Category: Swing Thoughts

Golf used to be a game of feel, and not just around the green. “This looks like a strong 6-iron,” the pro would say to his caddie (or vice versa). Elevation, wind, temperature, green contours, and even mood could change a club selection.

Years later, caddies and pros got wise and began measuring yardages (often with yardage wheels like the one shown at right). Caddies would show up on Monday and Tuesday to walk the course, measuring every conceivable yardage and writing them all down in a little booklet. They’d include numbers that indicated the carry distance of a water hazard, draw arrows indicating severe slopes and funnels on the greens, predominant wind conditions, and notes about areas in which you did not want to miss.

In the 1990s, this too faded away as caddies with yardage wheels were replaced by ultra-accurate, GPS- and laser-measured yardage guides. Every pro has the same yardage book these days, tailored slightly to suit a particular pro’s playing habits, and caddies spend their Mondays and Tuesdays without a yardage wheel in their hands.

Continue reading “Rule 14-3b: The “Range Finder” Rule”

He may not have the most attractive swing or win the ladies over with a long drive, but he gets the job done – almost. Chris DiMarco is like the average person out for a day of golf, but he’s regularly in contention at the majors.

With television ratings of the 2005 Masters tournament as high as they’ve been since 2001, Chris DiMarco has become a household name. Just ask my mother! If you don’t like Chris DiMarco, you should be pulling for him now. It is his turn to finally win a major tournament. After all, it’s our nature to side with the underdog, and Chris DiMarco is America’s New Underdog. He’s this year’s Phil Mickelson. Mickelson was a crowd favorite in the past years not only because of his playing ability but also because he had not won a major. People also like Phil because he is left-handed and they can shout “Lefty! Lefty!”. How long until we hear “Claw! Claw!”?

Continue reading “Is Chris DiMarco America’s New Underdog?”

Another mesmerizing major championship week has passed, but the Masters is still on my mind. So before we start looking ahead to the U.S. Open, I’d like to spend a little time talking about a topic that now seems to resurface every year at Augusta.

It’s the delicate subject of Hootie’s balls. No, you’re right, that doesn’t sound good. It shouldn’t. And I really wish he’d stop talking about them.

The Masters always brings a mix of the sublime and the ridiculous. The 2005 playing of this great event had both. The ridiculous quotient was achieved by Augusta National Chairman Hootie Johnson before the tournament even started. Good thing Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco provided such a sublime finish to the actual event to help us momentarily forget some of the silly things Hootie had to say.

Continue reading “Hootie’s Balls”

I live in Erie, PA. After yet another long, cold winter, spring has finally arrived! Sure, I kept busy putting on my indoor putting green and hitting balls in a nearby golf dome, but nothing compares to the feel of real grass beneath your feet, the breeze in your face, and an actual green in front of you.

Of course, you don’t just leap out into spring. You can do a lot in the first week or two of spring to ensure you have a successful season. Here, for your enjoyment, is the Official Sand Trap Guide to Spring.

Continue reading “Spring is Sprung: Prepare Now!”

What’s good for the grass is looking to be bad for some of the biggest hitters on the PGA Tour. Thanks to a wet winter, many courses in Florida — Bay Hill and the TPC of Sawgrass in particular — are sporting some extra-thick, Velcro-like rough. Guess what? Mother Nature is doing a better job “Tiger-proofing” these golf courses than an army of bulldozers adding extra length.

Ever since Tiger Woods bombed his way to a dramatic victory at the 1997 Masters Tournament, golf courses that host PGA Tour events have been undergoing a ongoing attempt at becoming “Tiger-proofed.” In most cases, this has meant one thing: lengthening the golf course.

Continue reading “Players Finding the Rough is Tough”

Thanks to the NHL’s unfortunate lockout, more and more people seem to be tuning into golf fans and several sources are preditciting golf will pass the NHL and become the fourth most popular sport after football, baseball, and basketball. Just why is golf becoming so popular these days? People who play the game well are obviously going to give professional golf quite a bit of attention. However, between 70-90% of golfers will never break 100, so why do golfers love the game so much despite their bitter struggles?

Continue reading “The PGA Tour’s Stock is Rising”