In 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).
A) We may be one step closer to seeing more ShotLink-gathered information on the players and course (which, because it's the same venue every year, would be meaningful and interesting).
B) You can track a player who is not part of the many fine Masters.com feeds more easily. And potentially relive their round details.
C) The best "app" and digital presentation may be getting even better.
It's one of those stars-aligning types of Friday news dumps, with Good Friday meaning many are not in front of computers or scanning Twitter. And a perfect time for Tiger Woods to issue his long-awaited 2015 Masters decision.
Waiting until the weekend to announce his intentions means overshadowing Sunday's Drive, Chip and Putt or the two significant professional events being played in Houston and Rancho Mirage.
The decision sounds like a fairly uncomplicated one if the wedge theatrics are still happening. And as Jim McCabe reports for Golfweek.com, they did during Tiger's Tuesday practice round at Augusta National.
Playing with two members, Woods did make five birdies, but there had to be plenty of lowlights because the source said Woods shot 2-over 74 and that he did hit several indifferent chips, including one that went through the green and into a bunker.
Update on 2015-04-03 15:54 by Geoff
**He's hitting balls Friday at the professional practice area, reportsG.C. Digital.
As far as female athletes on the planet, it's hard to fathom any woman in her league right now. And there certainly is no male golfer posting the kind of numbers Lydia Ko is turning on the eve of the LPGA's first major at Mission Hills.
She has yet to miss the cut in her 48 events on the LPGA Tour. That includes 15 starts as an amateur, and she won two of them, both at the Canadian Women's Open.
Ko is a combined 90 under par during her streak of sub-par rounds that dates to the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Sorenstam was 100 under when she ran off 29 straight rounds under par. That streak included two majors, and that's what Ko is lacking.
The coolheaded Ko seems to belie the notion of the impetuousness of youth. “I know someone who does it better than me, that’s Inbee,” Ko said, referring to the world No. 2, Inbee Park of South Korea. “She has the same poker face. Sometimes, it may be idiotic, when I make a stupid bogey I just laugh.” She added, “I just try to simplify things.”
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.
A) We may be one step closer to seeing more ShotLink-gathered information on the players and course (which, because it's the same venue every year, would be meaningful and interesting).
