Dallas Golf Blog

World Golf Round-Up

September 2, 2007

Brett Wetterich makes a charge at Deutsche Bank.  The finale is Monday and Tiger and Phil are lurking.

A $5 Dallas Golf account credit for the first correct respondent to the following question:  who is the Finance Secretary for the Phillipines?

Golf in Kashmir.

Sending golf equipment to the troops.

Be careful who you appoint as treasurer of your golf society.

There needs to be more news about this:  Eco-friendly golf courses.

Golf World's 2007 Preseason Collegiate Men's Golf Top 25 (.pdf format)

Good Things Happen to Good People

In case you missed yesterdays FedEx Cup Playoff Event at the Barclays Championship, one of the good guys in golf was rewarded for his perseverance.  Steve Stricker birdied 4 of his last 5 to win the Barclays and take the lead in the FedEx points chase.  It was great golf, and a better story.  Stricker hadn't won on the PGA Tour in over six years.  He lost his PGA Tour card two years ago, and has had to crawl and fight his way back to the top.  He was so overcome with emotion when Peter Kostis interviewed him, he could hardly get the words out to describe how it felt.  You could tell that every one there was genuinely happy to see him win.  Even his opponents applauded him when the final birdie putt dropped. 

I couldn't help but think of Michael Vick at that moment.  When the weekend's sports news was dominated by Vick's guilty plea to dog fighting conspiracy charges, I thought about how I never remember a GOLFER being involved in any news like that.  I remember Barry Bonds (baseball,steroids), Tank Johnson (football,weapons), PacMan Jones (football,too many to name), and more recently Darrent Williams (football,killed outside a Denver club).  The most controversial figure we have in golf is John Daly (PGA, cigarettes, crazy wives, bud light) and what he does happens 10 times a year on the average NFL Team.  Yeah, he drinks too much, but it never gets him suspended, thrown in jail, or murdered.  Here's Vick, getting all of the press for being a downright thug, yet 99 out of 100 people will have no idea who Steve Stricker is today.  Its too bad people don't pay more attention to the good in life, rather than obsessing over the bad guys. 

The point of my rant, is that I encourage parents to get their kids involved in golf.  It truly is one of the last gentleman's (and lady's) sports, where honesty, integrity, and self preservation, are the lessons.   Get your kids playing golf and go play with them.  There seems to be a high correlation between golfers and good behavior, good grades, and good citizenship.  Not to mention the fact that it develops mental toughness, hand-eye coordination, endurance, and patience.  The lessons I learned from playing golf with my dad still stick with me today.  The number one lesson, "You never know when you're gonna get lucky with the putter", said after he made a 50 foot curling downhill putt at Keeton Park in Dallas, to beat me by one shot.  Thanks, Dad.

Congratulations to Steve Stricker, not for winning, but for being one of the good guys, and reminding us all of a well known saying (at least its on a needle point my grandmother made me):

"All things commeth to him who waiteth,
as long he worketh like hell,
while you waiteth".

Playoffs?! Don't talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me? Playoffs?!

"Playoffs?! Don't talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me? Playoffs?!" - Jim Mora, Indianapolis Colts Head Coach

A quote made famous by Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Jim Mora may end up being synonymous with the FedEx Cup.  The PGA Tour will have us believe that they are entering playoff season this week, but the #1 seed in the tournament gave himself a voluntary bye-week.  What would happen if Peyton Manning called up Roger Goodell and said, "Hey man, I'm pooped.  Mind if we sit this one out?".   If you've read this blog before, you know that I am a big big fan of Tiger Woods.  But I have to say his apathy toward the highly promoted FedEx Cup is disappointing.  I mean its one thing to be #1 and go out and prove it.  Its another thing to tell the rest of the PGA that you're #1 and you don't HAVE to prove it.  I realize that Tiger is busy working out his bottle feeding arms, but the PGA went to GREAT lengths, not to mention poor FedEx, to make the "chase for the cup" something to watch.  Starting this week, we should have seen all of the big names chasing a $10 MILLION prize.  Instead, we're giving a free pass to Tiger, while everyone else goes out and tees it up.  The sad thing for FedEx, is that no one cares anyway, but now that Tiger isn't playing in the first event, it destroys ALL of the credibility they MIGHT have earned with a playoff.  The best player in the world and clear favorite to win gets no penalty for not playing, and can still win the Cup, whether he wants to or not.

If its a playoff, then run it like one.  If you want to give the best players a bye-week, then do it.  Just tell us in advance, and don't get egg on your face when Tiger, or any other player, says "I don't value your playoff system" and gives you the week one brush off.  Maybe next year they will work out some of the kinks and figure out a way to put some teeth in this thing.  For now its just the same old Fall Finish, and sadly, most of us will probably catch the NFL Games before we jump over to the "golf playoffs".

Tiger Wins, No Sweat

Wow.  He's Tiger Woods.  After a while you don't even really know what to say.  The man hits iron of the tee on really hard, really long par 4's.  He makes a 2 on a 259 yard par-3 and sprains his ankle celebrating.  He hits a 346 yard drive after playing 14 holes on one of the hottest days ever recorded at a PGA Event.   I just don't know how he does it.  When he looks exhausted, sweating like I've never seen, and is under a LITTLE bit of pressure, he looks as cool as ever.

On Saturday night, I joked that his post-round press conference was full of really dumb questions.  Actually the questions were all basically the same.  Even though one reporter would ask about a specific aspect of Tiger's round, and another would ask about a certain strategy during the week, they were all asking "Why are you so good?".  The reporter would ask the question, and in the Tiger translation it always came out "Why are you so good?".  I guess he knows how to answer having had lots of practice at being good.  He patiently sits there, while we all wonder "Why are you so good?".

Who cares why, its just that is he is, and we're all lucky to witness it. 

Fashion notes from PGA Championship:  Did you notice that the COTTON Polo shirt is dead?  It was HOT, and these guys were sweaty.  But their shirts didn't show it.  Normally you'd have seen guys soaking wet, shirts clinging to them and weighing them down.  Not this year.  The new performance fabrics are ruling the polo shirt market.  If you don't have any, you're missing out.  The best models are from Izod and Adidas.  They are lightweight, they breathe, they dry quickly, and they keep you cool.  We stock these in our retail stores, and soon will have a selection online.  The only players I noticed who looked miserable in their shirts were Ernie Els and Woody Austin.  I guess they didn't get the Cotton is Dead memo.  I noticed Tiger was wet at one point, but only because he kept pouring bottles of water on his head.  I don't think the shirts are water PROOF. 

We'll cut Tiger a break for wearing a black hat on Sunday.  I'm sure Phil Knight lays his clothes out for him.  If Nike was paying me $100 million, I'd wear a black stocking cap if they asked me to.

CS

Bonds:Aaron::Woods:Nicklaus-Remember Anaolgies in School?

As I watched Barry Bonds hit a lotto ticket into the center field bleachers in San Fran last night, I couldn't help think of Hank Aaron, like everyone else I'm sure.  Sitting in his living room thinking . . "Boy . . if I'd only had the juice when I played!"  I'm kidding.  He probably never thinks of it in those terms.  But I bet Jack Nicklaus does!  I think there is some analogous relationship between steroids in baseball and the 460cc titanium driver  in golf.

From all accounts, Jack Nicklaus RIPPED it off the tee.  He did so using a Persimmon driver and a balata golf ball.  Both of which are obviously inferior to the equipment that Tiger Woods (and all of us) have access to today.  In the late 60's, when Jack and Arnie were battling each other, I wonder if they ever thought a day would come when guys would be hitting it 350+ yards off the tee.  I'm sure Henry Aaron never imagined a day when a major league outfielder would weigh 245 pounds and be able to bench press that amount 25 times in 2 minutes.  Henry Aaron topped out at 185 pounds in his day, and the weight room was a place you hung dirty towels.  Today's athletes not only live in the weight room, some of them may have some extra help to work a little harder and stay a little longer.  The same can be said for golfers.  Tiger is a weight room fanatic.  He looks more like a Free Safety than a professional golfer, and they say his workout habits are only becoming more intense.  Combine that with today's modern technology, and Jack Nicklaus has to be thinking that his records don't stand a chance.  If you argue that they are equally talented ( i don't think so) today's technology has to be some advantage for Tiger.  Doesn't it? 

And on the day that Tiger wins #18, does Jack sit in his living room, like Henry Aaron, and think, "Boy . . if I'd only had the juice when I played!"

End of Year Inventory - What's in your Bag ?

For most businesses, this is the time of year when its time to count inventory.  They comb the warehouses and stores looking for every piece of merchandise, hoping it all adds up to what accounting says it should.  I think golfers should consider this time of year to take "inventory" of their golf game.  Its generally cold out, so your days inside probably out number your days at the golf course.  Its a good chance to go get your golf bag, bring it in the garage, or living room if your wife will let you, and dump it.  Clean out the old scorecards, the tees, the gum wrappers, the peanut butter crackers.  Throw out the scuffed up ProV1 that you hooked into a brick retaining wall, the corporate koozie that you got from the charity golf tournament, and the dried out Sharpie pen that you haven't used in 26 rounds.  The odds and ends in the bottom of your bag may surprise you, or they may disgust you, depending on your idea of grunge.  If you find any collector's items in there, let us know.  The storage comaprtments of the bag are easy, so now on to the hard part....

The part of the bag you use the most, lament the most, love the most, and maybe neglect the most, is the part that holds the clubs.  Are you up to date with your driver or are you still hanging on hoping stainless steel will make a comeback?  Can you compete with your buddies 460cc Cleveland Ti Comp ?  Are you carrying 4 extra wedges because you can't make up your mind between 6 and 8 degrees of bounce?  Do you still have the 1 iron in there that your Uncle Larry gave you as a "gift" ?  Thanks, Larry.  Are your irons the same ones you got as a free gift when you took a tour of that famous time share "resort" ?  If you're lucky, maybe they gave you something that rhymed with Callaway !  Or, are you the guy that has it all?  You have the Taylor Made R7 460, the newest hybrid technology, the groove faced putter, and your bag has a place for everything...right?  No?  Yea, me neither.  Or are you the guy who can't get rid of anything...The guy who has 4 golf bags, full of clubs you'll never use, full of memories you'd soon rather forget, and full of angst from your wife because they are in the way of her recumbent bike? 

Its likely that you have some combination of all of the above.  You've got the one "money club", the one that can't miss.  You've got the one you'd just assume throw in the lake, but you're against polluting.  You've got the one that has sentimental value, but you never use it.   And you've got the rest, that you frankly don't get to use enough! 

We can't help you with the fact that you don't have time to play enough golf, but we can help you with your year end inventory.  First, we've started your wheels turning and you're thinking about it!  Second, we've given you a project for the next cold day, so you're welcome.  And last, but most importantly, we have solutions for you should you discover a golf bag nightmare out there. 

If you didn't know, you can sell or trade in your old clubs right on our website.  We give you fair market value for them, and even provide a prepaid shipping label from Fedex.  Its as easy as clicking here.  All you provide is the box and the clubs.  We take care of the rest.  If you want to, you can trade them in on that new driver you need, or just cash out and be done.  Its our understanding that all golfers bring in more clubs than they get rid of, and over time, that can be trouble.  Especially if your wife knows what a recumbent bike is !

We're not asking you to clean out the entire garage.  That's hell.  But we are asking you to clean out that PIECE of the garage you call a golf locker.  We're certain you've got some cash laying in there, and if nothing else, you'll find enough loose change to buy beer next time you lose the Wolf Game.

Happy Hunting.

How hard is it to make a tee time ?

I play golf.  Not much, but enough.  I work in and around golf products everyday.  Naturally, as a golfer, my email box is filled with golf specials, travel packages, and then the one email offer that puzzles me...the ONLINE TEE TIME offer.  Maybe my questions are rhetorical, maybe I'll answer my own wonderings, or maybe you have the answer, but I wonder ....

1) Have we come so far that the Golf Pro does not have TIME to answer the phone and say "Golf Shop, Pro Speaking." 
2) Are we all soooo busy that we can take an hour to drive to the course, 5 hours to play the round, an hour in the 19th hole, and an hour to drive home, but we can't take 2 minutes to call the golf shop and set up a tee time? 
3) Who are these people that are sinking their money into a 3 cent transaction fee to book a $32 green fee...I mean come on.  Doesn't the software industry have something better to do that this?  Can't these software developers work on spam filters, viruses, or the new iPod interfaces ? 
4) Does the golf course save money by paying the 3 cents and not paying the pro to actually interact with customers and guests?  Call me old fashioned, but this is one of the problems with the golf business.
5) Do you use these services?  Do you think they are convenient?  Who is the best?
6) Am I actually out of touch with what the "golfer on the street" wants? 

Let us know your thoughts on the on-line tee time service.  Convenient?  Good for the golf course?  I wonder....

CS

Have you started shopping ?

It seems like every year it sneaks up on you.  The HOLIDAY Rush..well if you hadn't noticed, its mid November.  Your golf "season" is over, or near over.  If it isn't too cold, you're about to be too busy to play.  You'll have parties here, family there, and shopping to get to.  Its easy to put off.  Believe me, I know.  I run an e-commerce web site for a living and still find myself waiting 'til the last minute, running around crazily, fighting traffic...YUCK.  No wonder the Castanzas celebrated Festivus.  It was just easier !! 

OK we know you don't come here to read commentary on the socio-impacts of last minute shopping, but hey, what else are you gonna do...you're the person who has all the latest gear, you're just looking for a time kill at work.  We know.  Its OK with us.  While you're sittin' there Google-ing random crap, why don't you get your buds a new box of ProV1's or a new Nike hybrid wood.  You took their money every weekend in your Nassau game, so its almost like they're paying for it anyway.   Hell, you're probably tired of them borrowing your hybrid and saying "I gotta get me one of these!"..Buy 'em one, it'll save you the trouble.  While you're at it, don't forget your wife...if she doesn't play golf, pop over to my favorite jewelry store gemaffair.com or even better, buy the two of you some Mavs tickets and make it a sportsy night on the town.  You get to watch a great game and she gets to get all dolled up cause you're actually taking her out instead of getting home late from the golf course.  Yeah, we want you to buy golf junk from us, but we know how it is....you'll be back!

Happy Shopping,
C Smith