Being a Phil Mickelson fan over the years I should be rejoicing at the difficulties that Tiger is facing and will face on the golf links if and when he comes out again. But alas, I cannot rejoice at these revelations because it affects innocent people and children. I don’t pretend to know anything about the situation but I do know that you don’t behave in this type of shameless arrogant behavior. My wife and I will be celebrating our 37th wedding anniversary Thursday and it’s beyond my comprehension how someone could do something like this to his wife and children. Those poor kids might now be scarred for life because of the behavior of their father. If you’re going to choose to live that lifestyle then have the decency to divorce your wife first. Who in their wrong mind would believe that you could live the life style and get away with it? Unfortunately, this is not a private matter.
I never had any bad feelings towards Tiger it’s just that I’ve always liked Lefty better. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. But now … I wouldn’t pay a wooden nickle to see Tiger play. You just don’t do that to your wife and family. No words can excuse this type of behavior. I will never see this person in the same light as before. Someone who had the world by the tail and is believed to be the greatest golfer of all time will no longer be mentioned in the same breath as Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and others. Instead he will be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards, and Mark Sanford. What a shame.
Just because you have all that fame and money does not allow someone to behave in any manner that they choose. Actions have consequences … Time to pay the piper!!
|
December 8, 2009 - 10:03 am
|
duffer
In my humble opinion, there are two things that don’t belong on the links – Politics and Religion. Nothing ruins a good round faster than deep rooted opinions being expressed, challenged, and/or ridiculed. You’re never going to convince someone of anything within the confines of a fairway, green, golf cart, or at the 19th hole. All it does is serve to get your head out of the game and once you get out there, it’s hard to come back and concentrate on the game at hand. Course, it’s hard to keep yourself from falling prey to such tactics. Some golfers, however, go out of their way to mess with your head and if they learn what it takes to push your buttons then you best beware cause they’re going to be merciless. There doesn’t need to be anything on line … some people just love to get inside your head.
It doesn’t have to be Politics or Religion but just about anything can ruin your fun if you let it. Take the other day – I was playing a quick 9 holes with 2 of my neighbors and one of them started to discuss how baseball was the toughest sport to master cause it’s so hard to hit a ball. I began explaining that hitting a baseball is not as tough as hitting a golf ball cause hitting a baseball is a matter of timing where proper execution of a golf shot is the hardest thing to master. Proof being how many millions of golfers/Duffers would kill to hit a golf ball and get on in two. He began getting excited and citing all sorts of examples. Rather than get baited and raise my blood pressure I chose to defuse the situation cause I knew neither one of us would accomplish anything. I chose to just say that I agree to disagree cause neither one of us will convince the other otherwise and let’s get back to playing some golf.
Lesson learned: Even though the topic was not Politics or Religion it goes to show you that it doesn’t take much to mess with the old noodle. Don’t let yourself be baited. Be the man/woman and just ignore their tactics. After all, it’s just a game … Right?! What does it take to push your buttons?
|
September 20, 2009 - 10:44 am
|
duffer
I’m really juiced up about going to Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, California next month to watch the best United States golfers take on the best International golfers for the 8th President’s Cup. I know it’s not the Ryder Cup but then who says that European golfers are any better than the rest of the world? Oddly enough, I have never attended a PGA golf tournament of any kind over the years and am looking forward to watching, in awe, the big boys play !!! Getting an autograph from Fred Couples would be a dream come true for this Duffer. Like millions of other Duffers around the world, I have always tried to emulate Boom Boom’s swing and tempo.
You would think they could have found some better Cup to play for. Did they name it the President’s Cup cause they ran out of Cups? Course there’s the Ryder Cup, Stanley Cup, FedEx Cup, Solheim Cup, NASCAR Sprint Cup, and too many others to mention. The obvious name would have been the World Cup but that was already taken by the world soccer community. So they settled on the President’s Cup cause at the time, President Ford was the Honorary Chairman of the event and since 1994 the sitting President or Prime Minister of the country hosting the event is the Honorary Chairman. Oh hummm … But then I’m not going because of the name – it’s to see the world’s best players playing for pride and Country. No, it’s not about money for the players – there is no prize money in the President’s Cup. The net proceeds are distributed to charities nominated by the players, captains, and captains’ assistants.
We’re only attending one day and I am hopeful that Phil Mickelson will be playing on Thursday since Lefty is my favorite. He’s such a free spirit and I think he often decides to take those chances cause he’s told himself that “he didn’t come here to paint”. At least that’s what I choose to believe since that’s my philosophy when it comes to playing golf. Sure, there are times when you really need to take you medicine and move on but don’t be afraid to allow your shot making visions be influenced by your imagination. You just never know …
|
September 17, 2009 - 9:09 am
|
duffer
We’ve all wanted, over the years, to have the opportunity to play exclusive private courses but usually only get that chance by playing some sort of charity tournament open to the public, playing as a guest with a member, or by being a member of another private country club. Having been a member at one time of a private country club I often took advantage of Reciprocal Agreements with other clubs. But that opportunity was no longer available to me until I learned about the Boxgroove Network. Across the country, private clubs have found a new way to keep dues low by converting unused tee times into critical revenue in order to keep their membership high and members happy. Boxgroove .com is a secure, reliable network where private clubs and private club members share tee times with you, the serious golfer and Duffer … whether you belong to a private club or not!
So where will you play today? Another round at your local public course or will you satisfy that yearning to play a round at a prestigious private country club? We’ve all seen and/or used tee time services that simply present available tee times but Boxgroove allows subscribing golfers to request tee times that meet their needs. What a novel idea !! The intention of the Boxgroove.com Network is to grow into every major metropolitan area in the U.S. and beyond. As of August 2009 they have 40 member clubs in 7 states and are forging aggressively to expand. I can still remember when I bought my first Golf GPS device and how quickly their course database and availability grew.
For example, while on travel a couple of weeks ago I could have had the pleasure of playing a round at the beautiful Clarkston Golf & Country Club in Clarkston, Washington. While enjoying a cold one at the RV Resort adjacent to the Snake River I used my binoculars to watch Duffers on the course … Had I known about the Boxgroove Network I too could have enjoyed a round of golf.
You can find more information at their website http://www.boxgroove.com
|
September 16, 2009 - 6:02 pm
|
duffer
Any self respecting Duffer knows what a “mulligan” is … a “do-over” – hit a bad shot, take a mulligan and try again. Course most of us do not choose to use mulligans unless we’re playing in a 4-man scramble and we paid good money for those mulligans. After all, it’s usually for a good cause – some charity golf tournament. A mulligan in a 4 man scramble can many times be the difference in winning something or not. After all, we’ve all hit a bad shot and then replayed it only to hit that perfect shot that should have been to begin with. Most of us, however, do not count that second shot but play our first ball instead.
Ever wonder where the golf term “milligan” came from? There are many, many stories about the birth of the term and it’s quite possible that none of them are true. The USGA Museum offers several possible explanations. In one, David Mulligan of Quebec during the 1920s re-teed and hit again calling it a “correction shot” but his partners dubbed it a “mulligan”. Another story is of John “Buddy” Mulligan, known for replaying poor shots in New Jersey. A more prosaic explanation claims that back in the day saloons would place a free bottle of booze on the bar for customers to dip into. That free bottle was called a “Mulligan” and the term was adapted to the golf course to denote a “freebie” to be used by golfers.
I don’t know about you but I kind of like to believe the free bottle of booze version especially since one legend claims that the 18 holes in golf originated as a suggestion from one of the St. Andrews old-timers, who noted that it took exactly 18 shots to finish a fifth of scotch – a shot per hole. However, this is just a rumor but we all believe what we want to believe. One shot per hole … how many of us would still be standing at the end of a round?
|
September 14, 2009 - 9:54 am
|
duffer
Cow pastures look good from a distance – green, flat, well groomed until you take a closer look. That’s what some golf course are … nothing more than cow pastures! Oh, most of us have played on these so called golf courses over the years but we won’t admit it to ourselves. Usually we play on these local courses when we first start playing. I know I did and I sure saved a lot of money and embarrassment while cutting my teeth on the game. The course was a nine holer and cost $4 on weeknights to play. The lack of embarrassment came into play cause most other golfers were playing at the same level as I was. Back then I couldn’t even call myself a Duffer cause I would have given Duffers all over the world a bad name!! I mean I stunk up the place worse than any cow pie could. Twenty years of playing softball sure did affect my swing back then. I remember that on the first tee box there’s a small pond on the right side and it use to take me 3 to 4 balls to not slice it in. Back then, I swung as hard as I could cause I just knew that would make the ball do what it was meant to.
Never did take any lessons back then and have learned since that was probably one of the major mistakes I made when I picked up the game. I could have saved me a lot of heart aches over the years had I just taken the time to learn the basics. I should go back to my roots and play that cow pasture again. Yes, it still exists and their prices are still reasonable but I would not play there as a steady diet cause cow pastures will definately ruin you for most courses today. There’s a reason why I call them cow pastures. The tee boxes are a mess, fairways are filled with weeds, potholes, and gofer mounts, the greens are half dead and as slow a molasses … just to name a few.
But I wouldn’t trade those days for all the tea in China. My sons, friends, and I had a blast and looked forward to the next outing in that “Cow Pasture”.
|
September 11, 2009 - 11:09 am
|
duffer
On the eve of the US Open it’s important for all of us to remember those words of wisdom that are often heard on the links – ” … It’s not the US Open … “. By that I mean that we Duffers should not take the game too seriously and enjoy ourselves out there, take in the whole experience, and share a few laughs with our playings mates. Nothing worse than playing with someone who is so serious that they forget that after all, it’s only a game. We’ve all seen them – swearing, getting down on themselves, slamming their clubs in the ground, throwing their clubs, etc. What’s the difference if you shoot 104 or 96 or 80? It’s nothing but an ego trip most of the time. Sure, I like to play a low round as much as the next guy but to what end? At the level that most of us Duffers play, it’s not that bad if you bump the ball a little or more it away from an obstacle. The idea is to go out there and enjoy playing a round and maybe having a few shots or that one shot that will bring you back next time. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that we all go out there and cheat while playing. There’s a lot to be said for tradition and rules and regulations and we must all follow them.
Always play by the rules and let your conscience be your guide since you’re only cheating yourself. Cheating to achieve a lower index only hurts you and it will catch up to you cause you’ll never be able to play to your index. There’s nothing wrong with just playing for the love of the game. You don’t have to post every score. If you’re out there having a few cold ones with the boys/girls and taking in the experience then don’t ruin it. Remember those words of wisdom … “I’ts not the US Open” … Leave that to the pros.
How did I become so wise over the years? I did a lot of the above for years until I convinced myself to remember that it’s only a game. Why pay good money, play on a beautiful environment, and then ruin it with bad behavior and a lousy attitude?
|
June 16, 2009 - 8:53 am
|
duffer
No, a 4 man scramble is not an order at Denny’s for 4 orders of ham and eggs scrambled. Although it sounds like a good idea right now. Most of us know what a scramble is and enjoy playing them. For those who don’t, here’s a brief definition: In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots form that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed.
Just played a scramble and it’s always fun to relax, have a few cold ones, joke around, and of course rag each other. We held our own and were respectable at 6 under. We won diddly-squat but then we were all winners cause the tournament was for scholarships for kids going into agriculture. Throw in lunch, beer, sodas, water, wine, a prime rib dinner, and raffle prizes plus 18 holes at Woodbridge Golf & Country Club in Lodi, CA and it doesn’t get any better than that. Life is good.
You know the old saying … “You drive for show and you putt for dough”. The key to a scramble is putting. Someone has to get hot and snake a couple long putts in. You have to be able to get on in regulation and give yourself birdie opportunities and on par 5s, an eagle now and then really makes you healthy. When all things come into place it’s a sight to behold and everyone starts to feed on each other. If you have a chance to play a scramble by all means take it cause it’s almost always for a good cause and let yourself have fun. It’s not always about egos and winning but having a great time with friends playing an enjoyable round. Remember … It’s only a game.
|
May 21, 2009 - 9:02 am
|
duffer
A while back we were having a friendly neighborhood game at Jack Tone Golf in Ripon CA. There were 4 of us neighbors playing and it was decided to spice things up with a nassau on the front nine. We made up two teams and used our index to even things. My team was given one stroke per hole cause one of our neighbors is a scratch golfer. It was one of those days where you’re in the zone and after 7 holes we were comfortably in the lead and knew we would be in the big money – a buck or two!! Being naive Duffers we were caught off guard when those magic words were spoken – “Press the bet”. Course we had no clue at the time what that meant.
When all was said and done we owed moolah. How could this be? The scratch golfer reminded us that we were now in his house and that he had pressed the bet on the 7th hole. To this day we still think we were hustled but at least it was a cheap lesson. It could have been a lot worse. The press, at its most basic, is a second bet that begins during the course of a round. Like all bets and betting games in golf, there are no official rules for the use of presses. There are many variations of presses and how they can be used. You can press at any point in the match if you are behind. If golfers begin pressing, and re-pressing and then re-re-pressing, good score keeping and perhaps an accountant is a must.
Moral of the story is … Always know what you’re playing for and/or agreeing to before you start play. Not only did we not know what “Press the bet ” was but we also had no real clue as to what a “nassau” was. Golfers beware. Lookout for those Nassaus, Presses, Greenies, Sandies, Round Robin, Bingo Bango Bongos, Barkies, Wolf, Arnies, Aces and Dueces, Gruesomes, and Criers and Whiners just to name a few.
|
May 5, 2009 - 7:58 am
|
duffer
Why do they refer to someone who can work magic around the greens with their wedges as having “soft hands”? Now I know for a fact that it’s not because they use hand lotion on a regular basis. I have never seen anyone with the touch that Mickelson has and the shots he comes up with and executes inspire awe. It’s one thing to envision a shot but to consistently execute that shot is plain unbelievable. Or how about John Daly. Wish that he could get rid of the demons in his life and return his concentration to the game cause the man is a joy to watch. But you constantly hear announcers making comments about Daly’s soft hands around the greens. I must admit that I occasionally execute one of those shots and let me tell ya … It feels great. The imagination is there, the body is willing but the talent doesn’t always keep pace with my visions. One of my favorite wedges is the lob wedge and many of my fellow Duffers are often asking me how I could swing that hard and create such a nice soft touch with the ball. I just say that it’s the technology but in reality it’s the practice, practice, and more practice. Now that the weather is changing and the nights are getting longer – what kind of a statement is that? Nights don’t get any longer, daylight does. Anyway, I need to get back to hitting 75 to 100 balls every night with each of the 4 wedges I carry. Pitching, gap, sand, and lob wedges is what helps define your game. That and putting. The flat stick and pitching is probably some of the most overlooked parts of a game when you visit the driving range. You know the old saying – “you drive for show and you putt for dough”. There’s a lot to be said for that.
|
April 25, 2009 - 4:13 pm
|
duffer
