Not as prominent among presidential golfers as Eisenhower, Gerald Ford nonetheless was a great supporter of the game. From an article on PGA Tour dot Com:

He was a regular at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, playing for the first time in 1977 and in his later years being on hand to congratulate winners like Mike Weir and Justin Leonard at the trophy presentation. Ford had a home in the Palm Springs area and was twice honored by the tournament ...

In an historic pairing in 1995, Ford joined two other Presidents – Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush – and Bob Hope and defending champion Scott Hoch to play in the tournament. Clinton was the first sitting U.S. President to play in a TOUR event ...

Ford also was the honorary chairman of the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994 as the U.S. beat the International Team 20-12. Clinton and George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush would follow in his footsteps ...

Ford, a long-time supporter of the PGA TOUR and its charitable mission, also often played in the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic, now know as The Honda Classic, and the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, now the Stanford St. Jude Championship, where he made an ace in 1977.

Unfortunately for Ford, he often is better remembered for his athletic and physical blunders. Those of us of a certain age will recall news stories of Ford bumping his head on the door of Air Force One, and hitting spectators with errant drives. It’s a reputation that he didn’t deserve as he was perhaps the most athletic of presidents, starting at center for the University of Michigan, and receiving offers from NFL teams.

Real golfers play in the snow. Here’s an article on a group of Chicago area golfers who don’t let the white stuff get in the way of their pursuit of the little white ball.

St. Andrews University in Scotland is offering a new golf scholarship to “promising young golfers from minority communities in America to apply for a free place, with African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans targeted.”

Called the New Links Scholarship, it was created by Dr. Kenny Wood, a St. Andrews astronomer who has worked in the US.

Considering that the Scots have had trouble winning the Open, I’m surprised that they’re opening things up to Americans.

Still, what a dream that would be to a young golf lover.

The PGA of America has announced that the Grand Slam—which features the winners of the four majors—will move from Hawaii to Bermuda for the 2007 edition.

Ho hum.

Since Tiger likely will win at least two of the majors—and the winners of the others may very well bow out, as Phil did this year, it’s a pretty lame event.

Still, it will be nice to see a change of scenery. I’ve not been to Bermuda, but friends who have tell me that it’s quite nice.

In a tawdry publicity stunt for a golf club company, a Russian Cosmonaut used a six iron to launch a golf ball into orbit from the International Space Station.

The ball is expected to go tumbling back to Earth in a few days and burn up upon reentry.

It will, no doubt, be the longest drive in history. But where’s the challenge. There were no sand traps, trees or other hazards to avoid.

Although considering that the world is three quarters water, I suppose that water did come into play.