Golf's version of "March Madness" tees off tomorrow with the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain, Arizona. While it certainly is not as exciting at the NCAA Tournament, it is fun to fill out a bracket for on-line prizes. Here are my Predictions Sure To Go Wrong:
FIRST ROUND
Rory McIlroy over Shane Lowry--Rory seems to be taking the Tiger Wood approach to getting out of a slump: take a bunch of time off. But he should be able to beat his former amateur rival in Ireland.
Ricky Fowler over Carl Pettersson--Ricky is one of those guys who thrives on head-to-head match play competition. Carl never gets to play on the European Ryder Cup team--so he doesn't get to expierience the format that much.
Dustin Johnson over Alexander Noren--If Paulina Gretzky hasn't exhausted DJ by now, he should be able to bomb his way to a win in this match over one of the multitude of "Who's that" guys in the field.
Padraig Harrington over Graeme McDowell--This will be the best match of the first round--as both gritty players come in playing less than their best. I think Paddy out-scrambles Graeme for an extra holes win. Plus it's a 12-5 matchup and those are given upsets.
Bubba Watson over Chris Wood--The battle of the crazy long guys. Bubba is better in the format and gets the win.
Ryan Moore over Jim Furyk--Moore is something of a match play specialist dating back to his amateur days. He outgrinds the Grinder for the upset win.
Charl Schwartzel over Russell Henley--Remember when Henley was going to take the Tour by storm after the Sony? Charl is red hot right now and rolls to a win.
Zach Johnson over Jason Day--Zach has never played well on this bombers paradise--but I think Day will be too wild to win this one.
Louis Oosthuizen over Richie Ramsey--I have heard of Oosthuizen, I have not heard of Ramsey before this blog post.
Robert Garrigus over Brendan Grace--Garrigus will be outrageously long and make just enough putts to beat last year's Euro Tour sensation.
Keegan Bradley over Marcus Fraser--Keegan just needs to pretend it's Friday and Saturday at the Ryder Cup again. Still the best non-Monty/Poulter match play I have ever seen.
Fredrik Jacobson over Ernie Els--Do you get the feeling that Ernie's Open Championship last year is going to look like a final fluke victory in his career. I just hope the Junkman won't have a four footer on the last to force a playoff. That was one of the worst putts since Scott Hoch at the Masters.
Justin Rose over KJ Choi--Rosie just needs to pretend it's the back nine at the Ryder Cup again and drain every GD putt.
Bill Haas over Nicolas Colsaerts--Haas has finished top ten in the last three events. Colsaerts has been awful.
Sergio Garcia over Thongchai Jaidee--I really thought there would be an upset here (Jaidee is a prettey decent player)--but Sergio will sulk his way to at least one win in this tourney.
Matt Kuchar over Hiroyuki Fujita--Kooch has never lost a first round match. And there is a reason the US dominates Presidents Cup--the Asian Tour guys never play it.
Tiger Woods over Charles Howell III--Chuckie Three Sticks' coach was making noise about how confident he is that his pupil can beat Tiger. I might refer him to Stephen Ames and the definition of an absolute and total ass-kicking in this same event. It won't be 9 and 8.
Francesco Molinari over Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano--I'm picking Molinari just because I want to see him go against Tiger in the next round where revenge will be served for last year's Ryder Cup mop up non-concession on 18.
Webb Simpson over David Lynn--You know why the US doesn't dominate Ryder Cup anymore? Because Team Europe isn't filled with guys like David Lynn anymore.
Peter Hanson over Thomas Bjorn--Because I have to pick someone.
Lee Westwood over Rafael Cabrera-Bello--Westwood has played more over here and gets the nod here.
George Coetzee over Martin Kaymer--Kaymer is on my permanent shit list for sinking the Ryder Cup clinching putt last year.
Jason Duffner over Richard Sterne--Duffman wins with a clutch putt on the 18th and goes crazy by giving his patented "hey dude" hand wave.
Hunter Mahan over Matteo Manassero--The defending champ won't go out in the first round this year.
Luke Donald over Marcel Siem--For all the talk about Ian Poulter's match play record, Luke's is just as good.
Paul Lawrie over Scott Piercy--Scott Piercy is in the top 66 in the world? Lawrie showed new life in the Ryder Cup last year.
Henrik Stenson over Steve Stricker--It kills me to pick this--but you can't just shake off the rust in the first found of a match play tournament--and Steve hasn't played in a month.
Nick Watney over David Toms--Toms is a pretty good match player, but I'll take youth in this one.
Adam Scott over Tim Clark--Battle of the broomhandle putters. Better make em while you can boys--despite the PGA's threats against the USGA. Scott's better length (driving not putter) makes the difference.
Jamie Donaldson over Thorbjorn Olesen--There are no guarantees in match play, but I GUARANTEE NOBODY will be following this match!
Ian Poulter over Stephen Gallacher--Is the format still match play? Yeah, I'll take "The Ninja".
Bo Van Pelt over John Senden--A very underrated match here. Van Pelt's experience wins it.
SECOND ROUND:
Ricky Fowler over Rory McIlroy--Remember the "Har-Bowl" a couple of weeks ago? This is the "Hair Bowl". I'll take straight and long over curly and shaggy in about 26-holes.
Padraig Harrington over Dustin Johnson--Mr Intensity versus Mr Laid-back. I'll take intensity in this one.
Ryan Moore over Bubba Watson--I think Bubba loses focus and interest just two rounds in and Moore gets the upset win.
Charl Schwartzel over Zach Johnson--Riding the much hotter horse here.
Louis Oosthuizen over Robert Garrigus--Louis is looking too smooth to be rattled by a big bomber.
Keegan Bradley over Fredrick Jacobson--Who is more likely to make a four footer on 18 to win the match?
Justin Rose over Bill Haas--Another extra holes match, but Rose is starting to feel his oats and realize his talent.
Matt Kuchar over Sergio Garcia--Could any two men be any more different in demeanor? One sulks around the course all day acting like every force of nature is conspiring against him. The other makes a double bogey and smiles his way off the green to the next tee.
Tiger Woods over Francesco Molinari--Tiger is like Michael Jordan, he remembers every slight affected against him by any other golfer, writer, coach and caddy. 18 at Medinah last year will be very fresh in his mind on number 1 at Dove Mountain.
Webb Simpson over Peter Hanson--Webb is playing much more consistant golf right now.
Lee Westwood over George Coetzee--This will be a real snoozer, but Lee will out par Coetzee for the sleepy win.
Jason Dufner over Hunter Mahan--Anyone with a pulse in this one. Dufner will celebrate dropping the winning putt with his patented hat tip.
Luke Donald over Paul Lawrie--Luke makes a bunch of putts to win easily.
Henrik Stenson over Nick Watney--Stenson is building some momentum here.
Adam Scott over Thorbjorn Olesen--Simply because I can't provide any insight into Oleson's game.
Ian Poulter over Bo Van Pelt--The last time I checked, the format is still match play.
THIRD ROUND
Padraig Harringon over Rickie Fowler--One low seed always makes a run in this tournament--and Harrington is my pick to be that guy.
Charl Schwartzel over Ryan Moore--Schwartzel continues to hit perfect shot after perfect shot to win again.
Keegan Bradley over Louis Oosthuizen--There is a lot of question about Oostie's ability to close. No question about Keegan.
Matt Kuchar over Justin Rose--A slight upset here as well, but Kooch has been consistent all year.
Tiger Woods over Webb Simpson--This will be the 22-hole match that Tiger makes a bunch of crazy long putts to survive.
Jason Dufner over Lee Westwood--The Duffman will celebrate with an over the top slight fist pump.
Henrick Stenson over Luke Donald--Luke is great in this format, but always finds a way to lose too early.
Ian Poulter over Adam Scott--Still match play.
BRACKET FINALS
Charl Schwartzel over Padraig Harrington--Paddy's Cinderella run ends here to Mr Consistent.
Keegan Bradley over Matt Kuchar--Intensity overwhelms calm with a bunch of incredibly clutch putting.
Tiger Woods over Jason Dufner--This match will set a new tournament record for fewest words said by competitors. Tiger guts out another extra holes win.
Ian Poulter over Henrik Stenson--The only thing missing here is the crazy-faced, bulging-eye reaction from Poulter that we get at the Ryder Cup when he makes every must-make putt to gut his opponent.
FINAL FOUR
Keegan Bradley over Charl Schwartzel--I give Keegan the wide advantage in fist pumps and clutch putts to win 1-up.
Ian Poulter over Tiger Woods--If this match actually happens, cancel all of my plans for Saturday afternoon because there is NO WAY I am missing it. Poulter gives us his Ryder Cup face when he bounced Tiger on the 20th hole.
CONSOLATION MATCH
Charl Schwartzel over Tiger Woods--You think Tiger will actually be interested in a consolation match?
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Keegan Bradley over Ian Poulter--I hope the Europeans get a good look at this match--because this is the future of the Ryder Cup. (Or at least the future those of us who care about the Ryder Cup here in America hope it will look).
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Event Review: Fox Cities Golf Show
Date: 2/16/13
Site: Players Choice Appleton
Got in for free with a pass from the radio station. Admission for the general public was $6--although most of the guys ahead of me in line had $3 off coupons that appeared to come from Valpak.
With the demise of the Green Bay Golf Show two years ago, this is the largest golf show north of Milwaukee. However, the venue makes if feel like it is still small-time. There were two dozen courses on hand, three equipment suppliers and various "sort of golf related" businesses as well.
Everybody has drawings at their booths--with entry forms you drop into one of those mini-golf bags. I learned from an old-timer last year that the best way to save time is to bring your return address labels and stick those on. Then you just have to write out your email address and phone number. I expect a boat load of spam email over the next couple of months.
Longest line of the day was leading to Shamrock Heights booth. It turned out they were handing out free two-ball packs of Titleist Pro V1's (previous generation). Second longest line was at the Nevada Bob's--where everyone was stocking up on discontinued golf shoes and drivers that were at least three years old.
Mini Cooper had a huge presence there as well--with at least four models on site. One was a convertible. Unless you are a midget or legless, the backseat of one of those is a joke. The back of the front seat touches the front edge of the back seat!
The guys at the Chaska booth could not confirm if they will serve as the host of this year's Fox Cities Amateur--seeing as how Reid is down to just nine holes this summer. They would only say they were in talks to host one round of the two.
Not nearly as many two for one deals handed out by the courses this year. We got a free round (with purchase of cart, of course) at Branch River and Shamrock Heights just for being the first 500 in the door. Got a free greens fee (with purchase of cart) at Tuscumbia for just five bucks. All of the other coupons were "golf show discount rates" that expire around the first of June.
For a company promoting its "One Bucket" challenge, you would have thought Taylor Made would have had their vendors on site letting people hit the new R1 driver. They were nowhere to be seen. Callaway had a tent. Got a chance to hit the new X Hot 3-wood. I may have found a replacement for my X Hot 3-wood that is more than 10-years old now. Exotics, Cleveland and Srixon also had equipment tents. No interest in those products.
Only launch monitor and video display on site was Bob Burns out of Appleton. They were steering everyone toward their slice-proof woods and their putter that allows you to mark and pick up the ball without having to bend over. No places to try out new putters.
In case you are wondering, Thornberry Creek is now the "Official Golf Course of the Green Bay Packers."
No appearance by any of the top courses in the state: Kohler or Erin Hills. No appearance this year from the WSGA either. No Sentry World--but that is explainable since they will be closed for the season to facilitate a complete renovation.
Final thoughts: It's nice to have a golf show in the area--since I'm always in Florida during the weekend of the Milwaukee Golf Show--but I'd like to see a greater prescence from the manufacturers and suppliers. In addition, a little better representation from courses outside the area and Wisconsin Dells would be nice. Give us a good reason to travel across the state to play, the more likely we are to do it.
Site: Players Choice Appleton
Got in for free with a pass from the radio station. Admission for the general public was $6--although most of the guys ahead of me in line had $3 off coupons that appeared to come from Valpak.
With the demise of the Green Bay Golf Show two years ago, this is the largest golf show north of Milwaukee. However, the venue makes if feel like it is still small-time. There were two dozen courses on hand, three equipment suppliers and various "sort of golf related" businesses as well.
Everybody has drawings at their booths--with entry forms you drop into one of those mini-golf bags. I learned from an old-timer last year that the best way to save time is to bring your return address labels and stick those on. Then you just have to write out your email address and phone number. I expect a boat load of spam email over the next couple of months.
Longest line of the day was leading to Shamrock Heights booth. It turned out they were handing out free two-ball packs of Titleist Pro V1's (previous generation). Second longest line was at the Nevada Bob's--where everyone was stocking up on discontinued golf shoes and drivers that were at least three years old.
Mini Cooper had a huge presence there as well--with at least four models on site. One was a convertible. Unless you are a midget or legless, the backseat of one of those is a joke. The back of the front seat touches the front edge of the back seat!
The guys at the Chaska booth could not confirm if they will serve as the host of this year's Fox Cities Amateur--seeing as how Reid is down to just nine holes this summer. They would only say they were in talks to host one round of the two.
Not nearly as many two for one deals handed out by the courses this year. We got a free round (with purchase of cart, of course) at Branch River and Shamrock Heights just for being the first 500 in the door. Got a free greens fee (with purchase of cart) at Tuscumbia for just five bucks. All of the other coupons were "golf show discount rates" that expire around the first of June.
For a company promoting its "One Bucket" challenge, you would have thought Taylor Made would have had their vendors on site letting people hit the new R1 driver. They were nowhere to be seen. Callaway had a tent. Got a chance to hit the new X Hot 3-wood. I may have found a replacement for my X Hot 3-wood that is more than 10-years old now. Exotics, Cleveland and Srixon also had equipment tents. No interest in those products.
Only launch monitor and video display on site was Bob Burns out of Appleton. They were steering everyone toward their slice-proof woods and their putter that allows you to mark and pick up the ball without having to bend over. No places to try out new putters.
In case you are wondering, Thornberry Creek is now the "Official Golf Course of the Green Bay Packers."
No appearance by any of the top courses in the state: Kohler or Erin Hills. No appearance this year from the WSGA either. No Sentry World--but that is explainable since they will be closed for the season to facilitate a complete renovation.
Final thoughts: It's nice to have a golf show in the area--since I'm always in Florida during the weekend of the Milwaukee Golf Show--but I'd like to see a greater prescence from the manufacturers and suppliers. In addition, a little better representation from courses outside the area and Wisconsin Dells would be nice. Give us a good reason to travel across the state to play, the more likely we are to do it.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
List-A-Mania
Last month, Golf Digest published its annual list of the 100 GREATEST COURSES! Being a fan of comparative lists (Top 10 on Golf Channel, ESPN's 50 Greatest Athletes of All Time) this issue used to get me really excited. But soon you realize that the vast majority of the course compared and rated you (meaning the average non-millionaire golfer) will never get to play. In fact, the top 6--Pine Valley, Augusta National, Cypress Point (especially if your Black), Shinnecock Hills, Oakmont and Marion--are all ultra-exclusive private clubs. Pebble Beach is the first "public" course on the list--and it will set you back $435 a loop to play there.
So really, the 100 GREATEST COURSES! is nothing more than an opportunity for really rich guys in one club to have bragging rights over really rich guys at another club. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with "phony knowledge" (aka Bullshit) to share when discussing the list. "Oh yeah, Pine Valley deserves it just based on the greater variation in potential lies and hazards than Augusta" is one we can all use.
Enough complaining, let's talk about where I've actually played.
My highest ranked course is #17--Whistling Straits (Straits). Never broke 90--never shot over 100--just like every other Pete Dye course I've played. Windy and rainy the first time (98), windy and not rainy the second time (94). The second time I actually met Mr.Dye overlooking the 17th green (that's a story for another blog). The par 3's really make this course. All four of them on are the lakeshore and are exposed to the elements with crazy-shaped greens and impossible pin positions in some wind conditions. Wonderful use of the contours of the native land--and of course the most penal bunkers (when you remember they are bunkers, Dustin Johnson) in the country.
Next is #44--TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium). 94 from the Blended Tees after one round and one range session in five months. Dry on 17 as well (followed by a three putt). We played in February when the rough was dormant--so it didn't play nearly as tough as it does during the Players. The front 9 is pretty non-descript--although the par 3 3rd is a great little hole with the bulkhead green and the pond. 16, 17 and 18 are worth the price of admission by themselves. Great clubhouse too.
Next is #63--Blackwolf Run (River). Never broke 90--never over 100 in three rounds (plus one on the "Championship" hybrid course). The par 3 4th is my biggest nemesis hole in Wisconsin. I've aimed into the driving range left the last two times and still managed to push it into the pond right. The elevated tees on 5 and 8 provide the best inland views in Wisconsin and the narrow chute you shoot through from the tips on 8 looks like its only wide enough for about three balls to fit through. Like all Dye courses though, things always look more intimidating from the box then they actually are when you get out to the landing area.
The only other course in the 100 that I've played is #97--Kapalua (Plantation). It's all about the view, Brah. Three different off-shore islands, huge fairways, spectacular drops, long drives and killer headwinds. Tough greens to putt too. Driving range is weak.
I've also attended tournaments at several of the 100 as well.
#2--Augusta National. It is true when they say TV doesn't do the place justice. If Pine Valley is beating out this course, it must be absolutely mind-blowing. BTW, my ashes will spread in the bunkers behind 13 Green. I've got people willing to risk arrest for that to happen.
#31--Medinah. Big course with great water carries and plenty of risk/reward in the layout. Unfortunately, the US collapse on Sunday at the Ryder Cup has made me want to banish everything about the course from my memory.
#62 Olympia Fields. Not really that impressed when we went to the US Open there. Although having 50-thousand people packing the place every day made it difficult to really appreciate the layout.
For the first time this year, Golf Digest also ranked its Second 100 Greatest as well.
Whistling Straits Irish has made that list at #161. Never broke 90 in five rounds there--never shot over 100. The blind tee shot on teh par three named "Dubsdred" (with its 12-foot tall flagstick) is one of my favorite shots in all of Wisconsin. The only difference from the Straits course is no view of the lake.
You may notice that Wisconsin's other beauty--Erin Hills--is not in the rankings. GD has a minimum number of reviews required for each course in the 100-greatest--and Erin hasn't met that minimum yet. It is however included in the 100 GREATEST PUBLIC COURSES! This is the list that I always look at more closely--since I actually have a chance to play these courses.
So far I have played:
#2--Whistling Straits (Straits)
#9--TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
#14--Blackwolf Run (River)
#19--Kapalua (Plantation)
#39--Whistling Straits (Irish)
#62--Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys) Shot a 90 there from the tips shortly after it opened.
#77--The Bull--oh for 2 in breaking 100 there. That course just eats my lunch--which is strange since its a Nicklaus design and he always sets it up for guys who hit high fades.
So in the overall 100 GREATEST! I've played four--and five of the top 200. In the 100 Public I've played seven. I'll be adding Erin Hill to that number later this year. Tomorrow: The state by state best.
So really, the 100 GREATEST COURSES! is nothing more than an opportunity for really rich guys in one club to have bragging rights over really rich guys at another club. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with "phony knowledge" (aka Bullshit) to share when discussing the list. "Oh yeah, Pine Valley deserves it just based on the greater variation in potential lies and hazards than Augusta" is one we can all use.
Enough complaining, let's talk about where I've actually played.
My highest ranked course is #17--Whistling Straits (Straits). Never broke 90--never shot over 100--just like every other Pete Dye course I've played. Windy and rainy the first time (98), windy and not rainy the second time (94). The second time I actually met Mr.Dye overlooking the 17th green (that's a story for another blog). The par 3's really make this course. All four of them on are the lakeshore and are exposed to the elements with crazy-shaped greens and impossible pin positions in some wind conditions. Wonderful use of the contours of the native land--and of course the most penal bunkers (when you remember they are bunkers, Dustin Johnson) in the country.
Next is #44--TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium). 94 from the Blended Tees after one round and one range session in five months. Dry on 17 as well (followed by a three putt). We played in February when the rough was dormant--so it didn't play nearly as tough as it does during the Players. The front 9 is pretty non-descript--although the par 3 3rd is a great little hole with the bulkhead green and the pond. 16, 17 and 18 are worth the price of admission by themselves. Great clubhouse too.
Next is #63--Blackwolf Run (River). Never broke 90--never over 100 in three rounds (plus one on the "Championship" hybrid course). The par 3 4th is my biggest nemesis hole in Wisconsin. I've aimed into the driving range left the last two times and still managed to push it into the pond right. The elevated tees on 5 and 8 provide the best inland views in Wisconsin and the narrow chute you shoot through from the tips on 8 looks like its only wide enough for about three balls to fit through. Like all Dye courses though, things always look more intimidating from the box then they actually are when you get out to the landing area.
The only other course in the 100 that I've played is #97--Kapalua (Plantation). It's all about the view, Brah. Three different off-shore islands, huge fairways, spectacular drops, long drives and killer headwinds. Tough greens to putt too. Driving range is weak.
I've also attended tournaments at several of the 100 as well.
#2--Augusta National. It is true when they say TV doesn't do the place justice. If Pine Valley is beating out this course, it must be absolutely mind-blowing. BTW, my ashes will spread in the bunkers behind 13 Green. I've got people willing to risk arrest for that to happen.
#31--Medinah. Big course with great water carries and plenty of risk/reward in the layout. Unfortunately, the US collapse on Sunday at the Ryder Cup has made me want to banish everything about the course from my memory.
#62 Olympia Fields. Not really that impressed when we went to the US Open there. Although having 50-thousand people packing the place every day made it difficult to really appreciate the layout.
For the first time this year, Golf Digest also ranked its Second 100 Greatest as well.
Whistling Straits Irish has made that list at #161. Never broke 90 in five rounds there--never shot over 100. The blind tee shot on teh par three named "Dubsdred" (with its 12-foot tall flagstick) is one of my favorite shots in all of Wisconsin. The only difference from the Straits course is no view of the lake.
You may notice that Wisconsin's other beauty--Erin Hills--is not in the rankings. GD has a minimum number of reviews required for each course in the 100-greatest--and Erin hasn't met that minimum yet. It is however included in the 100 GREATEST PUBLIC COURSES! This is the list that I always look at more closely--since I actually have a chance to play these courses.
So far I have played:
#2--Whistling Straits (Straits)
#9--TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
#14--Blackwolf Run (River)
#19--Kapalua (Plantation)
#39--Whistling Straits (Irish)
#62--Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys) Shot a 90 there from the tips shortly after it opened.
#77--The Bull--oh for 2 in breaking 100 there. That course just eats my lunch--which is strange since its a Nicklaus design and he always sets it up for guys who hit high fades.
So in the overall 100 GREATEST! I've played four--and five of the top 200. In the 100 Public I've played seven. I'll be adding Erin Hill to that number later this year. Tomorrow: The state by state best.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Phil Is Back....For This Week
First your fun fact of the day: Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have now won on back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour nine times in their careers. It makes you wonder if the two really have been driven by the other--and they make it a point to one-up the other as much as possible? I was thinking on Sunday why we have never seen those two involved in a classic playoff--or even in the final group on Sunday battling for the title. It's like we were denied the real rivalry that previous generations enjoyed with Jack and Tom, Jack and Arnie, or Hogan, Snead and Nelson.
Reason why I love Phil #4,517: There has never been a more inconsistant superstar golfer in the history of the game than Phil Mickelson? I'm too young to remember Jack and Arnie in their primes--but I never read about how either of them would be also-rans for two weeks, barely making the cut and playing out the string--and then blowing the field away the next week.
And for Joe Ten Handicapper, that IS the way we play. Hopelessly lost for two or three rounds--not hitting a single good shot--not making any putts on the course or on the practice range. Then--without making a swing change or tweaking our equipment or even putting in extra hours of practice (usually the exact opposite--letting the clubs rest for a few day)--we go out and shoot a career low round. When Tiger was in his prime, he was great just about every week--always a threat to win an almost always finishing top ten. But that is an unattainable goal for the rest of us, Whereas Phil is barely average--then exceptional--then ordinary again--just like us.
It would be nice if we could have Butch Harmon take a look at our swings--drop his two lines of advice for five-grand--and suddenly have us back on track. It would also be nice to have Callaway give us their newest driver--custom fit to our swing--to magically find every fairway as far out as we have ever hit it. I've seen on other golf sites that the new RazorFit that Phil is playing is the "drastic change" that he was actually talking about a few weeks ago--and that this has been nothing more than a cleverly-crafted marketing ploy. Personally, I think Phil was doing the math every shot this week--figuring out how much more money he will keep by winning in Arizona than winning in California.
So now we get a couple of days to wonder what Phil will show at Pebble Beach. He's defending champ--thanks to a specatuclar final round (paired with Tiger) that served as another reminder of how spectacular his talents are. You may recall, that was followed up with a playoff loss at Riveria--and it seemed like Phil was going to be the clear-cut favorite to win at Augusta. Then one horrible tee shot on the 4th hole on Sunday sent Lefty from unbeatable to unbearable in five seconds.
As a wise fake movie character once said: "Phil is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
Reason why I love Phil #4,517: There has never been a more inconsistant superstar golfer in the history of the game than Phil Mickelson? I'm too young to remember Jack and Arnie in their primes--but I never read about how either of them would be also-rans for two weeks, barely making the cut and playing out the string--and then blowing the field away the next week.
And for Joe Ten Handicapper, that IS the way we play. Hopelessly lost for two or three rounds--not hitting a single good shot--not making any putts on the course or on the practice range. Then--without making a swing change or tweaking our equipment or even putting in extra hours of practice (usually the exact opposite--letting the clubs rest for a few day)--we go out and shoot a career low round. When Tiger was in his prime, he was great just about every week--always a threat to win an almost always finishing top ten. But that is an unattainable goal for the rest of us, Whereas Phil is barely average--then exceptional--then ordinary again--just like us.
It would be nice if we could have Butch Harmon take a look at our swings--drop his two lines of advice for five-grand--and suddenly have us back on track. It would also be nice to have Callaway give us their newest driver--custom fit to our swing--to magically find every fairway as far out as we have ever hit it. I've seen on other golf sites that the new RazorFit that Phil is playing is the "drastic change" that he was actually talking about a few weeks ago--and that this has been nothing more than a cleverly-crafted marketing ploy. Personally, I think Phil was doing the math every shot this week--figuring out how much more money he will keep by winning in Arizona than winning in California.
So now we get a couple of days to wonder what Phil will show at Pebble Beach. He's defending champ--thanks to a specatuclar final round (paired with Tiger) that served as another reminder of how spectacular his talents are. You may recall, that was followed up with a playoff loss at Riveria--and it seemed like Phil was going to be the clear-cut favorite to win at Augusta. Then one horrible tee shot on the 4th hole on Sunday sent Lefty from unbeatable to unbearable in five seconds.
As a wise fake movie character once said: "Phil is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tiger's Back!!.....Again
"Tiger's doesn't move the needle, he is the needle"
John Hawkins of Golf Channel made that line famous--and today proved it. If it was Brandt Snedeker and Eric Compton battling head to head at the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open in a Monday finish I would bet a month's pay CBS would have been more than happy to farm out the final round coverage to Golf Channel today. But because it was Tiger--even in a total blowout--CBS had to have at least some coverage.
And to do so threw a giant monkey wrench in some players' plans. All of the non-exempt guys (like Brad Fritsch) had a tough decision to make. In order to get into a broadcast window that most (but not all) local affiliates would work with, CBS had the PGA Tour push back today's resumption of play to 11:10 local time. That meant no Monday qualifying at Scottsdale for the non-exempt guys who made the cut at San Diego. (Fortunately for Fritsch, his T9 finish at the Farmers gets him into the field for Waste Management. Tag Ridings at T15 was no so fortunate.) I guess they can spend the next week telling their families how "awesome" it was to be an also-ran in Tiger's 75th career Tour victory.
We were apparently among the lucky ones here in Northeast Wisconsin to get the CBS coverage today. Based on several Twitter postings, a number of markets didn't carry a minute of Tiger today. Judge Judy was the most popular "alternative" programming on those channels. I'd be willing to bet another week's pay that if Oprah was still on our CBS affiliate, us diehards would have been sitting through a lengthy discussion on Gwyneth Paltrow's parenting techniques hoping they would break in at some point with some golf.
Those who got bupkus in terms of network coverage today really didn't miss much. Tiger was wild off the tee again--push-slicing one into the broadcast compound on one hole (from where he still made par) and he found the iceplant on another hole with a pull-hook--that ended up with David Faherty going knee deep into the cabbage in an effort find the wayward shot (which resulted in a bogey).
Granted, he had a big lead heading into the day, nobody put up a real challenge, it was cool and windy--but it was not exactly vintage Tiger golf. Or should we say vintage pre-divorce-knee-injuries-other-distractions Tiger--no matter how hard CBS and the Golf Channel try to convince us it is.
Tiger is still better than 99.8% of the guys on the Tour when he is healthy and interested. But he will never be that guy who blew away the field in every major and never lost a 54-hole lead and made every clutch putt he ever looked at from the age of 16. So let's enjoy the days when he is on his game and accept the days (like in Abu Dhabi) when he just doesn't have it--rather than turning every round into an instant referendum on whether Tiger is going to break Jack's record in the next year.
John Hawkins of Golf Channel made that line famous--and today proved it. If it was Brandt Snedeker and Eric Compton battling head to head at the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open in a Monday finish I would bet a month's pay CBS would have been more than happy to farm out the final round coverage to Golf Channel today. But because it was Tiger--even in a total blowout--CBS had to have at least some coverage.
And to do so threw a giant monkey wrench in some players' plans. All of the non-exempt guys (like Brad Fritsch) had a tough decision to make. In order to get into a broadcast window that most (but not all) local affiliates would work with, CBS had the PGA Tour push back today's resumption of play to 11:10 local time. That meant no Monday qualifying at Scottsdale for the non-exempt guys who made the cut at San Diego. (Fortunately for Fritsch, his T9 finish at the Farmers gets him into the field for Waste Management. Tag Ridings at T15 was no so fortunate.) I guess they can spend the next week telling their families how "awesome" it was to be an also-ran in Tiger's 75th career Tour victory.
We were apparently among the lucky ones here in Northeast Wisconsin to get the CBS coverage today. Based on several Twitter postings, a number of markets didn't carry a minute of Tiger today. Judge Judy was the most popular "alternative" programming on those channels. I'd be willing to bet another week's pay that if Oprah was still on our CBS affiliate, us diehards would have been sitting through a lengthy discussion on Gwyneth Paltrow's parenting techniques hoping they would break in at some point with some golf.
Those who got bupkus in terms of network coverage today really didn't miss much. Tiger was wild off the tee again--push-slicing one into the broadcast compound on one hole (from where he still made par) and he found the iceplant on another hole with a pull-hook--that ended up with David Faherty going knee deep into the cabbage in an effort find the wayward shot (which resulted in a bogey).
Granted, he had a big lead heading into the day, nobody put up a real challenge, it was cool and windy--but it was not exactly vintage Tiger golf. Or should we say vintage pre-divorce-knee-injuries-other-distractions Tiger--no matter how hard CBS and the Golf Channel try to convince us it is.
Tiger is still better than 99.8% of the guys on the Tour when he is healthy and interested. But he will never be that guy who blew away the field in every major and never lost a 54-hole lead and made every clutch putt he ever looked at from the age of 16. So let's enjoy the days when he is on his game and accept the days (like in Abu Dhabi) when he just doesn't have it--rather than turning every round into an instant referendum on whether Tiger is going to break Jack's record in the next year.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Lefty Shrugged
Fiscal Conservatives have a new sports hero to root for. On Sunday, golfer Phil Mickelson made cyrptic statements
following his final round at the Humana Challenge in Conjunction With
the William J Clinton Foundation (how fitting is that?) about having to
make "drastic changes in his life" to deal with higher taxes. Phil
lives in California--which has followed the Federal Government's lead in
increasing taxes on the rich to deal with crippling budget deficits
driven by the expansion of the entitlement system. By Phil's estimate
he will now pay between 62 and 63-percent of his annual income in
Federal, State and FICA taxes.
Keep in mind, as independent contractors, pro golfers are responsible for paying 100-percent of their
Social Security and Medicare taxes. They also buy their own health insurance--and I'm guessing with the potential for surgeries and rehab caused by repetitive motion injuries--their plans fall under the "Cadillac Plan Tax" included in the Affordable Care Act. And their income levels--especially Phil's--are subject to the ObamaCare surcharge tax on the rich as well.
Phil wouldn't get into specifics about what the "drastic changes" might be. It could be as simple as not playing as many tournaments in California (where all those making the cut in a tournament pay state taxes on their winnings. That explains why there are so many tourneys in Texas, Arizona and Florida every year--no state income taxes). Or Phil may choose to move his family from their home outside San Diego to one of the other tax haven states I mentioned before--which is where the vast majority of pro golfers have chosen to live. But what many in the media are guessing is that Phil may choose to just hang up the clubs and walk away from full-time Tour membership.
The guess comes from the fact that Phil's statement came during a discussion of Steve Stricker's semi-retirement this year. That's when Phil launched into his dissertation on taxes and how he is one of the President Obama's "targets". He also pointed out that he would be able to cut those tax rates by simply living off of his investments--which would be taxed at the lower capital gains rate (or "Mitt Romney rate" as it will likely be known for the next decade or so).
With an income of more than 100-million dollars last year--according to estimates by Golf Digest--Phil Mickelson and his family will still do okay whether he continues to golf for a living or retires. But the millions that he and his wife donate to charities every year like their foundation--which provides grants to science and math teachers around the country and to disabled veterans programs--or the dozens of other non-profits that benefit from anonymous gifts, likely won't be provided any more. And that just means more taxes so the Government can pay for those things instead.
Maybe Phil just finished reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and realized that his "fair share" is a little beyond "fair"--and that he would be better off joining the "non-working class". I just find it ironic on this Inauguration Day that President Obama has not only made it more lucrative for the unemployed to stay out of work--but also for the rich to no longer work as well. Perhaps he really is the "Messiah" the Left believes him to be.
Keep in mind, as independent contractors, pro golfers are responsible for paying 100-percent of their
Social Security and Medicare taxes. They also buy their own health insurance--and I'm guessing with the potential for surgeries and rehab caused by repetitive motion injuries--their plans fall under the "Cadillac Plan Tax" included in the Affordable Care Act. And their income levels--especially Phil's--are subject to the ObamaCare surcharge tax on the rich as well.
Phil wouldn't get into specifics about what the "drastic changes" might be. It could be as simple as not playing as many tournaments in California (where all those making the cut in a tournament pay state taxes on their winnings. That explains why there are so many tourneys in Texas, Arizona and Florida every year--no state income taxes). Or Phil may choose to move his family from their home outside San Diego to one of the other tax haven states I mentioned before--which is where the vast majority of pro golfers have chosen to live. But what many in the media are guessing is that Phil may choose to just hang up the clubs and walk away from full-time Tour membership.
The guess comes from the fact that Phil's statement came during a discussion of Steve Stricker's semi-retirement this year. That's when Phil launched into his dissertation on taxes and how he is one of the President Obama's "targets". He also pointed out that he would be able to cut those tax rates by simply living off of his investments--which would be taxed at the lower capital gains rate (or "Mitt Romney rate" as it will likely be known for the next decade or so).
With an income of more than 100-million dollars last year--according to estimates by Golf Digest--Phil Mickelson and his family will still do okay whether he continues to golf for a living or retires. But the millions that he and his wife donate to charities every year like their foundation--which provides grants to science and math teachers around the country and to disabled veterans programs--or the dozens of other non-profits that benefit from anonymous gifts, likely won't be provided any more. And that just means more taxes so the Government can pay for those things instead.
Maybe Phil just finished reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and realized that his "fair share" is a little beyond "fair"--and that he would be better off joining the "non-working class". I just find it ironic on this Inauguration Day that President Obama has not only made it more lucrative for the unemployed to stay out of work--but also for the rich to no longer work as well. Perhaps he really is the "Messiah" the Left believes him to be.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Why I Love the Rules of Golf, Volume 1
I found it ironic the day after I wrote about cheaters in golf, Tiger Woods is penalized for taking an illegal drop at Abu Dhabi and misses the cut by one. For the record, Tiger was not DQ'ed--he was informed of the rules infraction on the 11th hole--and his scorecard was adjusted in the scoring area to reflect the two extra strokes on the 5th hole. I heard two fellow media members say Tiger was DQ'ed on Friday and that was not accurate.
I saw the drop in question live Friday morning. One of the advantages of going to work at 3:00 am--and having a TV in your office is that you can keep an eye on Far East or European sports events--and nobody thinks your nuts for getting up that early. At first, the braodcast crew was a little unsure as to why Tiger was taking the drop--they first thought he was taking an unplayable lie. But he never measured out any point of relief and dropped where he had been before. Then they found out that Tiger had taken relief from a plugged lie--and that's when I knew we were going to have a problem.
In my last post, I mentioned the guy who wrongly demanded relief from a plugged lie in a red hazard during a tournament we were playing a few years ago. Having read that rule several times now, I know that relief applies only to areas "through the green"--and that means in an area that is actually being "groomed" for play. You don't get relief if your ball plugs in a fescue area. You don't get relief if you plug in an area of pine needles. And you don't get relief if you plug in a "waste" or "sandy area".
I don't know if Tiger thought that because there were some weeds and bushes growing around his ball that this was not a "sandy area"--but judging by the speed by which he decided to pick up, drop and play out sideways--I think Tiger had pretty much punched out mentally and was just looking forward to getting the heck out of Abu Dhabi. I'd be willing to bet a week's paycheck that if that ball had plugged at a major, or TPC or the Memorial--Tiger would have had not just a rules official over there--but Slugger White, Tim Finchem and Mike Davis as well.
I've heard some criticism of Martin Kaymer for telling Tiger he could take a drop. Based on the post round interviews, the only thing Woods asked Kaymer was for confirmation that his ball was embedded (proper procedure). In no way is Martin required by the rules to say "It doesn't matter, Tiger, you're in a waste area and can't take free relief". Besides, much has been made over the years about Tiger's encyclopedic knowledge of the rules (refer to the gallery removing the "loose impediment" boulder from Tiger's swing path at Scottsdale. Ken Venturi still gets pissed off talking about that--20-years later.)
The one thing I wasn't a fan of in this situation is that once again, it was someone watching the action on TV that called in the infraction. A golf writer watching the action in the media center went to the tournament officials and said Tiger had violated the rule on embedded balls. The officials went to the video--confirmed the infraction and then caught up with Tiger at 11. While I want the rules to be enforced at all times, I believe strongly that the use of TV as a post-infraction way of enforcing them is inheirently unfair.
Someone like Tiger, Rory and Phil has nearly every shot of every tournament captured on tape and archived for potential playback. But someone like Jeev Milka-Singh, Brenden Grace and Paul Lawrie can play nine holes without a camera ever being turned on one of their shots. There were probably 75 guys in that Euro event field that could have done the very same thing Tiger did--and if their playing competitors didn't know the rule either--there would have been no penalty for them. But because every Tiger shot is not only filmed--but is usually recorded at close range--he is under greater rules scrutiny and enforcement than anyone else on the course.
The one positive that we all enjoy from this: nobody is taking a drop from an embedded lie in a "sandy area" for the next few years.
I saw the drop in question live Friday morning. One of the advantages of going to work at 3:00 am--and having a TV in your office is that you can keep an eye on Far East or European sports events--and nobody thinks your nuts for getting up that early. At first, the braodcast crew was a little unsure as to why Tiger was taking the drop--they first thought he was taking an unplayable lie. But he never measured out any point of relief and dropped where he had been before. Then they found out that Tiger had taken relief from a plugged lie--and that's when I knew we were going to have a problem.
In my last post, I mentioned the guy who wrongly demanded relief from a plugged lie in a red hazard during a tournament we were playing a few years ago. Having read that rule several times now, I know that relief applies only to areas "through the green"--and that means in an area that is actually being "groomed" for play. You don't get relief if your ball plugs in a fescue area. You don't get relief if you plug in an area of pine needles. And you don't get relief if you plug in a "waste" or "sandy area".
I don't know if Tiger thought that because there were some weeds and bushes growing around his ball that this was not a "sandy area"--but judging by the speed by which he decided to pick up, drop and play out sideways--I think Tiger had pretty much punched out mentally and was just looking forward to getting the heck out of Abu Dhabi. I'd be willing to bet a week's paycheck that if that ball had plugged at a major, or TPC or the Memorial--Tiger would have had not just a rules official over there--but Slugger White, Tim Finchem and Mike Davis as well.
I've heard some criticism of Martin Kaymer for telling Tiger he could take a drop. Based on the post round interviews, the only thing Woods asked Kaymer was for confirmation that his ball was embedded (proper procedure). In no way is Martin required by the rules to say "It doesn't matter, Tiger, you're in a waste area and can't take free relief". Besides, much has been made over the years about Tiger's encyclopedic knowledge of the rules (refer to the gallery removing the "loose impediment" boulder from Tiger's swing path at Scottsdale. Ken Venturi still gets pissed off talking about that--20-years later.)
The one thing I wasn't a fan of in this situation is that once again, it was someone watching the action on TV that called in the infraction. A golf writer watching the action in the media center went to the tournament officials and said Tiger had violated the rule on embedded balls. The officials went to the video--confirmed the infraction and then caught up with Tiger at 11. While I want the rules to be enforced at all times, I believe strongly that the use of TV as a post-infraction way of enforcing them is inheirently unfair.
Someone like Tiger, Rory and Phil has nearly every shot of every tournament captured on tape and archived for potential playback. But someone like Jeev Milka-Singh, Brenden Grace and Paul Lawrie can play nine holes without a camera ever being turned on one of their shots. There were probably 75 guys in that Euro event field that could have done the very same thing Tiger did--and if their playing competitors didn't know the rule either--there would have been no penalty for them. But because every Tiger shot is not only filmed--but is usually recorded at close range--he is under greater rules scrutiny and enforcement than anyone else on the course.
The one positive that we all enjoy from this: nobody is taking a drop from an embedded lie in a "sandy area" for the next few years.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Cheating
Lance Armstrong is putting the spotlight on cheating in sports this week. So what better time to talk about my favorite golf course cheaters as well?
The Fluffer--Also known as the "Rollover Guy". He believes that Winter Rules apply all year-round, regardless of condition. My friend Kevin and I used to play league with a guy that was a world-class fluffer. He'd do the "look around" to see if anyone was looking at him--then he would use his clubface to nudge the ball into a slightly better lie--even if there was nothing wrong with where it had originally was. I took particular pride in always finding a way to beat that guy all five times we had to play him.
The Stroke Forgetter--Also known as "Put Me Down For A.... Guy" Sometimes people can actually forget a stroke or two--especially on a hole that may have involved some penalties or drops. But then there are the guys who intentionally skip a few. My response is usually "You sure about that?" That is invariably followed by the "point and recreate" process of "I drove it over there, then I took a drop, then I hit it over there, then I went in the bunker, then I blasted over there, then I chipped on, then I three putted. So yeah, I guess it was a 9". I always give them a fake concerned face and say "I just want to make sure you don't get DQ'ed." For some reason, they never say "Thanks, man."
The Rule Ignorer--I don't pretend to know every rule in the book. I never get a perfect score on the USGA annual rules quiz. But I do carry the book in my bag at all times for immediate reference. This stems from the Fox Cities Amateur about six years ago when one of my fellow competitors hit a tee ball that plugged inside a lateral water hazard. He INSISTED that he was allowed to unplug the ball and drop within the hazard again. I told him there is no way you are allowed any type of relief from inside a hazard without penalty. I even told him to play two balls and we would have the pro make a ruling at the end. Well he insisted he was entitled free relief and played it that way. So the round ends and he wants to sign his card and turn it in. I suggested we go to the pro and get a ruling--he refused, so I went to the pro myself and just asked what the rule is. He sided with me and called the other guy over--which led to a profanity-laced tirade and a WD because this is "Bullshit".
The Pickup Artist--Somehow, these guys have never actually holed out--unless they have rolled in a long putt or chipped in. I'll allow you some gimmes--but to not even wait for me to concede?
The Sandbagger--Of all the guys on this list, by far this is my least favorite. I can think of only one competitive round in my entire life--an 81 at Monroe Country Club in a Net Partners Qualifier with an 18-course handicap when I made about two miles of putts--where I have had a "career round" in a tournament or league. Yet, in every tournament I play there is one guy who shoots double digits below his handicap. Case in point: the State Net Amateur the second year it was held, a 32-handicapper shoots an 85 in the first round. Really? Needless to say, his 103 the next day still gave him an 8-shot victory. Or the guy at the Oshkosh City Tournament four years ago that shot a 68 on day one in the B flight. You're a 14-handicap and you shoot two under? This of course leads the rest of us to go to the handicap system to check out their scores. You always find they've got scores to justify the handicap--but the number of rounds--and the gaps between them--never seem to add up to what you know they are actually playing during the season.
Are any of the offenses above comensurate with taking steroids and blood treatments and lying about it for decades and threatening to ruin anyone who accuses you of cheating and publicly discrediting anyone who speaks the truth--all while reaping millions in winnings and endorsements? No. But golf has always held itself to a higher standard than cycling.
The Fluffer--Also known as the "Rollover Guy". He believes that Winter Rules apply all year-round, regardless of condition. My friend Kevin and I used to play league with a guy that was a world-class fluffer. He'd do the "look around" to see if anyone was looking at him--then he would use his clubface to nudge the ball into a slightly better lie--even if there was nothing wrong with where it had originally was. I took particular pride in always finding a way to beat that guy all five times we had to play him.
The Stroke Forgetter--Also known as "Put Me Down For A.... Guy" Sometimes people can actually forget a stroke or two--especially on a hole that may have involved some penalties or drops. But then there are the guys who intentionally skip a few. My response is usually "You sure about that?" That is invariably followed by the "point and recreate" process of "I drove it over there, then I took a drop, then I hit it over there, then I went in the bunker, then I blasted over there, then I chipped on, then I three putted. So yeah, I guess it was a 9". I always give them a fake concerned face and say "I just want to make sure you don't get DQ'ed." For some reason, they never say "Thanks, man."
The Rule Ignorer--I don't pretend to know every rule in the book. I never get a perfect score on the USGA annual rules quiz. But I do carry the book in my bag at all times for immediate reference. This stems from the Fox Cities Amateur about six years ago when one of my fellow competitors hit a tee ball that plugged inside a lateral water hazard. He INSISTED that he was allowed to unplug the ball and drop within the hazard again. I told him there is no way you are allowed any type of relief from inside a hazard without penalty. I even told him to play two balls and we would have the pro make a ruling at the end. Well he insisted he was entitled free relief and played it that way. So the round ends and he wants to sign his card and turn it in. I suggested we go to the pro and get a ruling--he refused, so I went to the pro myself and just asked what the rule is. He sided with me and called the other guy over--which led to a profanity-laced tirade and a WD because this is "Bullshit".
The Pickup Artist--Somehow, these guys have never actually holed out--unless they have rolled in a long putt or chipped in. I'll allow you some gimmes--but to not even wait for me to concede?
The Sandbagger--Of all the guys on this list, by far this is my least favorite. I can think of only one competitive round in my entire life--an 81 at Monroe Country Club in a Net Partners Qualifier with an 18-course handicap when I made about two miles of putts--where I have had a "career round" in a tournament or league. Yet, in every tournament I play there is one guy who shoots double digits below his handicap. Case in point: the State Net Amateur the second year it was held, a 32-handicapper shoots an 85 in the first round. Really? Needless to say, his 103 the next day still gave him an 8-shot victory. Or the guy at the Oshkosh City Tournament four years ago that shot a 68 on day one in the B flight. You're a 14-handicap and you shoot two under? This of course leads the rest of us to go to the handicap system to check out their scores. You always find they've got scores to justify the handicap--but the number of rounds--and the gaps between them--never seem to add up to what you know they are actually playing during the season.
Are any of the offenses above comensurate with taking steroids and blood treatments and lying about it for decades and threatening to ruin anyone who accuses you of cheating and publicly discrediting anyone who speaks the truth--all while reaping millions in winnings and endorsements? No. But golf has always held itself to a higher standard than cycling.
Monday, January 14, 2013
A Change For the Better
I cannot cheer loudly enough the decision by the USGA today to require that two Mid-Amateurs be on the US Walker Cup Team. For those not familiar, the Walker Cup is the amateur version of the Ryder Cup--with a team from the US taking on a team from Great Britain and Ireland (no continental Europe in this one) every two years in match play competition. For the last twenty years, the US side has been a college All-Star team--almost exclusively featuring 23 and under players on scholarship somewhere. It mirrored the match play bracket of the US Amateur every year--college kids--without anyone who has used up their eligibility within site.
And that is why the USGA created the Mid-Amateur competition in the first place--because those of us not on scholarship can't just spend five hours a day working with a trainer in the gym (for free), working with a swing coach and short game guru (for free), using an all-seasons, tour-quality driving range with launch monitors and SwingTech equipment (for free), playing university-owned golf courses (for free) and playing in top level competitions all across the country (for free). Some of us have to go to work. And some of us have to go to work in climates that don't allow us a chance to even swing a club for five months a year. Yet to make the Walker Cup, you would have to overcome that competitive disadvantage to somehow get selected to the team.
Buddy Marucci was the last Mid-Am star player I can remember playing Walker Cup--making the team in his early-40's. But now, the "working stiff" gets a chance to play. And every other year, those guys will be my favorite players on the team. Can you imagine going from trying to win your Thursday afternoon Partners League at the Club to St Andrews to represent your country?
USGA Vice President Thomas O'Toole, Junior touched on another great advantage to adding a few "old guys" to the team as well: “Mid-amateurs, who are seasoned players, are likely to bring a unique perspective to a team and demonstrate, as well as appreciate, the characteristics of leadership and generosity of spirit that are central to the Walker Cup. It is the positive influence mid-amateurs will have on the Walker Cup experience and our strong commitment to amateur golf that causes us to reach this determination.”
So let's hear it for the USGA's renewed commitment to the "real amateur" golfer and continuing to expand their opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Now, if we could just get a National High-Handicapper Championship (10+ only)--with the winner getting an invitation to the Masters and automatic qualification in the US Open!
And that is why the USGA created the Mid-Amateur competition in the first place--because those of us not on scholarship can't just spend five hours a day working with a trainer in the gym (for free), working with a swing coach and short game guru (for free), using an all-seasons, tour-quality driving range with launch monitors and SwingTech equipment (for free), playing university-owned golf courses (for free) and playing in top level competitions all across the country (for free). Some of us have to go to work. And some of us have to go to work in climates that don't allow us a chance to even swing a club for five months a year. Yet to make the Walker Cup, you would have to overcome that competitive disadvantage to somehow get selected to the team.
Buddy Marucci was the last Mid-Am star player I can remember playing Walker Cup--making the team in his early-40's. But now, the "working stiff" gets a chance to play. And every other year, those guys will be my favorite players on the team. Can you imagine going from trying to win your Thursday afternoon Partners League at the Club to St Andrews to represent your country?
USGA Vice President Thomas O'Toole, Junior touched on another great advantage to adding a few "old guys" to the team as well: “Mid-amateurs, who are seasoned players, are likely to bring a unique perspective to a team and demonstrate, as well as appreciate, the characteristics of leadership and generosity of spirit that are central to the Walker Cup. It is the positive influence mid-amateurs will have on the Walker Cup experience and our strong commitment to amateur golf that causes us to reach this determination.”
So let's hear it for the USGA's renewed commitment to the "real amateur" golfer and continuing to expand their opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Now, if we could just get a National High-Handicapper Championship (10+ only)--with the winner getting an invitation to the Masters and automatic qualification in the US Open!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Lost and Found
In addition to being the greatest ball strikers and the greatest putters in the world, the guys on the PGA Tour are also the greatest finders of golf balls in the world. I bring this up after what I saw on Tuesday's final round at Kapalua when Dustin Johnson found a wayward drive late in the round when having to go back to the tee to hit three would have tightened the leaderboard considerably.
Johnson yanked his drive left--had it bounce through a bunker and then head toward a ravine densely packed with trees and brush. Johnson didn't even follow the ball--turning away in disgust--and there were no marshals along that side of the fairway to see where the ball went in. Even from the multiple camera angles, you couldn't tell where the ball ended up.
It looked like it was going to be a lost ball--even though DJ found about three other balls (perhaps one of my ProV's?)--and Steve Stricker hobbled down into the ravine to help look as well. But then just as the five minute window was going to expire, he found the ball in thick grass right at the edge of the ravine.
I know that if it was me hitting it to the same spot with the same lack of eyeballs on the shot I would have never found that ball. I've been in competitions where I have hit drives on blind holes that were right on line with the center of the fairway--only to find no ball anywhere in the short grass. I would have broken 90 on the River Course at Black Wolf Run last year if my 3-wood over the trees that split the fairway hadn't disappeared after everyone in the group saw it clear the trees and hit the middle of the fairway.
Yet Rory McIlroy hits one off a tree left of 10 at the Masters and is able to find his ball between two cottages that most people who had been to Augusta National didn't even know existed. Remember when Ernie Els hooked one way left on 11 at Augusta and found it in a pile of brush--getting free relief that just happened to give him an angle to get a shot back down the fairway? And I'm positive that Bones MacKay keeps a pocketful of pre-marked Callaways in his pocket and just drops one down when no one is looking. "Hey Phil, here it is!!"
And big ups to Steve Stricker for hauling his inured body into that ravine to look for someone else's ball. I've played with more than a few guys in competitions who do the "cursory look"--moving a few strands of grass on the outer edge of the hazard with a club--or just pointing at spots where they think they "saw it go in."
My brother-in-law refuses to look for errant balls. "They make a million golf balls a day in China, Jonathan" is his usual excuse. I'm going to use my entire five minutes. When your playing a four dollar ball--you are going to do everything you can to find that sucker--even if you can't play it where it lies.
I always think of the story (which may or may not be true) of the guy with a reputation for cheating playing in a tight match the club championship. He hits a tee shot to a blind par three green and no one is able to see it when they get over the hill. He and his opponent search all around the green--and just as his time is up he declares "I found it! It was over here!" He procedes to chip on--appearing to have averted a match-losing disaster. But than as his opponent reaches to pull the pin from the cup--he finds the real ball in the cup.
Johnson yanked his drive left--had it bounce through a bunker and then head toward a ravine densely packed with trees and brush. Johnson didn't even follow the ball--turning away in disgust--and there were no marshals along that side of the fairway to see where the ball went in. Even from the multiple camera angles, you couldn't tell where the ball ended up.
It looked like it was going to be a lost ball--even though DJ found about three other balls (perhaps one of my ProV's?)--and Steve Stricker hobbled down into the ravine to help look as well. But then just as the five minute window was going to expire, he found the ball in thick grass right at the edge of the ravine.
I know that if it was me hitting it to the same spot with the same lack of eyeballs on the shot I would have never found that ball. I've been in competitions where I have hit drives on blind holes that were right on line with the center of the fairway--only to find no ball anywhere in the short grass. I would have broken 90 on the River Course at Black Wolf Run last year if my 3-wood over the trees that split the fairway hadn't disappeared after everyone in the group saw it clear the trees and hit the middle of the fairway.
Yet Rory McIlroy hits one off a tree left of 10 at the Masters and is able to find his ball between two cottages that most people who had been to Augusta National didn't even know existed. Remember when Ernie Els hooked one way left on 11 at Augusta and found it in a pile of brush--getting free relief that just happened to give him an angle to get a shot back down the fairway? And I'm positive that Bones MacKay keeps a pocketful of pre-marked Callaways in his pocket and just drops one down when no one is looking. "Hey Phil, here it is!!"
And big ups to Steve Stricker for hauling his inured body into that ravine to look for someone else's ball. I've played with more than a few guys in competitions who do the "cursory look"--moving a few strands of grass on the outer edge of the hazard with a club--or just pointing at spots where they think they "saw it go in."
My brother-in-law refuses to look for errant balls. "They make a million golf balls a day in China, Jonathan" is his usual excuse. I'm going to use my entire five minutes. When your playing a four dollar ball--you are going to do everything you can to find that sucker--even if you can't play it where it lies.
I always think of the story (which may or may not be true) of the guy with a reputation for cheating playing in a tight match the club championship. He hits a tee shot to a blind par three green and no one is able to see it when they get over the hill. He and his opponent search all around the green--and just as his time is up he declares "I found it! It was over here!" He procedes to chip on--appearing to have averted a match-losing disaster. But than as his opponent reaches to pull the pin from the cup--he finds the real ball in the cup.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Blown Away
Of the four extreme elements that we golfers have to deal with--rain, cold, heat and wind--the one I will always opt for is wind (so long as it is not combined with the rain or the cold). Not the kind of winds they've been dealing with this week at Kapalua--that is obviously unplayable--but the kind of wind we get here in Wisconsin for pretty much the entire months of April and May.
Tom Watson is generally considered the greatest wind player of all-time--which explains his incredible record at the Open Championship. Roger Maltbie told a story this week on Golf Channel of how they played a tournament in Arizona one year back in the 70's where the wind was up around 30 MPH. Maltbie shot a 92 in that round. Watson--playing in the group behind the Course Whisperer--shot a 68. Watson's success came from being one of the most ball-strikers of all time as well--thereby guaranteeing himself a shot that would come out with the kind of spin to either bore through the wind, or to limit the amount of effect the wind would have in knocking it off line.
I'm not a particulary good ball-striker, but I do have a good imagination--and for some reason, I can "visualize" how much curve the wind will produce on a shot. When I'm getting those shots on the line that I imagine, I can pretty much guide the ball right to where I need to be. I like to call it "painting pretty pictures in the sky"--as the ball creates these lovely curves and finds a fairway or a green.
In my run to the Match Play Championship in 2009, I had two matches against better seeds on very windy days. In both cases, these younger players never adjusted to the conditions--playing their regular lines and watching everything end up in the wrong spots--or just trying to overpower the wind. Meanwhile, I let it ride the wind--aiming way left or right of fairways and greens--and just letting Mother Nature take 'em home. Preceded of course by the official golfers shout "C'mon wind!!"
I had another good wind day two years ago in the Net Partners Qualifier at Thornberry Creek. A large section of that course is exposed to the wind--and that is where Greg and I made our hay--relative to the other players in the field. Just two groups finished below net par--with us leading the way at 4-under.
But as the Golf Gods giveth, they can certainly taketh away. As much as I like the tailwind--and I can work with crosswinds--the headwind continues to be my nemesis. That is what seperates the good wind players from the great wind players. As a high ball hitter, I'm powerless against the headwind. And if that clubface doesn't come though squared up to the line I'm trying to play...I've ended up missing some fairways by nearly 100-yards--just watching the ball move farther and farther right.
I'm also a "flop guy" on shots around the greeen. It's amazing how much effect a stiff wind can have even a little shot like that--usually killing it milliseconds off the clubface. That's why I placed an emphasis on playing more bump and runs--along with low-flighted approach shots into greens at the end of last year. Results were mixed, but with another season of work I hope to be better. Not Tom Watson better--but good enough to get back into single digit handicap range.
Tom Watson is generally considered the greatest wind player of all-time--which explains his incredible record at the Open Championship. Roger Maltbie told a story this week on Golf Channel of how they played a tournament in Arizona one year back in the 70's where the wind was up around 30 MPH. Maltbie shot a 92 in that round. Watson--playing in the group behind the Course Whisperer--shot a 68. Watson's success came from being one of the most ball-strikers of all time as well--thereby guaranteeing himself a shot that would come out with the kind of spin to either bore through the wind, or to limit the amount of effect the wind would have in knocking it off line.
I'm not a particulary good ball-striker, but I do have a good imagination--and for some reason, I can "visualize" how much curve the wind will produce on a shot. When I'm getting those shots on the line that I imagine, I can pretty much guide the ball right to where I need to be. I like to call it "painting pretty pictures in the sky"--as the ball creates these lovely curves and finds a fairway or a green.
In my run to the Match Play Championship in 2009, I had two matches against better seeds on very windy days. In both cases, these younger players never adjusted to the conditions--playing their regular lines and watching everything end up in the wrong spots--or just trying to overpower the wind. Meanwhile, I let it ride the wind--aiming way left or right of fairways and greens--and just letting Mother Nature take 'em home. Preceded of course by the official golfers shout "C'mon wind!!"
I had another good wind day two years ago in the Net Partners Qualifier at Thornberry Creek. A large section of that course is exposed to the wind--and that is where Greg and I made our hay--relative to the other players in the field. Just two groups finished below net par--with us leading the way at 4-under.
But as the Golf Gods giveth, they can certainly taketh away. As much as I like the tailwind--and I can work with crosswinds--the headwind continues to be my nemesis. That is what seperates the good wind players from the great wind players. As a high ball hitter, I'm powerless against the headwind. And if that clubface doesn't come though squared up to the line I'm trying to play...I've ended up missing some fairways by nearly 100-yards--just watching the ball move farther and farther right.
I'm also a "flop guy" on shots around the greeen. It's amazing how much effect a stiff wind can have even a little shot like that--usually killing it milliseconds off the clubface. That's why I placed an emphasis on playing more bump and runs--along with low-flighted approach shots into greens at the end of last year. Results were mixed, but with another season of work I hope to be better. Not Tom Watson better--but good enough to get back into single digit handicap range.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hybrid Set
I am adding another hybrid to my bag this year. I just got the Adams A12OS 5 hybrid last night at Golf Galaxy. That now puts three hybrids in my set--joining a 3 and a 4.
I remember when Adams first launched their hybrids. Those of us under the age of 60 laughed at them and called them "Old Man's Clubs"--because the first pros to play and endorse them were all on the Senior Tour. "We'll stick with our three and four irons, thank you" said us young punks.
And then a funny thing happened. That 3 iron got harder to hit well every year. And every year Golf Digest and the instructors on Golf Channel kept saying "dump your long irons and get hybrids!" The next thing you know, I'm testing a 3 hybrid on the range and realizing that I can hit it higher, farther and straighter than that 3 iron. An adams A6OS soon found a home in my bag--while the 3 iron was relegated to the corner of the garage.
And then a year or two later, the 4 iron gets harder to hit well--and I'm out there testing out a 4 hybrid. Again, it is longer, higher and straighter than the iron that it soon replaced.
At that point, I thought that would be the end of hybrid influx. I've always been able to hit my 5 iron well--so there will never be any need to go with a 5 hybrid. I didn't want my bag to look like an old woman's--you know, with five woods and five hybrids and only a 9-iron.
And then came last year. When I could count on one hand the good shots I hit with my trusty 5 iron. it was probably after I splashed a "smooth 5" on one of the par 3's at the State Net Amateur in August that I knew, the time had come to add yet another hybrid.
They don't make the A6's anymore--so my 5 is one of the newer A12's--with the "speed slot" sole that is supposed to promote greater ball speed off the clubface. Based on the simulator at Golf Galaxy last night, I averaged between 185 to 190 yards with it. The sales rep helping me claimed the yardage is a little short on their machine--and that it is closer to 195 to 200. We'll see what it does on the range in Florida in March.
While I'm on the topic, I had to laugh at those who tried to argue that hybrids should be banned along with long putters last year. The argument was that hybrids make longer shots easier to hit--just like long putters make putts easier to make. What those trying to make that point miss is that a hybrid is swung just like a long iron or a fairway wood is swung--whereas the use of a belly or long putter is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STROKE--with the club anchored to a fixed point. If a hybrid was swung from a fixed point--and still produced the results seen in a conventional swing--then I would be calling for their banning as well.
But since they are not, I'll hopefully enjoy some better shots from longer distances in the upcoming season.
I remember when Adams first launched their hybrids. Those of us under the age of 60 laughed at them and called them "Old Man's Clubs"--because the first pros to play and endorse them were all on the Senior Tour. "We'll stick with our three and four irons, thank you" said us young punks.
And then a funny thing happened. That 3 iron got harder to hit well every year. And every year Golf Digest and the instructors on Golf Channel kept saying "dump your long irons and get hybrids!" The next thing you know, I'm testing a 3 hybrid on the range and realizing that I can hit it higher, farther and straighter than that 3 iron. An adams A6OS soon found a home in my bag--while the 3 iron was relegated to the corner of the garage.
And then a year or two later, the 4 iron gets harder to hit well--and I'm out there testing out a 4 hybrid. Again, it is longer, higher and straighter than the iron that it soon replaced.
At that point, I thought that would be the end of hybrid influx. I've always been able to hit my 5 iron well--so there will never be any need to go with a 5 hybrid. I didn't want my bag to look like an old woman's--you know, with five woods and five hybrids and only a 9-iron.
And then came last year. When I could count on one hand the good shots I hit with my trusty 5 iron. it was probably after I splashed a "smooth 5" on one of the par 3's at the State Net Amateur in August that I knew, the time had come to add yet another hybrid.
They don't make the A6's anymore--so my 5 is one of the newer A12's--with the "speed slot" sole that is supposed to promote greater ball speed off the clubface. Based on the simulator at Golf Galaxy last night, I averaged between 185 to 190 yards with it. The sales rep helping me claimed the yardage is a little short on their machine--and that it is closer to 195 to 200. We'll see what it does on the range in Florida in March.
While I'm on the topic, I had to laugh at those who tried to argue that hybrids should be banned along with long putters last year. The argument was that hybrids make longer shots easier to hit--just like long putters make putts easier to make. What those trying to make that point miss is that a hybrid is swung just like a long iron or a fairway wood is swung--whereas the use of a belly or long putter is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STROKE--with the club anchored to a fixed point. If a hybrid was swung from a fixed point--and still produced the results seen in a conventional swing--then I would be calling for their banning as well.
But since they are not, I'll hopefully enjoy some better shots from longer distances in the upcoming season.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Ah, Kapalua
The PGA Tour has canceled the first round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions today after the British Open broke out this morning with wind gusts in excess of 40 miles an hour and rain coming down sideways. (I'm sure the members at St Andrews and Royal Troon are laughing that the Tour decided the conditions were "grossly unfair".) The lack of TV coverage tonight gives me a chance to think back to my own round at Kapalua Plantation.
I played Kapalua on my honeymoon back in February of 2005. I started the day with the caramel-iest caramel roll I have ever had in my life at a cafe in Lahaina. After I was done, my hands were so sticky that I could have played without any grips--I would have been able to grab just a steel or graphite shaft and hang onto it no problem. Then I made the breathtaking trip up the coast to Kapalua Resort--winding my way along black rock cliffs and homes that probably cost ten-figures to the course. Since we had rented this junky Jeep Wrangler (because the rental place would let you take their vehicles on the "back road to Hana" and I wanted to experience that without worrying about getting stuck and having no one come out to save us) I parked as far away from the clubhouse as possible--hoping people would think it belonged to one of the grounds crew. Then I headed in and changed in the Players Locker Room.
Thanks to a friend, I got the resort guest rate--instead of general public--saving me a few bucks. I didn't bring along my clubs (and this was before the bag fees charged by the airlines) because we we already hauling nine pieces of luggage halfway around the world--and there was no way to handle another bag. So I ended up renting a set of Ping G5 woods and irons. Very nice clubs--unfortunately, they were not fit for a guy 6'3" tall and who is used to extended length shafts. They did not have any longer clubs available--so I would have to learn to adjust. Another thing that disappointed me, the trademark "Pineapple Butterfly" bag tag had "Rental" stamped on it--not my last name. (Fortunately, we found a lost tag from a Japanese guy after the round and I could bring that home as a momento. "I see you played Kapalua Mr Suzuki.")
After getting my gear, I headed out to the driving range. Let's just say, it wasn't quite what I expected from a PGA Tour site. The range has been cut into a grove of tall pines and it seemed rather small and short. Perhaps that is why the TOC is such a limited field--there would be nowhere for a full field to warm up. After getting loose, it was off to the first tee to meet my partners for the day: two guys from Chicago and a doctor from Toronto. They were staying at the resort, had their own clubs, and the FIBS had played Plantation twice before that week, so they would "help us get around".
Conditions that day were pretty average for that part of Maui: Mostly cloudy, windy with spotty rain showers. "The Trades" were blowing about 20 sustained with gusts around 30 for our round. The starter told us we would "have fun" with that wind. We all decided we would play the Blues because "you only live once--may as well see all of it today".
Hole 1--Par 4, 473yds. The starter suggested we play for a 210 yard shot off the tee as the combination of the wind and the slope would send anything longer into the deep valley in front of the green. Normally, 210 would be a 4-Hybrid. Unfortunately, my set didn't have a 4H so I had to hit a 4 iron instead. After a few nervous practice swings and waggles, I let her rip--catching the middle of the ball and shooting a low laser beam that just cleared the other sets of tees and rolled about 150 yards down the fairway. I reassured the other guys in the group, the clubs were too short for me--and that I would learn to adjust. Second shot, I'm caught in no man's land--as I've got 300 to the front edge--and about 140 yards to the start of the steep slope leading into the valley, with a two club wind behind me. So I try an 8 iron to hopefully layup and roll out to the end of the fairway before the valley. Unfortunately, I hit another low laser beam that flies about 120 and disappears into the swale. So now I'm looking at 114 to the pin out of the rough to a green that is about 20-feet above me. A full wedge gets me on the green about 40-feet away. I've heard all about how "grainy" Hawaiian greens are. So I'm behind my first putt looking for all this grain--and I don't see it. In fact, I realize I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking for. So I play my first putt for about a two foot right to left break and watch it miss about three feet under the hole. "You gotta play for the grain" says one of the Chicago Guys. "I guess" was my reply. Anyway, short on the comebacker so it's a three-putt double on the first.
Hole 2--Par 3, 218 yds. I'm last off the tee and hit a 3 iron off the toe into the second greenside bunker. Something else about Kapalua, they apparently brought the sand for the bunkes up the mountain from the beach at Ka'anapali--because they are super soft and the sand is super heavy. I leave my first shot in the bunker, then blast out to about 15 feet. A two putt double and I am quickly four over after two.
Hole 3--Par 4, 380 yds. For the first time in the round we are playing into the wind now. Playing last, I hit a low straight drive right down the middle and get a pretty decent roll to about 140 out. Now I'm looking at a two-club headwind, so I'm playing a full 6 in and for the first time all day I catch it flush and end up about 25-feet past the hole. My first putt cozies up and I tap in for my first par. Four over after three.
Hole 4--Par 4, 382 yds. This is just a killer hole. Uphill all the way and into the trade wind all the way. Playing first I hit a push made worse by the wind right of the fairway bunker and close to the "native grass" (which in an effort to speed up play, is all marked as a red hazard so you can drop if you go in--rather than going back to the tee to play another shot.) Fortunately, I'm still in play, about 135 out. I hit a thin 6 iron this time coming up short of the green. An average chip and two putts and I'm home with a bogey. Five over after four.
Hole 5--Par 5, 532 yds. This hole plays side hill, cross wind and my drive catches the wind and goes about 50 yards into the native grass 50 yards right of the fairway. After a drop, a thin 4 iron and another thin 4 iron I'm deep and left of the green. A perfect high pitch (without my beloved 60-degree wedge) and I sink a five footer to salvage bogey. Six over after five.
Hole 6--Par 4 398 yds. After what seemed like a mile long cart ride (Kapalua is impossible to walk. Even the pros and their caddies take carts between a number of the holes) we arrive at the down wind down hill hole. I play third and hit this beautiful high fade that I thought was going to be perfect. But both of the Chicago Guys insist that there is no way I hit it far enough to carry the native grass--and that I should hit another ball from the tee. Now according to my yardage book, it would have been about 265 to carry the hazard on the line my ball was taking--and with a two club wind behind, I could easily hit that yardage. But they insisted and I teed up another--carrrying the big bunker that splits the fairway about 280 out. The Canadian Doctor was on the left side of the fairway as well, so we went to his ball first. We didn't see another ball in the fairway, so I thought maybe the Chicago Guys were right and that I was in the crap. So I played my second ball--missing the green with a flat out shank right. On the way to my "third shot" I come across my first tee ball just right of the fairway about 30 yards from the green. Because I'm already steaming after the poor approach shot, I make a big deal about finding the ball far beyond where the Chicago Guys thought that I could hit it. "I can't believe you can hit it that far!" one of them shouts back. A sloppy pitch to the elevated green left me about 20 feet away. The still cleverly-disguised grain kills my putt and I come up about three feet short. I knock in the knee knocker and get out with a "cheaters par". Six over after six and feeling pretty good about myself now. (Totally forgot about the "provisional" ball and drove off without picking it up.)
Hole 7--Par 4 484 yds. We pull up to this tee box and for the first time I remember that I have the camera along today and I should probably be taking some pictures. The view of Molokai is unbelievable on this hole--and I must have been too distracted. Going first, I hit my first moster pull of the day and yank my tee shot into the jungle grass left of the fairway. After a drop, I chunk a 5 iron out of the rough, skull a 9 iron to the back edge and three putt from about 70 feet and walk off with a triple bogey 7. Nine over after seven.
Hole 8--Par 3, 203 yds. Another unbelievably beautiful hole where you carry this lush ravine all the way from the tee to the green. I hit my best 4 iron of the day and reach the front edge. Two putts from 30 feet and I'm back on the good track. Nine over after eight.
Hole 9--Par 5, 521 yds. The name of the hole is "Long". It should be changed to "Nutbuster" as it is all uphill, into the wind with another deep valley crossing the fairway about 300-yards out. Playing first, I pop up a drive that gets up into the headwind and dies about 150-yards out. We joked that it looked like it was actually coming back at us on the way down. Then I catch the 3 wood on the screws and watch as that shot swoops up and straight down--still short of the valley. Another 3 wood gets me across but right, near the fairway bunkers. I mash an 6 iron from 120 and still come up short of the green!! I manage to chip it on--but miss a makeable four footer to three jack it and take an 8. 12 over (48) at the turn.
Hole 10--Par 4, 354 yds. A pretty non-descript hole heading back up the mountain. I hit the fairway off the tee, just miss the green right but hit a nice chip to about six feet and make the putt for par. 12-over after ten.
Hole 11--Par 3, 164 yds. This is the hole they show on TV all the time with the surfers in the bay behind the green. After a number of pictures--and a group shot with the ocean behind--I thin my 6 iron short of the front bunkers. A pulled pitch shot followed by three putts and I've killed my momentum again with a double. 14 over after 11.
Hole 12--Par 4, 373 yds. Another picture hole as you tee over the lush ravine--with the island of Lanai in the distance. I'm getting the feel for the G5 driver now and stripe one down the middle about 285. A perfect 8 iron in and two putts and I'm 14-over after twelve.
Hole 13--Par 4, 407 yds. I hit what should have been a push slice off the tee--but the wind holds it fairly straight and I miss the fairway just a little bit right about 130 out. I cut a nice little 7-iron against the wind and have just 15 feet left. I hit my first lip out of the day and have to settle for a par. 14 over thirteen.
Hole 14--Par 4, 305 yds. All uphill and all into the wind. I don't have a hybrid, so I try to "smooth' a 3 iron out there. Instead, I catch it thin again and roll one out just past the ladies tees. I hack one out of the rough, then pull a 6 iron into the left front bunker. I barely get out, putt from just off the green and putt twice more to take a triple. 17 over after fourteen.
Hole 15--Par 5, 555 yds. This is back uphill--but the wind doesn't seem that strong where we are. This time I push it right into the native grass. I now realize that I am not likely to break 90 today (which was my goal, given the difficulty of the course, the weather, strange clubs and not having played for about five months) and make my new goal just to break a hundred. My third shot goes off the toe of the 4 iron and into the native grass again. Another drop followed by a pretty good six iron and I'm on the fringe on the right side of the green. My first putt is going way too fast--but catches the middle back of the cup and stops within two feet and I "save" a 7. 19 over after fifteen.
Hole 16--Par 4, 365 yds. One more hike up the mountain (or in this case, cart ride). I find one of the mulitiple fairway bunkers off the tee. All I can do is blast out back onto the fairway and then stroke a fairly decent 6 iron into the middle of the green. Another boring two putt for bogey and I'm 20 over after sixteen.
Hole 17--Par 4, 486 yds. While 18 at Kapalua gets all off the attention, 17 is just a "miniature" version of the finishing hole. You're actually at the highest point on the course on the tee box--and the wind is just howling behind you. I catch my drive a little high on the face and don't get the rollout I hoped for on the severe slope. That being said, it was still just over 300-yards--leaving me about 183 out. I choose 6-iron (which I have now used for every yardage between 185 and 120 today) and catch it a little thin--but the ball catches the slope in front and rolls to about 12 feet. Another heartbreaking lip out and I get a two putt par. 20 over after seventeen.
Hole 18--Par 5, 666 yds. There are a handful of tee shots that excite golfers more than any other: 17 at TPC Sawgrass, 18 at Carnoustie, 18 at Pebble, 17 at St Andrews and half the holes at Augusta National. 18 at Kapalua is one of those as well. Not because of danger--but rather because of the potential for hitting a once in a lifetime shot. And on this day, I hit that shot. After the required photos, I teed her high and swung with nearly all of my might. Somehow, I hit a high slight draw that caught the slope on the right side of the fairway and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled--finally coming to a stop 410 yards from the tee!! I was a full 100 yards ahead of both of the Chicago Guys (who begrudgingly congratulated on my shot) and about 50 yards ahead of Canadian Doctor. The crazy thing is, I still had 253 to get home in two. I chose 3 wood hoping to catch the slope right of the green and roll it down to the hole like the pros do every year on Sunday. Unfortunately, I was a little too pumped up and hit a pull. It looked like I was headed into the ravine--but I cleared by a few feet and bounced into the left front bunker. My best sand shot of the day left me with an 8 footer for birdie......and it caught the left edge and went down! A bird to finish an all-around great day. Final Score: 92, 19 over par.
We are heading back to Hawaii again in a couple of years--and I plan to play Kapalua Plantation again. But this time I'm going to have my clubs shipped ahead so that I can be a bit more comfortable out there. I should probably take a more than four or five pictures as well. I'll look for those on our flash drives this weekend and post some in the near future.
I played Kapalua on my honeymoon back in February of 2005. I started the day with the caramel-iest caramel roll I have ever had in my life at a cafe in Lahaina. After I was done, my hands were so sticky that I could have played without any grips--I would have been able to grab just a steel or graphite shaft and hang onto it no problem. Then I made the breathtaking trip up the coast to Kapalua Resort--winding my way along black rock cliffs and homes that probably cost ten-figures to the course. Since we had rented this junky Jeep Wrangler (because the rental place would let you take their vehicles on the "back road to Hana" and I wanted to experience that without worrying about getting stuck and having no one come out to save us) I parked as far away from the clubhouse as possible--hoping people would think it belonged to one of the grounds crew. Then I headed in and changed in the Players Locker Room.
Thanks to a friend, I got the resort guest rate--instead of general public--saving me a few bucks. I didn't bring along my clubs (and this was before the bag fees charged by the airlines) because we we already hauling nine pieces of luggage halfway around the world--and there was no way to handle another bag. So I ended up renting a set of Ping G5 woods and irons. Very nice clubs--unfortunately, they were not fit for a guy 6'3" tall and who is used to extended length shafts. They did not have any longer clubs available--so I would have to learn to adjust. Another thing that disappointed me, the trademark "Pineapple Butterfly" bag tag had "Rental" stamped on it--not my last name. (Fortunately, we found a lost tag from a Japanese guy after the round and I could bring that home as a momento. "I see you played Kapalua Mr Suzuki.")
After getting my gear, I headed out to the driving range. Let's just say, it wasn't quite what I expected from a PGA Tour site. The range has been cut into a grove of tall pines and it seemed rather small and short. Perhaps that is why the TOC is such a limited field--there would be nowhere for a full field to warm up. After getting loose, it was off to the first tee to meet my partners for the day: two guys from Chicago and a doctor from Toronto. They were staying at the resort, had their own clubs, and the FIBS had played Plantation twice before that week, so they would "help us get around".
Conditions that day were pretty average for that part of Maui: Mostly cloudy, windy with spotty rain showers. "The Trades" were blowing about 20 sustained with gusts around 30 for our round. The starter told us we would "have fun" with that wind. We all decided we would play the Blues because "you only live once--may as well see all of it today".
Hole 1--Par 4, 473yds. The starter suggested we play for a 210 yard shot off the tee as the combination of the wind and the slope would send anything longer into the deep valley in front of the green. Normally, 210 would be a 4-Hybrid. Unfortunately, my set didn't have a 4H so I had to hit a 4 iron instead. After a few nervous practice swings and waggles, I let her rip--catching the middle of the ball and shooting a low laser beam that just cleared the other sets of tees and rolled about 150 yards down the fairway. I reassured the other guys in the group, the clubs were too short for me--and that I would learn to adjust. Second shot, I'm caught in no man's land--as I've got 300 to the front edge--and about 140 yards to the start of the steep slope leading into the valley, with a two club wind behind me. So I try an 8 iron to hopefully layup and roll out to the end of the fairway before the valley. Unfortunately, I hit another low laser beam that flies about 120 and disappears into the swale. So now I'm looking at 114 to the pin out of the rough to a green that is about 20-feet above me. A full wedge gets me on the green about 40-feet away. I've heard all about how "grainy" Hawaiian greens are. So I'm behind my first putt looking for all this grain--and I don't see it. In fact, I realize I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking for. So I play my first putt for about a two foot right to left break and watch it miss about three feet under the hole. "You gotta play for the grain" says one of the Chicago Guys. "I guess" was my reply. Anyway, short on the comebacker so it's a three-putt double on the first.
Hole 2--Par 3, 218 yds. I'm last off the tee and hit a 3 iron off the toe into the second greenside bunker. Something else about Kapalua, they apparently brought the sand for the bunkes up the mountain from the beach at Ka'anapali--because they are super soft and the sand is super heavy. I leave my first shot in the bunker, then blast out to about 15 feet. A two putt double and I am quickly four over after two.
Hole 3--Par 4, 380 yds. For the first time in the round we are playing into the wind now. Playing last, I hit a low straight drive right down the middle and get a pretty decent roll to about 140 out. Now I'm looking at a two-club headwind, so I'm playing a full 6 in and for the first time all day I catch it flush and end up about 25-feet past the hole. My first putt cozies up and I tap in for my first par. Four over after three.
Hole 4--Par 4, 382 yds. This is just a killer hole. Uphill all the way and into the trade wind all the way. Playing first I hit a push made worse by the wind right of the fairway bunker and close to the "native grass" (which in an effort to speed up play, is all marked as a red hazard so you can drop if you go in--rather than going back to the tee to play another shot.) Fortunately, I'm still in play, about 135 out. I hit a thin 6 iron this time coming up short of the green. An average chip and two putts and I'm home with a bogey. Five over after four.
Hole 5--Par 5, 532 yds. This hole plays side hill, cross wind and my drive catches the wind and goes about 50 yards into the native grass 50 yards right of the fairway. After a drop, a thin 4 iron and another thin 4 iron I'm deep and left of the green. A perfect high pitch (without my beloved 60-degree wedge) and I sink a five footer to salvage bogey. Six over after five.
Hole 6--Par 4 398 yds. After what seemed like a mile long cart ride (Kapalua is impossible to walk. Even the pros and their caddies take carts between a number of the holes) we arrive at the down wind down hill hole. I play third and hit this beautiful high fade that I thought was going to be perfect. But both of the Chicago Guys insist that there is no way I hit it far enough to carry the native grass--and that I should hit another ball from the tee. Now according to my yardage book, it would have been about 265 to carry the hazard on the line my ball was taking--and with a two club wind behind, I could easily hit that yardage. But they insisted and I teed up another--carrrying the big bunker that splits the fairway about 280 out. The Canadian Doctor was on the left side of the fairway as well, so we went to his ball first. We didn't see another ball in the fairway, so I thought maybe the Chicago Guys were right and that I was in the crap. So I played my second ball--missing the green with a flat out shank right. On the way to my "third shot" I come across my first tee ball just right of the fairway about 30 yards from the green. Because I'm already steaming after the poor approach shot, I make a big deal about finding the ball far beyond where the Chicago Guys thought that I could hit it. "I can't believe you can hit it that far!" one of them shouts back. A sloppy pitch to the elevated green left me about 20 feet away. The still cleverly-disguised grain kills my putt and I come up about three feet short. I knock in the knee knocker and get out with a "cheaters par". Six over after six and feeling pretty good about myself now. (Totally forgot about the "provisional" ball and drove off without picking it up.)
Hole 7--Par 4 484 yds. We pull up to this tee box and for the first time I remember that I have the camera along today and I should probably be taking some pictures. The view of Molokai is unbelievable on this hole--and I must have been too distracted. Going first, I hit my first moster pull of the day and yank my tee shot into the jungle grass left of the fairway. After a drop, I chunk a 5 iron out of the rough, skull a 9 iron to the back edge and three putt from about 70 feet and walk off with a triple bogey 7. Nine over after seven.
Hole 8--Par 3, 203 yds. Another unbelievably beautiful hole where you carry this lush ravine all the way from the tee to the green. I hit my best 4 iron of the day and reach the front edge. Two putts from 30 feet and I'm back on the good track. Nine over after eight.
Hole 9--Par 5, 521 yds. The name of the hole is "Long". It should be changed to "Nutbuster" as it is all uphill, into the wind with another deep valley crossing the fairway about 300-yards out. Playing first, I pop up a drive that gets up into the headwind and dies about 150-yards out. We joked that it looked like it was actually coming back at us on the way down. Then I catch the 3 wood on the screws and watch as that shot swoops up and straight down--still short of the valley. Another 3 wood gets me across but right, near the fairway bunkers. I mash an 6 iron from 120 and still come up short of the green!! I manage to chip it on--but miss a makeable four footer to three jack it and take an 8. 12 over (48) at the turn.
Hole 10--Par 4, 354 yds. A pretty non-descript hole heading back up the mountain. I hit the fairway off the tee, just miss the green right but hit a nice chip to about six feet and make the putt for par. 12-over after ten.
Hole 11--Par 3, 164 yds. This is the hole they show on TV all the time with the surfers in the bay behind the green. After a number of pictures--and a group shot with the ocean behind--I thin my 6 iron short of the front bunkers. A pulled pitch shot followed by three putts and I've killed my momentum again with a double. 14 over after 11.
Hole 12--Par 4, 373 yds. Another picture hole as you tee over the lush ravine--with the island of Lanai in the distance. I'm getting the feel for the G5 driver now and stripe one down the middle about 285. A perfect 8 iron in and two putts and I'm 14-over after twelve.
Hole 13--Par 4, 407 yds. I hit what should have been a push slice off the tee--but the wind holds it fairly straight and I miss the fairway just a little bit right about 130 out. I cut a nice little 7-iron against the wind and have just 15 feet left. I hit my first lip out of the day and have to settle for a par. 14 over thirteen.
Hole 14--Par 4, 305 yds. All uphill and all into the wind. I don't have a hybrid, so I try to "smooth' a 3 iron out there. Instead, I catch it thin again and roll one out just past the ladies tees. I hack one out of the rough, then pull a 6 iron into the left front bunker. I barely get out, putt from just off the green and putt twice more to take a triple. 17 over after fourteen.
Hole 15--Par 5, 555 yds. This is back uphill--but the wind doesn't seem that strong where we are. This time I push it right into the native grass. I now realize that I am not likely to break 90 today (which was my goal, given the difficulty of the course, the weather, strange clubs and not having played for about five months) and make my new goal just to break a hundred. My third shot goes off the toe of the 4 iron and into the native grass again. Another drop followed by a pretty good six iron and I'm on the fringe on the right side of the green. My first putt is going way too fast--but catches the middle back of the cup and stops within two feet and I "save" a 7. 19 over after fifteen.
Hole 16--Par 4, 365 yds. One more hike up the mountain (or in this case, cart ride). I find one of the mulitiple fairway bunkers off the tee. All I can do is blast out back onto the fairway and then stroke a fairly decent 6 iron into the middle of the green. Another boring two putt for bogey and I'm 20 over after sixteen.
Hole 17--Par 4, 486 yds. While 18 at Kapalua gets all off the attention, 17 is just a "miniature" version of the finishing hole. You're actually at the highest point on the course on the tee box--and the wind is just howling behind you. I catch my drive a little high on the face and don't get the rollout I hoped for on the severe slope. That being said, it was still just over 300-yards--leaving me about 183 out. I choose 6-iron (which I have now used for every yardage between 185 and 120 today) and catch it a little thin--but the ball catches the slope in front and rolls to about 12 feet. Another heartbreaking lip out and I get a two putt par. 20 over after seventeen.
Hole 18--Par 5, 666 yds. There are a handful of tee shots that excite golfers more than any other: 17 at TPC Sawgrass, 18 at Carnoustie, 18 at Pebble, 17 at St Andrews and half the holes at Augusta National. 18 at Kapalua is one of those as well. Not because of danger--but rather because of the potential for hitting a once in a lifetime shot. And on this day, I hit that shot. After the required photos, I teed her high and swung with nearly all of my might. Somehow, I hit a high slight draw that caught the slope on the right side of the fairway and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled--finally coming to a stop 410 yards from the tee!! I was a full 100 yards ahead of both of the Chicago Guys (who begrudgingly congratulated on my shot) and about 50 yards ahead of Canadian Doctor. The crazy thing is, I still had 253 to get home in two. I chose 3 wood hoping to catch the slope right of the green and roll it down to the hole like the pros do every year on Sunday. Unfortunately, I was a little too pumped up and hit a pull. It looked like I was headed into the ravine--but I cleared by a few feet and bounced into the left front bunker. My best sand shot of the day left me with an 8 footer for birdie......and it caught the left edge and went down! A bird to finish an all-around great day. Final Score: 92, 19 over par.
We are heading back to Hawaii again in a couple of years--and I plan to play Kapalua Plantation again. But this time I'm going to have my clubs shipped ahead so that I can be a bit more comfortable out there. I should probably take a more than four or five pictures as well. I'll look for those on our flash drives this weekend and post some in the near future.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Catch Him While You Can
Wisconsin's favorite golfing son, Steve Stricker, kicks off his 2013 PGA Tour season tomorrow at the Huyndai Tournament of Champions. I would recommend those who are big fans of Steve to catch every round--because you may not see him for a while. This week, Steve announced that he is scaling back his playing schedule considerably. Golf Channel is calling Stricker's decision "semi-retirement"--at the age of 46. He has permission from the Tour to play as few as 10 tournaments this year without losing his fully-exempt status.
The decision shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows Steve. He has long been the most reluctant of stars in any sport. He cries after winning. He never moved to Florida or Arizona like every other player on the Tour so that he could live in a gated community and practice in perfect conditions on perfect private courses that none of us will EVER get to play. Instead, Steve chose to stay in the Madison area so that he and his wife could stay close to their families and raise their kids with solid Midwestern values.
His famous comeback from the abyss started with his father-in-law, Dennis Tiziani setting up an open-sided trailer on the range at Cherokee Country Club allowing Steve to hit balls into the snow all winter long. He never went to Butch Harmon or Hank Haney or David Ledbetter to rebuild his swing. The return from the 200's in the World Rankings came under the eye of Tiz' in the freezing cold and snowdrifts at Cherokee. Scott Van Pelt and Dan Patrick still marvel every once in a while at how Stricks won PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year two years in a row!! But that was how "lost" Steve was in the early 2000's.
But having climbed that mountain, Steve is ready to walk away--on his own terms. He was never one of those guys who went to China or the Middle East after the PGA Tour season was over to cash some big checks. He really did prefer to go hunting or get his kids's lunch ready for school every day. And I never saw him as one of those guys who would play out the string on the Champions Tour either. I think Steve looks at his bank statement and says "We've got more than enough".
I'd hate to think that last year's Ryder Cup debacle sped that decision. Leaving Medinah that day, there were more than a few fans (not patrons at the Ryder Cup) who were just killing Stricker for "blowing it" for Team USA. Even as a fan I had to admit that Steve didn't help the cause a single iota. He did drag down Tiger in the partners formats--winning just two holes with his ball in foursomes. Sometimes I think the worst thing that ever happened to Stricks was his performance paired with Tiger at the Presidents Cup in the 2009--when he made every putt he looked at, while Tiger just laughed on the fringe and the team just kicked the crap out of any International pair thrown up against them. It created the belief that Tiger and Steve were invincible--and people (and Captain Davis Love III) brought that same belief to Medinah last year.
The silver lining to losing our golfing hero is that Steve will dedicate more time to the new foundation he has formed with American Family Insurance. Last year, Steve won the Payne Stewart Award--given the PGA Tour Pro that exemplifies its namesake's dedication to charity and service away from the course. Steve's passion is an arts program for severely disabled children and adults here in Wisconsin. Last year, Golf Channel did a segment on the charity tournament and those involved in the program (sorry couldn't find video on line) and it moved me to tears the two or three times I saw it.
While we Wisconsin golfers may be losing one of our favorites on the course and TV every week, the people of Wisconsin are gaining a tireless worker for the benefit of others. I'd call that a pretty fair trade.
The decision shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows Steve. He has long been the most reluctant of stars in any sport. He cries after winning. He never moved to Florida or Arizona like every other player on the Tour so that he could live in a gated community and practice in perfect conditions on perfect private courses that none of us will EVER get to play. Instead, Steve chose to stay in the Madison area so that he and his wife could stay close to their families and raise their kids with solid Midwestern values.
His famous comeback from the abyss started with his father-in-law, Dennis Tiziani setting up an open-sided trailer on the range at Cherokee Country Club allowing Steve to hit balls into the snow all winter long. He never went to Butch Harmon or Hank Haney or David Ledbetter to rebuild his swing. The return from the 200's in the World Rankings came under the eye of Tiz' in the freezing cold and snowdrifts at Cherokee. Scott Van Pelt and Dan Patrick still marvel every once in a while at how Stricks won PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year two years in a row!! But that was how "lost" Steve was in the early 2000's.
But having climbed that mountain, Steve is ready to walk away--on his own terms. He was never one of those guys who went to China or the Middle East after the PGA Tour season was over to cash some big checks. He really did prefer to go hunting or get his kids's lunch ready for school every day. And I never saw him as one of those guys who would play out the string on the Champions Tour either. I think Steve looks at his bank statement and says "We've got more than enough".
I'd hate to think that last year's Ryder Cup debacle sped that decision. Leaving Medinah that day, there were more than a few fans (not patrons at the Ryder Cup) who were just killing Stricker for "blowing it" for Team USA. Even as a fan I had to admit that Steve didn't help the cause a single iota. He did drag down Tiger in the partners formats--winning just two holes with his ball in foursomes. Sometimes I think the worst thing that ever happened to Stricks was his performance paired with Tiger at the Presidents Cup in the 2009--when he made every putt he looked at, while Tiger just laughed on the fringe and the team just kicked the crap out of any International pair thrown up against them. It created the belief that Tiger and Steve were invincible--and people (and Captain Davis Love III) brought that same belief to Medinah last year.
The silver lining to losing our golfing hero is that Steve will dedicate more time to the new foundation he has formed with American Family Insurance. Last year, Steve won the Payne Stewart Award--given the PGA Tour Pro that exemplifies its namesake's dedication to charity and service away from the course. Steve's passion is an arts program for severely disabled children and adults here in Wisconsin. Last year, Golf Channel did a segment on the charity tournament and those involved in the program (sorry couldn't find video on line) and it moved me to tears the two or three times I saw it.
While we Wisconsin golfers may be losing one of our favorites on the course and TV every week, the people of Wisconsin are gaining a tireless worker for the benefit of others. I'd call that a pretty fair trade.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The Schedule
So it's the second day of the year and I have already scheduled all but two of 18 vacation and comp days I have coming at work for 2013. As I mentioned yesterday, the Wisconsin State Golf Association has posted its tournament schedule for the upcoming season and most of the other tournaments and events I are held the same weekends annually so my date book (yes I still use one of those--backed up with my IPhone) basically rolls over year to year.
Here is the schedule so far:
May 9th--Net Partners at Brown Deer Park. My usual partner, Greg, and I have played at Brown Deer twice now--with very limited success. We never fail to start out well--but never finish strong. One year, both of us pulled our drives into the parking lot on the 9th hole--that's a great way to derail a round. As you might expect from a round in the second week of May, the weather has not been the best. The first year the wind turned to the east halfway through the front nine and the temperature dropped from the upper 60's to the lower 50's immediately. And of course neither of us came dressed for the cold. Last year it was raining, windy and just raw--a miserable day to play.
May 11th (tenative)--Spring Fling Scramble at Hilly Haven. Our usual foursome has played in this tournament three times and we have taken second, third and first respectively. This is another tournament that always features sketchy weather, yet we always seem to play well. Draining 40-foot putts for eagles help as well.
May 22nd--Net Partners at Washington County Golf Course. Niether of us has played WCGC before--which always hurts. Hopefully we come in with good momentum out of the scramble.
June 8th--Oshkosh City Match Play Qualifying at Lakeshore Golf Course. I won the B flight of the Match Play back in 2009--but haven't made it past the second round since then. For some reason (perhaps a psychological sandbag) I don't play well in the qualifier and end up in B flight. I'm hoping to qualify for the A flight this year--even if it means less chance to win.
June 13th--Net Partners at Lake Arrowhead Lakes Course. I'm going to be honest, I hate Lake Arrowhead. It's one of those courses that has blacktop cartpaths running the length of the right side of the fairway--with out of bounds on the other side of the path. For someone whose usual miss is a push--that is a deadly formula for monster scores. Consider the first ever Net Partners event Greg and I played--where neither of us broke 110 and had to hit three (and sometime five) from the tee.
June 15th--Winnebagoland Open at Rolling Meadows. My Father's Day weekend has rotated tournaments in recent years. It used to mean the Badger State Games in Madison (at Hawk's Landing, The Oaks and University Ridge) where I never medaled--even though I led after the first round twice. The BSG moved to the Fox Valley, which meant a shorter drive but the less-quality Chaska as a site. I did take silver in the B and A flights those two years. After BSG went belly up, I moved to the Appleton City Tournament at Reid Municipal last year--finishing middle of the pack in B. This year, half of Reid is under renovations this year--so I'll head to Fondy for their unique 27-hole one-day format.
June 28th (tenative)--UW Oshkosh Football Scramble at Mascoutin. As a "celebrity player" I've been getting placed with a group of players who are--shall we say--less than talented or serious about golf. Last year, our group shot a 79--which means that I shot a 79. I'll admit, it was fun watching the ladies attempt their first ever eagle putts on one of the par fives--courtesy of a beautiful sweeping five-wood to the front edge (we did not convert). This year, I'm going to push for an entire group of my selection--so I can bring in "my guys" to make a run at winning.
June 29th (tentative) Charity Scramble at The Woods. The Scramble group played here for the first time last year and finished second--and it was the most disappointing result of the year. As always, we left a bunch of shots out there and should have won. No guarantees that I'm dropping another 40-footer for eagle on one of the par-fives again this time around.
July 20th-21st--Fox Cities Amateur at Chaska. It's my understanding that this event will be played at Chaska--since Reid will still be only nine holes. It will be interesting to see how many of the "home course" guys will travel--since they won't have the advantage of knowing all of the subtleties of the greens this year.
August 16th--Net Partners at Branch River. Branch River is the second golf course I ever played--as it was just a few miles away from where I lived as a youngster--however I doubt that experience will help much.
August 17th-18th (tentative) Oshkosh City Championship at Lakeshore Golf Course. Every year my score gets better--and everybody else's scores in my flights keep getting better. Can't seem to break the top ten.
August 19th-20th--State Net Amateur at Northern Bay. This is another course that just doesn't suit my game. While I am one-for-one on hitting the island green at TPC Sawgrass 17--I am oh-for-my-lifetime in hitting the island green at ten at Northern Bay. On the next hole, however--a weak copy of 13 at Augusta National--I have a net double eagle and eagle the last couple of times there.
August 22nd--Net Partners at Lawsonia Links. I love Lawsonia--but it doesn't love me. For some reason, I lose all control off the tee there and can never recover.
September 3rd--Net Partners at Camelot. We were supposed to play at Camelot about five years ago--and it got flooded out. For some reason, we never got the notice the event was canceled--until we drove all the way down there.
September 9th-10th--Directors Cup (State Mid-Amateur) at River Club Mequon. One of my goals for last year was to qualify for this tournament--with its max handicap of 11.4. The handicap revision out the week before the tourney I ticked up from a 10.9 to 11.5 after a couple of horrid tournament rounds. D'OH!!! I will not fail this year. Fortunately, there is a net division--since I have no real chance to compete in the gross against single-handicappers.
September 13th--Net Partners Championship at Grand Geneva. We've qualified for this one twice--and last year we missed out by a single stroke at the Reedsburg qualifier (thanks to my skulled pitch shot going OB on our third-to-last hole). Best finish T14.
Yet to be determined: Dates and courses on the Florida trip in March, what courses will be on our Radio Station Discount Golf Card, whether I'll be playing league golf this year, the delayed round at Erin Hills and what courses I'll play up north on Memorial, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.
Here is the schedule so far:
May 9th--Net Partners at Brown Deer Park. My usual partner, Greg, and I have played at Brown Deer twice now--with very limited success. We never fail to start out well--but never finish strong. One year, both of us pulled our drives into the parking lot on the 9th hole--that's a great way to derail a round. As you might expect from a round in the second week of May, the weather has not been the best. The first year the wind turned to the east halfway through the front nine and the temperature dropped from the upper 60's to the lower 50's immediately. And of course neither of us came dressed for the cold. Last year it was raining, windy and just raw--a miserable day to play.
May 11th (tenative)--Spring Fling Scramble at Hilly Haven. Our usual foursome has played in this tournament three times and we have taken second, third and first respectively. This is another tournament that always features sketchy weather, yet we always seem to play well. Draining 40-foot putts for eagles help as well.
May 22nd--Net Partners at Washington County Golf Course. Niether of us has played WCGC before--which always hurts. Hopefully we come in with good momentum out of the scramble.
June 8th--Oshkosh City Match Play Qualifying at Lakeshore Golf Course. I won the B flight of the Match Play back in 2009--but haven't made it past the second round since then. For some reason (perhaps a psychological sandbag) I don't play well in the qualifier and end up in B flight. I'm hoping to qualify for the A flight this year--even if it means less chance to win.
June 13th--Net Partners at Lake Arrowhead Lakes Course. I'm going to be honest, I hate Lake Arrowhead. It's one of those courses that has blacktop cartpaths running the length of the right side of the fairway--with out of bounds on the other side of the path. For someone whose usual miss is a push--that is a deadly formula for monster scores. Consider the first ever Net Partners event Greg and I played--where neither of us broke 110 and had to hit three (and sometime five) from the tee.
June 15th--Winnebagoland Open at Rolling Meadows. My Father's Day weekend has rotated tournaments in recent years. It used to mean the Badger State Games in Madison (at Hawk's Landing, The Oaks and University Ridge) where I never medaled--even though I led after the first round twice. The BSG moved to the Fox Valley, which meant a shorter drive but the less-quality Chaska as a site. I did take silver in the B and A flights those two years. After BSG went belly up, I moved to the Appleton City Tournament at Reid Municipal last year--finishing middle of the pack in B. This year, half of Reid is under renovations this year--so I'll head to Fondy for their unique 27-hole one-day format.
June 28th (tenative)--UW Oshkosh Football Scramble at Mascoutin. As a "celebrity player" I've been getting placed with a group of players who are--shall we say--less than talented or serious about golf. Last year, our group shot a 79--which means that I shot a 79. I'll admit, it was fun watching the ladies attempt their first ever eagle putts on one of the par fives--courtesy of a beautiful sweeping five-wood to the front edge (we did not convert). This year, I'm going to push for an entire group of my selection--so I can bring in "my guys" to make a run at winning.
June 29th (tentative) Charity Scramble at The Woods. The Scramble group played here for the first time last year and finished second--and it was the most disappointing result of the year. As always, we left a bunch of shots out there and should have won. No guarantees that I'm dropping another 40-footer for eagle on one of the par-fives again this time around.
July 20th-21st--Fox Cities Amateur at Chaska. It's my understanding that this event will be played at Chaska--since Reid will still be only nine holes. It will be interesting to see how many of the "home course" guys will travel--since they won't have the advantage of knowing all of the subtleties of the greens this year.
August 16th--Net Partners at Branch River. Branch River is the second golf course I ever played--as it was just a few miles away from where I lived as a youngster--however I doubt that experience will help much.
August 17th-18th (tentative) Oshkosh City Championship at Lakeshore Golf Course. Every year my score gets better--and everybody else's scores in my flights keep getting better. Can't seem to break the top ten.
August 19th-20th--State Net Amateur at Northern Bay. This is another course that just doesn't suit my game. While I am one-for-one on hitting the island green at TPC Sawgrass 17--I am oh-for-my-lifetime in hitting the island green at ten at Northern Bay. On the next hole, however--a weak copy of 13 at Augusta National--I have a net double eagle and eagle the last couple of times there.
August 22nd--Net Partners at Lawsonia Links. I love Lawsonia--but it doesn't love me. For some reason, I lose all control off the tee there and can never recover.
September 3rd--Net Partners at Camelot. We were supposed to play at Camelot about five years ago--and it got flooded out. For some reason, we never got the notice the event was canceled--until we drove all the way down there.
September 9th-10th--Directors Cup (State Mid-Amateur) at River Club Mequon. One of my goals for last year was to qualify for this tournament--with its max handicap of 11.4. The handicap revision out the week before the tourney I ticked up from a 10.9 to 11.5 after a couple of horrid tournament rounds. D'OH!!! I will not fail this year. Fortunately, there is a net division--since I have no real chance to compete in the gross against single-handicappers.
September 13th--Net Partners Championship at Grand Geneva. We've qualified for this one twice--and last year we missed out by a single stroke at the Reedsburg qualifier (thanks to my skulled pitch shot going OB on our third-to-last hole). Best finish T14.
Yet to be determined: Dates and courses on the Florida trip in March, what courses will be on our Radio Station Discount Golf Card, whether I'll be playing league golf this year, the delayed round at Erin Hills and what courses I'll play up north on Memorial, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Daydreams
Does any sport lend itself to daydreaming better than golf? I don't mean losing focus during a round and thinking about other things--but imagining playing the sport while doing something entirely unrelated. I've played basketball and baseball for years--but I never find myself picturing an entire game in my mind before it is played. I think that is due to the fact that there are so many other people that you have to account for in other sports. It's difficult to imagine how your four basketball teammates are going to move in reaction to you--and then throw in five defenders and a ball that you don't always control and it's just too complicated picture accurately. In golf however, it's just you, the ball and the course--and the course isn't moving anytime soon.
There is currently two feet of snow on the ground here in Wisconsin--but in my mind, I'm still out playing holes today. When I accompany my wife to her church, I play "Mental Golf" during the entire service. Sometimes I replay whole rounds from the past (a discussion on how we can remember darn near every round we play is coming in a future blog), sometimes I visualize an upcoming round. I will even play out entire practice sessions--driving range, short game and putting included.
Jack Nicklaus has long been a supporter of visualization--picturing in your mind the shot before you take the swing. I'd be willing to bet that Jack has played Augusta National and Pebble Beach more than a thousand times in his mind. And if he's anything like me, he has set the course record a couple hundred times. I would also bet that he has imagined hitting terrible shots as well. The danger of Mental Golf is that it can give you an inflated sense of your own talents. You learn nothing by only considering you are going to hit perfect shots. Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than "shooting" a 78 on a course in your mind--only to put up an 88 in real life the next day.
An added benefit from playing in your mind is that it takes only about 20-minutes to get through a whole round! I never have a slow partner, never have to wait for the four guys ahead of us who are taking mulligans on every other hole and don't have a clue how to properly use carts (more on slow play in later blogs as well).
The Wisconsin State Golf Association posted its 2013 tournament schedule on Monday--and I've already played five of the 12 courses I may play this summer. It will be the first of dozens of rounds before this two feet of snow melt away. Besides, it's better than thinking about going out to snowblow for the umpteenth time already this winter.
There is currently two feet of snow on the ground here in Wisconsin--but in my mind, I'm still out playing holes today. When I accompany my wife to her church, I play "Mental Golf" during the entire service. Sometimes I replay whole rounds from the past (a discussion on how we can remember darn near every round we play is coming in a future blog), sometimes I visualize an upcoming round. I will even play out entire practice sessions--driving range, short game and putting included.
Jack Nicklaus has long been a supporter of visualization--picturing in your mind the shot before you take the swing. I'd be willing to bet that Jack has played Augusta National and Pebble Beach more than a thousand times in his mind. And if he's anything like me, he has set the course record a couple hundred times. I would also bet that he has imagined hitting terrible shots as well. The danger of Mental Golf is that it can give you an inflated sense of your own talents. You learn nothing by only considering you are going to hit perfect shots. Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than "shooting" a 78 on a course in your mind--only to put up an 88 in real life the next day.
An added benefit from playing in your mind is that it takes only about 20-minutes to get through a whole round! I never have a slow partner, never have to wait for the four guys ahead of us who are taking mulligans on every other hole and don't have a clue how to properly use carts (more on slow play in later blogs as well).
The Wisconsin State Golf Association posted its 2013 tournament schedule on Monday--and I've already played five of the 12 courses I may play this summer. It will be the first of dozens of rounds before this two feet of snow melt away. Besides, it's better than thinking about going out to snowblow for the umpteenth time already this winter.
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