This weekend’s upcoming NFL Draft has turned into an event that is almost as anticipated as the NFL season itself. From the beginning of the college football season in September, the discussion and debates begin over who should be the first pick once April finally arrives. Players are interviewed, scanned, examined, overrated, underrated, ridiculed, and praised. The draft projections change almost daily, as experts and casual NFL fans debate which player will have the best career until the teams finally decide on which player they will gamble with their future. When all is said and done on draft day, ...

The second course that has achieved a five-pirate ranking is located in Sanford, North Carolina, and is different than any other course that will make this list. Tobacco Road, a Mike Stranz design, has absolutely nothing that could be considered commonplace or traditional, and as a result players tend to have either a very deep appreciation for the genius of the design or a very passionate hatred for the “quirkiness” of the blind-shot infested track. Anything that can evoke such emotion is obvioulsy worth trying at least once; at the very least it can spark a great conversation. From the tips, ...

It seems that I was wrong in my recent prediction that Retief Goosen would win the Masters. I stuck by him all weekend, and even until the back 9 on Sunday. I stuck by him even though one of the most intelligent people I know, Mr. Casey Beard, chose Phil Mickelson. Mr. Beard, who goes by the self-given nicknames of “Beardzilla” and “Beardinator", warned me on Sunday morning that Phil would win. Although I gave him several logical explanations for Mickelson’s impending downfall, Beardzilla persisted. His logic was simple, but it turned out to be impeccable- Mickelson would win because ...

As Barry Bonds walked off of the field during the Giants’ opening game yesterday, a fan threw something that resembled a syringe in his direction. Everyone is aware of the allegations surrounding Bonds, so I don’t even need to describe the significance. The camera caught a close-up of Barry’s face, and something unbelievable happened- I actually felt sympathy for him for the first time ever. I have always been the first to criticize Bonds (more for his overall arrogance and the comments he’s made than for his steroid….excuse me.. alleged steriod use), but yesterday was the first time I’ve ever seen ...

To find this year’s Masters champion, look past Phil and both of his drivers, Tiger and his four green jackets, Vijay Singh and his practice routine, and Ernie Els and his 1000 runner-up finishes in majors. Retief Goosen will become the newest Masters champion on Sunday, and will remind people again why he is mentioned with the other big names. Even though people still refer to him as one of the “big five” it seems that everyone forgets how good he really is. Goosen will win this weekend for the following reasons. 1.With two drivers in the bag, Mickelson’s has now ...

Last week I shared the factors that I now take into consideration when I evaluate a golf course; today I begin my list of courses that have achieved a five-pirate ranking. I am just sticking with public courses, as nobody really benefits from hearing good things about the private clubs I’ve been fortunate enough to play. To establish the order in which I am going to list these courses (six in all), I asked myself a pretty simple question: On a beautiful day in April, out of all the courses I’ve played in my life, where would I go to have ...