On our trip we also played the Bay Course at the Seaview Marriott Resort, the site of the ShopRite Classic tour stop for the LPGA. It was very short, in very good condition, had very small greens and was obnoxiously buggy. We purchased some pretty heavy-duty bug spray at the proshop at everyone's suggestion. It came in handy. We were warned that we must not spray the stuff unless we were on the cartpath or it kills the grass. Nice! What does it do to your body then?
The course was difficult only in that the greens were small and very hard to hit and hold. I found it very short, but in great shape. The 17th was a freakin' dogleg par 3 of about 220 yards. That hole was kind of a joke you could not see the green from the tee and of course I hit my tee shot i n the enormous bunker 30 yards short. On the 18th tee, we saw lightning and unwisely tried to play the hole out. We picked up near the green and took off for safety.
I took a lesson (the first that I have ever paid for) the next day and man it was cool. I focused on the 3 and 4 irons on the range and learned how to get my right hand through better. Also, the pro told me that amatuers should really be pretty happy with a long iron that ends up around the green and safe, rather than complaining about missing the green from 180+. This made a ton of sense. If you hit the green, great. If you miss it, trust your short game to get up and down.
The other part of my lesson was in the greenside bunker. He told me just to hit a few at first to see how I did it naturally. Of course I stiffed two in a row, really close, and he said, "my work is done". However, he gave me some great tips on how to make the proper moves from the bunkers and after hitting about 30 shots, I had improved quite a bit.
The pro gave me a great price to play nine holes on the other course on the property after my lesson. I only had time to play 9, but really liked the layout better than the other one and wished I could have continued on. I had 3 bunker shots in that nine holes (was I aiming for them?) and got up and down from one and blasted out of both of the others with reasonable results. I used the new technique on all three shots and what a difference.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
New Jersey golf
My wife and I just came back from a week in NJ. We played resort golf at 4 different courses.
The first was at Ballyowen in northern NJ. We took advantage of the twilight rates and only paid about $50 rather than the regular day fee of about $125!!!!! Ballyowen was a nice course, not really long from the blues (about 6200 yards), and they enforce the ridiculous rule of all cartpaths all the time. What joke. I like to ride when on vacation (although I ride most of the time anyway), but to be forced to ride on the paths creates times when you might have a 150 yard walk to your ball. Who hits the ball right near the path all of the time? Granted, we could have walked, but "paths only" sucks. Here is an idea, paths on both sides of the fairway!! This course was a nice layout and the fairways were great (no carts), but the greens late in the day were pretty messed up--not worthy of the full price greens fee that is for sure. The coolest part was the bag-piper that played on the patio at 7pm. Very cool. I played fairly well, but again could not break 80. I did par the last 5 holes (17 and 18 played pretty much in the dark as we finished at around 9pm). One hole on the back (12?) was a short dogleg par 4 that featured a large granite out-cropping as a target line and a farmer's field that had a bunch of sheep in it. It was very Scottish looking. The next hole was a par four with a viscious bunker right in front of the elevated green. Of course I hit my approach into that same bunker and took two to get out (instant double). I liked this course quite a bit. The 10th hole was a downhill par 5 that I reached in two with a drive and a 4 iron. I did not hit my drive particularly well, but it cut the corner a bit and made the hole shorter than the card showed. I suspect that with a well struck drive on the same angle you could actually have about 6 or even 7 iron to the green. (Note: I of course 3 putted from about 60 feet for par)
The second course was right down the road from the first. Wild Turkey came highly recommended and right out of the box -- NO CART PATHS ONLY RULE!! This was a great course. The par 3's here were tremendous. One of them was 180 yds. over a huge quarry, all carry. Leave it short, and get wet after it crashed into the 100 foot high granite wall that stares you down from the tee. I cleared it with a 4 iron, and then managed to 3 jam it for a bogie. But, hey, I did not dump it in the quarry. Number 10 was another long par 3 (about 215) straight down hill. I crushed a 3 iron onto the green and two putted for par. The 17th was about 210 over a pond/lake. I hit 5 wood onto the green and made par. The other par 3 was about 180 again and I parred that one too. That is the best I have played the par 3's in a while. This course was longer and tougher than Ballyowen. Several holes wind around a swamp that sometimes allows a bear sighting (there was one in the early morning, but we did not see one). I would play here again in a heartbeat. We paid full price ($125) for this baby, but we were on vacation and we came to play. The clubhouse here was stunning and we had a great lunch when we were done. We went back for dinner the next day and that too was very good, no it was a great meal.
The first was at Ballyowen in northern NJ. We took advantage of the twilight rates and only paid about $50 rather than the regular day fee of about $125!!!!! Ballyowen was a nice course, not really long from the blues (about 6200 yards), and they enforce the ridiculous rule of all cartpaths all the time. What joke. I like to ride when on vacation (although I ride most of the time anyway), but to be forced to ride on the paths creates times when you might have a 150 yard walk to your ball. Who hits the ball right near the path all of the time? Granted, we could have walked, but "paths only" sucks. Here is an idea, paths on both sides of the fairway!! This course was a nice layout and the fairways were great (no carts), but the greens late in the day were pretty messed up--not worthy of the full price greens fee that is for sure. The coolest part was the bag-piper that played on the patio at 7pm. Very cool. I played fairly well, but again could not break 80. I did par the last 5 holes (17 and 18 played pretty much in the dark as we finished at around 9pm). One hole on the back (12?) was a short dogleg par 4 that featured a large granite out-cropping as a target line and a farmer's field that had a bunch of sheep in it. It was very Scottish looking. The next hole was a par four with a viscious bunker right in front of the elevated green. Of course I hit my approach into that same bunker and took two to get out (instant double). I liked this course quite a bit. The 10th hole was a downhill par 5 that I reached in two with a drive and a 4 iron. I did not hit my drive particularly well, but it cut the corner a bit and made the hole shorter than the card showed. I suspect that with a well struck drive on the same angle you could actually have about 6 or even 7 iron to the green. (Note: I of course 3 putted from about 60 feet for par)
The second course was right down the road from the first. Wild Turkey came highly recommended and right out of the box -- NO CART PATHS ONLY RULE!! This was a great course. The par 3's here were tremendous. One of them was 180 yds. over a huge quarry, all carry. Leave it short, and get wet after it crashed into the 100 foot high granite wall that stares you down from the tee. I cleared it with a 4 iron, and then managed to 3 jam it for a bogie. But, hey, I did not dump it in the quarry. Number 10 was another long par 3 (about 215) straight down hill. I crushed a 3 iron onto the green and two putted for par. The 17th was about 210 over a pond/lake. I hit 5 wood onto the green and made par. The other par 3 was about 180 again and I parred that one too. That is the best I have played the par 3's in a while. This course was longer and tougher than Ballyowen. Several holes wind around a swamp that sometimes allows a bear sighting (there was one in the early morning, but we did not see one). I would play here again in a heartbeat. We paid full price ($125) for this baby, but we were on vacation and we came to play. The clubhouse here was stunning and we had a great lunch when we were done. We went back for dinner the next day and that too was very good, no it was a great meal.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Plugging along
Well, last Saturday we played a private course that is offering a great deal on memberships right now. I had played there, but it had been years. The course (Country Club of Mendon) was in great shape and it was nice to play on a course the is always in great shape. They only have 225 members right now so it can never be crowded can it?
I cruised around the front (short and tight) with pretty solid 38, but had 3 three putts. I did make two nice birdies, but two of the three putts were for bogey (I HATE 3 PUTT BOGIES).
The back is much longer and has a ton of water. The 11th hole requires a 250 yard carry from the white tees if you want to hit an iron to the green on this par four. I hit 3 wood off the tee and still had an uphill shot of some 220 yards. NICE HOLE. I of course pulled another amazing about face and shot 45 on the back for 83.
We really enjoyed our round at the club. But alas, we have decided not to join (this year). We have a lot of vacation scheduled over the next 6 weeks and won't be able to put the time into the course to justify the $3000 fee for the rest of the season. That price is less than some local semi-private courses are charging for memberships. That alone is enough to make you think twice about joining a private club.
On the 4th of July I played Victor Hills with an old golfing buddy. He talked me into playing at 6 AM!!! So off I went. I shot 76 with 4 three putts and a double. Nothing to complain about except the putting. I did miss two birdie putts from inside 10 feet and 3 putted a par five after getting home in two (I was about 60 feet out for eagle, so the three putt is somewhat less painful). My driver that I spoke so fondly of in the past has been eratic of late. My power fade has crept back to slice status to some extent. I will have to watch that.
I cruised around the front (short and tight) with pretty solid 38, but had 3 three putts. I did make two nice birdies, but two of the three putts were for bogey (I HATE 3 PUTT BOGIES).
The back is much longer and has a ton of water. The 11th hole requires a 250 yard carry from the white tees if you want to hit an iron to the green on this par four. I hit 3 wood off the tee and still had an uphill shot of some 220 yards. NICE HOLE. I of course pulled another amazing about face and shot 45 on the back for 83.
We really enjoyed our round at the club. But alas, we have decided not to join (this year). We have a lot of vacation scheduled over the next 6 weeks and won't be able to put the time into the course to justify the $3000 fee for the rest of the season. That price is less than some local semi-private courses are charging for memberships. That alone is enough to make you think twice about joining a private club.
On the 4th of July I played Victor Hills with an old golfing buddy. He talked me into playing at 6 AM!!! So off I went. I shot 76 with 4 three putts and a double. Nothing to complain about except the putting. I did miss two birdie putts from inside 10 feet and 3 putted a par five after getting home in two (I was about 60 feet out for eagle, so the three putt is somewhat less painful). My driver that I spoke so fondly of in the past has been eratic of late. My power fade has crept back to slice status to some extent. I will have to watch that.
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