Divot Mix

"There is no country where the golfers are more keen or more hospitable than in Ireland, and the friendliness with which the inhabitants welcome their guest is only equaled by the earnestness with which they endeavour, and very often successfully, to beat them." --Bernard Darwin, The Golf Courses of the British Isles

USGA year-end show to air

Highlights of the United States Golf Association's 13 national championships will be broadcast on NBC in a 60-minute special entitled A Celebration of Champions at 1 p.m. EST Sunday, Dec. 12.

Jimmy Roberts will host the show from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the site of the 2004 U.S. Open. The special will feature the winners of the Open (Retief Goosen), U. S. Women's Open (Meg Mallon), U.S. Senior Open (Peter Jacobsen) and U.S. Amateur (Ryan Moore).  Moore also claimed the U.S. Amateur Public Links title.  There will also be highlights from the rest of the championship season, including the U.S. Junior Amateur, won by 15-year-old Sihwan Kim.

It will also include teenage sensations Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie, who helped the USA team to a win at the 2004 Curtis Cup Match in early June and then shared 13th place at the U.S. Women's Open, earning exemptions into next year's Women's Open championship.

NGCOA issues technology position statement

The effect of technology on the golf and golf courses has been a subject of much discussion in recent years, and now the National Golf Course Owners Association has issued a position statement on golf technology.

According to the statement, NGCOA is joining the USGA, the R&A, the PGA Tour and the American Society of Golf Course Architects in expressing concern about the impact of technology that, without any improvement in swing technique, enables golfers to hit the ball farther; and, the possible negative effect this may have.

The association said, "We endorse the rules and regulations of the USGA and the R&A. Further, the NGCOA agrees that the purpose of the equipment rules is to protect golf's best traditions, to prevent over-reliance on technological advances rather than skill, and to ensure that skill is the dominant element of success throughout the game."

Concerns listed by NGCOA are:

• Increased golf ball distance results in errant shots missing their intended target by greater distances than before. New golf courses are required to be built with more land in order to accommodate the need for larger safety buffers to either side of the preferred line of play. The effect has been that golf courses take up more land, with subsequent increases in land acquisition, construction and maintenance costs. The consequential lengthening and widening of courses will also have a negative effect on increasingly important environmental and ecological issues.
• Older courses, many of which have been brilliantly designed, are being rendered powerless to challenge the modern power hitter and no longer play as designed. Additionally, in most cases the older courses are faced with a concern due to their inability to expand the safety buffers required with the longer-hitting golf equipment. Owners and operators of older courses are burdened with increased liability costs as a result.
• Off-line shots, due to the greater dispersion that is generated by increased distance, also contribute to slow play. Additionally, greater hitting distances subject longer hitters to increased waiting periods between many shots, further impacting the pace of play. The result is diminished enjoyment of the game and increased cost of play.

The statement closed with "We view this issue as a top priority for the industry; and, encourage both the rule making bodies and the manufacturers to develop a timely and credible set of parameters that restrict further technology-driven increases in hitting distances."

For more on the technology position statement, contact Bill Gurney at bgurney@ngcoa.org or (800) 933-4262, Ext. 264.

ASGCA says remodeling boom continues

Bill Love, president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, is predicting that golf facilities will increase their interest in course remodeling due to the impact of new equipment technology, competition for rounds, advances in turfgrass management practices and years of use.

He said that while new course construction is still strong in the real estate sector, owners of existing courses are embarking on everything from minor “touch-ups” to complete overhauls of their layouts.

“Older courses are reacting to the challenge of newer ones down the street and are remodeling to respond to, and take advantage of, technological advances,” Love said.

 According to ASGCA, nearly every course 20 years old or more should be evaluated to determine what improvements should be made for it to remain competitive. And much like residential remodeling, Love said, “It's usually wise to develop a master plan, not only to head off problems, but also to budget for the long term. Such a plan also insures a projects' vision remains intact through administrative and committee changes."

He encouraged golf course owners and operators to consult with an ASGCA member before proceeding with a remodeling project. “An ASGCA member can explore a course's full potential, as well as describe new products like irrigation and grasses that should be considered when planning a project,” he explains. “ASGCA members also have experience in presenting and explaining projects to members or other involved parties.”

The society also published a brochure, “The Golf Course Remodeling Process: Questions & Answers,” in 2004 to assist those who are considering a remodeling project at their golf course. For a copy, contact (262) 786-5960, info@asgca.org .

South Africa's major champions honored

Gary Player, Nick Price, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen--the four living major championship winners from southern Africa--have been awarded special honorary membership in the Southern Africa PGA Tour.

The have won a total of 17 major titles (nine of which are attributed to Gary Player) and were presented with trophies and Honorary Member Player badges by Sunshine Tour Commissioner Johan Immelman last week in a special ceremony at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

They were honored for their lifetimes of service to golf and support of the southern Africa PGA Tour. In large part because of their successes, South Africa has developed into one of the world's leading areas for golf. Only the United States has more major champions than South Africa.