Thursday Theses

So let's count down... We have Bermuda this week, Houston next week....then.... All good things come to those that wait.  Well, perhaps not all...

Let The Finger-Pointing Begin - I guess Mr. Slumbers must be feeling a little heat, because he seems just a tad bit defensive....:

The major that never happened: The story behind the cancellation of the 2020 Open Championship

Spoiler alert:  There's a large check involved... But let's allow Martin to tell us how he's suffered:

On March 23, as soon as the United Kingdom officially joined multiple nations around the globe in COVID-19 “lockdown,” Slumbers began talks with the game’s other power brokers. Alongside the

R&A chief executive, representatives of the PGA Tour, the European Tour, the LPGA Tour, the USGA, Augusta National and the PGA of America sat down in an attempt to assemble and salvage a viable tournament schedule for the remainder of the year.

All to no avail as far as the 14th Open at Royal St. George’s, on England’s southeast coast, was concerned. By April 6, Slumbers had released a statement saying that the “champion golfer” of 2019, Irishman Shane Lowry, would have to wait at least another 15 months to defend his title over the Kent links.

“In those 13 to 14 days, we covered ground that in normal times would have taken a year’s worth of thinking,” Slumbers said. “We all worked together, which is a very powerful point to make. That doesn’t happen often. But you build friendships in good times, and all of us knowing each other as well as we do really paid off. It was like putting together a jigsaw without a starting point. It really was extraordinary.”

That last 'graph is pretty damning, as it's usually pretty quick business to count up the zeros on a check... But I'm sure he's got all sorts of strong reasoning behind him.  Shall we sample some?

As Slumbers explained it, quickly it became apparent that the Open wasn’t going to happen, not in its now traditional third week of July spot anyway. Government restrictions meant such a hope was summarily dismissed. With around 5,000 people involved in the vast array of preparations for the event, it would have been irresponsible, according to Slumbers, for he and his staff, led by the executive director of championships, Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, to have so many people working in close proximity.

“We then looked at a full staging of the Open in September,” Slumbers said. “Pragmatically, it takes us four months to ‘build’ the championship on-site. So we had to get going by June at the latest. But again, it became apparent very quickly that we weren’t going to be able to have people working by then.”

OK, so the problem is the four-month build-out of infrastructure except that, once Covid hit, the option was for a minimalist Open, so the build-out is clearly just a strawman.  Just compare and contrast with the USGA, PGA of America and Augusta National, who grabbed dates and were prepared to go forward with whatever circumstances would allow.

But wait, there's more:

Additionally, as was the case with the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, there would have been less daylight available in September, noted Slumbers, a fact amplified by Royal St. George’s being the southern-most Open rota venue. “Had we been going to, say, Carnoustie [555 miles north] we would have had more time to accommodate a bigger field,” Slumbers said.

Turnberry would have been happy to host you, even on short notice.... But again you'll note that the other organizations dealt with the shorter daylight hours as necessary....

But it just so happens that it wasn't the shorter days...Egads, it was the camera towers:

Option 3 then came into play: an Open closed to the public, much in the way the PGA Championship and U.S. Open were played this summer and how the Masters will be conducted next month. Inside five days, Cole-Hamilton and his team came up with a plan to do just that, a feat Slumbers calls “extraordinary.” But again, the whole thing proved to be logistically unfeasible, argued Slumbers. Although the R&A were able to stage the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon in mid-August without galleries—the only major sporting event in the U.K. this year—the sheer size of the men’s Open was an insurmountable obstacle.

“Yes, there would have been no grandstands or a big tented village,” Slumbers said. “But we would have needed camera towers behind every green. There would have been a bigger—five acres in size—media area because there is so much interest in the Open. Then we would need contractors and everything else that goes with an event of that size.”

See what he did there?  It so happens that it's all your fault, dear Reader, for being interested in the Open Championship.  I've got good news for Mr. Slumbers, he's made good progress in solving that specific problem... 

There's no shortage of nonsense, though this is of course the key bit.  I encourage to reader to pay careful attention, as the astute observer can actually see Mr. Slumbers' nose growing:

There was one more piece of ammunition for potential critics. Did the financial safety net provided by the presence of the R&A’s “communicable disease” insurance policy play too much of a role in the eventual decision?

“Although it would be wrong to say that having the insurance in place was not linked to what we came up with, all the decision-making was done through the lens of being uninsured,” Slumbers said. “We would have come to the same conclusion, irrespective of that. We were fortunate to have insurance. That protects part of our expenses, and we are working though all of that with the insurers at the moment. But it was independent of the final decision. [Slumbers would not say how much the insurance cost, how much the R&A has or will receive as payment or what it covered.] The All-England Tennis Club at Wimbledon was in the same position. They had an identical policy, and they canceled their championship, too.”

Let me see if I have this right?  It would be wrong to say there was no linkage, but....there was no linkage.  

I've had all sort of differences over the years with the USGA, PGA and the Lords of Augusta, but when the Covid-shite hit the fan, they stayed flexible and tried to hold their events.  That's to me  minimal level of expectations, whereas all Martin did was to fill out a deposit slip.

The Kids Are Alright - Historians will have a field day with that which we've done to a generation of kids during the pandemic, and college golf is not even a footnote in that accounting.  Still, if it's you or your child, it's a big deal.  That's an awkward intro for the East Lake Cup, a marginally-meaningful event in a normal year, but one that assumed outsized importance this year:

While both teams might not be explicitly saying it, the Ole Miss women and Pepperdine men each made a statement, loud and clear, to the college golf world.

“We’re here.”

Both teams claimed the title at the East Lake Cup on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta, each in their school’s first appearance at the college event normally reserved for the semifinalists from the previous season’s NCAA Championship. Due to the pandemic, this year’s East Lake Cup field was built based on the final spring Golfstat ranking, with teams not playing because of COVID-19 weeded out.

The Rebels defeated South Carolina, 3-2, while the Waves crashed over Oklahoma, 4-1.

I do hope you caught some of it, because it was good fun.  Part of that is youthful exuberance, but a big part is the team match play format.   

At one point, one of the men was referred to as a 6th year senior...I assume that means that those that missed last year's season were offered another year of eligibility, which seems a good thing.  

Callaway, All In - Callaway made an astute investment in TopGolf a few years back, one that has had an outsized effect on their earnings and stock valuation since.  But now they channel their inner James Holzhauer and push all their chips into play:

Callaway made its first investment in Topgolf in 2006 and already owned 14 percent of the company. The transaction announced on Tuesday is an all-stock deal. Callaway will issue approximately 90 million shares of its common stock to non-Callaway shareholders of Topgolf based upon an implied equity value of Topgolf of $1.986 billion.

Many people’s first exposure to golf has been at a Topgolf venue, attracted by the nightclub-like atmosphere, food and drinks, high-tech games and non-competitive environment. During a conference call on Tuesday evening, Berle said all Topgolf venues in the United States had re-opened by early September. Recent operating sales are back to 80-85 percent of 2019 same-location sales. He added that 33 new venues are in the planning stages and sees approximately 200 possible locations for Topgolf venues in the United States.

Topgolf not only owns 58 locations in the United States, but it also owns Toptracer. This technology is used during television broadcasts to allow viewers to follow balls as they fly through the air. That technology is also being rolled out at driving ranges in the form of Toptracer Range, allowing golfers to see their shots’ ball flight as they practice on screens, smartphones or tablets.

The old saw is that "The trend is your friend", which is completely true....except, of course, when it isn't.

A couple of quick points, first Cally is getting quite the steal, at least if you believe the world will return to something approximating normal:

But if we go back to January, Topgolf was worth $4 billion. It was going to IPO. And now Callaway gets to buy the whole thing at basically half off.

It's 50% off, who doesn't like that?  Well, preexisting Cally shareholders, perhaps:

Now, the stock is off about 20% today. Dan Roberts, investors don't seem to love this news for Callaway. And I think on the call, there were some questions about the valuation.

Of course, that sell-off only decreases the purchase price for TopGolf, so win-win, baby!

Dylan Dethier scores an interview with Callaway CEO Chip Brewer and Dolph Berle, his counterpart at Top Golf, who ponder this existential question that we've previously discussed in these pages:

Dethier: You mention this interesting split, nearly 50-50 I think, of people who go to Topgolf and identify as golfers versus non-golfers. So my question is this: Is Topgolf golf? And does it matter whether it is or not?

Brewer: That’s a great question; I’ll answer it and then let [Topgolf CEO] Dolf talk. Golf is not traditional golf, but it is golf.

There are different types of golf as the game is moving forward, which is awesome. And we

should celebrate that. That’s the best thing that’s ever happened to golf, right? It isn’t all tournament golf. It isn’t all country club golf or even private vs. public golf, right? Golf doesn’t have to be a four-hour round on a golf course or a five-hour round or, if you’re playing in college, a six-hour marathon.

And so Dolf and his team at Topgolf are bringing in a whole new aspect to golf. But the metrics show that 75% of the people that are non-golfers and visit Topgolf have a strong desire to then go play traditional golf. Another survey that was just done at the venue showed that half of these non-golfers intend to play golf on a golf course in 2021. So you’re clearly creating new golfers.

As existential questions go, this one is reasonably interesting.  When we last visited this subject, a TopGolf official (I can't remember is it was Berle) made it clear that they were in the saloon business, with which I agreed.  I also have an intrinsic skepticism that the TopGolf experience will actually produce new golfers, just like watching Tiger on TV didn't create new players.  

But TopGolf has created a unique, fun experience and they were growing like gangbusters because of that.  Callaway made an astute investment on that basis, though I think the synergy arguments in Dylan's piece are pretty silly.  The success of this investment will be determined not be the creation of new golfers, but rather by whether the saloon business is viable in the future.  And, just to be clear, no one has ever gone broke by betting on alcohol consumption...

Strange Daze At Augusta - In confirming that which we already knew, the folks at ANGC came up with quite the twist.  First, there will be no "Doing it for the children" this year:

Another beloved Masters tradition has been put on hold for 2020: the Wednesday Par 3 Contest.

Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley announced on Tuesday that the low-key lead-

in to the tournament, first held in 1960, will not take place when the Masters is contested without fans next month.

“The fun and excitement of watching Masters competitors with their friends and family is what makes the Par 3 Contest such a special part of Masters week,” stated Ridley. “We know that experience could not have been replicated without guests and patrons at Augusta National, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to bring back this signature tradition.”

Inevitable, I suppose.   Of course, it's become unwatchable in recent years, but still sad.  But here's that twist, quite the clever bit I think:

Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced the Masters, scheduled for November 9-15, will provide an expansive slate of content across multiple platforms, including ESPN’s College GameDay airing live from Augusta National on Saturday, November 14.

“Given the circumstances brought about by the pandemic, the delivery of quality content is as important as ever to the storytelling of the Masters Tournament,” said Ridley. “While we will dearly miss our patrons at Augusta National this fall, we are excited to showcase what promises to be a truly memorable Masters in a variety of ways for viewers around the world.”

One such way is the addition of College GameDay, which is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. – noon before the live CBS broadcast of the third round. The studio will be staged overlooking Ike’s Pond and the 9th green of the Par 3 course.

ESPN’s regular GameDay cast will be on site except for Lee Corso, who will check in live from his home in Orlando.

That's the one day of normal tee times, so they won't be competing with the golf.  Given the younger players deep affinity for their college teams, I suspect this will play quite well.

Life During Wartime - A mélange of  unconnected items on life on tour, first this on actual galleries this week:

This week’s Bermuda Championship will be the first PGA Tour event to allow fans on site since

the opening round of the Players Championship in mid-March because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although the island paradise has had just 188 total cases of coronavirus and has only three current known cases, strict guidelines will be in place at the tournament—most notably a maximum of 500 spectators will be permitted on the grounds at Port Royal Golf Course each tournament day.

There are other stringent protocols as well, including the requirement of anyone at the event getting tested seven days before arriving, then tested again upon arrival on the island while staying in their hotel room until receiving a negative test result. Masks will also be required for anyone in attendance.

Of course, that phot above from last year's event indicates that they might not het more than those 500 fans in a normal year...  I just hope they have more than 500 watching the broadcast.

Next up is Houston:

The tour has not allowed fans since its return from a three-month break due to the pandemic in June. The PGA Championship and U.S. Open were played without spectators, and the Masters won’t have them when it’s played next month. But next week’s Houston Open will also allow fans on site, capping its capacity at 2,000 spectators per day.

Pretty sparse when spread over 200 acres, though the griping has begun:

Scott Stallings, who is in the field this week in Bermuda and will play in Houston next week, believes it’s too soon to have fans in attendance. Privately, others also expressed similar concerns.

“It’s not worth the risk with only three events left in the U.S.,” Stallings said. “We’ve made it this far without issue, why rush back?”

How about because your sponsors need it and your ecosystem is unsustainable without them?  But isn't the better question whether this is rushing at all?  I mean, I'm old enough to remember when we agreed to a two-week lockdown...

But the reason to rush, if rushing this is, might just be that the schedule looking forward isn't so hospitable, per this from behind the paywall at Sports Business Daily:

Tour executives said they are looking at the March 2021 Florida swing as the time when more fans may be allowed at events, since Florida has been less restrictive on gatherings during the pandemic. The Florida stops in March include the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship and the Honda Classic.

“As we look to January, it is a case-by-case basis,” Dennis said. “As we look to Florida, we have time and that allows us to focus on what we would do. We know that in Florida there is an opportunity to have spectators and it is evaluating how we do that in a thoughtful way. Certainly, in Florida and well into the spring in Texas, we see an opportunity to build out a model and reintroduce things.”

 Ironic. no?  That Players (and especially that Chainsmokers concert) seem a lifetime ago...

On another subject, did you catch Tiger's Houston head-fake?  How did I know it was a head-fake?  That's easy, anytime Tiger indicates a willingness to go somewhere he hasn't played previously, your BS detector will be in the red zone:

Tiger Woods’ preparation for the upcoming Masters won’t include a trip to Texas.

According to a Golf Digest report, Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg said his 15-time major champion client will not be entering next week’s Houston Open ahead of his title defense at Augusta National Golf Club, Nov. 12-15.

After a disappointing finish at last week’s Zozo Championship that saw the defending champion finish 22 shots behind winner Patrick Cantlay, Woods was proud of his putting but left the door open on playing in Houston.

At least Houston was precluded from selling a bunch of tickets based on the news, as happened to Johnny Miller and the folks in Napa a few years back.  Did Johnny ever get his apology?

If you've some time to kill, this Drop Zone podcast might appeal:

A PGA Tour caddie's job is both easier and harder than ever before. Our new podcast explains

Is there a serious case that the life of the caddie is harder today?  Just can't be, as they're valued far more highly than ever and the money doesn't suck (at the Tour level, that is).

 There's also this confirmation:

Patrick Reed's coach: 'He's not out here to make a lot of friends. It's work'

Mission Accomplished!

The LPGA is a different kind of place, where the caddie roundabout has romantic overtones:

Spend an unusual amount of time with your partner in 2020? These LPGA player/caddie couples make it work

 You might need a scorecard to follow this one:

There are a number of caddie/player couples on the LPGA. There are times when a couple might find themselves on opposite sides, like during a Solheim Cup or a playoff.

Masson and McDede

Last year in Taiwan, Caroline Masson competed alongside Nelly Korda in the final group at the LPGA Swinging Skirts. Masson’s fiancé, Jason McDede, carries the bag for Korda. They eventually faced each other in a playoff, which Korda won.

It happened at the 2019 Solheim Cup too, when Masson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff squared off against the Korda sisters in Friday morning foursomes. (The U.S. won.)

That reminds me of nothing so much as Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich, for those old enough to remember that crazy story.

I shall leave you on that note.  Unsure whether I'll blog tomorrow, as it's a quiet week and I've a morning appointment.  Can we agree to make it a game time decision?  After all, it's in your interest to have me tanned, rested and ready for Masters week.

Tuesday Tidbits

Not much in the way of actual news, so we're lucky Shack was in a helpful mood.  Shall we dive in, beginning with the only event between now and Kapalua that matters.

All Things Augusta - H/T Shack for the link to Craig Dolch, who advise that Vitamin-D supplements might be added to staff bags that week.  And I'm sure that Daniel Berger is willing to take one for the team:

Sunlight will be a precious commodity at Augusta National for this year's Masters

Daniel Berger shouldn’t take it personally he’s not playing in next month’s Masters.

The powers-that-be at Augusta National would prefer to have the world’s 13th-ranked player in the field (along with No. 29 Viktor Hovland and No. 37 Harris English, a Georgia resident).

COVID-19 and the rotation of the sun won’t allow it.

And this situation will make this Masters even stranger to watch.

Well, that's quite the hot take, isn't it?  Simply not enough time for Danny...  Can I just ask you to hold that thought?  Here's what passes for an argument:

If Masters officials added the threesome of Berger, Hovlak and English – and anyone else who qualified for the Masters after the field was frozen – they likely would have needed night-vision goggles to finish the round.

Here’s why: There was an average of 12 hours, 53 minutes of sunlight during April 9-12 in Augusta, Georgia, when the Masters was originally to have been held. But, with spring turning to fall and Daylight Savings Time ending on Nov. 1, that number shrinks to a daily average of 10 hours, 27½ minutes from Nov. 12-15.

OK, I'm not enough of a science denier to ignore that there's less daylight in November, although the author himself seems a little clueless at times:

But, with spring turning to fall and Daylight Savings Time ending on Nov. 1, that number shrinks to a daily average of 10 hours, 27½ minutes from Nov. 12-15.

Ummmm, sir, the end of Daylight Savings Time doesn't reduce the available daylight, it just shifts the clock.  I know, it's a subtle concept...

 There will be accommodations made as follows:

That will be the only day of a traditional first-hole start of twosomes. CBS will be off the air by 6 to prepare for its Alabama-Auburn telecast.

Sunday’s final round becomes even more problematic because of the possibility of a sudden-death playoff and CBS is committed to televising an NFL game at 4:05 p.m. The Masters would likely shoot for a 3 p.m. regulation finish, but there’s not enough daylight in the morning to move the tee times as earlier as needed.

The Masters thus would have to go back to a double-tee start of threesomes for the final round, a single wave, with the first group likely at 8:40 a.m. and the last group at 10:20 a.m.

First off, just a reminder that we never know how these things might affect the outcome.  What do I mean by that?  Last year they went early and in threesomes due to an impending storm, otherwise Tiger would not have been in the final group.  Would Frankie Molinari have dumped two balls into the water if not under the GOAT's intense gaze?  We can only guess, but the whole would have had a different vibe.

Secondly, this has the feel of the Bizarro World, because one of those Traditions Unlike Any Other™ is the weakest field in golf.  This is typically justified based upon the their course maintenance and presentation requirements, and we can all agree that those divots don't paint themselves green.  This year I get that the field can't blow past the century mark, but can we revisit that for succeeding years?  Fat chance!

This year obviously provided unique challenges challenges, but the club had other options.  Here's a partial listing of players in the field, in lieu of Berger, Hovlak (sic) and English (FWIW, my spell-check offer Holland, HOV  land and Haviland as alternative spellings of Hovland, but nary a Hovlak to be found):

Angel Cabrera
Fred Couples
Bernhard Langer
Sandy Lyle
Larry Mize

Jose Maria Olazabal

Vijay Singh
Mike Weir

Those are just the former champs, at least those that have no chance.  I know, Freddy and Bernhard regularly play better than we expect, but have no chance to win.    

There's also the usual component of amateurs and tour pros such as Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, about whom I'm shocked that they ever qualified.  

But excluding Daniel Berger for Ollie, who doesn't even pretend to play competitively these days, just seems an awkward decision.  Would it be so bad to go to the Spaniard and the others and ask them to give this year's event a miss, so that they might have a couple of groups worth of flexibility to invite those that played well between April and November?  And, yes, it's not completely fair, but I would prioritize the integrity of the competition over the traditions in this outlier case.

Of course, the Lords of Augusta bitterly cling to their traditions, except when they don't:

One more question: Will there be a Par-3 Tournament on that Wednesday? No final word yet from the powers-that-be, but it is not listed on the Masters’ website under the weekly schedule.

At least no player will have to worry about the dreaded par-3 jinx – no player has won the par-3 and the Masters the same week.

It's become unwatchable, so maybe this is their opportunity to kill it?   I guess it's hard to maintain social distancing after Jack's grandson holes out...

Dylan Dethier corrals three bold-face names about their Masters prep, with mixed results:

Will you go to Augusta in advance of the tournament?

Mickelson: Maybe. I mean, I might go before the tournament. I’m not sure yet; I really haven’t decided on my plans.

Woods didn’t answer this question directly, but ESPN’s Bob Harig reported that it was possible Woods would make a scouting trip this week — and that if he did, it would be his first visit since winning in April 2019.

McIlroy: Yeah, I will, a couple of times. I might go up once and spend a night and play a couple of days or maybe go up a couple separate times.

Given that this might be Rory's best chance to check off that box, it's good to see him preparing thoroughly.  Though, as a follow-up, I'd have asked if he plans to spend any time with the Marker to the Stars, Jeff Knox. 

Any particular shots that you prep for Augusta?

Mickelson: I’m still trying to get my speed up. I’m not going to be in the levels of those guys, but I can get the ball speeds in the 180s, I can get my wedge game sharp. And I’ve been putting well. My putter’s been really good the last couple of months. I putted poorly starting the year and it’s really come around. I’m excited to get to that golf course putting the way I am; I think I can get in contention just based solely on how well I’ve been putting.

Woods: Each and every year, it’s the same thing: Hitting high draws, making sure I can hit a high draw anytime I want. There are a few holes, like 10 and 13, a little bit on 14, depends on the conditions, but it’s so advantageous to hit a high draw. You know, that’s always been my game plan ever since I was an amateur, since I played it for the first time in ’95 that I can get that ball up and turning from right to left. It’s easier to hit other shots from there, but be able to make sure that I can do that and then I can drop down and hit any shot from there.

McIlroy: [Cheekily] High bombs, as Phil would say. No, not particularly. I don’t think — I think nowadays everyone talks about trying to hit a draw around Augusta. But Jack Nicklaus won the thing six times and wasn’t particularly known for moving the ball right to left, so you need to just execute. You need all aspects of your game in good shape, especially your short game.

This to me is the key bit:

What do you expect from the conditions in November at Augusta National and how will it be different?

Mickelson: When I play it, usually the fairways are a lot longer because they just overseeded and they’re letting the grass grow in, getting ready for April. I think that the weather and the temperature could make a difference. I think the golf course will probably be a little bit more damp and play a little bit longer and require more carry.

I think that the guys like what Bryson is doing, McIlroy, Dustin, the guys that can get it up there, they will have a big advantage with that kind of distance, but if you get wind and you get a lot of cold, we could also have a Masters like 2007 where Zach Johnson won in some rough weather. I just think the weather’s a little bit more unpredictable at that time.

It certainly plays a little bit wetter, a little bit longer, but I don’t know if that will be the case this week. I don’t know what the weather’s like. It looks like it’s going to be nice leading into it, and they have a unique ability to do things to that course as far as SubAir and drainage and all the things that they have set up to make the course play how they want regardless of weather.

So, over the course of 30 Masters or however many I’ve played, I’ve had a chance to play it in all different winds and you just kind of adjust, y’know? It’s an interesting golf course because of the way the winds swirl down there and trying to be strategic on the best ways to play the holes. Like it’s a really challenging, fun test and playing it at a different time now provides another unique experience. I don’t know what to expect, but it will be fun.

Sounds like Mike Weir should have a fun week...  Hope he doesn't lose any headcovers, because they'll be coming off in every fairway.

From that Bob Harig piece linked above, more on Rory's take:

And in a different kind of year, McIlroy sort of likes the way this is shaking out. Figure out a way to minimize the mistakes. And turn a negative -- the lack of buzz -- into a positive.

"I like this more,'' McIlroy said. "There's not as much hype. Not as much ... just not as much noise. I sort of like this better.''

It definitely is going to a different kind of Masters.

I thought you might, kid.  Of course, the dissenters would rightfully note that Rory has played dreadfully since the reboot, nor has he done much at Augusta in recent years.  When he drop-kicked that 2011 Masters it seemed inconceivable that he wouldn't grab one at some point, but it looks very different nine years later.  If he can't get it done under these circumstances, I don't especially like his chances of ever filling that hole on his resume.

John Huggan is a curmudgeonly Scot (but I repeat myself) with an idiosyncratic rooting interest this week:

If only, John.

All Things Televised Golf - Geoff has a long post up on broadcast golf, leading with this diagnosis:

The Sound Of Silence: Ways To Spice Up Quiet Golf Broadcasts In A Time Of Pandemic

I had some trepidation as to his guidance, but I'm quite relieved that CTR-F: Faldo yields zero responses.

The Return To Golf needs to start thinking about a Return to Sound.

After taking in this week’s ZOZO Championship at Sherwood Country Club and watching how other sports have adapted to the times, it’s clear professional golf needs to keep adapting to the bizarre times. Quickly.

The PGA Tour has kept their business going but it’s begun to feel like just that: doing enough to keep the doors open and cash flowing. And I realize this will be a big ask while the main focus is on keeping things safe. But as an entertainment “product” (gulp), it’s losing ground. Broadcast enhancements are needed. Immediately.With the ongoing pandemic likely meaning 2021 golf will be played, at best, with very limited galleries, the natural melatonin that is a golf broadcast requires immediate rethinking to retain fans and sponsor interest.

To review: pro golf was the first major sport back and without fans, managed to make a broadcast work. That was thanks primarily to CBS going all in on extras, particularly in the sound department. Credit also goes to the players who were willing to wear a microphone. Since only the last nine holes felt like golf in the time of a contagious virus without crowds, the “Return to Golf” worked.

But those return events were in July and August before the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball came along and used recorded sound effects and other visual tricks to simulate a full house vibe. Golf tournaments have fallen behind.

From a television viewing perspective, the ambient noise piped in to offset the dystopian sight of empty seats and fan cut-outs has made sports watchable. Piped-in roars and even the boos take games back to a level of viewing normalcy that only feel strange when the camera pulls back to reveal and empty stadium.

Set against these modifications, golf telecasts now feel as uncomfortably quiet as they do in person. At best, I’d call the in-person experience at the two events I’ve been to as feeling akin to a college tournament. At worst, the vibe is funereal. (Note: both events I’ve attended as a media member were played in California with limits on volunteers, “hosted experiences” and family members, which undoubtedly added to the somber sensibility.)

Sorry for the long excerpt, but we tend to allow Geoff to ramble on.  So, let's see what we think of his recommendations:

--Putting mic’s on players, their bags, tees and in cups (as Fox did), should continue to be a top priority. Hearing player conversations makes up for so much of the lost ambiance and almost makes us wish the crowds stayed away.

No argument here.  I'm especially fond of the clattering of irons in a golf bag, which is to me the sound of golf. 

--Encourage more announcer conversations and debates centered around issues in the game to break up the rather monotonous role they play now as traffic cops and cheerleaders. The NBC team broke off into a few chats about the way Bryson DeChambeau was approaching Winged Foot and the discussions were fascinating.

So, if I understand your point, you're suggesting that the golf commentators talk about interesting things.  Sir Nick hardest hit...  

--Use on-course reporters to do a “forensic” on an incredible recovery shot we’ve seen. Encourage them to say why the would have played a certain shot differently if warranted. Again, anything to break up the quiet moving from shot to shot or showing what seems like a neverending stream of three-footers for par.

I've got a wild suggestion...  How about we employ on-course reporters at...wait for it, The Masters?  I know, an idea so crazy it just might work. 

--Go to a third party source to discuss betting odds. Former players and traditional broadcasters are not well positioned to say much of interest on the topic of odds or prop bets. Even if a viewer is not a bettor or interested in the topic, betting debates can inject energy into the broadcast if they are willing to take a stance on a proposed bet. Factors like course design and setup, or a player’s tendencies based on ShotLink data, liven up the “product” regardless of bets placed.

Isn't this interesting, because those odds disappeared after a one-week trial in Vegas.  Geoff is all-in on this betting thing, though your humble blogger is more skeptical.  To me they're a rally-killer and not nearly as interesting as Geoff seems to think, but time will tell.

--Bring in third party voices to offer instruction tips. This is hardly a new suggestion, but given the spike in rounds played during COVID-19 and the sad end of most Golf Channel original programming, what better time than now to use telecasts to be more interactive for regular golfers? How about interviewing instructors who are out following their players about what they are seeing? Or asking them to give an impromptu tip?

If you poll golf fans, they'll universally decry the broadcasts for showing too little live golf action.   I do think some of the analysis of the tour pros' swings can work, and I do recall Peter Kostis doing some interesting things (an example being the comparison of Bubba's swing to Nicklaus').  But a tournament broadcast is not the place for instruction, which belongs on Golf Channel on Monday evenings.  By the way, if their studio content is being cut back dramatically, what exactly will be broadcast Monday-Wednesday?  

--Birds are great and I’m sure they’ll be chirping at Augusta in two weeks. With surround sound, work those nature sounds, just make sure the mic’s are placed on property and not in the wrong region. (Years ago CBS was believed to be piping in bird sounds at Augusta and at Valhalla and it’s been a running joke ever since. Another reminder that little gets by viewers.)

Nature can be good fun, but we're talking 30-second bits in hours-long broadcasts... 

—Put announcers in different places. Have them work as a range attendant, on a tee of a key hole as a marshal, as a ShotLink volunteer or as a group’s scorer. Put a microphone on them and instead of having them toss it to 16 from an on-site studio (not that towers are too expensive too), let’s hear what they are seeing and highlight the volunteer jobs that make a tournament tick. If Mike Whan can step in and work as an on-course reporter, golf broadcasters can try some different things too.

This is fine, but hardly moves the needle.  Anything that mixes things up can be good, but I'm left with the sense that all of Geoff's suggestions combined are a big bag of nothing.  The most obvious suggestion, more player-caddie discussions, must have gotten left on the cutting room floor.  And if the enhanced audio damages Bryson's brand, we'll consider that win-win.

As a dissenting voice, I actually don't find the pandemic-era broadcasts any more painful than those pre-Covid.  At least since CBS went on hiatus...

All Things Resort - It's become the gold standard, but it was far from a sure thing:

Here’s how Bandon Dunes started a golf revolution — by accident

This is Golf.com's Drop Zone podcast featuring David McClay Kidd, architect of the original course at the resort.  There's much of interest, including this bit:

David McLay-Kidd: So back in 1994, I was 26 years old and working for the Gleneagles detail in Scotland. My father was a golf course manager and I was working for the development division of that that detail. And I was playing all the golf parks; I was a wannabe golf course architect. I’d done a couple of little things, but nothing really of any note. And Mike Keiser was friends with Rick Summers, who’s the current owner of PGA Golf Magazine.

And Mike said to Rick Summers, ‘I’ve got this piece of land on the Oregon coast. I want to build an authentic Scottish Irish links experience. Who do you think I should hire? I’m thinking to hire, y’know, Tom Fazio or Jack Nicklaus or Pete Dye.’

And Rick said, ‘Well, you should hire a Scottish golf course architect if you want something authentic.’

And Mike chuckled and said, ‘I would! But they all died 100 years ago at this point.’

Wow, I actually can't believe that Keiser would have hired any of those guys...Especially Jack and Fazio.  Pete Dye might have been an interesting choice...

Bandon Dunes is the happiest of accidents, combining a man with little more than a gut feel for his objectives with a magical piece of land.  It worked because Keiser trusted those instincts, and also because he could bankroll it with his greeting card fortune.

It's an extremely interesting story, but those interested in it should absolutely read Dream Golf.  Spoiler alert, it turned out well:

This is only tangentially connected, but interesting in its own right:

How (and why) golf course architects use visual deception to fool you

Here's a sense of the tools available from Jim Urbina, the man in part responsible for Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald, though his reference points are from the Golden Age:

Jim Urbina has restored several MacKenzie courses and has developed a great appreciation for his skills.

“[MacKenzie] was like the master of deception,” Urbina said. “What he did is used the bunkers in the foreground that would affect the distant bunkers and how you related the distance between them. He would put a bunker in the foreground, just off the horizon in front of you to lead you to believe that the bunker was right next to the green. And he did that jigsaw layering over and over and over on different golf courses.”

MacKenzie would adjust the top lip of the bunker, the size of the bunker in the foreground and the distance from that to the green behind it, amongst other variables to achieve this visual deceptiveness.

These strategies were not used just by MacKenzie and Colt, though architects tend to have their own unique style.

“MacKenzie did it with bunkers,” Urbina said. “Some architects did it with trees. Sometimes they use greens with what they call an infinity green so you couldn’t judge distances because you couldn’t see the back of it. [A.W.] Tillinghast did that. Donald Ross did that. They all did that. And modern designers are just re-using that theme.

And just last week I was describing this phenomenon to you in connection with Donald Ross' Mountain Ridge.  But I'm not completely in agreement with this:

Architect Brian Curley said elements like deception are easier to get away with at a resort or daily fee course as opposed to a private club. He explained that often times, especially at equity clubs, members want to manipulate their course to their liking over time. In the U.S., that often means making things more straightforward with less funk.

“I’ve always said that, as good as the courses are at Bandon, if they ever made those courses private and they had an active private membership, you’d be amazed, you probably wouldn’t recognize half the holes,” Curley said.

OK, he's not wrong that many classic courses have been desecrated by Greens Committees run amok.  But the pendulum seems to be swinging back towards fealty to the original design parameters of the Goldner Age masters.  Not only did I experience that faithful restoration at Mountain Rudge, but we've seen Gil Hanse involved in doing the same at both courses at Winged Foot and Baltusrol.  

I'll release you to get on with your day.  I'll probably give myself a day away from the keyboard tomorrow, though nothing is cast in stone.  Check back early and often.

Weekend Wrap

That Sunday morning frost delay came with reports of snow in Utah and Idaho, the latter being from my brother.  It seems winter is serious in its intentions...

ZoZo Rising - I'd say the California transplant was a reasonable success, one they might consider for future years.  Well, at least any future years featuring a November Masters.  Here's how it turned out:

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Patrick Cantlay has never seemed particularly fond of the spotlight. He’s quiet, goes about his business and lets his game speak for itself.

It should come as no surprise, then, that while two of the world’s top three players duked it out in what felt like the main event, the laconic Californian was content to tip-toe his way up the leader board Sunday at the relocated Zozo Championship.

In the end, he could not be ignored. Cantlay leapfrogged Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm with a thoroughly impressive 65 on Sunday at Sherwood, good for 23-under 265 total and a one-shot victory.

There's always been guys that are better off the lead... Of course, that only cues the over-interpretation:

It’s a validating victory for Cantlay, and one that sees him return to the top 10 in the World

Rankings, moving to No. 9. Which is where he belongs—while the public might not think of him in the same breath as the 20-somethings he beat on Sunday, there’s been a sense inside the golf world that Cantlay is every bit as good as the Thomases, the Rahms, the Morikawas, the Schauffeles of the world. Not quite an underachiever, but capable of more. Watch him on the driving range and you’ll understand. Remember, he’s the guy who shot 60 as an amateur in a PGA Tour event, the one who held the solo back-nine lead at Augusta National for a hot second in 2019.

Speaking of Augusta. Add another name to the expanding list of contenders for the Masters.

“I was able to win one of the tournaments Tiger won last year,” Cantlay said. Woods won this event last year in Japan but beat just three players this week.

“So now I’m just going to go try and win the other event that Tiger won last year.”

Ummm, you mean the President's Cup?  But this is the bit that I found...well, arguable:

It’s a validating victory for Cantlay, and one that sees him return to the top 10 in the World Rankings, moving to No. 9. Which is where he belongs—while the public might not think of him in the same breath as the 20-somethings he beat on Sunday, there’s been a sense inside the golf world that Cantlay is every bit as good as the Thomases, the Rahms, the Morikawas, the Schauffeles of the world.

Does he?  Is he?  I know folks keep putting him in that league, though it's only his third win on Tour.  My Spidey-sense keeps coming up "under-achiever",  though there's still time to turn that impression around.

Folks got themselves into a tizzy over that final round pairing.  No, not that last group featuring the second and third-ranked players in the world.... rather that group that went off at zero-dark-thirty (on the wrong nine).  Remember those standardized tests of our youth, featuring the ubiquitous "which of these does not belong" questions?  How about this tweet from the guy that didn't belong?

So, Adam was Tiger and Phil's plus one...  Of course, the irony is that Long was that one guy that Tiger beat on Thursday, so it makes sense that they'd all be together in the B-Flight.  Oh, and here's that Tale of the Tape that Adam requested:

Shack corners the market in wistful nostalgia:

Was This The Last Of Tiger And Phil On A Sunday?

Rex Hoggard had this at the still-relevant GolfChannel.com:

It was a starkly unceremonious end for the two legends who were grouped together in a PGA Tour event for the 38th time. Sixteen strokes off the lead to start the final round of the Zozo Championship, this was a formality. It also was likely the anti-climactic end to a largely anti-climactic head-to-head history between the two titans.

They’ll find themselves in a manufactured group for Rounds 1 and 2 at an event starved for attention somewhere down the road, but the chances of the duo landing together in a meaningful weekend tee time is about as likely as the two sharing a plane ride home.

This is largely the fate of all athletes, think Willie Mays in the 1973 World Series.  It might be that we'll only see this at one-offs like the ZoZo, because of the absence of a cut and that they can offer sponsor's exemption to whomever they please.  When it comes to the majors, what odds would you give for both guys having weekend tee times?  Though the Masters is an exception, given that it's easiest cut in the game.

But what are we to make of Golf.com's Tour Confidential panel?  CTL-F: Cantlay yields zero results, yet this is the lead question:

1. Tiger Woods finished tied for 72nd at the Zozo Championship, his first start since the U.S. Open last month, and perhaps his last event until the Masters in three weeks. After a rough opening four-over 76, Woods bounced back with a 66 and a 71 before finishing with a 74. Did this week make you more or less bullish about Tiger’s chances of defending his title at Augusta National?

 I'm sorry, was Tiger in the field?

Josh Sens: I think we’ve all learned not to put anything past Tiger. But defending his title was never going to be easy. But I don’t see how this week’s scruffy play could make anyone more bullish on him.

Sean Zak: Tiger will be ready to shoot 70 in the first round at ANGC, and that will be a great start to defending his title.

Michael Bamberger: It didn’t change them. He can win at Augusta if every last thing falls into place, as it did last year. That’s unlikely to happen. But, of course, it can.

Nick Piastowski: Yes. After Sunday’s final round, he said: “The only thing I can take out of this week that I did positively I feel like each and every day and pretty much every hole is I putted well. I feel like I rolled it great.” Outside of his back – which he said also held up well this week – the flatstick has recently been his biggest foe. And if Tiger said he was bullish over his putting, then I’m bullish over his chances.

Again, to me the biggest takeaway is that these guys think this is the most important subject of the week... I didn't watch all that much of it, but to me Tiger looked as if he was walking gingerly.  Folks will tend to over-interpret his one good day on Friday, but there wasn't much to back it up on the weekend.

 Tiger did throw us one of his patented head fakes:

The easy prescription is that Woods needs more tournament reps—it is incredibly difficult to compete with the young stars when every tournament you play is your first start in a month. Woods would certainly tell you that he’d love to play more. But his body simply won’t let him, and for Woods and his team, there is a constant push-and-pull between reps and health, and health is going to win that battle each and every time.

But Woods seems to be feeling as well as he has at any point in 2020—he said he was going to hit the gym on Monday morning and that he doesn’t plan to wait around on deciding whether to play the Vivint Houston Open.

“I'll make the decision soon. I'm not going to wait around on that decision and commit either way, one way or the other….I'll make a decision quickly on whether or not I'm going to play Houston or not.”

Chances of Tiger pegging it in Houston asymptotically approach zero...If he's really feeling that well and can't be bothered playing enough to get sharp, can someone explain why I should care about his prospects?

One major reason I don't expect Tiger to be in Houston is that he's never like playing the week before a major (though he of course would do it if enough zeros were on offer).  But this other legend does like to play, he was just put off by the prospect of those pesky spectators...  Now, though, further guidance:

Phil Mickelson produced some headlines earlier this week when he suggested he might skip the Houston Open, an event he normally plays the week before the Masters, after officials announced plans to allow a limited number of fans on property for the first time domestically since the COVID-19 pandemic halted play in March.

“For me personally, I don't like the risk that having that happen the week before the Masters,” Mickelson said Wednesday at the Zozo Championship. “I just feel like the week before the Masters, like that's a big tournament we have and I just don't want to have any risk heading in there.”

Three days later, Mickelson clarified his stance on Houston.

He told GolfChannel.com this on Saturday: “That’s not a deciding factor. I’m sure the Tour will do a great job of making it safe.”

We knew with mathematical certainty that his prior comments, which inferred that having fans might not be safe, would be untenable to the Tour, and that he'd be fielding telephone calls from a 904 area code.

But perhaps the most interesting thing to happen at the ZoZo, didn't happen there at all.  It was this, in which Bryson asked the Tour to hold his beer:

Bryson's ball speed has hovered in the 190's, so 210 is literally off the charts... That TC panel did find time to react to this, though in an odd manner for sure:

2. Bryson DeChambeau sat out the Zozo, giving him more time to tinker with his swing at home in Texas. On Friday, DeChambeau said he reached another personal milestone, carrying a drive over 400 yards — and that was without his proposed 48-inch driver, which could add even more length. After averaging a Tour-best 322.1 yards in driving distance in 2019-20, DeChambeau is now averaging a staggering 344.4 yards early in the 2020-21 season. Is there a ceiling for DeChambeau’s length? If so, is he nearing it?

Sens: Bryson’s distance gains have been insane, but even he is governed by the laws of physics. So yeah. He’s got to be close to maxing out. Unless he pulls a Superman and moves to a planet with a different colored sun. And anyway, do we really want him to get much longer? I know everyone digs the long ball, but it would be nice to watch him have to hit something more than wedge into every par-4.

Zak: There is a ceiling. He’s approaching it. But there’s still plenty of room. He’s been at this level for only half a Tour season. It’s not going away until someone else does something about it.

Bamberger: Well, basic physics would say there’s a limit, for Dr. DeChambeau or anybody else. But 400-yard carries are not the limit, with the ongoing combination of tee height, clubhead size, face thinness and material, and shaft length and material, to say nothing of bodily maximization and various swing-analysis tools.

Piastowski: Full disclosure. I geek out over these types of physics questions. I mean, we’ve all daydreamed once in a while how far our bodies could take us if we focused only on them, right? If I lifted just the right way, and ate just the right way, maybe I, too, could hit it 400. Or more! Or maybe that’s just me. Back to the question. I’m not a scientist. But Bryson’s team more or less is. And, at this point, they seem bound and determined to take this as far as it can go. And yeah, I don’t think they’re done.

How's that Distance Insights Update coming?  I'm worried about Bryson, but I'm more worried about the guy that comes after Bryson....  But I totally get that the good folks in St. Andrews and Far Hills  are simply waiting for the laws of physics to kick in...

If you feel the need for a laugh, Joel Dahmen's Quest for 170 is the ticket.

The State of Play - An olio of musings on the state of our little game, first more on the current demand among the rank and file from Golf Datatech:

Entering October, play was up 8.7% nationally versus the same period a year ago. That reflects a year-to-date increase of about 29 million more rounds, even with the loss of about 20 million rounds during the spring due to Covid-related shutdowns.

Every state in the continental U.S. has seen increases in play of at least 2% for each of the past three months. A major drop in precipitation helped fuel a 46% September rounds-increase in Minnesota, while other Midwest states also saw notable increases: Illinois (+35%), Wisconsin (+29%), Michigan (+27%), Indiana (+27%) and Ohio (+26%).

Shack links to the CNBC article covering the media world in general, then seeks to interpret its impact in our little fishbowl.  Here's the broad argument:

They expect about 25 million U.S. households to cancel their pay-TV subscriptions over the next five years. This is on top of the 25 million homes that have already cut the cord since 2012. At least three major media companies now expect pay-TV subscriptions to stabilize around 50 million, according to people familiar with the matter, who declined to speak on the record because their company plans are private.

The projected decline in subscribers will mean a drop of about $25 billion in cable subscription revenue plus associated advertising losses for the largest U.S. media companies, including Disney, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, AT&T’s WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS, Fox, Discovery, Sinclair and AMC Networks.

This assumption has created a tectonic shift in the media industry. In the last three months, Disney, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS have all announced major reorganizations. They’ve replaced old leaders, consolidated divisions, laid off tens of thousands of employees, and pivoted to streaming video.

$25 billion here and $25 billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money...

Live sports plays an out-sized role for the distributors:

And certain networks, like ESPN, which keep millions of Americans hooked to cable today, may need to pull back on programming costs if too many people cancel. That will only cause more people to cancel.

Stabilizing at 50 million (or 55-60 million, as AT&T CEO John Stankey said this week) may be a pipe dream.

“The only thing left holding the bundle together today is sports,” said former AOL CEO Jonathan Miller, who stepped down from the board of AMC Networks in July. “There is nothing any of the networks can do about it. The only question now is how far does it fall and how fast, and is there a bottom. And I don’t know if there’s a bottom.”

But, have you seen the ratings recently?  We've had no shortage of opportunities to note the "Get Woke - Go Broke" phenomenon but, whatever the cause, NFL, NBA and MLB ratings have been simply dreadful, at a time when there isn't much else to distract folks.  

Now the premise of this piece, one Geoff is on board with, is that streaming is the future for media companies, one that marginalizes distributors:

“Media companies have had a fabulous distribution system for decades,” said Tom Rutledge, CEO of Charter Communications, the second-largest U.S. cable company. “Every distributor had to carry their product, because if they didn’t carry networks, the competition would. In a direct-to-consumer world, the whole ecosystem is smaller. It doesn’t mean you can’t win, but there will be a lot of losers

What about the smaller players? Can they compete for new originals against Netflix, Amazon and Apple -- companies with massive balance sheets -- to have the best content going forward?

“The answer is no,” said Bewkes. “These companies are competing against Netflix and Amazon, who have massively more scale for both subscription and advertising at a global level. They’re all going to be collapsed. Only Disney will have enough subscribers and global scale under a distinctive family brand to make it.”

Aren't Netflix and Amazon distributors as well?   Here's the pay-off:

The forcing function on change will be Wall Street. If valuations keep declining, media companies will have to act.

LightShed’s Greenfield recommends a ripping-off-the-band-aid approach: Divest the networks now.

“Disney should divest its broadcast and cable networks, Comcast should divest the NBCUniversal cable networks, and there’s no reason why AT&T needs to own the Turner networks,” Greenfield said. “Cable networks are structurally broken.”

Divested and merged media companies will lead to more robust streaming services. This is why Disney agreed to buy Fox’s entertainment assets, including “The Simpsons” and movies such as “The Shape of Water” and “Avatar.”

But it may also accelerate the death of cable TV.

I just live that first sentence, as if Wall Street's decreasing valuations are just something that they randomly assign... They're the messenger.

But the issue to me is the dramatic downsizing at Golf Channel, as it seems to me they're better positioned than even the ESPN behemoth to survive in this changing media landscape.  They're subscribers don't just watch the game, they also play the gave with passion and perseverance.

We've already heard that the Golf Channel website might be a casualty of the downsizing, which seems to me unwise.  Not only is a website simple to maintain, but it promotes their streaming service and presumably can be helpful in pushing traffic that way.  Let me just add this perplexing bit, also from Geoff:

TT has he/she/it/they have been known—aka Tiger Tracker—has become a staple of GolfChannel.com’s presence on social media. The 8-year-old account had become the go-to for fans to track Woods’s every move and could even, at times, become a tad cultish as those who questioned the anonymous Tweeter’s wisdom.

Nonetheless, at 438,800 Twitter followers, it was Golf Channel’s second most-followed account but easily its most beloved. While not profitable, TT was quite good at the whole “engagement” thing MBA types mention as vital to their businesses.

But with the channel laying off most staff and sending a small number to Connecticut to put a bare bones channel on the air until an inevitable move of PGA Tour coverage to Peacock, layoffs have apparently eliminated those behind the beloved Twitter follow.

Tiger Tracker has not posted since September 23rd and sat out Tiger’s opening two rounds in his 2020 ZOZO Championship defense. Fans have been inundating both the official account and folks like myself wanting answers.

What does that "not profitable" even mean, and how would Geoff know it.  Twitter is a young-man's game and I'm not your ideal tour guide, but how crazy is it to walk away from something like this and its six-figure followers?  The one saving grace is this little bit of postmodernism:

Apparently the main Golf Channel Twitter account had not been informed that the TigerTracker sleeps with the fishes...

The Auld Yellow Toon - As you know, I've had some issues with the changing aesthetics on St. Andrews Links Road, the tiny little street that abuts the finishing hole of the Old Course.  My prior issue was with the renaming of the Tom Morris Golf Shop to conform to Open Championship branding protocols.  You might think that Old Tom Morris would be part of that branding given his prominence in St. Andrews (not to mention Prestwick), but you'd be wrong....  

A while back we had a note about the expansion of Russacks Hotel, which we were reliably informed would use only traditional materials and would conform to its historic location:  Now comes tis rendering, confirming that we were played:

But not to worry, Shack informs that it will blend in perfectly at the Open Championship.  Just not the next Open, or any Open in our lifetime:

Approved in 2015, the 44-room extension to the historic Rusacks hotel on historic links road is looking anything but historic. Or befitting the Auld Grey Toon.

Approved and expected to use “traditional” materials, it appears the scale and blond sheen will be an eyesore for decades. Maybe by the 200th Open in 2072 it’ll take on the aged patina one would have expected the planning commission to have demanded from the outset for this sacred real estate.

I guess the joke's on them, as in a bit of karmic convergence those new rooms come online just as the world has stopped traveling...  Well played, sir!

Scenes From The War Zone - You might have thought we'd learned our lesson from the early days of the pandemic, but you'd be quite mistaken.  Eamon Lynch with an update from Ireland:

It’s been about six years since I played golf in Ireland, despite visiting the country often in that time. And although I’ve been holed up in a seaside cottage an hour north of Dublin for more than a month, I’m unlikely to tee it on this trip either. But more for reasons of legality than lethargy.

Two rounds were actually planned but fell victim to the two most frustrating forces in Ireland: the weather and the government.

Rain scuppered a long-overdue return to Royal County Down, while a game at County Louth (better known as Baltray) with former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley was canceled when every golf course in the country was shuttered under a national lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

But Eamon makes a common mistake:

That's a common error, Eamon, thinking that your political leaders are interested in your health and wellbeing...  Charmingly quaint, even.

Of course, there are a few things we've learned from the pandemic-to-date, including about the link to Vitamin-D.  So, why are they shuttering golf courses?  Inevitably, it's the oldest reason in the book, because they can.

Interesting Reads - I need to get on with my day, but I'll leave you with a couple of items you ,ight enjoy.  First, it's been forty years since this place opened:

TPC Sawgrass turns 40: Remembering the birth of 'Stadium Golf'

The did, literally, purchase the site for $1, but the course cost a little more...  Worth the read, my only disappointment is the absence of a photo showing what the place looked like initially.  It had a wild, windswept llok (Shack refers to it as a Pirates of the Caribbean look) which, like Pinehurst No. 2, would benefit from a restoration.

And this is our, It Was twenty years Ago Today item:

The inside story of what the original Titleist Pro V1 launch was really like

They all jumped on the band wagon quickly, except for Stewart Cink.

See you tomorrow?