The 19th Hole Golf Show - 9/9/08

…sound quality was much better this week – guess those groupies are finally getting your equipment set up right. (lol)

You didn’t challenge Shackelford very much. Could he sound anymore like an undertaker when talking about the American team ? Does he enjoy covering golf ? What is his definition of a “bomber” ? Most of the guys on the team average between 286 and 294. Holmes is the big stick, and Mickelson CAN hit it out there a long ways, but he doesn’t know where it’s going when he lets the shaft out. Leonard, Curtis, and Furyk are the only three who don’t generally have the stick to put it out there 300+ yards. The extra rough outside of 300 yards ends up being a problem for only a couple of guys – and those two, Mickelson and Holmes, might not be in the fairway if they made it 100 yards wide. When they are on – the distance is staggering – but it’s not reliable. Does Shackelford think that the Euro squad sidelines on the Long Drive Tour ? Maybe Azinger is just trying to put a line out there for his guys – “this far and no farther.” Probably not, and the extra rough doesn’t sound like it makes any sense no matter how rosey the glasses are.

I found it interesting that he was taking shots at others in the media for being preachy and moralistic – after he just did that himself over the picks and the course setup and the Euro squad. Come on – HE doesn’t think Faldo is smart enough ? Please. Shackelford put himself in the arrogant media hall of fame with that one.

What Geoff said about the rough. The rough gets easier at 300+ to accommodate his guys that are longer. But, with half of the team not being real bombers, that isn’t necessarily an advantage.

I don’t challenge Geoff much because I agree with him a lot, haha. And it’s more fun to hear him talk from the cuff. Some guests you have to pry out to get what they really think. Geoff says what he thinks unprompted. Makes it more interesting to listen to, even if you disagree with him.

I didn’t find his comments on the setup to be preachy. I think that he was trying to show the conflict Zinger has in how he wants Valhalla set up. It’s tough to do.

I’ve been preachy on Darren Clarke, so I guess I should be lumped in with that discussion. :)

Geoff is a course architect by trade and just so happens to do freelance media work, etc, and writing books. At least, that’s what I would put on his business card.

because it’s hilarious. Geoff was kind enough to post a link to the Flash player – the link in this post to listen to my show. Someone commented on that past that I must be paid by the word because it took me 10 minutes (aka, the first segment) to get to Geoff (aka, the guest in the 2nd segment).

hey – gotta sell those advertising spots in the second segment, too — sign of a true professional is the ability to tease the next guest. :-)