Ernie Els of South Africa has won the 2003 Asprey Golfer of the Year Award for the second successive season, following another remarkable campaign in which he won five individual titles on The European Tour International Schedule and captured the Volvo Order of Merit for the first time. ...

Clubmakers can now receive free equipment news directly from equipment manufacturers with the recent launch of ClubmakingWIRE. (Editor's Note: This service is not affiliated with The Wire.) ...

Tee-Ball Golf, the publishers of the Little Black Book of Golf, have contracted with a long time Massachusetts golf promoter to include the book in over 1000 golf events for 2004. ...

Stroke-Pro Practice Putter can lead to improvement in scoring, earnings and enjoyment of the game for professionals and amateurs alike. ...

Devils Ridge Golf Club, a private club which is owned and operated by ClubCorp, announces the hiring of Jim Coyne as club manager. ...

West Coast Trends, Inc., makers of the Club Glove, the Number One travel bag in golf, announces it is ending its "Buy Me and Your Playing Partner Flys Free" promotion at the end of 2003. ...

The owners of True North Golf Club, located in Harbor Springs, Mich., select KemperSports Management to provide consulting, membership marketing and operations management services beginning in February 2004. ...

Myrtle Beach National Company is announced as the 2004 sponsor of the Southeastern Golf Association.

Casual Friday's affinity for golf books has never been a secret, so any are welcomed.
Even better are the books that arrive unsolicited, that brown and yellow UPS sticking tight to the front door as Casual Friday reaches out for the next morning's newspaper.

In the past month have come the following titles - and Casual Friday's observations:

* Golf's Greatest Moments: An Illustrated History by the Game's Finest Writers (Robert Sidorsky, general editor; Abrams): The 303-page book is a collection of stories written in a span of 115 years. That in itself should be a good clue that this collection is worth the time. While many of the authors are distinctly recognizable (Herbert Warren Wind, Pat Ward-Thomas, Jim Murray, John Updike, George Plimpton, Peter Dobereiner, Thomas Boswell, O.B. Keeler), there are several lost treasures. Rhonda Glenn's piece about a friend remembering Babe Zaharias is unearthed, as is Red Smith's "70 is Two Under Par" written in 1974. Don't know either? Then go buy the book.

* One Flew Over the Caddyshack (Andrew Penner; Falcon Press): This book is a 180-degree turn from the previous book. Penner, a writer whose columns have appeared in Canada, Europe and the United States, and award-winning illustrator Ted Martin take a light-hearted look at the game and such mysteries as: How can couples golf together and stay married?; and Who let lefties on the course?

SECOND CUT
Quote of the week: "If you want to find out where Tiger Woods 'has had his dinner' on the PGA Tour; during his entire career he's 16-under par on par-3s, 89-under par on par-4s and 1,066-under par on par-5s," said Peter Kostis on the USA Network's Thursday coverage of the Target World Challenge presented by Williams.

DOUBLE CLICK
www.sevenunder.com
The site bills its parent magazine, Seven Under, as the "No. 1 publication for black enthusiasts," though the magazine will not debut until the spring of 2004. But the prototype issue does feature a piece on New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd sinking jumpers and birdie putts.