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Author: mhagenbach

Ted Bishop’s Un-Excellent Adventure

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Many in the golf world were surprised when PGA President Ted Bishop was relieved of his duties this past Friday. Apparently Mr. Bishop engaged in a he-said/she-said fight on Twitter and FaceBook with Ian Poulter about a few comments Poulter had penned in his new book.   Mr. Poulter (she-said) slammed Nick Faldo for some words the latter offered about Sergio Garcia’s Ryder Cup play in 2008. In this elementary schoolyard brawl he-said (Bishop) called she-said (Poulter) a little schoolgirl and the PCP (Political Correct Police) arrived faster than a brush fire with a tail wind. The incident resulted in the PGA Board of Directors removing Bishop from office, three weeks short of the expiration of his term.

For those believing this action stemmed from the he-said/she-said dialogue, you might as well go wax your shafts. There was a much larger issue between President Bishop and the PGA Board than lil’ schoolgirls. As the months passed on Bishop’s presidency it became known he was not the most popular kid on the PGA’s playground. The social media comments only served as a conduit to throw him under the school bus. Some sources within the Association have told me the Board did not approve of his actions while in office. Once the moment availed itself, they swooped in and pulled him off the course.

I’ve met Ted Bishop. I have not met Ian Poulter, Nick Faldo or Sergio Garcia. I can only speak about Bishop while I have observed him during the course of his tenure with the PGA. He has gotten behind programs to grow the game, a game that is experiencing dwindling play. I have seen him as a visible proponent of his association, much more so than any of his predecessors. He took a stand with the R&A and USGA regarding the ban of long putters. I did not always agree with him but I liked the way he stood up and spoke his mind.

His selection of Tom Watson as Ryder Cup Captain may be seen as the ultimate failure but to me it was a brilliant move. Watson and Bishop did not hit one single shot at Gleneagles yet they are taking the hit for the American’s loss. The fact is our team did not play as well as the Europeans – case closed. Many of Team USA’s players don’t understand when it comes down to competition you stick your tee in the ground, grind it out, play your best and shake hands at the end. This bunch didn’t step up for themselves through their play or their captain by way of respect. Instead they laid the blame at his feet on Scottish soil. Imagine if Ben Hogan were their captain? The fact is Hogan would have little to do with these players. They wouldn’t comprehend his simple message – go out and win.

I suspect some within the ranks did not approve of Bishop’s visibility. Perhaps they expected him to cow-tow a bit more but I don’t believe that is Ted Bishop. Bishop is used to calling the shots, cutting through the crap and getting things done. He is the owner of The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Indiana. When you are the owner of a business you make decisions, probably don’t sit in on too many committee meetings, pay the bills and administer the operation to the best of your ability. Contrast this to other PGA Professionals who may work at member-owned facilities, make decisions through committees, have to justify their job performance to a board of directors, and bite their tongues on too many occasions in order to remain employed. They are two different worlds. Bishop didn’t want to operate under those constraints so he became a facility owner. He is used to doing it on his own. That work ethic in my view is worthy of respect.

At a time when the PGA (an association I often don’t understand and I’ve been a member since 1986) needed some leadership and visibility, Ted Bishop stepped up. His presence put an identity on the Association’s involvement for many of the initiatives promoting the game.

But in this day and age the temptations of social media can sabotage careers quicker than a double-cross. Should he have known better? Yes. Frankly, Ian Poulter is not worth the effort to jeopardize one’s standing in the golf world. Yet it happened. Bishop is going to pay a severe penalty, a penalty that in my estimation is unwarranted. His two comments do not outweigh the efforts and hours he has put in serving the PGA the last (almost) two years. Perhaps he is the victim of being his own person (politically correct term) but in the end isn’t that what all of us should aspire to?

My wife and I were watching the fallout from this decision Friday night on the Golf Channel. When I told her about the situation she asked, “How is this worse than Bill Maher calling Sarah Pallin the “c-word? Nothing happened to him.”

Or maybe Don Imus calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “a bunch of nappy-headed ho’s.” I see him now in the mornings on Fox Business News. He resurfaced without suffering too much damage.

Or the next time I’m playing with three male friends and I leave a putt woefully short, one of them utters, “Nice putt, Alice….” Should I ask the ranger to have him removed from the course never to return?

I could go on but why? Many folks in prominent positions have uttered things much worse than Ted Bishop and have suffered little if any consequence. What he did may have been in poor taste and lacked judgment. However ask yourself this question – does the punishment fit the crime? As I said previously there have been many times when I did not understand the actions of my Association. This represents one of them. Questions about Bishop’s removal should be asked of each member of the PGA Board. What were their reasons from throwing a “death-penalty” at him? That is where the truth lies but unfortunately is not likely to ever be known. It will all slowly dissolve once all of the lil’ school children (I checked with the PCP) are called in from recess. Somehow this scorecard doesn’t add up.

 

 

Pure Raynor

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In the past month I had the opportunity to play two wonderful Seth Raynor courses – Chicago Golf Club and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club. For those who appreciate architecture from earlier days, these two layouts offer incredible examples of classic design.

Raynor was mentored by Charles Blair Macdonald, the noted architect who crafted the National Golf Links of America. The two collaborated on many superb courses including Chicago Golf Club, Yale Golf Club, Camargo in Cincinnati and The Country Club of Charleston (SC). The interesting characteristic of these courses is certain hole designs are repeated at each venue. If you tend not to notice such similarities, you still may walk away with the feeling that you’ve played a certain hole before in another place.

Raynor often incorporated hole designs Cape, Redan, Short, Biarritz, Alps, to name a few. The features migrated from layouts in the British Isles. If you examine courses on Google Earth it’s easy to spot common characteristics in the green complexes and surrounding bunkers. While the holes aren’t exact duplicates the strategy employed to play the holes are the same.

Playing with two longtime friends at Chicago Golf (some aficionados like to simply call it Wheaton), I progressed through the round absorbing the many subtleties Macdonald and Raynor employed. It wasn’t my first time around the venue. I played it back in the persimmon/muscleback era with balata ammunition. Despite the advances in technology the course more than held its own. Yes, some of the approaches to the greens may have been a bit shorter but undulations, false fronts, and strategic bunkering demanded precision. I remarked to my buddy RB on the twelfth (punchbowl), how amazing it was to take a straightaway hole and give it movement through the use of cross bunkers and sweeping fairway definition. Top it off with the elevated punchbowl green and number twelve at CGC is one of the finest par fours you can play.

I had never played Blue Mound so the experience would be similar to opening the pages of a new book. The course has been compacted by the urban sprawl surrounding the property but the routing is well thought out with the outward nine surrounding the inward. EJ, the retired starter told us to watch out for the three-tiered putting surface on the second. Little did my nephew and I expect the tiers would not run up the green. Instead they were placed left front, right front, and back right, three different elevations that offered a stern putting challenge. After that encounter the par-three third threw a Biarritz green at us and we were on our way. I managed to sling a five iron to the back of the green at the Redan (#13) although the flag was placed in the middle of the heaving putting surface.  The Redan at Blue Mound is fun to play.  At Chicago, it can be excruciatiing

Holes eight and nine are excellent models of solid par-fours. The long, uphill eighth offers players a ground option to its punchbowl although you’d better not be short as a cavernous bunker left of the green swallows the weak appraoch. The shorter ninth leads players back to the wonderful lannon stone clubhouse through a maze of cross bunkers to a deceptively sloping green. It is a wonderful finish to a solid outward nine.

Both courses feature unremarkable property. However the ingenious talent of the architect(s) more than compensates for any deficiencies. The green complexes at both offer marvelous tests. While Chicago intricately mows square edges on their putting surfaces, Blue Mound still maintains the integrity of their design at a well-manicured level. The start in Illinois will quickly grab your attention (450, 440, 220) whereas the initiation north of the state line is a bit more cordial. The first green at Blue Mound does remind the player of what is to come with its two-shot Redan. As severe as the yardage test is at Chicago on the opening threesome, you had better bring your best putting touch to Blue Mound’s starting trio.

I’m often asked to name my favorite course. I’ve played tournament courses, sleepy country clubs, ranked resorts and upscale muny’s. I’m lucky to have seen so much and been able to bring a decent (some might debate this) skill level to these offereings. Yet when I’m asked to name a favorite it has to fall under the category of “a course I’d enjoy playing every day”. Certainly CGC and Blue Mound fit the bill. While both venues fall well short of 7000 yards, they prove themselves is so many ways. Yes the design features are markedly similar but in reality show me a modern day architect who doesn’t employ the same tendencies from course to course. Dye, Fazio, Trent Jones and Nicklaus have the same things up their sleeves as Macdonald, Raynor, Ross and MacKenzie. Great design is timeless.

As years roll by and the adage “the older I get the better I used to be” rings true, I understand the importance of walking off the eighteenth green with an appreciation of all the game has given me. Whether it’s a decent score, the beauty of the day, the camaraderie of close friends, an admiration of the architecture, or some combination of these factors, a day on the golf course is always an enjoyable privilege.

Another good friend, JV, contends that to play a “shrine” is a very special golf experience. They’re out there but most players don’t understand the connotation. Most don’t take the time to appreciate what they are walking across. Most see it as sport rather than a game. With sport, the only thing that matters is winning. However, playing the game of golf affords several chances to win regardless of the numbers on the card. Holing out on the final greens in Wheaton and Wauwatosa allowed me to put many “W’s” on my memory scorecard. The essence of PurePlayGolf was very evident those two fall days.

Raynor’s works granted me a chance to step back in time and see that indeed great design and great golf are truly timeless. Before the snow flies get out and open your eyes to the many wonders golf provides.  Get out and PurePlay.

 

No Easy Ryder

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The fortieth Ryder Cup Matches concluded Sunday much as they were predicted. The Euro’s dominated the contest by capitalizing on the afternoon foursomes from Friday and Saturday to earn an easy 16 ½ — 11 ½ victory. This cup literally runneth over the Americans who were sent packing empty-handed from distant shores once again. Keegan Bradley will now have another duffle bag of Ryder Cup gear that will sit next to the one from Medinah’s matches. He could probably throw ‘em on EBay.

Captain Tom Watson, Scotland’s adopted son was selected as the American messiah, the man who knew the formula to retrieve the cup. But even messiah’s have bad days, especially sixty-five year olds managing a squad from another generation. Criticized for not picking Billy Horschel, golf’s newest $12 million man, in all likelihood wouldn’t have mattered.

On a cool, stocking-capped Friday morning the 2014 matches began when Web Simpson popped out to the second baseman. The tee shot was so bad it took awhile for the camera to locate it. Teaming with the mercurial Bubba Watson, a player who either likes a course or dislikes it, it was apparent Bubba didn’t feel like playing on opening day. Too cold, too windy, greens too slow and stern rough that seized his freak-show tee shots, he and Webster didn’t make a birdie during their four-ball match. Simpson looked like a deer-in-the-headlights throughout the exercise. In the Ryder Cup you don’t back into victory reminiscent of what occurred at the Olympic Club. You need to step up and assume control. For lessons on that, just ask the Euros.

Watson was second-guessed for maybe outguessing common sense when Spieth and Reed were asked to sit down after demolishing Gallacher and Poulter in Friday’s four-ball. Then on Saturday he sat Phil and Keegan for the whole day so they could take in the sights and sounds of their fellow teammates getting thrashed in the afternoon foursomes. It was déjà vu all over again. Some said without Tiger this was supposed to be Phil’s team. Maybe his Saturday sabbatical served to show him what it will be like when he is selected captain.

Naturally NBC had to conjure the comeback scenario that occurred at Medinah for the Euros and The Country Club for the Americans to get folks to tune in and watch a mega-dose of commercials. My gosh, I haven’t seen that many ads in ten years of viewing The Masters. If I see that Cadillac spot one more time with the nerd walking down the street I might need a lobotomy. You could smell the amount of advertising dollars coming through your TV in high def. Too bad the PGA of America can’t buy a winning formula with that loot.

To say the Americans had no chance on Sunday would be inaccurate. Early matches put plenty of red on the board but the leads for Team USA fizzled like cold haggis. Spieth gave his lead and momentum to the patient McDowell. Mahan showed that his flop shot needs work and Web couldn’t bring home a full point against a struggling Poulter. In the end it was Europe that reminded viewers matches may indeed go eighteen holes. Down early means little to experienced, patient players who are used to winning matches. They showed it at Medinah on Saturday afternoon. Momentum swings? They turn quickly in the Ryder Cup and you can feel them coming. On Friday and Saturday afternoon a “foursome tsunami” washed over the Red, White and Blue with such a force that Gleneagles was lucky not to be underwater on Sunday morning. Instead it was the Americans trying to keep their heads above sea level.

If you would have picked Jamie Donaldson as the man to deliver the nail in the coffin for the Euros, you might have been in a small sample. Donaldson is virtually unknown in the US but has fashioned himself into a prominent figure on the European Tour. It would have been easy to pick Rory or Rose, Kaymer or Poulter but those speculations didn’t matter. As long as it was one of the twelve, who cared? The Euros are great at leaving their ego’s behind when they pack for these matches.

So despite Mikelson ranting about not following Azinger’s winning formula, Fowler’s attempt to steal some glory from Rory, or Furyk trying to survive a four hour match on three hour energy, you can only say at these matches Europe played like champions. Even the reclusive Victor Doo-B-Son showed off his game on one of golf’s biggest stages. He didn’t say much but did he have to? Victor can flat out play.

I’m not quite sure what derailed Team America this time around. Several other paid scribes can contemplate their theories on this mismatch. There will be plenty of discourse on not utilizing Azinger’s pods, preparing for the Scottish weather, an out-of-touch, old captain, when the captain’s picks should be made, pairings and personalities, uniforms, greens speed, Poulter’s hair, and the such but I saw what I needed to. I would’ve liked to see an American victory but in the back of my mind I prepped for reality. The Euros were just a better team.

Kudos to the youngsters Spieth and Reed for showing a little American spirit. So long to Jim Furyk who has donated much of his time and solid play to the Ryder Cup. At least he got to win a couple. Web and Bubba; this duo needs to put their heads in the moment. Jimmy Walker threw a little dy-no-mite at Gleneagles. Too bad Ricky couldn’t complement the blast. Phil was predictably Phil. You can’t fault him for speaking his mind but it would be nice if he could hit more fairways. Also, there is a time and a place to bash an eight-time major champion who happens to be your captain. Certainly the closing press conference may not have been the wisest choice. I doubt the two will be sitting next to each other at the Champions Dinner at Augusta National next April. Keegan, EBay those duffle bags. You don’t need them.

In the end, out of all the coverage, commercials, and comments one image sticks in my mind. Matt Kuchar casually smiled his way around his singles match on Sunday against veteran Thomas Bjorn. He looked more like a country club member participating in his club’s blind-bogey event. He brought home his point but “Kuch” added a bit more. He showed us golf is just a game even on the biggest stage. There will always be a winner and a loser. There are millions of golfers who would love to be on that stage, win or lose. Yet there are only twelve for each team. For any of those individuals to walk away with disdain, well, I wonder if they “get it”. This is so much more about winning and losing. It’s about life’s on-going process of character development. The game is bigger than the result and it is surely bigger than the participants.

For now the Ryder Cup will rest in Europe until the next match takes place in Minnesota two years from now. Hopefully Team America will just come to play like “Kuch” and perhaps smile their way to a win. Forget the media hype. Disregard the player rankings. Emboss big “smiley faces” on the golf bags. Show up and be ready to play. Not much else has worked. It’s worth a try.

 

 

Golf’s Late, Late Show

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As the clock ticks closer to the start of the 40th Ryder Cup Matches, I can’t help but strap in for three days of amped-up golf. Even in the middle of football season the occasional fan is likely to keep tabs on the score. It is 2014’s last hurrah of “Golfing With The Stars”.

I first recall catching a glimpse of highlights from the 1975 matches played at Laurel Valley in Pennsylvania. The eighteenth hole is a dogleg par five around a large lake rising to an elevated putting surface. Arnold Palmer was playing the hole and lashed one of his low rising 3 –woods across the lake and up on the green. By a score of 21-11 the Americans easily defeated the GB & I (Great Britain and Ireland) squad as was expected. I didn’t think much of it then as an eighteen year old. The USA was supposed to win. Oh how that quickly changed.

Over the last thirty years the status of the Ryder Cup has risen faster than Jack Ma’s net worth. Today America is doggedly pursuing their ambition to bring the cup back to the states. They need a win. They need this win.

I’m content to accept the outcome should the Europeans prevail. After all they do seem to be resounding favorites on paper. But as everyone knows golf is played on grass of various lengths and consistencies. Right now, less than ten hours to the opening match the score is 0-0 and both teams feel as if they will taste victory.

I plan to be awake at 1:30 am Central Daylight Time tuned into Golf Channel’s coverage. Who knows what to expect in better ball match play?  I do however have a wish list of things I’d liked to see over the next three days. Here are a few:

Should this be Phil Mikelson’s last appearance in the matches I would like to see the USA have a chance going into Sunday. If so it will be up to him to lead this team to victory.

I want to find out what Patrick Reed is made of. Captain Watson didn’t hesitate to toss him into the morning pool of matches. Sink or swim, I’ll find out by sunup on Friday.

Hunter Mahan has a good week. Ideally a Hollywood finish with him canning a 20 footer to win back the cup would be wonderful but it won’t happen. Likewise I don’t want to see him in a position similar to what he endured in 2010.

Rickie Fowler vs Rory McIlroy singles match on Sunday. Now that would attract some viewers.

The self-imposed pressure of playing for your country. Choking, heroics, bold attempts, questionable decisions, tops, shanks, skulls and missed two-footers. It’s going to happen, it’s just a question of who handles it the best.

Lastly, Scotland owes Tom Watson a chance to go out on top. His near-miss at the 2009 Open Championship was great theater. He had one hand on the Claret Jug. The win would have meant more for Watson than Stewart Cink. Nothing against Cink. He’s had a nice career and can pay his bills but golf history is not going to shine a spotlight on his accomplishment like it will Watson’s. Maybe “Ol’ Toom” has one more trick up his sleeve.

It’s easy to list what I don’t want to see – boorish fan behavior that degrades or unfairly criticizes any player. These men are doing their best to compete. Let’s not have spectators ruin the event by stealing the true spirit of the game. Sportsmanship is a vital part of the game. Hopefully it is in full view of everyone watching. It is what all of us play for. It’s what they’ll be playing for on golf’s grandest stage in a matter of hours — to win fairly and shake hands with your fellow competitors at day’s end.

Let’s hope for a great weekend of golf. I’d better get my nap in. Cheers!

 

 

The Golf Hippie

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Whether you play golf, work in the business or just enjoy being around the game, you know the types it can attract. Normally associated with upper echelon participants, golf in fact is played by CEO’s and hobos on exclusive country clubs or hardpan munies. Either way the game is the same – get the ball in the hole, spend time with your buddies and enjoy the outdoors.

Several years ago when I was working in Chicago I came across an interesting character. “Hippie”, with a pedigree straight out of a Stephen King novel, came to golf probably out of the need for some solitude while roaming the green grass. A Vietnam veteran, “Hip” caddied at several north shore clubs making a few dollars where he could. It was apparent the war had taken something out of him but once on a golf course with a bag across his back Hip felt as if he were the richest man in the world. In many ways, he was.

This is not to say he was a model citizen. He often found problems in a bottle that would derail him for a few days but eventually he’d re-surface and get a loop. Burning a few bridges at a couple of caddie houses, Hip finally fell under the wing of Terry Russell, then the Head Professional at River Forest Country Club. Russell, a solid player and a wonderful club pro, gave Hip a little tough love and made him toe the line in order to continue working as caddie. They developed one of those unique relationships you often find in golf.

One year Russell qualified to play in the Western Open at Butler National Golf Club. When a club pro could tee it in a tour event it highlighted his career. There was no doubt who would caddy for Russell. Hippie, with his shoulder length sandy blond locks, followed his boss around the Butler layout offering encouragement and support. It was hard to tell who enjoyed it more. With his gapped-toothed smile, Hippie later told me it was his finest moment as a looper.

I was fortunate to have Hip caddie for me in a couple of Illinois PGA section events. He’d hop on a bus and I’d pick him up at a predetermined location on the way to the course. While caddies are told to show up, keep up and shut up, such a curriculum would have stifled his enthusiastic personality. The course was truly his “turf”, the place where the challenges of everyday life took a brief sabbatical. I never had a bad round with Hip. The number may not have been where I would have liked but the camaraderie of a day on the links with him, a guy on opposite ends of life’s spectrum, was a day well spent.  It was impossible to have a bad round with the guy.

As Hip’s health deteriorated he was unable to continue caddying. The time in ‘Nam plus some hard living and neglect for his health took its toll. Not a big man (Hip was a skinny as a six iron), he slowly lost his battle in life with Russell and his wife Nancy by his side. Hip’s passing was akin to losing a brother who had at times taken the wrong road but somehow found his way back. He had a good heart for those who took the time to connect with him.

There are many occasions when I look back at the people I’ve met through golf. Many of them have become life-long friends. From all walks of life, folks gravitating towards the task of knocking a ball in a small hole. Players, caddies, professionals, instructors and sales reps, you name it, all of those people have added to my love of the game. It’s not just the swinging of the club, rather it is the collection of diverse personalities that define the sport. The memories, stories and moments spent with someone who truly loves the game are everlasting. Regardless of a person’s background, golf brings out the best in people. It brought out the best in Hip.

As long as I am around golf I’m sure I’ll run into a few more “Hippies”. I look forward to those encounters.  Like Billy Joel sang, “I’d rather run with the sinners than cry with the saints.  The sinners are much more fun……”

A Convenient Dismissal

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Coming off a missed cut at the PGA Championship a few weeks ago, Tiger Woods speculated that he would have to reevaluate his health in order to be considered as a Captain’s Pick for the upcoming Ryder Cup. He worked the media as he always does, saying several things but not offering much content. He jetted off the runway in Louisville heading towards his enclave in South Florida. Many golf fans held their collective red, white and blue breath hoping Tiger would heal.

Then came the announcement that Tiger was in no condition to tee it up at Gleneagles in September. His doctors advised him to continue his rehab and the former #1 commented he needed to get stronger. Looking at Tiger Woods these days you wonder if that’s possible. His physique is as solid as those stingers he used to stripe fairways with. Yet that is Tiger – more strength, more reps and more range time. He’s always been that way.

The media soaked up the announcement in a soupy manner such that Tiger has become more personable and thoughtful since he had to lift his Escalade off that fire hydrant. Wasn’t it great that he let Captain Watson off the hook with his decision? What a fine gesture of sportsmanship, maturity, and genuine concern for the Ryder Cup. Well, paint it as you like but this whole episode was another choreographed presentation devised by Tiger, INC. He never wanted to play in this competition.

How can that be you ask? There are a variety of circumstances supporting my view. First, the record – hardly stellar at 13-14-2. In partner play he’s a paltry 9-13-1, hardly reflective of this era’s greatest player. Face it, he doesn’t like playing with someone else. Put him in a singles match and the record flips to 4-1-1. You can’t change a Tiger’s stripes and this one is only geared for individual competition.

Secondly, is he really a great influence in the team room? Maybe he can play a little ping-pong but it has been said Tiger is just the same old Tiger folks see week-to-week on tour.

Third, the only victory for the US since 2000 came at Valhalla with a Tigerless-team. He played for the winning squad at the Country Club in 1999, but that was before he took the golf world by storm the following year by winning three consecutive major championships.

Another consideration is that much of Tiger’s game has been built upon an intimidation factor that is no longer present. Nicklaus and Hogan had it. In the early part of this century Tiger won several events by simply showing up. There wasn’t a shot he couldn’t pull off, a putt that didn’t find the center of the hole or an opponent that could challenge him. Sure, Bob May caught lightening in a bottle at the 2000 PGA, but name another player who assumed this role when Tiger had his “A” game. The fact is by the time Saturday rolled around Tiger had pretty much decided many of his wins with dominant play. He is the greatest individual player of our time.

Finally there is the issue of time. Tiger has not hoisted a major trophy since 2008. As he approaches forty, his window is closing on Jack’s number. His mind right now (well, after he just fired Sean Foley) is on Augusta. He will drive down Magnolia Lane as the underdog while Rory gets all the focus. It is an ideal situation for Woods to recapture his dominance.

Ryder Cup participation for Woods this year offers no redeeming value. Besides he truly has an issue with his back and the rotational move Foley instituted in his swing seems to have “back”fired. Yes, he did win five events in 2013 but Tiger’s next chance at a major will be in 2015 at a venue where he has four wins. Tick…tick….tick…..

So as Captain Watson searches to put his “Dirty Dozen” together, the task looks daunting. The Euro’s are loaded. That makes me think the Americans have a great chance for bringing back the cup. Tiger’s eloquent dismissal will be seen as a key in the victory. As he sits in his weight room taking a break from his work out on Sunday, he’ll watch his fellow competitors pouring champagne in the pouring Scottish rain. I’ll bet he even calls Watson shortly after congratulating him on a fine captaincy. It will all be managed for the media’s benefit.

On Monday morning as he wakes up Tiger will have two thoughts — #1, I’m so glad I didn’t have to play in that thing. #2, Only 195 days til Augusta.

 

 

 

Missing Sounds

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When I was a kid (many, many years ago), I couldn’t wait to get up on a summer morning and head to the golf course. We were fortunate our junior program had ample depth so there were always playing partners about. The professional staff encouraged us to play and ran interference when the course got busy. It wasn’t uncommon to play 36 holes a day. Many friendships and memories were formed during those days gone by.

I miss so many aspects from that wonderful time. If a sport could “lock you in” this one did. My friends and I dressed the part, displayed many of the mannerisms we watched on televised events and configured our set make up to mirror what the pros were carrying on tour. Headcovers, bags, shoes, putters, you name it, me or one of my comrades probably had it.

The other day I played Erin Hills Golf Club, the site of the 2017 US Open. A magnificent layout, the routing is spread over several hundred acres. It is said the walk covers nine miles. There are no carts so carry your own or hire a looper. Either way the experience is among the best in golf.

I opted to carry my clubs and save the caddy fee for lunch after our round. It is the sixth time I’ve toured “the Hills” and each round brings every aspect of golf to the day’s challenge. Yet even as special as it is, there are a few sounds missing from this modern day walk.

First there is the footwear. No more metal spikes and heavy leather shoes. I have five pairs of those relics in my basement and every once in awhile I’ll break them out with their retrofitted softspikes. But I miss the sound – the unmistakable rhythmic clicking of players walking across pavement, bridges, cart paths, or locker room floors. Yes, the sound fails to exist “through the green” but that distinctive sound was as much a part of the game as Wilson Staff DynaPowers and Spalding Dots. You couldn’t help but listen and contribute to the march.

Another sound I don’t hear as much is the clanking of irons as a player carries their bag on their shoulder. As a junior carrying a larger bag than today, it was easy to conjure a walking rhythm with my irons clanking in unison with my strides. It served as my game’s metronome. When I was playing well I would absorb myself in the sound and block out all of the destructive thoughts that plague most golfers.  In a way it kept me calm.  Eighteen holes of the conspicuous “clank”. In the natural surroundings the clank served as music to my ears.

Lastly there is another click I miss. I doubt anything like it will ever by heard again. It is the sound of a wound balata golf ball meeting a persimmon wooden club. Not only has the sound disappeared, the feel that accompanies it is a thing of the past. Today the sounds emanating from hitting a ball are louder and metallic. The sound of a good shot has changed. It was identifiable back in the day but not so much now.

Walking the course this past week reignited those memories of the sounds from a different time. The game was the same but another generation has entered the playing field with technological advancements and training resulting in more distance, generic shots and an increase in injuries.

I miss my past. While it was the only one I had, I feel lucky to have played through the last days of the “persimmon era”. The golf ball maneuvered more easily. Courses weren’t stretched to ridiculous lengths demanding a smash mentality. It was a simpler game with simpler tools on courses that invited players rather dismissing them. However, it’s still about getting the ball in the hole, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with friends. Who knows, maybe I’ll discover some news sounds to accompany me around the course. I hope so but I’ll always remember the clicks and clanks I heard every time I was lucky enough to tee it up as a kid.

 

 

 

 

Meeting A New Friend & Remembering A Golf Pioneer

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You never know whom you will run into when you hang around a golf course, driving range or country club grill room. Interesting stories abound and sometimes there is an educational lesson accompanying the tale. I recently came upon an interesting fellow that had, what Robbie Burns told me, was “quite the story”.

In 1979 Lee was a working at the First National Bank of Rockford in Rockford, Illinois. He oversaw business lending and back then the bank was the dominant financer in the area. One day Lee was sitting at his desk when his phone rang. It was the President of the bank. He asked Lee to come down to his office.

When Lee entered the office the President was in a discussion with three men. The trio wanted a to secure a loan to start a business in a tiny village east of Rockford. The place was Ringwood, IL. An abandoned warehouse seemed to be the focus of the three. Lee introduced himself to the men and sat down.

Apparently the men wanted to start a manufacturing company in this old warehouse just north of McHenry. They were going to make golf clubs. Not just any golf club – a driver made out of metal. Lee and the President were both members of Rockford Country Club and had a pretty good idea of what the concept involved. The man doing all the talking was Gary Adams. He would name his company TaylorMade Golf.

Needless to say the bank lent Mr. Adams the money. The rest is history. A few weeks later Lee drove through McHenry to visit some relatives. Just to satisfy his curiosity he drove north to Ringwood and past the warehouse.

“It wasn’t much,” Lee admitted. “Three guys were making golf clubs out of this old building. I guess they knew what they were doing but it sure wasn’t glamorous.”

A few weeks passed after the loan was approved. Gary Adams and one of the other men came over to Rockford to play golf with Lee and his boss. He gave two of his original drivers to the bankers. Lee still carries his in his bag. He showed it to me the other day. I took a look at it as the memories came flooding back. A small metal head with a shiny sole and dull crown stamped “Metalwood” reminded me of my days as an assistant professional just entering the business. The grey TackiMac grip had been replaced but another one dug out of the archives at Bob Burns Custom Clubs sat neatly on the end of the shaft.

I remember in the early 80’s the head professional I worked for at a club in Wilmette IL, Vern Fraser, would travel up to McHenry on Mondays grabbing every metal club he could. Adams had expanded the line and added 3, 4, and 5 woods. By Saturday afternoon they were all gone. I can’t imagine how many of those clubs we sold. It was a fun time in the business.

The era marked the beginning of one of the most significant technological revolutions in golf equipment. Ping had cornered the iron market with its Ping Eye. Hogan, never one for succumbing to innovation, surprisingly brought out the Hogan Edge iron. Soon other metalwoods found their way into the golf shops. It wasn’t long before the Tommy Armour 845’s and Big Bertha’s showed up. Yes, an exciting period in golf.

The funny thing about this story is that it doesn’t seem like it took place thirty-five years ago. But it did. Gary Adams passed away in January 2000 at the young age of fifty-six. The Hogan Golf Company has been long gone but currently is attempting to make a comeback. Callaway and TaylorMade are the dominant names you see on PGA Tour Player’s staff bags, not Wilson, Spalding or the aforementioned Hogan. Things have changed considerably but it’s fun to reconnect with the past and know you were witness to this revolution. It’s good to remember those who made a major contribution to the game.  It was a pleasure to meet Lee and hear his story.

 

 

 

Holywood Swingin’

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Rory McIlroy, the curly-haired young man from Northern Ireland got his McTriple. Now only a green jacket is needed to complete his career Grand Slam. Somewhat like the previous major championship (Kaymer 65 – 65, McIlroy 66 – 66), this one may have taken a bit longer to decide, but in the end dominant play prevailed. Tied with Ricky Fowler through thirteen holes on a damp Saturday in Liverpool, McIlroy destroyed the final two par-fives crafting his own double-eagle of sorts. The bold statement of superior ball striking sent a subtle message. As Jim Croce once sang, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.”

An Open Championship victory involves many aspects. The game is different. The courses are humpy and bumpy. Inclement weather can often turn a leader board upside-down. At Hoylake, those who had trouble embracing links golf were quickly dismissed. This major is a one-eighty from the other three. On Saturday the R&A decided to employ a two-tee start in threesomes, something never done before. The players avoided a British maelstrom that might have hoisted Matt Every on top of the yellow leader board. The conditions were so quiescent that young Rory pounced on the final two par fives with a display of precise power making other players look as if they were competing in the flighted division of any county open. Securing a six-shot margin after 54 holes, McIlroy looked and sounded as if he would become the next “Champion Golfer of the Year”.

On Sunday a couple of challengers made it interesting for viewers looking for an implosion. Had Garcia not left his bunker shot on 15 in the pit and Fowler dropped a few putts on the front nine, McIlroy might have been forced into the four-hole playoff. The leaderboard looked close until Rory found his favorite spot on the Hoylake links – 16, 17 & 18. His birdie at 16 put him -17. One hand had a firm grip on the jug. Now he just had to get to the house.

Fortunately he did. In what was an extremely popular win with the patrons, there were several other subplots to this Open. By the time Rory striped his tee shot down the first fairway, Tiger was up, up and away, jetting back to the U.S. with his 69-77-73-75 total. Sixty-four year old Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson waxed him by five. So much for being ready to play.

Ernie Els four putted his first hole after ker-plunking a spectator. Some say it shook him up but this happens every tournament. The likable South African just may have not been ready to play. David Duval showed up again. He had plenty of time to work the broadcast on Saturday and Sunday after missing the cut with 73-79. Sir Nick, the man who never saw a mirror he didn’t like, suffered the same fate with 76-77. What if Fowler went all orange on Sunday? Maybe he could have matched his four under inward nine with a similar outward nine. Dustin Johnson continues to fall short on the putting surfaces after being in position to make a weekend run. Then of course there was the defending champion. Phil stumbled on day one bogeying 18 when others were routinely walking away with birdie. It was his third bogey over his final six holes.

The new champion perhaps signals a change in the professional game. I believe it needs one. After all, how many Tiger comebacks and evasive answers must we endure before we realize no one has ever played better golf at the turn of the century than Woods? But the past has passed. Ultimately, as it usually does (except in the case of Tom Watson), youth prevails. The young players today do not fear major champions. They’re looking to become one.

In a few weeks the season’s final major will unravel in steamy Louisville. McIlroy will be there. So will others who dot the top rankings in the game. Yet don’t be surprised if one player goes missing. Undoubtedly he claims he’d like to be a part of this year’s Ryder Cup squad, Tiger doesn’t want to be. To say anything else would be Un-American. At this stage in his life he is only concerned with majors as the clock ticks. Why share the glory with eleven others when you can hoist a trophy all by yourself?

I predict if his showing in Akron is inadequate he’ll shut it down for 2014.  He needs a full year of majors to get back on track, especially with all the young guns looking to grab theirs. Since Rory decided to nix his tennis honey, it appears he’s a bit more focused on collecting future titles. While the R&A’s Peter Dawson introduced the young man as the “Champion Golfer of the Year”, he might very well be the champion golfer of the next several years.

 

 

 

The Ultimate “Major” Examination?

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The 2014 Open Championship is upon us. Golf’s third major of the year appears wide-Open even with Tiger wood’s return. Was it really eight years ago when he intricately carved his way around the rumpled, crusty turf that was Royal Liverpool in winning his eleventh major? How things have changed in professional golf since then. One thing that hasn’t changed is the nature of this examination.

Comparing links golf to its counterpart in the U.S. is akin to the difference of playing basketball in Madison Square Garden or Rucker Park. Surely they are not the same game. There are more elements in the British Isles to contend with than usually found stateside. Jack Nicklaus once commented that the key to winning the Open Championship was simply avoiding the bunkers, play short of them. He claimed the U.S. Open was a better test, requiring players to use every club in the bag. While I’m not going to debate Mr. Nicklaus’ view, many of the U.S. Open tests in his day were gauge festivals featuring putting surfaces harder than granite countertops. Options for recovery were limited.

The Open Championship in my view is the complete examination of a player’s ability, creativity and fortitude. Weather conditions can change in the time it takes a spectator to get through a concession line. There will be bad bounces and good breaks. Old math, in the form of long division will be a key component in negotiating the routing. There are several ways to “divide” a 450-yard par four in the Open Championship. Long irons will back in the bags. Golf balls will roll for extended periods of time. While the NFL measures a punt by hang-time maybe the broadcasters will put a clock on the ground-time movement of balls as they run like rabbits across the linksland. It is the opportunity to play the course as it is presented. You could very well say it is PurePlayGolf on the highest level.

The other consideration of this major is that it is truly “Open”. Look at the 2009 event at Turnberry. Tom Watson had the Claret Jug in his grasp at age 59. Darren Clarke’s win in 2011 came as a surprise. Louis Oosthuizen at St. Andrews? Try Todd Hamilton and Ben Curtis. The list of contenders also requires a viewer to scratch his head when Kiradech Aphibarnrat climbs onto the first page of the leaderboard. It is an international spectacle.

So as the players are introduced by Ivor Robson on Thursday to start their trek around the humps, bumps and fescue that define Hoylake, look for their imagination and patience to put solid numbers on the board. Run it up, hit the low stinger, get on one knee in a bunker, or flail it out of the fescue, there are sure to be plenty of executions that receive “Ahhhs” and “Ohhhs”. Yes, it might be a game of chance but it seems in most instances this championship wins the player rather than vice-versa.

We’ll see who Hoylake selects this year.