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I Dream of Golf

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Do you dream of golf? (photo by Gisela Giardino / CC BY-SA 2.0)

I’m in a frenzy! I’m running late and the chances are 50/50 that I make my tee-time. I’ve got a 35 minute drive to the course I’m playing this morning and I can’t afford any delays! I overslept. I didn’t have breakfast. I’m not wearing pants. I don’t have time to stop for a coffee. I can’t….wait, what? Holy crap!! I’m not wearing pants!! How the hell do I leave the house without pants on?!

OK, no time to question that right now. If I push down a little harder on the gas, I’ll have a second to stop by my mother’s house which is right around the corner from the course. Surely, for some unexplainable reason, she’ll have a pair of pants for me to use. But to my disappointment, I find that all of my pants are dirty and wrinkled. I don’t stop to try and understand why my dirty pants are here in the first place considering I no longer live here and my old bedroom has been turned into an office. But now, thinking about it further, not only do I no longer live here…neither does my mother. However, we’re here now and that’s all that matters.

So pants-less, I dig through drawers and closets in an effort to find something to wear over my boxers. My mother is no help. She just can’t understand why I’m so frantic! Funny thing is she doesn’t even question the whole no-pants thing. It’s almost like it’s happened before.

And then, right in the middle of a red-faced, half-naked rage….I woke up. What was all that about? As far as I know, I’ve never left the house without pants. Well, not that I know of anyway. I was known to sleep-walk as a child so anything could have happened back then.

But as ridiculous as this dream was, it wasn’t THAT ridiculous. Some parts of this dream correlate well with reality. For instance, in the dream, the course I was headed to was the actual course I was playing the next morning. Also, I’m always running late. Ask anyone. And in a very strange coincidence, I did oversleep the following morning. I didn’t have time to eat breakfast. And I didn’t have time to stop for a coffee. But I did have time, and remembered, to put on pants.

Although I’ve been playing for twelve years, this is the first time I remember dreaming of anything golf related. It was a fun dream, and a few parts of it actually went on to happen!

Now surely I’m not the only one so enamored with this game that I’m dreaming about it, right? Got a good golf dream? Share it with us!

Me, I’m going to try really hard next weekend to dream of breaking 90! Wish me luck!

The Golf Channel’s Newest Offering is Really Nothing New

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Should Donald Trump have his own golf show? (photo by Michael Vadon / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Should Donald Trump have his own golf show? (photo by
Michael Vadon / CC BY-SA 2.0)

It can be argued in many different ways, but the simple fact is, golf is NOT a growing sport. The statistics show it. Even though there are currently about 450 more courses in the U.S. than existed in the year 2000, over the past several years, more courses have closed than opened. What’s more alarming is, despite these additional 450 courses, fewer rounds are being played every year.

According to reports from the National Golf Foundation, 2009 marked the fourth consecutive year in which total rounds of golf decreased from the previous year. As a matter of fact, it was the eighth year out of the past nine in which a decrease was shown. In 2000, roughly 518.4 million rounds of golf were played in the U.S. But by 2009, that number had dropped to 481.5. That’s almost 37 million fewer rounds (a little over 7%) per year. So where is this growth?

Yeah, you can blame some of it on the economy. But that’s really only that past two years. What about the seven years previous? That is another topic which can be debated. But I have my opinions – several of them (greens fees continuing to rise, cost of equipment, etc…). But right at the top of the list is simply the old golf stereotype – it’s a rich man’s game. For too many golfers in the new generation, as well as your average weekend hack, this decreases their overall interest. They see the game as too expensive and too serious. What they don’t see, and are sometimes never introduced to, is simply the fun of the game. But what is the golf industry in general doing to fix this? Apparently, nothing.

Example, The Golf Channel’s latest offering – Donald Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf. In a time where interest in the sport continues to decrease, the belief in the stereotype continues to rise, the biggest star in the game has lost some of his shine, golf courses are closing and people aren’t playing because they can’t afford to play…The Golf Channel gives us…Donald Trump.

As if we haven’t seen enough already, this show gives us more celebrities, more excess and more outrageously priced and/or private courses. Yeah, just what the sport needs right now. Fuel the stereotype why don’t ya? Do the good people at The Golf Channel think this is helping? Are they in the dark and don’t understand this is not what the sport needs? Maybe they don’t care and they’re just hoping for ratings.

Speaking of ratings, one of the funniest things I had seen and heard was on a promo video on the show’s website. If you can find it, there was a clip of The Donald sarcastically stating this show was going to raise The Golf Channel’s ratings. Isn’t that great? Even The Donald knows this channel needs help!

See, we’ve said it before, and we’ll continue to say it. This sport needs a shot in the arm. It needs a change. It needs to make itself relate to the average guy and girl who play the sport for no reason other than the fun of the game. It does NOT need more celebrities. It does NOT need to promote more private courses. It does NOT need to promote more rich guys playing the game in a place 99.9% of us (if not more) will never see.

As entertaining as I occasionally find him to be….the sport does NOT need Donald Trump right now.

Are There Too Many Golf Courses?

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Can there ever be too many golf courses? (photo by Saskia2586 / CC BY 3.0)
Can there ever be too many golf courses? (photo by Saskia2586 / CC BY 3.0)

Now that The Masters is over I have to tell you, I am all golfed out. Honestly, I may have watched about a half-hour, in total, of the tournament. But between all of the coverage on ESPN and various other sports networks and news shows, specifically the Tiger coverage, I feel like I was in the galleries all four days! I don’t think I can watch another five minutes of a tournament for the rest of the year!

However, that does not curb my desire to get back out onto the many courses which my home state of Connecticut has to offer. But a couple of stories in my local news lately have me wondering…are there too many golf courses?

The obvious answer for one who loves to golf, especially those of us who enjoy playing different courses all the time, is “not a chance.” How can you have too many golf courses? After all, the old saying “variety is the spice of life” indeed equates to your golf life also. Maybe the more appropriate question wouldn’t be to ask if there are too many golf courses, but instead to ask, is a new golf course really necessary? Or, is there a better use for that land?

In my current hometown, a town of about 45,000, we have two nine-hole courses. Recently, the idea to use a piece of undeveloped public land to build another nine-hole course was proposed by a local developer. The Economic Development Committee approved the proposal, but many spoke out at a recent Common Council meeting. In favor of the course were some local business owners hoping the course brings more people into the city. However, many spoke out against the course. Some concerns were tax and rent payments (or lack thereof), privatization of public land, outside investors and the plan meeting environmental standards. However, one major concern asked, what if the course fails? You are left with nothing more than carved up land, which would make later development more challenging, and the city expected to foot the bill. One can see where the concern would be.

My personal opinion? There are already two nine-hole courses in town. Additionally, there are four eighteen-hole courses within ten miles. Is another nine-holer necessary? As for bringing people into the city, how many golfers regularly travel to other towns to play nine-holes, especially when the surrounding towns have eighteen-hole courses? Add to that the fact there are already two nine-hole courses in this town, then how much more business is the course actually going to generate?

This reminds me a bit of a situation from the town in which I used to live – my hometown (population of about 60,000). It offered one eighteen and two nine-hole courses. But when the idea to build a new middle school on the grounds of one of the nine-hole courses was proposed, it was met with some hostility. The course in question was, to put it lightly, a bombed-out disaster of a mortar range which I had the displeasure of playing exactly once and swore to myself to never play again. It was in fact, with no exaggeration, that bad.

But, the course was very popular with the senior crowd. It was flat, wide open and an easy course to walk if you chose. And not too mention, cheap. Due to its low (if any) maintenance costs and the popularity with seniors and first-timers, I’m sure the course made some money for the town. But the question actually was: What’s more important, keeping this crappy course around to satisfy a few people who have other options, or building a new, better, safer school, in a better, safer neighborhood for 1,200 students year-in and year-out?

To me, the answer here seems obvious – kill the course. But I guess there are some of us who believe the future of our children isn’t as important as having to spend an extra six bucks to play a different nine-hole course.

Now don’t get me wrong, being a golfer, I always looking forward to playing a new course and feel a new course is typically a great idea. But, we also have to consider the cost. Be it a risky investment at the cost of the taxpayer, environmental issues or the future of our young students. All of these issues, and then some, have to be addressed before we can truly learn the value of a golf course.

Are You Betting on Tiger to Win The Masters? Or Just Betting?

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Are you betting on The Masters? (photo by Tom Lianza / CC BY 2.0)

Are you like me? Do you think betting on sports makes things a bit more interesting? No? Well, you’re wrong. It does. Let’s say you’re watching a football game between the Browns and Rams. Unless you’re a fan of one of the two, most people don’t care about the result, right? Well, put $50 on it. Now what?

Throughout every individual sport’s season, there are all kinds of games that don’t matter to a casual fan. But once the chance to win some money enters the equation, suddenly an all new interest becomes apparent. Think about the Super Bowl. The boxes get passed around the office and even the people who think the Lakers played the Yankees in the Stanley Cup Finals last year are scribbling their name into three or four empty slots. They’re dropping $20 or so, on a game they don’t know the first thing about, in the hopes of winning a couple of Franklins. NCAA tournament time is another great example. I don’t follow college hoops all that closely, but year in and year out, I’m filling out at least one bracket! Between all the boxes, brackets, pools and, who could forget, fantasy sports, a little wager makes watching the game(s) all the more interesting.

However, some of the greatest wagers you’ll find come from Vegas around Super Bowl time. Fun, out of the ordinary bets such as, “Will the Colts and Saints combine for more points than the New Jersey Nets?” or “Will Kobe Bryant outscore the Colts?” or “What color hat will Peyton Manning wear on the sideline, blue or white?” Some of these bets have almost nothing to do with the game, but they simply provide some fun to either a fan or non-fan. It gives everyone at least a bit of a reason to tune in.

Sparked by the return of Tiger, some of these off-beat wagers are now becoming popular in the golf betting world. According to Bodog Sportsbook Manager Richard Gardner, betting on the Masters has doubled from last year. Included in all of those extra wagers are not only the old “Who will win The Masters?” and “Where will Tiger Woods finish?” Now we’re seeing wagers a little more, dare I say, fun? Let’s take a look at some examples:

What color hat will Tiger Woods wear in Round 1?

Black 5/4
White 7/4
Red 7/2
Blue 11/2
Any Other Color 8/1

Will Tiger Woods be Heckled after Addressing the Ball and Step Away?
Yes -120
No -120

Will Elin Nordgren be Seen on Camera?

I hope you already placed your wager on this one since Tiger has already given away the answer.

Will Tiger Woods cry during his acceptance speech if he wins?

Yes -120
No -120

Thank goodness for the world of sports gambling. Without it, for many people who aren’t all that interested in the PGA Tour and have lost interest in the Ringling Brothers & Tiger Woods circus, this is just another golf tournament. But for people who partake in the gambling side of things…there’s more to it than the tournament itself. There’s the prospect of winning (or losing) some money. There’s the idea of looking at things in the tournament that, normally, you would pay little to no attention. And the PGA should be happy also, as this brings in more viewers who normally may not have paid any mind.

Don’t get me wrong, the amount of wagers is not exactly approaching Super Bowl standards. But to have the amount of wagers double, that alone shows, thanks to Tiger, the amount of interest generated for this years Masters. Me personally, I never do much more than quickly peek in to see what’s going on. This year will likely be no different. Although, I’ll most likely be peeking in with the hopes Tiger dons a red hat on day 1.

The Most Versatile Athlete of All Time Was…a Golfer?

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Babe Didrikson-Zaharias did it all…

A golfer was the most versatile athlete of all time you ask? That’s right…she was a golfer. Wait…what? I know…you’re having a hard enough time getting by the title as it is. And then I go and throw in “she.”

Now you’re completely thrown off! I’m obviously a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I’m sure I’ve even lost some credibility (what little I have) with many sports fans. Well, trust me, I would never have thought I would feel this way before I really looked into it.

But, maybe you’ll even agree with me afterward. Maybe you might even consider dropping “most versatile” from the title and replacing it with, simply, “greatest.” After all, being a great golfer on top of numerous other athletic accomplishments, some at an expert level, deserves a little bit more attention than being a standout at only one sport, no?

If you haven’t already guessed who I’m talking about, it’s a little lady by the name of Babe Didrikson-Zaharias. Most people who know anything about her know the obvious – she was the greatest female golfer of her time (and one of the greatest of all-time). She was a cofounder of the LPGA. She excelled in other sports besides golf and was voted by ESPN’s SportsCentury to be the 10th greatest athlete of the 20th century. While many people are aware she had other athletic achievements, I don’t think most realize exactly how amazing an athlete she was. Quite honestly, she was great at everything she attempted.

Professional golf came relatively late in life for Babe. After high school, she didn’t attempt to play competitively again until she was 24, which makes her golfing achievements all the more impressive. However, seventeen consecutive amateur wins later, a feat still unequaled to this day, she was ready to turn pro. Over the following eight years, Babe went on to win 41 tournaments including ten majors despite playing the final three years of her career while being treated for cancer. Even more amazing was, in 1954, just one month after surgery for colon cancer, she won the US Women’s Open – her final major victory. She was also the first woman to compete on the PGA tour, missing the cut in her first attempt. It would be the last cut she would miss.

But most of us are already aware of her golfing accomplishments. What about the rest? What are the other examples which make her such an amazing athlete? It starts with basketball. Her team won an AAU championship in 1931 and she was an All-American hoops player three times.

You may have also been aware she was an Olympic athlete and participated in the 1932 games. But did you know she actually qualified in five different events? However, due to the rules of the time, being a female she was only allowed to compete in three. And compete she did, taking home two gold medals (hurdles and javelin) and a silver (high-jump). Additionally, she set world records during the Olympics and qualifying tournaments in the 80m hurdles, javelin, high jump and baseball throw (which was an Olympic sport until 1957).

Babe was also a competitive player to a lesser degree in billiards, baseball, softball and bowling. She even won a sewing competition at the Texas State Fair! When not on a competitive playing field, she somehow also found the time to sing and play the harmonica. She did this well enough to record for Mercury Records. Is there anything this woman couldn’t do?

So let’s look at the tally. She’s one of the greatest golfers of all-time. She was an Olympian who took home three medals and set five world records. A three time All-American basketball player. She also competed in baseball, softball, billiards and bowling among other sports. For what reason would she not seriously be considered as the greatest athlete of all-time?

Now, being ranked 10th on the list of greatest athletes of the 20th century does confirm she was at least considered to be listed at number one. But I have to admit, I have a hard time taking the SportsCentury list seriously considering three of the 100 athletes are not even human (they’re horses). I have an even harder time with this list when I see one of the horses (and a jockey for that matter) is ranked 37 places higher than Bo Jackson, an all-star baseball player AND pro-bowl NFL player! Jackson, I might add, could also have been a track & field star, but gave it up to focus on baseball and football. But a guy who rides a horse while beating it with a whip is somehow a better athlete? You get my point.

#1 on the list is Michael Jordan who is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time. But does that make him the greatest athlete of the 20th century? Is being the best at one sport a greater feat than excelling at almost every sport you take on? Hard to say.

Considering all of the accomplishments and accolades acquired by Zaharias, I wonder the reason why she wouldn’t be ranked higher on the list. I can only come up with one idea. Maybe you can help me out. If all of these achievements were accomplished by a male, would he be ranked higher?

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