One More Mulligan

Excited for the New Season

admin — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:26:45 +0000

Like any other golf fan I get really excited for that Masters but it isn’t just because I can’t wait to watch the first major of the year. The Masters always signals the unofficial start of the golf season in the northern US. Being from New York it is pretty unusual if we can get a round in before mid April at the earliest. From mid November to around this time every year I have to fill my golf craving watching the winter PGA tour, playing a little Tiger Woods on the PS3 and the occasional golf trip if I can get away. This year I have gotten two rounds in during March but they weren’t very comfortable. The wind was blowing really hard and the temps kept a heavy sweat shirt on me most of the time which didn’t make for a smooth swing.

That being said the courses were in really good shape and I didn’t play too badly so hopefully I’ll break 90 this year and get the monkey off my back. Last year was difficult because unlike my previous, and first, year playing I barely had a lesson and didn’t play nearly as much. I guess getting married, buying a house and starting a new business will do that. I did get some cool trips in thanks to some work “vacations” but that was about it. This year I plan to keep a much stricter practice schedule as I did during the previous season. I will be hitting balls at the range at least once a week and then at least one other day I’ll be putting and working on my short game. It seems like late in the season when I start to chip and putt well my scores start to get respectable so I’d like that to happen sooner rather than later.

I also vow that I will conquer my driver this year. I have improved but there is no reason that I should slice the ball any more. I understand what I’m doing wrong and will go several rounds driving the ball very well and out of no where I’m back to square one like I’ve never played before. The sand is another area I need to build confidence. Right now it’s 50/50. Sometimes I do very well and other times I’m hacking at the ball like a cartoon. Just like anything else, the couple of times a round that it happens is not enough practice to get this confidence.

I also hope to get back to playing 2 full rounds a week. Practice is really important but it is also important to evaluate how the practice is helping and the only way that I can do that is to get out on the course. One without the other just isn’t going to cut it. I’ll play at off times like twilight hours to try and keep the cost down. If one thing helps keep the wife happy about you playing golf it’s definitely discount golf. I’m very lucky that my wife let’s me play as much as much as I want so I feel like keeping the cost down is the least I can do.

I’ll try to update the blog with my progress especially if I take some fun trips or play some good rounds.

Oh yea, my Masters prediction – Go Phil!

Getting Teased by Hilton Head

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:13:56 +0000

On a recent business trip to the Carolinas I drove past so many golf courses it made me wish that I had time to play a quick nine. Even the smaller municipal courses looked very inviting. I decided that I needed a quick golf fix even without my clubs. I decided to drive past some courses on the way to and from clients to check out what I was missing. After looking at the courses from my car I decided that when I got back I needed to see if I could carve away some time to get back down here and play.

Hilton Head golf is famous and I am no stranger to the images of the ocean side courses from television and magazines. The Ocean Course at the Sea Pines Resort is every bit as beautiful as any of those images. Open year round and built in 1962 it offers tees that range from 125 to 133 in slope which will offer any foursome a challenge for each level golfer.

Thankfully I was unaware that they even offer rental clubs. I may have been late for some of my meetings.
George Fazio designed the self named course at the Palmetto Dunes Resort in 1974 and it’s 132 slope from the tips has been a challenge to golfers ever since. After the renovation in 1994 it has been consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 courses by Golf Digest and known as one of the biggest challenges in the Hilton Head area. It may be a par 70 but the 6,873 yards on the card will let you know that it is no joke.

If you are as interested as I am in getting Hilton Head tee times you can check out these courses or the many others that are available. Just don’t go down there without your clubs, it’s torture!

Golf in Arizona

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:22:30 +0000

I have a close friend with a family vacation home in Arizona and he is always telling me that the courses in Arizona are amazing. So this afternoon I started looking around on the internet to see if all his hype was just hot air or if I needed to see if I could stow away with his family for a few days. I started with the area near where the family stays, Scottsdale.

The Scottsdale golf scene does offer many course options including the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale. Any golfer knows that any course with TPC in the name is a rare opportunity to play one of the nicest courses available to a golfer. This TPC course has a player friendly slope rating of 112 that will allow anyone traveling with you, no matter how new to the game, the chance to experience golf at it’s finest.

I have always wanted to play a course designed by the great Arnold Palmer. While searching Tucson golf courses I came across Palmer Course at the Wildfire Golf Club. This course is quote the opposite of TPC Scottsdale. Posting a slope of 135 from the tips with a distance over 7000 yards this looks like a true test for any golfer. From the pictures the scenery doesn’t look like a let down either.

Hopefully I can remember the lesson I learned in Vegas and I schedule early morning rounds to stay out of the heat. The sun here is supposed to be at least as bad if not worse with temperatures reach over 100 in the shade during the Summer. If anyone out there is planning on playing in this region you have been warned, it is really, really, really HOT!!

I’m going to go call my buddy and see if his parents are using the place. If not, next stop Arizona!

Golfing Hawaii Style

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:58:47 +0000

Sometimes I think I live a charmed life. It just so happens that an upcoming conference for my day job is going to take me to Hawaii. Since my new wife and I decided not to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon this will give me a chance to golf there without any guilt. This site that I recently came across, Hawaii golf made creating my golfing itinerary really easy.

One of the interesting things that I have found is the diverse types of courses that are available in Hawaii. Many are in the vain of Scottish links while others are carved into the forest giving it a totally different feel. It appears that even the “lower” end course have scenery that will not disappoint.

I used the Hawaii golf course search to find the Arnold Palmer gem at the Turtle Bay Resort near where my conference is. From the pictures and the description on the site it is a seamless cross of Saint Andrews and Bethpage Black placed right in the middle of the beautiful blue Pacific. This resort is also home to a Fazio course that has hosted the LPGA Tour’s Hawaii Open. This course will give even seasoned pros a challenge if you play it from the tips.

The site even allows you to search for packages, hotels and restaurants so you don’t have to go from site to site trying to find all the parts of your vacation. I have found that package search particularly handy to see if there are any deals to be had by booking everything together. It also allows me to compare the resorts where the courses are located so I can see the details side by side.

With a chance to play both of these courses I’ll be looking into my stay here and booking Hawaii tee times. If I can work out the time off after the conference this might just be a homerun. Besides, time away from the new wife will be made easier if I can occupy my time.

La Manga Still on My Mind

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:11:02 +0000

I have to apologize to the readers. I never gave an update on my Christmas golf vacation that I wrote about in December because it didn’t happen. As everyone can attest to the holidays creep up on you and keep things from happening. That doesn’t mean I have given up on it and we are now looking at that location as a potential honeymoon location.

Since our vacation is going to be 10 days and we want to see more than just one city I looked into other possible courses to play in the morning while my fiancé is asleep. Three spots on the trip seem to offer some great opportunities to golf in Portugal. Algarve, Lisbon and Madeira all offer great weather and sights along with top notch golf.

Ocean views with some beautiful but brutal courses are on tap. I think I’ll still see if I can get over to La Manga but some other places like Aroeira Golf Resort in Lisbon look like paradise and seem to offer spas and some other things for the misses. Whether we pick Hawaii, Portugal or another location I have been promised that I can get a round in and I promise the readers that I will tell them all about it.

Golf in Hawaii

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:40:58 +0000

As I look around for more potential places to travel for golf I realized that I hadn’t ever been to Hawaii at all let alone played golf there. A quick search about golf in Hawaii informed me that not only is it an amazing place to play but also the place that a few pros got their start. Michelle Wie and Dean Wilson got their start on the island states links.

Wie’s home course, Olomana Golf Links, looks like a really nice place to play and if it can produce a superstar like her maybe it could help my game a little. The par 72 course features a 129 slope rating and a length of 6326 yards which leads me to believe that the hazards must be many because the length certainly doesn’t warrant a slope that high. It also has all the necessary amenities including a restaurant/snack bar, driving range, rental clubs and carts.

I’m not sure which course I’ll end up on but I will make a effort try and pick one of Hawaii’s golf courses as my next destination. Hopefully I can convince the new wife that a honeymoon in Hawaii is in order!

Christmas Getaway

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:38:57 +0000

Christmas time has always been a time to travel to my family’s house and see everyone that I moved away from after college. Recently many of my family members have either moved too far away to make that practical or unfortunately have passed away. This year the wife and I were thinking of going away for the Holidays and that made me think of only one thing, golf.

Since the average temperature in New York this time of year is just above freezing I’ve had to put the golf bag away in favor of the remote control. After some research on places that have some sights to see on and off the golf courses we decided on Spain as our destination and I found La Manga Village. With three courses (North, South and West) I can play a couple of times at the same resort we are staying at and not get bored. Also, with its proximity to local beaches as well as Jacuzzi, indoor swimming pool, beauty salon and spa there is no shortage of things my wife could do while I am hacking it up one of the three championship courses.

I’ll let you all know how it goes after we get back, I’m sure we’ll have a great time especially since it will be my wife’s first trip out of the country and my first time playing golf on another continent. Can’t wait until this winter ends and I can golf more regularly.

Basic Golf Etiquette 101

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:36:37 +0000

If you’re a newbie to golfing, it’s easy to understand why it could be intimidating at first. After all, there’s all the equipment, culture, and most importantly, all those little rules to keep track off. With golf being a favorite pastime in the U.S. and catching on like wildfire in many parts of the world, you better make sure you know the basic etiquette whether you set foot on a course close to home or a course during a relaxing vacation. For instance, Panama, an up-and-coming golfing destination in tropical central America, has newly constructed world-class courses with the added benefit of luxurious Panama hotels nearby. So wherever you are playing, get familiar with some of the most important rules of golf etiquette to ensure you are on your best behavior and keep other players around you happy.

Safety First

Before anything else, one of the most important rules is to mind the sound of your voice. Don’t make any sudden or loud noises, such as shouting or really loud laughing. Do not talk during another player’s swing. Now for safety, you always want to be mindful of your actions and ensure that no one will be accidently injured in any way. Until you are 100 percent sure that people are at a safe distance from you, do not swing your club. If you want to practice your swing, do not do it in the direction of another player, as you can send twigs or pebbles flying in the air towards them. Turn to opposite directions if you want to practice. Also, same goes for groups playing ahead of you. Don’t hit the ball until you know they are out of range of where the ball might land.

Pacing

In order to prevent a very slow and lumbering game, keep the game going at a steady pace. You should aim to take no longer than 30 to 45 seconds to select your club and hit the ball. If you are simply not ready for your turn, offer another player in your group to go instead. Be mindful of the pace that the groups ahead and behind of you are playing at. If space opens up in front of you, you can let a faster group play through. Same goes for if you lose a ball and decide to spend the most of the five minutes allowed to look for it. In this case, you should let the group behind you play through

On the Green

Always mind other players and never walk through another players putting line. Your footprints might affect the path of their ball, which could result in an annoyed player. Just make sure you step over it or walk around it somehow. Be aware of where you are standing at all times as you don’t want to cast shadows across another players putting line either. And please bend down to get your ball out of the hole. Do not use your putter to get it out. Remember that the player closest to the hole is usually the one who tends to the flagstick. If you are the one, replace it carefully to make sure you don’t damage the hole. When you are finished putting, leave the green right away. You can note scores on the way to the next hole. Also, do not drive your cart over the green, or through sand bunkers.

Same Old Story

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:39:02 +0000

Just here for a quick update, I haven’t been able to post for a while because my job has been completely insane. There also hasn’t been much to write about when it comes to my game. I have been trying to put it all together since I shot 93 and 91 and have just been missing some of the magic I had in those rounds. I shot 46 for 9 yesterday with 3 doubles and 2 pars. My putting was spot on with a really good short game behind it. Driving was average with my irons being the worst part without being that bad. I feel like breaking 90 is right around the corner.

Play in Jersey tomorrow with my friend and some of his co-workers. I should be able to put some number up on the course since I have played it once before. It is a resort course with tight fairways and beautiful atmosphere but I am not looking forward to it. I like woods course so much more that it makes it hard to get excited about this style of course. Either way I’ll get to see if I can make things even in the dollar a stroke match that we have been having this year. I am currently down eleven dollars.

In equipment news I have been swinging a new driver as well as using a testing a new GPS option. The driver is a Taylor Made SuperQuad with an orange accra XT 60 shaft. It has helped me tremendously with distance and accuracy. The weights in the head help me turn the club over and get a nice draw on the ball and the shaft increases my ball speed and my distance by about 20 yards. There is no comparison to my Nike, I don’t think I ever loaded that shaft enough to get any performance benefits. The GPS is GolfShot for my iPhone. I have been using it for scoring ever since my last option went down before a round and with a dead battery in my uPro I decided to try it on a friends recommendation. I am still not 100% sold but with it’s $30 price tag comes a full list of features including point to point measuring, shot measuring, distance to all hazards, a fly over view and lay up distances. I believe that it offers even more than my $400 uPro does. The only real downside so far is the time it takes for the distance on the screen to update. I am going to try it out more in the coming rounds for comparison and I will keep you posted.

British Open is Giving Me Ideas

admin — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:00:02 +0000

I am fresh off my trip to Las Vegas I am hooked on seeing courses in different zip codes. I have been searching for my next destination and keep coming back to news on the British Open and the beautiful links courses. I have always wanted to visit Scotland so this might be a good opportunity to play the Old Course at St. Andrews.

The similarities of St. Andrews and my local group of courses at Bethpage are intriguing. Each has a premier course, the Old Course and the Black respectively, as well as other courses that you can play while staying there. St. Andrews other courses include Balgove, Eden, Jubilee, Castle, and the New. This makes the trip for me since I prefer to play a variety of courses and not just a couple of rounds on the same one. Another interesting fact is that both the Black course and the Old Course set aside a number of early tee times for walk ups in the morning. This gives everyone a shot at getting on the course even if you weren’t able to make a scheduled tee time.

I’m not sure exactly when I will be getting time to go so I have been checking out some of the other course options in case St. Andrews is booked for the dates I am available. The good news is that Scottish golf offers many other worthy courses. Aberdeenshire, Dundee & Angus and Highlands have come up in my research and all appear to be top notch choices that are affordable as well.

I can’t wait to watch this year’s British Open and day dream about taking 17 shots to get out of one of those pot bunkers or 5 putting on one of the gigantic greens. Truth is when you are on a course that beautiful I don’t think it will really matter how I play.