Morning Miscellany, Lethargy Impaired

No progress to report on any more substantive posts, but I'll throw a few items together here so you don't forget me.  Watching the bizarrely awful Opening Ceremonies from Sochi last night, I finally made it through this week's SI/Golf+ Digital mag last night.  It's going to be a weekly pleasure for all golf fans, not least for the photographs.  Those who are familiar with the SI print edition, they have a section up front called Leading Off with great photos often related to their major stories.  In Golf+ it's appropriately renamed Teeing Off, but the same spectacular photography.  From this week's issue:

An aerial view of the new range at Pebble.  It's always been a curious aspect to our game that some of the top golf courses have the worst practice facilities. 

Another look at Augusta National under the freakish snow, this time looking down iconic Magnolia Lane.

Tiger playing from the desert during his appearance fee grab in Dubai last week.

Lots more discussion of the renovated rebuilt Trump National Doral Blue Monster.  Brad Klein has a piece in Golfweek here, and Shackelford posts several videos from Morning Drive here, including his own appearance as well as Gil Hanse speaking with Charlie Rymer and Gary Williams.  Shack goes out on a limb and suggests that the Donald dump the WGC Cadillac and make a play for a PGA Championship to be held in March in an Olympic year.  That's way outside the box both in terms of the venue and the calendar, and I don't think he's fully thought through the impact of a March major on my ski season.  Plus, no major should ever be played on Bermuda....

It's a bit early to be thinking of the Opens at Pinehurst, but they've got a detailed hole-by-hole description of the Coore-Crenshaw restoration that's well worth a look if you're unfamiliar with the changes.  I'd recommend that they put before and after photos of each hole as they've done with the 9th, because the change is as dramatic as you're likely to ever see.  And remember, 80,000 additional wire plants are being added this winter.

Jason Sobel has the details on the bizarre DQ of D.A., Points that is.  C and Ping an excerpt is a lot to expect of your weary blogger, but the gist is that during an interminable wait on the 18th tee he took out a spongy green ball and placed it in his armpit.  The violation was caught on camera but not brought to his attention until after he had signed his card.  All sorts of silly ramifications to this, including that it cost him his opportunity to register for next week's event at Riviera.  I've always had no problem with assessing penalties after the fact, but the DQ seems unnecessary when there's no evidence of intent or knowledge on the player's part.  I'm guessing that two shots would have been sufficient to get D.A.'s attention.  But here's the strangest aspect to it...  D.A. has to stick around to play Saturday in the Pro-Am portion with partner Condoleezza Rice.  Why in God's name are the rules different for the Pro-Am, I have no clue and Sobel doesn't explain.  I thought bifurcation was a dirty word, Commissioner Ratched Lepetomane Finchem...

Also lots of discussion of the USGA's decision to allow distance measuring devices ("DMD's") in their amateur events, following the lead of the R&A.  Mike Stachura and Shack both have posted at Golf Digest's Local Knowledge blog to the effect that DMD's aren't coming to professional golf anytime in the foreseeable future.  I'm as much a traditionalist as anyone and I enjoy the time honored tradition of pacing off yardage, but I don't get bent out of shape over the use of electronics in this area.  There's a raging debate as to whether DMD's help with pace of play, and the obvious answer is it depends...  In the hands of the right player, it's another tool that can be used to aid him or her in efficiently assessing a golf shot.  In the hands of the wrong player, and we all know who those are at our clubs, it's another way to waste time and not be ready when you get to your ball.  But at the professional level it's mostly redundant, as between their professional caddies, detailed yardage books and repeat visits to the same venues, there's no need for a DMD.

I'm not a huge consumer of golf aids, I don't and never will own a Tour Angle 144 or any of that ilk.  But this week's SI/Golf+ had a putting aid that looked intriguing.  It's the Putter Wheel and I may need to give this one a look see in the Spring.