Thursday Threads

Home for a short stay, them back to the Wasatch for one final trip....  Quite the wacky weather, as I expect Bobby D. to be on the course in shorts this weekend.

Oh, THAT Gig Economy - This almost never happens... Legislators in Sacramento target Uber, Lyft and other mainstays of the gig economy, and hit Joe LaCava:

What unsettles Saunders is the chatter he’s been hearing in recent months on the course and in the caddie shack. The conversations focus on a new California state law and its

potential impact on Saunders’ profession. Widely referred to as the “gig worker bill,” California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which went into effect on Jan. 1, seeks to extend benefits and protections to independent contractors by requiring companies that hire them to reclassify them as employees.

The legislation wasn’t drafted with golf in mind. Its main targets were gig-economy giants such as Lyft, Uber and DoorDash. But like many of laws, AB5 has come with unintended consequences; golf is one of many industries caught in its crosshairs. 

For caddies, the legislation stands to cut two ways.

OK, not literally Joe, because his boss doesn't make him work often enough to have issues under that law.... But as to his two ways, not so much:

While employee status would have obvious upsides, like health care coverage, retirement accounts and guaranteed salaries, loopers are wary of the prospect. They worry it will cramp their finances and freedoms, that they’ll be forced to punch a clock while getting paid a barebones hourly wage.

What Josh either doesn't know or can't be bothered top include in his piece, is that this is part of a long-term threat to the profession.  That threat comes principally from state tax authorities, seeking to make caddies employees for the purpose of withholding payroll taxes.

For those of us more familiar with the human condition, it's obvious that at the point at which caddies are required to pay taxes is the point at which we no longer have caddies...  AB5 is a little different, because the legislators are attempting to protect a major constituency.  In that effort, they've amusingly hurt all sorts of folks on their own side, such as freelance journalists, but who among us doesn't enjoy a little blue-on-blue action?  Isn't that why the Good Lord gave us popcorn?

Hall Pass - I'm inclined to quote Robert Conquest's third law of politics here:

3. The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.

Admittedly, I'm unclear as to which cabal is involved, but there simply must be an explanation as to the World Golf Hall of Fame's Beclownment Program...  I mean, Jan Stephenson?  It's even better than it seems, because we have Golf Channel beclowning themselves with this header:

Tiger Woods, Dottie Pepper, Tim Finchem among World Golf Hall of Fame finalists

Geez, what's that first guy ever done in this game?  But how do you think he feels being on that list?  But Dottie Pepper?  Maybe if they'd engrave "Chokin' dogs" on the plaque, but that's about her only enduring contribution to the game...

But buried among the poseurs and sycophants, speaking to you, Nurse Ratched, is an actual nominee that made an outsized contribution to our game.  See if you can suss it out:

Johnny Farrell, Padraig Harrington and Tom Weiskopf join Woods among the male finalists. Susie Maxwell Berning, Beverly Hanson and Sandra Palmer join Pepper among the women. Marion Hollins joined Finchem as a finalist in the contributor category.

Sort of a trick question, because there's more than one.  But here I refer to the estimable Marion Hollins, who is part of the DNA of three of the most iconic golf courses in the world:

The key to deciphering the mystery of how Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie met

might lie with Marion Hollins.

The accomplished golfer and businesswoman knew both men. 

With her role in helping develop courses such as Pasatiempo and Cypress Point, she had a huge impact on MacKenzie's career because she recommended him for the course design jobs. 

Hollins won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and traveled in the same social circles as Jones, and she knew him well enough to get him to play on Pasatiempo's opening day. Jones invited Hollins to play an exhibition match at his home course, East Lake in Atlanta, during one of her visits to the East Coast in the early 1920s.

As Alice Dye is forever linked to the watery 17th at Sawgrass, so Marion is linked with an even more watery golf hole:

Hollins also played a role in the creation of the par-3 16th hole at Cypress Point. 

MacKenzie was planning on making the hole into a short par-4 because it would require a long carry over water as a par-3. 

"He said it's too long, the guys won't go for it," said Casey Reamer, the head pro at Cypress Point. "With that she teed the ball up in the dirt, took her driver, took one long, beautiful swing, and knocked it all the way over and it landed right in the center of where the green is today. She said if a girl goes for it, the guys will go for it. 

"And it became a par-3. She was instrumental in that, and hence, one of the greatest par-3s in the world."

But her most enduring contribution (as if Cypress and Pasatiempo are chopped liver) is recounted by David Owen, who literally wrote the book on The Masters:

Hollins, in addition to providing the original model for Augusta National, made one small direct contribution to its golf course—as I myself discovered in the late nineties, while I was researching my book “The Making of the Masters.” In 1931, Roberts complained to MacKenzie, in a letter, that MacKenzie wasn’t spending enough time in Augusta during the construction of the course. The main reason was that MacKenzie had money troubles of his own, including the fact that Augusta National had stopped paying him. But in his place he sent Hollins, who at that point was more than flush. “She has been associated with me in three golf courses, and not only are her own ideas valuable, but she is thoroughly conversant in regard to the character of the work I like,” he wrote to Roberts. “I want her views and also her personal impressions in regard to the way the work is being carried out.” Roberts was unhappy not to have MacKenzie himself, and he said that Jones would be unhappy, too. But MacKenzie defended Hollins in another letter, to the engineer who was supervising construction of the course. “I do not know any man, who has sounder ideas,” he wrote, and added, “She was most favourably impressed with it.”

That New Yorker profile, written in advance of last year's first Augusta National Women's Amateur is highly recommended (as is David's book).  

Not that this should necessarily be competitive, but I can't help considering those two candidates in the contributor category.  Without Hollins, we wouldn't have Pasatiempo, Cypress Point and Augusta National....  Without Nurse Ratched, we wouldn't have the FedEx Cup and DJ's jet-ski accident.  So, any guesses as to who will get in first?  Yeah, now you know why I'm so depressed...

Nothing To See Here -  Good news, sports fans:

IOC: 2020 Tokyo Olympics will not be postponed due to coronavirus

Not yet, anyway.... But I was surprised by this header:

Augusta National says Masters will go on in face of coronavirus, encourages fans to be cautious

Ummmm, Fred, aren't you supposed to refer to them as "patrons"?

As you know, my mind travels a solitary path, and has me wondering as to the ANGC equivalent of this:

Iranians licking religious shrines in defiance of coronavirus spread

Drinking the water from Rae's Creek?  In this era of community transmission, perhaps Patrick was ahead of his time with his Table for One?

Sun, Still Rising In The East - Ewan Murray of the Guardian interviews Rory ahead of the API with, shall we say, predictable results:

“I don’t want to come across as sort of elitist but I think some smaller fields [would help], maybe a few more events with no cuts,” said the world No 1 when considering 

Now, about those pasty legs....

how the game can be modified. “There’s so many tournaments and there might be an over-saturation in a way. You look at the NFL and they play 18 games a year, 20 games a year max, and people want it all the time. 

“I know football’s different than golf and all that, but I think being a golf fan these days can get quite exhausting following so many different tournaments, different tours, all that stuff. So maybe streamlining it a bit might be a good place to start a conversation.”

Yeah, I'm always taken by surprise by a dog-bites-man story....

But the amusement comes from the foreigner not understanding how over-exposed the NFL is...  His diagnosis is correct, he just got there in a circuitous routing...

Interestingly, Adam Scott has a different take:

Adam Scott, who has been supportive of the PGL plan, has not altered that approach despite McIlroy’s view. “I’m still very positive about the concept of what it could be, for sure,” the world No 7 said. “It doesn’t mean I think it’s going to happen necessarily. 

“Everyone sees it from somewhat of their own agenda. Being an international player, the thought of a world tour sounds really great. Maybe less so for someone based in Florida who doesn’t have to necessarily travel as much. I don’t think my sentiment has changed at all. I still think it’s fantastic.”

fair enough, though Adam is old enough to remember when they took the WGC match-play event to Australia.  It turned out that most of the international guys also live in Orlando and don't like to travel.  Maybe for a no-cut event, but not for a one-and-done opportunity...

The tell that the PGA Tour has screwed the pooch is in the weak fields for the Mexican WGC and Florida events.  If guys aren't showing for a no-cut money garb in Mexico City, the obvious conclusion is that there's not enough money on offer...  

You Can't Make This Stuff Up -  On cue after the release of the USGA's thrilling new catch phrase brand platform, comes news that tickets for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot remain available.  Not exactly shocking, though it does come in the face of decreased supply:

The number of tickets for the 2020 U.S. Open will be capped at 25,000 per day. It’s a reduction from the maximum of 30,000 tickets sold each day of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. 

“We’ve surveyed our fans over the last eight or so years and some of the feedback we’ve gotten indicates that it was a little too crowded, so we took that to heart,” said Charlie Howe, who is the USGA’s championship manager for the 120th U.S. Open.

Per Ian Faith, the U.S. Open's appeal is becoming increasingly selective...

But this about Saturday availability, from Shack, is the amusing bit:

If you were hoping to attend Saturday, the only option is the Corona Beer Garden—not to worry 38%, it won’t infect you—at $225.

I have it on reliable authority that a new brand platform has announced, and henceforth it will be the Covid-19 Beer Garden.

Tour Access - I'd like to hear a reaction from the kids themselves, but just the attention to the amateur game is notable:

The PGA Tour policy board approved a new measure to help pave the way for top

college players to earn status on various tours. 

According to a source familiar with the policy board’s meeting Tuesday at Bay Hill, the new program, called PGA Tour University, will grant players status on the Korn Ferry Tour based on a college ranking system. Only seniors who have completed their college eligibility will be considered. 

The top 5 eligible players in the ranking will earn Korn Ferry Tour status following the conclusion of the NCAA season. 

College players ranked below the top 5 will also have the chance to earn varying degrees of status on the Mackenzie Tour, PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Series-China based on their ranking.

It seems that every action of the Tour (and also the USGA) has been to force the kids to come out sooner, so this is good to see.  Is it sufficient?   I have no clue, but anything that lets the kids stay in school with the knowledge that there's a path to the Tour almost has to be for the better.

Alan, Asked - They obviously can't decide when to drop Alan's mailbag feature, available this week for Thursday low-aerobic blogging.  I know it isn't all about me, but this is the part of the week when I'm most in need of content....

A couple of queries that fit together:

The criticism over Azinger by several corners of the golf world — after two months of CBS being blasted for being too vanilla — is whiplash-inducing. Would Johnny Miller even get hired today? – @johnschwarb 

It’s true that commentators (and players) are often damned-if-they-do-damned-if-they-don’t. Honest/blunt opinions get turned into clickbait headlines, and the blowback makes folks gun-shy and encourages them to offer milquetoast quotes — and then they get criticized for being boring. I loved that Zinger put that out there. His job is to offer opinions, and that was a spicy one, which led to a great afternoon on Golf Twitter. I think there was a touch of condescension in his comments, which is what rankled the Europeans. But stirring the pot is always entertaining and can turn out to be enlightening, so I hope Azinger keeps his edge. Johnny Miller would be great in any era. I think social media actually helped grow the cult of Johnny, because his pithy remarks didn’t disappear into thin air but rather got lots of run in Twittersphere.

Yeah, well battlespace prep is a long game... And this:

Is the European golf media the most dish-it-out-but-can’t-take-it, cheerleading contingent in journalism? (I’m sure they call themselves The Media because they were doing it first.) – @ScottMichaux 

Welcome to my world! I’ve been forced to fend off those chaps for years. The Euro press is certainly always on high alert for any slight of their boys, real or perceived. I’m still not sure how much of their reflexive indignation is genuine and how much is performance art. Either way, I love it. The golf world in general and Ryder Cup years in particular would be much more boring without these kerfuffles. Gawd save the Queen!

That's a good lesson in how to take it, because these guys are in the entertainment biz...  That said, we're under no obligation to be polite when they whine...

This hits a topical subject:

Rather than rewarding terrible shots hit into the grandstands with free drops, can’t the Tour stake the stands red and make that drop include a stroke? Or even use white stakes and really make the pros shy away from that shot? Might save a noggin, too. – @FrankFite

Ummm Frank, in what sense is the shot terrible if they hit exactly where intended?  Probably the single most misunderstood aspect of the elite game, and also the one in which they play in easier conditions than we do.

There is a fundamental tension here in that fans want to be as close to the action as possible, which means ringing every green with grandstands. If there is a natural hazard on a hole and a guy plays away from it, is it fair to ding him a penalty stroke when he misses the green by 10 yards? An easy solution is to emulate what the R&A did at Royal Portrush, where the drop circles were in gnarly rough, making ensuing recovery shots much, much tougher. A bad lie seems like a commensurate punishment for hooking a shot into the stands.

Agreed, though if the USGA does that at Winged Foot heads will explode....Maybe Phil is correct to pass on that special exemption...

Is Tommy Fleetwood the European Tony Finau, or is Tony Finau the American Tommy Fleetwood? – @tombagjr 

Neither is a bad thing! Ryder Cup heroics, lofty spots in the World Ranking, even an occasional victory. The frustration with both players is that because they can make the game look so easy, we expect them to win more often. The Jordan Spieths and Justin Thomases – to say nothing of the Tiger Woodses — have warped expectations, in that top talents are now presumed to be winning consistently in their early 20s. Both Tommy Lad and Big Tony are following a more old-school template. Guys like Tom Watson didn’t arrive on Tour as finished products but spent years contending, failing, learning and evolving before finally busting out. Finau is 30 but came to competitive golf a little late in life. Tommy just turned 29. Both have plenty of time to achieve their awesome potential. Here’s hoping.

It's a bit unfair, but Tommy Lad is merely a guy that can't win in the U.S....  Tony, alas, can't win anywhere except Puerto Rico...

Career wins for Sungjae: over-under 4.5? – @coop_a_loop80 

I can answer this faster than it takes Im to complete his backswing: way over.

The kid is only 21, so duh!

Can you tackle the touchy subject of the ever-increasing bad behavior at golf events when alcohol, college students and some level of entitlement are involved? – @BillSpies1 

I’ve been saying for years they should stop selling alcohol at Tour events, or drastically curtail it. Unfortunately, in this age of reality TV and social media saturation, it’s not enough for many folks to just watch a sporting event — they want to be part of it in some way. Alas, this fuels the bellowing at the players, as does alcohol. It is the intimacy of golf that makes it such a thrilling spectating experience, but this delicate environment must be protected. I’m sure some bros will be like, I’m not going to any sporting event where I can’t pound a few beers. Honestly, they won’t be missed.

Golf is a thrilling spectacle?  As the kids say, interesting if true....

But good job in ignoring that 800-lb. elephant in the corner, legalized gambling... 

Here's one on a story I meant to blog...

Golf Channel moving to Connecticut — where do you come down on this move? Will there be loss of jobs? Changes to content? – @KeithKHorton 

I’m mostly tuned in to the human costs. I have a lot of friends — and a few frenemies — at the Channel so I’m bummed for them. Uprooting your life/family is never easy. And this gives management an impetus to part ways with chunks of the staff, too. No doubt there will be attrition at a place that has already been in cost-cutting mode. As for viewers, this move can’t be a good thing. Florida is one of the centers of the golf universe — Connecticut sure ain’t. Whether it’s players dropping by the studio or waves of staffers covering the Florida Swing, Golf Channel always benefited from its central location. Going forward, the whole operation will be a little more out of touch. Looking down from on high, Arnie can’t be happy.

It seems unnecessary for sure...  unless, of course, they know they're in a bad spot in the renewal of the Tour's rights packages.

And this hot take:

Will anyone opt out of the Tokyo Olympics due to the Coronavirus? As you did (and continue to do) with Zika in Rio in 2016, will you shame any player who refuses to go? – @RealCanadianDan 

Zika was always transparently a B.S. excuse, as Rory McIlory admitted after the fact. Coronavirus is a different kettle of fish and potentially much more of a concern. But we’re still four months away from the Olympic teams being finalized. Hopefully by then, the spread of the disease has been contained and the threat greatly diminished. If guys don’t want to play in the Olympics, they should just be honest about it, like DJ. I think he’s making a horrendous decision, but at least he’s being transparent.

Alan as the conscience of our generation is amusing, but his Olympic boosterism isn't a big factor for the players.  In my humble opinion, he'd do better to articulate why DJ is making a terrible decision...Of course, the problem with that is the underlying argument, that Olympic Golf matters.  Alan desperately wants it to matter, but he's undermined by the facts on the ground....

See you all tomorrow?

Tuesday Tidbits

A heads up to y'all that tomorrow is a travel day, as Employee No. 2 and I head home.  One more trip west before it's officially golf season....  Though, if we don't get some snow, I'm not sure what the point is.

Vanna, I'd Like To Purchase a Mulligan - Who says golf isn't a contact sport?  Certainly not NBC analyst Paul Azinger:

Entering Sunday’s final round at the Honda Classic, three Englishmen were right in the mix. Tommy Fleetwood held a one-stroke lead, while Luke Donald and Lee Westwood

were tied just a single shot back. For Fleetwood, who has never won on U.S. soil, this was a potentially monumental day. But Azinger missed the mark in making that point. 

“There’s a lot of pressure you know, you’re trying to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes and these guys know you can win all you want on that European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour,” he said. That European Tour. Uh oh. The international game and all that. Not good. 

He continued. 

“Westwood took offense to that actually yesterday when asked about that. Two wins on the PGA Tour but he’s all, ‘Oh I’ve won 44 times all over the world,’ but it’s not the PGA Tour, though. 

“And they know that and I think Tommy knows that. It puts a little pressure on Tommy — but this is where they want to be, isn’t it? They want to come here, they want to prove that they can win at this level.”

I don't see what all the fuss is about.  I mean, it's not like he called someone by the wrong pronouns...

As if on cue, the Eurotrash rose in righteous indignation:

Fans of the European Tour immediately took to social media to register their complaints with Azinger. The Telegraph‘s James Corrigan called him an “ignorant tool.” RTE’s Greg Allen called it “crass analysis.” The Score’s Adam Sarson called it “s—-y.” Those were the kinder comments.

To be fair, Curmudgeonly James Corrigan calls pretty much everyone an ignorant tool, not that I have any problem with that.  Of course, this guy isn't exactly typecast to play the adult in the room:

OK, I get the guys defending their tour, but this seems like it's plagiarized directly from the Koepka playbook.  Had Zinger avoided the unfortunate "THAT European Tour" I'm unsure whether this would have generated any pushback at all... 

I happen to be so old that I remember when truth was considered a valid defense:

Using the Official World Golf Ranking as a barometer for field strength is a slippery slope, especially since stats guru Mark Broadie has pointed out its bias against the PGA Tour. However, analytics site Golf Data shows that European Tour events, on the whole, are weaker than their PGA Tour brethren. In fact, out of Fleetwood’s five Old World wins only one would have been better than the weaker-than-usual Honda Classic field. Even that, the 2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, is equivalent to a “lower tiered” PGA Tour event, according to Golf Data. It is a position that isn’t new; a 2017 study by Golf Data found on average players performed 0.95 shots better relative to the field on the European Tour than on the PGA Tour, which accumulates to approximately four shots per event. The depth simply isn’t there. 

This is not to demean the European Tour, or those who play on (or cover or watch) it. It has its own magic and allure, boasting a handful of flagship events that are world-class affairs. It's also easy to chalk up the European golf sector as a sensitive bunch, but fans, no matter the sport, are provincial. That’s part of the contract: Pick your team, defend it to the death. Even if, deep down, you know you’re on the losing side.

Yeah, but our Poults is unswayed by actual facts.  But while I think the comments mostly uncontroversial, we can also agree that it wasn't the week to be bragging on field strength:

This is best understood as Ryder Cup battlespace prep, a field in which the Euros rule.

Lie Down With Fleas... - An historically-weak field at The Honda?  Cheating allegations swirling around a "Top-5 player"?  No problem for the suits in Ponte Vedra Beach, as they've got our future under control:

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Action Network and the PGA TOUR today

announced the launch of GolfBet, a first-of-its-kind, golf-focused betting content platform. GolfBet will be powered by The Action Network and hosted at www.actionnetwork.com/golf, and also will be available within The Action Network app. Through the strategic partnership, the PGA TOUR will provide GolfBet content distribution via TOUR digital platforms, footage rights to support GolfBet video content, and official TOUR data to ensure that GolfBet and The Action Network offer golf fans and golf bettors the most accurate data and compelling content available. 

“We believe that golf fans and sports bettors alike are in search of a deeper level of information that has not existed until the launch of GolfBet,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR’s SVP Media & Gaming. “The Action Network is the perfect partner to create this type of content platform to educate and entertain fans about responsible betting on golf while bolstering the overall gaming ecosystem. We are bullish that GolfBet content and the growth of sports betting will drive fan engagement and expand our overall audience.”

A deeper level of information than that available from Mumbles Faldo?  Certainly.... And who among us hasn't been losing sleep over the state of the gaming ecosystem?

Doesn't this sound exciting?

“In a typical PGA TOUR season, there are approximately 1.2 million golf shots taken across our schedule,” Gambuzza said. “This represents a massive opportunity for in-play betting, new types of markets for operators who have access to official PGA TOUR data, and tremendous opportunities for content generation. We think that The Action Network has the unique expertise to develop a diverse array of tools, analysis, and other content which will help fans and bettors understand, access, and enjoy these new betting opportunities as the market evolves.”

 A massive opportunity, perhaps?  But for whom?

Geoff's take on this is worth your while for all the usual reasons, plus a bonus tout for Nadal in the Derby.... C'mon, Geoff, stay focused on the matter at hand.....

But he closes with a word of caution about the feasibility of this all:

Besides the obvious concerns about fan interruptions intended to influence a wager, I’m still not clear on whether there is time to look at data AND bet on a live shot. 

As someone who watched 2019’s The Match with an eye on live bettering, it was clear that even with just two players, between sharing a pertinent stat and execution of the shot, making a bet would require a fast connection and easy method to make a selection. Maybe that will come within the PGATour app or on The Action Network at some point.

I love ya, Geoff, but at times you can be charmingly naive.  Don't you see that this is exactly why JB and Bryson's dreadful pace of play is a feature, not a bug?   

I find the Tour's aggressive pursuit of legalized gambling unseemly and off-putting, another example of the trend of our governing organizations seemingly uncomfortable with the appeal of their core product.  They don't seem to believe that we can be interested in a golf tournament on its own merits and, given the product they're producing, they just might have a point.

Deja Vu All Over Again - We have our first domino falling:

The 2020 Olympics golf tournament has its first confirmed no-show: Dustin Johnson. The world No. 5 plans to focus instead on the FedEx Cup playoffs rather than pursue a gold medal in Tokyo in July. 

Johnson’s manager, David Winkle, confirmed the decision to Golfweek on Monday. “Dustin gave the Olympics a great deal of thought and we discussed the pros and cons of him participating at length,” Winkle wrote in an e-mail. 

“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of personal preference and priority. As much as he would be honored to be an Olympian, the FedEx Cup Playoffs are also very important to him. Having had a few close calls in the Playoffs, he really wants to win them before his time is done and feels that he wouldn’t be giving himself the best opportunity to do so if he added a lengthy international trip just prior to their beginning (and shortly after returning from two weeks in Europe).”

Alan Shipnuck hardest hit....

That sound you hear is the rending of garments, but why would anyone be surprised or, quite frankly, care?  Yeah, the focus on the FedEx Playoffs is rich, but the simple fact is that Olympic golf is a bad joke.  Why should you expect DJ to care about it, when you haven't created a credible competition?

As Shack notes, the schedule is a disaster:

With Brooks Koepka on the fence and Tiger Woods signaling that his schedule will be very limited, the men’s portion of Olympic golf is staring down a no-show narrative. Again. And it’s only March.

Beyond the Olympics and possible pandemics, a rush of scheduling-based defections should warrant a condensed schedule reconsideration. At least, in Olympic years. Again.

But as much as I advocated an irony-rich diet, is Super Tuesday the best moment to discuss reliving 2016?  I'm great with it, just concerned that my liberal friends will find their heads exploding...

As Geoff notes, the schedule does not allow for a meaningless exhibition on the far side of the globe, but the problem is way more fundamental than that.  You've taken the Hero World Challenge and changed the name to Olympic Golf, but otherwise not provided a reason for us to consider it important.  Shockingly, even DJ, never the sharpest knife in the drawer, can see that and responds accordingly.  He will, in the next news cycle, be accuse of chasing the filthy lucre....

As for that schedule, there's news there as well:

The Honda Classic will have a new spot on the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing next season, a 

source familiar with tournament operations on the Tour has told Golf Digest. 

Next year, the Honda will be played March 15-21 and take place after the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. This year, the Honda precedes those two events. 

According to the source, the sequence of tournaments following the Genesis Invitational, the final event on the West Coast swing, will be the WGC-Mexico Championship, API, Players and Honda. As part of the shift, it’s expected that the Valspar Championship, also held in Florida, will move to a late April date.

Hmmmm....seems like the Tour might be choosing sides:

A move to a new slot on the schedule could help the Honda, a tournament that has been on the PGA Tour schedule since 1972 and has one of the longest-running title sponsors, attract more of the game’s stars to an event that boasts a long and distinguished list of past champions.

Yeah, but that puts the King's event in an awkward schedule slot, after the Mexico WGC, but before The Honda and Players....

Anyone remember my thoughts before the schedule contraction?  I called Arnie's event as the weak link on the schedule, and considered it an actual candidate for contraction...  It's the weakest golf course and with the King no longer there to receive homage from the players.... 

As background for this discussion, here's the Honda's strength of field numbers from recent years:

Year Honda Strength of Field

2015 466

2016 446

2017 387

2018 375

2019 298

2020 261

For perspective, the 2019 and 2020 strength of field’s were well less than half the WGC Mexico City. 

The 2018 to 2020 API strength of field: 443-545-568.

Something of a zero sum game, for sure.  Now do the Olympics.

Now He Tells Me - Mike Bamberger has a fun feature on a delightful Par-3 course in an unlikely location:

On the Monday after the Honda Classic, some of the most famous golfers in the world gather at the Seminole Golf Club, the oceanfront Donald Ross masterwork, for a club event called the Member-Pro. That presents an annual issue for Raymond Floyd, as he is both a member and a pro. As the pitching coaches say when you have three good left-handed starters, it’s a nice problem to have.

If you got in a boat on the beach at Seminole and sailed south about 20 nautical miles—past Lost Tree Village, the gated community where Jack Nicklaus lives, past Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s private club—you would eventually see another true oceanfront course, designed by Raymundo himself, which he did at no charge. It’s a muni! It’s owned and operated by the town of Palm Beach.

There’s no other course quite like it. It comprises 18 par-3 holes, representing all the popular wind directions, on 39 acres smack-dab between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. It would be impossible to put a price tag on the property—a half billion? Probably far more, but the town’s not selling, not now, not ever. That would be like Honolulu selling Waikiki Beach. 

About 12 years ago, Floyd inherited a 1961 18-hole Dick Wilson course that had become a financial drain on the town. “I took a course that was losing money, changed the routing and everything about it, and now it makes so much money it carries everything the town’s rec department does,” Floyd said in a telephone interview while the fourth round of the Honda Classic was underway. Floyd lives a couple miles south, at a golf development called Old Palm, where there’s a course he designed.

You guys know I'm not exactly a go-to source on South Florida golf, but until last week I didn't even know this place existed.  A you can see from the photo, it's tucked in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal, quite the piece of real estate.

But here Mike is just being mean-spirited:

The course has a grass driving range where I’ve hit a thousand balls over the past 35 years. You’d sometimes see Jesper Parnevik and other pros there. Chuck Will, a longtime CBS golf director, lived down the street and played it regularly. That street—South Ocean Boulevard—bisects the course. The restaurant at the course, with a view of the ocean, has the second-best pizza in Palm Beach County. Out of self-interest, I am not sharing the PBC pizza I rank ahead of it.

A grass driving range?  OK, if we go next year we'll have to work it into the itinerary:

Upon Further Review - I've decided that that ranking of fun golf courses in GB&I did not receive the credit it deserved.  There was simply too much gold buried within...

For instance, this ranking is simply an outrage:

No. 11 - Prestwick 

Course Information 

A century ago the legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin stated that “a man is less likely to be contradicted in lauding Prestwick than in singing the praises of any other course in Christendom”. How times have changed as nowadays, there are few courses as famous that attract more contention. Put simply, not all first-time visitors fully appreciate that this a links like no other. 

Prestwick is in many ways a museum piece, a shrine to the days 150 years ago when it hosted the first Open Championship – and indeed 23 further ones between then and 1925. Not even its fondest admirers would deny that several of the holes would have no place on a contemporary championship course. 

But then quite why they should is another question, and in any case who is to say that the modern version of the game is any better than that which the likes of Old Tom Morris, appointed keeper of the greens here in 1851, Willie Park and Young Tom Morris excelled at all that time ago? 

Taken at face value, it is an extraordinary course, packed with holes that to the modern eye are nothing less than outrageous. Take the opening hole, which some believe would be better if it came at any other point of the round.

It is a museum piece, but one that I think I'd be delighted to play every day of my life (OK, maybe not the first hole, as the carnage would be profound).  Obviously we don't want to be too serious about a ranking of fun, but there has to be a spot in the Top Ten for this cradle of our game.

Two spots lower is this joint, a name guaranteed to bring a smile to your humble blogger's face:

No. 13 - Brora 

Course Information 

Brora is one of the most northerly courses in Britain and represents all the attributes of a traditional Scottish Highland links. Established in 1923 and designed by James Braid over 194 acres of Scottish links land, the design which came to be known as ‘Braid’s Plan’ has hardly been altered to this day. The bent grass turf has a sandy feel which makes ball striking a delight.

Bent?  That's actually quite a surprise, as a proper links typically feature strains of fescue....Of course, this might be it's most notable feature:

Commenting on the course at Brora, current society president and five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson said: “One of my favourite links is Brora on the Moray Firth, where the golfers share a precious piece of territory with a hundred or so woolly sheep. What could epitomise nature better than such a communion? I pray it will continue and last as long as the world.”

As do we all...  of course, they've got Brora two spots above Dornoch, which will get some pushback.

Deeper into the list we find this gem of interest to your humble blogger:

No. 66 - Crail (Balcomie) 

Course Information 

Crail Golfing Society, the seventh oldest golf club in the world having been established in 1786, is located on the east coast of Scotland in Fife. It is less than 14 miles away from St Andrews and only five miles from Kingsbarns. It is home to two courses –

Balcomie Links and Craighead. At the Balcomie, you’ll find exceptional views and a well crafted, traditional Scottish links course. Old Tom Morris created the Balcomie, so its design is governed by the natural lie of the land and the result sees plenty of holes play right up against the North Sea. It’s a breathtaking experience.

The theatrical drama includes clifftop tees, pot bunkers, blind shots, turf walls and the constant threat of the swirling wind off the sea. The 447-yard par-4 5th, aptly called Hell’s Hole, is the headline act in a collection of magnificent holes.

It’s the hardest hole on the course and rightly so. You have a daunting decision to make off the tee. Do you play safe, go straight and probably take three shots to reach the green, or do you cut off as much of the corner as you dare and risk coming up short on the beach? It’s a beautiful hole but beware its bite.

There are some lovely par 3s on the Balcomie. Arguably the pick of the bunch is the 14th, the Cave. Here, the tee box is high on the hillside and you presented with glorious views of the rest course, the golden sands and sea. 

Once you put the camera away, the green looks a dot below and it’s fraught with danger. Not only is the out-of-bounds beach on the right side an imminent threat, but the green is encircled by pot bunkers. Balcomie is the premier course at Crail, and one not to be missed if you’re playing in the St Andrews area.

Anyone know anybody that belongs here?  Oh yeah, a pretty good call, we think.  It's a great place, though the course pushes the boundaries of quirkiness to the limits.  But the property is spectacular, built on the corner of the North Sea and the Firth of Forth.  

We'll talk more about this gem in July, as we head that way for our first visit as members.  

I'll leave you here, but might well revisit this amusing and informative list again at some point.  See you later in the week.

Weekend Wrap

It was a weekend of company and socializing....  Some skiing, but very little consumption of golf.  Not that that in any way inhibits my strong opinions thereon...

The Can't Miss Kid - Or won't miss, as the next event he skips will be his first:

South Korea’s Sungjae Im has played more golf than anyone on the PGA Tour the last 18 months, competing in 50 events and rarely taking a week off during that span. As it that wasn't challenge enough, add in the difficulty of being a stranger in a strange land, who

doesn’t speak the language, doesn’t own or rent a home in the United States and literally lives out of a hotel. 

It seems only fitting, then, that in typical ironman fashion, the 21-year-old’s first career victory on Sunday at the Honda Classic was hard work, too. 

After birdies on four of his first five holes followed by three bogeys in the middle of his round, Im rallied with two more birdies over his final four holes and a clutch par save on the last to win by one over Mackenzie Hughes in what was an electric final hour at PGA National.

For many, he was the revelation of the Presidents Cup, though those folks were a tad late to the party.  A  high ceiling, and he's still barley able to get a legal drink, what's not to like?

I did catch Im's up-and-in on the finishing hole, as well as the two chasers in the final group rinsing their balls on No. 18, one of which provided a glimpse into out future:

As he stood over his approach on No. 18 at PGA National, things were looking decidedly 

bright for Tommy Fleetwood. Even though he’d yielded his 54-hole lead, the 29-year-old had just poured in an impressive curler for birdie at 17 to get within one stroke of Sungjae Im, who was sitting in the clubhouse. Then he’d split the fairway at 18, leaving just 235 yards in on the par-5 finisher. 

But as Fleetwood took a rip with a fairway wood, NBC’s microphones picked up a fan screaming, “Get in the hole!” in the middle of his backswing. 

Fleetwood, who typically favors a draw, had sent a high cut into the sky, chasing the far-right pin. But he started the shot way right of his target and could only watch with a grimace as his ball dropped into the lake, dooming his chances at a first PGA Tour win.

There are times, as in the example above, where  the Shot-tracer line seems like a hate crime....

Tommy Lad and caddie both insist that they didn't hear the imaginative shout, which really could have come from anywhere...  In that link above, Dylan Dethier spends far too much time parsing Team Fleetwood's response:

Four possible explanations: 

1. Fleetwood didn’t want to make excuses. Sure, he heard something, but didn’t want to take the easy way out. 

2. Fleetwood didn’t hear the fan. He was in the zone — and fans scream stuff all the time. Fleetwood didn’t even notice. 

3. The audio was out of sync on the broadcast. What’s confusing about this possibility is that the audio of the club hitting the ball is perfectly matched up, but it’s possible to imagine multiple audio inputs or that the club noise was artificially added from the production truck. 

4. The audio was captured from elsewhere on the hole. Maybe the viewers at home had a distorted sense of how loud the scream was, especially from Fleetwood’s perspective, because the microphones picking it up were planted in the crowd far from the action. This could serve as a potential explanation for Reed’s situation, too.

Excuse me, Dylan, none of these are mutually exclusive....I remain convinced that the scream came from the grassy knoll.  But where is Abraham Zapruder when the nation needs him...

But such are the wages of Living Under Par™.  Combining this with an embrace of legalized sports betting seems a combustible mix, but I'm a lonely voice in the wilderness on such subjects.

Our weekly visit with the Golf.com writers includes this odd question:

2. Sungjae Im came up big down the stretch at the Honda Classic and won by one over Mackenzie Hughes and two over Tommy Fleetwood. Needing to birdie the par-5 18th to force a playoff, Hughes took a mighty cut on his second shot from 254 yards out and hooked it hard into the grandstands around the green. But thanks to a local rule he was able to take a drop from 72 yards (with a great angle to the flag) and still give himself a chance to make birdie and tie Im. Hughes missed the potential tying putt, but the question remains: Are pros getting too much of an advantage when they can swing away knowing the grandstands are there to bail them out? What’s the solution?

OK, this is actually an interesting aspect of professional golf, though you'd have thought they'd spare a minute to discuss the highly-touted youngster's breakthrough win.  And while the reference to a local rule is technically correct, it's passing strange to discuss it without that dreaded acronym "TIO".

Anyway, it's always fun when the writers at a golf magazine show off their ignorance:

Dethier: I don’t think players intentionally aim for the grandstands, but they definitely know they’re there, at least in the back of their minds. Some bleachers could be deemed penalty areas, so that those cushy drops come with a one-stroke penalty. Or, you could put in the pillar-shaped tall, thin bleachers from the Hogwarts Quidditch Stadium — and eliminate free relief. I like that option even better.

Dylan, you ignorant slut.... I know you're young, but still...I can save my breath, because grizzled vet Mike Bamberger sets the tyke straight:

Bamberger: Oh, young Dylan! From somebody of your golfing sophistication. Of COURSE they aim for grandstands when that’s the best play (not in this case). The drops are often comically generous but these events are also televised entertainment (not my view but the prevailing one) and they allow the show to go on with minimum disruption.

One of the most famous (and least understood) such examples was Jean van de Velde's second shot on the 18th at Carnoustie...  He was aiming for the grandstands right of the green, anticipating the sweet drop in his future.  Alas, in one of the worst breaks in golf history, instead of plucking Aunt Sadie, the ball hit a handrail and bounced straight back across the Barry Burn, from where pathos ensued.

 The solution to this is hidden in plain sight:

Sens: Mad props to the Harry Potter proposal. But I prefer what the R&A did at Portrush last year. Grow the rough up around the grandstands. Make “grandstopping” less appealing. 

Shipnuck: Yes, the gnarly lies in the drop circles at Portrush gave the errant shots the bad lies they deserved. That’s the simplest and best solution.

Absolutely, though gnarly drop zones have been used by the R&A prior to Portrush....  But glad you guys noticed.  At least some of you.

This I think a good issue as well:

3. Honda Classic host PGA National showed its teeth this week, as Im’s six-under total was the highest winning score in relation to par on Tour in a non-major since the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open, and this was also the first non-major since 1996 without any players recording a round of five under or better. Does the Tour need more grind-’em-out bogey-fests, or do you suspect they’re a turn off to fans watching at home? 

Dethier: Can’t speak for everyone at home, but I was much more likely to tune in knowing I was in for a healthy mix of birdies, bogeys and “others.” I’m not here to argue that PGA National is among the great golf courses on Tour, but the all-or-nothing suspense down the stretch does make it particularly entertaining. Nobody shot better than four under all week — that’s wild! Challenging conditions are always entertaining. 

Sens: What Dylan said. Bomb-and-gouge birdie-fests can be good fun now and then. But I think most fans want to see these guys work hard for it.

Shipnuck: Variety is the key to an entertaining Tour schedule. But I do enjoy the tension that comes with a really tough setup — it’s like a 0-0 game in baseball, where every little moment is fraught. That’s way more fun to me than a pushover course that doesn’t penalize mistakes. 

Bamberger: Well said, comrades. As we saw at the Presidents Cup, little in golf is more interesting than a fast course.

I couldn't disagree more, Alan.  I think a kind of mind-numbing sameness to each weekly event is the key to truly Live Under Par™.

My feeble humor aside, if you don't enjoy watching the best players in the world deal with conditions (firmness, per Mike, but also wind, rain, hail, pestilence and the slaying of the first born), you've made a curious choice of channels....

Chicks Dig Speed - Submitted for your approval is, if you happen to be a Ponte Vedra Beach suit, is the analogy from hell....  Our elite player are all about speed, right?  If you doubt me, just google "Phil Mickelson speed" for a taste...  So, isn't this interesting in the context of golf's distance explosion?

France is overseeing the most collaborative atmosphere in NASCAR history. All stakeholders — the sanctioning body, teams, drivers, track operators and television

partners — have brainstormed improvements and ideas to stop the plunge in attendance and television ratings. The solution is a new rules package aimed at markedly improving the on-track product. 

The new package uses aerodynamic ducts and a tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower — in simplest turns, it should slow the cars and bunch them closer together to increase passing attempts and improve the overall competitiveness. It will debut in the second race of the season, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

The old package permitted a handful of teams to move so far ahead of the competition it took too long for anyone to catch them, the racing suffered and fans stopped watching. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. combined to win 20 of 36 races last season, though the “Big Three” lost to Logano in the championship finale.

Who knew NASCAR drivers spent so much time in the gym....  Because, as I've been reliably informed, the increase in the distance golfers hit the ball is explained entirely by their ab work.

Obviously it's not a perfect analogy, but it's pretty darn good, no?  Technological changes have de-skilled the "sport", so said technologies are rolled back to create a better competitive environment that rewards a wider range of skills.  Nothing to see here....

A Fiskapalooza - Geoff had way too much fun with this over the weekend.  Tempting to just link you to his post, but then my competitive juices start coursing through my bloodstream, and what's a lonely blogger to do?

We'll lede with Geoff's header:

From Many, One: Live Under Par Is No Longer Golf's Lamest Slogan

Easy there, Cowboy, this is an extremely competitive category....From the USGA's press release:

‘From Many, One’

USGA Unveils New U.S. Open Brand Platform

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 29, 2020) – As part of the United States Golf Association’s ongoing commitment to invest in the U.S. Open and elevate the championship experience for players and fans, the Association today proudly unveiled its new U.S. Open brand platform, “From Many, One.”

Sigh.  Strike that, Le Sigh!

First reaction:  It's the friggin' U.S. Open, which has never, does not now, and will never require a "brand platform".  It's more than a little disconcerting that the folks governing (or, more accurately, failing to do so) our game can't see that they diminish their asset in hiding it under a gimmicky ad slogan....

Shall we allow them to continue to violate the first rule of holes?  I thought you'd be jiggy with that:

To help frame the creation of the brand platform, the USGA engaged key stakeholders over the course of the past year. Players (including some USGA champions), fans, media members, partners, representatives of host sites and volunteers were asked to share their thoughts on what makes the U.S. Open a one-of-a-kind major championship.

These constituents provided unique insights that included identifying the “open” nature of the championship, the grit and determination it takes to become a U.S. Open champion and the triumph of the human spirit as key attributes. Their insights led the USGA to the foundation of the platform, “From Many, One.”

Now, that slogan seems somehow familiar....yanno, triggering the mystic chords of my memory.  Which, it so happens, is not accidental:

‘From Many, One’: U.S. Open Brand Platform

The U.S. Open brand platform was developed in partnership with Culver City, Calif.-based Zambezi and is centered around a campaign line “From Many, One;” a new take on the motto “E Pluribus Unum” that will celebrate the nearly 10,000 golfers who will try to qualify for the championship, the 156 who will play and the one who will be crowned U.S. Open champion.

The premise of “From Many, One” is not a new one for the U.S. Open. It is something that was present at the first U.S. Open in 1895 and will be there in the future.

Not accidental, though incoherent for sure.... I know they want to wrap themselves in something larger, but it really doesn't work at all.  Besides which, didn't they get the memo, E Pluribus Unum is merely nonsense from dead white guys....

A bunch of folks combining to form a unified political entity in the 1700's is just like a group of pampered professionals competing for untold riches in the 21st century.  but I assume this confirms that each and every one of the "Many" will be receiving a participation ribbon....  

Enjoy Shack's righteous Fisking, but I find this highly troubling.  OK, perhaps "highly" overstates things, but it's so terribly difficult to take these folks seriously on important issues when they throw away money on nonsense such as this.

On  a related note is this Golfweek item:

USGA says U.S. Open generates $165 million annually. Here's where all the money goes

The bottom line: The U.S. Open generates $165 million in revenue annually, or about 75

percent of the USGA’s total revenue. 

That money funds, among other things, the 13 other national championships the USGA conducts annually. 

“Virtually everything we do loses money,” said USGA CEO Mike Davis in a media roundtable at Pinehurst. 

During a packed afternoon session at the Carolina Hotel, John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, put up a pie chart that broke down the revenue. It costs $80 million to conduct the U.S. Open. Then $15 million goes back to the players in amenities such as hospitality and travel expenses for amateurs, with $12.5 million into the purse. The rest of the money, roughly $70 million, is invested back into golf.

Ummm, thanks for that breakdown, John.  I'd just like to note that hiring a fancy California advertising agency is not  "investing back into golf."  And how much is Don Cheadle being paid?

Wither Tiger? - A continuing series dating back to 2014...  You've heard the news for sure:

Tiger Woods will miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second straight year in order to rest his body and continue training, sources told Golf Digest. 

It's a somewhat surprising announcement considering Woods' history at Bay Hill—he's won the event eight times, most recently in 2013.

This is less surprising than it seems.  Yeah, folks are swayed by those eight wins, but much has changed.  First, The King is no longer with us, and it might be the worst course they play on the Florida swing... But the biggest change is the schedule, with the Players Championship the following week.

Though this from Steiny is interesting:

“He is not going to play,” Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, wrote in a text to Bob Harig of ESPN. “Back still stiff and just not quite ready.”

 That's a high-water mark for actual information from that source... I'll go with ever.  

Bob Harig expressed concerns in this item:

Will Tiger Woods be able to play enough before the Masters?

Fair enough, though I'm thinking he might have struck "enough before" from it and addressed the bigger issue.

The Tour Confidential panel continues their singular focus on the one player, but on a tangent seemingly far removed from the issues of greatest concern:

1. After finishing last among players who made the cut at the Genesis, Tiger Woods skipped his hometown Honda Classic and won’t play at Bay Hill next week either (where he has won eight times). His agent, Mark Steinberg, told ESPN in a text: “Back still stiff and just not quite ready.” Woods has said before that this is the new reality, but after a rough start at the Genesis and now a mention about his back from his agent, are Tiger’s Masters odds starting to feel inflated? (He’s currently the second favorite between Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.)

We don't actually now whether the man needs help getting out of bed in the morning, but you're all over the Vegas odds?  Sheesh, way to stay on the important issues of the day.  But, praytell, has there ever been a tourney when Tiger's odds to win weren't inflated?

When You've Lost Feherty... - ...you've lost the country.  Though which country is the harder question.

Making the media rounds to promote his eponymous TV show on the Golf Channel, SI

did a roll call of names on Tour, asking Feherty to give his thoughts on each subject. When the discussion rolled to Reed, Feherty didn't mince words. 

"Jesus. You can put that in there actually. Just Jesus," Feherty said on Reed. "I mean, I don't even know what to say. It's just, it's going to follow him for the rest of his life."

But David, I was reliably informed that there's nothing to see here, specifically by Webb Simpson.  "Unfairly" being the key word...

"I'm not even sure that he's polarizing," Feherty continued. "I'm not sure there's too many people on the other side, you know what I mean? I mean, "there is no God" was the first thing I said after he'd won last week. There is no God, you know, that's proof of it right there. Amazing. I mean, he is amazing. He's Captain Oblivious, just can let everything run off his back. I've never seen anything like it."

Well, he's not Captain Table For One for nothing....

This might be the most interesting bit, his take on a question I posed when the Kostis allegations broke:

Feherty finished by saying if he did see a player cheat, he would say something, albeit not on TV. "You point that out to your producer for sure," Feherty said. "Tell them that you saw something happen and then, it's kind of the producer’s decision."

I like David, but this isn't a great moment.  I get his instinct to pass the buck, but the question of the obligation of the broadcast team is an interesting issue, to which he has come out in punt formation.

David, any chance of you committing an act of journalism?  I'd love to see Tour professions shown that Barclays video and asked for a reaction....  I know, no need to DVR his show.

A Fun Spin On Course Rankings - Via Geoff, a ranking of golf course for the 99%.  First, his brief take on the dreadful state of the ranking biz:

Little known fact: golf course rankings have become dreary affairs focused on experience and in the case of too many, rewarding design difficulty over fun. Imagined in this enlightened age rating movies based on how uncomfortable the seating was, and how long the movie played (three hours is resistant to…fun!).

Little known?  I don't think so....  Largely ignored, for sure.

Well, yeah!  

Defining what is ‘fun’ and what makes one course more ‘fun’ than another is, in my opinion, even harder. 

If what each of us thinks makes a course ‘good’ differs greatly, what we think is fun is at least as fluid. In an attempt to define it – not least to illustrate to you the kind of courses our panel has included in the 100 – I asked our contributors and some architects to tell me ‘fun’ meant to them. You’ll see that while there were common themes, there was also a wide spectrum of essential factors mentioned. 

That, I think, helps to explain the presence of so many different types and styles of courses in the list, which I firmly believe is a good thing. 

As a general rule, courses that are relatively short in length and relatively forgiving in nature prosper – which is entirely predictable. Frankly, we could have populated the list with nothing but that kind of course.

People having fun on a golf course?  I find that highly irregular....  

The list itself is a conundrum to blog, as it's all over the lot.  But as I scrolled through all one hundred items, a smile was in evidence at all times.  I was delighted to see two tracks from our Cornwall-Wales trip included, St. Enodoc and Pennard (with two others deeper in the list).  These are wonderful, unique links that are, indeed, a delight.

I'm of mixed minds about this, which is really a category error:

St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club

Course Information 

It is better known as The Himalayas, which as anyone who has experienced it knows, is a very apt description of this riotous facility that sits between the Old Course and West Sands in St Andrews.

It was founded in 1867 as a venue for ladies, who were enjoying tackling the putting course the Old Course caddies had set-up but which was causing friction between the sexes (this was the 1800s at least…)

It's a hoot, at least if you play it in the absence of the inevitable crowds.  So many folks go play The Old Course without knowing that this exists, that it's a public service to promote it.  I'm just a little hung up about it not being, you know, an actual golf course.

But as Shack notes, it's hard to quibble with their top three, North Berwick, The Old Course, and Cruden Bay.  And so many other names for those looking to depart the beaten path.

I shall leave you here and hope to see you tomorrow.