What To Watch For in 2010

1. Coming up on Thursday January 21 is the episode of CSI that features Rocco Mediate, Duffy Waldorf, Natalie Gulbis, Gary McCord and David Feherty. The episode is titled, “Long Ball”, so why were McCord and Feherty included?
   
2. Tiger will be driving something new off the course. GM announced on December 31 that his free rides are over. His agreement that allowed free access to GM vehicles is done.
   
3. Matteo Manassero, the 16-year old Italian sensation plans to turn pro after the Masters. Last summer, Manassero was crowned the youngest winner of the British Amateur Championship in its 124-year history.
   
4. The most anticipated golf course opening in 2010 (June) is Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, a layout that is a tribute to Charles Blair Macdonald, the father of American golf course architecture and founder of the U.S. Golf Association. The course is being designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina and will feature the classic principles that Macdonald incorporated into his own courses, mainly the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York.
   
5. With the arrival of young players like Matteo Manassero, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Ryo Ishikawa look for the Euro-style look to come on strong. Fowler likes white belts, big belt buckles and loud color shirts. The look will be much more subtle, however, than the in-your-face style of Ian Poulter.
   
6. Prediction: Phil Mickleson will win the 2010 U.S. Open. He delivers big-time at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mickelson won the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1998, 2005 and 2007.
   
7. My pick for 2010 Driver of the Year: I’m going with the Ping G15 Driver, which has a simple look but is loaded with high-tech features. It retails for $300.
   
8. Hey, let’s go Old School. The new grooves rule on the PGA Tour should be fun to follow this year. At the Sony Open two players obviously found a loophole in the rule. John Daly used pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedges and Dean Wilson used some mid-1980 used Ping Wedges.
   
9. Those private clubs aren’t so private anymore. A few private golf clubs have opened their courses to the public for one or sometimes two days a week to increase rounds and a little extra cha ching during the recession.
   
10. Get ready for more resort bankruptcies. Among those who’ve filed Chapter 11 recently include Daufuskie Island Resort in South Carolina and Amelia Island Resort in Florida. Also, the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas was the subject of a foreclosure filing in Dallas, Texas.