Man vs. Golf – Chasing the obsession across Maine —An entertaining read from 2001, by Stephen Abbott, copy editor for both Maine and Maine Home+Design magazines. He reviews a few of his favorite courses.
Golf Course Strategy —Golf course strategy doesn’t have to be limited to only professionals on tour. Most of you can become much better players by doing a better job of thinking your way around the golf course.
Gutty Challenge Match – Parks Vs. Morrises —Far more than pride was at stake this day. After the match all went to see Tommy’s Honour at a nearby movie establishment with the match losers paying.
Elder faces one more hurdle in golf: Hall of Fame —Elder still chuckles when he tells the story of how he flew to Atlanta on the morning of the 1997 Masters final round to see Woods become the first black to don a green jacket, only to be stopped for speeding by a state trooper.
Golfing at Campobello – It’s so remote that no recent photos have been taken
Why Josh Duhamel won’t play golf with Mark Wahlberg —Let’s all play golf like Mark Wahlberg! “Before we started the movie this time around, I was all excited to play golf with Mark, get some rounds in, but he is up way too early,” Duhamel said in a recent interview with Men’s Journal. “And he plays ‘power rounds’ of golf, which means he is running from one shot to the next. That is what he does for cardio. Then on top of that, he works a full day. The dude is a beast.”
Global Golf Post —A worthy golf publication. If you haven’t seen it, check them out!
Opinion: Death watch: How much longer can golf survive? —We’ve come across too many articles like this lately, and most originating from Oregon-based writers, it seems. What is it with Oregon and golf? Most of it seems to be a hostility toward the Rules of Golf, which are likely misunderstood. Anyway, golf IS hard, and people who pen nasty opinions toward it, like Mr. Notte, might be less miserable if they just took up snooker… oh wait, too many rules in snooker. Think us harsh? An excerpt: “There is no second coming of Tiger Woods. There is no burgeoning generation of children longing to play a four-hour game filled with nitpicky, self-policing rules. There is no city in the U.S. willing to trade density and tax ratables for divots and rough. If golf has little to offer this country but televised shots of manicured greens and galleries and living rooms of cranky, aging diehards, then it should prepare to take a seat beside horse racing among U.S. sports antiques.”
Golf has the worst rule in all of sports, but it’s not the one you’re thinking of —The rules debate continues. Not to sound too curmudgeonly, but we think this aggressive assault on the Rules of Golf seems consistent with other cultural declines of civility dominating the headlines of late. Let golf serve as a bulwark against… nah, nevermind all that noise, let’s just go play some golf! The author makes our point: “Signing your scorecard is considered one of those virtuous tenets of golf, a sport obsessed with its own sense of honor and fair play. It’s also a task that’s been made completely obsolete at the professional level, when every shot is tallied in real-time with distance and proximity to the green along with, at some tournaments, velocity, launch angle and whatever other stats that can be accrued from a dude holding a laser. Why is golf still relying on a playing partner’s penciled-in numbers? That’s not the way the score is kept during the round, so why is it gospel after it? This isn’t 1950.”
Phones are changing everything, including golf on the course —We’ve seen this at our local driving range… “Go to any PGA Tour stop driving range, and you’re sure to see caddies, golfers and instructors huddled around an iPhone breaking down the mechanics of a player’s swing. I’ve even seen caddies on their bellies shooting a player’s putting stroke for evaluation later on.”
Golf museum director to discuss how presidents played the game —The first president to play was William Howard Taft. Only three presidents since Taft (Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter) didn’t play golf at all. Woodrow Wilson logged more than 1,000 rounds while in office. He rarely broke 100. Calvin Coolidge usually required double-digit shots on each hole. Before Franklin D. Roosevelt contracted polio, he was club champion at Campobello Island Golf Club. That’s nearly in Maine!
Trying to Learn How to Play Golf? Read These Tips First —A collection of useful tips from pros around the nation’s capitol. “Zen Golf. The Secret of Golf. The Golfer’s Mind. The Science of the Perfect Swing. Those are just a few of the many books about the sport. Perhaps A.A. Milne, author of Winnie-the-Pooh, summed it up best: “Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad.”
And, if you ARE learning to play, DON’T be this guy!
Lydia Ko and her newest caddie split after just nine events —In a little more than three years, Ko has gone through nine caddies. Former coach David Leadbetter said Ko’s parents are heavily involved in her career. “They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice,” he said. “And they expect her to win every tournament. They are good people, who love their daughter and want the very best for her … but they are naive about golf.”
New documentary highlights how golf can help autistic children —A new documentary, “Voices from the Outside,” highlights how golf can help kids with autism. The documentary profiles three families who are part of the Brooklyn Junior Autistic Golfers Academy, which provides interactive golf lessons for children on the autism spectrum. “Through the experiences that these autistic children had at the BJAGA, they are able to take their perceptions and inner conversations and reshape them.”
As golf world looks forward to simplified rules, a look at some of the 30 proposed changes —Golf rules are complicated for somewhat the same reason the U.S. tax code is complicated. People tend to look for ways to gain an advantage. In fact, the USGA annually puts out a separate book titled “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” that explains difficult situations. It’s generally 500 pages long, because, you know, stuff happens.
We wonder if local rules apply if one’s ball come to rest in the pouch of a kanga?
Who’s Ready To Play Some Golf? Natanis is Open! —Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro announced on their Facebook Page that the driving range opened this week, and 9 holes on Tomahawk and 10 holes on Arrowhead are open. Walking only.
A guide to golfing by the water in Maine —This piece from MaineBoats.com tells briefly about the history of some of the coastal golf available in Maine. We apologize for the formatting that makes for difficult reading.
WATCH: Martin Kaymer’s trick shot attempt fails at RBC Heritage —Kaymer was three under for the week when his tee shot on the short par-4 9th hole came to rest in a brutal lie behind a tree. Kaymer elected to play a bank shot off the nearby grandstand.
Confessions of a Masters intern: ‘You work like a dog but you eat like a king‘ —16 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students interned as hospitality professionals at this year’s Masters. Those students are part of the university’s Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management program. We suppose it takes at least a college degree and an internship to learn how to properly construct a Pimento Cheese sandwich!
You’re Invited to the 10th Annual National Golf Day —On April 25-26, the National Golf Course Owners Association and other industry partners will converge on Capitol Hill for the 10th Annual National Golf Day. This is your opportunity to join us in showing key legislators the importance of golf in communities across the nation. We need you – the owners and operators – to help us increase our visibility and influence.
Golf Basics: Nail these two basic putting setup fundamentals before anything else —Two major areas of visual miscues playing a role in putting setup are with ball position and body alignment, or aim, to the intended putting line. These characteristics can result in a host of complications and compensations in the stroke to get the ball online. Which, of course, means more room for error and a lot of missed putts.
The Golf Memorabilia industry is Soaring like DJ’s Drive…
New owner to open Prospect Hill as golf course not mushroom factory —Maine has ideal weather for a mushroom operation, Morrow said. As they looked for land, the golf course crossed their radar as a good investment. That sale closed in December, purchasing it from Don Sheldon, who had bought the 18-hole course from a bank in 2008. Morrow said they’re viewing it as a long-term investment. She’s ordered 40 new Club Car golf carts, repainted the clubhouse and is building a patio. Cart paths are being upgraded and the course is getting a visual makeover with wildflowers and apple and cherry trees.
Rockland Golf Club to open Friday —The course’s front nine will be open while the back nine will open as soon as possible. No carts are available.
Undercover Tour Pro: Inside One Of Our Closed Meetings —“Every year we have a closed meeting. No public, no media, no sponsors, nobody but players and senior people from the PGA Tour. If you’re in the field that week, attendance is mandatory. They check your name off a list when you walk in, and the player liaisons—guys like Ross Berlin—sit by the doors so no one can slip out early.”
Tommy’s Honor: 9 Questions with Author Kevin Cook —We just started this book, as it hasn’t reached the Maine market yet, and we always prefer to read the book prior to seeing the movie. We’ll offer our review of the book shortly. Until then, we’ll hunt for movie reviews to share with our readers. Here’s the official trailer…
Golf Scramble to Support LifeFlight of Maine —Maine is the second most rural state by population density in the United States. LifeFlight of Maine helicopters, flying at 165 miles per hour, bring lifesaving equipment and critical care nurses and paramedics to emergency scenes and small, rural hospitals throughout the state. Join the fundraising Golf Scramble June 26th at Martindale Country Club.
Embattled Harris Golf involved in a 2nd golf course-related dispute —Because of Coulombe’s promise, Harris Golf not only backed out as a competing bidder for the Boothbay club, but sold Coulombe adjacent land at a discount price and helped prepare the course for its initial season under Coulombe’s ownership, the lawsuit alleges.
Five courses that put the green back in golf —Hundreds of golf facilities across the U.S. are designated as sanctuaries. They limit pesticides, enhance habitats and institute green initiatives such as solar-powered carts and geothermal clubhouses. Many reclaim water, use the natural environment and promote eco-friendly practices to players.
Masters 2017: Sergio García Finally Wins First Major Title —“It is unquestionably the high mark of García’s career, but his first major title may not even be the highlight of his year. In July, he is set to wed Angela Akins, whom he met when she was an on-air reporter for Golf Channel. Akins, who played golf at Texas Christian, affixed Post-it notes with sunny messages in places like the bathroom mirror where García was sure to see them.”
How Much Better A Golfer Can You Become In 12 Days? Much Better —Turns out, game improvement is more about the quality than the quantity of time you put in. In other words, the two hours you spent mindlessly hammering drives till your hands went numb probably won’t drop your scores. Starting with simple skills, like putting and chipping technique and basic ball-striking moves, will set you up for more success.
The Golf of Maine 