When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Thanks to social media guru Robert Andrade for Tweeting this YouTube video of PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel being the first pro golfer to show you what their view is like via Google Glass.
I was hoping the golf shot portion would be a little more interesting...and steady. Still, it's fun to see things through the eye of a player. Now if he'd wear them in competition...
I know as Golf World subscribers you've already opened your magazines or your digital editions to Ed Sherman's behind-the-scenes look at Golf Channel's player-analysts, but just in case you haven't seen it here's the link.
Sherman has all sorts of fun behind-the-scenes detail and info on the cast of characters who, because of golf's longevity, are the expert analysts even though they haven't won majors. Also interesting in the story is learning why Golf Channel won't be leaning on the superstars that sports like the NFL or tennis can look to: golfers have much longer careers. The story also features backstage images from Bob Croslin and Dom Furore.
Oh, and you get to find out how much money they make! Only in Golf World!
Charlie Rose asks Greg Norman if he would give up some of his money for more major wins and the Great White Shark says "not at all," then cites the outcrying of support he's had over the years over his losses has made him the businessman he is today.
There are several other questions about the empire that is Norman and a nice graphic and, well, it's a bit of an infomercial for no apparent reason other than giving him a chance to talk about his brand building genius. As always Norman is engaging, defends Tiger's soft mattress-induced back issues, and talks briefly about Tiger losing his intimidation factor.
“I think the longer the time goes by with him not doing it, the harder it's going to be,” Norman said.
Robert Lusetich noted Norman's repeat of previous comments in this account of Tiger's opening round at The Barclays which took only 11 hours to complete thanks to weather delays.
Max Adler summarizes Golf Digest's customer satisfaction survey coordinated by Dr. Dan Sachau, professor of psychology at Minnesota State University at Mankato, and Dr. Luke Simmering, a consultant within the global organizational effectiveness department for Walmart.
Out of 2,434 respondents, the median profile was a 58-year-old male who plays seven rounds a month and pays $62 per round and you may not be shocked to learn that course conditioning mattered more than anything, while slow play was not a factor.
The contradiction between what people say and do has long served much of that wide field of study called the humanities. In this instance, respondents said pace of play was their top driver of satisfaction, when in actuality it was the least. "It's possible the great majority of people who took the survey happened to have a last round where they felt neither impatient or rushed," Sachau says, "but more likely, this is an aspect that assumes great importance only when others are constant." In other words, pace of play matters a lot at your home course because you already know exactly what to expect in the other areas. When you're a regular, it's more likely the foursome ahead or the kitchen staff comes under your cross hairs than the superintendent.
"Far and away, course conditions proved the most important driver of satisfaction when golfers travel," Sachau says, "much more so than the pace of the round or the cost of the green or guest fee, both of which golfers stated as more important." Specifically, in ascending order golfers value the conditions of the bunkers, the tee boxes, the fairways and, most of all, the greens.
USGA Executive Director Mike Davis was on Sirius XM's Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Tuesday to talk about a variety of subjects before Adams asked about the new Fox Sports television deal. 
Davis had to open by mopping up the mess made by USGA President Glen Nager in the initial press release that essentially made the current broadcast partners sound like amateurs who were not capable of progressing any further.
Very exciting news, first and foremost, let me start out by saying, that they have been fabulous partners. We have been with ESPN for 33 years, and NBC Golf Channel for 20 years. And both of those organizations truly took our championships to a new level. They are just first class organizations and wonderful people to work with and you know, personally, there's a lot of friendships between the organizations and that's going to be tough. But we are very excited about Fox Sports. And for us, we just feel from a qualitative and quantitative standpoint this was a deal that was just too good to refuse. We're going to get a lot more promotion and hours for amateur championships which we really think is important for the game.
NBC proposed 70 more hours of the three championships an audience higher than a .1 might watch, but the USGA would rather get the Senior Women's Amateur or the Four-Ball on television?
Sorry to interrupt...
We'll get promotion of our Open championship.There's some exciting things from a digital media standpoint. But I think Matt, for the game of golf, to have it covered now by all of the major networks, that's good for the game. That's not necessarily a USGA thing, that's the game of golf. But listen, we ultimately we are making a good bit more money from this and we are a non-profit, and our money has to go back into the game of golf. And that's a little bit different maybe from a week-to-week tour event that has these wonderful charities and they give to a children's hospital or cancer.
Our monies must go back into the game. So I think that's exciting because we will have more funds that ultimately let's us do a better job governing, do a better job running our championships and, important for everyone, sustaining the game. Things like pace of play, junior golf, turfgrass research, working more closely with the state and regional golf associations, focusing on water, all these things that are important for all golfers, not just the professional game.
We're excited about Fox, they're excited. I know we have some challenges putting this all together over the next couple of years but they're exciting challenges. Ultimately I think it's going to be good for the USGA and good for the game.
Adams asked if there was fallout "from the timing of the announcement" on the eve of the PGA Championship.
Matt, good question. Because, listen, I know there's been a lot said and written about this. I can tell you the timing was anything but intentional. And we were unfortunately really backed into a corner. The way our agreements work with both ESPN and NBC is that there was an exclusive negotiating period. Which in this case it was written ten years ago, and was from June 1 to August 1, and we didn't feel like we quite got there with the offers on the table so we went to the open market and ultimately Fox came in, ESPN and NBC were still part of the process, we looked at the three bids and our Board of Directors decided we were going to Fox. We notified the winner and the two that didn't get it and Matt, you know, it's one of those things where these three organizations are publicly traded companies and our legal council advised and outside legal council advised we couldn't sit on that information for five or six days because dozens of people knew about it.
Imagine what the markets might have done had the news got out? Stock prices would have not moved a cent. $100 million a year to News Corp is Roger Ailes 'salary and the companywide paper clip budget. Go on...
So we contacted the PGA of America ahead of time and said listen, this is anything but we want to do is announce on the eve of your championship, but we must do that. Looking back on it, if there is anything we could have done, we would have done Matt. The last thing we wanted to do was affect the PGA. And after all, that's an organization, the PGA of America, that really in so many ways is the backbone of the game. They do so many great things on a local and national basis. That's an organization we worked with for decades and we will work with [for] decades. And you know, yes, there was this public disagreement on anchoring. That we really kind of agreed to disagree, but the relationship we have is great.
When I think great relationships, I think USGA-PGA.
So It's unfortunate that some out there were kind of cynical about that we purposely did that. That's anything but the truth. And certainly not based on any facts. It's unfortunate. Hopefully it didn't affect the PGA Championship. So, that's a little background that maybe will shed a little light on what happened.
Call me cynical, but I'm skeptical about the pre-emptive call Davis is suggesting was made. PGA of America President Ted Bishop addressed the shock and tackiness of the announcement in a recent interview, and certainly does not sound like someone who had any idea this was coming. And when I contacted PGA of America officials on Wednesday night of the PGA, hours after the deal was announced, these did not seem like people who knew this was coming. A statement was most certainly not prepared in advance but they did call a very nice audible.
It was also the second time in five years the USGA made news during a PGA.
**The PGA of America warning courtesy call was a matter of minutes before the announcement, definitely not hours or days, a source confirms.
Bailey Mosier with Bill Haas's remarks on the eve of the Barclays, addressing those questioning the state of Tiger's game by a season in which he didn't win a major.
"His lack of winning a major is the only thing talked about, which I think is sad," Haas said. "I think it's ignorant."
Residents around Muirfield Village are not pleased with the new iron fencing that has already killed two deer in gruesome fashion. The fencing has been installed as part of the Presidents Cup security by the PGA Tour Championship Management in conjunction with Muirfield Village.
From a report by the local ABC affiliate in Columbus.
A Facebook page has been established by the residents to get the fence changed.
Ryan Lavner at GolfChannel.com files a must-read analysis of the secretive Walker Cup selection process and concludes that "the best event in amateur golf is in the midst of an identity crisis" and that the wounds are entirely self-inflicted by the USGA.
After punching holes in every statistical theory that might justify the automatic inclusion of two mid-amateurs to beef up the Team USA's supposedly weak foursomes play, Lavner takes aim at the secrecy of the selection process.
One of the many appeals of the Ryder, Presidents and Solheim cups is that players and fans alike can track the standings until the cutoff date. It’s transparent. No secrets. Either they make it on merit, or they hope for a wild-card pick.
The seven-man selection committee, meanwhile, treats the selection of the U.S. Walker Cup team like the government would issues of national security. Apparently, there is an internal system that ranks the tournaments based on strength of field, but its pseudo-points list isn't made public.
“I’m not really trying to hide anything,” Burton said. “But at the same time these are very difficult decisions, and so we would prefer to keep our process internal.”
Of course the questions this time around are certainly tainted by the mandatory mid-amateur inclusions, but they still pale in comparison to the John Peterson boondoggle of 2011 when he offered a resume but was left off the team because of his personality, then finished T4 at the 2012 U.S. Open. Here was the committee then.
I expect a penetrating rebuttal from the Global Golf Post, Fox Sports and USGA messenging teams just as soon as the Fox team learns the difference between the PGA of America and the PGA Tour. Which, should be by 2015.
Thanks to reader Brad for Dan Haar's Hartford Courant story on Ahmad Rashad joining the BackNineNetwork as a personality and investor, but even the local paper is skeptical about the golf lifestyle network's planned 2014 launch.
Back9 renovated a floor of the "Boat Building" on Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford and took space nearby on the plaza, formerly occupied by Spris restaurant, with plans to spend $8 million on a buildout. But that buildout hasn't happened yet, as the fledgling network seeks a deal with a major cable carrier.
The "MacLeod" course at Trump International Scotland will feature six holes in the dunes and a name invoking Donald Trump's late mother, reports Frank Urquhart who attended a public unveiling of plans by architect Martin Hawtree.
What it lacks in dunes golf it makes up for in length, stretching to 7.400 yards.
Dr Hawtree said: “This will be a golf course for all, ranging in difficulty and challenge depending on which of the four or five tee positions is selected, spanning a range of lengths up to 7400 yards. Fairways will be generous in width but tighter where the longer player will be challenged with bunkers, dunes and rough.
“The rough will be a particular feature of the course, changing in character through the course from wild meadows in the arable parts of the site, through wetlands in the central areas, to marram roughs in the southern dunes, and heathland vegetation in the areas immediately to the back of the sand dunes.”
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
