Chicago Public Golf

Picture it, it’s a completely calm day out as you walk up to the green yet you notice the flag is not drooping, but stiffly standing parallel to the ground. And in fact, there’s an advertisement for Joe’s Bar and Grill on it with a coupon code for a half-price burger if you mention the name of the golf course. How would that make you feel? Would it cheapen the serene beauty and intense competition you are embroiled in? Would you lose focus as you are hovering over that four-footer for the match?

I think not. I don’t have any problems with a little sponsorship on the golf course. And neither does Rockford based Midwest Golf Managment (looks like a division of a company called Fetelli). They’ve invented a flag that is about half rigid and half fluid called the Ad Flag. On the rigid half you can put your course name or an advertisement and you never have to be concerned about it being obscured on a calm day when the flag droops. But, it still retains some of the features of a loose flag because half of the flag flaps in the wind.

I read an article about this in Golf World. The little article talks about the interesting take on income opportunities that Midwest Golf Management has. They propose charging the advertiser on an advertising-view basis that is positive Google-ish. You, as the golf course owner, go to the potential advertiser and say, “I get 20,000 paid rounds per year on my golf course so I can guarantee that many sets of eyeballs on your advertisement annually if you sponsor an Ad Flag on my first hole. In fact, I will only charge you for each “view” so you only pay $0.08 per view.”

Check out the link and let me know what you think. Sounds reasonable to me I guess. You can see for yourself if you play a Rockford park district course his summer, because they’ve apparently incorporated it on their greens. The industry has been doing it for years on tee markers, but may not be using the “advertising view” model to charge advertisers. Heck, if it makes the industry healthier, I’m all for it, because this sponsorship model is here to stay.

Alright folks, the links page is coming alive and I’ve added a bunch of new features. At the left is a little screen shot of what you get when you go to del.icio.us/chicagogolfcast. I have 183 bookmarks so far that encompass a ton of Chicagoland golf course information.

I’ve bookmarked the home pages of about 129 Chicago area golf courses and grouped them by price range, region, architect, and the expressway you would take from downtown. The other 50 or so bookmarks are for things like local architects, golf road trips, online tee-time companies, and local periodicals.

Keep in mind that it is still in process and we will be tweaking this thing throughout the year. If it looks a little daunting, take a look at this post where I write more about the links page and how it works.

I got out this Sunday and hit a few buckets then chipped and putted some. I have not yet played 18 holes in the Chicago region yet this year and it is killing me. I probably won’t be able to get out until May because of the cold weather and my travel and work plans, but then I’m going to go crazy with golf.

Look for posts upcoming about some special features in the links page.

Have you noticed the new feature that ESPN 1000 rolled out in mornings? Marc Silverman and a few other personalities go on a little rant about current topics in sports during some of the commercial breaks during Mike & Mike. Well, today Marc Silverman (of The Show) went off on a golf rant. He was making fun of the Masters final round and the prodigious amounts of bogeys and apparent “choking” going on amongst the world’s best players.

I’m paraphrasing because, but here is what he concluded:

…if that’s the best the sport has to offer, then golf fans, you can have it!

Well Marc, I guess there’s nothing to complain about in the land of Cubs or Sox, so you might as well pick on golf. It’s clear that you’re ignorant of the intricacies of the game and you should limit your analysis to sports you’re familiar with; football, baseball, and basketball. Why showcase how little you know of the game of golf by even opening your claptrap? But, I guess that’s what you get paid to do.

If you were the least bit knowledgeable of the game, you would have a concept of pressure and what it does to the golf swing for even the most accomplished players. Pressure that is more prevalent because the Masters is the premier event in golf, on one of the greatest golf courses in the world, during a tournament steeped in tradition. This pressure actually makes it nearly impossible for a completely healthy and sane human to perform the complex action of the golf swing without a degradation in performance.

If you’ve ever engaged in a simple money game with your buddies, you would know what it’s like to have a 4 footer to tie the match on the 17th hole. But if you don’t play golf, or have any buddies, this bit of insight will escape you. In fact, I feel sorry for you because you are probably just a spectator for all of your sports. I doubt you can round up a weekend game of football or baseball. Basketball is one sport where you may be able to actually engage in the physical action against an opponent, but dealing with the mental aspects of pressure and choking don’t really enter into that foray.

Participating in sports that you are a fan of is a great way to get a truer understanding of them. That’s one of the beautiful things about golf, anyone can simulate the same type of pressure-packed conditions that our heroes in the PGA play under. It sets golf apart and is one of the reasons why I love it so much. I suggest you try playing it someday because it may save you from sounding like a idiot the next time you talk about it.

So I wonder, why would a guy that is so helpful to me in analyzing the Bears, Bulls, Sox, and Cubs, destroy all that goodwill with an ignorant tirade on a sport that he is so unfamiliar with. I’ve always been a big fan of you Silvy, and still am, so I say this only to help. Keep your piehole shut when it comes to golf and let Mac and Jurko talk about it (Harry doesn’t know jack about it either)!

Think of the most compelling micro-moments in all of sports; pitching with bases loaded late in the game with two outs and a small lead; a pivotal second set tiebreaker in a 5 set match; the football with less than a minute left in the second quarter-down by two touchdowns and wanting badly to go into the locker room down by only 7. These are pivotal, mid-game moments that provide great drama. Depending on how it plays out, someone is going to walk away with a big advantage.

However, nothing compares to that hour long period when the final group on Masters Sunday steps on to the 11th tee and begins the slog through Amen Corner. Whatever happens on the ensuing three holes usually has a huge influence on who puts on the Green Jacket a few hours later.

So let’s kick off a regular feature at the Chicago Golfcast and try and find Chicago’s Amen Corner somewhere amongst all of the daily fee courses around here. To aid in our effort, let’s first reflect on what makes the real Amen Corner so compelling.

I’ve never played them, but I have studied them. Holes 11, 12, and 13 at Augusta are three consecutive holes of such mind-boggling complexity, difficulty, and guile that when the player is done, the overriding feeling is simply, “thank God it’s over and I’m still alive.” Any joy is usually reserved for one or two humans that by force of will or dumb luck, escape with their wits intact. Let’s go through some more of the special traits of the real Amen Corner:

• The three holes are truly placed in a remote corner of the grounds at Augusta National about as far away from the clubhouse as you can get.
• They are situated in a V shape forming a perfect “corner.” If you drew a line from 13 green roughly down the fairway, it would be perpendicular to 11 fairway and hit just about at 11 green.
• They are three holes of great variability, each providing a distinctly different challenge. Hole 11 is a long, gentle dog leg right par 4 with a pond left of the green (505 yards). Hole 12 is a short, devious par 3 with a wide creek in front (155 yards). And hole 13 is a short, reachable, dog leg left par 5 with a narrow stream running down the left side of the fairway and crossing over over to the right, just short of the green (510 yards).
• Spectators and players can get a panoramic view of significant parts of all three holes from many points around the “bottom of the V.”
• They holes are basically in the middle of the round. Affording plenty of time to warm up and providing the ability to make a recovery if the player is only partially destroyed.
• Each hole is singular in it’s beauty and serenity. Each one landscaped like a work of art.

Arguably, it could be the greatest three consecutive holes ever placed on a golf course in the history of the world. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s quite moving to see for the first time. I could not hold back the tears to be honest.

Here is the overhead shot from Google maps.

The tee on 11 is in the upper right corner back in the narrow shoot of trees. The 12 green and 13 tee are situated at the bottom center of the map, just below the brown, murky waters of Rae’s Creek (maybe they do color it for Masters week). The green on 13 is upper left, surrounded by bunkers left and long and the stream on the right. The holes peaking out below and bottom right are not part of Augusta National, they are actually part of the unaffiliated Augusta Country Club. Note that this shot was taken at least 24 months ago because Hootie and crew (Fazio I think) decided to plant a bunch of trees on the right side of 11 fairway which really toughens it up and makes it play more like a dog leg right.

So, given that build-up, do you have any ideas? I have proposed holes 11 to 13 at Prairie Landing as option before, but they’re not perfect. Submit an essay to chicagogolfcast@gmail.com with your Amen Corner. It has to be from a daily fee course in Chicago or the surrounding areas. I will pick a winner at the season’s end. The prize is a free round of golf for one paid for by the Chicago Golfcast valued at $75.

If you’re a Chicago golf fan and looking for some local blood to pull for, you have a few options. As usual, the core trio of Steve Stricker (U of I), Luke Donald (Evanston), and Jeff Sluman (Western ‘burbs I think) are all in.

You have already read my rant on why I’m discouraged that these guys aren’t highlighted in the local papers so I won’t belabor the point. I will make a couple of other points that may be interesting to you.

First, according to my sources (Ed Sherman), the Masters will begin inviting certain PGA tour winners from the previous year. Had this been implemented last year, we would be seeing our man Mark Wilson teeing it up today. Oh well, hopefully he wins again before next year’s Masters.

Second, keep in mind that we actually have a former Masters winner with a Chicago connection (somewhat). Bob Goalby, from Belleville, IL and a graduate of U of I, won the tournament back in 1968.

This wasn’t just an ordinary win and is recounted in detail by famous golf writer Curt Sampson in his book The Lost Masters: Grace and Disgrace in ‘68. Among other reasons, this Masters was famous for a simple scoring mistake. You see, Goalby ended regulation play tied with Roberto DeVicenzo and went on beat DeVicenzo in a playoff. However, DeVicenzo should have won outright. His playing partner marked an erroneous 4 on the scorecard on number 17 rather than a 3-the correct number. If scored correctly, DeVicenzo would have been shrugging on the green jacket that evening, but since he signed the scorecard, the erroneous score stood.

Hmm, I might have to add the Sampson book to my summer reading schedule. I played a Goalby-designed course a few years ago in southern Illinois called Far Oaks. Nice course. I wish I would have known some of this history when I played it.

The Chicago Tribune’s very own Ed Sherman is an Augusta this week so, once again, I’m going to give you the link to his blog so you can follow the action. Hopefully he posts daily.

This week is like the NCAA tournament, Super Bowl, and BCS Championship all rolled into one. Each of those individually pale in comparison, but taken collectively, they may be able to dig up enough excitement to match the four day event that is the Masters. There is no sporting event that consistently turns in the drama that the Masters does. It’s simply the best, period!

For Chicago golf fans, this is the only major championship that occurs during invariably poor weather. I’m happy that April is here, but I think we’re going to be in the 40s this weekend. Great for watching golf. I always find it difficult to watch the US Open (June), British Open (July), and PGA Championship (August) because I would rather be playing. That 100+ day period from June to mid-September is mostly DVR territory for golf viewing as far as I’m concerned.

This year is extra-special also because it is the first year that I’m going to be able to watch it in HD. Golf in HD is great, but Augusta in HD makes it even better.

Clear the decks, here is the TV Schedule.