Dave Andrews is an author and golf writer. He covers women's golf for Cybergolf and has written Pops & Sunshine, a book chronicling the experience of a hypothetical golfer as she battles for her professional life.

After an eight-year absence, the Arizona Women's Open is expected to be played again this October. Sponsors are being rounded up and an attractive purse is being put together for professional women golfers in a 54-hole event at Wigwam Resorts Red Course in Litchfield Park, just outside Phoenix. The three-day tournament will be held from October 19th to 21st at the Wigwam Resort near Tucson.

The Arizona Women's Open will give professional women golfers another money-making opportunity at a time when professional tours have seen a decrease in the number of their events. Charity will also benefit. Part of the proceeds from the Arizona Women's Open will go to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The event is being organized by the Cactus Tour - which has several years of experience conducting mini tour events in the Phoenix area for women pros on the LPGA. It will feature players from the Duramed Futures Tour, the Ladies European Tour and other pros gearing up for their upcoming seasons.

One of the driving forces behind the resurgence of the Arizona Women's Open is Mike Brown from Tucson. Mike is the VP of Tournament Development and an avid supporter of women's golf around the country.

"Arizona is home to some of the best women pros on the tours and there is no reason that our state should be without an Open of its own," Brown said from his Tucson home.

"The Arizona Women Open will be held during a ‘down' period for the tours and many players will be in the state preparing for the LPGA and LET Q-school finals in December, as well as Duramed Futures Tour Q School in November."

The event will be limited to 102 players. Several current and former contestants from Golf Channel's "Big Break" series will be competing in the tournament. The event will also be open to amateur players looking to test their games against top professionals.

Players interested in registering for the Arizona Women's Open should go to its website: http://arizonawomensopen.net. 

James Sherill runs the Rexford Buzzsaw, a site that looks at second-level golf statistics.  In an effort to bring on the Golden Age of golf Sabrmetrics, I've invited James to do occasional golf stats posts for us here at Waggle Room.

Common sense holds that, in golf, there are "horses for courses." Those golfers that for whatever reason seem to own one certain venue. Take, Tiger Woods, who has won 7 times at Firestone Country Club’s South Course. It shouldn’t be too hard to look around the golf world and find everyone and their uncle telling you how Tiger owns Firestone. But, does he really? Does this magical "horses for courses" phenomenon exist?

Luckily, this week, the WGC-Bridgestone event will be played on a course that under various names has hosted an elite-fielded stroke play event since 1976. That gives us a great sample to judge if there is such a thing as horses for courses.

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By Geoff Bock – Special Contributor to Waggle Room

It all ended too soon. I needed more time. We all did.

Last week, while most people outside the golf world were more focused on such trifling things as oil-covered birds and seeing the new Shrek movie, a true legend of the game bid adieu to the PGA Tour. And he did it his way – tied for 66th. His name is Mark David Calcavecchia.

Now, full disclosure time: I am not a golf writer. I own a bag of nearly fifteen year old Knight clubs that I manage to drag out to the range maybe three times a year. I am the most casual of golf fans; I watch maybe four hours of live golf a year ... and all of them surely during the majors. I can’t even tell you who won the Masters this year. You get the idea.

So why am I here and why are you reading this? While I cannot speak for the latter, I can tell you that I am here because Ryan is a good friend of mine, and he asked me to write a little tribute to Calc. Why me, and why Calc? To be honest, I cannot tell you when it started for me. But I’m pretty sure it was because of his name. Calcavecchia. It’s just a fun name to say. Go ahead and do it. Say it aloud right now. Even if you’re at work. No one will laugh at you (or at least I won’t). I’ll wait. [Author’s note: In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this post will have tongue planted as firmly in cheek as Tiger’s … okay, I won’t go there.] You finished? Good. Didn’t that feel good? You want to do it again, don’t you? Well, maybe later. No time for that now.

Continue reading this post »

Our guest poster is Robert Tuchman, author of "The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime."  Included in the book are several passages related to golf events, such as the Masters, Ryder Cup, and the Open Championship - the subject of this post.

For most of us, golf is a lot of walking with interjections of failure, disappointment and bad arithmetic.  But for those at the top of the sport, the game is quite the opposite. 

One of the best venues to see the game of golf at its prime is the British Open.  Held every year after the third Friday in July, the British Open is one of the oldest of the four major golf championships with its roots dating back to 1860.  Known as the Open Championship in the UK, it is the third major event on the circuit, following the Masters and the US Open (preceding the PGA Championship).  The course is changed each year as it rotates between nine historic courses throughout the British countryside. 

If you wish to make the jump across the pond, there are some tips and advice you should know to make your adventure much more enjoyable.  At the Open, of course, the best action and drama will take place on the 18th hole.  Make sure you get there plenty early and grab a seat in the grandstand.  Here you will see the final shots played out and the victor make history. 

If it is an autograph you seek, check out the specifically designated autograph area.  Wait here to avoid a chaotic, "Happy Gilmore"-esque environment with spectators rushing the players in between holes for autographs.  Check with the course volunteers as to where this area is.

Be sure to balance your golf vacation between playing and watching.  While the British Open is played on a specific course, other links close by are perfect for a quick golfing excursion during off times.  England boasts many British Open-style venues.  Scotland, too, offers some of the finest courses in the world.  Play golf where history has been made! 

Some day, I hope to get to the Open myself.  From what I understand, it's quite a different feeling as compared to the US Open.  For those of you that have been to the Open or played some of the Rota (::cough:: Shane Bacon ::cough::), feel free to share your experiences!

Our US Women's Open correspondent, Nisha Sadekar, files her final report on the tournament and Ji' s win.

BETHLEHEM, PA -

The US Women’s Open has come to a close and Eun Hee Ji is the 2009 Champion.

I was playing golf yesterday and it is virtually impossible to track scores on a blackberry, unless you want to wait 5 minutes for outdated updates.  (Not really.)  That is what texting your friends at home is for - to get them to send you updates.  I was also able to scroll through Twitter updates to find the necessary information.

Ji made a clutch 20-footer on 18 to secure the title, and normally I’d be able to find the highlight of it on TV, but I couldn’t. 

In fact, last night while watching CNN, the scrolling bar at the bottom of the screen said "Kerr extends lead at the open."  Are you serious?

Instead of seeing Ji hoisting the trophy in the air, I saw footage of Cristie Kerr making a mess of her final round and getting mad about it.  In the ESPN highlight reel, they showed one point where she attacked her golf bag by kicking it.  Now there’s footage that women’s golf needs right now.

In search of more "2009 US Women’s Open Championship" information, I went online and found an article in which Juli Inkster decided to speak out on Carolyn Bivens taking a hike from the LPGA. 

"I expect it to be resolved this week and then move on," Inkster said Sunday after her final round of the U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley Country Club.  Inkster finished T-26, alongside Lorena Ochoa.  "I think Carolyn has done a lot of great things for our tour and I think she worked really hard," Inkster said. "But some of the things she tried just didn't work, whether it's her fault or not, it just wasn't working."

Inkster said the board plans on taking its time to find a new commissioner.  "Right now, we want to take our time and find the right person for the job," she said. "And you can't do that on a whim."

In other interesting finds, while surfing the LPGA website, their "Quick 18" question and answer featured Kyeong Bae, a young Korean player that finished T-9 this week.  When asked what her favorite pizza toppings were, her response was "Pineapple, ham, and potato."  Am I the only one that doesn’t know that you could get potato on a pizza? 

Sure there are problems surrounding the LPGA, but the tour still has an opportunity to finish the year on a strong note.  The presence of the players at the Women's Open this week was truly amazing.  There was a lot of positive energy out there, which leads me to believe that the same energy isn’t filtering through to the media.  That is something that will need to be handled immdediately upon the entrance of the "interim commissioner."  

Congrats Eun Hee Ji on a well deserved open.

Our US Women's Open correspondent, Nisha Sadekar, checks in from the Saucon Valley.

by NISHA SADEKAR

BETHLEHEM, PA --

Today was a perfect day.  Women's golf is alive and well.  You wouldn't even sniff problems circulating within the LPGA.   Despite the drama that in regards to Commissioner Carolyn Bivens' confirmed exit, these young stars have come to play.

There were a ton of fans out and about on Thursday enjoying the opening round excitement.  This week is all about the USGA and finding a 2010 US Women's Open Champion.   And so what if Wie and Gulbis aren't here?  There are 144 talented women from across the globe who are.  The course is playing tough and long.  Being on the "right" side of the green is going to make all the difference from what I can see.

There are smiles and embraces from the practice range to the first tee.  Fans shaking hands with players, telling them how they've been following their careers from a young age.  Large huddles of people surround the putting greens - whispering and pointing at their favorite players.  

It has been a while since I've been to a women's major and it feels great!

While following Play Golf Designs professional (and golf beauty) Nicole Hage, I met two young men that are huge fans of golf.   Ryan Sensenig, 26, and Nick Oatman, 21, both caddies at Lancaster CC, drove an hour and a half to get to see the ladies tee it up.  They were following Paula Creamer in the morning wave and happened to catch a glimpse of Hage in the fairway and made their way over.  Hage looked stunning in her PAHR 72 attire; a fitted and frilly skirt with matching frilly top.  They walked with our posse of family, friends and fans and cheered her on.

Sensenig noted that Pennsylvania is quite the "golf hot spot."

"So many people play golf around here," says Sensenig.  "There are so many amazing top 100 clubs within an hour from here."

Within travel time of 30 minutes to 5 hours of Saucon Valley, other Pennsylvania courses will be hosting several significant tournaments.  Of course, the 2010 US Women's Open will be held at Oakmont, ouside of Pittsburgh.  The Philly area will host Tiger's AT&T National at Aronimink in 2010 & '11.  It was also feature Merion for the '13 Open.  The US Women's Open will also be in Pennsylvania in 2015 at Lancaster CC.

It's clear that the USGA loves Pennsylvania and has committed to it for their championships in the future!

by Rob Matre
For Waggle Room

Click to enlarge.

To accompany Golf Viewing, my current exhibition of golf photographs at The Marietta / Cobb Museum of Art, I began to post daily photos with commentary on Golf In Context to provide further insight into each image.  When the kind folks at Waggle Room asked me to do the same for them in a guest appearance, I decided to choose a photo that I have never printed or featured in my photo journal.  To be timely, I wanted to choose an image from The Masters, and now that Gary Player has decided this year’s Masters will be his last, this image of Player alongside Jack Nicklaus became a logical choice.

In consideration of a successful photographic image, the key ingredient is composition.  I believe that all of the elements of this photograph are working in harmony and result in a good composition.  It would be tempting for many photographers and editors to want to go tight on this shot.  However, the surrounding environment only adds to the integrity of the image.  Notice how the players are framed by the natural elements of grass below and trees on the sides and above.  The patrons sitting on the hill beyond also add a sense of depth.  All of the energy is feeding off the figures- their placement, postures and variety of strides adding to the intrigue.  Although an artist should not be bound by hard and fast rules, concepts such as the rule of thirds and dynamic symmetry should always be considered and often applied.

So, I have decided this photo works visually, but for it to succeed, there must also be a meaning to it; a reason for us to hold our look, a reason to care.  When I look at this image, I immediately think of Henri Cartier-Bresson and the decisive moment, which he described as "the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression".  An obvious example of the decisive moment in golf is Hy Peskin’s photograph of Ben Hogan’s one-iron at Merion in the 1950 U.S. Open.  My favorite will always be Walter Iooss Jr.’s photograph of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in the locker room at Laurel Valley during the 1965 PGA championship.  This is a photograph that continues to reveal its many layers with each viewing.

Walter Iooss Jr.,
Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus
Laurel Valley CC, Ligonier, PA
PGA Championship, 1965

We all know about the treasured Masters moments from years past; there are too many to mention here.  But what about the unguarded moment of poignant significance the TV cameras will never capture?  I am careful not to venture into the realm of sentimentality, but there is certainly an historical and timeless sincerity to this photo.  It succeeds in my stated attempt to create an “instant nostalgia” and to “make history out of next to nothing.”

I believe the power of the still image reigns supreme over the moving image.  There is a seemingly infinite number of moments worth capturing on a golf course, whether it’s The Masters or my son hitting range balls.  It is my honor and privilege to capture unique images and share them with the world.

But I am certainly not alone.  We are lucky to have so many talented and skilled photographers covering the game of golf.  I look forward to watching this year’s Masters coverage on TV, but I also look forward to seeing all of the still images in the newspapers, magazines and websites that will follow.  When you see these photos, take the time to look for the names of the photographers on the credit line.  Among the media, they deserve the same name recognition that writers and commentators often earn.

Hello everyone! My name is Matt Gullo and I'm a golf teaching pro in Northern Virginia. The kind folks of Waggle Room have graciously allowed me to be a guest blogger for the day.

I wanted to announce that my new book The 20^th Hole - Stat Book and Log for Golfers has just been released and details can be viewed at www.the20thhole.com.

The premise behind this book is that you play 18 holes, have a drink and discuss your round at the 19^th hole, and once you arrive home, you go to the 20^th hole to record your stats and analyze your round. This can help you pinpoint areas in which you need the most work before your next round.

Features of this book include:

• Track stats such as FIR, GIR, putting, sand saves, and up and downs for 40 rounds.
• Perform post round analysis for 40 rounds.
• Average stats after every 5 rounds.
• Log notes and keys from 50 practice sessions or lessons.
• Keep a golf record book for scoring records, greatest shots, etc.
• Add to your golf shot repertoire.
• Set specific golf goals and track your progress
• Instructional sections on fundamentals, course management, golf in the off-season, etc.

Throughout my golf career, I found myself writing down my goals, stats, notes from lessons, new shots learned, and records in various notebooks. I decided to come up with a product that would allow golfers to keep all of this information in one place. I also included some important instruction that I thought could help golfers improve their stats as well as their overall game.

How many people out there enjoy tracking detailed stats and analysis of their rounds? Do you feel this product is cool and can be beneficial to golfers? I would love to hear any feedback, ideas, or suggestions. Thanks!

For more info on me, you can check out my teaching website at www.mggolfinstruction.com. I also have a blog at www.the20thhole.blogspot.com.

On occasion, I'll be putting up guest posts here at Waggle Room.  For those that don't use the FanShots or FanPosts, I'll have this account as an option.  If you're interested in a guest post using this account, drop me a line.