Junior Golf: Hide It, Keep It-Show It, Sell It

   That's kind of an odd title, isn't it? Before I began teaching and when I retired from teaching and began my writing career, I was a salesman and sold office equipment and wholesale food products to grocery stores. I had a sales manager share with me a very good idea as I was learning the sales industry. The saying was very profound and I will share it with you:  Show it, sell it--Hide it keep it.  After thinking about how we promote junior golf and even bringing kids into the game that is kind of what we are doing, aren't we.  We just are not giving junior golf the exposure that it should be getting as far as getting kids into the game.

      As I travel around town, I see all kinds of signs up (I live in Merced, California).  Signs such as "Atwater Little League Sign Ups" or "Merced Girl's League Softball Leagues Now Forming.  Sign up At...On Saturday March 4" or "Atwater Strikers Soccer League-signups October 4th". Sign like these are all over the place as I am sure they are in your town.  During the fall you see signs announcing sign ups for soccer leagues and basketball leagues as well as youth football. Signs for Little League and softball leagues are visible during the early spring. Most of these signs are put up around schools in order to get as many kids into the particular sports to sign up as they can.  I ask you though, Where are the signs announcing youth golf programs and signups for those programs?
      I can answer that question quite easily.  There are no signs that are put up.  One of the reasons is that golf programs for youth are not promoted except in the golf community.  Another reason is that there are not that many organized youth golf programs as you see in other sports.  I think that is a shame.  Why aren't there any programs out there?  How come we hide such programs as "First Tee" and "Golf Kids"?  Are we embarrassed?  Do we think that kids are not interested in golf?
     We need to be a bit more aggressive in bringing kids into the game of golf.  Yes, kids are coming to the game of golf.  We can just look at the growth in participation rates in youth golf tournaments and see that it is growing, but probably not as quickly or as much as it should be growing.  Let's take a hard look at what needs to be done to change this.
      I understand many of the challenges that are faced when you try to develop a youth golf program.  A major consideration is who is going to run the program.  Most golf facilities and their staff are totally overburdened with the tasks that are required to run their golf courses, let alone establishing a quality youth golf program.  It is hard to put together a youth program and takes a lot of resources in time and money.  In most cases, the courses and pros don't have that time and money to devote to a quality program.  I understand their logic and concerns that a youth program is another huge investment in the course's time and limited resources.  The decision is a tough one to make, even though the time and money spent is an investment in the future and many of these youth players turn into paying customers.
     Perhaps what is needed is for the men and women of golf look to the future and volunteer to supervise golf programs as in other sports. We need to establish more programs and advertise those programs.  The word needs to get out.  There are golf programs and many other programs can be created. We must go on the offensive and let communities know that these programs exist.  Let's get kids playing golf. Let's show parents and kids the wonderful benefits of the game of golf and how you can play golf for a lifetime.  Let's show it and not keep it.

On Life As A Golf Ball

   We all make sacrifices in our lives.  Some sacrifices are bigger than others and have a more dramatic effect on our lives. What about golf?  What can we say about sacrifices in the game of golf?  Who is it that pays the biggest price in sacrifices for the game of golf?  Have you ever taken a good look at the golf ball? That little dimpled orb pays the greatest price and in some cases gives up it's life so that we may enjoy the game we all love.

      Think about it for a moment.  The ball is created in a nice, growing environment--the golf ball factory. There they are coddled and inspected.  Remember, not all of them make it out of the factory to play on the first team.  Some are rejected and for the most minute of imperfection.  It is a brand of shame to have the Titlist brand--OK, I'm partial to Titlists although I can't always afford them and I don't play ProV's because I'm cheap--painted onto you and then not pass inspection for something as little as a spec.  Then you have to suffer the indignity of either having the word "PRACTICE" stamped on you or even worse the mark of the X painted on you.  This means you are not good enough and have been rejected. You don't even get a trophy for participating.
       Should you make the cut and pass inspection you get put into a paper sleeve with two other perfect dimpled orbs then grouped with three other paper sleeves to make a box of a dozen and sent out to do your job.  By the way, my wife bought an eighteen pack of Top Flites the other day and the balls were not placed in sleeves. That has nothing to do with where I am going with this post, I just though I would throw that in. They were Top Flites after all.  She likes Top Flites but now plays yellow PXG's and I am not going to argue with her, especially if I want to stay out of the dog house and sleep with Fido. Fido has it pretty comfortable in his dog house but when I have to sleep in there with him, he gets the doggy bed and I have to sleep on the hard floor. Back to the Titlists. So the balls go out to the place where they are going to be sold, unaware of the fate that  is to befall on them.
      Joe Average buys the dozen at a totally over inflated price.  I won't say where because I have too many golf pro friends and I don't want to offend anyone. By the way, there is a great sale going on over at Dick's right now on Top Flites and Maxfli's. Sorry, I got off the subject again. So, Joe Average takes the ProV's he paid too much for and and heads for the course.  He reaches into his bag and gets out a tee as well as a sleeve of the new ProV's.
       That wonderful ball is going to be smacked around many times by a stick.  It has to hurt.  Can you imagine the pain that ball has to endure?  How about the blow to the ball's pride. Does it really have to be this way?  You darn right it has to be this way.
      Joe Average is playing golf now.  He tees up the ball on a long par four with water to the right. The ball will be violently struck and fly down the middle of the fairway, missing the deep water hazard on the right hand side of the fairway. Joe must avoid that water at all costs.
      Joe takes a mighty swing with the stick and THWACK, hits the ball. It was a pretty ugly swing at that because Jack doesn't like to take lessons. If you want to improve your game, see your local pro for a lesson please. (That was for all my golf teaching buddies out there.) Guess where that poor ball flies because of Joe's wonderful swing.  Yes, it sadly flies into the middle of the water and hits a ten pound bass squarely on the head. That poor, brand new ball has sacrificed it's life so that others may have enjoyment in their lives.  I'm not too sure how happy the bass was either. Actually, I'm not sure how much enjoyment because Jack is back at the tee yelling words you wouldn't want your preacher or priest or rabbi to hear. I can't speak for a Budhist Monk or a Muslim Imam because I haven't met an Imam or a Monk.    
        Let's have a moment of silence for that new Titlist.  Let's not forget the sacrifices that golf balls all over the world are making, even now.  By the way, how many balls did you put into the lake today? Why don't they give golf balls swimming lessons before they go out to be sold?  

Water, Water everywhere. Why does it always have to be in front of me?

You're In The Jailhouse-Uh, Doghouse-Now

      So, what did I do wrong now?  Why is my wife mad at me?  If you are married or have been married, or have dealt with the female members of the human species you know what I am talking about.  I'm sorry but we males are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to goofing--I use goofing because I am a church going man and can't use the "F" word--up with your favorite female and not knowing why.  Guys, you know what I'm talking about don't you?

     I got up this morning in a pretty good mood.  The dishwasher needed to be emptied and dirty dishes needed to be put in the dishwasher.  The kitchen needed to be cleaned up, so I started it and took a bit of a coffee break, fully intending to get back and finish the job.
     My wife got up and went into the kitchen.  It was clearly apparent to me something was a bit amiss as her normally bubbly champagne personality was not that but could best be described as more of a rotten chardonnay. I had a decision to make, probably wrong but the incident needed a definite course of action.  Hmmm...do I take the coward's way out and go to the gym to work out for say eight hours, or ride out the storm at the house and try to make the situation better. I decided to take the courageous route and stay, after all maybe I could garnish some brownie points and help make the situation better. I can honestly say that was the wrong decision.
     Yes I stayed, silly me.  I like describing things with weather metaphors so here goes.  Her "partly cloudy with showers" disposition when she woke up quickly changed into category five hurricane Julia--the name has been changed as her name isn't Julia to protect the innocent, namely me.  Into the kitchen she went huffing and puffing.  No dishes were thrown, but there was a lot of dish noise and a "See this dishcloth?  Its red where you have spilled punch in the refrigerator." comment.  I know I have been had when the refrigerator comment comes out. I haven't spilled red punch in the refrigerator for a long time so I knew that wasn't it.
     I knew she was mad at something, basically mad at me in general. Stupid me, I asked the question, "Honey, are you mad at me?"  There was no answer, just a sort of audio sound of disdain. This is the upsetting "huf" that is sort of like the fingernails on a chalk board in its effect.
     What happened next is a mistake all of us guys make and I tried to stop it but it just came out.  Out of my mouth blurted, "What did I do wrong?"  After that came automatically out of my mouth I instantly heard The Death March--dum, dum, da dum, dum, da dum da dum da dum.
      "You know what you did." she answered.
    "Whatever I did wrong, I'm sorry for doing, but I really don't know exactly what I did wrong."  I said honestly.  At this point I was beginning to feel like a whipped cocker spaniel who had just chewed up their master's prized house slippers.
     "If you don't know what you did, I shouldn't have to tell you." she responded back.
     At that point, I went down my list in my head.  I took out the trash.  No, that isn't it.  I put the dishes away, including the silverware. That isn't it. I hung up my clothes.  No, that can't be it. Hey, I even wiped off the toilet seat and put the lid down.  I even sprayed air freshener.  I give up!  What is it?
     "Besides, if I had to tell you what you did wrong you don't love me."
     That's it, I quit. The battle has been lost.  Where are my car keys?  I'm off to the gym or at least to higher ground to let hurricane Julia pass.  I'll be back in about eight hours.

All I have to do is add electricity, heating and air conditioning.

I'm sorry that this post doesn't have to do with golf, but I thought I would give you a good laugh. We did just get home from golf and I am about to go out and grill some hamburgers.  Wish me luck.

 

 

We

Which Golf Ball Should I play?

 

Which golf ball should I be playing is a question that I get quite often. My wife asks me this almost every time we play golf. There are a couple of important factors that come into this when I attempt to answer that question. It is not a "one size fits all" response.  

One of the first questions we need to explore is where are you in your journey with the game of golf?  Are you new to the game-we call this a newby-or are you a seasoned veteran? Do you fall somewhere in between these two categories. What is your swing like? Do you hit the ball straight and a country mile or do you struggle to get the ball airborne? Do you lose a lot of balls when you play golf?  I would add that if you were new to the game, but I know a lot of seasoned golfers who lose a lot of balls as well. 

You don't want the cost of a dozen golf balls to send you to the poor house if your balls disappear quite readily. Sometimes they do that on purpose, so you might consider using a less expensive ball and maybe ProV's don't fit your budgetary constraints. There are a good number of economically priced golf balls out there .  I would strongly recommend these less expensive, non-budgetary breaking balls for the newer golfer. There are still balls out there for under $20 a dozen and some even are 18 packs. Believe it or not, most of them are not that bad. I won't recommend a brand here, because there are so many, from Nitro (yuck) to Srixon, Callaway and Titleist. I am kind of partial to Dick's Sporting Goods as they have the Top Flite line and the Maxli line as well. 

OK boys and girls, are you ready for a bedtime story?  Well, it's really not a bedtime story and I am going to tell it to you anyway. How many of you have heard of the Precept ball?  Bridgestone Tire and Rubber Company wanted to get into the golf ball manufacturing business but didn't want to use Bridgestone for the name on their ball because they didn't want people to think that their ball was just a small tire. They came up with the name Precept, and it was a very good ball.

The rulers at Bridgestone/Precept wanted to offer women a lady's ball so they came out with what they called The Lady Precept. It was an exceptional ball and actually out performed their flagship ball. It went further and was very responsive around the greens. You could tell it was a lady's ball because the writing on it was a hot pink and it was sold in a pink box and the sleeves were pink.  After all, it was a lady's ball. 

An odd thing happened to the Lady Precept. Men discovered the ball and were buying it.  However, there was a bit of a thing in that men didn't want to be seen buying and playing a lady's ball. Sales of the ball went through the roof and it wasn't just women who were buying the ball. After a while, the ball became known as the "paper bag ball" because men would buy the ball and would insist that the ball be placed in a brown paper bag so that it would not be discovered that a guy was playing a lady's ball-after all, that could prove to be embarrassing to the average macho guy. 

So, what did Bridgestone/Precept do?  The solution was pretty simple.  They knew they had a great ball on their hands but had to come up with a creative solution to get the ball into the hands of guys and take away the stigma of playing a lady's ball. They changed the packaging and the name of the ball from "Lady Precept" to "Precept Laddie". They still made the Lady Precept and packaged it in its pink box with pink lettering, but the new "men's" ball, The Laddie, would be packaged in a new silver and green box and sleeves.  The printing on the ball was black and "Laddie" would be printed on the ball itself. This move was brilliant in that the ball was the same but now men were not hesitant to buy the ball. I used to play "The Laddie"  almost exclusively and it was a great ball.  They still make it, but I have switched to a different ball manufacturer because as Bridgestone transitioned to the Bridgestone name on its balls, they phased out the "Precept" name.

Let's move on here and talk about the seasoned player.  What ball should the experienced golfer play?  My answer to this is it depends o the individual golfer and what they like.  Let's not forget that golf balls are subject to the regulations of The USGA and Royal and Ancient Golf Association as far as the specifications of golf balls. Golf balls have to conform to the regulations set forth by these two organizations as far as ball statistics and performance. I can't hit their balls because of their Bridgestone logo on the balls.

There is not a whole lot of difference between premium balls. A ProV has certain subtle differences than say a Callaway or other premium ball but they all have to conform to golf ball specifications as set forth by the ruling bodies. The "Feel" of the ball is what most golfers go by.  How do you like the feel of the ball? Does it feel hard or does it compress and have a soft feel coming off the club?  How does it perform around the green?  What is the ball flight of a particular ball?  How does it feel coming off an iron shot?  Most golfers have personal preferences and choose a ball based upon those questions. 

Keep in mind that golf ball manufacturers spend a lot of money on the promotion of their golf balls. How much do you think they spend on sponsorships as far as the golf playing professional? What does Callaway pay Xander to endorse their balls? What about TV advertising. I would like to have 1000th of the money Titleist spends promoting ProVs.  It is a probably the finest ball out there and I have played the ball, but I cringe at the fact that I have to shell out over $50 for a dozen balls. Do I really have to help pay for Jordan to fill up his jet?  I have problem scraping up the cost of a fill up on my Hyundai Venue.

As I said, I don't play ProVs because of the price.  I also must admit that I am a bit of a golf ball prude.  When Nike came out with their ball, and it was a good ball, I couldn't play it because of the logo on the ball.  The same is true with Calaway balls.  I can't play Callaways and I have tried.  My eye just hates looking at that Callaway logo and how it is placed on the ball.  They make a great ball, I just can't hit it with that huge logo. I have the same problem as far as the logo on the ball as Taylormade and I have already mentioned Bridgestone. I have played Srixon, and I am not impressed as far as my game is concerned. All these brand name balls are great balls, I just don't like the looks of them as far as how  they set up for my eye.

Do I avoid Titleists? Actually, I don't.  Every now and then I will change up my routine and buy a dozen True Speed Titleists.  I was part of the developement program when Titleist brought out the prototypes and I was one of the first to buy one of those unmarked white boxes. I liked them and they performed well for me.  The feel was a little bit softer than a ProV and they did well around the greens in my short game. I do like ProV's as well, but at their price point I only buy them when I win on a huge lottery ticket or when I win big at the casino.

OK, it's time to do the great reveal.  What ball do I prefer to play?  I have always been a Maxfli man.  I played the ball that had the red dot on it and was a wound ball-I wonder how man of you know what I am talking about when I say wound ball? There is a history around Maxfli where Taylormade bought it and made it their low-end line and the balls didn't sell. The Maxfli line was sold off to Dick's Sporting Goods-as was Top Flite-and rescaled the ball to become an excellent high end, the Maxfli Tour X ball line that was economical and would compare quite closely to the ProV.  Testing has shown that the performance of the Maxfli Tour line can stand up to the ProV line.

PXG has entered the golf ball market.  I tried the original PXG ball and loved it.  The ball stops on a dime when hit on the green. I found that it was just a bit hard for my tastes and was not that much better than my Maxfli Tours.  I stayed with the Maxflis, although I played a couple of dozen PXGs. 

PXG has come out with a new ball, the PXG Tour X.  I fell in love with the ball immediately after hitting it. The ball was a noted improvement over the original PXG ball and the performance is a step above my Maxflis.  I will be playing this ball for a long time, but I still have a couple of dozen Maxflis to fall back on.

What is my advice as to which ball to play?  Try as many as you can and find one that fits your game and you like. 

 

. 

 

What Makes A Great Golf Course?

    Have you ever wondered what makes a great golf course? In my 55 years of playing the great game, I have played a lot of courses, some great and some not. Let's take a minute here and talk about what I think makes a great golf course.

     I have to confess that I am an "Old Style" golf course kind of guy.  A well designed course in among a grove of trees with small, fast greens is really what I love. You don't have to have forced carries and enough water to mimic the Pacific Ocean in order to make a wonderful layout. Greens don't have to be the size of Siberia in order to make up a great course and those greens don't have to be faster than the cars running at Daytona Speedway on the third weekend in February--I'm a NASCAR fan so I thought I would throw that in--just fast enough to get a good roll to the hole.
     What do I think make a "Great Course"?   Recently I stopped to think about that and maybe it is time to share those attributes to you.  Remember now, I am an eighteen handicap player so this is more from the point of view of an average player.  You also have to keep in mind that I am not a course designer and these are my opinions.  Please feel free to disagree with any of these points.  I give you that permission.

1.)  The course has to be enjoyable to a player who has never played the course before.  Let me explain this. I have played a lot of courses that have required a lot of local knowledge as far as where to place the ball on certain shots. Many times I have hit what I thought was a good shot, and the ball winds up somewhere that cost me a lot of strokes. It went there because of the course design and not how I hit the shot. Local knowledge is fine, but don't penalize a player who has never played the course.

2.)  I feel that forced carries are OK and add to the character of a course.  However, a great course allows the player to carry the "carry" and not have to pull off an impossible shot to get over the barranca or water hazard. I have played courses like that where there is no way I am going to get over the barranca or water hazard. Not all players like to "go for it" or do they have that ability.  There should be a safe landing area for laying up. You can have forced carries, but make them so there is a bailout area or they are at least "carryable" for the average golfer.

3.)  Greens should be fair and not punitive.  There should be break and they can be lightning fast but don't make them putt like the holes on the local miniature golf course.  Ant hills don't have any place on a real golf course.

4.)  The course should not be so "gimmicked" up that it is not enjoyable to play.  In other words, why have a hole that has a creek running through it where the average golfer cannot find the proper landing areas?  I can see double fairways, but don't punish the average golfer with an impossibly long shot into the green after hitting the shorter route fairway. The course should reward a good shot, not penalize the golfer with an impossible next shot.  And don't tell me to play the forward tees either, because you are still not going to make it over that barranca.

5.)  I like an "Old Style" golf course. Greens don't have to be fast, but they need to putt true and be well maintained.  I prefer courses that have tree lined fairways, but I enjoy "links style" golf as long as the course isn't "tricked up".  Undulations in the fairways are good and the course does not have to be flat. The course should basically say, "I'm an old school course.  I'm not going to throw anything funny at you.  Take your best shot and beat me if you can."  Riverside Golf Course in Fresno, California and Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside California come to mind when I say that.

6)  I'm going to show my West Coast bias here.  One of the things that make a course a "Great Course" is a course that is on, has views of or you can hear The Pacific Ocean.  That's all I'm going to say about that one. It kind of speaks for itself.

     That's my list.  Of course it is only my opinion.

What can I say?

Come Join The Family of Golfers

   It has been said that golf is an elitist sport.  I guess looking at just the face of it that can be said.  But is it the true nature of golf.  I get angered when the media puts that face forward.  Golf is not a white man's elitist sport.  In fact when you dig a little deeper you find that true golf is very egalitarian in it's nature. Golf in the trenches is not the PGA tournament that you see on TV. Come and see the true game of golf and who is playing it. Come to Rancho Del Rey or Riverside Golf Course.

     Many people outside of golf see only one world and that is the closed world of the private golf course. They also see the very closed world of the PGA Tour.  The media reports loudly on decisions made by some of the old ruling bodies of golf that seem anti-women.  The good news in that respect is things are changing. It has to change because the game is much more multi-cultural multi-colored and played by the ladies than what is shown on TV and women are the biggest growth area of golf today. Golf, especially at the public course level, is more diverse than people want to give credit. Most public course golfers know this. Please don't take that as a hit on private courses either, because the memberships in most private clubs is changing to reflect a more diverse population.

     As I have said in previous posts I play and worked as a marshal at a local semi-private course.  Most of the members that play at our course can be described as "working class".  Our course is open to whomever wants to play and the advantages of being a member are basically reduced green fees. State golf association memberships are extra.  It's great to see the diverse nature of those golfers who play the course and who are members with almost no distinction between members and public players.

     We have all kinds of people with different backgrounds playing at Rancho Del Rey. It is not unusual to see a foursome or fivesome--we do allow fivesomes on non-busy days during the week--that are made up of hispanic, black, asian and white players. We have a very active contingent of Mexican American Golf Association players whose membership included white guys and African Americans.We even have a gentleman from Puerto Rico who looks and sound just like ChiChi Rodriguez. I think it is his brother, but I don't know. I haven't seen him for awhile. It seems as though he moved to Minnesota.

        Women play right along side of men and are very active in the Player's Club. In fact, our ladies have formed their own player's club and their membership is growing.  A good piece of advice here is don't get into a money game with one of our ladies.

    We have a very active senior's club. Our club is made up of a very diverse background of players, both ethnically and if you look at where our members come from occupationally. We have teachers, plumbers, construction workers, delivery drivers and even a couple of retired Marines. As far as the ethnic background of our members it is truly a rainbow of colors and we even have a member from of all places, Guam. 

  
     Come take a look at our nineteenth hole.  The place is jumping with conversations and color, religion, sex or national heritage doesn't stop the conversations. Most of the conversations are centered around golf as this is the cornerstone of the family. We are family here. The only distinction that is made is that we are all golfers, and some non-golfers. The main question is not who are you but more importantly, what is your handicap?

Golf: The Game Has Changed Over My Years of Playing

 I was reading an article in Golf Digest that talked about how the science of agronomy as it relates to turf has influenced the design of new golf courses. This got me to thinking.  When I started playing golf, golf construction and architecture was a fairly straight up thing.  Ground was sometime graded and contoured, greens were pushed up from the given landscape and given contours with no layering for drainage, bunkers were formed in the fairways and around the greens trees were planted or removed to line the fairway and bermuda grass seed layed down and bent grass planted on the greens.  That was it-well, it may have been a bit more complicated than that.

Building a golf course has changed since then and the science of agronomy is a critical part of the design of new courses. No longer do you have green construction which is the ground being pushed up and contoured to make a green.  Today's greens are layered  in order for the green to drain in rainy seasons, or when they are siphoned during the hot seasons to keep the grass cool and water does not puddle on the green.  Hybrid grasses such as zoysia and hybrid bermuda are now used, not just the plain old bermuda that was planted on older courses.  Trees are actually being removed from older courses in order for the sun to hit to the grass easier and to make watering more efficient. How architects build golf courses and the science that goes into building is one of the big changes that have come to golf over the years. Much of golf has changed over the years.

I am of the opinion-I may be wrong but hey, I'm over 70-that today's young golfers are not taught the game of golf. This is a pet peeve of mine.  Their vision of the game is to take out a driver, hit it as far as you can and then take a wedge to the green and one putt for a birdie. When I was learning the game, my pro was very adamant about me learning the game. He taught me the importance of playing strategical golf  such as where to hit the ball into position when going for the green wasn't exactly a high percentage shot. More importantly, he taught me how to estimate distance and know what a certain club would do and how to hit shots that would get me out of trouble and what to do if I did get me into a situation where I had to take my medicine-more about this later. To this day, I can estimate a distance to the pin to within three feet.  It's a lot of fun seeing my playing partner with a GPS device's mouth drop when he asks me a distance and my estimate is to within three feet of his GPS's reading. 

 Above all else, the short game is what the game is all about. "Drive for show, putt for dough" is more than just a silly saying. Inside 100 yards is my office. I carry four different wedges and am deadly with  the 100 yard bump and run.  I play a variety of shots from within 100 yards depending on the conditions. you just don't see many younger golfers being taught the skill of the short game.  To this day, I can't look a garbage can in the face.  You can read more about this when my book is published soon, but I used to have to put 30 golf balls into a garbage can from 40-100 yards in my lessons with my pro.

I don't want to get into this too deeply because it is a discussion that can go on for hours. What about the difference between today's clubs and thos clubs that we played forty years ago. I remember playing my persimmon woods, that by the way were really made out of wood and the extra still stainless steel shafts that they were tied on to. I took my driver that I used to play down off the wall and swung it the other day.  It was like swinging a telephone pole, but there was nothing like hearing the sound of the ball coming off that persimmon head when a ball was struck well. I still can't believe how small the heads are. They hit a heck of a lot different than the graphite shafted, big headed PXG driver I play now.

I used to play extra stiff steel shafted irons with very small blade heads.  I loved the performance that I go out of those clubs.  As I got older, I didn't play as much so I went to a midsize clubhead with steel stiff shafts and then transitioned into graphite because my back was deteriorating. The game to me just wasn't the same, but I couldn't swing as good as I used to because of my hurting back. Also, the lofts on the irons changed to what was before a 9 iron was now a 81/2 as far as flight and distance.  

Have I mentioned the ball yet?  I guess I haven't.  How many of you have hit a Titleist Balata 90 compression ball.  It was a ball that had a real odd sense of humor in that it was you friend if you hit it well, but after a few holes when you hit a bad shot, it smiled and laughed back at you. Those of you that have hit one know what I mean.  The cover was natural rubber and was wound with rubber bands.  The ball had an inner core that was a little rubber ball that was either solid or filled with a liquid substance. It cut very easily.  Today's ball is solid with a urethane cover that does not cut easily.

I guess that the winds of change are to be expected after more than 55 years of playing the game.  Technology is a big part of the game now, which I'm not sure that is a good thing but I do know that it changes the way the game is played and taught. It will be interesting to see the changes that will come about over the next 55 years.   

  

Viva Las Vegas: Golf In the Kingdom, Courses I have Played In Las Vegas-Part 4

 How interesting is a seven hour trip in the car through twenty miles on the other side of "The Boondocks"? Let me tell you, it's not very entertaining. How many rocks and volcanic cones can you see when they all look the same. This is basically what you get when you drive from Fresno to Las Vegas.  It is miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.  There are some interesting attractions along the way such as the tallest thermometer in the world, which is not always working, and of course The Mad Greek in Baker, California but not much else.  You have to have a good reason to make the exciting transit to Las Vegas. I don't mind flying, but I still hate Vegas.

In my last post, I talked about how I took part in the first of four annual PGCC Coaches Tournament and Clinic. I must say here that the conference turned into mostly a tournament where the majority of the almost 200 coaches played in the tournament but didn't stay for the clinic.  Being one of the 20 or so coaches that stayed for the clinic, I must say that I learned a lot about coaching golf from the instructors. Believe me, it was not a waste of time and I had plenty of beside the pool time back at the hotel.

I looked forward to the second year of participating in the event. This particular year the tournament was played over all three of the Stallion Mountain courses. We didn't get to play one of the courses last year as I said in my last post so I was excited to play the third course, and it was a lot of fun to play-but nothing to write home to mom about. After playing the on the third day, we packed up the car and headed for home.

After a long school year the summer vacation finally arrived And this was going to be my third trip to the PGCC Coach's Clinic.  This year's lineup of courses was two days at Stallion Mountain and the third day at Desert Pines in Las Vegas.  I am not going to say that I was excited to be going back to Las Vegas and The PGCC Tournament but I was ready to go because we were going to play a different golf course than Stallion Mountain for the third course and I was curious what the course was like. 

Stallion Mountain was..Stallion Mountain. I must admit though it was good to play the courses because I had played all three courses and they were not new to me.  Desert Pines was a different story. It was different and unlike any of the courses we had played in past tournaments.

What a total change of pace.  Yes, this was a course that was suggestive of courses you would find in the Carolinas such as Pinehurst and did not have a "Las Vegas" feel at all. There were tall Carolina Pines outlying the fairways and collection bunkers as well as lakes came into play. Desert Pines falls in a high place on my courses I have played.  I haven't gone back to Desert Pines, and I hear that the course has been neglected.  I don't know if that is true, but I have seen some of the reviews on GolfPass and they seem to reflect this.

I would be remiss-what does that mean, by the way-if I didn't share this story about my playing Desert Pines.  We of course were in Las Vegas and this was the last day of the Tournament.  In a rare form of misjudgement, I decided to slip out of the hotel room and do some enjoyment of the Las Vegas nightlife. I gambled too much and imbibed in what native Americans call "firewater". You could say that I was a bit "in the bag" when I returned to the hotel room at 2:00 AM or 02:00 for those of you serving in the military. Tee off time was 8:00 or in 6 hours. 

Yes, I did make it to Desert Pines in enough time to go to the driving range and hit some balls. Let's just say that the fog had not cleared over the Golden Gate Bridge as far as my body was concerned.  I walked onto the hitting area and picked out a stall.  The hitting stations were not grass but turf and I noticed there were no ball filled triangle of balls to hit.  There was a ball sitting on a rubber tee on the right side of the turf square? I said to myself what the heck and I hit the ball that was on the tee.  Whoosh and off it went out onto the range.

I turned away from where the ball was and asked someone a question.  When I turned back towards where the first ball was, there was another ball on the tee. At this point I began to doubt my sanity.  I knew that I had hit that ball off that tee and there were no more balls. But yet, a ball was sitting on the tee as big as you please. I knew I was in pretty bad shape and was slightly hungover, but I didn't think I had lost it that bad. Like Columbo in a good mystery, I was going to solve this. I was a little beat up mentally and physically I know, but I wasn't ready for the looney ward just yet. hey, I'm from Fresno and now Merced.  These things don't happen in my neck of the woods.

Here's what I did. There was a ball sitting on the tee. Thwack, I hit it off the tee and off it went majestically into the air.  I froze my eyes on the tee to see what was going to happen. The tee went down into the ground and then up comes another ball on the tee. There was a ball feeding system where the balls came up from a machine under the hitting area.  Wow, what high technology. I was still sane and the mystery was solved.  I was not losing my mind, but that didn't cure the intense hangover. 

I want to stop here because this blog is getting a bit too long and I don't want to lose you.  In my next post I will share with you my fourth trip to the  PGCC coaches Clinic/Tournament which was my last year participating in it. I will also talk about the three other courses I played in Las Vegas-Paiute, Bear's Best and Legacy- but on separate occasions. Stay tuned for Viva Las Vegas: Golf In The Kingdom Part 5 coming to a computer near you on The Golf Course Travel Bag.

 

     

Escape Where--To The Sun and San Luis Obispo Part One

      We need to escape this cold and fog. I have said that a number of times over the years along with its companion during the summer--we need to get out of this heat. Where do you go to escape the cold of winter and the oppressive heat of summer?  My overwhelming favorite is San Luis Obispo County on California's Central Coast of the Pacific Ocean. It just doesn't get any better.
     We left Merced on New Year's Day on a very cold and overcast January afternoon. It was time to get out of the dampness and into some sunshine. The three and a half drive is well worth it, just to see the sun again. Three days of being away was ahead of us, and so was two rounds of golf.
     Our first stop in San Luis Obispo County was at the James Dean Memorial located around a huge oak tree in the parking lot of the Jack Ranch Cafe. James Dean was killed at the intersection of California State Highways 41 and 46, a few miles from the memorial. You may know that he was a young actor that starred in three movies--Rebel Without A Cause, East Of Eden and Giant--and was killed just after Giant was completed. The memorial is simple but compelling. There are many rumors and stories about James Dean that persist today, including the details of the crash in the Porsche that killed him. After a brief stop, it was on to San Luis Obispo.
     San Luis Obispo is one of my favorite cities.  It is home to California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, otherwise known as Cal Poly SLO. Downtown is home to Mission San Luis Obispo, one of the twenty one missions founded by the Spanish in early California. The mission is number five in the chain and was founded by Father Junipero Serra, one of the original nine that he personally founded. I enjoy walking downtown and enjoying its quaint charm and feel taking in the shops and restaurants.
     You just can't go to San Luis Obispo without stopping downtown and checking out a good book at Barnes and Noble or having a fantastic bread bowl of chowder at Splash Cafe, both located at Downtown Plaza off Higuera Street. Splash's chowder is perhaps one of the best chowders in the world. Try to be downtown on a Thursday night and roam the downtown Farmer's Market where Higuera Street is closed off and filled with booths where growers sell fresh produce grown in the area along with other vendors selling other wares.  Many of the area restaurants have booths as well where you can savor a meal.
     We stayed downtown for a bit and realized it was getting late, time to go to our hotel to check in and get settled in for the two nights we were going to stay. Our home for the two nights we were in San Luis Obispo County was The Embassy Suites Hotel, located just off Hiway 101 and Madonna Road.
     I enjoy staying in an Embassy Suites Hotel.  The rooms are two room suites and have all the amenities a great hotel could offer as well as being quite cozy and comfortable. The hotel includes a cooked to order breakfast buffet each morning to guests as well as a complimentary guest reception each night between five and seven o'clock.  These two features come in very handy as it eliminates the guesswork of where to have breakfast in the morning, especially at the start of a full and hectic day.  The evening reception is a great way to unwind before going out to dinner at night. After ordering fast-food at the nearest "In And Out" Hamburger location and bringing it it back to the room we ate, watched some TV and then turned in as we knew we had a full day ahead of us tomorrow. A round of golf at Morro Bay Golf  Course in the morning seemed very appealing tonight.

San Luis Obispo Downtown Plaza

The James Dean Memorial at Jack Ranch

   
   

   
   
   
   

Of Golf, Sunshine, The Bay and the Rock--Morro Bay Golf Course

     When it gets cold and foggy in the winter or scorching hot during the summer here in California's Central Valley, most residents escape to nearby getaways. In winter the aim is to escape the cold, foggy, overcast chilly days and find the sun. During the summer we hunt for cooler climates in order to find relief from the 100 degree plus heat. We go to where the sun is away from the fog in winter and travel to cooler places during the summer. You have two options, the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Pacific Coast.
     I enjoy going to the mountains occasionally, but I prefer the Coast.  My roots are Greek and my grandfather was a merchant seaman so the ocean calls loudly to me.  I am an ocean person, and that is where I go to escape when I need a change from the Central Valley weather extremes. San Luis Obispo County is my ocean place and I normally end up in the small town of Morro Bay, California.  Of course, many time when I take the two and a half hour drive there I play golf at Morro Bay Golf Course.
     Morro Bay Golf is located just south of town and is built on the side of a mountain within the boundaries of Morro Bay State Park. If you are driving to the course from the south, be careful because the road up the hill which takes you to the course is not marked and sort of sneaks up on you.  That's OK because if you do miss the turn, you are in for a real treat.  The road loops around the State Park and campground besides the bay and you get a delightful view of the course on the right with the bay and Morro Rock on your left. Finally, you come to the city side of the course and the road which is marked that takes you to the clubhouse. This is the other end of the cut off that you may of missed that takes you to the clubhouse from the south.
     With the views from the course of Morro Rock, Morro Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond the course has the nickname of "A Poor Man's Pebble Beach". Although the course is not directly situated on the ocean, it is easy to see why it has been called this.  The views from the course are breathtaking, and each hole comes with different sort of vista. Golf and this kind of beauty, it just doesn't get any better.
     The course is an old style course built on the side of a hill. The "Old Girl" never looks her age as the course is always in great shape given the amount of rounds played on her each year. Fairways are lined by huge eucalyptus and cypress trees and the greens are small. Speaking of the greens, they are quick and very hard to read. When you are reading the greens always remember where you are in relation to Black's Mountain--the volcanic peak towering behind the golf course--and the bay.  Notice I didn't say ocean.  The course is kind of on a peninsula so just remember that the greens generally break away from the mountain and toward the water, wherever you are in relationship to the water. I would highly suggest that you take note of where the green is as you are walking up to it to putt which will give you a better idea of the orientation of the green in relationship to the hill.. When you are on the green, don't trust your eyes.  Remember where the mountain is and where the water is. By about the third hole I can almost guarantee that you will be talking to yourself. Don't worry about scoring though, just have fun and enjoy the views. If you do score well, that's a plus.
     Don't worry too much about bunkers.  I talked to a man who plays the course regularly and he said there are only six of them. There is a reason for this. The course was built in 1925 as a nine hole track and then was extended to eighteen at a later date. The course was tremendously busy, so in order to speed up play most of the original bunkers were removed. It was later discovered that this didn't speed up play and that it was the difficult to read greens that were slowing up play. The bunkers were not replaced, so when you played the course you just had to sit back and enjoy the experience. With the opening up of more courses in the San Lus Obispo County area, the play logjam has lightened up considerably and the pace of play has picked up. Expect a four and a half hour round when you play the course at a leisurely pace. But you don't want to rush so enjoy the course and the views.
     I have been asked many time what my favorite hole is on the course. Honestly, I don't have a favorite.  How could I?  Each hole has just a bit of a different flavor and a different view. I will say that after battling the slopes and side hills of the front nine, I enjoy playing the back nine a bit more than the front nine. It's a bit more on the level side, but you still play up the hill the last few holes to get back to the clubhouse. If I am partial to a hole, I would have to say number 10 a downhill par three. This is because of the view and it is just a lot of fun to play.
     Of all the courses that I have played, this course goes high on my list of favorites. It is always different and you never quite know what to expect. It is a fun course and will challenge your game. And the views--what can I say?

The tenth hole at Morro Bay

   
   

What's Old Has Become New Again--Paso Robles Golf Club

     How many times have I traveled from Fresno in California's Central Valley to the Central Pacific Coast of California and passed through Paso Robles.  The answer to that question almost scares me and I really don't think I can count that high. Each time I make the turn from California Highway 46 onto U.S. Highway 101, I think about Paso Robles Golf Club, and that I should play it some day when I come to the coast but I am always on my way somewhere to do something else. It is one of those courses that you put on your "I Gotta Play This Course" list, but never seem to stop to play. A couple of weeks ago, I got to cross it off that list and played it wondering why I had waited so long.
     The course was designed by noted golf architect Bert Stamps and opened as a private country club, Paso Robles Country Club. In 1996, the course changed hands with the new owners not exactly taking the best care of the facility. This kind of acted as a double whammy as far as the number of rounds played at the course. Even though the course was opened to public play in 1996, it was still thought to be private and so the public never quite showed up as the old owners who took it public didn't get the word out. Most people thought you just couldn't get on the course because it was still private. Those who did play the course saw that the condition of the course just wasn't up to snuff.  With the misconception that the course was still private and the fact that the new owners were not taking care of what could be a wonderful place to play golf, play all but dried up. I have to say that I was one of these people that really didn't have a burning desire to play Paso Robles.
     Enter Mike Rawitser who also operates Santa Teresa and San Jose Municipal, both located in San Jose, California.  He saw that this course and facility was truly a "diamond in the rough" and he purchased the course in 2011. He saw the course not for what it was at the time, but what it could be.
     Changes were made almost immediately, bringing in a dynamic leadership team to run the course. The clubhouse was remodeled  in 2012 to improve the restaurant and bar.  The pro shop was brought from a dilapidated mobile home set on pillars above the first tee into a corner of the remodeled clubhouse. The old pro shop was torn down giving a better view of the course from the new pro shop and a wider selection of merchandise was made available. Another new building was built that would serve as a cart barn, club fitting facility and learning center. A lot of money was spent on improving fairways and greens, as well as relocating the number fourteen green. All of this done to bring an exceptional level of quality play to the golfing public. I have to say that it is working.
     Paso Robles Golf Course is an "old style" golf course. Bert Stamps who was the architect took basically a flat piece of land and built the golf course using the terrain that he had to work with. The land had one big asset going for it though, and that was the number of huge oak trees that were on the property. He built the course around those huge trees and used them in a very strategic manner. Fairways are not lined by trees, but the big oaks come into play as do several lakes. The greens are small, well bunkered and putt true. I would describe the course as being "sneaky tough". First glaces and opinions can be deceiving as the course is a good test of your golf skills and is a lot of fun to play.
    Two holes stood out in my mind. The fourth is an uphill par three at 150 yards from the white tees. The hole is built in an area off by itself and has a creek running through it at the bottom of the gully. The green is protected by a bunker in the left front and an oak.  You want to stay right on this hole, but not too far right otherwise you will have more huge oaks to bother you that are to the right, especially that big one just off the green. This is a great par three and is very pleasing to the eye as well.
     The fifth hole is a short par four of 317 yards off the white tees. The fairway doglegs to the right and is tucked away into a bit of a forest on the right side. You want to put your tee shot out to the left, because if you are on the right side you put the forest that is on the right in play and you have a couple of oaks to contend with to get to the green.  I know, I was there and it wasn't any fun. Even though I didn't play it well it was a fun hole and a pretty one at that.  Although these were the two most noteworthy holes, each hole had its own character and beauty.
     I felt right at home at Paso Robles Golf Club from the minute I drove up to the course.  The staff was very friendly and helpful. Should you be in the Paso Robles area and looking for a game of golf on a great course, stop by and play the course. It is time that you took Paso Robles Golf Club off your "I Gotta Play That Course Someday" list.  Like me, you will be glad that you took the time to play it.

The par three fourth hole. 

   
   




   
   

   

Ryder Cup Thoughts--Part 3

     Yet again, my mind reluctantly comes to thoughts of the Ryder Cup.  I wasn't going to comment about the loss to the Europeans as my opinion is that it is what it is. We lost, It's just that plain and simple. I will give you the simple, unabridged version about why we lost.
     The reason we lost has to do with mathematics. Here it is.  The Europeans had 161/2 points and we had 121/2. You can discuss it all you want to, but those are the facts. The U.S. Team got beat, and beat bad. That is the bottom line.
     I do have to ask a question here. How important were statistics to Tom Watson.  What was the criteria that he used to make the pairings? I have to admit that I didn't look at this question very closely, but it did have to come up.  I think that Phil Mickelson's comments at the Ryder Cup news conference may have had a ring of truth to them, but I don't know.
     Maybe Tom Watson should have used the pods system and broke the competition down into segments.  Who knows. Maybe Phil should have played in the afternoon, I don't know. We will never know if this would have changed the outcome. Phil is a tough competitor, and any tough competitor hates to be pulled from the game. Let me share what I do know and that is that Europe is coming over here in 2016, and we will see what happens then.
     Please visit some of my sponsor's websites and see what they have to offer.  There are some great specials running on Golfsmith right now so check them out. In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight. Don't leave that birdie putt short!

Kind of a Scottish feel to it, eh Laddie?

Ryder Cup Thoughts--Part 2

     Again, I will be honest with you.  I have not been following the Ryder Cup matches that closely. The conclusion that I think I am coming to is that the Europeans are handing the Americans another bitter defeat. This seems to be the rule these days in Ryder Cup competition.
    Last night I turned on the Golf Channel to see just what the score was and it wasn't pretty.  I didn't catch the score but what I did catch was that The Americans had to win 8 out of 12 matches in today's single matches. I must say that it is not impossible, but a miracle at best. I hate to be a skeptic, but that is WIN 8 matches.  A halve won't help. I do wish the American team luck and have them start thinking about two years from now when the Ryder Cup Matches return to the U.S.
     I do remember the time when we dominated the Europeans. Our string of Ryder Cup victories was long but so was the America's Cup string of victories which of course was broken. Dominance in sports, any sports is hard to achieve in our times. Eventually, the competition will swing the other way and we Americans will be enjoying a string of Ryder Cup victories.  If not a string of victories then at least achieve a balance of wins between The United States and The European Team.
     Got to run to church now. So, hit 'em long and straight. Don't leave that birdie putt short.

Go out and play golf today.  Good luck USA in the Ryder Cup.

Ryder Cup Thoughts

     I don't know how I feel about this year's Ryder Cup.  I have been incredibly busy with all I am doing right now that I haven't had the time to pay much attention to it even though I call myself a golf writer. Quite frankly, tournament reporting is not my cup of tea.  I write mostly about travel and golf courses and I feel that is where my stories are. I suppose I should pay more attention, but it is more convenient when the venue is here in the United States.  After all, it's 6:00 AM here in California and the coverage is on.
     I'm off to the TV to watch.
     By the way, my video on Catalina Island Golf Course is up on You Tube and on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  Check it out, it is a great course in a unique setting.  The course also has a very important history as it is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi.  Take a look at the video at http://youtu.be/5QIxV0Oj8dw.  Enjoy the Ryder Cup coverage and don't forget to hit 'em long and straight. Please don't leave that birdie putt short.  I made two at Catalina Island, YAHOO!!!

What a great place for a golf course. The course is located in the canyon above the city of Avalon.

Coke v. Pepsi...The Controversy of the Ages

     As you know, it is always my intention to stay on the cusp of controversy. Today is no different. I am compelled to comment on the Coke vs. Pepsi wars which are dividing our country and the world today. This is serious stuff folks. Families have been torn apart by this war, all because of a couple of stupid soft drinks.
     By the way, to add fuel to the fire, let's get our terminology straight and correct.  It is not soda, soda pop pop or even tonic.  The correct terminology is soft drink, and if you really want to get technical the generic term is flavored non-alcoholic carbonated beverage.  So please, if you are going to join this discussion use the correct term of either soft drink or flavored non-alcoholic carbonated beverage.
     I will go on record here saying that I prefer Coke, and prefer Coke Zero over the sugar of regular Coke. There can be a controversy over that as well as my wife prefers Diet Coke over Coke Zero.  I think that she's wrong, but that is between us and I would never tell her that as I don't want to anger her. She's still wrong though. I will leave the Coke Zero-Diet Coke controversy alone for the time being.
     Coke has the better flavor.  It is not quite as sweet and the carbonation doesn't hide the flavor of the non-alcoholic beverage.  To me, Pepsi's flavor is not based on the recipe of the syrup, but on the amount of sugar and carbonation that is put into the soft drink. Don't get me wrong, if I were stranded on a desert island and the only thing I had to drink would be an endless supply of Pepsi, I would drink it.  I don't think I would bathe in it though.  That would depend if I was the only one on the island or if Denise were along.  Come to think of it, she would have to drink Pepsi as well. Whether or not she would bathe in it, I will just have to ask her.
     I'm not a big cola drinker anyway.  If I am drinking a caffeinated flavored non-alcoholic carbonated beverage, I prefer Dr. Pepper.  I guess Dr.  Pepper is now owned by the 7-up company, which is the old Royal Crown Cola Company. Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse the issue but facts are facts. As a matter of fact, I think I prefer Royal Crown to Coke, but it is almost impossible to get Royal Crown anywhere but a small liquor store in remote Manitoba, Canada.  I guess Coke and Pepsi had a hand in that, and that is too bad. R.C. was one of the first casualties of the cola wars. RIP Royal Crown.
     I have a confession to make.  I really don't drink that many flavored non-alcoholic carbonated beverages, especially after my last surgery. I had a bad case of acid reflux, so I had my DES valve repaired in my stomach.  I don't get the heartburn anymore, but the surgery has caused some unexpected consequences.  If I have gas, that gas has to go somewhere and not up through the esophagus. It goes out the back in the form of a "fart".  Yes, I use the word "fart" even though the correct medical term is flatulence. I thought that I would just give it to you as it is and not pull any punches. Not being able to use the word "fart" really stinks.
The bottom line is, I drink a lot of Crystal Light Fruit Punch now. Denise really appreciates that.
     So, for me it is Coke by a safety--two points.  Excuse me now, I just made a new pitcher of Crystal Light Fruit Punch.

Fruit is better for you than Coke or Pepsi

I have another confession to make.  I posted this to the wrong blog.  This was supposed to go to my DavidRallisWrites blog, but what the heck.













  

All This, and She Plays Golf Too...Wow!

     To many, this may be a touchy subject, but I am going to explore it anyway.  Does your wife, girlfriend or significant other play golf? My wife plays, and I am very happy about that.
     Before I get run out of town on a rail by a lot of women who play golf out there, let me explain.  Most male and female golfers know what I am talking about and understand what I am trying to say, but some don't.  Some will take offense to even asking the question, but I will suck it up and summon the courage to ask the question. Once again does your, girlfriend or significant other play golf? Do you enjoy playing golf together?
     I enjoy playing golf together with my wife.  I also enjoy playing without her as well. The same can be said for her.  Her and I don't always have to play together in order to enjoy the experience of a good, or bad, round of golf.  We do enjoy each other very much and I enjoy watching just how much she gets into the game.  For me, that adds to the fun of it. But, we don't always have to be together to play golf.
     There are times when she wants to play with her friends in a women only outing. I respect that, just as she respects when I go out with my buddies. The bottom line is that we both love the game of golf. Being able to play together and enjoy the game even more is a plus. She's good, too.  I know because I have lost a lot of bets with her. Its still a lot of fun and I don't mind a bit.
     Some men feel that it is an infringement on their space when their wife or significant other wants to come along on the golf outing.  To a certain extent, this may be true but I think that it depends on the context of the situation. A guy, or gal, needs their space.  If that means letting him, or her, off by themselves to go play with their friends so be it. It works both ways.
     Golf is a game that can be played by almost everyone, male or female. Spending time together with your wife, girlfriend or significant other is important as is personal space.  Try playing golf together.  It doesn't have to be all the time or exclusively, but you are spending some quality time together. Its a lot of fun too.

I'm ready for this.  Let's get going!

Yes!  Sunk that birdie putt.

That drive was BIG! It went 20 yards past you, Dave.

 

Courses: Love Hate Relationship

     There are a few courses that we all play that strike fear in our hearts.  We play them only because someone has invited us to play there or our stubborn self says we should so that we can conquer that particular link.  Sometimes it happens, most often we finish our round on that particular course and say, "Why did we do that again.  I know how much I hate that course." We are creatures of habit I guess. I have a couple of courses that fit that criteria for me.  At some time, I will reveal that list, but not today.
    There are a couple of courses that I have said that I didn't like, but have changed my mind after playing them and not giving up on them.  Two come to mind and they are in the Monterey Bay area. One is Bayonet of Bayonet/Blackhorse and the other is DeLaveaga located in the hills above Santa Cruz.
     Both courses at the Bayonet/Blackhorse facility have been redesigned.  Before the redesign I played both courses and I hated Bayonet but kept playing it.  It is very hilly and I even walked it several times. I remember thinking each time walking up the 18th fairway why did I put myself through this misery again? That also goes to my stable set of mind in that if I kept having such a bad experience there each time I played         there, why did I keep playing there?  I have been told that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. I preferred Blackhorse as it was what I thought a fairer layout. Both courses were redesigned, though slightly just a few years ago. Now, I think they did an outstanding job on Bayonet but liking Blackhorse is taking a bit of getting used to.
     Bayonet was the tougher of the two courses.  It is well known that the designer of Bayonet was the commanding general of the old Fort Ord and Bayonet/Blackhorse is located on the former army base. The general was left handed and had a viscious left-hand slice.  All the doglegs go at a severe angle to the left so that his slice wouldn't hurt him.  It is certainly pure hell for the right handed player because you run out of fairway on the right and you wind up with a wicked shot our of tall cypress trees lining the fairways.
     All that has been change.  The greens are still tough to putt but the doglegs have been softened.  Don't get me wrong, the course is still a challenge, but it is a reasonable challenge. Blackhorse, on the other hand is a different story.  They made it tougher by adding traps and redesigning the greens, which are undulating.  I hated the course changes at first, but I am beginning to like the course. I used to prefer Blackhorse, but now I like Bayonet.

     I highly suggest you play both courses.  Both courses are impeccably maintained and the greens, although difficult, putt fast and true.  The views from the course are magnificent because the courses are built in the hills above Monterey.  I will say that both courses are demanding and you will be exhausted after you finish your round, but the courses and the views are well worth it. Oh, and stop by the restaurant after your round for drinks or a meal.  The food is very good and the staff is very friendly.  What a great place to soothe your scars, but I must say you will feel satisfied but tired after playing the courses.
 

Dear Johnny Miller

Dear Mr. Miller
     Thank you for providing some of the best moments in golf history, both on the course and in the broadcast booth.  I admire you very much. You are a man of many talents, including designing golf courses.
     I have had the pleasure of playing two of the golf courses that you have designed.  First, I have played your course at what used to be called Brighton Crest, now Eagle Springs, in Friant California.  I live in Fresno, which is close to Friant and get to play the course often. I have also played Eagle Ridge in Gilroy California. Both courses are very beautiful in their settings, but difficult to play for the average golfer.
     As I played the courses, many questions cropped up in my head.  First, what is the foundation for your love of boulders and where they are placed on the course?  Next, it has been said that your putting skills were not as good as they probably could be.  I don't fault you for this, my putting skills are not that good as well.  However, in many cases the greens on the courses you design are undulating and almost impossible to putt.  Is this in retribution and meant as a slap in the face of the golf gods?
    I am going to cut to the bottom line here.  Keep in mind that I have met you a couple of times and have talked to you.  I very much enjoyed those brief talks, even though your end of the conversation most of the time was "I don't have time for you now." You are a multimillionaire with successes in the golf business, including the design of many courses.  I am just a poor, starving writer that plays golf. You have earned the right to design golf courses, even though my opinion is not that high of them. They are in beautiful settings, and it doesn't mean a thing that I never play them well. My opinion of them doesn't count much and is not going to contribute to the  outbreak of  the "Great Apocalypse", otherwise known as the end of the world. Peace in the world is not going to break out, given my opinions on how you design a golf course. I just don't play them well, and truth is I don't care for them much. I still play Eagle Springs occasionally.
     Mr. Miller, I truly admire you.  I still hate number nine at Eagle Springs.  What were you thinking when you designed that hole?

Yours
Dave

This is a real level green.

Number 18 at Eagle Springs.  This green has more ups and downs than the wooden roller coaster at Santa  Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.

Nice hole and I don't have a criticism of it other than the green is a bit  large and  can be tricky.

I actually liked this hole which is very pretty. I wasn't exactly  happy about the placement of the second shot and the narrow slot of trees to go through to get to your approach shot.

   

Get Fit And Play Better Golf--Part 3

     I just got back from the gym a few minutes ago and am now enjoying my first cup of coffee of the day.  I feel great and I have lost four pounds since Monday.  I know the weight loss is prob ably just water, but it feels good.  My blood pressure is also down and I haven't taken my medications this morning.  That will come later after breakfast. Life is good and the quality of my life is getting better. My game should improve.
     My workout routing as I said before includes cardio, a stretching routine which includes loosening my bad back, crunches and leg lifts with the whole thing finishing up with a circuit training weight lifting component. Later, to reward myself for the work that I am doing I will spend some time in the sauna and the jacuzzi. This works very well for me, and the key is being consistent.  I loose weight quickly.  The funny thing is that when I work out, I'm not as hungry either, so I do shed the pounds.
     How does all of this effect my game. I know what the experts would say, but I want to tell it from my point of view but the experts are very much right.  My game improves when I work out.
     In my case, I see a marked improvement in my game in four areas.  Today I will talk briefly about two of those areas.  Remember now, this is a sharing of my experience although I am sure that others have had similar results.  I can generate more club speed and have more strength. These two are related in that I can hit the ball farther. I can also say that my stamina improves and my attitude becomes more positive which I will talk about in a later blog.
     I can tell that I am becoming a bit more flexible.  This translates to swinging the club with more speed without exerting more energy.  As my weight goes down and my muscles tone, I don't have as much bulk to move. The energy that I am expending is more efficient and translates into moving the club, not excess weight. Believe me, taking away thirty pounds of  "dead weight" fat and replacing it with muscle creates a definitely more powerful swing. The ball goes farther because the club is traveling faster with the energy of the swing being more efficient to the task at hand, that of striking the ball, not clumsily moving dead weight in order to swing the club.
     With the toning of muscles comes added strength. The mere fact that you are able to do more because your muscles are working better is very important. You become stronger because you are working your muscles, not sitting at a computer writing a blog or a book all day. I picked up at least 15 yards on my drives and about one club distance in my game after I started working out. You become stronger and the club becomes easier to swing and feels lighter. Since you are stronger and a bit lighter, you can control the club much better. Simple, isn't it?
     In Part 4 I will cover the other two aspects of my quest for conditioning. In the meantime, don't forget to visit the sites of my sponsors, they are all good people. GolfSmith has some great deals going on now and you can't go wrong using TripAdvisor. I you could also click on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com, there is a lot going on there too. I am including one of my videos here http://youtu.be/_Kx3Qrv18IE about Stevinson Ranch in Stevinson, California. It is about the tournament I played in using the TaylorMade 15 inch cups. So, hit 'em long and straight.  Remember that it is embarrassing to leave a perfectly good birdie putt short.  I have on many occasions.

Weight loss, strength and greater flexibility would allow me to have a better follow through and weight transfer to my front foot. Hey, I'm working on it.