BETHPAGE, NY – Let’s start with what we know – the U.S.G.A. will not shorten the U.S. Open. “The U.S.G.A. is firm on this, that we will not determine a national champion until we play 72 holes,” affirmed U.S.G.A. vice president Jim Hyler with steely conviction. After that, everything is up in the air because of more than an inch of rain...
Cybergolf has my first piece of this week’s U.S. Open:Â In a New York State of Mind.
Golf course design piece coming next.
George Bahto – the dry cleaners owner-turned-golf course designer who restored the Knoll Club (West) to it’s golden age glory and who is helping Tom Doak build Old Macdonald, (out at Bandon Dunes Resort), sat down for a few questions: JF: Tell us about how you first got introduced to golf? George Bahto: (I was forced to – ha!) It was caddying for my...
Brian Keogh of the Irish Golf Desk has this interview with Padraig Harrington, where the reigning British Open and PGA Champion talks about playing with Woods in 2002 at Bethpage, and how he’s excited. Angel Cabrera may round out the threesome for the first two days. Keogh also got Paddy to give us all an optimistic view of how his practice regimen is helping...
Here’s a quick thumbnail sketch of the set-up at Bethpage Black for the U.S. Open: First Hole – Par-4, 430 yards High on a pulpit overlooking the first fairway, one can see a ribbon of fairway flanked by two sides of rough that are wider on either side than the intended target. The hole is a 90-degree dog-leg, the knee of which is guarded by a stand of...
It’s going to be one of those weeks when the odds are stacked 18-1 against, when the whole round is a hangover that thumps and pounds ceaselessly, and where every golf hole digs mercilessly for the sciatic nerve. Sure U.S. Open competitions director Mike Davis promises change and excitement with flexible tee boxes and more strategic options in tournament set...
Great work from Sal Johnson and Dave Seanor. Click here to go to the Golfobserver.com site for a terrific one-on-one with Mike Davis of the USGA. It has everything you need to know about the set-up and changes.
While I’m getting my own preview piece done, Sal Johnson has a nice write-up of the changes discussed at media day. Scroll down to question 6. Kudos to Mike davis for – as he put it – easing up on the accelerator. From the article: “Several tees have been added, which will enable Davis & Co. to vary the lengths of certain holes...
The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA has been open since 1766. This is obviously just a sad, but thankfully isolated incident, a statistical outlier, as they say in the sports world. From the article: Hotel Spokeswoman Carol Stratford declined to say whether Hackney had any discipline problems or release further personal information on him or the victims. She...
The USGA will have photos and a write up. The biggest change in my eyes is the shrtening of 6 one day to be a driveable par-4. The green was almost entirely encircled by sand, so it’ll have a high pucker factor, and those greenside bunkers are tough. Hat tip: Peter McNally, GCA.com: “Hole 1: 430 yards–no change; Hole 2: 389 yards–no...
LEATHERSTOCKING GOLF COURSE Route 80/Lake Road Cooperstown, NY 607.547.5275 www.otesaga.com/LGC/ Architect – Devereux Emmet Par 35-37=72 Excitement Level – 10/12 Difficulty – 7/12 Design – 6 to 6-½ stars Natural Setting – 6-½ stars Conditioning – 5-½ stars Cost – $95, $120 with cart, $10 off Hotel Guests, $40...
Click here for the Golf Channel article, and here for the extended Cybergolf piece on the closing of Beechtree.
So Cybergolf ran “The Last Sunset at Beechtree” today. In the meantime, I wrote a coda to the piece about my trip, so here it is. Click over to see Jeff Shelley work his magic in getting things up in a heartbeat. THE THINGS WE DO FOR GOLF My road to Beechtree was hectic and hair-raising. I spent the night before the round at the townhouse of my on...
ABERDEEN, MD – We’ll be live this weekend from Beechtree Golf Club for a gathering of the faithful to pay their last respects to this wonderful Tom Doak course. As reported here, the course will close December 7 and become housing.
The worst acronym for a great golf course…NLE…no longer exists. Now we’ll speak of Beechtree in Aberdeen, Maryland in holy whispers like we do with Lido. Tom Doak wrote this message to Golf Club Atlas.
Play it now, while you still have a chance.