Golfing Thread

[iamshack]

I have a feeling that golf is going to become an actual country club sport like polo where there just aren't many people playing it and it becomes more clearly a sport for rich people. I wonder if any high schools are cutting it - I know mine always made the kids pay all the expenses so they'd never cut it so long as there is a course nearby

That is what golf used to be.

 

This reminds me of the financial markets. The hype becomes unsustainable, things come back to reality, people predict the ultimate demise, but really, it's just a retreat to a more sustainable level.

 

Upon what would you base this feeling?

[SnB]

Not sure about suburban Illinois anymore, but in many places (especially warm weather areas) there are just tons and tons of courses. There was a boom in the 80's and another boom in the 2000's (AT = After Tiger). Problem is, all these developers were trying to outdo eachother and build courses for professionals. Those type of courses require mucho maintenance dollars and so now many of them are closing or falling into disrepair. Additionally, as was mentioned, these courses are hard, and therefore, they take a lot of time to get around. Most only allow you to take a cart because the holes are not routed closely enough.

 

A few weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about golf "dying." Dick's Sporting Goods laid off 500 PGA professionals (they had tried to have one on hand at every store to differentiate themselves from their competitors). Equipment sales are way down. They've had to sell drivers under cost just to get them off their shelves.

 

Well golf isn't dying. Golf is alive and well. Some 30 million people in the United States alone play golf. The problem is, the equipment market is just oversaturated. How many drivers is one expected to buy? How many putters? How many sets of irons? I'm not going to drop $300-400 on a driver and then buy another one in 3 months. Same goes for a putter or a set of irons. 20-25 years ago, when I was just taking up golf, if you wanted to find a really nice set of irons, you had to order them through a manufacturer or through someone who belonged to a club. Otherwise, you went to Sportmart and got the same set of MacGregor's or Wilson's that every other hack had. Today, there is a Dick's or a Golf Galaxy or whatever in damn near every strip mall. You can find a stock set of irons made by almost every manufacturer in golf within a 5 mile radius of most suburbs in the US. Additionally, go to any driving range or public golf course on a weekday afternoon in the summer or a weekend morning. You'll find guys in their suits and guys in their construction boots out there next to one another beating balls into the sun. Sure, maybe it isn't as crowded as it might have been in 2006 when Tiger was in all his glory, but there will be a hell of a lot more folks out there than 20 years ago.

 

This is a much more reasonable take on the issue. There aware like 7 golf stores within a 10 mile radius of my house. I'm pretty sure 1 would suffice

 

[RockRaines]

I have a feeling that golf is going to become an actual country club sport like polo where there just aren't many people playing it and it becomes more clearly a sport for rich people. I wonder if any high schools are cutting it - I know mine always made the kids pay all the expenses so they'd never cut it so long as there is a course nearby

I dont think golf is dying, in fact courses and country clubs are seeing a bit of a resurgence in younger golfers. However the equipment manufacturers are the ones trying to cry poor and are putting this info out. They make new 400 dollar drivers every year, THATS what is too expensive.

[clyons]

Tiger's got real guts; winning the U.S. Open on a near broken leg proved that, but playing the PGA after what happened last week just doesn't seem real smart.

[iamshack]

Tiger's got real guts; winning the U.S. Open on a near broken leg proved that, but playing the PGA after what happened last week just doesn't seem real smart.

That is, if you believe he really injured himself.

 

I believe he was embarrassed and faked the injury.

[cabiness42]

Tiger's got real guts; winning the U.S. Open on a near broken leg proved that, but playing the PGA after what happened last week just doesn't seem real smart.

 

His only chance at getting picked for the Ryder Cup team is to make it through four rounds this weekend.

[witesoxfan]

That is, if you believe he really injured himself.

 

I believe he was embarrassed and faked the injury.

 

That's what I saw too. He was angry with how poorly he was playing, and was faking the injuries. Just seems to me if his back was in real pain, he would have stopped almost immediately. I don't care how gutsy and tough you are, you are always told that if you are suffering from back pain, you stop immediately.

[iamshack]

That's what I saw too. He was angry with how poorly he was playing, and was faking the injuries. Just seems to me if his back was in real pain, he would have stopped almost immediately. I don't care how gutsy and tough you are, you are always told that if you are suffering from back pain, you stop immediately.

On the shot he supposedly injured himself he showed absolutely no sign of pain in his facial expressions or in his bodily movements. Nor in the shots immediately subsequent. Some of the shots he was attempting to play were not those of someone with a suffering back. He's just lost his confidence, and he was hitting shots of the like of you and I, and figured that was his easiest explanation for it.

 

I wasn't surprised at all when he was miraculously feeling well enough to play this morning.

[clyons]

I hate the guy (Tiger), but faking never entered my mind. I guess it would explain the miraculously quick recovery, though. I attributed it to "19 Fever."

 

And he has no business on the Ryder Cup team. NONE. I love Tom Watson, but him even entertaining that notion is ridiculous and probably (hopefully) just for PR.

Tiger's record in that event is spotty even when he's been on top of his game.

[witesoxfan]

On the shot he supposedly injured himself he showed absolutely no sign of pain in his facial expressions or in his bodily movements. Nor in the shots immediately subsequent. Some of the shots he was attempting to play were not those of someone with a suffering back. He's just lost his confidence, and he was hitting shots of the like of you and I, and figured that was his easiest explanation for it.

 

I wasn't surprised at all when he was miraculously feeling well enough to play this morning.

 

That was what I saw too. He didn't land awkwardly or anything on that jump down, and though I don't have back problems, I've dealt with minor back pain on occasion. If you are doing something as strenuous as that and you aren't grimacing and wincing and shouting, I won't believe you.

 

It looked to me like he was making some hyper aggressive plays to try and get back into the tournament or try and win it, and they bit him in the ass, and he thought "oh I can just say it was a back thing, yeah that's it."

[Jenksismyhero]

Eh, the back is a complicated animal. It's entirely possible he just pinched a nerve or altered his spine ever so slightly to cause some discomfort. It doesn't mean he suffered a debilitating injury. Chiropractor and some shots and pain meds could have him ready to go. He's been hacking his way around golf courses for quite a while now, never really being the Tiger of old, so i'm not sure why he'd just quit because he wasn't playing up to his standards.

 

[iamshack]

Eh, the back is a complicated animal. It's entirely possible he just pinched a nerve or altered his spine ever so slightly to cause some discomfort. It doesn't mean he suffered a debilitating injury. Chiropractor and some shots and pain meds could have him ready to go. He's been hacking his way around golf courses for quite a while now, never really being the Tiger of old, so i'm not sure why he'd just quit because he wasn't playing up to his standards.

Did you see some of the shots he was hitting?

 

I've been watching Tiger my entire life and I've never seen him shank a 5-iron a 140 yards, or skull a ball out of a sand trap.

 

He was melting down on live television and took the easy way out.

[Jenksismyhero]

Did you see some of the shots he was hitting?

 

I've been watching Tiger my entire life and I've never seen him shank a 5-iron a 140 yards, or skull a ball out of a sand trap.

 

He was melting down on live television and took the easy way out.

 

Are you watching him play today? His shots are all over the place.

 

There's no evidence of him ever quitting in the past. Why would he suddenly do it then? It makes no sense. He immediately grimaced after getting out of that bunker and continued to play until he couldn't take it anymore. He did the same thing earlier this year.

 

[iamshack]

Are you watching him play today? His shots are all over the place.

 

There's no evidence of him ever quitting in the past. Why would he suddenly do it then? It makes no sense. He immediately grimaced after getting out of that bunker and continued to play until he couldn't take it anymore. He did the same thing earlier this year.

His play today is a revelation compared with Sunday. And he certainly did not grimace when he got out of that bunker.

 

Why would he suddenly quit? Because he was melting down; hes never done that on the golf course before.

[Jenksismyhero]

His play today is a revelation compared with Sunday. And he certainly did not grimace when he got out of that bunker.

 

Why would he suddenly quit? Because he was melting down; hes never done that on the golf course before.

 

I'm not a big Tiger guy and I think you're nuts. He's coming off a back injury. He tweaked his back. It happens. Sometimes you can play through it, sometimes you can't.

 

edit: i'm trying to find a video of him after that bunker shot. I recall watching that live and he gave a look after he got out of that bunker like something wasn't right. And from then on you could tell he was not comfortable.

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by Jenksismybitch

[iamshack]

I'm not a big Tiger guy and I think you're nuts. He's coming off a back injury. He tweaked his back. It happens. Sometimes you can play through it, sometimes you can't.

He said this "injury" was completely independent of the other back injury.

[iamshack]

I'm not a big Tiger guy and I think you're nuts. He's coming off a back injury. He tweaked his back. It happens. Sometimes you can play through it, sometimes you can't.

 

edit: i'm trying to find a video of him after that bunker shot. I recall watching that live and he gave a look after he got out of that bunker like something wasn't right. And from then on you could tell he was not comfortable.

Nick Faldo analyzed that shot several times and went well out of his way to comment on how there was absolutely no evidence of him showing any pain whatsoever. I watched it several times. There wasn't.

[Jenksismyhero]

He said this "injury" was completely independent of the other back injury.

 

Right, but going through his previous back injury, he probably knew there was a limit to how much he could take.

[Jenksismyhero]

Nick Faldo analyzed that shot several times and went well out of his way to comment on how there was absolutely no evidence of him showing any pain whatsoever. I watched it several times. There wasn't.

 

Oh well the guy in the booth 500 yards away clearly knows what someone's insides feel like.

 

Look, believe the conspiracy theory if you want. He wasn't even playing THAT bad. He made a couple bogies and a double and a bunch of pars before quitting. That's terrible for him, but not embarrassing.

 

 

[iamshack]

Oh well the guy in the booth 500 yards away clearly knows what someone's insides feel like.

 

Look, believe the conspiracy theory if you want. He wasn't even playing THAT bad. He made a couple bogies and a double and a bunch of pars before quitting. That's terrible for him, but not embarrassing.

The only conspiracy theory is his own; that he actually hurt his back

 

Believe me, if you would have been watching, you would have realized how poorly he was playing. The fact that he made par after ending up in the front of the fairway on a par 3 is one thing, but then the fact that he hit an iron shot from a bunch of trees into the beer tent and then an iron to about 8 feet, where he just left the par putt short was cracking up the broadcast team. If you look at the scorecard, that is one thing, but the way he was making those scores had people talking the entire week. Trust me, it was quite embarrassing.

[IlliniKrush]

Gotta compare it to the Cutler situation. He's not hurt! He could have played! He quit!

 

I'm with Jenks, I'm not buying it.

Edited August 7, 2014 by IlliniKrush

[Jenksismyhero]

The only conspiracy theory is his own; that he actually hurt his back

 

Believe me, if you would have been watching, you would have realized how poorly he was playing. The fact that he made par after ending up in the front of the fairway on a par 3 is one thing, but then the fact that he hit an iron shot from a bunch of trees into the beer tent and then an iron to about 8 feet, where he just left the par putt short was cracking up the broadcast team. If you look at the scorecard, that is one thing, but the way he was making those scores had people talking the entire week. Trust me, it was quite embarrassing.

 

But I still don't get how you leap to "fake injury." If anything those shots - which are very rare for him or any professional - are proof that he WAS suffering an injury that was screwing up his swing.

[iamshack]

But I still don't get how you leap to "fake injury." If anything those shots - which are very rare for him or any professional - are proof that he WAS suffering an injury that was screwing up his swing.

Have you never seen an athlete fail to make a play and then all the sudden he's holding his leg, or knee, or whatever? It happens all the time in sports...it's a refusal to take accountability for an athletic failure and instead making an excuse for it- injury.

 

As for Tiger, it was an incredibly convenient excuse. Look, the guy is all over the place right now. Between his personal issues, his game no longer being what it was, his quest to win more majors than Jack in jeopardy...it's really a huge fall from grace and he's still struggling to adjust to his new reality.

 

I certainly am not the only person to reach the conclusion that he faked the injury, considering there were on-air personalities suggesting the same thing.

[Jenksismyhero]

Have you never seen an athlete fail to make a play and then all the sudden he's holding his leg, or knee, or whatever? It happens all the time in sports...it's a refusal to take accountability for an athletic failure and instead making an excuse for it- injury.

 

As for Tiger, it was an incredibly convenient excuse. Look, the guy is all over the place right now. Between his personal issues, his game no longer being what it was, his quest to win more majors than Jack in jeopardy...it's really a huge fall from grace and he's still struggling to adjust to his new reality.

 

I certainly am not the only person to reach the conclusion that he faked the injury, considering there were on-air personalities suggesting the same thing.

 

Not suddenly out of the blue, no, I haven't. Not when he's played poorly this year in other tournaments. He had his worst major ever this year and he finished all four rounds. Why didn't he quit then? And refusal to take accountability? Really?

 

He had a 2 year stretch in 2010 and 2011 when he was "bad." And this year hasn't been great. But he's still been dominant despite not winning majors. 1st or 2nd in the money list 4 out of the last 6 years. People are so delusional about how good/bad he is because of how mind-blowingly amazing he was the first ten years of his career.

 

What's funny is I was a huge Tiger fan when he first came on tour, and then at some point I got bored with it and actually hated that other guys (Duval, Mickelson, Els, Singh, etc.) could never get much attention. I began to despise Tiger because of it. I started rooting against him. I even started to think he was way overrated. But now I think he's completely underrated. He's set the bar so high that expectations are out of control. Again, the dude is winning tournaments left and right the last couple of years and it's still not enough. He's "all over the place" and had a "huge fall from grace." GMAB.

 

And who is reaching that conclusion? Faldo? That's who you're sticking with? Again, the guy who's sitting in a booth watching a TV? The guy who doesn't have a swing anywhere near as violent as Tiger's?

Edited August 7, 2014 by Jenksismybitch

[iamshack]

Not suddenly out of the blue, no, I haven't. Not when he's played poorly this year in other tournaments. He had his worst major ever this year and he finished all four rounds. Why didn't he quit then? And refusal to take accountability? Really?

 

He had a 2 year stretch in 2010 and 2011 when he was "bad." And this year hasn't been great. But he's still been dominant despite not winning majors. 1st or 2nd in the money list 4 out of the last 6 years. People are so delusional about how good/bad he is because of how mind-blowingly amazing he was the first ten years of his career.

 

What's funny is I was a huge Tiger fan when he first came on tour, and then at some point I got bored with it and actually hated that other guys (Duval, Mickelson, Els, Singh, etc.) could never get much attention. I began to despise Tiger because of it. I started rooting against him. I even started to think he was way overrated. But now I think he's completely underrated. He's set the bar so high that expectations are out of control. Again, the dude is winning tournaments left and right the last couple of years and it's still not enough. He's "all over the place" and had a "huge fall from grace." GMAB.

 

And who is reaching that conclusion? Faldo? That's who you're sticking with? Again, the guy who's sitting in a booth watching a TV? The guy who doesn't have a swing anywhere near as violent as Tiger's?

You didn't watch it...I'm not going to argue with you anymore when you didn't even see it.

 

Edit: And btw, we should discount Faldo's opinion because of those reasons but not yours?

Edited August 7, 2014 by iamshack