GolfHos

I know there are some of us here that do (contrary to popular belief) actually play golf.

Let's talk about it.

Post here when you are playing, where, how you did or thoughts about the round and the course.

I'm playing today at :  Desert Dunes. (http://www.desertdunesgolf.com/sites/courses/newpage.asp?id=311&page=7387)

Looks like a really nice track, and reasonably priced for this area.

I'm playing tomorrow in a scramble event in San Diego at  The Vineyard (http://www.vineyardatescondido.com/)

Think I'm gonna play Maplewood tomorrow.

http://rentonwa.gov/living/default.aspx?id=1370

Just another muni. But it's Bill Russel's home course, so it's got that going for it, which is nice.

[Excuse]

The wind was blowing a sustained 40 MPH with gusts of up to at least 60.  Completely unplayable.  No one was on the course except a foursome of old *fudge*s that let us play through.  In fact it's a good thing they did I think it was our best hole of the day.  Two drives ripped up the gut, two wedges to about 6 feet, two worthless birdie putts, and two easy tap in pars.

It was so bad in fact, the guy at the pro shop gave us 10 bucks of the round, and since he didn't have change, I got it 5 bucks cheaper than that.

I doubt I broke 90.  I had to stop hitting my seven iron because it was just an elevator that only went to the top floor.  I couldn't hit it more than 90 yards.  We got to the one par 3 playing about a buck 85 dead into the teeth of the wind.  I had to take my hat off to play the tee shot and I didn't even tee the ball up.  I rolled it out there and said this is a shot I would use to get out from under some trees.  4 iron, never got more than 6 feet off the ground and finished about 20 yards short of the green.  Pitch, putt, par.  Easily the second best hole I played all day.
Yeah some down wind holes too, so I had some 400 yard drives.  Make the most of it?  *fudge* no.  Wedges that never even sniffed the green.  You'ld think I could follow the logic, but.....I was junk.  And no beer cart girl.  Hate!
[/Excuse]

Having said that.  Nice course.  Decent layout, well maintained, etc. etc.  I will definitely go back.  I want a shot at it with no wind.

Mike, as a matter of fact we did not break 90.  For the sake of our dignity I won't post what we shot.  You are right about the conditions being unplayable.  Even at my very best I would be humiliated in those conditions every time.  For the sake of the others here I'll say that the first 4 holes on the back nine were relatively shielded from the wind with some tree lined holes.  We still had to deal w/some winds of about 15 miles an hour or so from the fairway.  On those 4 holes we were a combined 3 over (5 pars, 3 bogeys).  About right for two guys of our skill level.  But once we got exposed to the wind, fuggeddaboutit.  It makes you feel stupid being under a hundred yards from a green and not being able to get a sniff.  Anyway, it was good meeting you and despite it all (including me pissing all over myself trying to take a leak out in that stuff) I had a good time.  We'll have to challenge that place again under better conditions.

LOL  You gotta lie a little better.

Welcome to 'Hos Bryce.  Yeah, it was pretty brutal conditions.  I really had a great time, and pleasure getting out with you.

Alright.  Le Vino El Yardo.

Nice place.  Seems to play a lot longer than it looks and feels.  Lots of rolling hills and pretty much every hole turns left or right.  I enjoyed it.  I would play it again.  I payed 79 bucks for the scramble event which includes every thing you would think.  The lunch was Corned Beef and cabbage.  Meh.  St. Paddy's day tourney.  Couple free beer tickets so I had that goin' for me.

[Excuse]

I played like *feces*, because I was ruined from the day before.  Trying to hit different shots and keep things down out of the wind. Then going to tree lined middle of the fairway, 70, sunny and not a breath of wind.  I couldn't hit the *fudge*in' thing out of my shadow.  Like going from Carnoustie one week to Cog Hill the next.  Only I didn't fly in a private jet.   I was also surprisingly (for me ) pretty stiff.  The other guys carried me pretty decently.  After several beers and some Beam I loosened up and contributed, OTT I was junk.  Again. 

But I'm blaming yesterday.

[/Excuse]

We took 4 solo with 59.

57 won it and two @ T2 with 58.

Good day, and played with some great guys.  Lot of fun.

[Edit:  I also got up at 4 *goshdarn* A.M. (which stroby don't do) to make an 8 O'clock Shotgun.  Combine the changeover from ST to DST mixed with SST and we had a cataclysmic ripping of a new ass, the likes of wich the space time continuum has never seen.  I'm surprised ya'll didn't feel it.  Wait, Looking at the Cantina I guess Spanky did..

Walp, played Maplewood today, and got a reasonable buzz on between the bar and a little pool session at The Death Star which happens to be right on the way home.

So, buzz and all:

Haven't been there in 18 months, and they still know who I am. Very nice. Maybe. LOL...

They've removed a bunch of trees on the back, which makes it less claustrophobic, but increases the 'Shooting Gallery' factor by 2 or 3. Plus it was slightly disorienting.

Played OK, but got tired and lost focus on the back. .  Shot a reasonable 44 on the front, the back was a nightmare. I'll defend that by pointing out that the back 9 is basically a swamp, especially this early in the year. Wasn't helped by the 3some of twentysomethings I played with. She was a really good player, humoring her boyfriend and his buddy. She played the whites, I'll wager she was under 100. The boys were hacks.

Muni courses are SLOOOWWW!  Here's the deal: If you just hit your drive 200 yards, there is NO REASON for you to wait for the green to clear when you're still 275 plus yards away.

And about that rangefinder: Sam Snead didn't need one, Steve Williams doesn't use one, and it doesn't matter anyway because you can't hit the green anywhere outside of 75 yards, so put that *fudge*er away and HIT THE *goshdarn* BALLS!

Short game NOT where it needs to be.

Lag putting coming back, still choke on 4 and 5 footers.

 PS:

Had chip for eagle on what used to be 18 (now 15). Very proud of that. Tough par 5 by geography, not distance.

Bill Russell was 2 groups behind us. Looks great!

A Tale of Two Nines*

So I head out there.  I hate playing alone.  So dude in the pro shop says you're in luck Brian(an employee) is just finishing and I'm sure he'll loop with you.  Cool.  Well we hit the first tee (after I grab several beers)  I've done this before, I know the drill.  Here comes Brian. 6'2" 20 somethingish.  Poweraid in hand.  "What tees do you you want to play from?"  I don't care.  The tips is fine with me.
I hit 6 fairways, no greens, 3 putt 4 of them them and card a nifty 49.  I have no idea wtf he even shot.

At the turn he bows out.  I sit a few minutes at 10 and then start to backtrack up the course because I was pretty sure I saw a threesome behind us.  Oh no.  I run into this group of "Hell yeah, pour a drink, hit the *fudge* out of it, don't step on your *8==>* MY KIND O GUYS!"  I ask if I can play out with them and of course they say "How much money do you have in your pocket?"  LOL
That's code for You drink right?  And do you have beer or whisky in your bag.


Ayhoo.  I go back to 16 tee 7 I guess, I dunno I'm *fudge*in' in the bag.  And play 7 tee through 15 @ 1 under 'til it got too dark and too drunk and we called it a night .  Granted we (I) moved up a tee.  But still.  Where the *fudge* has that been all my life?

I'll edit this again to say real golf too.  These *fudge*ers were serious, and I was just automatic.  I hit every fairway, every green.  I hit this one wedge shot from about 70 yards (that was my birdie) that hit, spun, and tickled the cup.  LOL  Good times.

LOL, between my front and your back, we had a decent round!

I was 5 over on the front for a 39, got to the 10th tee, and sort of blocked my drive into the right rough. Not a big deal, except:

From 140 I hit the most awesome shank ever. I mean a 33 degree below zero COLD F'IN SHANK. 90 degrees under a tree. This freaked me out, because the s shot is fairly rare for me, and I had absolutely no idea where it came from.

So, I take double. Get the 11th tee, and hit a dead pull left that goes maybe 125 yards into some trees. The dead pull doesn't bother me as much as the S shot does, because I'm familiar with it. Pitch out, chili dip an 8, bravo double again. I struggle for the next couple holes, double the par 3, and then managed to get some semblance of order back in my game.

I did manage to make a nifty birdie chip on 18 that lipped out .

Putting also sucked. I may get the broomstick out for a couple of rounds.

Nice.  My putting sucked as well.  I may have to look at a long putter too.  My big thing is speed, I just can't figure it out.  I can't tell you how many times yesterday I said "Damn that was a good line."  To which they would reply yeah, you just didn't *fudge*in' hit it.

And a disclaimer:  I realized I moved up two tee boxes, Black to White.  Which really does make the course play easier.  Takes over 300 yards off of the 9 I played and the set up is much more friendly.  8 irons into the par 3's instead of 6 iron, 4 iron helped.

I'm playing it again today so it will be interesting to see how I do.  Playing with a buddy from work that I haven't played with before, but have spent a considerable amount of time with seeing the bottom of a bunch of beer cans.

For me the broomstick is good because it:

A) Keeps your hands completely out of it

and

B) Keeps you from moving your body off the ball, which is a tendency I have. You CANNOT use a 50 incher and move.

So I usually practice with it and play a couple of rounds, then switch back to something more normal.

Man did I suck on Sunday.  I mean I've sucked before but I had be the suckiest bunch of suck that ever sucked.

I shot even par

[Excuse computer]

I was playing with a buddy from work who had not touched a club in 8 months.  He struggled a fair bit trying to "find it".  He would hit 2 or 3 bad shots and then pure one.  That way for most of the day.  He did hit some good drives, but playing that way really takes me out of my rhythm.  I had a great time and have no problem playing with anybody of any skill level.  I don't care if you shoot 72 or 202 I enjoy the company and I'm just out there to drink beer anyway.  But I did find it hard for me to string some shots together waiting in between.  Didn't matter, I knew I wouldn't follow up what I had done the day before.

[/Excuse computer]

Anyone else gonna play this afternoon after this?

I think I am.

I'm in:

I played before.

Cool.  I should have played before too.  Once it started I couldn't leave.

How'd you hit 'em?

Not real well, but it was fun.  First time this year on our regular course.

I played before, down in SD.  Started out birdie-birdie :) then reality set in and I finished w/an 80 :-\.  Which is really not too bad for me but it was a crazy round.  I shot 40 on the front while only hitting one green, but I was getting up and down from everywhere.  Got up and down 5 times on the front and was -2 on those 5 holes.  Crazy game.  Hit 6 greens on the back (and missed another one by a foot or so) and still shot 40.  I give up.

Off to Maplewood on what should be a PERFECT PacNW Sunday: Dreary and foggy until about 10, when the sun should break through...

Hope the weather is much better for you today than what we played in yesterday.  High of 48 with 15-20 mph steady winds and gusts op to 35.  Brutal.

sweet!  Have a great round.

I'm playing today in a skins tourney with Mac and a buddy from work. Should be a good time.

Different kind of game  No holding back, go for broke, birdie everthing.  Won't matter if I make 5 or 12. Go low or go home.

Sun came out a little earlier than I expected, but it was a seriously perfect day. I played fairly well, but the local version of 'Amen Corner' (10, 11 and 12) got me a couple of doubles, and even the normally benign 13th and 14th weren't particularly good to me.

OTOH, I finished par-bogey-par-par, so that was nice.

I'm getting pretty wimpy as I get older, LOL....

Finally get to play Here today.  The place I live.  Palm Valley Country Club.  It is private and you have to be a member or be invited by one. Has not happened. Very exclusive and snooty.  Reeks of Bushwood.

I'm at the pool yesterday talking with this nice couple from Vancouver that I had met before.  Big drinkers, he smokes, we get along famously.  The conversation turns to golf and their round yesterday.  He then asks what I think of the course.  "Never played it."

Blah, blah short story long....

"Well *feces*.  You're playing with us tomorrow.  That's just all there is to it."

Thanks.  I'll see you at noon.

Judge Smails: Very good! I know how hard it is for young people today and I want to help. Just ask my grandson, Spaulding. He and I are regular pals. Are you my pal..."Mr. Scholarship Winner"?
Danny: Yes, sir! I'm your pal!
Judge Smails: How about a Fresca?

Ai_imjgKPas

I made par on the number one handicap hole on the course. 
"And that's all I got to say about that."
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Rt2WhktEtJA/SIAhVwMp06I/AAAAAAAAB48/dqEiiyJtUpc/s400/FG%2BPeople.jpg)

So how did the Havercamps play?

Nice.

Did they invite you back Stroh. ;D

They played well.  Very nice people, lot of fun, didn't take themselves or the game too seriously, but at the same time know the game really well, all the rules, etiquette, pace of play, etc.  They just like to get out and play.

Tough to calculate what they actually shot.  She was automatic right down the middle with decent length all day long.  Struggled with putting, but then also just chose not to play a bunch of holes.  Funny thing is, I only saw her miss one fairway but was way more interested in just fishing balls out of the ponds.

The guy probably shot around 100, but again tough to tell with re-hitting shots and a few duffs here and there.  All in all he knows his game and plays within himself.

I suffered from never seeing the course before.  Even with their help and guidance it was a tough track first time around.  After playing it once, if I were to play it again I would play it completely differently.

2 drives through the fairway into the water where I should have hit 4 wood, 2 4 wood shots woefully short that I should have hit driver on, par 3 that plays downhill and 2 clubs shorter than it looks, play left here, cut that corner, don't hit that house, etc., etc.

Every hole is a dogleg.  Including the par 3's.

I will say this.  This joint has the truest rolling greens I've putted on since being here.

I shot 91.  6 pars, 2 triples, 3 doubles. 


Oh, yeah.   ;D

Headed out to get my ass handed to me by a couple of ringers.

Macavoy and his buddy. Both single digit cappers.

Gorgeous ass day.  Supposed to be 100.

I will play them straight up.  Let the chips fall where they may.  *fudge* 'em  I ain't skeered.

Like I always say:  "Don't want to / tired of losing?  Play better golf."

Will report back.

I withdrew after 17 with an injury.

 [sm_shock]  Are you serious or is this a bulging disck joke?

Tiger joke.


On the back 9, I made 4 pars, 4 quadruple bogeys, and one DNF on 18.
 [sm_anon]

Taking the ole "X" on 18. I know how that goes. LOL

LOL  That's exactly what I told Mac when my 8th shot rolled into the water.  He said "What are you gonna do?"

I said put an X on the scorecard, and walked to the cart.



Had a great time playing with he and his buddy Ron.  Lot of fun.  Ron is a great player.


I'm just bummed I didn't get to smack anybody's ass and yell "Jared!!"

Pants on the ground FTW!

Must be something in the InNerrGoogles, because I played like *feces* yesterday as well... :sad3:

I'm Back Baby!

Played this sweet joint Sunday.  Tried to get Mac to join me but he's headed to Deutschland.

Shadow Hills (http://www.shadowhillsgc.com/index.php)

Been looking at this place since I've been here but it's always been a hundred bones or more.  Now that it's not peak season, it's 29 bucks.  Cart, full range and the run of the place.

Awesome track.  I played from the blues and carded a nifty little 42, 42 84.  Decent round.  I can't wait to play it again. 

Like previously, knowing what to hit, where, and on what hole is helpful.

 E.G.  Got hooked up with a very nice retired couple.  On 10 he said he's never seen anyone reach the water with driver............ ::)  I blame myself.  The hole only plays 343 so I should have done the math.  Oh well.

Good time, great course I will def. hit it again for under 30 bones.  And Knowing Mac and his game, he would have torn this place a new ass even from the back tees.