Books
  • Lines of Charm: Brilliant And Irreverent Quotes, Notes, And Anecdotes from Golf's Golden Age Architects
    Lines of Charm: Brilliant And Irreverent Quotes, Notes, And Anecdotes from Golf's Golden Age Architects
  • The Future of Golf: How Golf Lost Its Way and How to Get It Back
    The Future of Golf: How Golf Lost Its Way and How to Get It Back
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • Grounds for Golf: The History and Fundamentals of Golf Course Design
    Grounds for Golf: The History and Fundamentals of Golf Course Design
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • The Art of Golf Design
    The Art of Golf Design
    by Michael Miller, Geoff Shackelford
  • Alister MacKenzie's Cypress Point Club
    Alister MacKenzie's Cypress Point Club
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • The Golden Age of Golf Design
    The Golden Age of Golf Design
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • The Good Doctor Returns: A Novel
    The Good Doctor Returns: A Novel
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • Masters of the Links: Essays on the Art of Golf and Course Design
    Masters of the Links: Essays on the Art of Golf and Course Design
  • The Captain: George C. Thomas Jr. and His Golf Architecture
    The Captain: George C. Thomas Jr. and His Golf Architecture
    by Geoff Shackelford
  • The Riviera Country Club: A Definitive History
    The Riviera Country Club: A Definitive History
    by Geoff Shackelford
Current Reading
  • The American Private Golf Club Guide
    The American Private Golf Club Guide
    by Daniel Wexler
  • Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season
    Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season
    by Robert Lusetich
  • Cracking the Code: The Winning Ryder Cup Strategy: Make It Work for You
    Cracking the Code: The Winning Ryder Cup Strategy: Make It Work for You
    by Paul Azinger, Dr. Ron Braund
  • The Story of Golf, Official 2010 Edition
    The Story of Golf, Official 2010 Edition
  • Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star
    Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star
    by Christina Kim, Alan Shipnuck
  • Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die: Golf Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations (Fifty Places Series)
    Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die: Golf Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations (Fifty Places Series)
    by Chris Santella

    Follow up includes yours truly nominating Rustic Canyon. Shocking, I know.

  • Sports Illustrated The Golf Book
    Sports Illustrated The Golf Book
    by Editors of Sports Illustrated
  • Planet Golf USA: The Definitive Reference to Great Golf Courses in America
    Planet Golf USA: The Definitive Reference to Great Golf Courses in America
    by Darius Oliver

    The highly anticipated second volume comes to America for more design analysis and stunning photography.

  • Jenkins at the Majors: Sixty Years of the World's Best Golf Writing, from Hogan to Tiger
    Jenkins at the Majors: Sixty Years of the World's Best Golf Writing, from Hogan to Tiger
    by Dan Jenkins
  • The 19th Hole: Architecture of the Golf Clubhouse
    The 19th Hole: Architecture of the Golf Clubhouse
    by Richard Diedrich

    SI Golf Plus calls this the #1 golf book of 2008.

  • World Atlas of Golf: The Greatest Courses and How They are Played
    World Atlas of Golf: The Greatest Courses and How They are Played
    by Mark Rowlinson

    New and updated, including contributions from Ran Morrissett and Daniel Wexler.

Classics
  • The Book Of Golfers: A Biographical History Of The Royal & Ancient Game
    The Book Of Golfers: A Biographical History Of The Royal & Ancient Game
    by Daniel Wexler


  • A Season In Dornoch: Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands
    A Season In Dornoch: Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands
    by Lorne Ruberstein

    A summer in Dornoch.

  • Emerald Gems:The Links of Ireland
    Emerald Gems:The Links of Ireland
    by Laurence Casey Lambrecht

    Beautiful images of the classic Irish links.

  • Golf Architecture in America: Its Strategy and Construction
    Golf Architecture in America: Its Strategy and Construction
    by Geo. C. Thomas
  • The Spirit of St. Andrews
    The Spirit of St. Andrews
    by Alister MacKenzie
  • Club Life: The Games Golfers Play
    Club Life: The Games Golfers Play
    by John Steinbreder
  • Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and his Golf Courses
    Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and his Golf Courses
    by Bradley S. Klein
  • Evangelist of Golf: The Story of Charles Blair MacDonald
    Evangelist of Golf: The Story of Charles Blair MacDonald
    by George Bahto
  • The Course Beautiful : A Collection of Original Articles and Photographs on Golf Course Design
    The Course Beautiful : A Collection of Original Articles and Photographs on Golf Course Design
    Treewolf Prod
  • Reminiscences Of The Links
    Reminiscences Of The Links
    by Albert Warren Tillinghast, Richard C. Wolffe, Robert S. Trebus, Stuart F. Wolffe
  • Gleanings from the Wayside
    Gleanings from the Wayside
    by Albert Warren Tillinghast
  • The Missing Links: America's Greatest Lost Golf Courses & Holes
    The Missing Links: America's Greatest Lost Golf Courses & Holes
    by Daniel Wexler
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« 2009 Masters Final Round Clippings | Main | 2009 Masters Final Round Live Blog »
Sunday
Apr122009

"I don't care they can do whatever they want. I just come her and play and then go home."

Following Sergio Garcia's Masters final round 74, a Golf Channel reporter or producer stuck a microphone in front of the 29-year-old reigning Players PLAYERS champion, who blasted Augusta National and the Masters.

"I don't like it to tell you the truth. I don't think it's fair. It's too tricky. It's too much of a guessing game."

And...

"I don't care, they can do whatever they want. I just come here and play and then go home.

Kraig Kann moderated an ensuing discussion session that epitomized the stellar--dare I say--breakout week for analysts Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo and Dottie Pepper. (Ben Crenshaw was great in his cameo's, John Feinstein bordered on insufferable and Jim Gray indecipherable. Lerner and Sands were in top form as they always are at the majors, while Rosaforte, Hawkins, Micelli and Hoggard covered a nice variety of angles.)

But back to the big three analysts who can be seen in this "final thoughts" video on TGC. Half the time Nobilo made me turn to the TV with a "what the &%^$" scowl, only to have Chamblee give him the old, "uh no Frank."

Which is precisely why it made for such great viewing. 

On the disastrous Sergio moment, Nobilo equated it with Bobby Jones' temper tantrum during his first round at the Old Course and that over time, Sergio may learn to love the place.

Brandel countered quickly that Bobby Jones was 21, Sergio's 29, and "by now he should have matured." Chamblee observed that the "chip on Sergio's shoulder" combined with the New York galleries that taunted him last time will "come to haunt him at Bethpage."

Dottie chimed in with a shrewd observation about Sergio needing to make an effort to visit Augusta at a non-tournament time to better acquaint himself with the course and club.

Back at the studio, Vince Cellini piled on, noting Sergio's "darkness" and "petulance after these major performances."

Kelly Tilghman reminded us of the 2004 Masters 66 spat and the 2007 Open pouting and suggested that "obviously he is struggling with some demons."

To cap it all off, Alex Micelli was brought in and asked about Sergio: "I have two teenage daughters at home and they would deal with this a lot better than the way the petulant, childish Sergio Garcia does."

This isn't your father's Golf Channel!

Just a great week for Golf Channel, headquartered at nearby Augusta CC. Chamblee was particularly strong in dissecting what's wrong with the golf course and stuck to his bold opinions (by TGC and ANGC standards) that the rough and new trees need to go while the ridiculous depth of the bunkers is diminishing some of the risk-reward temptation essential to holes like 1, 5 and 8.

But the entire crew shined and kudos to Golf Channel for spending the money to give hardcore golfers the Masters coverage they deserve.

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Reader Comments (8)

Geoff, I was just blown away by some of the concise comments that Chamblee was making. His comments were spot on IMHO. His comments about Macknezie and his original design intent made it evident that the man has been doing some reading. And of course, who couldn't listen to Ben forever. Great stuff for an arch fan!



David
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterDavid Stamm
I agree with your comments. . . TGC has broken away from the Arnold Palmer "praise the establishment" attitude - when he was an owner. While Augusta National was more than playable this year due to the soft greens, the overall design changes involving tree planting were just wrong!

Chamblee is becoming a star and let's hope that he gets more exposure on a regular basis. Nobilo is not an asset but Pepper and Chamblee easily overcome his silly comments.
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterWisconsin Reader
The very comments made about Sergio apply to Tiger. While Sergio's attitude is chastened, Tiger is always the one who "really wants it", "is driven" or some other excuse to pardon the American golf god.
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterWayne
Geoff,

Agree. Chamblee-Dottie-Nobilo are quite strong in the roundtable. Frank has a great way about him, easy going but always revealing how players think. Feinstein...yikes...if he didn't learn it sitting in the press tent 15 minutes before, he has NOTHING to contribute. I read one of his golf "books" once and it was truly painful. At one point he made a crack about a golfer -- might have been Norman or Player -- being "modest, too." He meant it insincerely, sarcastically. He is the LEAST modest person who has ever typed on a keypad, and yet he has much to be modest about.
04.13.2009 | Unregistered Commenterstyled
wayne: i don't agree that tiger says the same things. i think he is much more careful than that.

i do agree with your premise that if tiger said the same things, they'd find a way to make it seem admirable. one interpretation is that, as a guy who has consistently found a way to get it done, tiger's word carries a little more credibility -- even when winging self-pityinlgy-- than sergio's. another is that tiger gets a pass from the media. i suspect there is a bit of truth in both.
04.13.2009 | Unregistered Commenterthusgone
I liked Tiger's comment about his drive on 17. The wind prevented his ball (which was hooked) from fading into the fairway. If Phil said that, he would be called delusional.
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterTighthead
I agree TGC really put their best foot forward as promised. Kudo's to them for the great coverage!

Yes Tiger needs to stop frickin watching the wind! Nike should mount an anemometer to his bag if he keeps this up!

Yes it was a hook! We all make those!
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterTobin Shackelford
TGC was great, especially Brandel and Dottie. Except for when they had Feinstein on, that is. What a tool. Now, can TGC just put The Haney Project out of our misery?
04.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterShankapotamus

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