Although you probably come to FanHouse for your business news, you don't need me to tell you that the economy is currently in the Thomas Crapper and things don't look to improve anytime soon.
It's gotten so bad, in fact, that the LPGA will have fewer tournaments in 2009, and worse yet, as a cost-cutting measure, some PGA events might do away with courtesy cars. Buick is the official car of the men's tour and, according to the AP, has provided courtesy cars to virtually all PGA events for years.
Parent company General Motors posted a $2.5 billion quarterly loss earlier this month, which brings us to the current predicament.
"We're looking at alternatives," said Dan Croak at the U.S. Bank Championship. "It's certainly great if tournaments that don't have [courtesy cars] come up with a suitable solution. But it becomes someone's expense."Imagine that: having to show up at baggage claim AND rent your own car. It's just like a Norman Rockwell painting. Seriously, while a free ride is nice, I think it's perfectly reasonable to have players pay for a rental car. The car can still be waiting for them when they arrive at the airport, and I'm sure some starry-eyed volunteer would still gladly drop them off at the airport at the end of the week.
Twenty years ago, it was not unusual for most players to arrive in town and rent their own cars. Joey Sindelar, who now plays on the 50-and-older Champions Tour, recalls dragging his golf gear through the airport to get a rental car, paying for practice balls on the range and getting concession coupons for meals. Players now have a car waiting at the airport, and a tournament volunteer drops them off at the airport at the end of the week.
The only difference that the golfers would have to pay for it. You know, like the rest of us.
