Golf Channel Hires Sobel!

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It's just nice to see the words golf and hire in the same headline, especially when it's a nice guy. For Immediate Release:

Respected Golf Journalist Jason Sobel Joins Golf Channel Editorial Team
 
Sobel’s First Online Column for GolfChannel.com: Sobel Online Column Video of Sobel’s Debut on Morning Drive: Morning Drive Debut
 
ORLANDO, Fla., (May 2, 2011) – One of golf’s most-read and innovative online journalists, Jason Sobel, today joined Golf Channel and the NBC Sports Group.
 
A 14-year veteran of ESPN – most recently as golf editor, popular columnist and blogger for ESPN.com – Sobel joins GolfChannel.com as a senior writer and brings a wealth of experience and a writing style with a reputation of bringing golf events to life online.  Through the years, he has built a large and loyal following of readers and the respect of his peers, which has garnered him accolades and multiple writing awards.  Currently, Sobel has nearly 20,000 followers on the social media website, Twitter.
 
Sobel’s role at GolfChannel.com will be multi-faceted and aimed to help increase fan interaction through live blogging and chats.  He also will post columns, news stories and long-form features while covering select events on the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and at golf’s major championships.  In addition, he will regularly make appearances on Golf Channel’s news and talk shows.
 
“Jason is a very well known and respected golf journalist who is very in tune with the game,” said Tom Stathakes, Golf Channel senior vice president of programming, production and operations.  “His strong opinions and perspective have attracted a loyal following who will continue to enjoy his contributions on GolfChannel.com.
 
“If you want to cover the sport of golf, this is the place to be,” Sobel said.  “I’m very excited about the new challenge and can’t wait to get started.”
 
Sobel’s introductory column was posted earlier this morning and can be seen at http://www.GolfChannel.com/tour-insider/firing-opening-tee-shot-42723/.  He also made his first on-camera appearance on Morning Drive, with hosts Erik Kuselias and Gary Williams.  Video of the interview can be seen here: http://www.GolfChannel.com/golf-videos/audio-morning-drive-5211-jason-sobel-analysis-15901/

Tangled Webb During Sudden Death Playoff?

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Golfweek's roundup of Sunday's Zurich Classic finale explains what happened with Webb Simpson's violation at the 15th hole, costing him a stroke that ultimately forced a playoff loss to Bubba Watson.

Simpson made bogey on the 15th hole after calling a one-stroke penalty on himself when his ball oscillated on the green. He was leading by one stroke at the time.

“You get greens like this that are burned out, balls are going to move all over the place,” he said. “It’s unfortunate.”

Simpson made birdie on the first playoff hole, after putting his second shot on the par-5 finishing hole over the green. On the second extra hole, he couldn’t get up-and-down out of a greenside bunker and settled for par.

Afterward, however, the talk focused on the ruling on 15 green.

“You have to call it on yourself in that situation,” he said. “But it stinks that the tournament might have been decided by a rule that’s borderline a good rule. I’m a little disappointed, but I’ll learn from it and hopefully have another chance next week.”

But it's what went on at #18 that caught the eye of several readers here and elsewhere online. Reader BenSeattle wrote:

When (on the first hole of the playoff) Simpson was took a drop from the greenside sprinkler and was allowed to PLACE his ball by hand after the first two rolled down the slope, didn't his first "place" come to rest? I thought it did when he took his hand away but just a second later he picked it up and tried once more. Again, it seemed to turn maybe a half revolution and settle but Simpson quickly picked it up again and then finally placed it in a spot to his liking.

Am I being a stickler or merely uninformed if I should maintain that Simpson picked up a ball that had legally "come to rest," was therefore IN PLAY and therefore Webb should have been penallized for THAT infraction as well?

Reader Red concurred:

After Simpson released his fingers from the ball when placing the first time, it appeared to be at rest. When he lifted it, I immediately thought, "Uh oh." I had a strong feeling that a couple of tour officials became instantly sick to their stomachs But when nothing came of it, I mentally let it go and assumed it MUST have moved..

According to the Rule-20...

d. Ball Fails To Come To Rest on Spot

If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot on which it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on that spot:

(i) except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;
  (ii) in a hazard, it must be placed in the hazard at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole.

If a ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed, and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.

The tape would seem to indicate the ball was at rest and perhaps because of nerves or because he thought it was moving, Simpson grabbed it again and tried to place it.  I'll leave it to you rules gurus to hash this one out. It doesn't impact the event either way, but it would be good to know!

Zenyatta, Shackleford And A New Book**

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Some of you know that in the midst of a very busy last year juggling writing and course restoration duties, I was also under the spell of Zenyatta, the great racing thoroughbred who made her home in Southern California. Like many, I wasn't really a follower of the sport until I experienced the energy and presence of this magnificent mare whose pre-race dances and thrilling come-from-behind style led to a record 19 consecutive victories.
Read More

"Maldives plans 18-hole floating golf course"

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Here I was thinking the royal wedding was pricey, but then reader Rob sends me this Wired story by Duncan Greere about plans for a $500 million "floating" golf course.

The 18-hole course might sound like the kind of energy-guzzling project you'd see off the coast of Dubai, but it's intended to have zero footprint on its environment. It's powered by solar energy -- a resource that the Maldives has plenty of, lying as it does just north of the equator, and the development will also employ sustainable desalination and water cooling techniques.

The course will be made up of a series of floating platforms containing two or three holes each, which will be linked together and to a series of surrounding hotels by underwater tunnels. Waterstudio.NL designed the project, which is being engineered by floating-architecture expert Dutch Docklands. Troon Golf is on hand to offer their expertise in the design of the course itself.

Callaway's Dreary Sales News Offset By Rumor Of Joint Acushnet Push As Final Bids Are Due

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Miracles do happen! And on a Friday of a dreadful earnings report to boot. Thank God Wall Street is above the Friday news dump shenanigans we see from politicians.

From Reuters:

Blackstone Group LP (BX.N) is teaming up with Callaway Golf Co (ELY.N) for a possible bid for Fortune Brands Inc's (FO.N) golf business, two sources familiar with the matter said.

A deal could be worth up to $1 billion, one of those sources said. Final bids for the auction, which has attracted interest from Asian bidders, are due on May 9, that source added.

Meanwhile, they freed up some cash by selling three Carlsbad buildings to help pay the fees of two Blackstone junior associates working on the purported bid, reports Pat Maio.

The buildings were sold in March but leased back as part of the company's global plan to reduce more than $84 million in expenses since it launched a cost savings program five years ago.
George Fellows, president and chief executive officer of Callaway, and Brad Holiday, chief financial officer, said in an interview that the golf equipment maker still has $35 million to $40 million left to shave in expenses by 2013.

"It doesn't stop there," Fellows said. "You always look to further improve the value of the company."

Thought I'd get through this without a v-word dropping. Oh well.

Now, I don't know a lot about business, but why would a successful private equity firm team with a fledgling golf company want to buy a successful golf company? Please, help me here?

If Deane Beman Was Commissioner (Again) For A Day: Equipment Regulation!**

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Thanks to reader Ken for sharing the sequence from today's Morning Drive where Deane Beman and Adam Schupak were plugging their new (and of the many parts I've read, excellent) book. Co-host Tony Erik Kuselias asked:

"Tomorrow you get to be commissioner again and you are complete czar and you can do whatever you want and everybody will agree, what's the ONE thing you'd like to see get done that has not been done right now."

Beman's reply?

"My greatest regret is that I was not able to influence the direction of technology in golf. I think it has had a dramatic effect on how the game is played, on the cost of golf being played today. There's m-billions (Couldn't tell if it was M or B) of dollars that have been put into golf courses to try to accomodate the best players in the world. and it's not just tour courses, it's every course around the country. Just in case Tiger Woods happens to come and play your course and you don't want him to shoot 60.
 
"Everybody has increased the speed of their greens to levels that the average player can't handle. The cost of maintenance of golf courses has risen, therefore the cost of memberships, the cost of green fees have gone up. All to, in my opinion, the detriment of golf."

At this point co-host Gary Williams saw his rally kill light go on and jumped in to protect the best interests of baseball by asking him about appearance fees!