One man’s pain is another man’s gain. You know Vijay Singh secretly took pleasure in Tiger Woods’ misfortune at the 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational. As only pictures can describe:
Photo Credit: Golf.com
We here at the GolfNow Blog don’t know very much about owning golf courses, but the game seems like to be a fairly lucrative venture in the right hands. Even Donald Trump — who is driving his money printing gambling businesses into the ground — runs a profitable golf course. But in San Francisco, paying the course bills seems to get more difficult each year. After huge losses the City of San Francisco is considering “strategic options” for one or all of their six courses.
SF owns and runs the golf courses with a goal of providing cheap golf to everyone. (A round is about $15.) It’s a noble goal: after all, the sport is not just a game for those with big bucks. But a huge problem has sprouted. The golf courses lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars” last year with no end in site. The quality of the courses is falling apart and nobody really knows what to do about it. Two courses, the 18-hole Harding and nine-hole Fleming, just went through a lenghty renovation. The renovation went 47 percent over budget and ended up costing $23.6 million.
One of the nicest courses, the Sharp Park Golf Course, might get a quick turnaround with a sell to neighboring Pacifica. Pacifica is a small gem of a town that sits right on the Pacific Ocean — and has had to deal with an annoying little issue for about 80 years. Sharp Park Golf Course sits in Pacifica, but is owned by San Francisco. Pacifica Councilwomen Sue Digre says “We’ve always drooled over the golf course and wished it was ours. … It seems like a win-win for us.”
The golf obsessed don’t need to abandon their passion while chillin’ in traffic, hittin’ the treadmill or having dinner with the fam. (The last one might be pushing it but that’s your decision.) Golf podcasting has blown up. A number of downloadable audio and video tracks are available for free download at iTunes or through blogs. (I’ve provided links to blogs but I recommend using iTunes for download.) Here’s a couple winners I found:
The Golf Talk Podcast: Tour updates, gear reviews and technique tips.
Golf Improvement Weekly Podcast: An audio version of “the worlds most popularweekly golf improvement newsletter.”
USA Pro Tour Golf Resort Review: A tour of the nations best golf resorts.
Golf Academy: tech tips from pros Fred Funk, Joe Ogilvie and Christie Kerr. (FYI: not updated in a while.)
GolfNow.tv Video Blog: Why explain, just watch:
If you know any others please send them and I’ll post’em up!
Annika Sorenstam might be the first female golfer to ever play in a men’s tournament, but yesterday a rookie LPGA player showed her the ropes. Meaghan Francella beat Annika in a play-off at Mexico’s MasterCard Classic. The victory was the first ever for Francella, who seemed rather modest at the awards ceremony:
“Annika is the best player in the world and I was little intimidated. … I was on the third tee with her and I thought, `Man am I really doing this?’ I thought I was dreaming. It was pretty exciting.”
Two time defending champion Sorenstam had this to say:
“I think I’m playing as good as I could have asked for. It’s tough reading the putting on the green. It’s about who can hang in there and stay patient. This is my first tournament of the year and I feel very good about my game. I’m very excited about the rest of the year and the upcoming tournament in Arizona.”
Bloggers covered the event well. Waggle Room has a good bio of Francela. The Golf Blog questions Annika’s competitiveness. World Golf didn’t even know if she should’ve been there at all.
On a recent trip to Las Vegas, GolfNow.com golfer Justin Surat provided this report on his day at the Badlands Golf Club. Here is what Justin had to say:
March 10th, 2007
Badlands Golf Club
Las Vegas, Nevada
Golfing at the Badlands is a unique golf experience. The course displays some very unique holes not found anywhere else. My experience consisted of playing the Outlaw and Desperado nines. The Outlaw’s straight forward traditional layout rivaled a more target oriented designed Desperado.
Some of my favorite holes on the Outlaw are #5, #6 and #9. Hole # 5 is a drivable par 4; if the wind is not howling 25 mph in your face! When that is the case, it becomes a very tricky hole. Holes #6 and #9 are good par 5’s that test your second shots. If you have any doubt about what your strategy might be, you’ll probably end up in the water.
The more target oriented Desperado was quite different from the Outlaw. Some of the better holes were #3, #6, #8 and #9. Hole #3 tested your confidence with water to the right of the tee and off to the left on the approach. Holes #6 and #9 used landing areas off the tee that require precision shots with a long iron or fairway wood. The approach shots also test your confidence; shooting over a canyon and rocky desert. Hole # 8 was a beautiful par 3 that gave you a panoramic view of the city and the new luxurious condos under construction.
While at the Badlands, you are given the short opportunity to enjoy the life of the rich and famous. If you like to see some of the largest and most beautiful homes in Vegas, you’ve arrived at the right place. The course is surrounded by opulent homes and a brand new luxurious condominium complex.
The staff is very pleasant, the clubhouse is immaculate, and the experience at Badlands is well worth the trip.
-Justin Surat
Thanks Justin! We hope you enjoy future experiences with GolfNow.com and we look forward to another report from you in the future.
-GolfNow Staff
Week seven was International Golf week! If you haven’t already submitted an answer, you’re missing out. Every correct answer gives you an another entry into our daily drawing… all year long!
Here are last weeks winners and their great golf prizes:
Bag Boy SC-545 Push Cart: - Wayne Swarts from Wilmington, CA
TaylorMade Rescue Mid Utility Club: - Ferdinand Raposas from Oceanside, CA
Nike Xtreme Sport Stand Bag: - Greg Pelletier from Scottsdale, AZ
Free round of golf: - Joel Atwood from San Diego, CA
iGolf GPS Caddie: - Michael Kelly from Council Bluffs, IA
Last Weeks Questions:
