John Kim's blog

You'll often hear/read me say (whine?) that I wished I played more golf. I have a ton of excuses, very few legitimate reasons. I can and should play more. But that's a different post altogether.

This post revolves around the one weekend each year that I always commit to golf. I hope you will too.

I had an interesting discussion this past week with a friend about the merits and disadvantages of joining a private course. My friend is in a fortunate position in that he could join any number of local clubs - his hesitancy is simply that he wants to play a variety of courses and he's afraid paying dues towards just one would compel him to play virtually all of his rounds there. It's a valid point, isn't it?

Wouldn't it be great to take some BP at Wrigley Field? Maybe take some jump shots at Madison Square Garden or do the Lambeau Leap at Lambeau Field? How about best three out of five at Wimbledon? Well, good luck with that sports fans.  Oh, but wait, in golf - that's exactly what you can do (often - not always - hello friends at Augusta National (call me maybe?))

Last year, just prior to the start of the PGA Championship, I was celebrating the first win of my friend Scott Stallings' PGA Tour career. Scott had won the 2011 Greenbrier Classic and was headed to Atlanta for the season's final major, and I even wrote a well-received piece detailing how we met, how much I respected his dedication and the challenges he had overcome.

As long as we're talking PGA Championship week - this is the time of year when I'm swamped with ticket requests. "I'm happy to pay," people say, "I just can't find any tickets." Well, one option is - beat the rush. Here's today's official release regarding tickets for next year's PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y. You can learn more about the 2013 PGA Championship at www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2013.

PGA Championship week is off to a great start already with representatives from the PGA of America, Kiawah Island Golf Resort and others on hand to cut the ribbon on a new home.  

PGA President Allen Wronowski got his week off to a great start and tweeted his enthusiasm for the event with a photo above.  

A tweet from the PGA Tour: "Due to a threat of inclement weather, players will go off split tees at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday in final round of the Bridgestone Invitational."

About six years ago, I was walking through the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and came across an apparel booth that certainly stood out.  I vividly recall telling the guys in the booth, "Your clothes are obnoxious, your music is too loud and I'd never wear that...I bet you guys make millions." We become fast friends.