Category: Thrash Talk

Is the USGA Out of Bounds?

American golf’s ruling body appears poised to begin sailing off the edge of its universe.

Thrash TalkAs we chug into Labor Day weekend, the promise of “back to school” teases our frazzled nerves, the end of the golf season is just becoming visible on the distant horizon, and a crucial date has come and gone. August 1 marked the final day of the USGA’s invitation for commentary on the proposed changes in golf club grooves. This likely rule change, as well as the various USGA studies which allegedly justify the change, have got me thinking: who, exactly, is being served here?

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The Lighter Side, Volume One: Golf Fashion

With apologies to Billy Crystal, one of the saving graces of being a recreational golfer is that, even if you didn’t play well, you can certainly look marvelous.

Thrash TalkIt is often said that one of the most alluring facets of recreational golf is the close connection we have to the professional game, something unique in comparison to other spectator sports. We can play the same courses, use the same equipment, and, thanks to the handicap system, even play against our idols if the opportunity ever arises.

But there is yet another way in which we can emulate our professional heroes: we can dress like them, too! Not sure you can? Well, I happen to have spent more than my fair share of time thinking about golf fashion (probably to the detriment of my swing), and so if you’re not Marty Hackel or one of the cast of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” you may learn a thing or two from what I have to say about golf’s sartorial side.

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The 89th PGA: Getting Back to Basics

Tiger mixes old school common sense with his modern power game to win at Southern Hills.

Thrash TalkOther than the fact that Tiger Woods removed any doubt about his place in the hierarchy of golf, is there anything we can learn from the PGA Championship at Southern Hills? I think so, if you’re willing to keep an open mind and scratch below the surface, that is. Pick your favored quote – “things aren’t always as they seem,” or “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Either way, the season’s final major reinforced some of the lasting truths about golf, and don’t let some golf prophet of doom tell you otherwise.

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The 2007 PGA Championship: Staff Predictions

It’s time for our prognostications for the final leg of the slam.

Thrash TalkThis week brings us the final major championship of the 2007 golf season, and the Sand Trap staff is once again poised to deliver you the winner… and a few other things. Okay, so we’re oh-for-three on calling the majors so far this year (thank you, Tiger and Phil), but I have a good feeling about this one. After all, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.

Read on to hear our thoughts, and feel free to add your own!

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Golf Rants, Volume 1: Golf Instruction

Time to tee off on one of my pet peeves in our great game: instruction.

Thrash TalkAnyone who’s played golf for any length of time knows how difficult it is to improve. Therein lies the seed of my numero uno golf rant – modern golf instruction. As someone who’s tried it all, you might want to read what I have to say…it might save you some time and money.

My journey with golf began in earnest with a copy of Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons in an empty field on the grounds of Fort Gordon, an Army base in Augusta, Georgia, in 1989. Oh, I had been fiddling around with golf for a few years, but it was during my Family Medicine clerkship at Eisenhower Army Medical Center that the golf bug really bit. Maybe it was the warm spring air, or, more likely, the afternoons off to attend Masters practice rounds (I timed my spring schedule perfectly), but whatever the reason, I set off that spring to try to master the golf swing, and was pretty confident I could do it. Little did I know what I was in for.

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Gary, Steroids, and Golf

Gary Player becomes the latest past champion to assume the position of soap box philosopher.

Thrash TalkPerhaps the only thing more tedious than watching 43 rehashes of the Van de Velde incident is listening to an old lion reminding himself he can still roar. Gary Player’s comments on performance-enhancing drug use on the professional golf tours certainly got a rise out of the news media. And although an exciting finish to a thrilling championship happily drowned out The Black Knight’s clatter, I think the issue is worth a closer look.

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2007 British Open Staff Predictions

The Links at Carnoustie host the Open Championship for the seventh time and we try to predict the outcome.

Thrash TalkThis week’s article is a group effort, as your friendly Sand Trap staff gives you their take on the Open Championship. Although perhaps with no hope of any degree of accuracy beyond what you’d get with the dart board approach, we’ll bring our knowledge and experience in golf to bear on predicting the winner and a few other things.

Read on to hear our thoughts, and feel free to add your own!

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The Daly Show (Again)

Modern golf’s first REALLY big hitter makes another media splash.

Thrash TalkIt looks like we’re in for another round of John Daly stories. In the aftermath of his most recent domestic troubles, the Golf Channel has aired yet another “up close and personal” style profile of Daly in the form of a “hard-hitting” interview from Rich Lerner. But while most of us probably want to either yawn or vomit at the prospect of more exposure of big John, something is rapidly fading from the landscape surrounding the controversial razorback: his place in golf history.

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The USGA and Grooves: Grumpy Old Men or Guardians of the Game?

What if the USGA threw an accuracy party, and nobody showed up?

Thrash Talk In 1989, Mark Calcavecchia hit a remarkable golf shot into the 18th green at Royal Troon, setting up a birdie that lead to an eventual victory in the (British) Open Championship. Almost 20 years later in the Tiger era, we have become awash in so many remarkable golf shots that Calc’s 5-iron is almost forgotten today. But it is a very important shot historically, and it’s worth recounting today. Especially as the USGA is about to embark on the biggest rule change in the last 30 years.

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