Yet Another List

Here's a list

Atlantic

Austin GC

Ballyneal

Bandon Dunes

Bidermann

Black Mesa

Blackwolf Run (Original 18)

Boston Golf Club

Castle Pines

Colleton River (Dye)

Desert Forest

Friar's Head

Golf Club

Kiawah (Cassique)

Kingsley

Mayacama

Ocean Course

Ocean Forest

Old Macdonald

Old Memorial

Pacific Dunes

Pete Dye

Rustic Canyon

Sand Hills

Sebonack

Shelter Harbor

Southern Dunes (AZ)

Trump National Old (NJ)

Wade Hampton

Oh, What the hell, some scientific digression is in order today

the redanman  LOVES Science (And Arthur C. Clarke gets a plug)

Quadrantids, Lyrids, Eta Aquarids , Perseids, Orionids, Leonids, Geminids - the mostly annular, meteor showers expected in 2013.  Most are assumed to be consistent or proven to be related to known cometary orbits.

Bolides, Meteors, meteorites - all sizes like the universe's little bodies. A BIG Bolide created the Golfo de Mexico 65M years ago and led to the rise of the mammals at the expense of many species, most notably the Dinosaurs we know and love so well.  All these suckers have various orbits that cross or don't cross the earth's orbit - Asteroids or other cosmic debris.  Statistically likely is that the Bolide that Russia experienced was part of this "rarely earth orbit intersecting event" which  happened basically instantaneously in *cosmic* time. a couple of days compared with several billion years is on a cosmic scale indistinguishable.

Whether or not these are relative one-offs, they are nonetheless really cool events.  "Magic" to those unaware of the science behind them.  Part of Arthur C. Clarke's: Three Laws of prediction

1- When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right.
2- When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3- ****Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.**** aka Religion to most of the world's population. Such as basic cosmology, well worthy of our worship and devotion.

So the Russian event:
The biggest object recorded to hit the Earth since Tunguska - a solitary 10 ton bolide.  Tunguska was in 1908 - a nanosecond of cosmic time. Don't know Tunguska?   Look it up, really cool.

Understanding scale is key to knowing that HICC (Human Induced Climatic Change) better known as "Global Warming" is total bullshit as it is unobservable and certainly not asymptotic!

"Some Scientists" are saying that DA 14 is not related to this Bolide/vice versa, but statistical significance says it is, especially since the bolide had not be discovered prior to atmospheric impact.

So what about the relation to HICC?  The debris in the air from the bolide will not change our climate, just as Tushunga did not nor did the in atmospheric A and H Bomb Tests(Know the difference for extra credit)  do so although well-meaners sold us on "Nuclear Winter".  Well ....

Post hoc ergo propter hoc   or .... thank GOD for that Rooster whose crowing for causing the sun to rise every day. Now THAT'S some science!

Must be winter, rankings starting to pop up

Golf Digest has proffered their rankings, the first of the 2013 season.  They are now publishing out to 0.0001 in their silly system. (Are we talking carats of Diamonds here?) There is a total of 11 points from 1st to 100th

Exhibit 1D (for Dumbfounded)
Conditioning for Winged Foot - same property, same grounds staff
West: 8.1306
East: 7.5237



I love the rankings as they confirm to me time after time that there are in America but 20-30 Classical and perhaps 10-15 Modern (post 1960 using GW's timeline which I prefer in discussing) courses listing as being true courses of merit. This particular (and expanding SET of ) list(s) has shown its flaws ever more clearly than ever before. I really had to stifle audible laughter as Gold Digest so blatantly published a second 100 for the first time. A very obvious response to criticisms levied in recent years has caused an over-swinging pendulum towards the previously ignored post 1960 courses to a now disproportionate degree.  Belt-notching is reaching an all-time degree of shamelessness with little circles before each "Best in State" listed course so that one can brag it out. One no longer needs a $99 wooden plaque with brass pins as Golf Magazine will sell you, all you need to do is steal your dentist's copy of GD and nick a pen from the next hotel you visit - then it's free!.

We are seeing the lists show some truths, however.

• Where people go gets ranked disproportionately - most obvious in State by State lists
• What is famous from tournaments gets ranked disproportionately
• There are clearly most favourite architects to rare exclusion of truly notable courses
• Several people's opinions matter disproportionately and have been influential in shaping tastes
• Trends are blatantly in order as to features, assumed intent, styles and architects

Lists are generated from amassing a minimum number of individual opinions and combining them - even this does not truly recognize the truly outstanding 20 + 10 until you get into the 2nd hundred.

All of us have our personal tastes, biases and preferences.  I always admit to liking quirk, design that leads to faster play, a rejection of arts & crafts for it's own end and I like more challenging but eschew "Major Tournament Venue" courses in coming to evaluate and determine a personal list.  I use as example the wonderful (and mostly ignored) architect Steve Smyers  frequently in conversation; also count Kelly Blake Moran in that category.  Hopefully not too many of my followers are saying "who?" at this juncture.  These two by no means are the only ones.

Like what you like because It all depends on your definition of good and great.  Awesome you will not likely see on these pages without some negative disclaimer. At least lists give us a point in the right direction.  More to come, but I won't waste much time criticising lists themselves too much as I for one understand Math and respect its brutality.

"Proposed" Ban on Anchoring

After much waiting (Over 2 years behind the scenes, BTW not 15 months) the joint teleconference was held a short while ago.

A further refinement of the definition of "stroke" is the summary.

It was issued as a proposal with a proffered 3 month period of discussion and not a hard ruling.  It is short and sweet.  There is a feel of "testing the waters" perhaps as information gathering for a future reference point.  We all know that the distance issue is a greater one.  That one can be a win-win in many way and is easily addressed by pure science - utilisation of polymers that conform to a lesser standard - really rather easy.  Kudo to Geoff Shackleford for trying to bring up the topic.

Staying in the present - the definition of stroke and both defining and banning anchoring (which has never in my mind constituted a "stroke") was well-thought out and well-presented today. Let's embrace keeping the nature of the "stroke" functionally the same with each of the 14 clubs in the bag.

Too long in coming, but very welcome.

Here's some polls to follow - Two sides of the pond


Telegraph.co.uk

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/9708750/Ban-on-anchoring-long-putters-to-be-imposed-from-2016.html


Geoffshakelford.com

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2012/11/28/anchoring-ban-instant-poll-do-you-support-rule-14-1b-as-prop.html

edit: Into the poll 4 days there is more support for the broomstick on the West side of the pond.  I'd have thought it the East. Both polls are substantially on board with the ruling bodies' proposal.

Shorts for Professional Men

In Turkey this week the wearing of shorts brought out more than a few comments on Professional Men Golfers wearing shorts.  I heard it at clubs and it was on the almighty internet  some were downright silly calling out "Chicken Legs" was one kind one, but shorts are the wear of choice for most men who play unless it's cold or mandated.  Gentlemen at Baltusrol used to go to great lengths to get wafer-thin trousers to meet the requirement which considering the hot humid days one gets in central New Jersey a bit much.

During my stint at the California Golf Club of San Francisco, long pants were mandated, but with weather closer to Brora than Barcelona, hardly anyone but me complained.  Places such as ANGC talk about "Tradition" and "Gentlemen" but one must remember that the (Egalitarian, by contrast) Scots who invented and popularized the game wore what they wore because it was well, rather cold.  Plenty of Scots and Englishmen wear shorts when it makes sense to them, they choose.

This week the argument at Geoff Shackleford's site in discussion of this aspect of the game got way off track on a skin cancer debate but I guess it is irrelevant that Natalie Gulbis or Sandra Gal get skin cancer as these sports fans want to see some skin.  I pick these two ladies for a reason - Ms. Gulbis is fair and needs to watch more carefully than Ms. Gall (although German a Czech by birth as are my forebearers) who tans easily and naturally due to genetic predisposition.  Me?  I'm for a ban on tight white pants on fat men and while we're at it, all white - belts, shoes (ugh!) and Drivers, too.  I'm OK with keeping white balls, for the record, they are a nice contrast on green and shades of brown- speeding play.

So what are we to take from the debate?

The caddies have finally been relieved of their long pants and an overwhelming majority have donned Bermuda length shorts.  No calls of chicken legs there.  Having endured the 90-90 days South Florida (as well as other spots) is famous for, I have been a shorts wearer at golf unless required by club mandate.  Let's at least allow our professional golfers to have the choice.

Wave to me at Brora next time you see me there, I'm the tall one in shorts pushing a trolley which has my bag on it.