"The question Nakheel executives will be asking: Why is the deal worth $170 million?"

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Alistair Tait stays on the story of Nakheel, the construction arm of the government in Dubai, and the fine folks who brought the world the giant palm islands off the Dubai coast. They've inherited the Leisurecorp mess at Turnberry (at least they can sell that, says Tait), and the European Tour's Race to Dubai:

George O’Grady, the European Tour’s chief executive, is adamant that the sponsorship deal is secure. Aaron Richardson, a senior media-relations manager with Leisurecorp, said the money to back the Race to Dubai already is in the bank.

The question Nakheel executives will be asking: Why is the deal worth $170 million?

You can bet that the European Tour would have jumped for joy had Leisurecorp offered, say, $75 million.

World Golf Village And The Hall Of Fame

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Upon arriving at the Players, I was consistently asked, "why are you here?"

Can't you feel the love from my fellow members of the working press?

After rambling on about how I'd always wanted to experience golf's fifth of four majors or experiencing Jacksonville in May, I'd casually mention, "Monday I am going down to the World Golf Village."

Invariably, the reply went something like this: "Oh, which course are you playing?"

Shockingly, I was taking in the World Golf Hall of Fame and the many historical treasures on display. While warned that I would be in for a treat by those who know better, I had no concept how good the collection was and how tastefully it has been put on display.

Since I'm occasionally inclined to expect the worst, the idea of a packaged resort, conference center and Hall of Fame off of 95 and well south of Jacksonville doesn't sound entirely romantic, but everything about the complex was impressive. From the oak-lined entrance drive to the elegant trophy room atop the defining tower, the architectural master plan conveys a sense of purpose, prestige and permanence.

Bob Hope memorabilia (click to enlarge)Thanks to the WGHOF's Jane Fader, I was fortunate enough to receive a tour from Mark Cubbedge, the Manager of Collections and Research. He is armed with the task of collecting artifacts, preserving or restoring them, and displaying them for the public to enjoy. Mark has a great story behind nearly every artifact in the Hall of Fame, tales which are often lovingly printed on nice placards with items on display. You could spend hours and still find new things on return visits thanks to Mark's efforts (and some impressive financial backing from several major golf organizations and corporations, not to mention help from a volunteer force that's 200 strong).

Currently on temporary display is Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memory, an exhaustive and peppy look at Hope's life and ties to golf. There's an amazing film in the special exhibit area theater, and every imaginable artifact from a life so closely tied to the game. (Did you know Bob qualified for a British Amateur?). They even have his Honorary Oscar on display.

Rembrandt at the Hall of Fame (click to enlarge)After the Hope special exhibit, you move upstairs where the heart of the collection awaits: a timeline of sorts starting at the earliest references and art tied to golf (sorry Scotland!), including a Rembrandt etching. Later on in the hall you encounter an Andy Warhol painting of Jack Nicklaus. Only golf could bring those two together under the same roof.

Chalmers survey of Old Course, 1836 (click to enlarge)The St. Andrews and Old Tom items range from a stunning 1836 survey map by W.J. Chalmers to many rarely seen images of the course, town and early greats of the game. Even more impressive was the interactive video allowing you to see highlights of any Open Championship covered by film. I could make a day out of that alone.

The collection zig zags in the upper corridors, with all sorts of fun little nooks and crannies that, like a great golf course routing, keeps you in anticipation of more fun surprises. There's the Swilcan Bridge replica for the inevitable photograph waving like Arnie or Jack, a faux green where you can use guttas and hickories to putt on an early 20th century green and plenty of other displays showing off a fantastic early club collection.

It all builds toward the players wing, where you arrive at the grand Shell Hall, highlighted by the shiny bronze "reliefs" displaying the Hall of Famers. Across from there, visitors get to take in memorabilia collected from the HOF's latest entrants (or their families, or in many cases, collectors). Currently there are wonderful displays of items pertaining to Herbert Warren Wind, Pete Dye, Carol Semple Thompson, Bob Charles, Craig Wood and Denny Shute memorabilia, including Pete's beloved copy of MacKenzie's Golf Architecture featuring Pete's notice to anyone who should find the book: a lavish $20 reward.

I will spare you anymore blow-by-blow accounts and just share some images. However, if you are in the area or wavering about going, don't. Just go. The World Golf Hall of Fame is a must for anyone who loves the game.

Early view of St. Andrews No. 18 before the R&A clubhouse was built

Denny Shute's USGA medals (check out that great old USGA logo!)Watercolor of C.B. Macdonald receiving the first U.S. Amateur trophy.

MacKenzie's Pasatiempo drawings on displayAn incredibly rare MacKenzie booklet on Camouflage
Remnant of a Nicklaus exhibition: photo and replica of his dad's drugstore

1904 golf film showing Harry Vardon, here having found a less than stellar lie.


The 18-hole putting course at the World Golf Village
The tower as viewed from the World Golf Foundation offices and the Caddyshack restaurant

"This intent thing is a funny one though, and hardly an exact science."

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Thanks for all of the great comments on the "intent" issue. John Huggan wrote about it today for GolfDigest.com and reminds us that intent was part of the Rory McIlroy discussion that took longer than Reds to resolve.

This intent thing is a funny one though, and hardly an exact science. Gray areas abound. I mean, how far can using "intent" as an excuse take a player? Yet again, even in a game that sells itself to sponsors largely on the basis of its supposed honesty, integrity and lack of cheating, it depends. But what is certainly true is that golf, it seems to me, wants it all ways.

USGA Prepares For Disaster

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No, no not what you were thinking. We won't know those ticket and corporate sales numbers until the end of the year.

Neal Weinberg explains how the USGA has formed a partnership with IBM to provide its servers disaster recovery services.

A couple of things stood out in this 1122-word epic:

E-mail is a critical application for the USGA, which generates 150,000 messages a day. "It's really been on my mind," Carroll says. E-mail communication between the USGA and its members is "necessary to run to business."

She adds, "Last summer the phone system went down for a couple of days and nobody blinked an eye. If e-mail is off for 30 seconds, the help desk phones are ringing."

Safe to say the folks at Far Hills really don't like talking on the phone!

Also note the USGA-supplied image of Ms. Carroll. Might those be high-heels on the new Gil Hanse constructed "Himalayas" putting green?

Testing a new USGA Green Section concept for green aerification are we?

"They don’t ‘make ‘em like that anymore."

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Al Barkow remembers Bob Rosburg and tells us a few things we probably didn't know about the man.

He never took a lesson in his life, and rarely practiced. He was not a ball beating range-rat in the Hogan mode. Fact is, he reminded me that when he won the PGA Championship he never hit one practice ball all week. Not even a couple or three warm-ups. “It was really hot in Minneapolis that week,” Rosburg said, “and the practice range was across the road and down in a hollow. I’d watch these guys coming back up from the range all sweaty and I said to hell with it. I’ll never forget the first hole, a 470-yard par four, hardest hole on the course. Every day I hit a four-wood on the green” Drive and a four-wood, the first shots he hit every day on the way to winning his one major.