I am going to commit the cardinal sin of writing and begin this post with a comment about the weather. Yesterday, it was very windy. It is funny how a movement of air can effect a little roun sphere. That sphere is aerodynamically developed and is supposed to react in a very stable way. Whoever believes that may not be stable themselves. Yesterday, it was very windy--very, very windy.
I love hitting great shots that travel with a ninty degree ball flight. I really love hitting a driver flat into a 30 mile an hour wind 160 yards on a 420 yard par 4. It is amazing how much wind will effect a two foot putt. How interesting the game is when the element of wind is added. I heard many complaints yesterday, but we get spoiled. Wind is part of the game.
I noticed an almost total exhaustion after about hole number fourteen. The wind adds a dimension to the game that taxes the concentration almost ten times more than when it is not windy. It changes everything, and the brain has to not only calculate distances and breaks, but how the wind will effect those distances and breaks. You have to get creative and manufacture shots you don't normally hit. Patience is a virtue as your scores soar. Even though your normal game is not there, you still hit some good shots. When you do pull off that "perfect" shot, enjoy it and savor it.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I Am Not Phil
I am not Phil Mickelson. I wouldn't want to be because I am happy to be me. His money would be nice and I do like to fly, but it also presents its own set of problems. That's not what this is about though. I am not Phil Mickelson and never will be. By that I mean my game will never come close to Phil's. I am an eighteen handicapper and probably never be a single digit handicapper, let alone a scratch golfer. Believe it or not, I am happy with that.
Most of golfdom is just like me. For every Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson or whoever the pro there are thousands of me. I am the face of golf. The three other guys I play with on Mondays and Fridays are golf. The quarter skins game in which I loose $3.00 a game is golf. I will never make a $1,000,000 payday and am happy. I enjoy the game of golf for the golf. Excuse me, I am out to the course for my 8:00 tee time to contribute my $3.00 to the rest of the guys in the skins game.
Most of golfdom is just like me. For every Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson or whoever the pro there are thousands of me. I am the face of golf. The three other guys I play with on Mondays and Fridays are golf. The quarter skins game in which I loose $3.00 a game is golf. I will never make a $1,000,000 payday and am happy. I enjoy the game of golf for the golf. Excuse me, I am out to the course for my 8:00 tee time to contribute my $3.00 to the rest of the guys in the skins game.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Winter Golf
We who love the game will play no matter what the conditions. Here in Central California we are blessed with a climate that we are able to do that. Courses in this area of California do not close, and our season is year round.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when it just doesn't look like you are going to get your round in. I remember playing in the very infrequent rain. There were times when the fog was so bad that the ball was just barely visible at your feet and you would hit the shot by faith. Bottom line on this is that we still played and we are able to play.
We get our frost delays, and yes I have played in a very rare snowstorm. Nevertheless, we play. Frost delays can run up to a couple of hours, but it is worth the wait to freeze your behind off for a great round of golf. The quarter skins game is much more important than the feeling in our fingers and toes.
Monday I will be on assignment at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles evaluating the course for the golf magazine I write for. A couple of weeks ago, I visited the course and it was fairly green and lush. Yes, it was in its winter shape, but nevertheless it was in good shape and green. The head pro was almost embarrased to have us take pictures of the course.
Here in the valley during the winter we play on dormant bermuda which turns golden brown after the first frost and the temperatures dip. The areas around the greens are overseeded with winter rye grass and remain green. The greens of course stay green all year round.
This year we have had a very mild winter. We have had our frost delays, but the temperatures have been close to the sixties for most of the winter. It seems that we are now getting into our spring, and it is early. The forcast for today in for the daytime high to be in the high sixties. Soon, the grass on the the course will green up and it will come time for the dreaded but neccessary aeration.
I know those of you that are snowbound are dreaming about the soon to arrive spring and and summer to follow. Be patient, it will be here before you know it. When your coursed open, they will be lush and green. Feel sorry for me, I have to play on dormant bermuda. As for me, I must go. I don't want to miss my tee time.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when it just doesn't look like you are going to get your round in. I remember playing in the very infrequent rain. There were times when the fog was so bad that the ball was just barely visible at your feet and you would hit the shot by faith. Bottom line on this is that we still played and we are able to play.
We get our frost delays, and yes I have played in a very rare snowstorm. Nevertheless, we play. Frost delays can run up to a couple of hours, but it is worth the wait to freeze your behind off for a great round of golf. The quarter skins game is much more important than the feeling in our fingers and toes.
Monday I will be on assignment at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles evaluating the course for the golf magazine I write for. A couple of weeks ago, I visited the course and it was fairly green and lush. Yes, it was in its winter shape, but nevertheless it was in good shape and green. The head pro was almost embarrased to have us take pictures of the course.
Here in the valley during the winter we play on dormant bermuda which turns golden brown after the first frost and the temperatures dip. The areas around the greens are overseeded with winter rye grass and remain green. The greens of course stay green all year round.
This year we have had a very mild winter. We have had our frost delays, but the temperatures have been close to the sixties for most of the winter. It seems that we are now getting into our spring, and it is early. The forcast for today in for the daytime high to be in the high sixties. Soon, the grass on the the course will green up and it will come time for the dreaded but neccessary aeration.
I know those of you that are snowbound are dreaming about the soon to arrive spring and and summer to follow. Be patient, it will be here before you know it. When your coursed open, they will be lush and green. Feel sorry for me, I have to play on dormant bermuda. As for me, I must go. I don't want to miss my tee time.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I Love What I Do
I love what I do. As many of you know, I retired from teaching in June. My decision to do this was not based on staying home and watching television. I did not intend to play golf every day, and I don't play that much because I am too busy. My decision was based on the fact that it was time to move on.
I loved teaching...I love writing even more. I know that I joke around with friends about what I am doing now. But it is work. It is hard work, and I am serious about that statement. It may seem that going out and playing golf courses as well as finding interesting stories about the golf world is a lot of fun. I am not going to lie about this, it is. That's not the end of it and that is where the hard work starts. The story has to be told and doesn't write itself.
Yesterday, we got to play Passatiempo in Santa Cruz. That was the fun part, and I enjoyed chatting with Scott Hoyt the General Manager of Passatiempo. It is time for me to do the hard stuff and complete what the day was truly about, to share the beauty the history and joy of our experience of Passatiempo. My computer screen is bare, and it is time to create and go to work.
I loved teaching...I love writing even more. I know that I joke around with friends about what I am doing now. But it is work. It is hard work, and I am serious about that statement. It may seem that going out and playing golf courses as well as finding interesting stories about the golf world is a lot of fun. I am not going to lie about this, it is. That's not the end of it and that is where the hard work starts. The story has to be told and doesn't write itself.
Yesterday, we got to play Passatiempo in Santa Cruz. That was the fun part, and I enjoyed chatting with Scott Hoyt the General Manager of Passatiempo. It is time for me to do the hard stuff and complete what the day was truly about, to share the beauty the history and joy of our experience of Passatiempo. My computer screen is bare, and it is time to create and go to work.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Technology...Part Two
I used my G.P.S. yesterday in my round. We played at my home course, and I know that course like the back of my hand. The device came in handy a few times, but I found myself relying on the thing a little bit too much. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great tool. How much of the game does it take away, at least how the game was played, or intended to be played?
Here is my point. When I first began to play the game, figuring distances was a key part to the game. Until recently, that was a big part of the enjoyment of the game. Distances were a part of the participation of the game. You found the distance marker...100, 150 or 200 yards...made your calulations as far as distance to the hole, selected your club based on that distance and hit your shot. After playing the game for 40 years, you get pretty good at estimating those distances and hitting your shot accordingly. This is becoming a lost art.
G.P.S. is a good thing, I will admit that and has its place and I use it. When I go to a new course, it is great to have exact distances. But it still takes a mental component out of the came, and I still enjoy the mental challange of figuring out distances without technology.
Here is my point. When I first began to play the game, figuring distances was a key part to the game. Until recently, that was a big part of the enjoyment of the game. Distances were a part of the participation of the game. You found the distance marker...100, 150 or 200 yards...made your calulations as far as distance to the hole, selected your club based on that distance and hit your shot. After playing the game for 40 years, you get pretty good at estimating those distances and hitting your shot accordingly. This is becoming a lost art.
G.P.S. is a good thing, I will admit that and has its place and I use it. When I go to a new course, it is great to have exact distances. But it still takes a mental component out of the came, and I still enjoy the mental challange of figuring out distances without technology.
Monday, January 30, 2012
New Toy and Golf
Many of you know that I went out and upgraded my phone to an I Phone. I also was contemplating purchasing a rangefinding device or a "Sky Caddy". As I was playing in the Senior Tournament on Thursday, one of the players in our group told me of an ap that can be purchase through the I Phone. I bought it instead of the Sky Caddie or the rangefinder figuring I would try it out. The thing of it is that I buy the ap but how much it will improve my game. I'm really not sure if I am to see a great improvement in my game, or if I have just become part of the crowd that has bought into the technical craze. New equipment and devices have to improve your game. I am not sure that that is totally correct, we will have to see.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Golf, Fun, Food and Fog...The Ridge Creek Senior Tourney
When I turned 50, I reached a milestone in my life. To many people, this is quite a time of change in their lives. As far as I am concerned it is the best time of my life and life is getting better. One of the perks of turning 50 is that you can qualify for senior tournaments. The Dinuba Senior Tournament held at Ridge Creek Golf Course each month and hosted by the course with Gene Hardy as the director of the tournament is one of high points of my life after 50. It is one big kick in the butt!
The format of the tournament is a blind-draw 4 person scramble. I like this because it gives you a chance to meet people you have never met or played with before and of all different skill levels . Players come from all over the central California area as far away as Oakhurst in the north and Porterville in the south. In our group...we played a fivesome...was Norm, Bob, Willie, Pete and myself. Honestly, I can't remember who was from where but I know the cites were spread around a large geographical area and the towns were Oakhurst, Fresno, Dinuba, Reedley and Visalia.
I was worried that the turnout for today's tourney was going to be down because of the weather conditions as it was foggy and the fog was very thick. It turned out this did not deter the enthusiasm of the group and there was a very good turnout of 90 golfers. There were of course the usual gripes of playing in the fog. The fog, in my opinion, made the round more interesting.
The winners of the tournament as well as closest to the pin on two of the par threes was announced at lunch after the tournament. The three top teams win a small amount of money for winning and there is also a drawing for some pretty good prizes.
Who won? I don't know. That isn't the purpose of this tournament. As you looked around the room at those having lunch after playing in the tournament, the whole thing is about golfers getting together and having a great time.
The format of the tournament is a blind-draw 4 person scramble. I like this because it gives you a chance to meet people you have never met or played with before and of all different skill levels . Players come from all over the central California area as far away as Oakhurst in the north and Porterville in the south. In our group...we played a fivesome...was Norm, Bob, Willie, Pete and myself. Honestly, I can't remember who was from where but I know the cites were spread around a large geographical area and the towns were Oakhurst, Fresno, Dinuba, Reedley and Visalia.
I was worried that the turnout for today's tourney was going to be down because of the weather conditions as it was foggy and the fog was very thick. It turned out this did not deter the enthusiasm of the group and there was a very good turnout of 90 golfers. There were of course the usual gripes of playing in the fog. The fog, in my opinion, made the round more interesting.
The winners of the tournament as well as closest to the pin on two of the par threes was announced at lunch after the tournament. The three top teams win a small amount of money for winning and there is also a drawing for some pretty good prizes.
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