Changing Rio's Environmental Laws For Golf
/Unlike the AP coverage that has focused on a developer's claim to the Olympic golf course land and his
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.
"Lord Moynihan wants Royal and Ancient to accept women members"
/The outgoing British Olympic Association chairman has called on the Royal and Ancient Golf Club to open up its membership to women, making the remarks on BBC Radio 5 to Eleanor Oldroyd. (Thanks to reader Chris for this.)
Read MoreFun And Stress At Disney
/Doug Ferguson on the strange dichotomy that is Thursday's Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Disney, where players come for a vacation or, to play for their livelihood.
Read MoreMonty's Gut Tells Him To Start Anchoring A Putter Even Though He Wants The Act Banned
/Bernie McGuire reporting from Singapore, where Colin Montgomerie is hoping to feed off the presence of the world No. 1 the way he thinks people "fed off me when I was No.2 in the world."
Read MoreYale GC: A Short History
/Alex Eppler in the Yale Daily News files a nice story on the history of CB Macdonald's splendid but long-neglected Yale Golf Club design, which is seeing a maintenance resurgence verified by the awarding of a 2015 NCAA regional.
Read More2016 Presidential Hopefuls: Hit The Links!
/Emily Kay does a nice job examining the most stunning Presidential electoral trend of all...pols who play golf in some form, at some point and in some way, stand a better chance of moving into the White House. (Thanks reader Todd.)
• 1980: Ronald Reagan (golfer) defeats Jimmy Carter (non-golfer)
• 1984: Ronald Reagan defeats Walter Mondale (non-golfer)
• 1988: George H.W. Bush (golfer) defeats Michael Dukakis (non-golfer)
• 1992: Bill Clinton (golfer) defeats George H.W. Bush
• 1996: Bill Clinton defeats Bob Dole (non-golfer)
• 2000: George W. Bush (golfer) defeats Al Gore (non-golfer)
• 2004: George W. Bush defeats John Kerry (non-golfer)
• 2008: Barack Obama (golfer) defeats John McCain (non-golfer)
• 2012: Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney (the anti-golfer)
Update on 2012-11-07 21:46 by Geoff
**Following on this theme, Ron Sirak makes the case that golf can bridge political differences.
No matter where you stand on the political scale -- the left side, the right, or somewhere in between -- the nation now, with so many challenges ahead, needs to find a balance. I'm not smart enough to know where the balance resides, but I am willing to trust that both the Democrats and Republican have people smart enough and noble enough to find it.
Golf gives us a perfect road map to follow. Presidents Eisenhower and Ford were both passionate golfers and they were both Republicans. Presidents Clinton and Obama, both Democrats, share that passion.
Report: Bevacqua To Be Next Overpaid PGA Of America CEO
/Adam Schupak with the exclusive that
Read MorePhil: "I don’t think you can take away what you’ve allowed players to use, practise and play with for 30 years."
/
An AFP report quotes Phil Mickelson saying a ban on anchoring would be "grossly unfair.”
“It’s not an issue that I’m involved with, I understand both sides. It’s just that I don’t think you can take away what you’ve allowed players to use, practise and play with for 30 years. I think it is grossly unfair,” he said.
You may recall that Mickelson briefly toyed with the belly putter at the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship.
"Greens are not changed because people are putting with a long putter."
/I know a lot of you do not think the anchoring and distance issues should be lumped in together by players like Adam Scott and Webb Simpson. But in the context of the USGA's concern for the health of the game, Scott did raise a fair point when it comes to the urgency of the anchoring ban compared to a more pressing issue for the long term well-being of golf.
Read MorePGA Tour Players Celebrate President Obama's Re-election Via Series Of Forward-Looking, Positive Tweets
/Okay, celebrate might not be the right word.
Read MoreWill Guan Make Condi A Masters Sidebar?
/Jason Sobel makes the
Read MoreAdam Scott Rebuts Tiger's Putter Length Theory
/Patrick Johnston of
Read More"Jim Flick was a teacher's teacher."
/If you've taken a lesson in the last twenty years, there's a pretty good chance your instructor was inspired by or a disciple of Jim Flick.
Read MoreGuan Tianling And The Anchoring Ban
/Derek Lawrenson thinks 14-year-old Guan Tianling's win in the Asia Pacific and subsequent Masters berth using a belly putter should be yet another sign that the governing bodies need to act.
Yes, you’re right, the governing bodies should have snapped this dreadful implement in half at birth. But if you’re in any doubt that it is never too late to do the right thing, then the sight of 14-year-old Guan Tianling winning his spot at the Masters using one of the damn things should convince.
In other words, the future stars are now not even bothering learning the complexities of putting with orthodox equipment, and why should they when this form of legalized cheating offers such an easy way out?
The Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association have seen the future, and know that if they don’t act now a conventional putter in another decade will be about as common as a persimmon driver.
