Orlando courses join golf initiative

Orlando Mayor

was among those teeing it up Monday during the “World’s Largest Golf Outing” to kick off a weeklong, Golf ChannelGolfNow initiative called “Let’s Play Golf.”

Dyer participated in an event at Orlando’s Dubsdread Golf Course, one of 148 courses across North America involved in Monday’s golf outing.

In coming days more than 1,000 courses will celebrate golf in some form. The list of participating venues include close to 30 courses in greater Orlando area, as well as locations in Clermont, Deland, Deltona, Howey in the Hills, Mount Dora and Winter Garden.

Women’s Wednesday is a chance for female golfers to play nine holes and/or receive instruction; Test Drive Thursday is chance for golfers to check out the latest golf equipment, accessories and instruction; and Family Golf this Friday offers low rates and other perks for families who want to tee it up.

Women’s Wednesday and Family Golf have been the most popular choices. Visit golfnow.com/go-play/ go-play-week or call your local course to learn more about events in your area. juniors will play without a handicap.

The field will be developed based on open registration and will be limited to 50 teams.

Each team entry for the event will receive a gift package, an invitation to a welcome reception and pairings party June 16 and two one-day passes to the 2017 PNC Father/Son Challenge played in December.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. For more information and to enter, visit IMGJuniorGolfTour.com.

In a recent magazine survey of PGA Tour players, 84 percent said they believe slow play is a problem.

That might suggest the 16 percent who don't are the only ones causing the problem.

And it leads to a broader question: Just how big is the problem?

Oddly enough, it took the tour doing something to get everyone talking about it again.

Tour officials assessed a one-shot penalty for slow play last week at the Zurich Classic, the first one at a regular PGA Tour event since 1995. This one was peculiar because it happened at the first team event in 36 years in a format (alternate shot) that had never been used at an official tournament.

Miguel Angel Carballo was given a bad time on the 12th hole at the TPC Louisiana. His partner, Brian Campbell, received a bad time on the 14th hole. Typically, it takes two bad times for a player to receive a penalty shot, but the Rules of Golf defines partners in foursomes as one player.