Black Women's Champ Ethel Funches Dies

At a time when black golfers were not welcome at country clubs and whites-only professional tournaments. They played in something called the United Golfers Association, a black golf league that started back in the 1920s.

The women who played in the UGA didn't get to play for money, they played for pride. And Mrs. Ethel P. Funches won more UGA championships than anyone in history.

Ethel Funches, center, at a trophy presentation in 1953.

As Levelle "Reds" Anderson, 94, who played at Langston Golf Course in Northeast Washington for decades put it, "She used to whip all the other women."

Legend has it among old-time golfers that Funches occasionally beat men, too: One such whipping occurred against a man who disliked female golfers, apparently she had a string of five consecutive birdies and shot a 1 under par. And she shut him up (hopefully forever).

The South Carolina native learned to play after marrying Eugene Funches, an elevator attendant at the National Geographic Society. He played golf, and she quickly learned.

Mrs. Funches joined the Wake Robin Golf Club, in the early 1940s. This club may be the oldest black women's golf club in the country. In 1963, the first black woman, Althea Gibson, went on the LPGA Tour. A woman that Funches had beat a couple years earlier in the quarterfinals of a tournament.

Funches did not have the money needed to go on the LPGA Tour and by the time Gibson had gone on tour Funches was already 50 years old. Ethel stopped playing golf in 1996 after the passing of her husband.

Ethel Funches passed away on January 6, 2010 at the age of 96.

I can only imagine how difficult it was for a black woman to play golf, and become so competitive during the time period she played. All I can say is that from what I have read - she was an incredible woman.

Tom Watson Rips Tiger Woods A New One

About time a fellow golfer starts saying what PGA Tour players are really thinking about Tiger Woods.

And who better than Tom Watson. The same golfer who:

In 1983 accused Gary Player of cheating in a Skins Game...

In 1993 criticized the GREAT Bill Murray for his zany antics at the Pebble Beach Pro Am...

In 1994 complained to Masters Officials about Gary McCord after he said "The greens were so fast they seemed to have been bikini-waxed and had body bags underneath." Resulting in McCord being removed from CBS coverage.

And now in 2010, Watson says Tiger's "transgression are 'bad for our game' - and he declares that Woods needs to work on his course 'manners' and get 'his personal life in order.'

As Watson put it, "His swearing and his club throwing, that should end. That's not part of what we want to project as far as the professional golf tour is concerned... It's something he needs to get control of and a handle on and show some humility to the public when he comes back."

I think its great that Tom Watson speaks his mind. Athletes in other sports are quite open and communicative about what they are thinking, why shouldn't golfers?

BUT, there is a factoid that perhaps Watson should remember when he opens his mouth. Back in 1997 when his wife filed for divorce he responded to questions by saying "I don't want to discuss that. It is a private thing."

I think Tom just needs to find a happy medium... and here it is: Feel free to rip Tiger Woods a new one for his on course antics, but leave him alone when it comes to his personal life.

Duquesne Dukes Drop Golf

Duquesne University is dropping men’s golf from its athletic roster after the spring season. In fact, it's restructuring its entire athletic department.

Not only is Duquesne nixing golf, but the Atlantic 10 Conference member, is also cutting the baseball, men’s swimming and wrestling programs.

This will leave the school with 16 varsity sports – seven men's and nine women’s – which is just one more than the NCAA Division I minimum for membership.

In all, 70 student-athletes and five coaches, including sixth-year men’s golf coach Tom Farrell will be affected by this piss-poor decision.

In short, this will save the university $1 million-plus annually, the schools athletic supporter director Greg Amodio said.

As Amodio put it, “This action is in no way meant to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these fine student-athletes, coaches and alumni... They have contributed greatly to Duquesne athletics and to the vitality and history of the university.’’

I think this is an OUTRAGE. Seriously, a Division I school with no golf or baseball team. I don't get how anyone can think this is good for the school...

How do the MORON'S who are making decisions at Dusquesne University decide that keeping women's Lacrosse and a women's Rowing team makes more sense than men's baseball and golf?

The school's website boasts about how it was founded in 1878 and that there are over 79,000 alumni, blah, blah, blah... but yet they can't find the money for athletics?

With a $10.8 million budget I'm shocked this is happening... or that no alumni has stood up and said "WTF is going on here?"

Shame on all you jabroni's who made the decision to get rid of golf (and baseball) at Dusquesne University.

New Winn Grips for 2010

I just found a BIG sale on Winn Grips over at Hireko Golf.

They've got all the new grips in stock. Including: WinnLiteFirm™, WinnLiteMedium™, and WinnLiteSoft™ in all different sizes and firmness depending on your needs.

If you're looking to significantly reduce grip weight, increase club swing speed, generate greater distance and have more accuracy - Winn Grips may be right for you.

A Biodegradable Golf Ball? Yep!

Did you know that the Danish Golf Union recently figured out that it takes between 100 to 1,000 years for a golf ball to decompose naturally?

Not sure how they nailed such a specific time frame, but they did. Imagine being able to narrow it down to a tiny 900 year gap. The Danes are something I tell ya.

Considering us hackers in the United States lose an estimated 300 million golf balls each year – that’s a lotta balls, in a lotta lakes… for a lotta time.

But have no fear, help is on the way…

It’s called the "Ecobioball."

This biodegradable golf ball has an outer layer made of a recyclable plastic polymer and it degrades completely within 48 hours.

So what does it degrade into? Fish Food, of course. See the happy (and well-fed) goldfish below:

It slowly releases a high quantity of the heavy metal zinc as it disintegrates in any pond, river or lake that was fortunate enough to swallow your ball and cause you to curse like an angry sailor.

This nifty little golf ball is the brainchild of Albert Buscato, CEO of Albus Golf.

Buscato has spent over a year (and a boatload of money no doubt) working with a Spanish laboratory to determine the best option for a biodegradable golf ball.

When did he first come up with the idea for a biodegradable golf ball?

I’ll let Buscato tell you, "I was on a cruise several years ago and was frustrated not to be able to play golf… cruise lines have alternative ways for passengers to practice their swing, like in cabins with video simulators or netted cages, but I thought, 'we should be able to do the real thing’… I thought it would be fun to be able to practice golf without damaging the environment and by returning the favor… [with] a ball that not only does not pollute the waters, but also gives something back."

Since these are single-use balls, they will not cost as much as the regular golf balls we spend so much darn money on. Buscato is confident these "goldfish-friendly" balls will be a hit with golfers.

But here’s the problem, at just 50.5 grams, the golf balls are lighter than the average ball.

This means they won’t go as far when not into water.

Will biodegradable golf balls become the rage? Are golfers going to stop playing HV1’s and start hitting fish-food balls? Are the fish of the world going to get too fat?

I don’t have the answers. I wish I did, but I don’t. Only time will tell.

Fore! Plane Lands On Hermann Park Golf Course

Pilot, Brendon Ford, ran out of fuel while flying a plane home to Columbus, Texas.

So what's a pilot to do? Land on a golf course, of course.

And that's exactly what Ford did. He made an emergency landing of the single-engine Cessna plane right onto the 11th fairway of Hermann Park Golf Course in Houston, TX.

Here's the story:
 
Ford told a local news station that, he couldn't make it to Hobby Airport and that he first thought about landing at a football field he spotted, but instead he opted for the golf course. I'm sure members of Hermann Oaks are thrilled with his decision.

Apparently he only saw one golfer on the 11th fairway, which is why he chose the 11th hole. I wonder if he yelled "FORE" as he was landing... or if the guy got to finish the hole.

Tiger Woods' New Sponsor's "Unofficial" Press Release

As PGA TV viewership continues to plummet and corporate sponsorship also nose dives - because of Tiger Woods recent "transgressions"... the golfing elite at PGA Headquarters have been quietly negotiating with several companies expressing an interest in filling the void.

Narrowly beating out "Tiagra... good for 18 holes! The successful bidder expressed their enthusiasm of trying to live up to their corporate image and melding that with Tiger's zeal for golf.

Today, at a joint press release with Tiger Woods and the new corporate sponsor, the PGA announced their new choice.