The Fabled "Green Jacket" is the Least of Our Worries

Suppose you cared as much about preserving the environment as you did about shaving strokes off your average golf round.
Where would you turn for solutions and inspiration?
It may come as a surprise to learn that certain courses go the extra mile to ensure that their water usage and upkeep measures and landscaping habits are friendly to the local ecology. Magazines like Links and Golf, in fact, keep running lists of the golf destinations that give “green” a whole new meaning.
Tracking down ways to do your part to help Mother Earth sustain us isn’t easy. And the validity of all the “eco-conscious” golf goods and services claim is tough to verify.
Still, if you’re the average player who cares about the future of the game and whether the planet can afford to sustain it, the options are worth exploring. Right?
Here are a few humbly submitted suggestions. If you know of alternative ways to play golf with a “green” mindset, we’re all ears…
SLIVERS OF HOPE: The Eco Golf Company claims that some 2 billion golf tees are put in play every year in the U.S. That’s a lot of wood and plastic being plugged into the ground, smacked around and (often) forgotten. Eco offers a variety of tees (sold in bulk) made from fibers that are meant to degrade as naturally as potato peels over time. Instead of defacing the grounds, they’re meant to incrementally enhance them. Visit the Indiana-based company’s web site for product and pricing details.
PLOP PLOP, FIZZ FIZZ: What golfer hasn’t found himself out at sea, atop a mountain or even snowbound and felt the urge to strike a ball out where there are no boundary lines. The Eco company asserts that it’s got an answer for those who can’t fight the temptation; though they probably realize the average ball shot without regard for where it lands could pose short-term health-threats to creatures, and long-term damage to the planet. The Eco Golf Ball is designed specifically for a short iron shot out into nature’s nether reaches, where, under optimal exposure to water, they’ll dissolve within a week . Again, visit Eco for details.
TRULY GRINDING: Alternatively, the Dixon Earth company markets golf balls that perform adequately on the course and are touted to be made of materials that are “100 percent recyclable”.

U.S. Golfers Dwindling in Numbers

I play at an inexpensive, Marshall-free, “anything goes” 9-hole course just on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta at least once a week .
More accurately, I should say that I work on my game there. I’m an impatient fellow. And since the nubby track known fondly to locals as “The Course of Champions” is often outrageously overcrowded, it’s not uncommon for me to save 30 or 45 minutes by walking off after the steep, par-4 seventh hole.
Every course I play inside the perimeter, in fact, seems packed beyond proper pace of play capacity.
That’s why I was surprised by the recently released National Golf Foundation report that says active participation among recreational golfers remains in a slow but steady decline.
According to the report by the Jupiter, Fla.-based NGF (founded in 1936 to promote the game), ”The slight downward trend in the number of golfers in the U.S. continued in 2008, falling 3%, from 29.5 million in 2007 to 28.6 million in 2008”.
The study, conducted by Chicago-based Synovate counted anyone age 6 or over who played at least one round per year as a “golfer”, and 42,000 Americans were surveyed.
The numbers were tweaked in numerous ways to uncover the bitter and sweet truths: The NGF reached a conclusion that “negative growth in golfers is corroborated by a drop in rounds played volume of 1.8% in 2008 vs. 2007. No doubt the economic recession was a factor in the decline of both measures.”
And NGF president and CEO Joe Beditz summarized that, “The challenge for the industry is to slow the loss of existing golfers while increasing the retention rate of those who come in each year."
But, as I said, there’s no apparent shortage of hackers in my neck of the woods. Just (un)lucky I guess. How about you?

Caddies Keep Hope Alive

If you’ve never played a round of golf with a veteran caddy on your bag, aspire to do so. It may cost a pretty penny, but the experience may prove priceless.
Having a caddy in tow to suggest where you aim, how hard to swing and which club to use won’t guarantee you a great score.
I learned that the hard way recently during a chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity to play the Golf Club of Georgia in a PartnershipsInAction charity event benefiting impoverished women and children in the Third World.
As luck would have it, the three other scheduled players in my foursome were no-shows. Unsettled a bit by their absence, I steered out toward the 15th tee of the glorious and intimidating course for the shotgun start alone.
But it wouldn’t be long before the burly, bearded caddy who introduced himself to me only as “Barlow” made his presence felt.
Barlow wound up blessing me with a lesson on wielding my wedges confidently that was more than worth the generous tip I palmed on him after the round. He recognized my natural fade after two holes and directed me accordingly; to the point where we were confounded on what shot to play once my swing with my new/used Si3 (9 degree) Ping drives straightened out and my trusty old copper Zing 5-iron found unprecedented punch.
I won’t bore you (unless you ask) with tales of how many ProV 1s I sacrificed to the mercilessly long and wide marshes that guard many of the GCG’s fairways. Nor will I complain about all my three-putt pratfalls on the private course’s swift, sloping and expansive greens.
“Barlow” had no control over the blustery (10-20 mph) winds that I’ll use for an excuse for my score. My solitary experience with him on one of the southeast’s finest tracks did, however, breathe rejuvenating life into my game.
Yours Truly (above): Photographed by "Barlow"

Don't Sleep on European Tour Players

2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrerra

Now teeing off..ForeBlackGolfers' very first guest writer, George Burnette of the U.S.
SILENCE PLEASE! Mr. Burnette, swing away...

For a golf geek such as myself there is nothing better than waking up early Saturday and Sunday morning to live coverage of the European PGA Tour on The Golf Channel.

Padraid Harrington (left, 2-time Majors champ)

Renton Laidlaw's familiar voice and hilarious quips are a major part of that experience and he will be sadly missed when he steps down someday.
Granted, it's not the (American) PGA Tour but it's pro golf at its finest, nonetheless.
Sergio Garcia recently quipped that the European Tour is "..catching up.." with its American counterpart, but it's my contention that it already has.
Just take a look at the last 5 or 6 years' majors winners.
For what do we owe this phenomenon?
PGA tour players are not as hungry. They're actually a little spoiled.
PGA tour players are waited on hand and foot. They always play in perfect or near perfect weather on immaculately groomed courses.

Sergio Garcia (left, teeing off)
Tiger's presence has vaulted purses into the stratosphere such that PGA Tour players who don't even finish high enough on the money list to keep their playing privileges still earn over a million dollars per season in prize money.
PGA Tour players don't need passports, VISA's or immunizations for Yellow Fever and Hepatitis.
PGA Tour players have foul weather gear in their bags at all times but their's collects dust.
Most PGA Tour players leave the country only during the off-season when they are on vacation.
European PGA Tour players, however, are more like us. They carry their own bags and rent their own cars for the week.
They play on greens that are akin to those at (the Atlanta municipal 9-hole/First Tee course) John A. White (which ain't bad) not East Lake.
Their purses are not half as big as those stateside.
And to see a European tour entrant playing in foul weather gear is more the rule than the exception.
I know that hindsight is 20/20 but PGA Tour players not named Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson have no shot when seasoned, battle-tested, champion European Tour pros suddenly appear in their rear-view mirrors.

Meet Golf's Answer to Michael Vick

Okay. OKAY! So, as far as we know, golf's bad boy, John Daly never ran a sadistic dog fighting enterprise out of mansion he bought for his low-life, snitchin' homies to use as a crash pad.
Still, according to the standards of decorum the PGA clings to for dear life, he might as well have. Daly's latest overnight incarceration - for passing out drunk outside a Hooter's in Winston-Salem, N.C. - was enough for The Commish (Tim Finchem) and his upper-crust associates to finally wedge Daly away from the game.
The two-time Major tournament victor, and all-around loser in every other phase of life _ was suspended, conveniently(?), until a few weeks after this year's Masters.
HERE'S THE COMEDY: The Associated Press reported Thursday from Augusta that the leading attraction just outside the Masters gates was Daly's very own trailer stocked with his "signature" merchandise. ("Cash only", AP said.)
Just imagine if the NFL's Commish, Roger Goodell, imposed a ban on a still-popular player like Michael Vick (or even numbskulls like Pacman and Plaxico), but the dumb jocks had the gall to show up outside stadiums on Sunday's hawking jerseys in any color combos they liked any way.
"Ocho Cincos! Got ya Ocho Cinco Here!"
That's essentially what Daly, who's squandered millions in earnings and endorsements, is doing to stave off bankruptcy.
Given the fact that Daly hasn't posed a threat to anyone on The Tour for a long, long time, are you surprised that he's still got a loyal fan base aching for his return to the game? Will it surprise you if Vick finishes paying his debt to society, then gets a warm welcome back from fans as well?

Photos: Flickr/Yausser,beebowallace

Golf Channel Digs Deep Into 'America'

(Caution: Control volume!)
Put away your pitchforks, golf purists.
The Golf Channel isn't going to make a mockery of your game with its new series, "Golf in America", as hosted by B-List comic actor Anthony Anderson.
(Anderson, left, in "Scary Movie 3")
Initially, I was put off by the notion of Anderson starring in a show brought to you by the producers of "The Haney Project: Charles Barkley". As if we need more vaudevillian antics around the tee box, right?
But, aside from the abysmal tailoring of Anderson's glen plaid slacks in the preview episode, the series (airing in full, starting June 21) doesn't look half bad. So have no fear tuning in for a glimpse at celebrities, courses, icons and over-achievers as you've never seen them before.

Vegas Bookies Bank on Tiger to Win Masters

The bookmakers in Las Vegas have spoken. Now it's up to Tiger Woods and his new Dymo Prototype driver (8.5 degree) to determine whether he'll win his fifth Green Jacket at Augusta National, or not.
According to the latest report from the Las Vegas Sun, Woods, 33, is the overwhelming (+125) favorite to win this year's Masters tournament. Phil Mickelson is the oddsmakers' second favorite at 10-to-1.
Do you agree that Tiger will inevitably win again this week at Augusta? (Comment Below!)
Meanwhile, sadly, the spectre of race raises its ugly head again as the sole top golfer of African heritage, Woods, heads toward Amen Corner. ESPN is airing golf's dirty laundry with reports that verge on resentment toward Tiger for not labeling himself as a black man.
Eddie Payton, the Jackson State University golf coach and younger brother of Hall of Fame football player Walter Payton, accuses Woods of being "in denial" about his race. Woods responds, admirably, with allusions to his charitable work.
Are you tired of Tiger being pressured to embrace his blackness, given the inherent denial of all his other bloodlines that would entail? (Comment Below.)
For continuous official updates (tee times, scores, news) from The Masters, click here!

Everybody Hates Tiger (at Esquire at least)

Don't read the April '09 issue of Esquire magazine if you're unabashed fan of Tiger Woods'.
It might unnerve you, to say the least.






Esquire/Getty Images

In anticipation of Woods' return to golf following his knee surgery hiatus, Esquire commissioned four of its top contributors to weigh in on what Tiger's domination of the sport means to them.
Shockingly, their respective essays ranged from disrespectful to spiteful to overtly insulting. The sense you could get after reading them collectively is that Tiger's a self-absorbed prick destined to die alone and unloved with his fortune and records.
In one wordy, derisive sentence, Tom Chiarella states that Woods will likely wind up, "like that old PGA guard - dried-up, irrelavant dicks..."
Scott Raab follows that up by typifying Woods as being "another cruel, lonesome bastard", "one crabby son of a bitch" and "so at ease with being hated".
Wasting no time in his essay, Chris Jones writes, "the thought of his Chiclets reflected in another shining trophy makes me want to punch a hole in the moon".
In the final (one-sided) volley of words, Charles P. Pierce pulls the proverbial punch: he abstains from attacking Woods directly, but compares his late, doting father Earl to a con man who foisted "unmitigated rot" on the media about his son's unlimited potential.
In all, it's surprisingly harsh reading. Woods' fans and detractors alike should wonder about the motives for these screeds.

Too Sexy for the Course?

They say it only takes that one good golf shot to keep you coming back for more.
If that's true, couldn't plunking every ball in your bag keep you from returning for a shot of this...?







Or this...










Through the (ahem) magic of Facebook, I just got acquainted with the revamped approach to golf attire that Seattle-based MiC Sport is trying to wedge into the game.
It's such a new enterprise that ordering information for the teed up print mini-skirts, body-skimming rain slickers and cropped pants isn't readily available yet on MiC's site.
The best promo material I could find reads:
"MiC offers a full line of women's golf apparel including pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, shirts, knit ensembles, visors, and hats that have a unique flair, envisioned and designed by a talented creative designer, Melba Lee, with years of experience in the upscale couture..."
But the buzz the looks are generating already are worthy of yelling "Fore!"
They might be whizzing your way sooner than you think.
And that wouldn't be a bad thing. Would it?

Tom Brokaw On The Masters: Race Matters

First, the good news. The bad news can wait...
You can pick up the unassuming-looking April issue of Golf Digest now on newsstands and read how veteran newscaster Tom Brokaw did his journalistic duty to enlighten humanity, and may have squandered his opportunity for "honorary guest" status at Augusta National Golf Club at the same time.



Golf Digest invited Brokaw along as a "guest" at last year's Masters Tournament and the magazine prints his open letter to Augusta Chairman Billy Payne in its (thin) Masters preview. While making it ultimately clear how much he'd relish returning to Augusta National if invited back, Brokaw compares the exclusive club in northeast Georgia to a "pop-up principality" where the outside world's current customs don't apply.

Brokaw made it a point to get acquainted with some of the few black patrons you'll see at the Masters, and came away with this impression: "(They're) disappointed there are not more blacks in professional golf."



He also writes a gripping depiction of a 6-year-old black boy, Carrington Osborne, and his father, Marvin, from Chattanooga, watching Tiger Woods tee off on the first tee on Sunday with a reverence usually reserved for church.



Brokaw's "First Impressions" essay likely won't change a thing about the "pace of play" at Augusta National, but it was encouraging to have a brighter light shed on "Amen Corner" just the same...

...And now, the bad news: Any fans of Travel + Leisure Golf magazine out there need to find some other golf news source to subscribe to. News just broke that T+L Golf is folding under economic pressure. Ironically, the cover feature for its final issue was titled "The 18 essential experiences of the fully realized golf life". Apparently, remaining viable in a troubled marketplace wasn't one of them.






Photo: jeff panis