By Jim Nettleton
The golf world was stunned earlier this year when perhaps the finest female player ever to play the game announced her retirement at the end of this year. That the announcement came at a time when she was at her career peak made it doubly stunning.
Annika Sorenstam has rapidly amassed titles and honors during her career, a span of time that saw her win 72 tournaments for third place on the all time list. Among those victories are 10 majors. But it must be said that those ahead of her on the all time list, Kathy Whitworth with 88 and Mickey Wright with 82, played at a time when competition was not remotely as intense as it is now. During the careers of Whitworth and Wright, there were only a small handful of players who actually had a chance to win each week. Today, dozens of players have a realistic chance to win. Given that assessment, Annika’s accomplishments become even more impressive, as do Tiger Woods’, judged by the same criteria.
Tiger called her “the greatest female golfer of all time” and said that it was sad to see her walk away. The 37 year-old Swedish superstar has said that she wants to devote more time to her business and to start a family. It’s a good bet that it will be a golfing family. Her fiancé is Mike McGee, the son of the former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee, so the genes are definitely there.
But it’s hard to imagine an athlete with her credentials going cold turkey from the game she dominated for so many years. Anyone who has achieved a lofty status in athletics, or any other endeavor for that matter, will find it difficult not to be drawn back to those circumstances around which their lives revolved for so long. According to Sorenstam, her last tournament will be the Dubai Ladies Masters, which takes place after the end of the regular LPGA Tour schedule. But will that really be the end?
Many of us who love the game hope not. Although her performance this year hasn’t been, in general, up to Sorenstam standards, although she has won three times to date, much of that is probably due to a division of concentration as she makes her final tour and thinks ahead to starting that family. She still strikes the ball as well as ever and still possesses the length to dominate any field she’s in.
The major loss to the LPGA Tour will be not only her stellar play but the manner in which she’s comported herself over the years and the example that conduct has set for younger players coming up the professional ladder. True leaders are always rare and we can ill afford to lose any of them.
Personally, I believe Annika will be back, if not on a full time basis, then playing select tournaments and perhaps the majors. After a year or two away from the competition and, yes, the glory, I believe the urge to experience some of that again will overcome other issues. Even if she does start her family promptly, that will not be a significant roadblock. There are many young mothers who are active on tour and who bring their families along with them.
Certainly we all wish her the very best with her new directions. But let’s hope that we haven’t seen the last of Annika Sorenstam, nor the last of the class and dignity she brought to the game. Is she does decide to return occasionally, she will be a welcome sight indeed.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Golf In Florida Part 1
By Jim Nettleton
If you’re a golfer, there’s no better place to indulge your passion than the golf-friendly state of Florida. With well over one thousand courses of all varieties, you could play for many years without hitting the same course twice.
In this first of a series of articles on golf in the Sunshine State, we’ll visit the west coast of the peninsula and discuss some of the courses in the Tampa Bay area. Let’s being with one of my favorites, probably influenced by the fact that I lived on the course for several years, Northdale Golf Club.
Located in northern Tampa, just above the Carrollwood section, Northdale is a great facility with 18 well-designed holes. They range from fairly easy to quite difficult. The course measures 6,840 from the tips of this Ron Garl design. It was renovated in 2002 - all greens were rebuilt to USGA specs, the clubhouse was improved and new cart parths were installed.
Northdale begins with a relatively easy par 5 that can be reached in 2. From that point on, players will experience a solid variety of holes with water coming into play frequently. Some of my favorite holes are as follows. The par 3 3rd can play well over 200 yards from the back and it’s all over water. The par 5 9th meanders to the right and the small green is protected on three sides by water. The par 3 15th hole plays through a narrow chute of trees to a tricky green that is guarded on the right by a pond and tall reeds. Finally, the par 5 16th, which bends around a lake and requires precise shot placement.
Northdale is a solid test and an aesthetically pleasing layout, the only drawback being that there is no driving range associated with the facility.
North of Tampa just a few miles is another of my favorites located in the town of Zephyrhills, The Links At Lake Bernadette. It was designed by Dean Refram and opened in 1983. It, to my mind, falls into the classic course design category. You don’t need to be a big bomber to play here, but you will have to be accurate. The course is a shot maker’s delight. Water comes into play on many holes as the course winds through beautiful, mature trees and over gently rolling terrain.
By the way, The Links has a summer special going on, with all you can play plus lunch for $20 – a great bargain.
Here are some of my favorite holes. The par 5 4th, which I think is one of the best risk-reward holes I’ve ever played. It’s short, well under 500 yards, but don’t let that fool you. If you have any hope of hitting the green in 2, you’ll have to thread your tee shot around the bend to the left and hope you don’t pull it in the woods left or push it in the woods right. Then, your second shot is extremely demanding to a small green with water in front and trouble behind, in the form of a mound with a bunker and pampas grass.
The par 3 6th is a fine test that plays to a very undulating green. If you don’t get it close, a long putt on that green can be an adventure.
The par 4 10th is strictly a position hole. It only measures about 315 yards, but don’t venture to the right and be tempted to cut across the dog leg. There’s serious trouble on that side.
The par 5 12th is a solid hole that requires a very accurate drive of good length for a chance at getting home in two. Nonetheless, the green is very well guarded and missing it will bring a big number into play.
The par 3 13th has been called the best par 3 in Tampa Bay by Golf Digest. It’s a tricky hole of only 163 yards with a semi-blind shot to a very difficult green.
Finally, the par 4 18th gives you a solid challenge in finishing your round. It bends about 35 degrees to the right and requires a well placed tee shot to get a good angle to the green. The green itself is very narrow and well-bunkered, with 3 tiers.
Next time around we’ll look at more Tampa Bay area courses. Until then, stay well and keep swingin’.
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If you’re a golfer, there’s no better place to indulge your passion than the golf-friendly state of Florida. With well over one thousand courses of all varieties, you could play for many years without hitting the same course twice.
In this first of a series of articles on golf in the Sunshine State, we’ll visit the west coast of the peninsula and discuss some of the courses in the Tampa Bay area. Let’s being with one of my favorites, probably influenced by the fact that I lived on the course for several years, Northdale Golf Club.
Located in northern Tampa, just above the Carrollwood section, Northdale is a great facility with 18 well-designed holes. They range from fairly easy to quite difficult. The course measures 6,840 from the tips of this Ron Garl design. It was renovated in 2002 - all greens were rebuilt to USGA specs, the clubhouse was improved and new cart parths were installed.
Northdale begins with a relatively easy par 5 that can be reached in 2. From that point on, players will experience a solid variety of holes with water coming into play frequently. Some of my favorite holes are as follows. The par 3 3rd can play well over 200 yards from the back and it’s all over water. The par 5 9th meanders to the right and the small green is protected on three sides by water. The par 3 15th hole plays through a narrow chute of trees to a tricky green that is guarded on the right by a pond and tall reeds. Finally, the par 5 16th, which bends around a lake and requires precise shot placement.
Northdale is a solid test and an aesthetically pleasing layout, the only drawback being that there is no driving range associated with the facility.
North of Tampa just a few miles is another of my favorites located in the town of Zephyrhills, The Links At Lake Bernadette. It was designed by Dean Refram and opened in 1983. It, to my mind, falls into the classic course design category. You don’t need to be a big bomber to play here, but you will have to be accurate. The course is a shot maker’s delight. Water comes into play on many holes as the course winds through beautiful, mature trees and over gently rolling terrain.
By the way, The Links has a summer special going on, with all you can play plus lunch for $20 – a great bargain.
Here are some of my favorite holes. The par 5 4th, which I think is one of the best risk-reward holes I’ve ever played. It’s short, well under 500 yards, but don’t let that fool you. If you have any hope of hitting the green in 2, you’ll have to thread your tee shot around the bend to the left and hope you don’t pull it in the woods left or push it in the woods right. Then, your second shot is extremely demanding to a small green with water in front and trouble behind, in the form of a mound with a bunker and pampas grass.
The par 3 6th is a fine test that plays to a very undulating green. If you don’t get it close, a long putt on that green can be an adventure.
The par 4 10th is strictly a position hole. It only measures about 315 yards, but don’t venture to the right and be tempted to cut across the dog leg. There’s serious trouble on that side.
The par 5 12th is a solid hole that requires a very accurate drive of good length for a chance at getting home in two. Nonetheless, the green is very well guarded and missing it will bring a big number into play.
The par 3 13th has been called the best par 3 in Tampa Bay by Golf Digest. It’s a tricky hole of only 163 yards with a semi-blind shot to a very difficult green.
Finally, the par 4 18th gives you a solid challenge in finishing your round. It bends about 35 degrees to the right and requires a well placed tee shot to get a good angle to the green. The green itself is very narrow and well-bunkered, with 3 tiers.
Next time around we’ll look at more Tampa Bay area courses. Until then, stay well and keep swingin’.
**Get a money-making mall FREE! Click here:
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Golf In Bermuda
By Jim Nettleton
Bermuda has been my favorite vacation retreat for decades. Its friendly people, clean environment and wonderful weather are always a joy.
Being an avid golfer, experiencing the game and the courses on that beautiful island is also a never-ending joy. Bermuda has more golf courses per square mile than any place in the world. There are 8 courses there and each offers a splendid test.
The Belmont Hills Golf Club is a short but challenging layout that measures a little over 6,000 yards from the tips. It was rebuilt not long ago to USGA standards.
If you’re looking to spruce up your short game, try the Fairmont Southampton executive par three course, located near the southwestern tip of the island. It’s a fine array of 3 pars that will test every aspect of your iron play.
Farther along the southwestern tip you’ll find the spectacular Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed Port Royal Golf Course. Several of its holes hug the cliffs overlooking the ocean. My personal favorite is the par three 16th, which plays 176 yards over a chasm to a green perched on a cliff. At 6,561 yards, Port Royal is Bermuda’s longest course. Don’t miss it.
Heading back northeast, you’ll come upon Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club, a short but testing course along the water, measuring 5,800 yards.
Not far from Hamilton, the Ocean View Golf Course affords lovely views of the ocean. It’s only a 9 hole course measuring a little over 2,900 yards, but the scenery is worth a play.
Traveling farther north, Tucker’s Point Golf Club, the former Castle Harbour, presents itself. It was recently redesigned a while back, but maintains the elevation changes that made the old course so challenging.
Farther along the north route in the lovely town of St. George is the 18 hole executive course, St. George’s Golf Club. It consists of 8 par fours and 10 par threes. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., this stunning layout wraps around historic Fort St. Catherine and offers challenging play and terrific views. Sadly, this course is closing soon, so enjoy it while you can.
I’ve saved the best for last. Heading back toward Tucker’s Point you’ll find the marvelous Mid Ocean Golf Club, ranked for years among the top 50 courses in the world. Play it and you’ll see why. Although it measures just under Port Royal in length, play it from the tips and you’ll think you’ve just come up against a 7,300 yarder. Spectacular holes along the ocean are to be savored. Be sure to bring plenty of memory cards for you cameras.
Some of these courses are private – but arrangements can be made through your hotel.
I can’t wait to get back there and enjoy those lovely links again.
Copyright 2008 Jim Nettleton
**Get a money-making mall FREE! Click here:
http://www.mypowermall.com/Biz/Home/30831
Bermuda has been my favorite vacation retreat for decades. Its friendly people, clean environment and wonderful weather are always a joy.
Being an avid golfer, experiencing the game and the courses on that beautiful island is also a never-ending joy. Bermuda has more golf courses per square mile than any place in the world. There are 8 courses there and each offers a splendid test.
The Belmont Hills Golf Club is a short but challenging layout that measures a little over 6,000 yards from the tips. It was rebuilt not long ago to USGA standards.
If you’re looking to spruce up your short game, try the Fairmont Southampton executive par three course, located near the southwestern tip of the island. It’s a fine array of 3 pars that will test every aspect of your iron play.
Farther along the southwestern tip you’ll find the spectacular Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed Port Royal Golf Course. Several of its holes hug the cliffs overlooking the ocean. My personal favorite is the par three 16th, which plays 176 yards over a chasm to a green perched on a cliff. At 6,561 yards, Port Royal is Bermuda’s longest course. Don’t miss it.
Heading back northeast, you’ll come upon Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club, a short but testing course along the water, measuring 5,800 yards.
Not far from Hamilton, the Ocean View Golf Course affords lovely views of the ocean. It’s only a 9 hole course measuring a little over 2,900 yards, but the scenery is worth a play.
Traveling farther north, Tucker’s Point Golf Club, the former Castle Harbour, presents itself. It was recently redesigned a while back, but maintains the elevation changes that made the old course so challenging.
Farther along the north route in the lovely town of St. George is the 18 hole executive course, St. George’s Golf Club. It consists of 8 par fours and 10 par threes. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., this stunning layout wraps around historic Fort St. Catherine and offers challenging play and terrific views. Sadly, this course is closing soon, so enjoy it while you can.
I’ve saved the best for last. Heading back toward Tucker’s Point you’ll find the marvelous Mid Ocean Golf Club, ranked for years among the top 50 courses in the world. Play it and you’ll see why. Although it measures just under Port Royal in length, play it from the tips and you’ll think you’ve just come up against a 7,300 yarder. Spectacular holes along the ocean are to be savored. Be sure to bring plenty of memory cards for you cameras.
Some of these courses are private – but arrangements can be made through your hotel.
I can’t wait to get back there and enjoy those lovely links again.
Copyright 2008 Jim Nettleton
**Get a money-making mall FREE! Click here:
http://www.mypowermall.com/Biz/Home/30831
Bring The Real Game Of Golf Back
By Jim Nettleton
I freely admit to being a fanatic about playing the great game of golf as well as being a lifelong fan of the professional game. I first started following the pro circuit when Arnold Palmer broke on the scene like a swashbuckling D’Artagnan. I quickly fell in love with the nearly poetic beauty of the game and became fascinated by Palmer’s bold adventures.
From today’s perspective, we look back on those days, the days of television’s early feeble attempts at covering a game played over many acres, and realize that what were then called ‘fast’ greens were, in reality, excruciatingly slow and bumpy. And that course conditions were, for the most part, ragged. Observe some of the replays of All Star Golf and the early Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf on the Golf Channel and you’ll see what I mean.
It only makes all the more remarkable the achievements of the greats of those days and the days long before them. How, for example, under those conditions, was Byron Nelson able to set an incredible scoring average that stood for decades until Tiger Woods (who else) broke it in 2000. But the record was broken on courses manicured to a degree that Nelson could only have dreamed of during his prime.
All of which brings us to the current day and what is happening to this great game. True, today’s players are bigger, stronger and better conditioned than any who have gone before. And true, their talent level as a whole is greater – after all, they’ve had amazing role models from whom to learn. They’ve also had the benefit of an unprecedented amount of research and electronic analysis that didn’t exist in their predecessor’s time.
It is normal and even beneficial that the overall talent level and general proficiency improves and that cherished records fall on a fairly regular basis as Father Time marches on. But what we’ve seen over the past ten to twenty years is too much.
Players now on the Champion’s Tour are hitting the ball farther than they ever did while in their prime on the regular tour. The average driving distance on the regular tour is increasing geometrically. Architects are being forced to stretch classic courses to inconceivable lengths: courses routinely now measure an incredible 7,500 yards – and, I believe, the overall health of the game is suffering.
It is in some ways similar to what’s happened to basketball over the years. Once an intriguing game of finesse, it has become nothing more than a group of extremely tall people dashing madly up and down the court and stuffing the ball ferociously into the basket. What were once fouls are ignored – traveling and palming the ball are now routine. Just about anything goes in today’s world of Full Contact Basketball. Gone is the intricate teamwork that once made the game a joy.
Golf is in danger of undergoing the same type of deterioration. With the incredible advances in club and ball technology that have largely gone unchecked by the USGA and R&A, great courses are becoming obsolete, records are becoming fodder for the shredder and the game’s finesse, except in the case of a few modern players such as Woods and Michelson, is disappearing at an alarming rate. It is becoming a ‘slam it hard and find it’ game.
When was the last time you saw a pro gently cut a long iron – and I’m talking a 1 or 2 iron – into the target? Today’s ball is harder to curve and fewer and fewer pros master the art of working the ball.
I liked Jack Nicklaus’ idea of some years ago – his suggestion of a ‘standard ball’, if you will. Strictly regulate the distance the ball can go under normal circumstances to retain the integrity of our great courses. Let’s make talent the determining factor, not who happens to grab the latest hot technology.
A great story is told of Sam Snead playing Pinehurst #2. When he was in his prime, he used a 1 iron on one of the longer par 3s on the course. Many years later, playing on the Senior Tour, he used a 3 iron. He was well into his 50s at the time.
That classic picture of Ben Hogan at Merion in 1950 hitting a 1 iron into the 18th green is another example. Years later, I attended the Open there and stood at exactly the same spot watching Jack Nicklaus use a 5 iron.
We need to bring the game under control. The great players will still be the great players – Tiger Woods would have been a force of nature in days past, just as he is today – but the big winners would be the classic courses like Merion, which has no more room to expand to accommodate today’s super boomers; the environment, since less area would be needed and less maintenance required; and the history and integrity of the game.
Copyright 2008 Jim Nettleton
**Get a money-making mall FREE! Click here:
http://www.mypowermall.com/Biz/Home/30831
I freely admit to being a fanatic about playing the great game of golf as well as being a lifelong fan of the professional game. I first started following the pro circuit when Arnold Palmer broke on the scene like a swashbuckling D’Artagnan. I quickly fell in love with the nearly poetic beauty of the game and became fascinated by Palmer’s bold adventures.
From today’s perspective, we look back on those days, the days of television’s early feeble attempts at covering a game played over many acres, and realize that what were then called ‘fast’ greens were, in reality, excruciatingly slow and bumpy. And that course conditions were, for the most part, ragged. Observe some of the replays of All Star Golf and the early Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf on the Golf Channel and you’ll see what I mean.
It only makes all the more remarkable the achievements of the greats of those days and the days long before them. How, for example, under those conditions, was Byron Nelson able to set an incredible scoring average that stood for decades until Tiger Woods (who else) broke it in 2000. But the record was broken on courses manicured to a degree that Nelson could only have dreamed of during his prime.
All of which brings us to the current day and what is happening to this great game. True, today’s players are bigger, stronger and better conditioned than any who have gone before. And true, their talent level as a whole is greater – after all, they’ve had amazing role models from whom to learn. They’ve also had the benefit of an unprecedented amount of research and electronic analysis that didn’t exist in their predecessor’s time.
It is normal and even beneficial that the overall talent level and general proficiency improves and that cherished records fall on a fairly regular basis as Father Time marches on. But what we’ve seen over the past ten to twenty years is too much.
Players now on the Champion’s Tour are hitting the ball farther than they ever did while in their prime on the regular tour. The average driving distance on the regular tour is increasing geometrically. Architects are being forced to stretch classic courses to inconceivable lengths: courses routinely now measure an incredible 7,500 yards – and, I believe, the overall health of the game is suffering.
It is in some ways similar to what’s happened to basketball over the years. Once an intriguing game of finesse, it has become nothing more than a group of extremely tall people dashing madly up and down the court and stuffing the ball ferociously into the basket. What were once fouls are ignored – traveling and palming the ball are now routine. Just about anything goes in today’s world of Full Contact Basketball. Gone is the intricate teamwork that once made the game a joy.
Golf is in danger of undergoing the same type of deterioration. With the incredible advances in club and ball technology that have largely gone unchecked by the USGA and R&A, great courses are becoming obsolete, records are becoming fodder for the shredder and the game’s finesse, except in the case of a few modern players such as Woods and Michelson, is disappearing at an alarming rate. It is becoming a ‘slam it hard and find it’ game.
When was the last time you saw a pro gently cut a long iron – and I’m talking a 1 or 2 iron – into the target? Today’s ball is harder to curve and fewer and fewer pros master the art of working the ball.
I liked Jack Nicklaus’ idea of some years ago – his suggestion of a ‘standard ball’, if you will. Strictly regulate the distance the ball can go under normal circumstances to retain the integrity of our great courses. Let’s make talent the determining factor, not who happens to grab the latest hot technology.
A great story is told of Sam Snead playing Pinehurst #2. When he was in his prime, he used a 1 iron on one of the longer par 3s on the course. Many years later, playing on the Senior Tour, he used a 3 iron. He was well into his 50s at the time.
That classic picture of Ben Hogan at Merion in 1950 hitting a 1 iron into the 18th green is another example. Years later, I attended the Open there and stood at exactly the same spot watching Jack Nicklaus use a 5 iron.
We need to bring the game under control. The great players will still be the great players – Tiger Woods would have been a force of nature in days past, just as he is today – but the big winners would be the classic courses like Merion, which has no more room to expand to accommodate today’s super boomers; the environment, since less area would be needed and less maintenance required; and the history and integrity of the game.
Copyright 2008 Jim Nettleton
**Get a money-making mall FREE! Click here:
http://www.mypowermall.com/Biz/Home/30831
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