Divot Ends

Handicapping Olympic Golf: Bronze for Sweden!

2009-10-09T10:27:00.003+02:00

from a post on Swedish Golf Online Austin Kelley reports in the Wall Street Journal/Online that back in 1904, the last time there was an Olympic golf tournament, 74 out of 77 players were from the U.S. Since then both the Olympics and golf have grown, but if the sport returned to the Games today—the IOC will vote Friday, October 9, whether to reintroduce golf in 2016—the U.S. team would still

Lost in Translation

2009-10-01T10:00:00.003+02:00

As an ex-pat living in Sweden, one of my shortcomings is my lack of fluency with the Swedish language. Which is a polite way to say that I don't speak the language at all. Because of this shortcoming, I have to rely on a few tools to help me in my literate day to day life in Sweden. I have a couple of lexicons, but the easiest tool for me is Google Translate. It gives me enough informtion to get

Getting Treated Like A Pro...almost

2009-09-30T20:36:00.000+02:00

Besides playing around the world and being on TV and making lots of money (well, some of them do) one of the perks of being a professional golfer is all the cool stuff they get from their sponsor manufacturers. Clubs, balls, gloves and clothes are always available and, better yet, free! If a golfer is in need of a new putter, or needs to change the lie of his club, the manufacturer is right

With Friends Like That...!

2009-09-26T18:37:00.005+02:00

Having been raised on the American style of golf as a recreation or as a way to treat your business clients, I was not prepared for the style of golf they play here in Sweden.I was convinced that unlike the USA, where golf is considered a relaxing day with your buddies away from the everyday stress, golf in Sweden is considered a SPORT. You play at a sporty pace, you keep score, you don't bump

Taking It's Poll

2009-09-10T21:11:00.003+02:00

See this post on Swedish Golf OnlineSometimes, it seems that the most innoucious statements ate the ones that come back to bite you in the posterior. Or another way to put it is what sounded good at the meeting, doesn't come out the way that you planned.In one of the golf sites here in Sweden, a poll was put up on their website that asked a simple question. The question was "if a foreignor came

Tiger! Tiger! A Korean Odd-yssey

2009-08-17T16:26:00.009+02:00

It had to happen. It always does, even in the comics. The hero has to be, seemingly, beaten to add peril and suspense to the narrative. If he was always invincible, then it would be hard to sell the next issue of the comic.And so, it happened yesterday afternoon in Hazeltine, Minnesota, USA. The super-golfer named Tiger Woods met some Korean kryptonite named Y.E. Yang. Today the hero has been

Under Pressure

2009-08-01T11:34:00.008+02:00

Geez, what is it with us? While doing my early morning cruise through the news, I come across the headline on Golf.com. "That's More Like It", it screamed. The headline was on top of the coverage of the Buick Open, the PGA tour stop where Tiger Woods had just spanked a 63 to regain the front page of the leader board.The previous day, Woods had "only" shot a one under 71, and the sound of dismay

Old Folks Boogie

2009-07-22T00:13:00.008+02:00

Nostalgia filled the weekend with Tom Watson's remarkable run at Turnberry. The Open, or as we Americans call it, The British Open, is my second favorite golf event-the first being The Masters- for all the reasons that were on display last weekend. The best golfers in the world earn an invitation to play on the type of courses that the game was invented on. The combination of the competition,

I've Been There and Done That

2009-07-17T12:44:00.005+02:00

Hey, I'm no expert on either golf or human psychology, but it just seemed that Tiger Woods pschyed himself out yesterday. Proving that the only guy that can get into Tiger's head is Tiger.Leading up to Thursday's opening round of the British Open at Turnberry, all we read was how Tiger was going to keep it low and short to accomodate the bad weather, winds, bunkering and the tall rough from a

Tokatee Weekend

2009-07-10T15:30:00.009+02:00

They'll be throwing the bags in the car, the golf bags, sleeping bags, grocery bags and a long time ago, the little plastic bags. Closing the trunks and pointing the cars south on the I-5 they will head to Eugene, Oregon. The contingents will be from Seattle and Portland and from other spots around the Northwest, I guess. They'll come with friends and family, and in some cases, the second

Who's Number One? Take A Guess

2009-07-07T14:52:00.004+02:00

As the poor economy continues to squeeze sponsors out of professional golf, the pressure for Tiger Woods to win tournaments becomes more critical. Think Tony Kim or Phil Mickelson could accomplish this?From the AP via Golf.com:TV Ratings For AT&T National Triple From Last YearNEW YORK (AP)- Tiger Woods' win at the AT&T National drew an overnight rating more than three times higher than last year,

There's A Right Way and There Is A Wrong Way

2009-06-26T11:01:00.006+02:00

Slow play is the one thing that almost everyone agrees is a problem that needs to be solved.Players like the ability to play at a pace that allows them to get into a flow, allowing them to play at their best ability. Golf course operators want to eliminate slow play because it will allow them to maximize the number of groups that they can put on their golf courses to increase bottom lines. Of

The determination to win is the better part of winning

2009-06-23T11:39:00.008+02:00

For the next week there will be millions of words written about the 2009 Waterworld...uhhhh....U.S. Open that just finished at the Black Course in Bethpage, L.I. Congratulations to the winner, Lucas Glover, because, let's face it, being announced on the first tee as a U.S. Open Champion is a lot better than being announced as the winner of the 2005 FUNAI Classic at the Walt Disney World

One Is The Luckiest Number

2009-05-26T15:56:00.004+02:00

Divot Ends want to congratulate two of Sweden's own for qualifying for the U.S. Open.Peter Hanson earned a trip to the U.S. Open by making a hole-in-one on the second playoff hole at Sunningdale to grab the 11th and final spot in a European qualifier Monday. Seven players who finished at 139 in Europe competed for five spots in the playoff. Jose-Manuel Lara, Jean-Francois Lucquin, Johan Edfors,

A Different Stroke For The Golfing Folk

2009-05-24T20:44:00.004+02:00

Take one part golf and one part singles mingle, mix in an intimate dinner for 400 of your new friends and garnish with a big dash of cultural heritage and you have the makings of a great taste of one of the positive things about golf. It was a surprise to find out how many golfers in Sweden believe in the idea as well. The Stockholm Golf Festival was a revelation of what fun a large scale social

Be Led By Your Dreams.

2009-05-23T17:00:00.005+02:00

Golf and fashion are two words that have trouble going together. I know, I know, it's a billion dollar industry, but hey...have you seen John Daly's pants? When there is a serious attempt to add "latest style" to the sport, designers inspire looks that most golfers wouldn't wear anywhere, much less on a golf course. Jewelry for golf has been almost relegated to dimpled balls of metal that don't

There Are More Important Things

2009-05-20T23:28:00.002+02:00

During The Players Championship a few weeks back much was written about the solid play of the winner, Henrik Stenson and the erratic swings of Tiger Woods. A minor topic was the manner of play that the two top players in the world showed over the week long event. The discussion was about the way that Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods handled the situation when both their games went south during the

Holding the Bag

2009-05-11T12:41:00.004+02:00

In a near flawless perfomance, Henrik Stenson put himself and Sweden on the world golf map this weekend. His bogey free 66 final round at The Players Championship gave him a four stroke victory and the $ 1.7 million first prize. It was the first time the flag of Sweden was raised over TPC at Sawgrass, Pete Dye's mind-bending track built over swampland. Golf Magazine.com said, "Stenson is another

My All time Favorite Song About Golf

2009-05-02T16:31:00.004+02:00

(Facts from Wickipedia) Blog inspired by Michael @ Aussie GolferOne of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses.According to ticket sales, Bing Crosby is, at 1,077,900,000 tickets sold, the third most popular actor of all-time behind Clark Gable and John Wayne. He won an Academy Award for

TUR Thoughts

2009-03-20T12:51:00.002+01:00

My favorite scene in the movie, "The Exorcist", is when the Linda Blair's character does parlor tricks for Max Von Sydow's priest character. It seems Satan has a pretty low esteem for priests and their powers. To toy with their mumbo jumbo, he sits up in bed and makes the posessed child's head spin around like the turnstile of the subway at rush hour, just because he can and the priest can't.My

Tiger's Back! Nike Players React

2009-02-26T16:35:00.002+01:00

The Golfer's Lament

2009-02-07T02:05:00.007+01:00

I don't know who the author of this poem is, but he sure has captured the spirit of the Auld Game. Thanks to Devin and Kathryn in Orlando for thinking of me.THE GOLFER'S LAMENTbyAnonymousIn My Hand I Hold A Ball.  White And Dimpled, Rather Small.  Oh, How Bland It Does Appear,  This Harmless Looking Little Sphere.By Its’ Size I Could Not Guess,  The Awesome Strength It Does Possess.  But Since I

The Greatest Game Ever Played?

2009-02-06T13:38:00.004+01:00

Recently, the Baseball Hall of Fame elected some new entries. Like most sports, baseball has a rich tradition and induces in its fans and scholars debates over the qualifications of HOF nominees. Simply put, fans argue over who they think should be in or not.Joe Posnanski is a sports columnist for the Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated on line. He is a wonderful writer, and his personal blog

There's A Party Coming to Tampa

2009-01-31T01:54:00.003+01:00

The Super Bowl is the biggest one day party in the US of A. It is bigger than New Year's Eve. There are almost no weddings scheduled the weekend of the championship game between the winners of the AFC and NFC conferences. This year it will be between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.The half time show has grown into an extravaganza where in the last few years, recording artists

Ekerum-Bigger and Better

2009-01-22T20:15:00.031+01:00

You should check out the new design on the Ekerum Golf & Resort web site. It's a great looking site and easy to navigate around. If you didn't hear, the resort acquired nine more holes last year and began an extensive improvement project. Peter Nordwell, the noted golf course designer, headed up the improvements and redesign. At 54 holes, Ekerum is the largest golf and spa resort in Sweden. The