Fo shizzle, I-ka-zizzle

For those watching the various golf events of late, you might be wondering after the 3 millionth airing of the Snoop Dogg-Lee Iaccoca Chrysler ad, that the course they are playing is Woodland Hills Country Club in (where else) Woodland Hills, California.

You know the ad by now. It's sandwiched between those 60 second Greatest Piano Solo spots that remind Tim Finchem he has a lot of work to do on the new TV deal. The punchline of the ad:

You know, I'm not too sure what you just said. Now everybody gets a great deal," Iacocca says in the spot.

"Fo shizzle, I-ka-zizzle," Snoop Dog replies.

Were you like me, thinking Iacocca couldn’t possibly need the money and yet Snoops to this level?

Well, don't I feel like a jerk after reading an article about it:

Iacocca is donating the money Chrysler is paying him to do these spots to a foundation he set up to battle diabetes, the disease which killed his wife. USA Today reports that Snoop Dogg told Iacocca during the filming that he has a brother with diabetes, and said he admired what Iacocca is doing.

"He's just a good kid," Iacocca told USA Today about his co-star. "I didn't understand half the things he was telling me, but it was fun."

Newport Awaiting Wie...Already

Chris Baldwin at Travelgolf writes that they're already excited about the arrival of Michelle Wie in Newport...for the 2006 U.S. Women's Open. Though her expected appearance can't be promoted because she is currently an amateur.

Yes, the biggest reason for all this fuss is not included in the advertising blitz. With Wie still holding onto her amateur status, she's not used in any United States Golf Association promotions. Instead, the signs tout Annika Sorenstam, Grace Park and even virtually forgotten oldies Meg Mallon and Juli Inkster. So Wie is unseen, but definitely not unspoken about in Newport.

That'll change in October.  

Norman Lends His Chopper

Greg Norman lends his helicopter to support the New Orleans relief effort.

Hannigan on Amateur Status

Frank Hannigan's latest Golfobserver.com column looks at the recent USGA/R&A Amateur Status change:

The recently announced liberalization of the Rules of Amateur Status is a classic example of the kind of thinking you get when people in power lust to exercise their power but don't know what they are doing.

Oh but this is more than a USGA bashing column, Hannigan points out something rather shocking, even when you think you've seen every USGA boondoggle.

The method of administering golf's version of affirmative action is a typical USGA cop-out in that the Association will neither pay for anything (even though it has a quarter billion dollar surplus) nor manage anything.

Instead, the burden has been lateraled over to the state and regional golf Associations, entities such as the Chicago District Golf Association and the Florida Golf Association.

According to the USGA's solemn press release, any amateur golfer can accept expenses to any golf competition provided the money is laundered through one of the associations.

As of Monday, the USGA had not issued any guidelines to the associations. It has not told them what to expect and what to do and whether they, the local bodies, have any role other than as accountants.

You would think they might run this by the local associations before announcing it. You know, in case they didn't want to do the USGA's dirty (paper) work.

Hannigan, who has long believed college golfers on scholarships should not be eligible for USGA amateur events, makes this suggestion:

The Amateur Public Links championship could again mean something other than being a means of entry into the Masters by a simple if dramatic step: deny entry to anybody who has played on a college golf team during the prior year. It would also be desirable to ban juniors — or at least those who attend or advertise "golf academies" linked to secondary schools.

Suttons and Toms Helping Out

Chris Lewis at SI on the efforts of David Toms and Hal Sutton to help hurricane Katrina victims.

Lupica On Presidents Cup

Mike Lupica says the Presidents Cup is better than the Ryder Cup.

I know, I know, even the suggestion that what was invented as another made-for-TV special event is better than the event it blatantly ripped off is something that is supposed to make old Ryder spin in his grave—though probably not the kind of spin you'd get with modern technology.

But I'm right about this.

Ah, the humility.

He goes on to present two utterly ridiculous reasons: the star power of the International team, starting with Ernie Els (oops). And the star power of captains Nicklaus and Player.

It's The Only Way You Lear

Thanks to reader Josh for this from the Telegraph. Writing about Colin Montgomerie:

Design is something the Scot has become more interested in. He said: "This is the first course in the UK which has my signature and for it to be in Ayrshire, just 10 miles up the road from where I first played golf, is really special.

"This is something I very much enjoy. To see this project from the start to completion in two years will be remarkable.

"I've been involved in dozens of courses all over the world now and we are ever expanding. I've played enough bad courses and enough bad holes in my time to know what is good and what I want.

"I've spoken to players past and present about golf course design. It's the only way you learn."

Kelly Gibson

Melanie Hauser talks to New Orleans resident and Tour player Kelly Gibson.

West Coast Swing Impact?

Larry Bohannon says the Tour's possible move to an emphasized fall finish will make it tougher for the West Coast Swing to attract star players.

Rational Exuberance

Lorne Rubenstein looks at some of the recent reactions to heroic shots and feels they're great for a game that has recently seen less emotion from players. Or perhaps, where we've seen more hostility from players when their fellow players (over?)react to shots. 

Benchmarking To The Rescue

Golf Business writes about the golf industry leadership convening in Monterey to discuss the state of the industry. Lots of talk of actionable data, benchmarking, models and metrics.

Herrington on Merion

Golf World's Ryan Herrington has an excellent game story on the U.S. Amateur at Merion, with a surprising insight into Edoardo Molinari's daily ritual (packing) before his matches.

There is also a sidebar at the end of the piece on Merion's U.S. Open chances. The Executive Director is quotes. Not only does Mr. Fay call on yet another baseball analogy, he offers this on the USGA having to take a financial hit by going to Merion.

"I understand also full well that the U.S. Open is the engine that drives the entire organization. But you konw I've got two daughters. Maybe some year I have to budget for a wedding. So what will I do? Scale back somewhere else for the year." 

I guess that $530,000 salary (and $62,000 in expenses) just doesn't go as far as it used to.

The Fiction Issue!?

The latest Golf World is dubbed "The Fiction Issue." Now, I was excited when I first saw the cover. (Online of course. My print copy won't arrive for at least two weeks if the issue is at all heavy! Oh wait, it's my postman reading, I forgot.)

Anyway, seeing that at least half of the fiction pieces are reprinted short stories, well, I could point out about six or seven "packages" Golf World might want to try before regurgitating stuff that has appeared in several books and reprints. But what's the point?

It's A Spat About Nothing

Golf World's Stu Schneider looks at the Tiger Woods-Peter Kostis/CBS on-course announcer feud, or whatever it is. And though Schneider says it's all about nothing, he adeptly points out that the timing could not be worse for Tim Finchem.

DVR's Impacting Golf Advertising?

Will TiVo and other digital video recording (DVR) technology impact golf advertising? From Steve Pike in his PGA.com "Business Insider" column:

It's too early to provide a specific answer, but there's no doubt the technology's ability to provide commercial-free TV has caught the attention of golf industry marketing execs, whose companies spend millions to get on the tube.

"We're evaluating it on an ongoing basis," Andy Jones, vice president of marketing for golf shoe giant FootJoy, told PGA.com. "Our research tell us that golfers want to see the commercials -- particularly equipment. So we're watching it closely."

Oh I'm not so sure about that.

Either way, you can expect new forms of commercialization thanks to DVR's.

But Dan Murphy, director of marketing for Bridgestone Golf, sees the technology as a more immediate threat to commercials.

"We haven't given up on the 30-second spot yet -- we still are there. But there are two ways, we think, to deal with it," Murphy said. "One is, we think the Internet is more important than ever; so one way to distribute your TV spot, particularly if it's entertaining, is through email and clip attachments.

"The other way is to stay on TV to be work more toward the product placement strategy. In other words, insert your brand into a particular show."

Uh, don't they already insert their brand via player visors?