Rain, cold temps, high winds? Those conditions won’t keep golfers off the course. So what will? Extreme heat!
We are currently driving through Mesquite, NV and the temperature gauge reads 114. Middle of the day, beautiful golf courses, not a single golfer out there. Not one on any of the holes seen from the road. Empty. Wide open.
What keeps you off the course? What are the worst conditions you have endured?
I just finished playing Cedar Creek in Star Valley Ranch in Thayne, WY. Beautiful. I’ll give more details later as I’m blogging from my GooseBerry now.
I am about to head back up the Grey’s River above Alpine, where about 35 or 40 of my family members have taken over a great lodge. Big party up there tonight for my uncle’s birthday with a terrific band. My family knows how to party!
We have ZERO cell/internet service up there (not to mention limited electricity) so I figured I’d post this real quickly before making my way back up.
More later!
We’re almost there. It has been a leisurely drive and we’re taking our time. We also have company in our convoy but I still can’t release details since the surprise hasn’t happened yet. We have seen many golf courses and Greg may go play a little nine-holer across the street from where we’re staying in the morning while Vito and I sleep (relatively) late. We only have a couple hours driving left so we aren’t in any rush. I’d play with him but we can’t leave Vito alone in the room.
Anyway, here are a few photos from our journey so far. More to come.
I love Utah.
Flapping in the 70 mph breeze. Too bad the camera didn’t catch the lips in full flap position.
Are we there yet?
There are a couple of weekends left to get your round(s) in at a terrific golf course. I’ve written about Primm Valley Golf Club before and I absolutely love both of its 18-hole courses.
There are two golf courses on the property – the Lakes and the Desert. They’re amazingly different from each other so you’ll want to play both. My favorite is the Lakes, simply because I play it better and I like all the water. But here’s the thing: Primm uses bent grass on its greens and some poa annua grass has crept onto the Lakes Course greens. It’s spreading around (probably on people’s cleats) but luckily it hasn’t reached the Desert Course. Many courses use poa annua by design or by accident because it takes over. The greens crew is keeping them rolling well for the mean time and the course still plays great (I was just there a few weeks ago).
Rather than attempt the commonly failed overseeding method to fix it as some courses do, Primm is closing the Lakes Course down completely for 3+ months to repair the greens. At least they chose the hottest months to do it. The date of closure is June 30 so the last day to play Lakes is June 29.
That leaves two more full weekends to play both courses on an affordable trip. Primm Valley Golf Club is owned by Mandalay Bay, but they partner with Terrible’s, the casino/hotels on the Nevada side of the California/Nevada stateline. The courses themselves are a couple miles down the road on the California side. They’ve got great rates (even lower in these hot summer months) that allow you to stay and play without breaking the bank like many of the resorts in Las Vegas proper. Two people can stay Friday & Saturday nights and play both courses on Saturday and Sunday for just $195/person. So if you’re tired of “stay-cations” and want a quick getaway, this is a great option. But you’ll want to play both of these golf courses so you better get cracking.
The course reopens on October 18th 2008, when the rate for the above mentioned package increases to $295/person. Still a great deal, especially since the weather is so nice then, so if you can’t get away this month, just wait until fall.
Tiger’s taking his ball (and US Open trophy) and going home. For the rest of the year.
Stress fractures of the tibia, a torn ligament, and his upcoming ACL surgery have the world’s number one hobbling away with his winnings to recover for the rest of the year. I hope he has a good disability plan, because how can someone afford to just take that much time off?
The LPGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours should prepare for scattered viewers. After Tiger’s competition against Rocco in one of the best golf tournaments ever, regular PGA Tour events are going to just seem like … golf. And we get that on the other tours. Yes, we’ll miss Tiger but it will be fun to watch other golf for the rest of the summer in His absence. Maybe towards the end of the season with Tiger far enough away in our rearview mirrors, the events will even seem exciting. There is certainly potential for a lot of drama and excitement from the women.
Oh but first we have to get past all the press coverage and speculation about how the injuries affected his play at the US Open, and how he’ll be when he finally returns. I’m sure once it hits in earnest, it will spiral out of control for awhile, so I’m bracing myself and am prepared to play through it.
If you missed the US Open, you missed some of the best golf ever televised. It was incredible. Almost literally. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was rigged to script the drama. I guess it’s conceivable that Tiger could aim for an adjacent hole’s bunker knowing he could execute the amazing recovery shot. He could even have been paid to make it close and have missed a few putts on purpose knowing he’d win in the end. He could even wince in agony and magically recover in order to secure a few more million dollars a year from an Aleve endorsement all while lending credibility to his human persona. But did the USGA really collude with Aleve and Tiger’s creators to concoct this “competitive tournament?” Nahh… it all happens behind the scenes in Tiger’s camp, and the script began back when he had his work done. The USGA, the PGA Tour and the golf industry as a whole are simply lucky beneficiaries of Tiger’s placement here on Earth. Not to mention the fans.
The USGA did an amazing job of setting up the course to play exactly to par for the best of field. We all know that doesn’t include Tiger. He just played up to it for his own agenda which happens to make for highly entertaining golf.
All is right with the Universe
The Monday playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate was stellar. I bit off all my nails just watching and had putting butterflies as though I were playing and not safely home on my couch. As much as I love Tiger, my appreciation of him is for his dominance. I know some people would root against him for that reason and a lot of people rooted for Rocco because of his underdog status and his outright affability. I don’t think I’m alone that I was rooting for both of them – many of us simply wanted a good show (as Rocco said), and the players certainly delivered.
I wanted Rocco to win, but I needed Tiger to win to reassure me that the Universe was still on course. That the Earth will stay on its axis. As I rooted for Rocco, I worried about what life on Earth would be like if he won.
It was the most compelling round of golf I’ve personally ever watched. Wasn’t it fun to watch just two guys play every shot on every hole and to have it be so close? I was riveted – no skipping ahead through holes on my DVR. Every shot and every word (from the players) had to be seen and heard.
On Sunday, I was really rooting for a three person playoff. I would have loved to see Lee Westwood in there as well. My heart sank when he didn’t make it. Would it have been as entertaining as the underdog vs. number one head-on duel? We’ll never know.
The unwitting pool boy
Pool boys are known for their sex appeal. I’m guessing Rocco never really has been, what with his funny body and funny smile, but I’m also guessing that just changed for a lot of female golf fans (and maybe Johnny Miller as well). Perhaps it’s simply Rocco’s easy demeanor that makes him a pool boy in Johnny’s eyes, but for me, his sexy quotient was elevated to pool boy status by his amazing golf and how he competed with the best, had him on the ropes and fought it out to the finish.
Random thoughts:
Could a non-golfer ever truly appreciate just how great Tiger Woods is? Before I took up golf, I know I didn’t.
If Elin hadn’t dressed like Rocco on Monday, would the round have been a blowout?
I’m told he’s not mentally disabled, so I guess Johnny Miller is fair game. With all the incredible action yesterday, it was irritating to have to listen to his nonsense. Rather than muting the telecast, I decided to document some of his gems. Some are listed by readers in this previous post, but here are some examples of his “brilliance” from Sunday at the US Open:
The nonstop comparison of himself to Tiger because of their similar knee surgeries: “I can relate to everything Tiger’s going through right now.” (Riiiiiight. There’s his delusional perspective at work.)
“Four par” (meaning a par 4 hole, not four par scores)
On what shots Tiger should hit all day: “If he plays the hook, he’s just another player.” (Uh, if he plays the hook, he’s probably an amateur. Do you mean draw?)
and… Johnny decided Tiger should be playing his power cut shots all day since they’ve been working best. (this shortly after we hear that the shot that hurts Tiger the worst is the cut, especially the power one since he snaps his left knee.)
On a random 6-foot putt: “These are the ones you gotta make if you wanna win.” (not the 4 footers, the 12 footers, the 2 footers, the approach shots or anything else?)
On a putt that didn’t break into the hole: “It stayed up there for some reason” (wonder what that reason is?)
On a shot decision with a poorly timed telestrator accompaniment: Lots of bumbling words followed by “he was playing the shot that would go this way” (are you sure he’s not mentally disabled?)
I’m recording the playoff so I’ll update this with any gems I pluck from today’s broadcast once I watch it (trying desperately not to hear the score!).
Update: From Monday’s playoff round
Talking about how “sole-ing” the club in chunky lies rather than keeping the club level at the ball for chips from the rough is the “biggest mistake I see from professional golfers.” (as though if he were still a player, he wouldn’t make this mistake and since it’s the most common, he’d be better than they are)
On the third hole after Rocco almost aced it and Tiger was in the bunker: “I had a feeling he was gonna make a 2 there when Tiger was buried.” (cocky blowhard now thinks he has ESP)
Talking about how Tiger made a bunch of one-putts then missed some “I sorta jinxed him.” (cocky blowhard thinks he has that power as well)
Constantly giving advice as to how caddies should interact with their players. For example – yesterday he suggested if he were Stevie, he’d be more forceful with Tiger’s club decisions off the tees. And today, saying if he were Rocco’s caddie he would have pumped him up by telling him to take advantage of the second par 3 when Tiger was in trouble. (Give me a break – these guys have relationships with their players and know exactly how to work with them.)
After the 18th hole when they were on their way to the 7th tee for sudden death, he said he was shocked that Tiger ate and drank as much as he did before going back to play: “It’s not always good to eat so much.” (Again – give me a break. Like Tiger doesn’t know his own body well enough to balance his own pH levels.)
Johnny – do you get paid by the word? Why do these people keep hiring him? Yes, he was announcing during the ESPN portion of the coverage as well as NBC. The only reason I can think is that the other announcers insist that he’s there alongside them so that they’ll appear brilliant by comparison.
Care to share some of your favorites? Please do!
Also known as The Greater Sinaloa Open 2: Electric Boogaloo
Well, I took Lorennika Sorenchoa back to the local dogrun to give Annika a rematch. The course wasn’t too busy but we didn’t have it all to ourselves. I caught up to a family on the third hole and the little kids were adorable to watch. There was nowhere to go in front of them without having to speed things up (drop one competitor) and play through a bunch of groups. So we lolligagged and enjoyed the nice day. It was more humid and buggy out compared to Tuesday’s perfection and I sneezed more (lately I think I’m even allergic to my allergy pills) but it was still a great evening. The family ahead of me consisted of one dad and two boys, one of them quite small. Very cute. It was great to see him teaching his boys etiquette as they whacked the ball around. He’d not only coach them on their swings, but where to place their golf bags around the green to be positioned to leave for the next hole and how to navigate the putting surface. Nicely done, strange dad. This is exactly why we need courses like Sinaloa.
*Laker fans take note: The other people on the course should have been home watching the Laker game like they were on Tuesday. If you want someone to blame for last night’s loss – these are your scapegoats.*
Moving on… remember the hawk hole from Tuesday? Here it is. Friendliest pin position ever. The front bunker usually has a big, hairy mustache on the top. Sadly, it has been trimmed. The small squares are the ladies’ Tuesday ball positions and the big rectangle is where the hawk was standing. The circles are last night’s ball positions – Lorena in the front, Annika in the back. Ochoa made par, Sorenstam bogey’d.
As promised, I won’t run down each and every hole, so here are the results:
Lorena: 32 (5 pars, 3 bogeys, 1 double)
Annika: 34 (1 birdie, 2 pars, 4 bogeys, 2 doubles)
This time, Lorena played with the Lady Noodle and Annika used the Precept Lady. I didn’t notice a big difference in ball flight, but Annika wasn’t as consistent as Lorena so it’s kind of hard to be scientific. Once again, Annika drank a little more than Lorena though not as much as Tuesday night since she spilled one of the beers.
A couple guys caught up to me as I was waiting on the 8th tee and they played the last two holes with us. It sounds like they’ve been playing since they were kids but their techniques sure didn’t show it. Nice guys, but they teed up their golf balls so high you’d expect them to be using drivers with oversized heads rather than irons. They each played two balls off the tee and chose their better ball to play out the hole. I’m guessing their scores were in the high 40s to 50s. One guy told me I had a nice swing and that I “didn’t swing like a girl.” I thought to myself “yes I do, and maybe you should try it.”
Congratulations to Lorena for backing up her win. Had Annika taken this one, we probably would have needed a rubber match. Now we don’t have to spend Sunday night (the next – and perhaps last – Laker game) at Sinaloa and can instead enjoy Father’s Day and the US Open Final.
Just for fun, here’s a shot of the shortest (and purportedly easiest) hole on the course. There is the family playing in front of me on the green. The trick to this shot is all in the touch of the wedge.
Post Script
Oh yeah – why do I avoid Laker games? I know it’s cool to like basketball but I just don’t. Can’t stand it. Oh, maybe I’d get caught up in the excitement if I actually attended a live game but watching it on television is just irritating with all its obnoxious sounds. Squeaka-squeaka-squeak! Not to mention the noise emanating from a certain fan I know as he yells at the screen as though the players, coaches and refs can hear him. My loathing of basketball grows more irrational as the years go on. I get downright twitchy when it’s on a television near me. Much better to be on the golf course!
This past Tuesday, Annika and Lorena were the only ones on the golf course for this epic one-on-one duel. Stroke play format. Nine holes. One bag. Who would prevail?
Annika won the toss and teed off first, but honors changed hands several times as they battled back and forth. Both women used the same clubs – literally, not just club selections – and they took turns carrying the bag. It was only nine short par 3 holes but there was plenty of danger in the deep, unkempt bunkers that guarded most of the greens.
On the first hole, Annika pulled her Noodle (easy, now) a little but still ended up on the green leaving her about a 30 foot putt to the pin placement at the back. Lorena smoothed her pitching wedge and her Precept rolled up to about 8 feet. Annika nearly made her putt and tapped in for an easy par. Lorena’s putt lipped around the hole but she easily handled the remaining 3 feet to stay even.
A true Callaway chick, Annika didn’t appreciate “pulling the noodle” and she landed the next green with her sand wedge but it rolled just off to the left. Lorena watched the sloped green take that Noodle away and played her ball to the right of the pin. Alas, it landed just short of the green and stuck there. Annika popped open an Amstel Light to share as Lorena grabbed the bag and they moved on. Neither lady got up and down – two bogeys; still even.
Annika still had honors on the third tee, a true 140 yard hole with the pin in the middle and two bunkers guarding the front of green leaving only a small gap in the middle. Slightly against the wind, she drew a 7 iron just over the left bunker. Again, Lorena learned and played to the right but her ball released and rolled to the back of the green for her first tester putt. Annika had to chip back over the threatening bunker and landed it too far onto the green. She ended up having to make another short chip on and then two putted for a double bogey. Ouch. Lorena three putted. Double ouch but just a bogey. Lorena leads by one.
The fourth hole was about 145 to the back pin but without the serious bunkers. Again, Lorena plays to the right and ends up in the front fringe, but still at least 15 yards from the hole. And again, Annika draws her seven iron, this time ending up pin high but several yards off the green to the left. Lorena used her putter from the fringe and Annika chipped up. They both had ~9 foot putts from opposite sides of the hole. Annika made hers but Lorena burned the edge and bogeyed. Back to even.
Best hole of the day by FAR
The fifth hole is only 130 yards but is the #1 handicap hole. Behind the green are two bunkers and beyond those is just a tree covered hill. Long is no good. A large bunker guards the front with its big ol’ sneering, hairy mouth. We call it the mustache bunker hole. The course calls it “12th at Augusta.” Ha. Oh, and the green is quite shallow. Maybe 10 or 15 paces front to back. Left is OB. Right is the only real bailout. For some reason, I land this green more often than not and the hole doesn’t intimidate me at all. Oh, did I mention that I’m actually Lorena and Annika in this matchup? 
We pop another Amstel before teeing off.
Annika had honors back and selected her 8-iron for the task. Nice shot – again with the draw – but missed the green by a few inches on the left. And can you guess what Lorena does? That’s right – short and right. Right into the mustache bunker. But wait – what is that up on top of it? A bird of some sort? It looks enormous.
And this is where it gets really cool.
As “we” got closer, I realized it was a hawk sitting there just above the mustache lip on the fringe between the bunker and the green. And, directly where Lorena needed to play her shot. I figured it would fly away as I approached but it didn’t. I set down my bag beside the bunker and just stopped and stared for awhile and the majestic bird checked me out as well. Oh, how I wish I had my camera. After awhile, when it still didn’t leave (and I really didn’t want it to), I let Annika play her ball first even though Lorena was away. She could have putted, but she had been pretty sharp with the short chips plus I thought that might make him fly away so Lorena could play her bunker shot. Nope. So “Lorena” stepped into the bunker and to her ball, less than 10 feet from this giant bird. He stared at me and I wondered for a moment if he was going to peck my eyes out. I told him how beautiful he was and not to worry – “I’ll just play out to the left here.” Which I did, and the hawk still stayed. I wondered if he was injured. I raked up my mess and even that didn’t scare him off. I stood there staring at him for awhile longer until he finally and gently took flight, low and right in front of me, then gradually starting to soar away. Amazing. Lorena’s shot was nice, but her sacrifice for the hawk forced her to chip up and two putt for a double bogey. Annika made her par and took the lead by two strokes.
The next hole is cute. It’s listed as 87 yards from the back tees. Yes, there are actually a couple holes that have tee options and this, the shortest hole is one of them. The forward tees are at 68 yards but they’re also much closer to level with the hole than the backs, which you have to climb a few sets of stairs to reach. I estimate it’s about the same distance from the backs and the fronts because of the elevation difference but the backs are so much more fun! It’s a total feel shot, which evidently wasn’t factored into its distinction as the easiest hole on the course. I think it’s funny they handicap the holes (and name them) at all, but I adore the scrappy little practice course even if it is a local joke. Annika put her Noodle in the bunker and Lorena stuck her Precept with some nice backspin. Annika bogeyed but Lorena missed her birdie putt to tie it up. Oh, did I mention I was also the commentator? Annika leads by one.
Seven isn’t much of a challenge at 110 yards with little danger, but Lorena made it difficult for herself. She had honors and, of course, her tee shot went right but this time more so and it kicked over close to the tees on the next hole behind a couple trees but they were tiny enough she had a tricky but decent shot at the green, which she made and then proceeded to 3-putt for a double bogey. Annika’s tee shot plugged in the fringe then technically two-putted but used her putter three times to get the ball in the hole for a bogey. Annika leads by two with two holes to go and has honors back again. She pops open the final beer.
The 8th hole is another tricky one. Another 130 yarder with serious bunkers surrounding the green with just a few yards opening in the middle. Annika finds another bunker. Lorena sticks it tight. Annika makes a nice, delicate shot out of the deep bunker but can’t make the putt to save par. Lorena makes the birdie and ties it up. Annika tries to share the beer with Lorena, but Lorena declines.
The last hole is the longest one on the course at 165 yards to the middle pin. The longest club “we” brought was a 5-iron, but I figure if I play the draw shot Annika’s been using that should give us the distance. Lorena did her signature shot – short and just barely right – while Annika drew hers over the bunker and just left of the green. Neither got up and down – two bogeys. This thing’s going to a playoff.
The course attendant was hitting balls at the range by the parking lot so I loaded my bag in the car, grabbed my wedges and putter and asked him I could play another hole for a playoff.
I intentionally timed this “round” so that I’d show up about 5:45 PM, just as everyone else and their brothers were settling in to watch the Laker game, so the course was wide open. (Everyone but celebrities, of course. They took up all the seats at the Staples Center.) I was seriously the only one on the course almost the entire time. I could have played 10 balls if I could have kept track of the leaderboard. Naturally, the course worker granted my request.
It was a pretty pathetic ending on playoff hole #1. I think the beer went to Annika’s head. Her wedge sent her Noodle sailing over the green and beyond the back bunker. Lorena hit the middle of the green. Annika chipped on over the bunker, past the hole and past Lorena’s ball. She assumed Lorena would at most two-putt so she needed to make this 25-footer (almost the exact same putt she nearly made her first time on this hole). And here’s the really sad part: Both ladies 3-putted so Lorena walked away the winner with a bogey. Blech.
At least I’m consistent. Two 34’s on a par 27 course. My record there is 30, and the secret is staying out of the bunkers. I was happy with my scores for all the bunkers I was in. Normally, you’re lucky to get out in one from these beasts. Raking bunkers used to be absurd here. It feels like sand straight from the beach (and probably is) but they used to be so trodden they looked like a busy beach on a sunny holiday. We would play the “Sinaloa rule,” which means you get to lift, rake and place. We didn’t play that rule for this round and I got out in one every time. Much nicer now, indeed. They’re taking better care of the whole place, in fact. I never thought I’d write up a round at good ol’ Sinaloa, but there you have it. The silly little Simi Valley course is great for beginners and practicing one’s short game, but you’d never catch an actual pro playing there. You can always get on and even with all my shenanigans I still completed play in just over an hour. It does get busy and can get backed up but it’s two hours max. They’ve been watering the heck out of the place, too, which makes it prettier but where the greens used to be unpredictably bumpy, now they’re squishy and hold onto footprints. Oh well. Progress nonetheless. Plus, I hear the city has plans to overhaul the course, add 3 18-hole mini golf courses and a water park and maybe remove the driving range. We’ll see! And hey, it only costs $10 to play!
Speaking of cost effective golf, the Noodle Annika played with was indeed the same one I used for both rounds in Primm. Now that’s cost effective golf. I thought it was interesting that Annika’s shots mostly drew while Lorena’s Precepts were mostly short and just right. Could it be the ball? Perhaps I’ll have them trade balls and play a rematch during tonight’s Laker game. I promise not to bore you with the entire play-by-play if I do. (Did you actually make it through all of this? I really need to learn how to use that “more” tag, huh?)
Update: The rematch took place. Here are the results.
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Things I Have in Common with Michelle Wie
There aren’t many, I admit, but there are a few. I also admit that while I’m glad for many of the things we don’t have in common, I sure wish I had her potential in golf. That said, here’s what we do share:
I think that about covers it.
Photo by Ashley Mayo. Check out her live blogging from the Women’s US Open to read about the putting drill pictured and all the US Open action on the Golf For Women Editor’s blog.
Next post.