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Posted Jan 08 2013, 12:11 PM by Cathy Erickson
It's a Tuesday and we still don't know the winner of the first PGA Tour event of the year. The wind and rain in Hawaii has delayed golf since Friday, but this shortened 54-hole event should conclude today. As of right now Dustin Johnson holds a 3-shot lead over Steve Stricker going into the last 18-holes. Hmmm, Sam Johnson's favorite player and my favorite player going head to head...this could get interesting! I just read that Stricker is in a lot of pain in his left leg, so this hilly course isn't exactly what the Dr. ordered, but hopefully he can hang in there (GO STEVE!!). Many of the big names opt to skip Hawaii, and even some of the Hyundai field will pass on the Sony Open starting Thursday, but fans should be delighted to see DJ, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Kyle Stanley, and Keegan Bradley on the list of tee times starting in 2 days. Browsing the field, I was also happy to see Erik Compton, Brendon deJonge, and 2013 rookie and Minnesotan Donald Constable.
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Posted Jan 01 2013, 09:27 PM by Cathy Erickson
Happy New Year friends…and happy 2013 golf season! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a new year full of great golf! I faintly remember writing a “resolution” post about this time last year so I looked it up and read it. A year ago I appeared to be motivated, but as I look back at 2012, I hit more than my share of stumbling blocks…I am one of the 85% who generally failed. But not completely! And that’s what gives me hope once again as we start the 2013 journey. What I wrote a year ago makes sense, and the experts that know about goal making and being successful at it give us wise guidance. Small attainable goals, write your goals down, don’t give up, and find support – all good stuff! Posted Dec 08 2012, 10:17 PM by Cathy Erickson
Happy Holidays! While I'm waiting for the first winter storm of the season to hit Minnesota tonight, I started thinking about how much I miss golf. Even though I hit golf balls on Thanksgiving day when it was 57 degrees, golf isn't the same after the pins are pulled and the greens covered for the winter. I'm also mourning the loss of Q-school as the last dreamers competed for a chance to play on the PGA Tour this past week. From this year on, dreamers will only be playing for a chance to get a card on the Web.com Tour. I'm excited for Minnesotan Donald Constable who did get is card and will be in the big show next season. But before we get to 2013 (which I am excited for!), I need to check back in on my predictions for 2012 that I wrote back in January. As you know, this can be a very humbling review...sometimes my heart can't stop me from dreaming about some magical finishes! Let's see how I did... Posted Dec 04 2012, 12:39 PM by Cathy Erickson
Well, it's the day after the FINAL Q-school process as we know it, and while I failed to keep up to date here (sorry about that!), I did try to follow along when I had a chance (darn work has kept me busy!). Is it okay if I just get to the giddy parts right now? As you know, I'm a fan follower of all Minnesota Q-school participants - there have been some moderate successes, but since I've been following Q-school, no Minnesota golfer has made it into the Top 25 to earn their card...that's not to say no Minnesota golfer has ever made it (think Tom Lehman!), but we've had dry spell for awhile. Last year, Clayton Rask was looking poised to make a move after successfully passing through the first 2 stages, but the best he could do was get some status on the Nationwide (not Web.com) tour. But in what feels like a little golf gift to me, a Minnesotan has broken through and will have a PGA Tour card in 2013. Posted Oct 24 2012, 10:12 AM by Cathy Erickson
It's Q-School Time!! I know, I know, this isn't usually a hot topic in the golf world, but I can't help it, I'm a fan! But this year brings with it some sadness. Q-School, as we currently know it, will end after the final stage in California in December. The PGA Tour voted to change the route to the PGA Tour, eliminating the Q-school process starting in 2013. There'll still be a Q-school, but instead of joining the big Tour, guys will find themselves members of the Web.com tour (formally the Nationwide Tour). It should also be noted, the whole PGA Tour schedule will change starting in 2013 - the Fall Series that follows the Tour Championship will now be the beginning of the 2013-14 PGA Tour year and those events will be a part of the FedEx Cup points totals. There will be a three tournament event on the Web.com Tour that will determine which 50 players will get PGA Tour cards for the next year. Posted Aug 16 2012, 07:03 AM by Cathy Erickson
Despite my best efforts (cheering, praying, rally caps, eating cheese) Steve Stricker did not get his first Major championship last Sunday. After Thursday's round, I almost felt like things had already slipped away when he carded a 2-over par 74, and the leader was at -6. But on Friday the weather came into play and a +1 (73) was almost 5 shots better than the scoring average of just over 78. 45 players shot 80 or worse that day (including Matt Kuchar- ouch!). At +3 he was still 7 shots back, but he made the cut and would be playing the weekend. Posted Aug 02 2012, 01:47 PM by Cathy Erickson
Last Sunday, Fred Couples won the Senior British Open by 2 strokes, going birdie-birdie on 17 and 18. I'll be honest, I didn't even know it was the Senior British Open weekend, and I didn't know that Couples had won until I read it on my Facebook feed. I immediately shared that news with all of my friends because I was happy for Freddie! I have been on the Fred Couples fan bus since I was in high school. Okay, granted, maybe there's a little part of me that likes him because he's cute, but come on, that swing is like butter!! Posted Jul 12 2012, 12:39 PM by Cathy Erickson
We knew it was coming. The PGA Tour has made no bones about the fact that Q-School, as we knew it, would cease to exist in the near future. Back in March, the PGA Tour announced the basic framework of how the new "path to the PGA Tour" would be designed, but they were still working out the details on how exactly the 50 Tour Cards would be distributed. Here's what I got out of the articles I read on http://www.pgatour.com/: Posted Jul 03 2012, 01:14 PM by Cathy Erickson
Wow…it’s been a busy few weeks in my world and one thing I’ve really missed is doing my weekly golf writing therapy. There’s a lot on my mind so I’d better get to it! First of all...congratulations to Webb Simpson on his US Open win!! Honestly, I didn't see that one coming. He had been under the radar for most of the year but he played steady, solid golf with the fewest mistakes. Great guy, great champion. Rumor has it that Sam Johnson went on vacation and didn’t take his golf clubs. This girl, on the other hand, has clocked quite a few miles on the Callaway travel bag, most recently on a trip to Nashville, TN, just 2 weeks ago. Back in 2010, I wrote about my first time to Nashville and the courses I played there. I was excited to be back, but not super excited to arrive to average temperatures of 95+ degrees – this Minnesota girl is not used to that kind of heat! Posted Apr 26 2012, 08:33 AM by Cathy Erickson
Some wise folks once told me that whenever you add a "but" to a sentence, you're negating what you've just said. "I don't mean to be nosy, but...." (then you ask a personal question), "I don't mean to be mean, but..." (and you go on to insult someone's taste or appearance), or "I'm not trying to micro-manage, but..." (and you take over what clearly is someone else's responsibility). Ah, that favorite word, "but". As I read an article this morning about Bubba Watson by Jeff Rude (his column is called "Hate to Be Rude") I could feel the word "but" coming. He didn't actually use it (he used "yet", which to me meant the same thing), but the point seemed the same. Posted Apr 04 2012, 10:01 AM by Cathy Erickson
It's almost here. Four days of glorious golf in a setting that is both beautiful and treacherous. Having never been to Augusta National in person (I did try for the ticket lottery, but no luck), I can only go by what I've watched, read or listened to. But I can tell you that even with being on the outside looking in, I can still feel the excitement, the anxiety, and the pure joy of experiencing all that is the Masters. I'm not sure why, but this year I sense there is almost a battle-like atmosphere...while some may try to make cases for a dominating player, it seems to me that there are all kinds of possibilities when it comes to who will be wearing a new green jacket come late Sunday afternoon. Posted Mar 14 2012, 11:37 AM by Cathy Erickson
In Minnesota, we've been gifted with some beautiful weather the past few days...temperatures have crept into the 60's and I even noticed a forecast that said parts away from Lake Superior may see 70's today. Sounds like perfect golf weather, right? Well, to get the full perspective, 2 weeks ago we were pummeled with about 3 feet of snow over a 7 day period, after going almost all winter with no snow on the ground! So while the temps sound dreamy, the reality is that there is still a good foot of snow on most of the course. No golf shoes just yet. (side bar: thanks to all my friends in warmer places that told me about their great golf weather on Facebook...and when I say "thanks" I mean that sarcastically!!) Posted Mar 08 2012, 12:23 PM by Cathy Erickson
There's nothing like good old fashioned competition to make things more exciting. And in 2012 I think that's what we're getting on the PGA Tour. Usually, the first few months of the season (or just about every tourney before the Masters) are often not much to write home about. I remember discussions about shortening the PGA Tour season by taking tourneys off the front and back end because football, basketball, and hockey are what people are really interested in during fall & winter. Many players opted out of these tourneys, and if there wasn't a great field, it didn't get a whole lot of coverage. Posted Mar 01 2012, 12:11 PM by Cathy Erickson We have begun to hear the battle cry for helping improve the sport of golf on a few different fronts lately. When I Googled "Golf Industry in Trouble" one thing I noticed was that the first couple of pages of hits were from articles posted back in 2008, and one interesting one was from 2005. So I guess this idea isn't a new one, but from what I browsed through, the good news is that even back in the mid-00's, those involved in the "golf world" were already identifying potential issues and finding ways to deal with the challenges in front of them. Every golfer, not just golf equipment manufacturers or golf course owners, are stakeholders in the sport. It's imperative that we all consider what we can bring to the table, especially on a local level, to continue to assure that golf is available not only to us but to all fellow golfers, in particular, the generations to come. This has really hit home for me because our golf course is struggling. I wrote about it last year, and the end result was that revenues were down significantly. Since the course I play at is municipal, there is always the threat that it won't be a priority anymore. And with our current economic culture it's something that worries me.
The good news is that most of our City leaders see the value in having a golf course in our community. Since I'm in one of the "snowy states" our season is at best about 6 months long, so we need to cram a lot of activity to get the needed revenues to operate and improve our course. What I have learned is that some things are in our control and others are not. The weather played a large factor in less playable days in 2011 compared to 2010 and it also impacted the spring growth and summer maintenance. But what I also realized is that each one of us that shares a passion, or just appreciates the opportunity to play golf in our town, can be a part of improving our financial condition. It's not easy. A change in mindset might be needed. From my experience, there can sometimes be the attitude that golfers aren't vested in their course...they come and play, maybe have some food or drink, but that's often where the relationship ends . Many golfers have no idea (or maybe no interest) in knowing about the challenges and struggles the course is going through. A sense of ownership or a sense of pride as a community member can really make a difference in people caring about the success and future of the course. Sometimes a trust may need to be rebuilt, especially if golfers have expressed concerns or suggestions for improvement and their voices landed on deaf ears. Late last fall, after the season was over and it was apparent that we didn't have a prosperous season, I had some great conversations with a few people who share a common passion for golf. From there, a small group was formed with the purpose of seeing a better golf course and finding ways to increase revenue. I can't tell you how inspiring it is to sit at a table with people that want to see better things and are willing to do something to help. One of the things I'm focusing on is our own community golfing base. While one of our main industries is tourism, I know our golf course can become better by both engaging our membership to share in thet mission of a better course and to introduce (or welcome back) community members not currently playing golf. When you're a small town golf course with a scrappy operating budget, sometimes you must rely on the time and talents of other folks who care. Without that, there may be no more golf. I believe that golf on every level, whether it's a local municipal course or a private country club, needs each member to see golf with a new set of eyes...to see the opportunity share the game and appreciate all of the positive things it can bring. I read last fall that a beautiful Tom Lehman designed golf course in Minnesota closed. It had lots of things going for it, but apparently it just couldn't cover its costs. If things are great where you are, take a look around and see if you can share your golf passion at other courses or in other programs that might need help. Golf needs you! As I look ahead with anticipation to our upcoming golf season, it's my goal to bring a positive energy into our golf course community and encourage not only golfers, but our community and City leaders to be partners in making our golf course a success. That means dispelling the notion that "only golfers benefit from a golf course". It also means that long-range planning and a closer look at operations could help find more money for improvements. I'm focusing on looking at ways to increase play, so if anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them! PS...after going this most of this winter thinking we were going to get a jumpstart on the golf season, we had a blizzard yesterday! That Mother Nature...funny gal. Filed under: Minnesota, passion, Golf, Cathy Erickson, municipal course, increasing play Posted Feb 21 2012, 10:32 PM by Cathy Erickson
Sixty-four of the top players in the world are in Arizona for the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and play starts Wednesday. Missing from the field are Phil Mickelson (who is on a family vacation) and Paul Casey (who is still recovering from an off-season injury). It is player's Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) that qualifies him for the tourney, so there may be some international players that are less familiar to those that just follow the major Tours. But have no fear, there are all kinds of A-listers ready to take on their first opponent . The top seeds are: Luke Donald (1), Rory McIlroy(2), Lee Westwood(3), and Martin Kaymer(4)...they are the top seeds in their respective brackets. Steve Stricker is the top American seed (5), with Webb Simpson right on his heels (6). Tiger Woods is 20th on the OWGR, and 5th in his bracket. Interestingly, not that long ago he was outside the top 50 on the OWGR list. Posted Feb 09 2012, 06:29 PM by Cathy Erickson
I had been meaning to check in on the latest changes to the Rules of Golf after seeing an article last fall that there would be a revision and new printing. Browsing through a few articles on the internet, I found out that with this revision, all of the different golf associations including the R&A and the USGA will be using 1 main document with the same formatting throughout, with the main difference being appropriate translations into different languages. It was off to the USGA web site to find out what's important to know about this new revision. I found a "Complete Rules of Golf" document dated January 2012 and I clicked on it. It was 215 pages in PDF form!! WHOA! (don't believe me, check this out! http://www.usga.org/uploadedFiles/USGAHome/rules/CompleteROGbook.pdf ) Posted Feb 01 2012, 08:20 AM by Cathy Erickson
This week is the Phoenix Open (er, I mean the Waste Management Open) and I'm having (mostly) happy memories of my trip to Phoenix last year...I only made it to the tourney 1 day (technically, 2 days, but everything was canceled on Wednesday!), but I spent about 6 hours on #16 that Friday and had a blast (the wagering going on was amazing!) I'm not sure if you remember, but last year Phoenix experienced record low temperatures and frost delays that prompted the cancelation of the Wednesday pro-am and eventually led to a Monday finish. I still golfed 4 times while I was out there, but my shorts stayed in my suitcase and I had to go buy some warmer clothes (dang you Phoenix!!). Posted Jan 18 2012, 09:10 PM by Cathy Erickson
As I was getting ready to write about some of my favorite golfers this week (you know Stricker, Kuchar & Compton), I came across a blog entry titled "What Women (Don't) Want", written by Jack Dillon and posted on the Golf, Inc. web site. It definitely piqued my interest and I thought "how nice, a blog about women". Then I read it. When I'm irritated about something I tend to rant. And believe me, after reading Dillon's post, I composed one long rant. But as I've learned, sometimes it's best to walk away from some writings in order to get perspective. The rest of this post was rewritten about 3 times. I did my best to compress my thoughts and temper my irritation, but frankly, I still feel miffed. Posted Jan 13 2012, 07:32 AM by Cathy Erickson
I'm not sure what the new year means to you, but for me, it's usually my cue to create my list of things I want to do better in my life...I write up the usual suspects, get organized, eat better, exercise, stop losing my phone, laugh more, make a budget, etc. But then some hiccup comes along and derails me...and I stumble along, just getting by, usually until some benchmark, like New Years, or tax day, or my birthday, prompts me to evaluate another shot at being better, doing better. The funny thing about benchmarks is that there is always another one. It's an amazing built in excuse for waiting until "then" to jump back on the path envisioned. I have to admit it happened to me in the past few weeks...I had decided in December that January 1 would be a great day to start "the plan" - I had my plan and I was sticking to it! Then we got the call that my new nephew would be coming into the world around New Year's Eve, so it was road trip time and all my good intentions would just have to wait. Posted Dec 28 2011, 02:47 PM by Cathy Erickson
It's the last week of 2011 - I know I've said it before, but man, time sure flies sometimes. I'm sure you've gotten your fill of the "year in review" articles, lists, and rankings that pop up all through December. Best shots, best players, best equipment...you name it, and I'm sure someone has written about it. I have to admit that I wasn't a very good golf fan this year - my priorities were shuffled and my golf passion dropped a few rungs on the ladder (it was an awful feeling by the way!). I didn't keep up with my favorite players as much, and more importantly, I didn't play nearly as much golf as I should have. But that's not to say I didn't have golf on the brain sometimes. Here are some of the things I remember being on my mind in the 2011 PGA Tour world... Posted Dec 18 2011, 10:31 PM by Cathy Erickson
Ah December, while we're now in a little bit of a break time for PGA Tour players, the rest of us (or maybe just me) are running around trying to get all of our holiday "to do" lists done. But December is also the time for me to check back on my yearly predictions and see how I did - I'm sure there's going to be a few laughs (it's official, I did after reading them!), some head shakes, and hopefully some cheering...I honestly didn't remember some of my predictions so this should be fun! I hope I got SOMETHING right! Posted Dec 07 2011, 08:37 PM by Cathy Erickson
I clicked on a link to a top ten golf gifts for women the other day, and if you know me you know I love top ten lists! But as I scrolled through it, the only conclusion I took from it was there's a need to do a little more explaining on what makes a potential great gift for that awesome woman golfer you know. Since golf has been a part of my life for over 25 years, and being a woman, I've observed that golf can mean lots of different things to different women. I'm thrilled that the market for women specific equipment, apparel, and accessories has expanded, there's a lot to look at! But great golf gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and prices so don't be blinded by "especially for women" traps that might not be the best deal (you know I love a sale!). I have seen more than a few "gifts" that were used "because the kids gave it to me" or heard the "can you believe he got that for me?", followed by the story of returning it. So here are my thoughtful suggestions on what to consider, and maybe where you can look for some potential golf gifts for women: Posted Nov 02 2011, 08:46 PM by Cathy Erickson
Well, the golf clubs are back in my garage after a quick trip to Georgia starting last Friday. I was meeting some friends up in Chattanooga, TN, to see a concert, but as I often do, I added a couple extra days to fit in some golf. I'm a frugal traveler, so I decided to fly into Atlanta to save on airfare. Since I was getting a rental car anyway, I thought I'd take advantage of the golf prospects in the Atlanta area. I would have 1 day in Atlanta, then off to TN, and then about a day and a half back near Atlanta to fit in some golf before heading home. I was hoping for a little bit warmer weather than the 60's they had, but it was pleasant, and no rain! I brought along my own clubs and my new favorite footjoy black shoes! Traveling is a great opportunity to clean out your bag and clean up your clubs, too. I'm happy to report I found $8 and some really nice Pro-V's to take along. With a somewhat stressful summer that didn't leave me with a lot of time to play golf, I was really looking forward to some time on the links in Georgia. Posted Oct 05 2011, 03:03 PM by Cathy Erickson
The last few months have obviously been a little busy for me since I just realized that I missed out on announcing the beginning of the 2011 Q-School journey. Ah, Q-School...one of my favorite yearly golf dramas that goes seemingly unnoticed by almost the entire golf world. Hundreds of golf dreamers, golf veterans, and future golf super stars embark on this journey each year, in the hopes of being presented a PGA Tour Card after the Final Qualifying stage that includes 6 grueling rounds and less than 30 invitations to become a full-fledged member" the Tour". Posted Aug 11 2011, 12:20 AM by Cathy Erickson
It's late, and I just got done picking my players for the PGA Championship fantasy golf team. I've decided that I wanted to dedicate my golf thoughts this week to my favorite golfer, Steve Stricker. You know the story, a little jump start in the beginning of his career, then a slump, then hours of practice in the Wisconsin winters and before you know it he's comeback player of the year two years in a row!! There's lots to love about Steve...he's not afraid to cry (just ask Peter Kostis!), he has a sweet putting stroke, his swing is simple yet powerful, and he's a Titleist guy! I believe in his character, he gives back to his community and to the golf world, and truly believe he appreciates every opportunity he's been given. |
AuthorWhen I found Tees2Greens website and forum I found a happy place. There were great people there and in 2009 they asked me if I wanted my own blog space. It was a dream come true!! The site is down now, but I was able to get all of my posts to be able to post here. I will always be grateful for all of the Tees2Greens folks!! ArchivesCategories
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