Archives for: April 2009
It's easy to make golf history in Virginia
Thursday April 30, 2009 | 07:02:42 pm 263 words, 2411 views
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – There are some golf courses in Virginia that can put a double-bogey in perspective.
At Cannon Ridge Golf Club, for example, you’ll find real cannons left over from the Civil War. Every few holes, there are plaques that tell you what happened there nearly 150 years ago. As you make your way to a tee, you cannot only read the par and yardage of the hole but the real struggles that took place generations ago.
While Gettysburg to the north is probably the best-known battlefield from the Civil War, more than 100,000 men lost their lives in bloody ...
Deane Beman is not only designing golf courses, but players to play them
Tuesday April 28, 2009 | 11:23:51 pm 346 words, 2383 views
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – You’ve probably heard this from me before, but the biggest problem with retaining golfers isn’t that golf takes too long or is too expensive; it’s just that it’s often too difficult and frustrating.
With that said, there are a number of programs out there designed to introduce golf to newcomers and even help them learn the game, but how many of them promise a certain level of success?
Well, today after playing golf at the thoroughly enjoyable Cannon Ridge Golf Club in the Celebrate Virginia development, head professional Bart Wolfe explained a relatively new program called Deane Beman’s 6/90 ...
Recession writes new rules for PGA Tour sponsors
Saturday April 25, 2009 | 08:50:25 pm 254 words, 2232 views
You might have noticed that the upcoming PGA Tour event in Charlotte no longer bears the name of its title sponsor the past few years, Wachovia.
That’s because Wells Fargo of San Francisco bought Wachovia, and the Wachovia brand is being phased out. So instead of calling it the Wells Fargo Championship, it’s simply the Quail Hollow Championship, named for the country club that hosts the event.
It was a class and prudent move by Well Fargo. It was classy in that in this time of multi-billion dollar bailouts the last thing we need to see are bank names on tour ...
Lots of great venues where you can give golf the old college try
Thursday April 23, 2009 | 10:50:18 pm 212 words, 1900 views
Over on GolfArizona.com, we just published a review I did on the Karsten Golf Course at Arizona State University in Tempe.
Playing college golf courses has a whole different feel than regular daily fee or resort courses. First of all, it’s a real bonus when they’re on campus, and secondly, most of them have that real old-time golf feel.
By that, I mean the service isn’t over the top, food and beverages are usually reasonably priced, and you see a lot of folks walking the courses.
Many college courses are bargains as well. Karsten Golf Course can be had for well under $100 ...
You, too, can have a 'Symple' swing, sort of like Brian Gay's
Tuesday April 21, 2009 | 12:06:54 am 214 words, 2209 views
One thing that struck me watching Brian Gay lap the field at the Verizon Heritage Classic at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C., this weekend was how simple his swing is.
A couple of times during CBS’ telecast, David Feherty talked about how Gay has a swing that is a little short on distance but very high on accuracy. One of the reasons is because there are very few moving parts.
I don’t know about you, but I’d trade a little distance for that kind of accuracy.
With that said, you might want to check out a story I wrote on ...
Bill Murray's wayward golf shot was dangerously funny
Saturday April 18, 2009 | 11:37:29 pm 315 words, 2100 views
One day after actor/comedian Bill Murray’s loose tee shot nearly killed Gayle DiMaggio, she almost got plunked her again, but everyone involved seems to have a pretty good sense of humor about it.
On Friday, Murray’s hooked tee shot on the ninth hole at the Outback Pro-Am at the TPC Tampa Bay, struck DiMaggio in the temple. She wasn’t even on the golf course; she was in her yard.
According to a story by The Associated Press, DiMaggio said: “He came over and laid down on the ground with me and he was very concerned, asking if I was OK. Once he ...
Jack Nicklaus vs. Pete Dye vs. Tom Fazio; Who's your favorite? Whose courses do you avoid?
Thursday April 16, 2009 | 09:13:16 pm 392 words, 1926 views
We recently published my review of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz on TravelGolf.com. The week after I returned from Arizona, I mentioned to one of my colleagues that I played the course. His scornful comments of Jack Nicklaus’ design took me by surprise, especially considering he hadn’t played at Dove Mountain.
Golf course designers – at least the popular ones – are kind of like sports teams. Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye are like the Yankees or the Red Sox. Most golfers, it seems, have their favorites and some that they loathe, and others they ...
Bring your better half to the new Frys.com pro-am golf event
Wednesday April 15, 2009 | 01:05:31 am 302 words, 1780 views
There’s a new pro-am set for this fall’s Frys.com Open at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., and it’s a lot different than anything we’ve seen at a PGA Tour event.
This is a couples event, so if your wife, husband or significant other plays golf, here’s a chance to do something nice together.
Proceeds from the pro-am will benefit the Fore Adoption Foundation, an organization created by PGA Tour golfer Kirk Triplett and his wife Cathi, to help bring together adoptable children in foster care with families willing and able to adopt a child. Kirk and Cathi have already committed ...
Angel Cabrera survives and thrives to get in and win Masters playoff
Sunday April 12, 2009 | 07:50:54 pm 279 words, 1886 views
Boy, you had to feel for Kenny Perry. The Masters was his to lose, and he did. A skulled chip shot on 17 and a hooked approach out of the bunker on 18 was his undoing. Then he hit another bad shot on the second playoff hole on 10 to open the door for Angel Cabrera, who somehow did just enough to be there when it counted.
On a day where Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson stole much of the thunder, Cabrera looked anything but a contender for most of the day, hitting an array of bad shots. (No matter what ...
Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson battle was bonus game at the Masters
Sunday April 12, 2009 | 06:10:07 pm 325 words, 1889 views
If you believe Tiger Woods, what we saw unfold for the better part of four hours on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club wasn’t a title fight between Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though at one point commentator Nick Faldo compared it to Frazier-Ali.
Great golf? Yes. But it really wasn’t a match between the two, but rather a race to get back into the tournament.
As Woods said after his 68 got him to 8-under, his goal was to post 11-under, then sit back and see what happens. He still wanted to win the Masters. And his only chance would ...
Who will come out on top this weekend at the Masters is anybody's guess
Friday April 10, 2009 | 09:18:12 pm 363 words, 1763 views
Chad Campbell didn’t fold, and neither did Kenny Perry, but who’s the best bet to come out on top this weekend at Augusta National?
Campbell shot a solid 70 during much tougher conditions during Round 2 at the Masters; Perry, who has never had much success at Augusta, continues to impress as he turned in a 67 on Friday.
Still, even though they both sit on top of the leaderboard at 9-under, the tournament is so up for grabs.
Lurking a shot back is former U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, and that’s after he unexpectedly bogeyed 15. When that guy gets it going, ...
Masters Round 1: Tiger Woods in position; field goes really, really low at Augusta National Golf Club
Thursday April 9, 2009 | 08:24:50 pm 364 words, 1775 views
Many of us thought Augusta National was getting a little too tough after Tom Fazio allegedly “Tiger-proofed” the course a couple of years ago. Apparently, all you need is some nice weather and some accessible pin positions. These guys really are that good. (Expect tougher flagstick locations on Friday.)
For 16 holes, Chad Campbell was making it look unbelievably easy. He birdied his first five holes – the first guy to do that in this tourney – then got it to 9-under before he changed bodies with someone whose game resembles mine on the last two holes. He definitely wasn’t ...
Masters golf features plenty of oldies, including the music
Tuesday April 7, 2009 | 10:26:22 pm 256 words, 2107 views
I hate the music, but love the Masters. It’s my favorite of the four majors, partly because it’s the first of the year, but mostly because of the golf course and some of the old characters who play in it.
And nothing looks as spectacular in high definition television.
But let’s be realistic here. It’s by far the weakest field of the four majors. The field is small – just 96 players – and less than half has any chance whatsoever to win the tournament. And maybe a fourth have a realistic shot.
Still, as long as it doesn’t get embarrassing, I ...
J.B. Holmes' long wait at Shell Houston Open ends in Masters disappointment
Sunday April 5, 2009 | 09:08:38 pm 221 words, 2335 views
HUMBLE, Texas – You had to feel for J.B. Holmes Sunday at the Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club’s Tournament Course.
He posted 11-under, then waited around for 2 hours and 40 minutes. By the time eventual winner Paul Casey made a bogey on the extremely difficult and long par-4 18th to fall into a two-man playoff, Holmes had been on the practice tee for just a half hour or so, no doubt trying to perfect the drive he knew he would have to hit off the 18th tee again.
When the time came, Holmes pulled his tee shot into ...
Will Phil Mickelson's poor showing hurt him at Masters?
Saturday April 4, 2009 | 08:13:47 pm 362 words, 2247 views
HUMBLE, Texas – Last year, Phil Mickelson came to the Shell Houston Open to check out the Augusta-like setup at Redstone Golf Club’s Tournament Course. Admitting that it was more important to prepare for the following week than it was to win the Houston tournament, Mickelson had a respectable showing here, tying for 23rd.
This year, in a rain- and wind-delayed SHO, Mickelson never got untracked, missing the cut after posting rounds of 77-76. Not trying to win is one thing; not coming close to playing the weekend is another.
Shortly after his second round Saturday, Mickelson was on the range hitting ...
Golf Channel has Gentle Ben Crenshaw for 'Live at the Masters'
Friday April 3, 2009 | 11:24:58 pm 281 words, 2072 views
There might still be two-and-a-half rounds left in the Shell Houston Open, but it’s not too early to start preparing for next week.
If you love the Masters, you’ll love this: Besides the TV coverage on ESPN and CBS, the Golf Channel will be all over Augusta National with “Live from the Masters” from Tuesday afternoon to Sunday night. And it’s added two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw to its analyst team. (Who will ever forget Crenshaw’s Masters’ win in 1995 following the death of his longtime mentor and teacher Harvey Penick?)
Here’s what Crenshaw had to say about joining the Golf ...
First wind, then rain: Shell Houston Open can't catch a break
Thursday April 2, 2009 | 07:43:05 pm 267 words, 2028 views
HUMBLE, Texas – It turns out it might have been better if Redstone Golf Club’s Tournament Course had been prepped to prepare players for the British Open, not the Masters.
The very characteristics that attracted the best field ever for the Shell Houston Open jumped up to bite it during Round 1 on Thursday. Early morning thunderstorms that swept through the area delayed the start of the tournament by more than two hours, then the unthinkable happened. At 12:50 local time, the horn blew and the players came in. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Heck, it wasn’t even cold.
But ...
Fred Couples definitely wants Tiger Woods for Presidents Cup
Thursday April 2, 2009 | 12:01:03 pm 238 words, 2243 views
There was some good-natured ribbing between Tiger Woods and Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples recently after Couples sent Woods a text message congratulating him on his dramatic victory at Arnie’s Invitational at Bay Hill.
According to Couples, Woods’ response was that his one-stroke win got him a lot of Ryder Cup points. No doubt, that was tongue-in-cheek on a couple different levels, one of which was talk last year that the victorious U.S. squad might have been better off without Woods, who couldn’t play because of knee surgery after the U.S. Open.
Couples, of course, doesn’t buy into that theory, but he ...
The Accidental Golfer
The Accidental Golfer (AKA Mike Bailey) has spent more than 15 years writing about the game that has brought him unbridled joy and temporary bouts of insanity. Now on staff at WorldGolf.com, Bailey is a former senior editor for PGA Magazine, senior writer for Golfweek's SuperNEWS and Turfnet magazines and past president of the Texas Golf Writers Association. He has covered every facet of golf, including the PGA and LPGA Tours, equipment and course architecture, as well as the bane of his golfing existence: instruction. The last has led to at least 30 different golf swings, which all feel different but appear to his playing companions to be the same.
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