'Neo-Nazi' Pelts Black Couple with Golf Balls

Who says the game of golf isn't 'inclusive'?
An African-American couple in placid Port Huron, Mich. would beg to differ...and get a reprieve from whoever it is that has been pitching swastika-festooned golf balls onto their property.
Word's begun spreading worldwide that some cowardly knuckle-dragger'(s')idea of a good time is peppering a black family's domicile with balls crudely colored with slurs, black face caricatures and Nazi symbols.
The police have gotten involved, reportedly, and narrowed down some 'persons of interest'. But no hate-crime arrests have been made yet, and a neighbor of the offended _ who also happens to be one of the few blacks living in the area _ is wondering why racially insensitive range balls are winding up in his yard as well.
To make matters worse, the Associated Press reports that the Secret Service is now involved in the investigation of a 10x10 imprint of a Swastika carved next to the name Obama on the 18th hole of a Massachusetts course over the Columbus Day weekend.
If the game has a hateful tinge to it of late, the situation's not helped by the fact that the influential Politico.com recently ran a banner headline decrying: "Obama golfs fourth week straight".
If this trend continues, can some incident where a golf "fan" shouts words of racist derision while Tiger's in his back swing be far in the offing?
Photo: Port Huron Times Herald

Olympic Golf in Rio?: Hello, Sand Wedge!

Just as we suspected, the news that golf's won Olympic designation in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil has landed with a resoundingly muddy thud. Who in the world cares?
Will there really be any drama left in the sport if Tiger Woods has or hasn't eclipsed Jack Nicklaus in major tournament victories by then?
Beyond that, there's the bigger question of what course the 2016 Olympic golfers (60 men and 60 women) will play on fir the 72-hole, stroke-play event.
Fore!BlackGolfers' research prior to the announcement is being confirmed by other media outlets who believe Brazilian courses that even casual visitors would describe as "decent" are few and far between.
This gives rise to the question of who'll design an Olympic-caliber course in Brazil now that one's sorely need. According to reports, a spokesperson for the Golden Bear has already raised a territorial paw on his behalf.
Any thoughts?
ADD COMMENTS BELOW!

Photo: Flickr.com

Jordan's cigars have S.F. in a huff

Since the Europeans are likely to get smoked yet again by America's best in the Presidents Cup tourney playing out this weekend at the Bay Area's Harding Park course, the golf press needed something to light a fire under fans to hold their interest.
They may have found it, temporarily, in the overblown fuss some San Franciscans made over NBA legend Michael Jordan's annoying habit of puffing his stogie smoke at will during the Pro-Am practice round.
According to Reuters, the park's head ranger,Phil Ginsburg, even went so far as to warn the PGA that Jordan's not welcome if he insists on lighting up during the event.
Jordan was installed as a "special assistant" to the U.S. team led by his close friend and fellow Nike pitchman, Tiger Woods. And the event's organizers are Harding Park should be glad to have him, cigars or not, just to infuse some much needed hype to this foregone conclusion of a "championship".
But what do I know? I'm not a cigar-smoker.
Special Fore!BlackGolfers correspondent George Burnette is, however, and here's how he weighs in...
"Stogies are part of golf's appeal; especially if you're in the fairway. I can imagine how someone may be bothered by the smoke sitting next to a cigar smoker in the stands, however. Frisco is a bastion of big government control, though.I'm surprised anyone can smoke anything within 20 miles of San Fran. I can deal with M.J.'s stogies. But I CANNOT deal with the gaudy hoop earrings!"
Agree or disagree?
POST YOUR COMMENT BELOW!!







Photo: Yahoo News

Tiger Woods' billion-dollar legacy

Tiger Woods’ 2009 leap over the $1 billion benchmark for career earnings qualifies him as the single greatest African-American athlete of all time.
Or does it?
Is the barrier Forbes.com reports that Woods shattered any mightier than those conquered by Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Armstrong, Arthur Ashe or Cassius Clay?
He’s a fascinating character, yes. But if we spend too much time fixating on Tiger’s mounting fortune and chase of a record number of Major golf titles, we’ll run the risk of forgetting the black sports pioneers who blazed the trails to greatness more than a century ago.
Oliver Lewis may qualify as the original black sports hero; in 1875, he rode a little brown pony named Aristides to victory in the very first Kentucky Derby. The son of slaves was 19 at the time, and his earnings amounted to little more than the cost care and feeding of a thoroughbred he regularly bunked with. Over the first two decades decade of the Derby, black boys as young as 15 would dominate in the event.
But, somehow, starting in the 1920s, black jockeys were exiled from the sport. Not until the year 2000 when Marlon St. Julien rode, was there a black jockey entered. Will the same sort of conspicuous absence strike golf once Tiger’s had his run? Forbes projects him to become a multi-billionaire before his career’s through.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if decades passed by before any other black golfer makes competitors on the PGA tour fear the sound of his gallop up the leader board?






Photos: Smithsonian.com,

Who? Tiger? He'll Take Manhattan.

By George Burnette
A lot of golf fans are suffering from the post-PGA Championship doldrums and as a result are poo-pooing the Barclay’s event. I was just browsing through some pics of practice round action and the field looks surprisingly strong.

Tiger couldn’t care less about FedEx Cups and points (he made sure to win the inaugural one to get that title out of the way once and for all), but the other pros do. In fact the tour had to come up with something like the FedEx Cup so that interest in golf wouldn’t wane after the year’s final major.

Now that Westchester Country Club’s BUICK Classic has been retired, the Barclay’s event gives the pros a chance to play in metro NYC in decent weather and without the pressure of a major at Bethpage or Winged Foot.

I’m sure most of the field heads straight into the city after their daily practice-play-practice regimen. And I imagine also that most tour wives accompany their husbands to this event if for no other reason than to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Although most folks wouldn’t want to live there, it’s still a really, really nice place to visit.

What's Tiger's Motivation?

Once again, Ladies and Gents, for your reading and debating pleasures, another guest post from the incisive mind of golf curmudgeon George Burnette...
Tiger’s teeing it up this week in what was formerly known as “The World Series of Golf” (it is now the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational).

Here are some interesting facts about this grand ole throwback of a golf tourney:

It has been played annually since the early 60’s.

It has always been a very selective, season-ending, invitational tournament.

It has always been held at Firestone Country Club in Lebron James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Back before the PGA Tour went ‘international’, it was the only tour event, other than the four majors, that had a truly international field.

The South Course at Firestone Country Club is a true test of golf. It will be set up like a major with thick rough, narrowly cut fairways and slick greens. It is a long and difficult Robert Trent Jones design (as is Hazeltine National, consequently, which is hosting next week’s PGA Championship).

Now here’s the kicker; during it’s heyday, the winner of this tourney got a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour. So the stakes were ridiculous and the field played like it.

Here’s something to ponder with regard to Tiger’s presence in the tournament this week. We all know Tiger traditionally takes the week off before a major. So what's Tiger's motivation for bucking his tradition this time and not taking the week off before this major?

Is it Akron’s scintillating nightlife?

Is it an appearance fee?

Is it Fed Ex Cup Points?

Another World Golf Championship title, perhaps?

Or just excellent preparation for next week’s PGA Championship?

Who knows, but hopefully some reporter will ask?


Photo: flickr.com

Do Not Go to Dantanna's Downtown (ATL)!

Due to circumstances beyond Fore!BlackGolfers’ control, the “Wales, Whisky & Woods” British Open viewing party scheduled for July 18 (noon-3 p.m.) at Dantanna’s Downtown in Atlanta is cancelled.
Please alert any acquaintances who had planned to attend the event not to bother. Dantanna’s Downtown has made a last-minute disclosure about costs that invited guests could incur at the bar. None of the details about charging invited guests a fee to “sample the finest Scotch whisky” or to “try the Tiger Punch” were related to this site in time enough to warn all invitees off.
The previously undisclosed pricing terms for beverages that Dantanna’s Downtown has set strike me as a disservice to all those who had been enticed by the advertisements that the restaurant created and provided for mass distribution.
On behalf of the Fore!BlackGolfers network I apologize for any inconvenience this change of plans presents. If I had known that Dantanna’s Downtown intended to charge guests for the drink menu it conceived and detailed in the flyer provided , Fore!BlackGolfers would not have been involved in the promotion of this event.

ADDENDUM: Golf fans react angrily to the Dantanna's Downtown "British Open Bait-and-Switch" scenario...

"Scott...that's fucked up...you should alert a friend at the AJC about this, well, fraud. Management at Dantanna's made the wrong choice." Dan B

"What a bi-atch!!Does ForeBlackGolfers have women?"Jennifer F


"Wow!!! Not good. Why don't you just host at your house instead ;)." Lisa T

"Lemme know when you just wanna grab a drink or two or three or four at Dakota Blue!" Wayne D

"Wow- very uncool." Carolyn S





Photo: flickr/jet magazine/vieiles_anonces

Is the "Tiger Effect" Making Golf "Ghetto"?

Fore!BlackGolfers is proud to, once again, present the poignant opinions of "guest blogger" George Burnette. This time, "G-O" tees off on the negative effect that Tiger Woods' popularity has inflicted on the gentleman's game. (The opinions expressed are HIS; so rage accordingly)....
Gee! Thanks, Tiger!
I imagine it would be difficult to quantify the impact the emergence of Tiger Woods has had on golf in general, but a very unscientific method would be to simply ask those who were avid golfers BEFORE he came on the scene. What are the major differences between the pre and post-Tiger era? The most obvious is the number of folks who have taken up the game. No one can deny that his presence has caused the number of duffers to increase exponentially which has been a boon to the golf industry, but there has been a very unfortunate byproduct as well.
It seems that those new to the game are so preoccupied with the challenge of making solid contact with that little white ball that they have paid no attention whatsoever to the game’s etiquette and rules. Golf Digest writer Stina Sternberg recently asked 32 PGA tour pros and their caddies to name the biggest breach of golf etiquette that amateurs make during Pro-Ams. The most common response was “moving while another player is hitting” (15), the second most was slow play (9). "They try to anticipate the hit and start walking before we're done", says PGA tour vet Kirk Triplett. Says European PGA tour stalwart Darren Clarke "they walk off the green before everything is done". "They stand in the wrong place", laments journeyman pro Bo Van Pelt. "(You should) stand where you can see a guy's back or chest. That's it". "Nothing tops (excruciatingly slow) pace of play" says longtime pro Woody Austin; "they refuse to pick up their ball (when they’re having a very bad hole), or they take too long to make a decision". And from anonymous "All these guys show up wearing what they think is a cool golf outfit but they look like they just came from a Lil’ Wayne concert - crooked hats and bling, Um...no!" The list goes on and on. Failing to yell “Fore!” when necessary, talking while another player is hitting and driving the cart in restricted areas are a few of my personal pet peeves.
The Rules of Golf are sometimes complicated, confusing and cumbersome but that’s no reason to take up the game without at least a cursory review of the rules that will govern the most common rules-driven situations. It’s important for all golfers to know what to do with regard to hazards, out of bounds, lost balls, relief and ground under repair. Most post-Tiger era golfers do not know when, where or how to take a drop and there is no excuse for this. I recently played with a fellow who had over 20 golf clubs in his bag (the limit is 14).
In Germany, no one is allowed on public or private golf courses without first taking and passing a course on rules and etiquette. Maybe for the betterment of the game in general the USGA and the PGA should consider the same for the U.S.A.
PHOTOS: flickr

Meet John Daly's Next "Train Wreck"

True to his irrepressible ways, golf’s bad boy John Daly spent his last practice round prior the start of the British Open getting up close and personal with a buxom brunette.
The woman, Anna Cladakis, was identified as Daly’s “girlfriend”. Earlier this year, she told the press she was chiefly responsible for helping Long John crawl out from under the rock of a 12-month, PGA-imposed suspension.
Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship and the ’95 British Open before his career took a diving spiral.
If Daly winds up marrying Cladakis, she would be his fifth wife. And she wouldn’t be the first of his brides with a criminal record.


Daly and his fourth wife, Sherrie, gained notoriety in 2007 after accusing each other of assault involving a steak knife on the eve of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis. That former Mrs. Daly had spent part of 2006 jailed on a drug-related offense.
As for Ms. Cladakis, a former Hooters girl, prior arrests for “ticket scalping, shoplifting and battery on an ex-boyfriend” reportedly checker her past. The St. Petersburg Times reported in 2005 that Cladakis won a $1.68 million out-of-wedlock paternity lawsuit against the founder of the Outback Steahouse chain, Chris Sullivan.
Now, no one’s sayin’ she’s a gold digga. But…

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.
Photo: Yahoo News

If Tiger Blows the British, Blame It On Ryo!

The opening round pairings are set for the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry, Scotland. Apparently, organizers saw fit to put Tiger Woods at a distinct disadvantage from the start.
It’s not enough that he’ll have to navigate the slim fairways on the links course that was once a series of runways for Allied Forces war planes. He’ll also need to hold his tongue on the tee box.
Woods, well-known for blurting expletives after errant drives despite the network cameras stationed inches away, starts the first two rounds of his chase for a 15th Major in a three-some that includes 17-year-old Asian prodigy Ryo Ishikawa.
Assuming the hottest thing since sliced sushi speaks a little English, Woods will have to play while restricting his language to NC-17.
(The flambouyant teen Ryo Ishikaway, above)

Also included in Woods' Thursday-Friday threesome is the salty British veteran Lee Westwood; who scrapped his way in this year with an 11th place finish in the Shell Open and a 23rd place finish at the U.S. Open.
Golf fans won't get their best views of the British Open _ which Woods has already won three times before _ until Saturday, July 18. But the clashes of cultures and career trajectories in the opening two rounds will draw unprecedented media attention and could ultimately decide if Woods wins or loses this year.
(Tiger Woods getting familiar with Turnberry's Ailsa course.)


Photos: Yahoo News

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.