Pinehurst Spring Trip

Mr. Fairway just returned from his second annual spring golf trip to Pinehurst, N.C. where he and his buddies, John, Steve and Robert played 72 holes over three days. The weather was spectacular – sunshine every day with temperatures in the low 80s – and the golf was wonderful. Although we did not stay at the fabled Pinehurst Resort or play any of its courses, there is no shortage of affordable, world class golf courses to choose from in the sandhills region of the Tar Heel State.

Our group made arrangements with Tin Cup Golf and Travel http://www.tincupgolf.com/index.html . If you are considering a golf trip to Pinehurst, I recommend you touch base with the nice folks at Tin Cup. The total cost came to $480 per person, which included greens fees, carts, breakfast, and a well-appointed two-bedroom, two-bath condo on one of the Pinehurst Resort courses.

We left Northern Virginia at 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning and had a 1 p.m. tee time at the Mid-Pines Inn & Golf Club. Mid-Pines is a classic Donald Ross design featuring small undulating greens and narrow fairways. Mid-Pines, which has hosted the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, is lovely course and a nice test. The $10 lunch buffet was a bargain and I loved looking at the black and white photos of golfers and tournaments from the 1930s and ‘40s in the clubhouse.

On Saturday, we played 36-holes at the Foxfire Resort, which has two 18-hole courses. I gained an appreciation for the difficulty of hitting off pine straw, which is unavoidable if you play golf anywhere around Pinehurst. Pine straw is particularly challenging for medium length pitch shots where you have to make sure to strike the ball first lest your wedge digs under the pine needles and the ball moves only 10 feet. Our group suffered sunburn on Saturday, an avoidable circumstance when you are outside all day with eight legs that resemble out of bounds stakes.

We saved the best for last on Sunday morning when we played the Magnolia course at Pinewild Country Club. Pinewild’s greens are huge – easily a one-or-two club difference from front to back pin locations. A recent renovation stretched the course to 7,446 yards from the championship tees, which we wisely did not play. Pinewild has been a qualifying site for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur qualifying.

We have two restaurant recommendations: Shuckers Oyster Bar in Southern Pines for delicious, inexpensive seafood and The JFR Barn, also in Southern Pines, for steaks. We ate eggs and pancakes every morning at the Track Café, a quaint little restaurant on the grounds of a local harness track.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Rod Curl.

Sergio Garcia's Great Expectoration

Sergio Garcia, the swashbuckling Spaniard who until Saturday’s third round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral, was his failure to fulfill his expectations, now is known for his great expectoration.

After three-putting the 13th green, Garcia spit into the cup. A slow-motion replay clearly showed him spitting into the cup. He admitted the dastardly act in a post-round interview on NBC-TV but dismissed it saying his gob went directly into the middle of the bottom of the cup and therefore would not bother a player taking his ball out of the hole. “Don't worry," Garcia said. "It wasn't going to affect anybody." Wrong. Garcia spitting into the cup may be the vilest act witnessed on tour since John Daly got into a parking lot fight with the father of fellow competitor some years ago.

Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem should fine AND suspend Garcia for conduct unbecoming of a professional. But don’t be surprised if we never hear about the incident again because fines against tour players are never made public. Here is a chance for Finchem to take a very public stand and let Garcia and the rest of the players know that he will not tolerate such behavior. As my buddy Robert said after watching the replay on TV, “Garcia should be made to wear that yellow patent leather belt for the rest of the year.” That would be a good start.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Terry Dill.

Shamateurs

My USGA newsletter arrived in the mail this week and it included an interesting little article about the record number of former professional golfers who were approved as reinstated amateurs last year. A total of 881 former pros were granted amateur status which makes them eligible to compete in events such as the U.S. Amateur, the Mid-Amateur and the Senior Amateur. The USGA noted that 2006 was the fifth consecutive year that the number of pros turning amateur had increased. “More and more professionals are finding it worthwhile to complete the one-or two-year reinstatement process in order to take full advantage of the many competitive opportunities in amateur golf,” said Tony Zirpoli of the USGA.

Here’s my take. The USGA is far too lenient in allowing former pros to become reborn amateurs. I can understand the benefit of allowing someone who technically became a professional by accepting a $50,000 hole-in-one prize to regain his or her amateur status. However, in some instances, these former pros competed on mini-tours and at one time in their life they thought they possessed the skills to earn money from the game. If they were good enough to turn pro with the thought of playing competitive golf at the highest levels, then I believe they should forever be considered a professional. When they enter amateur events, they have a huge advantage in both skill and experience over the true amateur who never went pro. It’s a flat out sham. Instead of bragging about it, the USGA should tighten the requirements for reinstatement of these shamateurs.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Chris Patton.

Tiger Takes a Bath

In between NCAA basketball games on Sunday, I switched over to the Arnold Palmer Invitational just in time to see Tiger Woods hit his ball in the water on both the 17th and 18th holes. What an astounding sight to see the World’s Greatest Golfer rinsing his tee shot on the par 3 17th hole and then hitting his third shot on No. 18 into the drink as well. Tiger finished double bogey, triple bogey to shoot a Mr. Fairway-like 43 on the back and 76 for the round. That was his highest tournament round since a 76 at the Memorial in 2003. He finished T-22 ending a streak of 13 top 10 finishes.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Forrest Fezler.

Boo's $50,000 Rules Lesson

Boo Weekley’s two-stroke penalty for illegally tending the flagstick during Saturday’s third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational ended up costing him $52,250. Weekley finished the tournament with a one over par score of 281 worth $96,250. Had he known the rules and avoided the two-stroke penalty, he would have shot a 1-under 279 and earned $148,500. Hey, Boo, spend a buck and buy a rules book!

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to T.C. Chen.

Another Boo Boo-Boo

Boo Weekley, the good ol’ boy who blew the Honda Classic a couple weeks ago when he missed a three-foot putt on the final hole of regulation, screwed up again today at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Weekley incurred a two-stroke penalty on the second hole when he illegally tended the flagstick for fellow competitor Tom Johnson. In fairness to Boo, he thought he was saving Johnson from a penalty but it turned his own 67 into a 69. Johnson was on the front of the green 85 feet from the hole and forgot to ask his caddie to tend the flag. After he hit his chip – from the green’s surface – it started running toward the unattended flagstick. Weekley knew Johnson would be assessed a two-stroke penalty if his ball hit the flagstick so he ran over and pulled the pin out of the hole.

That was a big oops! Rule 17-2 states that “If an opponent or his caddie or a fellow-competitor or his caddie in stroke play, without the player’s authority or prior knowledge, attends, removes or holds up the flagstick during the stroke or while the ball is in motion, and the act might influence the movement of the ball, the opponent or fellow-competitor incurs the applicable penalty” which in this case is two strokes.

As luck would have it, a spectator who knew the rules mentioned it to an official, who questioned Weekley and Johnson after the round and assessed the penalty. The penalty dropped Weekley from a tie for 10th place to a tie for 21st place. Maybe Boo can find someone to read the rules to him.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Marty Fleckman.

Groovy, Groovy

Here we go again. Our friends at the USGA and the Royal & Ancient have issued their proposed ruling on square grooves. It’s been more than a decade since the USGA tried to ban the controversial U-shaped or square grooves only to be sued by Ping founder Karsten Solheim who forced the blue blazer crowd to back down.

Now the USGA is making another run at the technology advancements. Published reports suggest that golf’s governing bodies want to reduce groove volume by 50 percent; reduce the sharpness of the edge of the groove; impose new guidelines for clubs manufactured after 2010; and grandfather clubs used by regular golfers for at least 10 years. The USGA plans to accept comments until Aug. 1 and then issue a ruling within three to six months.

Why does this matter? The best explanation I’ve seen equates the grooves on a golf club to the tread on an automobile tire. On the tire, the wider and deeper the tread, the more water it can channel away thus improving the tire’s grip on the road. On a golf club, the shape, depth and sharpness of the groove increases the club’s “grip” on the ball, thereby increasing spin and making it easier for a player to control the flight of the shot and impart backspin. Give that technology to tour pros and they can hit shots out of long rough – the equivalent of water for a tire -- that don’t fly, but spin and stop.

Here’s the question the club manufacturers are asking: how do you cut back on the technological advancements to golf clubs? Is it fair to require golfers to purchase new clubs that meet updated USGA specifications? Tour pros get their clubs free, but everyday golfers would be forced to make a decision whether or not to buy new irons that comply with the new standards – unless the USGA grants an exemption. It will be interesting to see what the USGA comes up with and how the golf companies respond.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Homero Blancas.

Masters Caddie Carl Jackson

I know the Masters tournament is still a few weeks away, but this is the time of year I start getting fired up about it. Both Golf and Golf Digest have previews of the tournament in their current issues.

Golf Digest has an interesting article on Augusta National caddie Carl Jackson, who was on the bag for Ben Crenshaw’s victories in 1984 and 1995. Jackson holds the unofficial record for caddieing in the Masters, starting as 14-year-old in 1961.

He has some great tales about his experiences with legendary players. Jackson is not shy about taking credit for Crenshaw winning his two green jackets and to hear him tell it, Crenshaw would have won another title – as would have Bruce Devlin and Gary Player – if they had heeded his advice on club selection during their final rounds. Good stuff.

By the way, check out the cool aerial views of Augusta National in Golf Digest.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Art Wall.

Gary McCord is a Wild and Crazy Guy

If you like CBS golf announcer Gary McCord – I like him a lot – then you should check out the interview with him in the current issue of Golf magazine. McCord was unceremoniously banned from broadcasting the Masters in 1994 after he said that the greens were so fast the club must have “used bikini wax” on them and that the bumpy terrain looked “like body bags.” The stuffed shirts who run Augusta National were apoplectic and told CBS that McCord was not welcome back. He hasn’t been there since and doesn’t mind.

In the interview, McCord asserts that incident propelled his broadcasting career and led to numerous corporate golf outings, not mention a role in the movie “Tin Cup.” He said he would not go back to the Masters even if the ban were rescinded. McCord apparently still holds a grudge against Tom Watson, who wrote tournament officials a letter after his comments suggesting he be punished.

McCord said the bikini wax comment was premeditated as he searched for a metaphor to describe how slick Augusta’s greens were playing. He rejected “they use Nair on them,” “they use electrolysis on them” and “they pluck them.” He also confesses that he wrote the body bags line in advance as he does other lines he utters during the course of his broadcasts.

And one bit of trivia that helps explain McCord’s wackiness is that he went to high school with the original wild and crazy guy, Steve Martin, who inspired him to develop his own unique personality.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Steve Melnyk.

Annika Back on Track

Annika Sorenstam played her first tournament of the year losing a playoff to Meghan Francella in the Master Card Classic in Mexico City. Sorenstam, who often skips the opening tournaments on the LPGA Tour, has a history of getting off to a strong start. For example, in each of the past three years, Sorenstam won the first tournament of the year that she entered. Looks like she is ready to challenge Lorena Ochoa for honors as the best player on the LPGA Tour.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Kris Tschetter.

Calcavecchia Wins the PODS

It’s always nice to see old guys like Mark Calcavecchia win on the PGA Tour. Calcavecchia, 46, won Sunday even though he bogeyed the last two holes. The bogey on the 18th gave young gun Heath Slocum a chance to two-putt to force a playoff. Slocum missed his four-footer and Calc had the title. Interesting side note is that Slocum was a high school teammate of Boo Weekley, who missed a short putt on the 72nd hole at the Honda Classic last week to win the tournament outright. Weekley lost in a four-man playoff to Mark Wilson.

Calcavecchia has had and up and down career. He is known as a streaky player who can get hot and shoot very low scores. He won the 1989 British Open when he beat Wayne Grady and Greg Norman in the first multi-playoff hole sudden death format. But Calcavecchia also is known for his famous choke job in the 1997 “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island. He was four holes up on Colin Montgomerie with four holes to play and needed only to tie any of them to win the match. After losing the 15th and 16th holes, Calcavecchia shanked a 3-iron on the par 3 17th hole and then lost the 18th hole to halve the match. Luckily for him, Bernhard Langer missed a short putt on the final hole to give the Americans the victory.

So congrats to Calcavecchia for hanging on for the victory. He also looks to stand an excellent chance of getting back to the Masters. But Mark, the gray-streaked goatee looks horrible.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Ted Tryba.

Yes to Global Warming

I don’t know about you, but I’m all in favor of global warming. Honestly, if global warming means warmer temperatures during traditionally a cold month, that’s a good thing because I can play golf without dressing like an Eskimo. Over the Christmas holidays, I went to San Francisco and Maui and played three rounds of golf. I returned to Northern Virginia and played 10 rounds of golf between Dec. 26 and Jan. 7. The temperatures ranged from the high 50s to the low 70s and some of my buddies at Paradise Valley were even wearing shorts.

This weekend, Paradise Valley held its annual Icebreaker tournament. It’s called the Icebreaker because the weather should be pretty chilly, if not down right cold. But each of the past two years, competitors in the Icebreaker have been greeted by balmy temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s. Last year, 25 percent of the field wore shorts. I didn’t see anyone in shorts yesterday but the high was 67 degrees – for an Icebreaker tournament. Earlier in the week, we still had patches of ice and snow on the ground. If this is the result of global warming, then I embrace it. It might be tough on the polar bears and they have my sympathy. But the polar bears aren’t playing golf. So to Al Gore, the Chicken Little of environmental issues, I say, “Turn it up another 10 degrees.”

By the way, Mr. Fairway’s team won the Icebreaker tournament with a score of -33 (two best balls net from foursomes of an A, B, C and D player). In his first serious round of the year, Mr. Fairway hit 11 or 14 fairways.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Willie Wood.

In Praise of Daylight Savings Time

As a golfer, I absolutely love daylight savings time. More daylight at the end of the day means more daylight for after work practice sessions or a chance to squeeze in a few holes after dinner. While the doomsayers complain about the possibility that the nation’s electronic time stamping systems will be screwed up because Congress mandated the nation go on daylight savings time three weeks early this year, I say, “Hooey!” That’s the same crowd that predicted the End of The World a.k.a. Y-2K. Remember that? I was working for a small technology company whose initial are IBM and we had a gigantic flurry of activity in the months leading up to 1-1-00. But guess what? Nothing happened and nothing will happen at 2 a.m. Sunday morning when we set our clocks ahead.

Here’s a true story I tell every year about daylight savings time. When I was a reporter in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-70s, I answered the city desk phone on the Saturday night before daylight savings time. A woman asked if she was supposed to set her clock ahead or back when she went to bed that night. I repeated the mantra: “Spring forward, clocks ahead; fall back, clocks back.” She found that most helpful and then asked, “Do I set my alarm ahead an hour, too?” “Only if you want to get up an hour later.”

Anyway, I love daylight savings time. Farmers apparently hate it but my response to that is, hey, I’m not a farmer. The best part about it this year is that Congress also extended daylight savings time three weeks later into November. All of which means only one thing: more golf!


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Calvin Peete.

Tiger Deflects Political Questions

Former NBA star Charles Barkley recently suggested that he was going to press his friend Tiger Woods to get involved in the world of politics. Barkley, once rumored to have aspirations to run for elected office, told Sen. Barack Obama that he should recruit Tiger to support his 2008 presidential bid.

At his Washington news conference this week, I asked Tiger if the fact that he was hosting a tournament in this very political town and was meeting congressional leaders signaled his foray into the world of politics.

"Well, I don't know,” Tiger said. “I've had experience in the past, meeting influential people in the political arena. But right now my main focus is with the foundation and all of my energy is directed to that. I don't know what my future holds for me beyond that and beyond my playing days, but as of right now I have my hands full with trying to put a little white ball in the hole and obviously, with the birth of our first child and expanding our learning center to the East Coast and, then hopefully, to our foundation around the world. I've got my plate full for right now.”

At an early evening reception, someone else asked him a similar question. “Politics...All I know is, that’s harder than hitting a high draw (not really!),” Tiger said. “Politics, I don’t know. I have a few things I want to take care of on the course first.”

Answered like a true politician.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Dow Finsterwald.

Tim Finchem Two-Step

Overlooked in the excitement about Tiger Woods hosting a PGA Tour event in Washington on the Fourth of July weekend was the fact that tour commissioner Tim Finchem apparently neglected to talk to the rest of the players about the proposed limited-field event.

Rich Beem, who won the Kemper Open in 1999, told Doug Fergus of The Associated Press that he was “insulted” that Tiger’s AT&T National would be an invitational tournament that could be limited to 105 to 120 entrants. “It’s the most totally wrong thing I’ve heard in a long time that’s sticking it to the players,” Beem said.

Brad Faxon said he was “shocked” when he heard Finchem suggest that the tournament would have a smaller field similar to events hosted by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. “We’ve got players looking for spots and we’re replacing a tournament (Booz Allen Classic) that has a full field,” Faxon said. “With the amount of tournaments we have that are invitationals it doesn’t make sense to do more.”

My buddy Mike was unimpressed by the whining players. "Tell them to get better," he said.

Finchem danced around the subject at the announcement news conference saying details had not been worked out but he suggested he favored a smaller field because the stifling summer heat in Washington would no doubt lead to slow play. Faxon and Beem, members of the Tour Player Advisory Council, said they intend to raise the issue with the Tour Policy Board.

Stay tuned. It will be interesting to see if Finchem, who wants to keep his number one star happy, sticks it to the rest of his players.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Mike Hill.

Does the Winner Get an iPOD?

This weekend’s PGA Tour event is the iPODS Championship in Florida. Oops, I mean PODS (Portable On Demand Storage), not the portable digital music player by Apple. My mistake. In other words, a big box for your stuff. I’ve seen them in driveways in my neighborhood and have to say they look rather hideous. But since PODS is sponsoring the tournament, I started wondering if the winner receives a year’s lease on his very own PODS. Hey, if Mark Wilson gets a Honda, if Vijay Singh gets a Mercedes, if Tiger gets yet another Buick, Charles Howell III wins a Nissan for winning tournaments sponsored by automobile manufacturers, shouldn’t the winner of the PODS Championship win his very own PODS? Or how about the PODS of his choice? Or a year supply of PODS? How many PODS can you use in a year? I want to see a pro make a hole-in-one and take a cue from Rich Beem and jump on his PODS. And how about Kirk Triplett? Is this a special tournament for him? PODS used to be his main sponsor. If he doesn’t look goofy enough wearing that bucket hat he clinches it by wearing a bucket hat with a big PODS label on it. Oh well, maybe he will win and get his own personal PODS, one that is big enough to store all his FedEx points.



Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Dave Hill.

Who Is Mark Wilson?

Until he won last week’s Honda Classic in a four-way playoff, Mark Wilson was the proverbial journeyman on the PGA Tour. He was virtually unknown and barely making a living as evidenced by 10 consecutive trips to Q-School. Overlooked in his first tour win was a little story that underscores why golfers have the highest integrity in pro sports. During an earlier round in the tournament, Wilson assessed himself a 2-stroke penalty after his caddie told fellow competitor Camilo Villegas (ultimately a playoff loser) that Wilson had hit his 18-degree hybrid on a par three hole. He knew it was rules violation and he called it on himself. But you should also know two other tidbits about Wilson. First, he lost the USGA Junior Amateur in 1992 to Tiger Woods. He had been 2-up on the 13th hole only to see Tiger draw even. On the 18th hole, with both players bunkered, Wilson skulled his sand shot and make double bogey. Woods bogeyed and won the title. Wilson, who grew up in a Milwaukee suburb, recently donated $30,000 to his wife’s favorite charity, the Midwest Athletes Against Children With Cancer Fund. It was the largest donation the organization had ever received.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Keith Clearwater.

Mr. Woods Goes to Washington

Tiger Woods came to the nation’s capital today to announce that he and his foundation will host a PGA Tour event July 5-8, probably at Congressional Country Club. Pronouncing his association as the host of the new AT&T National as “a dream come true” Woods said he intends to put his personal stamp on the Washington tournament much like Arnold Palmer did at Bay Hill and Jack Nicklaus did at the Memorial. “Our intention is to stay here and have this be our home event, hopefully in perpetuity,” he told a gaggle of reporters. Woods already has added a couple nice touches for the event. Since the tournament will be held in Washington around the Fourth of July, plans will be made to honor the nation’s military. Tiger, noting that his father served in the Green Berets, said all active duty military personnel will be admitted to the tournament free of charge. Woods also said that the Tiger Woods Foundation, which will be the main recipient of charity dollars raised by the event, is looking at Washington as a possible site for a Tiger Woods Learning Center, similar to the one he opened in Anaheim, Calif. in February 2006. Woods announced that children under 12 will also be give free admission to the tournament. A number of children from the Dance Institute of Washington attended the press conference and Tiger made a point to greet each of them before the formal announcements were made.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Ed Sneed.

Wilson Wins Honda, Boo-Hoo Boo

Mark Wilson won the Honda Classic this morning, ending a four-way playoff that began Sunday afternoon. Congrats to Wilson, who has been to Q-School for 10 consecutive years. I have to confess that I was cheering for Wilson, a fellow Wisconsin native, to win his first PGA Tour event. (I was disappointed that Steve Stricker, another Badger, failed to make much of move in Sunday's final round.) In addition to the first place check, Wilson can make plans for a vacation during Q-School the next two years and earns a trip to the Mercedes Championship in Maui next January.

I'm sure that Boo Weekley was the people's choice to win the tournament. In fact, all he had to do to win in regulation on Sunday was two-putt from 35 feet on No. 18. Alas, he left his first putt 3'2" short. Then the real choke set in as his next putt barely grazed the cup and went 3'3" past the hole. In the playoff on Monday morning, Weekley hit his drive in the rough, cold topped his next shot, missed another putt for par and failed to advance.

I can't get on the Boo bandwagon. He was novelty when he first hit the tour some years ago and was known for wearing sneakers instead of golf shoes (his feet hurt) and rain pants every day because he was allergic to cotton. He regained his card and is wearing conventional shoes and slacks. But he's still an inarticulate goober who has a tobacco stain on his lower lip. His interview with NBC's Jimmy Roberts after his round on Saturday was a classic. Two easy questions and he sounded worse than an NFL lineman with a concussion. Boo, get a clue. Find a speech coach and fast.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happend to Johnny Pott.

Welcome to Mr. Fairway

Welcome to my blog, Mr. Fairway, which is all about golf, all the time. Here is what I believe: I believe in fairways and greens, playing the ball down and no mulligans. I belive in Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Ben Crenshaw, Andy North and Jack Nicklaus. I believe in putters that look like golf clubs, not oversized spatulas or horseshoe-shaped objects attached to a shaft. I believe in marking my ball on the green with a dime or a dull penny. I believe in the lob wedge, the 7-wood, hybrids, regular shafts and Tour Pride grips. I believe in $2 dollar Nassaus, the 2-down press, double on birdies, greenies, sandies and skins. I believe in caddies, the starter, and assistant pros. I believe in “Caddyshack” but have no time for Bill Murray at the AT&T Pro-Am. I believe in The Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open. I believe Michelle Wie should stop entering the John Deere Classic and win a tournament on the LPGA Tour. I believe the best golf lesson I ever received was “turn away from the ball, turn into the ball.” I believe that someday I will be able to incorporate that lesson into my swing. I believe sandbaggers should be drawn and quartered. I believe heckling one’s playing partners should not only be allowed but encouraged. I believe CBS should have more Americans on its golf telecasts. Finally, I believe my posts will be entertaining, provocative and occasionally make you smile.

Hitting range balls while wonderng what ever happened to Ty Tyron.