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!

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!

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!

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