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.
For all of the European gloating over its increased strength at the PGA Tour's expense, John Huggan notes this about the new schedule and Race To Dubai:
Golf Digest has won an innovation award for...drum roll please...its break 100 at Torrey Pines deal. I know, I know, you were thinking it was for having the most rankings in American magazine history, but no, Simon Demenco at AdAge writes about The American Magazine Vanguard Awards and says...
A nearly 60-year-old golf magazine at the "vanguard"? Yep. It scores an AMVA this year for its Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge. As the magazine explains it, "Last year at the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods said no average golfer could break 100 on a U.S. Open Course because the conditions are so tough." The editors asked themselves, "What would it be like if we got an amateur out on the course within a few days of the U.S. Open to see how he or she plays?" After the contest was announced, some 56,374 people submitted entry essays, 117,331 people voted for the winner (from a list of five editor-selected finalists), major sponsors (Rolex, Lexus, American Express and AT&T) came on board to back a brand-new TV special -- and the special itself, also called "Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge," with guest golfers Matt Lauer, Tony Romo and Justin Timberlake, scored a 2.4 rating -- outpulling the Friday round of the actual U.S. Open.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Gwen Knapp relays a nice anecdote about the LPGA's Eun-Hee Ji, and it got her thinking that the LPGA needs to relax when it comes to their concerns about English proficiency. it got me thinking that more PGA Tour players ought to follow Ji's lead.
Phil Casey reports that the debate over raising the European Tour minimum from 11 to 12 (Tim Finchem sends his thanks) has put the Ryder Cup captaincy debate on hold. However, the delay seems to not bode well for Ian Woosnam. This is from Thomas Bjorn, committee member:
"Because it's such a big thing, we may decide to do it later than January just to make sure that we make what we think is the right decision."
That would appear to increase the chances of Jose Maria Olazabal becoming captain at Celtic Manor in 2010. Olazabal was Faldo's vice-captain at Valhalla and impressed the players with his passion.
Padraig Harrington revealed the Spaniard had the players in tears with a speech in the team room on Saturday evening. Immediately after the defeat in Kentucky, Olazabal said he wanted to get back to full fitness and try to play in two years' time, adding: "If they wanted a decision by the end of this year, I'm not going to be able to give them that.
"The scenario is that my condition is improving and I'm feeling better. I'm not 100 per cent pain-free, but I'm hoping that I might be able to play one or two events at the end of the year to see how the back holds up.
"I'm looking next year to be back playing golf and that's why I cannot give an answer that soon.
Mark Reason reports on George O'Grady probably saying more than he should. But either way, add Camilo to the growing list mulling more European Tour appearances.
George O’Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, told The Sunday Telegraph, that the Gulf States were about to flex their financial muscles in terms of pulling in the world’s top golfers. The inconceivable prize money that such oil-rich countries can offer has started to arouse the interest of the glitterati of the American Tour.
O’Grady said: “We’ve been talking to Phil Mickelson for some time. I talked personally to him at the Scottish Open and to his management at the Ryder Cup. Villegas is also managed by IMG and they have been making inquiries on his behalf.
“Sergio Garcia has said that he will play more on the European Tour next year and he is close friends with Camilo. Sergio’s and Camilo’s management are keen to get to the Latin-speaking audiences. So will Camilo play in Sergio’s tournament [the Castello Masters] next year?
John Huggan lets Darren Clarke do the talking, covering a range of topics from Captain Faldo to his personal life. I enjoyed this perspective on the Ryder Cup.
"It was tough sitting there not being able to do anything," he sighs. "But one thing really struck me; I was amazed by the quality of the play. It was extraordinary. When you are involved in the Ryder Cup as I have been you concentrate so much on your own play that a lot of what goes on passes you by. But this time I was able to take it all in. I really couldn't believe how well some of the guys played. Under so much pressure, the shots they were hitting were incredible. As a player myself I never realised how good it is to watch."
Worse than Jack Nicklaus'
This is the final image sent to me by John Kemp. It's of the 13th hole tee shot. I love the detail work in the bunker and the wind-blown look. Looks like it's been there forever.
I've updated the Prairie Club page to include new articles from the New York Times on Valentine, the Omaha World-Herald on the project status and Gil Hanse's rendering of our Horse Course. Still to come over the fall and winter are two more videos and my treatise on Horse Golf.
Just so there's no gray area here, Ian Woosnam clarified his thoughts to the BBC:
The 1991 Masters champion told BBC Sport: "I have put my name forward at the moment but it all depends if Jose Maria Olazabal wants the job."
"If he doesn't want it, I feel I would like the chance to have another go."
The 2010 showpiece is the first Ryder Cup to be played in Wales and Welsh sporting great Woosnam would be a fitting skipper as Europe bid to regain the trophy after America won this year's event in Valhalla.
Just a wild guess here, but Wells Fargo stepping in to buy Wachovia could bode well since they are seeking an east coast presence, and therefore the need to, uh, platform the brand via events like the Wachovia Championship.
This NZPA story looks at Michael Campbell's inability to get a free drop from a divot laiden catch basin and also offers this about his pro-am partner, Sam Samuel Jackson:
There were a few light-hearted moments, including at the first that Campbell and Jackson were playing as their 10th. One youngster holding a camera asked Jackson if he could have a photograph. Jackson responded: "I'm sorry, I don't have any photos on me."
However, Jackson took exception when one person called him Sam. "My name's Samuel, OK!," he said.
Jim McGovern at golf.com offers an interesting analysis of the PGA Tour's relationship with auto manufacturers and where it may head.
Companies that are sufficiently capitalized, have a national audience of customers who fit golf's demographics, maintain a multilevel distribution network and can afford to develop a broad array of television ads are few and far between. Throw in a minimum entitlement fee of $3 million or more depending on the purse, a requirement to buy $2.5 million to $4 million in commercials, then add the cost of sponsorship activation (pro-am spots, hotels, food and beverage for customers), and the list begins to shorten rapidly. All in all, you're looking at roughly eight million bucks a year, with a minimum duration of four years, for a total commitment of around $32 million. And that's just for run-of-the-mill tournaments; World Golf Championships and some thoroughbred events are higher yet.
Having read an expanded version of Kenny Perry's whining last week at East Lake in Golf World's Tour Talk (not posted but even worse than this), I was struck by how few writers pounced on this dreadful example of a truly spoiled brat.
Jim McCabe notes Kenny's ruined week and points this out:
The partnership with corporate America is mandatory to the survival of his workplace and perhaps if Perry would come out of his pampered PGA Tour world he would discover that it's not the most solid of landscapes these days. Thus, one can only wonder how his comments went over with officials high up at Coca-Cola and FedEx. Since those folks were largely responsible for Perry getting payments of $120,400 (T-24 in the tournament) and $250,000 (season-long points race), it would be interesting to see if they apologized for having "ruined" his week.
Great to see the USGA awarding one of its own the Bob Jones Award, with Pine Valley's O. Gordon Brewer getting the nod. Of course they've given the prize to one of their own before (Richard Tufts, Bill Campbell, Carole Semple Thompson, etc...), but Brewer falls more into the Jay Sigel category. Sort of a, oh, okay sure!
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
