"Golf tourney gets help from Tiger's agent"

Thanks to reader Jay for the heads up on this Justin Catanoso story from The Business Journal, dated January 13th (hey, no one ever said blogging had to be timely):

For a while last year, the future of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro was bleak, at best. Golf's biggest stars avoid it. TV ratings aren't great. And even with vast improvements, the course and setting, fairly or not, are often criticized as less-than-optimal.

But PGA officials have been giving Greensboro a serious second look. They've been impressed with a newly constituted board of directors made up of the city's most affluent and influential corporate leaders, from VF Corp., United Guaranty and Jefferson-Pilot, among others.

And those leaders have pulled a coup of sorts, leveraging the clout of one of the most influential people in professional golf to lobby on their behalf -- Mark Steinberg, a top executive with sports-consultant giant IMG. He is best known as Tiger Woods' agent.

Since last summer, beginning at the British Open, Steinberg has been talking up Greensboro and the seriousness of its new board to top PGA Tour officials. Not surprisingly, they've listened.

"We hired Mark Steinberg," says one board member of the four-month-old Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation, which now controls the Chrysler Classic, "because he has a special relationship with the PGA. He has access; he gets in front of the right folks."

You may recall that after the FedEx Cup was announced, John Hawkins revealed (and it was posted here) that Steinberg was also a consultant of sorts to Tim Finchem.

 "There are going to be two sides to this," said IMG's Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent and a key player in the shaping of the tour's revisions.

Leigh Steinberg, eat your heart out! 

The Bashers vs. The Artists

SI's Chris Lewis takes on the Bubba Watson and his eye-opening drives, but instead of focusing on Bubba and what car he drives or what he thinks of yoga, Lewis actually explores the concept of how the game is played (really!). Even more scary? He considers the ramifications.

Lewis says the main 2006 PGA Tour plotline will be "the Bashers vs. the Artists."

Subtitle: In which the ever-growing ranks of PGA Tour dogleg-cutting, tree-flying, dimpled-ball bombardiers finally and forever vanquish the ever-shrinking number of short-hitting, fairway-dwelling, shot-shaping sissies.

Besides Bubba, he looks at other bashers and artists. And he explores why John Holmes changes his Tour name to J.B. 

Reporter: Why go from John B. [Holmes] at Q-school to J.B. [Holmes] here?

Holmes: You know the answer to that.

"Big-Hitting Rookies Are Blowing Game Apart"

David Davies in the Telegraph writes about the "explosion" of "huge hitting" in golf, focusing on Bubba Watson's recent exploits. Lots of the numbers I've hit you over the head with here.

This was an interesting perspective:

Pat Ruddy, the eminent and amiable Irish golf course architect, is appalled by all this. "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.

"What are we, as architects, to do? How about growing long grass from the green back towards the tee, so that they have to hit a wedge first and then a three-wood into the green? Or have 10-mile long courses?

"These tee shots have wiped out five or six clubs from the bag."

Bubba Watson won't care, of course, and neither will Jason Gore, but the rest of us should be mighty concerned about the threat to golf as we have known it.

USGA Private Jet Travel

Travel by private jet has become an essential perk for elite PGA Tour golfers. 

And since October 2004 July 2004*, it has become a perk for the president of the United States Golf Association.

Fred Ridley, the outgoing USGA president who will be replaced by Walter Driver when the USGA convenes for its Annual Meeting February 4 in Atlanta, spearheaded the USGA purchase of a private jet membership program.

The program, although available to USGA Executive Committee members and senior staff, appears to have been purchased primarily for use by the sitting USGA president.

Such programs are not cheap. A USGA spokesman could not supply details of the arrangement with their private jet supplier.  However, as an example, NetJets, the Berkshire-Hathaway subsidiary that is used by Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam, offers a single year, 25-hour pre-paid Marquis Jet Card starting at $115,900 in a Citation V Ultra. Rates are higher for other jet types.

NetJets also offers a fractional share ownership plan, which start at $406,250 for a 1/16 interest (the equivalent to 50 hours of annual flying time) in a Hawker 400XP. The ownership plan does not include monthly maintenance costs ($140,000 annually) and hourly charges (starting at $1,500).

The Executive Committee approved “Guidelines For The Use of Private Aircraft,” which state that travel on a private jet by authorized persons and their family “must be pre-approved by the President.”

While the “Guidelines” were created 16 months ago, the private jet program and its qualification as a reimbursable expense for the Executive Committee apparently has been kept quiet even within the organization.

Contacted on January 17, Marty Parkes, USGA Senior Director of Communication stated that “there are certain designated trips for some [Executive Committee members] that are reimbursed.”  But when asked if that included private jet travel, Parkes said, “I don't honestly know.”

Three days later, Parkes was able to confirm the private jet use and where it falls within the USGA's detailed expense reimbursement policy for its 15-member Executive Committee.

“It was set up for two reasons,” said Parkes. “One is, a lot of the places we have to go tend to be in some very out-of-the-way locations, like the Hutchinson, Kansas's and the Bandon Dunes and other places like that. Obviously if you're going to fly from Tampa [where Ridley lives] to Bandon Dunes, that can be a very long, arduous trip if you're connecting throughout.

“The other part of is, I think it was felt that 99% of that travel would be for the USGA President. I don't know of anyone else on the Executive Committee who has ever used a private jet for any reason.”

Not accepting reimbursement for expenses was long considered standard operating procedure for Executive Committee members. Since at least 1998, the USGA has followed an extensive set of guidelines to delineate which events and meetings Executive Committee members were required to cover out of their own pocket, and which were eligible for reimbursement.

“These people are volunteers,” Parkes said in of the Executive Committee. “They're giving up their time from their career. When these people are away from their office working on USGA business, they're not getting paid for their day job. With the time to get back and forth--to say nothing of the wear and tear on them--it was felt that this was fair to whoever is involved. They're already making a heck of a sacrifice for time and a heck of a sacrifice for effort. So this way it doesn't take two days to say, get from Tampa to Bandon Dunes.”

Bandon Dunes hosts the 2006 Curtis Cup and the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

An attorney, Ridley is a partner in Foley & Lardner Real Estate Practice Group and chairs the Tampa firm's national Golf & Resort Industry Team.

While rumors have circulated that Mr. Ridley used the USGA's private jet service to get to the December 8-11 Argentine Golf Association Centenary and championship, Parkes says that is not the case.

“Fred was invited by the Argentine Golf Association to go there for its 100th anniversary celebration. I do know that he did fly commercial. He did not fly by private jet. That trip was outside the guidelines for his normal duties to attend to and he did follow the procedures as far as the airfare and how he was allowed to travel.”

But unlike staff or Executive Committee members needing approval before embarking on reimbursable travel, the president does not need prior approval to use the USGA's private jet service.

“He [the president] can probably go on his own,” said Parkes. “But what would happen when he went to submit that expense, that would not be reimbursable unless he had followed the guidelines that were set for that [trip].”

It was long assumed that part of an Executive Committee members’ responsibility was traveling and participating in events to promote the USGA. Prospective members were aware of the expense involved. But access to some of the country’s finest courses--including working as rules officials at that Masters--and the respect earned for selflessness in serving the game, more than made up for the high cost of volunteer work.

However, since at least 1998, the rules changed to accommodate certain expense thresholds, after which Executive Committee members were eligible for reimbursement.

“[Reimbursement] basically works the same as our staff travel,” said Parkes. “We go and do the travel, we come back and submit our expenses, and if they are within the guidelines when we submit them--and this works the same way for the Executive Committee people--the USGA goes ahead and reimburses. If there is a question about why you attended that particular meeting, then they have to have demonstrated that they received proper permission from whoever their supervisor was.

“So in the case of an Executive Committee member--and it works the same way for the USGA president--there are certain meetings and times they need to be present. And those expenses are not reimbursable expenses. But let's say there was a special rules of golf meeting at St. Andrews, and again, hypothetically, Fred Ridley would say to Paul Caruso, Paul, as chairman of the Rules of Golf Committee I want you to go, something like that would be subject to reimbursement.”

The president's travel expenses are subject to an appraisal by the Audit Committee once a trip is taken. Once a year the Audit Committee also reviews private aircraft usage and is responsible for assuring compliance with the guidelines.

The Audit Committee is helmed by three Executive Committee members, currently chairman Fred Nelson, Paul Caruso and James Hyler. Caruso is a Vice President who was not re-nominated for 2006.

As with the forty or so USGA committees, the Audit Committee reports directly to the president.

The private jet use by a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, while not completely unusual, does mark a departure for the Far Hills, New Jersey based organization. Executive Director David Fay is a notorious stickler for minimal travel expense and thorough documentation from his staff.

Yet Parkes confirmed that the USGA’s enrollment in a private jet service program that requires a large pre-paid sum to guarantee minimum flight time. However, membership in such a program is not required to charter a private jet.

“There is a service that we contract with,” said Parkes. “There is something where we book a certain amount of time that would be available during the year. I think it's based on a certain number of hours. I just don't know all of the details of that. But obviously, whoever it is, it's covered under the [Guidelines For the Use of Private Aircraft] policy.”

With a significant number of hours paid for before travel plans are solidified, the USGA President is now virtually obligated to use the contracted aircraft service.

Update on Monday, January 23, 2006 at 01:03 PM by Geoff

* Marty Parkes has confirmed the timeline as follows:  "The [Executive Committee] unanimously approved the policy of private jet travel in limited instances in June of 2004 at its meeting before the Open at Shinnecock.  Everything else came afterwards.  The [Executive Committee] directed the staff in June to review options for such travel and work up a contract with a vendor for the service."

So the policy was approved in June 2004, went into effect in July 2004 and was reviewed and finalized at the October, 2004 Executive Committee meeting.

Parkes also confirms that the USGA contracted 50 hours of flight time with Citation Shares' Jet Card program, which was used over an 18-month period. Another 50 hours has been purchased.

Parkes would not confirm the cost of the jet card program.

According to this March, 2004 U.S. News and World Report story reports that it then cost $84,995 for 25 hours on a five- passenger Citation CJ1.

And in this October, 2003 Wall Street Journal story put the price for 25-hour cards at somewhere between $85,000 and $145,000.

"The Muddying Of The Greens"

Anne Kornblut of The New York Times looks at the lousy image that golf has acquired in Washington thanks to the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Golf is bad. The ominous warning can almost be heard echoing across the greens of the political establishment, where the game is not only a cherished pastime but has increasingly become a critical cog in the wheels of campaign financing and lobbying. Lavish political fund-raisers are built around golf tournaments. Fact-finding Congressional trips are tailored to cross paths with golf resorts. Candidates and their supporters spend tens of thousands of dollars on golfing costs each campaign cycle - more and more each year, it turns out - as part of the cost of doing political business.

But now, as the Abramoff ordeal in Washington unfolds, golf is acquiring the whiff of scandal, its exclusive fairways and cozy clubhouses redolent of an improper commerce between money and influence.  

And this:

Until golf entered the picture, the ethics scandal surrounding Tom DeLay was hard for many to fathom. It involved complicated transactions between obscure political action committees. 

Huggan On TV Deal

John Huggan weighs in on the 2007 schedule and PGA Tour TV deal.

Even with the world's most famous sportsman - Tiger Woods - as part of the package, professional golf in the fall cannot come close to competing with the NFL and NASCAR for the ever-shortening attention of America's increasingly overweight and couch-ridden populace. Watching enormous men in silly uniforms running into each other to no obvious purpose, or logo-festooned cars going round and round in seemingly endless circles apparently holds more appeal than the sight of Tiger majestically ripping a drive down the middle. 

He also looks at the European Tour ramifications and also the possibility of the Tour going global at some point.  

The Elevated Fee Structure...May Be An Impediment

Thanks to reader John for the heads up/reminder to post a story by Marisa Taylor in The Virginian-Pilot about the struggling TPC Virginia Beach. Golf World this week picked up the intriguing quote from the PGA Tour Golf Course Properties' Vernon Kelly.

TPC President Vernon Kelly Jr. told city officials his company wants to sell the leasing rights to Sandler because of the course’s financial difficulties.

TPC is South Hampton Roads’ most expensive course, with greens fees of $128 for 18 holes for nonresidents during peak playing season, spring through fall. For Virginia Beach residents, the charge is $96.

“Unfortunately, the association of the TPC with the golf facility has not resulted in the hoped-for financial results,” Kelly wrote to City Manager James K. Spore in a Nov. 29 letter. “In fact, the absolute performance standards associated with that brand ... and the elevated fee structure which is part of the high-end experience may actually be an impediment.”

 Figures on the course’s financial problems are not available. TPC is a private company and does not report its business figures to the city.

The elevated fee structure which is part of the high-end experience may actually be an impediment.

The green fees were too high. 

Balicki On Coaches

Ron Balicki writes about America's finest college coaches meeting this week to bicker over rangefinders and their (still) lousy NCAA regional system.

McCleery On ABC

Peter McCleery remembers the contributions ABC has made to televised golf and considers what golf will be like without them. I loved his comments about the old ABC openings with Jim McKay building excitement for the round.

And as I read the column, all I could think was, "can they re-open negotiations? Please?"

Week In Review Jan 15-21: '07 Schedule Fallout

It was a week of firsts here. Record traffic with 25,000 hits and yes, I have included Google Adsense in the lefthand column so that I could better understand how Google makes so much money. Despite many people kindly clicking on the ads, revenue to date might cover a Frapuccino...tall.

Also debuting was the Taking Aim interview with Stu Schneider of Golf World. I've already warned several writers (and I'm hoping a few Tour players) that I'm going to be IM'ing soon.

While we're on the firsts front, we learned that Roman soldiers may have invented golf, not the Chinese or the Dutch or even Donald Trump.

Jim Achenbach followed up his Golfweek prediction that the USGA would roll back the ball this year with an online column fleshing out the same topic.

There was bad news for muni's hosting big time events (besides the fact that they probably need to add another 500 yards of length because the guys are working out so much), at Harding Park and Torrey Pines.

The Tour TV deal and 2007 schedule news continued to be the big story, led by the growing sense of shock over the 15-year commitment to The Golf Channel. John Hawkins touched on the ESPN issue.

Paul Azinger was the only player to issue particularly strong comments. He also says we can look forward to unfiltered commentary from him this year.

The tournaments themselves reacted to the TV deal in several articles. And writers looked at the deal, starting with Thomas Boswell, who blasted the handling of the TPC Avenel event in the Washington Post.

Frank Hannigan's Golfobserver.com column was great fun (as always), while Scott Michaux made a subtle but important point about a Masters-related impact of the deal.

Robert Bell looked at how Greensboro got a better date and revealed some interesting details.

I considered the signals this backward step should (but won't) send to the Tour about course setup, pace of play and the power game.  Several looked at winners and losers, including Gary Van Sickle, Ed Sherman and Steve Elling.

Doug Ferguson analyzed whether the little guy would get squeezed in the new deal, while Lorne Rubenstein looked at the Canadian Open's fate.

Golf World's Ron Sirak called the new TV deal "pure magic" and suggested that the Tour may have intentionally run off ABC while Rex Hoggard talked to tournament directors and questioned the length of the contract with The Golf Channel.

In other Tour news, Ty Votaw joined the Tour and took on a most ironic job title.  We (well, I) continued to look at the driving distance numbers. And we may have to create a Bubba Watson watch, now that the Nationwide distance king is on the PGA Tour.

Speaking of Bubba, we learned that the entire power game is really why golf is in the situation it is in thanks to Tim Rosaforte.

So many good comments from readers this week. Not sure where to start, but here goes:

Mark Smolens on the Achenbach ball post: "Until the non-governing bodies of the game step up, the Bubba Watsons of the new age are going to continue to make golf courses look silly. I know that people like CB McDonald were making these very same protestations of doom many years ago, but it's now becoming reality."

Pete the Luddite on the same thread: "When did tennis "jump the shark" or start to die in terms of viewership and popularity? When guys like Phillipousis (spp?) started winning with the cannon-speed serves and no other fundamental game elements. Tennis bacame a boring, for TV at least, sport where the server bombed it, the receiver lunged, and you moved to the next point. Who cares about golf when it's: blast it as far as possible (Hi, Vijay!), then pull out one of your 5 wedges to flip it onto the green. There's no need for players to focus on true shotmaking anymore."

The Big K came clean about watching the Big Break and I admire him for it. We should support him: "I for one wish everyone would cease and desist on the 'Big Break' jokes. I know, I know, but I kinda like the show. To me, golf is about performing under pressure, whatever that pressure is: a $2 nassau or your best round ever or just that approach shot on the hole you always seem to screw up. That's why I don't watch a tournament when someone is six strokes ahead with 5 to go. No mind-racing, stomach wilting, vision-blurring pressure (OK, that's what happens to me). OK, I admit the show is presented in melodramatic fashion. But that is why man invented the digital video recorder.  OK, I feel better. My secret is out."

Hey, I TiVo'd John Daly's show...while we're in the confessing mood.

Finally on the DC schedule, uh, shift, Jonathon and Mike M's comments were insightful too. Actually the whole thread with the help of sodface, njmike and Smolens is fun.

Thanks for the comments, look forward to more. 

Player Reactions To TGC Deal

Thanks to reader C for the heads up on Doug Ferguson's notes column from earlier in the week. A few eye opening comments:

"If we're trying to reach out to non-golf fans, how you leave out ESPN is beyond me." - David Duval, on the PGA Tour giving exclusive cable rights to The Golf Channel in a 15-year deal. 

And... 

"It would be nice to know what's going on," Brent Geiberger said. "It seems like we find out just like everybody else. And it's our tour."

The tour has a 16-man Players Advisory Council and four players on the nine-member policy board.

"But when those players get in the room, they're already outnumbered 5-4," Paul Azinger said. "I wish the players had a little more say."

Spc. Dustin Kendall, RIP

Sad news courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

Spc. Dustin Kendall...21, was killed in Baqouba, Iraq, on Sunday in a noncombat-related accident when his humvee struck an M 1 A 2 Abrams tank and rolled over, according to the Department of Defense. He was assigned to the Army’s 1 st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3 rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4 th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Kendall spent about two years in the Army Reserve before signing up for active duty last summer. He was deployed to Iraq in November, Ballew said.

“He was very outgoing, very flirtatious,” Ballew said. “He was just a happy-go-lucky guy.”

She said he had studied business but was considering a career in golf-course design. “He loved to golf.... He was very competitive in sports and in girls.”

Parrish recalls him purposely driving a golf cart into a pond one chilly February day.

A memorial service will be held for Kendall on Saturday in South Carolina, where one of his sisters lives. Bradford said about six or seven employees are planning to attend.

Kendall is the 39 th soldier with Arkansas ties to have died in the United States’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — 36 in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. To date 2,225 military personnel have died in the war in Iraq.

GQ List

Thanks to reader Steve for the heads up on GQ's ten most hated athletes in sports. You might be surprised which golfer made the list. Or, after comments like this, maybe you won't be surprised.

Classic Club Wind

All jokes about putts breaking to the freeway aside, I had no idea that the Classic Club was on the other side of the freeway until this week. This time of year in the desert, that should always make the new host course susceptible to a wind event.

Now, we're not talking about a bad day at the British Open here, but an evacuate-the-television-towers-and-grandstands type of event.

Thomas Bonk in today's LA Times:

As for Perez, let's just say he had the kind of day that sorely tested his newfound positive attitude. He was four over after 11 holes and wound up with a one-over 73 at the wind-blown Classic Club.

It was a round that suffered in comparison with the 60 he shot in the first round at the Palmer Course at PGA West. This was no surprise to Perez, who offered a brief critique of his round.

"Terrible compared to yesterday," he said.

This time, Perez knocked his ball into the water at three holes, including his first shot of the day at No. 1, his first shot at the 10th, plus his four-iron second shot at the 18th.

He was not happy about it, but Perez should have known such a feeling was a distinct possibility, right after he played nine holes in a practice round Sunday at the Classic Club.

"The flags were almost coming out of the holes … it was blowing 80 miles an hour. I said 'We're out of here.' That gave me a good enough sign of what could happen during the week."

The Classic Club played to an average score of 73.37 on Thursday, about 3 1/2 shots harder than the first round. It was also close to four shots more difficult than the Palmer Course at PGA West played in the second round.

"This course is so much different than any other one," Perez said. "It's not even close to PGA West. And the wind tunnel. It howls here….

"That's Not A TV Contract, That's Alimony"

Rex Hoggard peels off a series of funny one-liners before getting to some of the serious issues tied to the new TV deal.

Fifteen years? That's not a TV contract, that's alimony.

"The Golf Channel brings a lot," Finchem said. "The reason for 15 years is that it sets the table for us to protect our position in the long-term as the television marketplace continues to evolve."

The F5s in the movie "Tornado" didn't spin like that. It was a bright and shiny day in Ponte Vedra-ville. Everywhere else, however, folks were on pins and needles last week waiting to hear details of the new deal.

If the Nixon White House would have protected secrets like Finchem & Co., "Tricky Dick's" face would be on Mt. Rushmore right now. Just ask any one of a half-dozen tournament directors who sat by their phones last week waiting to hear their fate.

He then talks to several tournament directors about the fate of their events. The fate of Doral turnaround man Eddie Carbone as well as events in Hartford and Washington are brought up.

But it boils down to this: the Greensboro and Tampa Bay stops are happy, everyone else is either lukewarm or downright upset about the new deal.

Finchem Works Magic?

Ron Sirak breaks out his pom-poms and describes the new ABC/ESPN-free TV deal as "pure magic."

Now, before we look at this more closely, a reader emailed and asked when the last time was Sportscenter regularly showed Champions Tour highlights.

Bingo, you got it, back when it was called the Senior Tour and ESPN televised a whole bunch of it.

Anyway...Sirak cheers writes: 

Just when it seemed the financial sky was falling on his tour, Finchem reached into his top hat and pulled out a $3 billion rabbit, with CBS as one floppy ear, NBC as the other and Brian Roberts (pictured), CEO of Comcast, parent company of The Golf Channel, as the smiling face. This TV deal was pure magic, and it seems everyone won.

Everyone won. Pure magic. Who knew a PGA Tour press release could sound so modest? 

First, the package was more attractive to CBS and NBC with ABC out. Now only two networks will compete for the upscale advertising PGA Tour golf attracts. It would not be surprising if the tour deliberately axed ABC to boost the value to CBS and NBC.

Deliberately axed ABC? The great demographic argument gone so far awry, it's not even funny. 

Second, because Comcast was so eager. Sources tell Golf World TGC is paying a staggering $220 million a year for this "strategic partnership." How can Comcast cover $3.3 billion in rights fees over 15 years?

We are to believe sources claiming that Comcast will write checks totalling $3.3 billion over 15 years, on top of the huge production costs involved where they pay networks as much as $500,000 a week to cover Thurs-Friday telecast costs?

Brian Roberts is a very smart businessman who reports to shareholders. And we are to believe he is letting his company pay almost as much annually as the networks are currently paying in the 2000-06 deal, but in this case,  for the leftovers instead of the prime network events?

Or perhaps $3.3 billion is the potential value of the "strategic partnership," which sounds more like a deal that includes many elements beyond a simple rights fee payment. Maybe after the value of a small Tour ownership stake is computed, or after various hypotheticals are accounted for in best case ad revenue scenarios, or after they throw some more millions on top just to make it sound good, they reach $3.3 billion. 

Manougian, who declined comment on the financials, says the tour deal will take TGC from 70 million to 90 million homes. He also hopes that in areas such as New York -- where market penetration is currently only 50 to 60 percent -- that number will go up. Those increases are, as they say, priceless.

Of course, I forget, the world revolves around New York city. The coveted demo, the chosen people!

By the way, weather update: it was the coldest day this winter in L.A. Don't think it even hit 63. Burr!

Anyway, does Golf Channel actually appear in 70 million homes? Putting it another way, do 70 million homes pay for it? Or, does it currently have the potential to reach 70 million subscribers?

I think Frank Hannigan answered this in his Golfobserver column.

The Golf Channel euphoria expressed by Sirak and select others does not address the fact that ESPN and USA are available in most major hotels, bars, restaurants, health clubs, airports, etc... while the Golf Channel's presence in these visible locations ranges from non-existent to barely. And it's not the first channel that people usually go to (like ESPN).

Think about the number of times you will NOT see ESPN/USA's televised golf in a bar, lounge or a hotel room because it's now on The Golf Channel.

The long-term partnership with the tour also will give TGC unprecedented access to the players, allowing it the opportunity to provide unique and unprecedented programming. It is now truly the tour's network. Finchem hit a financial home run for his side. Now it's up to Manougian to hit a creative long ball for his team.

Now, I'm no ESPN fanatic. The Tour deserves major kudos for not caving to ESPN's demands for pairing-timing input. And as a fan of the The Golf Channel's pre and post round coverage, particularly during majors, they have the potential to be a much better place for serious golf fans. 

But how can anyone who has followed the Tour in recent years believe that they will help deliver "unique and "unprecedented programming"?

Kroichick on Harding's Future

Ron Kroichick in the SF Chronicle sheds more light on the rapidly deteriorating Harding Park situation.  

You may recall that earlier this week the Chronicle reported that the cost to redo the place ended up closer to $23 million, raising numerous questions and also hurting the chances of future muni-rejuvenation projects.

Kroichick writes: 

The Tour's contract with the city includes a provision in which it can back out if the course is not deemed in suitable shape. The city also needs to keep Harding in good condition so it can lure coveted non-resident players, who pay anywhere from $82 to $138 to roam the fairways alongside Lake Merced.

Whoa! $138 for a muni?

Macaulay acknowledged his concern about maintaining the course. Tour officials told him they believe Harding needs a gardening crew of 32 to 34, but that's unrealistic given Rec & Park's obvious financial constraints. Macaulay's staff numbers 24, though fewer than 20 are currently working full-time.

An 18 hole country club staff on the big size would be in the 22-25 range. 32-34 for Harding and Fleming?

What a city!

The next event will occur no earlier than 2008, and it will not be the AMEX (now the CA Championship in Miami) or the Tour Championship (tied to Atlanta). The Bridgestone Invitational also is a longshot, despite last week's speculation; the Tour apparently is committed to keeping that event in Akron, Ohio, through 2010. Maybe the Match Play Championship comes here in '08, or the Presidents Cup in '09.

In other words, Harding had a nice run with the PGA Tour. It's only hope now is a USGA event or LPGA major. 

But more importantly, what's going to happen on a daily basis for the people who matter?

Azinger: If I Think It, I'm Saying It

I knew there was a silver lining in the Tour's failure to reach an agreement with ABC.

"I'm going to be no holds barred this year. If I think it, I'm saying it," Paul Azinger tells the USA Today's Tom Spousta.

"You're always a little guarded," Azinger adds. "If I make any kind of critical comment about the Tour, somebody from the Tour calls the producer in about 45 seconds. That's how much they watch."

Spousta lists a few more Azinger comments, some you've probably read in the last week and some you haven't.

On 2007 schedule player input:

"There's not a player out here that gets to vote on it. Input? They didn't ask anybody I know," Azinger says. 

It is apparent the limited reach, limited appeal and limitless cross promotion on The Golf Channel is starting to sink in. Azinger again:

"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." He also questions whether viewers will be objectively served: "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." 

And check out John Hawkins' lastest Golf World column:

"I know there's some question about losing ABC and ESPN," said three-time winner Joe Durant [and Tour policy board member], "but this is going to take The Golf Channel to a whole new level."

Really? I can see how a "Big Break XII" featuring Jessica Simpson, Halle Barry and Mischa Barton might take the niche network to a whole new level, although the same probably won't be said of holding the rights to the first two rounds of the FBR Open. The weekday telecasts represent a nice step forward for the new bride, but if this is a marriage of opportunity for TGC, it's one of need for the tour. After ESPN and USA Network pulled out of the Thursday-Friday bidding, where else could Camp Ponte Vedra go?

"Tim [Finchem] said he couldn't be happier with the outcome," said Peter Jacobsen, whom some consider a candidate to succeed Finchem as commissioner. "I think he would have been happier if we had ABC and ESPN. Like every other tour player, I've got my fingers crossed this is the right thing." 

Remember, Hawkins was very positive in the initial portrayal of the Fed Ex Cup.

Next week look for more comments questioning the length of the Golf Channel deal.   

Lorne On Canadian Open, Coore/Crenshaw

Lorne Rubenstein looks at the lousy date given to the Canadian Open. 

But why that summer date? Ross said yesterday that the PGA Tour had been aware from discussions during the past 10 years of the RCGA's preferred dates. That would be around Canada Day, which would put the tournament two weeks after the U.S. Open and three weeks before the British Open.

Given those dates, Canada's national championship would fall around a time when Canadians take the time to appreciate where they live and when many celebrations occur across the country.

These factors, of course, don't matter to the PGA Tour, which gave the date to the Buick Open in Flint, Mich. Well, that's just an hour by car from the Canadian border at Sarnia, Ont.

"The PGA Tour has a big contract with Buick," Ross said. Draw your own conclusions as to why the Canadian Open didn't get the far better week between the U.S. and British Opens.

He also wrote a wonderful column a few weeks ago on Coore and Crenshaw, and the possiblity that they may do a course in Canada.  Interesting quotes from Coore too.

Achenbach On The Ball

After writing about how the modern golf ball is all things wonderful--and no one can argue with its amazing design and construction--Jim Achenbach's gets to the heart of the matter:

Touring pros, aided primarily by technology and greater athletic ability, have become longer because they have learned how to outmaneuver golf ball testing standards. The U.S. Golf Association's Overall Distance Standard now reflects a maximum combined carry and roll distance (under normal test conditions) of 320 yards.

Some players have been known to carry the ball farther than that.

Now, you'd think this notion would outrage the USGA and R&A, right? 

So when is enough enough for the bombers of the PGA Tour? It may be sooner rather than later.

If the USGA rolls back the golf ball – in a drastic alteration to the rules – it should reimburse golf ball manufacturers for the expense of adapting to the new distance standard.

You laugh, but I can't think of a more appropriate headache for all sides in this caper!

The USGA handing out millions of dollars to ballmakers? Absolutely. It is the only fair thing to do.

With a shorter golf ball, golf courses will move the tees up. Golfers can play shorter courses. Older layouts can regain some of the muscle they lost in the era of golf ball expansion.

Well, no one is going to move tees up. But if they stop wanting to move them back, that would be a nice, nice start.