Results tagged “golf”

What Tom Watson did this week at the British Open was remind everyone what is great about sports. For four days we got to sit and watch as a 59-year-old man battled and bettered the best golfers in the world. While his quest ultimately fell short to Stewart Cink in a four-hole playoff, Watson’s performance will resonate loudly throughout the sports world for some time to come.

For four days Bethpage Black was the scene of some miserable weather, so-so golf and heckling fans, on Monday the rain stayed away and a fabulous final round was played. Six golfers were within two strokes or less of the lead with three holes to play in the tournament, but it was Lucas Glover, a player with one career win, who outplayed them all to win the U.S. Open.

Between the weather and the crowds, the USGA may decide not to return the U.S. Open to Bethpage Black in the future and that would be a huge mistake.

In an article apparently timed to coincide with the U.S. Open, the NY Times looks at Mayor Bloomberg's relatively recent fondness for golf. While one might assume a billionaire like Bloomberg would have been playing golf for decades, he apparently only started playing in 2000; Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan clarified, "You probably wouldn’t want to call that golf, what he played" then. And City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, "He is obsessed with it."

     

The U.S. Open tees off tomorrow morning at Bethpage State Park's Black Course and while the field is supremely talented, there is clearly one favorite — Tiger Woods. Besides being the best golfer in the World, Woods is the defending Open champion and won the tournament when it was last held at Bethpage in 2002.

Fulfilling what must have been a life-long dream, a federal judge quoted from Caddyshack in dismissing Andrew Giuliani's golf lawsuit against Duke University. All together now: So he's got that going for him. You may recall that Andrew, son of Rudolph the Red Faced Mayor, is suing the school for kicking him off the varsity golf team. He says he was promised "lifetime access" to Duke's golf facilities by ex-coach Rod Myers, but then a new coach tossed him into the rough.

The vacant lots of Bushwick are, according to Bushwick BK, both a scar from '70s and '80s as well as an opportunity for rebirth in the neighborhood. In an effort to give one of these lots a new lease on life, a mini-golf course called The Putting Lot will be sprouting up later this month.

A little heads up would have been nice. Newsday reports that back in 2002 Dr. Azad Anand and his two friends, Dr. Anoop Kapoor and Balram Verma were playing 9 holes at the Dix Hills Golf Course, when Kapoor "shanked a shot" and hit Anand square in the left eye. He lost vision in that eye, and filed suit, claiming Kapoor neglected to yell "'Fore!" prior to taking the shot. However, it's not always required by law to do so, a state appeals court has now ruled. The court ruled 3-1 in favor of Kapoor, saying Ananad is not entitled to damages and that being hit by an errant ball is an "inherent risk of the game of golf." So if you have any pals with bad aim (or trying out the Happy Gilmore tee shot), maybe invest in some golf goggles (which probably don't exist).

When was the last time a Giuliani got some good press? Today's Post checks in with onetime mayoral inauguration day superstar Andrew, a few months after it was reported that he is suing Duke University after being thrown off their golf team by Coach OD Vincent for bad behavior. Specifically, as former teammate Brian Kim puts it, "He threw an apple at me point-blank, and it shattered on my face." Since then, it's alleged that Andrew's mother Donna Hanover has offered to donate $1 million to the favorite charity of one player's parents in order to garner a vote to get him reinstated on the team. And Coach Vincent believes that he is being followed, possibly by the same private investigator the family hired who has been calling teammates. Despite being one of the weaker members of the team last year, Giuliani still says his plans are to go pro.

Aggressive drivers and mortified Hasidim aren't the only ones at odds with cyclists in New York City. Bike riders in Staten Island can now add golfers to their ever-expanding enemies list. The Staten Island Advance reports that golfers are incensed about a Parks Department plan to build a 3 1/2-mile bicycle path through parts of LaTourette Park, extending along the golf courses on the western end.

Back when he was seven years-old and fighting for attention at the podium of his father's mayoral inauguration, it may have been harsh to call Andrew Giuliani a brat. Now he's twenty-two and suing the Duke Golf team for getting kicked off by coach O.D. Vincent after several incidents of bad behavior that included throwing an apple at one of his teammates.

Andrew Giuliani, son of former mayor Rudy Giuliani, filed a federal lawsuit against Duke University, claiming he was unfairly dismissed from the golf team. Per the Daily News, the lawsuit contends coach O.D. Vincent suspension over trivial incidents like "driving too fast out of a parking lot, breaking a driver, getting into an confrontation with a teammate" was ill-advised. Also claimed: Vincent made Giuliani's teammates turn against him," comparing his tactics to The Lord of the Flies. When talking to reporters, Andrew Giuliani pointedly thanked his mom and stepdad, but not his dad (who he's not that close to), saying, "I love my father very much. I just decided not to ask him to get involved in the situation." Yeah, 9/11 probably isn't a strong argument for this matter.

Two years ago, we wondered if there was a big list of all the fountains in New York City. We haven't made that much progress with the list, but at least now we have a list of the "display fountains" the Parks Department maintains. And it's interesting - Brooklyn only has three while Staten Island has eight. Of course, there are many fountains outside of the Parks Department's jurisdiction (for instance, the fountain outside the Brooklyn Museum), so if you can help remind us of others in the comments, that would be great.

The New York Times looks today at the community of golf caddies who live in Harlem, and commute by public transportation to the many private golf clubs in the tri-state area to practice a trade that they've been doing for decades. Dozens of older men who live and socialize near Harlem mainstays like Sylvia's have been caddying almost their whole lives and represent the first-string of caddies who work at the nearly 200 private golf clubs within a 75-mile radius of Manhattan. Harlem is a favored neighborhood for these men due to its Metro-North stop that can take them out to Westchester and Connecticut.

The New York Post tells a slice-of-life story of Queens homeowners who neighbor a golf course today, employing the maximum number of golf puns possible. In its story, it tells the un-"fore"-tunate tale of neighbors who live next to the Douglaston Golf Course. The residents were "teed-off" and "taking a swing" at the city for owning a golf course that subjected them to a barrage of incoming balls and broken windows. They said that the net that was supposed to protect their homes was not "up to par" and described being virtual prisoners in their own homes. The picture caption showing one unhappy man displaying all the golf balls he found in his back yard reads "Mulligan Stew."

Revere Demo by F.Trainer.

There was a funny story about deer in Staten Island in The Advance earlier this week. Deer have been grazing on the green at the Staten Island Golf Practice Center, and apparently they are not afraid of golf balls or humans! The Advance has tips for deer-and-human safety (like what to do when they run in front of the car), but the best factoid was this:

- Curtis Martin gave the Jets notice that he won't be playing this year. On the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since the start of the season, Martin and the Jets had until Tuesday to determine if he would be coming off that list. The all-time leading rusher for the Jets now moves to the reserve PUP list and his future playing prospects look doubtful. While he didn't explicitly say that he was going to retire, Martin is without some cartilage in his right knee, resulting in a bone-on-bone condition. Sounds delightful! If he retires, Martin would leave as number 4 on the NFL's all-time leading rushers list behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders with 14,101 yards. Gothamist once heard a story that Martin dropped a deuce in a urinal at his old high school in Pittsburgh (Taylor Allderdice). Does that detract from his accomplishments? Of course not. If anything, it makes them even better.

The police are looking for a man who fatally shot three people, including a young child, near the Van Cortlandt Golf Course this morning. All three victims were in the golf course's parking lot, near Broadway and 242nd Street. WABC 7 says that a man and a woman were found in one section, and the child was found in another area. Police are looking for two suspects who left the scene.

After doing some research, we were able to find a couple other options for miniature golf around the city in addition to Randall's Island and Coney Island.

Yesterday, we heard that there had been a fetus found on the grounds of a Queens golf course and the police were investigating the matter. Thanks to the NY Sun, we now know what happened: After a golfer at Forest Park Golf Club saw something "suspcious" in the restroom, employees took a look and called 911, saying that a fetus was found. So authorities responded - cops on the ground, an NYPD chopper, the K-9 unit, the ME's office - in order to find the mother who was presumably on the run. A few hours later, it was discovered that the fetus was not a fetus after all but a sanitary napkin. Now, we don't want to think too much about how a maxi pad could be mistaken for a fetus, and even though an employee told the Sun, "Everyone thought it was a fetus," blood does not a fetus make!

Golf has always had somewhat of an "upper crust of society" feel to it, but sometimes that feeling goes even farther than one could even imagine. Case in point: Liberty National Golf Club. Liberty National, just across the Hudson River in Jersey City, just opened last month and has some of the most ridiculous member benefits that Gothamist has ever heard of. How ritzy, you ask? When construction is finished, the waiters will deliver anything to you at any time, with a silver platter. The Post quotes the club's managing director Aurelian Anghelusiu, "If our members want a foie gras sandwich and glass of Cristal on the course at 10 a.m., we'll do it." Nothing like the fresh taste of duck liver bright and early in the morning. Other benefits include a complementary yacht-ride from Manhattan, massages at the driving range, a view of Manhattan, and caddies with GPS systems to help pinpoint the distance from your errant ball to the holes. Oh, and if that boat ride takes too long, you can jump on the club helicopter.

- This year's New York City Marathon could very well see an American woman win for the first time since 1977. Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and US marathon record holder, announced that she will be participating in the November race. Kastor won her first marathon last year in Chicago and set the American record when she ran the London Marathon earlier this year.

Professional golf is coming to Manhattan. Of course, it's on Governor's Island, only 9 holes, and it's a pro-am tournament which will feature professional women and Hollywood actors. The tournament, dubbed The Manhattan Golf Classic and scheduled for October 22nd, will be on the only golf course in all of Manhattan. Scenes from the tournament will surely be beautiful. With the historic buildings on the island, the Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline as backdrops, the statue of liberty, and the sun setting? It seems like a producer's dream. The pros signed up to appear are Annika Sorenstam, Natalie Gulbis, and Hank Haney while the celebrities are Bruce McGill, Dennis Quaid, and Craig T. Nelson (Coach!!). The course is being leased for a mere $75,000 from the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, but Newsday reports that the organizers already have $2 million in advertising lined up.

- A case of boysenberry jam and a bucket of Mrs. Knott's chicken from Knott's Berry FarmThis is like a big FU, implying that we have no sun and beachy good times and can't sing have a theme song by Phantom Planet. Gothamist wonders who gets the swimwear and surfboard when NYC will collect the booty - we really don't want to be forced into seeing some Mayor B photo op where he's in swimwear...though wiping out on a surfboard is another matter entirely. And will his staff act from The O.C. script - clearly, Mayor B would be Caleb Nichols.

The NY Post had an item about Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy, just missing the cut to play in the Barclay's Classic, a golf tournament in Westchester, and Gothamist thought, "Wow, he is almost all growed up!" Because when we think of Andrew Giuliani, we think of Rudy's inaugural speech, where Andrew climbed all over his dad, becoming a national punchline. And it started a few great spoofs on Saturday Night Live with Chris Farley as Andrew and Kevin Nealon as Gooliani, plus Tim Meadows as David Dinkins. These days, the Mayor's kids are relegated to their ponies and studies!

The victory yesterday was Goosen's 2nd U.S. Open Championship. His first one came in 2001 at the Southern Hills in Tulsa. Sunday, Goosen was perfect on the impossible greens, notching 11 one-putts in the final round and 32 for the Championship. Goosen's putter needed to be on because his approach shots and shots off the tee were off for much of the round. Mickelson made things interesting with birdies on 13, 15, and 16. After his birdie on 16, Mickelson had sole possession of the lead, but faltered on 17, three-putting for a double bogey.

After much talk about the problems that the weather at Shinnecock could cause, day 1 of the U.S. Open was quite calm. Play was eventually halted by rain and thunderstorms, but the wind that can make the course so difficult was not a factor at all. After one day of play, the leaderboard had the 50 year old Jay Haas and Shigeki Maruyama tied at a four-under 66. Tiger Woods, mired in a major championship "slump", finished at 72. Erinie Els had a even par 70 and Davis Love III shot a 76. Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh, who were both unable to finish the day were -2 (15) and -2 (14), respectively.

Some players that have taken practice rounds at Shinnecock are saying the wind will be the "X-factor", while the rough has played spotty at times. The last player to win the Open at Shinnecock, Corey Pavin, won by shooting an even par 280. Pavin believes scores on the course could "be decent" if the winds remain calm, but he also said that winds generally blow at 15-20 miles per hour from any direction.

Bondi reports that the members of the Shinnecock Nation, once closely associated with the course, now have little affiliation with it at all. Some of the tribe members helped lay the grass on the course, while others were employed at Shinnecock in 1986 and 1995, the last two times the U.S. Open was there. During those years and until 1999, Peter Smith, a Shinnecock, was the course superintendent who is in charge of the maintenance, operation and management of a golf course. Since 1999, the tribal chairman Lance Gumbs feels there "is no relationship with the course anymore."