Golf Spelled Backwards

I need a caddie. And bad. I think if I won the lottery, I'd hire a caddie. That's about the only luxury I'd want. What's my problem? Well, there's the issue of reading greens, which I can't do. However, my putting stroke is very good, and my speed is usually quite good, so I sometimes make putts by accident. No, where a caddie would be of greatest help to me is in club selection. I'm one of those guys who simply can't believe that he hits the ball one, sometimes two, clubs less than he used to. Many amateur golfers share this trait: when we reach into the bag to pull a club for the next shot, we're thinking of the farthest we've ever hit a particular club, rather than the average distance we hit that club. Coming up short is a commonality among amateurs. It's as if we have some psychological barrier to going long. Going over the green must be a truly terrifying prospect. During a recent round, I came to a hole where I am always short ...

Alligators aren't uncommon sights on golf courses in East and Southeast Texas and in many locations along the coastal plains of Texas. I grew up in Corpus Christi, where several times a year we'd head over to the municipal course in small-town Sinton. It's inside the Rob and Bessie Welder Park, another part of which is a nature preserve. A little par-3 runs alongside a back fenceline, with a short carry over a tiny pond. But there was a sign next to that tiny pond: Alligators - don't search for balls in the water . For several years at Oso Municipal Golf Course in Corpus Christi, a large gator took up residence in the pond near the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. This 6-footer could often been seen sunning itself on an embankment about 30 yards in front of the No. 15 tee box. But the golf course where I've seen the most, shall we say, dangerous and/or annoying wildlife was a golf course that no longer exists and, in fact, really never did exist. It was Goose Isla...

Michelle Wie fever is back! Or at least, Michelle Wie is back - she's dominating talk in golf right now after her U.S. Women's Open victory. As far as we're concerned, there's never a bad time for Wie talk. And there's especially never a bad time for photos of Michelle Wie in a bikini or swimsuits. So here's another celebratory post: Michelle Wie bikini pics. (Thank you, all the people who invented social media!) Follow GSB on Twitter | Like GSB on Facebook

A very interesting new addition to Michelle Wie's Instagram page today, the morning after her win at the U.S. Women's Open: (Photo: @themichellewie/Instagram) Michelle Wie "tabletopping" (take that, critics!) while chugging from the US Women's Open trophy. How can you not love this woman? Wie's message with the photo? "So ... this happened last night ... #tabletopping #istillcantbelieveit"

You can tell a lot about how popular a pro golfer is with his or her peers by how those peers react on Twitter to a win by the player. In Michelle Wie's case, you can that she is very popular with her peers. Here's a look at Twitter reaction from other pro golfers after Michelle's 2014 US Women's Open win. First, Wie won with a small (or not so small) assist from Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley, both of whom gave Michelle their yardage books from the week before at the U.S. Open. Here's Keegan staking his claim to the win: “ @themichellewie :Shoutout 2 @RickieFowlerPGA & @Keegan_Bradley awesome notes for me in yardage books from last week!” I take all the credit — Keegan Bradley (@Keegan_Bradley) June 23, 2014 And Rickie and Michelle apparently had bet riding on whether Wie could win. And Fowler, as the "loser," now has to caddie for Wie. Will he honor the bet? Looks like it: Congrats major champ @themichellewie ...don't worry I...

Here's a neat piece of trivia that I bet you didn't know. Since all four professional majors have been in existence (that's since 1934, when The Masters was first played), which golfer has finished in the Top 3 in those majors most often without winning? Yep: Lee Westwood. Westwood has eight total Top 3 finishes in majors, but has yet to win one. He finished second twice and third-place six more times. Going into the 2014 U.S. Open, Westwood had started 64 majors without a win. That's the record among active players for most major starts without a victory. Here is the Top 4 in that category: Lee Westwood - 64 major starts without winning Miguel Angel Jimenez - 63 Sergio Garcia - 62 Steve Stricker - 61