Ego-maniac that I am, the wry smile you see when you read my blog just wasn’t enough. I found a local camera guy (little Mon) and a closed state park course nearby, and went out for a few holes on Tiger’s birthday. The cameralad did his job, so let’s hope that this is the first of many RonMon video blogs. The shot ended up eight feet below the hole. Sadly, I never got to putt, as the park ranger arrived (they must have psychic powers!) and chased us off the course. Happy New Year to ... full post »

In an unanticipated collision of time, space, and Ziparelli, a review-only copy of the Kingdom Of Shivas Irons made its way to my holiday basket in 2006. Inspired by the maniacal, somewhat homo-erotic pursuit of Shivas Irons, I joined a car to a train of my own, seeking the inspirational golf notions for end of days 2006, birth of days 2007. Here is my alliterary list of things you should visit. 1. An independent movie about golf. Sure, the slow-mo scenes of men’s butts walking are overdone, hammy, strained, whatever. The scenery is great, the concept ... full post »

So Terrell Owens hocks a loogie in the face of DeAngelo Hall…they kiss and make up. So Zinedine Zidane head-butts Marco Materazzi in the chest in World Cup soccer…Zidane’s mamma wants to cut MM’s M&Ms off. Could this happen on the PGA Tour? Well, we’ve seen how Tiger Woods holds a grudge. If you’re unfamiliar, check out these situations: 1996…Steve Scott’s caddie/girlfriend laughs at Tiger every time Scott wins a hole. Woods uses it as motivation to come from five down to win. Notable quote: “She ain’t smiling now!” 2000…Michael Campbell pumps himself up to face Tiger in first round of match play championship. ... full post »

For the first time in my lifetime (and probably the last), two golfers were named Associated Press athletes of the year. Lorena Ochoa is the bigger surprise, in that no other female athlete seemed to receive as much coverage for what she did. What she did was to dethrone the queen of the game, Annika Sorenstam, in a way that only Karrie Webb seemed capable of doing. Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie had taken shots, but had fallen woefully short. Ochoa, however, came on like gangbusters early in the year (wins at Takefuji and Sybase before ... full post »

“PLEASE KILL ME NOW Recreational golfer Tom Kenney took a mulligan after he was unable to find his tee shot on the 370-yard 18th hole at Batavia (N.Y.) Country Club, thus wiping out the hole in one he had just scored.” Rushin needs to speak with colleagues Gary Van Sickle and Alan Shipnuck (Heck, even Rick Reilly will do) after blowing the call on this one. Everyone knows that, once a ball is holed, it is holed. The playing of a mulligan would be nullified by the ball’s prior entrance into the hole (as pornographic as it sounds.) I’ve played Batavia ... full post »

I have a friend who recently accomplished a unique feat: rounds of golf in each of the 12 calendar months in western New York. He did not set out to achieve this notoriety, but when unseasonable days in January and February presented themselves, the notion became more than a whim. As of last Friday, he was 11 for 11, and looking for the Dirty Dozen. In a unique intermingling of fate and reality, the Bills were entertaining the Dolphins and I had tickets. Not since my days at Wake Forest had I entertained the notion of heading ... full post »

It turns out that in Idaho, a course called Osprey Meadows was designed by the Robert Trent Jones, jr. firm. It turns out that an Osprey is a type of bird, and a Meadow is a flatland with flora and fauna. It turns out that Golf Digest’s panel of course ranking rankers voted OM the #1, high-end public course of 2006. It turns out that, well, here’s the quote: It won in something of an upset over highly anticipated and highly publicized Bandon Trails, the third 18 at Bandon Dunes, the wind-swept coastal Oregon resort that most visiting ... full post »

It’s beginning to sound like the opening to an old joke, but I have yet to figure out the punch line. Why can’t we play foursomes? Ryder Cup? Nope. Presidents’ Cup? Uh-uh. World Cup? ‘Course not. Latest evidence presented by the prosecution: 2006 World Cup. The treacherous closing stretch at Sandy Lane’s Country Club course was played in -3 by Spain, even par by leaders Argentina and Scotland, -2 by England, and -1 by our World Cup Football rivals, Mexico. The American duo of Cink and Henry…try +3. ... full post »

“The punishing schedule that Kevin Stadler has followed this year has taken its toll. More than 30 tournaments in countries as far apart as New Zealand and Scotland represent a lot of golf. So it is little wonder that Stadler missed his past two cuts, at the Australian Masters in Melbourne and at the Blue Chip New Zealand Open, played at a wet and windy Gulf Harbour outside Auckland. – Scotland on Sunday” This quote, quoted by Truth and Rumors on SI, appears to take Baby Stads to task for his globe-trotting. Nothing could be more distant from the truth. ... full post »

With more than a hint of bitterness, I embark upon this blog. This blog, about a golf course that I will never play, assesses the enigma that is the Tiger formerly known as Eldrick. To borrow a few bars from a sports illustrated article on the next course to come to Dubai, we hear that Tiger has selected the Middle Eastern kingdom to “…hopefully create a memorable, everlasting legacy.” A legacy of what, filthy riches? A legacy for whom, the chosen half dozen? A legacy for when, his own lifetime? To say that I ... full post »

“Where are the LPGA fans obsessed with their tour’s Chris DiMarco equivalent?” This quote, from a recent Chris Baldwin Blog, got me thinking lately. Heck, it even distracted me from my alma mater’s great win in the ACC football championship. Double heck, it even took me away from reading Dot Wong’s evocative prose. Baldwin wonders where, oh where, are the fans…my question is, who is the equivalent? The only blood-and-guts grinder I can come up with on the LPGA Tour is Juli Inkster. Only problem is, she has way more major championships than DiMarco. Three US Ams ... full post »