It’s back!
Twenty years later Tatra Press has kindly allowed me to bring back Grounds For Golf now that golf architecture is of more interest to the masses. A new Introduction looks at what’s driven the interest growth and two new chapters I had a blast adding (plus a few edits to keep things up-to-date).
The Amazon purchase page for the book arriving June 15, 2026.
...yhey and the people who employ them are taking up valuable space on the latest edition of my favorite ranking, the Washington Top 200.It's been too long since I've read an honest to goodness rant, but Bob Carney delivers on the GolfDigest.com editor's blog.
I'd just hate to have been Carney's keyboard after he and a buddy got turned away from Montauk Downs on a perfectly playable day (well, to Easterners anyway):
The fact, is golf isn't hungry. It talks hungry. It issues press releases as if it's hungry. But if it were really hungry, there would have been no question about golf on Sunday at Montauk Downs. If it were really hungry, there would be free clinics for kids every month at every public course. If it were really hungry, there would be after-school junior hours where kids could get access to local courses. If it were really hungry there would be nine-hole leagues for every conceivable human subdivision, from singles to sorority sisters, heck, maybe even six-hole leagues. If it were really hungry, I'd be writing about a crazy, gale-swept, laugh-out-loud, triple-digit round at Montauk on Sunday.On the subject of participation levels, thanks to reader John for spotting Michelle Coursey's piece about dwindling numbers in New Zealand.
Golf ought to take a lesson from the Mom and Pop owners of the courses we grew up on who created couples outings, hit-and-giggle clinics, breakfast leagues, free hot dogs with rounds, you name it, to fill their "inventory". Or from Frank Thomas, the former USGA official whose new book, "Just Hit It", echoes this back-to-basics theme. "Golf really should be a simple and pleasant experience," says Frank. "The game began in nature," says Frank. "That's where we found satisfaction." Not in perfect conditions. Not even in big-name designs. That's all we wanted on Sunday, a little tussle with nature. Folks who understand why people play don't find reasons to shut their gates. They might warn us about the wet spots. But they enjoy crazies like Rich and me who would want to play in a 40-mile-an-hour wind. We're they're customers.
I know I should never delete the digital recording of a tour telecast until the dust has settled, but I just didn't want that Pods disaster clogging up space. Now I see on the HookedOnGolf blog that I missed one of the epic boondoggles in post-round interview history and a chance to share it with you via YouTube.
Note to Tommy Roy: rush Jimmy Roberts to an Orlando ear doctor and have those canals steam cleaned.
This isn't really of much significance except for the face we see ratings published so rarely. Thomas Bonk reports:
The combined overnight ratings for the PODS Championship on NBC were down slightly from last year. Saturday's rating was a 1.7 and four share, up 21% from a 1.4 and four share last year; but Sunday's were down 10% to a 1.9 and four share, compared to a 2.1 and four share last year.
On the post about Tripp Isenhour's unfortunate decision to hunt down a harmless hawk and make a fool of himself (not to mention, break the law), I noted that this will not help golf's cause with environmentalists. Reader Adam Clayman wondered what I meant.
Well, Pat Jones answers the question in a short rant that probably violates the number of times you can call someone a dumbass in such a short span.
All I can add is this: for at least the next five years (and probably longer), everytime a golf architect or superintendent is dealing with an environmental group over an issue related to wildlife, this incident will come up.
Citing fatigue, he pulls out of Bay Hill.
You have to wonder if the new-look, U.S. Open style Florida swing is a good thing.
Michael Bamberger speculates on Tiger's limited golf options when he moves to Jupiter. The Dye Preserve would be his best choice in terms of seclusion and golf, but the drive is way too long from his new home.
If I had his millions, well, I wouldn't live in Florida, but not withstanding that minor issue it would seem the wise choice would be to build his own practice facility. That was the rumor when I was there last fall, and Lord knows there's plenty of swampland just waiting to be converted.
I really have little to say about the latest Golfweek ranking. The same things I like from last year are there and the same bizarre choices by the panel remain.
Golfweek.com does not yet have the new lists up, nor even Gil Hanse's guest commentary which the print edition promised would be online.
You can view the issue here in the online digital edition format, or check out the lists and bantor at GolfClubAtlas here and here.
And I'm pleased to note Rustic Canyon remains on the Modern list at No. 99, moving up only a notch despite improved conditioning that had reportedly caused it to slip down the list.
Anwar Richardson reported on John Daly's visit to the Hooter's Owl's Nest, which included this bizarre photo slideshow and accompanying audio where you can hear John sloshed.
The Richardson piece prompted Steve Elling to suggest that Tim Finchem be Dean Wormer to John Daly's Kent Dorfman.
From the Richardson write-up:
Daly, whose best finish this year was tied for 60th in the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and his associates gave a news photographer who tried to take photos of him the middle finger. One member of Daly's group mooned the photographer, resulting in boyish laughter from his group.
The golfing Buddha also willingly autographed Trinity resident Kim Geiger's jeans, who bent over and offered her backside as his canvas.
"I go, 'Here I am again. I'm your worst nightmare.' He goes, 'Oh no you're not, honey. As a matter of fact, I like it when you walk away,'" Geiger said. "He goes, 'I like your butt. I'm an butt man.' He goes, 'And you have a nice butt.' Yeah baby, he likes my butt."
I know some people watch NASCAR to watch the cars crash and that some dizzying amount of readers (76%) voted for protecting par in last week's Golf World/ESPN.com survey, but sheesh was that final round at Innisbrook painful to watch.
Anyway, congrats to Sean O'Hair for making it out of turn three ahead of the pile-up and winning under that yellow flag.
Now the PGA Tour needs to find a sponsor for the event. Or would a quick death be such a bad thing.
Oh right, the charity.
He's got status on the European Tour and the state of Florida seems to have finally made up its mind about his case. The bad news: back to the Nationwide Tour.
I'm not really sure why it's relevant other than as an entertaing look into mooching, backstabbing, hornswoggling ways of politicians in San Diego dealing with U.S. Open tickets. The Union Tribune's Matthew T. Hall breaks down the mess.
Thanks to reader John for John Paul Newport's column looking at various golf course related aerial image web sites and DVD's.
Thanks to reader Stan for this Mark Hughes story on the resurrected Old Tom Morris design at Askernish that's opening this summer, and the controversy surrounding it's rebirth. It has already been described as the "jewel in the crown of world golf". But this isn't Carnoustie, Prestwick or any of the other famous Tom Morris courses. It is the tiny Askernish Golf Club – a one-time nine-hole pitch and putt course on South Uist, an Outer Hebridean island with a population of less than 2,000.
But, while the golfing world has been vocal in its appreciation of the resurrection of Old Tom's lost course, and many of the islanders say it is a chance to provide a much-needed boost to the island's flagging economy, not everyone on South Uist is pleased about the proposals to restore the links course of Askernish to its 18-hole glory.
A small band of local crofters has started legal proceedings against the golf club, claiming that the expansion of the course will leave them with less land on which to graze their animals. They say that their rights to the land on which the golf course is situated – known as Askernish machair – were enshrined in 1922.
The club claims that isn't correct and that the golfers have more rights to the land than the crofters. The argument over who has the better claim has divided the small island community and has now spilled into the courts.
Both sides are confident they will win, the golfers so confident that they have already set a date for the official club opening – 22 August – and have named an honorary president, the former Liverpool and Scotland footballer Kenny Dalglish.
The crofters, meanwhile, are vowing to go to the highest courts possible to stop the golf course going ahead on land they believe is rightfully theirs.
It's fair to say that the rugged but beautiful island of South Uist, a tiny, windy speck on the north-west corner of the UK map, has never seen such a bitter divide.
While nothing is funny about this episode, Thomas Bonk reports on the letter mistakenly sent by the Humane Society's Wayne Pacell.
"By setting an example of compassion for the public, the PGA has the chance to make a difference for our communities and instill an ethic of animal protection," Pacelle said in his letter.
However, the humane society might have missed its mark. The PGA of America has no jurisdiction over Nationwide Tour players, who are governed by the PGA Tour.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
