"There's a few long par 4s where I hit a lot of 6-, 7- and 8-irons, 9-irons."
/In Doug Ferguson's story on player disdain for the new Cog Hill, there is a quote from Dustin Johnson that deserves its own billing.
Read MoreIn golf construction art and utility meet; both are absolutely vital; one is utterly ruined without the other. GEORGE THOMAS
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.
After The Cancellation: The LPGA And Golf In China
/
Following the abrupt cancellation this week of the upcoming Imperial Springs LPGA in China, Ron Sirak posts an assessment of the state of the LPGA Tour and future golf tournaments in places like China that's well worth a read.Golf World Goes New Yorker Route, Caption Contest Edition
/
Golf World is starting the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" designed to make editor Geoff Russell's job a little easier.Vinny Giles: USGA Is "Gutless" On Belly Putters
/
Let's skip the irony of that statement and go right to Jim Achenbach's report from the U.S. Senior Amateur, where long putter user and amateur golfing great Vinny Giles blasted the governing body for not acting on non-conventional putters.Rees In Response To Player Apathy: "No Comment"
/Rex Hoggard tracked down Rees Jones to ask about the latest round of player apathy, this time directed at his Cog Hill renovation.
On Tuesday, GTC gave Jones – whose restoration handiwork includes this year’s PGA Championship venue (Atlanta Athletic Club) and East Lake, site of next week’s Tour Championship – a chance to fire back at the growing criticism of some of his projects but the “Open Doctor” declined to enter the fray.
“I’m not going to address that,” Jones told GTC. “No comment.”
Say It Ain't So: Webb Simpson Retires From Tweeting
/
It's negativity like that which forced him to retire from the Twittersphere, reports Jason Sobel reports.
If you weren't following Simpson, his page continues on...
Olympic Design Derby Heats Up; Possible Land Dispute ?
/
In the most recent Golf World, I penned an update and explanation about where the Olympic golf design derby stands after Danny Ocean Nick Faldo proposed his all-star major champions idea.
I also suggest that as with design competitions for museums or stadiums, it would be productive to see who the finalists are and what their vision is for the site.
Now about the site, CNN's Shane O'Donoghue looks at the course architect selection process and suggests a possible ownership dispute surrounding the venue for golf in Rio 2016:
The Donald Goes To The Walker Cup; O'Grady Swoons Over Trump's New Links
/
And what hair those two have! The caption wasn't so hot though ("American businessman"!?!?). But I do smell a future episode of the break-out Golf Channel hit.Van Sickle: "Same guy, two entirely different shots. That's the aggravating mystery of golf."
/
SI's Gary Van Sickle qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur and besides not looking like a senior, has proven that at least one golf writer can play this silly game. He wrote some random observations from his appearance at Virginia's Kinloch.Jack To The Rescue! At A Tired 25, Valhalla Gets Third Touch Up
/Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier Journal features some eye-opening quotes from Jack Nicklaus about the next series of Valhalla touch-ups changes in advance of the 2014 PGA Championship.
Read MoreEven Captains Get The Local Rules Sheet Reading Blues
/I didn't pay much attention to the Walker Cup caddie flap, where GB&I's Jack Senior harmlessly had his club pro brother Joe caddy for him. The local rules sheet stipulated this was a no-no, and as Ryan Herrington explains in a Golf World Monday item, neither captain knew this because they had not read the one age (two-sided!) local rules sheet.
Read MoreThe Walker Cup "Blackout"
/In this week's Golf World Monday, I explain who is most to blame for premature sign-offs of the unusual Walker Cup online coverage.
Kapalua Field May Benefit From New Exception?
/Robert Collias on changes to the PGA Tour's kickoff event at Kapalua, currently sponsored by Hyundai, says the tour's Championship Management will be taking over the operation (here come the military festivities!) and that scorned Hawaii lover Mark Rolfing is mulling whether he'll pretend to act like he wasn't run out after one year as tournament director.
There is also hope that an expanded exception for non-members might entice more of the previous year's tournament winners (Rory, Darren?) to appear.
Another change that Rolfing had campaigned for is in the works, Pazder said. Nonmembers of the PGA Tour may get to compete in two more tour events, bringing that number to 12. European Tour members, including U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, often skip Kapalua because of the limit.
"We will be making a proposal to our policy board here in a couple weeks," Pazder said.
