An Illinois man landed his plane on a golf course in order to get his son to a tennis lesson.

Weird Golf Story of The Week

Earlier this week, the teachers in my building were instructed to attend an in-service called “Love and Logic,” presented by a Dr. Bob Sornson.

It turned out to be three of the most excruciating hours of my life. Worse, we all have to attend part two next week.

Sornson comes across as condescending, vapid and insipid. I found his “insights” into teaching nothing more than vacuous platitudes.

The PGA Tour determines who plays in a tournament through a system of category exemptions. Players in the top category get first crack at any tournament they want. Then players in the next category get an opportunity.

So, for example, the first category is for winners of the PGA or the US Open prior to 1970, or in the last five years (those who won before 1998 have a ten year exemption, so this runs out this year). Once those players have had their chance, the winners of the Players in the last five years are penciled in. Then winners of the Masters, Winners of the Tour Championshiop, winners of WGA events, winners of Tour events in the last five years. And so on.

What this system does preserve “jobs” for those who already are members of the tour. If you win an event, you don’t have to worry about getting into any Tour tournament you want for the next five years. If you pick your tournament chances well, that makes it more likely that you’ll win a second time and extend that exemption. Players who are high on the exemption list also have a much easier time of staying in the top 125 in earnings required to keep their card from year to year.

Conversely, it also makes it difficult for new players to break in. Even players who have sailed through Q School will find (often to their surprise) that they are often shut out of the system. That can make it somewhat difficult to get into the required 15 tournaments—and that much more difficult to stay in the Top 125 in earnings to keep that card.

That explains the oft-lamented lack of new, young talent. They’re shut out by the old-boy system.

Below is the complete and official list of exemptions:

The City of Ann Arbor maintains two public golf courses: Huron Hills and Leslie Park. Leslie Park is billed as the “Championship Course” while Huron Hills is the “entry level course.” Neither is a great course, especially considering the large number of courses (dozens) in the immediate area. Huron Hills does have the distinction, however, of being one of the few “walking only” courses in Michigan.

In recent years, both courses have suffered a decline in play. That may, however, be associated with a general decline in the quality of the fairways and greens. I haven’t played either in more than a year, but reports are that they are in terrible condition.

The City of Ann Arbor has named a committee to study the courses, and what appears to be a money losing proposition for the city. While I never want to see a course disappear, I think the need for two city golf courses is questionable—especially with the many golf courses within a few minutes of city limits.

UnderArmour Heat Gear Glove

Under Armour has branched out of football and workout gear to golf. Their new Heat Gear glove is designed to offer moisture and temperature management.

I have to admit, I was a little confused about the name. “Heat Gear” to me sounds like cold-weather gloves. But after a little research, I found that their cold weather stuff is called “Cold Gear.”

Very original, that.

I got a nice note today from the author of the Grays On Trays blog telling me how much he liked GolfBlogger. So I visited his site and found a very good post on golfing and snowboarding. It seems that some (not terribly bright) people are blaming the perceived decline in golf in part on snowboarding.

Grays On Trays puts the lie to the rumor with a very succinct and telling line:

To finish on a note of the obvious: there are very few days in the year in which a person must choose between golf and snow sports on a given day.

What are the odds? A motorcyclist driving by a course was hit on the mouth by a golf ball.

Weird Golf Story of The Week