Often we hear TV golf commentators use words like “he lost the tournament with that bogey at 17.” A player with a lead is said to have “lost” the tournament if he doesn’t finish the deal. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no “lose” in golf. One simply fails to win. Losing implies you once possessed the win but golf doesn’t work that way. Even if you have a 5-shot lead with two to play the truth is, although you may have a leg up, the round is not over because golf requires the certainty of the act of holing out. The tournament is never over until you pick the ball out of the last hole. No one gets to the winner’s circle by popular acclaim...

 In a time when golf is changing rapidly through the pressure of technology and the burgeoning acceptance of golf by the masses and the media, any proposed rules changes must be examined carefully to see whether or not they will change the fundamental nature of the game.

Technology brings to golf the potential to alter the game game in ways that will disconnect it from its rich history. Scoring records of the past might no longer be able to be compared with those of present-day players because of advances in equipment, agronomy and the intense development of the professional tours...

There seems to be no shortage of people giving their “heartfelt” opinions about what’s going on with John Daly. He is an easy target with his larger- than-life behavior. Three wives, run-ins with the police, gambling stories all make good fodder for the press but  who has really taken the time to understand who JD is?

The first question that must be asked to understand who John Daly is; what was his home-life growing up? There are stories of his somewhat vagabond existence in college and mini-tour days. Where did that come from and why was it allowed?...

Can Tiger shoot 50? Can anyone? Just how do we define the “perfect” round of golf?

 In baseball the “perfect” game consists of a pitcher facing only 27 batters with all batters being put out. Yet, for a “perfect” game would not the pitcher have to throw only 3 pitches to each batter?
What about golf? What would be the “perfect round” and is it achievable?

The answer is: YES and I believe Tiger may do it some day. Here’s why.

In golf, the perfect round would be to birdie all the par 3’s and 4’s and to eagle all the reachable par 5’s. That would yield a ... 

   For a struggling mini-tour pro, trying to make a living playing professional golf, in Florida, is difficult. When you are new to the professional ranks no one is waiting for you with open arms, cash and equipment. You pay as you go, especially in Florida where oftentimes even Class A PGA pros have to pony-up for greens fees. Finding a place to practice that wasn’t “retail” was hard. But all these hardships did was increase our dedication.

   Many of us found fields in which to practice, hitting our own balls from one end to another, pick them up and do it again. Some worked at ranges or courses where, in return for their labor, they could practice and play. But there were only so many “deals” like that and they were sometimes hard to...

The recent “ShotLink” controversy (requiring players to give specific information about club selection to TV spotters for reporting on the broadcast) has renewed an argument that has not been fully addressed in recent years; are professional golfers entertainers? 

The answer is a resounding NO !

Professional golf and its rich history existed long before television entered the picture. When golf began to be televised it introduced the game to millions. When Arnie burst upon the scene his heroics were a ready-made script for fledgling TV sports programming.

But let’s not get the cart ahead of the horse. Golfers are NOT entertainers.

At 2001 Pebble Beach event Phil Mickelson, one of the best wedge players and putters in the world needs birdie at the 18th to get into a playoff but fails to play to the strength of his game. Instead he hits driver from the fairway, into the ocean and gives the tournament to Davis Love. If he lays up me has his chance for birdie to tie. Going for it all he gave it all away. He never even got a chance to tie.

Only one week later Frank Lickliter has a brain-cramp of Van de Veldian proportions...

Doors open. Security waves you through. You park for free. You find your seat in the media center where free food awaits. You are treated to air-conditioned bathrooms instead of port-a-johns. Monday through Wednesday you work inside the ropes and locker-rooms with complete access to the players. Life for “working media” has its perks...

In a breach of sportsmanship unrivaled in Ryder Cup history the American team’s premature victory celebration on the 17th green in the match between Jose Maria Olazabal and Justin Leonard may have altered the outcome of the Ryder Cup.

Going into 17 with the match even, Justin’s miracle putt on the 17th green precipitated a “victory” celebration on the part of the Americans who wrongly assumed that the putt secured a victory for the US....

Golf is currently enjoying a period of unprecedented popularity and attention from all forms of media. The rise of Tiger Woods marked the genesis of golf going mainstream. The influx of foreign players to rival Tiger has added to the phenomenon (Els, Singh, et. al.). 

Now with the dramatic events of 2003 with women crashing the gate on the men’s tour and the ascendancy of the remarkable phenom Michelle Wie, golf is poised for levels of interest it has never seen before.
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