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Black Diamond strong candidate for USGA event

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published July 20, 2004

You've got questions.

I've got questions.

More important, the U.S. Golf Association has questions.

When word came last week that Black Diamond Ranch had applied to the USGA to host one of its amateur championships, it took all of two seconds for many of us to begin wondering if the prestigious club could pull it off.

A USGA representative said the association's criteria for selection would include course quality, course toughness and other logistics, such as the area's number of hotels, the costs of staying there and the course's accessibility.

I've decided to cover each of these issues. Of course, this is just one man's view.

Is the course good enough?

This is a no-brainer.

In Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses, Black Diamond's Quarry Course is ranked 95th. In Florida, it's rated as the fifth best - ahead of Bay Hill, ahead of Sawgrass, ahead of Lake Jovita.

How impressive is this? Let's stop and think about it for a second. Florida, the ultimate vacationland, has hundreds of courses, and the one right here in our back yard might be better than any.

Some people say the Quarry holes make the Quarry course. It's true they provide magnificent vistas, but I've covered tournaments there in the past and walked the entire 18, so I can say without hesitation the layout is strong from start to finish.

Is it difficult enough for the country's top amateurs?

It's a challenge, no doubt, even for the better players.

In the 1996 Florida State Amateur, Ocala's Steve Carrington, a solid college player, was the winner with a four-round total of 2-under par.

It rained much of the event, so the course was soft. And as many of you know, wet greens mean slow greens. And slow greens make for easier putting. Picture a dry course with fast greens. Now, grow a little rough and you've got yourself a monster.

Can the facility handle the load?

None of us knows for sure.

Is there enough room for hundreds of fans? How about stands behind the 9th and 18th greens? And what about parking? I can't answer these questions, but there's a reason the USGA names host sites years in advance. So they have time to prepare.

The USGA's earliest opening to host any of the four events (men's Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur, and the women's Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur) Black Diamond applied for is 2009.

If parking is an issue, it can be resolved. And four to five years is plenty of time for a course to make room for scoring tents and stands, if that's what is needed.

Are there enough hotels around here?

Citrus County has hotels on the water, in the woods and across the street from the Ted Williams Museum. But on its own, the county probably doesn't have enough rooms for players, family and friends for a big-time event.

However, let's not forget that Ocala isn't far away. Often, championships are played in the suburbs of major cities and the drive time to a course can be an hour. So tell me, would driving 30 minutes to and from Ocala be that bad?

Ocala offers another bonus: restaurants.

Are there any four-star establishments? Probably not, but at least the food is cheap. Can you remember the last time you paid $20 for a decent meal in Manhattan?

If I sound like a mouthpiece for Black Diamond, let me assure you that club executives aren't looking over my membership application as we speak. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll never have enough money to join.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the bottom line: I love Citrus County, I love golf, and I'd love to see us land something big.

Keith Niebuhr can be reached at 860-7337 or niebuhr@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 19, 2004, 23:48:20]