Putt, Putt, Putt

      How many of you were impressed with Adam Scott and his putting? So much for the anchored putting stroke and the long putter. Great players will find a way to be great. To tell you the truth, I never was a fan of the long putter and in my opinion it never was "real golf". However, it did keep many average golfers playing the game who suffered from the "yips" or bad backs.  This was a good thing and I hope those who used the long putter find a way to keep playing. You have to put the ball on the green into the hole and still be within the rules of golf.  
     To me, putting is an art.  The stroke is based on "feel" not brute force. This part of the game can perhaps be the most complicated and frustrating part of the game as there is so much to it. You would think that all you do is take a flat faced club and kind of bump the ball on the short grass of the green and get it into the hole. How can such a seemingly simple part of the game be so difficult?  As golfers we know that there is more to it than just a ball, a stick, short green grass and a hole.
     I love to putt.  In my golfing career the golf gods have blessed me with a good putting stroke and I haven't had to change it over the years. My hands are small so I split them on the putter just a bit and get the feel of the putter and the stroke through my fingers as well as control the putter face. I try to keep the putter on line through the stroke.  My head stays still and I concentrate on keeping my eyes on a spot behind the ball, even after impact. Believe me, this is not a putting lesson but just an explanation of how I putt. If I have the rare three putt, it is because I have taken the putter off line.  My goal on a long putt is to put the ball in--of course--or at least within an eighteen inch circle around the hole. The distance to the hole is of course important to get the proper distance, but to me it is more important to hit the ball on line. Of course, slope and speed of the green enter into that equation but it is most  important to get the ball on line and to the hols at the right speed.
     I learned to putt by putting one of those putting discs in the hallway by our living room and practicing using the carpet as a green. The surface was very fast and did break due to the cut of the carpet. I learned how to read the speed of a green and the break on a flat putt by putting on that carpet. My focus was taking the putter face back on line and through the putt on line as well as judging the speed of the putt from the distance I was putting.
      I don't know how many of you go to the local miniature golf fun center and play a round of miniature golf.  In my younger years this was a place that I would stay for hours and play as much miniature golf as I could. If you want to learn the speed, break and line of putting, this is the place. On the carpet, most putts are very fast and you have to concentrate on keeping the putter blade square.  It is also the place to develop a great sense of hitting the line of the putt. You don't want to hit the clown in the teeth or the blade of the windmill.
      I remember playing golf in Missouri and having a putt that I was not sure of the break.  I though I had the read but  wanted to make sure so I asked the local guys I was playing with which way it would break. In true Missouri style the answer was from both of the guys I was playing with was, "It breaks toward the ocean."  That was a big help, which ocean?  Does it break toward the Atlantic or the Pacific, Missouri being in the middle of the US.  Ha, ha--that was very funny guys.  I made the putt, but it broke north to south.
      Thank you Brad Patterson for your help today on this blog post. I didn't have a subject this morning to write about until I saw you post on FaceBook  regarding Adam Scott's victory yesterday and his putting style. You know, we are a team. Hey, what can you say.  Drive for show and putt for dough.

Yep, putting is a lot of fun.  Try sinking a long one on the deck of a ship. Everything breaks to the ocean.

Don't Give Up!

     I realize that golf can become very frustrating. There are times when you ask yourself why you play such a stupid game, and when you think about it the game is not exactly the most logical thing to do in the world. What is so much fun about hitting a little white ball with a stick and try to get it in a small hole taking as few swats with the stick as possible. I will tell you.  It is a challenge and you can never be perfect.
     I was on FaceBook today reading posts and working on our Golf Is For Everyone page (hhtp://facebook.com/golfisforeveryone) and came across a post from a golfer who was becoming very frustrated with his game. We all know that is very easy to do and most of us have been there. It had gotten so bad that in the post he threatened to quit playing as his game had deteriorated to that point. I feel his pain, but giving up the game is not the answer.
      I have said this before and it bears repeating here.  Golf is a game of challenges.  The game is a series of peaks and valleys and is never the same, even from stroke to stroke. It is not a game of perfection and each hole is different not only from an architectural point of view, but from the point of view of how that golfer is playing that particular hole or even how they are playing that shot. As we play we must keep things in perspective. Remember, most golfers are optimists and you might have stunk today but you are playing tomorrow and you will play better. If you are playing poorly, most of the time it is just a small glitch in your swing that you will discover and change either on the range or in the round tomorrow. Golf is fun!
     Be happy that you are playing golf. With my life situations as they are right now I am only able to get out about once every three months or so.  Guess what.  I am playing very poorly right now. Guess what.  I am really enjoying the game and seeing just how much I miss playing. Each time I'm on the course now I savor every moment because I don't know when I will play again. And by the way, I card that ten. Each triple bogie means that it is on to the next hole and whatever that adventure brings.  Each birdie putt I miss--I still have those occasionally--means that I get to card a par.  Let's play the next hole. I'm still hitting the ball and having fun doing it no matter how I am playing. I am not getting wrapped up in my performance but enjoying what the game has for me today.
      I can't play golf today. Today is my grandson's birthday party and we are going out of town to attend. The golf course will have to wait for another couple of weeks. That's OK because my grandson is a bit more important. If you are playing today on this beautiful Saturday, have fun and remember that you get the privilege of playing golf.  Some people can't. Have fun and enjoy the round.

Let's play some golf. I will soon but I can't today.

   





















     

Ah Yes, California and Golf

     I have to leave here shortly to do some  all day "honey do's".  My wife is going out of town with her parents and I have to take our car in for an appointment. At any rate, I don't have much time to post today so I will share this one from my other blogs with you.  If you feel that is cheating, please let me know and I will take a two stroke penalty or lose the hole if we are playing match play.

 I feel very fortunate to live in California.  Most of us complain about the taxes and other problems.  Many of us are thinking of leaving, but I prefer to stay and complain, although I do speak with my vote. At any rate, we are blessed with a very pleasant climate and a rage of things to see and do.
     Golf, of course, is no exception. There are so many courses, every one different and fun to play not to mention the settings.  The question is, what do you want in golf? If you want a desert course, you can find it.  How about a traditional parkland course? If you want to play a mountain course, you can do that. The Pacific Ocean provides the backdrop for a number of great ocean courses.  We have that too.  Take your pick, and some of these courses have a little of everything I mentioned.  It is truly a golfer's paradise.
     Living in California's Central Valley and right in the middle of that valley in a city called Merced, I am close to just about everything that is California golf.  We are two and a half hours away from the Monterey area, and you know that that is the home of some great courses like Pebble Beach and Bayonet/Blackhorse designed by famous golf architects like William Bell Sr. and Alistair MacKenzie who designed Au
gusta National.. The mountains are close and in less than an hour I can be at Saddleback in Copperopolis or at Greenhorn Creek in Angel's Camp. San Francisco is a couple of hours away where I can play The Presidio or whichever of the fine courses that are in that area. I've been to Palm Springs and played a couple of outstanding desert courses. Whatever you want is here in California, even a dreary windswept links style course right on the ocean.
     If you live here in California, you know what I am talking about.  If you don't live here, come to California and bring your sticks. I'll be waiting for you, just let me know where you want to play.
     Don't forget to visit my golf website.  It is ever evolving and I have made some changes.  Soon I will have some video lessons from some of the best instructors including tips specifically for women and left handed golfers. I'm excited about how it is evolving and I am proud to share it with you. Take a look at http://golfisforeveryonemd.com.  In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight. Don't hit that birdie putt short.

Courage and The Love Of The Game Of Golf

     Courage--The American College Dictionary defines courage as the quality of mind that enables one to encounter difficulties and danger with firmness or without fear. When life take a turn and not always for the best, how do you handle it? Do you give up on the things you love and the life you once led, or do you make adjustments so that you can return to as normal a life as circumstances will allow? Do you let life pass you by and become a victim, or do you fight and make lemonade out of lemons. Courage is taking up that fight and tasting the lemonade.
      Courage is about not accepting the label of "disabled". Things may have changed as far as what used to be--physically and mentally--but it is what you do after the changes in your life happen that are important. Sometimes a condition exists from birth, but what do you do about it? I prefer "physically or mentally challenged".  Disabled to me means it just ain't going to happen. Physically or mentally challenged means that we can work with what we have to improve our quality of life so that you are better able to enjoy what life has to offer. Courage means let's get to it, I'm not giving up.
     I would assume that since you are my readers, most of you love the game of golf. What would you do if you woke up and in the condition you were in you could not play golf?  Would you just give up or would you seek ways in which you could adapt so that you wouldn't have to give up golf?  Courage is knowing that you have limits, but finding ways to push those limits to the edge or somehow break through them. With the technology and methods we have today, that is very possible.  Golf is no exception and you don't have to give up playing the game we all love. It is totally up to the individual to follow the path and find the accommodations that can be used to get you playing.
      I have come across or have read about many physically and mentally challenged golfers.  There were those who have lost limbs due to a traumatic accident or health reasons. Some are wheelchair bound from an accident or from birth. Some have mental challenges such as autism or other conditions.  The good news is that many of these courageous people are playing golf.  They have taken up the challenge and have found ways to either take up the game or get back into it. In fact, I had the pleasure of playing with a man who had one arm and didn't play golf with his prosthetic arm. He cleaned my clock as a matter of fact.
      Courage is the ability to deal with adversity without allowing fear and doubt to get in the way. Physically and mentally challenged golfers who
still find a way to get back into the game are like that.  As the  U.S. Marines say, improvise, adapt, overcome.

Golf is for everyone. Improvise, adapt and overcome.

 
   

Tell Me How Coffee and Golf Relate

     I have been working very hard these past few days trying to churn out some insightful and well thought out posts for this blog. This is very hard to do. Each day taxes my brain to come up with a new subject to write about, one that will inform you and entertain you.  Today, I'm fresh out of ideas.  That worries me. Well, I guess I will just pour myself a cup of coffee and kind of let things happen. Hold on, let me take a sip of my coffee. There, that's better.
     Golf and coffee have a lot in common. What better way is there to clear your mind in the morning than to pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and enjoy it.  I prefer a dark roast myself and it kind of gets me going.  The same is true with a game of golf, although the effects of the golf game last longer because I can drink a cup of coffee in about ten minutes, but a round of golf can last for four or more hours.
      What is really a wonderful experience is to have a cup of dark roast coffee--ok, I do use cream and sweetener--and then go to the first tee and play golf. Life just doesn't get any better, especially if you team the coffee and round of golf with a good California Breakfast Burrito.  I'm in heaven!  For those of you living on the East Coast who have never had a California Breakfast Burrito with everything including chorizo, you are truly missing something and I have to feel very sorry for you. Don't forget the ketchup by the way when you try one if you are so fortunate.
      Coffee, like golf is one of those experiences that capture the essence of the five senses. You can feel the weight of the cup in your hand and the warmth of the wonderful brew that you are drinking. The taste of that brew is truly the nectar of the gods.  How can you describe the smell rising up from out of the vessel in which that wonderful liquid is contained in?  There is a distinct sound coming from the liquid flowing out of the coffee pot and into the mug or cup and  the sound of the cup filling. Just looking at the cup--I use a couple of cups that I have purchased in my travels and today I am using the Grandpa cup my kids brought back from Disneyland for me--as well as the almost black drink that you are about to consume stimulates your eyes. Yes, a cup of coffee is a sensual happening as is golf.
       Golf, like coffee provides a thrilling experience for the senses. The feeling of the grip of the club in your hand as well as the impact of the club when it strikes the ball is an happening that has few comparisons. The sight of the course and it's setting is truly refreshing to the eye and calming to the soul. The smell of fresh cut grass and of the trees that may line the fairway fill your nostrils and fire the olfactory nerves giving you a wonderful sense of the smell of the course. The sound of the club striking the ball evokes a feeling of power and control in the golfer especially if the golfer had a cup of coffee in the clubhouse.  You can just taste the game, or was that the California Breakfast Burrito you had--don't forget the ketchup.
        So, that is how coffee and golf relate. Thank you for reading this so far as I know it has been tedious at best. Not bad for being fresh out of ideas to write about. In conclusion I have this to say.  Congratulations on your win at the Northern Trust Los Angeles Open Bubba Watson.

Truly tickles the senses.

     

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie And Let's Play Golf

     I guess its that time of year again. My wife and I were driving around the town and noticed all the little leagues and girl's softball organization signup locations. Baseball and softball are great sports and it is great that kids still want to play the games.  In fact, I played little league and my wife played softball which she almost played professionally. Eventually, the conversation came round to the fact that most of those playing softball or baseball at this level will never advance past little league.  A few will play on a middle school team and some will play in high school or college. That is true for both baseball and softball with many players playing in recreational leagues after their college or high school experience. Most don't play after little league and give up playing the sport altogether. There are just not the opportunities to play.  Golf is not like that.
     Team sports also have the tendency to be exclusionary.  I know, I was always picked last because I was the chubby kid that couldn't run very fast. What they didn't know is that I could hit and field the ball. I lost interest in team sports very quickly because of this.  Yes, in today's youth sport world everyone gets to play and receives a trophy but only when the team is either so very far behind it doesn't matter or so far ahead it isn't going to make a difference in the score. That is just the nature of the games and it shouldn't be that way, but it is. Golf is not like that.
      I have been playing golf now for almost fifty years. My game is not the same as it was in my youth as I have lost a lot of distance.  However, my short game and iron play have become more deadly even though I have lost about an iron in distance. Up until a few years ago I was still playing in tournaments both at the state and club level and was very competitive. My return to competitive golf has been delayed because of a few life issues, but returning to competition is in my future within the next year or so. Golf is like that.
      Don't get me wrong. It is very important to plug kids into youth sports program. I did that with all five of my kids who played soccer, baseball, softball or golf. My youngest really took to golf and is very involved in golf as is my son.  My other daughters have left sports altogether which is a shame. The three had very little interest in golf even though one of them married a golf pro (go figure).  Unfortunately, with life the way it is that is the way it goes and sports go by the wayside for a number of reasons. I truly get that and its OK.
      Well, the baseball game is about to come on TV.  I have a couple of hot dogs on the broiler and I need to find the buns and the mustard.  While I am in the kitchen I think I will cut a slice of the apple pie my wife baked.  One last thing I need to do is to call the course and set up the tee time for next Friday. Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and let's play golf.  Does life get any better?

Let's play some golf! 

   


















 

The Golf Course Travel Bag: Pacific Grove

Women Golfers--Oh Really?

      I thought I would share this with you.  I don't have a lot of time today to post so I give you this. It is a blog post that I wrote about a year ago.  Hmmmm....Women in golf--what an idea.

     I don't know if I like that term "Woman Golfer" or even "Lady Golfer".  Aren't we who play the sport just that, golfers?  I hope to think so. This should be an egalitarian sport, not one defined by a person's gender. In order to grow the sport, I think that attitudes have to change. Why am I kind of charged up about this?  I saw a U-tube video. Attitudes men have toward women playing the game have to change.
     I have to admit that the video was humorous. I did chuckle.  It shows three guys sitting down in the posh members lounge in an obviously posh English Country Club. They are watching two quite curvaceous, good looking women play golf.  Of course their golf outfits are quite brief, tight and low cut in the bodice. There were the natural snide remarks from the three gentlemen about the ladies, but then they hit some shots. The shots they hit were very good, one going into the cup from off the green.  It was clear that these ladies could play the game.
     My daughter plays golf, as does my wife. Both are very capable of playing from the men's tees and whipping anyone's butt. Both hit long and my daughter played on state championship teams in high school and junior college. My wife played competitive softball and can play any sport with the best of them. You ought to see her play poker. Believe me, they both don't mid beating up on lesser foes, be they male of female.
     I had a family membership at a local golf course and would play often with my daughter. We picked up another twosome one Saturday afternoon and were ready to tee off.  The twosome that joined us would play from the men's back tees and I would on occasion. I stepped up to the back tees as well, and the twosome teed off and then I teed off. My daughter kind of waited until we teed off and then I asked her which set of teed she would like to tee from. She said, "I'll go ahead and play the blues with you guys, if you don't mind."
     She proceeded to go to the back tees with us. One of the guys in the twosome saw this and said,"Are you sure you want to do that, little lady?"
     My daughter's response was, "Yes, I don't want to hold anything up."
     "Are you sure?" was the sort of patronizing reply from the male golfer.
     "I'll be OK." was my daughter's reply.
     These two guys were fairly big hitters who would hit their drives about 240 yards.  My daughter hit her drive and it sailed passed theirs about twenty yards. After she hit her drive, she just picked up her tee, smiled at them and returned to our cart.  I still remember the looks on their faces as the ball flew passed their drives. They could have caught a swarm of flies with the way their jaws dropped. Needless to say, she waxed their tails when the scores were finally tallied at the end of the round.
     Check out some of my U-tube videos on my website.  I am very proud of them. Watch them and enjoy the courses which I hope you get to play some day.  These are some great courses. Go to my website http://golfisforeveryonemd.com and take a look.  There is much more on the site as well.  In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight.  And please, don't leave that birdie putt short.

Ho-hum, another 250 yard drive.  I don't think I caught it all. My daughter, I'm proud of her.

Everything I Learned, I Learned It Off The Internet

     There are a lot of things that you can learn off the internet. Yesterday I even saw a "how to" video on surgically removing a spleen by yourself. I wouldn't want to try it and would feel much more comfortable visiting a surgeon having them do the procedure. My thoughts are the same as far as golf instruction. Is it best to learn how to play golf from the internet?
     There is a lot on the internet today dealing with the game of golf. Most of it is great stuff and I have shared many golf videos on our website http://golfisforeveryonemd.com (shameful plug time). I produce videos for golf courses and organizations as well on my other website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com (OK another shameful plug and that is it).  The internet is an important highway for information and I get that but golf is a very personal sport and takes a lot of personal attention. Golf instruction is the area that needs the most personal attention when someone is learning the game.
      There is a lot of talk on social media about how the percentage of golfers taking a lesson from a professional is down to 1.3% of golfers. I understand the reasons that have been put forth for this number. Some say it is the cost and some say that it is the commitment to taking the time to improve and practice. Many have said that it is a decline in the number of golfers. All these are very valid reasons as to why face-to-face lessons have declined.  However, we must also look at The Golf Channel and the Internet as contributing to that decline.
      I am a bit old fashion. That person-to-person live contact to me is invaluable. How can you explain to an internet video how you are feeling and express any questions about anything that is unclear to you. A live professional can do that. They can provide the instant feedback that needs to be given. A YouTube video can't do that. The live lessons I have taken were with live teachers and made a difference in how I play. I had many questions to the pro as I took those lessons which I could not have gotten the answers to had I not been with a live teacher.
      YouTube videos and the Golf Channel have a lot of information on them about golf. They are very valuable as far as concepts, but I prefer a live person.  Tell me YouTube, if I keep my left knee bent and my grip strong, how is that going to effect my turn?  What, no answer? I always did peg you for the strong silent type.

I learned a lot in this lesson. Rick saw what I was doing and showed me how to correct it. YouTube couldn't do that.

Everyone's Gone To The Moon

     I don't know that everyone's gone to the moon, but everyone is shooting for it. I think I should explain that last statement. Everyone wants to hit a driver over 300 yards like professional golfers do.  Is that what we should be doing?  Have we been seduced by the club manufacturers and by television golf. My answer to that is yes we have. You don't have to hit the ball the proverbial country mile to enjoy the game.
      When we watch a golf tournament on TV, announcers always mention how far the professional golfers shot was. If it was a driver the distance was probably somewhere around 300 yards. That is a long way I will admit. They are hitting five irons around 200 yards and wedges somewhere in the neighborhood of 140. This is exciting and the distances they are hitting their clubs truly wow the crowds. They should, but what we need to keep in mind is that these are professional athletes who are conditioned and practice the game like there is no tomorrow.
      That distance is a lot of fun to watch. The key to it though is how do you control that distance.  In other words, does the ball wind up in the fairway so you have a shot to the green or does the ball run through the fairway and into the rough or fairway bunker. Do you have a clear shot to the green or is there a tree that your length has got you behind and you have no shot. We all saw Ricky Fowler go into the water on number 17 in the Phoenix Open which cost him the tournament.
      The game is becoming longer, at least on the professional level.  "Grip it and rip it" has been a rallying cry and that attitude has trickled down to the recreational golfer level. I can't hit the ball that far and quite frankly I don't care to at this time in my life.  I love playing the strategic game. Most of the time my driver goes into the fairway which sets up a clear second shot. If I am short of the green, I rely on my short game to score. I live by the "Drive for show and putt for dough" mantra. I like it that way.

On the green! Not bad for a 120 yard 7 iron.

 

Marshal Your Thoughts--Part 3

     I had a wonderful experience serving my time as a course assistant. There were times when it was very rewarding and at time it was extremely demanding. My reasons for volunteering as a course assistant were not for the two free rounds or the sometimes unlimited golf that was the compensation for the time I spent on the course helping out. It was the fact I was giving back to the course and game that I love. That was the motivating factor behind my stint in the cart with the radio and the red flag.  
     To me, the job was very serious. I was to make sure that play moved along.  It was also my job to represent the course  More than just telling slow golfers to pick up the pace, I would stop and fix divots on the green and in the fairway as well--an ambassador, not a traffic cop or drill sergeant. The important task was to make the gofer's experience as pleasant as possible and to keep things moving along. Key to the whole thing was to keep the needs of the golfer and the course in mind and how I could help fill those needs. Meeting new people, interacting with them and making sure that their day on the course was a good experience as well as to make sure that the course was respected was a lot of fun for me.
      My way was always pleasant and cheerful. Should a problem arise, I would handle it with tact.  There was always a reason that play had slowed down, and I would always ask in a way that was not threatening. The most common reason for play slowing is golfers hunting for lost balls. Sometimes they find it, sometimes they don't but it always causes a slowdown in play. When this would happen I would always ask with a smile if the group was looking for a lost ball. At that point, I would briefly help look and then ask if they thought the ball was lost and maybe it was time to return to play.  In my tenure as a course assistant, I never had any problems with this.
     If a group was out of position, there usually was a reason why. I would ask if they had lost a ball somewhere on the hole or the hole before. Normally this was the case and I knew that they would catch up as the round progressed.  I would very courteously ask if that was the case and most of time the answer was yes.  There was no need to badger, in most cases the group knew they were a bit behind and would catch up.
     When group was playing slowly because of the way they were playing, I would talk to them in a very friendly way about ways to speed up without running. In most cases I would stick with them for a hole and not say anything. Sometimes I would say "great shot" to one of the golfers and have them go to their next shot if it was safe. The key is for them was not to bunch up and go to each other's ball but to go to their own ball and be ready to hit. I very cheerfully would encourage this.
       A course assistant is not a traffic cop but a facilitator.  Yes, the job requires that they keep things moving and make sure the course rules are followed but this can be done without being brutal about it.  You are not a drill sergeant or a member of the golf gestapo out there, but a representative and ambassador of the course. I know some course assistants that like the role of "enforcer", the radio and red flag not being enough would be very comfortable wearing a uniform and a gun. That is not what they are there for. At times, the job does require a firm but tactful hand, but these times as far as my experience goes are few and far between.
       There are many times when a course assistant has a slow day as far as play on the course is concerned. This is not a time to look for balls.  In fact, an assistants job description only allows for the hunting of balls when it is a player's ball of a group that has lost that ball and the assistant is helping them find it. An assistant is not there to hunt for balls during their shift when the reason they are looking for balls is for their own play. I am sorry but that is a no-no, unless it is ok with the course and the day is slow. There are other more important things to do such as fix divots on the green.
       Being a course assistant is an integral part to any golf course operation. They are extensions of the course and are key to a golfer's course experience.

Have a great time and don't forget to keep up with the group in front of you.

Marshal Your Thoughts--Part 2

     So what is the role of "The Marshal", "Ranger" or "Course Assistant"? These are guys and gals most golfer love to hate. I know, I was one of them so I can speak from a position of experience on the issue. I have to say that all great golf course operations should have them.  They should be an extension of the course's business and key to that course's bottom line. A "Course Assistant", or "Marshal" or "Ranger"--whatever they are called--should have one thing in mind and that is to make the golfer's experience on that particular course the best it could possibly be.
    For our discussion here, I am going to refer to these course "helpers" as "Course Assistants", as that is truly the role they should play.  They are there to make the golf experience more pleasurable for the golfer and more manageable as far as flow of play for the course itself. They are there to assist the golfer and to provide good customer service.  They are also there to monitor and to facilitate--notice I said facilitate--a good flow of play.  How do they do this?
     Their minimum duties must be well defined. What are their duties as far as the particular course is concerned. Is their job to keep the pace of play moving and take care of issues that the golfer may have while playing the course or are they to do other tasks as well such picking up broken tees and fixing divots on the greens? What are the expectation placed on the course assistant as defined by the course?  This seems like a very simple statement, but you would be surprised that at many courses the assistant is given a cart and told, "Go get 'em" without any clear knowledge of what is expected.
     They must be diplomats and salespeople at the same time. Should an incident arise, they need to know how to handle the situation in a tactful and courteous manner. They should greet the players and establish a good rapport with those playing that day on their shift. It would even be helpful to get to know as many players as possible and their names. How about greeting each player on and off the course after the player's round with a smile and a greeting.  It might be good to throw in a "We're glad you're here" as well.
     They need to know the course. I have been to a course I have never played before and stepped up to a blind tee having no idea where the best place to hit the ball would be. The same is true for a blind second or third shot. The map on the scorecard tells how the hole is set up, but it doesn't tell about the little oddities of the hole. It says nothing about how the green slopes or that you don't want to go right. That is another important job of the course assistant.  
     I think it is time that we take a good hard look at the role of the "Course Assistant". They put a face to the operation of the golf course and can be a valuable asset to the operation of the course. They are very necessary and can make the golf course experience a much better one.

We are glad you are here.  Have a lot of fun our there.

Guess What I Got To Do Friday

     I will give you three guesses what I did Friday.  The weather was fantastic here on the West Coast so that should give you a clue.  Did I mow the lawn? That would be a wrong guess. Did I drive up to the Sierra Nevadas and go visit the snow on a bright and sunny day. Oh heck NO, and you all know how I feel about snow being very cold and wet.  I don't like wet and cold although it is great to see a snow pack this year. If your third guess was I got to play golf, you would be correct and give yourself a pat on the back.
     A very good friend of mine asked me to play golf in the Monterey area about two months ago. Steve and I used to play quite a bit when we both lived in Fresno. He retired and moved with his wife to Las Vegas, Nevada. I remarried moving with my wife to Merced, California. We have kept in touch and whenever he is in Fresno we try to hook up to play golf or a friendly game of poker. We are still very good friends. This weekend he was going to attend The AT&T Pro-Am so he wanted us to play in the Monterey area. Of course I couldn't refuse so I set up a tee time at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, a course outside of Monterey. My wife was of course invited as she always is when Steve and I play.
      What better way is there to spend a glorious Friday afternoon than chasing the little white ball with friends and family. You never know what the weather is going to do this time of year in Central California as it can be cold, wet and rainy but not this year. This day would be sunny and warm with very little wind. Wearing shorts and polo shirt to play golf in my mind is the only way to play golf. The golf gods must have pleased the weather gods as the day was almost perfect with respect to the weather.
      It had been a long time since the three of us had played together.  In fact the last time any of us played was the last time we played together.  Our games were less than perfect and the strokes came very easily. OK, we played terribly if you want to know the honest truth. That's not the point, however.  What needs to be said is that no matter how bad we three were playing, we were enjoying the day to the point that it was almost sinful. The conversations were lively and fun as was the actual hitting of the ball and the retelling of the round at the nineteenth hole. This was fun! This was what golf is all about.
       It was great to hook up with an old friend again.  It was wonderful playing the game we love under a warm California sun no matter how well we played. That wasn't the point today. The day was about friendship and golf. We had a ton of FUN as golf should be. Being with friends, playing the game and having too much fun together. Isn't that what golf is all about?

Let's have some fun!

             
     
     

Thanks For Being One Of Us Ricky

     Thank you for being one of us, Ricky Fowler. You did more to grow the game of golf on Sunday at the final round of The Waste Management  Phoenix Open than many of us who are striving to bring golf to the masses. You showed you were human.  You showed some emotion and flair. Finally, you showed class and just what the character and nature of the game really is by your actions and demeanor after the playoff loss. Well done young man, you are a credit to the game and sports.
     You can't talk about the whole "Ricky" affair without saying a word about the stage that it was played on.  The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a tournament unlike any other the pros play.  It is in effect "The People's Tournament".  How about that sixteenth hole?  I would love to play in front of a gallery that size instead of one old man walking his two chihuahuas. The whole experience has to be a thrill. What is wrong with playing to the crowd. Fowler should have made birdie there, but you can't make them all. The fans were cheering and he still came out of there two strokes up. Many of these fans are here for the party and the fun. They are also there to be entertained, not just the action on a golf hole. This place is almost as famous as the island green at the Player's Championship, the 18th at Pebble or Amen Corner at Agusta and not for the golf played on this hole.
     What was going through his mind as he walked to the seventeenth hole?  Was it, "Let's play conservative and win this thing." Maybe it was, "Hey, I think I have this one in the bag, let's give these fans a show. I can drive and eagle this puppy."  That's only something  only he can answer truthfully.
     My honest opinion was that he was caught up in the moment.  Unlike Hideki Muriyama Ricky had a couple of wins under his belt and wanted to give the fans what they wanted--him to pull out his driver and drive the green. He wasn't going for the win but trying to please the crowd.  I think he would of played it differently if it were somewhere other than The Phoenix Open.
      He could have laid up with a three wood and in fact that was the safe play. The seventeenth is his nemesis hole and he has never played it well. The crowd didn't come to see him lay up and he knew that. He hit the drive very well, unfortunately too well and it rolled through the green and into the water in back. Oh well, that happens.  What's wrong with living life on the edge and putting some excitement into the game. The  fans loved it and I think forgave Ricky for losing in the playoff. The outcome would have been different and he would have not played the shot he did if it were a major.
     Have you ever made a stupid decision based on pressure from others or on vanity.  Sure you have and so have I. Have you said that you could hit that eight iron over the water only to come up a few yards short and put it in the hazard?  I know I have. So what is wrong with Ricky pulling out a driver and trying to drive the green? Thank you for being one of us Ricky.

I have played in a Pro-Am.  I drove it well here but plunked it in the water trying to fly a water hazard on my second shot.  You are OK in my book Ricky.  We all make those kind of mistakes.

Marshal Your Thoughts

     We all talk about how slow play effects the enjoyment of the game. That can be looked upon in two ways. First, the course is so crowded that it is going to take five hours to get the round in. That is not a good way of looking at things so let's look at it another way. The course is so crowded that it is going to take five hours to get the round in. See, isn't that a better way of looking at it? The course is crowded because people are playing golf, and that's a good thing. Why get frustrated?  Sit back and enjoy the round knowing that the course is being played and is in pretty good shape financially because of all these people playing. Remember too, there are no clocks in golf.
     What can help make this wonderful time with nature and a little round ball go better.  What can make it a much more enjoyable experience? I'm not talking about a fully stocked beverage cart with a person working on it knowing exactly where they should stop to sell the beverages.  Notice I didn't say "cart girl".  I am not trying to stir up a controversy here so I am not even going to go there. But a beverage cart can slow up play if the person running it doesn't know golf and where they should be stopping. That does slow up play.
     What do we do to speed up slow play and make the golfing experience more pleasurable? We can do a lot and I have talked about some ideas in past posts, but today I want to focus on one aspect of the process. It may not speed up play per se, but it can make the time spent on the course more pleasurable. That is the role of the course Marshal or Ranger or whatever title you wish to bestow upon this very important person.
      I have a lot to say about this from both the perspective of the golfer on the course and the point of view of the Course Assistant themselves.  I have been in their shoes as many of my golfing years were spent as a Course Marshal.  I haven't always been a talented author and many times had to finance my golf rounds with "Marshal Tickets". What do you think? Are they overpaid and underutilized?  Could they be overworked and under appreciated?  Let me know.  What should their role be?  How much authority should they have on the course? I will share my opinion in my next post.  I have also put out the question on FB so I will share some of what you have to say as well.

We're glad you are here today and please keep play moving out there. Have a good round.

KaBoom or pop? What's Your Pleasure?

     That's an interesting title, isn't it? What is he going to write about today you are probably asking yourself. I try to keep you guessing.  After all, this blog is not supposed to be boring. Today, let's talk about the long game and compare it to the short game, shall we?
     I want to let you know that I prefer the short game to the long game.  I never was a long hitter, but deadly from within 100 yards, no matter how the rest of my round is goes good or bad.  The flatstick is my friend and I rarely three putt. The green and around it is my playground.
     I love to create around the green and from within that 100 yards. The clubs in my bag are like brushes to the painter. The wedge, the 7 iron bump and run, the hybrid run are the ricks of my trade. Each one of those shots provide me with a lot of pleasure and I use them often. Of course that depends on the lie and what the green looks like, but sometimes I try a shot just to be different. The beaches around the green are no problem as they remind me of my favorite place, the ocean beach. Even when there is no sand in the bunkers, it is a lot of fun getting out, even though I shouldn't have been there in the first place.
     Most golf advertisements you see on TV are for new drivers.  They claim that their driver has been designed to give you much more yardage off the tee. They claim that their driver will truly "Make the big dog eat." I am sorry, but that "big dog" after eating just don't want to hunt. You still have to swing the club and when that happens you still have that same swing.
     I used to make my persimmon dog "eat" and the ball did fly unimaginable distances. The "big dog" ate like a 300 pound Rotweiler going through a 50 pound sack of Purina.  Things have changed and as I have gotten older that 300 pound Rotweiler has run away to be replaced with a one pound chihuahua eating small dog Kibbles and Bits having trouble chewing the Kibbles. I just can't hit the ball that far off the tee as I used to, even with my titanium driver.
     So what is your pleasure? Are you a long knocker or a short game whiz? My short game has never left me so I prefer finesse over brute strength. Your game is yours though, you make that decision.

I hate it when she hits the ball that far.