Secret In The Dirt - Golf's Greatest Social Network

February 18 - Today in Golf History

On this day in 1979 Amy Alcott holds off Sandra Post in a playoff to win the Elizabeth Arden Classic. Alcott would go on to win another 4 times in 1979 including the Peter Jackson Classic, a major as of 1979 and precursor to the Canadian Women's Open. Alcott's World Golf Hall of Fame Career included 29 wins on the LPGA Tour 5 of which were majors. Born in Kansas City, Missouri but making her home in Santa Monica California Alcott was inducted into the Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2011. Let's watch.

Read more...

Favorite Week of the Year

Saturday, 5:20 am. It was a cold and foggy morning in Pacific Palisades. The only lights you could see were coming from my Riviera issued golf cart. The deer at this time were scurrying back into their homes on the outskirts of the course. The work day had only just begun.

The range had to be up and running by six, range balls packed, and the members happy. If the range was stocked, I worked in the bag room, or cleaned up brush around the course. In between work, I snuck a look at the pictures inside the clubhouse and learned a lot about the history of the course, and it’s champions - Hogan, Mangrum, Pavin, Sutton, Elkington, and many more. ...

Read more...

Carts have cost more than you think...

Tim Price's article on Golf 2.0 shows the failure built into the plan. Cost of rounds in $$ and time are huge factors - especially for people who see golf as recreational entertainment more than active sport. Price's analysis has the usual good points and a few different ones. But like most others I have read, no one mentions the evolution of golf to riding entertainment as a cause of the LOSS of participants.

1. Increased cost: It is hard to find a course that does not "include" the cart in the green fee, so many who walk are automatically paying a penalty. And carts may add income by increasing the "total fee," but I'd like to see the real...

Read more...