PGA Tour Marches Toward Augusta
Take A Look At This Month's Prelude To The Masters
The guys have finished their West-coast swing and are headed to the Sunshine State looking to sharpen their games and to build a little momentum in the hopes of being fitted for the only green jacket anyone would want to own.
Baseball once dominated springtime in Florida, but no longer is that the case. Spring in Florida is now dominated by gentlemen who work for their pay.
The Tour Caravan
The first Florida stop is also the state's oldest. The "Blue Monster" at Doral was once the most feared regular stop on Tour. While time and technology has taken some of the teeth out of the course, a great champion always finds a way to the top of the leaderboard come Sunday. Last year Jim Furyk came from seven shots back over the last nine holes to claim the title.
Next stop is the Honda Classic, the TPC at Heron Bay, just west of Fort Lauderdale. One of the newer courses on Tour, Heron Bay provides an interesting contrast to the "Blue Monster." Mark McCumber's design features water on only three holes. This 7,268-yard track is a daily-fee course the other 51 weeks out of the year, making it one of the few Tour stops that you can simply drop by and play.
Tiger Woods will be at Arnie's place to defend one of his nine titles from last year at the Bay Hill Invitational. The air here is usually thick with competition at this, the final stop before that little wannabe-major called the Players Championship. With Palmer's drawing power, Bay Hill usually boasts the strongest field to date each year. And you can even chat with Arnie during the weekend as he tours the course, taking in the action with the rest of the patrons.
The player-run Players Championship, counted by many as the fifth major, is held on a piece of golf history. The 26-year-old Pete Dye-designed TPC at Sawgrass was the first of the stadium-designed, gallery-friendly venues. The track features golf's most aggravating par-3, the 132-yard island green 17th. This pesky hole provides us mortal golfers one of the few chances to see our Tour heroes play just like we do. The winner also gets a cool $1 million first-place check and a 10-year Tour exemption.
Get In Your Own Training
Should you decide to attend a PGA Tour event this spring, you can have your own "spring training." Free lessons are there for the taking.
A choice spot to pick up a few tips is on the practice tee. By watching the time and effort that each player puts into his warm-up, you may learn what to pay attention to before your next round of golf. Pay special attention to the way the players prepare to go to work. You can also eavesdrop as the players and their coaches talk about swing changes, work on a problem spot, or practice a type of shot that the pro needs in his bag to play this particular course.
One of my most vivid childhood memories is of watching Jack Nicklaus hit balls on the range before a practice round at the Masters. This was back when your caddie donned a hard hat and collected your balls after you hit them to him. Nine times out of ten, Jack's caddie didn't have to move more than a step to pick up the ball. That's pretty impressive to a 10-year-old just starting to play the game.
Once on the course, watch how the players are able to raise their concentration level before hitting a shot. No ball is struck without the same routine being run through time and time again. Professionals know that sticking to the same routine helps you play when the pressure heats up.
Some players relax between shots by conversing with their playing partners. Some wouldn't talk to their own mothers during a round. Still others, like Fuzzy Zoeller or Lee Trevino, even enjoy talking to the gallery. Once at a Senior event, I saw Chi Chi Rodriguez hand a young man $20 and ask him to get him a hot dog and a coke. "With what's leftover get yourself and your buddies something," Chi Chi added. Now that's a great way to win fans over and relax on the course.
You can learn a lot about reading putts by watching the pros. These guys are studying the green from out in the fairway! They take note of the grain, hills, water, anything that can influence the ball on its roll into the cup.
After the round, unless he has just fired a course record, you can find a pro or two or three back at the practice tee working on that knock-down eight-iron that let him down all day. The putting green is another place to find someone working on those four-footers that simply wouldn't drop.
After the pros have finished their rounds, worked on their problem areas, and relaxed a bit, most are more than willing to sign a few autographs. Professional golfers are the most accessible athletes in the world, on and off the course. Just don't ask one why he pull-hooked that five-iron into the water on No. 12.
Now take a minute or three, watch the guys who play this game for a living and give your game a little "Spring Training."
More New Stuff
Sun Mountain, a leader in golf bag design, has something new. The company's Speed Cart is designed for the golfer who wants the pleasure of walking without the pain of carrying his or her bag.
The Speed Cart is the most ergonomically designed push cart around. It allows you to walk the course with your back straight and uses the natural positions of your arms and shoulders to efficiently push the cart. The three-wheeled cart also folds down quickly to easily fit into your trunk and its large tires easily handle any terrain.
If you prefer to carry your clubs Sun Mountain's line of carry bags feature a contoured Dual X-Strap, high-tensile aluminum legs, velour-lined valuables pockets, and even a cooler pocket.
During his dominant run in the early '90s Nick Price made a lot of money with a Bobby Grace Fat Lady Swings Putter. Price took home six trophies -- including two majors -- with a Bobby Grace Putter in his bag.
Now the company has launched an entirely new line featuring three mallet models and three new blade models. The new putters feature a distinctive black and copper dovetail design. The bi-metal technology allows the putters to be anodized in a rich black finish without sacrificing quality or feel. Copper weights are manufactured into the toe and heel to provide ideal weighting. These putters are as much a work of art as they are a great putter.
If you're tired of your bag and accessories tumbling all over your vehicles cargo area or trunk, you need the Golfsporter by Haney Golf. It is designed to fit in the trunk or storage area of practically any car, truck or SUV. It neatly organizes and securely holds everything from tees to golf.
Featuring a unique collar system that fits any golf bag, the Golfsporter is designed to allow several bags to fit separately into a SUV cargo area or virtually any size car trunk. Other features include roomy dividers for balls, tees, gloves and shoes. The spacious shoe compartment keeps your vehicle free from mud and dirt.
This is an excellent product in which to store your clubs and accessories during the offseason in your basement or garage, or to simply keep them organized in your vehicle between rounds.
Kasco, makers of the world's finest golf gloves, has done it again. The company's new Ever Soft line is made of a uniquely treated Ethiopian sheepskin to prevent any rain or sweat from entering the fibers. The special chemicals that block moisture also increase softness and make the glove more breathable for comfortable play.
In other news, the company's hugely successful K2K line has been expanded to include a ladies' line and left-handed models. The K2K, Japan's "Club of the Year" award winner, now features 31 specifications of head and shaft. Best of all, Kasco has now lowered the retail price on these clubs.
Kasco is also test-marketing some of their clubs that are currently only available in Japan. The company may introduce some of these here in the U.S. If you get a chance to try some of these Japanese-only clubs, do it. I did at the PGA Show and their performance is amazing.
FACTIOD OF THE WEEK: A PGA Tour player who completes play in every 2001 full-field event, including one practice round, will walk about 750 miles this season.
Stammer's Golf Archive
Editor's note: James Stammer is a freelance writer living in Florida. He has played golf for better than a quarter-century. To reach James, e-mail him at jstammer@yahoo.com.
