Has GeoffShackelford.com outstripped....

[John Kavanaugh]

Please someone...provide me with one article that is not predictable.  I would love to log onto his site and be surprised.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Please someone...provide me with one article that is not predictable.  I would love to log onto his site and be surprised.

John,
In all undue honesty, the same would be true for you, Rich and myself on Golf Club Atlas.

Also, I think if your being fair here, you have always had it in for Geoff. I have never known you to not have it in for him, and I will never suspect you would ever give him one ounce of credit for many of the brilliant things he has produced.

Do you know Geoff? Have you ever met him? Surely he must be doing one thing positive, I mean, the guy has simply wanted to see  the sport prosper and grow, while maintaining a sensible balance amongst all forms of consumerism. This would mean producing equipment that keeps the Sport challenging and fun. His co-design of Rustic Canyon is proof of this. You should see it sometime.

Icrh,
Michael Moore sure put you in your place.

You also quite obviously have never read any of Geoff's Golfdom columns which, month to month are full of satire, information that are sometimes definitive, but mostly fun--because that is what columnists do--give their views and opinions on the subject of Golf. With Geoff, it is usually done in a most entertaining manner.

[John Kavanaugh]

Tommy,

I bought Geoff's book not only for myself but for any others who requested...You're right...I don't like him so whatever I say should be taken with a grain of salt.  If I did meet him I imagine I would learn to like him more than he ever could me...I'm not a star.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

John
You were one of Geoff's best customers for his The Future of Golf In America. I knew that when I typed it. But what abou this other books?

[John_Conley]

I can't tell you how many of golf's heavyweights...

No need.

[John Kavanaugh]

John
You were one of Geoff's best customers for his The Future of Golf In America. I knew that when I typed it. But what abou this other books?

Sorry, but I know nothing about the history books, or care.  I barely have time to play the courses that exist now.  I don't, or want to believe, that golf was ever better than it is now.  Irish Catholic was never old money until the sixties...and we all know what crap was built since then..

[Tommy_Naccarato]

John,
It sounds as if you've found your way into Father Mulligan's wine cabinent again.....

[ForkaB]

Rich -

Your definition of satire is overcomplicated and completely wrong.

Satire does not require a broad view, it requires an opposing view. Furthermore, it does not involve poking fun at yourself -to the contrary, it is a humorous assault with change in mind.

GeoffShackelford.com exists largely to expose and ridicule things that he considers to be contrary to the spirit of golf such as the distance one can propel the modern ball, the business school jargon perpetrated by tour commissioners, restoration projects on certain classic courses, rangefinders, etc.

It's all done with sarcasm and deadpan, the tools of satire. I don't know where you are coming from on this one. Stop confusing the stockbrokers.

Michael

Sorry that I'm confusing not only the stockbrokers but also you!  Has the definition of satire changed since I wrote my English honors thesis on it 38 years ago?  If so, that's a crying shame.....

Rich

[Mark_F]

Tommy,

I don't have it in for Geoff.

I quite like his site, to a degree.

But it is very, very predictable.

And that gets boring.

And no one listens to bores.

Take it from someone who knows.

[ForkaB]

Sean, et. al.

Sarcasm and satire are two entirely different things.  One is art, the other petulance.  I'll let you decide which is which.

PS--If you want a clue, what I just wrote was petulant.

PPS--if you want another clue, what is written above is satirical.

[TEPaul]

"Satire comes from the Latin "satura" which means "full plate."  

Which comes from satur meaning sated. Rich, you really are the King of contrary opinion. In this case, the eater is full (sated) and the "plate", my friend, is empty.  

Your master thesis on satire?? Jeeesus, please spare us. If your professor was worth a damn hopefully he told you to pick another subject and begin your master thesis again. Maybe he did tell you that but for some reason you thought he was just being satirical.

Whomever on here said Michael Moore is all over you, is right.  

[ForkaB]

Tom

Who said "masters thesis?"  Please learn how to read before you try to write.

PS--you're not helping Michael at all by trying to be on his side!

Have a nice day.

[TEPaul]

Oh, yes, excuse me---English honors thesis---whatever that is.  

"PS--you're not helping Michael at all by trying to be on his side!"

Michael Moore most certainly doesn't need my help. When it comes to countering some of what you say he seems to be doing just fine.  

[Michael Moore]

Rich -

If you are willing to describe in more detail what you consider satire to be and discuss whether shackelford.com is divested of literary form, I am willing to read.

P.S. - Upon further review, it seems that back-of-the-classroom sarcasm itself may not qualify as satire. But Geoff picks his articles and excerpts wisely, and many of his targets speak in a manner that is self-parody. Much of the satire on the site is found in preexisting doublespeak. I think the site does have form.

The specific target, ridiculous quotations, and sneering commentary add up to satire. What else could it be?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Ferg,

--"I like his site but I think it is boring"
--"No one likes listening to a bore, "

Yet it sounds as if you still read his site regularly and your participating on a thread about it......well isn't that sort of contradicting?

It would seem that you and Rich both have lot in common!

[George Pazin]

Barney, I think you're overgeneralizing about Geoff S. I have read positive pieces on his site where he literally admitted that he was expecting the exact opposite. The discussion of the Tiger Woods Learning Center (or whatever it's called) was just one example of such a piece.

Rich, your definition may be accurate - I am but a lowly math major, as compared to you, the grand English major - but what I was saying that, even if it is, I still think Geoff qualifies. His many excellent books, such as The Captain, The Golden Age..., The Art of Golf Design, Grounds for Golf, Lines of Charm, overwhelmingly illustrate a broad perspective, and, as I said to Barney, if you read Geoff on a regular basis, you will find instances in which he includes himself in on the joke. Perhaps you are reading more anger into Geoff's work than he intends.

 

[TEPaul]

Bill Vostinak aka redanman, aka BillV, aka Bond....James Bond, aka the "mysterious" whomever;

I'm not sure why you think I said I'm some heavyweight. I never said anything like that. The off-the-wall drivel you come up with is beyond belief. You're the one who needs an editor, not regarding verbosity but regarding just plain content.  

[Mark_F]

It would seem that you and Rich both have lot in common!

Tommy,

Not really.

Rich got the looks and the talent, and left nothing for me.

PS. It used to be a daily read.  Now it's a weekly one.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Ferg,
I've played golf with Icrh and I know what he looks like. It ain't pretty!

Sorry to hear about you not paying attention to Geoff's site, or at least cutting it down to once a week. It's to my understanding that a very large majority of your countrymen picked-up your slack, because the hits during Open week from Downunda were extremely high. I guess your tube didn't get live coverage of the historic event at Winged Foot, but did get Geoff's live blogging.

Just to clue you in, an Aussie won, and he is also a regular at http://geoffshackelford.com .

I better stop the banter and idle chit-chat, but look at it this way, it's dead of winter downunda. You can always spend that non-golftime perusing the Australian iseekgolf site and chatting with Tony Cashmore on the finer merits of how Seth Raynor designed Augusta National, and Alister took design credit for that one too.