I was doing a little thinking on what it would take to get the US team to win the Ryder Cup, and I think the team members need to get together once or twice a year to work on the team match format, get to know each other better. That's when I had another idea. WOULD ANY OF YOU THAT USE THIS SITE BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A GOLF MATCH THAT IS OPEN ONLY TO THOSE THAT POST THINGS ON THIS SITE, PLUS FAMILY MEMBERS OF COURSE? We could have our own Ryder cup match, make it a team event or singles, which ever the majority of us want. We could hold the match at a central location or at a vacation spot during the off season to help hold the costs down. I know Myrtle Beach has some great package deals that are real affordable that might work out. It's not a central location, but it might be perfect for a start. What do you guys think of the idea? Would you be interested in something like this. Would give us all a chance to meet in person and see if those of us that claim to hit 350 yard drives are being truthfull with us. It could be for a weekend or a week, what ever you guys decide would be the most fun. We could play with or without a handicap system. We could have the two players with the lowest handicap be team captains and have them choose their team from the rest of us. Those of you with some experience with playing in competition might have a few ideas that will work for this match. Do we want to have prizes or just play for fun? If you decide on prizes, I will volunteer to build a set of irons as a prize at cost, and build a putter for free, my contribution to the match. ANY ONE INTERESTED? LET ME KNOW HERE, AND IF WE HAVE ENOUGH INTEREST, I WILL CONTACT THIS WEBSITE AND SEE IF THOSE IN CHARGE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED. LET'S HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!

Don,

I think that's a great idea. Especially the Myrtle Beach part since I can be there in less than 4 hours.

If we get enough interest I'll be glad to help put something together.

BTW, I just participated in a modified Ryder Cup format outing. There were 32 players divided into US and European teams. Each foursome had 2 from each team. The first 6 holes were better ball, the second 6 were a scramble (I'd rather have done alternate shot) and the third 6 were singles matches.

JW

don , i like the idea.....myrtle beach is about 45 minutes from me.. also i would like to play for something.. i would contribute some money, if everybody put in a little, or donated something, it may be workable.. of course, timing is the deal...to get everbody interested together at convenient times for all.. i think it is worth talking about ..... later,, trip

This is a little off-topic, but what do you guys think of having the winning team of the Ryder Cup play The Rest Of The World in the Presidents Cup? Personally I think part of the problem with the US's success (or lack thereof of late) is that they (therefore their best players) have to play one of these events every single year. And we know they don't look forward to the added travel to places like Australia, South Africa, and Europe. So in theory, in next year's Pres Cup it would be Europe vs The World. A year off for the US, and added meaning to the event. (Just so there is no confusion I am not suggesting any changes to the Ryder Cup itself - Europe vs US - it is sacred!) Interested in your thoughts... and yes I like the idea of the Golf Gear Cup by the way...

Clive

Clive; Would you be willing to donate one of your "Hit Down Damnit" DVD's as a prize if we can get enough interest in having a match? I've already started on building the putter.

Clive,

I'm not crazy about the whole President's Cup idea in the first place. It seems to me that since it was started, enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup in America has waned. There just doesn't seem to be the excitement of anticipation any more.

My theory on the US not performing well in recent RCs is simply that the kids coming up nowadays have only rarely played match play. Growing up in Ohio and Western PA in the late '60s and early '70s I played 4 years of match play in high school with 2 years of college split pretty evenly between match and medal. MATCH PLAY IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL! I can't emphasize that enough. A scratch player and a 10 are much more closely matched in match play than they are in medal play. Not to mention that the head games that add so much to match play just don't exist in medal.

I can't say for certain, but I get the impression from listening to European announcers that match play still exists in their schools.

For those of you younger than 40 who played on your high school and/or college teams, how much, if any, match play did you have? Please respond with your country as well.

This is an unscientific poll with a an error margin of plus or minus 100% .

J (I'm starting to ramble) W

I am right on the button - at 40 that is - and played my high school golf in Australia where we never played match play. In Canada, however, almost every club player plays match play on a daily basis in some form or another, even if just for two bucks each side and two overall with his buddies.

The US Amateur (& Canadian for that matter) of course is match play, and I just did a quick check to find that only 2 of the US Team's squad won the US Am (I thought there might have been more). I do heartily agree that match play is an entirely different animal, and part of its allure is that a 10 can compete with a scratch, or a 20 with a 10.

I think one of the problems that haunts the US at the Ryder Cup (the past ten years) is that the US media unfairly crown them champions before the event even begins. The media comes by this conclusion largely because they only cover the US Tour (their job, of course) and the World Rankings I believe paint a poorer picture of the European team, on paper at least.

Because most of the Europeans traditionally have played most of their golf on the European Tour, where the fields are not weighted as favourably, a win in Europe does not push the player up the rankings as much as a win in the US.

Finally, I am not sure enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup is waning. I think it is frustrating in the US of late because of the disappointment, but in fact enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup is at fever pitch, more than ever. I do go back to my earlier sentiment, that there is too much pressure on the US to perform each and every year in one Cup or the other. But I think I can speak for Aussies and Canucks, and I am sure the rest of the world, that we'd sure hate to see the Presidents Cup go by the wayside. It gives Els, Singh, Weir, Scott etc etc a chance to play with and against the world's best. I just don't think the US always has to shoulder the burden of being called the world's best. CS

Oh... and in reply to Don: I would be happy to donate 12 "Hit Down Dammit!" CD-Roms (assuming there is 12 on a team) if the "Reviewer Cup" were to take place. So there's a start!

Clive

Clive,

A couple of reasons I think US enthusiasm has waned, and this is by no means scientific.

First, I can count on one hand the number of players at my home course and at work who even knew this was a Ryder Cup year - right up until the matches started.

Second is the complete absence of RC merchandise. Charlotte is a prime golf region - you can't drive 2 miles without finding a golf shop or sporting goods store - and I saw absolutely no stuff. My wife is a manager in a Dick's Sporting Goods and I even had her check with their corporate golf merchandisers. They had not even given it a thought.

JW

Thank you Clive for your great offer of copys of your DVD. Now I just hope we can get more than three or four members of this site to want to play some golf and meet new friends. Come on guys, who want to play golf?