Maybe it’s just me but I have to wonder what The Golf Channel trying to accomplish with their weekday coverage of the PGA Tour. They almost totally miss out on the drama of the 36 hole cut. Perhaps they are satisfied just having some live coverage of the best Tour on Earth. But I suspect there are many like myself who have an interest in who makes the pars and birdies necessary on the last few holes of their second round in order to play on the weekend. I also like to watch players struggling with that pressure and making ... full post »

Ever since 1975 when I saw the telecast for the very first time, The Masters has always been, in my mind, the most exciting golf tournament in the world. But no longer. As my man B. B. King would sing, “The Thrill Is Gone". No, it’s not because the weather of the last two years has helped keep scoring down. No, it’s not because Tiger Woods did not win. No, it’s not because Trevor Immelman did win. And, no, it’s not because Immelman won by a large margin, despite a Homer Simpson moment (Doh!) of hitting his tee shot into the pond ... full post »

Every time my group takes a trip, we find out some nuances of the destination the hard way - through experience. Then on a second trip to that same location everything goes much smoother. It is for that reason that I recommend using an experienced golf packager wherever possible. Here are a few things we learned while on our recent golf trip to Las Vegas that may be helpful to you when you go: Every putt on every green is influenced by the Stratosphere in the middle of the strip in Las Vegas. Putts will either break that way or be ... full post »

Simply said, there is no place in the United States that is quite like Las Vegas. And in my book, that’s a good thing. I just got back from Sin City and, while still a little jet-lagged, am finally returning to normalcy. Myself and seven of my traveling golf buddies reveled in four wonderful whirlwind days of golf, gambling and partying. The flight: Despite some whining on these pages lately, we took Southwest Airlines because a) it has non-stop service to Vegas from our Washington D.C. area and b) the flight was reasonably priced. All went as well as any ... full post »

Originally, my traveling band of golfing brothers had planned our annual golf trip to somewhere in the United Kingdom to play real links golf. But through what seems like 20 twists of fate we have made a 180° turn and re-routed ourselves to Sin City – Las Vegas, Nevada. As some of you know, I recreate with a number of interesting gentlemen who are not averse to the occasional wager, so Vegas is a natural for us. Based on a recommendation, we decided to stay at Planet Hollywood, one of the large resort properties on the Strip. Having finally settled on ... full post »

Things will be interesting in the upper echelon of LPGA in 2008. Most of the top 20 players on Tour are under 30 years old. This unprecedented youth movement is translating into a higher profile, and golf’s marketers have figured the increased buzz could translate into merchandise dollars. While they do not compare to the walking billboards of the PGA Tour, never before have so many members of the LPGA been on the favorable end of sponsorship. Just a handful of years ago, only a few at the very top enjoyed such arrangements. There are many compelling storylines for the new ... full post »

Try this on for size: The 2015 U.S. Open Championship is going to resemble the (British) Open Championship. Shocking, no? That was my reaction too. I’ve heard about this fantastic new track called Chambers Bay that recently opened near Tacoma, Washington. By all reports, it is a real links course, much like Bandon Dunes several hours drive down the coast. What a fantastic brand of golf to import from our friends in the British Isles! But who knew that the USGA was considering putting two Major Championships there so soon? Those of us unlucky enough not to live in that ... full post »

Let’s say you are from another planet, have come to Earth in search of golf’s greatest theater and don’t know which event that would be. All you would have to do is look to see which event the participants prepare for many months in advance. That would be the Ryder Cup. No other event gets players attention quite in the same manner. The two Captains, each of whom is selected about 18 months prior, have been watching players and formulating potential strategies ever since their selection. Players hoping to be included are shaping their entire playing schedule to give them ... full post »

What you just read could be the headline in the newspaper one day if John Daly doesn’t turn his life around. Last weekend Daly was up to his old tricks again, withdrawing before he had a chance to miss the cut fair and square. Turns out he was allegedly drunker than a monkey the night before and we are left to surmise that is the reason for the WD, not the mysterious “rib injury” that he reported. I know if I had a rib injury that was threatening my livelihood, I’d be getting treatment for it instead of getting loaded. ... full post »

Enough is enough. It’s about time for the world to lighten up on Woody Austin. For years, he has been known to the general public as that crazy guy who got so mad he banged his putter over his head until the shaft was bent. PGA Tour insiders, however, would marvel at how well he hit the ball. In 2007 Austin began to fulfill his potential. After a less-than-inspiring Spring start, it all came together in June when he chased down Adam Scott and demolished a very good field at St. Judes. He did it by firing a sizzling 8 ... full post »

A recent post from reader Oliver Sudden basically posed the question, “Should some of the Rules of Golf be changed?” A most interesting query, this, in particular as it relates to the oscillating ball issue. Because the answer is yes, change the damn rule. Paraphrasing, the rule in question (18-2-b) says that once the golfer has addressed the ball, and it moves before a stroke is started, the golfer is deemed to have caused it to move and is charged one stroke – and must replace the ball back where it was before moving. This is a prime example of where ... full post »

Any time there is a draft in professional sports, hope is in the air. Fans of every team see only the possibilities, and rarely the pitfalls. Having said that, I proclaim my fantasy golf team for 2008 one of the serious contenders for the big prize as overall champions as well as a threat in major tournaments. If you do not participate in a fantasy league, I urge you to start one. It gives you a rooting interest every week of the season and draft day alone is worth the price of admission. Before I tell you who makes up ... full post »

In general, it is a good idea to rank golfers. The biggest benefit is in gauging the quality and/or depth of the field for a given tournament. The very week that the Rolex World Rankings for Women debuted, they declared Michelle Wie as the 2nd best golfer in the world despite the fact that she had never won a women’s professional event. Hell was raised and tweaks were made, which pretty much calmed the waters. But the primary problem inherent to the rankings was never addressed - the period over which golfers are judged is too long. Case in point: Karrie ... full post »

Wow! I just played a preview round on the newest addition to top tier daily fee golf courses in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Lake Presidential is located in Upper Marlboro, MD and situated on spectacular, natural, rolling terrain. You like tree-lined holes? Got em. Lakes, streams, gullies? Got them too. Open holes, risk/reward shots, shaved chipping areas, raised greens? Check. The owners have done a wise and wonderful thing. Although it is quite playable right now, they’ve opted to give the course additional time to mature before opening to what is sure to be a full docket once the ... full post »

Imagine if Phil Mickelson was to win 5 times in 6 months, and Tiger Woods was in the field for 4 of those wins. The press would be salivating over the prospect of an intense rivalry and, more importantly, we the golfing public would be treated to some great tournament golf viewing. Well, a similar thing is happening on the LPGA Tour. Lorena Ochoa’s play has been Tiger-like as she’s won 7 times, including a Major. She’s also finished 2nd 5 times and, besides that, only 4 times out of the other 11 tournaments entered has she not finished in the ... full post »