I’m a big fan of Christopher Powers’ “Stupid Golf Problems” column for two main reasons. For one, I find my co-host of “The Loop” podcast very funny. For another, I’m amazed at how many weird scenarios golfers find themselves in. Those situations lead to questions that Powers answers, and I almost always agree with his humorous takes.
That’s certainly the case this week as he answers whether it’s ever OK to bail on a round of golf due to learning that ... greens have been aerated. To bail or not to bail is a topic Powers has touched on several times, but not specifically when it comes to punched greens, an act he says “might be the biggest loser move there is in the bail-out game.”
To be clear, Chris is talking about finding out about this at the last minute and not at the time of booking. The course should give you a heads-up when you reserve the tee time, and a discounted green fee would be nice. But if you’re already at the course and you’d rather go back home and NOT play at all versus play with these less-than-ideal conditions, you might need to see a doctor. Anyway, we’ve got more on this topic, some unfortunate course conditions of a different kind on the PGA Tour, a former Players champion’s son winning a college event and an NBA legend launching a golf business.
|
The PGA Tour made an unusual announcement Thursday morning. Those on social media like to skewer the tour for its perceived overuse of lift, clean and place during tournament rounds, so that contingent will likely have a field day with the following statement from tour rules officials: "Due to heavy rainfall and high temperatures in Western North Carolina creating challenging agronomic conditions during the final phases of tournament preparation, preferred lies will be in effect all four rounds at the Biltmore Championship Asheville." A preemptive LCP for all four days is certainly something, although there is bad weather in the forecast over the weekend. Still, expect scores to be low in the Biltmore's inaugural event.
|
It will be a challenge for TCU freshman Cameron Kuchar to match the record his father compiled when he played college golf at Georgia Tech from 1996-2000. Matt Kuchar won six individual tournaments, was the Fred Haskins Award winner in 1998 and wound up a two-time first-team All-American. Yet this week, Cameron topped his old man when he claimed the title at the Bearcat Invitational, sharing medalist honors with Liberty’s Michael Lugiano after shooting rounds of 68-67-69 (nine under) at Coldstream C.C. outside Cincinnati, Ohio. This was just the second college start for Cameron, a decorated junior player before earning his first title. In contrast, Kuchar won his first title at Tech in his third career start.
|
More controversy on the East Potomac golf project from President Trump. Rep. Jared Huffman of California revealed during a congressional hearing Wednesday that the National Park Service had hired a civil engineering firm to begin work connected to the historic public course in Washington, D.C., without a public announcement or prior notice to Congress. Federal records show the Park Service awarded a $389,355 contract on Sept. 10 to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, an engineering firm, for design support and work related to environmental and historic-preservation requirements. Huffman, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, argued that the contract shows the administration is moving the project forward before Congress, the courts or the public can fully scrutinize the plans. The administration has previously said it intends to remake East Potomac into a “world-class golf venue,” while lawmakers and preservation groups have pushed for greater disclosure about the scope, cost and future public access to the federally owned property. “We have seen this playbook too many times to sit up here and pretend that we don’t know where this is going and how this story ends,” Huffman said, drawing parallels to Trump’s $600 million White House ballroom project. Read Golf Digest’s longform piece about the East Potomac-Trump battle here.
|
|
|
|
