Celebrate America with Golf in National Parks

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, fellow Americans. I hope you’re having a safe and enjoyable Independence Day weekend. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns called the national parks America’s best idea in his PBS miniseries by the same name. Brought to my attention by Janeen Driscoll, formerly of the Pinehurst Resort, here’s another good idea: golf in national parks.

If you’re visiting a national park this summer, you might want to pack the golf clubs. Following are a handful of national parks that have one or more golf courses within their boundaries, some constructed nearly a century ago.

Anacostia National Park, District of Columbia
The Langston Golf Course is an 18-hole course that includes a driving range. More info

Yosemite National Park, California
The Yosemite Golf Course is a 9-holer that was built way back in 1918, five years before Bobby Jones won his first major. More info

Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier Park Lodge Golf Course is also a 9-hole track that has the oldest grass greens in Montana. It was built in 1927 by the Great Northern Railway. More info

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
This is the place to play if you want to maximize yardage on your drives. The altitude at Rocky Mountain National Park ranges from 7,500 to 14,259 feet, and there are three public golf courses to choose from. One is a 9-hole executive course. More info

There are also a large number of golf courses within driving distance of America’s 392 national parks. And if there’s no room for golf clubs in the car because of too much luggage or camping equipment, you can often rent or borrow a set. I’ve been known to do that on occasion.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: bingpoint-uk/Flickr)

Free Drawing for ‘THE OPEN: Golf’s Oldest Major’

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IS returning to St. Andrews this year, which also happens to be the 150th anniversary of golf’s oldest major. I have a special treat for you: a free drawing for a 304-page photographic history of the ancient golf championship.

Titled THE OPEN: Golf’s Oldest Major and published by Rizzoli, the book features black and white and color photographs from Getty Images. The rather sparse text is by Donald Steel, with a foreword by Arnold Palmer and afterword by Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A. This hardcover measures 12.3 x 9.4 x 1.4 inches and weighs 4.8 pounds. It’s hefty and gorgeous, a prized coffee table or sports den book for any armchair golf historian. (I love my review copy. I am not giving it up. The publisher is making another copy available for the drawing.)

Here are a couple of excerpts from the publisher’s news release:

THE OPEN: Golf’s Oldest Major revisits the history of the fourteen legendary links courses along the spectacular British coastline on which The Open has been played, with a chapter dedicated to each course highlighting the famous moments of victory, defeat, partnership, competition, and tradition that have come to define them.

The book brings together the classic images of the sport’s icons—from early stars such as Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones, and masters like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, to the exceptional talents of today, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.

OK, I must add three names not mentioned in the above publisher copy: Harry Vardon, Peter Thomson and Tom Watson. Because those three remarkable champions won the Claret Jug 16 times. (Vardon, 6; Thomson, 5; and Watson, 5.)

WANT TO GET IN ON THIS?

How to enter this free drawing: Just email your name and mailing address to armchairgolfer@gmail.com. I’ll blind draw the winner in a couple of weeks during the championship. Good luck!

−The Armchair Golfer

Golf Digest’s 75 Best Rivalries

GOLF DIGEST HAS PUBLISHED “Best Rivalries in Golf,” the magazine’s top 75 ranking of the game’s most intense and enduring grudge matches. I can’t argue with Nicklaus vs. Palmer at No. 1 on the list. There was a nine-year stretch from 1958 to 1966 during which Arnold and Jack captured seven Masters. Actually, Nicklaus appears in at least five of the rivalries. Besides Arnie, Jack’s other listed rivals include Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and Tom Weiskopf.

Sam Snead vs. Ben Hogan is a solid pick, as is Bobby Jones vs. Walter Hagen. I’m not buying Mickelson vs. Woods at No. 4. Tiger has had no true rival to this point. (Tiger vs. Field?) That’s bound to change. And perhaps soon.

The rankings are an interesting walk through golf history and include non-player rivalries that have impacted the game. Courses, issues, architects, countries, grasses, continents, swing coaches, college programs, magazines, baseball players, equipment and even years (1953 vs. 2000) are pitted against each other.

Take a look here.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

13 Things We Still Know After the Masters

The shot.

1. Augusta National produces the most excitement in golf. The risk-reward holes and resulting roars keep people tuning in to the Masters year after year to see who will win the Green Jacket. Often it’s in doubt until the 72nd hole.

2. Phil is going for it. That shot (above) off the pine straw through the trees over the water on 13? A Phil special. Bones was against it. Butch was against it. Millions of fans were probably trying to talk some sense to Phil through their TVs. “Lay up, Phil. Just lay up.” Phil’s NOT laying up. The 207-yard 6-iron was a gutsy and brilliant play that turned things in his favor.

3. Tiger will contend no matter what. Five months off, bailing-wire swing, Buddha bracelet—it does not matter. Tiger will find a way to be in contention, especially at Augusta. No one scores better on an off day than Tiger.

4. Lee Westwood is ready to win his first major. Unfortunately, for Lee, still ready.

5. Jack has more Green Jackets. Arnie has more fans. The dynamic duo of ceremonial starters, Arnie is still the beloved. Jack is the respected one. During the eight years from 1958 to 1966, Arnie and Jack won six Masters.

6. Some old-guy champion is going to climb onto the leaderboard. Tom Watson and Fred Couples, for example. Before them, Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus.

7. Billy Payne and Masters brass will say and do what they want. Leave it to Payne to make harsh comments about Tiger that others have thought but been reluctant to say. Don’t like it? Too bad. The Masters men speak their minds and run their club and golf tournament as they see fit.

8. The patrons will behave themselves. Or they will have their passes rescinded. Don’t even think about heckling Tiger or another player. You are in “church.”

9. CBS will use Masters vocabulary and reverent tones. At times their Masters-restrained commentary will sound just plain goofy.

10. Bobby Jones will be quoted ad nauseam. Bobby Jones this. Bobby Jones that. The five-and-a-half inch course quote will appear everywhere. I’ll be guilty of it.

11. Augusta is the Fountain of Youth for Fred Couples. Freddie will make the cut (he almost always does) and shoot a good score or two. He might even trick you, me and most of the golf world into thinking he can win it again.

12. Tiger is not a gracious loser. If he fails to win, he will not dress up and put lipstick on his bitter disappointment. He hates it, pure and simple. He will not smile. He will not congratulate the winner. It’s not in his DNA—or part of his therapy.

13. John Daly will be at the Masters. Outside the gates on Washington Road.

−The Armchair Golfer

Great Shots: Johnston’s Spade Mashie at 1929 U.S. Amateur

EVERYBODY WHO LOVES GOLF loves to hear about or see a great golf shot. There’s no video clip or YouTube for what I’m about to tell you. I wish there was. I read the anecdote last week in Michael Blaine’s fine book The King of Swings, the story of Johnny Goodman’s impressive career that culminated with Goodman winning the 1933 U.S. Open, the last amateur to do so. Then I read a longer account of the shot recently penned by the USGA’s Rand Jerris.

This little golf tale takes place in 1929, the year the stock market crashed and during an era in golf when the amateur was revered and the professional was often shunned. Some had lost interest in that last U.S. Amateur of the Roaring Twenties when the 19-year-old Goodman stunned the legendary Bobby Jones in their opening match at Pebble Beach. The colossal upset put Goodman on the map, although he lost his second match after lunch on the same day he defeated Jones.

Not to worry. What transpired later that week was one of the most dramatic moments in the championship’s history.

Harrison “Jimmy” Johnston arrived at Pebble’s 18th hole one down to Dr. Oscar Willing at the midpoint of their 36-hole final match. Johnston drove his ball safely onto the 18th fairway. The most difficult shot out of the way, he then blundered badly, hooking his second shot over the cliff and onto the beach. Johnston played a provisional ball and was ready to move on when his caddie came running through the gallery and informed him that his original ball might be playable on the beach.

(Photo courtesy of USGA Museum)

“I found my ball resting securely among the small pebbles below the seawall,” Johnston said. “When I took my stance to play the shot, a wave swished up behind me and buried my feet six inches in the water. But when the wave receded, the ball was still there!”

Before the next wave arrived, Johnston calmly struck his golf ball with a Spalding Kro-Flite spade mashie, the equivalent of a modern-day 7-iron. The ball cleared the seawall and landed on the edge of the 18th green. Johnston halved the par-5 hole and rallied in the afternoon round for a 4 and 3 victory to claim the U.S. Amateur title. He was later honored with a ticker-tape parade in his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota.

−The Armchair Golfer

More:
USGA story and photos of Johnston’s Spalding Kro-Flite spade mashie