Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I haven’t blogged for a while. I went to Florida for a few days over the weekend. It was northern Florida so I did not expect summer-like weather, but gee, they do call it the “Sunshine State,” so I thought I might get a little sunshine. Nope. Three days of clouds with scattered rain. Temperatures mostly in the 50s. 
Not that I had a bad time. I actually had a very nice time. I was in St. Augustine which, I believe, is the oldest continuous settlement in the United States. We toured the old fort
which was built around 1730 or so. Amazingly, it is made of stone created by the compression of sea shells. You wouldn’t think this would be all that strong, but the thing is still standing after 370 years so I guess it worked ok. Actually, this stone helped the fort withstand the battering of cannon balls because, unlike other kinds of rock it has some give in it. The balls would hit the walls and kind of bounce off.
The fort is now part of the Park Service. They have tour guides and rangers. Every hour they shoot off an antique cannon in an elaborate ritual. According to the ranger giving the presentation these cannons could shoot a six-pound cannon ball a mile and half. The bigger cannons could shoot heavier balls over two miles. Can you imagine? I guess they were not very accurate. But I would not want to be sitting on a ship which could barely even see the fort and be subjected to bomarbment by solid iron bowling balls.
While in St. Augustine I also went to the Golf Hall of Fame, continuing my 2011 tour of Halls of Fame (another shirt). This is a fairly new facility, built in 1998 as part of a development called the “World Golf Village.” At that time the Florida economy was booming and the developers apparently thought people would buy homes built around a couple of golf courses. In the middle they built, for lack of a better term, a shopping mall, with a line of storefronts, restaurants, an IMAX movie theater, hotels, and the Hall of Fame. Property values in Florida are now in the toilet so the development has stalled.
Frankly, the Hall of Fame was pretty disappointing. You would think it would highlight not only great golfers but great rounds of golf. I expected televisions showing highlights of great golf shots. But instead, the only people they show hitting golf balls are Bob Hope (who has a bigger display than basically all the real golfers put together), and astronaut Alan Shepherd (whose famous shot was not on a regulation course). Aside from an informative and well-presented history of the game, the rest of the museum comprises shelf after shelf of golf clubs, balls, shoes, bags, clothing, and trophies. I am not a big golf fan, so after a while one club looks pretty much like another club.
There was a computerized golf course which I guess I could have taken a few shots on, but I don’t play golf anymore (and was terrible when I did) so I was not interested in that. Many of the hall of famers are represented by lockers containing their items, but I mean really, Gary Player’s golf shirt looks a lot like Arnold Palmer’s.
The days a hall of fame could get by just putting items on a shelf with an index card are gone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows videos in connection with pretty much every exhibit. So while you are looking at Jimi Hendrix’s guitar you can watch film of him playing that guitar. Music is everywhere. The exhibits put the history of rock and roll in context, starting with its roots. The golf hall, by contrast, has an extensive history of clubs, balls, and courses through about the 1920s, then nothing. Just a mind-numbing set of room with golf stuff.
Well, to be fair, there is not only that, there is some video of the inductees at their induction ceremonies. Poor Annika Sorentstam. She will forever be remembered as the great golfer with bad hair. For some reason she attended her induction ceremony looking as if she had just gotten out of bed. I know, it is shallow to notice a great athlete’s looks, but come on.
In that same shopping area is “Murray Brothers’ Caddyshack,” a restaurant owned and operated by, yes, that Murray brother, Bill, star of the immortal golf movie Caddyshack. The golf-themed restaurant can be described as basically an upscale sports bar. It has the requisite big-screen televisions in the bar. The fairly-large restaurant has walls plastered with photos, posters, etc., not all of Murray. The food was pretty good. I was surprised at the size and variety of the menu, everything from salad, to burgers, to steak. The star attraction was the key lime pie, maybe the best I have ever had. I have heard there is a place in Brooklyn which makes great key lime pie. I plan on finding some (they sell it in a few places in Manhattan) and making a comparison.
I also was given as a gift a terrific Caddyshack t-shirt emblazoned with Murray’s immortal line: “It’s in the hole!” You cannot beat that. Thank you, Susan.
Not that I had a bad time. I actually had a very nice time. I was in St. Augustine which, I believe, is the oldest continuous settlement in the United States. We toured the old fort
which was built around 1730 or so. Amazingly, it is made of stone created by the compression of sea shells. You wouldn’t think this would be all that strong, but the thing is still standing after 370 years so I guess it worked ok. Actually, this stone helped the fort withstand the battering of cannon balls because, unlike other kinds of rock it has some give in it. The balls would hit the walls and kind of bounce off.
The fort is now part of the Park Service. They have tour guides and rangers. Every hour they shoot off an antique cannon in an elaborate ritual. According to the ranger giving the presentation these cannons could shoot a six-pound cannon ball a mile and half. The bigger cannons could shoot heavier balls over two miles. Can you imagine? I guess they were not very accurate. But I would not want to be sitting on a ship which could barely even see the fort and be subjected to bomarbment by solid iron bowling balls.
While in St. Augustine I also went to the Golf Hall of Fame, continuing my 2011 tour of Halls of Fame (another shirt). This is a fairly new facility, built in 1998 as part of a development called the “World Golf Village.” At that time the Florida economy was booming and the developers apparently thought people would buy homes built around a couple of golf courses. In the middle they built, for lack of a better term, a shopping mall, with a line of storefronts, restaurants, an IMAX movie theater, hotels, and the Hall of Fame. Property values in Florida are now in the toilet so the development has stalled.
Frankly, the Hall of Fame was pretty disappointing. You would think it would highlight not only great golfers but great rounds of golf. I expected televisions showing highlights of great golf shots. But instead, the only people they show hitting golf balls are Bob Hope (who has a bigger display than basically all the real golfers put together), and astronaut Alan Shepherd (whose famous shot was not on a regulation course). Aside from an informative and well-presented history of the game, the rest of the museum comprises shelf after shelf of golf clubs, balls, shoes, bags, clothing, and trophies. I am not a big golf fan, so after a while one club looks pretty much like another club.
There was a computerized golf course which I guess I could have taken a few shots on, but I don’t play golf anymore (and was terrible when I did) so I was not interested in that. Many of the hall of famers are represented by lockers containing their items, but I mean really, Gary Player’s golf shirt looks a lot like Arnold Palmer’s.
The days a hall of fame could get by just putting items on a shelf with an index card are gone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows videos in connection with pretty much every exhibit. So while you are looking at Jimi Hendrix’s guitar you can watch film of him playing that guitar. Music is everywhere. The exhibits put the history of rock and roll in context, starting with its roots. The golf hall, by contrast, has an extensive history of clubs, balls, and courses through about the 1920s, then nothing. Just a mind-numbing set of room with golf stuff.
Well, to be fair, there is not only that, there is some video of the inductees at their induction ceremonies. Poor Annika Sorentstam. She will forever be remembered as the great golfer with bad hair. For some reason she attended her induction ceremony looking as if she had just gotten out of bed. I know, it is shallow to notice a great athlete’s looks, but come on.
In that same shopping area is “Murray Brothers’ Caddyshack,” a restaurant owned and operated by, yes, that Murray brother, Bill, star of the immortal golf movie Caddyshack. The golf-themed restaurant can be described as basically an upscale sports bar. It has the requisite big-screen televisions in the bar. The fairly-large restaurant has walls plastered with photos, posters, etc., not all of Murray. The food was pretty good. I was surprised at the size and variety of the menu, everything from salad, to burgers, to steak. The star attraction was the key lime pie, maybe the best I have ever had. I have heard there is a place in Brooklyn which makes great key lime pie. I plan on finding some (they sell it in a few places in Manhattan) and making a comparison.
I also was given as a gift a terrific Caddyshack t-shirt emblazoned with Murray’s immortal line: “It’s in the hole!” You cannot beat that. Thank you, Susan.
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