Ryder Cup Task Force Expects To Include Azinger
/Tim Rosaforte follows up on the PGA of America's Ryder Cup task force plan by talking to PGA President Ted Bishop,
The only course that will remain difficult under all conditions will be one that is designed and kept for golf of a stereotyped, monotonous character, and this makes a most uninteresting proposition.
BOBBY JONES
Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People
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Reviews:
"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)
"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.
“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner
"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette
"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass
"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine
"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine
Tim Rosaforte follows up on the PGA of America's Ryder Cup task force plan by talking to PGA President Ted Bishop, the Morgan Freeman to Tom Watson’s Jessica Tandy, and who accepts the PGA of America has to do something different in approaching the biennial event. Again.
From Rosaforte's GolfDigest.com report:
"We wouldn't be responsible stakeholders if we didn't take this approach. After 20 years of futility, we've got to do something different," Bishop said. "It is different for us to reach out and solicit the opinions of the people we're going to do that with, but I think it's a good thing. Losing this Ryder Cup precipitated the changes, not what Phil Mickelson had to say."
But as one person noted anonymously in Jim McCabe's report, a comprehensive review that might include elements of Ryder Cup visionary Paul Azinger's recipe does not happen without Mickelson's public approach.
Meanwhile, as we sift through the wreckage, it's worth watching Cara Robinson's Golfing World look inside the USA Team Crime Scene Room, which I'm guessing won't be a place sought after at Gleneagles considering the negative energy that may haunt the carpet there for decades to come. Hopefully the yellow crime scene tape covering the door has come down by now.
Then agan, as Luke Kerr-Dineen notes, a Wounded Warrior got to hang out there and has now made a magazine cover, so there may be hope for that room yet.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.