IN THE BUNKER WITH MICK THE GRIP
THE LEGEND that Robert Louis Stevenson roamed the hills and sandy dunes of Pebble Beach while writing his classic novel Treasure Island inspired the designers of Spyglass Hill in 1966, and holes were named after a significant place or character in the novel.
When Spyglass Hill joined the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am rotation it was considered a true championship test of golf and Bing was so confident of it's difficulty that he bet Jack Nicklaus he wouldn’t break par in his first round there. Jack shot a 2-under 70, and Bing presented him with a signed, framed $5 bill in commemoration.
250 founders were roped in to help finance construction of the course, paying $2,500 up front and annual fees of $50. In return, they received 9 starting times each weekday and 12 every weekend. (These days a round at Spyglass costs upward of $500.) Robert Trent Jones II, son of the course designer and one of the founding members said, “It became the best deal in golf, which is why the Pebble Beach Company wanted those starting times back.” In 2016 they finally got them back when the 50-year agreement came to an end. Only 12 of the founder members were still alive.
Despite being one of the most iconic events on the PGA Tour, many top players now tend to skip the Pebble Beach AT&T, citing long rounds, celebrity distractions, unsettled weather and the bumpy poa annua greens. In addition, the schedule faces competition from the Saudi International, LIV Mayacoba is scheduled for the same date. Oh for the good old uncomplicated days of the Crosby Clambake.
COBRA HAS ANNOUNCED that their new DarkSpeed driver is another leap forward in performance at a competitive price. As usual, there are three to choose from.
The low-spinning Darkspeed LS is tailored to Tour players and elite amateurs, with 8, 9 and 10 degrees of loft. The interchangeable weight system allows players to dial in their launch conditions and ball flight, keeping the heaviest weight on the back for more backspin, or moving it forward to reduce spin. With dashing good looks, the aerodynamic-shaped Cobra head has carbon in the sole and crown. Testers found it fast without compromising accuracy.
The Darkspeed X is the middle-of-the-road driver for both low and middle-handicap golfers, and is available in lofts 9°, 10.5°, and 12° which makes it a suitable option for the vast majority. More aerodynamic than the Max, it offers speed and forgiveness.
The Max driver has the same lofts and is the most forgiving in the Darkspeed range, but still delivers speed and competitive distance, and is the easiest to hit. At £429.00 I'll have to take their word for it.
BILLY CASPER, who died in 2015 aged 83, was called “The nicest guy in the business.” Aways modest in victory and gracious in defeat, although overshadowed by the ‘Big Three’ (Palmer, Nicklaus and Player) he still won 51 PGA Tour titles, two US Opens and the 1970 Masters. His 23 1/2 points is still a U.S. Ryder Cup record, and he captained the U.S. squad to victory in 1979.
Billy had a lethal putter and total self-belief. “I had a hand/eye link,” he would say. “I could look at a telephone pole 40 yards away and hit it with a 7 iron 10 times in a row. And somehow I understood the game, without having a lot of guidance."
THE ‘CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS’ in Beijing is looking to produce more world and Olympic champions. One of China’s ‘Centres of Excellence’ teaching badminton, gymnastics, table tennis and golf, the golf hall consists of bare walls, no windows, the Chinese flag, and about 30 children aged between 5 and 9, putting and chipping in front of mirrors for two hours a day after normal school work, no doubt all part of Confucious's instructions to go and beat the pants off everybody. Golf however, tends to produce unlikely champions without intensive training. Like Billy Casper.
