A Time For Thanks


November 26, 2008



By Ken Klavon, USGA

Arnold Palmer has always been gracious with fans, perpetually known as a face of golf. (John Mummert/USGA)

Far Hills, N.J. - In early November, Herbert Warren Wind entered the World Golf Hall of Fame posthumously. There was no better wordsmith when it came to the sport. The only journalist to win the coveted Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor, Wind was a pioneer who changed the landscape of golf with his seminal prose.

More than that, he influenced future scribes, casting an indelible shadow. His lucid style provided golf a poetic voice. His writings are inarguably timeless. As Jerry Tarde, chairman and editor-in-chief of Golf Digest, finished presenting Wind at the Hall of Fame ceremony, I found myself brimming with appreciation for a writer I never met but certainly read. As an aficionado of solid writing, I'm thankful that the journalism arena was blessed with a talent like Wind.

The point helps segue into the purpose of this article.

In this time of Thanksgiving, it got me thinking about 10 things I'm grateful for in the game. I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day vagaries of what many consider a dream job. Admiration and attentiveness are mutually exclusive. Or should be. Here we go (in no particular order):

Tiger Woods - Why not start with the year's U.S. Open champion? When Woods retires, he might become the first athlete to have a constellation named after him. He's been that influential on and off the course. Very few athletes, let alone golfers, have transcended a sport and have had a cultural impact the way Woods has. I'm thankful, and oftentimes in awe, of being a part of the Woods era. One credo I have adopted: never count him out.

Arnold Palmer - Besides his tireless efforts to help grow the USGA Members Program since 1975, "The King" makes one thirst-quenching lemonade/iced tea. For that alone, I am thankful. On a more serious note, there hasn't been a kinder person (I purposely omitted "golfer" here) to serve as the game's gatekeeper. In his prime, he played like a swashbuckler, never forgetting the game was all about fun. What's more, his prowess for story-telling has never been vapid.

The Rules of Golf - Integrity defines the sport, and the Rules of Golf are its lynchpin. How else can you explain someone like J.P. Hayes turning himself in for using a non-conforming ball during a Q-School second-stage qualifier two weeks ago that resulted in his disqualification? His honesty meant throwing away potential earnings as a fully exempt player on the PGA Tour in 2009. That's the power of the Rules of Golf.

Manicured Courses - Call me crazy, or at least out of step with the current "brown is the new green" eco-mantra, but there is little that compares aesthetically to a pristine golf course. Perhaps a Major League Baseball ballpark, but nothing else. Walking onto a first tee and surveying the surrounding beauty can be breathtaking. If the game is all about fun, it's never a "good walk spoiled."

Turfgrass Advisory Service (TAS) - This might be the USGA's best-kept secret -- except to course superintendents. Wonder how that course is so well manicured? How a course holds up under extreme duress? Why the greens are fast but fair? Most likely, the answer lies in TAS, which is a service provided by USGA Green Section agronomists who visit more than 1,800 courses a year. They identify problems, suggest solutions and offer tips. Call them the doctors of turf.

Carol Semple Thompson - Of the same ilk as Palmer, she exemplifies grace and dignity and serves as an ambassador for amateur golf. Recently inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Thompson has exuded graciousness and sportsmanship at the highest levels. She's also shown an unparalleled competitiveness that has delivered seven USGA titles. Win or lose, she's always had the time to talk; she's also been patient when a certain reporter's recorder somehow didn't record.

Close Championships - Coming down the stretch, is there anything more exciting in sport when leaders flip flop places more often than industries need government bailouts? Outside the ropes, the anticipation of a winner is overtly worn on gallery faces. Everyone from fans to competitors appreciates well-played golf, especially when it includes inconceivable shots. Nothing embodied this more than the U.S. Open in June that was extended to a riveting playoff between Rocco Mediate and Woods.

Course Setups - There is an unadulterated method to the madness. While officials absorb their share of criticism for overly difficult setups, it's not an easy process. It takes hours upon hours of planning, acute calculation and precision to get a course right. After spending a couple of early mornings with the USGA Championship Committee prior to the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, I walked away more educated and appreciative of what goes into a championship setup.

Maintenance Workers - When most people are still in their R.E.M. cycles, golf course maintenance crews are immersed in their work. I'm about to dispel a myth: popular belief has it that an immaculate course requires little more than someone snapping their fingers. Not true. There is pressure to have a course ready by the first light of day. A tip of the cap to all maintenance staff.

Volunteers - I'll be blunt: If not for the many volunteers that offer hours of assistance, many USGA championships wouldn't get off the ground. It's as simple as that. They are the unsung heroes behind the outfit. You can find them on a myriad of committees, from transportation to marshals to registration. You can locate them on the course during a championship. Or behind the scenes handling logistical matters. They are, without a doubt, a large part of the USGA's backbone. And placing them 10th doesn't demean their value in any way.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Ken Klavon is the USGA's Editor of Digital Media. E-mail him what you're thankful about at kklavon@usga.org.