Slow down that swing; keep your head down

Everyone who wants to head out to Tacoma for a post USOpen Golf Championship round at Chambers Bay (CB), step forward.  What’s that you say?  How much will it cost?  To play this publically funded, fescue infested masterpiece?  Well, if you go to - http://www.chambersbaygolf.com/golf/rates-and-services/ and you are not a local resident, either $275.00 or $299.00.  And that is before local taxes of 14.4%!

Please step forward.  Hello, just step out of line and we can make arrangements.  Hello.

Before we really get going on this senseless situation on the sound (Puget that is) we would like to pose these few questions to the USGA:

·         Speed up play.  Isn’t that one of your schemes?  Ideas?  You know play it forward – while we’re young?  Great thoughts to speed up play?  This course requires a 10 mile effort just to get from 18 greens to 17 tee boxes.  The course must be walked – no carts.  The pros this week are taking over 5 hours to play.  We get to watch them fume as they try to remain focused and wait, and wait.  What are they thinking?  What were you thinking? 

·         Across our great land we have a number of privately owned golf courses.  Not private courses – not the grand clubs and venues like Medinah or Augusta or The Olympic Club.  No, not those places you showcase occasionally that the average Joe or Jill would be arrested if they entered the other 360 days of the year.  What are you telling these mom and pop operators trying to hang on while you showcase this senseless situation on the sound?  Built with taxpayer money?  Some government clown bureaucrat fulfilling his wet dream with public money?

·         Here is a bit of information we didn’t hear about or see about in one of those hard hitting interviews/commentaries from one of Fox’s “golf experts.”  Remember, CB is a public course.  They have this special deal – open to only 25 “members” and they call it – Lone Fir Membership:

o   Forty (40) rounds at Chambers Bay (not valid May or June)

o   Rounds are non-transferable and cannot be used for contracted group outings

o   Members pay Golf Club rate (lowest rate available) for all other rounds played (A savings of up to $66 per round)

o   Exclusive invitations to Golf Club events in 2015

o   2015 WSGA Membership including GHIN handicap services

o   Benefits expire December 31, 2015

o   2015 Chambers Bay Golf Club Lone Fir Membership price: $4,000 plus tax

FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS TAX.  Sounds like a Donald Trump scheme. But, hey, it includes the GHIN handicap system!

·         As to Fox coverage – Buck is okay.  Norman needs a little work.  Faxon, Pavin and Weiskopf are just plain good.  The rest of them need to head back to Sioux City and Grand Rapids (or just stay in Tacoma) and resume their weather reporting positions.  One more thing – hire someone who can communicate to the commentators on the course they are about to be called upon to comment.

In an era of government gone wild; politicians who dare not speak the truth; and idiocy in every basic public task and function replacing common sense and fundamentals we say this to the USGA – you fit in very nicely.

You dropped the ball USGA – didn’t keep your head down – time to revisit the fundamentals – clean house – start with the bald guy and pick a venue for our national championship that is affordable and accessible to regular guys and gals.

To all you Dads out there - Happy Fathers Day!