Next week at this time, we’ll all reminisce about the days when you could play Pebble Beach for under $400. Ah, those were the days. In and out for just $395. Starting Friday, the Pebble Beach Company implements price hikes at each of its four courses by 4-5 percent. All of a sudden, playing Pebble will cost you $425. But I guess if you didn’t flinch at $395, what’s another 30 bucks? Other markups: Spyglass Hill (from $275 to $290), The Links at Spanish Bay (from $215 to $230) and Del Monte Golf Course (from $95 to $100). Having never played Pebble, ... full post »

Glad to see so many readers respond to Chris Baldwin’s rant against the Champions Tour. I thought I was going to be the only one baffled by his reasoning. Nobody’s claiming the quality of the Champions Tour matches up with the regular Tour. Just take the Champions Tour for what it is - a fascinating human-interest story that unfolds each week with golf as the backdrop. That alone makes it well worth saving. In fact, if we’re going to start eliminating second-tier leagues, the Champions Tour should be far down the list (somewhere after arenafootball2 and the East Coast Hockey League). Head ... full post »

Thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city’s Lincoln Park Golf Course is making news. Last week the paper highlighted the problem with the course’s 7th hole, which borders 38th Ave., 39th Ave., and Clement Street. A 2 1/2-story fence is the only thing separating the course from the neighborhood. Think broken windows. Lots of them. Neighbors want the city to add a 120-foot-high net asap. Price: $225,800. Already $113 million in debt, the city doesn’t look at netting as a high priority. So this week the Chronicle printed several suggestions from helpful readers, including: – Move the tee box to ... full post »

Golf’s next big rivalry is officially on. Two weeks ago in Hawaii, Michelle Wie finished 2nd, just two strokes behind the winner. Last week in Mexico City, Paula Creamer answered with a final-round 68, good enough to finish tied for sixth. As the LPGA notes, the two future stars actually don’t have a lot in common. Start with the fact that Creamer owns a history of wins in major amateur events. I can’t remember the last time Wie won anything… In the long run, it might not matter. My guess is they both win a boatload of majors in the next 20 ... full post »

It almost makes too much sense, so it’ll probably never happen. Even before we got the sleep-inducing final at last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Phil Mickelson was thinking out loud about the event’s future. “In my perfect world, I’d like to see the first three rounds, 54 holes, Wednesday through Friday, played stroke-play and knock it down to the top eight,” he said. “I feel like it gives the top players a little bit better chance of getting into the match-play format for the weekend.” This has little to do with David Toms and Chris DiMarco, although their appearance in ... full post »