COMMUNITY

That picture is hole 10 green where I stay in the Kohler tent. Yes it sucks. NASCAR is the same way. Just mother nature. We have been complaining with our own rounds of late. You make a tee time for the weekend and it is awesome weather until the weekend rolls around. What the hell?

I think we all get upset with it for our own selfishness to get our fill of watching golf for the day. One way or the other they will get it in. It can rain anytime and ruin any tournament schedule.

FYI...Arizona has the most sunshine days per year.

Logistics. It's geographically smart to start in Hawaii, move east to the closest part of the mainland which happens to be in the California and Arizona, play a few tournaments in that region, then travel to Florida and play a few tournaments there leading to Augusta. And like it or not, that little invitational in Georgia in mid-April completely dictates how the schedule starts. The Tour would never start the season in Florida, then go to California, then to Hawaii, and then swing all the way back to the house that Jones built. It does not make sense. Plus, the tournaments on the west coast swing are much more well-received by players than those in the Florida swing. Here's the stat to heed (from Golf World's player ranking of every course on Tour)

California host courses and where they fall on the ranking:

3) Riviera CC
4) Pebble Beach GL
31) Torrey Pines
36) PGA West

Average- 18.5

Florida host courses and where they fall on the ranking:

9) Innisbrook
11) TPC Sawgrass
32) Doral
33) Bay Hill
47) Disney World

Average- 26.4

And if the players like those courses that much since they've been played this time of year for a LONG time, why would that change?

Weather related stoppage is always annoying to folks who love the game like we do. Having said that, I think there are a few flaws in your suggestion. First off, you don't change the schedule based on one year of data. This we know, weather patterns change.

Over the years weather delays on the west coast swing have been few and far between with the exception of the AT&T Pro Am. On average Monterey Penninsula gets 80% of their annual precipitation between mid-January to mid-March, so putting the AT&T Pro Am in that window has never been smart.

As for the rest, Hawaii has no season. You are as likely to run into weather delays in January as in any other month. A fog out in San Diego? How often does that happen? Arizona is wonderful this time of year. Palm Desert and So Cal over the years are very comparible to Florida.

Even if Florida had an advantage, it doesn't make sense.

So you start there and then go west coast and then come back for Augusta? I don't think so. The pros are going to want to be in the southeast leading up to the Masters. Grain alone makes that a priority.

Doesn't matter where you start the season as global warming will rear it's ugly head. Chances are if the season started in Florida, tropical storm season will automaticaly kick in as soon as the first tee shot is struck.

The rates don't go down in Florida till after the snow birds leave in April. lol.

That sounds familiar Don. We like when they are here to leave there money, but ready for them to leave for our cheaper golf. Is it May yet?

I agree w/ you on many of your points but at the same time several other sports we watch every week travel from one coast to the other. (Football & Baseball) I understand that these players are not footing the bill for their travel expenses but if traveling is the only reason the players would not want to start the season in Florida, then that makes no sense to me. Because looking at their schedule...they come to Florida straight from their West coast swing anyways...so you can't tell me that the traveling is the main issue here.
Once they finish the Florida swing, they go out to Texas & THEN work their way back to Augusta. So check the schedule before using travel as their main excuse. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues w/ California , Arizona, or Hawaii other than their unpredictable weather. Just too many stoppages already this early into the season. Also...keep in mind for those who say the West coast courses are nicer or whatever (COGOLFER)...it's funny how MANY of the PGA tour players live in Florida! Yes, I know it's because we have year round golf but you can't claim that the courses are better out there. I have read in many of magazines & online that many of our PGA tour players put several of the Florida courses & events very high on their lists of Top golf courses on the tour. (Arnold Palmer, Doral, The Players)
So for sake of argument...I understand why the PGA begins the season out there...that was not my concern. I was stating that the weather delays & stoppages have been too many already & that there is no real good reason for the tour to not begin here in Florida...I mean, they're coming here anyways. All in all, I appreciate everyones opinions...that's why I posted this topic. I just wanted to know everyone else's thoughts on all these early season stoppages & how to avoid them.
Thanks guys!!
jdubs

Arizona Dubs, is pretty predictable. It has the most Sun days of any state. I lived on the coast at one time in La Costa near Torrey Pines. The weather there was pretty damn good as well. It isn't even an arguement that weather is unpredictable. If the tournament here in Tucson was last week, we would not be discussing this at all. We just had a freak storm pass through. We had snow on the TPC of Scottsdale and a vast majority of that area. Never in 13 years I have been in AZ have I witnessed this weather. Where is Al Gore to give us all the answers?

I don't know about the rest of you, The last 2 years the weather has been way off from normal here in Calif. I don't think 1 or 2 years of poor weather is enough to change where and when the PGA plays.

I think you misunderstood. No where in my post did I say anything about travel being an issue. I did indicate location becomes an issue for the pros as we approach the Masters. Courses are set up differently in the Southeast vs. the West. The grasses are different and most notably I mentioned grain. Most west coast greens don't have it. In the southeast grain is a big deal. Pros want to get used to the conditions they are going to play in leading up to the Masters.

Global warming, global cooling, climate change--they're all in vogue with a certain segment of society. The labels are interchangable as are the facts--what counts is the agenda to be advanced.

Mark,
That was not meant for you, it was meant for "certain" people who were claiming that travel was a issue for these professionals. Although I can understand the greens & fairways being different cuts & types of grass out west compared to down south but these guys are professional players that shouldn't be babied along the way so they can get used to playing on one type of grass. Either way, they come straight to Florida from California & then out to Texas...all this before getting to Augusta. So the logic doesn't seem to be there either because they are bouncing from here to there either way....right? I appreciate your posts.
Thanks,
jdubs

They should just have the whole season in Texas...would be funny to see the Tour guys have to deal with 20+ mph winds each week.

That would be a mere breeze for a South Florida golfer.

...no surprise that they keep most of the Tour stops out east and in the midwest. I like it when they show the flag lightly flapping, and the announcers go "Lot of wind today affecting the players." Yeah, right. I've had to play (as I'm sure you have) where the flag blows out of the hole before I get to the green.