a gentleman driving a Mercedes handed me a cheque for $1,000. It was one of the coolest moments of my life, right up there with the birth of my daughter, the first time I played the Old Course and seeing my first story in a major magazine.
The reality is the developers can tear down Deer Track. It won't make any difference to me. In a ball holder, not five feet from where I sit typing this, rests a pathetic, beaten TopFlite. The silver writing on the ball reads: "Myrtle Beach. Feb. 1998. Hole in One." That's all I need.

The value of ranking golf courses

2005-12-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Ranking golf courses, in my mind, is the equivalent of placing rock albums in some sort of order. It is a fun pastime with little real value. I mean, everyone should know that The Beatles' Revolver is the greatest album ever made, just like they should be aware that Royal Portrush is the best course ever created. It is just too bad then that there are some people who feel Sgt. Pepper's is the best album ever made and Pine Valley is the the best 18-hole course ever to have a score card.
Anyway, with Golf Digest's new ratings for Best New courses in the US and Canada supposedly out on Tuesday, but really already leaked out on Friday night, and given the fact that I've been digesting a lot of Chuck Klosterman's stream of consciousness rants on records and women, I've been giving a lot of thought to the ratings concept. That's led to the record analogy. More specifically, the GD Best New awards are like any year-end ranking of music that comes out. Some records seemed destined to be the best in the specific year they hit the market, and rank highly on best of lists. But people appraise these albums without much perspective. What might seem like a great record in June, may not appear so terrific two or five years later. This year the critics are falling all over themselves to discuss why My Morning Jacket's Z is the best of the year. I'm not as convinced. Similarly, The Lynx at Kingswood Park won the GD award a few years back and I don't know anyone who thinks it is any good.
This year I'm having a hard time getting my head around the ratings of the Best New Canadian Courses. Now, it isn't as big a deal as last year, when the Rock won Best New. That was just wrong. This year, Dakota Dunes has won. I suspect it is wrong again, but I have not seen the course.
The real issue is with Georgian Bay Club rating ahead of Eagles Nest. Now Georgian Bay Club's designer, Jason Straka, is a regular G4G reader and an emerging talent. But his course doesn't have the greatness that can be witnessed at Eagles Nest. There is no single hole at GB that rivals the third at Eagles Nest, or the 11th for that matter.
In my mind, much of the problem rests with GD's system of ranking. Raters issue course points on a scale of 1.0-10 in several different categories. The problem is that if I think a really good course in Ontario is a 6.5 in several categories and another rater feels that his course in, say, Saskatoon, should have 8.5 in all categories. In other words, there is no real way of keeping consistency in the ratings.
I could go on and on about the nuances of this latest ranking, but to be honest, it is making me depressed. Like all artistic forms, golf courses are open to interpretation and some will find greatness where's others see only adequacy. In my mind, there is no doubt Eagles Nest is a better golf experience, both aesthetically and functionally, than Georgian Bay. But does it really matter? Would winning this award have added more members to Georgian Bay, even if those same members have no idea how the award was determined?
If anything, maybe a few people will go to Saskatoon (god knows there's no other reason) and seek out Cooke's Dakota Dunes. Maybe some of those people will say it lives up to the hype, that it is Canada's version of Sand Hills.
We can only hope.

In a stunner, Dakota Dunes wins GD Best New

2005-12-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, I was wrong. Stupid sources that don't know what they are talking about.
In anycase, Dakota Dunes, a Graham Cooke course built in the golf hotbed of Saskatoon, will be awarded Best New Course in Canada by Golf Digest status when the award is officially announced next week. The only problem is the Internet page with the information has already shown up, announcing all of the winners.

The most stunning thing about the award to me isn't that Dakota Dunes won. Now given its location, the club did have difficulty getting GD raters to see it, but apparently they got the 10 they needed to get the vote. No, the stunning thing to me is that Georgian Bay Club, a strong, but slightly pedestrian golf design with a few truly dull holes, came in second, ahead of the simply stunning Eagles Nest Golf. My position on Eagles Nest is well known, but I'm not the only one. Globe and Mail golf columnist Lorne Rubenstein said in an article last year that there's no point giving out an award this year -- it should just be handed to Eagles Nest. Turns out we were wrong. The only thing is that I don't think we were. Eagles Nest, which is admittedly built on a less atttractive piece of property than Georgian Bay or Dakota Dunes, may be Doug Carrick's masterpiece. Built out of nothing, Carrick and associate Cam Tyers crafted a wonderful course full of 40 foot dunes and holes that present tremendous options. There is not a weak hole on the property.

Now that doesn't mean Dakota Dunes isn't a better golf course. It has natural sand dunes and by all accounts is a pretty impressive golf exercise. I have not seen it, so I can only go by second hand accounts.

Anyway, Cooke's office has been on a roll as far as these awards are concerned. He won for the Lynx at Kingswood Park (which is actually not particularly good by all accounts), Fox Harb'r and now Dakota Dunes. Surprisingly more developers haven't taken him into the Ontario market.

The entire Best New list including the Canadian courses, can be found here.

Eagles Nest -- GD's best new?; and Sebonack online

2005-12-02T07:33:00.000-05:00

There's been heightened speculation (and a few rumours from people in the know that it is in fact true) that when the January issue of Golf Digest hits news stands in coming days, it will announce that Eagles Nest, Doug Carrick's fantastic design north of Toronto, will be awarded best new course in Canada.
Anything else would just be wrong, in my estimation. The competition, which includes the Dakota Dunes, a Graham Cooke design, and Jason Straka's fine private Georgian Bay Club, apparently put up a good battle, but Eagles Nest ultimately took the award.
In the past 20 years, some great golf courses have opened in Canada. Surely Tom McBroom's Rocky Crest, and Carrick's Bigwin Island, were both tremendous golf courses. Similarly Dana Fry's Devil's Paintbrush is among the best ever to be constructed in this country.
Eagles Nest rests comfortably within that group, and possibly eclipses all of them. Built next to a landfill in Maple, Ont., Eagles Nest is Carrick's attempt to create a faux links on a property that is excellent in spots and marginal in others. The drama of the third hole, which continues to the ninth, is created by a remarkable piece of property that falls, rolls through a spot of forest and emerges back on the top of the hill where it began. Surprisingly, the back nine, which is built on a less interesting piece of ground, is arguably even more impressive.
In order to create drama, Carrick imported tons of fill to build massive rolling dunes that separate the holes. Golfers regularly hit from elevated tee blocks, and Carrick asks players to think before they blast away (take 10, 11, 14 as examples).
Sure the bunkering styles are mixed and some of the so-called "blowout" bunkers look artificial, but Eagles Nest is great fun to play and a tremendous aesthetic treat. If it has won Best New, as many expected, it is fully deserving of it. After all, some have argued, including Lorne Rubenstein, that the course is the best to open in Canada in several years. I guess we'll just have to wait and see....

If you are interested in reading about an American course that may be the most anticipated in some time, check out Golf Digest's article on Sebonak, Jack Nicklaus' co-creation with Pacific Dunes creator Tom Doak. Why is it so hotly tipped? Well, it was built on Long Island, directly next to Shinnecock and nearby National Golf Links. It is as fabled a piece of property as is available in the U.S. Entry fee? A cool $500,000.

Skins Game at Banff Springs

2005-12-01T17:28:00.000-05:00

Typically IMG's Skins Games are dry as toast -- with little interest to anyone unless John Daly is in the field. Mike Weir is a no go because of the Telus/Bell politics, so the only interesting thing is the golf course. And Royal Niagara doesn't excite anyone. In fact, apparently IMG has had a tough time getting courses to ante up to hold the event -- that meant the event returned to Nicklaus North for a second time last year. At least Jack was in the field.
Anyway, when I received a note about next year's game and it mentioned Sergio Garcia in the subject, I yawned audibly. But then I noticed the course for this year's event: Banff Springs, Stanley Thompson's masterpiece in the west.
Though the press release from IMG spends too long talking about Stephen Ames (and Ames is only interesting when he's saying something he shouldn't be saying in public), the note also said this:

Designed in 1928 by CanadaÃ?’s world-renowned golf course architect, Stanley Thompson, The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course is famous for its panoramic beauty and challenging layout set in the heart of the Alberta's Rocky Mountains. The course winds along the Bow River under the snow-capped peaks of Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle.

Now this could actually get me to tune in. If only Fairmont, which controls the course, would bring in a competent architect to redo the bunkers....

Canadians struggle at Q-school; The Open is back at Turnberry

2005-12-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

It looks like it will be a real struggle for several Canadians to gain access to the PGA Tour through Q School this year. Ian Leggat, for example, shot 4-over, while veteran Jim Rutledge was the only Canuck to shoot below par. Even that only placed him in 44th spot. The tournament is being played at Orange County National in Florida, which is host to two course, the Crooked Cat and Panther Run. I had the chance to play them a number of years back and thought they were both more interesting than your average FLA course. One tidbit of trivia: It was on the range at OCN that Tiger Woods filmed his now famous Nike commercial where he bounces the ball off his wedge.
In great news, the Open Championship will head back to Turnberry in 2009, the R&A announced today. Turnberry is surely one of the most majestic courses in the world and deserves the return of the open. Apparently transportation issues, which were holding back the course from hosting the tournament, will be resolved by that point. Great golf courses hold great golf tournaments, so this should be a great pairing.

Canada's most exclusive course and more new golf blogs....

2005-11-29T22:14:00.000-05:00

There's often discussion about what exactly is Canada's most exclusive golf course. Some say St. Thomas' Redtail, while others point to Mount Bruno, Magna or Oviinbyrd. Turns out it is none of those. According to T&L Golf, it is the Desmarais' Domaine Laforest, the exclusive haunt in Quebec that typically only has 500 rounds per year.

For Desmarais, that deal was straightforward: Build me a work of art to
hit balls on. For McBroom, it was similarly clear-cut: Listen to the land. There was no need to move a lot of dirt and, given the stunning mountain vistas, no need for gratuitous framing devices or other tricks of the architect's trade. "This isn't Trump National with a fake waterfall," McBroom says.

Each hole has been designated a name on the scorecard. Some pick up on the physical poetry of the place, like the par-three seventh, Le Gouffre (the Chasm). Others are more personally prosaic; the long downhill par-four first forms Desmarais's grandkids' winter sledding grounds, hence Le Toboggan. The tenth tips a tam to Desmarais's impressive collection of sculpture: McBroom added a pair of Henry Moore boulders to a fairway bunker down the right side of the fairway.

Of the fewer than 500 rounds played here annually, a chunk come through hosted charity functions. More quietly, the first and second Presidents Bush have made the trek to tee it up, as have former President Bill Clinton and former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien (his daughter is married to the younger of Desmarais's two sons).

Did everyone catch Thomas McBroom's dig at Tom Fazio in that? "This isn't Trump National with a fake waterfall," McBroom says. Priceless. McBroom, as some know, has been pretty outspoken about the decision by the Royal Canadian Golf Association to use Fazio to build their new course for the Canadian Open on the outskirts of Montreal.

While T&L may well be right on this one, there's one glaring ommision from their piece -- telecommunications barons the McCaw family has a Jack Nicklaus designed course on James Island in British Columbia. According to one individual I know who played the course, workers must sign a waiver before starting at the course stating they will not discuss the property or those who come to play.

The entire T&L piece can be found here.

Thanks to the overwhelming response I received regarding the golf blogs story from yesterday. Of course, some blogs were inadvertently left off the list, like engolfed.com; ncgolf.silkblogs.com; and some newbies beginnergolfing.com; showtimegolf.com and the terrific golfpunkonline.com.
There's also a fellow Canuck blogger at GolfLogic.
And if you thought Peter Jacobsen was the only singer/guitarist who writes material about golf, check out Atlantic Canada resident Royce Aube who has recorded an entire CD about golf. It may not be Leonard Cohen, but his site can be found at royceobgolfsongs/ and you can listen to clips of his country oriented golf sagas.