"Stephen Curry, the golfer: As comfortable on links as on court"

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Steph Curry tees up in this week's Ellie May Classic, a Web.com Tour event and Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle profiles the basketball stars' passion for golf.

Kroichick writes:

In competing against those players for the first time, Curry will climb into uncharted territory. This is completely different than his good-natured outings with famous friends, from former President Barack Obama and Michael Jordan to Tom Brady and Justin Timberlake.

Last month, during the American Century Championship, a celebrity tournament near South Lake Tahoe, Curry at various times played alongside Timberlake and NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo (since retired). Their rounds included several playful moments, such as Curry catching footballs thrown by Rodgers and Romo.

Beneath the frivolity, Curry took his golf seriously. He shot a final-round 68, the best score any player posted in the three-day event, and finished fourth in a field of 89.

There Are No Words Files: Running-Over-People-In-Golf-Cart Prank Videos

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I take that back. There are words: pathetic, disgusting, vile, mindless and hopefully, in the end, expensive.

Business Insider's Sam Belden tries to make sense of the viral video trend involving golfers running over unsuspecting golfers with carts. He also rounds up examples for those who haven't seen these videos showing up on their Instagram accounts.

Apparently this idea of millennial humor all started with this Vine of a child running over another child, and support among various golf social media-driven sites, starting with Barstool Sports.

We now have as disturbing trend as I can imagine, and as someone who has seen too many Google golf news alerts on horrific wire stories of actual cart accidents and deaths), one that will not end well.

Belden writes:

The posts have gained thousands of likes and shares on social media. Fans love everything about them, from the brutal hits — a rare sight on the golf course — to the element of surprise.

But while the videos have brought joy to a huge number of Barstool followers, not everyone is a fan. Sam Riggs Bozoian, host of Barstool Sports' own "Fore Play" golf podcast, expressed a strong distaste for the prank.

"It got to the point where every time where we would post [a video of the prank] or I would see a 'Fore Play' account post one, I would cringe...It feels good to get it out there," he said on a recent episode. "I f------ hate those videos."

Amazingly, Barstool's Dave Portney has responded to his site's golf podcasters by putting a $1000 bounty on them to be run over by a cart. Their podcast guys Trent and Riggs seemed to understand the dangers involved of the viral trend that Barstool has fueled:

We’ve had David Feherty in the office. We have Padraig Harrington on the show this week. We had Brandel Chamblee in the office today. We do not want to alienate these types of guests and connections in the golf world by inevitably being painted as the guys who promoted the golf cart trend that ended up killing or dismembering some dude who was simply out golfing on a Saturday.

But their posts ends with some sort of compromised run-over, something about Stool Scenes and more than I want to know about one twisted little world.

Let the lawsuits begin.

Topgolf Coming To Phillips Arena...

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What an interesting move for Topgolf and the Atlanta Hawks even if it's stated as a blatant millennial play. But hey, the M's love their Topgolf! Yay!

However, I'm not sure sports fans need something else to distract them from the game on top of their phones. (That's precisely what two of them are looking at in the demo image of the Hawks Topgolf bay.) More encouraging though is the re-imagining of the amenities available at an arena, and that golf is being included.

For Immediate Release:

- Sports fans and concert-goers seeking pre- and post-event entertainment will soon be able to play Topgolf® once renovations of Philips Arena are complete for the 2018-19 season. The Topgolf Swing Suite – Topgolf's first permanent amenity in a major sports arena – will feature two Topgolf simulators, comfortable lounge seating, HDTVs and food and beverage service.

"As we began to discuss transforming our arena into a premier sports and entertainment venue for next generation Atlantans, we realized there was no better potential partner than Topgolf," said Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club CEO Steve Koonin. "They provide a one-of-a-kind experience that appeals to millennials and people of all ages. We are thrilled that they will have a home in our arena."

Topgolf launched its first Swing Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston, where it can be rented by the hour for groups of up to 15. The Swing Suite will complement other new additions to the Philips Arena, including Zac Brown's Social Club, a restaurant by the Atlanta native and leader of Zac Brown Band, and The Swag Shop, a barber shop owned by Atlanta rap artist Killer Mike.

"Basketball is my first love, but Topgolf has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies," said Atlanta Hawks Forward Guard Kent Bazemore. "Having a Topgolf Swing Suite inside the Arena will be incredible for the fans and will add to the already amazing atmosphere at Hawks games."  

Video: Should Golf Have A Year-End Awards Gala?

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The first ever NBA Awards included fan votes, glamor, fashion, star power, some mild disagreement and plenty of season highlights.

Naturally this made John Feinstein and I agree that a season-ending awards for golf--with all major tours involved--would be a good thing. If nothing else it might tell us when the golf season begins and ends, but more importantly as tacky as awards shows can be, this would be a grand way to recall great moments from the season. Such shows also allow the stars to convene, talk shop and look good.

From Wednesday's Alternate Shot on Golf Channel's Golf Central:

Web.com Tour Event Uses Yardage Books Made By 10-Year-Old

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Royce Thompson reports on Adam Schenk’s playoff win in the Web.com Tom’s Lincoln Land Charity Championship, but it was the story of 10-year-old Seth Damsgard that got my attention.

Ryan Mahan reports that the little lad not only created the drawings used by players at Panther Creek Country Club, but he's started a business with Precise Yardage Books.

The drawings for all 18 holes of the course are a combined effort. Seth, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, takes satellite images of courses from Google Earth and graphically designs its layout.

Scott Brady of Precise Yardage Books visits each course in person to walk the entirety of it, measuring things like slopes of greens, depth of bunkers, manhole covers and changes in elevation.

Those measurements are then sent to Seth, who completes the drawings. Then the yardage books are printed.

Before Seth teamed up with Brady, he was making the books for courses he would play in junior golf tournaments.

“I wanted to get tips from another yardage book maker,” Seth said. “We called Scott Brady with Precise Yardage Books. We wanted to get some tips from him. We told him how we did our graphic designing. He was just drawing them by hand, so he hired us.”

You Can't Make It Up Files: Golf Cart Chop Shop Seized In The Villages Drug Raid

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No doubt hunting for the world's largest stash of ED and VD pills at the wild and crazy Villages, authorities instead stumbled on a golf cart chop shop. Five arrests were made. (Thanks to reader Steven T. for this beauty.)

Myrt Price and Mark Boxley report for WFTV on the raid, where the elderly homeowner was unaware of the rogue stolen cart parts operation helmed by his niece. What a lovely young lady she must be!

Once a search warrant was served, deputies said they found evidence that an illegal golf cart chop shop was also operating out of the residence.

“We actually found some golf cart parts, as well,” Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Robert Siemer said. “There have been some golf carts stolen in the neighborhood in The Villages here, and we’re trying to tie some of the parts to some of the stolen vehicles.”

The full WFTV report includes a sense of the golf cart traffic in the background...

Video: Golf Course Bear Steals Lunch!

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It's hard to pinpoint the best part of this bear strolling out onto the course...

Is it the fascination with the flagstick that another bear famously enjoyed?

Is it the golfer panicking that he has an orange in his bag and prompting him to put his foot down?

Is it the bear's casual stroll after committing the theft?

Either way, such simple pleasure viewing for a Monday...(H/t Alex Myers): 

 

Video: HS Golfer Wins Arizona Sports Moment Of Year Award

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You may recall Richard Obert story on Sandra Day O'Connor High School's Amy Bockerstette, one of the starting five in Arizona's Division I girls championships last fall.

Bockerstette became the first golfer with Down syndrome to compete in the championship. Since then she has  won the AZCentral Sports Moment of the Year award for her play and accepted with a thank you speech you won't want to miss:

Special For GeoffShackelford.com Readers: Discount On New Athletes Collective 1/4 Zips

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ShackHouse listeners and readers of the site know I'm high on Athlete's Collective's no-logo, ideal-fitting, and absurdly well-priced athletic gear. And because so many of you took up the offer from last Christmas on long sleeves perfect for winter golf or workouts, they're offering a special on their new 1/4 zip front pullovers.

I've been practically living in my grey Conway 1/4 zip when working out in this long, cruel Santa Monica winter that we managed (again) to survive.

Okay, so our worst winters are like most springs. That is precisely why I can attest to how ideal the Conway is for spring!

The AC 1/4 zips are fitted enough that you feel like a modern athlete who can swing a golf club but not so tight that people will think you're paying homage to a certain golfers' circulation-straining pullovers.

AC's spring golf-friendly 1/4 zips are super lightweight, breathable and tough, featuring just enough design touches to look distinctive. Roll it up in your golf or gym bag and it'll look just fine whenever you need to put it on.

Personally--TMI warning here--I'm not a fan of most long sleeve sweaters and pullovers for golf since I like to swing a club with the sleeve pulled up just a little bit. So I love how you can manipulate the sleeves and not do any damage to your clothes.

The Conways come in heather grey and a very Masters-friendly heather green. At $34 a piece they're a bargain, but for $60 in the 2-pack bundle, a true steal. 

With the 10% discount, that's $54 (US) dollars for the pair.

Even if you used the first time buyer code HOUSE with prior promotions on shorts and long sleeves, you can still get the 10% first-time buyer discount with the new SHACK promo code. That gets you 10% off your order along with AC's great customer service that many of you wrote to me to note even when you had sizing questions.

Thanks again to Athlete's Collective for the discounts and more importantly, cost-effective and efficient athletic gear!