"Is our world-class city so inept we can't figure out how to protect endangered species at a golf course without having to either give away the land or eliminate golf there?"

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Nancy Wuerfel, "a fiscal analyst by profession," is on San Francisco's Park, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee. And yes, its acronym is PROSAC. Anyway, nice to see another common sense op-ed piece on the Sharp Park situation as major decisions are about to be made.

This was the most refreshing point, something I touched in my Golf World story and something that the extremists have been fudging the truth about for some time:

Claims that city golf courses lose money are just not true. I analyzed the financial information for the first six years of the city's Golf Fund. The Recreation and Park Department's accounting practices have created the appearance that Sharp Park golf course is losing money when it is not. These findings were submitted to the Recreation and Park Commission and the Recreation and Park Department.

“The players were dictating how long it was going to take to play a round, and we felt that was unacceptable.”

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During last year’s British Girls’ Championship, Simpson and her team undertook a trial by implementing a new system that involved four checkpoints being set up around the course. Clocks were placed at these locations and players were made aware of what time their group was expected to reach those points by having it printed on pin sheets.

The system proved so successful that it has been in operation at all of the LGU’s events this year.

“The check points are normally at the fourth, ninth, 14th and 18th holes and the times we are looking for them to get round is usually about four hours and 20 minutes in stroke-play and three hours and 40 minutes for match-play, taking into account weather conditions and the course set-up,” added Simpson.


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Tiger Takes Day Off; Falls In FedEx Cup Standings *

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Now, I know the team at PGATOUR.com is doing their job and doing it amazingly well to keep on top of FedEx Cup scenarios, but look at this disaster of points breakdowns, scenarios, permutations and other nonsense.

Look, I get it that you want to reward the season and playoff play. But the most recent points reset really undermines that argument. If you have to gerrymand the FedEx Cup finish, then it'll never be taken seriously. Never!

Why are all these tough-guy, free-wheeling, free-market loving gamblers associated with the PGA Tour so afraid of old-fashioned, head-to-head, no points stuff, true playoff play at East Lake? Would it be too stressful?

"According to a tour executive, players were in unanimous agreement with the move."

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Ron Sirak reports on a couple of LPGA events lowering their purses. Great to see the players and executives not hung up on "value dynamics" or whatever they call it.

Weather the storm, keep your sponsors happy and hopefully the goodwill pays off down the road when times aren't so lean.

See why I'd never get my MBA.

Tiger Wins; Playoffs Take Week Off To Let Fans Ponder Points Permutation Possibilities

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I tell ya, the drama of wondering how these beancounters keep up with the shifts in points had me watching tennis. Maybe we can get a camera inside the ShotLink trailer, because that's where the numbers crunching probably goes on and where the real FedEx Cup drama lies. Anyway...
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