Folks,
Let me first thank those of you who have checked out the Insider's Guide to Riviera CC that I wrote. Your feedback and compliments about it were unbelievably kind. For those of you who haven't seen it, it is available at
http://www.azaleagolf.com/rivieraGuide.shtml. Take a look...it might further enhance the experience of watching the TOUR players tackle the brilliant Thomas design this afternoon.
As a thanks to you guys (not just for your input on the guide, but for collectively making this site the best place on the internet to learn about golf course design/architecture), I wanted to give all you GCAers the first crack at the first-ever prize ever to be awarded via an AzaleaGolf contest--a free box of your favorite golf balls (monogrammed with your initials, if you so desire).
The contest is entitled the Ben Hogan Sunday Challenge and the basic concept is simple: entrants answer ten trivia questions about Riviera CC (specifically about its history and design) and then make ten predictions as to how the events may unfold at Hogan's Alley later this afternoon. Players get points for each correct answer, and the player who earns the most points wins the free box of balls.
I describe this contest in the title as an "easy shot to win" because as of this posting I literally have ZERO entries. I just created the contest over the course of the last few hours, and you all are the first ones to know about it. I honestly think, at best, I'm going to get like ten entries...so anyone who participates should feel good about their chances of winning knowing there isn't going to be a whole lot of competition.
Beyond the free golf balls, I hope participating in this contest might also add a little more enjoyment to the experience of watching the Northern Trust late this afternoon. There's nothing I hate more than getting fired up to watch a golf tournament and then it turns out to be a drama-free six shot rout...and, unfortunately, it's looking like we might have a rout on our hands if Phil continues to get it up and in every single time and Butch's emergency help after Friday's round continues to pay off.
To keep it interesting, I designed the questions for the "Crystal Ball" aspect of the competition around the last three pairings in the tournament and their performance on the last two holes at Riviera CC...so if the tournament proper turns out to be less than exciting you all can still have fun rooting for your predictions to pan out.
It will remain open for new entries right up to the minute that the third-to-last pairing completes the sixteenth hole...not only to give more people a chance to see it and get involved, but also to add what I think is an interesting dynamic...those who are so inclined can use the late contest closing to their advantage by watching some (the first two hours or so) of the CBS coverage and using what they see to make their predictions.
If you've got any interest in participating, head on over to the contest's home page at
http://www.azaleagolf.com/northTrivia.php and check it out.
-Sam