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.
Martin Kaufman on the bold "Express Lane" concept instituted by OB Sports at Las Vegas' Angel Park. Players can sign a pledge agreeing to play in 3:45 or less to get select tee times
Steve Elling mines a topic that has been severely undertouched by the golf media: why are there so many more talented and mature young players than ever before? Lots of interesting food for thought, though the role of technology is not delved into. Still, I found this part with David Leadbetter reminding us of those who didn't make it just as interesting:Normally I cringe at the placement of advertising in ballparks but you have to love when they incorporate ads as part of the quirk of a park, as Taylor Made and the Padres have done this week.
The best part of Golf Digest's America's Best coverage (other than the incredible iPad edition that lets you see each course from above), is the package of letters from golf dignitaries and well known blowhards listing their top 10 American courses. The Donald's will give you a hearty chuckle, especially when you see our future former presidential candidate places Cypress Point and Oakmont on either side of Trump National LA, which, incidentally, The Donald is putting out feelers to the golf world for suggestions on how to fix the mess he made.?
Thanks to reader Jeff for Michael Kruse's lengthy St. Petersburg Times story on Dan McLaughlin, and Oregonian who is testing the Gladwell-preached theory from "Outliers" that says with 10,000 hours of deliberate practice you can lift yourself from ordinary to excellence, even though McLaughlin was not a golfer prior to conceiving "The Dan Plan."
I'm sure the R&A's Peter Dawson's fellow powerbrokers at the various tours just loved the International Golf Federation head's answer to the question Tuesday about the tours opening up their books and making public disciplinary actions. Iain Carter reports.
"In terms of what Tour disciplinary policies should be and whether disciplinary action should be made public I think if you look at the wider world of sport that has become the norm.
"I think keeping it quiet, whilst there are many good reasons for doing that at tour level, is probably something that tours should look at changing because I do think that keeping these things in the public domain has a lot of benefit in keeping our standards of behaviour high," Dawson said.
This is especially true with pace of play, not that what he or anyone else thinks matters to the tours.
Meanwhile Dawson did a nice job squelching the much-talked about behind-the-scenes grumbling about the "shock exit" of R&A championship manager David Hill, reports Martin Dempster.
"David had groomed some very good people, the likes of Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Michael Wells, Robin Bell and Rhodri Price, for example. We are confident that the knowledge David has passed on and their experience will see us through."
Jim McArthur, chairman of the R&A's championship committee, added: "After 32 years, David decided to retire and we thank him for his immense contribution, as well as wishing him well."
The members of Hill's Open team are currently reporting to Dawson, who revealed he will be waiting until the autumn, after the last of the events the R&A run is held, before looking at the options in terms of a new director of championships.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
