The only course that will remain difficult under all conditions will be one that is designed and kept for golf of a stereotyped, monotonous character, and this makes a most uninteresting proposition. BOBBY JONES
Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People
Barnes And Noble (online and in stores)
Bookshop.org option to support local independent bookstores.
Reviews:
"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)
"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.
“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner
"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette
"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass
"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine
"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine
We’ve seen four 10-6 scores since 1999, to have seen a team overcome the deficit (USA in 1999, Europe in 2012).
The 2018 USA Ryder Cup team trails Europe 10-6 heading into Sunday’s singles at Le Golf National. What do you think?
Session one of the 2018 Ryder Cup proved sensational even after all the hype, and Europe’s 5-3 lead came on the heels of an afternoon 4-0 foursomes session that will go down in history for its efficiency.
As Golfweek’s Rich Skyzinski figured out, it was the most lopsided session in the 18 hole era. Check out the numbers. It wasn’t even close!
Tactically, Thomas Bjorn was seen as having pulled all the right levers (Tait/Golfweek) while I defend Jim Furyk in this Golfweek column for getting everyone in the first day action. But going forward, he needs to tighten up the lineup, even if it means upsetting some big names. Phil Mickelson, that’s you, writes Beth Ann Nichols.
The Americans have played better in foursomes over the last five Ryder Cups, only trailing Europe by a point until Friday’s sweep. As Justin Ray noted, the alternate shot dominance on home soil has been stout.
Europe is now +13 in foursomes point differential on home soil since 2006.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) September 28, 2018
The speculation is over! No more guessing who likes who most. We have Day One’s Four-ball matches set at the 2018 Ryder Cup!
The crew at Golfweek made their picks and I’m the only one who likes Europe’s chances, though in my Golfweek grades I was a tad harsh on Thomas Bjorn’s McIlroy/Olesen decision, not overly thrilled about the Koepka/Finau leadoff choice, but otherwise impressed at the curveballs the captains and their shuttle drivers threw our way.
Jeff Sherman’s evaluation, Las Vegas style:
2018 Ryder Cup
— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) September 27, 2018
at Le Golf National - Paris, France
September 28-30
Day 1 Four-balls
B Koepka/T Finau +120
J Rose/J Rahm -140
D Johnson/R Fowler -130
R McIlroy/T Olesen +110
J Spieth/J Thomas -160
P Casey/T Hatton +140
P Reed/T Woods -115
F Molinari/T Fleetwood -105
My Golfweek assessment on video:
VIDEO: #RyderCup instant analysis of the Friday fourball pairings in Paris. via @GeoffShac. pic.twitter.com/mJyrhx2ise
— Golfweek (@golfweek) September 27, 2018
With the six-hour time difference for the East and nine-hours out west, too much of this spectacular Ryder Cup will be played in the wee hours.
Golf Channel handles Friday’s opening ceremony at 11 am ET, 8 am PT.
Television for the matches? That’s easy. Bill Speros at Golfweek with all of the Golf Channel (Friday) and NBC (Saturday/Sunday) air times, including match times.
For those unable to watch, PGA Tour Radio on Sirius/XM will have live coverage of the Ryder Cup radio broadcast. You can also listen to that broadcast here online.
For those of us onsite, radios are being sold to hear that broadcast. Miracles do still happen (take note other major events!).
Looks like a mostly happy and dapper group of Americans at the Ryder Cup gala dinner last night.
The Palace of Versailles hosted the proceedings. Paulina is present too!
As Jason Crook notes, Dustin Johnson was relegated to Paulina photographer duties.
View this post on InstagramTraded in our golf clothes for an evening at the #RyderCup Gala
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View this post on InstagramTeam photos, Practice, Gala and more. Here's a look at Wednesday at the #RyderCup
A post shared by Ryder Cup USA (@rydercupusa) on
View this post on InstagramGala dinner at Versailles 🤵 #RyderCup #TeamEurope
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Good read here from Golf World’s Dave Shedloski on how David Duval is trading in his pancake for a cart this week at the Ryder Cup. Good news, his IFB will come in handy for the Vice Captain channel this week in France.
Duval’s late addition to the vast coaching squad stems from his on-air debate with Brandel Chamblee during the 2016 Ryder Cup. Chamblee questioned the effectiveness and play of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and Captain Davis Love’s players took heart back at the team hotel.
“He comes in, tie untied, hanging around his neck, carrying his briefcase from the set,” Love said. “He launched into this very passionate speech, how playing in the Ryder Cup was one of the biggest accomplishments of his career. But it was more [about the fact that] the David Duval that they just saw defending them on TV had walked into the room and was still fired up. We asked him to come back and hang out with us every night.”
Also worth a chuckle is Shedloski’s review of Duval’s place in Ryder Cup history as one of the players wanting to see some form of compensation for players. He calls it an initiative now.
“I don’t know the exact numbers, but it’s probably over $20 million now going to designated charities. It’s made a difference,” Duval said by telephone from his home in Denver. “I’m happy to have been a part of that initiative. I don’t know if this is me coming full circle, if you will, but I can see how you might think that. There’s no doubt that there’s a different environment now, that players have a much greater role in the direction of the U.S. team.”
Bonjour from France as ShackHouse reviews Tiger’s 80th win, the world reaction to his comeback and then dives deep…deep into the 2018 Ryder Cup with some reflections on the venue, where the teams stand and a look at some fo the fun prop bets offered up.
As always, you can listen wherever podcasts are streamed or via your ShackHouse free subscription.
Or below:
The course setup for Le Golf National is distinctly retro.
As in, the loathsome injury-thick rough of the 70s, 80s and 90s that no one misses. Yes, the landing areas are generous enough at their widest spots—35 yards—but many of the holes feature water down one side, hack-out rough on the other side. The Forecaddie with details and photos.
Philosophically, I’m not sure how intentional the effect is to offset the Americans’ distance advantage off the tee, but like most, have my doubts. The strategy could backfire for Europe with players like Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, who thrive off hitting driver.
As a spectacle, the rough off the fairways is trimmed enough that we should see some strategic dilemmas, but any more than 10 yards off the fairway will force automatic layups and take away some of risk-reward intrigue posed by Le Golf National’s plethora of water hazards.
Golfweek asked me to look into what Team USA has planned to overcome a 25-year Ryder Cup winless drought in Europe.
Sending the strongest team top-to-bottom in a few decades is a good start. Yet as noted, home course advantage and local knowledge deficiencies have hurt the Americans, with another European Tour venue hosting this year.
So get ready stat geeks, the USA has even more analytics than last time! From Captain Furyk:
“We had an issue with winning there for a little while,” Furyk said. “We have got 2016 under our belt, but what we haven’t been able to do in ‘99, and then again in ‘08, was turn around and go in on European soil. I know Jason from Scouts has got a couple of ideas about that we’ve talked about. He’s sent me a couple e-mails regarding that and what he’s seen.”
That would be Jason Aquino, president of Scouts Consulting Group, who helped Davis Love prepare for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine and who Furyk said has helped the 2018 preparations go to “the next level.”
I can’t wait!
The 2018 Ryder Cup is hardly a matchup of drama-prone captains, a compliment to Thomas Bjorn and Jim Furyk’s general steadiness.
Though if one lead cart driver is capable of saying something incendiary, it will be Bjorn. If you want to know more about Europe’s leader this week and his career, check out Andrew Cotter’s European Tour podcast with Bjorn.
More recently, The Guardian’s Ewan Murray sat down with Bjorn to discuss all things Ryder Cup and Bjorn did his best to try and rally his continent.
“I think sometimes what is forgotten, in the political discussion, is how great this continent is,” Bjørn says. “From all the way down in Greece, to Iceland, there are so many great countries and so much natural common ground. It is such a small continent compared to the others but together we have so much history and so many great things going for us. I think that is forgotten a little bit in the political picture.
“It means a lot more to us as golfers because we grow up with the European Tour. The backbone of that tour is still our European events. It is part of the life we live. It has a meaning.”
He also goes on to discuss several things of note, including his falling out with former Captain Ian Woosnam.
But his decision to lean toward veterans with his picks will get the most scrutiny and he’s already pushing back:
“I think you’d have found if it was old pals there would be one or two others playing,” Bjørn says. “Some of the guys left out are very close to me and I was never scared of making tough decisions. Now, if people think I made these decisions on the back of them being pals then they don’t know me very well and that’s OK. That mostly comes from people who have no idea who I am, what I think and what I believe in.”
Hey, I just copy and paste, remember that.
Alex Myers on Bryson DeChambeau revealing his big pre-Ryder Cup purchase for…team room table tennis.
"What I'm looking forward to most is the team atmosphere. I remember that at the Walker Cup, and that was like nothing else, and I know it'll live up to the same standard. Maybe even better, too. So a lot of ping-pong going on over there, I know that for me. I just actually bought a ping-pong paddle last night, another new one. I needed a new rubber, so..."
The only question: has he tested his new rubber on his launch monitors? With mist simulation?
For those not on The Twitter, DeChambeau was seen hitting shots with two launch monitors and some misting.
PGA Tour’s Sean Martin caught up with DeChambeau and Jonathan Wall talks to his team to understand what the FedExCup leader was doing.
Michael Bamberger covers a lot in this Golf.com interview of 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk, from the infamous 2014 press conference to this year’s team
But this diplomatic answer on the USGA is worth noting.
What’s your take on what’s going on with the USGA?
Well, they’ve made it so easy to pick on them. The greens at Chambers Bay [in 2015]. How they handled Dustin Johnson’s situation at Oakmont [in 2016]. Then, with that gal [Anna Nordqvist] that same summer, in the Women’s Open. That was a travesty. Some of the pin placements at Shinnecock, on Saturday, on 13, 15 and 18. Plus, they changed the course so much from the last time we were there. The anchored putting ban. Now the green maps. But it was the USGA that let putting get there, let the maps get there. Then they want to turn it back. So it’s tough. But what I think people don’t realize is that they’re trying. They’re trying to do what’s right for the game. I know [USGA CEO] Mike Davis. I like Mike. But I don’t have a good relationship or a bad relationship with the USGA. I just don’t have much of a relationship. I’m not trying to be critical of the USGA. They have the best interests of the game at heart. They really do.
You have to give credit to whoever cooked up the idea to put four European Ryder Cup team stars in a car and call Thomas Bjorn with a ridiculous request. (Kind of) Carpool Karaoke for golf!
First, the video if you didn’t see Rory’s post and award-winning performance requesting $20k cryotherapy units to help with team recovery and (Captain’s) weight loss.
Calling the captain. 😉 Here is what happens when @RyderCupEurope players share a BMW... #BMWCHAMPS #DRIVENBYPASSION pic.twitter.com/2cRnln6rxU
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) September 9, 2018
According to this Sky Sports report, Captain Bjorn has now vowed revenge though it’s hard to picture an equally devious and as visible a response.
As the LPGA’s Evian Championship gets underway, Graham Dunbar of the AP reports on Evian chair Franck Riboud grousing about what the Ryder Cup will do for French golf. You know, the Ryder Cup that was going to lead to 100 new six or nine hole courses and new fans galore.
Let the grouchiness begin!
“Perhaps you are surprised,” Riboud said. “Because personally I think the Ryder Cup is not building or helping to reach the objective” of developing talent.
Though Tiger Woods is making a rare visit to France, Riboud played down the impact his selection for the United States team could have.
“No, the best ambassador for golf in France is going to the next French champion at the same level (as) Tiger Woods,” the businessman said.
Right, good luck with that!
More importantly, is the media center going to have fresh baked croissants in the morning and suitable wine/cheese spreads at filing time? That could determine the future of French golf, in this reporters’ opinion.
Well 72% of you voted for him in the short time between the end of the BMW and Captain Furyk’s announcement. He’ll be counted on to make some four-ball birdies with Phil Mickelson, most suspect. And a most deserving selection rewarding season-long consistency and stellar play in the majors.
For Immediate Release:
Tony Finau is Final U.S. Captain’s Pick for 42nd Ryder Cup
Click here for interview transcript with Tony Finau
Click here for interview transcript with Captain Furyk
WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA (Sept. 10, 2018) – United States Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk today announced that Tony Finau has been added to the U.S. Team as the final Captain’s selection for the 42nd Ryder Cup, which will be contested Sept. 28-30 at Le Golf National in Paris, France.
Finau joins Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods as Furyk’s four Captain’s Selections. Furyk named DeChambeau, Mickelson and Woods to the U.S. Team on Sept. 4.
"He has an unbelievable body of work this year," said Furyk. "All those top-10 finishes, the play in big championships and the Majors, and then his current form, a second, a fourth and an eighth in the playoffs. He checked a lot of boxes and made it impossible not to pick him."
Although this will be Finau’s first Ryder Cup, he has posted 11 top-10s this season, including three in major-championship play (T-10/Masters, 5th/U.S. Open, T-9/Open Championship).
A consistent presence on Sunday leaderboards throughout the year, Finau’s second-place finish at last month’s Northern Trust was his third runner-up of the season. The 28-year-old (he’ll be 29 when Ryder Cup play begins) ranks third on the PGA Tour with an average driving distance of 316.3 yards. He’s currently No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” said Finau. “I got the goosebumps when he told me, and I’m excited to add my skills and talent to the team, a team that’s stacked already. Hopefully I bring something to the team that can help us bring that Cup back.”
The final composition of Furyk’s 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup Team includes three Ryder Cup rookies (DeChambeau, Finau, Thomas), nine major champions (with 31 total major victories) and experience gained in 34 previous Ryder Cups.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
