An LA Times interview with Byron Nelson has some thoughts from Golf’s Grand Old Man on Tiger and jack Nicklaus. The most interesting, was about Tiger’s motivation:

“Suppose next year, just suppose, that Tiger wins the Grand Slam. Then he doesn’t have much of a drive any more. He could say, ‘Well, I’ve done it all.’ Unless he invents something else to motivate himself, like trying to win the Grand Slam twice.

Now there’s a thought that fits in with other players’ speculation that Tiger might retire early. He’d be like Alexander, who reportedly wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. Note that Alexander also retired early—o.k., he died young, but it amounts to the same thing.

This nifty little Sports Sensors Golf Club Swing Speed Radar

determines your optimum swing for your best distance, control, and accuracy. By using Doppler Radar technology through a simple one button control, you’ll get accurate readings instantly through the large, easy-to-read LCD display. Rugged, compact design makes it convenient to carry and use on the driving range, during practice rounds, or in your backyard.

Its at Buy dot Com.

Fox Sports reports that while attendance and viewership for golf is up, the number of rounds played peaked in 2000. It seems that the Tiger effect is wearing off, as people find that it’s not as easy as he makes it look.

Then there’s the fact that it’s not an easy game to get into:

“The game is difficult, expensive and requires an extensive time commitment,” said Casey Alexander, a scratch golfer who covers the golf industry for Gilford Securities in New York. “Facilities are hostile to the newcomer, and other participants are hostile to the newcomer. If you’re bombarded by hostility in your first year of playing the game, you’ll go bowling.”

Couple this with the expense, a general economic downturn over the last few years, and the time involved, and it turns out that golf loses two out of every three new players in a year or two.

I think that the PGA (the teachers and course managers) have really got to work on this one. The expense and time things are not solvable, but the hostility on the course is. Golf simply needs to be more welcoming to new players.

Pilates on the Go - For Golf

Golfers need flexibility (its amazing to see Phil Mickelson put his legs up over his shoulders) and Yoga and Pilates are good ways to get there. Pilates On the Go For Golf says that it is:

A challenging full-body program designed to help you sharpern the mind -body connection! The Pilates method is a form of isometric exercises developed and practiced to simultaneously stretch, strengthen, tone and align the body, while eliminating excess tension and strain on the joints. Maria Leone, owner of the reputable Bodyline studio in Beverly Hills, has over fourteen years experience teaching pilates. A former professional dancer and a black belt in tae kwon do, Maria’s unique style focuses on precise movement and body-mind discipline. Maria trains clients of all ages and levels and is known within the pilates community as a “teacher’s teacher”. Past and present clients include Jennifer Garner, Susan Dey, Pierce Brosnan, and Gina Gershon.

Sid Meier’s SimGolf (Jewel Case)
Grade: B+
Teachers’ Comments:  A fun game, even if you’re not a computer game geek.

Sid Meier’s SimGolf is a lot of fun. It’s not so much a golf game, as it is a business simulation.

You start the game with a small plot of land and a pool of money. Using your best instincts as a golf course designer, you then lay out a course (you may only have the cash for three holes at first), add some amenities and wait for golfers to show up.

As more players patronize your course, your income increases, and you have more to sink into the development of your course. You can buy more land, add food stands, hotels, clubhouses, and practice facilities, and of course, build more holes. You also have to hire staff to maintain the grounds, feed hungry and thirsty golfers, and generally make your patrons’ experiences enjoyable. If you are successful, your little golf empire continues to grow.

Bernard Darwin On Golf

Golf boasts one of the best bodies of literature of any sport, and Bernard Darwin is among the best of those writers. The grandson of Charles Darwin, Bernard could have spent his life as a lawyer, but chose instead to write about his passion: golf. And the world is richer because he did.

I’ve read a large number of Darwin’s essays in various collections, but this is the first one I’ve seen that’s devoted exclusively to his writing.

I’ll confess to being one of those guys who has to rummage through his pockets when he gets to the green trying to find a ball marker. The Magnetic Cap Clups might solve my problem. They clip on the brim of your hat. Just reach up to your brim and pull it off. Then put it back when you’re done. You’ll always know where your ball marker is.

Naah. That’s too easy.