THE IMPRESSIVE GOLDEN BRIDGE is one of the tourist attractions of Vietnam. Golf is also becoming a tourist attraction, thanks to the designer courses of Colin Montgomerie (Montgomerie Links) Sir Nick Faldo, (Laguna Lang) Luke Donald (Ba Na Hills) and Greg Norman.
The BRG Da Nang Golf Resort has 27 championship holes; 18 designed by Norman and 9 by Jack Nicklaus. Norman’s award-winning Dunes course is located right on the beach the Americans landed on in the Vietnam war.
The Great White Shark has ‘interesting’ plans for golf: “My design team and I are now building everything from barefoot courses where you can play in board shorts and pick your next tee shot to six-hole layouts that can also be played as twelve or eighteen-hole rotations from different tees.
In a no-pressure atmosphere golfers can post their best shots on social media, play music or use an electric skateboard instead of a cart and have fun with the game without burning five hours.” If that’s the future of golf God help us.
GARY PLAYER is never afraid to voice his views: “Remember this, the players that are playing the Saudi Tour now, they need the money. They’ve got families and I don’t blame them. There’s not many who can win on their regular Tour anymore, so they are wisely taking the money.”
Player (86) hopes that they can “settle everything in an amicable way.” As a Golf Saudi Ambassador he is obviously taking a neutral stance, and knows what it’s like for a player to be down to his last $10 million.
I can’t imagine Dustin Johnson needs $150 million, but then he has been saving up to get married. Perhaps fiancee Paula Gretsky can persuade him he can afford that ring now.
WITH RORY McILROY’s Canadian Open win, Justin Rose’s near 59 and Matt Fitzpatrick’s US Open triumph the PGA Tour and DP World Tour are providing enough excitement for everyone, LIV Golf Invitational’s first event wasn’t exactly riveting despite the manufactured gasps and shrieks from the presenters at Centurion.
TAYLORMADE’s DECISION to make their Stealth irons available in 2 lofts, so golfers have the option of going up to 1deg. stronger or 2deg. weaker, is clever thinking, as it helps both mid and high handicappers.
They have the same Cap Back technology as the Sim2 but now have Toe Wrap Construction which gives an even lower CG., Inverted Cone Technology which reduces spin, and a strip of soft polymer in the head called the Echo Damping System to absorb vibrations.
MyGolfspy is impressed: “Stealth irons get the ball up easily, quickly, and carry a long way, giving great results without needing great contact.” More importantly, they get the thumbs up from YouTube’s influential tester Rick Shiels, who says he might buy some. At £850 I’m glad he can afford them.
JUSTIN ROSE’s new Golf Academy will operate from American Golf’s leisure sites throughout the country and aims to introduce youngsters to the game by bringing 18,000 school children onto his Junior Program, with more than 5,000 free lessons during the first year.
Sir Nick Faldo, who also runs a worldwide junior golf foundation, is hanging up his microphone and relocating his family to a farm in the “Wondrous, welcoming state of Montana. I’ll be found on the East Gallatin River out back, with a rod, waders, and local trout.” he sighed happily. In other words Sir Nick’s “Gone Fishin’.”
Faldo’s role will be taken by Trevor Immelman, who tweeted on hearing the news: “I’m so excited about it!” Let’s hope he talks faster than he plays. In 2008 Masters winner Trevor was so slow round Augusta that the official walking alongside said “Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.”
“I’m glad we don’t have to play in the shade.” Bobby Jones on being told it was 105 in the shade.
Until next time: Happy Golfing.
Contact Mick for regripping and repairs. Tel. 638 859 475, or visit https://mickthegrip.blogspot.com
