These are delicious days, though, these days before the tournament begins, days to savor what lies ahead, what is past and what is now. The old guys come back to be a part of it all, some to play, some just to stand under the trees beside the clubhouse and look down the hillside where they fought their battles and won. And this year, Jack Nicklaus, who is recovering from hip surgery. He came in Tuesday afternoon, rode around the course in a golf cart, hit a shot on the 12th hole, went to the champions' dinner and planned to leave today. Jack can't play this year, but even the greatest of them all comes to visit.
Management keeps changing the golf course.
This year, the changes are more noticeable. There's light rough for the first time. A couple of holes were lengthened. That kind of thing. What doesn't change is the look and feel of the place and the week.