Courtesy: ingolfwetrust.com

No, I'm not dead. And it's good to be back and writing again after a long layoff from work-related duties. These past three weeks of golf-writing abstinence, I can't say that I've been moved by anything in the golf world apart from Seve Ballesteros' surgery last week.

I wish him a speedy recovery. He was a remarkable player and is a remarkable man.

Apart from that sad story, not much has popped up on my radar screen. It's as if professional golf has slipped into an early winter hibernation.

Of course, the game is still being played - the LPGA tour is alive and kicking and so is the PGA Tour. But it's a sure sign the season is as good as done when the major U-S networks give up showing tournaments and focus on seasonal sports like college football.

However, if you poke around, you can find some interesting stuff. I came upon a story about Chi Chi Rodriguez. The guy is now 72 and has been retired from the game for the past 4 years. What does a man who played for more than 4 decades do when he can't play competitively anymore? For Chi Chi, it was a difficult question to answer and it nearly cost him his life.

How fitting that Scotland should capture the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club. And how fitting that the conditions were typically Scottish, as well (except for the rain because, as we all know, it doesn't rain anymore in Australia. Just ask the farmers...). The Scots beat a determined U-S side by 9 shots but what's interesting is that Sweden placed third followed by France and Italy in a tie for fourth.

The game continues to develop and strengthen in non-traditional golf regions of the world.