The USGA's 2011 Herbert Warren Wind Book Award winner
The ebook edition.
I'm sitting there with the press, all pleased and comfortable, and when Arnie holes the thirty-footer they leave me like I got the pox.
KEN VENTURI on the 1960 Masters
The worst kept secret in golf is out: Ty Votaw has been hired by the PGA Tour because they so desperately need another executive salary feeding some vague position ("strengthening the tour's profile in the global sports marketplace").
The over-under on Tim Finchem deciding to spend more time with the KB Homes board and to pursue other board seats just moved up six months, to November 2007.
So that I don't have to transcribe audio and because it could (or could not be) a fun way to introduce you to someone in golf, I'm adding an interview element to the site with the help of AOL's instant messenger service (the best of the IM programs..and I'm not even paid to say that).
Tomorrow marks the debut of this thrilling new feature, with Golf World's Stu Schneider agreeing to be the first of hopefully many Q&A's with interesting folks in golf.
The art department assures me that the logo for this feature is not too commercial in appearance, nor is AOL's cool little logo guy doing something dangerous with a club, but instead, he's offering an homage to Bernard Darwin's follow through. Thanks to Tommy Naccarato for name idea and graphics.
Geoff
Well here goes Frank blowing his chance to become the Tour's VP of Coterminous Platform-Pollination...
The PGA Tour's new television deal confirms the obvious - general interest in golf peaked years ago and is now in decline. Recreational golf has been flat or worse in terms of rounds played for many years. The two are interdependent.
Get this man talking points, now!
For the Tour to find and command a new audience would require a freakish event like a hermaphrodite dwarf becoming leading money winner. And it would help if the dwarf's caddie could be Anna Nicole Smith.
Golf's popularity on television has also diminished because the Tour, which is absolutely no fun to deal with, thinks it knows television. This is particularly so of Commissioner Tim Finchem who has bullied the broadcasters about production techniques.
Hey, PGA Tour Sunday is a wonderful sedative.
The Tour also attempts to control overall content especially what the announcers say even who they are. ABC went outside the mould by hiring Nick Faldo who was a critical success because he occasionally spoke bluntly and without reverence. The Tour, believe me, did not like Nick Faldo one bit. It's not crazy about NBC's Johnny Miller either. Miller's success derives from his sounding on the air the way he sounds off the air.
Finchem has insisted in putting himself on the air as an interview subject. When I was with ABC during the l990s one of his minions would wander into the announcers' booth and casually ask what the questions of the boss might be. It's gone beyond that now. They want the actual words of the questions submitted in advance. Even Charles deGaulle couldn't get away with that.
He gets the questions in advance and still comes off that bored? Wow.
And this is interesting:
Equating the "basic cable" outlets ESPN and USA to The Golf Channel is nonsense. The AC Nielsen Company does not even provide ratings for The Golf Channel because the audience is too small to measure reliably. The word "subscribers" is tossed around in a misleading fashion.
Take my case. I live in a community of 20 homes. All can get The Golf Channel by paying an extra monthly fee. I am the only one who does so because I get a kick out of hearing an old friend, Renton Laidlaw, do the European Tour. None of my neighbors, described by the careless New York Times, as among The Golf Channel's purported 75 million "subscribers", will jump aboard The Golf Channel starting in 2007.
Frank, don't tell me you still subscribe to that whole "paper of record" nonsense!?
I know prominent golf writers who have refused to get the Golf Channel for $5 month, even after I tell them that they must have it for the major championship coverage, European Tour and other bright spots in between the flood of infomercials and reality shows.
So it may be a tough sell on Frank's neighbors.
...won't come to the press tent?
Some questions for David Toms following his Sony Open win.
Q. Your pattern has been other than the Match Play to typically win more in the middle of the year, is there anything that you can pinpoint as to why you won so early this year?
Q. You're pretty good with the lead going into the final round, are you aware of that? Is there anything to that that gets you...
Q. Maybe following up to that question and your answer, it wasn't an epiphany that all of the sudden you decided you wanted to win golf tournaments. What made that change and when did you come to realize that?
Q. You talked a month ago about the way you won at Match Play last year and frankly the way you won this week and what you said then was "I'd like to be able to do that more often." What does it take to do that more often? Are you getting any clue on that and do you think you're capable of it?
Q. Do you pay attention to your World Ranking?
Q. Seven inches on the first hole?
DAVID TOMS: Seven inches on the first hole? On No. 1? No, no, I had about 12 feet.
At Kapalua, the guys averaged a paltry 254.9 yards off the tee, 35 yards below last year's final average.
They caught up quickly at the Sony Open, moving the Tour driving distance average to 289.3 yards
All those wintertime workout programs really paid off for the boys (or maybe it was their launch monitor work?), because in two events, there have already been 393 drives over 350 yards (134 of those at the Sony Open). There were 2059 drives over 350 in all of 2005.
Another interesting number courtesy of the Tour's longest drive stat:
- There have been 13 drives over 400 yards in 2006.
- There were 19 all of last year. Heck, Bubba Watson might hit 19 over 400 at The International alone!
And if you are wondering why these growing numbers are followed so closely, a full explanation is available here.
You may recall last week it was noted here that Kapalua was 21.5 yards below its 2005 average of 276.4.
Golf World's Jan 13 issue revealed that the two measuring holes were Nos. 3 and 15.
On No. 3, the players average 232.0 yards, 278.7 on No. 15 (which I believe plays slightly uphill).
So yes Kapalua does distort the Tour numbers, just not in the way we might have imagined.
Golf World also reported that the average distance on all drives was 281.2 yards.
You have to love Paul Azinger's honesty amidst all of the spin. Doug Ferguson reports:
"Players don't care who covers the game," he said. "I don't think Tiger Woods cares who covers the Masters."
Nor does he believe players will care that much about the FedEx Cup, which includes three Championship Series tournaments leading to the Tour Championship, with an estimated $10 million going to the winner.
Azinger's first victories came in 1987, the first year of the Tour Championship (then called the Nabisco Championship), which was created to define the end of the golf season.
That didn't work, and he isn't sure this new format will make much of a difference.
"The best players in the world are playing to make history," Azinger said. "There are only four tournaments you can win to make history, and TPC (The Players Championship) is not one of them. And neither are those world events. And you're not going to make history winning some kind of FedEx Cup."
Scott Michaux takes a detailed look at the TV deal winners and losers and makes this (sad) point for some hoping to see a return of an old Masters tradition:
LOSER: Tour winners. With opposite events and even more diluted fall finish events, Hootie Johnson might be even less inclined to re-implement automatic Masters invites to tournament winners.
Brad Klein returns to Pasatiempo for a look at the recent restoration work and a Golfweek review.
Can't say I'm wild about the look of No. 3 pictured here on the right and in the story. The bunkers look a little 2-d, way too white and more Trent than Mac.
Just when they wanted to write Michelle Wie off...she pulls 'em back in with a very impressive 68.
Chris Lewis sums up the state of her game and where she's headed.
John Huggan in his Scotland on Sunday column thinks she should stop playing with the men.
And Damon Hack offers a different look at Wie, who has a nice appreciation for the accomplishments of Babe Zaharias (Michelle, not Damon, well maybe Damon too, I don't know).
Catching up on this week's reading and noticed the very different takes on Vijay Singh from two of the most respected writers.
Tim Rosaforte signs himself up as chair of the Vijay Mutual Admiration Society, while Lorne Rubenstein says this nonsense about not talking to the press is getting old.
Spinning the new schedule seems to be the initial reaction to the new TV deal and 2007 schedule. Just give them all a few weeks.
Bob Harig does the best job summarizing the 2007 schedule winners and losers.
The Booz Allen got shipped to the fall and you have to wonder if Booz CEO Ralph Shrader's publicly expressed displeasure with the Tour played a role.
"I don't think flabbergasted would be too strong of a description of our reaction to the news," said Steve Lesnik, the chief executive officer of KemperSports, the company that has long directed and managed the local tour stop (currently the Booz Allen Classic). "We had no real forewarning, so it's going to take a few days to digest all the implications and ramifications of the situation."
Dan Bollerman writes about the new Mexico event, which ought to survive at least three years.
Gary D'Amato looks at the Milwaukee tournament and the efforts to put a positive spin on a dreadful date.
Gary Baines writes about The International and how happy they are with their new date. But it's hard to imagine sounds like a better way to get ready for links golf than 7 irons from 220.
Jeff Platsky looks at the B.C. Open likely making a move to the Champions Tour, and offers some interesting figures on what it costs to sponsor a Valiant Competitors Tour event.
Finally, Ed Sherman writes about the end of the Western Open name, which dates to 1899. He also looks at the mysterious move to Chicago only seeing the Tour every-other-year while the event is shifted to Hazeltine, Crooked Stick and Bellerive. The one positive is a likely jump in charitable donations to the Evans Scholarship fund.
Thomas Bonk writes about Earl Woods and suggests that Tiger is actually taking time off to be with his ailing dad.
John Huggan got the week off to a wonderful start with his Sunday column looking at the 2006 season and beyond.
Charles Howell likened Augusta National to Torrey Pines and struggled to say nice things about the redo. But he never said anything negative either. Oh just read the post.
We had our first driving distance watch and dispelled the myth that Kapalua has been artificially inflating the averages.
The college coaches signed up a third distance measuring device corporate sponsor, making them about the only body in golf pushing the devices for competition.
Lawrence Donegan introduced us to Steve Otto, R&A ball scientist who had some interesting things to say about the "miracle ball" concept that was widely denied to exist.
Meanwhile Peter Dawson insisted again that the distance issue has plateaued and nothing has changed over the last three years, ignoring evidence to the contrary.
But of course the big news of the week came from Ponte Vedra where Tim Finchem announced a new TV deal and his press conference raised more questions than it answered. On Friday afternoon (hmmm...someone else releases bad news then...) the Tour released its 2007 schedule with some stunning changes. More on that this week. Look for writers in towns that lost events to rip the Tour, and writers in towns saved by the bell to praise Finchem's streamlining.
I'm offering a major award to the first golf writer to actually contemplate whether the PGA Tour's "product" was less appealing to networks because of influences such as the Tour's anti-birdie approach to setup, slow play or the power game.
The early round-ups indicated the golf media thinks the 15-year deal is pretty impressive, all things considered (though they won't consider what those things are that are dragging the game down). Even Larry Bohannan was positive despite the dreadful deal the Bob Hope Classic is receiving.
We offered this flashback looking at comments following the last TV deal.
And finally, the SF Chronicle revealed the stunning budget overruns at Harding Park.
Comment of the week comes from Ned Ludd, commenting on Donald Trump's planned entry into the uh, Scottish marketplace: The warm welcome by the locals sounds like something from the movie "Local Hero"; play the chap for all the money they can. Doubt the ending will be as good.
Big points for citing one of my all time favorites Ned! Local Hero that is, not Donald Trump.
From the February, 1999 Golf Digest:
It wasn't enough that companies preparing to do battle for market share have to concern themselves with what competitors have up their sleeve of balls. They now have to reckon with the U.S. Golf Association as well.
Last November, the USGA announced its intention to employ modern technology to test golf balls, in the process tightening the tolerances currently allowed by its Overall Distance Standard (ODS) and Initial Velocity test.
"Let's face it," USGA Executive Director David B. Fay says, "when you look at cell phones and computers today, it's clear that 1970s technology is dated. The primary goal of our tests is to limit the available headroom for manufacturers to make the ball go farther. What impact this will have will be fairly minimal."
The USGA is concerned that technological advancements in equipment enable golfers to hit the ball farther, leading "to longer golf courses, escalating costs and slower play," Fay said at the time of the USGA announcement. Others say the organization also is concerned that technology threatens to make obsolete historic championship courses.
That test was soon scrapped after manufacturer moaning and Iron Byron was reintroduced, leading to today's mess where balls are testing fine and superceding the ODS under launch conditions favored by, uh, really good golfers who the test was meant to regulate.
"Enough is enough," Titleist chairman and CEO Wally Uihlein says. "The USGA is abusing its power and engaging in actions which it has yet to prove are warranted or asked for by the 25 million golfers and 10,000 member clubs it professes to represent."The great majority of balls already ruled to conform to USGA rules are expected to conform under the proposed tests, whatever their parameters, according to Fay. It's that phrase-the great majority-that has the councils of war mobilizing their forces.
Here's the 2007 PGA Tour schedule, minus the post FedEx Cup series events (the Chase for the Card or whatever they're calling it). Harford and the Washington D.C. stops are out, which explains why the TPC Avenal redo is on hold:
Date: Tournament (Television)
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)
Richard Starnes in the Ottawa Citizen writes:
A leading academic says he has proof golf was played in China 500 years before it was first reported in Scotland, which is widely acknowledged as the game's home.
Professor Ling Hongling of Lanzhou University says he has unearthed clear references to golf in a book called the Dongzuan Records, which were compiled during the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279). There are even sketches.
Ling says the book also refers to a prominent Nantang Dynasty magistrate (AD 937-975) who told his daughter "to dig goals in the ground so that he might drive a ball into them with a purposely crafted stick." The fact the "sticks" were jewel-encrusted suggests the game was for the nobleman, not the commoner.
Jewel-encrusted sticks. A game for the nobleman. So now we know: blame the Chinese.
Thanks to reader Al for the heads up.
Mr [Donald] Trump is believed to be determined to open an exclusive international course and luxury home development in Scotland to rival his company's flagship course, the Trump National Golf Club, at Briarcliff Manor, New York.
The potential development was welcomed yesterday by tourism and golfing organisations. Mike Young, the golf marketing consultant for VisitScotland Aberdeen and Grampian, said the staging of the seniors' championship last year had already done a lot to raise the profile of the area's golf courses with an American audience.
He said: "I think it is hugely exciting for Aberdeen and Grampian. I think somebody with Donald Trump's international reputation would bring a completely new focus to the area. He would arguably create a new market, rather than compete with what is existing. It is a huge opportunity and if we can do anything at all to help we will."
Larry Bohannan does his best to put a positive spin on the Hope moving to The Golf Channel.
In America's Sweethearts, John Cusack's character watches the bizarre new Hal Wideman film as it is being screened, turns to Billy Crystal's publicist character and whispers, "sometimes you look at a film and you say, where did the money go?"
Some are looking at Harding Park today and asking the same thing.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, an audit revealed that not only did the city managed to lose $141,619 on the recent American Express Championship, but the overall cost of the course renovation project skyrocketed to $23.6 million, $7.6 million over the original (and excessive) $16 million cost.
The audit also shows how funds meant to improve park and recreation programs for lower-income San Franciscans were borrowed to reinvigorate the public golf courses.
According to Rose, the renovation of the 18-hole Harding and nine-hole Fleming golf courses at Harding Park, which began in 2002, wound up costing $23.6 million, which was $7.6 million, or 47 percent, over the original estimate of $16 million.
The project wound up being a "significant opportunity cost to the rest of the city's recreation and park system," Rose wrote.
In 2001, the Arnold Palmer Golf Management Co., which had reached a deal with the city to carry out the project and then manage the courses, withdrew. Officials tapped state bond funds that had been awarded to San Francisco and that were earmarked for recreation and park projects in underserved or economically disadvantaged areas.
In 2002, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Recreation and Park Department to use the state funds for Harding, provided that the money was repaid with interest from golf course funds within 25 years.
But, according to the audit, city courses lost money in fiscal year 2004-05, needing a $536,000 subsidy from the city's general fund to cover their expenses.
The auditors may get their wish on this next suggestion, based on the Tour Championship setting up shop at East Lake and the WGC events locking in to Tucson, Doral and Firestone.
Citing the losses on the American Express Championship -- which featured the world's top players and was won by Tiger Woods -- Rose recommended renegotiating the city's agreement with the PGA Tour or terminating the deal.
The contract currently calls for five tournaments over 15 years.
Agunbiade, citing broader economic benefits to the city from PGA play, said terminating the agreement would be shortsighted.
William Strawn, a spokesman for the PGA during the tournament at Harding, said the event brought at least $55 million in tourist spending to the Bay Area.
"Although difficult to quantify," Agunbiade wrote, "the benefits to the city go far beyond the dollars and cents which accrue to the Recreation and Park Department."
You may recall that I wrote a Golfobserver column on the high cost to renovate Harding...at the $16 million figure.
Sadly, this revelation may doom future municipal course restoration projects.