Wie's a Rich Pro Now

That means I can poke fun, right? From AP:

Michelle Wie didn't have to wait until she tees off Thursday at the Samsung World Championship to realize she was playing as a pro.

"Just the other day I got my first tax form," she said Tuesday. "I was excited about that. It's not something you should be excited about, but it's pretty cool for me."

She also just got her first check minus the cut from William Morris. That probably wasn't as exciting.

The other sign Wie was now a pro was her bag, with the Sony logo and her name.

"I was so excited when I got my name on my bag," she said. "Usually when you're an amateur, you can't have your name on your bag."

No, just the names of corporations on your clothes, hat and glove. Oh I know, she just turned 16. I'll stop.

TPC Sawgrass Redo

I'm not clear why this story on the TPC Sawgrass's $25 million renovation is making the rounds now, but it is.

Even if golf's fifth major remains in March, the PGA Tour has drawn up plans to make it the premier tournament by weatherproofing the TPC at Sawgrass, moving 65,000 tons of dirt to allow spectators better views and installing technology so fans can know what's going on no matter where they are

Still the fifth of four majors. Sorry, continue. 

The cost for the ambitious project, including a Grand Mediterranean style clubhouse, is estimated at $25 million. Work is expected to begin after The Players Championships is held in March in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The larger locker area will create more space for the annual locker room rain-delay interviews.

The most dramatic renovation is sub-air pumps beneath each green that can remove 42,000 gallons per hour, allowing the putting surface to drain in minutes. Dirt beneath the fairways will be replaced with sand that drains faster, and the fairways then will be sod anew with high-quality Bermuda grass.

That will allow the course to all but guarantee firm, fast conditions even on rainy days.

No mention if the $25 million includes a switch to copper irrigation piping.

What's Happened Since April?

Going through some files today, I stumbled across this from Thomas Bonk's excellent story on the golf ball that appeared in an April L.A. Times article:

However, there are indications that the golf ball technology — and probably the same advancements associated with large-headed, thin-faced drivers — have actually peaked. Only four players are averaging more than 300 yards in driving distance this year — Scott Hend, Brett Wetterich, Tiger Woods and Hank Kuehne, though it is conceivable with warmer, drier weather and firmer fairways as summer approaches, that number will grow.

Definitely conceivable. Since late April, the Tour average is up 6 yards and 24 players are now averaging over 300.  

For Immediate Release

This popped in my email box today. Keep in mind, Laser Link sponsors the Florida Open.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           October 11,  2005

The Florida Open Tests the Laser Link Quickshot Rangefinder

MADISON, WI – In an effort to keep up with the times and make golf more enjoyable for all players, the USGA and R&A reversed a long standing rule last week that now allows distance measuring devices during all play.

The Florida Open, with a few days to spare between their event and the rule reversal, quickly acted to give the Laser Link Quickshot a try in their yearly event last week in Hobe Sound, Florida at the Loblolly Pines Golf Course.  All players were provided with a Laser Link QuickShot rangefinder to get precise yardage readings.

The leaders finished their rounds in four hours and fifteen minutes.  In previous years it took five hours and five minutes on average for the professional threesome to finish play.

“We are thrilled to see the results come in from this professional golf event.  The simple fact is, faster is better for everyone, the course owners, the players and even our non-golfing spouses.  Everyone wants the game to move more quickly.  If players can get fast and accurate yardage readings in two seconds, rather than forty seconds of ‘huntin and figurin’, the game of golf benefits,” said Rob O’ Loughlin, President of Laser Link Golf.

Colby Beckstrom took first place in the tournament which was shortened to 54 holes by rain with a score of 202.  “The Laser Link rangefinder was just a great tool.  I used it on every shot to the pin.  It helped my game.  It allowed me to concentrate on the shot and I didn’t have to worry about the yardage,” said Beckstrom.

Well I don't know about you, but I'm sold!

Seriously, it's great that Laser Link is willing to donate the "Quickshot" for free for all of the tournament players, and since they are determined to speed up play and their product works, why, I can only hope they'll continue to donate these $300 devices.

More Munis, and How 'Bout Them Scores

Golfobserver features Art Spander's take on Harding Park (scores weren't too low, it's passed the test!). I can't wait to heckle Art about this, since he knows there is much more to the game and to courses than birdie prevention. And I just wonder, if 16 under had won, and everything else was the same (leaderboard, crowd buzz/turnout, etc...), would the reaction really be different?  Hope not.

There is also my take on Harding and the Tour's dire need to fine more mid-city munis like it if they want to generate the kind of buzz that their events so rarely have.

Finchem on Harding

Ron Kroichik talks to Tim Finchem about the AmEx and Harding. Finchem realizes that the U$GA will be interested in a Women's or Senior Open after the success of the AmEx. (Uh, for those dreaming of a US Open, remember that is across the lake in 2012, so the earliest they could talk is 2020. And you can probably guess who will be in line to host that year).

But this quote from Finchem says a lot about how the game has changed since the Harding project commenced just a few years ago:  "We thought it would be reasonably good, but it's really been off the charts. I don't think we could have predicted that a course of this length would give the players the kind of challenge it has."

At least he acknowledges that 7,000 yards has become yesterday's 6,300 yards. But one has to wonder if Harding at 7,000 yards could get selected for a $16 million renovation with the driving distance spike making 7,500 the new "championship" standard?

Tait on WGC's

Alistair Tait of Golfweek says the WGC's have failed to live up to their promise and that the other tours are getting shortchanged because most of the events are played in the U.S.

Golf Magazine Ranking Shake-Up?

Looks like new Golf Magazine editor David Clarke is shaking up their Top 100 ranking process, reportedly naming former Links editor Joe Passov to supervise an overhaul.

Here's a GolfClubAtlas thread on the topic, including a confirmation from former contributing editor and ranking coordinator Tom Doak, who didn't waste much time lavishing praise on the new guy. I wonder why!? :)

What caused the shakeup?  Perhaps Nine Bridges making the list raised a red flag. Perhaps the panelist conflicts of interest that were undermining the credibility of the magazine. Possibly the excessive number of U.S. courses on the world list? Or all of the above and much more?

Either way, it's a bold and wise move by Clarke.
 

Greatest Game Ever Played At The Box Office

The bad news about The Greatest Game Ever Played's poor box office showing is that it will probably make it that much tougher for golf films to be green lit.

The good news is that in Hollywood's new quick turnaround model, we may get it on DVD by Christmas!

From boxofficeguru.com: 

Disney's golf drama The Greatest Game Ever Played held up well in its second swing dipping only 29% to an estimated $2.6M thanks to an additional 796 theaters. With the per-theater average falling 60% and the ten-day total sitting at $7.4M, look for a weak $12-13M final.

Faldo, Azinger Exchange

From Sunday's AmEx WGC telecast, as the leaders were on the short par-4 7th:

PAUL AZINGER: Nick, you mentioned in the break about strategy and the way these guys are just banging the ball up by the green. But [Henrik] Stenson left himself right there by the front of the green. Tiger missed left and had to play a miraculous shot and Stuart Appleby, the same thing. It's different than when you were dominating.

NICK FALDO: Well holes of this length, yeah, we really looked at the pin position. You always determined your strategy from the pin position. This one is tucked in the lefthand corner. It really makes sense to hit your 2-iron down the fairway, hit that 9-iron in to get that maximum spin. It's amazing how the guys now just blast away, you know, chance their luck with a lie. And they're able to produce some sheer magic around the greens.

Sergio Garcia soon holed out his approach, to which Faldo declared a wee bit sarcastically, "Strategy wins!" 

Woods and Daly Post AmEx Final Round

Tiger Woods talks about the final round. And here's John Daly's post round press conference.

Harding Buzz

One can only hope that Sunday's incredible buzz at Harding will lead to more public course restorations...at a more reasonable cost. Though key holes played a role, it was the combination of personalities like Daly/Woods/Garcia and the enthusiastic crowds that made Harding special.

Gary Van Sickle wrote about the buzz after Saturday, while Doug Ferguson's AP notebook has some interesting quotes from Tim Finchem, who can already $mell the governing bodie$  moving in for a piece of the action...err, excuse me, the opportunity to position themselves in the the northern California marketplace.

"We know the USGA was already interested in Harding after we got it rebuilt,'' PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Sunday. "Looking at some of their different championships, I've got to believe the PGA of America would have some interest after this week. We want to sit down with all the interested parties and talk about the best possible schedule.''

Finchem said the key was to stage tournaments that would raise money for The First Tee and to continue repaying the city for the $16 million renovation. [That'll take a while!] A steady diet of championships would mean Harding Park stays in pristine shape, although residents would not be able to play as much in the weeks leading up to a tournament.

"If I owned this place -- if this is my baby, but it was not for profit -- I would want some texture to the communication of this place,'' Finchem said. "That would be being interested in having the best women play, the best seniors, and being interested in getting these guys back. That would round out the field.''

Texture to the communication of this place?

Nationwide Distance Watch

Architects mark the "turning point" of a hole during planning and construction to help them get a sense of scale and tee placement. Over the years the typical turning point has gone from 250 yards to 270 to 300 these days. Looks like 320 isn't out of the question if you are designing to host the next generation. Or

Check out these Nationwide Tour distance increases:

• 2005: 100 players averaging over 290 yards, 43 averaging players over 300 yards
  

• 2004:  74 players averaging over 290 yards, 24 players averaging over 300 yards

• 2002: 63 players averaging over 290 yards, 15 players averaging over 300 yards

• 1998: 7 players averaging over 290 yards, 2 players averaging over 300 yards
  

#1 in 2005 is Bubba Watson. He's picked up 13 yards from last year, to average, yes average, 336.4 yards this year. And that's on 78 drives, versus 61 last year.

Distance Devices and The Tour

During Sunday's AmEx WGC telecast from Harding Park, Mike Tirico was surprised when colleagues Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger said they were in favor of using distance measuring devices on the Tour. Faldo noted that he was curious if they would speed up play and liked the idea of not having to play practice rounds, while Azinger said he doesn't know how to play without his device when golfing at home.

So let's say they make them legal for Tour play. And the players are tackling a course like Harding Park, where the greens are relatively firm.  The players thus are not that just interested in the distance to the flagstick.

Yes, they want to know it, but yardages to the front of the green, left or right of the hole, over a bunker, etc... are just as important in the process of determining what shot to play if the ground is at all firm.

Anyone who has used a binocular style rangefinder knows that they are not reliable enough to gauge distances over bunkers or to specific areas of turf.

The Laserlink device only provides a yardage to the flagstick containing a prism.

So if the ground is at all firm, the caddy will still use a yardage book to provide the player with the yardages to the front, over hazards and to areas away from the flagstick.

How does that speed up play on the PGA Tour? 

Huggan and Torrance

John Huggan catches up with Sam Torrance and of course it provides a fun read.