An Island Of A Finish For The Season’s First Major

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA | It is certainly a nod to the past. Let’s hope it’s also a look at the future. The Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills looks better than it ever has, lush and green with just the right amount of rough and firm greens running at about a 14 on the Stimpmeter. But most of the attention was not on the pristine fairways that looked like they had been member-free for a month, or the open views where 100 eucalyptus trees used to stand. Instead, the focus is on the par-5 18th and the return of the island green.

What’s that you say? You didn’t know that the final hole of the season’s first major had an island green? No sweat. That just means you’re young or a relatively new fan of the ANA Inspiration.

For a little history: Back in the dark ages this event used to be known colloquially as the Dinah (after singer and television star Dinah Shore, who was the tournament host and namesake), and the galleries included people like actor Burt Reynolds and former President Gerald Ford, who wore some jarringly...