Quail Hollow praised in private, too

The question has been asked more than once - and it's a fair question - whether all the nice things the PGA Tour players say about Quail Hollow and the Wachovia Championship are genuine or just a good public relations job.

They're genuine.

And I've heard them say it in private.

Standing in the locker room this afternoon, a prominent tour player - someone whose face you've seen many, many times - stopped to talk to tournament director Kym Hougham.

The player made it a point to praise the little tweaks made for the players this year, small things that fans don't notice but things that are big to players. The scoring area was moved to the Quail Hollow pro shop. The pathways from the practice range to the locker room have been positioned in just the right spots. And all the other things that are done just right.

If players want to stop and sign autographs, there are plenty of spots to do so. If they prefer not to sign, it's easy to do without having to ignore the fans.

There's a reason, the player went on to say, why the Wachovia is a model for other events. And the attention to detail and the emphasis on quality without being heavy-handed has earned the loyalty of tour players.

It was a glowing endorsement of the tournament, not done in front of any cameras, just done to let Hougham know the players appreciate the effort.