Lay of the Land: Part II

This is a continuation of my last post about five old golf courses that are still very much involved in the game of golf. This week we look at the same story with five modern golf courses:

5. Whistling Straits: Straits Course – 1998

(Destination Kohler)

Coming in at number five is a modern day American links course that has already seen its fair share of drama in just eighteen years of existence. From Dustin Johnson’s infamous penalty in 2010 to Jason Day’s record setting performance in 2015, the Straits Course has proven to be made for championship golf.  Located along the coast of Lake Michigan, the course contains pot bunkers and rolling terrains that reflect the classic links golf courses of Ireland and the United Kingdom. In just a short lifespan, the course has already turned itself into a staple in the rotation of the PGA Championship, which many argue to be golf’s toughest major to win.

4. Kiawah Island: Ocean Course – 1991

(PGA)

We’ll stick with the coastal theme here as we head down to Myrtle Beach for the Ocean Course, the most famous track at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The course burst onto the scene with one of the most famous Ryder Cups of all time in 1991, which later became known as the “war by the shore.” Fast forward to 2012 when Rory McIlroy continued a breakout year by winning the PGA Championship here. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of this Pete Dye designed course is the fact that it has more seaside holes than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere with ten. The layout is exquisite although most amateurs wouldn’t think so once they start their rounds. Howling winds and natural sand can play a huge part in ruining a good score.

3. TPC Scottsdale: Stadium Course – 1986

(Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

I’m honestly a bit disappointed in myself for not ranking this higher because it might be my favorite golf course on the PGA Tour. It just reeks of fun. Highlighted by the infamous sixteenth hole, the course provides an electric atmosphere early in the PGA Tour season. While the entire course sets up for spectators to see every shot, the sixteenth hole is what truly pulls people in. Located inside a stadium with a capacity of 20,000, the par-3 is far and away the most rowdy hole in the world of golf. Additionally, the course partners with Waste Management to produce an annual event that really encourages people to become more eco-friendly.

2. Muirfield Village Golf Club – 1974

(Nicklaus Design)

Everyone knows it as “Jack’s Place.” Jack Nicklaus himself designed a course in his home state of Ohio that pays homage to Muirfield, a famous links course in Scotland where he won his first Open Championship in 1966. The beautifully designed course has hosted a variety of championships, including the Ryder Cup, the U.S. Amateur, the President’s Cup, and the Solheim Cup. Most importantly, both Nicklaus and the course host the Memorial Tournament, an annual event on the PGA Tour that takes place near the end of Spring. Tiger Woods currently holds the record with five Memorial Tournament wins.

1. TPC Sawgrass: Stadium Course – 1980

(Starcasm)

The PGA Tour headquarters could not be located at a more fitting site than TPC Sawgrass. The course defines what the PGA Tour is all about each year at the Players Championship, which always provides some of the best golf of the season. The Stadium Course is designed exactly as it sounds: like a stadium. Each hole gives spectators the opportunity to see the best players in the world play at their highest levels on a ridiculously hard course. Of course, you can’t mention the Stadium Course without mentioning the famous seventeenth. It’s only about 130 yards long, but the only place to land is the green. The hole provides all sorts of dramatics, both good and bad, and is always one of the crucial elements in deciding golf’s “fifth major.”

Lay of the Land: Part I

The beauty of golf is that no two courses are the same. Some have a lot of water, others have a lot of trees, and some may even have neither. While there have been many courses that have rewritten golf history over the years, some have had much more of an impact than others. This week begins a two part series I call “Lay of the Land,” where I focus on golf courses both old and new that have cemented their places in the sport. Part I explores five old courses, while Part II will focus on five modern courses. Here we go:

5. Oakmont Country Club - 1903

(Youtube/USGA)

This past June we got to see Oakmont Country Club first hand at the U.S. Open, and I think we all would rather watch than play there. Seriously, it’s that hard. Church pew bunkers, lightning fast greens, and length that would give the average player nightmares have shaped Oakmont’s identity. Don’t get me wrong; it’s the perfect course for a U.S. Open given that it’s hosted eight of them.  Oakmont has also witnessed the birth of golf legends, such as Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus. The course itself embodies championship golf, particularly American championship golf, and its rural location seems to reflect the early stages of golf in America. There is no doubt the history of the sport would be much different without this prestigious Pennsylvania venue.

4. Pebble Beach Golf Links - 1919

(Joann Dost)

It is the home of American links golf, and perhaps one of the most iconic venues in the entire world. Pebble Beach has seen its fair share of history, from Tiger Woods’ famous win at the 2000 U.S. Open, to Tom Watson’s chip-in on the seventeenth hole. The course has become synonymous not only with championships, but also design. Pebble Beach possesses such a natural appearance with so many iconic holes giving the course its own personality. One of the most important aspects of Pebble Beach though is it’s yearly hosting of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, an event that is nearly seventy years old.

3. Pine Valley Golf Club - 1913

(Penn State Turfgrass Management)

It’s likely on the bucket list of nearly every golfer in the world. Annually ranked as one of the hardest golf courses in the country, Pine Valley is certainly a championship venue. Only one problem though: there’s no room to host one. With its signature island fairways surrounded by trees and brush, there is simply nowhere for spectators to watch any sort of event held there.

While its difficulty is attractive to many, its exclusivity is unparalleled. It is borderline impossible to join the private club. Legend has it that even Tom Watson was denied a round of golf since he showed up without a tee time. Women are not even allowed to join, and they can only play the course on Sunday’s as guests of members. For such an isolated venue, it is still one of the most famous in all of golf.

2. Augusta National Golf Club - 1933

(Steam)

Augusta National Golf Club is, in my opinion, the most recognizable golf course in the history of the sport. There are well-maintained courses, there are pristine courses, and then there is Augusta National. Down to each individual blade of grass, the course is perfect—the way Bobby Jones intended it to be when he designed it.

The Masters provides the perfect opportunity for Augusta National to show off its architecture each year, allowing viewers all around the world access to an otherwise very exclusive club. Amen Corner, holes eleven through thirteen, is where the course truly pulls the fan into its superb design. There are very few courses around the world where people can picture every hole without ever having stepped foot on the course. Augusta National Golf Club is one of those courses.

1. The Old Course at St. Andrews - 1552

(Platinum Golf Scotland)

If there’s one golf course that EVERY golfer knows, it’s the Old Course at St. Andrews—the home of golf. It is far and away the most historic, the most influential, and the most significant golf course in the history of the sport. The public course is a classic links setup, with many pot bunkers and A LOT of wind.

While the official establishment took place in the sixteenth century, golf has been played at the links at St. Andrews since the fifteenth century. The course features iconic holes that have provided so much drama over the years, particularly during golf’s oldest major, the Open Championship. Take the famous “road hole” seventeenth for example: a tee shot around/over a hotel sets up an impossible second shot to a narrow green guarded by a deep bunker. Not to mention, thirty mile-per-hour winds can make an already demanding course that much harder.

It’s no surprise that the Old Course has been golf’s most influential venue, and should be for many more years to come.

Five Lasting Effects of the Steroid Era

One of the biggest issues surrounding baseball over the last two decades has been the use of performance enhancing drugs, particularly steroids. Steroids were most prevalent in Major League Baseball from the late 1990s into the 2000s. While PED use has significantly decreased since this time, effects of the "Steroid Era" can still be seen in baseball today.

5. Public perception.

(Getty Images)

Major League Baseball players are considered some of the best athletes in the world, and for good reason. They play a sport at the highest level that demands such impeccable coordination and skill. It is one thing to play well, but standing out among fellow players is one of the hardest things to do. 

The Steroid Era allowed power hitters to stand out, captivating audiences with astronomical home run and RBI numbers. When the dust had seemingly settled from the Steroid Era though, fans began to question whether steroids in baseball had truly been wiped away. Fifteen years ago, fifty-home run seasons were a regular thing. Now, a player hits forty and the rumors begin to swirl.

Don’t get me wrong; sometimes the case is still true. But for players who have naturally developed themselves into superior hitters, it is unfair when fans assume they cheated simply because they put together a great offensive season. 

Fans have every right to be skeptical because steroids, along with other PED’s, were so rampant throughout the 1990’s into the 2000’s. This perception may never be able to leave completely, but with new rules and regulations the league is doing its best to rid itself of any negative effects.

4. For many, baseball is not as exciting.

Fans have every right to feel this way. Why shouldn’t they? I was much younger but I still remember how awesome it was to see Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds launch 460-foot home runs on a regular basis.

No one really criticized what was happening during this time, and often turned a blind eye to the fact that hitters were cheating their way to ridiculous moonshots. It was a spectacle. 

Those days are obviously over now and so are the home run races.  Sure, there’s still some competition but we will never see anyone reach sixty home runs in a season again. To the pure fan, baseball is still the great game it once was. To the average fan, the excitement is just not there because teams are finding ways to score runs without the assistance of players who have the ability to consistently hit fifty home runs per season.

3. Increased spending on drug testing.

(NYU Sports & Society Program)

In my opinion this is an issue that is not discussed enough because it is in fact a problem that may have been able to be avoided.

Drug testing typically runs the league about $400 per person, which I certainly wouldn’t consider to be cheap. In terms of the league’s annual budget, this may not seem that much. However, when the league increases its number of tests by nearly three thousand in just two years, it starts to significantly add up.

Major League Baseball spent approximately $3,263,200 on drug testing in 2015.

While it is crucial to the MLB’s identity for it to remain focused on removing steroids from the picture, a steady increase in testing may start to have serious financial effects. Unfortunately the steroid era and its implications have caused the league to take such action, but it is a necessary step to ensure its players do not use drugs.

2. Improbable records.

(barrybonds.com)

Sorry everyone, but I don’t think you’ll see anyone hit 74 home runs in a single season or finish their career with 763 home runs.  It just doesn’t seem possible. The way the game has evolved over the last decade has prevented anyone from making any sort of run without the assistance of performance enhancing drugs. 

Alex Rodriguez had the best chance, and we all know how his story turned out.

Still, the records are there which gives fans benchmarks to measure current players against while hoping to see them broken. Pitching is also much better today, but without the common thread of PED’s offensive production in terms of power is much lower than twenty years ago.

1. Major League Baseball still exists today.

(Redlegs Review)

The Steroid Era saved baseball. While there are obviously two sides to this claim, I personally believe that without it, we would not be enjoying America’s pastime in 2016.

Take 1994, when Major League Baseball was tested to its extreme limit. The players went on strike in the wake of a new collective bargaining agreement that would have severely altered their benefits as employees. The strike left many fans in the dark, wondering if they’d ever be able to enjoy baseball again.

While the league recovered from the strike, it took years filled with steroids and exciting home runs to recapture the loyalty and interest that was eradicated after 1994. Perhaps the most defining moment of baseball’s return was the famous 1998 home run race, where Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled each other for the single season home run record.