On August 27, Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour shocked its members. Commissioner Carol Bivens issued a statement through ESPN’s Bob Harig stating, “players who do not speak English will be suspended” beginning in 2009.

At first thought, one might think that this is not such a big deal- until you look at the fact that 45 of the 141 current LPGA Tour members are Korean. Almost all of the 45 Korean-born players do not speak English due to the fact that they have recently immigrated to the United States to pursue a professional career in golf. In addition to the influx of Korean-born players, the LPGA membership has representation from 26 different nations. While the LPGA is an American golf tour, these statistics suggest that it could definitely have some international appeal.

Two Sides to the Issue:

1. English as a Beneficial Business Tool
In the game of golf, the skill and competition equate to only half of the attraction. Style and sponsorships have been fused together to make professional golf an enormous marketing domain. Proponents of the “English Rule” claim that English in post-round interviews will allow sponsors to maximize their investment in a player’s ability. Even some international players support this belief. One such player is Seon-Hwa Lee who issued a report through the Associated Press, claims, “Everyone can do a simple interview in English. The economy is bad and we are losing sponsors.”

The notion of losing sponsorships may be en route to becoming a real threat to the economic growth of the tour. Among the winners on the LPGA tour this season, Ji Young Oh (LPGA State Farm Classic), Inbee Park (U.S. Women’s Open), and Eun-Hee Ji (Wegman’s LPGA) are just a few Korean-born players that have enjoyed recent success. If there is a perceived inability for them to communicate in English in a post-victory interview, would this hurt their marketability as athletes?

2. Workplace Discrimination
Opponents of the “English Rule” argue that enforcement of such a policy is workplace discrimination. Within a couple days of the announcement, the LPGA was spurned with a plethora of threats on behalf of many legal and legislative authorities. One such agency to issue a threat was the Office of California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo).
Yee’s office issued a statement on September 4, stating, “We will continue to fight to ensure this discrimination ends.  If necessary, we will picket LPGA events, urge sponsors to withdraw support, go to the courts, introduce legislation, or do whatever else it takes for the LPGA to rescind this policy.  Our nation has made great strides in ensuring civil rights for all; we should not be taking steps backward.

Now, those who question the authority of a state legislator in such a global issue need to consider this: California is one of the top states that hosts many female amateur and professional events year in and year out, in addition to being home to many sponsorship powerhouses, including Taylor-Made/Adidas, Callaway and Cobra Golf, just to name a few. Given all of this, Yee may have more power than his opponents think.

From an intended business tool, opponents of the LPGA’s “English Rule” have turned this into a battle over Civil Rights and Discrimination.
Amidst a flurry of criticism in the weeks after the announcement, Commissioner Bivens issued a statement to the Associated Press on September 7 that stated her intentions are to retract the possibility of suspension. However, Bivens has made it clear that her and the LPGA Directors want to see more English in the game. Implementing such a policy would most likely be done by using an oral exam. In addition, Bivens has not ruled out fining players in 2009, according to the report.

Just a month ago, the LPGA began a quest looking to upgrade their status from just another golf tour treading water. Rather than doing that, they entered a civil rights struggle that Bivens and her entourage were not ready to take on. This begs the question, can businesses that take huge capital risks enjoy the latitude of decision-making or is the simple threat of a lawsuit beginning to infringe on our liberties?

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As exams approach and the weather warms up it becomes apparent that summer is quickly approaching and soon golf courses everywhere will be open to relieve the stress of the long school year.

Milwaukee County offers fifteen great golf courses across the Greater Milwaukee area that range from professional grade such as Brown Deer to courses for beginners like Zablocki.  The best part about the golf courses around Milwaukee is their variety of difficulty.   It does not matter whether you see yourself as the next Tiger or you don’t know the difference between a driver and a putter, chances are at least one golf course will fit you perfectly.  If you are someone who has a low to handicap (or none at all), then Milwaukee County’s Brown Deer Golf Course is the perfect fit for you.   This bunker filled golf course is home to the annual Greater Milwaukee Open and offers eighteen of the most challenging holes in Wisconsin.

Even if you’re the best golfer among anyone you know, chances are you will run into some trouble here.   It is a par 71 golf course with a course rating of 72.  9; meaning that if you make a mistake at this eighteen, its hazards will punish you.  If you are able to register with Milwaukee County as a resident, green fees for Brown Deer can run for under $25, but if you call your home state some place other than Wisconsin, chances are it is going to cost you about $70 to play at this prestigious public course.

There are also several great courses outside of Milwaukee County that offer great variety and interesting game play.   Silver Spring Golf & Banquet Center located in Menomonee Falls is a 36-hole treasure with a price that would have even the stingiest golfer willing to play a round of eighteen.   This course has two signature courses, both providing challenging fun for a mediocre to good golfer.  Silver Springs is also the proud owner of the only natural grass island hole in all of Wisconsin which provides a unique experience for any golfer.   With a course rating of 71.  6 and 67.  4 for the two courses, it provides golfers with the option of choosing their degree of difficulty they wish to play.

If you can find yourself able to get out of bed early enough, you can play this par 72 golf course for around $25 if you book your tee-time online.   If that is not enough to convince you to reserve a tee time right now, every round comes with a GPS equipped cart.  Unless you are an avid golfer, you probably get frustrated hitting six balls into the woods or into the sand traps.   Luckily for you Milwaukee offers several par 3 golf courses that are great for golfers who rarely go and may not even own a set of clubs.   Courses such as Doyne and Zablocki are short nine-hole courses for less than $10 and are great for anyone who is unfamiliar with the game.  Even if you are an experienced golfer these courses will help refine your short game, and the best part is that due to its short layout you will only need a few clubs, and if you don’t have them you can rent them from the clubhouse.

Whether you are a long time golfer or someone who wants to give it a go for the first time, Milwaukee and the surrounding area offers an excellent array of golf courses.  These courses are fun for every level of play and even with an entire summer to waste, it would be hard to get bored with the dozens of available courses.   So any student spending their summer in Milwaukee would have to work real hard to find enough excuses not to get out there and tee up a ball for a great day on the links.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Sophomore Michael Van Sickle’s resume already includes the second-best scoring average for a freshman in school history. Junior Ted Gray holds sole-possession of the school’s single season stroke average record. In order to achieve a successful follow-up of one of the most successful seasons in team history in which they finished third in the Big East Conference tournament, the Marquette men’s golf team needs these two players at top form, as they are the only returnees from that squad.

Just as important as the two leaders of the team, however, is the play of the less experienced golfers such as red-shirt junior Michael Bielawski and sophomore returnees Dustin Schwab and Chris Streff. If these players are ready to contribute, it will bolster a squad looking for the depth that is so vital in a team-style format.

The team got a chance to see this depth in action Sept. 9 and 10, when they participated in the 2006 Central Regional Preview at The Plantation at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. The tournament was hosted by Northern Illinois University and included 12 teams from all over the Midwest including Indiana University, Kansas University, the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri, of which the 2006 U.S. Amateur Champion, John Kelly, is a member.

Although Marquette was in fourth place after two rounds at the tournament, they fell two spots after the final day to finish right in the middle of the pack in sixth place. A definite bright spot for the Golden Eagles was Mike Van Sickle, who placed 10th with a 10-over 226, only five strokes behind tournament winners Derek Fathauer of Louisville and Colt Knost of Southern Methodist University. Marquette’s Gray also performed well, shooting a 14-over 230, good for a 19th place finish.

Another great effort was put in by freshman Mike McDonald and junior Mike Bielawski, who tied for 34th place each at 21-over. McDonald made a huge charge in the last half of the tournament, chewing up 18 places over his final two rounds. Overall, Bielawski thought the team could have performed a little better in the opening tournament of the year.

“The team performance fell a bit short of what we wanted. A top 2 or 3 there would have been a good finish. Instead, we finished 6th,” Bielawski said.

However, Bielawski offered some praise for the Van Sickle’s 10th place effort in a loaded field.

“Van Sickle played very well, taking 10th. Anytime one of us finishes in the top 10, it’s a good showing.” Bielawski said. The Marquette squad improved when they participated in the McLaughlin Tournament on Sept. 22 and 23 in Farmingdale, N.Y.

During the tournament, Bielawski shot a final round 68 to take second place in the tournament. Bielawski finished two back of the winner who shot a 6 under (204). Sophomore Dustin Schwab also shot a 68 in the final round. He and Van Sickle tied for 12th place overall and helped the Marquette team finish third behind Akron and St. Johns.

Popularity: 10% [?]