The Memorial-Jack Nicklaus ignored by men of Augusta National, but he controls Muirfield Village

In the past few years the all-time leader in major wins has become quite vocal about the changes in Augusta National, and called for the USGA to change the golf ball rather than ruining wonderful golf courses. So far, Nicklaus has basically been ignored.

This week, the players in the field at the Memorial Tournament will be the victims of Jack’s newest discovery of how to put the integrity back in a golf course. On The Golf Channel’s Golf Central last night, they ran a small segment on the rakes that Nicklaus now has in all of the bunkers. They resemble something out of a battle between William Wallace and the English soldiers circa 1300. Retief Goosen commented (possibly accurately)that Nicklaus probably picked them up “at a local hardware store or something like that.”

Nicklaus was looking for a rake that would make bunkers play the way they were originally intended to play- like hazards. These new pickaxes will give unpredictable lies throughout the week, which could become a major factor in the tournament, especially with the slick greens at Muirfield.

Personally, I love this idea. I enjoy watching these players make bogeys and double bogeys. On a normal week, I’m sure some of them would complain; but at Jack’s tournament, I don’t think we’ll hear the slightest whimper of criticism.