Various news outlets are reporting that Barack Obama has in ten months surpassed the total number of golf rounds played by President Bush during his entire tenure. Obama’s round on Sunday was the 24th. I’m not sure when the major news media became so trivial as to start counting the number of rounds of golf that the occupant of the White House plays, but it apparently was big news that this also was Obama’s first round with a woman. The “lucky” gal was Melody Barnes, his domestic policy advisor. The administration has faced criticism in recent days from sources as diverse as Fox and The New York Times over the perception that Obama is running an all-boys club, where women—such as Hillary Clinton—are marginalized. Dragging Barnes out apparently was their effort to counter that issue.

Bush eventually gave up golf because he thought it inappropriate to play around while families were sacrificing their sons and daughters in Iraq. In the Farenheit 911 movie, moonbat Michael Moore had savaged Bush for playing golf following the announcement of a suicide bombing in Israel. I’m still waiting for Moore to criticize Obama for playing on a day when 100 were killed and 500 injured in twin car bombings in Iraq. He’s a hypocrite, so we won’t hear a word on that one.

I don’t personally care how many rounds of golf Obama plays during his term of office. There are 1.8 million civilian government employees, and they surely can take care of things for a few hours while he hits the links. And even if an emergency arises that absolutely requires his attention, Obama’s only seconds away from a cell phone—not to mention the Blackberry that is attached to his hip. I also know that a good round of golf can renew the spirit and make the entire next work week easier to take.

I actually wish Obama would spend more time on the links. The way things are going right now, my wallet feels a whole lot safer when he and his cronies in Congress are away from their desks.

in 2010, the Netherlands will open a 43-bay, 15,000 square foot indoor golf facility.

Somewhere between the endless fawning over Tiger and the hopelessly insipid Big Break, the Golf Channel has scheduled an interesting-sounding event called “The Ultimate Game.” Inspired by the Big Stakes Match Play Championship of a couple of years ago, the Ultimate Game features 64 two man match play teams playing for $2.4 million. It’s going to be a semi-pro event. Players can’t currently be members of any of the Tours, or a past winner of a professional event. On the other hand, that leaves it open for former Tour players.

If the Golf Channel will hire some professional producers and camera operators (instead of the amateurs they use for every other show), it could turn out to be a good time.

I’ve got this nagging feeling, however, that there’s been some controversy over this event from a couple of years ago. Something about financing, or sponsorships or somesuch. But I can’t put my finger on it. And I can’t find a past post about it on the blog. Maybe a reader can remind me.

From the event’s press release, here’s the background on the event:

The concept for what is now The Ultimate Game at The PGA West Stadium Course was born more than 10 years ago. All-Pro NFL quarterback Steve Bartkowski and friends were watching a PGA TOUR event in which one of the pros appeared pressured to sink a six-foot putt: “That’s not pressure. If he finishes second, who cares? His money isn’t on the line. Pressure is when you have to sink a six-footer to win a $100 Nassau, and it’s your $100,” Bartkowski’s friend said. From there, the concept of golfers playing for their own money was born.

The Canadian Open—which begins Thursday at the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.—has been sadly reduced to second class status.

Squeezed into perhaps the worst spot on the golf schedule—between the British Open and the Bridgestone; and opposite the Reno-Tahoe—the second oldest non-major has attracted only two of the world’s top players: Jim Furyk, the defending Champion, and the everpresent and seemingly inexhaustable Vijay Singh. The two deserve kudos for making the effort to play.

Other top American players are understandably recuperating after a pair of flights over the pond, while the Europeans are involved with the Deutsche Bank Players Championship. All told, only 17 of the world’s top 100 are in the tournament.

Even Davis Love, whose firm recently redesigned Angus Glen, won’t show up.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

The biggest names are stars on the decline such as John Daly, Lee Janzen and Steve Elkington. Bob Tway also will appear.

With a nod to history, I think the Canadian Open deserves better. It’s the second oldest non-major, following the Western Open (now the BMW, but don’t get me started on that one.). And when you consider that the Western could rightly have been considered a Major until the Masters, the Canadian only rises in status. Some have written that as a national championship, it followed only the US Open and Open Championship in stature.

The list of past champions is impressive: Woods, Singh, Norman (Greg, not Moe), Price, Strange, Trevino, Casper, Palmer, Nelson, Snead, Hagen, Armour. Interestingly, it was never won my Nickaus. It may well be the most prestigious tournament not won by the Golden Bear.
The tournament has in the past been held in September, but the Royal Canadian Golf Association had lobbied for a summer date. Tournaments in the fall—and especially with the new FedEx Cup schedule suffer from a lack of starpower. Once the majors are over, the big guns go into hibernation. The RCGA’s thinking was that a summer date would improve the situation.

It won’t, for in the current slot it will never attract a big name (was that intentional on the Tour’s part?).

The bad scheduling and lack of stars also may have had an impact on the Canadian Open’s bottom line. The championship has no title sponsor and the RCGA is dipping into its rainy day fund to offer the purse.

Rick Desrochers, the RCGA’s CEO has said that the Presidents Cup, which is a PGA Tour-sponsored event held this year in Canada, drained about $1 million in sponsorship money away from the Canadian Open.

“But (Tour commissioner) Tim Finchem is well aware of that,” he said.

Unfavorable scheduling by the PGA Tour has resulted in the death of at least one tournament (the International). It would be awful to see the Canadian Open go the same way.

Given its history and its standing as the other North American national championship (ok, Mexico has one, but its not the same),  there’s no reason that the PGA Tour could not have worked with the Canadians to find a better slot.

The 100th Canadian Open will be played in 2009. It would be great if the PGA Tour could maneuver things to give the Canadian Open a better chance.

A study by Weatherbill, Inc says that, thanks to global warming, the number of good days for golf may be increasing.

Strangely, it turns out that Mars also is experiencing global warming. Wonder how the golf season is shaping up there.