Divot Mix

"With a fine sea view and a clear course in front of him, the golfer may be excused if he regards golf, even though it be indifferent golf, as the true and adequate end of man's existence." -- A.J. Balfour, British Prime Minister, 1902-1905

GCM supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation

Since it was first introduced in September 2002, one of the most popular features in Golf Course Management magazine has been the Reflections page, a parting shot to superintendents from a celebrity, Tour pro or sports star. Those who have graced the page include Samuel L. Jackson, Yogi Berra, Tiger Woods and Charles Barkley.

For January 2007, Reflections features Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor. Among other things, Armstrong said of the superintendent, "I certainly appreciate the beauty of not just the game, but the beauty of the land and the beauty of the space. ...You go to those places, and you realize the design, how beautiful it is, and the level of care (superintendents) put into it… it is special."

In return, the GCM staff has set up a fund-raising page for the Lance Armstrong Foundation where fans of the Reflections page and friends of GCM and GCSAA can make a tax deductible donation in support of cancer research.

"When writing about Lance Armstrong, you have to write about his charity work," Seth Jones, GCM senior associate editor, said. "It dawned on me that instead of just writing about it, we could get involved with the charity. It was a pleasure working with Armstrong on this story, but it's been a greater pleasure to help support his worthy cause."

To read the Reflections article in its entirety click here. For more about GCM 's interaction with Armstrong, visit the GCM blog.

Caddies Hall of Fame to honor 2006 inductees

The Professional Caddies Association Foundation will honor its 2006 Hall of Fame inductees Jan. 26, at the PGA Show in Orlando, Fla. The honorees slated for induction into the PCA Worldwide Caddie Hall of Fame include the following individuals:

Caddie Division Inductees:

Walter "Cricket" Pritchett, Madison, Ala., caddying at the age of nine in Houston, Texas. In 1963, began working on the PGA Tour. In his sixth year on Tour he met his wife in Atlanta and settled down to raise a family. During his time on Tour he had four wins including the 1971 Masters with Charles Coody.

Brad Klein, Ph.D., Bloomfield, Conn., a former PGA Tour and club caddie and a longtime advocate for caddies worldwide. A respected golf industry leader, Klein is the architecture editor for Golfweek and founding editor of SuperNews. He is author of "Rough Meditations: from Tour Caddie to Golf Course Critic, an Insider's Look at the Game" where he devotes an entire section to caddying and the history of caddying.

Willie "Pappy" Stokes, Augusta, Ga., worked at Berckman Nurseries before the grounds were converted into a golf course and became Augusta National Golf Club. Often referred to as "the grandfather of caddies" at Augusta, Stokes was also known as the man who knew how to play the greens. In 1938, at age 17, Stokes took his first Masters win with Henry Picard. He won again in1948 with Claude Harmon, in 1951 and 1953 with Ben Hogan and in 1956 with Jack Burke Jr. Stokes was the only man to have caddied for four different Masters champions. He passed away in 2006.

Roger Martinez, Lake Park, Fla., a former PGA Tour caddie who holds a degree in mechanical engineering. Born in Buenos Aires, he has caddied for more than 27 years, from country clubs in Argentina to working five different professional golf tours. A former Olympic soccer player, and was recruited by the Miami Dolphins as a place kicker at the age of 34.

For 2007 a new division was created to recognize the caddie and coach for golfers with special needs the inductees in this division are:

Gerry W. Barousse Jr., New Orleans, La., caddie & coach for blind golfer Pat W. Browne Jr., amassing numerous wins and top-ten finishes. In the early 90s Brown and Barousse went head-to-head against Payne Stewart at an exhibition in Orlando, Fla. Stewart played nine holes completely blindfolded and shot a 62, while Browne and Barousse shot a 42.

Kevin J. Sullivan, Framingham, Mass., Caddie for William McMahon who competes regularly in United States Blind Golfers Association events, has become more than the caddie, he is also a coach.

In the Caddie Manager Division Douglas Ellsworth, Morris Plains, N.J., gives back to others as camp director at the Sankaty Head Caddie Camp, the last remaining caddie camp in the United States, and possibly last remaining in the world.

Finally, the Lynda Barco Spirit Award, for distinguished service to the association, will be given to Michael "Mike" Hartman, Sanford, Fla., for support and service to PCA Worldwide Inc. and its foundation. Owner of an accounting and tax service company, Hartman has diligently assisted the association for more than 15 years. Contact http://www.PCAFhq.org, http://www.pcaworldwide.com.

Links Magazine readers say course conditions important

Links Magazine recently asked its readers a number of questions aimed at finding out what they look for when traveling to play golf.

The poll was reviewed in the November/December 2006 edition of the magazine and included the question, "What is the biggest golf-related issue that will keep you from coming back to a resort?" Not surprisingly, golfers who completed the poll named course conditions as the most important factor--by a three-to-one margin over the second-place choice of price.

The poll results were:

• Course Condition 53 percent
• High Prices 18 percent
• Slow Play 13 percent
• Carts on Paths Only 9 percent
• Poor Service 7 percent

These results support other surveys regarding the importance of the golf course superintendent in the success of a golf facility. To see the entire poll, click here.