Freddy's Fairway Thoughts

Anyone want to buy a Hall of Fame?

One is available, though the word hasn't slipped out. It's the World Golf Hall of Fame, a so-so idea to start with that has become a money pit for the PGA Tour and other golf associations. It never was a success but Shell gave a big check for the first 30 years and that covered up the problems. Why has something as ballyhooed as the Hall of Fame not worked? • Location, location, location. It originally was planned to be on the southern edge of Jacksonville, just about where the big I-95/I-295 intersection is today. It was to have an adjacent campus of the local community college with a hospitality program, and a business park. Alas, the property owners wouldn't make a deal, so Mistake No. 1 came when they decided to go south to nowhere instead of north, east or west into Jacksonville. Mistake No. 2 came when they selected a site that had environmental issues, so Mistake No. 3 followed: a site on the interstate but out in the boondocks. • Organization. Too many entities. A guy I know booked a golf convention and had to deal with four different groups: the golf course, the Hall of Fame, the hotel and the convention center. No one ever seemed to speak to anyone else. • Being unrealistic. The golf courses are okay, but they aren't $200 courses. The Hall of Fame is okay, but once is enough. The hotel is okay, but nothing special. The adjacent businesses? Only the Caddyshack restaurant would attract anyone. They want Pinehurst-like money for an okay product. • It's a Hall of Fame. These things sound good but today's consumer is Disneyfied and wants pizzazz, and memorabilia doesn't cut it. Golf's Hall of Fame has great stuff, but it's just stuff. If Cooperstown can't sell Babe Ruth's glove, why would Jack Nicklaus's glove be something to see? What will happen? It's hard to imagine a serious buyer for a huge building which, despite Northeast Florida's stunning growth, is still pretty much nowhere (the nearest Publix isn't near.) It's too close to the Orlando attractions to be a stopping point for tourists on I-95 South (i.e., Yankees) and it's too far from the populated areas (even St. Augustine is 30 minutes away, the beach at least 45) to be a real destination. The PGA Tour, and its partners, wishes it somehow would just go away. Make an offer.

Tour thoughts

• It's honor to be named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year but the Cantlay vs. Rahm discussion is a fast-dying issue. If you care that much about Player of the Year, you surely can name last year's winner. Can't you? • There are concerns around PGA Tour insiders about the coverage of the commissioner's annual media sit-down at the Tour Championship. He had a number of first-line topics but the coverage centered around a minor inclusion: fan behavior (“Brooksie,” “Go In The Hole!”) Worthwhile topic, for sure, but hardly high priority and the reporting made it seem as if he were blaming the fans. • A fun media game is coming up with ideas to improve the Players tournament. One scribe attended the Junior Players and was impressed with the quality of play — it was spectacular — and suggests that the winner be invited to the Players, and paired with the defending champion and the Senior Players champion. Fun? Sure, but good play at a junior event doesn't carry over. • Top players obviously are starting to realize that events in the the so-called “bridge” season — between the Tour Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions — counts just as much as the socalled “regular” season. Expect good fields most any week.

Quick lesson

How do you start a kid playing our game? Jim Furyk knows someone who put his son at the most forward tee. When he could break 40, he moved back one teebox, and so on. “Seems pretty good to me,” said Furyk. But, he was reminded, it works the other way, as he'll find as the years go on.