Masters tickets remain most prestigious in golf
April 3, 2013 - 9:54am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Masters
Getty Images
A ticket to the Masters is going to cost you.

 

In a recent story filed by Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Dan Groob, something you probably already knew was confirmed: short of the Ryder Cup, a ticket to the Masters is the most cherished in golf.
 
As if a ticket to the Masters weren't already appealing enough, consider the start that Tiger Woods has had to the 2013 season. In four PGA Tour starts, the 14-time major champion has collected three victories.
 
Woods, a winner of four Masters Tournaments, last slipped into a green jacket in 2005 and is a big-time favorite to grab his fifth green jacket next week.
 
Groob writes:
 
Compounding the effect of Woods’ resurgence on Masters ticket prices is the fact that Augusta National is golf’s most storied course, and The Masters golf’s most storied event. This year, a single-day pass for any of the four days of tournament play will run no less than $1,215, and that would be for a pass to Friday’s round. Comparatively, the average single-day passes for this year’s U.S. Open range from $182 to $295, depending on the day. The PGA Championship checks in between $203 and $234. All other days of Masters play run over $1,000...
 
For the tournament itself, a four-day badge will run a whopping $4,486 dollars, but is certainly less expensive than purchasing tickets for each day of the tournament. 
 
Tournament ticket prices check in as follows:
 
Practice Rounds:
Monday $403/$362
Tuesday $529/464
Wednesday $1,118/$833
 
Tournament Rounds:
Four-Day Badge: $4,486
Thursday $1,786/$1,282
Friday $1,215/$955
Saturday $1,397/$1,063
Sunday $1,226/$1,068
 
Believe it or not, as high as those prices may seem, a trip to the Masters is worth every penny.
 
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
Masters tickets remain most prestigious in golf
McIlroy Ryder Cup car now listed on eBay
April 3, 2013 - 8:38am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Rory McIlroy
eBay
The police car that got Rory McIlroy to Medinah just in time for his final-day tee time at the 2012 Ryder Cup is now up for auction on eBay.

 

Remember that time when Rory McIlroy nearly missed his tee time for the Sunday's singles match at Medinah in the 2012 Ryder Cup against Keegan Bradley because he somehow forgot that he was in the Central Time Zone?
 
Luckily for McIlroy and his European teammates who made a record-tying comeback that afternoon, a police escort got McIlroy to the course just in time.
 
Well now, the Lombard Crown Vic Police Car that got McIlroy to Medinah could be yours!
 
Huh?
 
Believe it or not, the car is available on eBay. The description reads as follows:
 
You are bidding on the unmarked Village of Lombard police car that was used to rush pro golfer Rory McIlroy to the Ryder Cup. Rory was staying at the Westin hotel in Lombard, IL and had thought his tee off time was an hour later than it actually was on the final day of the Ryder Cup being held at Medinah Country Club. Lombard’s Deputy Police Chief Pat Rollins used this car to rush McIlroy to the tournament with only minutes to spare. The Europeans went on to win the tournament largely due to McIlroy’s play. Don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of sports history not to mention a darn fine automobile. Vehicle is in good running condition with only 88,900 miles on it!
 
The eBay listing includes a link to the video footage of McIlroy arriving to the course in the car (which you can watch here), as well as a link to the Daily Herald story about the incident and the eBay listing (which you can read here).
 
The auction closes on April 8. At the time of this posting, the leading bid was $3,050.00.
 
I'm all for unique sports items, but I'm not sure where you would put this thing.
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
McIlroy Ryder Cup car now listed on eBay
Pete Dye featured on '60 Minutes Sports'
April 2, 2013 - 2:51pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
John Holmes's picture
Steve Kroft and Pete Dye
Courtesy of 60 Minutes Sports
'60 Minutes' correspondent Steve Kroft caught up with course architect extraordinaire Pete Dye at Harbour Town.

I suspect we're all familiar with the ''Real Sports'' program that's a long-running staple on HBO.

Recently, HBO rival Showtime has gotten into the act with a program called ''60 Minutes Sports'' that is, as its name suggests, a sports magazine show based on ''60 Minutes'' and produced by the ''60 Minutes'' production group.

The fourth episode of this program debuts on Wednesday, and will feature a segment on golf course designer Pete Dye.

''In golf circles, the name Pete Dye is synonymous with difficult,'' says a promo. ''Steve Kroft tells his story and shoots a round with the legendary Dye, who still plays so well, he can score below his age.''

I don't know what kind of golfer Kroft is, but he's one of ''60 Minutes''' better news correspondents, so I have high hopes that this segment might really give us an insight into Dye and his outlook on golf and the golf course industry at this stage of his career.

The program with Dye also includes segments on soccer star Lionel Messi, the under-new-ownership Los Angeles Dodgers and ESPN’s Chris Berman – why am I not surprised to see that he has a George Costanza-like overstuffed wallet. The show debuts at 9:00 p.m. ET on April 3 and repeats frequently.

To see a brief preview, click here.

And to read an excellent column by our own Steve Eubanks on his recent chat with Dye down at Casa de Campo, click here.
Pete Dye featured on '60 Minutes Sports'
Back to the future: Bubba Watson, Oakley create hovercraft cart
April 2, 2013 - 11:30am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Bubba Watson
YouTube
Did you ever think you'd see a hovercraft golf cart? Now you have.

 

Well, there's nothing I can write here in this space that would do justice to the video.
 
 
 
I want one.
 
While we do have some "day after April Fools" skepticism, it seems like this could actually be real.. we think.
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
Back to the future: Bubba Watson, Oakley create hovercraft cart
We've seen it all -- and this isn't an April Fools joke
April 1, 2013 - 2:14pm
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
EZeeGolf
YouTube
Hard as it is to believe, EZeeGolf is actually a golf product -- not an April Fools joke.

 

As you know, the internet is always littered with hard-to-believe stories... especially on certain dates (you know, today for instance -- April 1st). 
 
Anyway, I've been trying to scrounge up a great April Fools golf story for you all day and I've been coming up empty. That is until I stumbled upon this nugget, which as it turns out, is 100 percent real and enough to make anyone who plays the game shudder at the thought of a playing partner using the product.
 
GeoffShackelford.com has the brief video for a product called EZeeGolf. With an EZeeGolf club, you don't even have to swing the club to hit the ball up to 225 yards. Wait, what?
 
Shackelford wrote:
 
Thanks to the reader who sent in this non-April Fools link to a new club that pretty much does all the work for you.
 
Al Czervik would be thrilled.
 
Indeed he would. 
 
Watch the video here and you can also visit the EZeeGolf website here.
 
My question, however, is what fun would the game be with something like this?
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
We've seen it all -- and this isn't an April Fools joke
Pants on the ground: Andreas Harto hits shot without any pants
April 1, 2013 - 8:34am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Andreas Harto
YouTube
Andreas Harto isn't the first golfer to lose his pants in order to play a golf shot -- he's just the latest.

 

 
Harto, playing in the final round of the European Tour's Trophee Hassan II event on Sunday in Morocco, decided to play a shot from the water.
 
Bacon explains:
 
Harto was playing the par-3 14th hole when his ball came dangerously close to the water hazard. How close? Well, he had to lose his pants to get the ball out of the trash.
 
The decision worked out, as Harto managed to make a bogey on the hole and finish tied for 15th.
 
You might remember a few years back when Sweden's Henrik Stenson did the same thing.
 
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
Pants on the ground: Andreas Harto hits shot without any pants
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