The Greats...for a reason.

by guest contributor: Don Moorhead

When I was a kid, there was only the lingering aftereffect of one of the great divides in sports history. It was still there, but only as a vestigal reminder of the past. The lines had mostly been blurred, and the sides had softened into mutual respect. But once upon a time, it was factions that made Team Coco vs. Team Leno look like nothing (actually, it already looks like nothing, but still...) battling it out for the soul of the game.

I'm talking, of course, about Jack vs. Arnie. The Golden Bear vs. Arnie's Army.

It's one of the things that makes professional golf so great. You see, most team sports are so geography dependent, they make fandom meaningless. I grew up in Cincinnati, thus I grew up rooting for the Reds, the Bengals (god help me), and the Cincinnati Stingers (of the WHA... no, really). It was predestined and predetermined, based solely on where I lived. There are a few exceptions to this, such as baseball in Chicago, where you root for the Cubs or the White Sox based on whether you're a drunken 20 year old yuppie-to-be or a drunken son of a plumbing contractor (or something like that, I'm generalizing). Also, had I been forced to pick an NBA team (the NBA did not, and in fact still does not, exist as far as Cincinnatians are concerned), it may have been the Lakers because of Kareem and eventually Magic. But it was just as likely to be the Pacers, because they were the closest team. In golf, you get to pick who you root for from the beginning. And not only that, you get to pick the criteria on which you base your choice. You can choose the crafty short-game guy, the big bomber, or the guy who wears the wacky clothes and clowns with the crowd. But back in the day, golf underwent a battle for its soul.

You know the biographies, so I won't bore you with them. Palmer was the son of the groundskeeper, Nicklaus was the silver-spoon priveleged one. Jack's swing was refined and his game was precise, Arnie gripped it and ripped it. And the rivalry was fierce. I remember my grandmother, the gentlest, sweetest woman in the entire world, who never said a bad word about anyone, calling Nicklaus "that stupid fat kid." Granted, this was in 1986, when he was in his 40s, but you get the point. Old habits died hard.

I thought of these two and their battles recently, as the whole you-know-who drama has unfolded. Jack turned 70 the other day, and was still talking about his clubhead speed and the state of his game. But he got off a great line when he said he was "still looking down at the grass" (it took me a full 5 minutes to get the joke...as opposed to looking up at the grass. Well played, sir). I laughed, and thought about his interview recently when they asked him about you-know-who and his problems. And he said, in essence, I don't care. It's none of my business, and it's none of your business. He was the first one I heard say that (other than maybe me, to myself). And then I thought about Arnie's interview a couple years back, when he got called out for endosing a club the USGA banned. Did Arnie kowtow to the powers that be? Did he put out a statement talking about the rich history and tradition and grandness of the game? No, he put up a rhetorical middle finger and said (paraphrasing) look, when most people go out an play golf, they carry 18 clubs, a couple of different types of ball, they play for $5 skins, ride in a cart, have a couple of beers, take mulligans and free drops, and they go out to have a good time. So sue us.

And then it all made sense. There's still a battle for golf's soul, and these two are still fighting it. Only now, they're on the same side. Whether we know it or not, they're on our side. Happy (belated) birthday, Jack. Keep up the good work.

2010 - The Year Of The Beaver?

Beaver golf at Great Wolf - originally uploaded by Jack and Shelley

Interestingly enough given recent events involving the world's greatest golfer, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar. While that still must play out in full theater of the PGA Tour, I prefer to take a different route...yes, a Chinese Zodiac substitute for the year 2010. For this point forward, let 2010 be known as the Year of the Beaver!

Why, you might ask, is The Beaver a suitable substitute for the Tiger? It is quite simply because this will be the year that Beaver Golf makes a name for itself, and steps up to the next level of website-dom. To that end, I ask for all of my readers support and patience as I go about tying up all the little things that need tying up before this little blog can transform into something much more interesting. My posts may be a little more sporadic for the next several weeks, but feel free to use the handful of minutes spent reading each week doing something more productive like getting yourself in better shape for the upcoming golf season.

Stop! Before you go running off to the gym to pump some iron and crunch the night away, I must ask for one more thing. I am starting a little rumor that there might be some Beaver Golf SWAG in the works, and in order to be the lucky recipient of this debut SWAG, I need a little information from all you Beavers out there.

If you are interested in some free stuff, please send the following information to beavergolf1@gmail.com as soon as you can, best if you do it right after reading the following:

1. Your e-mail address.
2. Your name (preferably the name other Beavers might call you).
3. Your shirt size (Keep it to the standard letters if you would - S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, etc.).
4. Your mailing address.

I will not share this information with any third party without first getting your consent, it is just for Beaver Golf's exclusive mailing list. I look forward to a flood of e-mails shortly!

Finally, just for kicks, let's have a look at that Chinese Zodiac again, shall we? Tiger Woods' birthday is December 30th, 1975. This puts him in the Year of the Rabbit. According to ChineseZodiac.com, Tiger would possess the following characteristics:

• Personality
• Occupying the 4th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Rabbit symbolizes such character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others. They also prefer to avoid conflict. In confrontational situations, Rabbits approach calmly and with consideration for the other party. Rabbits believe strongly in friends and family and lacking such bonds can lead to emotional issues.
• Their serene nature keeps Rabbits from becoming visibly upset. Because they’re serene animals, Rabbits are easily taken advantage of. Their sensitive nature makes them shy away from aggressive or competitive situations. They’re overall conservative and not interested in taking risks.
• Classy, sophisticated, expressive, well-mannered and stylish, those born under the Sign of the Rabbit enjoy learning about cultural issues and learning about people from other countries. Rabbits are most comfortable being home, and their homes are always neat and organized. Home is also where Rabbits prefer to entertain. Rabbits are conservative in their decorating tastes.
• Rabbits should work at building more self-confidence and self-worth so they can feel more secure. The desire for remaining in safe, comfortable environments keeps Rabbits from taking risks which sometimes causes them to miss out on good opportunities. 

• Health
• Even though Rabbits don’t usually get visibly upset or stressed, they do tend to keep these feelings inside. When they don’t express these feelings, such feeling can cause Rabbits to become ill. Rabbits could benefit from more everyday activity which would reduce their stress levels and better their health.

• Relationships
• Rabbits are very sexual, but tend to give more of themselves than they should. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy situations. Rabbits need partners who won’t take advantage of their giving nature. Such pairings will be strong.

So, do you believe in Chinese astrology, perhaps not, but some of those things sound pretty on target, don't they (especially with my clever edits, eh)?

Fairways and Greens!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

As I sit and write my first post on Beaver Golf in 2010, I am shivering slightly as the temperature a mere window pane away hovers in the teens with a wind chill factor of five...FIVE! Holding a warm cup of Joe at Starbucks only offers temporary relief as I view the 10-day outlook only to see the warmest day reaching a balmy 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

Offering significantly greater comfort is my completed task of registering to attend the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL at the end of the month. I am looking very forward to my first trade show as a legitimate member of the golf industry, and to hitting the links on a warm sunny day. Perhaps we can squeeze in a couple of rounds to see if my recent fitness regimen can hold up my rusty swing over 36 holes in prime condition.

These days are truly the doldrums of golf for those of us in cold climates. With Fantasy Football culminating yesterday, and the Golf Channel showing nothing but highlights of silly events like the Tavistock Cup, and Tiger's greatest moments (why?), we are left to take a few random swings in our living rooms, endangering pets and children alike with every hopeful lash of the 7-iron. My old roommates will chuckle to remember the actual divot I took in our basement carpet several years back during one of these winter warm-up routines.

So, what are we frozen souls left to do during the horrid month of January as we longingly hope for the rare unseasonably warm day when we all storm the few courses that are open year round here in the Windy City?

There are a few indoor driving ranges that can be utilized, true. I may very well have to utilize one before my weekend jag in Florida, but those visits always leave me feeling teased and sullen knowing what those few hours could have been spent doing in a warmer climate.

Several courses in Chicago also hold cold weather tournaments such as Cog Hill's Eskimo Open which was held this past Sunday. The hard core duffers who attended (would you believe almost 80 of them?) began playing around 8:00 am on a day where the thermometer struggled to reach double digits. I have no idea how many of them actually played a full 18, but I read that the winner shot around par, for what that's worth. I have always considered myself fairly hard core myself, but that event, at least for this year, would have to be classified as cruel and unusual punishment, right? Good God! I would probably snap something on my very first swing!

Finally, there is always the activity I undertake the most...dreaming of the rounds yet to come, and the warm days "just around the corner". It is a new year, and with it comes new confidence, hope, and expectations. That game feels easier the longer you are away from it, and usually I come out in the spring playing pretty well before those old habits start creeping back into my game. In fact, I played my best round of the entire 2009 season my very first time out, shooting 3-over through 16 holes before finishing with a bogey-double on 17 and 18. I only broke 80 two other times in 2009, my worst season in years.

We can also prepare for the questionable spring weather we Yankees must endure as we get back into the swing of things. Warm weather clothing has come a very long way in recent years, now offering ultra-thin, flexible, and moisture-wicking materials allowing for freedom of motion to go with exceptional warmth. I have become an enormous fan of Addidas apparel over the last 2-3 years as they seem to be ahead of the curve when it comes to advancements in performance apparel. Some of my favorties for the coming spring are below, please click on the images to shop for them and similar products at my partner Golf Galaxy.







Umbrellas are another springtime must here in Chicago, and I'm sure other places both north and south. Over the years, I have come to greatly appreciate spending a little extra on a high-quality golf umbrella that opens and closes quickly, dries even quicker, and can hold up to the blustery weather we can get from time to time up here. I appreciate them even more now that I accidentally abandoned my favorite umbrella ever in a local tavern on one of those on-again off-again stormy nights of bar-hopping. I can only hope that it is still available to purchase again, or there is something even better to offer. Quality rain gear in general can be quite valuable on the course for those so inclined to play through any weather. There is little worse than slogging through a round soaked through to the skin. Some options for assistance are below, also from Golf Galaxy.







So, if anyone else will be at the show in Orlando, let me know...I'd love to meet some of my Beaver Golf readers. If you aren't going to the show, and suffer the cold winters as I do, please take some time to do a little shopping, getting prepared might just make the spring feel a little closer than it really is!

Fairways and Greens!

A Beaver Golf Newbie: Why I Love the Game.

Sometimes, people are surprised to find that I’m a golfer. Their point is that I don’t fit the stereotype. “Isn’t that a little…you know, lily-white suburban elitist rich guy for you?” This was especially true before you-know-who came along and changed it all. And I suppose, taken that way, they’re right. I don’t much care for country clubs, or for some of the stereotypes of golfers, for that matter. But it wouldn’t be surprising that I love the game and play the game if you knew how I was introduced to it, and how I grew up in it.

Golf, to me, isn’t private membership organizations and $500 drivers. It’s about my dad’s Tuesday night after-work league. That was my indoctrination to the sport, and, while I’ve moved several hundred miles away and don’t necessarily follow exactly in the footsteps, it’s the spirit in which I play. I grew up around Cincinnati, in a working/middle class suburb. I didn’t even know country clubs existed until I was in high school. This was a public course, about 15 minutes from the factory where my dad worked.

Everyone there loved golf as much as any golfer, but there was a different feel to it. It was 300 pound guys in Jack Daniels t-shirts with the sleeves cut off and dirty work jeans, pulling their bags out of the bed of their trucks. The 20 year old leather bags (yes, kids, they used to make them out of leather) were filled with knockoff clubs that a buddy of theirs made, and you know they’re just as good as the real thing ‘cause he orders the parts right from the same place the real club makers do, they just don’t have the brand names on them. And he did me a set for $100, if you want I can get you some, but he usually charges $150, but I did some work for him couple years back, so he cut me a deal. The only other thing in the bag is a handful of the Top Flite X-outs he buys out at the flea market for $30 for 5 dozen, and whatever’s left of the giant economy sized bag of tees his kids put in his Christmas stocking last year, even though he never finished last year’s bag. There’s no glove, no head covers (except maybe a novelty Bengals one on the driver…this was the ‘80s, they were pretty good back then), no little multi-tool gadgets, rain gear or golf shoes. The only gadget was the telescoping ball retriever, because hey, $30 for 5 dozen doesn't mean free.

It was two-man teams, playing against each other in a scoring system that I remember, but don’t know the name of. The foursomes were made of two teams, and your “A” player played against their “A” player. You played a point per hole (net…handicaps were strictly tracked), with another point (or maybe it was 3 points) for overall score (meaning it wasn’t match play, you putted out every hole). You didn’t “win” or “lose” the week, you just got X number of points toward the league title. The last night of the season was “position” night, you played against the team immediately above or below you, depending. There was money involved, but a) it wasn’t much and b) it really wasn’t the point. After the last night was the awards banquet, the one night a year my dad didn’t come home before my bedtime.

They started teeing off about 4:00 or so, since first shift at the factory was over at 3:30. Hitting a quick bucket to warm up meant stopping at the KFC drive-through because you’d had lunch at 10:30. If you had the early tee time, you went right from the parking lot to the first tee, unless you were renting a cart. If you had the late tee time, you went into the clubhouse for a beer before the round.

The golf itself; you’d have to see it to believe it. These big guys who spent all day on the factory floor operating heavy machinery would take out their drivers, and with the cigarette still dangling on their lips just absolutely murder the ball with a swing that would make John Daly choke and make Hank Haney cry. It sounded like Thor hitting a boulder with an I-beam. It had roughly the same effect, too. The ball would scream down the left side of the tree line for a good 320 yards, then slice wickedly into the right rough until it stopped just short of the green. Then they’d skull a chip over the back, uttering profanities that would emotionally scar a sailor for life. Then they’d chip back on and three-jack it for a 6, before unleashing hell on the next tee box. My dad was revered for his short game, which is to say he had a short game (a trait that, sadly, is not hereditary).

As you’d expect, a thick skin was necessary to play there. I learned all my essential trash-talk, from “does your sister play golf too?” whenever a putt got left short to “nice shot, but you know the hole’s over there, right?” pretty much every other shot. God forbid you show up with a hybrid club, a specialty wedge, or a gimmicky putter, or you’d get “hey, do they also sell men’s clubs where you got that?” every time, or at least “brought your wife’s clubs by mistake again?” Twenty-some years later, it still doesn’t get old.

You might think a league like this was a free for all, with scores fudged and liberal use of the foot wedge, but you’d be dead wrong. You could count on someone in each foursome to have a rulebook, and while they occasionally played “winter rules” when conditions were less than optimal, proper etiquette was universal. On those rare occasions when someone could get a 7 iron in the air high enough to leave a ball mark when it came down, you’d better believe it got fixed. Bags and pull carts never touched the fringe of the green, and transgressions were never ignored.

The course was nothing special. Not too long, not too short. Water here and there, but not a lot. A ton of trees, but plenty of fairway in between them. It was always neat, and the greens were pretty good, but the rough was mostly crabgrass, and the fairways were…well, shorter crabgrass. They shut down the course a couple of years ago to build condos that, thanks to the housing collapse, are never going to be built. But they probably can't re-open the course,because they'd already torn it up pretty well. I secretly hoped that if they ever got around to clearing the land, they would set aside the things they’d find among those trees. My guess is they’d find several dozen rusted out, severely bent knock-off clubs, primarily short or medium irons; a few sets of truck keys; far too many empty cigarette lighters, and thousands upon thousands of Top Flite X-Outs.

Though I never actually got to play in my dad’s league, I consider it my introduction and education in golf. I played that same course a hundred times, usually with my dad, often with others from the league. When I was little, Tuesday night golf league meant we (my mom and sister and I) got to eat stuff for dinner that dad didn’t like, like McDonald’s, or the boxed kind of Mac and Cheese (as opposed to that Velveeta and shell pasta abomination my mother perpetrated on us; but that’s a story for a culinary blog). Once I was older, we’d sometimes go down to the course and bring Dad a sandwich, especially if he had the late tee time. That’s when I got to see it in action. And that’s why I never understood why people thought it was a game for snobs. Snobs? Rich people? Doing this? Are you kidding me? This…this is golf.

(Read Don’s thoughts on other stuff at his blog, Aggressive Lethargy)

My Apologies To Tiger

A few days ago, as I am sure all of you now know, Tiger Woods had a minor car accident in his front lawn that has become perhaps the most written about and investigated traffic ticket in the history of the world. The afternoon that the news began to leak out I wrote an article implying a suspicion about the circumstances surrounding the ordeal, and indirectly made comparisons between Tiger and a truckload full of other professional athletes all of whom had been charged with DUI or DWI. The comparison, as it turns out, was unfounded and inaccurate, and I am pleased to say that I am sorry for having doubted Tiger's decision making as it relates to drinking and driving.

As the media (I guess I am media as I write this blog) has done over the last few days is absolutely devour the public relations "Fortress of Solitude" that Tiger and the rest of us had thought was impenetrable. The continued development of news has revealed that Tiger was having, or had had extramarital affairs with at least one other woman. His wife, Elin, apparently discovered the impropriety, possibly phoned the other woman, and likely had a rather heated blowout with Tiger about it during the wee hours of the night. A very short "getaway" occurred, and whether in fear or anger, Tiger distractedly wrecked his Escalade and ended up lacerated and woozy.

Wow! A world-class professional athlete was having an affair outside of his marriage? What a shocker!

I am not dismissing the fact that cheating on one's spouse is widely considered bad form, and most definitely believe that Tiger has done something wrong, but is this news so surprising to everyone? Tiger knows he misbehaved rather badly, and has finally come out with a very Tiger-like public apology, to Elin and their family. In my opinion, this is a case closed for those of us who fall outside the Woods' circle of friends and family. The news was pursued and reported to the extent it now needs to. Tiger has paid his debt to society for the damage he caused to the hydrant, so now it is his job to repair the damage done to his family, and that is not for public consumption.

To err is human, and it isn't the first time that Tiger has erred, nor will it be the last. One of the reasons that I so enjoy watching Tiger play golf and listening to his quite candid and amusing interviews is that he is so human while performing at a super-human level. Despite suggestions to the contrary, I have seen him frequently show emotion on the course, both good and bad. He has a foul mouth, and throws clubs with some regularity, but he also smiles and laughs when the moment calls for it, and he can afford to step out of his "zone" for a moment. Is this behavior any different than most others' on the golf course? Should it be?

I say no. What is so great about Tiger (and Phil, Sergio, Anthony, Geoff, and so many others) is that they display that humanity that is part of the game, yet achieve so much more than any of us are capable on the course. A talent for golf has as little to do with being a good husband as being talented at politics, drama, accounting, advertising, or practicing law. Bad husbands are everywhere, yet we so excessively scrutinize when the guilty party is famous. While I might try to model parts of my golf game after Tiger, I would never assume to model any other part of my life after him, nor should anyone else.

So, let this be my formal apology to Tiger both for writing the previous article, which caused me to have to write this one. I am happy that Tiger endangered no lives, paid his debt, learned that even he is not immune to the popular media, and hope that he and Elin are able to patch their marriage together because I, for one, like Tiger Woods, and would like to see him happily behave and get back to the course sooner than later.

Fairways and Greens!

Tiger, Say It Ain't So!

As I was perusing the Internet this afternoon, I came across the following story about Tiger Woods. From all the reports I am hearing and seeing, Tiger was in a one car accident early this morning in front of his own home. Obviously, being a fan, I was pleased to hear that despite some facial lacerations, Tiger is OK and has been released from the hospital.

What has yet to be understood, however, is what caused the accident. As of now, the police are saying that alcohol was not a factor, and hopefully that is true, but the circumstances are certainly peculiar and suspicious.

I tend to believe strongly in treating people as innocent until proven guilty, so would not like to infer that Tiger was driving under the influence, but the mere suspicion of it leads me to a different topic. Why do wealthy athletes and celebrities drive at all?

I certainly understand the physical desire to drive, especially once you have earned enough cash to buy the kinds of vehicles you would want to take out for a spin, Tiger's Cadillac Escalade not among them for me, by the way. To satisfy that urge, take a road trip if you must, or even an afternoon gallop across the countryside. Running errands, however, could certainly be left to someone else, and late night excursions to...well, anywhere, should definitely be left to a hired driver.

Over the last several years, many athletes have been arrested and/or charged with DUI including: Warren Moon, Kareem McKenzie, Jason Shirley, Matthew McCoy, Marcus Vick, Lawyer Milloy, Brandon Marshall, Karl Paymah, Jimmy Smith, Mark Bell, Lofa Tatupu, Jerramy Stevens, Carmelo Anthony, Jevon Kearse, Richard Collier, Cedric Benson, Dwayne Jarrett, David Legwand, Odell Thurman, John LeClair, and of course the more infamous cases resulting in the additional manslaughter convictions of both Leonard Little and Donte Stallworth.

Nobody...NOBODY should ever drive when they are consuming alcohol, but millions do anyway. Certainly civilian arrests for DUI/DWI (measuring in the hundreds of thousands) far outweigh those of famous athletes and celebrities combined. In no way should being wealthy translate to being held to a higher standard of conduct than those less fortunate. Being famous, however, like it or not, does translate to greater publicity of a mistake. Additionally, the fact that you can afford a Bentley (that, by the way, is the car that Stallworth was driving when he struck and killed Mario Reyes earlier this year) means that you can afford a driver to handle those duties. It's more than your legal responsibility, it's common sense.

So, I bring it up today because of the strange circumstances surrounding Tiger Woods' early morning accident. I truly hope that there is a different explanation for what occurred down in posh Windermere, FL, because Tiger is one of those celebrities for whom I have developed a genuine respect. Though the reasons I respect him would still be valid, knowing that Tiger would knowingly drive under the influence of alcohol rather than hire a ride (hell, he could summon a helicopter) definitely would impact the appreciation I have for him as a person beyond his talents on the course. Until we know for certain what happened this morning on the Woods' front lawn, however, we must simply be thankful that something worse did not happen, and we will be able to continue to admire the way this man completely and utterly dominates the sport of golf.

Fairways and Greens!

Let's Call It Green Friday!

Hello all you Beaver Golfers! I hope you all had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving, and possibly even hit the links if the weather was kind.

Speaking of links, as much as I love writing about golf, I do have to make a buck from time to time as well. To that end, I have partnered with a handful of retailers who reside in the right hand column of my blog. Please take note of them each time you visit, as the deals change with some regularity. Most are specifically golf related, but not all, and anything you purchase after clicking through from my links helps support my ability to keep producing this blog, and much more in the near future.

Given that the day after Thanksgiving is a BIG day for retailers, and even bigger for online retailers -it has been nicknamed Black Friday after all - my affiliate partners are offering some pretty sweet deals this weekend. If you are going to do some online shopping for the holidays, I'd encourage you to use Beaver Golf as a starting point, and take advantage of some of these offers.

Some notable ones include store wide savings at Golf Galaxy and at Target. You can use these links below:

Black Friday Savings at Golf Galaxy!

Shop Target's 2-Day Sale - 11/27-11/28 Only!

Callaway Golf Pre-Owned is offering an interesting tiered discount where you save $75 when you spend $300, save $125 when you spend over $450, and $175 when you spend over $600. Here is the link:

Save $75 when you spend $300; $125 over $450; $175 over $600. Nov27-Nov30

Rock Bottom Golf is offering 15% off SITE-WIDE this entire weekend using this link below:

RockBottomGolf.com - 15% Off SITE WIDE During Black Friday Weekend! Expires 11-30-09 Midnight EST

Other shops on my site include Edwin Watts, Knetgolf.com, Medicus, Pine Meadow Golf, Oakley Vault, SmugMug, and Kinesys Eco-friendly Sunscreen.

So, instead of shopping on Black Friday, let's put those dollars to work, buy someone you love some new golf gear, clubs, balls, or training aids and change that color from black to green! Oh, and don't forget to grab something for yourself either!

Fairways and Greens!