after today i am moving tobacco road to my number one most favorite course i have played. you should run there tomorrow, don't walk, don't put it off, don't wait...it is in amazing condition! fairways are green and lush and look like a carpet. the greens are fantastic...just fast enough to make all the undulations a bit tricky. this place is freakin' awesome. i can't wait to go back and play a non tournament round.
the entire staff is just as regular as they can be, the ladies behind the grill counter were super nice, the guys in the shop were super helpful, all the guys helping us with carts and bags... all great! i would have to say that if you are in pinehurst and don't drive up to tobacco road...well, you have missed out on one of the best courses in the country. i am not going to list all the awards they have won, you can just go to their site and see for yourself, just click here.
the tournament was a 4 ball and the team was myself and the marine. the other team in our foursome was a couple of great older gals! the marine and i were a bit concerned how this would end up if the ladies beat us. we started on #14, which is the par 3 you see as you drive in...playing about 170 into the wind over the lake. this is the hole that marked the end of my driving golf carts. I am not allowed to drive the cart any longer due to a very small incident the last time we played tobacco road...it was a bit damp from some rain and the marine was the passenger, as we approached the tee box for number 14, i slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel...a perfect 360! except i threw the marine out...it was hilarious.
back to current...both of us had a slow start, the marine first tee shot in the water, then his second on the cart path, me on the cart path...it was ugly. our fears of being beat by the older ladies was starting to look possible! We both managed to pull it together and play some pretty decent golf. hard to play bad with such a beautiful golf course, you just walk around with a grin on your face the entire time. We saw an eagle flying around screeching while we were warming up...then on my approach shot into a green, i look up and coming over the tree line is a c5 military cargo plane...wow, it did a pretty steep banked turn and off it went...almost like they did it just for our foursome to watch.
i know you are thinking as you read this that we won, since i am so excited about the course, but we did not, the marine shot an 83 and i an 84. please note that the marine shot yet another 83...it appears that his quest to beat my best tournament score of 79 (of which i have 3) has gone yet another year with no results. however, i do have confidence in his ability to break 83...just not this year.
out next outing was supposed to be the mike strantz tournament at tot hill farm this weekend, but the air force guy pulled out of our three man team...thanks air force guy! until next time, don't forget to golf your balls.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
riverwood golf course
if you have not heard me say it before, please listen this time...i do not like riverwood. don't let my disgust for their incompetent "rebuild" make your decision though. they changed the greens out a while back to a faster grass, but did not remove or flatten out their numerous undulations; which for a slow grass were challenging. now they are just absurd. you can barely get a ball to stay on the green and here is to you if you are above the hole.
but even with all that the cow farmer got me to play there again with puddin, the bean counter and a new player who will be known as the bug squasher. we played a skins/closest to between six of us...i know you are only counting five, but for the life of me i cant remember who the sixth was? whatever.
even though the greens are as bad as they are, it was still a fun round. there were a couple of things that happened during the round that are worth mentioning. one of the guys in the group behind us hit into us while the cow farmer was in his back swing, not very friendly or smart. thought that might cause some issues, since the person doing the hitting is always in such a freaking hurry...it could have happened a second time. then there was the "new" ruling about plugged balls in a hazard. according to puddin you are allowed to just drop another ball and play it instead of identifying the plugged one and not taking a penalty. i believe this is due to the fact that the mud was so soft and the ball sank so far?
the round ended and the money was distributed, we sat on the porch and enjoyed a cold frothy one or three and as i sat there thinking...wow this is awesome! playing golf on a friday afternoon and watching the sun slowly sink in november when it was 72 degrees...i realized that some of the guys we play with are so far behind in the technology department...i mean seriously look at the phones:
this is the cow farmer's phone...if he ever texts you and every word is extremely abbreviated, you now know why.
but even with all that the cow farmer got me to play there again with puddin, the bean counter and a new player who will be known as the bug squasher. we played a skins/closest to between six of us...i know you are only counting five, but for the life of me i cant remember who the sixth was? whatever.
even though the greens are as bad as they are, it was still a fun round. there were a couple of things that happened during the round that are worth mentioning. one of the guys in the group behind us hit into us while the cow farmer was in his back swing, not very friendly or smart. thought that might cause some issues, since the person doing the hitting is always in such a freaking hurry...it could have happened a second time. then there was the "new" ruling about plugged balls in a hazard. according to puddin you are allowed to just drop another ball and play it instead of identifying the plugged one and not taking a penalty. i believe this is due to the fact that the mud was so soft and the ball sank so far?
the round ended and the money was distributed, we sat on the porch and enjoyed a cold frothy one or three and as i sat there thinking...wow this is awesome! playing golf on a friday afternoon and watching the sun slowly sink in november when it was 72 degrees...i realized that some of the guys we play with are so far behind in the technology department...i mean seriously look at the phones:
this is the cow farmer's phone...if he ever texts you and every word is extremely abbreviated, you now know why.
this is puddin's phone...don't look at the cleanly shaved legs that are crossed, look at the phone, yes it is a phone.
and for you guys who have heard me talk about my dog...the high dollar watch dog that is guaranteed to pee on your carpet if someone rings the doorbell...well here she is in all her glory:
i think the cat can kick her ass.
tobacco road has a cga event next week that i am playing in with the marine, so that will be the next post...until then golf your balls.
northgreen country club
i am running a little behind on this post, you know i talked about northgreen earlier this year and how they are making great efforts to get the course back into good condition. i can now let you know that although they are not done, they have come a long way. greens were in great shape and rolled nicely. fairways have grass and bunkers have sand!
as most of you know the layout is phenomenal and the acc played their tournament at that course for many years, so for just $20 any day of the week you can come to rocky mount, nc and play a hidden gem of a course.
if you decide to play northgreen, which i would urge you to do, contact me and if i am not busy, would love to join you!
until then, don't forget to golf your balls.
as most of you know the layout is phenomenal and the acc played their tournament at that course for many years, so for just $20 any day of the week you can come to rocky mount, nc and play a hidden gem of a course.
if you decide to play northgreen, which i would urge you to do, contact me and if i am not busy, would love to join you!
until then, don't forget to golf your balls.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
greensboro national golf club
its hard to believe that sandy just wiped out a major chunk of the east coast and just a short week ago we played at myrtle beach while she cruised up the coast...because today was beautiful! i think all of us who have lived through the devastation of a hurricane feel for the folks up north.
but as i mentioned today was a great day for golf, and a cga event took place at greensboro national golf club. once again a fantastic cga event at a fantastic course. as usual i do a little research on the course before arriving and i must say i was concerned. i was concerned because their website mentions that they are going to replace all the greens next year...that usually means that the current greens are not very good. i was pleasantly pleased to see that although there was some damage they were manicured and rolling nicely. they were quick and true...the way most of us regular guys like them.
the folks running the greensboro national golf club were also regular folks. the guys in the pro shop were helpful and friendly, the cart guy was friendly, there was a nice fellow at the first tee handing out divot repair tools who was fun to talk too. but, the most regular guy in the place was in the grill...not sure of his name, but he is not from around here. his hospitality skills were noticed right off the bat, his attention to detail and courtesy make him a very regular guy in my book!
i have to brag for just a minute...it was #3, par 5, 515 yards with a slight breeze in our faces, dogleg right with a lake at the dogleg and running up the right side after the turn. I nailed a drive to about 230, a fairway wood to about 6 feet and a smooth roll for an eagle! have not had one of those in quite some time....golf clap.
i played with the marine and two other humans...one was regular the other...well he was there. the marine brought his a game today and smoked the front nine with a 38, it was fun to watch...the pressure got to him a bit on the back nine, but an overall 83 (the marine can't break 83 in a tournament, he has done it many times...only one of us has shot a 79 in three separate tournaments) was enough to put him on top of the heap!
overall a great course with fabulous people running it, if you live in the triad area and your not playing this course, you are not regular!
next tournament is tobacco road...one of my favorite courses and also we will be attending the 2nd annual mike strantz tournament at tot hill farm. until then don't forget to golf your balls.
but as i mentioned today was a great day for golf, and a cga event took place at greensboro national golf club. once again a fantastic cga event at a fantastic course. as usual i do a little research on the course before arriving and i must say i was concerned. i was concerned because their website mentions that they are going to replace all the greens next year...that usually means that the current greens are not very good. i was pleasantly pleased to see that although there was some damage they were manicured and rolling nicely. they were quick and true...the way most of us regular guys like them.
the folks running the greensboro national golf club were also regular folks. the guys in the pro shop were helpful and friendly, the cart guy was friendly, there was a nice fellow at the first tee handing out divot repair tools who was fun to talk too. but, the most regular guy in the place was in the grill...not sure of his name, but he is not from around here. his hospitality skills were noticed right off the bat, his attention to detail and courtesy make him a very regular guy in my book!
i have to brag for just a minute...it was #3, par 5, 515 yards with a slight breeze in our faces, dogleg right with a lake at the dogleg and running up the right side after the turn. I nailed a drive to about 230, a fairway wood to about 6 feet and a smooth roll for an eagle! have not had one of those in quite some time....golf clap.
i played with the marine and two other humans...one was regular the other...well he was there. the marine brought his a game today and smoked the front nine with a 38, it was fun to watch...the pressure got to him a bit on the back nine, but an overall 83 (the marine can't break 83 in a tournament, he has done it many times...only one of us has shot a 79 in three separate tournaments) was enough to put him on top of the heap!
overall a great course with fabulous people running it, if you live in the triad area and your not playing this course, you are not regular!
next tournament is tobacco road...one of my favorite courses and also we will be attending the 2nd annual mike strantz tournament at tot hill farm. until then don't forget to golf your balls.
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