When do the dog days of summer actually start? Are we there yet?

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Vol. 2023.27

No. 1 – Holding women’s major championships on proper venues (Up 12 spots from last week) – Not that there was any doubt, but the hype and circumstances surrounding the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach have been amazing. The players have all raved about the event, the fans turned out on Thursday morning. The women’s game is making inroads toward getting the attention it deserves. As many have pointed out this week, we can both be disappointed that it took this long to get consistently deserving venues to host women’s major championships and excited to see the event at Pebble Beach. If the first round is any indication, we are in for a great tournament this weekend.

No. 2 – Pebble Beach, Part 1 (Up 34) – My alarm went off at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning. I hopped in the car, drove one hour and 45 minutes to Pebble Beach, dropped my bag in the media center, and walked to the first tee just in time to see the first group to ever tee off in a women’s major championship at Pebble Beach. From there, I followed that threesome for all 18 holes, experiencing every hole for the first time through the eyes of a major championship. I climbed the hill on No. 6, stood on the side of the tee box on No. 7, looked over the edge of the cliff on No. 8, and walked with the players down the iconic final two holes. It was an amazing morning and one that was absolutely worth the early wake-up call.

Pebble is a mythical place for many people, one that largely exists as a scene on their television. Even when you’re driving onto the peninsula, it feels like a bit of a mysterious wonderland. These kinds of places are different for everyone, but any golfer who hasn’t been to Pebble likely has it high on their bucket list. I’m happy to say that I was moved by my time on the property and extremely glad I dedicated my day towards making it happen.

No. 3 – Lydia Ko’s attitude (no change) – As Andy detailed in Friday’s Shotgun Start episode, Lydia might have the best attitude in golf. That doesn’t always translate to the best scores, but her interaction with the fans at Pebble Beach was heartening to see in person.

No. 653 – Pebble Beach, Part 2 (Down 77) – With any big entity that effectively prints its own money, there are going to be drawbacks. I knew going into Pebble Beach that the course’s potential wasn’t fully maximized and that the resort has aspects that don’t mesh with the scenic, seaside nature of the golf course. But seeing some of this in person was still a bummer. Count me out on the cookie-cutter condos and hotel rooms off the 18th hole, the Disneyland vibe of the surrounding streets, and the overall maintenance of the golf course.

All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed my first Pebble Beach experience. It’s a place that every golfer should at least see in their lifetime and it 100 percent lives up to the hype. There are just downsides when the machine gets too big for its own good.

DFL – Team camaraderie (Down 881) – Just when we all thought that Team Smash might have a future*, Brooksy goes and dumps on his poor teammate Matt Wolff. That’s just not going to cut it.