Doral is called the Blue Monster because when it first was built back in 1960, people said that Alfred Kaskel was creating a “monster” in the middle of a swamp. When the course opened, it was known as the “Blue” course. With its swirling winds, water hazards and tough play, it soon became known as the “Blue Monster.”

The course originally was designed was Dick Wilson and later restored by Raymond Floyd.

Here are a few satellite images of the course. More after the jump.

It’s not because the course sports a big blue wall. That’s the Green Monster, and it’s in Boston.

Doral is called the Blue Monster because when it first was built back in 1960, people said that Alfred Kaskel was creating a “monster” in the middle of a swamp. When the course opened, it was known as the “Blue” course. With its swirling winds, water hazards and tough play, it soon became known as the “Blue Monster.”

The course originally was designed was Dick Wilson and later restored by Raymond Floyd.

A few weeks ago, I suggested Electronic Arts might back out of their deal with Tiger by moving to a general PGA Tour game, featuring the likenesses of several “young guns.”:

From February 27:

By my count (I’m probably forgetting something), that leaves Tiger with just two high profile deals: Nike and Electronic Arts, makers of the Tiger Woods video game. Nike is in too deep to get out. I predict that EA will drop him in the next year in favor of a general PGA Tour game, with several top young guns as the hook. Picture a box with Kim, Villegas, and several other under 30 “hip” players smiling out at you. They could sign the whole lot for less than they pay Woods.

My predictions, it seems, have come true. Golf Week is reporting that Rory McIlroy will join Tiger on the cover of Tiger Woods 2011. The reason is ostensibly that this is a Ryder Cup year, and Rory is a European.

Right.

I stand by my prediction. EA will move away from Tiger.

Ping and The Tour have come to an agreement to ban the use of the twenty year old square grooved Ping wedges starting March 29. The clubs previously had been exempted thanks to a 1990 settlement in 1990 from when Ping sued the PGA Tour and the US Golf Association.

No doubt neither side wanted to find out what would happen if the case actually went to court.

Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan and several others had used the clubs this year, in defiance of a new definition of permitted grooves.

The Phoenix Open is without a doubt the wildest tournament in golf, with more than 500,000 expected to attend this weekend. The eye of that storm is the 30,000 seat stadium that surrounds the par 3 sixteenth. It’s just 162 yards, and the only real trouble is the bunker left, but the atmosphere is intense. It’s likely one of two of the most famous holes on Tour (and both are par 3s).

I subscribe to the PGA Tour’s YouTube feed, and thought that the beginning of the above clip might be of interest.

The announcer, BTW, has one of my dream jobs. Just hang out and cover the Tour. He doesn’t even have to do any real reporting, which is hard work.