The Golf Thread

[byu71]

What a great day for golf yesterday. I woke up to do some work early in the morning and it looked like it was going to rain, however by 8:30 when we teed off it was turning into a gorgeous day. Low 70s by the time we finished. It was a scramble format, which is usually nice for me since I am not a great golfer, however I was hitting the ball so well yesterday that I was bummed because I think I would have pretty easily broken 100.

I always play with Lady iQ 180 Pink balls, in fact last year I ordered about 3 dozen with my name on them. It helps me stay calm and not get to upset about things while playing, and has worked pretty well as a mental trick to slow myself down and keep composure. However I often get ribbed for it, which is fine.

Yesterday my foursome started on 16 and I was just killing the ball, and could tell it was going to be a good day. When we made the turn and teed off on #1 they took out group picture (I played with the people that own the IHOP in town and the local sports radio guy) I was last on the rotation to tee off. My group all hit pretty good drives and then I teed up. One of the people behind made a joke about a pink golf ball, I followed with probably the best drive of my entire life about 285 right down the middle leaving about 80 yards to a back pin. One of the IHOP owners said "Can we use your drive or did we use it last time?" The guy that made the pink ball joke then said "He must be a good golfer to not care what color ball he uses." That was a good golf moment for me.

One last fun moment yesterday for me. Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon were going around taking pictures with people and then you could pay $10 to have the photo signed and pick it up at the end of your round. They got out of the cart they were riding in and just started shaking hands, we were among the last groups and you could tell they were pretty bored and just going through the motions. As Stewart came up to me he went to shake my hand then did a double take and nearly tripped over his own feet as he said to me "Damn you have a big beard!" So I an out of shape, roll of toilet paper nearly brought a first round pick down with nothing but my beard. Great day.


Slightly creepy stalker picture I took of Dixon and Stewart after the round as I was debating getting another picture taken with them, then I realized I was not going to look any less fat than I did in the one taken 45 minutes previously.

That was pretty nice. Great setting and hanging out with pro football players. Can't ask for more.

It does amaze me though that guys with beards like you have can earn enough money to play golf at nice places.

[il Padrino Ute]

I played Willow Creek Saturday and shot an 87. It was the first time I had played there and I really liked it. It took me most of the front 9 to get used to the green speed - it was a lot faster than it looked. Far too many 3 putts than I would have liked, but I'll take a bad day on the course over not being on the course.

[byu71]

I played Willow Creek Saturday and shot an 87. It was the first time I had played there and I really liked it. It took me most of the front 9 to get used to the green speed - it was a lot faster than it looked. Far too many 3 putts than I would have liked, but I'll take a bad day on the course over not being on the course.

That's a repsectable score, unless you played from the girls tee's.

[il Padrino Ute]

That's a repsectable score, unless you played from the girls tee's.

No, we played from the back tees.

[byu71]

No, we played from the back tees.

Last year I shot a 85 from the blues. It was one of my better rounds of the year considering how tough the course is and that I had taken a 9 on number 8.

[Hazzard]

Seriously, I wonder if the layoff allows the brain to discard all the crappy habits and to focus solely on the mental image of a good swing; then with time all the screw-ups work their way back.

See Tiger Woods, 2009 comeback.

It seemed like when he first came back he was hitting the ball well, but his putting sucked. Then his putting started coming back, but his swing went awry. I've actually heard him say exactly what you said -- that he often hits the ball really well when he first comes back after any kind of a layoff, but then he struggles and it takes some time to get it all back together.

It's comforting to know that even the greatest goes through these patterns. Actually, it's depressing because when he goes through it, he pulls out one victory and four top-10's in his first five stroke play events in 2009 against the toughest fields in the world. When I go through it, I shoot 93 and quit the game for the hundredth time.

Tiger's record this year is remarkable considering the way he's hitting the ball. He's right at the tour average in greens in reg, just below in driving accuracy, and just above in driving distance, but he's getting up and down 11% more often than the tour average (putting him in 4th place on tour).

Kind of a side note, but I just took a look back at his historical scrambling percentage rank on tour. His best stretch, not surprisingly, was 2000 - 2002, when he ranked 3rd, 1st, and 1st, respectively. He's said it before, but we're loathe to believe him because of how well he hits the ball: the difference from 2000 - 2002 was his short game. Of course, he was in the top 6 in driving distance in each of those years, too ...

[landpoke]

I've played twice this week. Shot a 62* on Tuesday. Played a quick nine this morning and shot a 46, which is about where I should be.
























*For nine

[cougjunkie]

I played 36 yesterday.

Played 18 yesterday morning at Fox Hollow, shot an 89.

Went to work for about 3 hours got a call from a friend to use his corporate pass at Thanksgiving point. Went out at 4:30 and shot an 87 (from the Golds, not the tips) at T-point. Can someone please tell me how in the hell I can shoot a better score at T-Point then I can at Fox Hollow which is about half as hard?

[byu71]

I played 36 yesterday.

Played 18 yesterday morning at Fox Hollow, shot an 89.

Went to work for about 3 hours got a call from a friend to use his corporate pass at Thanksgiving point. Went out at 4:30 and shot an 87 (from the Golds, not the tips) at T-point. Can someone please tell me how in the hell I can shoot a better score at T-Point then I can at Fox Hollow which is about half as hard?

Was the wind blowing at TP. I personally believe when the wind isn't blowing TP is not harder than Fox Hollow. Fox Hollow is actually tougher for me than TP.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I have driven around all week with my clubs sitting on the backseat of my truck. I kept hoping that I would get a chance to at least stop and hit a bucket, but the one day I would have had time it was pouring rain. Next week after this crazy Memorial Day, I am going to play at least twice.

[cougjunkie]

Was the wind blowing at TP. I personally believe when the wind isn't blowing TP is not harder than Fox Hollow. Fox Hollow is actually tougher for me than TP.

I think that might have been the reason, it was windy at Thanksgiving Point but not as windy as usual. Except the wind really picked up on hole 5, the downhill par 5, with the wind at our back, the hole is 550 yards long, and not one person was more then 200 out after their tee shot. Of course with 35mph winds and a steep decline its easy to bomb away at that hole.

Then the next hole is 420 with the wind in your face straight up hill and I was about 220 out after my tee shot.

[byu71]

I think that might have been the reason, it was windy at Thanksgiving Point but not as windy as usual. Except the wind really picked up on hole 5, the downhill par 5, with the wind at our back, the hole is 550 yards long, and not one person was more then 200 out after their tee shot. Of course with 35mph winds and a steep decline its easy to bomb away at that hole.

Then the next hole is 420 with the wind in your face straight up hill and I was about 220 out after my tee shot.

Did the wind shift. As I remeber it number 5 goes South and number six goes kind of Southeast. The distances and downhill and uphill are correct as I remember.

[cougjunkie]

Did the wind shift. As I remeber it number 5 goes South and number six goes kind of Southeast. The distances and downhill and uphill are correct as I remember.

It didnt necessarily shift but more started to swirl, as opposed to being right at our back, add that to the fact that the hole is uphill and it was not pretty.

I play in the Huntsman Cancer tournament at T-pointe ever year and they have a guy that does those Remax Longest drive challenges who is also a cancer survivor giving tips on one of the holes each year, then he bombs a drive and for $10 you can use his drive or take one of yours. I just realized that he is on hole 5 every year and now I know why.

[byu71]

It didnt necessarily shift but more started to swirl, as opposed to being right at our back, add that to the fact that the hole is uphill and it was not pretty.

I play in the Huntsman Cancer tournament at T-pointe ever year and they have a guy that does those Remax Longest drive challenges who is also a cancer survivor giving tips on one of the holes each year, then he bombs a drive and for $10 you can use his drive or take one of yours. I just realized that he is on hole 5 every year and now I know why.

Six is a brutal hole with wind blowing or not. The best drive I ever hit on that hole still left me with a 5 iron, which I promptly pushed way right into the crap.

[DrumNFeather]

I put a shot 3 feet from the cup on #2 at Mulligans and ended up paring the hole.

I am not very good.

I hang my hat on my mini-golf triumphs, but even those have been few and far between after my wife said, "you don't have to announce both our scores after every hole!"

I get a little competitive. : )

I just wish I had the time and $$$ to dedicate to getting better at golf.