Amid everything else that was going on yesterday, during Golf Channel’s “Live At The Ryder Cup” coverage, Brandel Chamblee and David Duval got into a heated debate over the failings of the US Ryder Cup team over the last 20+ years (wins in 1999 and 2008, losses in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2014). Let’s go to the tape, shall we?
There’s a lot to break down. First off, while I know that Brandel Chamblee can irritate people, he makes some salient points (more on that in a bit). So does David Duval (in all honesty I like both because they weren’t giving us the over-the-top patriotic orgy that is forthcoming).
Let’s start with Tiger Woods. Woods’ overall record is 13-14-2 (and yes, 29 matches is more than sufficient sample size). He has a losing record in both foursomes (alternate shot) and four-balls (think 2-man best ball), but is 4-1-1 in singles. He’s been a part of one (1) winning team (despite this there were far too many people suggesting he be that 12th player picked despite not having played a single shot this year and having a world ranking below 500th). 16 of the 28 points come from foursomes and four-balls. At best, Woods would only be able to contribute 1 point through a singles win. Duval points out that your leaders aren’t necessarily your highest ranked players. Which is fine, except how exactly are the teams picked? The first 8-9 slots go off of rankings, which, if my math is correct, is 2/3rds to 3/4ths of your team. Until the PGA of America says “screw it, the captain picks all 12 players rankings be damned” rankings are going to matter. What those automatic picks do is going to largely impact if you’re successful or not.
Let’s take a look at Phil Mickelson…hi Phil! His overall record is 16-19-7 (and 42 matches more than shows us a decent sample size). Breaking it down, Mickelson is 5-5-1 in singles, but 4-6-4 in foursomes (alternate shot), and 7-8-2 in four-balls. If you’re scoring at home, he’s even money in singles and has a losing record in foursomes and four-balls (where he has won 11 of 31 matches). I like Phil because he is, if nothing else, worth the price of admission. But his Fri/Sat record is not good. Period.
Chamblee points out that the most important matches are the first one on Friday and the last one on Saturday. I’m not sure if this is necessarily predictive of a result, but if it is, then it would make sense to load up accordingly. If I were running the PGA of America (hint, hint), the captain would have detailed statistical breakdowns on each player (based on expected results, variations for weather, time of year, format, etc.). I would not pair guys up who play completely different balls for the alternate shot matches (or if I did, they’d be practicing together with the same ball for months prior), which is something Mickelson pointed out during his press conference. To not do that is, effectively, gifting points to the other side (I’ve already pointed out the absolute stupidity in naming Ryan Moore less than week prior to the start of the event).
Chamblee, who admittedly can be a bit grating, is at least asking the right question. Why did the US team lose a 4-point lead in 2012 and why did the European team lose a similar lead in 1999? Was it momentum, was it simply a case of statistical regression to the mean, or was it something else (if Europe wins 4 coin flips in a row, are they lucky or this skill)? Duval, who again, I like, talks about inflammatory remarks and “a feeling” in 1999. I’d argue that it was simply regression to the mean on the European team (and terrible team selection by Mark James in not playing 1/4 of his team until the Sunday singles). The idea of it being luck is, frankly, ignoring statistical variance and expected results/actual results. If Davis Love III doesn’t honestly know where the 14.5 points he’s going to need are coming from, then what exactly has he been doing the last 18 months? It’s a fair question.
If they don’t come out tonight in giant boxing gloves and headgear I’ll be very displeased.
It’s now September 2016, which means that by the time the PGA Tour hits Torrey Pines in January (and many of us on the Eastern Seaboard will watch with envy), you’ll no longer be President. It’s been an interesting 8 years (you’ve had your moments good and bad, like many Presidents), and I’m sure you’ll write a memoir at some point (which I’m sure will be interesting) after you leave office. You and your wife have both indicated you’re going to stay in the DC area until your youngest daughter finishes high school, which I can respect since it’s obvious you care about your daughters and their education.
I mention this because as you probably know, when President Clinton left office, he moved to New York while his wife became a Senator representing the state of New York (however he didn’t have a high school aged daughter at the time). You probably know this, but like you, Bill is a golf nut (and for the record, I think it’s important that Presidents have a hobby; taking a few hours once a week to play golf is good for you, it was good for Bill and I thought that your predecessor was being silly by giving up playing because of Iraq) even if he does take a few too many breakfast balls (mulligans) for my taste. He became a member at Trump National Golf Club in Westchester because Trump gave him a membership (Bill wanted Winged Foot but they didn’t want him (more specifically they didn’t want his Secret Service detail)) which you can probably guess he’s had to resign given how things are right now. I mean, talk about awkward! Who knew how that was going to work out way back in 2001?
I’m not sure if one of the private clubs in the area will offer you a membership or not. It says here that at least one of them will (my guess is that either Congressional, Columbia CC or even TPC Potomac would welcome a former President but we’ll see- not sure how Congressional would feel about your Secret Service detail although if anyone’s asking they’d be lucky to have you as part of their membership). I don’t think Burning Tree will extend an offer (and if they did there’s no way Michelle would let you accept it- I’m in the same boat), and let’s be honest- Trump’s course in Virginia is a non-option for a host of reasons. I’m sure Army-Navy Golf Club in Arlington would reach out as well, but that’s for them to decide. It’s not like you have to make a decision about this right now.
Those first few months out of office could be tough when you go from being POTUS to being a house-husband. You’re going to rediscover wearing sweatsuits all day long rather than having to wear a suit and tie (let’s not wear the mom jeans- you’ve got the ability to look more than fashionable). It’ll be a heck of a transition, and yes- you deserve to put your feet up for a bit (I’m sure 42 and 43 have probably mentioned this to you as they both know what it’s like to serve two terms). Please don’t take up painting. Just doesn’t seem your thing (and besides, I’ve got family who does this and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be). I’m sure that you’ll get offers from companies. Maybe you’ll start a charitable foundation (my guess). Or maybe you just want to work on your memoir and play a lot of golf when you’re not being a father and a husband (which we know are the two most important jobs you have).
So here’s where I come in. We haven’t met (although we do share one rather peculiar oddity), but l’m inviting you to play golf with me sometime once you leave office in 2017. I’m probably not moving either unless I win the lottery (in which case, you’ll find me in Hawaii- guessing you know the area pretty well). As much as I’d like to say I’m a member somewhere, I’m not. However, there are a host of really good daily-fee courses in the DMV that would welcome you and I with open arms (well, you probably more than me if you’ve read some of my course reviews…and if you have any down time, check my course reviews out since I’m guessing you will be looking to expand where you play once you leave office). I probably can’t pay your green fees but I’m sure you can handle paying your own way (I’ll pay mine- not looking for a freebie). I understand you don’t mind a friendly wager (which isn’t a bad thing), but let’s keep it friendly…say a $5.00 nassau? I don’t want you getting in trouble since lord knows people can blow things out of proportion.
If you chew Nicorette gum it doesn’t bother me. Even if you want a dart…if you do I won’t tell a soul (I used to smoke…I get it). My angle? I’ve always wanted to play with a former President and since you play (and you’re hanging around for a while), I thought I’d ask.
I’m a regular golfer who tries to tee it up every weekend that I can. I change my shoes in the parking lot (guessing that’s what you were doing until November of 2008), I wear shorts most (if not all) of the time, but every time I tee it up I hope I’ll have a great round and play well (which I’m guessing sounds familiar). I tend to play it down whenever possible and I like to play fast. I hear you’re the same way which is good. If you’re nice (which I’m sure you’ll be), I’ll pay for drinks if the beverage cart comes by (if you do imbibe it’ll stay between us). If you’re feeling really magnanimous, maybe we can get a photo when we’re done.
Since you’re hanging out in these parts for a while, can I offer a couple suggestions? I know you’re not a hockey guy (we know your passion is basketball), but if you can go down to Fort Dupont Ice Rink and visit the kids who play there every day. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see you. For a lot of reasons, people really like you. The guy who runs the program loves the game and I’m sure you’d give him and those kids a thrill. It’s in the District of Columbia so it’s not that far away. Since we do know you’re a golf guy, can you try and make it a point to spend some time with the First Tee programs in the area? The kids are learning all kinds of valuable life lessons along with learning this wonderful game. I’m sure they’d be happy to meet you.
Anyway, hope the next few months go well for you. Just so you know, I liked Governor Romney quite a bit but such is life. Decent man who loves his family.
Next time you’re on the island of Oahu, play Ko’olau (if you haven’t already). It’ll test you, but it’s a fantastic place to play.
Sunday night, during halftime of the Bears-Cowboys game on NBC (I don’t even watch the NFL and I know this game is two teams that are bad), Davis Love III will finally announce his 4th captain’s pick and the 2016 US Ryder Cup team will be finalized. Regardless of what happens in Hazeltine, this multi-step process cannot continue and both the US and European teams must come to an equitable system for 2018 and beyond. Pick a number (be it 0, 2, 3, or 4 if you must, but both teams must abide by the same number of captain’s picks) and both sides must abide by it.
Getting Ready for Sunday Night’s Rose Ceremony
I mean what next- a god damn rose ceremony with David Feherty in the Chris Harrison role where the hopeful candidates get interviewed in hopes of impressing the team captain? We’re a stage away from having a Ryder Cup Selection reality TV show for the Americans.
I distinctly remember after the 2014 Ryder Cup a series of interviews that European captain Paul McGinley did that detailed the amount of preparation prior to the tournament proper. Knowing his team well before the event and who was going to play with whom well in advance…it’s leaving nothing to chance. He had all kinds of analytical data on each player. He had played with each player. Tom Watson…kind of seemed to make it up as he went along.
You know when would be a good time announce your captain’s picks? Immediately AFTER the 2nd FedEx Cup Playoff event. Have the ceremony on the 18th green during NBC’s coverage. Have local kids carry out bags of the players, and if the players are there, have them come out as well. USA Hockey did something similar to this prior to the 2014 Olympics; they did it after the 2014 Winter Classic. Pretty cool (and not just the weather). Take a look (they did the same thing four years prior after the 2010 Winter Classic but that game didn’t feature my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs winning in a shootout so this is what you get):
Pretty cool, eh?
And Davis, since I know you’re reading this, we need to have another chat. Have a seat. Bourbon, no ice?
As I understand it, you like to watch hockey from time to time, which is a good thing. I know you’re busy, but did you watch Team USA at the World Cup of Hockey on Tuesday night? A team purpose-built (allegedly) to beat Canada got destroyed (the score was 4-2 but it wasn’t that close). Today, you’ve got smart people (like me) saying that USA Hockey was pretty ignorant in setting up the team with a bunch of plugs and grinders rather than elite high-end talent. But their mouth-breathing coach is all about standing for the anthem, and that’s what’s important here, right? Not really.
There’s a lesson here. Think talent, and think birdies. A blow-up hole isn’t a big deal here…carding an X on a hole isn’t a death knell (especially if their opponent birdies it). Statistical analysis would show you who makes a lot of birdies and has the occasional Tin Cup moment. I’m sure you have this researched…or not.
Match play, as you know, is NOT 72-hole stroke play. You don’t need pluggers and grinders. You need guys who can make birdies and you need to think beyond the norm. Hopefully you’ve got binders of analytical data on players in addition to your own observations. If you’re honestly waiting to see who shows up at East Lake with a hot hand, you’re screwed. “If” the Ryder Cup were being held at East Lake I’d say you might have a point, but it isn’t. Different course, layout, climate, turf, greens, and so on. Even better is if you already know your lineup and who’s playing with whom (yes, injuries can throw a wrench in but if you don’t know who your Friday morning groups are by now it’s going to end poorly).
For some reason, Azinger’s system in 2008 worked. Maybe it was because of Anthony Kim. Who knows. You know who wasn’t on that team? The same guy that people are foaming at the mouth for you to pick with that last selection.And since we’re on the subject, I know this has become A Thing, but put the crack pipe down about selecting somebody who hasn’t played competitive golf in 13 months (especially someone who doesn’t exactly have a great record in the event). You had this person on your team 4 years ago in Medinah, and their record was bad then (when they were ranked #1 in the world). The question you have to answer is this- how has this person improved in 4 years to make them a better Ryder Cup player? Answer- they haven’t. If the 2018 captain wants to observe them, that would make sense.
Seriously, Jim Furyk has been on more winning teams than this guy, and you already know what level of stupid that idea is.
Spare me the canard of “but Ian Poulter isn’t on the team and he got them off the mat during the Saturday afternoon session.” Bullshit. You were up 10-6 going into the singles. And lost. Which was supposedly the strength of the US team. How’d your anchor do on Sunday? Oh, right.
In the end, if this collection of humanity gets to 14 1/2 points you’ll be a genius and that will be that. But from here, I’m not sure you know how to get to that number. Hope I’m wrong for your sake.
As Patrick Reed tapped in for bogey at The Barclays amid a nice preview of what the 2024 Ryder Cup will be like (in short, it’ll make 1999’s mob scene look like a cotillion dance), CBS bid adieu to their golf coverage for the year. They’ll be back at Torrey Pines in early 2017 with their normal slate (Fox will have the Super Bowl (you’ve been warned) so no need to flip a tournament to NBC/Golf Channel).
While they go dark, it’s time that the so-called Tiffany Network have a serious reboot of their golf coverage. In short, it’s gotten stale, their coverage is far worse than NBC and is in dire need of assistance. If you want an example, I’ll point to the coverage that the three non-Masters (which to be fair is a different animal completely) majors that were covered by FOX (US Open), NBC (Open Championship), and CBS (US PGA Championship). FOX still doesn’t really seem to know what the hell it’s doing (although they’re to be credited for adjusting their coverage with the rain delays even though they dumped network coverage to show regular season baseball which says all you need to know even though their network coverage of the MLB playoffs is limited to the World Series…pick a lane fellas), to CBS going through the (wanking) motions at the USPGA Championship. NBC’s coverage was nothing short of amazing. It was everything you would want; they gave the viewer wall-to-wall coverage and poured considerable resources into it (same for their Olympics golf coverage). The bar was set by NBC/Golf Channel and anything else being done should be compared to the NBC/Golf Channel work.
Put it this way- compare NBC’s coverage of their big events (Players Championship, Open Championship, Olympics) to how CBS and FOX covered their events and you start to see the problem. NBC wasn’t afraid to be critical of the golf course setup at the Players Championship when it was clear to anyone that the Tour had lost the course on that Saturday.
Losing David Feherty to NBC/Golf Channel “should” have been a good thing for CBS (if handled correctly) and the trade-off of Feherty for Dottie Pepper was a net gain for CBS. While his interview show on Golf Channel is not bad, I just don’t see what Feherty adds to the NBC telecasts other than the occasional bit of comic relief. He’s not Hicks (or Tirico) and Miller, and Maltbie is still a better nuts-and-bolts guy in terms of telling me what’s going on with players (Feherty needs to learn how to be critical and use his knowledge as a former pro and as a former Ryder Cupper). I’d say stick him in a tower but I’m not sure he’s a good fit there (Gary Koch and Peter Jacobsen are solid in those roles). I’m not a fan of 3-man booths (see FOX) so sticking him alongside Johnny Miller and Dan Hicks is a further “square peg in round hole” situation.
The issues for CBS start at the top, and by that, I mean Jim Nantz. He’s 57 and has a young wife and a couple of young kids. His work schedule is ridiculously bloated which I think is the biggest part of the problem (on the road 245 days a year is insane). He does a fairly heavy workload during NFL season for CBS (last year he was doing 2 games per week) on top of College Basketball and Golf coverage and the poor guy has to carry a picture of burnt toast so that he can get toast the way he likes it. It’s too much and far too often, he sounds like someone phoning it in (I don’t think that’s his attitude but it’s how he comes off). Nobody can do that much (and frankly CBS doesn’t have that kind of depth that they seem willing to trust big events with). Al Michaels isn’t doing 3 sports (he does 20 weeks of NFL broadcasts and an Olympics every 2 years) nor should he need to. Dan Hicks does Notre Dame football and Olympics swimming along with golf which isn’t nearly as taxing (and with Mike Tirico on board, you do wonder if Tirico might see some golf, especially in September if Notre Dame duties keep Hicks away). It’s time to put Nantz in a host role (think Bob Costas during horse racing Triple Crown events) but I’d let him keep his role at The Masters. Otherwise, it’s time to groom a successor and the sooner, the better (or let him stay on golf full time but find a full-time #1 play-by-play for their college basketball coverage).
In the short run, Bill McAtee is a good “B” team 18th hole host and has been solid if not unspectacular when he gets paired with Ian Baker Finch. McAtee’s interviewing skills aren’t the greatest (Kostis and Dottie Pepper are good), but as an 18th hole tower host he’s decent.
While we’re at it, can someone please explain to CBS that when they go on the air, they should be showing live golf as soon as humanly possible (and this happens every damn time). It can take 15-20 minutes before they’re showing actual live play, which is ridiculous. This is on Lance Barrow who is probably as big of a problem as anyone; how NBC/Golf Channel can accomplish this and CBS can’t means that it’s on Barrow to make it better. Look, if an A list name is going unconscious then by all means update people, but unless Spieth is flirting with a 58 or Mickelson has had to have Bones dive into a pond to recover his last ball, better to show live golf first.
In terms of trying to groom a successor to Nantz, it also has to be said that I have no idea what Nick Faldo (sorry, Sir Nick Faldo) is doing half the time. He’s serviceable during their Masters coverage when he’s on a very short leash, but otherwise…I just don’t see it. He had great synergy with Mike Tirico and Paul Azinger in their ABC days, but that was 12-13 years ago. The “oh dear” is getting stale (or the “crumbs” bit). You’re not there to be a cheerleader. You’ve won major championships- tell me something as a viewer that I don’t know. Put me inside the head of a guy who has never won before who is up by 1 stroke over Day and McIlroy and is on the 18th tee. Tell me something I don’t know.
Replacements? Options are plentiful. Terry Gannon and Steve Sands are very good at their jobs (Sands’ work during the first couple FedEx Cup Tour Championships trying to explain the points race was nothing short of brilliant). Would either want that chair? Gannon really impressed me during his early-day hosting job at the Open Championship and the Olympic tournament. He’s a good setup man, which is really what that role should be. Would they want to jump ship?
I’m really stuck with respect to Dottie Pepper. She’s damn good at what she does (her and Kostis are by far the best of the CBS bunch); would the 17th tower be perceived as an upgrade for her or is this a step backwards? Related, anything Judy Rankin does for Golf Channel is immediately worth watching. I can’t say enough about her insight about the game and that she’s able to lend that insight from a pro into something easily translatable. Her and Terry Gannon are on a par with Nantz and Faldo, if you ask me.
Part of me thinks that if you blow the thing up, an 18th hole team of Steve Sands (or Terry Gannon) and Dottie Pepper would be, if nothing else, watchable (let Nantz take on a hosting role at their bigger events to add that “big event” feel to it). Like Rankin, Dottie Pepper lends the credibility of someone who’s been there as a professional but translate to a viewer.
While we’re on the subject of Pepper and Kostis, at some point Augusta National is going to have to bend on having on-course reporters. For a tournament that has shown signs of progression, the things they dig in on are baffling. Don’t tell me that having them on the course walking with groups is somehow “taking away” from someone’s experience. Kostis/Pepper are smart enough to know where the line is (same with Maltbie if NBC ever picked up the Masters rights which will likely never happen).
McCord seems to have lost a step without a comic foil. He’s not bad, but like Feherty he needs to figure out what exactly it is that he’s doing and be better at that. I think he’s funny, but at times he tends to meander. I heard someone say this- it’s easy when you’ve got compelling final-round coverage, but if you’ve got a blowout (say Jason Day is up by 8 strokes) you’re trying to keep the viewer tuned in. He’ll never be part of their Masters coverage so he misses out on their biggest event of the year.
Rich Beem, on the other hand, has been a welcome breath of fresh air. Not sure if it’s because of his work for UK broadcaster Sky that he has a different perspective, but I look forward to seeing more of him. You could put him in a tower and I’d be pretty happy.
I would also add a rules person. Since Slugger White has retired, would he be willing to take on a rules role at CBS? At the very least, he would be a good resource to help viewers understand why the course was set up a certain way or why tee times might have been moved up. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have someone who can explain this from the PGA Tour’s role. It gives the viewer a perspective that they don’t always get.
Let’s talk technology. As terrible as FOX’s US Open coverage is (too much to get into here), they have made the use of Trackman (and similar) an expectation. This should be part of every broadcast. Period. Both PGA and LPGA tours. If the tours are going to work together, this should be an expectation on broadcasts on a par with HD coverage and a leaderboard box visible at all times. It is still painful to watch FOX’s coverage but they are ahead of the curve in terms of using technology.
With that being said, this would be my ideal setup for CBS’ Golf Coverage starting in 2017 (non-Masters events):
Dear Davis (hope you don’t mind if I call you that),
Hope you’re doing well. As you are by now aware, you’re close to making your captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine (what is with the PGA of America and this course, by the way?). The courses’ only claim to fame (other than a universally-panned US Open where Tony Jacklin won) is the late Payne Stewart winning a US Open and being the first major when Tiger Woods coughed up a 54-hole lead. I mean, the USGA could screw up a wet dream, but now the PGA of America is getting in on the fun (my guess is that Ted Bishop picked this course, because this seems like the kind of thing he’d do).
You “probably” don’t read No Laying Up or listen to their podcast, but if you don’t (and it says here you should…and would it kill you to pick up some of their pretty sharp-looking shirts?), you should at a minimum read their incredibly well-crafted case against giving Jim Furyk a captain’s pick. He’s been on 2 winning and 7 losing Ryder Cup teams, and has a record that is terrible by any standard. Go read their article. Seriously; I’ll be here waiting. You know us bloggers…in our mom’s basement eating pop-tarts or some strange thing with all kinds of time. Not kidding- read the article and that they also cite Furyk’s stats…”44th in strokes gained, 65th tee to green, 62nd in putting” which doesn’t exactly scream “captain’s pick” unless you eat paint chips on a daily basis or something.
Jim Furyk’s Ryder Cup record in one easy to understand picture
Okay, you’re back. You’re not stupid. So we can agree that he’s a bad idea, right? Davis, I’m not even kidding. If Furyk hadn’t pissed down his leg against Dan Jenkins’ favourite golfer (Sergio…me Sergio!) Sergio Garcia, you win the damn trophy. I won’t even mention the Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods records (even then-Maple Leafs Randy Carlyle thought you blew it, and that mouth-breathing dipshit blew a 4-1 lead in Game 7 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs because he is literally dumber than a god damn potato and yes I’m still bitter at this moron’s abject stupidity…what’s it to you?). I mean, were you huffing glue or something?
Oh, and Tiger Woods is your tactician? Does he own pictures of you dressed like the Duke basketball coach (I know you went to North Carolina and SWIRIC has educated me on ACC hatred) or something? He hasn’t played in over a year, and his record on Ryder Cup teams is terrible. TERRIBLE. In the words of Charles Barkley, TURRIBULL. He can’t even claim to be on the 2008 team (he wasn’t). He’s been on one winning team (1999) which means he has been a part of as many winning teams as Anthony Kim. One. I’m just spit-balling here, but maybe this isn’t his bag. Seriously, put the crack pipe down and pay attention. Give Woods a squirrel and let him ride around in a golf cart. Fly in some military guys and he can hang with them as their own Ryder Cup ambassador (he’d probably enjoy it). Maybe pick people who, oh I don’t know…know how to win the damn thing?
Look, even though Ian Poulter won’t be playing (which is good because he all but owned your soul after Medinah 2012 along with his collection of fine automobiles) you’d do well to not sleep on Europe. With that being said, this is a winnable Ryder Cup “if” you don’t act stupid or do something stupid like play Stricker and Woods together like you did 4 years ago even though they were a collective dumpster fire.
So we agree, you’re not going to pick Jim Furyk and you’re not going to let Woods be your tactician. Give them custom golf carts that they can race in or something.
While we’re at it, can we agree that Rickie Fowler, while patriotic as all get out (and someone who is borrowing from the Brian Bosworth school of hairstyles) and totally into the idea of being on the team, has a Ryder Cup record that…well, sucks. Go back and take a gander at his 2014 record and I think we agree that he didn’t exactly get things going. He wasn’t good enough to make the 2012 team, but you remembered that, right? He was on the 2010 team where he played 3 matches (won 0, lost 1, halved 2). His 2016 Olympic tournament…T37. But he had a cool haircut and posed for a photo with Michael Phelps so ZOMG, right? You can do better.
I know this is going to sound crazy, but take a look at Keegan Bradley. His singles record isn’t that great, but him and Mickelson have been money in the bank during the foursomes/fourballs over the last 2 Ryder Cups. If Poulter was healthy he’d be on the team…you know why? BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HE’S GOOD AT. That’s Keegan. If him and Mickelson can win 2 points in the foursomes or fourballs, you’re in good stead. You know who else would pick people this way? European Ryder Cup captains (you know, the ones that keep WINNING).
If he doesn’t make it, take a look at Matt Kuchar if and when he takes that Bronze Medal he won off (seriously, does he think he’s Canadian or something- finishing 3rd is OUR thing, not what the Americans do). His career points percentage is .57 with a decent body of work. You are, however, free to hit him with a tire iron if he makes any more of these commercials.
Dear god. Make it stop. You might as well pipe in the 877-KARS-4-KIDS song to that and I’ll admit to anything you want.
And others will also suggest this, but give Kevin Na a look and by look, I mean pick the crazy bastard. If nothing else, he might well put the Euros off their game better than William H. Macy did in the movie ‘The Cooler’. Can you imagine the reaction when he takes 12 practice swings and ducks out a 4th time? I mean, the Euros are going to want to murder him after 8 holes and it’ll send Johnny Miller into a blind rage, which will be ratings gold. Yes, it’s gamesmanship. No shit. You know who else practices this? Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, and Seve Ballesteros. Go look at their Ryder Cup records (seriously….take your time). Yes, they were all kinds of evil but they would flat destroy people come Ryder Cup time. Make fun of Poulter all you want but he flat owned you 4 years ago. Montgomerie endured crowds in 1999 that were reprehensible and still nearly carried Europe to a win (wasn’t his fault that Mark James completely mis-managed his rookie players). They put all of that out of their mind. Seve was Seve; a guy who feared nobody. Sergio is a different player in the Ryder Cup. He just was. He’d do all kinds of stuff, but wow, he got results.
That’s where you come in. You need to find your own Ryder Cup guys. Guys who might be average during normal events but who get results (and points on the board) come Ryder Cup time (the ones who become giant-killers in a Ryder Cup shirt). Ballesteros’ rankings wouldn’t matter- he was going to be on the side and he was going to get under your skin. He could be ranked 5th or 500th…put a Team Europe shirt on him and he would become a completely different player.
You need to find your Seve, your Monty, and your Poulter. People who the Euros will hate (and who will absolutely thrive on that hatred). You’ve had 2 years to identify these players and so far, doesn’t appear you’ve found them. Need I remind you that Europe has done pretty well in the U.S. over the last 30 years? The American team can point to wins in 1991, 1999 and 2008 (let’s face it- Mark James was terrible and Nick Faldo not much better and 2 of the 3 wins were fueled by the US fans going full asshole), but astonishing losses in 1987, 1995, 2004, and 2012 (the U.S. is 3-4 at home in the last 30 years). We won’t even mention the U.S. team’s record in Europe (a tie in 1989, a win in 1993, and losses in 1997, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 if you were wondering). Or, you can pick off of rankings, lose again, and wonder why it is the US can’t win a Ryder Cup which means the same questions will come out in 2018. And 2020. Patrick Reed “might” be that person (a real asshole who the Europeans will hate but who will simply mock them and kick ass while doing it).
In short, if I were you, I’d take Bradley, Kuchar and Na with my 3 captain’s picks, and hold off with that last one (but again, just say NO to Furyk and Fowler) and go with whoever’s hot at the time and will get under the skin of the European team. Maybe Bubba Watson if he doesn’t qualify automatically. Understand that it’s pretty rare for someone to get a second chance at captaining a Ryder Cup side. It went badly the last time (2014), so try not to screw this up too badly.
With the 2016 Summer Olympics at the midway point in Rio (and the men’s golf event nearing its conclusion), I thought I’d take a moment to share my experience of having lived through having an Olympics in my backyard and why Los Angeles is better equipped than any US city to host a summer Olympics.
The year was 1984, and my family had been living in Southern California for a couple years and watched, with interest, as the local news broadcasts predicted dire consequences due to traffic (if you’ve ever been there or lived there, traffic is a principal point of discussion- they practically invented traffic coverage and certainly made the high-speed police chase into an art form) over the upcoming summer Olympics. At the time, Los Angeles had no public transportation system of note (they’ve since built a subway which works fairly well) beyond buses. It was going to be a 24-hour traffic nightmare that would grind the city to a halt.
And it didn’t happen. People went on vacation, the tourists who came had a wonderful time, the Olympics didn’t leave the city or state in financial ruin, and whatever facilities did get built are still in use today (I discovered handball which is my favourite summer Olympic sport to watch). Since 1984 Los Angeles has added a decent subway (anyone experiencing the nightmare that WMATA is putting my fellow DMV residents through may not remember what a well-functioning subway is like); car traffic is still bad (based on a visit 2 summers ago) but they’ve also added toll roads.
What does Los Angeles have? In short, infrastructure, facilities, population, climate, and location. Off the top of my head, the following facilities that could be re-purposed for an Olympics include the following:
-Staples Center; downtown Los Angeles
-Pauley Pavillion, on UCLA campus (hosted gymnastics in 1984)
-Inglewood Forum, Inglewood (hosted basketball in 1984)
-LA Coliseum (hosted open/closing ceremonies & track/field in 1984)
-USC arena (former LA Sports Arena, hosted boxing in 1984)
-Long Beach State basketball arena
-Long Beach arena (hosted volleyball in 1984)
-Velodrome near CSU-Dominguez Hills
-Home Depot Center (soccer)
-Tennis facility adjacent to Home Depot Center (hosts ATP event every year)
-Rose Bowl (hosted soccer in 1984, men’s World Cup final in 1994, Women’s World Cup final in 1999)
-Anaheim Convention Center (hosted wrestling in 1984)
-Honda Center, Anaheim
-Cal-State Fullerton basketball gym.
-Veterans Stadium, Long Beach
-USC and UCLA both have outdoor swim facilities, baseball and softball facilities
-Dodger Stadium (hosted baseball as demonstration sport in 1984)
-UC Irvine (Orange County) also has a baseball/softball facility, outdoor swim facility, and an indoor arena.
Other than constructing an Athlete’s Village, there would be seemingly no reason to have to build anything other than a canoe/kayak facility, and that’s before a new NFL stadium gets built for the 2017/2018 season that could be used for soccer (you could also use stadia in Northern California and Phoenix (indoor) for soccer that would keep teams from exhaustive travel).
Since this is a golf blog, you have LA Country Club (hosting the 2021 US Open), and Riviera Country Club (host of the Northern Trust Open and hosted PGA Championships in 1983 and 1995) as courses central to Los Angeles that can stand up to the modern game with little effort needed. The romantic in me would love to see Rancho Park upgraded and used as the Olympic course. It’s currently just over 6,800 yards from the tips and would need to be toughened up in order to challenge modern pros, but its history is undeniable. Industry Hills has been used for the LPGA’s Kia Classic and is a robust test but would need some nips and tucks (at a minimum) to be considered. Torrey Pines is another great option although it is 2 hours away by car in San Diego. The hot conditions in Palm Springs (highs of 110 are normal) rules out going to PGA West or similar.
Counting Orange County (John Wayne) and San Diego Airports, you have 5 airports in Southern California (LAX, Long Beach, Ontario, Burbank, John Wayne, and San Diego) which makes getting to and from pretty easy.
In short, a return to Los Angeles wouldn’t leave the state of California with a bunch of white elephant projects. It’s time.
The latest in 2009 technology Infomercials with 100% less Peter Kessler!
Maybe it’s just me, but I will watch infomercials. I won’t buy anything but let’s be honest, the whole idea of them is a bit hilarious. Golf infomercials are just as hokey as anything out there. Previously I reviewed the infomercial for The Perfect Club, which is, in my opinion, the apex of Peter Kessler’s career. But hearing that Nike will no longer make clubs, balls or bags got me a bit nostalgic for some of these inventions (I know I’m linking to Golf Digest and I do so knowing what a complete gong show their website is in terms of navigation). I suggested on Twitter that if Tiger Woods is going to no longer use Nike clubs, maybe he should use an Alien wedge and a Perfect Club. Who knows, if he has the chipping yips maybe it can help him.
In any event, before we had wearable GPS devices and they weren’t a fairly common device to carry, GPS devices were rare (I remember the first time I played with a guy who had a Sky Caddie and thought we’d never improve upon that). But even before that, we had the GolfLogix GPS Infomercial on what seemed like an endless loop on Golf Channel. Behold:
Let’s watch this in all of its SD glory, shall we?
0:02: That didn’t take long. If you look at a 150 yard plate and are confused about what club to hit, maybe we need to have a chat. Guy in a cart with 2 bags with no passenger. This will never end well; kind of screams out “who likes slow play…THIS GUY!”
0:08: I like Gary McCord but for the love of everything, can someone tell him that the landing strip below his lip is…disturbing? Why is this a thing? I don’t mind his duster, but the landing strip…holy crap. Kind of makes you want Peter Kessler, doesn’t it?
0:16: I’ll say this for the GolfLogix GPS; it’s not that big. No bigger than a modern sky caddie or the Bushnell range-finder I use.
0:44: Garmin, a world leader in GPS. Admit it- you wanted him to say “it’s made in Germany- they make great stuff over there!” Oh, and nobody is walking an Arizona resort course that’s target golf, and the guy who is walking wouldn’t be seen with that fancy technology. He’ll step it off himself. Oh, and that guy who’s walking? You can bet cash he’ll have a ball retriever. Possibly two.
0:52: Practically bullet-proof? What exactly does that mean? Is that like practically bikini-waxed? Too soon…I know.
0:55: It took 54 seconds before we know Peter Kostis is in this thing? Let’s just say that the fact he’s reading cue cards is about as obvious as it is he’s wearing a blue shirt. I like Kostis (he’s one of the few good things about a CBS golf crew that needs a major overhaul), and his swing analysis is always bang-on but wow…to borrow a slogan, buy a stamp and mail it in!
1:20: Audio cut out briefly. You didn’t miss much.
1:25: More confidence AND more fun? If I see two bathtubs rolling out I’m stopping this. Just saying. Not judging but that kind of gets out of my purview.
1:38: Those swings they’re showing are all kinds of ugly. These people don’t need a GPS. They need lessons.
1:57: No pressing buttons or pressing through complicated screens? Far be it me to speculate but the Venn diagram of people this was geared for and the people who own a Jitterbug phone are two circles on top of each other…right?
2:09: It knows where you are on every hole…showing a guy near a hazard. So does it say “hey goober, might we try to find the fairway at some point today?” because that would be funny.
2:12: It will speed up your round? Really? If somebody hands one to Jason Day and tell him “hey, this will speed up your round” I will pay you cash. The fact that he named his kid Dash and his pace of pay is glacial is him trolling us, right? Seriously, Jason- if you’re reading this…let’s pick up the pace a bit.
2:40: The part where Kostis and McCord are talking like regular guys about “how we need to get more people playing the game” but wait- I didn’t think anyone cared about growing the game? A GPS isn’t going to help you find your ball if you hit it into waste areas. Just saying. And now we have a montage of people looking for their ball. Crazy idea- play your next shot and then help the guy look for his ball.
3:15: Yes, the USGA has approved DMD’s (distance measuring devices) but I’ll still get at least one idiot a month who will see me use mine and tell me it’s cheating.
3:17: Which one should you pick? Ooh…I know! The GolfLogix GPS! Let’s see if I’m right!
3:25: Yup, old people can’t use lasers….or use the computer unless they’re screaming about kids on the internet.
3:43: Hot damn! They picked the GolfLogix Golf GPS! Damn, I’m good! And hey- it’s powered by Garmin. Garmin! I’m just going to assume that Gary McCord’s safe word is Powered by Garmin. It probably is, but who knows for sure?
4:02: The numbers change while I walk…I can only imagine how explaining him how the sun and moon work must have gone.
4:18: Yes, distances to front/middle/back. FYI, the Sky Caddie does the same thing if you were wondering. I almost bought one several years ago but went with the laser range-finder.
4:35: If you’re a regular player and see 258, three words: JUST HIT IT. You don’t have that shot. Or this guide from a sprinkler head with a sense of humour:
Just hit it. Follow instructions.
4:42: That was an awkward transition; now they’re wearing different clothes (it’s called continuity, people) and Kostis is talking about pushing a little button. Nope. Not gonna go there.
4:50: Yes, it’ll show you the distance of your last shot. When I caddied I did that as well once, telling this old geezer who asked me how far he was to the green “you hit your tee shot 120 yards; you’ve got 320 to the front, 335 to the pin 350 to the back” being serious about wondering if he could reach the green (yes, in probably 2-3 more shots). This was in the mid 1980’s when persimmon woods were still common. So from 320 to the front he thought he could reach the green with a 3-wood. So no, slow play didn’t start because of Tiger Woods.
5:20: Kostis is sending McCord out on a mission. Is he coming back with breakfast? Maybe some beer? I’m hoping that McCord is looking for his former comedic foil, David Feherty. At the risk of having a hot take or blowing up golf twitter, Feherty’s interview show is really in need of something new. For starters, he needs to ask better questions and quit fawning over the people he interviews. Second…he’s falling victim on NBC/Golf Channel of being unable to tell me, the viewer, something I don’t know. He was a former professional who won on the European Tour and played in a Ryder Cup. Enough of the same tired jokes. Mix humour with actual information and quit fawning over the players. It’s okay to be critical; tell us why!
5:33: He’s in he right rough. It’s okay. Put the milk cartons down, everyone. I’m going to say this again. Gary, you seem a swell guy, but I’m begging you- shave that goddamn landing strip off your face. Leave the Rollie Fingers duster if you want. Let’s be honest, a GPS is not a secret weapon. We call that a foot wedge. He’s 142 to the center, folks and naturally he knocks it stiff. How is it that when he hit the shot it was sunny and clear and when it landed it was overcast? In film they call that “continuity” problems.
6:02: “Thanks, Gary” is Kostis’ safe word. I’m serious. Now we get to the “Gary McCord is so dumb (HOW DUMB IS HE?)” part of the show. And if you haven’t been watching, ABC’s remake of the original Match Game has been genius. Alec Baldwin as host is…how do I put this…is an inspired choice? As in, he’s good at it? If you’re asking, of course they brought back the Gene Rayburn long skinny microphone. I’m just going to say that having people drink while playing…works. The Canadian reboot has Sean Cullen and Debra DiGiovanni (both are hilarious but criminally under-used).
6:22: Another badly-edited transition and with McCord off huffing glue (allegedly), Kostis is now giving the sell. I mean, if you can turn it on, you can use it! He didn’t say what you could use it for (I mean, could I use it to kill a bug?), but I’m going to go with the idea that the intended use would be getting distances.
6:37: More ugly swings from regular golfers…that GPS device won’t help someone who’s in the Charles Barkley arena of ugly swings.
6:53: Didn’t know GolfLabs were the leader in independent testing…okay. While we’re talking about improving pace of play, why is it that I see 4 guys playing and only 1 ball? Hint- whoever is next should be ready to go.
7:23: Look, 7 minutes over 9 holes isn’t bad, but continuous putting, playing ready golf, and playing from the appropriate set of tees will cut even more time. We also don’t know what the normal difference between the front and back 9 times are. I’ve played with guys who, if you give them the number they still look completely befuddled. Or they’ll ask me what they should hit. This is why I drink.
7:45: I’m not Nate Silver but 16 golfers on an Arizona course is not exactly what I would call a significant sample size. But go on…
8:25: Is adding and subtracting that hard? IF you’re a legit 8 handicap and you can’t figure out basic yardages, that handicap is the equivalent of a lot of Botox treatment. It’s called vanity. I’m calling malarkey on that guy’s 8 handicap index unless he putts as well as touring professionals.
Look, if you don’t have a rangefinder or a GPS it’s not a bad investment assuming you know how far you hit each club (and are honest about it). There are smartphone applications that can assist (the free ones are uniformly bad) as well.
I think it’s neat that the USGA and the PGA of America teamed up to make a song for you to enjoy in celebration of their 2016 championships. Have a listen. No, it’s soothing…really.
If you were able to survive that without wanting to punch a kitten, congratulations. It’s been that kind of year for the two main bodies for the game of golf in the United States.
After two majors of watching the USGA demonstrate it’s inability to manage a 2-car parade much less conduct a national championship, it was the PGA of America’s turn to take control of the Kars 4 Kids jingle of a nightmare that has become what conducting a major championship has turned into. Go ahead, listen to it. LISTEN TO IT! Kind of makes you want to beat someone with a gravy ladle.
Before we get into the PGA of America’s litany of stupid, let’s congratulate Jimmy Walker on the win. He played great and deserved to win, but unfortunately, people will only remember what a damn mess the PGA of America made with the tournament. Let’s go to the tape, shall we?
1) Why on earth must they continue to hold tournaments in the dead of summer along the Eastern Seaboard when it’s usually hot, humid, and with daily thunderstorms a fairly common occurrence? The next two championships are in Charlotte and St. Louis, so expect hot and humid conditions along with thunderstorms being a frequent occurrence. The very definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.
2) Not to toot my own horn but holy shit-balls, I gave the pros a schedule for 2020 that moves the PGA Championship to the end of the West Coast swing. Seriously. Follow it and you won’t have the folly of having 2 major championships over a 3-week period. My schedule puts a marquee event in late February (PGA), March (2 WGC events), April (Masters), May (Players), June (US Open), July (Open Championship) and August (Olympics). A reduction in travel making it easier on the players, and an added PGA-LPGA team event. You’re welcome. It took me 2 double scotches, a composition book, and 45 minutes. I even have the sendoff event prior to the Olympics in Vancouver (easier flight to Tokyo).
3) You know where you don’t see summer thunderstorms? The West Coast. I’d love to see Denver get a major (my 2020 schedule puts a tour event in Denver), but you’ve got Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco as easy options. Sahalee near Seattle, Pumpkin Ridge near Portland, and Olympic Club/Harding Park/Pasatiempo all near San Francisco (not to mention Pebble Beach). Go to southern California and you have Riviera and Torrey Pines (all VERY worthy tests).
4) So no big shock when it rained on Saturday. And rained some more. Look, I can’t say enough about the monumental efforts that the course superintendent and his team of volunteers put in to get the course playable on Sunday (seriously- most courses wouldn’t have looked anything close to that good), but it shouldn’t have come to this! Come Saturday, when storms were expected, did they go to a two-tee start and move the times up (they’d have come VERY close to getting finished up)? Of course not (the PGA Tour does this quite often), because reasons. That it didn’t storm on Sunday is nothing short of a miracle. This malarkey about “we believe everyone should play the course starting at the 1st hole” sounds great, EXCEPT THEY DO A 2-TEE START DURING THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS! So does the US Open (the Open Championship doesn’t but they don’t see thunder/lightning and they have longer daylight hours; the Masters has a limited field so they don’t need the 2-tee start).
5) The only reason to not do it is to bend over for CBS/TNT, which is a damn disgrace. As others have pointed out, I give Fox a lot of grief for their golf coverage but they did move things around back in June (the dumping out of Fox over to FS1 because of regular season baseball is still inexcusable under any circumstance- NBC would have stuck it out). Clearly TNT didn’t want to interfere with Law & Order (and related) reruns. Can we point out that NBC/Golf Channel did a better job covering the women’s British Open than TNT/CBS did with the PGA Championship?
6) There was this 180 that the PGA of America pulled. I mean, this is some grade-A bullshit they’re serving up. On Saturday they said, in effect, no way would they play lift clean and place (they said this in an interview with CBS Sports Network). Here was the corker- in the third rounds being finished on Sunday (in the same conditions they’d face later that day) they played it down. But for the final round it was ball in hand time (this had NEVER happened before in a major). I don’t always agree with Dan Jenkins of Golf Digest, but he’s right when you call it “lift, place and cheat” (he’s almost always hilarious though).
7) Rough. Look, I know that people at Oakmont get boners over having 8″ rough, but can we please knock this off? I agree with Secret Tour Pro (who may or may not be Australian…who am I to speculate?) that they should cut the rough back. The Masters doesn’t have rough, and the Open Championship doesn’t get overly penal with rough until you get into the gorse which comes into play if you get REAL wild. Does that diminish these events? Of course not! The USGA was going in this direction (2014 @ Pinehurst) but now they’re back to growing some tall cabbage. I’d rather see less of it but mowed against the grain to give the players something to consider.
Jim Nantz preparing like many of us watching prepare.
8) Hello Friends. We need to talk about Jim Nantz. Other bloggers and folks on Twitter wittier than I have got the knives out for CBS’ coverage, and while at first I was cautious, it’s apparent that despite some talented people doing good work (Peter Kostis and Dottie Pepper are great at what they do), Nantz is phoning it in (he was freaking brutal at the Canadian Open). Faldo isn’t much better. I’d like to see less advertising for his (Faldo) sponsors and more of “tell me something I don’t know” analysis. Not sure if they need to cut his (Jim Nantz) workload back (he does a full NFL season, plus NCAA basketball, plus a lot of golf- when he was doing 2 NFL games a week I can’t help but think that was adding up) or take a look at lightening his load. Look, with NBC committed to the NHL for another 7 years (excuse me while I go throw up in my mouth while thinking about Pierre McGuire) spring weekends aren’t an option for NBC during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ideally, CBS would acquire the Players Championship and a WGC event and in turn, turn the PGA Championship AND the Barclays over to NBC/Golf Channel. I know Nantz loves golf but he’s losing his fastball, as it were. Even if they pulled him off of doing basketball, it would probably help.
Who’s Pierre McGuire, you ask? Allow me. You’ve been warned. And since he left TSN for NBC, he’s only gotten worse.
9) On a positive, they didn’t have a rules fiasco, and Pete Bevacqua wasn’t shit-faced drunk during the trophy presentation, so they got that going for them.
Showing my age more than a bit, but enjoy some REALLY early Siouxsie and the Banshees. Yup, she was that first artist I had the hots for.
From the shady part of the fairway of the 4th hole at Little Bennett. I like shade.
I can’t say I’m surprised that Tiger Woods isn’t playing in the US PGA Championship. The only thing that is surprising is that he still waits until the last minute to withdraw from majors (when nobody was surprised that he withdrew), as if somehow he’s going to turn up and play. I don’t have any inside knowledge, but I do question if he really wants to play. He seems to care quite a bit about his kids (which is a good thing). It can’t be a money thing; by all accounts Woods has held onto his money. He will go down as the greatest golfer of his generation, and his 2000 season should be considered the high mark (barely edging out 2005) for a season in the modern professional era.
From the fairway on the 9th hole at Little Bennett. It’s a hot heat.
We’re having one of those heat waves; I played yesterday (7/21) at Little Bennett; course was in solid shape (especially fairways). If you live in Western Howard County it’s pretty easy to get to but even from Columbia/Elkridge it’s not that bad. Don’t think I’m playing this weekend (I’m still not close to 100% and I’m still running out of steam at the end of my rounds). If you do play, stay hydrated! My trick- take two water bottles and stick them in the freezer overnight. Take ’em with you, and as they melt you’ll have icy cold water.
Not for anything, but I paid $39.99 (with a 50% off coupon for a replay that same day) to play at Little Bennett yesterday (Thursday), compared to weekday rates at Waverly Woods ($64.00) and Timbers at Troy ($57.00). Which means 36 holes at Little Bennett would have been less than 18 at Waverly Woods and only $3.00 more than 18 at Timbers. A recent visit to Timbers at Troy didn’t reveal it being in particularly great shape, which is disconcerting. I know that our weather this year has been particularly difficult, but why is it that the MoCo courses are in such better shape compared to Timbers at Troy and Hobbits Glen (which is in dire condition)?
I’m no expert but if I were running Hobbits and Fairway Hills I’d worry less about FootGolf and more about why more and more “core” golfers are taking their money to Montgomery and Anne Arundel county courses?
For me, summer wouldn’t be summer without some good books. I used to be all about wanting physical books, but since She Who Is Really in Charge bought me a tablet a few years ago, I’m a convert. I’m looking forward to finishing up Uber Chronicles by Jessie Newburn. I’ll admit to being conflicted about Uber (along with Lyft and other so-called “sharing” economy applications). Jessie Newburn runs our local HoCoBlogs group (of which I’m proud to say I’m part of their community). She’s asking some interesting questions from her perspective and I hope others find her work as engaging as I have.
While we’re on the subject of books, if you haven’t read it, John Feinstein (who is local) has churned out some truly great golf books. His Good Walk Spoiled remains a standard-bearer about life on the Tour. His book Tales From Q School should be required reading for anyone who ever thought they could be on Tour. His book Open chronicles the 2002 US Open at Bethpage, and is half of my annual “re-read” list (the other is Ken Dryden’s classic “The Game” which remains the standard for sports books which I always read prior to the start of the NHL season).
While I’m veering off of the subject of golf, if you live in Howard County (or you work here), a good read is this which is from the HoCo Blogging community. I won’t say I agree with every word, but given the lack of coverage our county gets (the DC and Baltimore local stations seem to take delight in ignoring what goes on here), it’s nice to see someone asking good questions about current issues in the county. His work during April’s school board elections was particularly compelling.
Here’s some happy music. Enjoy and stay cool out there.
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