The Olympic Open

Does anyone know what the hell is going on?

Jason Dufner sorta comes out of nowhere and puts up 2 wins and a 2nd in just under 30 days. Rickie gets his first taste. A guy named Bubba wins The Masters, which makes some sense since Augusta is in Georgia and Bubba is definitely a good old boy name. Two guys from across the pond – Rory and Luuuuke – are playing ping pong with World Numero Uno, which is kinda cool since England and Northern Ireland finally got over that Troubles thing after 30 years or so. Phil seems to be phloundering and Tiger’s in open freefall.

So how to handicap the US Open? Start with the course. Olympic’s Lake Course is short but wicked. Fairways tilt the opposite direction of the hole, as in a dogleg left tilts left-to-right, so your tee shots seem to run away from the green when they hit the ground. Many approach shots are uphill to small and partially obscured greens. Even in June, the air is cool and the ball isn’t quite so hot. And the new bentgrass greens will help level the playing field between those who have played there and those who have not.

And the winner is??? Not necessarily a bomber. More likely a mild-mannered mid-length guy with accurate irons and a hot short game. Look who won in the past – Lee Jantzen (1998), Scott Simpson (1987), Billy Casper (1966) and Jack Fleck (1955). You get the idea. Olympic has never been a course for names like Hogan, Snead and Nelson. Or Jack, Arnie, Gary and Lee. Or even Miller, Watson and Woods. The big names have always been spooked there. It’s too quirky, too confusing, too tight and, well, just too weird. But a fair and stern test of golf nonetheless.

And the 2012 winner is??? Damned if I know, but I’ll be watching. Rooting for somebody once they make the cut and the field takes shape. Maybe I’ll go for a longshot and root for the underdog. Or maybe a grizzled old veteran who can’t run with the bombers but he’s got plenty of game when the big dog can’t hunt. Or maybe I’ll just pick an interesting guy that looks just a little too far back in the pack, but would be a great human interest story if he pulled it off. You know, the really unexpected (Ben Curtis) life-changing thing.

Because those are the kind of guys who win the Open at Olympic.

Flint Nelson, Champions Club GM

Just Let It Be

Every major golf organization is concerned with the decline in golf that started at least a decade before The Great Recession.  Every key index points down – rounds played, price per round, number of avid golfers, gross revenues, the list goes on and on.  Public golf courses, private clubs, equipment manufacturers and most of the surrounding industries like marketing companies and trade shows are all feeling the pain.

 Did you know that only 7% of all golf courses inAmericabreak even or make money?  The other 93% are losing money, probably including one or all of the courses you play regularly.

 One of the most oft-listed reasons for golf’s decline is that it takes too long – 4½ hours to play plus travel time to and from home, and maybe a little time for refreshments after the round – easily 6 hours or more.  The experts suggest we fix that problem by adding tee locations that shorten our existing courses so people can play in less than 3 hours.

 Cool idea in theory, but a non-starter for practical reasons.  And a bad idea when you consider the broader landscape.

 Let’s start with the practical problems.

 You can’t allow some groups to play from the short tees while others play from the regular tees.  The people on the short tees will log-jam behind the ones playing regular tees, and the pace will remain slow for the short tee folks.  They’ll be yelling at the groups in front, complaining bitterly to your Player Assistants and demanding refunds from your Golf Shop staff.

 If you designate certain times each day to play the short tees, they will have to go before the regular tee times to avoid the problem described above.  Are we certain the short tee people will want or be able to play in those early slots?  And will the course lose revenue because the short tee spots don’t fill up, while the regular tee people get hosed because they want or need to play early?

 If you designate certain days for short tees, will you have enough short tee people to fill the tee sheets?  Will you make as much money compared to regular tee days?  Will your regular tee customers play somewhere else when they can’t play on short tee days?  Will you lose customers altogether?

 It just gets crazier and crazier. 

 Now about that broader landscape …

 Studies show too many Americans are overweight and out of shape.  Not all of us are wired up to be fitness freaks, and a few hours walking around the golf course can’t be bad, can it?  Even those who ride carts get some exercise.  So why do we want to cut the rounds short?  So we can race home and couch-out sooner, watching TV or playing video games or surfing the net (no, that kind of surfing burns zero calories).  Yes, some of us will watch the kids play sports, run errands or go shopping, but many more will just be heading for the couch.

 What kind of golf experience will we get on these artificially shortened courses?  Your favorite hole is now a layup.  That par 5 you can almost reach in two is now a par 4 (what’s the fun?).  That short par 4 with the tiny green (you’re supposed to be coming in with a wedge) is now a long par 3 with an untouchable green (at least there won’t be any ball marks!).  The bunkers and water hazards no longer make any sense.  It’s like adding sparkling water to beer and calling it champagne.

 After all, if the short course thing was really so compelling, why aren’t the executive courses and par 3 courses just raking in mucho dineros?

 Finally, golf gives us a chance to enjoy nature’s peaceful setting, take in a little fauna and flora, get some fresh air and let go of all that insane crap that spins our lives at max RPM’s.  To seek the secret Hogan said was in the dirt.  To battle a little against ourselves and challenge the field of play.  To enjoy the camaraderie of friends old and new.  To be a kid – hit the ball, find the ball, hit it again.  Is there really such great value in cutting that experience short?  In return for what?

 Let’s face it.  The golf course is what the golf course is, so let it be.  There’s a reason this quiet and elegant sport has been around a few hundred years longer than the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR and all the other alphabet sports that scream at us from TV screens and smart phones. 

 Just let it be.

The Tiger Thing

My name is Flint Nelson and I’m the GM here at the Champions Club.  Today marks my initial attempt at blogging.  I’m kinda old and not sure how all this works, but it seems like a great way to reach out and start some conversations with you.  Every day, I try to visit with some of our customers to make them feel welcome, to chat about the course and thank them for coming.  Maybe this blog thing will help me visit with more of you on a broader range of subjects.  Please let me hear from you on any topic you find interesting.

I’m told I can blog about anything I want.  So to get started, let’s talk about something controversial: Tiger Woods.  Seems like all the TV hype right now is about Tiger.  Will he make a big comeback this year?  Will he win again, and if so, how soon?  Will he win a major?  Do we care?  I don’t.

I suppose the PGA Tour would like it if Tiger comes back big, but the Tour has already shown there’s life (and money) without Tiger.  I also suppose it will make the competition more exciting because of all the fearless “young guns” who are ready to take it to Tiger.  They’re not intimidated by him, they’re not afraid of him, and they see Tiger as just another notch on their guns.  Guys like Rory McIlroy, Ricky Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Luke Donald and many more.  My guess is these guys could produce some very exciting golf without Tiger’s pomp and baggage.

There’s also all this talking-head yackety-yak about Tiger’s swing.  Some think he should go back to his 2000 form.  Others think he can’t or shouldn’t.  I’m no swing coach but I think Tiger has been trying to find a swing that works with all his physical problems.  After all, he’s an old 36 and pretty beat up – the knee, the shoulder and probably his back.  Only time will tell if this new swing is repeatable under pressure and lets him play healthy.

But at the end of my day, it wouldn’t bother me one whit if Tiger became nothing more than a journeyman pro.  Wouldn’t even bother me if he just disappeared altogether.  Let’s face the facts.  Here’s a guy who was the idol of kids, corporations and commentators.  Then we found out he was cheating on his wife for years with lots of women in lots of places, with multiple affairs going on simultaneously.  His life was a lie.  His morals suck.  All his Tiger Woods Foundation stuff about values and integrity lost credibility faster than Wall Street and politicians.

And what did Tiger do to set things right?  Not much.  Aside from the orchestrated no-question press conference, what has he really said in public?  Has he truly tried to make amends to his wife and kids?  Has he genuinely apologized to all those women he led down the primrose path?  Did he loudly and repeatedly apologize to the kids who worshipped him?  Did he ask the public and key stakeholders in his implosion what he could do to make things right? The answers are simple: nothing, no, no, no and no.

And what of his actions?  He retreated into the Tiger Woods cocoon and hunkered down.  Did Tiger increase his time for charities and kids by 100%, 200%, 300% or more?  Did Tiger make himself more available to the media and his fans?  Did Tiger find forums to really tell his story, failed choices and lessons learned, to people who would benefit from hearing it?  Has Tiger set his own desires aside and done something really good for the game?  Instead of chasing more fame, more glory and more money, how about spending 2012 playing in every tournament he has skipped for the last 10 years – giving all those second tier event sponsors some real benefit for their loyalty?  I mean, the guy went to Stanford and must be bright – can’t he think of something outside of himself?

And what of his Foundation?  From my view, at best it’s just a glorified tax write-off to boost Tiger’s image and inflate his ego.  All he cares about is getting his name on facilities and sponsor plaques.  Except perhaps for the lure of money, I can’t imagine anyone would want his name on any organization that focuses on morals, values and integrity.  With his complete loss of credibility around values and integrity, why doesn’t Tiger use his Foundation solely to give money to organizations that actually deserve to be funded?  Why must he compete with The First Tee and other organizations that have not become public scandals?  I think we know the answers.

It’s truly unfortunate when a golf icon goes the way of some NFL or NBA thug.  But it’s beyond unconscionable when he fails to take serious and vigorous actions to make genuine amends.  Thank God the kids today have started wearing Ricky Fowler orange instead of Tiger Sunday red.