"The 2005 NCAA survey of a sampling of golfers

[Mike_Young]

CHECK THIS ARTICLE OUT.....WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE NEW NEWS???"The 2005 National Collegiate Athletic Association survey of a sampling of golfers indicated steroid use by 1.3 percent, amphetamine use by 3.5 percent, cocaine or crack use by 2.7 percent and marijuana use by 25 percent, according to the NCAA."

"As I read that, one QUARTER of U.S. college golfers tested smoke grass! I've been to reggae concerts with fewer people burning. Hell, 25 percent of Willie Nelson doesn't smoke that much!"

"BTW, the best quote in the entire story comes from Charles Yesalis, an anabolic steroids specialist and professor of health policy at Pennsylvania State University in State College. He's talking about how Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour have a see-no-evil policy on steroids in golf."

"These excuses are so lame, it's like reading something out of a Monty Python script," Yesalsi is quoted as saying. "'We don't have a problem because there is no proof, and we aren't going to test to get the proof.' This whole notion that there is something about carrying a bag of clubs that places you in a high ethical and moral plane is naive."

[Andy Doyle]

" ... This whole notion that there is something about carrying a bag of clubs that places you in a high ethical and moral plane is naive."

So is he suggesting the real steroid problem is among the caddies?

Maybe that's Steve Williams' problem - Roid Rage.  Steroid-induced urge to kick photographers and throw their cameras in the water.

AD

[Glenn Spencer]

Mike,

I am failing to see what you are so upset about. 1 out of 100 use steroids- so what? 1 out of 33 use coke- not a problem there, and same with amphetamines. 1 out of 4 use marijuana. Is this some kind of news that college kids smoke pot? I think the numbers look dead-on and show golfers as a pretty good lot. I must be missing something, I really don't see a problem here. I would have thought college golfers would have been at 40% for smoking grass.

[Evan Fleisher]

A newsource recently quoted greenskeeper Carl Spackler as saying: "This is a hybrid ... of bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, featherbed bent and northern California sensemilia (sic),' " Spangler said. " 'The amazing stuff about this, is that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on the stuff.' "

Quoteworthy, I thought...  

[RJ_Daley]

Mike, I see there are quotes around all your paragraphs.  Is the whole post from a publication, or are some of the remarks yours? I'm not sure where you stand on the matter.

But, I'll opine that the coke, speed and steroid use are of particular concern, IMHO.  The pot question, I'll leave up to you Libertarians and temperance folks to 'hash' out.  

I do get the sense that steroids use could be an issue lying just below the surface, waiting to jump up and embarass the tours and amatuer competitions.

[Mike_Young]

Glenn ad RJ,
I am not upset by anything in the article....yes the "quotes were from the article...none of these were my statements....
I am with glenn...I am sure it is probably closer to 50% or more of the college golfers that do pot....
All I was asking is was this supposed to be new news....

[Mike_Young]

here is link to article
http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/5740-Balls-Out-Blog--Drugs-report-shows-NCAA-golfers-burn-more-weed-than-Willie-Nelson

[Tim Gavrich]

I think it's sad, really, that all these great players are too busy getting high and ruining their bodies to realize how precious their own lives are.  Heck, I don't know about them, but I'd like to 'serve the max,' to use a prison term, down here on Earth.

To relate this to GCA, have their been any architects who have been known to have used drugs while working on projects?

[Glenn Spencer]

Oh, I see. I thought those were your quotes Mike. Lets face it, after a tough competitive round we could all use something to relax us. I am not saying that pot is the best choice and coke certainly is not, but 1 out of 4 is in line with the rest of the college I am sure. There are a lot of parties that go on for a young golfer with talent that has to travel the country.

[Jim Nugent]

I do get the sense that steroids use could be an issue lying just below the surface, waiting to jump up and embarass the tours and amatuer competitions.

That was my first thought on seeing that article.  Does the PGA have an official policy about steroid use?

[JSlonis]

As a Div I golfer back in the day, I'm not sure if all these #'s really jive.  

Div I, athletes, in all sports are subject to random drug testing during the year.  I can't imagine 25% of players risking their scholarships to smoke dope.  Maybe because I never did or have, I'm a bit naive, but it seems like a high number.(no pun intended )