NGF Says Rounds Played Flat In '05

The GCSAA reoprts the details...

The National Golf Foundation says same-facility rounds played in the U.S. were down 8.1 percent in December 2005 compared to December 2004.

As a result, total rounds for 2005 finished the year at -0.1 percent, or flat, compared to 2004. Private clubs were down one percent for the year while public courses broke into positive territory.

December data was reported by 1,573 golf facility operators across the country. (Same-facility rounds means that only facilities reporting rounds for both December 2005 and December 2004 are included in results.)

47 Inches Too Many

Classic moment on No. 1 today of the WGC Match Play.

Vijay Singh is teeing off, trying out a new driver that looks like something Rocky Thompson once used. You may recall that the first hole (old 10th) has water way off the tee that sometimes comes into play for tee shots finishing in the trees.

Here's what the ABC guys said as Vijay's drive took off and headed for the lake.

PAUL AZINGER: Vijay is another player who is experimenting with a 47-inch driver like Phil did yesterday. And hitting it a mile.

NICK FALDO: It's in the water! Well that extra inch was worth it.

PAUL AZINGER: That is Un-be-lievable.

MIKE TIRICO: That's like 320 to where the fairway runs out on 1.

PAUL AZINGER: That's ridiculous. That is not in play. 

MIKE TIRICO: I remember that from last year, it's about 320 to the fairway running out there, maybe 330.

IAN BAKER FINCH: The center of the fairway is 336.

NICK FALDO (laughing): Well, he gotten good news. The 47 inches worked! 

Ames-Tiger History

Lorne Rubenstein had this little backstory in his column previewing yesterday's Tiger bloodgeoning of Stephen Ames:

There's also some history between Ames and Woods. Ames was quoted in the Calgary Herald during the 2000 Masters as saying that Woods thinks he's bigger than the game, doesn't get along well with his fellow players, and doesn't act right on the course. He called Woods "a spoiled 24-year-old."

Ames wasn't playing that Masters, but his comments generated a stir. He said he was misquoted, while the writer maintained that he quoted him accurately.

Bring Back the Stymie, Vol. 5,810

Readers of The Future of Golf know that I have a strange predilection for the stymie, inspired in large part by Bobby Jones' passionate Golf is My Game plea to bring it back.

I believe it would make for must-see viewing at the WGC Match Play (which induced a deep 30-minute nap for me today).

Today's quote of the day from Max Behr was part of a June 1917 Golf Illustrated editorial decrying the Western Golf Association's abolition of the stymie.  Here is a bit more Behr, courtesy of the USGA's new online database search engine.

But if the stymie is to go there is no reason why we should rob the game one iota of the stress it lays upon the character of the golfer. Golf is not only a contest of skill, but a contest of morale as well. The great match players know this and take every opportunity of delivering a blow to the courage of their opponents. Openings of this nature are liable to occur anywhere in a match but the great majority come with the final putt at every hole.  

Of course the stymie debate went on for another oh, 45 years until it was completely gone from the game.

Why not bring it back for just one week? Shoot, Stephen Ames might have only lost 8&7 if he could have stymied one of Tiger's birdie putts. But I bet that would have been the highlight of the match.

The Latest Bivens Era Fiasco

If you wonder why many believe the hiring of LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens is not looking too hot, this story ought to give you some idea where things are headed for a tour that is otherwise on the rise.

Actually, before you read it, keep in mind a little behind the scenes saga that was just averted last week.

It seems that Bivens wanted to give USA Today (where she used to work!) first right to release and print the new Rolex World Ranking. The AP and others questioned the fairness (and logic) behind the move.

Until the last moment, it appeared Bivens was going to follow through with the USA Today fiasco. Someone obviously changed her mind because all news agencies received the rankings at the same time, except weekly magazines that needed them in advance of presstime midday Monday.

So now it seems the LPGA wants control of photographs taken at their events. To receive a credential, reporters and photographers must sign away rights that say the use of any photograph used after the event covered requires LPGA approval. 

This AP story spells out what may become exhibit A in why Bivens may not be the right person for the LPGA job, bypassing her handling of longtime official Barb Trammell, the suspect Annika-Creamer ruling or her first press conference.

The Associated Press was denied credentials to cover the LPGA Fields Open tournament Wednesday in a dispute over new restrictions on use of its stories and photos.

AP reporter Jaymes Song was not allowed on the course during Wednesday's practice rounds or in the media room to cover Michelle Wie's pretournament news conference after refusing to sign the credential form with the new restrictions. Freelance photographer Ronen Zilberman also refused to sign the form and was denied a credential.

It's one thing to ban the photographer from the East Valley Penny Saver, but you don't mess with AP when you are already begging for media coverage in newspapers. 

Update on 2006-02-23 15:17 by Geoff

The Honolulu paper joins AP in not covering the event. I forgot that Michelle Wie is playing in this event. Nice.

9&8

The best thing about K.J. Choi not speaking any English? He can't piss off irritate Tiger.

Doug Ferguson reports on Tiger's 9&8 smothering of Stephen Ames, who made an unwise comment about his chances in light of Tiger's erratic ball striking. Tiger was asked about it after the round:

Q. Were you aware of Stephen's comments yesterday that you weren't striking

TIGER WOODS: Yes.

Q. I assumed you were.

TIGER WOODS: Yes.

Q. What was your reaction when you saw that?

TIGER WOODS: 9 & 8.

Q. Obviously you like challenges, the idea of someone saying you're not driving the ball well. It must have lit a fire under you.

TIGER WOODS: You might say that.

Q. It would be better if you said it.

TIGER WOODS: As I said, 9 & 8.

Later one of the scribblers revealed that he is attempting to become the last golf writer on the planet to write about Tiger entering his 30s.

Q. Even after today, Tiger, you're off to a good start. Do you think you can be as dominant through your 30s as you were through your 20s?

TIGER WOODS: That's ultimately what you want to happen. But you have to work. I've done a lot of things to put that together, but it's very exciting.

"They've Cashed Our Check"

Len Ziehm reports the news I know you've all been anxious to hear, Cog Hill has retained the Open Doctor. This may just be the cure for my acid reflux.

Cog Hill owner Frank Jemsek had been in negotiations with Jones and his staff for nearly a year in Jemsek's efforts to make the Western Open site a suitable U.S. Open venue. Jones associate Greg Muirhead visited Cog Hill last July before Jones toured the course with Jemsek on Oct. 11. Jemsek revealed during last weekend's Chicago Golf Show that negotiations were successful.

"They've cashed our check,'' said Jemsek, who said work will begin on a limited basis after this year's Western, which ends July 9.

Jones was traveling and unavailable for comment Tuesday, but he noted after his original tour of the course that bunkers will get primary attention during the renovation. Many will be moved and some deepened.

The heart of the renovation will be on Dubsdread's last four holes. No. 15, which plays as a short par-5 now, will become a long par-4 with new tees shortening the hole.

You know, I think we should just eliminate par-5s until we get all birdies out of the game! Oh, sorry...

Nos. 16 and 18, both par-4s, will be lengthened with green-side hazards accentuated. And the par-4 17th, deemed much too easy by Jones, will be completely rebuilt with the green reduced and bunkers added.

Torrey Clubhouse Saga, Vol. 59

Craig Gustafson writes about the golfers of San Diego widely rejecting a fee increase to help pay for improvements, including a new clubhouse that would be funded by suckers out of town guests paying exorbitant green fees.

The Green

According to this story, a golf magazine called "The Green" managed to provoke outrage over a recent cover.

(February 21, 2006) The Green Magazine recently learned that the management of the Sports Authority retail stores issued a nationwide directive to destroy all copies of the February/March issues because of customer complaints about the cover image. The issue, which celebrates African American and Women's history, has a cover image of a 1784 sign advertising "Negroes For Sale."

 An Arizona-based Sports Authority employee, who noticed the magazine because of the email from his superiors, contacted the magazine's offices to say that the image was "just rude to be on the cover of a golf magazine."

Obviously the Sports Authority folks haven't seen any of Golf Magazine's recent covers.

Sorry, continue... 

The Green Magazine, which carries the slogan “golf beyond the links,” is privately owned and operated by Ina and Rafael Martinez. The publisher says he founded the magazine because of a distinct multicultural void in the editorial content of mainstream golf publications.

"I think we have an obligation to provoke people to think and ask questions about slavery and many, many other issues we are clearly still grappling with," said Ina Martinez. "I stand by our decision and welcome the dialogue."

And the publicity! After all, I wondered what the magazine is, and found this on their website:

Vision Media & Communications is a privately-owned multimedia publishing firm committed to reaching the untapped affluent multicultural market through print and broadcast venues. Since its June 2004 inception, The Green Magazine has enjoyed an international audience that continues to grow. Vision Media is planning a network/cable television program to complement The Green's focus on travel, luxury, and golf called “The Green TV.” The projected timeline for the program's launch is 2006.

Longer Rough For Shorter Holes

Steve Elling writes about the USGA's new "rough" policy that will debut at Winged Foot this June.

Under the new plan, the length of the grass will increase in inverse proportion to the misfire. Sort of like serving detention, the punishment for bursts of wildness will indeed fit the crime.

Moreover, the rough heights will be adjusted depending upon the length of the hole, which means missing a fairway by a few yards on a 495-yard par-4 won't be as bad as hitting it sideways on a shorter two-shot hole.

And an early candidate for line of the year followed by the details:

Heck, the USGA will be cultivating more gradients of grass than all the hippies in Humboldt County, using everything from tweezers to a scythe to trim the various stages of rough:

1. The fairway cut will be trimmed to the usual firm-and-fast length of a quarter-inch or thereabouts. It will look like indoor-outdoor carpet by comparison to what's framing it.

2. The light, 6-foot-wide swath of transitional rough between the fairway and the heavy stuff will measure about 1 1/3 inches in height, the usual standard.

3. Here's the real change. The grass for the next 10-12 feet will be cut to a height of 3-4 inches. Players hitting a ball into this area have a fair shot at reaching the green.

4. This is the heavy stuff, the type of rough where a guy can't see his socks, much less his shoes. It will measure six inches in depth and cover the remainder of the area to the gallery rope.

Fairness is at the grassroots of the decision. Those who barely miss the fairway won't be penalized as harshly as those who miss by a mile. Meanwhile, it lessens the chances that players who hit the wildest shots will land in sparse areas, as was formerly the case at times.

Big improvement, right? This should end the madness of players missing a fairway by 4 yards and having no shot.

But, as Elling writes, there are "a couple of important caveats."

There will be no intermediate rough, only the long 6-inch type, on short holes such as the par-5 fifth (515 yards) and the par-4 sixth (321 yards) and 11th (396 yards). So it could be argued that the biggest hitters will nonetheless enjoy an advantage, since they'll face the graded rough on the longest holes. They can belt away with a driver as long as the misses are moderate.

Ah, yes. Flogging may actually be rewarded with the tiered concept. But that's not Mike Davis's fault, that's the fault of past committees who ignored the equipment issue.

So we will see the tiered concept on most the holes, except on the ones where birdie is more likely to be made.

If the USGA owned Fenway Park, would they automate the Green Monster to move up when the bombers come to the plate? 

It would be like Notre Dame Stadium harvesting rough to slow down Reggie Bush? (Wait, that happened, bad example.)

Mike Davis's concept of tiered rough is introducing more equity into a setup situation that has long been awkward, if not downright goofy. But then, it's as if somene higher-up is suggesting a way to eliminate red numbers on holes where they are most likely to occur, therefore completely contradicting the concept of more equity introduced with the tiered rough.

Here's the funny part and where the USGA shows that it has not fully grasped why flogging occurs. If the rough is the same throughout on these three shortish holes--a nasty 6 inches let's say--and the fairway is a silly 21-yards wide (sad, but true), then why not take your chances and drive as far down the hole as possible?

If you are going to wedge out, you might as well do it as close to the green as you can?  How many players have said this...Tiger, Phil, J.B., etc...

I'll post some photos later and you can be the judge whether a lay-up or launched tee shot would be the wiser option. I know you can't wait. 

La Costa and PGA Tour, 1969-2006

Doug Ferguson writes La Costa's obituary on the eve of the match play.

Hard to believe that it's run of hosting the Tour is over. Perhaps it'll be the fill-in course for the 2008 Buick? 

ShotLink: 12 at Riviera

Riviera's 480-yard par-4 12th featured the most penal rough during the 2006 Nissan Open, so it was the first hole I've looked at with the PGA Tour's incredible ShotLink system that is available to the media during tournament week. 

Besides 3 inches of healthy rye, the 12th fairway was 25 yards wide. The combination of prevailing wind, rough and a narrow landing area made it play as the 3rd toughest hole, with a scoring average of 4.232. (The par-5 first played to a 4.299 average.)

However, a case could be made that the rough added very little in terms of defining skill or rewarding accuracy.

According to ShotLink, the scoring average from the fairway was 4.13. From the left rough, it was 4.28, and 4.26 from the right rough.

12th Hole at Riviera dataLooking at the scoring numbers provided in the screen capture  to the left (click on image to enlarge), the rough on 12 did not seem to impact scoring  much despite the obvious attempt to penalize those missing the fairway via narrowness and tall grass.

I've taken the left and right rough numbers and combined them to get these percentages:

7% of tee shots finishing in the rough made a birdie 

9% of tee shots finishing in the fairway made a birdie

63% of tee shots finishing in the rough made a par

70% of tee shots finishing in the fairway made a par

30% of tee shots finishing in the rough made bogey or worse

21% of tee shots finishing in the fairway made bogey or worse

And according to ShotLink, here's the scoring average by distance off the tee:

320+yard drives averaged 4.04

300-320 drives averaged 4.15 

280-300 drives averaged 4.19

260-280 drives averaged 4.33

240-260 drives averaged 4.57

<240 drives averaged 4.70

12th at Riviera "proximity to the hole" dataNot surprisingly, the idea of hitting the ball as far down the hole as possible seems to be the percentage play, with the rough not having enough of an effect to reward accuracy.

The "proximity to the hole" data from ShotLink would also seem to indicate that flogging is an intelligent strategy. (Click on image to enlarge.) 

"Virtual Janet"

Ken Klavon introduces the USGA's exciting new online research tool named after longtime curator Janet Seagle.

This could become addictive.

Rough Justice?

Adam Barr at TheGolfChannel.com questions the use of rough in golf. He kindly mentions Lines of Charm as the inspiration for his column.

Greetings From LA, Wrap-Up

The way the guys are driving the ball and the 15-year Golf Channel deal were the two most frequent topics of discussion last week.

On the distance front, it's fun to hear folks who shrugged the issue off a few years ago now finding themselves startled to see where the guys are hitting it, how little rough matters and how rarely "shotmaking" occurs anymore. Apparently with time to ponder the ramifications, many who are around the Tour regularly appear to be realizing the same thing that got my attention on the issue: the impact on courses and pace of play. 

No. 2's ShotLink Accuracy stats for the week (click to enlarge)It may seem somewhat sad that the distance issue gets noticed in part because of the press tent location at Riviera. But hey, it's something.

Situated on the "practice fairway" between the 1st and 2nd holes for five or so years now, the tent finds itself in play off the 2nd tee.
A player hits his 2nd shot on No. 2 after getting relief from the press tent (click image to enlarge)

It was one thing to see a drive on No. 2 reaching the fairway bunker that Thomas certainly never meant to be in play from the tee. And each year there have been more and more drives equidistant to the media center, but those drives were in the fairway. Now offline drives are almost reaching the press tent some 320 yards off the tee, forcing many players to take line of sight relief.

The other distance eye-opener at Riviera: the 10th now plays like a long par-3, with all groups waiting to tee off until the green clears. On Saturday, groups were waiving up the players behind them.

Throw in the fact that the par-5 11th is reachable for a player in nearly every group, with No. 17 almost as reachable in two for the long bombers, and you have three back nine holes where there is a whole lot of standing around.

So for the second year in a row, the PGA Tour was unable to get all 144 players finished the first two rounds due to slow play. 

The other subject that you'll start to see getting more scrutiny: The Golf Channel and its 15 year deal with the PGA Tour.

It was fascinating how many conversations drifted to the astounding length of the contract, the failure to include ESPN to maintain a SportsCenter presence and the lack of time The Golf Channel has to take its production values up several notches.

The consensus: TGC is going to have to start offering pay comparable to other television outlets, something it has so far been reluctant to do. And they are going to have to do it quickly.