GOLF’s 60th anniversary: A look back at the events that made the 2000s

From the inaugural April 1959 issue to the latest one that’s been delivered to your home, we’ve covered every moment, invention and trend in golf — a smart, independent voice for the game we love. We’ve made a bunch of aces (and a few double-bogeys) over the past 700-plus issues. Here, we celebrate some of the most memorable of them.

Let’s enjoy a trip back in time to GOLF in the 2000s…

-September 11, 2001, changes the world forever
–Harry Potter casts a spell
-Facebook Launches
-Tiger Woods has a slam of his own

ICYMI: GOLF in the 1960s
GOLF in the 1970s
GOLF in the 1980s
GOLF in the 1990s

Player of the decade: Tiger Woods

“As we look back at the year in golf, Tiger Woods’ paw prints are everywhere, from the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, to Pebble Beach in California and all points between. Never in history has the game been defined so much by one player. Bobby Jones, after all, had Walter Hagen as a rival. Ben Hogan had Sam Snead and Byron Nelson. Arnold Palmer’s reign as the King was cut short by the arrival of Jack Nicklaus, who in turn faced a steady stream of pretenders to the throne. Woods, on the other hand, stands alone. Even his fellow players are in awe— and who can blame them?” —“2000 Year in Review” (Jan. 2001)

“Has any player ever had a better year than Tiger Woods had in 2000? No. That was easy, wasn’t it?” —“Greatest Year Ever” (Feb. 2001)

The Greats: The Future

“I’ve made wrong decisions and right decisions, but I only have one chance to live this life, and I’m not going to fret about bad decisions.” —Michelle Wie (Sept. 2009)

Tiger’s Bagman

“My hidden talent? I can shout ‘No cameras!’ in several different languages.” — Steve Williams (“Bully’s Pulpit,” Feb. 2006)

A Solid Call

“Titleist’s Pro V1 may signal the start of a new era on the PGA Tour. For decades, Titleist has dominated the Tour with wound, liquid-filled core balls. But a few notable players have shifted to some of the new solid-core and multi-cover solid-core balls, which, they say, offer comparable spin and feel to wound balls, plus better distance and consistency.” (“Playing Hard Ball,” Mar. 2001)

Bandon Achieves Critical Mass

Seasoned travelers know that the number of amenities offered by a resort is too often in inverse proportion to the quality of the golf. … At Bandon Dunes, the opposite approach has won out. There are no frills: It’s about golf the way Bali is about beaches.” (Apr. 2006)

Lord Byron’s Parting Shot

(“Byron Nelson, 1912–2006, His Last Interview,” Dec. 2006) “What’s always gotten me through life was this: Be nice to people. When I walk through the pearly gates and He greets me, I’d like to hear him say, ‘Byron, you’ve been a good man. Come on in.’ ”

Lefty’s Major Breakthrough

“In the week of Arnold Palmer’s last Masters, it was exit one people’s champion and enter the next.” —“Phil!” By David Feherty (June 2004)

Kick-ins (2000-2009)

ANNIKA TACKLES THE PGA TOUR “I want to reach my limits. I want to see how good I can be.” (“She’s Ready,” June 2003)

ABOVE & BEYOND “The ERC is more than just an illegal club. It’s the pawn in a highstakes game….” (“ ‘Hot’ Potato,” Aug. 2000)

NOT FUNNY AT ALL “ ‘I was a spectacular drunk,’ Feherty says. ‘The Tiger Woods of drinking. I held court. … But all along, I was just masking a stunning sense of worthlessness, of being a fraud.’ ” (“The Unfunny Life of David Feherty,” June 2006)

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