Spitting, mad ?

There are certain courses that just set your pulse rate going, some because of the stunning scenery others because they are just proper golf courses, Riviera Country Club is one, simply a stunning, proper golf course.

From Hogan’s Alley to Bogart’s tree to the stunning clubhouse you just want play it, to feel it, to appreciate it. As you can tell its very high on my bucket list.

1999 Ernie holding off a charging Tiger, Robert Allenby’s 6 man play off win in 2001, Elk beating Monty in the PGA play off in 1995 all classics for the ages.

On Sunday night when Phil Mickelson holed that brilliant putt on the 18th for a play off with Bill Hass only to be followed by a clutch putt by Keegan Bradley  it should have been a classic for the ages, but sadly not.

The brilliance on the course was overshadowed by excessively slow play and disgusting spitting.

The final group on Sunday took 5 hours 17 minutes to play 18 holes, that’s 18 minutes a hole!

Slow play has been a topic of conversation this year, not once or twice but every tournament on the PGA.

Apparently since Tim Finchem became PGA commissioner in 1994 no player has been fined for slow play, 18 years and not a single fine for slow play? Seriously?

From grass roots to the top professionals slow play is strangling the life out of the game.


A 3 ball on foot should take no longer than 3 ½ hours, at any level. If you go to play vacation golf in Florida using carts you are looking at 5 hours sometimes. If you complain you usually get told its still quicker than the pro’s.

The PGA, the European Tour and the LPGA have got to realise that they set a standard that others follow. If pro’s cant take 5 hours + a round then its OK if they do.

Week after week 1,000’s are walking away from playing golf because for 1 reason or another they do not have 5 hours to play 18 holes.

But through all the complaints about slow play the silence of the pro tours is deafening.

I do not, nor will I ever know what its like to play for a million dollars, so maybe I am being harsh ? But I do know when I stand waiting on tee’s and on fairways my game suffers and any enjoyment I am having disappears, am I alone in this ?

Why does any amateur need 10 practise swings?

The only way I can see the PGA taking action on slow play is if NBC/CBS start cutting off coverage at their advertised time. Yes the Golf Channel would take over coverage but the main advertising comes from the network channels not them.

Money talks and advertisers and sponsors hold the power, not us the fans.

As a child I was always told to cover my mouth when I coughed and my nose and mouth when I sneezed, it was good manners to do so. You where told to use a handkerchief  as it was hygienic.

So WHY OH WHY does anyone need to spit on the golf course, seriously why??

I found myself turning away from the screen last night rather than watch it, its disgusting.

Do Cleveland, Srixon and Tommy Hilfiger honestly what their brands associated with spitting ??

Do the PGA think its acceptable ??

Do we think its acceptable ??  

I for 1 do not think its acceptable in any civilised society, or has golf suddenly become uncivilised ?

Maybe it’s a British thing to find it disgusting, maybe its acceptable behaviour in the United States?

From a personal point of view I think I have bought my last Srixon ball.

But huge congratulations to Bill Haas on a well deserved win.