SI Media Podcast With Jim Nantz Talking Masters, Golf, Romo

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ShackHouse listeners--we're back next week!--know from his appearance in 2016 that when Jim Nantz gets going on a podcast, you wish it wouldn't end.

In his lengthy discussion with SI's Richard Deitsch for episode 156 of the SI Media Podcast, the CBS announcer discusses this Sunday's AFC Championship game. But mostly the conversation keeps coming back to golf and a passion for the game shared by Nantz with incredible new CBS analyst Tony Romo.

There is also plenty of discussion of the late Dick Enberg and a fun Keith Jackson golf story related to a young Nantz at the 1974 U.S. Open, as well as much Masters talk.

At the 55 minute mark or so, Nantz addresses the dreaded CEO interview issue (viewers assume he's just called them in for the fun of it!).

Around the 1 hour and 16 second mark he talks of his dream of announcing a U.S. Open. Come on Loomis, make it happen at Pebble Beach next year! Nantz on Featured Hole coverage in a booth overlooking 6, 7 and 8! Chop chop!

At the 1:20 mark he explains how he'd like to go out as an announcer.

It Was Fun While We Had Him: DJ Pivots On Distance Regulation

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Long ago--December 2017 actually--Dustin Johnson had joined the bifurcate camp when discussing the matter with Golf Channel's Todd Lewis. The comments came as Tiger was more outspoken than ever on the harm distance jumps have had on the footprint of golf.

Well the world's No. 1's views pivoted this week in Abu Dhabi at the HSBC Championship and just days after nearly making a 433-yard (give or take) hole-in-one. Will Gray looks at DJ's shift for GolfChannel.com:

"It's not like we are dominating golf courses," Johnson said. "When was the last time you saw someone make the game too easy? I don't really understand what all the debate is about because it doesn't matter how far it goes; it is about getting it in the hole.

He did offer some hope that he understands a well-handled rollback would still allow him to shine:

"If the ball is limited then it is going to limit everyone," he said. "I'm still going to hit it that much further than I guess the average Tour player."

Perhaps the viewpoint shift came after he read Claude Harmon's Golf Digest My Shot, where DJ's instructor vented about distance rollback talk.

I'VE WATCHED DUSTIN JOHNSON spend three hours a day in the gym, seven days a week. When he's out on tour, there are no days off. I've watched him pay the price. To want to roll back equipment and put him and guys like him in a box, so they're confined to old benchmarks, drives me nuts. Is there another sport as determined to go backward as golf? Dustin is almost a physical freak to begin with, 6-4 and unbelievably strong and coordinated. When he hits a 9-iron 185, the TV commentators usually react with a laugh and an incredulous tone, as if it's the equipment more than the unbelievable clubhead speed and technical precision. It's just wrong.

Ratings Up For First Two PGA Tour Hawaii Events

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Steve Elling at MorningRead.com follows up on the state of the Golf Channel-IATSE labor dispute with some insightful behind-the-scenes color as Thursday kicks off coverage from La Quinta and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, ratings for the strike-impacted Sony were up despite the limited production values.

VIEWERSHIP: Sunday’s Final Round of @SonyOpenHawaii was Golf Channel’s most-watched live coverage in a decade from this event. 524K average viewers, +86% vs. 2017 and +13% vs. 2016.

— Golf Channel PR (@GolfChannelPR) January 18, 2018

And this from Sports Media Watch on the Sentry TOC the week prior, with an increase despite the runaway win.

Final round coverage of the PGA Tournament of Champions had a 0.42 rating and 624,000 viewers on Golf Channel last Sunday, up 8% in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (0.39, 608K) but down 19% and 22% respectively from Jordan Spieth‘s win in 2016 (0.52, 797K).

Third round action the previous day had a 0.37 (+48%) and 544,000 (+34%).

Inverness Says Goodbye To Their Dreadful Fazio Holes

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I say this as someone who didn't sit through the board and members meetings, but outside of serving as a case study in how not to renovate, no one will be missing the George and Tom Fazio holes at Inverness.

As The Forecaddie notes, architect Andrew Green has taken them out and done his best to restore Donald Ross' Toledo masterpiece with help from new super John Zimmers. The added holes, long a stain one of America's most charming and wonderful designs, are gone.

While I've seen a few reports on the work, including this fine Toledo Blade piece by David Briggs that includes Green's master plan and details of the club's effort to land another major, I'm not sure the moment has been celebrated enough.

The added holes at Oak Hill and Inverness are becoming things of the now-distant past, hopefully exiled to afterthoughts but good reminders of what egomaniacal architects given free reign can do to a classic course.

 

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Just Some Of Golf's Best From Instagram, 1-17-18

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The best stuff I saw scrolling Instagram today...

Justin Thomas commits to the Genesis Open adding to an already stacked field (McIlroy, Johnson, Woods, with more big name commits expected).

Peter Millar has acquired GFore.

Snow at Troon's Railway hole.

A bold trick shot sent in by reader Tommy Vargas.

And the best all-access PGA Tour credential I've ever seen belongs to Marley Bear.

Add @justinthomas34 to the commitment list for the 2018 #genesisopen. Welcome to the club, JT!

64 Likes, 1 Comments - Genesis Open (@genesisopen) on Instagram: "Add @justinthomas34 to the commitment list for the 2018 #genesisopen. Welcome to the club, JT!"

We've been crowned. #RefinedRebellion #GFORExPM #DisruptiveLuxury @petermillar

466 Likes, 46 Comments - G/FORE (@gfore) on Instagram: "We've been crowned. #RefinedRebellion #GFORExPM #DisruptiveLuxury @petermillar"

A spectacular shot from behind the green on 'The Railway' 11th hole at #RoyalTroon 📷: @cunningolf

168 Likes, 5 Comments - Royal Troon Golf Club (@royaltroongc) on Instagram: "A spectacular shot from behind the green on 'The Railway' 11th hole at #RoyalTroon 📷: @cunningolf"

This is what you do after the last beer! 🎯 @golf_gods @foreplaypod @coloradogolfblog @golfballed @whistlesports @sportbible @barstoolsports

147 Likes, 36 Comments - Ignacio Estrada (@ignacioestrada9) on Instagram: "This is what you do after the last beer! 🎯 @golf_gods @foreplaypod @coloradogolfblog @golfballed..."

Meet Marley Bear. 🐶 The 11-year-old pup helps the course superintendent scare off unwanted wildlife from the grounds of the @careerbuilderchallenge. He's a good boy.

7,733 Likes, 98 Comments - PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Instagram: "Meet Marley Bear. 🐶 The 11-year-old pup helps the course superintendent scare off unwanted wildlife..."

LPGA Tour Coming To Classy Old Wilshire CC

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The Forecaddie explains the return of big time pro golf to Wilshire Country Club, one of the few courses on earth to have hosted all three tours. The historic LA-club is an underrated Norman MacBeth masterwork loaded with character and rich in tournament history.

And now Korean botox maker HUGEL will sponsor at least three years of LPGA golf there, with the middle year marking the club's centennial.

Ran Morrissett's GolfClubAtlas.com review if you aren't familiar.

Just announced! Wilshire Country Club will host the LPGA TOUR April 16-22, 2018 for the HUGEL-JTBC Open! #LPGA #wilshirecountryclub #SCPGA

91 Likes, 6 Comments - Southern California PGA (@scpga) on Instagram: "Just announced! Wilshire Country Club will host the LPGA TOUR April 16-22, 2018 for the HUGEL-JTBC..."

"Golf Channel, union still at odds as strike continues"

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We'll find out during CareerBuilder Challenge and Mitsubishi Electric (PGA Tour Champions) coverage just how impacted coverage is, but I suspect we won't see anything like Sunday's Sony Open telecast.

Martin Kaufmann writing for Golfweek.com with this update on the strike against Golf Channel by the union representing the production crews.

“Our contingency plans are fully operational …,” Golf Channel spokesman David Schaefer said. “We will continue to deliver coverage with this week’s full slate of tournaments, as well as support the union members who have chosen to come back to work.”

The dispute between Golf Channel and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents about 350 technicians, has been simmering for several years.

Randy Koury, a Golf Channel cameraman and union steward, said that the technicians already were unhappy with two changes Golf Channel made to pay and benefits four years ago, after it was folded into the NBC Sports Group: cutting the work day from 10 hours to 8 hours – effectively a 20 percent pay cut – and eliminating catering of two meals without increasing the per diem.

Koury said those changes “were the tipping point” that led the technicians to unionize.

Lawrenson's Rebuts Golf's "Most Boring" Status

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1616 members of the British public were asked to vote on the most exciting and boring sports to watch and even though it's a country that can be enthralled by a three-day cricket match, golf and American football got the most votes.

A few days later, the Daily Mail's veteran golf scribe Derek Lawrenson penned this measured and proper rebuttal. A highlight:

The truth of the matter, though, is that golf will never score highly in such polls. It really isn't for everyone. It's like reading a book. It's time-consuming and requires serious levels of concentration but, oh, what a world awaits if you knuckle down.

That's why people who do love golf or reading books or watching cricket tend to be such devotees.

If you think golf's boring, I wouldn't seek to convince you otherwise. I get it.

However, just as hardback book sales refuse to dip, there will remain enough of us with an appetite for sports that fall back on the old adage: 'The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.'

Chairman Of The (PAC) Board? Spieth v. Hurley!

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The PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council and Policy Board are about as first world as it gets in terms of debate serious life questions, but as Will Gray notes at GolfChannel.com, Jordan Spieth has been selected by current PAC members to face Billy Hurley for a chance to sit on the PGA Tour Policy Board.

In the best interests of the game, players please vote for Mr. Hurley. Golf needs its superstars eating, sleeping, practicing and doing everything but sitting in meetings voting on executive compensation. Besides, if Jordan needs anything from Policy Board member Randall Stephenson, he knows where to find the AT&T CEO.

From Gray's report, the voters:

In addition to Spieth and Hurley, other PAC members for 2018 include Daniel Berger, Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Chesson Hadley, James Hahn, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Anirban Lahiri, Geoff Ogilvy, Sam Saunders, Chris Stroud, Justin Thomas, Kyle Thompson and Cameron Tringale.

Speaking of Spieth, we discussed biggest needle movers in golf under 40 on Golf Central. I took Spieth, Matt Adams picked, well, several.

Instagram Golf From 1-16-18: HSBC Antics Are Back (Sort Of)

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So much for the HSBC folks toning down the pre-tournament hype activities following last year's Shanghai &*^%show.

Henrik Stenson gets on a moving camel at an HSBC tournament...there's a joke in that somewhere.

There was some pre-tournament falconry. That's more like it!

A fun old image of Arnold Palmer and Bob Hope in the good ole days of the Careerbuilder Challenge. You know Palmer won five Careerbuilders, right?

Sam Saunders was on hand for the Arnold Palmer statue dedication at The King's beloved desert home club.

There was no golf at Royal Dornoch Tuesday...

When in the Middle East 🐪 @henrikstenson #ADGolfChamps

5,314 Likes, 37 Comments - European Tour (@europeantour) on Instagram: "When in the Middle East 🐪 @henrikstenson #ADGolfChamps"

'1 up Rory. First birdie of the week!!' 📸 @justinprose99 #ADGolfChamps

6,094 Likes, 14 Comments - European Tour (@europeantour) on Instagram: "'1 up Rory. First birdie of the week!!' 📸 @justinprose99 #ADGolfChamps"

45 years ago, Arnold Palmer won his 62nd and final TOUR win at the 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic now known as the @careerbuilderchallenge. He referred to that victory as "the sweetest ever."

10.6k Likes, 33 Comments - PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Instagram: "45 years ago, Arnold Palmer won his 62nd and final TOUR win at the 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic now..."

Game of golf anyone 😂 ❄️. #golf #snow #royaldornoch #scottishgolf #snowing #pgapro #lpga #womensgolf

18 Likes, 2 Comments - Jorden Ferrie (@jordenferriegolf) on Instagram: "Game of golf anyone 😂 ❄️. #golf #snow #royaldornoch #scottishgolf #snowing #pgapro #lpga..."

Coul Links Fight: "The billionaire vs. the fly"

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Thanks to reader Steven for Chris Baraniuk's pretty one-sided take on Coul Links and the efforts to block this proposed Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design near Dornoch.

It was hard to forge through the piece after seeing the architects identified as "developers." And I am curious about branding Mike Keiser a billionaire, but mostly I was struck that the fight now seems to be over preserving the site due to a fly.

Now, I love all critters and never want to see golf invading a rare habitat but...

The specimen is a few millimeters in length, but it’s easy to make out the chunkiness of its thorax and the proud shape of its wings.

This is Botanophila fonsecai, Fonseca’s seed fly. It was caught in 1996 on a beach beside Dornoch in northeast Scotland, and it’s part of a collection being cataloged by Stephen Moran, an entomologist who lives nearby.

Presented in a box full of remarkably similar species, the fly does not look particularly special — and yet it is.

As far as we know, Botanophila fonsecai exists in only one place in the world: a roughly six-mile strip of coastline, adjacent to Dornoch and the nearby village of Embo. Its entire world is estimated to be less than a single square mile; its population size is unknown.

If this fine project dies because of a fly, then we know co-developer Todd Warnock was right, this was about the current American president and his course near Aberdeen.

 

Rosaforte: Tiger Plays With Obama, Gets Rave Review From (Claude) Harmon

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Nice to see Barack Obama getting some lessons from a Harmon, in this case Claude.

Nice to hear everyone, from the Harmons on down to the former President, apparently seeing a different Tiger than a few years ago.

And nice to see The Floridian enjoying such a resurgence under owner Jim Crane.

Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte reported on Morning Drive today about Tiger Woods’ recent round there alongside President Obama, who played another day there with Michael Jordan.

“We play four or five each year that are very solid. Most of the others are pretty weak, honestly.”

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Golfweek's Eamon Lynch talks to some interesting male golfers who are tuned into golf architecture and who generally have to tune out most courses week-to-week.

Besides great insights from Geoff Ogilvy and Zac Blair, I enjoyed this from Frank Nobilo on elite players, which is even more reason to step up the design nuance and risk-reward setup!

“He finds the weakness and exploits it. You take the liberties that your own game allows,” Nobilo said.

Nobilo notes that Johnson hit driver on eight of the last nine holes at the Plantation Course.

”At no stage is he considering what the designer had in mind, or for that matter who they are,” Nobilo said. “He only thinks what advantage he can gain.”

A man doesn’t need to waste time mulling risk when he can fly it all and reap the reward.

And this from Ogilvy on non-major tour courses he's play if architecture and brain engagement were the only pre-requisites for schedule-making.

I asked Ogilvy how many non-major events he’d compete in if he only played courses that engaged his brain. Kapalua. Riviera. Pebble Beach … Long pause.

“I’m starting to run out of courses,” he said. “Which is a shame. It’s a business and we have to go where the money goes. But strategically interesting architecture generally produces better tournaments and winners. Augusta National is so good at finding the guy who has got every part of his game – including his head – going that week. That principle remains everywhere. The more interesting questions a course asks, the more the cream rises to the top.”

 

Monday In MLK Day Instagram Posts, 1-15-18

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Mercifully, the golf world minimized any painful and desperate efforts to somehow drag non-golfer Dr. Martin Luther King into our sport (okay, I saw a couple but will protect the well-intentioned).

The best of what I saw scrolling Instagram...

Jaeger Kovich has conclusive evidence that The Ladies Putting Course at St. Andrews is still beautiful and getting through the winter just fine.

Pinehurst is getting a refreshed “Maniac Hill” driving range.

The reaction to this trick shot gone wrong by Carly Booth and Hannah Davies is a keeper. You can feel the genuine shock and awe.

Sabastian fro Zurich loves his Mavic drone and captured this incredible but decidedly non-golf image:

Caught some sweet light on The Ladies Putting Course aka #thehimalayas 👵🏼⛳️#propergolf w @cunningolf

144 Likes, 3 Comments - Jaeger Kovich (@propergolf) on Instagram: "Caught some sweet light on The Ladies Putting Course aka #thehimalayas 👵🏼⛳️#propergolf w @cunningolf"

First look at Maniac Hill redesign. Details at link in profile. Maniac Hill, Pinehurst's practice range, was one of the very first ranges in American golf. #pinehurst #pinehurstresort

381 Likes, 2 Comments - Pinehurst Resort (@pinehurstresort) on Instagram: "First look at Maniac Hill redesign. Details at link in profile. Maniac Hill, Pinehurst's practice..."

Monty's Lamenting Injuries, Lack Of Playing-Style Variety In Modern Power Game

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Colin Montgomerie has been fairly subdued on the topic of distance and its impact on courses--who knew he had it in him--but he comes out firing with Lewine Mair of Global Golf Post in lamenting what he sees.

You can read the full piece here, but I was pleased to see him highlight the lengths Augusta National goes to (successfully, to an extent) in combating roll. 

He cites Augusta National as another famous venue which is struggling to keep the powerhouses in check. “They’re already cutting the fairways from the greens back to the tees so that you’re not hitting down-grain. That helps, only the gains are wiped out by higher agronomy standards which make for firmer, more consistent surfaces and better bounces.

“The authorities are talking about how to bring things back a bit and I think you’d find that a lot of spectators would like to see the same. Yes, people enjoy watching tee shots of 350 yards, but I’m sure they got just as much of a kick out of following the top players in the days when they came in all shapes and sizes and knew how to work their way round a course.”