Barclays, Tiger and Liberty National

[Voytek Wilczak]

Now that Tiger has committed, the Barclays (and LNGC) will get a lot more buzz.

It will be interesting to see how the course will present itself on TV.

I will be there on Saturday.

[Steve Lapper]

You must mean "Doral North?"


All they are missing are the Palm trees!!

[Matt_Ward]

No matter how the course is perceived prior to the event -- geting Tiger back in action in the NYC metro area -- on the Jersey side I might add-- is a huge plus and no doubt will only more eyes to the event.

I am not a fan of Liberty National but clearly they have the wherewithal to host such an event -- can only hope the logistical dimensions are handled well.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I played LN the year it opened.  It is a difficult course in a spectacular city setting but the course left me wanting more.  Bayonne up the road on the other hand was a delight with great elevation changes.   I just don't know where they will put all the spectators or corporate tents. Many of the fairways are lined with a kind of tall fescue.  Will spectators trample that down?  I will be curious to see how this is all handled.  Do you know where spectators will park?

[PThomas]

I played LN the year it opened.  It is a difficult course in a spectacular city setting but the course left me wanting more.  Bayonne up the road on the other hand was a delight with great elevation changes.   

very well AND diplomatically stated Tommy!  Bayonne made me want to go play 18 again; LN didnt

[Garland Bayley]

... the course left me wanting more.  ...

If you wanted more, then why didn't you go out and play it again?

[Jay Flemma]

I played LN the year it opened.  It is a difficult course in a spectacular city setting but the course left me wanting more.  Bayonne up the road on the other hand was a delight with great elevation changes.   I just don't know where they will put all the spectators or corporate tents. Many of the fairways are lined with a kind of tall fescue.  Will spectators trample that down?  I will be curious to see how this is all handled.  Do you know where spectators will park?

Yeah, bayonne is a far better golf course.  LN does look like Florida.  Bob Cupp can get some pretty sites, but just does the same things over and over again.  he doesn't have a varied and interesting palette of holes and strategies.  Kite is as useless to him as Joe Lieberman or John Edwards.

[tlavin]

I watched the one-hour paid advertisement for Liberty National on CBS this weekend and it was the most insufferable, overly cloying, self-congratulatory piece of video garbage I've ever seen.  I'd rather watch the Sham Wow guy for an hour straight than listen to Fireman and his son pat themselves on the back over the "historic" work on their "iconic" golf course and clubhouse.  To me, it looks like a rather bland golf course, albeit one with spectacular skyscraper and statue eye candy.  But eye candy ain't enough to confer greatness. 

But, really, it was the tone of the piece that just fractured me.  At one point, one of them said something about creating a golf course for the "people".  For the people?  The fricking clubhouse cost $65 million!  At the end of the program, a deeply cynical part of me was starting to hope that the course gets hit by a hurricane and slips into the river.  They kept chirping about Lady Liberty as if they were engaged in a patriotic pursuit when they built their millionaire's retreat.  Lady Liberty, if she could, would bow her head in shame at these goofballs.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I watched the one-hour paid advertisement for Liberty National on CBS this weekend and it was the most insufferable, overly cloying, self-congratulatory piece of video garbage I've ever seen.  I'd rather watch the Sham Wow guy for an hour straight than listen to Fireman and his son blow themselves over the "historic" work on their "iconic" golf course and clubhouse.  At one point, one of them said something about creating a golf course for the "people".  For the people?  The fricking clubhouse cost $65 million!  At the end of the program, a deeply cynical part of me was starting to hope that the course gets hit by a hurricane and slips into the river.  They kept chirping about Lady Liberty as if they were engaged in a patriotic pursuit when they built their millionaire's retreat.  Lady Liberty, if she could, would bow her head in shame at these goofballs.

Spot on.  I recorded the show after seeing an advertisement for it.  I got about twenty minutes into it and wanted to vomit.  I tried to puke and rally, but still couldn't get all the way through it.  My favorite part was when they boasted that the cart paths cost more to build than many courses.

[PThomas]

I watched the one-hour paid advertisement for Liberty National on CBS this weekend and it was the most insufferable, overly cloying, self-congratulatory piece of video garbage I've ever seen.  I'd rather watch the Sham Wow guy for an hour straight than listen to Fireman and his son blow themselves over the "historic" work on their "iconic" golf course and clubhouse.  At one point, one of them said something about creating a golf course for the "people".  For the people?  The fricking clubhouse cost $65 million!  At the end of the program, a deeply cynical part of me was starting to hope that the course gets hit by a hurricane and slips into the river.  They kept chirping about Lady Liberty as if they were engaged in a patriotic pursuit when they built their millionaire's retreat.  Lady Liberty, if she could, would bow her head in shame at these goofballs.

Spot on.  I recorded the show after seeing an advertisement for it.  I got about twenty minutes into it and wanted to vomit.  I tried to puke and rally, but still couldn't get all the way through it.  My favorite part was when they boasted that the cart paths cost more to build than many courses.

wow, am i glad i didnt watch it!

[Jim_Kennedy]

Terry,
Thanks for saving me all that typing 

[Richard Choi]

I, for one, am waiting anxiously to watch Barclays on such historic and architecturally fantastic golf course...










... next year at PLAINFIELD!!!

[Michael Blake]

I'm looking forward to seeing the course in person this weekend.

[Bruce Katona]

I'll go if someone has an extra tix and VIP parking, but the view may be just as good from my HDTV.....parking for the masses may be a bit tricky.

[Joel Zuckerman]

I watched the one-hour paid advertisement for Liberty National on CBS this weekend and it was the most insufferable, overly cloying, self-congratulatory piece of video garbage I've ever seen.  I'd rather watch the Sham Wow guy for an hour straight than listen to Fireman and his son pat themselves on the back over the "historic" work on their "iconic" golf course and clubhouse. 

Terry--You must be a glutton for punishment!  Why not change the channel after 10 minutes?

Your post reminds me of the old joke about the unsatisfied couple during their Catskills vacation.  The husband complains to management, "Your food has really gone downhill over the years.  It's practically inedible."  And the wife chimes in, "And such small portions!"

[tlavin]

I watched the one-hour paid advertisement for Liberty National on CBS this weekend and it was the most insufferable, overly cloying, self-congratulatory piece of video garbage I've ever seen.  I'd rather watch the Sham Wow guy for an hour straight than listen to Fireman and his son pat themselves on the back over the "historic" work on their "iconic" golf course and clubhouse. 

Terry--You must be a glutton for punishment!  Why not change the channel after 10 minutes?

Your post reminds me of the old joke about the unsatisfied couple during their Catskills vacation.  The husband complains to management, "Your food has really gone downhill over the years.  It's practically inedible."  And the wife chimes in, "And such small portions!"

Joel,

Great joke!  I actually tuned in about halfway through the program and, like a train wreck, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

[Steve Lapper]

I'll go if someone has an extra tix and VIP parking, but the view may be just as good from my HDTV.....parking for the masses may be a bit tricky.

Brucie you Upscale ho!!!

btw...I'm done insulting Doral

[Tom Dunne]

I find it hard to believe that the club would resort to infomercial tactics when any visitor to their website can be informed in no uncertain terms that:

*The clubhouse is an architectural icon soon to be mentioned in the same breath as the Sydney Opera House.
*The course is "clearly the new entry for the best course in the world." (By "World", read: Best course not built by Eric Bergstol on former industrial wasteland in New York Harbor.) Clearly!
*"Golf in this setting is as unique as the United States in world history." Can't argue with that.
*Also, the pro shop features custom-designed shelving units.

When you have a course as famous the world over as Pebble Beach or The Old Course, you don't need to advertise. Terry, it was probably some other, less famous club's infomercial you were watching. Bayonne, probably. [/sarcasm]

I've found it disappointing to see how ready some apparently are to give Westchester CC the kiss-off: http://out-and-back.net/?p=1076

[Matt_Ward]

After viewing the info-mercial -- I have to wonder how many times was the word "iconic" used and how the folks on camera always sought to link Lady Liberty to the golf club itself. Shameless self promotion sure. But here's the deal -- if the event produces some really good golf the rest of that stuff will be forgotten.

The layout is not the architectural equal to nearby Bayonne but this year's Barclays has one important item that few in the past have had -- his name is Tiger Woods.

Nuff said ...

p.s. Tom Dunne -- I believe The Tour has a standing commitment to return to Westchester CC for at least one more time -- could be either '12 or '13.

[Bruce Katona]

Steve: Thank you...I resemble that kind remark.....If I'm going to attend, may as well do so properly.  If I go to a ball game, we purchase seats so we can actually see the game and players......this is no different.

[Jay Flemma]

I agree with Tom Dunne.  One p.r. guy told me "We're better than Augusta national...we're LIBERTY National.  We will stop at nothign to be the greatest golf course in the world."

Bayonne blows them away by leaps and bounds.  Fake mounds on the right of number 5...I ask you...

[Richard Choi]

Looks like Bill Pennington at NY Times is a fan of the course...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/sports/golf/27pennington.html?hpw

[George Pazin]

I agree with Tom Dunne.  One p.r. guy told me "We're better than Augusta national...we're LIBERTY National.  We will stop at nothign to be the greatest golf course in the world."

Perhaps he/they can find a way to make the course go to 11...

I didn't know it will be at Plainfield next year, thanks for the pick-me-up, Richard.

[John_Lovito]

The Barclay's will be at Plainfield in 2011, next year it will be at Ridgewood.

[Tom Dunne]

John Lovito: Thanks for the correction.