Squidfry 06.16.22: Playing Through

PLAYING THROUGH… Squid would like to throw like Camilo Doval or swing a racket like Serena Williams. But there’s no way Squid wants to test Squid’s 7-iron against Jordan Spieth’s. In February at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Spieth almost dangled over a cliff on the 8th hole in a desperate bid to save par or die trying.

As it turns out, however, there are some golfers eager to copy the shot. Pebble Beach golf director John Sawin recently told Golf Digest that caddies have told him it is the shot most talked about, replacing Tom Watson’s improbable – but not at all risky – chip on the 17th in 1982. And in this context, “talked about” translates as “I want to try it.”

Spieth’s caddie begged him not to sacrifice his life and accept a penalty. To hit the ball, his front foot almost slipped off the edge of a sheer 70-foot drop. The next day, Spieth told reporters that following the shot, fellow pro Ryan Palmer said, “Dude, it’s a pro-am.” Spieth admitted later that it may not have been the best idea.

Squid abides by Darwin – natural selection is the way of life outside Squid’s lair. And they say any publicity is good publicity. Headlines such as “Watch Jordan Spieth face death” were YouTube gold. But Pebble Beach staff think differently. The grounds crew has been directed to pull the penalty line away from the cliff, shorten the fairway and allow the rough to grow in a bid to discourage Spieth copycats. As Sawin said, “We want it to just be talked about from this point forward.” As in, not imitated. But humans, unlike cephalopods with highly complex cephalopod brains, seem to do a lot of imitating.

DEEP WELL… Luckily in Squid’s lair, saltwater comes free. So does feedback. (Such is the life of an aquatic columnist.)

American Water is the parent company of local utility California American Water, which has a reputation for being one of the most expensive water companies out there and also for trying and failing (then trying again and failing again) to build a desalination plant – that would only make water even more expensive. And New Jersey-based American Water has been asking for feedback lately. The company sent an email out to “Dear Valued Customer,” inviting Squid’s neighbors to take a survey. “Your input is extremely valuable and will help us better understand what we’re doing well and how we can improve. Our goal is to make sure that every experience you have with us is a great one.”

However the next experience – clicking the “begin survey” button – was not a great one. It leads to a screen that reads: “This survey has reached its quota and responses are no longer being solicited.”

Apparently, American Water values only so much free feedback.