Save Golf? Part 5

     This morning I was looking over my FaceBook page and I saw the headline "Where Have All The Golfers Gone?"  According to the headlines, golf is in trouble.  Sales of equipment is down and the number of rounds is down substantially. The statistics are not that rosy, and you can ask why.
     Honestly, I don't think golf is in decline.  It is in a deep slump, but not a permanent decline.  It will come back provided the powers at be make some important decisions.  We need to remember that golf not only is is a game, but it is also a commodity.  The rules of economics apply here.  When demand was up, costs to the golfer were high.  Demand is now down and demand is down.  Costs to the golfer must go down.  There is no other way around it.
     In the article I read, the author was discussing the acquisition of GlobalGolf.com by Dick's Sporting Goods because Dick's wanted to increase their online presence.  The whole thing was a disaster for Dick's because the golf market for new equipment has pretty much tanked.  I don't know if the retailer, all retailers understand what really is happening.  The comment was made that they are selling $300 drivers now for $100.  Excuse me, but I am no economist but I am not going to pay $300 for a new driver, no matter what the claims are.  Besides, its the swing not the equipment. I'm on my third driver and fourth driver in over 45 years of playing golf.  I'm still an 18 handicapper and equipment hasn't changed my game.

These are my beauties, and I have had them for five years. I did change from steel to graphite for my back.

     New equipment is overpriced.  When commodities are overpriced, they stay on the shelf.  Its just that simple.  No matter how much TaylorMade, Callaway or Titlest spend in advertising the equipment just won't sell.  Yes, as the article pointed out and I totally dispute, golf is a game that mostly rich white guys play one has to think about it.  They didn't get rich by being stupid for the most part.
     Is it really only rich white guys who are playing the game?  I almost feel insulted by this.  Have the elitists who make those kind of comments ever been to the first tee at Riverside Golf Course in Fresno, California?  They completely forget that most play is accounted for on municipal/public courses.  Golf at this level is an everyman's sport.  My own foursome is made up of myself, a Greek/Italian American, an African American, a Redneck and my wife.  That is what golf is. MAGA, The Mexican American Golf Association, is one of the largest golf organizations in the United States.  Is MAGA made up of mostly rich white guys; NO!
     If you want golf to flourish, make it affordable. Let's look at green fees.  I used to work one hour to be able to afford a round of golf on a municipal or other golf course.  Now, it takes up to three. Of course I have limited my rounds from three a week to once every two months.  Plus, I am retired and on a fixed income. I don't have as much to spend on golf.  There are a lot of us in this same boat.  Let's see, do I play golf or pay my rent.  That's a tough decision.
     Yes, golf is in a downward adjustment. Costs due to high demand have gotten our of control.  Its not making the hole 15 inches in order to speed up the game that will bring golfers back.  What will bring golfers back is making golf more affordable.
     That's it for now.  Hit 'em long and straight, make that putt for birdie.  By the way, have you checked out my new website?  Take a look, it is up and running.  http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com










         

Save Golf? Part 4

     New golfers may be intimidated when they play on the course the first few times. There are a couple of ways to get around this frustration and embarrassment. with a couple of very simple solutions. We all remember when we started in the game.  My first 18 hole score was a whopping 152 and I have been playing the game for 47 years. You must keep everything in perspective because in golf you are never perfect.
     I have a question for you the new golfer.  Do you really want to beat yourself up by taking that 15 on the first hole? Its not necessary, you are not plying for one million dollars in The Masters for the championship.  You are learning the game.  Why not set a maximum stroke limit and then pick up?
      There are a number of ways you can set up stroke limits with the goal of eventually playing all shots as your game improves.  I will guarantee you that it will improve if you keep at it and as you play you won't get as frustrated.  You may not become a scratch golfer--I am an 18 handicapper and OK with that--but you will improve as you keep playing and take lessons. Hang in there, it will get better should you stick with it and study the game.
      How about telling yourself that when you tee off on number one, you will limit yourself to a certain number of strokes. When you have taken that many strokes you move on to the next hole. If your ball has been beaten to death twelve times on a hole, is that enough fun for that hole?  Don't feel bad about picking up and moving on--believe me I still take twelves on my card in tournaments but if I am not playing well on a hole I pick up when I'm not in a tournament.  When you have an established handicap you will learn about something called equitable stroke control. It is your friend. Equitable stroke control tells me I can only take a triple bogey on any hole.
     We who play the game know that there is more to the game than just a number on the card.  A hole is played by driving, fairway shot, chipping/pitching and then putting. All parts of the game come together to make up the score on that hole.  Why not limit the number of that particular shot, ie drive, fairway etc., on a hole.  In other words maybe drive the ball and if the ball goes not exactly where you want it, place the ball somewhere close to the fairway near your playing partners. Hit a couple of fairway shots and then place the ball near the green.  Try a two chips/pitches to get the ball on the green and then a couple of putts.  Set a limit on the number of shots.  I would say one drive, three fairway shots, two pitches and four putts.  After you have reached your limit on the particular shot, move on to the next type of shot. Eventually, you won't have to limit your shots and will be able to play the hole, taking each shot.   By the way, I still four putt greens and take high numbers on my card, so don't worry about your score at this point.
     I will let you in on a little secret.  There are holes on courses that I play that I have never mastered.  They are ether too long, require forced carries over water or gullies or whatever.  I don't fool with them.  I still try them, but sometimes I will hit my drive up to the water and know there is no way my ball is going to carry the lake or gully.  I take an old ball and throw it into the lake or gully, say "Oh well." and move on to the next hole. 
      What about water hazards and out of bounds you may ask.  Don't worry about that, just make sure you have enough balls. Should you go out of bounds or in a water hazard, first of all remember the safety of the fish in the hazard. Forgive yourself for hitting that fish on the head, tell it you are sorry and just move on.  Hit your next shot from somewhere around the hazard and tell the fish to look out. Don't count the penalty shot.
Do the same thing for out of bounds, but tell the homeowner you are sorry for breaking their window.
I'ts OK, you are learning. Remember, even professional golfers put balls out of bounds and in water hazards.
They are playing for money and have to count the strokes.  You are not and don't have to count the strokes right now.
     As a new golfer, you are learning the game.  As players of the game, we how have been playing for a long time want you.  It may not seem that way, but we do.  Don't beat yourself up, just learn the game and play it.  Over time you will get better.  There is NO perfect in golf.
      My golf website is almost complete.  There are a lot of things on it that you may find interesting. Take a look at it at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. That's it for now, hit 'em long and straight! 

The ball has to carry a gully that is almost impossible to get over.  I tried and failed, threw my ball in and then moved on. I carded a triple--Thank you Equitable stroke control.

Save Golf? Part 3

     Let's face it, golf needs to grow.  How does it do this?  The answer may seem ridiculous, but it is true. Golf needs more new players. It is kind of a stupid thing to say and I don't want to be "Mr. Obvious", but think about it for a moment and how true that really is. Golf is trying in a number of ways.
     Junior golf is thriving.  What better way to get more players on to the golf course than to start them young.  I know this as I have been involved in junior golf. It was my pleasure to start a competitive league at the junior high level in Fresno. This sport was never played at this level on an inter-school basis. The response to this was overwhelming. I still see many of my players on the golf course playing at different levels almost twenty years later.  They are still enjoying the game of golf.
     My daughter became involved in junior golf.  She was a member of  the Junior Golf Association of Northern California and played in tournaments throughout Norther California. She also played on her high school girl's golf team which went to the California State Tournament in her freshman year, and the San Joaquin Valley Tournament in her senior year.
     After she graduated from high school she went on to play golf at the local Junior College.  There, the her golf team went on to play in the California State Junior College Tournament and place third.  She now is going back to school and works at a local driving range.  She is considering enrolling in the Hospitality Management Program at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas and specialize in Golf Management. The program offers a Class A Golf Professional Certificate at the successful completion of the program.  I'm very proud of her and it all started at the junior high level.
     I am very proud of the game for sponsoring The First Tee Program.  Golf is a great game, as those of us who play it know.  The game builds character and teaches us many lessons.  These lessons in sportsmanship and especially patience translate very well into our everyday lives. The mental toughness that it takes to play the game, the only game where there is no down time, teaches us that life is a process and does not resolve itself in an instant. Golf, as in life, changes from shot to shot, and you must play by the rules. The battle is mostly within ourselves and the course, not against someone else or another team.
     One last brief thought, and it kind of ties in with what I have said about my daughter and golf. We men have a tendency to keep this an all gentlemen sport. Those times are over. Women's golf must be encouraged, we need to get more women playing the game.  You can just take a good look at my daughter.  My wife loves the game almost more than I do and I enjoy playing golf with her. Many times I do want to play without her, but we have great fun playing golf together. I don't enjoy playing with my daughter because she hits the ball twenty yards by me.  Come to think of it, so does my wife. I've lost a lot of money in bets to both of them, and not cutting them any slack either.
     That's it for now.  Don't forget to visit my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. I am still working on it, but I have made some great progress.  It looks pretty good, if I say so myself. Until next
time, hit 'em long and straight.

Wow, what a swing!  Yes I know it is from the reds, but it went seventy yards past me instead of the normal twenty.

 

Save Golf...Part 2

Ready to go for another round.

     Let's go back to the time issue of playing a round of golf. Again, do you really have five hours to devote to a sport on a precious weekend? To me, that's a matter of priority, but that's just my opinion, and I am retired. I knew what I was signing up for when I got into the game. Our times are different.  We live in an "instant" society.
     Golf is not a game for the "I want it now" generation. It is supposed to be slow and deliberate. The game involves a lot of decisions and actions to ponder, which takes a bit of time. One of the great things about golf is that it takes you away from that crazy world of "now". You must take the time to slow down and enjoy your surroundings.
     Here's the big question.  How do we speed things up without taking away this sacred getaway time?  The solutions is simple and it is not the 15 inch hole. Playing 18 should be the norm, even though that can be adjusted as I said in my last post.  Again, what's wrong with just playing nine at a nine hole rate.  Should you decide to play 18 then a few things do need to change with the golfer themselves.
     The PGA and television golf is a good reason that golf on a weekend, or any day is so slow. Golfers, and a lot of non-golfers as well, watch golf on TV. What people who watch golf on TV see is professional golfers playing tournaments for a lot of money whose livelihood depend on making that twelve inch putt. We have all seen how long it takes for a pro to read a green and then putt.  It can be agonizing, especially if they miss that putt, and the putt is for hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is a lot of pressure, and they should be able to take their time.
     What about Joe Blow and his foursome on Saturday not playing for any kind of money? Should Joe take five minutes trying to read a green for a twelve inch putt that means absolutely nothing to him but a score on a scorecard and bragging rights? I would say it is up to Joe, but it would sure help the game to move along if the other members of his foursome just gave the putt to him and they all pick up and move to the next hole. Why putt everything out, especially in a friendly game where there is nothing on the line? The people playing behind you would surely appreciate it.
     We have all seen this one as well.  How about the foursome that hits and instead of each person going to their ball and hitting when it is time, they go to one ball and let that person hit and then go to the next ball and wait for that person to hit and so on. What a waste of time. I see this a lot on the green.  Instead of reading the putt while the other guy is putting, that person waits for that person to putt and then reads the putt. The other three guys are waiting for that guy to putt to go to their ball and putt. Yes, golf is a social game but we need to keep the round going and this kills round times and slows the course up.
     How do you combat that? There are a lot of ways.  Perhaps a gentle reminder by the starter at the beginning of the round would help. Marshals are also the key. They should be a bit more aggressive in moving things along. They don't have to be rude, but a little more assertive and active. Give them better training and with that more authority. Teach them customer service, but also teach them how to move things along.
      That's it for part 2. I hope you have a great round and hit 'em long and straight.  Don't forget to visit my golf website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.    
   

Save Golf? Part One

     This week saw the PGA and the CEO of Taylor Made coming together to solve the problem of stagnant growth in the game of golf.  Their answer was pretty radical, changing the size of the hole from four and one-half inches to fifteen inches in diameter.  Will this be the answer? I say, no way.
     I have been playing golf now for well over 45 years.  There are a couple of things in the game that cause a potential problems.  First is the time it takes to complete a round of golf and second the cost to be involved in the game. Given the TV ratings on golf broadcasts and the rise of the Golf Channel, the game is still very popular, its just that play is down. Let's talk about that for a minute shall we?
      Consider the time constraint of finishing 18 holes of golf. A game of golf should be completed in no more than just over four hours and fifteen minutes in my opinion. I have completed rounds, at a leisurely pace by the way and not pushing it, in just over three hours. Why is it that play can take up to five to six hours?  It just doesn't make sense but long rounds time wise are common place, especially on weekends. Let's face it there are more people on the course. How come a round takes that long?
     Why the importance of completing a round of 18 holes?  What's wrong with just playing nine if you have a time crunch?  Should all courses have a nine hole rate? That is something to consider. Two hours on a golf course is better than four and a half if you can't spend that much time on a game. You still can enjoy the game and have the option of playing 18 some other time when you have the time. I know that it takes a change in perception but why not?
     I will have more on all of this in my next few posts.  Until the next post, hit 'em long and straight. By the way, visit my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  I am still building it, but it is up and running. I am working very hard right now to complete the course directory so keep coming back.  It will be completed soon.

The first tee at Catalina Island.  Yes, they do have a golf course.

We're Moving

     Today I would like to announce that Golf and Travel With Dave is moving. I have decided to pursue my dream of a complete website which will include a golf blog. I hope that you will come over and take a look. The website deals with courses that you can play that I have played, as well as some other things like golf travel.  I hope to be offering group travel as well so that you can join me to play some of these wonderful and challenging courses.  There will be more to come.
     Thank you for stopping by and supporting me, I appreciate it.  The new website is http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  I am still in the process of working on it so if you will be patient for a couple of weeks, I would appreciate that as well.  Stop on by for at least a sneak preview.
     Thanks again!

Dave

 

Superbowl Tournament...A Repeat

     I have written a lot about golf in the past years.  Many of these gems have been published, but it has been a long time since they have been shared.  Today, I thought I would share one one of my classic articles.  I will be doing this every now and then so sit back and enjoy.

Where Were You February 1^st?

By

David Rallis

Oh wow, Superbowl Sunday has come and gone! The titanic clash this year between the Arizona Cardinals of the N.F.C. And the Pittsburgh Steeleers of the A.F. C. was quite a spectacle of color, pagentry and athleticism. Most Americans were glued to their T.V.s the better part of the day for what is called “America's Unofficial Holiday”. It seems as if all the world stops for Americans and the place to be is watching the event, pre-game, commercials and finally the game itself. Does it get any better? Well, yes it does.

I admit that I will watch the game, but I am not that much into football. When the 49ers and the Raiders were eliminated (about the third week of the season this year I think) my football season pretty much ended. I caught bits and pieces of the playoffs as I was doing other things (like playing golf). What alternatives are available to sitting in front of the T.V. for several hours on Super Bowl Sunday? This year, for me it was golf. Not only that, but it was golf in beautiful Monterey, Ca. at Bayonet Golf Course, one of the areas finest courses. I will take that any day as opposed to staring at a T.V. set all day.

Bayonet is located in the hills above Monterey on what used to be the U.S. Army's Fort Ord.

There are two courses here and Bayonet shares the site with it's sister course Blackhorse. Both are excellent golf courses and have recently undergone an extensive renovation project. I had played the new front nine at Bayonet the year before but the back nine project had not been started, so you played the new front nine and then the old back nine. When the opportunity came to play the newly reopened course, with both front and back nines completed I jumped at the chance. Who cares if it was on Super Bowl Sunday and we had to play in Bayonet's Super Bowl Sunday Tournament. I was excited, and I thought the Tournament would be a lot of fun.

There were a few minor details that had to be ironed out. First, would the whole trip be approved by headquarters (my wife). This small detail was quickly dispatched (I would play golf and she would go on a shopping spree at a later date). The tournament was a four-man event, and I needed to find three other golfers to join me. This was going to be a tougher task. You can just imagine how hard it was to tear loose three other guys from their T.V. and onion dip, and give up their Super Bowl Parties. It was hard, but I did it. There was Steve, a policeman, who really wasn't into football. Next, there was Rick who like me, his football season ended early with the elimination of the 49ers. Rick wound up not going, when his wife invited relatives to stay for the weekend and he told us he was not going the day before the tournament. I still needed to find a fourth.

My youngest daughter who lives with us played junior golf and competed with both her high school and a local junior college. Bekah is quite the stick and can hit the ball a long way (past her dad, but that is a different story). At first, she didn't want to play, but I convinced her to join us. Isn't amazing what can happen when you tell someone that they will have to start paying rent.

Tournament day and the day of the Super Bowl arrived and all of us (except for Rick, of course) were thrilled about playing. We checked in at the clubhouse, payed our entry fee and went to our carts.

Bayonet's pro, Evan Boone, gathered all the tournament players and went over the rules. This was a four man better ball cha-cha-cha format, best of the four balls on the the first hole(cha), best two scores added together on the next hole (cha-cha), and finally best three ball scores added together on the third hole (cha-cha-cha) all with full handicap strokes. This sequence is repeated each three holes until all 18 are played. We were truly chomping at the bit to get started. It was a shotgun start, and we were fortunate enough to start on hole number one.

The view from the clubhouse at Bayonet/Blackhorse is breathtaking. From there, you can see much of the beautiful courses with their lush green fairways and rough, Monterey Cyprus trees lining each fairway, and the beautiful white sand bunkers. The city of Monterey is below with most of beautiful blue Monterey Bay beyond. Many holes have this picturesque view as the courses are laid out on the hills overlooking Monterey. Sometimes you forget that you are playing golf and just want to admire the view. You haven't even started your round, and the view is just the beginning.

It was time to play and off to the first tee we went. We never were able to pick up a fourth, so Evan would provide a fourth score on a blind draw. Number one is a par 5 and goes down a slight hill and then up the same hill to a small green. It seems such a benevolent hole that it sort of lulls you to sleep. I must have been snoring very loudly, because I took an 8 on the hole. Isn't it funny how scoring becomes rather difficult when you smother your drive, pull your second shot into the fairway bunker, leave the ball in the bunker and then, well I kind of think you get the idea.

One thought kept me going even on my fiasco of a first hole. I must par or bogie the 18^th hole. That hole has been my nemesis and I have a history with that hole. I usually take double or triple on that hole. It has ruined many a good round at Bayonet for me, and if I par or bogie it my day would certainly be considered a success. This time, the 18^th would be brought to its knees. Come on Dave, this is only the first hole. Luckily, Steve bogied the hole and we walked away with a net par.

It was a struggle on the front nine, but we played just well enough to not make fools of ourselves. We hung in there, keeping the net team score on the front nine between the three of us respectable. All of us contributed to the team at the necessary times. I must bogie or par the 18^th hole.

On to the back nine. I was very excited about playing it, wanting to see the changes that were made during the renovation. The old course was designed by the commandant of the fort at the time, General Robert McClure. As the story goes, General Mc Clure was a golf fanatic who played left handed and had a wicked left handed slice (ball goes to the left). Hole number 10 is a straightaway par 5 of 500 yards, a nice hole which is almost a carbon copy of the first hole. From here the course got interesting, especially for a right hander. You enter what is known as “Combat Corner”.

Have you ever played a hole that has a dog-leg left and 90 degrees at that. How about three of these beauties in five holes (11,12 and 15). And, these holes were not short at say 375 yards, but all three were over 400 yards. The straight holes were tough as well with an over 400 yard straight

par 4 and a 180 yard par three, uphill I might add.

The fun didn't stop there. Number 16 looked like a short par four on the card of about 320 yards if I recall. Easy hole you would think, until you saw it. The fairway sloped severely to the left at what appeared to be a 45 degree angle. Anything hit to the right would trickle to the left and roll into the trees. If you did happen to hit the fairway as a righthander, you were faced with a side-hill uphill shot to a small green. You really want to run up the white flag of surrender at this point, but you can't because you were still faced with two more holes.

Sixteen was an elevated par three of about 175 yards. As you looked at the hole, it seemed that you were faced with a 1000 foot drop to the green from the tee. Eighteen was the par 5. Actually, it wasn't a hard hole, but by the time you got to it you were so drained mentally and physically that it seemed to take forever to get finish the hole in say 20 strokes. When I would take my eight on this hole I was glad to put my clubs in my car and quietly leave the course. (If I par or bogie 18 in this tournament, the day would be a total success.)

The 18^th hole was basically unchanged from when I played it before. It had been manicured and cleaned up a bit, but it basically played the same. What was “Combat Corner” going to be like? What did they do to it, and did it keep it's unique character? To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised. I wanted to par or bogie the 18^th hole.

The tees on 11 and 12 had been moved over making the dog legs not so severe. The new alignment of the holes, plus they were both shortened to a more playable length made the holes more fair to play for both left hander and right handers. We had played the first three holes of the back nine and were doing fairly well. What would the next holes have for us?

On we went to the downhill 13^th hole. This hole had basically stayed the same as far as it being straight, but it was now contoured which made the hole more pleasing to look at and I thought more playable. The length stayed about the same. The team took a net par for the hole if I remember correctly. It was on to the uphill 14^th, a par 3 which remained relatively unchanged as well except for some trimming of the trees. On to a hole that I really hated before the renovation, the 15^th.

Is this the same 15^th that I knew and hated. No, it wasn't. It was a kinder and gentler 15, shortened and with a new green. The old green was almost unreadable, as it was built into a hill. What looked uphill, was actually severely sloped downhill. The new green was very fair. I took my bogie here after getting on in two and walked away a very happy man even after three putting.

On to the par four 16^th, and the first thing I noticed was that it was still uphill but the fairway was shaped and still sloped but it was a gentler more playable slope. This was a great improvement, both for its playability and the way it set up visually. I was on in three but missed a short par put for my bogie 5. The 18^th hole is near, and I must par or bogie it.

The 17^th was still a par three with what seemed to be a 1000 foot drop but the hole had been moved over from tee to green more to the left. I was worried that this would ruin the character of the hole but it didn't. It was still a fun hole. This was it guys. We went on to the par 5, 18^th hole which I had to bogie or par. It was time to show what I had in me!

I pulled my tee shot off to the left into the trees about 220 yards out but was past the tree line on that side. I had an open shot, and hit a 3 wood to the middle of the fairway about 160 yards to the green. The next shot was a fat 4 iron into the wind which came up about 60 yards of the green but in great shape. My wedge shot flew straight and true and landed within 4 feet of the hole and I was lying 4. Would I make par? Would my day be a success? Could I make my bogie and walk away from the course with my head held high, or would I three put from 4 feet? You can't handle the suspense, or should I tell you what happened? Are you ready? OK, enough is enough I missed the 4 foot par putt but made the 2 footer coming back for a bogie. I could go home a very happy man! What a golf course! They truly did a magnificent job in the renovation.

How did we do in the tournament you ask. When we holed out we looked at the scorecard and thought that we didn't have a snowballs chance of placing in the tournament. We didn't play that badly but felt that we didn't play well enough to place. We went on to the bar-b-que, which was excellent by the way, and waited for the tournament results as we ate and watched the Superbowl. There was also a raffle with the course giving some great prizes. Rebekah drew the winning tickets for the raffle, and we all had a great time.

I would like to thank Even Boone and his staff for showing us some excellent hospitality. They went out of their way to make sure that our every need was taken care of. The course itself was the star of the show. If you are in the Monterey area and have the time to play golf, play it. The renovation has made this course one of the finest in the Monterey area, if not in the state of California. Again, a sincere thanks to all the people that put on the Tournament.

By the way, we came in second.

Pre-Tournament Briefing

The First Tee

Such a beautiful Course

The Real Pro

The Three Amigos

What a View From The Eighteenth Hole!

The Leader Board