High End Public Courses Feeling The Pain II

Hello. What can high end public courses do to ease the pain? Well, for starters, they have to ask if it's better to have one person out for $200, or 2 people out for $100 each. If their demographic is such that $100 is a ceiling, they may opt for the latter.
And that is the whole challenge, to find out what the demographic is that the public course is looking to satisfy.
If a course goes for corporate play, a la Lionhead, they have to make sure they're in an area where corporations are flourishing. Lionhead is just up the road from the Royal Bank and Microsoft Canadian headquarters are, among others. Needless to say, that's a great spot to be located in.
Then there is the possibility of catching golfers with incentives. 2 for 1 coupon books are a great way to get players to come out. Another way may be to do what Kaneff Golf is doing, giving unlimited play on all 6 of their courses for $4900 a season.
Still another way may be to give 15 rounds for the price of 10. I personally would take this deal all day long.
While it is good to focus on the extras, the main product is the golf course, as most of the player's time is spent there.

Regards,
Steve

High End Public Courses Feeling The Pain

Hello. Another great article in ScoreGolf magazine about high-end public golf courses, and the pain they're feeling.
In Ontario, the "big 4" of high-end public golf (triple digit green fees) are (in alphabetical order) Angus Glen, Glen Abbey, Lionhead and Wooden Sticks. The first two have and are hosting the Canadian Open, so they are ones players want to play at least once. Lionhead has made the corporate tournament and customer service an art form. And Wooden Sticks with its replica holes offers golfers to experience playing famous holes. Many golfers want to play these courses at least once to see what they are like.
For other high-end courses, however, the picture isn't as rosy. Mystic Golf Club in the Hamilton area is in receivership because it priced itself out of the market. Other courses like The Rock were perceived as too gimmicky or too hard. There are others that are just too far away for many people to get to regularly. And still others which do not give you value for your money.
Can these courses lower their prices or come up with other strategies to stay alive? More tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

Race in Golf - The Final Frontier? II

Hello. Is race in golf an issue? Look no further than employment for the answer. Other than kitchen staff, do people of colour occupy golf employment positions? In a word, no.
I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Ashley Chinner through one of his sponsors. He was bright, articulate, and a name. He should've been on everyone's short list as a director of golf or head pro when he decided to no longer pursue a touring pro career. According to the ScoreGolf article, Chinner apparently applied to 25 different courses. He was given 1 (as in less than 2) interview, by phone no less. He didn't get the job.
Was race an issue? Chinner himself is too classy to say that. He is thankful to golf for all it's given him. But you have to wonder if Chinner would've been more successful as a person of Anglo-Saxon background.
While golf is booming in Asian communities in Ontario, will there ever be integration of different races in private clubs? The course I currently work at does have a mixed membership, but the staff is lily-white. Will clubs see the benefits of having a diverse staff? And, to continue that thought further, will diversified ownership see better results? The answers to those questions remain to be seen.

Regards,
Steve

Race in Golf - The Final Frontier?

Hello. Great article in ScoreGolf about race and its impacts on golf. The article contends that race has not changed in golf in spite of Tiger Woods' rise to power. His impact is looked upon as a "one of" instead of a trend. The article concludes by asking if there will be any men of colour on the PGA Tour once Tiger and Vijay Singh leave. The article's answer, sadly, is there probably won't be.
The magazine also had a sad quote from Charlie Sifford when asked how he would compare himself to Jackie Robinson. Sifford says all they had in common was being pioneers in their respective sports. According to Sifford, Robinson was successful, whereas his efforts were a waste of time.
I cannot begin to comprehend what Mr. Sifford went through in his career. However, I would not call it a waste of time. Someone had to be first so a Tiger Woods could become what he became.
Also, as someone who played a relatively high level of golf, I can say the amount of time, money and confidence it takes to make it to the top of golf is much higher than baseball. There are only 125 regulars on the PGA Tour, as opposed to thousands of Major League Baseball players. The fact team sport athletes can sign guaranteed contracts, and pro golfers can't, takes a huge weight off a ballplayer's mind.
Where we should be looking to see how inclusive golf is is where team sports should be looking as well - employment. More on that Monday.

Regards,
Steve

Ottawa All The Way?

Hello. Congrats to the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks for advancing to the Stanley Cup finals. Whoever wins will be a new champion, unless you inclulde Ottawa's wins before 1920.
Both teams have something to fight for. Anaheim is trying to become the first California team ever to win. Ottawa is hoping to be the first Canadian based team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win the big prize.
So who is favoured? Many will say Ottawa because of who they've beaten and how quickly they did it to get here. Others will say Anaheim because of their great defense, led by Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer.
In any case, here's hoping both teams get the best effort from all their players, and give the fans what they want. And let's also hope the final gets some US media attention. It's no secret the NHL is very low on the US sports totem pole when a semi-final overtime game is interrupted because of the Preakness horse race pre-race show.
While we're on that, why would NBC schedule the game for the afternoon when they knew it could run over? Why not schedule it to follow the Preakness? Only the execs know.
Anyway, here's hoping for a good series.

Regards,
Steve

Johnson Wins Again In Georgia

Hello. My apologies for not posting yesterday. I was celebrating Victoria Day.
Congrats to Zach Johnson for winning the AT&T Classic Sunday. All of Johnson's 3 wins have been in Georgia, which is great because of the Masters and the Tour Championship being held there.
The question that hangs over everyone's head when a winner wins in this type of event is, what would've happened in a full-field event? Would this player have won if everyone had been playing? It's very unfair, but it's the truth. The TV ratings are proof golf fans do not care if the big names (in a word, Tiger) do not play.
Fortunately for Johnson, he did win earlier this year on golf's biggest stage. He therefore gets some credit for this win, and even some validation that his Masters win was not a fluke.
Will others be so fortunate if they win an event like this one, or the Canadian Open? Probably not. In fact, that's how you can tell if an event has any meaning on the PGA Tour these days. If the winner is an unknown, the event is probably not a high caliber one. There are exceptions to this of course (Craig Perks winning The Players Championship comes immediately to mind), but all in all, an event wants a high profile winner.

Regards,
Steve

AT&T, Phone Players (Especially Lefties)!

Hello. What a disappointment. The AT&T Classic will have a hard time justifying its name this week. Henrik Stenson and Zach Johnson are featured names. Two months ago you would've said only Stenson was a big name.
Where are all the players? Two players, both lefthanded, are ones I'm particularly wondering about.
Phil Mickelson is defending champion. I beleive on Sunday he was healthy enough to win at The Players Championship. If I were healthy, I'd do everything in my power to defend. Phil's absence has to be a real kick in the teeth for AT&T. I'm sure they were certain Phil would attend. I find this more offensive than missing the Byron Nelson Pro-Am.
Mike Weir is the other player I'm wondering about. He too is a post champion of this event. His game could use a real lift. He's 89th on the money list, way behind in the President's Cup points race, and he's sitting out an event he's won in the past? I'm lost on that one. Where are you Mike? Would a win do something for your career right now? Like get you jumpstarted with some confidence, even if the field's a dog?
If this field is this bad, what will the Canadian Open be like?

Regards,
Steve

Cut Talk Good, But Will Not Go Through

Hello. The subject of adjusted cuts came up last week. In summary, the cut would decrease from 70 and ties to 60 and ties to a maximum of 70. The main reason for this proposal is when an event gets weather delayed, it's tough to make up the time having 70+ players teeing off would require.
First of all, I don't think this has a chance of flying. The players would be just as opposed to this as they were to Tiger's new event in July being 120 players instead of 156. Players want the security the current cut gives.
Secondly, it doesn't really gain you much, maybe only 5 groups maximum, or at most an hour. Simply having players starting on the 10th tee should resolve that issue.
What should be done is what wasn't done when Mickelson and O'Hair were over a hole behind Sunday - have the offending player (in this case O'Hair) penalized 1 stroke for slow play. You would only have to do this once to one player to let everyone know you're serious. Players would speed up considerably if they knew a win or a cut made hung in the balance.
By speeding up play, tournaments should be finished on time, even with weather delays.

Regards,
Steve

O'Hair On His Way To Greatness?

Hello. People are singing the praises of Sean O'Hair for giving Phil Mickelson all he could handle for 16 holes at The Players Championship Sunday. O'Hair was only 2 shots back until he hit 2 balls in the water on the 17th hole. He wound up tied for 11th.
Ryder Cup berths, "next new American to win a major" and other tags are already being put on O'Hair. He's 24, and has already won a tournament. Look out World Golf Hall of Fame!
Personally, while I didn't see all of the final round, what I did see left me with some doubts. For one thing, O'Hair's pace of play was brutally slow. I've been convinced for a long time you cannot be a consistently good player if you are slow. For those who are saying Jack Nicklaus was slow, I'll counter with the fact that there's always an exception. Jack was a concentration master. I've always liked Lee Trevino's quote that it's easier for him to concentrate for 4 seconds than someone else to concentrate for 4 hours.
Second, O'Hair picked the wrong club for his tee shot on the 17th. He saw Mickelson put a wedge on the green. He was pumped up. If he hits wedge, worst case he's in the sand. Even if he puts it beside Mickelson's ball, he has a chance to be at worst 2 back going to 18, and maybe only one back, with water and other issues for Phil to deal with. I think he lost his patience.
Third, were people anointing Len Mattiece when he went into the water on the 17th in very similar circumstances? Not to this extent.
While O'Hair may go on to greatness, I think it's premature to coronate him.

Regards,
Steve

Phil Comes Thru, But I See a Flaw

Hello. Congrats to Phil Mickelson on winning the Players. In the past I've been Phil's biggest critic. I used to tell my best man Phil was the only one on TV dumber than I am. His course management is now much better and obviously Butch Harmon's association has improved his swing instantly. He's always had the talent, and he seems to have now put last year's US Open meltdown behind him.
So what's not to like about Phil right now? Something I've never liked. It was revealed to all of us on the 16th hole Sunday.
Phil was a few yards off the green with a lot of room to the hole. Chipping it by was a better option than leaving it short. Phil chose his sand wedge. Nothing new there. The shot came up way short. His birdie putt missed.
That is Phil's flaw in my humble opinion. Phil uses the same club to chip with, and varies his swing. I've been always taught to use the same swing with different clubs. I've always thought this would make me more consistent. Tiger of course uses different clubs, including fairway medals, to chip with. I think Tiger has the advantage in this area, which is so crucial in a US Open. That's why Tiger still gets my pick.

Regards,
Steve

Canadian Open Questions Too Late II

Hello. One thing has conspired over the years to put the Canadian Open where it is today - short term greed of the RCGA. The Canadian Open has been a cash cow because of excellent gate receipts, mostly from hosting the event at Glen Abbey for decades. People have attended and will continue to attend the Canadian Open in large numbers, no matter who does or doesn't play in it. This fact unfortunately led to complacency in the following areas:

1. The purse is now one of the smallest on the PGA Tour
2. Glen Abbey was not a popular course for most players. Jack Nicklaus' first design was too tough in the beginning, then too boring once other top courses were designed
3. The Oakville area didn't have first class hotels
4. Other courses in Canada could not hold the crowds
5. Poor dates (and weather) to attract the top players
6. and so on

It's only now, when the prospect of losing big money on this event is now a reality, that these other issues are coming to light.

Regards,
Steve

Canadian Open Questions Too Late

Hello. Just read ScoreGolf's article about the Canadian Open, asking if it could be saved. For those that don't know, here's what the Canadian Open is facing this year:

1. No title sponsor
2. No Canadian-specific broadcast (TSN will not be doing their usual Canadian features)
3. New date, now the week after the British Open
4. A new bill from CBS for US broadcast rights of $2 million US
5. A new course, Angus Glen North, redesigned by Davis Love III
6. The President's Cup in Montreal in September taking many smaller sponsors away

The key thing to remember though is that while many of these issues have just appeared, the Canadian Open has been on the decline for a long time. However, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the event has always sold out in spite of a weak on-course product. If this event were as strong as last week's Wachovia Championship, or this week's Players Championship, the list above would be a hiccup instead of a nail in the coffin.

Tomorrow I'll go over what else has put the Canadian Open in this bad position.

Regards,

Steve

Everybody Really Likes Jody Vance

Hello. This past Friday I had the chance to talk to Jody Vance of Leafs TV both during and after the 9th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament at Angus Glen.
I've had the pleasure of meeting many celebrities over the years. There are some that I was excited to meet, then found out personality wise they weren't all there (I won't say who). Then there were others that pleasantly surprised me, such as the late Victor Davis, 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in the breaststroke. As a result, I try to lower my expectations when I meet a celebrity.
Well I can happily say Jody Vance is one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. She listened to my CF story patiently, looked at my kids' pictures, and told me about her connection of knowing a family with CF children. She made me feel like I was the celebrity, and she was the nobody.
Jody MC'd our event, and did a tremendous gesture. When our featured speaker, who has CF, started to break down, Jody went up and put her arm around her for support. Then after the speech was over (which was brilliant by the way), Jody gave her a reassuring hug.
If you ever get a chance to meet Jody Vance, take it!

Regards,
Steve

A Wonderful Day

Hello. Friday I spent a lovely afternoon at Angus Glen on the North Course. It was the 9th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament. Perfect weather. A chance to see the course for the 2007 Canadian Open. Great entertainment and friends.
During dinner, a lady named Kim Johnson, who has CF, spoke. She mentioned how her life is now, and what has been taken away by the disease, like dancing. She ended by saying she's going to dance when a cure is found. There weren't too many dry eyes in the house when she was finished.
It's very satisfying to see some of the efforts made by people to help those who are fighting this deadly disease. I'm always humbled by those who have no direct connection to CF, and who don't make any money from their efforts, putting in the time and money required to move closer to our goal of making CF a thing of the past. To all of you who are involved in a volunteer position, thank you. And please don't ever say what I've heard many times - "I'm just a volunteer". There is no such thing. Every effort, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is valuable.

Regards,
Steve

High-End Golf In Trouble

Hello. I told my wife about my incredible Wooden Sticks experience. When I was done, she asked how many people took advantage of it.
Believe it or not, only about 60 people felt it was worth taking a Wednesday morning off to spend $110 on a course which regularly charges $250. When on-cart snacks like Powerade, water bottle and nutrition bar are thrown in, plus an all-you-can-eat breakfast and lunch buffet including drinks (and free Coke refills!!!!), it's an incredible deal!
Why such low numbers? While I can see regular fees being too high for most players (including me), this deal was too good to be true. And yet it was not even half full.
My theory is that high-end golf in particular is struggling. If you are not entertaining clients via expensing your rounds or holding tournaments, golf is just too expensive, plain and simple. While I was coughing when I had to play $50 30 years ago for Glen Abbey, it relatively speaking was a bargain compared to the $250+ green fees now, or the $20,000+ initiation fees.
The other issue is that the boomers are getting to retirement age. The 5% who are comfortable are able to afford it, but the rest do not have the money (and, as a result, the time) to play high-end golf.
Where does this leave golf? More next week.

Regards,
Steve

Wooden Sticks An Incredible Bargain

Hello. Today I played at Wooden Sticks. The 7:30am shotgun was delayed due to frost, and it was cool. However, the sun was shining, and the wind was down.
What got me was what I got for $110:

1. 18 holes and a power cart, which usually cost $250
2. A Powerade, water bottle and nutrition bar on the car
3. A breakfast buffet, including milk
4. A lunch buffet, including Coke!
5. A course guide
6. Royal treatment
7. A well-conditioned golf course
8. A chance to play some of the greatest holes in golf, replicated

Please note these holes aren't identical. For example, you cannot putt into the bunker on the "Road Hole" (#15). The 18th hole seems to be more uphill than #18 at St Andrews. And #17 green, modeled after #17 at TPC Sawgrass, seems to be more contoured. However, I got that nervous feeling waiting to hit my shot on #17 (I ended up on dry land).

If you want a real treat, put Wooden Sticks on your agenda!

Regards,

Steve

The Pro-Am Should Go

Hello. There's quite a fuss being made about Phil Mickelson missing last week's Byron Nelson tournament pro-am Wednesday because of bad weather, yet being allowed to play in the event. There is a PGA rule saying play in both, or not at all. Retief Goosen was disqualified from the LA Open for missing his pro-am start.
Why did the PGA allow an exception in this case? Their thinking probably went something like this: We can keep Phil out of the tournament, so then Vijay Singh becomes our only top-10 player, and Phil may never come back to this event again, and the TV ratings will stink, and the tournament sponsors may pull out. Or we can let him play, and have his 3 or 4 pro-am playing partners upset, and have the other players upset they have to play in an irrelevant pro-am.
While I don't approve of this decision, I respect it. I do think the pro-am is irrelevant. Certain events with issues attracting the best players, including the Canadian Open, should probably do away with it. In general, the pros do not enjoy playing in the pro-am. Why strain relationships putting one on?
Make the tournament the main focus, and discard the irrelevant pro-am.

Regards,
Steve