A Golf Blog

Don't Care for 5 hour Rounds

Neither does Jim. I had several comments and email about the pace of play and even had an advocate for another set of rules. I promise, the last thing golf needs is another set of rules.

You like to play fast - perhaps under 3 hours. Playing by myself, sub 3 hour rounds with no one to slow things down are a piece of cake. My group where I used to play regularly finished in 3:30 to 3:45. The groups in front of us kept up with the group in front, etc. If everyone keeps up the pace with the group in front, 5 plus hour rounds are gone.

The challenge is how to handle foursomes that can't keep up. Personnaly, I don't think it's reasonable to expect play to take less than 3:30 but it's certainly doable; you just have to be in the first group off. What's missing is course management by the rangers. They should know where each group should be at any given time on a certain hole. Rough example - tee times are 8 minutes apart for a reason. First group goes at 8am. Next one at 8:08; next one at 8:16 and on and on. Assuming the first hole is a 4 par, the first group should clear their second shot by 8:08 thus allowing the second group to tee off. By the time the second group reaches their first shot, the first group should have at least two golfers in the hole. So, the 2nd group has minimal wait; they're keep up and perhaps pressing the group in front and on an on and so on.

What's missing at most courses are rangers with any authority to move things on. One warning is all you'd get then it'd be skip to the next hole and tell the group behind the slow players to try to catch up. I like the game and I like the process. I also don't like to wait but I also think if you can complete the loop in under 3:45 you've nothing to complain about.

Skins Game - Fair Handicapping

The club where I play golf has several game options but nothing commands more discussion than Skins.

We’ve found that with the wildly varying handicaps it’s almost impossible to get a Skins Game that works for everyone.

There’s the school of thought that Skins is nothing more than a match so everyone should play off the low handicap for the day – s/he plays scratch and everyone adjusts accordingly.

Then there’s the school of though all should use their handicap but that means that a 20 would have to play even up with a 3 on our #1 handicap hole, a par 5.

We also have a Skins Game that plays 50% handicap. And there’s also one that limits the handicap to 14 – no strokes on par 3s.

Digging around this thingy called the web; I’ve also found ‘Gross Skins’ and ‘Net Skins’ games. I’ve also found ‘flighted’ skins.

You know what? There’s a reason the USGA does not have an opinion on Skins – they haven’t been able to figure it out either.

How do you handle the action called ‘Skins’?

Pro Am for the Common Man

Watching Mickelson's stroll up 18 with the CEO of Bearing Point (big Mickelson sponsor) got me to thinking.

What's it take for the 'common man' to get into one of the events pro am's?

RV Travel

In Fort Worth, this weekends' big event is the 2007 RV Show. How'd you like to travel  from course to course like JD or DLIII? These big boys don't afford the same level of luxury the PGA Tour professionals enjoy but there is every creature comfort. And, as '06 models, you might even find them 'affordable'.

Word of caution though - if you find you and your RV in the Houston waterfront 'burb of Clear Lake, don't drink the water.

This from the AP - In Clear Lake, "in less than six years, Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the family bathtub; Clara Harris ran over her cheating husband with her Mercedes; Christine Marie Paolilla confessed to joining her boyfriend in slaughtering four teenagers; and, most recently, astronaut Lisa Nowak is accused of trying to kill her romantic rival at a Florida airport.

Are you kidding me?

Keep it in the fairway.

Technorati Tags - RV, Golf

Boomers Cashing In

Perhaps now's the time to do those things you never could find the time for.

Might want to start here.

Technorati Tag - Golf, PGA Employment

Boomers Cashing Out

If you had any doubt as to the impact retirement has on the "Boomer Generation" wonder no more.

I got this link in an email solicting Del Webb's active adult developments. I live in one, not one of Del Webb's; this one was/is developed by Ed Robson.

Gives me the impression they can't build retirement communities fast enough. Look at what they did with "The Villages" in central Florida.

Lefty Leads

Good to see Phil Mickelson end his first round at the AT&T National Pro-Am on an up-tick. The eagle at Poppy Hills brought him to -7 and into a 3 way tie. Poppy Hills is arguably the easiest of the 3 courses as it’s farthest from the ocean and protected from the wind by lots of trees. Although when you compare the 3 course ratings – Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and Poppy Hills, PB and PH are rated at 144 and SH is 147. Sure must be nice to score well on such tough courses.

Speaking of Lefty, last week at the FBR, they said he’d spent the winter getting into shape? Also heard some comments yesterday about the same thing – I guess my Hi Def is a lot different than their Hi Def.

Oh well.

Technorati Tags – Golf, Phil Mickelson

Tigerless Tournaments

After 21 years, the International where they used the Modified Stableford scoring system (points for eagles and birdies) is no more. Jack Vickers, who ran the International, said that without Tiger Woods and with zero chance to lure him to play, he couldn't get a sponsor. And, without a sponsor, goodbye tournament.

Even the Canadian Open doesn't have a sponsor yet but they aren't giving up hope.

You have to wonder what else will go by the wayside as current sponsorship agreements end.

There's a good article by Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star here.

Golf Channel PGA Tour TV Coverage

Being retired affords me the opportunity to watch television weekdays so I'd appreciate it if all you working guys (I was one for about 40 years) don't dog pile that I'm at home, complaining when I could be in the office complaining. Please? Thanks.....

I just finished watching the second hour Golf Channel coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am and I actually timed how much time was devoted to the actual tournament. Now I know the folks at The Golf Channel have to pay the bills but come on, 32.5% of the 4pm to 5pm (EST) coverage was non-tournamanet.

I didn't count Inga Hammond's updates (maybe 3 minutes) as tournament coverage and since the 'crawler' at the bottom of the screen was telling me all about the latest LPGA goings on in Australia I didn't count that as non coverage since the actual tournament was being broadcast.

That was nineteen minutes and thirty seconds of non-PGA tournament coveage. Is the electric bill at The Golf Channel really that high>

Come on, give us more golf.

That's all I have to say about that; for the moment.

Technorati Tag - Golf Channel

The USGA on The Pace of Play

I was rooting around USGA.org this morning looking to see if they offered this guide for sale. In lookoing for it, I picked up another copy of the rules of golf and their handicap book. Handicaps are a hot topic where I play as are our local rules but more on that in another post.

I actually got a copy of this with my last membership renewal and was wondering if I could get additional copies. You can and they're 75cents and 50cents if you purchase more than 100.

Our mens golf association has only been in place for a few years and our membership is mostly "active adults" (over 55) that are just being introduced to golf. That means they don't have a lot of exposure to golf etiquette, rules, or how to maintain a good pace of play.

I'm going to recommend our MGA get several hundred and distribute them during our seminars for our new members.

Seems like a no brainer to me.

Technorati Tags - Pace of Play