Mahomes: “Golf has become a huge part of everything"

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I didn’t realize just how much Patrick Mahomes loves his golf. But after reading Dylan Dethier’s profile of the NFL’s best player I’m pretty sure he’s addicted and yet another top athlete who appreciates the game.

This was fun:

He has been to Bandon Dunes twice; his only regret that those trips came before the official opening of the resort’s fifth course, the Sheep Ranch. “I’ve heard good things,” he says knowingly.

Walking Bandon’s four courses in two days specifically convinced him that golfers are, in fact, athletes. “A few days later I saw Brooks Koepka at the ESPYs,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Damn, I’m sore, man.’ ” The comment made Koepka’s day.

When he’s not checking off bucket-list destinations, Mahomes calls three courses home: Loch Lloyd and Wolf Creek in Kansas City and Vaquero Golf Club near his home just northwest of Dallas. During the off-season, Mahomes starts his workouts between 6 and 7 a.m. He’s done with throwing exercises by 11. “I realized I needed something,” he says. “Now, whatever time my buddies get off work, between 2 and 4, we can get an afternoon round in.”

Today In Wildlife: Bears And Golf Courses

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More examples of golf courses providing a safe place for cubs and bears, though the second video making the rounds today suggests a golf bag can intimidate an otherwise large bear.

The first clip of cubs having fun is from North Carolina, though the course is not identified.

This clip is from British Columbia’s Swaneset Golf Course and Country Club:

Korn Ferry Kerfuffle! Golfer Arrested For Assaulting Qualifying Partner While Daddy Stands Guard With A Putter!

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There are some days more than others when you wish His Ownself could see satire playing out on the links. I’m not sure I’ve read a more bizarre account on multiple levels than this must click-on doozy from Firepit Collective’s Ryan French.

The short version: Wichita Open Monday qualifying featured an 8:10 am tee time with Austen Dailey, Derek Fribbs and Luke Smith. On the bag for Luke, a University of Tennessee-Martin golfer, is dad Oliver, President of Capital Prime. The group struggled and fell behind. Luke and Oliver Smith were reportedly not keen on helping the others look for a few lost balls and even did not like having to put the pin in the hole after putting out.

Well okay then.

The situation came to a boil on the Par-3 seventh hole. Dailey hit his tee shot left of the green. Fribbs, ever the sportsmen, went to help Dailey look for his ball. Allegedly, the Smiths did not help in the search for Dailey’s ball. In an effort to speed up play, Fribbs holed out first and headed for the eighth tee to play his next shot and try and get the group back in position. After Dailey completed the hole he said something to Smiths about how helping to look for shots might help speed the group up. This was apparently a bridge too far for the Smiths.  According to Fribbs Luke and Oliver Smith started yelling at Dailey about his quality of play and how it was affecting the group. Oliver went on to make it clear that his son Luke, “wasn’t here to look for balls.” 

Fathers and sons. From there son Luke jumped on Dailey while dad did this…

The elder Smith allegedly waved a putter at Fribbs- and anyone else with an eye on jumping into the fracas. (Oliver Smith’s putter-waving was was later confirmed by another PGA Section official on site.)

Anyway it goes on from there with an arrest for Smith but no word on dad for his role. Check out the full account here.

**Oh more fun imagery for the Dateline reenactment…

Kevin Durant On Post-Pandemic Fandom

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Things got ugly when the Nets visited the Boston and in light of what has looked or sounded like an increased edge to some recent golf proceedings, I thought Kevin Durant’s comments were of note.

"Fans gotta grow up at some point," Nets forward Kevin Durant said Sunday. "I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realize that these men are human. We are not animals, we are not in the circus.

"You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn't be proud of you throwing water bottles or spitting on players or tossing popcorn. So, grow the *&^% up and enjoy the game. It's bigger than you.”

Goodell & Friends Hoping To Play Pine Valley, Augusta National And Cypress Point In A Day

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and others are apparently planning the ultimate one-day trifecta: Pine Valley, Augusta National and Cypress Point. Or is it?

GolfDigest.com’s Daniel Rapaport Tweeted revealed the audacious trip plans:

If you’re wondering about timing, several have done the math and feel this first world footprint-unfriendly day is doable as long as the Commish and friends play each round in three hours and face no delays.

This is not the first bold attempt at playing multiple classics in a day.

Thanks to reader Tuco who reminded me of this 24-hour trip featuring the Old Course at St. Andrews, Winged Foot and Pebble Beach. They used the Concorde and a couple of short private flights to pull it off.

The golfers? Bobby Clampett, George Peper, Brian Morgan and Hughes Norton.

''I've dreamed of something like this,'' said Clampett, a 23-yearold professional, ''ever since I was a little kid.'' At 1 P.M. Sunday, Clampett completed his play in the British Open, shooting a 288 over all, four over par. Then, accompanied by George F. Peper, the editor of Golf magazine, who had conceived the marathon, Hughes Norton of the International Management Group, which represents Clampett, and Brian Morgan, a Scottish freelance photographer, Clampett flew from Southport, England, to St. Andrews, the starting point of the golfing odyssey.

(Embarrassingly) Pine Valley Decides To (Finally) Admit Women As Members

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Nice work by Golf.com’s Josh Sens to get the email to members announcing the move but gosh what bizarre story to read in 2021. Particularly given Pine Valley’s place atop course rankings and as a bastion of American leaders, including some who touted their progressive and inclusive work policies.

From Sens’ report on club president Jim Davis’ email to members:

“The future of golf must move toward inclusion,” the email continued, “and I am pleased to report that the Trustees and members of the Pine Valley Golf Club voted unanimously and with enthusiasm to remove all gender-specific language from our bylaws.”

Davis said that the club “will begin immediately identifying women candidates for membership” and expected to have its first female members by the end of the year.

In keeping with club custom, Davis said, prospective members would have to be deemed socially compatible, deeply passionate about golf and skilled enough to play the course “with the skill level our founder George Crump intended.”

And another suggestion: pretend you like Tom Fazio’s 12th hole disaster.

Davis elaborated on the decision with this anecdote:

“On a persona note, I have been thinking about this for a long time and, frankly, it’s overdue,” wrote Davis, who went on to recount a conversation he’d once had with a fellow member while on the course.

As they were walking up the 15th hole, that member had said to Davis, “Remember, we don’t want to be on the wrong side of history.”

To which the caddie in the group popped a contact lens from a particularly pronounced eyeroll.

Winwood, Winged Foot, You Get The Drift

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After his team beat Iona in round one of the NCAA tournament, Alabama men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats and Iona men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino chatted on the phone. Oats is buddies with Pitino’s son and wanted input on his team. Apparently golf came up and Coach Pitino, a resident on the fourth hole of Winged Foot, offered to have Oats for a game.

Erik Hall of the Tuscaloosa News with this from Oats’ radio interview explaining the invite;

Although Oats appreciated the invitation, he seemed oblivious.

“He talked to me about where he’s living up there — what’s that Winwood?” Oats said. “What’s the big-time golf course up there?”

One of the show’s hosts asked if Oats meant Winged Foot.

“Winged Foot, sorry yeah, I’m not a big golfer,” Oats said. “He lives up there on Winged Foot. He was telling me I’ll have to come by.”

Winged Foot Golf Club hosted the first U.S. Open in 1929 and the 1997 PGA Championship.

“Apparently, those that are really into golf, that’s a big-time spot,” Oats said. “So maybe, I’ll take him up on it and get up there once.”

Of course Winged Foot did not host the first U.S. Open in 1929 but we’ll let that slide.

Winwood! Beautiful.

BTW, go Bruins on Sunday!

"The rich vs the very, very rich: the Wentworth golf club rebellion"

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It’s been a while by Wentworth standards since we’ve heard of drama or another course renovation coming out of the English countryside.

But The Guardian’s long read is devoted to the club’s first world dramas and Chinese owner Yan Bin. Thanks to all who forwarded a fascinating read that’ll make you believe your club or condo board is perfectly sane.

The story author, Samanth Subramanian writes:

The ongoing clash between Yan Bin and his club’s members has witnessed several dramatic phases: threats, lawsuits, duplicity, negotiations, truces, even death. But the tale isn’t just about the preposterousness of the wealthy. Rather, it’s impossible to learn about all this turmoil – in a place called “the Island”, for crying out loud – and not see it as an allegory. With its groves of pine and rhododendrons, its houses named Heatherbrook or Bluebell Wood or Silver Birches, and the gentle hillocks of its club’s fairways, Wentworth Estate holds dear a vision of pastoral Englishness. But since the 1980s, Wentworth has been reshaped – just like England itself – by money: first the wealth of the homegrown 1%, which considered itself immune to the turmoil of change, but which then found itself subject to the whims of the globalised capital held by the 0.001% like Yan Bin. The saga is familiar: a small locality unsettled by the arrival of an outsider. Except that the outsider is a transnational holding corporation, and the locality is Wentworth Estate, a slice of England overtaken by the world.

"MLB is deadening baseballs to liven up the game."

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The L.A. Times’ Mike DiGiovanna talked to managers and pitchers about Major League Baseball’s efforts in 2021 that include a tweak to ball construction and more humidors in certain parks. The goal appears to be dialing in the emphasis on all-or-nothing at bats and to restore “action” in the form of more balls in play, more importance placed on speed, and an increase in small ball for some teams.

In other words, the numbers show launch angle baseball is not resonating.

DiGiovanna writes:

The changes are so subtle that they may result in fly balls traveling only one to two feet shorter when hit more than 375 feet, but if that pushes baseball one small step toward its more traditional roots, it would be one giant leap for the game, in Maddon’s eyes.

“I’m hoping it impacts the game a lot,” Maddon said. “We’ll see how it works out this year, but if, in fact, the ball doesn’t travel as far, it will change the analytics of the game, and a lot of things will change off that.

“Strategically speaking, it will put more emphasis on speed, on hitting the ball the other way, especially with two strikes, on contact. Strikeouts will be more disdained, like they were in the past. Pitchers might challenge hitters more because they want the ball in play, and they won’t walk as many guys.”

This from Rich Hill:

“The overall feeling I’ve gotten from friends and family and fans that I’ve talked to is that, yeah, seeing home runs is almost like watching the NBA and guys throwing up three-pointers all the time,” said Rich Hill, a 40-year-old pitcher who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Rays.

“It understandably has a point to it, but strategically, if we want to continue to grow the health of the game, we might want to rethink where we are right now. And I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.”

The parallels with golf’s infatuation with launch angle and power are clear: long balls must be all folks want to see. While control, shot shaping, recovery play and the ground game are seen as not as sexy.

And Then Rudy Giulliani Told That Story About Golf With Rush And Michelle Wie...

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Nothing grows the game like hearing Rudy Giuliani tell stories about golf with the late Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Wie until, of course, it veers where you’d expect with this delusional member of elite clubs like Sebonack.

But as revolting as this is, the clip is worth watching just for the look on Steve Bannon’s face as America’s Mayor descends into creepy old coot territory.

Roundup: The Great Links On A Heavy Snow Day

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MLB Slightly Deadening Ball Due To HR Surge

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The Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal broke the news along with the incredible details of Major League Baseball’s plan to tweak the ball. The focus seems to be on not overemphasizing the home run but safety has to be part of the equation. Either way, chicks digging the long ball appears to be taking a back seat to the game getting played at a faster clip with less emphasis on the home run.

Golfers will enjoy hearing about COR…

“In an effort to center the ball with the specification range for COR and CCOR, Rawlings produced a number of baseballs from late 2019 through early 2020 that loosened the tension of the first wool winding,” the memo from the office of the commissioner reads, explaining that this change had two effects — reducing the weight of the ball by less than one-tenth of an ounce, and also a slight decrease in the bounciness of the ball as measured by the COR and CCOR. 

COR is the coefficient of restitution, or the relationship of the incoming speed to the outgoing speed. So, in other words, this new ball will be less bouncy. How much less is a matter of science, but also opinion.

Research conducted by Rawlings says the balls will be centered more in the midpoint of the established COR range, which is from .530 to .570 with a midpoint around .550, as the (now missing) first report on the home run rate surge stated. So the COR likely changed around .01 to .02 at most, and the ball size was likely reduced by less than 2.8 grams.

AP’s Jake Seiner added this:

MLB anticipates the changes will be subtle, and a memo to teams last week cited an independent lab that found the new balls will fly 1 to 2 feet shorter when hit over 375 feet. Five teams also plan to add humidors to their stadiums, raising the total to 10 of 30 MLB stadiums equipped with humidity-controlled storage spaces.

Patriot Golf Day Moved To Memorial Day

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One of the best days of the golf calendar gets more attention and hopefully, even more courses signing up to add that extra buck to green fees to raise funds for disabled veterans.

Note the link at the press release end golf course operators:

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2021) – PGA REACH, the 501(c)3 charitable foundation of the PGA of America, and the Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members will jointly host the 15th Patriot Golf Day over Memorial Day Weekend. This is the first time the nationwide annual fundraiser will be conducted in conjunction with the holiday that commemorates those that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Patriot Golf Day began as a grassroots fundraising initiative over Labor Day Weekend in 2007, with golfers nationwide encouraged to add an extra dollar to their green fees to fund Folds of Honor scholarships for families of fallen and disabled Veterans. Over the last 14 years, the effort has grown to encompass a variety of fundraising events, tournaments and golf marathons led by PGA Professionals and golfers in all 50 states and 41 PGA Sections. As a result of these events, and other year-long fundraising activities, more than 29,000 scholarships have been funded.

This marks the second year the two organizations have joined together to expand and grow annual fundraising efforts for both PGA HOPE and Folds of Honor, to better serve the needs of Veterans and their families through the game of golf. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The program includes a developmental six- to-eight-week curriculum taught by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. In 2019, PGA HOPE programming impacted 2,500 Veterans nationwide.

“We are proud of the work that PGA Professionals have done through PGA HOPE to utilize the game of golf as a dedicated means of therapy and rehabilitation for Veterans,” said PGA President Jim Richerson. “By partnering with Folds of Honor on Patriot Golf Day over Memorial Day Weekend, we are expanding our outreach to the families of those we serve through golf. This is a natural extension of our long-standing mission to support our nation’s heroes.”

“We are grateful for the support over the last 14 years that the golf community and individuals have provided Folds of Honor and the military families we serve,” said Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, PGA, Founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “Working closer with the PGA, we can now offer opportunities and services that benefit both our Veterans through PGA HOPE and their families through educational scholarships funded by Folds of Honor. I am very proud to stand with my fellow PGA Professionals and work with PGA HOPE, to honor those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Join us this Memorial Day for the most heroic round of the year, go to patriotgolfday.com and register -- this is your call to duty.” 

Golf properties across the country can get involved in Patriot Golf Day by registering at patriotgolfday.com.