Late-Winter Golfer's Lament

Well, here it is, March 10, and I'm watching it snow from my office at the MGA. Thank goodness (at least for us here in the TC) the bulk of this storm seems to be passing to the north, leaving little white stuff on the ground. This is important so this weekend's expected 40* heatwave will continue to melt the piles of snow rather than new snow.

In previous writings, I have talked about watching golfers walking around beautifully green courses in short-sleeved shirts enjoying sunshine and warm breezes and living vicariously through the images. It seems many others are sharing my sentiments. In fact, just today Peter Smith, a commentator on KNOW 91.1 (Minnesota Public Radio) shared his feelings on being a Minnesota golfer anxiously awaiting another golf season. Check it out by clicking here.

We can all take heart that Tiger returns this weekend at Doral for the CA Championship. Combining the two - golf course and WGC event - usually means there's a Tiger on the loose. Let's hope for TV and those of us who care about golf that this comes true. Imagine the excitement of Tiger returning to Augusta already having won in his return from surgery.

I do know the season is coming. In today's world, that seems to be the only thing secure.

Until next time-

Doug

February Wrap-Up

Well, February's gone, the Great Minnesota Golf Show is over and the TOUR is moving east to Florida. And we all know what comes after the Florida "swing" -- the MASTERS!!

The Golf Show proved rather interesting this year. It was very apparent the economy had an impact. The number of exhibitors was down and noticeably missing were the out-of-state destinations such as Arizona (Tucson/Phoenix), Mesquite NV, and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. Yet, the traffic seemed to be good - at least while I was there.

One of the more popular exhibits was the Wanamaker Trophy, given to the victor of the PGA Championship. You can see above that I've added some shots of past champions with the trophy. Of course, Minnesota and Hazeltine National GC serve host for the second time in eight years. Everyone in Minnesota and the upper five state region who has any interest in golf MUST make plans to check out the action in person. For more information, check out the 2009 PGA Championship website.

Geoff Ogilvy made winning the Accenture Match Play about as easy as his demeanor last week. He played tremendous golf - not making a bogey in his last 57 holes - and ending up 12 under in the Championship Match versus Paul Casey. As Tom Ryan (ED for the MGA) commented to me, "How does he ever lose with that swing?"

Tiger made a somewhat successful start (except for those of you who picked him in your pool). For the most part, he looked like Tiger. I stand by my prediction in a previous posting that he will win at least once this year - and it will be a major. It's also been fun seeing the different commercials heralding his return, specifically the Nike and PGA TOUR ads.

And lastly, the TOUR moves to Florida for the East Coast segment that unofficially concludes at Augusta for The Masters. If you'd like to prepare your game for Augusta, you should check out Digital Links, a "virtual golf" facility in Hastings. It has two state-of-the-art simulators, real putting, and best of all - you can play Augusta National Golf Club!!!

A friend and I went over there a couple of weeks ago to try it out. The graphics are superior to many of the other simulators I have experienced and the opportunity to putt to a hole is a nice feature. Be careful, though, the "green" stimps to at least a 15!! Thank goodness there are no downhill putts. No need to bring your EMD (rangefinder), it is built into the system. Best of all, the azaleas are all in bloom!

Golf will be here soon, and along with it comes the need to know the Rules. If you haven't attended a rules clinic recently (or ever), you should think about checking out one of mine. Visit the MGA web site for more details. Also, if you are on Facebook, sign up to be a member of the "Fans of Minnesota Golf" group.

Until next time-

Doug