Normally, I have a sort of take-it-or-leave it attitude towards the "This is SportCenter" ads. They're funny for a viewing or two, but that's enough for me. Not this one, I can't watch it enough.
It's brilliance is it's simplicity.
I like to imagine that this is really how the cafeteria is at ESPN, even though I know that isn't the case. Also, if you've never had an Arnold Palmer you should try one, cause they aren't bad (add a little Absolut Citron to make it a John Daly).
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
One For The Road
As the golf season creeps into the late fall, I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to hit the links again before the window closed, the calendar switched to '10 and the ground thawed a little. With that in mind, I wanted to get one last round in before winter came calling, so I was determined to get out and play one more time before I cleaned the clubs and packed them up for the winter. Given the way that I played last time I was there, I headed back to Willowdale, because I wanted to see if I could shatter my personal best round of 49 on the course. I was convinced that I could go lower if I concentrated. I had a score of 45 in my mind.
It had rained for much of the day before, so the greens were extremely slow. You would assume that I would have taken that into account before I headed out for the morning, but as I was forced to three putt on the first two holes because I was way off with the speed it was clear that I am a slow learner. Also, my slice was in full effect, as a tree was the only thing that prevented my drive off of the fifth tee from landing in the fourth fairway. Overall, it was not the best round for me as those wet greens slowed me down considerably. I was forced to repeatedly three-putt time after time as I couldn't figure out the speeds. I ended up with a 52 for the day, though I could at least take some consolation in the fact that my tee to green play was better than at the start of the season.
So, the end of my second season of golf did not end on the high note that I expected, but I am light-years ahead of where I was at this time last year. I still need to invest in a new driver, but I feel like an entire new set of clubs would be overkill. I think the best thing is to stick with my current clubs and work on swinging more consistently. Either way I think a little time away from my slice would be very good for me mentally. Unless I can book a trip to a warmer climate for some golf, in which case forget rest, get me a tee time.
It had rained for much of the day before, so the greens were extremely slow. You would assume that I would have taken that into account before I headed out for the morning, but as I was forced to three putt on the first two holes because I was way off with the speed it was clear that I am a slow learner. Also, my slice was in full effect, as a tree was the only thing that prevented my drive off of the fifth tee from landing in the fourth fairway. Overall, it was not the best round for me as those wet greens slowed me down considerably. I was forced to repeatedly three-putt time after time as I couldn't figure out the speeds. I ended up with a 52 for the day, though I could at least take some consolation in the fact that my tee to green play was better than at the start of the season.
So, the end of my second season of golf did not end on the high note that I expected, but I am light-years ahead of where I was at this time last year. I still need to invest in a new driver, but I feel like an entire new set of clubs would be overkill. I think the best thing is to stick with my current clubs and work on swinging more consistently. Either way I think a little time away from my slice would be very good for me mentally. Unless I can book a trip to a warmer climate for some golf, in which case forget rest, get me a tee time.
Friday, October 2, 2009
I Saw That Going Different In My Head
Ever since I started playing golf last summer, I've been trying to get my dad to hit the links with me. He used to play, but hadn't picked up his clubs in years. On top of that, last December he had knee replacement surgery and he's still a little iffy on his other knee. So, he was reluctant to commit to the full swing over that many holes. I got him to go to the range a couple weeks ago and he was able to swing without pain, so I finally badgered him enough to go to Lost Brook, which is the closest course, and play a half-round. What I didn't see happening was that my father is a damn good putter.
We got a cart and headed out. While my dad might have had some reservations about the full swing he would need to get from tee to green, once he was on the putting surface he was killing me. I'm three putting from 10 feet, he's nailing 25 footers. Also, as it turns out his knee was also a bit of an advantage. Because he was hesitant to put a full-body swing behind his drives he swung with little-to-no movement below the waist. The result was less power, but more accuracy. So while he may have only been hitting it 140 yards and I may have been hitting it 160 yards, he was in the fairway while I was in the woods. I knew he was having a good time (winning will do that) because as we were on the 16th tee my dad said, "Wait, we only have three holes left? This round is flying by."
I'm not going to pretend that this was a duel on par with Watson vs. Nicklaus from Turnberry, but it was close. In the end my erratic driving and sub-par putting was not enough to save me and my dad ended his 20-year golf retirement with a 49-52 victory. Beaten by a guy who hadn't swung a club in two decades... yeah, that should to wonders for my ego.
We got a cart and headed out. While my dad might have had some reservations about the full swing he would need to get from tee to green, once he was on the putting surface he was killing me. I'm three putting from 10 feet, he's nailing 25 footers. Also, as it turns out his knee was also a bit of an advantage. Because he was hesitant to put a full-body swing behind his drives he swung with little-to-no movement below the waist. The result was less power, but more accuracy. So while he may have only been hitting it 140 yards and I may have been hitting it 160 yards, he was in the fairway while I was in the woods. I knew he was having a good time (winning will do that) because as we were on the 16th tee my dad said, "Wait, we only have three holes left? This round is flying by."
I'm not going to pretend that this was a duel on par with Watson vs. Nicklaus from Turnberry, but it was close. In the end my erratic driving and sub-par putting was not enough to save me and my dad ended his 20-year golf retirement with a 49-52 victory. Beaten by a guy who hadn't swung a club in two decades... yeah, that should to wonders for my ego.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Speed Golf
Last offseason I discovered winter golf and enjoyed it (still wouldn't use 'lift, clean and place' though). One of the places that I gave it a try was Little Harbor in Wareham. I really enjoyed the course and found it an easy walk so I wanted to try it once the weather turned nice. However, I still would rather play by myself than with a group of strangers and Cape Cod in the summer is not really condusive to pulling that off. Instead, I waited until the season was winding down to make my way back down to Wareham to give Little Harbor another shot.
Back in the winter I played the whole course except the 11th hole, which at the time was unplayable due to excessive ice (just one of the hazards of winter golf in New England). Since I only had time for 9 holes I wanted to make sure it I got the chance to try the only hole that had eluded me over the winter. I timed it perfectly as the local golf league was teeing off from the first hole and so I had the back 9 mostly to myself. The only people I had to worry about was a twosome of guys in a cart who arrived at the 10th hole at the same time as I did. But, they wanted to take a small break and after speeding my way through the first couple holes I had some breathing room and I was able to leisurely play the final 5 holes.
Again, I played ok, but not great. It seems I've had a good run of avoiding rediculously bad holes, not having to put down a snowman or worse. But the best part was that I cruised through the course - there was no hunting for balls or spending 20 minutes hacking my way down a fairway.
Back in the winter I played the whole course except the 11th hole, which at the time was unplayable due to excessive ice (just one of the hazards of winter golf in New England). Since I only had time for 9 holes I wanted to make sure it I got the chance to try the only hole that had eluded me over the winter. I timed it perfectly as the local golf league was teeing off from the first hole and so I had the back 9 mostly to myself. The only people I had to worry about was a twosome of guys in a cart who arrived at the 10th hole at the same time as I did. But, they wanted to take a small break and after speeding my way through the first couple holes I had some breathing room and I was able to leisurely play the final 5 holes.
Again, I played ok, but not great. It seems I've had a good run of avoiding rediculously bad holes, not having to put down a snowman or worse. But the best part was that I cruised through the course - there was no hunting for balls or spending 20 minutes hacking my way down a fairway.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Adapting
There is a scene from the otherwise forgettable and disappointing Caddyshack 2 that has stuck with me. As Jackie Mason gets up to tee off in the climactic match, his playing partner turns him 90 degrees from the green and advises him to just try swinging in this direction because he owns, "the worst slice in the history of golf." This was my attitude today.
My slice is getting more pronounced, but I'm taking it as a compliment. Rather than it appearing on occasional shots, it has begun to appear on every shot, which I like - it means I'm getting more consistent with my swing. If it was still just showing up on occasion it would mean that I'm all over the place with my swing. Since it's there on every swing it means that I'm doing something wrong - but at least I'm doing it on every shot. I'm consistent; I take that as progress. So, rather than having to figure out the 15 things that are wrong with my swing, now I just have to figure out the one aspect that is making me slice. The thing about it is that it will take a while to fix the kink in my swing and out on the course is not a place you can experiment (the groups behind you tend to frown upon that kind of stuff). In the meantime, I've taken the Caddyshack method: if your slice is making the ball go right, aim more to the left.
This worked out to great success on the 14th hole, which is the signature hole of the course I played today as I returned for another shot at the back 9 on Lost Brook Golf Club. With the pin placed on the front right of the hole I decided to aim for the back left of the green, hoping that the ball would at least clear the water and stick on the green, giving me the chance to two-putt for a par. Well, it worked out even better as my slice was in full effect. The ball landed dead center of the green and continued rolling to the right and downhill, stopping 5 feet from the pin. Now, I've hit shots that have looked better and I've hit shots that have ended up closer to the pin but I've never hit a shot that was so good looking and close. I even made the putt for the birdie 2.
That was the capper, but the whole round was really good for me. I avoided any really disastrous holes and only carded one 7, which came because I had some issues with chipping near the green. I even had a shot from a greenside sandtrap that landed within 2 feet of the pin. For the day I managed to scratch my way to a 43, which is not that great considering the par was 27, but was 10 shots better than my last attempt at Lost Brook and also under the par for the entire course, which is not always the case.
My slice is getting more pronounced, but I'm taking it as a compliment. Rather than it appearing on occasional shots, it has begun to appear on every shot, which I like - it means I'm getting more consistent with my swing. If it was still just showing up on occasion it would mean that I'm all over the place with my swing. Since it's there on every swing it means that I'm doing something wrong - but at least I'm doing it on every shot. I'm consistent; I take that as progress. So, rather than having to figure out the 15 things that are wrong with my swing, now I just have to figure out the one aspect that is making me slice. The thing about it is that it will take a while to fix the kink in my swing and out on the course is not a place you can experiment (the groups behind you tend to frown upon that kind of stuff). In the meantime, I've taken the Caddyshack method: if your slice is making the ball go right, aim more to the left.
This worked out to great success on the 14th hole, which is the signature hole of the course I played today as I returned for another shot at the back 9 on Lost Brook Golf Club. With the pin placed on the front right of the hole I decided to aim for the back left of the green, hoping that the ball would at least clear the water and stick on the green, giving me the chance to two-putt for a par. Well, it worked out even better as my slice was in full effect. The ball landed dead center of the green and continued rolling to the right and downhill, stopping 5 feet from the pin. Now, I've hit shots that have looked better and I've hit shots that have ended up closer to the pin but I've never hit a shot that was so good looking and close. I even made the putt for the birdie 2.
That was the capper, but the whole round was really good for me. I avoided any really disastrous holes and only carded one 7, which came because I had some issues with chipping near the green. I even had a shot from a greenside sandtrap that landed within 2 feet of the pin. For the day I managed to scratch my way to a 43, which is not that great considering the par was 27, but was 10 shots better than my last attempt at Lost Brook and also under the par for the entire course, which is not always the case.
Friday, September 4, 2009
An Expensive Afternoon
A couple weeks ago my golfing buddy Josh had a birthday and celebrated the passing of the event by going on a bit of a golf equipment-buying binge. He bought himself a new set of Nike irons, a new bag and a few sleeves of brand-new golf balls. He was eager to try the new equipment out on the course and so we set up a tee time for Friday. To be honest, I'm a little Willowdale'd out after playing it so often this summer and we wanted to try a place neither of us had been to before, but was not just par 3s. We landed on Sassamon Trace in Natick.
Owned by the town of Natick, Sassamon Trace is a testament to the benefits of recycling. The first three and the closing hole are built on what used to be a landfill, while holes 4-8 are in what used to be an orchard. The result is that you feel as though you're playing two different courses, because the holes are vastly different. The holes that are on what used to be the landfill are links-style with no trees or water hazards, but very thick vescue. After you go down a large hill following the 3rd hole you go across a bridge and are met with a more traditional style of course, which has tree-lined fairways and ponds to navigate your way around.
We had a brief wait before we teed off and during the wait the starter, Bob, gave us the rundown of the place. The one thing he stressed the most was that you really wanted - or more accurately, needed - to stay left. So, of course my slice came into play immediately on the second hole as my ball faded to the right. I was lucky enough to have it stop a foot from the rough, but my second shot attempt took a hard right turn and was never heard from again. This was the start of trend for me. Here's a tip: if you have a bad slice to the right, don't play a place that recommends you stay to the left.
If you've read this space before you know I hate losing golf balls and breaking tees. I feel like if it hit it well then I should be fine and if I'm losing golf balls it means I'm not hitting it well. Still, I've never lost more than 2 balls on any given afternoon. Even if it takes me a while I will find my ball and play the shot as best I can. Well, this afternoon I lost 6 balls in 9 holes. It was an unprecedented streak for me. Bob wasn't kidding, if you hit the ball more than two feet into the rough then that ball is gone for good. I was at least comforted by the knowledge that Josh and his brand new equipment didn't beat me too badly. I was actually winning after the first 4 holes, but Josh turned it on during the final 5 to beat me by 5 strokes. It might not be essential for me to get new irons.
Owned by the town of Natick, Sassamon Trace is a testament to the benefits of recycling. The first three and the closing hole are built on what used to be a landfill, while holes 4-8 are in what used to be an orchard. The result is that you feel as though you're playing two different courses, because the holes are vastly different. The holes that are on what used to be the landfill are links-style with no trees or water hazards, but very thick vescue. After you go down a large hill following the 3rd hole you go across a bridge and are met with a more traditional style of course, which has tree-lined fairways and ponds to navigate your way around.
We had a brief wait before we teed off and during the wait the starter, Bob, gave us the rundown of the place. The one thing he stressed the most was that you really wanted - or more accurately, needed - to stay left. So, of course my slice came into play immediately on the second hole as my ball faded to the right. I was lucky enough to have it stop a foot from the rough, but my second shot attempt took a hard right turn and was never heard from again. This was the start of trend for me. Here's a tip: if you have a bad slice to the right, don't play a place that recommends you stay to the left.
If you've read this space before you know I hate losing golf balls and breaking tees. I feel like if it hit it well then I should be fine and if I'm losing golf balls it means I'm not hitting it well. Still, I've never lost more than 2 balls on any given afternoon. Even if it takes me a while I will find my ball and play the shot as best I can. Well, this afternoon I lost 6 balls in 9 holes. It was an unprecedented streak for me. Bob wasn't kidding, if you hit the ball more than two feet into the rough then that ball is gone for good. I was at least comforted by the knowledge that Josh and his brand new equipment didn't beat me too badly. I was actually winning after the first 4 holes, but Josh turned it on during the final 5 to beat me by 5 strokes. It might not be essential for me to get new irons.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
You Can't Both Be Up...
This week was particularly golf-filled for me. On Monday I played with my uncle and his friend at Willowdale once again. I played better than the first time we went there, shooting a 52, but still not up to my standards of what I want to accomplish. On Thursday I convinced my father and his reconstructed knee to go hit a bucket of balls at the Norwood Country club. I hit some long and straight, while my father discovered the joy that is a hybrid club. So when Josh called me about hitting Willowdale again on Saturday, I was convinced that I was in good shape. Josh hadn't played in over a month, so I was confident I would crush him. Turns out, that was not the case.
I learned two things on the course today:
1) a layoff isn't the worst thing in the world.
2) there is only so much luck to be spread around on a golf course.
I went in determined to score better than Monday and to improve on my all-time low of 49. Josh couldn't even remember what he shot last time out and just wanted to play well. So, when he got a 6 on the second hole, he was just happy that he drained a 20-foot putt to do so. I, on the other hand, was pissed with a 5 on the third hole because my initial drive had put me in good scoring position.
The perfect example of what kind of day it was came on hole #6. Josh got dead-center contact with his hybrid club and launched his drive over the green, almost into the tree line (thats what happens with us - we have no idea how far each club could go if we ever hit it well). I topped my first, but managed to get to the green in two. Josh's first chip attempt didn't make it up the hill and his second still left him in the second cut. As he tried his fourth shot I was lined up behind my ball 30 feet away and said, "Just chip this in and don't worry about putting." I always say this. Only this time, Josh clanked it off the pin and in. Meanwhile, I putted to within 3 feet... and lipped out the next putt. On the green in two and I still lost the hole.
The point is, sometimes you just need luck. I lipped out and skimmed the edge on more putts than I could even count on this round, while Josh is chipping in from off the green and draining 25 foot putts. Clearly, you can't have two people in one group playing the round of their lives - there is only so much good karma to go around.
I learned two things on the course today:
1) a layoff isn't the worst thing in the world.
2) there is only so much luck to be spread around on a golf course.
I went in determined to score better than Monday and to improve on my all-time low of 49. Josh couldn't even remember what he shot last time out and just wanted to play well. So, when he got a 6 on the second hole, he was just happy that he drained a 20-foot putt to do so. I, on the other hand, was pissed with a 5 on the third hole because my initial drive had put me in good scoring position.
The perfect example of what kind of day it was came on hole #6. Josh got dead-center contact with his hybrid club and launched his drive over the green, almost into the tree line (thats what happens with us - we have no idea how far each club could go if we ever hit it well). I topped my first, but managed to get to the green in two. Josh's first chip attempt didn't make it up the hill and his second still left him in the second cut. As he tried his fourth shot I was lined up behind my ball 30 feet away and said, "Just chip this in and don't worry about putting." I always say this. Only this time, Josh clanked it off the pin and in. Meanwhile, I putted to within 3 feet... and lipped out the next putt. On the green in two and I still lost the hole.
The point is, sometimes you just need luck. I lipped out and skimmed the edge on more putts than I could even count on this round, while Josh is chipping in from off the green and draining 25 foot putts. Clearly, you can't have two people in one group playing the round of their lives - there is only so much good karma to go around.
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