How to put zing back in West Coast swing

So there are several issues for tournaments on the West Coast Swing to deal with, not the least of which is the fact that Woods — who moves the needle whenever he plays — has competed in only one of the first seven events in each of the last two years.

The pro-am formats that were a staple of the PGA Tour throughout the California portion of the circuit in its formative years remain only in the Bob Hope and at Pebble Beach. They often result in six-hour rounds with celebrities and corporate CEOs on some days, another factor that keeps many players away.

Then there is the weather, especially in the California events. Even though it's better than much of the U.S., which is buried under snow in January and February, this is the rainy season in the Golden State. It's the worst weather California has all year.

It never has made much sense that the PGA Tour leaves and does not return, unless it is for a major championship, when not a drop of rain falls in many areas of California for much of the rest of the year. Meanwhile, events in other parts of the nation are dodging thunderstorms all spring and summer.

Another bone of contention for many of the pros is putting on the poa annua greens, which are soft at this time of the year because of the weather and are prone to being bumpy and inconsistent. Mickelson says he loves the greens, but Woods does not even though he grew up playing on them.

It was wet weather that cost La Costa, no longer a stop on the PGA Tour after more than 30 years of history — first the Mercedes and then the Accenture.

One solution would be to head for Florida right after the first two events of the season in Hawaii and then return to California later. The obvious argument — that it would cause logistical problems — doesn't hold water. A check of the Champions Tour schedule shows exactly that scenario, though admittedly on a smaller scale.

The schedule always has been a work in progress, and the PGA Tour has made changes to benefit certain tournaments, most notably Doral, Tucson, Honolulu and the Players Championship.

But no changes were made for the Westchester Classic, the International and the Booz Allen Classic. Those tournaments no longer exist.

Notes and quotes

The award is given to a professional golfer for his or her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.

Norman will be honored at the GWAA Annual Awards Dinner on April 9 before the Masters in Augusta, Ga. Others to be honored at the dinner are players of the year Tiger Woods, Lorena Ochoa and Jay Haas, Ben Hogan Award winner Denis Watson, Him Murray/ASAP Award winner Gary Player, and Louise Suggs, winner of the William D. Richardson Award.

The 53-year-old Norman counts among his diverse causes children's cancer research, ecosystem oceanic research, relief to victims and families of Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami and 9/11.

Norman has quietly helped raise more than $10 million for several charities, including the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Living Oceans Foundation, Environmental Institute for Golf and Hope Takes Flight, which helped raise $4 million for the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Cancer Center.

Former winners of the Bartlett Award include Woods, Val Skinner, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman, Arnold Palmer, Kenny Perry, Patty Berg, Brad Faxon, Billy Andrade, Andy North, David Toms, Kelly Gibson and Hal Sutton.

After Congressional members voted affirmatively to host the tournament in 2007 and 2008, it had a successful debut, drawing large crowds over the Fourth of July weekend as K.J. Choi claimed the title.

Woods, who is building a second Tiger Woods Learning Center in the Washington, D.C., area, has said he would like to make Congressional the permanent home of the tournament.

Congressional apparently will take it one year at a time after its original commitment.

The course had been awarded the 2009 U.S. Amateur and the 2011 U.S. Open, but the former has been moved by the United States Golf Association to Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., because of bumpy greens and other problems that surfaced during the AT&T National.

Tournament officials for the AT&T National probably will have to find an alternate venue for the 2010 event because Congressional will be undergoing improvements for the 2011 U.S. Open.

The tournament, formerly known as the Greater Greensboro Open, has been played at Forest Oaks for the last 31 years, but a reworking of the Sedgefield course to its original Ross design prompted the move.

When the tournament returns to Sedgefield in southwest Greensboro, the Wyndham will be the only course hosting a regular-season tournament on the PGA Tour to be played at a Donald Ross original.

The Greater Greensboro Open first was played in 1938 at both Sedgefield and Starmount Forest. Sam Snead won the tournament eight times on those courses, a PGA Tour record for most victories in one event.

Golf course architect Kris Spence of North Carolina headed the $2.7 million restoration process that returned Sedgefield to its original Donald Ross design.

When the tournament was last played at Sedgefield, it measured 6,643, but the course now measures more than 7,100 yards.

"I am careful not to say we put the course exactly how Donald Ross had it," Spence said. "We try to reinstate the thought process that he intended while making some minor adjustments to bring it in line with the modern player."

Al Geiberger won the tournament by two strokes over Lee Trevino when it was last played at Sedgefield in 1976. Rookie Brandt Snedeker won last year at Forest Oaks.