TERRE HAUTE —
Old Man Winter along with Mother Nature must have something against area golfers. They have joined forces to sabotage a sport called winter golf, an activity many Wabash Valley players have enjoyed in years gone by.
In fact, during some winters in the past, there were multiple “warm up” periods when a divot digger could play almost weekly. This year there were two words that made golfers wince. They were “wintry mix.” Staying on two feet during the ice storm was almost impossible.
With practice beginning as early as possible in March, golfers on high school and college teams are exposed to some absolutely miserable conditions. Hopefully, it will get better before it gets worse.
With The Masters winding down to a conclusion, it’s easy to understand why this championship is the one any golfer in the world would most like to win.
With the spirit of Bobby Jones prevailing, the azalea-laden Augusta National is certainly a beauty to behold. Television doesn’t always do justice to capture the rolling expanse that offers numerous risk-and-reward holes … especially on the back nine, where the tournament is usually decided.
Golfers who have had the opportunity to play the course are unanimous when praising the conditioning that the layout displays.
The Masters is conducted by its members and when the final putt is holed each year, all committee chairmen meet to see how the championship can be improved. Tickets to The Masters are scarce since galleries are limited in size. Advertising is also limited during TV presentations, much to the delight of TV watchers. The champions’ dinner is a staple of the tourney, as is the presentation of the emblematic green jacket. Players who have come close but have never won often feel a void in their respective résumés for the remainder of their careers.
Some might be surprised to know the name “The Masters” was nearly scrapped before the first tournament due to the fact that Jones felt the name was too “pretentious.” Bobby Jones definitely personified the word “gentleman.”
Hats off to Chad Collins. You may recall that the Cloverdale native finished in second place among money winners on the Nationwide Tour back in 2009, which qualified him for the PGA Tour in 2010.
Collins made excellent use of the coveted PGA Tour card last year, as he won $815,961 in official prize money. He finished 118th on the money list, which is really better than it sounds since he took some time off toward the end of the year and didn’t compete in several tournaments. Congratulations and a “well done” to Chad.
It would be great to see Collins in the winner’s circle during 2011.
I I I
Back in 1997 John Feinstein, arguably the best sports writer on Planet Earth, wrote a defining book titled “The First Coming, Tiger Woods, Master or Martyr.” To sum up the book, Tiger appears to come off as something of a spoiled brat, but that would be a spoiled brat with more ability with a golf club in his hands than almost anyone had ever witnessed.
It appeared that all Woods needed to do was eclipse Jack Nicklaus’ record of 14 major tournament wins and then Eldrick Woods could claim the coveted “greatest of all time” tag for himself. A couple of years ago it appeared that Tiger was a shoo-in for that accolade, but now after his well-publicized meltdown, where his infidelities were exposed Tiger has certainly not been the same Tiger of old.
He has not been seen brandishing his putter like a mesmerizing sword while he danced about the green in a whirling dervish victory celebration. In addition, he has been chastised for spitting on greens.
In fact, Tiger Woods hasn’t won a tournament since a year ago last Thanksgiving when he wrecked his Escalade and wife Elin may or may not have used Tiger’s head as a shag ball. I was surprised to see how IMG, Tiger’s agents, handled the “problem” Tiger faced due to his multiple infidelities. Heretofore, athletes caught being unfaithful would appear on television with their wives. They would express their apologies, ask for forgiveness and then present their wives with diamond rings and diamond bracelets worth a few million dollars and all would be forgiven. At any rate, that scenario did not work for Tiger.
Tiger Woods’ excuses for his poor play are feeble at best. Hiring various “swing doctors” to put his game together makes you wonder why a golfer who has hit hundreds of thousands of golf shots doesn’t know more about his own golf swing.
Woods’ excuses concerning his golf just don’t hold water. He says his swing is a “process.” He says he is “close” to getting back to being the Tiger of old. While he once holed most of the putts he looked at, now he misses an alarming number from short range.
Golf writers often make excuses for Tiger. Tim Rosaforte stated, “Tiger is tired.” I would agree with Rosaforte, Tiger is tired, tired of missing the cup on so many occasions.
At one time in the past I would have described his putting as “supernatural.” That definitely is not the situation now. Will he win again? I’d think so, but golf can be a funny game. It can come and go.
Feinstein, in a recent article for “Golf World,” indicated how the game needs Woods to bolster TV ratings, to shore up sponsorships, and to draw galleries to tournament sites, but Tiger Woods doesn’t deserve a pass on his prior actions. In other words, Feinstein feels Tiger should not be perceived as the victim in a melodrama of his own making.
One thing for certain, Tiger’s rise or his demise will be interesting for his backers or his detractors.
Mike Gugliemetti has echoed a refrain made by a multitude of golfers though the years. “I wish I had taken up golf when I was younger.”
No doubt about it, when it comes to golf, the earlier, the better. Of course that doesn’t preclude an older player from becoming an excellent golfer. Athletes such as Gugliemetti during their high school days gravitate to sports that feature more action as do the “big three,” basketball, football and baseball. Gugliemetti has scored a 72 on the old Elks Fort Harrison course playing “summer rules.”
That’s solid play in anyone’s book, but like Mike says, “If I had started earlier, I could be a much better player now.”
Tip of the week — There is no substitute for hitting the golf ball squarely. Both distance and accuracy depend on it. Some instructors feel if you “swing within yourself, distance will come.” An exercise some have practiced included putting a kitchen match in the ground with the tip sticking up about an inch and a half. The objective was to light the match by nipping the tip. Obviously, this is not a drill for indoors. If you can light successive matches, you have a steady head and a grooved swing.
Keep your head down and your shoestrings tied. We’ll be back.
Rub of the Green
RUB OF THE GREEN: Winter made golf impossible this year
- Rub of the Green
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Rub of the Green: Bowling or golf? Both provide plenty of challenge
The question has been raised in the past, is it bowling or golf that is the more difficult endeavor?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Sometimes this can be a confounding game
To be sure, the great Sam Snead certainly knew what he was talking about when he delivered his favorite axiom, “The sun don’t shine on the same dog every day.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Grayless takes over as golf professional at Hulman Links
Ed Grayless has assumed the “head man’s” position at the Links after Ryan Klopfenstein resigned as Hulman Links golf professional in order to pursue other interests.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Young players should match course to skills
One of the biggest mistakes a beginning golfer can make is to keep playing a golf course that is far too difficult for the ability demonstrated by that player.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: On the lanes or links, Davis is competitive
Darrell Davis carries a 240 bowling average which obviously puts him in some strong company on the alleys, but he feels that golf is a much more difficult sport than keggling.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Loquacious golfers can provide priceless quotes
Golfers always seem to have a great deal to say, but determining who said what and who said it first can be a problem.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Rick Fernandes can look back on a great golf career
What does an outstanding golfer have left when an accident has robbed him of the consummate skills he once possessed? The answer most assuredly would be one word, “Memories.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Feherty’s humor good for golf
David Feherty is an extremely funny man. If you have read his book written a few years ago, you might have guessed what to expect from him. The book, entitled “Somewhere in Ireland a Village is Missing an Idiot,” set the stage for his far out brand of humor, most of which is directed at himself.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: It's all in your head
A pair of divot diggers had been discussing their favorite sport when one could be heard saying, “You know, I think this game is 90 percent mental.” After a short pause his friend replied, “Well, I think you’re about 10 percent short in your estimation.”
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Golf: ‘The Game You Love to Hate’
Golf has been called “The Game You Love to Hate.” In addition, love-hate relationships have been around since the beginning of time.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf is only sport that offers both hilarity, pathos
It’s been stated more than once that “golf is a microcosm for life itself.”
This writer would heartily agree. No sport or game can offer combinations of happiness and sadness, hilarity and pathos as evidenced by an activity called “cow pasture pool” by some of its practitioners. -
RUB OF THE GREEN: Even golfers say there is drug problem on Tour
Are professional golfers using performance-enhancing drugs? This writer wouldn’t have the foggiest, but if you asked Gary Player, one of the game’s greatest, the answer would be a resounding, “Yes.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Not all golfers display their trophies
Back in the “old days,” let’s say the 1940s, most of the time when you won something in a golf tournament your prize came in the form of a trophy. That was it, just a dust catcher. Later, merchandise prizes were added.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf full of colorful characters
Every sport has its own cast of characters and golf is definitely no exception. Whether it is diving head first into a greenside bunker or tying an unreliable putter to a car’s bumper and dragging it down the road, golfers can do some strange things.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Winter made golf impossible this year
Old Man Winter along with Mother Nature must have something against area golfers. They have joined forces to sabotage a sport called winter golf, an activity many Wabash Valley players have enjoyed in years gone by.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf instruction a strenuous art
Few who have ever tried their hands at playing the game of golf would describe the sport as “easy”. In fact, just the opposite would be the case.
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BOB ARNETT: No matter what your level, watch out for pressure
What is the affliction that can affect most any golfer from those who can’t break an egg to skilled golfers who can break 70?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: THGA tournaments include variety, long history
In days gone by, the Terre Haute Golf Association has always offered more than just a 72-hole stroke play tournament.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: PGA playoff system still needs work
Is anyone fed up with the convoluted Fed Ex playoffs? The PGA has been tweaking its so-called Fed Ex playoff system for years, and they never seem to get it right.
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Rub of the Green: Golf can be roller coaster for young pros
Dustin Johnson may be best remembered for his appearances in the major tournaments in 2010, but not because he won. He didn’t win. But he came awfully close.
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Rub of the Green: One size does NOT fit all when it comes to golfing ability
Literally hundreds of books have been written on the subject of golf instruction, and we can be certain they all agree on one fundamental, always keep your head stationary throughout the swing.
Right? Nope, wrong as it could be! How’s that, you say? As examples both David Duval and Annika Sorenstam at one time were rated the world’s No. 1 professional golfers, respectively, and both swiveled their heads well before their clubheads reached the impact zone. In fact, Duval is one of a select few who has a 59 to his credit on the PGA Tour. -
Rub of the Green: Gerstmeyer Tech’s reknown Les Brown made his mark in plethora of sports
Les Brown never had a middle name, not even a middle initial. What he did have was an abundance of athletic ability that he utilized to earn letters in five different sports during his senior year at Gerstmeyer Technical High School.
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Rub of the Green: An inspiring walk of 1,000 miles
Watching the young man on the TV screen move from place to place was like watching the human body battle itself. It seemed as though his arms and legs each wanted to go in separate directions, as he flailed about with only a cane to steady himself.
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Rub of the Green: From fundraiser to reunited, game of golf wears many different ‘hats’
The game of golf can take on many different characteristics, depending on the objectives of those sponsoring the events. Golf may be played as a tribute or a memorial to the deceased. It may be a time of camaraderie that unites old friends.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Excursions are a tradition for many Terre Haute golfers
Many divot diggers enjoy excursions to play golf courses that offer new and different challenges. Terre Haute can certainly testify to the truth of that with some groups having hit the road for many decades.
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Rub of the Green: Was 1960 really the ‘Greatest Year in Golf’?
Listening to Willie Nelson warble the lyrics, “Ain’t it funny how time slips away?” reminds this writer that those words are incorrect on two counts. One, it is not funny to get old. The late Bob Bundy often stated, “Old age is not for sissies.” And two, time doesn’t just slip away, it tends to streak on at a full gallop. At least, that’s the felling you get when you qualify for the Methuselah Flight of your club championship.
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Rub of the Green: Basketball coaching legend Wooden could hold his own on golf course
The name John Wooden doesn’t just “ring a bell” with Indiana basketball aficionados; it resounds like a canon shot. No doubt about it, John Wooden is someone special, and that is a gross understatement.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Can Tiger Woods successfully make over his me-first image?
“Pain, despair and agony on me” are the words of a comical song made popular on an old TV program titled “Hee-Haw.” The refrain might have been heard again if you had occasion to drive by the Tiger Woods residence in the gated community of Isleworth, Fla., as the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday wound down, but this time no one was laughing.
- Rub of the Green: Course architect Pete Dye has had lasting impression on game It would seem that the more you learn about Pete Dye, the golf course architect, the more there is to admire about the man. It was decades ago when Dye determined that the insurance business was not for him, and he decided to begin designing golf courses. Even Pete, himself, in all likelihood, couldn’t have known the impact he was going to make on the golf world.
- RUB OF THE GREEN: French Lick course a treasure With pristine fairways, greens and bunkers providing a colorful patchwork, the course provides onlookers with the opportunity to witness some of the best experiences Mother Nature can provide.
- More Rub of the Green Headlines
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Rub of the Green: Bowling or golf? Both provide plenty of challenge
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