Fishers Island Club

I played Fishers Island again recently and have an updated post here titled A Mulligan at Fishers Island.

Most people have never heard of Fishers Island or Fishers Island Club (ranked #29 in the world). It is a seven mile long island, located on the narrowest part of the Long Island Sound between New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. It is quite small, the entire island being only 3,200 acres and is one of the most affluent places in the world. It is hard for a U.S. locale to have a WASPier origin or a better pedigree. Fishers Island was granted to John Winthrop Jr., an early governor of Connecticut, in 1640. The family owned the island for several generations and finally sold it in 1863. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it evolved into a retreat for families with last names like Dupont, Firestone and Whitney. Fishers Island remains a secluded enclave. I was lucky to get an invitation to play the course this past summer. I had heard great things about the course and about the island in general.

The day held much promise. We slept well the night before in a local hotel and then went down to New London, Connecticut to catch the seven am ferry. Although geographically part of New York's Long Island, you access it via Connecticut. The day was scheduled to be over 100 degrees with high humidity. The morning was quite foggy and misty and you couldn’t see more than ten feet off the pier. As we waited for the ferryboat to arrive, the workers started to arrive. The painters, gardeners and other day laborers who make the daily journey over to Fishers Island to work. The island itself seemingly has no resident workers, only the ultra-wealthy. There is nowhere for workers to live on the island, and even if there was they could not afford to live there.

The boat pulled out with the fog horn constantly going. As we traveled southward down the Thames River, we passed the submarine base (excuse me, General Dynamics facility) on the eastern shore, although the fog was so thick that you couldn’t see much of it. The facility we passed is not trivial. It supports twenty-one attack-class submarines and is one of the largest in the world. As we exited the channel there were several buoys and a lighthouse. All were in full operation this morning, beeping and whirling through the thick fog. As the ferry was exiting the river and about to enter Fishers Island Sound we could see a Los Angeles Class attack submarine floating in the water on the western shore. Getting to Fishers Island has to be the most dramatic and unique approach to any course in the world. At all the others you drive in, and no matter how grand the approach, there is something special about arriving by boat with the smell of the salt air and the rhythmic pounding of the waves. The forty-five minute ride went by quickly with the fog lifting along the way. We soon began to see the outskirts of Fishers Island. Once docked, we let the workers off first then slung our golf clubs over our shoulders and disembarked.

As the ferry was docking a New York State Trooper on shore began looking everyone over. I am sure this is a great assignment for a NY State Trooper based on Long Island. It sure beats patrolling the Long Island Expressway. Dressed formally, he was wearing his full grey dress suit, light brown smokey the bear hat with purple band and his reflective sunglasses. Unlike the L.A.P.D., he is not there “to protect and to serve”. He is there to chase you off public land. If you are not recognized or greeted by a resident you risk being put back on the boat. Although Fishers Island is part of the Continental United States, they have their own unwritten, but enforced rules. No day-trippers here. As passengers disembarked, the trooper stood near the stern of the boat with his arms at the parade rest position, peering at everyone through his sunglasses. There was no Chamber of Commerce welcoming you here.

The member we were playing with picked us up in his rusted 10 year old Range Rover. The beat-up car is consistent with the Fishers Island Weltanschauung. There are no overt displays of wealth on Fishers Island. You would see no Bentleys or Rolls Royces tooling around the Island. If you saw a BMW it was at least 20 years old and slightly beat up. This was money of the understated variety. The anti-hamptons. Residents' cars are your only means of transportation. The island has no taxis. There are only a handful of paved roads on the island. The place is an odd mixture of a small New England village with the distinctly Caribbean island feel.

The closest land mass is actually the State of Rhode Island, less than a mile away. Connecticut is two miles away. This helps explain the New England feel of the place. However, they have taken the New-England-protestant-work-ethic-chic to the extreme.

We wound our way around the main road past the old movie theater and then through what passes for a town on the island. A small general store, a post office and an ice cream shop, then past Barlow pond and Middle Farms pond. As you get toward the eastern end of the island you approach a small guard station. It was a little white sun bleached shed. Sitting outside the guard station was a teenager on a beach chair. He makes sure that your car has the Fishers Island Club sticker on it, although it really seems like overkill. Everyone on the island knows everyone else. But, it is the last fail-safe to make sure no un-invited guests get to the club. Up the long winding road and finally you arrive at the Fishers Island Club. This is not a golf club or a country club; it includes tennis courts, a beach club, thus the more generic name of Fishers Island Club.

The course was designed by Seth Raynor who was a protégée of Charles Blair MacDonald. Raynor was the town surveyor in Southampton when MacDonald was constructing the National Golf Links in Southampton. Actually, Raynor’s official title was “street commissioner.” In his autobiography Macdonald raves about Raynor's abilities to drain water, lay pipe, clear land and seeding; Raynor had no peer, Macdonald felt. Fisher's Island is supposed to be Raynor’s masterpiece. Masterpiece is meant to imply an outstanding piece of artistry. Not here. If Michaelangelo had stopped painting halfway through the sistine chapel and then the Vatican hadn't maintained it, would it still be considered his masterpiece? Same with Fishers Island. Raynor designed but never fished the course and the paint is peeling!

Apparently, Raynor’s idea of designing a golf course was to walk around and put in tees and greens without much else. While this can sometimes be the purest way to do a golf course as evidenced by many designers that did it properly, most famously Old Tom Morris, it does take some imagination and skill, which Raynor clearly did not possess while designing this course. The first hole is ruler straight with little character. The second, an attempt at a Redan hole is weak. Last time I checked, Redan holes don't have water. In the interest of fairness, I didn't dislike the entire course. The next four holes including the “Punchbowl” and “Biarritz” holes are quite good and interesting. Then the course becomes a let down. Seventeen is a poorly conceived and executed hole with flat terrain, minimal bunkering and a benign green.



Exhibit 'A' is seen above, which is an aerial view of the seventeenth hole. The brown is the fairway. This picture was taken from the club history, taken in 1999. I played the course under similarly poor conditions, which I don't get. Yes, I understand that links golf is supposed to play firm and fast, but burning out the whole course doesn't make sense. Courses in the UK don't irrigate because it rains all the time. Maintaining a course in the eastern U.S. like this does not create a world-class golf course.

The fifteenth hole, like the seventeenth and first is essentially a straight hole tee to green with a flat green. I didn't think eighteen a particularly strong finishing hole either at 452 yards for a par five. Someone needs to explain to me again how a golf course ranks so highly in the world with so many average holes. Oh, I see, it's the exclusivity and the water views of Connecticut.

I heard rave reviews about Fishers Island, most people citing the views of the water from every hole. So, a water view is the mark of greatness alone? Not exactly. Even water views from every hole can’t save Fishers Island. Let’s admit it, not all water views are the same. Looking out at New London, Connecticut is not exactly the same as looking out on the Monterey Peninsula or the Irish Sea. Having worked with one of the great course designers of his time, Charles Blair MacDonald, Raynor should have done better. He should have stayed a municipal employee, laying pipe.

Apparently, it wasn’t all his fault. He died half-way through construction and never let anyone know where he wanted his bunkers put in. So, they never put them in. The course was never really finished. Maybe it is because they are trying to show what frugal yankees they are even though the members have a higher net worth per capitia than any course in the top 100. You’d think they could have paid someone to finish the course? It any event, maybe I am being unfair to Raynor who has been dead for many years. It’s not entirely his fault. In fact, I admire his work at Yeamans Hall very much and can see where he can use his skills in a very artful fashion. He just didn't have the inspiration here. Fishers Island reminds me more of his design at Morris County, New Jersey, than it does of other world class courses.

Fishers Island is arguably the most difficult club in the top 100 to get accepted into. We are told that you need twelve letters of recommendation and only then once admitted, you are let in as an associate member. Realistically, you have to own a house on the island to be a member and since there are less than 500 residents on the entire island, it’s not happening.

I have been lambasted for not saying positive things about Fishers Island. Sorry, folks, but I call 'em as I see 'em. It's a bit too exclusive for me. Also, a course that is ranked #29 in the world should be held to a higher standard and should be impressive. I simply think it is over-rated, particularly by people who compare it to Pebble Beach or Cypress Point. Not even close.

Post Script

Despite my misgivings about Fishers Island, the member we played with was a perfect gentleman all day and we are still very thankful we got invited.

Additional Post Script as of March 2006

It's no surprise to us that in this month's Links magazine in an article written by George Peper, the original creator of the top 100 world rankings the following quote is attributed to a representitive of Fishers Island: "We do not wish our course to be ranked, visited or for that matter, known. Please convey that message to your panelists." We rest our case.

www.fishersislandclub.com

Garden City Golf Club

Garden City Golf Club (#55 in the world) founded in 1899, not to be confused with nearby Garden City Country Club, is one of the most unique courses in the world top 100. Generally referred to as "The Mens Club" or "Garden City Mens" it prides itself on being exclusively a club for men. There are many stories about Garden City related to how women are not allowed on the property, let alone on the course; this includes the driveway and parking lot. When we played Garden City and casually asked the member how many members Garden City had, he gave an unusual answer: 399. Apparently, the laws in New York State governing private clubs regarding equal access issues, employment law, etc. have certain provisions that kick in when there are more than 400 members. Thus, the carefully crafted strategy. The laws are also such that the club has to be for social and non-business purposes. Garden City is not the place to go to hammer out business deals, as this is strictly enforced. Likewise, your company cannot pay for your dues, you must pay them yourself.

There is a reason why Garden City has not hosted a U.S.G.A. event since 1936. While there are many courses in the top 100 that do not have female members including Augusta, Pine Valley, The Golf Club (Ohio) and Garden City, Garden City's exclusion is total. It is the only one that won't let women play.

While many stories about Garden City are no doubt apocryphal, it has indeed evolved into an all male club with attitude. According to the New York Times, although never allowed in the clubhouse, up until the 1950s women were allowed to play the course before eleven o’clock on Monday and Friday mornings. When Garden City celebrated their annual “open house” on New Years day, the women guests had to drink their eggnogs outside the clubhouse in the parking lot.

The bar area at Garden City Men's

I don't consider myself to be discriminatory in any fashion. In fact, I quite enjoy the company of the fairer sex. But, I am a firm believer in the First Amendment right to free association and Garden City has created a unique atmosphere. I found Garden City to be a charming place. Since this is after all a club for gentleman, one of its rules is that you must always wear a jacket when you enter through the front door of the club house. We find that New Yorkers in general and certainly those from Long Island in particular, often times have an 'edge', shall we say. This is certainly the case at Garden City. On the morning we played, upon arrival, a member was walking through the parking lot approaching the clubhouse wearing boat shoes, shorts, and a golf shirt; but he had on the requisite blue blazer. Once inside, as long as you are not in the dining room or bar area you can take the jacket off, however, you must wear it into the club. Although the rule is to wear a jacket, this is not to be confused with Muirfield or Royal St. George's where the decorum is different and a jacket and tie are the proper attire to be respected. Welcome to New York.

In any event, entering the clubhouse at Garden City is like entering a museum. You enter and the locker room is to the right hand side through two saloon-style swinging doors. The old low slung open metal green lockers are the originals, as is almost everything. There is a large moose head mounted high up in the arching ceiling at the far end of the room. The main part of the clubhouse is one of the more genuinely warm and cozy rooms I've been in. In this regard, Garden City is more like a traditional English or Scottish club. If you were filming a period movie about a golf club at the turn of the century, you'd use the inside of the clubhouse at Garden City without changing a thing. There is no indication in the room that you are still not in 1899. The place is right out of central casting, with green leather chairs and sofas, a fireplace and dark wood.



The golf course has a great pedigree, designed by Devereux Emmett and Walter Travis. Travis was one of the top amateur golfers of his day and Garden City is a shrine to him. The "Travis Room" in the clubhouse includes a lot of original memorabilia and clubs used by 'The Old Man' as he is affectionately known. The Amateur Championship was held at Garden City four times and the U.S. Open once. Charles Blair Macdonald was one of the founding members of the club, which had a great appeal to New York City residents in the early years because it was built across the street from the railroad and it was a much shorter train ride to Garden City than to the other grand New York courses located in the Hamptons.



The course itself is a natural style layout on flat terrain. The first hole is short (302 from the tips) and quirky with a semi-blind tee shot. The second hole is a great par three of about 150 yards. It features a green set at a diagonal with a "bottomless pit" of sand set in front. It is not a long hole, but plays much tougher than it looks.

The view from the fairway to the first green at Garden City

What you see is what you get at Garden City. The course is all right there in front of you. Avoid the penal fescue, seen in the picture above, and you will have an enjoyable day. Many of the approach shots to the greens are either flat or slightly up hill. The greens themselves are subtely contoured away from you or slope downhill. One of the secrets to playing Garden City is figuring out how to hit your approach shots to the greens so they don't roll off. A Scotsman would be right at home, bumping shots onto the green as well.

The par five 4th hole with its elevated green


The fabulously bunkered and difficult 8th hole at Garden City

The par four 16th hole's green

The meat of the course are holes thirteen through seventeen, a tough collection of par fours and fives. The course has only three par threes and plays to a par of 73. The par four fifteenth hole has one of the most canted greens I have ever seen and slopes sharply from left to right.

Although this part of Long Island is quite congested, the middle part of the course has parts that offer isolated seclusion that catches you by surprise, and the neighborhood surrounding the course is quaint with a lot of tudor style houses. Other parts of the course are near roads, some of the views are of industrial buildings and the course is on a flight path into JFK, so it is not a complete walk in the park.

The par three 18th green with the porch right behind it

Garden City also features a par three finishing hole with a pond on the right side, next to the green. Shades of your tee shot at Merion, the outside dining area is right behind the eighteenth green, creating more pressure than you would imagine when playing the hole with a gallery watching.

After the round, you can sit and enjoy the ambiance of the place and watch groups coming in playing seventeen and eighteen. Your food and drink orders are written on a computer punch card, another quirky and unique aspect of the place. Also, in how many golf clubs in the world do they have German Peach Pancakes and Palatschinka with Wild Lingonberries on the menu? I think that if the founding members came back to Garden City they would be very happy to see that it hasn't changed at all. Long Island is, mile for mile, I believe, the best golf region in the world and Garden City is one of the reasons why.

Post Script
After posting on Garden City I have received a number of emails regarding Garden City's policy of women playing. Apparently, members wives can play on select days (Mondays) or a woman can play at the discretion of the executive committee, which they have selectively granted in the past. Nevertheless, Garden City remains a male-dominated bastion of the golf world that we hope they continue to proudly defend.

Viewer Mail: Hottest Driver?

Grouchy Golf welcomes your grouchy golf observations. If you have a grouchy golf observation that you would like to be posted on Grouchy Golf, please email it to the address in the sidebar. Remember, all submissions become the property of Grouchy Golf. Submissions chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity.

The following story was submitted by a grouchy golfer named Tom. Tom's tale involves a do-it-yourself golf club customization to one of the hottest drivers on tour, the TaylorMade R7 Tour Preferred (TP). Yes, it is possible to make this driver even hotter. Thanks Tom!

One Sizzling R7 Driver!

Ok, so here's something you don't see every day. My friend (his identity shall remain a secret, as I have promised him that) owns a TaylorMade R7 TP retail driver. While he likes the driver overall, he strongly disliked the tinny sound it made at impact. He decided to stuff cotton into the weight holes to try and deaden the sound. But after doing so, the cotton compacted, and he ended up with about 20 little pea-sized cotton chunks rolling around in his clubhead. It sounded like peanuts in a jar!

What he did next is the interesting part. He deduced that, since there was no way to retrieve the cotton pellets and cotton was flammable, it would be clever to pour a little gasoline into the weight holes and let the cotton soak it up. Then, he could light it and burn the cotton into noiseless ash. Here is where the trouble starts...

I think he poured a little too much gas into the holes because when he lit it, flames shot out about 6 inches from all four holes, scaring the living $hit out of him! He dropped the club immediately and it landed head first onto the driveway (at least he was smart enough to do this highly technical procedure outside), leaving big scrapes on the crown. When he thought that the fire was out, he picked up the driver by the head only to feel the sharp pain of hot metal searing his fingertips. In knee-jerk reaction, he dropped the club again, scratching up more of the clubhead!

After a momentary fit of rage, he collected himself and tried to think through the situation. He decided to play it smart and allow the club to cool off before he picked up the club. Staring at his nicked up baby, he wondered if he could buff out the scratches in the paint. Well, those concerns about scratches soon became irrelevant as the paint started peeling off the clubhead before his very eyes! It turns out that there was still a bit of fuel inside the clubhead that continued to burn as my friend waited for it to cool. The smoldering fuel heated the clubhead so much that it peeled off most of the paint!

But there is a bright side to all of this - the procedure to burn away the cotton worked, and there are now NO more rattles in the head!!! When he phoned me and told me this story, I just about peed myself laughing, which prompted him to hang up the phone on me. I will try to be more consoling in the future...

Golf Grouch Comment: That's one way to smoke your driver! Who knows, maybe an engineer at TaylorMade will read this story and turn it into the next big thing in driver technology: RPD (Rocket Propelled Driver). Tom, tell your friend that he'd better apply for a patent pronto!

Our Idea of Winter Golf - Ganton and Woodhall Spa

For most golfers the idea of winter golf might include a trip to Hilton Head, Portugal or maybe Florida. Not us. We just returned from a winter trip to the north of England. The British Isles generally don't experience the kind of winters one gets in the Northern U.S., so for us it's a welcome break. While it obviously won't be balmy, we were taking a chance that at least it wouldn't be so cold, gray and windy that we wouldn't be able to play. Our journey began with a red-eye on Friday night from the East Coast of the U.S. Sitting in an upright position in the back of the plane is not an ideal set of conditions for a good night's sleep. Nevertheless, when daylight appears on the horizon as you approach the English coast from the air, it is an exciting moment for us no matter how many times we've done it before.

As is typically the case, the morning is overcast with a light rain falling as we leave Manchester Airport and begin the three hour journey east to Lincolnshire where Woodhall Spa (#46 in the world) is located. One of the toughest parts of the quest to play the top 100 in the world (aside from playing Augusta) is no doubt getting off a red-eye, driving on the wrong side of the road in poor weather on tight roads. As we head out on the A628 we're amazed that such large trucks can fit on a one lane road (always coming at you in the opposite direction) and manage the hairpin turns with ease. More than once we've run up on curbs or knocked off the mirror on the left side of the car during these journeys. Luckily, our trip to Woodhall is long and tiring but uneventful. Our sense of excitement builds as we pass through the real Sherwood Forest where Woodhall is located near. We arrive to find that Woodhall Spa is a charming Edwardian Spa town with tree lined streets.

In the same way that The National Golf Links of America is the product of Charles Blair Macdonald and Pine Valley is the work of George Crump, so it is with Woodhall Spa and Colonel Stafford Hotchkin in the early part of the 20th century. Built on sandy soil, it is a fantastic heathland course with J.H. Taylor and H.S. Colt having had a hand in the design. It reminded us of Sunningdale and has quite a few Pine Valley type forced carries over sand and scrub to reach the fairways. It is set in a peaceful wooded area with silver birch, pine, heather and gorse in the English countryside. There are walking trails throughout the course for use by the locals. More than once while we were playing, townspeople would come walking through with their Wellington boots and dogs. Rather than finding it annoying, we found it a charming, typically English practice. There is no doubt what country you're in when you're playing at Woodhall Spa. The weather was in the mid 50's and it was slightly overcast. The smell of peat fires was lingering in the air. While those back home were still sleeping, we had been transported to a different world. For anyone who wants to experience golf in splendid isolation, Woodhall Spa is the place for you. It is the antithesis of the modern golf courses which are often times sadly an excuse for a housing development. Woodhall Spa meanders along the natural terrain. Colonel Hotchkin has also mastered the art of bunkering. The bunkers at Woodhall Spa are truly penal. As an example, the 12th green with bunkering is illustrated below.

Woodhall Spa has only three par three holes but taken together they may represent the best collection of par threes on any course we've played thus far. Unless you hit a perfect shot, the balls feed into the deep bunkers. Fair; but you must hit a very good shot.

Woodhall Spa also has a fine collection of short par fours at the end of the round. You stand on the tee and think to yourself that it's a nice way to finish, maybe with a couple of birdies. Not exactly. The design of this hidden gem of a course has once again proven that golf holes don't have to be long to be tough.

We finished the round only because of an adrenaline rush, since by the end of the round, we had more or less been awake for over 40 hours straight. Luckily for us we stayed at the Dower House Hotel which is located off the first fairway of the non-championship course at Woodhall Spa. It is a newly renovated old country house estate. You open the front door and there is a fire burning in the cozy front room and a nice bar nearby. Our first Guinness of the trip was enjoyed in front of the fireplace in a leather chair with a 'Havana' cigar as they call them in England. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. As the song goes, we are quite thankful "there will always be an England."

The next morning, after a proper full English breakfast (without the black pudding), we set off for Ganton, located three hours north up the A164. Although only 90 miles away, the roads follow the contour of the English countryside and wander through the beautiful landscape. We arrived at mid-day and were able to tee off straight away.

Ganton (#62 in the world, built in 1892) is the course where Harry Vardon served as professional between 1892 and 1903. If you don't appreciate who Harry Vardon is, then you had better brush up on your golfing history. One of the greatest players of all time, Vardon won the Open Championship six times. Some of golf's most esteemed architects have had a hand in shaping Ganton including J.H. Taylor, H.S. Colt, Alister McKenzie and James Braid. Located in Yorkshire, Ganton has hosted a Ryder Cup (1949) and a Walker Cup (2003).

We suppose that deep bunkering is part of the character in the north of England because Ganton also has deep, penal and large bunkers in the style of Woodhall Spa. We played Ganton without a caddy in sunny, windy conditions. The winter sun was at a low angle in the sky and the crisp air fills your lungs and is refreshing. No golf carts here. No yardage markers. At Ganton, you're on your own (in a good way). It is pure golf, with no frills. The surrounding countryside is dramatic and peaceful. We particularly like the 258 yard par three 17th where you must hit your tee shot across the entrance road to the course. All the eye can see standing on the tee is a lot of very big bunkers. Not for the faint of heart.

After the round, we retired to the clubhouse to have a sandwich (egg mayonnaise on brown bread). As is the custom for most proper English courses, you must have on a jacket and tie to enter the dining area (even to sit in the men's grill). While it is somewhat annoying when you're hungry and tired, we appreciate that they are trying to uphold the standards and traditions of proper English clubs. The Ganton clubhouse is a throwback to an earlier era, probably not changing much since Vardon's time. We believe it is important that clubs and courses like Ganton remain in the top 100 rankings. It is certainly easy to have courses like this replaced with the newest $20 million Tom Fazio made-for-US-Open-design. To do so would be a shame. The history of the game is important and places like Ganton are standard bearers for upholding its traditions.

We're off on the three hour drive back to Manchester before flying out tomorrow morning. Six hours of driving in one day is a bit much, but you have to be a little nuts to play the top 100. Our hotel outside Manchester turns out to be a shit-hole, but you can't ask for perfection all the time. Once again, we have been very lucky on this trip regarding the transportation and the weather.

Both courses are highly recommended. They are not on the natural circuit you would make playing the Open Championship courses in England, so you must really go out of your way to play them. We recommend doing so if you appreciate the history of the game. We really love the quirkiness of Britain and were not disappointed on this trip. Also, we found the people at both Ganton and Woodhall Spa have treated us as nice as any course in the world so far, although the English don't have the wit of the Scottish!

Web sites:

http://www.woodhallspagolfclub.co.uk/

http://www.gantongolfclub.com/

Nike and Disney Sitting in a Tree...

The PGA Tour recently announced the completion of new television agreements for the 2007 through 2012 seasons. The big surprise was the omission of Disney-owned ABC and ESPN. While I think that it's a big blow to the PGA Tour and to golf viewers, it's an even bigger blow to Nike.

Why Nike? Well, it appears that Nike has been using Disney to trumpet Nike Golf. Visit the golf section at ESPN.com and you'll see instructional videos featuring Hank Haney, Tiger's coach and a member of Team Nike. Watch a major televised golf event on either ESPN or ABC and receive commentary from Nike pitchmen Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger. After watching Tiger "suck it back" with a wedge during a recent telecast, Azinger remarked:

Look at that, how do you back that up? It's amazing to watch. But you know, like I've said it plenty of times – he's got a golf ball that will spin like that, but it also goes a mile…it does everything he needs it to do and he's thrilled with it…

You would have thought that Nike made some kind of magic golf ball. Zinger, have you ever heard of the Titleist Pro V1?

Interestingly, the Nike-Disney relationship may have come as a result of one Mr. Tiger Woods.

Both Nike and Disney were among Tiger's initial corporate sponsors. Under the Disney deal, Tiger is required to make appearances in televised events on ABC and ESPN. Apparently, Disney wanted a much bigger deal, but was deterred by Nike. According to Ross Nethery:

Early on, Tiger was considering a deal to promote Disney’s theme parks, as well as help boost ratings at Disney-owned ABC and ESPN by playing in special made-for-TV events. Nike reportedly didn’t want the Disney name to outclass its association with Tiger, so the package ended up being all about the exhibition appearances, with no pitching of theme parks involved.

The possible conflicts of interest arising from such associations are problematic to say the least. How can we be assured that a media company will remain fair and objective when they maintain strategic relationships with companies and individuals? Does Disney-owned media give favorable treatment to Tiger Woods? Conversely, does Tiger Woods give favorable treatment to Disney? Remember Tiger's boycott of CBS commentator Peter Kostis? How much of that incident was due to Peter's association with a Disney competitor?

Does the same apply to any other Nike sponsored athlete? Now that Michelle Wie is on Team Nike, will she get the Tiger treatment? It wouldn't surprise me if Disney goes full-bore after LPGA television rights to support the latest Nike prodigy. Whatever happens, I sure hope that Han Faldo remains on TV somewhere...