Erin Hills Gets New Owner!?

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This strikes me as odd on many levels, then again, I've never understood Erin Hills as a possible major venue with Whistling Straits having a grip on the region and so many variables in play. Gary D'Amato reports:

Andy Ziegler of Mequon, the co-founder and CEO of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership, has reached an agreement to purchase the course from Bob Lang.

"I'm buying it individually," Ziegler said in a telephone call from London. "There are no Artisan partners involved. We may close as early as Friday of this week. I will be the 100% owner of the golf course."

We've been told over and over again that Erin Hills was a lock for the 2017 US Open, but unless the USGA was somehow consulted on this sale and gave a thumbs up, it's hard to see how this reinforces the supposedly inevitable decision. (One that some have suggested might be announced as soon as next June.)

Ryan Herrington notes that the Erin Hills-gets-major talk has quieted down a bit but also points out that former USGA Executive Comittee member Jim Rinehart is now part of a board at Erin Hills, as reported by D'Amato:

Ziegler said he would be the chairman of a newly established board of directors but would not be involved in the day-to-day operation of the course. Jim Reinhart, a former vice president of the United States Golf Association and a former minority partner in Erin Hills, will serve on the board, Ziegler said.

This is also a reminder of the perils in courting major venues so far in advance, particularly those where the course is untested and may be relying on the awarding of a major to ensure survival.

And it's just a stunner because Lang has been so intimately involved in every facet of Erin Hills, including recent course changes that were intended to comfort the USGA.

Perhaps there's now a glimmer of hope for Cog Hill and Southern Hills, Midwest venues with more stable ownership situations? Or maybe Rinehart's involvement seals the deal for Erin Hills?

"Go thing I have already looked my card up for next year! Your Welcome."

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"Your Welcome" would be the gramatically challenged catch-phrase Bubba Watson is sporting under his Twitter persona.

FYI, his self-proclaimed bio on Twitter:

"Christian, Husband, Pro Golfer who enjoys giving back to help others grow in life! You're welcome.

Thanks to reader Jim for the heads up on his latest Tweet, which will not do much to negate stereotypical characterizations of men named Bubba.

Pete, Sure You Want The Job? "I don't know of any other year when so many LPGA members were seeking dual membership on the JLPGA."

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The Constructivist at the MostlyHarmless blog notes some oddball issues with the LPGA of Japan's qualifying procedures and concludes that a tour war is breaking out, and the LPGA of America might be on the losing end.

But a few patterns emerge: the JLPGA is heavily recruiting American and European players (or at least players from the LPGA and LET), while forcing Korean golfers to go through 3 or 4 stages of qualifying. It appears that winning on the JLPGA as a non-member doesn't give you immediate membership any more, as it did for Ji-Yai Shin last season. And the Full Metal Archivist confirmed that you need a certain level of fluency in either Japanese or English to become a JLPGA member in 2010. She also found a 9 October article from Golf Digest Online that publicized a JLPGA press release identifying LPGA players exempt into the 3rd stage (Meena Lee, Young Kim, Teresa Lu, and Shanshan Feng) and into the final qualifying tournament (Na Yeon Choi, Candie Kung, Eun-Hee Ji, Seon Hwa Lee, Inbee Park, and Amy Yang). Barring absolute meltdowns, then, these players, along with Na Ri Kim and Onnarin Sattayabanphot (who should sail through the next 3 stages of Q-School) and any other LPGAers who have signed up for the 2nd stage the 1st week of November, will be JLPGA members in 2010. I don't know of any other year when so many LPGA members were seeking dual membership on the JLPGA.

Maybe pay isn't the only reason the LPGA Commish search candidates keep dropping out?

"This golf-cart fiasco perfectly illustrates tax policy in the age of Obama, when politicians dole out credits and loopholes for everything from plug-in cars to fuel efficient appliances, home insulation and vitamins."

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The Wall Street Journal offered a tough and unbylined critique of a federal tax credit on high-mileage cars "that was part of President Obama's stimulus plan," and which is now being used "to buy that great necessity of modern life, the golf cart."
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Charles Barkley Offering Anthony Kim Alcohol Consumption Advice

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It is funny you talk about Tiger. I have become friends with Anthony Kim and I was talking to him the other day trying to tell him: Let this B.S. with Robert Allenby go. Nothing good is going to happen if you all are going back-and-forth. The one thing that I will say about Tiger is that when we go out, he can drink. He drinks but he never drinks when he has got a tournament. So I think you distinguish those two. If we are just going to Vegas to screw around or we are just going around, he might have a couple of beers or something. If he has got a tournament, he does not drink. I am just relaying the Anthony Kim story. Maybe Tony can learn that ok that there is certain things that I got to do when I play and everything else has got to be 2nd. You can have fun when you are off: Ok, I got a tournament this week. Tiger won’t even do caffeine the week of a tournament. He thought that it screwed up his putting stroke. You know how sometimes caffeine has got you jittery? I mean just simple stuff like that.
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"Grass-Roots Advice"

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The November Golf Digest features a photo and quote from several leading superintendents about the state of golf maintenance and golf's place in the environment. It's a nice example of the print version featuring a digestable teaser, with more online since Golf Digest posted the entire audio of each super's answer to a couple of questions from Ron Whitten.

A few that I've listened to so far and enjoyed: Garrett Bodington, Russ Myers, Peter Wendt and Paul Latshaw Jr.

“They’re all wanting to grow golf, but the government is saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!’”

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Thanks to all who sent Seth Mydans' New York Times story on the failed dreams of the "Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail" as the government starts to question building a string of golf courses in a country with so few players. I guess they didn't hear about the Olympic announcement? Or Monty's contribution to the region?

I do see from the photos accompanying the story--and this appeared in the print edition, ensuring even more people laugh at the sport--that the Vietnamese have embraced America obsessive bunker raking.