PGA Tour Officials Working Kapalua Without A Contract

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Rex Hoggard reports that negotiations broke down between the PGA Tour and its union-affiliated rules officials and this week the guys who run the tournaments will be working without a contract.

“We’re operating without an agreement as of Dec. 31st. They are (in Hawaii) right now and unless the Tour says otherwise they are going to work,” said Christian Dennie, an attorney with Fort Worth, Texas-based Barlow Garsek & Simon who represents the officials’ union. “These guys really take their job seriously and we’re going to try and help them as much as they can.”

“Like we do with other negotiations we don’t comment on the status of those discussions,” said Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour’s executive vice president of communication and international affairs.

Hoggard also notes where the PGA Tour officials fall on the pay scale and they are well below colleagues in other sports. And while most people think they just sit in carts all day, they do a little bit of everything to ensure that tournaments go off without a hitch.

It's pretty amazing that a tour which lavishes absurd pay on an army of eminently replaceable vice presidents would nickel-and-dime the people who run their tournaments. Well, amazing, but considering the commissioner also laid low-level people off while not touching bloated executive pay? Not really that amazing.

2012 In Review And 2013's New Look

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GeoffShackelford.com approaches its 10th anniversary after debuting in March, 2003, coinciding with the publication of Grounds for Golf. The site became a full-fledged blog with the release of The Future of Golf, and the themes in that book (the game is going to hell, etc.) have largely fueled the content to this day. (Notwithstanding the occasional forays into fire hydrant fender-benders, Christmas gift rings, etc.)

For 2013 the art department has come up with a new banner inspired by 1920s orange crate art, accented by a few personal touches like "The Captain" golf ball that may have been architect George Thomas's, a retention of the Hollywood sign homage on the hills of Simi Valley, and a new font inspired by Musselburgh's "The Cradle of Golf" sign. The golf scene is Rustic Canyon's first hole and that is yours truly whapping one down the first fairway shortly before the course opened in, gulp, 2003.

As always, thanks to the art department and site EVP Tom Nacarrato for his inspiration, wisdom and creativity. If you need Photoshop work, especially for golf course scenes like the ones he cooks up for architects making pitches to clients, please check out his website. I can personally attest to his work having taken ideas that became reality only because he could make golfers see how their modified course would look.

2012 marked year two as a partner with GolfDigest.com and hopefully those of you concerned the choice of content or my tone would change dramatically have had your concerns assuaged. I'm happy to report we march on in year three starting today.

Statistically, because of a two-month blackout on Google Analytics, I'm not entirely confident in their numbers, but I am pleased to report that in New Jersey the site's number one city remains Far Hills, I'm still popular (statistically anyway) in Ponte Vedra and the St. Andrews audience is growing! 

As with my 2012 resolution, I continue to hope to have more video coverage (as PGA Tour's regulations allow), more podcasts, more architecture and more Twitter coverage. With the many state of the game issues expected to arise in 2013, there will continue to be a nice variety of topics covered both from home in Santa Monica and on the road at various tournaments for Golf World.

With that, I want to thank everyone for reading, for your comments and your passion for the sport we all admire.

Happy New Year!

Where The Turf Meets The Turf: Musselburgh Golf & Racing

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As we wrap up the year I got around to reviewing my photos and footage from a fantastic day of golf and racing at the world's oldest continuously played links. Even though it only takes 90 minutes or so to play, it's amazing how many folks drive by the course on the way to the more famous layouts. So with that in mind, I highly recommend a round at Musselburgh (especially with the hickories for hire).
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Golf Digest's 2013 "100 Greatest" Ranking...

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...arrives a little early! I'm not sure why the change, but what normally comes out three months from now is on newstands or on tablet editions for subscribers (or single issue downloaders).

Pictured is No. 15, The Alotian Club where they appear to have replicated the Great Wall only as a cart parth embankment.

That said, here is the top 20 for online readers where Pine Valley moves back ahead of Augusta National in the top spot.