Golf writers/writing

Just curious who some of the country's top golf writers (newspapers, magazines, whatever) are?

My favorite daily newspaper has stuck us with some dip-weed named Carlos Monarrez, who is soooooo clever in his weekly 'Quick 9' column that his top nugget this week was this:
"1-Phil Mickelson wins Pebble: Seriously, Phil, we get it. You have a family. Do they have to run onto the green after every victory?"

Wow, brillient stuff there. Insightful. PGA Tour player wins a tournament, his wife and kids rush to greet him. Happens every week, Carlos, EVERY STINKING week. Guy works for what is supposed to be Michigan's top paper and at a publication with stars like Albom (yeah, warts and all, the guy is good -- in print; forget the TV/radio persona) and a great up-and-comer, Michael Rosenberg; an outstanding baseball writer, John Lowe; and Mick McCabe, who is simply outstanding as the lead man with preps.

But Monarrez? Good God, his stuff's bland, predictable and, worse yet, simply boring. Perhaps he should go across town and join Rob Parker at the News; then that publication would have two of the worst writers in town.

Sorry. Got off on rant-ville.

Seriously, wondering who around the country are some of the best, and, if possible, some links would be nice too. That way, on weekends and come Monday morning, I can skip the Freep (or its golf coverage, anyway) and get some decent reads.

 

Hawkins.

Sirak.

Golf Digest

 

I'm a big fan of Sirak. He used to be one of my editors and a very good one.

 

Thomas Bonk, and for the most part, everyone else is playing for second. At least that's how I see it.

 

They already do. Have we forgotten Terry Foster?

 

You know what? I don't think this is a threadjack, since you've kind of got two topics in here. But I watched the "family storms the green" thing on highlights the other day, and I have to admit, the thought that crossed my mind was that the Mickelson family celebrations come off as by far the silliest and most contrived of all of them. Just looks staged to me, unlike other family celebrations.

 

I tend to agree. He's the only golf writer I read that I could read more when I'm done.
His columns are quick and inside. His short siders about some quirk at tournaments or play is something you don't get anywhere else.
(I did enjoy Steve Elling, too.)

 

He's a member of the never-written-a-bad story-I've-ever-seen club, as is Hawkins.

Others to read include the aforementioned Bonk and the lamented Steve Elling, formerly of Orlando. You can add to this list Rex Hoggard and Jeff Rude of Golfweek, Gary Van Sickle of SI, John Strege of Golf World, Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Jim McCabe of the Boston Globe, Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Ron Green Jr. of the Charlotte Observer.

One name out of the box is author and course designer Geoff Shackelford. The son of former UCLA and Lakers player Lynn Shackelford, Geoff writes a blog (geoffshackelford.com) on golf that has equal parts snarkiness and intellect. Aside from a half-dozen books or so, Geoff's written for SI, the LA Times, LINKS and other publications.

The guy knows his stuff and isn't afraid to write about it. He wrote a course review of Donald Trump's track outside LA that was an absolute riot.

 

How about Damon Hack at the NYTimes or Len Shapiro at Washington Post. Both good.

 

Julio, who is Bowell to Stewart Cink's Johnson, or something lige that:

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:XA9lemGsI-0J:www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20070111/NEWS/701110325/-1/BABY+%22Gregg+Dewalt%22+%22Stewart+Cink%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

 

Hi, Damon and Len. Thanks for checking in.
How's the weather out at Rivieria CC, today?