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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Friday, March 17, 2000

Casey can ride it out,
court rules

GOLF WATCH

CASEY'S still at bat. The latest court decision allows Casey Martin to continue to use a golf cart on the PGA Tour.

The tour is still considering taking it to the next step, the Supreme Court, even though most golf fans are wondering, "Why bother?"

Nobody's arguing that Martin has a severe leg disability that won't allow him to play golf if he can't get a free ride

It has become a public relations nightmare for the PGA Tour, viewed as the bad guys in this situation. And most of the players, at least those on record, have been supportive of Martin.

But, you know, there's going to be a tournament sometime this year when the weather is going to be so rainy that Martin is supposed to have to stay on the cart path like every hacker and handicapped golfer in the world.

What happens then? Will he stay on the cart path like everyone else has to?

If he doesn't and screws up the fairways and course conditions for the groups following him, you can bet old Casey won't be getting much sympathy from his peers.

And you can bet there will come such a day and such a tournament.

ALOHA TO FRED:

This year's Law Day Golf Tournament just won't be the same with the death of its long-time booster and emcee, Fred Titcomb, who died at the age 77 on March 10.

Titcomb served as a District Court judge for 30 years, about as long as he ran the Law Day golf court with an equally iron hand.

"You've got to watch the lawyers," he told me more than once.

I first met Fred when I was a student at Roosevelt High School, where he taught before getting his law degree. After that, it was mostly on a golf course.

"He always played by the rules," said Bobby Titcomb, one of his three sons. Bobby was 13 years old when he played with his father, who had his third and final hole-in-one in 1975 at Bay View.

Titcomb hit one into the trees and thought it was a lost ball, so he hit a provisional. Turns out the first ball was in the cup.

For once, Fred Titcomb was speechless.

ARE YOU KIDDING?:

You've got to wonder if Gov. Cayetano and Mayor Harris are playing games.

The Gov wants to replace Hawaii's most noted and definitely one of the world's most busiest golf courses - the Ala Wai - with a far-fetched idea of turning it into a "Central Park" and replacing it with a course at Sand Island, everybody's favorite dumping grounds.

Then comes Harris with a cockamamie idea that maybe the City - which runs a course at Pali less than a Tiger Woods drive and 3-wood away - should buy Luana Hills, which even Casey Martin couldn't play, let alone all the seniors in town. It's a course you can't walk.

This is from a mayor and city that can't even raise enough money to improve the Ted Makalena Golf Course, which is still an embarrassment with its scrubby conditions.

WOMEN WORKSHOPS:

The Hawaii State Women Golf Association's free workshop for beginning women golfers at Waikele March 25 has been fully booked, according HSWGA president Sally Harper.

The next workshop is scheduled for July 15 at Leilehua and there will be another at Waikele in August if there is enough interest. Call the HSWGA office at 589-2046 for more information.

Schedule of Neighbor Island workshops: Wailea, May 27; Poipu Bay, June 24; Hilo Municipal, Aug. 26; Waikoloa Kings, Sept. 23.