Weather worse than economy for golf

By Ken MacLeod

Golf has proven it can weather an economic storm. Real storms have a more dire effect.

The poor economy was a topic of much conversation throughout last summer, but public course rounds in the Tulsa area were flat or slightly ahead in many cases through September.

The weather turned hostile in October and public courses have been reeling since.

Typically a strong month for rounds in this area, October was the second coldest on record in Oklahoma and many parts of the state endured up to 21 days of precipitation. Rounds plummeted and - after a brief respite in early November - have been falling since.

Average temperatures in December were more than five degrees below normal and 2.7 degrees below normal in January, according to the National Weather Service. There were 10 days in December and 11 in January in which the high temperature exceeded 50 degrees, but on many of those days there was still snow on the ground or courses were closed from being too soggy.

At Bailey Ranch in Owasso, Director of Golf Corey Burd counts an open day as one in which 15 or more rounds are played, factoring in there are a few diehards who will play in about any conditions. The course was then "open" six days in December, nine days in January and four days in February through the 24th. There were 751 rounds played during that time compared to 2,045 a year ago and 3,066 as recently as 2006.

"Easily the worst stretch I've gone through since I came here in 1999," Burd said.

Southern Hills looks south for new superintendent

KD Davis with wife Holly, and four children: Jadyn, Macy, Keaton, and Jordyn

By Ken MacLeod

Very few golf course superintendents successfully grow bent grass greens south of the Red River. Even fewer once you venture south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Kris Davis had beautiful bent grass greens at Cordillera Ranch in Boerne just outside of San Antonio. The greens consisted of the same blend of A-1 and A-4 bent grass used at Southern Hills Country Club.

"We were the only ones in the area who were not using some form of Bermuda greens," Davis said.

It's tough enough to successfully manage bent grass greens here in the heart of the transition zone. That Davis could successfully do so as far south as Boerne is one reason why he begins his new post March 1 as the superintendent at Southern Hills.

Davis, known as KD to his friends, replaces Russ Myers, who left in December to be the new superintendent at Los Angeles Country Club. Myers helped the venerable club earn rave reviews in the 2007 PGA Championship and the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship and left the course in very good condition.

New Champions Tour event on Gulf Coast attracts star-studded field

Biloxi, Miss. - Twelve major golf championship winners and six members of the World Golf Hall of Fame have already committed to playing at the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic April 28-May 2 at Fallen Oak.

If you're considering a golf trip to the Gulf Coast this spring and want to catch some of the greats of golf at the same time as well as see one of Tom Fazio's best courses, this is the time.

"We are still two months out and we have already attracted one of the best fields on the Champions Tour," said Steve Nieman, tournament director. "It is a real coup to have a 6-time major winner Lee Trevino in the field. I am also excited that last week Bernhard Langer committed to playing in the tournament."

Langer and Trevino are two of the major champions and Hall-of-Famers who will visit the Gulf Coast in April. Langer, who won two Masters titles, was the leading money-winner on the Champions Tour in 2009. Trevino, who turned 70 in December and played just six times last year, is a golf legend and crowd favorite.

Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster online for just $15 each and they can be used any day of the tournament. Children age 15 and under will be admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Order your tickets online now at www.msgulfresortclassic.com or call the tournament office at (228) 896-6365.

Other Hall of Famers in the field are Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and Nick Price. Collectively the four have won nine major titles. Other major winners already entered are Larry Nelson, Scott Simpson, Craig Stadler, Hal Sutton Bob Tway and Lanny Wadkins. Exempt players on the Champions Tour have until a week before the tournament to commit to participating.

The Classic is one of 26 official events on the Champions Tour for 2010, and the field of 78 players will compete for the $1.6 million purse and a $240,000 winner's share. Competitive rounds in the 54-hole event are set for Friday through Sunday. The popular pro-am tournaments will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

The tournament will be broadcast for 17½ hours by the Golf Channel and the benefiting charity is Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Fallen Oak is the exclusive home course for the guests of the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. The Tom Fazio-designed course, which was opened in 2006, has earned 12 national honors and is ranked the second best gaming resort course in the country.

Top amateurs, club pros choose Titleist

From the top amateurs to the best club professionals, Titleist products received overwhelming approval last week at the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club and the South Central Section Professional National Championship qualifier at Wichita Country Club.

It was an all-Titleist final at the U.S. Amateur, with the winner Ben An  trusting the Pro V1 golf ball and 14 Titleist golf clubs in his record-setting victory.  Runner-up Ben Martin relied upon a Pro V1x golf ball and 12 Titleist golf clubs for his success.  Below are What's in the Bag listings for the champion and runner-up:

Winner's Bag:  Pro V1 golf ball, 909D3 driver (9.5), 909F2 fairway metal (13.0), 909H hybrid (19.0), ZM irons (3-9), Vokey Design pitching wedge (48), Vokey Design Spin Milled sand (54) and lob (58) wedges, Scotty Cameron 350 putter).

Finalist Bag: Pro V1x golf ball, 909D2 driver (7.5), AP2 irons (4-P), Vokey Design gap (50) and sand (56) wedges, Vokey Design Spin Milled lob (60) wedge, Scotty Cameron Xperimental putter.

In a survey of the 312 players in the field, 85 percent played Titleist golf balls, while the nearest competitor had 23. Titleist also led in drivers, fairways metals, hybrids, iron sets, wedges and putters. Following are the rankings provided by Titleist.