Tom Callahan, a contributing editor for Golf Digest, has written a new book about Tiger and Earl Woods, and no, it’s not at all like that annoying Nike ad from earlier in the year.

Callahan admits that “nobody wanted me to do this book. They figured, ”who cares about Earl Woods?’” but apparently, they do, and the book, “His Father’s Son,” is out for everyone to read.

Callahan met Earl Woods in 1996 and spent many years listening and learning about Earl’s early years and his relationship with Tiger. He splits the book in two: half about Earl’s past and early years and the other half about Tiger.

Although Callahan liked Earl Woods, he didn’t hold back, discussing Earl’s philandering in a few of the chapters. The book is, at its core, about the intricate relationship between a father and son, and that in itself can make for a good story.

Will this be on your fall reading list?

Every golfer wonders if they have what it takes to make it into the Golf Hall of Fame, and last week the World Golf Hall of Fame announced that Ernie Els definitely has it!

Els will be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame on May 9. Els, who’s won 62 times around the world, received enough votes from the PGA Tour, even though it was the first year his name was on the ballot. That’s not an easy feat to accomplish, and Els did it before his 41st birthday.

Els will be inducted on May 9 along with four other players, including Doug Ford, Jock Hutchison, former president George H.W. Bush and a still unannounced player from the international ballot.

Do you agree with Els’ induction? If not, who would you have picked?

Most golfers would agree that golf can be a challenging and exciting game, but would you ever call it annoying? Well, we’ve found a few things that might get under the skin of both seasoned and newbie golfers.
A blog post by IntoTheRough lists the 50 most annoying things about golf, saying that the game of golf “can be the most frustrating, annoying and downright obnoxious of games.”
Here are the top 5 annoying things about golf (as listed by IntoTheRough):

1. First tee nerves
2. Playing well on the driving range, then playing like crap on the course
3. Hitting a good tee shot but not being able to find your ball
4. Not being able to find your ball at any time
5. When a great putt rims the cup and comes back out

Did they get the top 5 right? Read the whole list and share your stories of frustration.

The Ryder Cup starts next Friday, and although you will most likely watch, do you know the origins of the competition? If so, pat yourself on the back for being a golf trivia buff, but if not, here’s how the whole thing started!

The Ryder Cup was officially born in 1927, but the idea started many years prior. In 1925, a London newspaper reported that Samuel Ryder, an avid golfer and businessman, had proposed an annual competition between British and American professionals. Up until then, there had only been amateur competitions between British and American players.

Ryder kept the idea in the press by commissioning a trophy for the event, the Ryder Cup, in 1926. Then, a few weeks before the British Open, a team of American golfers played against a team of British golfers. Unfortunately for the Americans, Great Britain won the matches by a whopping score of 13 to 1. This match up was eventually ruled “unofficial,” as some of the golfers on the American team were not American.

After the 1926 match up, the team captains met to discuss the rules and when the matches would take place. Not long after the meeting, the first Ryder Cup was played at Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Mass., in 1927. This time, the Americans won, and the Ryder Cup made its first public appearance on US soil. Here’s to many more .

Last week, Jack Nicklaus was at an event to open a new golf club, probably something that is very routine to him at this point. Usually these events don’t get international press coverage, but if you throw in a 100-foot putt, then I guess it makes sense.

The 70-year-old golfing legend was goofing around with Tom Watson on the par-5 15th hole, when he dropped a ball down and sunk a 100-foot putt. The only thing that makes it even more impressive is that it was uphill!

Check out the amazing footage. What’s the farthest putt you’ve ever made? Apparently talent doesn’t age – go Jack!

How much are your golf clubs worth? Well, if you’re Tiger Woods, and you may have used them in your famous Tiger Slam of 2000-”01, then they’re worth a nice chunk of change.

Steve Mata, a former Titleist tour representative who used to work closely with Woods, has successfully sold a set of Titleist irons, supposedly used by Woods in his Tiger Slam, to an anonymous donor for $57,242.40. 

Mata originally put the clubs up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $250,000, but when Woods claimed he still owned the clubs he used in 2000-2001, eBay took down the listing.

So, two questions: Do you think Mata had the right clubs, and if so, were they really worth that much?

Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner and 73-time PGA Tour champion, recently told Golf Digest that he only reached 70 to 75 percent of his ability!

During the interview, Nicklaus said “if I had been a really dedicated person, and really worked hard, I think I could have accomplished more.” Is he referring to his 19 second-place finishes in major championships? Was it really his dedication that held him back?

Lee Trevino seems to think that is the case, saying “if Jack had had a wedge, no doubt in my mind, he would have won 30 majors.”

The entire article is fascinating, so check it out and let us know if you think Jack really could have done better.

Need a pick me up this morning? We found a very uplifting golf story, and it involves a 77-year-old golfer and new windows!

Norma Clark, a 77-year-old golfer, had a hefty task ahead of her last month. She had the chance to win $10,000, but had to sink a 50-foot putt, which she’d never done.

Amazingly, she made the putt, taking home the cool $10,000. What is she going to do with the money? Fix up her house and add new windows, of course, she says!

Check out the video. It’s fun! Could you have made this putt?

After months of speculation, the PGA announced earlier in the month that the 2011 Heritage Tournament would be held on April 18-24, 2011 at Harbour Town Golf Links. The dates are set, but the search for a sponsor continues. Have any good sponsor ideas?

In addition to the Heritage news, we’re proud to announce that some local Hilton Head golf courses were ranked on the Golf.com list of best public golf courses in South Carolina for 2010! Harbour Town was ranked No. 2 and Heron Point by Pete Dye was ranked No. 13. To see the full list, visit Golf.com.

Have you played either of these courses? Do you agree with the rankings?

On September 7, Corey Pavin, the U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, will announce his four captain’s picks. Currently, there are eight players who have automatically qualified to play on the team, and now it’s up to Pavin to fill out the roster.

With the way Tiger has been playing lately, it’s no surprise that no one thinks he’s guaranteed a spot on the team. Earlier in the month, Pavin said that “Tiger wants to play and he wants to be on the team, and he”s high on my list. He”s certainly a big consideration, no doubt.”

So other than Tiger, who else could Pavin pick? A few other golfers in consideration include: the 2009 US Open winner Lucas Glover, 2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Zach Johnson, Bo Van Pelt, Ben Crane, Nick Watney, Sean O”Hair and Rick Barnes.

What do you think? Will he pick Tiger, but more importantly, should he?