Overnight rains have saturated Annandale Golf Club, making the course unplayable and delaying the start of the first round of the Viking Classic PGA Tour – either the best or worse named of all tours, I can’t decide. Of course it’s named after its sponsor, Viking Range Corporation, but even so it’s about the least ‘golfing’ name possible! I mean, I love golf even more than I love my wife, but even I can’t imagine a Viking wielding a set of clubs, let alone fitting into most golf clothes… Do they make golf clothes out of oxen hide? Come to think about it, I can’t imagine a Viking being too bothered about kitchen appliances either – so it’s a bad name all around!
Anyway, the point of the matter is that Ricky Barnes will have to wait until Friday to commence winning the $3,700,000 purse offered by the Viking. Unless of course, Mr. Flesch has anything to say about it – it’s a tough on to call for sure. To be honest, with 80% chance of rain on Friday, it’s not even looking likely that it’ll get underway by the weekend! Still, we can only hope.
In the 9 months he has been the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama has played 24 rounds of golf. That’s not every single week, but it still sounds like the life, doesn’t it? I mean, I always thought being president of the USA would be quite an intense, almost overwhelming job…but apparently he has more spare time than any teacher you’ll find in this country. Not only does this seem slightly unfair, but apparently the president isn’t even required to wear golf clothes during his round, as the following picture shows:
Ah yes – that was a joke, did you see? Anyway, the strangest part about this little statistic is that Mr. Obama apparently rarely played golf at all before earning his seat in the Oval Office! It’s as if this move in presidency has finally given him the personal space he really needs to relax and take some Me Time. Whilst fighting a war in Iraq. Still, he’s not the first American president to love our fine sport; in fact, only a single one of the last 18 presidents of the USA wasn’t a golf player - Jimmy Carter, in case you’re interested. Our prime ministers, on the other hand, never seem to take much of an interest. Must be too busy running a country or something, who knows…
As golf continues to rise in popularity, there is a growing focus on questioning the athleticism involved in the sport. Although there are various different kinds of fitness, suitable for different kinds of sport; it would still take a fool to declare that golf is by any means as strenuous or exerting as rugby, rowing or wrestling. In fact, I’ve been involved in all four of those sports to a decent level and know for a fact that golf is simply not as physically demanding.
However, anybody who plays serious golf will be familiar with the elements of fitness that must be maintained to keep your score down. One of these elements is, without a doubt, posture and flexibility. Many is the time that I’ve returned to the course in the spring, only to find my swing is out, my posture is terrible and my back aches for days after a single round! Hence, as winter closes in, I urge all golfers out there to prepare a fitness regime to keep you limber until spring. Look up the appropriate stretches to keep your muscles loose and work on them multiple times a week - as regularly as you would play, if possible. This way, by the time the sun comes back out and you’re ready to sling on your golf clothes, your body won’t have missed a beat. Then it’s just your technique you need to worry about!
Regular readers might have noticed a recent post regarding the way that the American government will pay for its citizens to buy golf carts. Well, here is one particular cart that might be a tad over-budget!
Ricky Fowler started playing golf at the age of 14, being a keen motocross competitor before that. Although it might seem like quite a leap between golf and motocross, Fowler’s new toy – a bright red golf cart, complete with off-road tires, roll cage and push bar – is a fantastic merger of the two sports! At only 20 years old, it’s not surprising that Ricky is keen to add a bit of awesome to his golfing experience; the cart even features a “state-of-the-art stereo system”, according to his sponsor. In fact, that reminds me; please try to ignore the Puma logos plastered all over Ricky's golf clothes in this picture - I'm not advertising! It recently saw action at the Soboba Classic Tournament and, hopefully, we’ll see it again soon.
For the average American, however; it looks like they’ll just have to put up with normal golf cart – at least, until they get sponsored! So far I’m not aware of the UK having seen anything like this – please correct me if I have missed something!
In what some might call a thoughtless act of self-indulgence in the middle of a global recession, Prince Andrew has built his own golf course…in his garden. Complete with nine holes and a driving range, the course is spread over half an acre of land at the Royal Lodge and gives the Price somewhere to practice his passion. In fact, this little investment may help people forget about the fact that he was once accused of wasting taxpayers’ money flying all over the country to play golf; I’m not sure whether this particular extravagance is going to go down any better though!
Perhaps I’m just jealous because I would like a nine-hole golf course and driving range in my back garden. Or maybe I’m jealous because I don’t even have a garden to put a nine hole golf course in, even if I could have one! The chances are that my frustration is probably more to do with the fact that I’m not entirely sure what the Duke of York does that means he deserves any of this!
In a hilarious twist of events designed to help save the environment, the American government is now literally giving away buy golf carts! It sounds unlikely and ridiculous, but Obama’s new federal credit scheme provides between $4,200 and $5,500 for buying an electric vehicle. Combined with similar state-based incentives, designed to encourage citizens not to buy huge, gas-guzzling cars that they don’t need; some Americans will be able to get hold of golf carts completely free!
Admittedly they only travel between 15 and 25 miles per house but, when you consider that many Middle Americans drive distances that most of us walk, it doesn’t seem that this should really matter. Speed limits aren’t much higher than that in towns anyway! Also, there is no limit to how many electric cars you can buy – so you could get hold of an entire fleet of golf carts for nothing (or next to nothing)! All golf carts require to be roadworthy are mirrors and seatbelts; as long as you buy one with these safety features, it’s a foolproof plan to get around easily and cheaply! All Americans need now is to get free meals at the club and, before long, living will be free for golfers!
Donald Trump has been accused by many, including Oscar-winning Tilda Swinton, of “bullying” Scottish residents into evicting their houses to make room for his new, $1.63 billion golf resort. Although Trump has had permission to build his state of the art course since 2008, protesters have continued to dog his steps ever since – claiming that it is unfair to move people from their homes and that the resort itself will be environmentally unfriendly. In times when there is huge pressure on every country to pay more attention to the environment, it becomes a very personal issue when an American chooses to build a large golf resort in the United Kingdom.
In response to the protests, Trump called Swinton “part of a tiny little group of people who are hanging by a thread”, adding that “I have all of my permits and approvals and we're going to start construction in three weeks" Not for the first time in his life, Trump has clearly missed the point; attacking people rather than principles and drawing attention only to what he has achieved, not what he has ruined in the process – a politician through and through.
Trump also boldly claims “93% of the public in Scotland are in favour of the project” – a statistic that it is likely he either completely made up, or comes from a very select opinion poll. As for his bullying tactics, since when have American politicians ever tried to bully Britain? Oh. Yes, of course.
Southend Borough Combination Veterans League has been holding a golfing event to raise money for children’s hospice Little Havens – raising over £3,000 over the past two days. It hopes to raise a further £1000 today, when over twelve teams of four golfers will play a fourball stableford competition at Lord’s Golf Course in Hullbridge Road, featuring longest drive and nearest to the pin competitions as well!
Organised by Garry Nelson, Dan Albon and Doug Fisher of Leisure Link Golf, the day will conclude with a dinner at the clubhouse and a relaxing evening in front of England’s World Cup qualifying match against Belarus. More than a hundred golfers are expected to turn up, including Stuart Slater of West Ham United fame, who will dig out his old golf clothes to join the ranks of those raising money for a very worthwhile cause.
Glauco Chris Fuzinatto, director of the Brazilian Tourist Office for UK and Ireland, has declared that "Golf in Brazil is growing quite rapidly”, adding that there are not a lots of people who “combine a holiday with playing golf in Brazil."
It’s not hard to see why Fuzinatto is right to believe in the growth of golf in Brazil. Golf has recently been made an Olympic sport and, after Brazil recently won the 2-16 Olympic Games s, the courses in Rio de Janeiro are likely to receive large investments to both their facilities and their course maintenance. Although courses around Sao Paulo and Bahia are already known for their high quality, this is probably the biggest reason why the market is expected to grow in the next half-dozen years.
For anybody considering a spot of golf in Brazil, remember your sun cream! This made seem like a strange point to make, but many holidaymakers suffer horrendous sunburn every year from over-exposure whilst playing golf! It’s not enough to make golf count as a dangerous sport, but it’s a fine way to ruin an expensive holiday! My advice; slap on the factor 30 (at least) and invest in some long-sleeved golf clothes.
Attendants at the funeral of Stuart Hutchison, a 22 year old golf pro who died in a car crash last Wednesday, will not be wearing the traditional black attire this Friday. Instead, at his family’s request, people will attend the funeral “dressed for the final round” in golf clothes, as a tribute to their friend’s love of golf. “Stuart was always in golf clothes”, his mother Isobel explained, “we wanted people to come dressed for golf because it’s Stuart’s final round.”
Stuart Hutchison was a keen golfer from childhood; capable of playing at only three years of age, according to his mother. Although always talented, Stuart set his mind to becoming a professional and, with the help of Stuart Pardoe, he managed to achieve the required standard before the tragic accident occurred. Unlike many modern players, Isobel went on to explain, it was never Stuart’s ambition to play the circuit; “he really just wanted to be a golf club pro and play”.
This event is a terrible tragedy, but perhaps it might encourage others to think about why they play the game – is it really for the passion?
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