Monday, October 31, 2011

The Swinger

Two Sports Illustrated writers, Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck, have written "The Swinger" based on Tiger Woods' life since hitting the fire hydrant nearly two years ago.

It's fiction, yet it makes you wonder how much is based on truth, such as the drug test results and the number of women that Tiger considered his conquests. Given who they have offended, I wonder if writing it was worth losing access to those people and various places.

For a winter golf read, it's mindless entertainment. Keeps your head in the game of golf at least.

My peeve though is the ending. If someone can tell me what the last sentence is referring to, I'd appreciate it. As it stands now, I'm just annoyed that I have no idea what it's referencing.

Enjoy!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Changes to Several Rules

The USGA announced a couple of changes to the Rules. http://bit.ly/sfMRFi

One change makes a lot of sense, which is if you address the ball (take your stance and touch your club on the ground behind or in front of the ball) and the ball slightly moves without you touching it with your club, then that's no longer a penalty. You now just hit it where it settles.

They also changed the definition of address. It's now just when you place your club in front or behind the ball. You no longer need to take a stance to be considered addressing the club.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Ready Golf - What It Is and What It Isn't

I know it's been a while since I last wrote. I've had the stuffing kicked out of me with things going on in my life. I'm coming out of it now and had to share this story.

Yesterday a friend and her group were behind the field of a tournament. Because the course wanted the tournament to have a head start, there was about a hole in between her foursome and the last group of the field. As her group was putting out, she saw a twosome in a cart cut in front of her group and tee off on her next hole a par-3.

She drove up to them as they were approaching their balls on the green, and asked what they were doing. She explained that they went off behind the tournament and they weren't holding up the field. She asked them to either mark or pick up, but her group would be teeing off and finishing the hole first.

The twosome of 20-somethings defended their rudeness by saying they were playing ready golf. As you can imagine, that didn't work for my friend.

So to be clear, ready golf is among members of your foursome. Whomever is ready to hit next, should hit, rather than wait for the player farthest from the hole to hit. It is certainly NOT a concept to be applied between foursomes, like these youths tried to pull.

It's simply rude to cut in front of a group that is keeping up. And, to use a concept of golf incorrectly, shows their ignorance or a dismal attempt to bluff my friend.

Hope you can get out and play more golf before the change in the seasons!