"On one hole, we had a ball blown off the tee four times, but other than that there was no problem."

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Sounds like a good time was had by all at the Ballantine's Championship. This could be a first for press releases:

McGINLEY FULL OF PRAISE FOR ‘WONDERFUL’ OFFICIALS

Paul McGinley led the tributes to tournament officials and workers after the 2009 Ballantine’s Championship was completed amid some of the toughest conditions ever seen at a European Tour event.

Howling winds and unseasonal plunging temperatures had threatened to derail last week’s €2.1 million showpiece at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju in Korea.

But the show went on – with players, officials and volunteers alike braving the elements to ensure all four rounds were successfully completed before Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee emerged triumphant in a three-way playoff.

McGinley, who finished joint 46th after battling through some of the most trying conditions he could remember, was full of praise for tournament directors David Williams and David Parkin and chief referee John Paramor.

“They did a wonderful job in extremely difficult conditions and they should be commended for that,” said the Irish star. “I thought the golf course was very difficult, but it was playable.”

While some players – faced with hitting into fierce winds and contending with balls moving on the greens – felt the third round might have been halted, McGinley believed the decision to continue was correct.

“It’s all about opinion. Yes, it was very difficult, but there wasn’t a par three that wasn’t reachable, there wasn’t a par four that you couldn’t reach in two shots and there wasn’t a par five that wasn’t reachable in three shots,” he said.

“I can’t speak for other guys who maybe said their ball moved a few times, but nobody in our group had a ball move. On one hole, we had a ball blown off the tee four times, but other than that there was no problem."

Sounds like a blast!

Britain Reeling From Jerry Kelly's Decision To Skip The Open

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Well, European tour professional Alastair Forsyth is upset. And he's Scottish. Still...

I'm like reader Gene, wondering if the press will view this the same way Kenny Perry's choice was treated, or if Kelly gets a pass because he's a Wisconsin guy and not as highly ranked and playing as well as Perry was.

 

"For me, I don't talk golf course architecture. That's not my whole life. I do that for a living and a job."

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Matty G sat down with Tom Fazio, one of the game's artists to talk about the state of his business, money, his deep passion for his work, money, buddy trips, money and his buddy Tiger.

How much did it cost to hire you to design a course 15-20 years ago, as opposed to today?

My fee in 1989 was $500,000. And with the golf boom that occurred, fees went to $2 million.

I thought you had to have won a major to clear the $2 million hurdle?

Is it negotiable?

In my case, the number isn't negotiable. What is negotiable are the terms.

Have you ever talked design with Tiger?

No.

Do you foresee that happening?

I would think it would. I don't know. Tiger's going to be moving at some point. He's building a house in Jupiter. I saw Jack Nicklaus last night at dinner. He sat at the table next to me. We live right here in North Palm Beach. I don't get to see Tiger because he lives in Orlando but I would look forward to talking to him. It would be interesting. Everybody has their opinions and everybody sees golf a different way. Seeing it through Tiger's eye would be very different.

Hasn't Tiger said he consulted Tom Fazio before going into the business?

What is your weakness as a designer? What are you working on given the state of the game and technology?

The whole world, where we are right now, the most important issue is the economics of any project and any golf course. Economics are a factor. What can you get built for a reasonable cost. The cost is a major factor on what can be done and how it can be done. The days of being able to do whatever you want to do are not logical and practical anymore.

But it was so great while it lasted! And what a legacy of excessive budgets and designs devoid of repeat playing interest for the sport to look to!

Have you lowered your fees?

I haven't had to do that, but I think that could be in the cards depending on the location and other things. That has happened in every aspect of the game, whether it be a resort or private golf. I think we'll see the price of memberships, in lodging rates, in dues and many other things. That's very realistic of what's going to happen in the future.

Always ahead of the curve.

You say you know Mike Keiser, do you ever ask him why you didn't get a crack at one of the courses at Bandon Dunes?

Because Mike didn't want to have a course he'd have to redo in five years? Sorry, continue...

No. I'd have to go back and ask Mike if he asked me to be involved. I can't even remember. I wasn't working out west when Bandon Dunes was started. I had a reputation that I wouldn't go west of the Mississippi. It wasn't true, but people pick up on that and someone wrote it. My sons are young and the Internet is their life, and they'll see something and they'll call me and say, "Dad, can you believe what someone just wrote about you? That's awful. You can't let them get away with that." And I say, well, it's America and everyone is entitled to say what they want to say.

Hey sons! Dad's always knows best.

That's just the way it is. I have a lot of people tell me, "Gosh, I wish I would've known you work west of the Mississippi." I didn't work west of the Mississippi on multiple projects but I did one at a time. I think that's interesting.

Not really.

OK, last question. Obviously you get along with Jack, but if it's you and Tom Doak, and Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye in a room, do you guys all get along and what would be the topic of conversation?

I don't know. I don't know Tom Doak. I've never spent any time with Tom Doak. I know Pete Dye really well. In fact, when I have my big charity event, I have 50 clubs together every two years and have a two-day golf tournament called the Fazio Cup, and raise money for children's charities. And one year I had it I wanted to have a speaker. And I thought, 'Who would be the perfect guy?' And so I called Pete Dye and he did, and people were blown away. And the first thing Pete Dye says, he stands up, and says, "You SOBs out there, if you would've hired me instead of Tom, I wouldn't have charged you as much as he did." He's a character. And Jack is a good friend. I think we would talk about our kids. That's what I think we would talk about. And I would talk to Pete about that because I know his son. For me, I don't talk golf course architecture. That's not my whole life. I do that for a living and a job. I was sitting in the locker room at Seminole with several great players, a couple of great tour players, and we were talking about the economy.

Here I would have guessed they were talking reverse-Redans.

"There's going to be a break-in period"

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E. Michael Johnson offers a short primer on the groove rule change and notes that many players are opting to wait until later in they year to even practice with them, something that has surprised me in conversations about the U-groove change. And apparently Jim Furyk agrees.

"I think it's a good idea in kind of getting players involved and saying, hey, don't wait till the end of year," said Jim Furyk. "This is something you want to get a hold of early on."

To that end, Furyk received some wedges with the conforming groove to test just prior to the WGC-CA Championship at Doral. Those who opt to wait, he said, might be in for a bit of a surprise.

"There's going to be a break-in period," said Furyk. "Some people will start January 1 with no issues and other guys, they are going to need some time to get used to it. But eventually, give it six months or whatever, and everyone is going to be on the same page."

Can You Spot What's Peculiar Here?

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A reader noticed something really strange about the website for The Golf Courses at Andrews Air Force Base, where President Obama played golf last Sunday.

Hint: if this is a facility restricted to American military, active and retired Federal Employees and their guests, why would this be embedded into the site?

"The club recently purchased a home that it has coveted for more than a decade. That will allow them to stretch the dogleg right par-4 to more than 450 yards."

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In reading Dave Shedloski's preview of Merion for the Walker Cup and beyond, I couldn't help thinking how fun it would be if Merion sent the USGA and R&A a bill for this:

For instance, a new sixth tee has just been installed that takes the 420-yard par-4 to more than 470 yards, and it might be used during the Walker Cup Sept. 12-13. Behind the 12th tee, which is currently 371 yards, the club recently purchased a home that it has coveted for more than a decade. That will allow them to stretch the dogleg right par-4 to more than 450 yards.

Then there is the famous 18th, where a plaque commemorating Hogan's famous 1-iron at the end of regulation, sits in the left half of the fairway. Even with a new tee in place, most of today's players easily could fly drives past the Hogan marker and down the hill, leaving a short iron into the elevated green. That's why the club is considering cutting a new tee into a hill some 30-40 yards farther back, which would make the par-4 more than 500 yards.

"It's just been fun getting out the phone and typing in a little piece of B.S. or whatever"

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Jason Sobel talks to Stewart Cink about his newfound stardom as a Twitter user, and while he may be jokingly calling some of his posts "B.S." (okay, I didn't need to hear that some Georgia Tech guy was drafted in the sixth round), he's definitely posted more than his share of insights.

Q: Other than that, what have been some of the advantages of being able to interact with fans?

A: Well, I think the biggest advantage is that I can get my personality out there, because it's not always easy if you're not Tiger Woods or Anthony Kim or Phil Mickelson to get a personality to show through the camera lens and into living rooms. That's difficult, because in golf -- depending on the kind of person you are -- most of the time it's better to remain kind of even-keeled and not let your emotions come out. You just want to stay focused and you've got to bear down. It's so different from other sports.

So the best thing for me is that now I've got 100,000-plus people who are getting a glimpse of Stewart Cink the person and not just what they see on television. I think it's been great for me to build a little bit of a fan base out there among the group that may not be into golf too much.