For the all the hubbub controversy about problems heading into the 2016 Olympic Games, the return of golf turned out to be fantastic. It came down to a thrilling finale in the 72-hole tournament that, in the end, proved to be memorable for the players, some of whom declared after it was over about how much the experience meant to them personally and professionally.

Many famous musicians also happen to be avid golfers. Probably the most famous one of all is Alice Cooper, who wrote about it in his book: Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's Life and 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict. Some other high-profile musicians include: Kenny G., Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and Adam Levine. To try to understand what it is about the game of golf that attracts musicians, I asked Gil Moore, who was the drummer for Triumph, a Canadian-based rock and roll band that hit it big in the U.S., beginning in Texas in the mid-70s and went on to play in some major international gigs, including the US Festival in California in 1983. Triumph was part of Heavy Metal Day that included acts such as Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpion, Van Halen and Motley Crue.

Who could have ever guessed an island in Northern Michigan could have two golf courses, one of them associated with a historic building? I found that out while visiting Mackinac Island, specifically to see the 129-year-old Grand Hotel, which has lodged presidents and movie stars and was the site of the film Somewhere In Time. My wife, Jane, saw the film and said at some point in her life she wanted to see The Grand Hotel. So off we went from our home just west of Toronto in Mississauga. It took us about 10 hours.

You can blame the Zika virus and other issues as the reasons some of the best male golfers in the world are passing up the chance to play in the 2016 Summer Olympics, but the reality is the International Olympic Committee created the potential for a problem by including golf in its roster of sports for the first time in more than a century and opening it up to professionals.

Of all the four men’s Professional Golf Association Major championships, the Open, or British Open as some prefer to call it because of its history, is the best of all because of its unpredictability. If the golfers aren’t battling the course with the bunkers the size of craters and the deep rough that look like pastures, they are usually fighting the elements. This year’s version at Royal Troon in Scotland was no different. It had a little bit of everything to challenge the golfers, yet allow for a final day that offered ideal conditions and a round for the ages.

The name Hawerchuk is synonymous with greatness in the National Hockey League, but it is building up a following in golf. Eric Hawerchuk, whose father Dale played 16 years in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, is in his fourth year as a professional golfer. The 27-year-old plays on the Great Lakes Circuit Canada Pro Tour, and recently won the Desjardins Insurance Challenge. While he followed his father in hockey, Hawerchuk knew he’d never be good enough to be drafted into major junior, so he focused full-time on golf, playing competitively starting at the age of 12.

When the news came out a few days ago that Tiger Woods will not be playing in the British Open as he continues to recover from his second back surgery, it was not a surprise. It was more of an underlying possibility he may never participate in a Major again, perhaps any tournament at all. He has not played in a year and a half and will miss his third consecutive Major. The contortions, twists and turns that allowed him to strike the ball further than anybody during the prime of his career came at a stiff cost: his health. It is said that we are nothing without our health, and for Tiger Woods this means it will take some kind of medical miracle, or an otherwise incredible amount of rest and physiotherapy, to be able to swing a club with any kind of proficiency.

So, you’ve taken lessons, changed your clubs and your grips and have studied videos to improve your game. Wearing a custom-made mouthpiece might be the added piece of equipment to improve your game by maximizing strength and power. That’s the opinion of Rob Charlton, a Canadian entrepreneur, whose company, New Age Performance, is marketing a molded mouthpiece that can enhance performance by properly aligning the jaw.

Bring on Oakmont, bring on the church pews. That was the story going into the 2016 U.S. Open. As if the man-made course with its myriad of narrow fairways, bunkers of all shapes and sizes and lightning greens weren’t enough of a challenge, this year the players had to deal with Mother Nature from the outset. The first round had to be halted because of rain, followed by a re-start, which was followed by another rain delay and ultimately a postponement to the following day. Some players didn’t even have a chance to begin the round. Thus a tournament renowned for its difficulty, in particular this course in Pittsburgh, played mental games on the players, each of them seeking to add a major win to their careers. Many of those who survived the cut had never won a major.