I'm back on the ground in Park City and will be testing the body after my alpinus interruptus incident discussed here. But it's spring conditions here (today's expected high is 46), so there's no hurry to get out there as we need to let the mountain soften a bit. So, shall we try this golf blogging thingee?
Happy Birthday to UL - My/our one-year blogiversary was Sunday, and you got me NOTHING! Shame on you... I just reread my kick-off post and it seems to have been a fairly good roadmap for the ensuing year. If you're still here I assume you've enjoyed the ride, but I'm always open to suggestions....
In terms of stats, there were 491 posts in 2014, and given that I was born without a concise gene, I'm thinkin' that's a pretty good amount of content. In any event, I hope I made you laugh, cry and spit out a few sips of coffee in the last year. But shall we move on from the unseemly self-congratulation and look forward? I thought so...
Imitation.... - Shall we kick off Year Two with a silly item? Shack gets his first of many sophmore-year hat-tips for this wonderful little item about a 4-year old golf prodigy named Samuel Wood:
Sometimes when the Plimmerton pre-schooler with the demon swing miscues a shot he's been known to yell "Tiger Woods you suck!" after seeing the 14-time major winner mouth the phrase on TV.
Samuel's coach Dean Kingsbeer said his young charge - should he want to - had the potential to one day enter the world's top 50.
How great is that? But grab a look at the youngster's swing in this video:
It's a great swing, but I especially love the finish. Though, just a helpful suggestion, I don't think the wife-beater is a good look for a 4-year old.
I didn't realize until I watched the video that the lad is from New Zealand and just by coincidence I can think of another Kiwi known to scream, "Tiger Woods you suck." Just sayin'...
Woe Is Golf, Volume CCCXXXVI - Didn't know the King wrote, but this Golf Channel column is worth a look-see:
The critics cite the problems experienced by one or two sectors of the industry while ignoring the solid results of others. For instance, nearly all of the Chicken Littles screeched in July when 500 PGA professionals were laid off from a national sporting goods retailer. The media played up the fact that the layoffs were due to softening sales of golf equipment. What the headlines didn't mention is that those golf equipment sales were down just 2 percent from the previous quarter.
Here's his upbeat coda:
Golf has had a couple of tough years, but we've had them before. In fact, all sports go through cycles. Think of the NBA before Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Think of boxing after Muhammad Ali. Finally, before we bury golf, we might want to note that Golf Channel's ratings last year were the second best in its 20-year history. The fact of the matter is that golf is alive, well and booming worldwide.
Not sure I would have gone with the "B" word, but he's closer to reality than those Chicken Littles to whom he alludes. And what, praytell, was Dick's going to do with those 500 teaching pros?
And then there's this story:
Jan 6 (Reuters) - Acushnet Company, which owns golf brands such as Titleist and Footjoy, chose U.S.-based Solebury Capital to advise on a potential IPO seen worth around $1.8 billion around 2016, a source with direct knowledge said on Tuesday.
Acushnet was acquired by Fila Korea Ltd and South Korean partners, such as Mirae Asset Private Equity, for $1.23 billion in 2011.
I don't have my indispensable HP `12C with me in PC, so I can't do the calculation, but it seems like a pretty reasonable rate of return for the private equity guys. Adam Schupak has an interesting item on this as well, indicating that it will be the first golf-related IPO since Adams Golf in 1998.
For those not familiar with financial matters, interest in an IPO is in no way an indication of a diminished outlook for the business. As Wally Uhlein explains in the second linked piece, private equity always need to create liquidity for their investors.
My only surprise, thus far, is that since the 2011 transaction I've been expecting them to jettison the Acushnet name for the far better known and iconic Titleist name.
Let Him Ramble On - Brian Wackers posts a delightful Q&A with Geoff Ogilvy from Kapalua, and loyal readers know how I feel about Geoff. It's not true that I want to have his love child, but I do think he's the most interesting golfer on Tour on certain subjects near and dear to me. Here are some excerpts, though you'll really want to read it all:
PGATOUR.COM: Where does it rank among courses you play on TOUR?
OGILVY: "It’s one of the elite eight or nine courses on TOUR. It holds its own and more, and considering the land it’s built on it’s arguably the best on TOUR. It’s probably the best use of land anywhere. To get a playable course that any standard of golfer can play on that land in that place is incredible. Anyone else would have messed it up."
What I wouldn't give for some follow-up questions....in this case, which are the other 7-8? And, of course, why?
PGATOUR.COM: What do you look for in a course?
OGILVY: "There are two important things: Aesthetics -- it has to be natural looking with good contrasts and good-looking to the eye; and strategically interesting -- there have to be reasons why you play holes certain ways. There are probably 25 better short par 4s than the 10th at Riviera, but it is infinitely interesting to play. You can go for the green, play it short. There’s no right or wrong way. It’s amazing how few courses we play that have strategic interest. The top courses in the world all have that characteristic."
Egads! Twenty-five better 4-pars? I need names!
I've got about fifteen browser tabs open with items to blog, but that will have to wait until later. For now it's time to ski.
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