Taking AIM With Gary Van Sickle

AIMDarwin.jpgSports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle has been covering golf for the magazine and SI's weekly Golf Plus section since 1996.

A fine golfer who once advanced to the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, Van Sickle was the only non-Ohioan to play in the Ohio Golf Association's Champions Tournament. He joins us to share a few thoughts on the uniform-ball event played last week. 

GeoffShac:    so how did you end up playing in the Ohio Champions event, being from Pennsylvania? :)

GVanSickle:    and not being a champion, either, since i don't think my Yale men's club championship from 1993 counted. They let me in as a media guy who could halfway play. i paid the $175 entry fee, got two dozen OGA balls and a practice round and was off.

GeoffShac:    and how did it go?

GVanSickle:    i'm sure you'd love to hear my three rounds hole by hole but i'll spare you. it went all right. i didn't really notice much lack of distance off the tee. oddly, the balls were about a club longer with irons, even wedges, and they didn't check up very well, if at all. of course, it took me two rounds to figure out the irons went farther. i thought i just didn't know the course.

GeoffShac:    Yes, we'll take a pass on the blow-by-blow

GeoffShac:    so because they weren't checking up did that force you to think your way around the course a bit more?

GVanSickle:    I was definitely trying to hit it short of the pin. the last hole, last round, i had 115 yards to pin, a little wind behind me. my sand wedge max is 100 yards, maybe 105. i hit that, very well. ball landed two feet from pin, ran 20 feet past and onto a gunky lie in the fringe, from where i failed to get up and down. it felt a little like golf on a firm links where you can't control the ball.

GeoffShac:    the course was pretty firm too, right?

GVanSickle:    yes, the greens were relatively firm after a hot, dry spell in ohio. but not exceptionally firm. just about right, i'd say. it was odd that we lost distance because the ball spun more, yet it didn't spin and check up with short irons. one conclusion of the oga guys was that there's a lot more to ball technology than they realized.

GeoffShac:    doesn't Tiger Woods use one of the higher spin rate balls on the Tour?

GVanSickle:    so i've heard. apparently the whole spin rate issue is complex, too. a new phrase i heard from a Trackman technician who was there (Trackman is a new technology that uses radar to track your shot from start all the way to finish--very precise) was angle of descent. that's apparently important. to optimize shots, you want an angle of descent less than 40%. one big hitter i saw tested had a 54% angle of descent. which means the balls ballooned up a bit, then dropped quickly rather than bore through the air.

GeoffShac:    and did you find that this ball went off line more easily in the wind or if you hit it with a certain "angle of descent"?

GVanSickle:    no, the ball seemed to go no more offline than usual... if that's possible to say for a player of my limited skill. we had three measured drives over two days. first day, i carried OGA ball 238, titleist pro VI 246. second day, i hit OGA ball and carried it 249. that's close to my approximate normal carry, last measured at 252. my swing speed was 104, ball speed 155. this ball hurt higher swing speeds more than lower ones, which was the idea, i believe.

GeoffShac:    wait, so they had you hit a pro VI on the measuring holes too?

GVanSickle:    just once. on the 18th hole in practice round, they let you hit one OGA ball and one of your usual brand. a kind of mini-test.

GeoffShac:    ah

GeoffShac:    so in general, not to sound like a marketing survey here...

GeoffShac:    but did you find the golf more enjoyable, less enjoyable, about the same, none of the above?

GVanSickle:    For me, it was slightly less enjoyable. not because of any loss of distance. i didn't lose enough to make a difference. i know some of the college kid big hitters did. the inability to stop a shot, something we've long taken for granted, was annoying. while I and others whined and moaned about the ball performance, the fact is, we're golfers. we adjusted. if this was the only ball in golf, we'd live with it. but knowing there are longer balls out there, nobody wants to use it again.

GeoffShac:    but say the distance reduction was maintained, but some of the control characteristics of the modern ball were maintained, do you think it would have been more fun?

GVanSickle:    I don't know if anybody would say more fun. we've got long memories. let's just say if you began the game playing this ball and never knew any differnt, you'd be perfectly happy. nobody wants to give anything, especially the guys who fly it 295 yards. what's fun in golf is scoring. it's fun reaching par 5s in 2. it's fun to dominate par 4s with driver-wedge. that doesn't make it a great competition, which is why the OGA is looking for a way to keep its classic older courses in play for its own tournaments.
GVanSickle:    if augusta national starts to get short again after the latest round of renovations, i'd look to see the masters institute a one-ball rule like this if officials there get desperate. but i think they're ok for a few years.

GeoffShac:    last question, almost

GeoffShac:    what kind of irons do you play and what kind of grooves do they have?

GVanSickle:    i was using callaway x-tour irons and you know, i don't know what the grooves are.

GeoffShac:    well if they are u-grooves, they may become illegal if the USGA is to be believed

GeoffShac:    what would be easier to give up, the irons or the current ball you play?

GVanSickle:    i don't know if the average guy hits it well enough to really take advantage of U-grooves. i'd give up the grooves first. that would be easy. if the usga really wanted to start something, they could turn golf into baseball and let the pros use only wood (persimmon) and the public use metal. that would solve the whole distance issue immediately. metal woods were where the game first got away from the usga. but of course, that's utterly impractical now.

GeoffShac:    yeah, it's your basic mess

GeoffShac:    well thanks for sharing your insights

GeoffShac:    and keep up the great work

GVanSickle:    no problem. the oga proved it can be done. let's see if anyone else gives it a try.

GeoffShac:    yes, it should be fun to see...if you believe the makers of the OGA ball, someone out there is ordering a whole bunch!

GeoffShac:    thanks Gary, I really appreciate it

GVanSickle:    no problem. it was great being had!

Taking AIM With Michael Bamberger

AIMDarwin.jpgSports Illustrated writer Michael Bamberger has authored this week's cover story on Tiger Woods's win at Hoylake as well as a new book on director M. Night Shyamalan and his new film.

After returning from Hoylake, Bamberger kindly took a few minutes chat about The Open Championship for this site's occasional Taking Aim series.

GeoffShac:    Your game story focused on Tiger, but I'm curious what you thought of Hoylake

MBamberger:    I thought Hoylake looked dull, and there was nothing about it that would make me want to play it. But when you heard the players talking about, especially Tiger, it was a reminder that they see courses completely differently.

GeoffShac:    so even after seeing how it rewarded thought, you still can't get excited about it?

MBamberger:    I'd play it in a minute, because I think you can understand these courses only if you've played them yourself. But no dunes, no sea, no wind--nothing to get too excited about.

GeoffShac:    What did you think of the weekend hole locations?

MBamberger:    Excellent. Kept the players on their toes. The R&A did a superb job of setting up the course.

GeoffShac:    Andy North and Nick Faldo hinted that some were a bit over the top, with many seemed to be designed to induce pars after the low scoring over the first 36. No?

MBamberger:    I didn't feel that--just progressively harder over the course of the week, which I think is appropriate.

MBamberger:    The greens were puttable--if that's a word--so that you could put the hole most anywhere.

MBamberger:    But to chip it and pitch it you needed big-time game.

GeoffShac:    Where does this performance of his rank among his best and others you've seen?

MBamberger:    It was a stirring performance because of his father's death, his year, the leaderboard. But hitting one driver, and playing links golf in little wind, it's not the complete test an Open sometimes is. Still, an inspiring thing to be around.

GeoffShac:    Do you view it as a weakness of Hoylake that it did not force him to hit driver?

MBamberger:    No, not Hoylake's fault. Damn ball goes too far.

GeoffShac:    Ah, good answer!
GeoffShac:    Did you play any golf over there, or was it all work?

MBamberger:    Usually I play, but this time I didn't.

GeoffShac:    Have you ever played or seen links golf in conditions like the players saw at Hoylake?

MBamberger:    I wans't there, but when I asked Tiger about his win at St. Andrews win 2000, when I was writing him up as Sportsman of the Year for the magazine, he kept going back to how still it was.  I couldn't get him off that.

GeoffShac:    And finally, I have to ask about your new book...
GeoffShac:    how did that come about?

MBamberger:    The Night book?

GeoffShac:    Yep

MBamberger:    I met him, was struck by him, asked if I could hang out with him. He said yes and I wrote it up as I saw it.

GeoffShac:    This is two non-golf books in a row (basically, not including your fine anthology from last year)...will you be getting back to golf or sports with your next?

MBamberger:    I appreciate the question, Geoff, but I'm looking forward to just working my day job for a while--no plans at all.

GeoffShac:    Cool. Keep up the great work and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions

MBamberger:    A pleasure, Geoff, and thanks for all you're doing to help keep the game sane. You play Sebonack yet?

GeoffShac:    no, but I sure hope to see it soon...I'm sure it's interesting, though maybe not as interesting had Doak been able to do it by himself :)

Taking AIM With Brad Klein

AIMDarwin.jpgGolfweek Architecture Editor Bradley Klein  joins us for the third installment of Taking AIM, this site's occasional instant message chat with someone in golf proficient in IM chat.  Klein not only runs Golfweek's annual "America's Best" list of State-by-State, Classic and Modern Top 100's, but also covers an array of subjects for the Orlando-based trade publication, including an online exclusive about distance measuring devices and state golf associations who ban them.

He currently has re-issued his entertaining anthology of writing, Rough Meditations (Amazon link in left column), and is working on an much anticipated book about the Jack Nicklaus-Tom Doak design pairing at Sebonack. He is also the author of two classics in their genres, a history of Desert Forest Golf Club and Discovering Donald Ross.

GeoffShac:    so tell us, did you really get on the phone and call of those state golf associations about rangefinders?
GeoffShac:    impressive stuff

IGOLFBadly:    emailed 125 state and regional associations, got 80 responses, called all of the remaining state ones myself. In no case did I rely upon Website info or second-hand reports.

IGOLFBadly:    that would be a "yes"

IGOLFBadly:    I'm a researcher by training, as you might recall

GeoffShac:    oh right, the professor act
GeoffShac:    so my question was, they the devices seem to be pretty much dead as far as big time golf goes

IGOLFBadly:    I don't think they are "dead." They are a back-up plan for caddies, however. The real issue is that they are of value to an extremely small percentage of all golfers, and they are expensive and don't always travel well, depending upon the device and the course set up

GeoffShac:    as a former caddy, do you think they can speed up play or are necessarily more accurate

IGOLFBadly:    No to both.

GeoffShac:    I've heard some great horror stories from college coaches already, so the speed of play thing seems to be a myth

IGOLFBadly:    They might speed up play for golfers in the rough, but not for those in the fairway, where it seems to slow players down, as they are simply double-checking what's available.

GeoffShac:    speaking of myths...your take on the USGA's distance myths

IGOLFBadly:    I have not yet studied them carefully, but on the surface they seem very strained. It's one of those cases where if the distance issue were really a myth, they wouldn't have to strain to explain it away.

IGOLFBadly:    Obviously, ground contour is more decisive than distance in terms of scoring difficulty. But if you ask any architect today, they all tell you they have no idea where to place strategic bunkers in a meaningful way for Tour-quality players

GeoffShac:    there you go again on that strategy stuff!
GeoffShac:    so Rough Meditations is back, 10 years later?

IGOLFBadly:    "Rough Meditations" is back, nine years after the hardcover, this time in expanded, paperback version, with about 25 extra new pages of material

GeoffShac:    it's aged remarkably well
GeoffShac:    it's also stunning to think how much has changed in those years

IGOLFBadly:    I wrote it to be part of a certain classical tradition, joining hands with old-fart writers like Bernard Darwin, Herbert Warren Wind, and Pat Ward-Thomas, and so they were my inspiration and always are

IGOLFBadly:    But the game has changed dramatically in the last decade - except for the USGA disclaimer (see above)

IGOLFBadly:    Golf is also so much more business-oriented, at least in my world, than it was (or I was) when I wrote the bulk of "Rough Meditations"

GeoffShac:    beyond technology, what's the biggest change in the design world in that time...or is it technology's impact?

IGOLFBadly:    Technology is part of it. Also, course exposure through photography, promotions, Website, CDs, pre-opening hype and story-boarding of courses

GeoffShac:    remember the good ole days on AOL's ichat when Butch Harmon would join in for your weekly live chats
GeoffShac:    now look at him!

IGOLFBadly:    Yes, that's a good example - also Gary McCord, wasn't he part of the iGOLF team early on?

GeoffShac:    I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but that sounds right :)

IGOLFBadly:    Once you reach a certain age (I have, you haven't) it's much easier to recall 25 years ago than 25 minutes ago

GeoffShac:    oh something to look forward too
GeoffShac:    the internet is great for golf though, for the most part, wouldn't you say?

IGOLFBadly:    Not really. It's great for people who want to find out about golf tournaments, courses, travel, the latest news. For that it's great. But it promotes expectations that are excessive, it leads people away from reading about golf, it creates a kind of dynamic and rapidity of curiosity that is not consistent with golf's sensibility

IGOLFBadly:    Website/Internet is "fast world." Golf is "slow world."

GeoffShac:    literally...does architecture deserve some blame for slow play these days, or is it technology and setup and money?

IGOLFBadly:    Architecture is not the main issue - maybe a secondary one. It's the tees people play, their ego, their conviction that given technology and their newly purchased driver, they can actually play well and hit the ball 250 yards steadily

IGOLFBadly:    There are a lot of hard courses by Bob Cupp, Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus out there, but even when they have multiple tees, or when more forgiving designers lay out multiple options, far too many golfers play the wrong set of tees. I am amazed how, in most foursomes, with two hacks and two fine golfers, they insist on playing the same markers. Ridiculous. People should learn to play from where they have a chance to score within 5 shots of their index if they play decently.

GeoffShac:    so about Augusta
GeoffShac:    first, uh, you were there this year to collect your first place prize in the writing contest

IGOLFBadly:    Accepting an award after 20 years of submission to the annual golf writing contest was the big change at Augusta for me!

GeoffShac:    I hope you milked the opportunity
GeoffShac:    with a nice long speech
GeoffShac:    or did the GWAA police have an orchestra there ala the Oscars to keep long winded writers from thanking their distant cousins?

IGOLFBadly:    My acceptance speech lasted exactly 90 seconds, and that was perfect for the occasion.

As for the golf course, I'll condense here what I wrote in Golfweek. The added distance made some sense, or at least was excusable and explainable. But the narrowing of fairways and the strangling of fairway landing areas with trees was absurd and indefensible

GeoffShac:    I was at an event recently where a good golfer started telling me that he liked the trees because he didn't care for the tree removal movement in golf

IGOLFBadly:    Not only did you lose strategic width and angles, but spectators couldn't see a thing, and the golf course from the tees where the members (remember them?) play was squeezed beyond recognition. ANGC is the only major golf course in the last five years to be relying on trees to toughen its holes. Hootie Johnson always invokes Bobby Jones to justify whatever he's doing. Interestingly, he never invokes Alistair MacKenzie

GeoffShac:    well they've treated MacKenzie so well there over the years

IGOLFBadly:    They still haven't paid his design bill, have they?

GeoffShac:    no
GeoffShac:    I wonder what the tally is with interest

IGOLFBadly:    Maybe there's a still a builder's lien on the golf course!GeoffShac:    will Augusta start a trend back to a tree planting future?

IGOLFBadly:    I'd recommend buying trees in spades if you want to speculate on future ANGC endeavors

GeoffShac:    wow, even more to come eh?
GeoffShac:    have you been to Winged Foot lately?

IGOLFBadly:    Played Winged Foot two weeks ago in anticipation of my review article for the U.S. Open

GeoffShac:    what'd you think of those 21-yard wide landing areas?

IGOLFBadly:    They were 26-27 yards wide in the main landing area and 21-22 in the second-shots on par-5s.

GeoffShac:    oh come on! some of those par-4s get pretty tight

IGOLFBadly:    Course is 250 yards longer, a foot faster on the greens, and 7-yards narrower in the fairways than in 1997. Oh, I forget, the USGA says distance doesn't matter.

GeoffShac:    they can't let it get too firm at these widths can they?

IGOLFBadly:    They can dry it out - removal of about 500 conifers helped a lot

GeoffShac:    well I hope they do, so we can get a good feel for how that tapered rough works

IGOLFBadly:    New irrigation system will give them a lot of control. Fairways will be hard to locate, esp. if dry

GeoffShac:    fun
GeoffShac:    should be riveting

IGOLFBadly:    The proportional height thing has not been carefully delineated yet. Too early in growing season to know what they can achieve.

GeoffShac:    will the tapered rough idea only be at the Open, or is it going to become every superintendent's worst nightmare?

IGOLFBadly:    I asked about that. They think they can limit the proportional rough heights (not really tapered) to just the U.S. Open, but some shmuck green chairman whose course already posts Stimpmeter speeds of the greens and fairways will try it, I'm sure. It'll be a nightmare for green keepers, mechanics and crew at those "high-end" national golf clubs (need I be more specific?)

GeoffShac:    yeah, I forgot about the mechanics who have to try and change the heights and then deal with some turd who's out measuring rough heights
GeoffShac:    well, I like what Mike Davis is thinking about in trying not to penalize the just-missed drives, it shows some compassion from the USGA side of things

IGOLFBadly:    Mower manufacturers will love it; you'll need a second or third rough unit, or at last more calibration down time to get the heights right. I can't wait to attend that green committee meeting.

GeoffShac:    so you have a Sebonack book coming out soon?

IGOLFBadly:    Book just shipped off to the printer, should be out Aug. 30 or so.

IGOLFBadly:    I did it with Carol Haralson, a Sedona-Az. book designer and researcher with whom I had previously done the book on Desert Forest GC in Az.

GeoffShac:    do we get to read about any cat fights out there or did you keep it neat and tidy?

IGOLFBadly:    Cat fights are there, not that they were bloody. But I get the real story, in earthy tones and language, plus how Doak and Nicklaus learned to work with and around each other. All mocking aside, it was a genuine collaboration, with Doak's routing obviously being central, and Jack playing a major role in strategy and greens.

GeoffShac:    well if the book is even half as beautifully produced as the Desert Forest book, it'll be a winner

IGOLFBadly:    I've been asked how do you do a book on a golf course that has barely been played. The answer is that you start with glaciers and moraines and natural sand deposition, include the social history of golf on Eastern Long Island, and focus on the three main characters -- Michael Pascucci (owner) and Nicklaus & Doak.

GeoffShac:    oh, between those three I'm sure there was plenty of material! :)

IGOLFBadly:    It's a bigger book, more imagery, much more diverse material than even the Desert Forest book.

IGOLFBadly:    Thanks. It's a good story about a good site.

GeoffShac:    and is the club publishing it?

IGOLFBadly:    They were three strong characters, and very much a pleasure to write about and very accessible.

GeoffShac:    lol
GeoffShac:    well, I'm sure we'll all buy it, and then buy the 2014 edition of Rough Meditations when you tell us about the "making of" the Sebonack book :)
GeoffShac:    one last question

IGOLFBadly:    I await

GeoffShac:    how is it that courses like Augusta and Medinah are constantly under construction
GeoffShac:    and yet they hardly move in the Golfweek Top 100 list?!?!?
GeoffShac:    (I save the softball, non-answerable questions for last)

IGOLFBadly:    Time lag and accumulated votes from previous visits create a kind of slowing effect, but there's movement, and might well be more in the future, for all I know

GeoffShac:    ah spoken like a man who has answered many phone calls to complain about the rankings! :)

IGOLFBadly:    Those courses often exist on their reputations, which, like passenger ships, are slow to turn around

IGOLFBadly:    gigantic cruise liners, I mean

GeoffShac:    hey, thanks for your time and good luck with the books

IGOLFBadly:    thanks, and good luck with your Website/blog.


Taking Aim With John Huggan

AIMDarwin.jpgJohn Huggan is the European correspondent for Golf World/Golf Digest, a columnist for GolfObserver.com and he writes a must-read weekly column for Scotland on Sunday.

He is the second writer (after Stu Schneider) to participate in the "Taking Aim" interview.

Huggan chimes in via AOL Instant Messenger from Dunbar, Scotland:

 

JHUGGAN:    get on with it you plonker

JHUGGAN:    (fav saying of the late, great Peter Dobereiner)

GeoffShac:    so you've seen your share of golf shenanigans, the new women's world ranking has to rank high with the all time boondoggles?

JHUGGAN:    you think so? i can think of many more I'd rather get upset about!

GeoffShac:    please, do tell

JHUGGAN:    does anyone really care?

GeoffShac:    well no, but women's golf is trying to break through

JHUGGAN:    annika is number one...that is all that really matters

JHUGGAN:    they might manage that if they don't cut their own throats by banning press agencies...

JHUGGAN:    it is true that for the first time in ages the women's game is competitively interesting

JHUGGAN:    especially if annika is losing interest

GeoffShac:    well it does seem that everything they are doing is marketing driven, which I'm afraid might give some of our friends at the PGA Tour some bad ideas

JHUGGAN:    money is never a good reason for doing anything in golf

JHUGGAN:    money alone anyway

GeoffShac:    what about world rankings points? is improving your lie after a rain delay worth a few extra points? :)

JHUGGAN:    ah, monty

JHUGGAN:    poor, poor monty

GeoffShac:    who? :)

JHUGGAN:    no one's pal any more

GeoffShac:    how's that going to go over at the ryder cup?

JHUGGAN:    not well...the much vaunted euro team spirit will be badly affected

GeoffShac:    and lord knows you guys are already writing enough about it, when do we learn what the euros are going to be eating for breakfast?

JHUGGAN:    that's always been a bit of a myth anyway

GeoffShac:    what, team spirit or that the guys eat breakfast?

JHUGGAN:    both

JHUGGAN:    we love the ryder cup because you always come second

GeoffShac:    hey, some of us over here love it for the same reason

JHUGGAN:    that is to your credit

GeoffShac:    nothing like seeing our boys slapped around every two years

JHUGGAN:    the best part is how much they hate it all

GeoffShac:    why do you think that is?

JHUGGAN:    its a bit of a cliche...but golf isn't a team game in the US

JHUGGAN:    we grow up playing team matches over here

JHUGGAN:    and lots of foursomes

JHUGGAN:    which you guys confuse with fourballs

JHUGGAN:    if you don't know what the game is called, how can you play it well?

GeoffShac:    hey, they both have four in the title
GeoffShac:    do you think our boys would do any better if they actually played some different formats on the tour, or is it hopeless?

JHUGGAN:    actually, i think they may win this year...despite everything

JHUGGAN:    i do have concerns about your captain

JHUGGAN:    weird choice

GeoffShac:    oh?
GeoffShac:    his golf bag is not real happy with him at the moment

JHUGGAN:    job should have gone to o'meara...but the pga of america is still miffed about being asked where all the money goes

JHUGGAN:    where does it go, by the way?

GeoffShac:    Jim Awtrey's pension

JHUGGAN:    sizeable i'm sure

GeoffShac:    and of course they are strong supporters of The First Tee

JHUGGAN:    aren't we all?

GeoffShac:    eh, I'm not sure about the R&A

JHUGGAN:    the R&A has enough to contend with...all that gin and tonic

GeoffShac:    and they are doing wonderfully...square grooves seems to be their special project, can't wait to hear what they find

JHUGGAN:    hey, anything to divert attention from the real issues

JHUGGAN:    like tees outside the golf course at the last Open

GeoffShac:    speaking of diverting, tell us what you thought of the commissioner's rationale for keeping the WGC's in the US?

JHUGGAN:    yet again, short-term thinking

JHUGGAN:    or maybe he thinks that, having killed off the Aussie tour he can go after Europe next

GeoffShac:    how can you accuse of him of thinking short term when he's signed with the Golf Channel for 15 years?

JHUGGAN:    i rest my case....vacuous talking heads--Renton Laidlaw aside--are right up his alley...no tough questions

JHUGGAN:    i'm not sure I understand anything he says

GeoffShac:    is the European Tour going to be hurt by the new Tour schedule?

JHUGGAN:    next year for sure....

JHUGGAN:    after that i have a hunch that this Fed-Ex thing will flop

JHUGGAN:    the best players don't want to play that much in a short space of time

JHUGGAN:    the euros don't want to be in the US that long in the summer

JHUGGAN:    and history won't care who wins it

JHUGGAN:    and if history doesn't care, neither does Tiger

JHUGGAN:    if he loses interest, it's over

GeoffShac:    speaking of him...
GeoffShac:    I woke up last night and realized that he may win his 20th major at some dreadful 8,000 yard modern course in about 2015

JHUGGAN:    it's headed that way

GeoffShac:    do you think he cares about something like that...
GeoffShac:    that it might not happen at a "storied venue"

JHUGGAN:    i think he does

JHUGGAN:    i think he'd rather play proper golf

JHUGGAN:    he'd win even more if they did

JHUGGAN:    can't recall the last time i saw a shot shaped into a tucked flag

GeoffShac:    would you call the way he plays now "proper"
GeoffShac:    it works
GeoffShac:    but it's not the same game he played in 2000

JHUGGAN:    i can't blame him for doing what works

JHUGGAN:    he's not the problem

GeoffShac:    of course not, I admire him for adapting to the changing game

JHUGGAN:    he is so much better than everyone else it is a joke

JHUGGAN:    only ernie is close

JHUGGAN:    ish

GeoffShac:    well one difference is, Tiger isn't racing off for ribbon cuttings in between Sunday and Wednesday's first round

JHUGGAN:    i don't think you'll see him do as much of that

JHUGGAN:    only in weeks where he doesn't care about the event

JHUGGAN:    he hates la costa

GeoffShac:    can you blame him?

JHUGGAN:    which is to his credit....

GeoffShac:    yes and he loves Riviera
GeoffShac:    so he gets bonus points

JHUGGAN:    he does

JHUGGAN:    and he's a good guy

JHUGGAN:    likes a beer i hear

GeoffShac:    on a more heartwarming note...
GeoffShac:    you will be making your triumphant return to Augusta after 6 years

JHUGGAN:    i will....i'm sure they can't wait to see me

GeoffShac:    looking forward to fine cuisine in town and a nosebleed seat in the media room?

JHUGGAN:    nothing there is edible apart from the chicken sandwich

JHUGGAN:    actually, i'm looking forward to seeing a new course

GeoffShac:    yes, you will have to be reacquainted

JHUGGAN:    what is that slop stuff they serve?

JHUGGAN:    i know what it looks like....

GeoffShac:    pimento cheese
GeoffShac:    it's not so bad!

JHUGGAN:    nah, the other stuff

JHUGGAN:    it's brown

GeoffShac:    oh, I stayed away from that

JHUGGAN:    me too

GeoffShac:    well where can we read your correspondences from Augusta?

JHUGGAN:    the guardian and scotland on sunday

GeoffShac:    columns?

JHUGGAN:    bit of everything i suspect

GeoffShac:    tell us the truth, you are there to put the finishing touches on that lavish Monty coffee table book you have been working on

JHUGGAN:    it's a joint venture

JHUGGAN:    a tribute to our lasting friendship

GeoffShac:    touching I tell you

JHUGGAN:    teary

GeoffShac:    great to see you two back together

JHUGGAN:    it's always been an interesting relationship

JHUGGAN:    i knew him before he was Monty

GeoffShac:    oh? there was a pre-Monty?

JHUGGAN:    oh yes, he and i were even in the same team when he was an amateur

GeoffShac:    ah that's where the bond grew

JHUGGAN:    sprouted

GeoffShac:    ah, excuse me
GeoffShac:    well I know he'll be happy to see you at Augusta

JHUGGAN:    he does have more hair than me

JHUGGAN:    and a bigger chest

GeoffShac:    he does appear to be expanding again in the weight department,
GeoffShac:    the car washing isn't burning enough calories

JHUGGAN:    the man is in love, leave him alone

JHUGGAN:    and not only with himself

GeoffShac:    really? wow, this is serious

JHUGGAN:    nigel the ex-husband has moved out i hear

JHUGGAN:    only in england....

GeoffShac:    see, we Americans are above such petty gossip

JHUGGAN:    nah...you love it all

GeoffShac:    we'd love it if you came over here and covered Phil more often

JHUGGAN:    phil is well enough covered i feel

GeoffShac:    alright, last question before this gets ugly

JHUGGAN:    stu schneider got longer than this!

JHUGGAN:    i wasn't in caddyshack of course

GeoffShac:    exactly, we love our movie stars here

JHUGGAN:    he's too busy watching the hockey, believe me

GeoffShac:    no no, he really watches the Golf Channel
GeoffShac:    so this distance thing that you have a big bias about...
GeoffShac:    what do you see happening?

JHUGGAN:    i have to believe that sanity will eventually prevail

JHUGGAN:    my theory has always been that as soon as it becomes an economic problem for finchem, then it will change

JHUGGAN:    and the ball will be hauled back 50 yards or so

JHUGGAN:    once everyone starts switching off in big enough numbers...it will happen

JHUGGAN:    no matter what titleist thinks

GeoffShac:    so not economic because of the cost of changing courses but because no one can relate to the game as it's played?

JHUGGAN:    correct...while i have obvious sympathy for your point about courses, that isn't what will precipitate change

JHUGGAN:    money!!!

JHUGGAN:    finchem's money

JHUGGAN:    and, by extension, his employer's income

GeoffShac:    well that's a lot of money then
GeoffShac:    will the european tour be supportive?

JHUGGAN:    i think they will....even over here where there is a greater variety of course setup, the game is less interesting to watch

GeoffShac:    do you sense the players--outside of Geoff Ogilvy, maybe Ernie Els and a few others--are aware of this?

JHUGGAN:    the majority are not...or don't care

JHUGGAN:    see above...under "money"

JHUGGAN:    the long-term health of the sport is not something they spend a lot of time on

GeoffShac:    well, if you make it out of Augusta alive perhaps you can share some thoughts in another of these stellar interviews?

JHUGGAN:    do i get paid?

GeoffShac:    no

JHUGGAN:    didn't think so

GeoffShac:    you get the pleasure of getting your money's worth out of AOL

JHUGGAN:    get better questions next time

GeoffShac:    I will try (note to self: no questions about women's golf)

JHUGGAN:    you're holding me back

GeoffShac:    well, we've gotten personal with Monty, Phil, what have I left out?

JHUGGAN:    i'm a media personality waiting to happen

GeoffShac:    maybe The Golf Channel will hire you
GeoffShac:    wait, wrong accent

JHUGGAN:    you forgot the USGA

JHUGGAN:    i'd love to work with brian hewitt

JHUGGAN:    all that knowledge he could pass on

GeoffShac:    there goes your Sprint Post Game appearance from The Masters
GeoffShac:    you two are collaborating on a book right?

JHUGGAN:    not this year

GeoffShac:    well give it time, maybe you can bond at the Golf Writer's dinner

JHUGGAN:    uh-huh

GeoffShac:    I'll talk to the right people and make sure you are seated together

JHUGGAN:    sadly, i will be absent

GeoffShac:    it might be the only decent meal you get all week in Augusta

JHUGGAN:    i'll be applauding from afar during the writing awards

GeoffShac:    you don't exactly do the maudlin stuff, that goes over well with the judges you know

JHUGGAN:    i must find a terminally-ill child to write about

GeoffShac:    preferably one that plays golf left handed, was visited by Monty in the hospital and who supports a manufacturers right to sell unregulated equipment

JHUGGAN:    a sure winner

GeoffShac:    on that note, promise you'll share some insights from Augusta?

JHUGGAN:    if i have time in my busy schedule

JHUGGAN:    i'm terribly important you know

GeoffShac:    doing this interview tells the world that
GeoffShac:    thanks a bunch


Taking Aim with Stu Schneider

AIMDarwin.jpgStu Schneider writes Golf World's weekly TV Rewind column and broke the news on the PGA Tour nearing completion of its new TV contract.  With his take on televised golf and the Front 9 list each week (co-authored with editor Geoff Russell), Schneider's humor and insight has given Golf World's pages a big boost.

Before his Golf World work, Schneider was editor of Golfweb where he led the site until CBS Sportsline and the Tour phased it out.

For reasons known only to Stu, he agreed to be the first ever GS.com instant message interview. 

GeoffShac:  alright here goes...first question is a long one...

GeoffShac:  15 years?

Stugolf:     Well, in golf years that's even longer...  

GeoffShac:   especially if you have to watch it for a living 

Stugolf:     But I guess they need a while to get Kelly Tilghman's makeup right...
Stugolf:     Actually I should've said Brandel Chamblee's...

GeoffShac:    seriously, they do a great job at the majors, do you think that will be their production inspiration or will they go in the Big Break direction, as Manougian hinted in the press conference?

Stugolf:     Well, one thing to remember is that the Thur/Fri telecasts will be produced by the weekend carriers, nbc and cbs (thank god)

GeoffShac:     Ah right...and announcer wise, will TGC provide a lead and color person like USA sometimes did?

Stugolf:     I think it will be mostly Golf Channel people in front of the cameras, but there may be a Rolfing (who does both) or Maltbie snuck in there sometimes...

GeoffShac:     And the networks, fair to say they got 6 years for the price of (the last) 4?

Stugolf:     Sorta seems that way, but I guess we'll have to wait for the tour's annual report to see the real numbers.

GeoffShac:     I'm sure they'll share all of the details!

Stugolf:     Hey, I believe as a "charitable organization" they are *required* by law to lay it all out.  Of course, they would say they would do it anyway...

GeoffShac:     Their Form 990s are rather elusive

Stugolf:     You should try and get your hands on a copy.  Someone with your sunny outlook would have a great time reading it.

GeoffShac: Believe me, I've tried. So has Guidestar, the folks who do that stuff for a living. I have a better chance getting the minutes to Dick Cheney's energy policy meetings

GeoffShac: So do you watch every hour of every telecast?

Stugolf:     I'm ashamed to say that I watch very close to all of it... at least all of the weekend stuff for sure.  Wouldn't want to miss something incredible, like Bobby Clampett making sense.

GeoffShac: I envision you in a room with more than one TV, emergency caffeine stash nearby, objects to throw at the television and laptop ready to document every ridiculous thing said by Bobb...the announcers

Stugolf: Hmm.. frighteningly close.
stugolf: Actually, I take notes, the old fashioned way.

GeoffShac: no wireless laptop yet?

Stugolf: No, not yet.  Too much technology can numb you.
Stugolf: Tivo however is another story.
Stugolf: It makes it possible, and it makes it survivable.

GeoffShac: you mean you don't enjoy the opportunity to bond with the Tour's partners during commercial breaks?

Stugolf: I tend to be a little coterminous when it comes to that.
Stugolf: Hey, I'm proud of myself.  So what if it makes no sense.
Stugolf: It never stopped Finchem.

GeoffShac: true

Stugolf: The only thing I stop for now are the tour's new TV commercials.  Art form.

GeoffShac: oh yes, those are LOL funny

Stugolf:     Thank goodness I can go back and relive them on Tivo over and over and over and over again.
Stugolf:     They're even better the fifth time around.
Stugolf:     They remind me of The Golf Channel’s ads for the Champions Tour.

GeoffShac:     I bet you save those using the “keep until I delete” deal

GeoffShac:     wait, you watch the Champions Tour?

GeoffShac:     do tell...

Stugolf:    Hmm..
Stugolf:    how many readers do you have?

GeoffShac:     oh that's classified information...like the Tour, part of my right as a non-profit to keep those numbers confidential :)

Stugolf:     You probably have more readers than TGC has viewers for the Champions Tour anyway...
Stugolf:     Yes, I have, on occasion, watched it.
Stugolf:     I'm a sucker for Dave Marr's couch interviews.
Stugolf:     It's a legacy, as they said in Animal House.

GeoffShac:     oh come on, he's not even close to being as bad as the guy ESPN had at Kapalua

Stugolf:      Tom Rinaldi?  Hey, I have to give him this: he didn't wear a Hawaiian shirt.  Extra points for that.

GeoffShac:     that was a first for Hawaiian golf broadcasting...

Stugolf:     Except for old dependable, Rolfing.

GeoffShac:     well, of course

GeoffShac:     what would you do to liven up golf telecasts?

GeoffShac:     did I stump you with that last question? :)

Stugolf:     Oh.. the phone, hold on.

GeoffShac:     k

Stugolf:     Sorry.  Oh, livening up golf telecasts.
Stugolf:     Hmm.  How about analyzing Charles Barkley's swing during a major?
Stugolf:     Oh wait, that's already been done by TNT
Stugolf:     Someone suggested putting a "comet tail" on a golf ball so it's easier to follow in the air, like FOX did with the puck when it broadcast the NHL.
Stugolf:     Unfortunately, I think you can probably have hooters girls on every tee but unless the golf is compelling, the telecast is going to be a dud.

GeoffShac:     I said seriously

Stugolf:     So, I guess make sure we have Tiger vs. Vijay vs. Phil vs. Ernie every week... HEY! I got it... The Fedex Cup... we make sure the pros HAVE to play every week against each other.  Genius!

GeoffShac:     right, and I'm sure Phil and Tiger will play 6 of 7 weeks in August with a major thrown in the midst of that

GeoffShac:     Uh, why does the Tour still bother to put the Golfweb logo on its site?

Stugolf:     LOL.

GeoffShac:     I mean, really, what's the point?

Stugolf:     Because they realize that co-branding can coterminously ensure a fruitful partnership wherein our marketing partners can enjoy the compelling content... uh, what was the question again?

GeoffShac:     you left out platform

GeoffShac:     as someone who was involved with Golfweb, what do you see lacking from golf related web sites these days?

Stugolf:     Well, obviously the variety that GolfWeb offered.  But you have to remember, when GolfWeb was in its heyday, the Web wasn't what it is now... where every tour has its own site to offer up results.  In many cases we were the only place you get information on the Asian Tour, for example.

GeoffShac:     But I look at a lot sites now and think, they haven't even matched what Golfweb once was, much less expanded on the concept

GeoffShac:     which is kind of scary since it's been 6 years since the Tour and Sportsline swallowed it up

Stugolf:     Well, the whole landscape has changed.  When I was at GolfWeb we didn't have to worry about revenue.  In fact, it seemed like the more we spent, the better.  Now it's a big numbers game.  You have to find a way to make money.  Thus, fantasy sports, the Titleist leaderboard, animated ads flying across pages blocking out all the type, yada, yada, yada.

GeoffShac:     Okay final question and then I'll let you get back to your TiVo study of the new Tour ad campaign.

GeoffShac:     You were really an extra in Caddyshack?

Stugolf:     Finally a subject I can really get my teeth into.

GeoffShac:     I save the hard hitting stuff for the end

Stugolf:     Yes, I was an extra.  And you'll be able to see me on the Golf Channel's new cinema show they're starting up this week.
Stugolf:     I was doing a story for Golf Magazine on the making of the movie and I got to hang out on the set here in Fla. for a couple of weeks.  It was filmed at what used to be Arrowhead CC, it has a different name now that I can't even remember.  And if you look VERY hard at the end, when Bill Murray blows up the course, I'm right behind Danny Noonan in a blue visor.  SO there.

GeoffShac:     wow, they took a writer as an extra...the studios really know how to ensure a good review

Stugolf:     What, you think they’re dumb?  It was either that, or invite me to the coke parties that were taking place every night back at the hotel.

GeoffShac:     you made the right choice

GeoffShac:     hey thanks for the time, my sympathies as the Hope starts Wednesday with exciting coverage from the desert

Stugolf:     thanks...


Coming Soon: Taking Aim

AIMDarwin.jpgSo that I don't have to transcribe audio and because it could (or could not be) a fun way to introduce you to someone in golf, I'm adding an interview element to the site with the help of AOL's instant messenger service (the best of the IM programs..and I'm not even paid to say that).

Tomorrow marks the debut of this thrilling new feature, with Golf World's Stu Schneider agreeing to be the first of hopefully many Q&A's with interesting folks in golf.

The art department assures me that the logo for this feature is not too commercial in appearance, nor is AOL's cool little logo guy doing something dangerous with a club, but instead, he's offering an homage to Bernard Darwin's follow through. Thanks to Tommy Naccarato for name idea and graphics.