No thrills at Torrey

The scenic ocean-side stage was more colorful than the winning performance in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines yesterday.

Ben Crane, despite missing two short par putts on the back nine, held on for an anti-climatic one-shot victory over Michael Sim, Brandt Snedeker and Marc Leishman. On a scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw it 2 dog biscuits.

Crane shot a 2-under 70 and finished at 13-under 275 for his third career victory, ending an 0-98 drought that stretched to Milwaukee in the summer of 2005. Starting the final round two shots behind, he opened with three birdies in five holes, including one from just more than 45 feet on No. 3. He expanded his lead to three shots with another 45-foot birdie putt on the 11th.

At that point, it became a matter of hanging on, which he did in a plodding fashion with help from a field unable to sustain a challenge.

Phil Mickelson, the world's No. 2-ranked player making his season debut, never was a factor in the final round. He bogeyed his first three holes on is way to a 73 and finished 19th. Robert Allenby made a charge only to fall back by losing five shots in four holes.

Sim, a 25-year-old Australian playing in the last group with Crane, closed with a 71. He kept within striking distance of Crane the entire round. Sim barely missed a 15-foot birdie on the 17th hole that would have tied him for the lead after Crane missed a par putt inside 3 feet on the same hole.

After watching Crane lay up with his second shot on the par-5 18th, Sim passed up a chance to reach the green in two from about 250 yards, a decision that caught CBS analyst Nick Faldo by surprise. Instead, Sim laid up too and then hit a wedge that spun back off the front of the green, leading to a par and his three-way share of second place.

Snedeker closed with a 69 after narrowly missing a 12-foot birdie on the last hole. Leishman, an Australian coming off a rookie of the year season, had a 68.

The best part of watching the final round in Oldgolfdawg's mind was seeing 21-year-old Rickie Fowler in action. Fowler, a former standout at Oklahoma State, has an aggressive swing that CBS announcer Gary McCord likened to that of a young Lanny Wadkins. Fowler didn't show much putting prowess, but his ball-striking ability was clearly evident. He cost himself a chance at his first PGA Tour victory when he made double bogey at the 17th hole. He recovered with a birdie at the 18th that left him in a four-way tie for fifth place at 11 under.

"Just knowing that I can compete out here, (this gives me) a little more confidence in that," Fowler said. "I played well for a couple events in the Fall Series last year at Vegas and Frys in Scottsdale. This just kind of reminds me that I can go out and win if I put myself in position."

Fowler, who took the tour by storm after turning pro last summer, is a qualifying-school grad who missed his first two cuts this season. But he has three top-10s in just 11 starts on the tour, including a playoff loss at the Frys.com Open last year. He might turn out to be America's answer to Europe's Rory McIlroy.

Not-so-groovy situation

The PGA Tour's divorce from square-shaped grooves has turned messy, and Ryuji Imada's two-shot lead going into today's final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines has taken a backseat to the tabloid news appeal of a public train wreck.

There's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the United States Golf Association and PGA Tour shouldn't have tried the divorce themselves from the square-shaped grooves in the first place. The idea to rein in the "Grip it and rip it" mentality that has surfaced in recent years and to reward shot-making makes sense to purists, but doing so without closing an obvious loophole set the stage for controversy. A lawsuit brought by golf club maker Ping was settled 20 years ago with the stipulation that pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 irons would take precedence over new regulations. Ping's lawsuit accused the USGA and the PGA Tour of being monopolies in need of anti-trust regulation.

Maybe Phil Mickelson, the world's No. 2-ranked golfer, should have realized that he didn't need the edge he thought he could get out of using pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedges, which others saw as a way of circumventing the new rule against square grooves. Athletes are always seeking an edge against their competition, but in Mickelson's case it wasn't unnecessary. He's already considered to be one of the game's best short game players.

Maybe Scott McCarron could have voiced his opinion in the San Francisco Chronicle that using such wedges was "cheating" in a less abrasive manner. To defend the spirit of the rules because golf is a "gentlemen's game" while at the same time calling one a cheater seems to be in bad form. So much so, that the PGA Tour issued the following statement: "Because the use of pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 irons is permitted for play, public comments or criticisms characterizing their use as a violation of the Rules of Golf at promulgated by the USGA are inappropriate at best."

Mickelson had hinted at legal action for being "publicly slandered" before the PGA Tour issued its statement.

Meanwhile, the controversy continues. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem will address the issue in greater detail on Tuesday during a regularly scheduled players meeting and with the media during the 2010 Northern Trust Open. Because professional golfers are in a sense independent contractors, it's unclear if a resolution by a players organization against the use of the wedges will eliminate the debate or create more legal issues.

Oldgolfdawg thinks it's much ado about nothing. But it certainly isn't the way the PGA Tour wants to have its image ingrained in the public's mind. Golf's many rules are ponderous at best and have the ability to numb the interest of even the most faithful follower of the little white pea.

A touch of Augusta

Oldgolfdawg makes a point of playing Darby Creek in Marysville at least once or twice a year and must confess he's never broken 80 there. He's been close but is still looking for his first cigar.

The course, designed by Brian Silva and opened in 1993, measures 7,087 yards from its longest tees for a par 72. Oldgolfdawg struggles from the blue tees (6,645 yards) where the course has a 71.3 rating and a slope of 124.

The front nine's classic links layout is exposed to the elements like the surface of the moon and can be difficult to play on a windy day. The back nine strays from the links theme and morphs into a classic tree-line layout beginning at No. 12 until one emerges from the woods on No. 16.

It's the transition hole, No. 12, a 411-yard par 4, that is etched in Oldgolfdawg's memory. In particular, it's No. 12's demanding second shot into the green that stands out as a challenge and is why the hole is the seventh member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen.

It was pointed out to Oldgolfdawg by a friend that the hole seemed to be modeled after No. 11 at Augusta National. Oldgolfdawg's impression of No. 11 at Augusta is formed only by watching the Masters on television over the years, but he had to agree. The elevation change is more extreme at Augusta than at Darby, but the second shots into the greens do have similarities.

The right-handed golfer hopes to hit a slight draw with his drive to take advantage of a fairway that begins to slope down toward the green about 200 yards from the tee box. He must avoid a reachable trap on the right and the start of a tree line on the left. As most often is the case, the longer the drive the better. The degree of difficulty for the second shot increases with its length.

The left side of a slender green at the end of the fairway is protected by a pond that acts as a vacuum for shots with any kind of draw or hook action in them. There is a bailout area to the right of the green that most players take advantage of out of fear of the pond. The confident ball-striker who can hit a high fade or educated draw definitely has an edge on this hole. But even then, the second shot is all about risk/reward. This is the kind of hole that washed up driving range pro Roy McAvoy of Tin Cup fame would rather take a double bogey on than just play it safe. My friend and former co-worker Scott "Dutch" Davis would simply call it a "manly" test.

For more information about Darby Creek, check out: http://www.darbycreekgolf.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=423&page=12111

No break at the turn

Playing a round at EaglesSticks Golf Club in Zanesville requires a commitment of time and travel for someone living in Columbus, but Oldgolfdawg feels cheated if he doesn't make at least one visit to the scenic course each year.

Tackling the ups and downs of its hills and valleys is a real challenge and great fun. The course, designed by Michael Hurdzan and opened in 1990, plays 6,412 yards from its longest tees. It has a course rating of 70.1 and a slope rating of 120. Oldgolfdawg would suggest playing it from the back tees, with the possible exception of No. 10, the sixth member of his Elegant Eighteen.

The 10th hole, a 168-yard par 3 from the blue tees, has given Oldgolfdawg more than his share of lumps over the years. If you happen to emerge from the front nine with a chance to break 80, No. 10 quickly reminds you that the exit ramp off that street of dreams is just one bad swing away. If you play from the back tees, it becomes a 193-yard par 3 straight from the pages of a Stephen King horror novel.

From an elevated tee box, you must hit your ball over a large, foreboding pond that protects the front of the green. Shots lacking character or hit without conviction will find a watery grave, setting one up for a probable double bogey or worse. If the flag is placed near the front of the green, one must have the guts of a burglar to land their ball near the pin.

The green, which is severely sloped in areas, is also protected by a large sand trap on the front left. A smaller bunker on the back right side of the green catches a lot of tee shots that come in too hot from the elevated tee. The green itself is sort of in a bowl with a rising bank off to the right. Shots hit off to the right in the bank leave golfers with difficult chip shots.

This is the kind of hole that requires one's full attention. One might consider skipping the extra pressure of trying to woof down a hot dog at the turn before getting to the No. 10 tee box. On a bad day, you'll end up with mustard on your shirt, a double bogey on your card and string of expletives rolling off your lips as you head to No. 11.

For more information on EagleSticks, check out: http://www.eaglesticks.com/homepage/start_page.php

Mickelson takes on new role

The PGA Tour as we've known it for the past decade is entering uncharted waters with the start of the Farmers Insurance Open today at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif. When Tiger Woods missed the first three tournaments of the season it wasn't a big deal because in recent years he was in the habit of missing them. But today we are officially entering into a sans-Tiger era.

His absence today at a course he has turned into his own personal ATM casts a shadow over an event that scrambled to find a last-minute corporate sponsor. It now becomes Phil Mickelson's job to carry the tour and to be its top drawing card, a role Woods has pretty much handled since he arrived on the professional scene in 1996.

Mickelson, who will be making his 2010 season debut against a less-than stellar field, has become the game's new de facto No. 1, according to Ernie Els.

"The way Phil Mickelson played at the end of last year, you know -- he played with Tiger (at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions) in Shanghai and won the tournament there on the final day,'' Els said from the Sony Open. "The Tour Championship, he won coming from behind. The way he's hitting the ball, Phil is hitting it as long or longer than anybody out there."

In a way, Woods' absence is unfortunate for Mickelson. Sparked by a late-season putting lesson from Dave Stockton, Sr., Mickelson appeared to have closed the gap that Woods held over everyone else on the tour.

"He has really been working hard, and now his putting is coming around," Els said. "I think Phil is probably the man to beat now. Even if you asked Tiger (at the end of last year), I think Phil got right to his level throughout his game. I think there's a new guy we gotta chase."

Before Woods' world crashed in on him the day after Thanksgiving and the revelations about his extra-marital affairs surfaced, the golf world was eagerly waiting to see if Mickelson's run of success against Woods would continue in 2010.

That matchup is now on hold for as long as it takes Woods to sort out his personal demons. But it will be interesting to see how Mickelson, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, holds up as golf's new No. 1 attraction. The San Diego native has won three times at Torrey Pines, but not since the 2001 Buick Invitational, after which "U.S. Open doctor" Rees Jones lengthened the South Course by more than 500 yards in order to land the 2008 U.S. Open.

Mickelson hopes his new/old forward press, which he utilized as a younger man and went back to under the tutelage of Stockton late last year, will be enough to break his streak of futility in his own backyard. He's also going to take advantage of the loophole that allows players to use square grooves as long as they're on Ping Eye2 wedges manufactured before April 1, 1990.

Mickelson said in a media conference yesterday that he experimented with several old Ping clubs that had been collecting dust around his house before deciding to bend a 60-degree wedge to 64 degrees for tournament use.

"After talking about it to the Tour and the USGA, the only thing that matters is are they approved for play," Mickelson said. "So I don't feel that there's any problem if I were to play those clubs or if anybody else were. All that matters is that it is OK under the rules of golf."

John Daly and Dean Wilson also have found old Ping wedges to use to circumvent the new groove rule, which went into effect this year and forces players to substitute V-groove wedges for their old U grooves. Because U grooves are deeper and impart more spin on the ball, especially useful from the rough, some players have reverted to the Ping Eye2s, which are exempt under the terms of a 1990 settlement between litigants Karsten Manufacturing and the USGA.

Tip of the cap to Hogan

Golf writers used to ask Ben Hogan if there was a secret to his legendary ball-striking ability. Hogan, a reserved and reclusive man, would simply say, "The secret is in the dirt," a reference to the hard work he put in on the driving range.

The "Wee Ice Mon," as the Scots liked to call him, thought the only way to become a great golfer was through hard work and heavy lifting. Luckily for him, the idea of spending hours on a driving range and practicing was close to nirvana.

That's a far cry from John Daly's "Grip it and rip it" mentality, and not everyone who has enjoyed some degree of success on the PGA Tour has spent hours digging for answers in the dirt. Bruce Lietzke, who made a lot of money on the tour without playing a heavy schedule, once remarked, "You can do more damage than good on the driving range."

That's one of the beautiful things about golf. There isn't a one-fits-all blueprint on how to improve your game. No single teaching method has cornered the market. Different things and approaches work for different golfers. That doesn't mean fundamentals of the game can be ignored. The ball doesn't care who is standing over it and about to unleash unholy hell on its backside. The laws of physics rule in golf.

But the way any golfer "finds their game" is an individual journey. If you can shorten your learning curve by listening to the advice of someone who has already made the journey, it makes sense to do so. But some lessons can't be taught. They have to be learned on their own.

If Oldgolfdawg could copy the swing of any golfer, it would be Hogan. Many golf experts say Sam Snead had the sweetest swing. But Hogan's balance and power had a special beauty of its own. Bantam Ben only weighed about 140 pounds and he could flat out kill a 2-iron.

Hogan offered words of encouragement to the average golfer in his famous golf instruction book Five Lessons, which was first published in 1957. In the book's introduction he states: "The average golfer is entirely capable of building a repeating swing and breaking 80, if he learns to perform a small number of correct movements and conversely, it follows, eliminates a lot of movements which tend to keep the swing from repeating."

The exhilaration one feels after hitting a pure shot is addictive. The desire to string a bunch of them together is never satisfied. Hogan was a driven man who found his game through trial and error on the driving range. One can only hope he enjoyed the journey.

Bold effort pays off

Though admittedly nervous on the 18th tee, Bill Haas had the gumption to hit a 3-iron over water and at the flag near the front of the green from about 206 yards with his second shot on the par-5 finishing hole of the Bob Hope Classic yesterday in La Quinta, Calif. It made all the difference when he two-putted for a birdie and scored a one-shot victory over Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Bubba Watson.

The birdie-binge in the desert was extended a day by a rain delay and didn't have the strongest of fields, but what it lacked in marquee names it more than made up for in drama. On a scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw it 4 1/2 dog biscuits.

Haas, Kuchar, Clark and Watson all had a shot at victory coming down the stretch, but it was Billy the Kid, the son of PGA Tour veteran Jay Haas, who stood tallest in the saddle when the dust settled. He two-putted from about 27 feet on the 18th green and recorded his first tour victory with a 30-under effort over 90 holes.

The Golf Channel broadcast team wasn't overly critical when Kuchar, playing in the second-to-last group, went for the green in two at No. 18 before three-putting. He was left with a 70-foot downhill putt, and three-putting from that distance isn't considered a choke.

Watson and Clark, however, were shown no mercy by the Golf Channel crew when in pursuit of their first tour victories they took their foot off the gas pedal at critical junctures.

Watson, the tour's longest driver, laid up on the par 5 14th hole with his second shot even though he was just 214 yards from the green. He ended up making par on the hole after a bad birdie putt attempt.

"That's not the way to win golf tournaments," Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo said in a disgusted manner.

Watson, playing in the last group with Haas, still had a chance to force a playoff when he chipped for eagle from about 13 feet on the final hole. But the ball slid off to the right about a foot past the cup.

Clark, a plucky South African who buoyed the International team with his strong play in the most recent Presidents Cup, elected to lay up with his second shot to the 18th green after watching Kuchar three-putt. He did so despite being some 215 yards away and being noted for his ability to hit precise fairway wood shots. The strategy appeared to have merit when he hit a wedge to within 8 feet of the cup with his third shot. But then he missed the putt and the second-guessing began in earnest.

David Toms followed a similar final-hole strategy in winning the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club by one shot over Phil Mickelson. But Toms sank his putt.

You can empathize with Watson and Clark for doing what they thought was best at the time, but you can't protect them from the slings and arrows of the media. It's the cost of doing business on the PGA Tour. The only way to silence the critics is, in the words of Al Davis, "Just win, baby!"

* * *

One of Jay Haas' nine PGA Tour victories was the 1988 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. His son's victory yesterday makes them the eighth father-son combination to win PGA Tour recognized events. The others are Tom Morris Sr. and Tom Morris Jr.; Willie Park and Willie Park Jr.; Joe Kirkwood Sr. and Joe Kirkwood Jr.; Jack Burke Sr. and Jack Burke Jr.; Clayton Heafner and Vance Heafner; Julius Boros and Guy Boros; and Al Geiberger and Brent Geiberger.

Monty's cupboard isn't bare

Don't bet the ranch on Team America winning the Ryder Cup this fall at the Celtic Manor Resort in the City of Newport, Wales.

Martin Kaymer was impressive yesterday in winning the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by a shot over Ian Poulter, and the strong play of Kaymer, Poulter and Rory McIlroy down the stretch offered more proof that Team Europe will have all the talent it needs to regain the prize it lost in 2008 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

After watching Kaymer birdie the final hole at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to card a final round of 6-under-par 66 and finish 21 under, Oldgolfdawg couldn't help but think Team America's victory at Valhalla was more likely an abberation than the start of a trend. European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has to feel good about the chance to have Kaymer at his disposal in October along with Poulter and McIlroy.

American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin, meanwhile, couldn't take too much comfort from the fact that the top American in the field, Anthony Kim, finished in a tie for 13th at 12 under. European golf fans still have images of Boo Weekley playfully riding his driver like it was a horse when remembering the loss at Valhalla, and they will be at Celtic Manor in force Oct. 1-3 when Team America tries to retain the Cup.

Since 1987 when Europe scored its first victory on U.S. soil at Jack Nicklaus' Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Europeans have a 6 1/2 to 4 1/2 edge in Ryder Cup play. Before falling at Valhalla, Team Europe had won the previous three Ryder Cups, and two of those were by lopsided 18 1/2 to 9 1/2 scores.

Kaymer, a 25-year-old German who climbed to No. 6 in the world rankings, hopes his second Abu Dhabi Golf Championship title will be the catalyst to a highly anticipated Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor. After winning his maiden title in Abu Dhabi in 2008, he used the confidence gained from adding three victories since to edge Poulter with a two-putt birdie on the final hole.

“My goal for every year is to win two tournaments on the European Tour. I did it in 2008 and 2009 and I hope I can do it this year,” Kaymer said. “But my main goal is to play the Ryder Cup this year because when I went there two years ago I really felt I want to be there one day because it is so cool. Even though I wasn’t playing, it gave me so much experience and it helped me so much."

Drawing upon soggy inspiration

Driving past Raymond Memorial Golf Course yesterday, Oldgolfdawg couldn't help but be inspired by the sight of a few brave souls out chasing the pea and playing a version of golf better named "Splatterball."

Though not inspired enough to want to join them in their joyful pursuits in the mush, seeing them did increase his desire to find an instructional golf video that could offer up its own kind of inspiration. He came across one on YouTube that advocates using a tighter, more connected stroke when putting. It captured Oldgolfdawg's imagination so much that a half-hour putting session broke out on his living room carpet. Only time will tell if anything from the video sinks in.

Help from our video friends

Oldgolfdawg told you about the putting aid contraptions he has purchased over the years that are collecting dust in his basement in a post Lure of the quick fix in December. What he didn't write about then was the number of instructional DVDs he has on a bookshelf that for the most part also collect dust.

But unlike the putting aid contraptions, Oldgolfdawg won't dismiss all of the instructional DVDs he has as simply bad investments. He does go back to them from time to time to review things he thought had merit but for whatever reason had faded from the consciousness of his game.

One of them, Phil Mickelson Secrets of the Short Game, was brought back to his attention by an e-mail he received yesterday from friend and former co-worker Adam Conn. On a scale of 1 to 5 dog biscuits, Oldgolfdawg would throw Mickelson's DVD on the short game 4 1/2 biscuits.

Other DVDs or DVD series in Oldgolfdawg's collection include Andy North's Top Ten Suggestions for Better Putting (2 biscuits), Beat The Bogey Man (1 1/2 biscuits), AJ Reveals The Truth About Golf (3 biscuits) and Swing The Handle by Eddie "The Little Pro" Merrins (4 biscuits). And he would be remiss to not include his Ben Crenshaw The Art of Putting VHS (3 biscuits) in the mix.

These instructional aides work as a backstop when Oldgolfdawg's game slides off the tracks. Like insurance policies, they offer assistance in times of need. So have they made Oldgolfdawg a better golfer? The short answer is probably yes. Even if the lessons gleaned from them don't always last, they have given him things to think about when adjustments have to be made. On more than one occasion they've helped him escape from a slump faster than he would have otherwise.

In writing this blog, Oldgolfdawg has found YouTube to be a gold mine of free instructional golf videos. In the future he'll blog about the ones he thinks might help other faithful followers of the white pea. Just don't laugh too hard about the ones suggesting a smooth putting stroke. Anyone who has played a round of golf with Oldgolfdawg knows that notion doesn't seem to fit in his bag.

Hats off to Jack

The Golf Channel held a love-fest in honor of Jack Nicklaus yesterday, celebrating his 70th birthday with a barrage of shows and tributes.

The evening lineup started with a half-hour feature on "the top 10 highlights" of the Golden Bear's career. An hour-long show called Planet Jack followed focusing on Nicklaus' travels around the world in his second career as a golf course designer. They were followed by an hour-long highlights show looking back on Nicklaus' improbable Masters victory in 1986 at age 46.

Even in the next show, scheduled to be coverage of the Bob Hope Classic, Nicklaus grabbed center stage when rain canceled second-round play in La Quinta, Calif. To fill the time slot, the Golf Channel allowed the Hope coverage to morph into another tribute to Nicklaus as a bevy of broadcasters and analysts discussed his unmatched career and the many memories they had of him.

Oldgolfdawg didn't watch all of these offerings. Though a fan of the Golden Bear, he also had to check out the Lakers-Cavs game featuring a showdown between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But as soon as that game was over, it was back to the Golf Channel to watch more tributes to Jack.

The amazing thing about the Golf Channel's nearly six hours of tributes to Nicklaus last night is the fact that it still just barely scratched the surface on the subject matter. The towheaded kid from Upper Arlington has come a long way since shooting a 51 in his first nine-hole round at Scioto Country Club.

Tough lesson for Tiger

Oldgolfdawg was working on the sports desk of The Dallas Times Herald in March of 1982 when news came across the wires that comedian actor John Belushi had been found dead of a drug overdose in Los Angeles.

A few weeks later, Oldgolfdawg was playing a round of golf with Jim Woodruff, a veteran sports copy editor at the newspaper, when we began to discuss Belushi’s demise. “I don’t understand it,” said Jim while shaking his head. “There’s a young man who had the world by the balls and he kills himself.”

Details about Belushi’s death later revealed a different scenario, but the point that Jim was making was clear. At the height of his career, Belushi had blown it.

Though not nearly as tragic or final as Belushi’s fall from grace, the situation Tiger Woods finds himself in these days has a similar theme. At times success makes people think they are invincible. It’s hard to imagine what Woods was thinking when he began cheating on his wife. Cheating on one’s wife is risky business for anyone, but for someone like Tiger who had cultivated a devoted-family man image and whose fame kept him in the public’s eye, the risk was something only a Wall Street banker might consider taking.

Rock 'n’ roll legend Bob Seger is right in saying we all have “the fire down below,” but in Woods’ case apparently it has been burning out of control for some time. If Woods is seeking treatment for sexual addiction as recent reports have been indicating, it is a positive step in the rehabilitation of his sullied image. Sometimes people with so much don’t appreciate the things they have.

That was never the case with plain-speaking Jim, who was known to occasionally cut the rug with his wife Jodi, and who often bragged to Oldgolfdawg: “All me and Jodi need is a bottle of wine and we feel fine.” Enjoying the simple pleasures in life can be lost on the rich and famous, but down-to-earth Jim knew better.

Once Jim and Oldgolfdawg were working the sports desk during the morning turnaround of a 24-hour news cycle when he turned to me and said: “Say, I’m not real big on politics and such. But are there two Chinas?” He was editing a short story about Olympic table tennis just in case type came up short somewhere and some filler or spackle was needed to fill an unsightly hole. Before Oldgolfdawg could offer his two cents on the matter, Jim added, “Say, Is it Taiwan or Formosa?”

What Oldgolfdawg gathered from his days of working with Good Ole Jim was that what the native Texan didn't know about geopolitics, he more than made up for by knowing what really matters in life. It's too bad that Tiger Woods has had to learn that the hard way.

*Background information about this post from Wikipedia: On March 5, 1982, John Belushi was found dead in his room at Bungalow #3 of the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The cause of death was a speedball, a combined injection of cocaine and heroin. On the night of his death, he was visited separately by friends Robin Williams (at the height of his own drug exploits) and Robert De Niro, each of whom left the premises, leaving Belushi in the company of assorted others, including Cathy Smith.

His death was investigated by forensic pathologist Dr. Ryan Norris among others, and while the findings were disputed, it was officially ruled a drug-related accident.

Two months later, Smith admitted in an interview with the National Enquirer that she had been with Belushi the night of his death and had given him the fatal speedball shot. After the appearance of the article "I Killed Belushi" in the Enquirer edition of June 29, 1982, the case was reopened. Smith was extradited from Toronto, arrested and charged with first-degree murder. A plea bargain arrangement reduced the charges to involuntary manslaughter, and she served 15 months in prison.

The Dallas Times Herald, founded in 1888 by a merger of the Dallas Times and the Dallas Herald, was once one of two major daily newspapers serving the greater Dallas area. It won three Pulitzer Prizes, all for photography, and two George Polk Awards, for local and regional reporting. As an afternoon publication for most of its 103 years, its demise was hastened by the shift of newspaper reading habits to morning papers, the reliance on television for late-breaking news, as well as the loss of an antitrust lawsuit against crosstown rival The Dallas Morning News.

On December 8, 1991, Belo, owner of The Dallas Morning News, bought the Times Herald for $55 million and closed the paper the next day.

More than just Hope

After two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA Tour moves back to the mainland this week and kicks off its West Coast swing today with the start of the 90-hole Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, Calif. While steeped in tradition, the birdie-binge in the desert has become more of a fun-fest for celebrities than a showcase of the game's best players.

The starring act on golf's stage this week is the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship where Charl Schwartzel will try to become the first player to win three consecutive European Tour events since Seve Ballesteros in 1986 when play begins Thursday.

Thirteen players in Abu Dhabi are ranked higher than the highest-ranked player at the Hope. The highest-ranked player at the Hope is Mike Weir, currently 37th in the world. The highest-ranked player in Abu Dhabi is Lee Westwood, who is fourth. The Hope will have eight of the world's top 50 players. Abu Dhabi will have 18.

Schwartzel, a 25-year-old South African, is coming off victories in the Africa Open and Joburg Open. In two weeks, he has climbed from No. 66 in the world rankings to 35th. Those within the top 50 on the list before the Masters will be invited into its field. So it looks like Schwartzel is almost a lock to be at Augusta.

Though a lesser light, the show must go on at the Hope. The experts at PGATOUR.com went way out on a limb and picked Weir as their favorite to win the tournament. Oldgolfdawg wouldn't be surprised to see someone like Tim Clark or Charley Hoffman strike it rich.

Chasing a Tiger tale
The amazing disappearance of Tiger Woods has taken a new twist. A story by Associated Press reporter Chris Talbott moved on the wire early this morning stating his attempts to verify a report by ESPN have come up empty. Yesterday, ESPN offered up the following report on its Web sites:

Tiger Woods is receiving treatment at a sex rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, author of a book titled "America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life" and himself a recovering sex addict, wrote on his personal blog Monday, citing an unnamed source.

Denizet-Lewis says he spent some time at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services in Hattiesburg a few years ago while writing his book and that is where he says Woods is receiving treatment.

Last week, Radar Online and Jackson, Miss., television stations WJTV and WLBT reported through sources that Woods was at the Hattiesburg clinic. Officials at the clinic have not confirmed that Woods is there, and ESPN independently has not been able to confirm that Woods is at the clinic.

Denizet-Lewis, who has written for the New York Times Magazine and other publications, writes that he spent some time at the clinic a few years ago while working on his book and writes that the programs at the clinic include group therapy sessions and family and couple's therapy, so if Woods "and his wife, Elin, are serious about repairing the marriage, she will be spending some time in treatment with Tiger."

Though unable to find Woods in Hattiesburg himself, Talbott did confirm that there have been more reports of Woods being spotted there than similar reports on Elvis. Oldgolfdawg thinks that should tell you something.

Bold talk, devilish greens

The phrase "You cannot be serious" has become ingrained in Oldgolfdawg's mind lately after repeated exposures to the television commercial in which tennis great John McEnroe complains to a rental car company employee about its "Choose any car" policy.

Every time Oldgolfdawg views the commercial it makes him think of Deer Ridge Golf Club in Bellville, Ohio, about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. The "You cannot be serious" phrase captures a reaction he often had after stroking an ill-fated putt on its lightning-fast and severely sloped greens.

Oldgolfdawg had driven by Deer Ridge probably a hundred times while making frequent visits to his old stomping grounds in the Stow-Kent area north of Akron. But he didn't realize what a gem of a course was located just off an exit of I-71 until last summer when a gathering there of old high school friends taking part in the annual Gula/McClintick Classic opened his eyes.

The course, designed by Brian Huntley and opened in 1998, isn't long, but its large undulating greens make up for whatever it lacks in distance. Along the way are breathtaking views and scenic vistas on a well-maintained course with many tree-lined fairways and several holes with extreme elevation changes.

The seventh hole, a 156-yard par 3 from the blue tees, is the fifth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen. The golfer can't see the green when teeing off because it is nestled on top of a hill about 70 feet in elevation above the tee box. The green is large and sloped from back to front. If the pin is located near the front of the green and your tee shot ends up above the hole, you better start praying. If you're on the green and below the hole, you have a chance to escape with a par. But the hole only rewards those with a brave heart and a steely putting stroke.

Oldgolfdawg often gauges the difficulty of a course by the comments made by playing partners during or after a round. So Oldgolfdawg took note when Billy "Bear" Carlyon, a longtime friend and golfing rival, suggested he was going to rip Deer Ridge a new one the next time he played it after a round last October. Billy Bear, as Oldgolfdawg calls him, plays to about a 3 or 4 handicap and he was running a little hot under the collar after shooting an 84. At the Gula/McClintick gathering in August, Bear had posted a field-leading 77 and perhaps entered a return engagement with The Ridge with a false sense of security.

Anyway, after hearing Billy Bear's boast, Oldgolfdawg couldn't help but try to temper the situation by quoting Ned Pepper of True Grit fame and saying, "I call that bold talk for a one-eye fat man."

Only time will tell if Billy Bear will get his revenge. All Oldgolfdawg knows is that Deer Ridge is the kind of course where the phrase "You cannot be serious" runs off the of lips of even the best golfers.











http://www.deerridgegc.com/

Palmer pins down a victory

The back-nine duel between Ryan Palmer and Robert Allenby in the final round of the Sony Open in Honolulu yesterday made for compelling theater. It reached a crescendo on the 18th green when Palmer hit a 50-foot chip shot that hit the pin and left him with a tap-in for birdie and a one-shot victory.

Oldgolfdawg was glued to the tube watching the way Palmer and Allenby jockeyed for position as the day's final pairing made the turn and headed for the clubhouse. On a scale of 1 to 5 dog biscuits, Oldgolfdawg would throw it a solid 4. If the drama would have unfolded in a bigger event, it would have earned an additional half biscuit.

After Allenby hit a fabulous sand shot to birdie No. 9 and Palmer could only manage a par on Waialae Country Club's easiest hole, it looked like the wheels were beginning to come off for the eventual winner. Palmer proceeded to bogey No. 11 after hitting into a trap but matched a birdie putt by Allenby on No. 12 to maintain a one-shot lead at 14 under.

The jockeying continued over the last six holes, but Palmer answered each challenge mounted by Allenby. Tied at 14 under coming to the par-5 18th, Palmer and Allenby each had a reasonable shot at getting up-and-down for birdie after missing the green with their second shots. Allenby hit through the green and pitched to just inside 10 feet. Palmer came up short of the green and faced a delicate uphill chip against the grain.

Palmer feared his chip was hit a little too hard, and he tumbled backward in relief when the ball struck the pin squarely. Allenby missed his birdie putt, and Palmer tapped in for a 4-under-par 66 and his third career PGA Tour victory.

“Lucky bounce,” Palmer said. “It was probably going to go by 7 or 8 feet. I still hit a good chip. You need things like that to win.”

Palmer, a 33-year-old Texan trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 season in which he finished 150th on the money list, earned exempt status on the PGA Tour through 2012 with the victory. It also earned him a trip to the Masters for the first time in five years.

Allenby, an Australian who won the Nedbank Challenge on the Sunshine Tour and the Australian PGA Championship on the Australasian PGA Tour at the end of last year, closed with a 67.

“I had a couple of chances out there,” Allenby said. “It’s so easy to look back and say, ‘I could have made that, I could have made that.’ But at the end of the day, realistically, I needed to make a birdie at the last.”

Steve Stricker, the highest-ranked player in the first full-field event of the year, shared the lead briefly on the back nine, and had a 65 to finish third, two strokes back. He was done in down the stretch by a few uncharacteristically loose shots.

Don't mess with Lucy

As a season pass member for two years at Foxfire Golf Club in Lockbourne, Oldgolfdawg learned the hard way how rounds can fall apart quickly. Numerous times he was on track to break 80 at The Players Club when all hell would break loose on No. 14, the first of three tough holes in a row.

The fourth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen, No. 14 is a 547-yard par 5 that doglegs to the right when it gets to within 160 yards of the green. After numerous crash-and-burn experiences on the hole, Oldgolfdawg decided to call it "Lucretia MacEvil," a tribute to Blood  Sweat & Tears and in reference to Lucy of Peanuts fame for its ability to snatch away a good round just as she always thwarted Charlie Brown's attempts to kick a football.

Many times after negotiating the first 13 land mines of The Players Club in relatively unscathed fashion, Oldgolfdawg would feel his muscles tighten as he peered out from the tee box of "Bad Lucy." The hole is hemmed in by menacing wooded areas on both sides of a rolling fairway that goes down before heading up and eventually toward a narrowing where it begins to turn right. A well-placed 3-wood puts a golfer in position to hit another 3-wood or possibly a 5-wood or long iron to a level area at the top of a hill. A slight fade at the end of the second shot puts one in the best position to go at the green as long as it doesn't go too far right and becomes blocked by trees.

The green is well protected by two bunkers. The one in the front sprawls across most of the putting surface and has to be carried. The one on the back left side swallows approach shots that come in too hot. A pond also backstops the green but only comes into play if a player nukes a shot or skulls one. If the pin is on the right side of the green, the putts won't have a lot of break. But if the pin is more toward the left the difficulty increases as the green is more sloped and causes balls to run off.

If a golfer is lucky enough to come away with a par on "Bad Lucy," her tree-lined sisters, "Not So Sweet Melissa" and "Heartbreak Annie," are up next, making Nos. 14-16 a gantlet of sorts. It should be noted that The Players Club is for "players." It measures 7,077 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 132 and a 74.2 USGA rating. From the white tees, where Oldgolfdawg hangs out, it still measures 6,705 yards and has a slope rating of 128 and a 72.4 USGA rating.

About those britches

Other than John Daly himself, no entity was more disappointed that he didn't make the Sony Open cut than the Golf Channel, which constantly plugged a show it has produced about the seemingly star-crossed golfer during its second-round coverage of the event.

Daly, who is in much better shape after losing some 115 pounds, was identified as "The Spotlight Player" during the coverage, which after awhile seemed to become nothing more than a vehicle to promote the show "Being John Daly." The fact that it will premier on the Golf Channel March 2 was drilled into viewers to the point of distraction.

Another source of distraction for viewers had to be Daly's pants, which my old boss and good friend Ray Stein would describe simply as being something straight from the goofy rack. Even Boo Weekley, who isn't exactly a fashion maven, was taken back by their orange-, pink- and peach-colored diamond-like design.

When asked during the telecast about the comeback bid being made by Daly, Weekley thought there was a good chance it would succeed before adding, "Man, we got to get J.D. to do something about those britches."

Daly is sort of like the sad-eyed dog you kick out of the house for leaving a mess on the rug only to let back in when he shows up at the backdoor later on wagging his tail and oblivious to why he was kicked out in the first place. You want to pull for him, but you're always waiting for the next stain on the rug. He missed the cut by three shots and was struggling with the flat stick.


Golf show observations: Oldgolfdawg dropped in on The Greater Columbus Golf Show yesterday around 3 p.m. and witnessed a beehive of activity. Vendors of golf equipment, apparel, travel packages and even one for bathroom remodeling seemed to be doing a lively business despite the current rough patch we've hit in the economy.

Those in attendance had opportunities to test their skills in a Long Putt Challenge, to compete in the Adams Golf Long Drive Championship and to watch exhibitions by noted long-drive champions. Walking down the aisles of the convention center was a little like going trick-or-treating. The vendors were passing out brochures like candy to kids on Halloween and were eager to answer any and all questions about what they were selling.

When Oldgolfdawg got home and began sorting through his plastic bag of loot he discovered that he had collected more than 40 brochures or fliers promoting this and that. The Myrtle Beach and Santee Cooper travel package vendors were there in force. They know how to butter their bread and central Ohio golfers who travel south in early spring figure big in their bottom lines.

Taking the bite out of green fees

Oldgolfdawg has purchased The DivotCard the past two years and believes it is a great thing to have if you enjoy playing a variety courses at a discount. It is especially handy for the golfer who can't find a playing partner when the urge to play strikes and who doesn't mind joining up with strangers or going it alone.

Participating courses in central Ohio this year include Bent Tree, Blackhawk, Chapel Hill, Cooks Creek, Darby Creek, Glenross, Royal American Links, Westchester and Longaberger. All but Longaberger offer a free round (not counting a $14 cart fee) for play on Monday through Thursday. Seven more free rounds (not counting a $14 cart fee) can be obtained through repeated play at the courses using 28 additionally discounted rounds. http://www.thedivotcard.com/columbus/

Longaberger Golf Club, rated by many the best public course in Ohio, is new to the lineup. The coupon boxes for it are $10 off (cart included) for the first visit, $20 off for the second visit (after the use of $10 discount) and $30 off for a third visit (after the use of the $10 and $20 discounts). The coupons are good Monday through Sunday and are based off current seasonal rates. http://www.longabergergolfclub.com/

Included in The DivotCard deal are free driving range balls and pro shop discounts on apparel. If you go to the Greater Columbus Golf Show in the Veterans Memorial Building this weekend, you can get one for $69 and receive a free logo cap.

Different horses for different courses

As central Ohio starts to thaw from the recent cold snap, the PGA Tour will begin the second leg of its swing through Hawaii today when the Sony Open unfolds in Honolulu. The tournament will be telecast by the Golf Channel.

Waialae Country Club will provide a different test than last week's winner's-only event at Kapalua. The tour's first full-fledged field will tee off knowing that Waialae's more classic design of narrow fairways and numerous doglegs rewards shot-making over distance. Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for third in driving last year, and he hit his last seven fairways on his way to a back-nine 31 and a one-shot victory over David Toms.

Waialae, with its ocean-side location and flat terrain, has traditionally been one of the most difficult courses in terms of driving accuracy. In 2006, the fairways of the Sony Open were the hardest to hit of any PGA Tour event for the entire year. Waialae can become a long-ball hitter's nightmare when the winds pick up. Early forecasts call for gusts up to 20 mph from the north when play begins today.

This might make things difficult for John Daly, who received a sponsor's exemption and has lost about 100 pounds in the last nine months through lap-band surgery. Daly only played in seven tour events last year after serving a six-month suspension for conduct unbecoming a professional. He has missed the cut or withdrawn in 30 of his last 47 PGA Tour starts.

The smart money will be betting that a veteran ball-striker such as Johnson, Toms, Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly, Robert Allenby or Ernie Els will emerge as the winner. Since Paul Stankowski won at age 27 in 1997, no one under 30 has won the Sony Open.

That won't stop Hawaiian teenager Tadd Fujikawa from trying. He will have the support of a home crowd as he plays in his fourth Sony Open. The 19-year-old made waves last year with a third-round 62, but he faded to a final-day 73 and finished tied for 32nd.

Ohio's Golf, one of Oldgolfdawg's favorite links, is sending John Stampe to report live from the Sony Open. He will be blogging and paying extra attention to Ohioans in the field such as Ben Curtis, Chris Wilson and Jason Dufner.

Golden Bear welcomes Tiger's best shot

Can't help but wonder what Tiger Woods was thinking last weekend when he heard that Jack Nicklaus was warning him about the dangers of sitting out the 2010 majors season.

In an exclusive interview with the Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte, Nicklaus admitted he didn't want anyone to break his record of 18 major championship victories. At the same time, Nicklaus also said he didn't want to see Tiger not break his record because of injury or personal problems.

If Oldgolfdawg were Tiger, he would take that as a challenge. You know, kind of like, "Hey Tiger, catch me if you can." In a conference call to members of the media last Friday, Nicklaus was asked whether Woods' indefinite leave from the PGA Tour creates more doubt about him surpassing Nicklaus' mark.

"If Tiger is going to pass my record, I think this is a big year for him in that regard," Nicklaus said. "If he doesn't play this year, then obviously the chore will be a little tougher."

This year's first three majors are being played on courses where Woods has won multiple times and by record margins. Of Woods' 14 major championships, seven have been won at Augusta National (four), Pebble Beach (one) and St. Andrews (two). Woods, 34, has been a regular in the mix at Augusta National every year. But the U.S. Open won't return to Pebble Beach again until Woods is in his 40s. The British Open will return the Old Course in five-year intervals when Woods is 39, 44 and 49.

Before Woods' personal life came crashing down on him the day after Thanksgiving because of later admitted infidelity, the assumption of many that he would catch Nicklaus was based partly on the belief Tiger would have a big 2010 major season. Now that has come into question and wide-ranging speculation continues over when Woods will return.

"If he works on the emotional things he needs to heal, I could see 2011," John Cook, a close friend of Woods, told Golfweek. "It wouldn't surprise me at all."

Butch Harmon, Woods' former swing coach, expects a faster rebound. "Those who say he won't play again are crazy," Harmon told Sky Sports. "People who say he probably won't play this year, I don't really believe that. If you want to put a timetable on it, I'd say you may see him in Florida before the U.S. Masters."

Whatever happens, Nicklaus isn't worried about golf's future, saying: “Tiger always has been a big influence on the game. But the game had Bobby Jones, the game had Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Nicklaus. The game always survived that. The game will continue to go forward. Tiger is a big influence, probably the largest one we ever had. And certainly, we hope he comes back and plays. It’s not all about one person. The game is a big game.”

Keeping things real

Oldgolfdawg was ready to offer his take on the possibility that Tiger Woods might skip one or even all of the season's four majors when a comment from a good friend made him realize the tone of Chase The Pea is a tad too serious.

Blogs by their nature are self-indulgent babblings by people who think they have something to say. Oldgolfdawg doesn't wish to portray himself as an expert in anything, except perhaps the art of three-putting. That said, it might take time for him to zero in on his true writing voice. But he already knows you don't have to be a highbrow stuffed shirt to appreciate golf's lure.

Anyone who has launched a "two-cheeker" from the tee box and marveled at the beauty of its flight knows that golf is a spiritual experience. Whether its the kind of spirituality described by Deepak Chopra in his book "Golf for Enlightment" or the variety offered by Dan Jenkins in his book "The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist," doesn't really matter. As they say, "Different strokes for different folks."

So don't be put off if Oldgolfdawg comes off a little too close to the vest like that football coach who guides the Buckeyes down in The 'Shoe. Over time they'll probably both learn to loosen things up.

Sleepy start for PGA Tour

The PGA Tour's 2010 season-opener was a bit of a snoozer. Even though Geoff Ogilvy rallied from a two-shot deficit with 10 holes to play Sunday, his one-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini in the SBS Championship at Kapalua was anti-climatic. On a scale of 1 to 5 dog biscuits, Oldgolfdawg would throw it a 3.

Maybe the Arizona Cardinals' 51-45 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers in an NFL wild-card playoff game earlier was just a tough act to follow. But when Sabbatini slightly missed his tee shot on the 18th hole, the drama quotient took a hit. He didn't get the roll he needed on the 663-yard hole and had to lay up short of the green on his second shot. The miscue came back to haunt Sabbatini, who capped a brilliant 10-under 63 with a disappointing par. It was like watching a running back rush for 200 yards only to fumble away the ball inside the 5 on his way to the end zone.

Ogilvy secured the victory with a workman-like par on the final hole. He shot a final-round 67 to finish at 22-under 270. In posting his eighth consecutive round in the 60s on the Plantation Course , he joined fellow Australian Stuart Appleby as the only repeat winners since this tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999. Ogilvy also became only the seventh player in the 58 years of the winners-only tournament to win in consecutive years.

The Golf Channel broadcasting team of Kelly Tilghman, Nick Faldo and Mark Rolfing didn't sugarcoat Sabbatini's missed opportunity. It was pointed out that Sabbatini missed a 3 1/2-foot putt on the 18th in 2002 that would have forced a playoff.

Like NBC analyst Johnny Miller, Faldo's remarks carry a lot of weight. But Faldo points out players' weaknesses in a more delicate manner. He noted that Ogilvy got off to a fast start in 2009 before fading from view in April. He suggested Ogilvy's swing got stuck in a bad spine angle rut that he couldn't shake.

Miller has often been blunt in his criticism of players. One example came on June 16, 2008, when he referred to Rocco Mediate, during the broadcast of the U.S. Open's 18-hole playoff, as "looking like the guy who cleans Tiger Woods' pool."

Oldgolfdawg enjoys hearing the insights of analysts as wise and knowledgeable as Miller and Faldo. But a kinder, gentler, machine-gun hand goes well with Faldo's affable personality. Sometimes we just don't need a sledgehammer.

Sniffing out a bargain

The Greater Columbus Golf Show will be celebrating its 20th anniversary when Northcoast Golf Shows visits town Jan. 15-17 in the Veterans Memorial Building. Golf dawgs looking for an escape from the vagaries of winter will flock to the event like moths attracted to light.

In the words of its promoters: "Whether you're looking for the latest equipment, planning your next golf getaway or looking to improve your game, the Greater Columbus Golf Show has it all! With over 225 booths, it's your best chance to shop compare and save on anything and everything in the world of golf! Enjoy special show savings on the absolute latest in golf clubs, bags, balls, shoes, apparel, training aids, accessories, even golf resort packages! Test your talent in our challenging skills competitions, see amazing stage performances or take a free one-on-one golf lesson with a PGA professional. This is a show that you don't want to miss! "

For parking, directions, and other show information you can visit the websites listed below: http://www.northcoastgolfshows.com/columbus/cns_columbus.htmlhttp://www.fcvm.com/

If you go, Oldgolfdawg suggests you visit the Fairway Magazine booth. If you enjoy straying from your home course once in a while or don't have a home course, Fairway Magazine offers a great way to cut the cost of playing a variety of courses with its 240 discount coupons. More than 20,000 issues of the magazine were sold in central Ohio last year. For more details, check out: http://www.FairwayTheMagazine.com

No place for the timid

Champions Golf Course is a string of pearls with a gem thrown in for good measure. Famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., re-designed what was formerly Winding Hollow Country Club in 1948. It is viewed in many circles as central Ohio's most challenging public course. Jones believed that golf should be a no risk, no reward activity and No. 13 is a perfect example of how his designs encouraged daring play.

Carl W. Grody, a staff writer for GolfOhio.com, wrote a beautiful course review of Champions that explains better than Oldgolfdawg ever could why No. 13 belongs in his "Elegant Eighteen." Check it out here: Golf Ohio: Champions Golf Course: Just Remember These Two Things

Included among Jones' many esteemed designs are Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Golden Horseshoe (Gold course) in Williamsburg, Va.

No need for Tiger

The PGA Tour opens its 2010 season today with the start of the SBS Championship in Kapalua, Hawaii. The fact that Tiger Woods won't be part of the festivities while he sorts out his personal life shouldn't affect TV ratings too much. Woods hasn't played in the event since 2005. And golf addicts who have been cooped up in their homes recently because of a cold snap that has gripped much of the nation will likely tune in just to escape the dull, gray shades of winter outside. The tournament will be telecast by the Golf Channel.

The season-opening event, limited to winners in 2009, will have 28 players in the field. Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson have decided to skip an adventure at the Kapalua Resort and its Plantation Course (7,411 yards, par 73), a former pineapple plantation in the foothills of the West Maui Mountains.

Four out of seven PGATOUR.COM experts are picking Steve Stricker to win this year's tournament. Geoff Ogilvy posted a wire-to-wire, six-stroke victory last year. Rounds of 67-68-65-68 left him at 24-under 268.

As the season unfolds, talk of Woods' return and just when it will happen will likely overshadow the accomplishments of players still actively pursuing big prize money. In past seasons, Woods has often played a light early schedule. There's much speculation that Tiger will return to the tour in late March for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. He's the defending champion and it falls two weeks before The Masters.

If Tiger stays out until then, he'll miss the first 13 tournaments of the season, including the San Diego Open at Torrey Pines, site of his epic 2008 U.S. Open victory over Rocco Mediate in a playoff. If Tiger doesn't return for the Bay Hill event, the drama over his return will reach new heights.

Check out this Golf Channel video looking at some of the top questions to be answered as the 2010 season unfolds:



Check out the PGA Tour's 2010 schedule at:


PGATOUR.com - Official Schedule

Going to the Chapel

Driving to Chapel Hill Golf Course in Mount Vernon from downtown Columbus is a 47.5-mile trek, but Oldgolfdawg always looks forward to such visits. The course, a par-72 layout that weaves its way up and down numerous hills, plays 6,856 yards from its back tees. It is a beautiful course, especially in the fall because of its many wooded areas. During a round there, golfers are confronted with numerous shots guaranteed to produce drama. The second shots on Nos. 9, 11 and 18 come to mind quickly, but Oldgolfdawg breaks into a cold sweat when he starts thinking about the seventh hole.

As the second member in the "Elegant Eighteen" clubhouse, the seventh hole takes a backseat to no hole. The par 4, dogleg right plays 411 yards from the middle tee and 440 yards from the tip. The tee box rests near the top of a hill and the golfer sees two sand traps beyond the left side of the fairway as the hole bends to the right in the valley below. The fairway itself is sloped from left to right, prompting any shot that is fading to the right to roll through it and into a runoff valley and possibly into an adjacent wooded area.

If you hit into either of the sand traps, you're staring at a bogey, and more likely a double bogey or worse. That is because the second shot, sometimes a mid-iron or more if the wind is blowing, requires a golfer to thread the ball between two small ponds protecting a sloped green, which lies at the bottom of a steep drop-off from the fairway. A prudent golfer will lay up and try to get a bogey. A swashbuckler who goes for the green from the sand traps will be tempting the golf gods to unleash their wrath.

If you stray to right of the fairway off the tee box and into the runoff valley beside it, your second shot to the green will be partially blocked by trees and you will have to hit some kind of miracle slice to get the ball near the green.

If you hit a nice drive that stays in the fairway on the plateau above the green, you have to hit a second shot that will land softly. If it comes in flat or too hot, the ball will run through the green and possibly into a pond on the left. There's a bailout area to the right of the green, which slopes from right to left. But if you end up there the chip to the green is very dangerous and can easily run off, possibly into the pond on the left.

Once you get the ball on the green safely, a par is no sure thing. The slope of the green is severe. It is easy to three-putt when the cup is on the left side of the green. Thoughts of putting it off the green creep into the mind and with good reason.

Don't let this description of the hole scare you away. It's a lot of fun to play. And if you come away unscathed, you carry with you a deep sense of satisfaction as you make your way to the eighth tee.

A flyover view of this hole is available to golflink.com members.

Google maps (click view larger map) can help you get to the course from downtown Columbus:


View Larger Map

Central Ohio's Elegant Eighteen

You know how during any given round you usually run into one hole that stokes your imagination and quickens the pulse. Perhaps the hole's simple beauty or its higher degree of difficulty revs your engine. These holes stand out from the others. And when you play them well, you take extra satisfaction in meeting their challenge.

For years, Oldgolfdawg has made it a pre-round habit to single out a hole on the course he is going to play the next day and to plot strategy geared to tame its bite. While plotting strategy and executing are two different things, the practice of plotting strategy has ingrained certain holes in Oldgolfdawg's mind.

For fun on the first day of a new decade, Oldgolfdawg has decided to come up with his own version of 18 such holes in central Ohio. He'll refer to them simply as "The Elegant Eighteen," attention-grabbing holes that will make you pay a price if your game is not on its best behavior.

The makeup of "The Elegant Eighteen" will be revealed over time in future posts.

For now, the campaign will kick off by naming hole No. 2 at Royal American Links as the first member in the clubhouse. The RAL scorecard refers to the hole as "Little Lovely." Oldgolfdawg always has an itch to add one more word to that title after walking away from it with a double bogey or worse.

At first glance, "Little Lovely" appears docile enough. It's a par 4 that plays 324 yards from the middle tee and 352 from the back tee. A creek runs along the left side of the fairway. The tee shot is not overly demanding and longer hitters usually lay up with an iron or a fairway wood. But as the golfer reaches his tee shot he notices the creek makes a turn to the right and snuggles itself up next to the front of the green. This makes the second shot very demanding. There is little margin for error because only 4 to 6 feet separate the green from the creek and most balls that barely clear the creek end up bouncing back and rolling into the water.

The hole's narrow elongated green also has a diagonal factor to it that increases the difficulty depending upon where the flag is placed. The green's backside is protected by a large bunker on the left that collects a lot of shots that come in too hot out of fear of landing in the creek. There's also a small nuisance backside bunker on the right. The shot out of the left side bunker is scary because the creek looms again if it is hit too boldly. Any shot hit over the green but is lucky enough to avoid the bunkers faces a similarly difficult situation. The farther one hits it over the green, the scarier the shot coming back becomes.

Oldgolfdawg is always happy to land anywhere on the green in regulation. Even when he does so and proceeds to three-jack his way to a bogey, he doesn't get too upset. The fact that he has avoided a really big number only two holes into his round is cause for relief. That's the effect a few run-ins with "Little Lovely" can have on anyone who loves to chase the pea.

If anyone is interested in seeing a flyover view of this hole, they can do so by becoming a member of golflink.com. The Web site has a lot to offer but does have an annual membership fee of $49.95. Oldgolfdawg is a member and only suggests that you check it out.