Rangefinder Counterpoint

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Vartan Kupelian punches holes in the theory that distance measuring devices will slow up (err speed up!) play, as their makers and the USGA's David Fay have insisted.

 One point continues to be left out in these counterpoint arguments. Well, two actually.

One, the speed of play increase theory assumes that a majority of golfers would actually purchase the devices. They won't. Not at $200 plus.

Also, there are not studies I'm aware of proving (or even hinting) that pace of play increased when all golfers in a tournament round had access too these devices (compared to a day without them).
 

7,086: Short

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Ron Kroichik offers a hole-by-hole preview of Harding Park. The headline for the story: "Harding might be short but it's big on challenge." That's right, 7,086 yards in heavy air has become short. Damn those workout programs!

PGA Tour officials hope rail-thin fairways, thick rough, slick greens and rows of cypress trees will present a suitable challenge. It's entirely possible the players will overpower Harding and post low, low, low numbers. Or maybe the refurbished 80-year-old layout will quiet skeptics and produce a winner at, say, 10-under-par.

Because, after all, resistance to scoring is the mark of a great design.

Seve's joke about fairways eventually disappearing is looking more prophetic every day. 

Need To Be A Goat To Walk This Course

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Thanks to reader Steve for this gem to welcome me back to civilization. Just when I had given up hope that Tour players would ever criticize a lousy venue again. Annika, via Robyn Norwood in the LA Times.

"I think logistically this course does not set up for a competition like this," Annika Sorenstam said after finishing tied for ninth with a final-round 70.

With its tight fairways, multi-tiered layout, narrow cart paths and few shortcuts between holes, the Trump course in Rancho Palos Verdes proved difficult to navigate despite its lavishness.

Players searching for balls in the thick brush or waiting for officials to arrive to make rulings contributed to rounds lasting as long as six hours.

That, plus a 3 1/2 -hour fog delay Saturday, produced the first non-playoff Monday finish on the tour since 1999, though players said ocean views made the waits more bearable.

Sorenstam said not only rules officials, but fans as well, found it difficult to move from hole to hole.
"You pretty much have to be a goat to walk this course," she said.

And after her thanks for the community support:

"Maybe we need to find a flat course in the neighborhood."

Harding Park Scoring Watch

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hardingpark18.jpgLet the number crunching begin! Alan Shipnuck in SI (subscription req.) talks to Sandy Tatum about this week's World Championship at Harding Park.  The focus is on the winning score and how the course will be perceived for a possible USGA event (even though we know they don't care about winning scores, nope).

Here's the key portion of Shipnuck's story:

"It's a nice old-style course," says PGA Tour vet Joe Ogilvie, who shot even par during a recent corporate outing at Harding. "It has a good routing. I like the big, old cypress trees. It's nice to be able to think your way around a course."

Glad you enjoyed it, Joe, but cut to the chase -- is this little muni good enough to host a $7.5 million World Golf Championship extravaganza? "Well, I think it ought to be fine," says Ogilvie.

Hmmmm, not exactly a ringing endorsement. Ogilvie's Tour colleague Kevin Sutherland played Harding about a year ago, shooting one under par in a casual round with friends. Sutherland's assessment? "It's a beautiful course," he says. "I thought it was very fair."

Uh-oh. In Tour parlance fair is a code word for easy. Mount Juliet, in Kilkenny, Ireland, is considered exceptionally fair. That's where Tiger Woods went 25 under on his way to winning the 2002 AmEx and where a victorious Ernie Els shot 18 under last year. Scores like that will do nothing to enhance the stature of the new Harding Park, and everyone associated with the course hopes to avoid a birdie bonanza.

"I think eight under is a realistic winning score," says Tatum, who while president of the USGA oversaw the Massacre at Winged Foot in 1974, when seven over par won the U.S. Open. "I would hope it's not more than 10."

This is not about vanity but viability. Going forward, Harding is slated to host the AmEx every three years, but there is an understanding that the Tour will cut and run if Harding's playability or conditioning is deemed subpar. San Francisco officials also have their sights set on a USGA championship. Last year Mayor Gavin Newsom wrote to USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J., formally requesting that Harding host the 2009 U.S. Women's Open. Newsom was rebuffed -- the '09 Women's Open was instead awarded to Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. -- but discussions are ongoing about future Opens at Harding. Tatum's ultimate dream is to land not only the Women's Open but also the big enchilada, the men's Open. These grand ambitions add even more frisson to how Harding will be received this week. "You bet it's an audition," says Tatum, "not only for more WGCs but also for the USGA."


 

6 Hours In Perfect Weather!?

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Hardly any breeze, temperature in the low 80s and a course barely over 6,000 yards. It was a tad smoky, but in game stories looking at first round play in the LPGA event at Trump National, no one says what caused it to take so long. 25 players did not finish the round.

They all said the views were great. No mention of the beautiful waterfalls helping to pass the time. 

Rangefinders on Tour?

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Gary Van Sickle looks at the general wonderfulness that rangefinders will bring to the game, namely improved speed of play and world peace. He also looks at whether the Tour will allow them to help deal with their speed of play problem.

With all of the strides the Tour has made to improve the look of the uh, "product?" Are you kidding? Even the Laser Link head man knows the answer to this one:

"Commissioner Finchem is concerned with how it looks," Rob O'Loughlin said. "He's in the entertainment business. Having Tiger Woods looking over Stevie Williams' shoulder at a yardage book, that's a traditional look, that's part of the chemistry. I'm not sure they're interested in Tiger and Steve pulling out a laser gun and firing it.

 "But over time, they'll get comfortable with it."

Right! Uh, the Tour's pace of play problem starts on the greens, with major headaches at all of the driveable par-4s and reachable par-5s that the guys stand around and wait on for an hour a round.

Teebiscuit

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greatestgameeverplayedthe.jpgFrom Jeff Silverman in this weeks SI Golf Plus (subscription req.): "The high point of the movie adaptation of The Greatest Game Ever Played comes early -- before the opening credits." Ouch. And: "If the movie couldn't fully uphold its oath, it should have at least improved its lies."

Most of the newspaper and trade reviews are quite good though. Here are some: Arizona Republic, AP, Seattle Press Intell whatever, New York Times, Variety and the lukewarms from MSNBC and the Chicago Tribune.

Here's the IMDB page with the full cast and crew listing and other information. 

New Balls Please

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The Guardian's Lawrence Donegan looks at the Pro-V1's fifth birthday and the "battle for the future of golf."

Warning, I'm quoted.

If you'd like some elaboration on my comments regarding Titleist, here goes. First, here's what Donegan quotes me as saying:

"Given the company's past record, I don't see what they are so worried about. They have enormous customer loyalty and an enormously powerful brand name. That will not suddenly disappear if there was a new ball. If they continue to make a quality product, they will continue to dominate," says Shackelford. "More to the point, they would be credited for having done their bit to preserve the game of golf as we know it."

Consider this scenario. The USGA and R&A decide to admit they blew it when they scrapped a test that would have restricted the optimization-led jumps in driving distance we've seen for top players.

They've come to their senses, admitted their mistakes and order a rollback that only effects players with higher clubhead speeds.

The manufacturers then comply with whatever ball spec changes the USGA mandates. Increased spin, dimple design change, etc...  I don't know what it is, and don't really care how the tech wizards solve the problem. Whatever it takes to eliminate the optimization situation that is allowing players to exceed the Overall Distance Standard without setting off an alarm.

So here come new rules, new ball requirements.

Which ball are people going to pick up first? Why, the one they've been playing (unless their preferred brand refuses to make balls to the new spec).

So for most they will buy a box of Titleist's because they've made great products for years and built strong brand loyalty (Forgive me God for sounding like an MBA). And golfers will continue to buy their preferred brands new rolled back ball (assuming it's well made).

And there is no reason to believe that Titleist will continue to make anything but a superior product.

Finally, remember, this rollback will only impact a very small number of golfers if handled properly. Those with clubhead speeds over 110 or so mph would be impacted. Everyone else would not be. Again, assuming a rollback is handled properly.