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GOOD COURSES FOR BAD GOLFERS: A DISCUSSION
We kick our week off with a re-visit of an article from Golf Digest a few weeks back titled "The best courses for bad golfers". (Don't get me started on the lack of title caps.)
In theory, color me intrigued. Because it's a topic I think about often—as I play the endless array of canyon-style courses in Southern California, I get enraged thinking about the amount of lost balls I've had because fairways are 20 yards wide with a cliff on one side and dense, cactus-like vegetation on the other. Signs warning me of rattlesnakes on every tee box.
Which leads me to remember my favorite courses. The ones that... even when I am racing to finish in double digits for the day... I am still pleased after 18 because I haven't lost three sleeves of my beloved triple track technology Chrome Softs.
So it's with that mindset that I click open the article. However, within the first few sentences, I'm already on guard because while I don't consider myself as a 14 handicap to be a "bad golfer"—my man leads the article by saying that he's an 11 and self-describes as "bad."
Whatever, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just pulling the classic first tee in a new foursome move; "I usually shoot like mid-90's or whatever. But I have fun." While inside you know full well you expect to shoot mid-80s but don't want to lead with that statement because the chances of a first tee bombing slice or rope hook into the $#&^ are near 100%.
I keep reading and the rest isn't too far off—his criteria for the courses...
"Sufficient width off the tee, a limited number or absence of forced carries, and an ability to run the ball up to most greens."
Great, let's see what ya got.
#1 - Augusta. National.
I nearly spit out my Kirkland Signature lime sparkling water. Are you out of your @#$^&^ mind???
Maybe it was for SEO purposes or click bait or I don't really know—but to lead a list that I was so pumped to see with a members-only mecca like Augusta is brutal.
Completely useless to me from the jump and it barely got better. So I'll save you a read...
National Golf Links of America. Private. Fishers Island Club. Private. LACC North. Private. Ballyneal. Private. And the list goes on...
Surely there were public courses, right? Yep. Two Bandon Dunes tracks, Pinehurst No. 2, Mammoth Dunes, and Gamble Sands. Cool. I'll be sure to keep them on my list of extremely famous and renowned courses.
All this to say, I crave a better way to rank and discover new courses and welcome any and all suggestions on places to look.
Also, would love to hear about your best worst rounds—Where did you play? Why was it still a great round despite an awful score? What makes a great course for you?
Hit me up through the link at the bottom.
LIV announces some massive updates
CH-CH-CHANGES
This week, LIV announced an array of changes for the new season—and they're actually pretty intriguing. Here I'm ranking them all from least to most interesting.
5) Play-In Tournament
Basically, they've designated one 36-hole event in December where people off the street can earn spots on LIV rosters. In theory, this is cool. In practice, this is potentially even more unwatchable than the Web.com Tour. There had to be a more innovative way to get some new blood in the league.
4) The Draft
The three play-in winners and the winner of whatever the "Asian Tour’s International Series Order of Merit" is... will enter into draft night and be selected by the franchises. Their first draft was pretty wonky and cringe, plus, there are 12 teams. So not quite sure how a draft will work for the other 8 teams... seems poorly thought out.
3) Re-Sign Period
At the end of each season, the top 24 players will find themselves "locked" meaning they become restricted free agents who are guaranteed a spot in the next season and their team has the exclusive right to re-sign them—if they want.
Players who finish 25th-44th go into free agency and can be signed (or not) by any franchise.
All players below 45 have to compete in the play-in tournament to earn the chance to make a team again.
It's got some Hunger Games vibes to it that I dig.
2) Free Agency
They needed this from day one. I think the idea of the draft to kick things off felt too forced and I much prefer the idea of the captains just forming their own squads with their friends. It's more tribal—and that has to breed better competition.
1) Trades
The Brooks-Wolff saga set this off, but it's a no-brainer moving forward. If things turn sour mid-season, teams have to be able to get rid of dead weight. If team-oriented golf stands a chance moving forward, it needs to be treated like any other team sport.
We can all wonder about the long-term future of LIV, but this latest round of changes was a refreshing indication that perhaps they are actually serious about creating something longer term—and not just an ongoing PR stunt.
If I were an bookie...
NETFLIX CUP PAIRING ODDS
Next Tuesday at 6pm EST—Netflix will host their live golf event in Vegas, The Netflix Cup.
This week, they announced the pairings and, as of writing this, I haven't seen official odds. So instead of another dang power ranking, let's put out the Breakfast Balls lines on the match.
+1000 - Sainz and JT
Sainz headshot is giving me super stiff golf swing with a quick temper that ignites after he shanks one off the second tee.
+700 - Albon and Homa
From what I could find, Homa was the odds-on favorite for just PGA players—but that "junior high kid in the back of class" smirk that Albon has makes me wonder if they'll be more fun, less function.
+600 - Lando and Rickie
Somehow Rickie finds his orange wherever he goes. Team McLaren was an ideal fit. Do they have the focus to outlast the full field, though? Or will side bets racing golf carts distract them from the real prize?
+300 - Gasly and Morikawa
This pairing is all business. I still don't buy that Collin really "lets loose" beyond posting about his dog on Instagram. And in the F1 series, Gasly strikes me the same. I could see the other three pairings being too loose while these two secretly take it WAY too seriously.
Florida man creates his own TGL team...
JUPITER IS STUPID-ER
Welp, I blew this prediction.
The final franchise for Tiger and Rory's upcoming stadium-based golf league (TGL) was announced this week. The lucky winner?
Jupiter, Florida.
Look, I have to admit, it feels gross when I have to criticize Tiger but sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and do it anyways.
My dude. This sucks.
This has "line item plugged into Tiger's contract or he'd never agree to be in the league" written all over it.
The fact that they couldn't pretend it was a Miami or even Orlando-based team is criminal. How are you going to list New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, and San Fran—with Jupiter Links???
Ultimately, for this season, the cities don't really matter as all games will be played in the Florida stadium. So the idea of cities is loosely relevant AT BEST.
But wow what a letdown.
And since I could never leave you on such a down note—here's a little Charlie Woods palate cleanser. Please let this edit/audio be real, because it's an absolute baller move to tee off mid-tee announcement and audience welcome.
Charlie Woods is going to be a problem, and I love it.
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