Date: July 5th

Tee Time: 9:15 pm
Course: The Oaks Golf Links

Holes 18

Par:71

Location: Somersworth, NH

Playing Partners: None - Friend from work

This past Monday I played another 18 holes at The Oaks Golf Links in Somersworth, NH and I am happy to announce that the shanks have left the building.  I cannot say exactly what has changed but I am swinging the club very nicely and making solid contact.  The same cannot be said however for my putting.

We started on the back nine, which at The Oaks is not necessarily a good thing.  The Front nine definitely plays much harder so to have to play it tired and Hot is not best practice. I gave my self 5 chances for birdie from 10 feet or less and missed every single putt on the first nine.  Had I made just a few of them my day would have been dramatically different.  By the second nine I was hot and tired and beginning to get chills and goose bump from over heating.  It was well into the 90's by 12:00.

I cannot and will not complain aboutm y round however.  I shot an 89, marking the first round this year to break 90.  I feel had I only made a few more putts I could easily have broken 80 which would have been the first time ever in the history of my golfing life.  I feel like this is the year though.  It is going to happen.  I have already shot a nine hole round at Rockingham that if I had played another nine in the same fashion would have given me a 78.

There is some great golf on this weekend.  Womens US Open and the John Deer Classic.  I hope to divide my attention between the two this Sunday as it looks like it is going to rain.  There is one thing to be said about The Golf Channel this year, they are replaying a lot of the tournaments in Prime Time. This allows folks like me that like to do things during the day to not miss the days action.

 I am on a Stay-cation this coming week and have some wonderful Golf planned.  Sunday River Golf course on Monday with Golf Grammie and Thursday at Candia Woods.  I will probably fill in any open times with brief 9's at Rockingham as well.  Not to mention that starting bright and early Thursday morning The Open starts.  What a great week to have vacation.

I hope to Post about my Vacation rounds throughout the week so stay tuned. (Maybe that sub 80 round is out there this week)

Cheers To All!

Good round, Bad Golf, the shanks, and Bubba's Emotional Finish

During the 20 minute commute to Pease Golf Course this past Sunday, I played over and over in my mind what my round would look like.  In my head I knew every shot I would need to hit, where I would need to place it in the fairway and I was assuredly going to score somewhere close to par.

Unfortunately my swing did not agree with my imagination.  I knew the shots I wanted to hit but failed in every respect to execute them.  Luckily the day turned out to be quite beautiful weather wise, else it would have been a wasted day.  I cannot quite place where it happened but somewhere in the last two week I have acquired the dreaded shanks.  I simply do not feel confident with any club right now.  I am especially not confident with either of my wedges which used to be my two go to clubs.  Almost every shot was darting straight out to the right.  I would almost be OK if it were instead a slice, but these are just simply mis-hits entirely.  If it were a slice I would at least know where to begin in fixing it.  I see long frustrating hours at the range in my  future.

To cap off my Sunday afternoon I sat down with a frosty beverage and enjoyed the final remaining holes of the Travelers Championship.  Nothing finishes off a dismal day of golf better then a playoff.  Bubba Watson, Corey Pavin and Scott Verplank.  It seemed that Bubba would take it on the first playoff hole after very nearly holing his 124 yd sand wedge to the green, but Verplank made a clutch put to keep him in the game.  Corey Pavin made a either a poor club selection or a mis hit off the tee leaving him too far back to really be a contender in the playoff, although he was very useful in offering advice to Bubba who was a little confused as to whether or not to mark his ball or tap it in once he reached the green.  It goes to show you that there are situations that even tour pros get into where they need advice.

On the Second playoff hole, Par 3 154 yds, both Bubba and Scott were off the green with their tee shots, but it was Bubba who was able to get up and down to secure his par and the Win.  What followed was an emotional hug from his girl friend and an awkward interview with David Feherty.  Poor Bubba was still so choked up he could barely answer the commentators questions.  It was evident that a lot of emotion had been building over having not won and finally being in a position where it could and did happen.  Congratulations Bubba on a great win, it could not have gone to a more deserving golfer.

For more details on previous rounds of the tournament and an interesting take on advertising at a golf tournament check out Golf Girls's Diary.

Until the next Round,

Cheers to All!

A tee box to make you smile

The sun shines for Camp Sunshine

Despite a rainy weekend the sun came out over Casco, Maine for the Camp Sunshine Golf Tournament hosted by Point Sebago Golf Club this past Monday, June 7th.  In the late morning, the winds started to pick up but it didn't negatively effect the golf as there were some pretty low scores to be had.

The normal team of myself, my father and Golf Grammie were joined by the Director of Special Events for Camp Sunshine, Mike.  (Sorry Mike if I got your title wrong, I did not take good notes :))  Most every year we play with someone who works for the camp and it is always a great pleasure to hear how the camp is going.

As seems to be the case every year the turn out was very good, filling nearly every hole with two foursomes. Our group started on the 17th hole, which in our case seemed to be just what we needed for we started our round with 3 straight birdies.  On the first hole, Golf Grammie with her first swing of the day hit a fantastic shot up to the green leaving her 6 feet 6 inches and assuring her the closest to the pin for the ladies on that hole.

In the end we bogied the last hole to finish at 6-under, capping off the lowest round we have ever shot in the 6 years we have played in the tournament.  That 6-under snagged us the 2nd overall net score for the tourny and a 4 pack of greens fees with cart to Sunday River Golf Club.  First for overall gross went to the team sent out by the MSGA (Maine State Golf Association) with an astounding 58!

When it comes to prizes given out, the Camp Sunshine Golf Tournament "shines" above most others.  Their goal is to make sure that everyone walks away with something at the end of the day.  They get so many donated rounds of golf that they are able to give away a round to almost every foursome that plays.  On top of that they always have a great goodie bag and this year added a silent auction with some great items

Point Sebago did a wonderful job preparing the course for us.  The area received nearly two inches of rain the day before and yet we were still able to play a 90 degree rule in our carts.  The greens were a bit on the bumpy side due to being plugged not that long ago but I think in some cases that may have been helpful in keeping the ball from running too far on the green.

At the beginning of the awards ceramony we were able to hear from a Camp Sunshine family who came over to speak to us direct from camp.  This week is the single organ transplant session and the little girl that we heard from had had a liver transplant three years prior.  The family was very appreciative of everything that the camp has done for both them and their daughter and gave myself and the rest of the crowd a more personal view of what were really playing for, a great cause.

The Camp Sunshine Golf Tournament will always be one of the things I look forward to every year.  From the wonderful course to the company I get to play with and most importantly the cause it represents, it really is one of the best tournaments is the state, if not the country.

Until the next round...

Cheers To All!

Camp Sunshine Tournament

On the morrow I tee it up with Golf Grammie for a charity golf tournament played at Point Sebago Golf Club on the Shores of Sebago lake in Casco, Maine.  The Tournament benefits Camp Sunshine, a place where family's with children affected by Cancer and other diseases can go and enjoy a great summer vacation, free of any medical expenses during their stay.  We have been playing in this tournament with a Volunteer from Camp Sunshine for the past 5 years.  I look forward to bringing you pictures and outtakes from the tournament as soon as I can.

More Information on Camp Sunshine can be found at: http://www.campsunshine.org/

Cheers To All!

First Lesson, "Dude Where's my Ball Marker" and an Electric Ending

Date: June 6, 2010
Tee Time: 1:00 pm
Course: Pease Golf Course

Holes 9

Par:36

Location: Portsmouth, NH
Playing Partners: None - Playing as a Single

For my upcoming birthday my wife surprised me with a trio of hour lessons starting with my first one today.  As previously mentioned I have never had a true professional lesson.  I have been nervous about it all week not knowing what to really expect.  I think my biggest fear was that my instructor would try to change my swing, making me have to almost start over in learning a new swing.  

The lessons were set up at one of my favorite courses, of which I was a member a few years ago and am familiar with many of the staff.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a brand new club house and a huge new practice putting green upon my arrival.  

Tim (My Instructor) started me out hitting 8 irons.  Although I was nervous I could not seem to hit an off shot.  I felt as though I was wasting Tim's time as I hit shot after shot nice and smooth.    I switched over to my driver and started to show my true colors as i sprayed shots both to the left and the right.  Tim was able to determine that a lot of my problems with errant shots come from being too quick at the top of my golf swing.  He never once asked me to change my swing, only to slow down at the top and save my speed and power for the hitting zone.  I am not sure I was as good a student as he would have liked but I feel that I made some improvements and now have something to work on at the range.

The next part of the story comes from the first green of the first hole I played after my lesson.  I was joined up with three friends out trying to get some golf in before it stormed.  All of us were lying on the green, I had chipped up to the green leaving myself a 12 footer.  The three others were in similar positions but I was the only one who had marked my ball, in this instance I used a quarter.  One of the guys had mentioned to me that this was only the second time playing the game, to which I said he was playing well and moved on.  


So here I am, leaning on my putter waiting for the others to finish putting out and this new player to the game starts to eye my ball marker.  I don't say anything as he walks over, and starts to look quizzically at my marker.   After thoroughly checking it over he bends over and picks it up.   I am laughing on the inside, but I very casually get his attention and say, "Ahh, you realize that's my ball marker?", then he looks at me funny and I say, "That quarter, I use that to mark where my ball is.".  His face went white as he let the quarter fall back to the green.  I am pretty sure that his friends are never going to let him live that move down.  


To finish off my golf day a severe thunderstorm caught us off guard.  We heard the thunder but it sounded distant.     As we approached one of the tees it was as if someone flipped a switch and turned on the wind machine.  We rode as fast as the governed cart would allow back to the club house, in the process getting completely soaked and narrowly being missed by lightning all around.   Watching a thunderstorm from a window at the clubhouse can be exciting, seeing lightning strike within yards of you while sitting in a golf cart, not pleasant.  


I look forward to future posts on my next two lessons and future rounds from Pease Golf Course.


until then...


Cheers to All!

Playing Tiger's Game

Number 17 at Pebble Beach

No, I don't mean playing like Tiger.  I mean playing his game, as in his new online video game Tiger Woods Online.  EA sports has taken a bold leap into the world of online gaming and it seems upon first glance that they have produced a winner.  Now, golfers and non-golfers alike have an outlet that doesn't require buying software at the store or spending time installing software that you probably don't have room for on your hard drive.  Just go to the website, create a user name and you are almost instantly put on a golf course playing for the first time without having to wait.  For the time being EA is making it free to play one course at a time.  The free course changes about once a week.  If you want all courses all the time it is going to cost you, $59.99 for the yearly or $9.99 if you want to pay by the month.  I am still playing the freebie as long as I can but I plan on filling my membership card in the near future.

One of the great things about the game is that you can be standing in the middle of the fairway and a ball will come bouncing past you.  This ball is not random, it represents another plater playing on the same hole as you.  You are also offered the chance to create foursomes and play against other players.  You can play with your real friends and follow them as they progress in the game all the while you make points off their achievements.

All in all EA seems to have created a gold mine in online gaming.  They are proving that we are a long way from the days of Microsoft Golf 2.0 which required 4 floppy disks and about a half hour to install.

Look for me as RolandOfGil3ad.

Click here to visit the site

Cheers to All!

Hard Greens, High Scores and Good Company

Date: May 2, 2010
Tee Time: 3:00 pm
Course: The Oaks Golf Links
Holes 18
Par:71
Location: Somersworth, NH
Playing Partners: None - Playing as a Single

In southeast New Hampshire golf does not get much better then at The Oaks Golf Links in Somersworth, NH. From the road you may not think that you are approaching a top notch golf course, but your assumptions are quickly shattered as you stand on the first tee staring at a 350 yd par four that puts a sand trap right in between you and the green making the fairway dogleg around it. On their website they have a quote that reads, "The Oaks..is a course that plays as well as any course in the state, public or private."  In my opinion certain private NH courses would have trouble comparing to the conditions at The Oaks.

Do not expect to hit your driver very much on this course.  On the front nine there are only two holes that should require a driver for anyone who hits it over 200 yds.  Expect to be hitting 3 iron or a wood to put yourself into position for an approach shot.  If there is one thing that you can expect from playing The Oaks,  every club in your bag will be used.  It is not the type of course where every hole is similar and you end up hitting the same 150 yd club over and over again.  The Oaks will challenge not only your golf swing but also your ability to play around a course.  A perfect example is the 11th hole,  Par 5, 518 yds.   On the tee box are three markers labeling the hazards.  One for the hazard on the left 214 yds, one for the right 224 yds, and one if you go down the middle 230 yds.  What the markers don't tell you is that to get into the section where you have 230 yds you would need to place your shot inside of a 5-10 yd window, outside of that places you in the hazard.  It also does not tell you that if you hit your normal 230 yd club it will hit on a downslope and kick forward past 230 yds and into the hazard.  The best option is to hit a 3 iron about 215 down the middle and leave yourself two shots into the green, but from the tee box you would not immediately see this.

The greens at The Oaks are unlike anything you will find here in the north.  Hard, fast and impossible to stop a ball on.  The best hint for any one playing here for the first time is to land short and let the ball roll.  If you land anywhere near the pin expect to have a long putt ahead of you on very fast green.  However fast and green, they are exceptionaly well manicured.  Putts roll where you tell them to go.  A well struck putt will reward you with a clickity click, but beware the overly zealous putt, you may well find that you are chipping your next shot.

Today for my round I was joined by three gentlemen, Bob, Jason, and Brent.  Bob, a corporate exec, has had the privilege of playing courses that most of us only dream of . . . Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, but he chooses to be a member at The Oaks along with his wife.  Bob, I could tell was a good golfer who was maybe not having his best day.  He had a very nice swing, compressing the ball very strongly creating a shot that slowly rises into the air with a nice fade.

Jason and Brent were a couple of Air Force men recently stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and  made for good playing companions.  Jason's frequent statements of, "I don't get paid to do this so why should I get upset" about sums it up.  Although none of us probably played the best game that we are capable of playing there were some good shots to be had.  After the round we went and grabbed some burgers and beers and got to know each other a little better.  I will say it again, "you never know who you'll find playing as a single on a golf course."

Nothing can or should be said about my round other then it had more high points then low.  The high was parring the last three holes.  The low was . . . everything else.  I think I am still taking the club too far to the inside and too far back.  It might be time for a real lesson to try and work my kinks out.  Maybe I can get in a free lesson this month since it is free lesson month at most golf courses.

Score :
Front Nine - 51
Back Nine - 46
Total - 97 :(

Until the Next Round,

Cheers to All!

USGA Coming to New Hampshire!!

If you have ever taken a scenic drive across Greenland and Stratham New Hampshire by way of Winnicutt Road you may have seen a small sign proclaiming the presence of a golf course.  Even if you are a local to the area you may not know there is a golf course out there.  Google Maps does not even show it on its map in the traditional green blob of most Golf Courses.  Be assured there is a course out there though few that i know have seen it, let alone had the pleasure of playing.  In the woodland that separates Great Bay from the ocean lies The Golf Club of New England, an Arnold Palmer designed golf course.

You can drive down their driveway and see the amazing Clubhouse and beautifully maintained fairway as you follow them along the road.  Looking is probably all you will get to do as my understanding is that this is a very private club with a very small member community.  Those of course are just rumors and do not come first hand from the club itself but the effort it seems the course takes in keeping itself unknown to most make me believe it is so.

News has reached my email via the preferred players email sent out by The Oaks Golf Links that the USGA has chosen The Golf Club of New England for the 2012 Junior Amateur Championship.  This would mark the first USGA tournament held in the state of New Hampshire.  I hope this is news of good things to come in the state, our golf season may be one of the shortest in the country but when golf can be played the venues that are available offer some fantastic golf.  I for one will be looking into volunteering for the Tournament.

If there is anyone out there who has had the pleasure of playing The Golf Club of New England please share your experience.  I would love to get some details about the elusive course so that I may be that more envious.

One day i might be able to be able to play and post a review of this course so that others might know what it is like out there, but until then I can only dream.

More information can be found here via The Oaks Golf Links E-Zine

Here is the location via Google Maps


View Larger Map


Cheers to All!

A Special Golf Teacher

In my last round at Exeter Country Club, it came up in conversation that I learned the game of golf from my Grandmother.  Later in the round as I chipped up to 3 feet from the hole for another par I was asked, "you really learned from your Grandmother?  What's her handicap, must be pretty low?"

My Grandmother, aka Golf Grammie, has never been a low handicap golfer. She has shot in the 80's before, but for the most part spends her time in the 90's.  My response to the above question was that there is a lot more to learn about the game of golf then swinging a club. What I learned from Golf Grammie was how to act like a gentleman on the course, be considerate of other players, and always follow the rules.  Anyone who has ever played with Golf Grammie knows that when you are playing with her, there is no such thing as a gimme; if you hit into a hazard you score card better reflect the extra stokes, and if you don't know the rule, ask. In her bag is always the latest edition of the "Rules of Golf."  When her knees are feeling well, she'll often moonlight as a rules official for the junior golf competitions in southern Maine.

My final thought is that being a good golf teacher does not necessarily mean you need to be a low handicap golfer.  Golf Grammie still continues to introduce young children in the woods of western Maine to the great game of golf.  From her "Just a Field Golf Teaching School," she teaches all the things I had the pleasure of learning growing up.  The town is lucky to have her and I feel lucky to have had her as a golfing role model in my younger years.  

To the folks out there in greater world, who was the first person to teach you the game of golf and how do those first teachings affect how you play today?

Cheers to All!

Exeter Country Club

The view from the first tee

Date: April 25, 2010
Tee Time: 10:00 am
Course: Exeter Country Club
Holes 9
Par:35
Location: Exeter, NH
Playing Partners: None - Playing as a Single




It is not often that I feel as welcomed to a course as I did this past Saturday playing Exeter Country Club.  It started off with a call to the club house at 9:00 am to ask if they'd be able to take a single. "Sure!" was the answer, "Come on out we will find a way to fit you in.".  To hear that at anytime always makes me happy but to hear it at 9:00 am on a Saturday is practically a miracle.


My second surprise came on the second tee.  To begin my round I had two ladies playing in front of me.  I waited on the tee until I could no longer see them on the first hole ( Par 4 370 yds) before teeing off.  I slowly made my way to my ball and discovered that the green was completely blind to me.  Since the course had an aiming spot hoisted in one of the trees I was not too concerned with where the pin was as long as I was hitting towards the green.  So, I hit without walking up to see the green.  I hit a great 8 iron over the hill and it sailed right at the aiming marker in the tree.  Walking up the hill I was feeling pretty good about my self.  that was until I heard the bell.  You golfers out there will know what it means to hear a bell on a golf hole.  it means it's OK to hit your next shot because the group in front of you is out of the way.  Sure enough there was my ball in the center of the green and the two ladies walking over to the next tee.  "Oh boy," I said to myself, "this could get ugly."  I two putted for my par, thank you very much, and made my way over to the tee at 2 where they waited.


Here is where the surprise came, not only were they not upset but they asked me to join them instead of asking if I wanted to play through.  More often then not when I catch up to  group when playing as a single they want me gone and out of the way so they can get back to playing their own game, but these ladies very nicely asked if I would care to join them.  I accepted of course but not without apologizing up and down for obviously hitting into them while they were on the green.  


Diane and Julie were there names, members of the Exeter Country Club.  They were shocked to hear that it was my first time at Exeter and welcomed me whole heatedly.  They began by telling me about how happy they are being members, the intricacies of the course and how the Course Superintendent was so meticulous (Which was evident on every hole).  At one point they said to me "Sorry you have to play with a couple of women." to which I explained "Not a problem at all, one of my favorite playing partners is my Grand Mother, she is the one who taught me to play golf."  It was their turn to be surprised.  They proceeded to give me hints on how holes are laid out and how most people play them.  This became quite helpful on a couple of holes.   The secret they said, is to stay left on all the holes.  If there is trouble it will be on your right,  good advice I found.

Looking back at the 3rd Green overlooking the marsh

My play for the day was actually quite a relief.  I still had a few miss hits but overall I was pretty consistent in my swing and my score showed it.  Around the greens I feel I performed above my norm.  I have always been a pretty good chipper but I was putting almost everything to within a few feet of the pin making for an easy putt.  I hope this is a good indication of low rounds to come.  


Overall the course was in good condition, the people were friendly, the club house was neat and had plenty of merchandise if you needed supplies before your round.  Although I did not stop to eat after finishing up my 9 holes the 19th hole "The Grill on the Hill" looked very inviting.  I would not say this is the hardest course on the seacoast but it certainly offered some good shot making opportunities and many places where club selection was not as easy as reading the yardage.  


So, to Diane and Julie thank you for a most enjoyable round.  Thank you for the encouragement to become a member and join the Men's league at Exeter.  If all the members of your club are as welcoming as you two I might just do that.


Score: 43 (Getting better)


Until the next round,


Cheers To All!

Unexpected results at the Verizon Heritage

Yesterday's Verizon Heritage Classic ended in unexpected fashion with a playoff between Jim Furyk and England's Brain Davis.  In no other sport will you find an ending as happened near the 18th green of Harbor Town Golf Links in Hilton Head South Carolina, and in many ways it is what defines this great game.

Off the tee both men were in the middle of the fairway with mid irons in to the green.  Davis hit first and in trying to take some off of his 6 Iron, put the ball into the hazard.  In this case the hazard was hard-packed beach sand, amongst general ocean debris.  Furyk was next up and put his ball at the back of the green with a lengthy putt ahead of him.  On the green Furyk, although on the fringe, was still away.  He nestled his ball up to four feet from the hole leaving him a not so easy Par putt in playoff conditions.

Davis was left with choice, take a drop 30 feet from the hole and try to make a miraculous chip in for the par to potentially tie or take his chances with his ball in the hazard lying on hard packed sand.  After deliberating with his caddy he went for the shot out of the hazard.  Davis set up as if in a bunker took a nice full swing and plopped the ball out of the sand and across the green to give himself a 30-40 foot putt to tie the hole.  But wait...what's this...Davis is pulling a rules official over to talk.  He is telling the official that in his back swing he thinks he hit some of the debris poking out of the sand.  Within seconds of doing so without even looking to see where his ball had gone he was turning himself in for what he had to have known was going to be a 2 shot penalty and the end of the playoff.  When hitting the ball from the hazard it is against the rules to come in contact with any loose impediment.  To do so is considered improving your lie.  Some dramatic 2 way radio transmissions followed as the rules department tried to establish if a 2 stroke penalty was needed.  In the end it was, and Davis walked away with second place, a loss of what I can only imagine to be many thousands of dollars and a clear conscience.

A pat on the back goes out to Davis after his showing.  You make us all who have kicked a ball into the fairway from a poor lie,  not gone back and re-hit a ball that went OB, or grounded their club in a bunker and never taken penalty stroke all hang our heads in shame.  On the line for us is nothing more than one or two strokes written on a piece of paper.  But for Davis, it means money that he will not make and a two year exemption on the tour not obtained.

For all you other players of professional sports take note of how a true sportsman plays.  I want to see football players who tap the shoulder of a ref and say, "excuse me but I am pretty sure I was holding back there while your back was turned, a look at the replay will show that I was so please send my team back 15 yards and we can continue the game," or a baseball player who says to the umpire, "I know you couldn't see it from your angle but I felt the glove tagged me out so don't count the run I just made."

Oh, how all sports would change if they were all played in such a fashion.

Cheers to All!

Home, Home on the Range

55 degrees and 20 mile an hours winds call for a covered driving range.  Sagamore Golf Center in North Hampton New Hampshire was my venue for practice this fine spring day.  Although a bit over priced (IMO) at $10.50 for a medium bucket the facility does offer a covered hitting area, an outdoor hitting area, a practice putting\chipping green and an 18 hole Mini Putt-Putt for the kids.  Food and Ice Cream is available if you are making a day of it and the grounds are always well maintained.


I brought the video camera along to analyze my swing later on.  I still pulled the ball with most of the clubs in my bag but not nearly as much as before. I worked mostly on lagging the club at the bottom of my swing. I have a tendency to get a little too quick through the ball and flipping my hands under.


After reviewing my video I can see that I am taking the club to far back in my swing.  At the top it is almost crossing the swing plane completely a la John Daly. This is causing me to pick my head up at the top and dip during the downswing.  It is also preventing me from bringing the club head back to square and causing some shots to push off to the right.  


If anyone out there in the golf universe has any good drills for helping with this please feel free to comment.


Cheers to all!

A Tricky Lie

Date: April 12, 2010
Tee Time: 2:00 pm
Course: Rockingham Country Club
Location: Newmarket, NH
Playing Partners: None - Playing as a Single

After hitting what I thought would be a great shot to start my round here is where I found my ball.  This would eventually lead to a triple bogey first hole.

Rockingham Golf Club is a 9 hole course situated between the towns of Newmarket and Newfields New Hampshire.  Although not necessarily a long course it offers some challenging shot making opportunities.  It has been an early spring but it looks like the greens here saw the worst parts of the winter and are going to be long in recovering.  Holes 2, 3, 6, and 7 seem to have faired worst with large patches of Brown burnt grass.  The greens are still putt-able, but don't expect the ball to react the same way as it would on a nice healthy green.

I played with a couple college students from the local University.  Engineering students who had time away from classes to hit up the links for a quick nine.

I have decided I need to force myself to go to the range a few times before going back out to the course.  Although I did hit some good shots today I am still pulling the ball to the left and I feel like my swing rhythm is off. I also need to pick up a new pair of shoes and a new putter.  At the end of last year my putter went into my bag wrong and knocked it off center.  When I put I have to manipulate the club face to square in order to hit a straight putt.

Score:
Front nine and total - 44

Until the next round,

Cheers To All!

Tiger Talk

Is Tiger wrong to get upset after hitting a poor shot? Answer – No.  Should he hold back, and bottle up all that emotion?  Answer - No.  Should the Media leave it alone and let the man play the Game.  Answer – YES!

After ABC’s in your face cameras accidentally picked up some choice words issued by Tiger yesterday many in the media circuit talked about how inappropriate his behavior is.  Tiger cannot be faulted for an outburst when under that kind of pressure.  I have been to golf tournament and have heard others golfers utter profanities under their breath.  The difference being, there are not herds of cameras and microphones following those players like Hyenas stalking prey.  Myself, I like to see him berate himself; it reminds me that he is still human.  I also know that shortly after telling himself what an idiot he is he starts to play better and often times wins tournaments.  I think if we were ever to see a relaxed Tiger who shows no emotion we would see a losing Tiger.

I have a good friend who plays in much the same way.  When his game starts to shift downward he has an outburst, becomes quiet for a couple holes and then starts to play better.  I think some of us just need the raw emotion of anger and determination to play better. 

I hope everyone enjoys the conclusion to Masters today.   I am rooting for either Lee Westwood or Fred Couples.  I am not sure why I don’t want Phil to win but I have never been a big fan of his.  Seeing one of the other players who are not that far back make a charge today would make for a fun tournament to watch.

Cheers to all!

When your wife says, "I want you to go play golf!". . . Play golf!

Date: April 4, 2010
Tee Time: 11:15 am
Course: Breakfast Hill Golf Club
Location: Greenland, NH
Playing Partners: None - Playing as a Single

"Not your best," the starter said to me as I started walking down the fairway on the first tee after putting two balls into the left OB (Out Of Bounds).  That one statement more or less sums up my round.  However, I walk away still happy to have enjoyed a round of golf on Easter.  Spring has sprung as early as I can remember it springing in New England.  The grass is green and trees are already budding.  The golf courses are still a bit on the soggy side after 12+ inches of rain falling in the last four weeks, but play was only disrupted by this on a couple of holes.  The greens at Breakfast Hill were a bit bumpy, which is to be expected this early in the year.  All in all the course was in great condition for early April, a time in New England when courses are used to still being under a few inches of snow.

I was immediately surprised with how many people were playing golf on Easter.  I called to make sure the course was even open before leaving, and ended up needing to make a tee time in order to get out.  I am glad to see that golf courses are going to get this little spring boost, they must really need it after a few hard years.

I was joined with a couple of guys, father and son, getting in 18 before Easter dinner that night.  These two were a great joy to play with.  The Father, John had just moved to the Seacoast and was just getting familiar with the area, and his son Neal who had traveled up from Boston and his busy life as a Pharmaceutical Rep to Play golf with dad and have Easter dinner.  None of us played particularly well, but nobody got upset or frustrated, we were all out to just have a good time enjoying the unusually great weather for early April.  When one of us hit a nice shot there was some patting on the back but when there was shot the ended up 10 yards into the woods we were all just as content to shrug it off and move of without a word.

My swing I will say was not altogether bad.  The problem I faced throughout the round was a pull hook, causing most of my drives to go into the left woods and my approaches to par threes to go over the green.  My putting and chipping were surprisingly good for the first time out.  Normally at the start of the year I struggle with feel in and around the greens due to being away from the game for so many months but that was not the case.  I feel that a couple trips to the range will do me well and any flaws that I have in my swing will be easily fixed with some repetition.

My final thought for my first round of the year is this:
"Even in April one must wear sunscreen!"

Score:
Front Nine - 54
Back Nine  - 48
Total - 102 "Not My Best!"

Until the next round,

Cheers to all!

Good luck Golf Grammie

Tomorrow Golf Grammie goes under the knife to have her second knee replaced.  Let's all wish her luck that she will have a fast recovery getting her back out on the course again.  In the mean time spring has sprung early here in New Hampshire.  Time to clean the dust off the clubs and get back out there.  To anyone anyone I may join up with this year, "If you have a good story and I hear it on the course, don't be surprised when it ends up on here."


Cheers to all!

Golf Grammie on Golf Attire

A Final Thought before I head out the door.

Pay Attention to Your Looks! How you dress is very important - in this world of wash and wear - pants and shirts look better if you take the time to press them a little.  Both Golf Shoes and Street Shoes should be polished.  Plan ahead, you could be joining your new found friends at the 19th hole.  Always look your best, you may find that if you dress better you will feel better about yourself and in turn play better golf.

        Yes                                                                                                                          No

Golf Grammie

Go Tiger!

Golf Gammie on Playing with other People

Something to think about as golf gets underway here in the Northeast.

Are you the kind of person people like to play with?  

Take a minute to think of all the reasons you like playing with a certain person.  What qualities do you like about them on the golf course?  Do you practice these some Qualities?

Recently on the Golf Channel Brad Faxon was commenting that the tour pros like to play with Padrig Harrington.  He is always smiling whether he is having a good or bad round.  Brad went on talking about Padrigs's attitude, his walk, finally he said, "He Comforts you".  Wouldn't you like to feel comfortable with everyone you play with?  Think about it.

My best advice to you when playing with someone you have just met (This also would apply to your regular foursome), Keep You Mouth Shut.  They don't always want you advice, especially if you are not qualified to give advice.  If you were playing at the state level you would find yourself penalized.

According to the Rules of Golf - Rule 8-1
During a Stipulated Round a Player Must Not:
(a) give advice to anyone in the competition, playing on the course other than his partner, or
(b) ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies.
Penalty for breach of Rule: Match Play - Loss of hole    Stroke Play - Two Strokes 


Anyone, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned golfer could benefit from reading "Golf For Dummies" by Gary McCord.

Here is a Small Caption from "Golf For Dummies" under Who to play with.

When you are not the Worst


There is of course, the other side of the coin.  How do you behave when another member of your group con't get the ball above shin height?  Here are some pointers:


       Say Nothing.  Whatever you do, do not attempt to be encouraging as your pal's game slips further into the mire.  After a while, you'll run out of things to say.  And you Pal will be annoyed with you.  And never give advice or swing tips to anyone.  You'll be blamed for the next bad shot.


       Talk about other Stuff. The last thing you should talk about is your Pal's awful game.  Find some common interest and chat about that.  Anything to get the subject off that 20 yard dribbler your pal just hit.

As I said before just Keep your Mouth Shut.

Golf Grammie

Go Tiger!

Golf Grammie on Tiger

As a golf fan I have to have my say about Tiger.  We all now know when he is coming back.  He has been and always will be my hero.  My mind plays golf it seems like 24/7 and just being being out of the game for just a few weeks with knee replacement is more than I like to think about.  So, for Tiger to take himself out of the game for these last few months shows a lot of Character most of us would not have.  I applaud him for that and I hope that he and his family will be together for a lifetime.

Golf Grammie

Go Tiger!

Another use for those golf balls sitting round the house!

The First Par

I remember clearly the first time I achieved a par on a hole.  I was twelve, playing with Golf Grammie at Mingo Springs in Rangeley, Maine.  It was the 16th hole I think, a par four.  I managed to get to the green in three leaving myself a five-or-six footer for the par.  As I was getting ready to putt, a friend of the family came flying over in a golf cart to say hi to Golf Grammie.  He was playing in a scramble, which at the time I thought was just playing golf as fast as you could in a golf cart.  They chit-chatted just off the green as I stood there, agonizing over the putt that I very badly wanted to make.  I decided to just go for it and not wait for the man to go away.  Once the others saw that I was getting ready to make the putt, they became silent and began to watch.  I remember Golf Grammie whispering to the man that this putt would be for my first par.  I was shaking over the ball, made worse by the fact that I had an audience.  The putt itself was not easy, up-hill with a big bend to the left.  I took a couple big deep breaths and put a solid stroke to the ball.  Up the hill it slowly crept, curving just as I had pictured in my head.  As if in slow motion it fell into the hole with a gratifying clickty-click.  I let out the breath I had been holding, giving my first great fist-pump of triumph.  Golf Grammie and her friend gave me nice "golf clap" applause.  

No par since has been so gratifying.

Cheers to all!

The Phil Jinx

Why does the Golf Channel feel that all tournaments need to be portrayed as "starring Phil Mickelson!"?  He hasn't showed us a whole lot to start off the year.  OK, I understand maybe the first tournament that he played in 2010 deserves a little fanfare.  But we are now in his third tournament, and he is not performing while so many other players are, i.e. Steve Stricker in last weeks Northern Trust Open.  Golf Channel - it is time to drop the Phil chalk and focus on  the other great players that are really playing well this year without Tiger to be shadowed under.


PS...Phil, if you win this week I expect 10% of your winnings for eliminating the jinx placed on you by the Golf Channel. Thank you. :)

Cheers to all!

On the Links with Golf Grammie

I told my Grandson recently that, "your mind never ages." I'm referring to a comment he made earlier about the “only balls he saw were made of cheese.” As I read that I thought, “must be he doesn't have a full length mirror in the bathroom.”

In small-town America, where I live, we have a population of less than one thousand people, and no real golf course but one in every direction twenty plus miles away. Except in midsummer when the days are long, it is hard to get home from work, drive and try to get in nine holes before dark. Also, many of the people around here who play golf can only afford to play once or twice a month.

Myself, I didn't play golf until I was 56, but once I did I was addicted. Sometimes I think my mind plays golf 24/7. For the first couple years I played in my yard, which wasn't even a half an acre, setting up nine flag sticks and mostly working on my short game. Then, one day I went begging and ended up with a three acre field that was pretty scrappy, as it had only ever been Bush Hogged. Five years and a lot of sweat later, I have transformed the field into JustAField Golf Teaching Center. We have a men and women’s league, and I work with children and have a program during the fall with the local school. My field has three backyard greens, each with three flags, eighteen tee boxes, front and back nines. The shortest hole is 78 Yards and the longest is a 178 yard dogleg out of the woods. Several tee boxes in the woods are bedded with sawdust. One in particular has nearly two feet of chips covered with another 2 feet of sawdust. The shot requires hitting over two hazards. This would be considered groomed compared to golf conditions in the late 1800's and early 1900's when some of the greatest golfers in the world became famous.

During the fifth year of maintaining JustAField I had a full knee replacement. Titanium Shafts - why not a titanium knee, which serves me just as well.

My surgery was done on June 15th and I was back on the riding mower four weeks later, another two weeks and I could play golf. After ending nearly a month of what I considered "house arrest," I could go and watch the men during league night. I had missed a lot. Being a fun league I make sure they have a different format each week. That night I told them, "when I am feeling in the pink, I expect you to be wearing pink!" For a couple of weeks I don't think they took me seriously. I finally told them, "no pink - don't show up!" As you can see, eight of the thirteen guys did themselves proud - some more then others. For several weeks I had to take a lot of teasing. I said that for every pink item they had, I would take one stroke off their score. "Can I wear my wife's pink panties?"

"Sure," I said, "anything counts so long as it's pink."

"Are you going to check?"

"Yes!" I said, and yes I did. I probably had the last laugh. This particular guy found out that the panties were binding and it was hot and sticky, he couldn't wait to get home and take them off.

The winner took home a check for $25, a rather nice pink flamingo for the garden, a trophy with pink pants and a bottle of Pepto Bismol® to soothe his tummy as well as his ego.

I didn't keep my round posted in 2009 because of surgery and I won’t again in 2010 due to surgery on the other knee this coming March. I'm guessing my handicap now is probably a 26. As I approach the 3/4 century mark, (75 in May) it is doubtful that I'll ever be able to get my handicap under 20, which has always been my goal. So now all I can say is, "please God let me live long enough to shoot my age!"

Golf Grammie

Golf Izzim #2

This is from a story that Golf Grammie told me.  She was playing one day with a girlfriend of hers and they were paired up with a gentleman. By the 13th hole it was clear that he was having a rough day.  This was her friends comment to him on the 13th hole.

"I bet if that hole had hair around it you'd be able to get it in!"

The things that golfers will say...

Cheers to all!

Golf Grammie

I wanted to take this time to welcome the new writer to the blog, Golf Grammie.  Named thus by her Great Grand Children, she has agreed to send me golf articles to post from her experiences on and off the course.  Not only is she my golf inspiration she has also inspired me to write about it.  For many years she has written stories for the local newspaper about small town life and life in general.  I sent her (via "Snail Mail") the first few posts from this blog letting her know what I was doing.  While visiting her over the weekend she said to me, "Oh, by the way, I really loved your Blob...I mean blog."  I look forward to all her posts and I hope you all enjoy her stories and insight as much as I do.

Cheers to all!

A Monday treat

When Monday rolls around, you begin the work week all over again and it can be rather drab.  To add insult to double bogey, TV programming on the Golf Channel is usually open to infomercials and reruns of old tournaments of which we have all seen Tiger win again and again.

This past Monday I came home, sat down comfortably on my sofa with a fresh home-brewed beer and prepared myself to have to watch HGTV with SWMBO because nothing else would be on.  To my delight I realized that the Bob Hope Classic did not end on Sunday but Monday, and to make it a real treat, four players had a real chance at taking the tournament.  Far too often in golf it comes down to two players, and even sometimes just one.   It is really great to watch that many players have to shoot it out over a small number of holes to see who comes out on top.  The last three holes, in and of themselves were their own nail-biting tournament.  Congrats to Bill Haas who, although looking like a floundering fish on his last approach to the 18th pulled off a last ditch birdie to capture him the win.  I hope to see him in the last groups of the final rounds again.  It was nice to see the emotions show so plainly on the players when so much pressure was being put on them.

Here's to golf on Mondays!

Cheers to all!

How I fixed my slice

Disclaimer: Do not assume that because I am posting about fixing a part of my game I am in any way taking on the role of golf teacher or analyst.  But, if you choose to try what I did and it works . . . in such case I take credit for everything. :)  

As mentioned in a previous post I was a, "banana baller," a “slicer," or a "strong fader" of the golf ball.  By my early twenties I had more or less given up on ever being able to hit the ball straight, let alone a draw.  In every shot I lined up, as every slicer does, 30 - 40 yards left of my intended target with small hopes of ending up where I wanted.  The "light bulb" moment for me was while watching "Playing Lessons from the Pros" on the Golf Channel.  The featured pro was Corey Pavin, and although not the longest hitter, he is known for being able to work the ball both ways.  In the show he talked about his back foot position changing based on what kind of shot he was trying to hit.  He would move it slightly in front of his stance for a fade and slightly behind for a draw, meanwhile never aiming away from his target.  His next advice was to let your swing follow your feet.

I took this little tidbit of advice to the range months later.  I would set my self up square to the target, dropping my back foot twelve inches or so behind my stance.  Once I figured out how to maintain my balance in this configuration I took my first few swings, trying my darndest to bring the club back following the line of my feet.    The first few shots did not change from my original swing trajectory; except that they were more of a pull fade then before.  Finally everything clicked in the swing and I connected squarely with the ball.  It flew straight and true for one of the first times ever.  Before long I became used to the awkwardness of the swing and started to snap hook some shots.  I had never done such a thing before, and it was great!  I played this way for a few months, dropping my back foot behind my stance as far as I could manage and using my foot pattern as my swing guide.  Eventually I was able to square out my stance and still hit a draw.  Putting my foot that far back forced me to learn a new swing path.  I still use this stance if I don't play for awhile and start coming over the top again.  

Again, this advice worked for me but may not work for all.  Any golf teacher/pro will say, if you line everything up square to your target the ball should go that way. In my case, I needed a little kick in the butt to figure it out but the statement still holds true.

Cheers to all!