THE ICON LIVES ON!

An fun little course is gone the way of the bulldozer. Hitting the driver will be replaced by a "driving experience". The local pitch and putt is no longer there. But, the icon still stands.  I hopped on the 405 freeway the other day and saw the giant golfer holding his driver. I thought back to the many times I played the Dominguez Hills Golf Course. 

On one particularly fine Sunday afternoon I decided to take my two oldest sons and their cousins golfing. Five preteen youngster and me. My only warning was to not walk in front of the person hitting the ball. Sure enough, my oldest was talking with his cousin while walking in front of his other cousin  hitting the ball. She nailed him smack dab in the middle of the back of the head! She couldn't of hit him better if she tried. We actually never asked her if it was an accident.

I will really miss the hands free driving range. You just put in the card and the balls rise up on the tee. There was a little handle you could press with your club and no more bending over. I hate going to the old fashion kind now. Plus now I have to rent a practice tee if I don't have my own! My favorite memory of the driving range was when I bravely  took my wife.  I know Harvey Penick advised me against this, but... Anyways, I was trying to show my wife the basics of the golf swing, as best as a not scratch golfer could. My lovely wife was worried about hitting the ball poorly and looking bad. I was trying to explain my theory on golf and driving: there is ALWAYS someone worse than you on the road and on the range any given time. In the middle of my speech the announcer comes on and asks everyone to stop hitting balls for a moment. Everyone stopped and a gentleman ran out about fifteen yards, grabbed his driver and ran back (I think he was Japanese because he he did the  head-bow about 27 times on the way back)to the tees. I couldn't resist and yelled, "Come on man, you could've thrown it farther than that!"  I turned to my wife and said, "See, what did I tell you!" She laughed and swung away. 

I will miss that little golf course. But, the memories live on!

THE MASTERS, GOLF AT ITS FINEST

It's the Master's baby! You can't ask for a more picturesque course and a better field of golfers. 


Sergio had a great day yesterday yet struggles a bit today. 

Tiger's battling and keeping himself in contention. 

Where's Bubba? Looks like around +2 ask I write this. 

There's a 14 year old hovering around par! FOURTEEN! 

Freddy Couples is looking good and representing the "mature" crowd very well. Go Freddy!
http://www.augusta.com/masters/leaderboard

I would love to  golf that course! Who wouldn't? I am sure that putting those greens would be like putting on a polished cement floor, but, it would be fun trying. I am not sure I would like one of the jackets, but, I'd probably find a place to hang it. I think what is compelling about watching pros struggle is it lends to the illusion that I could possibly make a shot or two myself. That is what watching great golf does, it makes you want to go out and hack away. A scratch golf I may not be, but, I still love the game. 

A Little Humor Until I Can Putt

I am getting the serious itch to get out and play some golf. In the meantime here are some humorous videos that I hope I don't end up on.

http://www.chucktheputter.com/off-the-wall-golf/ultimate-golf-fails/

Until we putt again.

Tiger, Phil and Brad?

OK, so far this year we have had Tiger Woods winning at Torrey Pines for his 75th PGA win. Then we had Phil Mickelson win the Phoenix Open by six, going wire to wire. Now, Brad Snedeker won the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM. I know Tiger can dominate and Phil can be a lot of fun to watch because he seems more like a regular guy than Tiger.  Brad? I  don't know what to think. He handled himself really well and plays with great pace. 

What I would like to see is some real rivalries take shape. I think the world of golf needs a dominate American to keep things interesting. One thing I like about Snedeker, besides his name, is he gets that he needs to win some majors. He realizes he is playing pretty good, but, to be considered elite, he needs major titles. The question is does he have the drive to win at that level? 

Why do I care? I don't know. I like golf. I like competition. I like the drama of great players vs. great players. I think what made Jack Nickalus great was not just that he won 18 majors but that he was second 19 times and third 9 times! He was top five 56 times and top to 73 times! That is one competitive man. Think about that. In 46 major tournaments he was in the top three. There are only four majors. That means for like ten years of majors he was close to winning. I think his competition was pretty good too. From Arnold Palmer to Tom Watson, Less Travino and Gary Player. 

Now that I've got my golf juices flowing again. I can't wait to get out and hit that little white ball. That's what great golfers do. They inspire you. I may not every play pro. But, I'll enjoy myself knowing that I can play the same great game. 

Three Things I Learned from Tom Watson

My oldest son read a book about how to play chess once because he wanted to have a plan to win. I’m usually not to successful at chess because even though I know how to play, I haven’t really thought about what I want to do. There are three lessons I learned from the book Tom Watson’s Strategic Golf.  The common thread between them all is to think about what I’m going to do. In the book Tom Watson discusses several game improvement strategies. The three chapters that help me the most are Club Selection and Judging Distance, and Attacking Par 3, Par 4, and Par 5 Holes and Lay Up Like a Pool Player.

“Judging distance and picking the right club for the shot are prerequisites for scoring your best.” – Tom Watson. I don’t struggle too much with judging distance and there are apps for your smart phone now that can actually tell you your distance to the hole. Swing by Swing golf has one that is pretty accurate. Apps like that do eat up your battery though so you have to be selective or bring a charging device. To score well you need to know how far you hit each club under normal conditions. Either keep a journal or record it on an app. Under clubbing when the air is damp, hitting into a strong headwind and shooting at a raised green, are common problems for those of us who are not scratch golfers. In these situations you should go one, maybe two clubs stronger. Choosing where you want the ball to go if you hit it bad may also affect your club choice. Go with what you know you can do.

Learn to think your way strategically around a golf course. To play strategically Tom stresses three dimensions to attacking each whole whether par 3, 4 or 5. You need to understand your personal capabilities, you have to understand the trouble spots of the course, and you need to play every shot with the next shot in mind. I think I fear par three’s more than par fives sometimes because it seems like I need to be so accurate. What Watson’s stresses is that on par 3 holes there is usually a safe part and a fat part of the green. The safe part may be smaller and include a little rough but that is where you want to try to play the ball. Play for the safe part that avoids the water and sand. For par 4’s and par 5’s you should angle for the next shot. Stay away from danger. Give yourself a chance to attach the pin. Remember, this is where it is a thinking man’s game.

Finally, Tom says that laying up to a pro golfer is a science. He uses the illustration of laying up like a pool player. The bottom line is to always plan ahead and leave your self in a good position for the next shot. He gives these four tips for laying up. Lay up to your favorite club. Lay up so you can shoot up the slope of the green. Lay up to a flat lie. Lay up to a full shot. The idea is to give your self the best chance to score.

Learning to think my way around a golf course and plan what I want to do can make a round of golf much more enjoyable. Remembering to choose the right club for the distance, give myself a chance to attach each kind of par and to lay up like a pool player helps me enjoy this wonderful game of golf. I think they can help you too. 

Dear Santa: My Christmas Wish List

I love Christmas and my wonderful wife and I have been trying to find a few nice things for our children while still reminding them that giving, like Christ gave his life for us, is the real reason for the season. 

If I could take a moment and  just indulge myself with a wish list of things I wouldn't mind finding under the tree. 

One of the following Drivers:

The Ping Anser

The Taylor Made R11S 

The Callaway Razr Fit

Any of these Iron sets:

Ping G20s

Taylor Made Rocketballz

Callaway Razr Xs

I would like to try out the Cleveland RTX CB Black Pearl Wedges (52, 56 & 60).

Maybe I need to get a belly putter before they are illegal.

Remember the real reason for the season...

25 Traditions/Bucket List

25 Cool Things of Golf are like a Bucket list of things to see and Do

Check out this list at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1434798-ranking-the-25-coolest-traditions-in-golf