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June 2008--The Jack Austin Series from John Corrigan If you've read the book reviews on BuffaloGolfer.Com, you'll know how much of a fan we have been of Cassie Burdette. She is the protagonist of a series of murder mysteries from Connecticut-based writer Roberta Isleib. Dr. Isleib created a struggling yet earnest pro with dreams of LPGA stardom. Unfortunately for us, Cassie's literary career ended after four or five volumes. Around the time that Cassie stroked her last putt, I stumbled onto the Jack Austin series from John R. Corrigan. As they say, when one door closes, another one opens. John Corrigan is an English teacher by trade and a writer by choice...or maybe it works the other way, too. Corrigan created a character in Jack Austin that stands as a near-archetype, a chiseled, morally and ethically rigid professional golfer from the woodlands of Maine. If he weren't a 21st century golfer, he would be someone Melville or Hawthorne had considered before opting for Queequeg or Brown. Jack Austin stands as a barometer for what is correct, always. Around this unwavering flagpole, Corrigan scripts his style of mystery. Austin is a journeyman tour golfer. He is successful, strong, dedicated, and fortunate. The series follows him from tournament to tournament, from crime to crime, always with an unchanging cast of characters: Perkins, the lifelong friend who stands with giants; Silver, the gay and black caddie who never fails to club Austin correctly in golf and in life; Tremblay, the beautiful and brilliant golfer/reporter who may or may not represent a love interest for Jack; Tarbuck, the former priest who opted for a career in pro golf as a means of meeting the masses; and Nash, the college football star with an inextinguishable link to Austin. In the great literary tradition of the fairy tale, Austin is surrounded by those who help him and those he needs to help. He is the center of the story, but never miscast as the only story. Corrigan carries out his investigation well. He moves from setting to setting with ease and legitimacy. The dialogue written is terse and believable. The characters know who they are, what they are capable of and what their destination might be. If you read novels for entertainment (and you like golf), you'll while away counted hours of enjoyment with this series. If you like to read for rhetoric, for analytical purposes, or for critical interpretation, you'll delve deeper through the layers that Corrigan pastes. I don't know that I read the novels in their chronological sequence. I don't know that it matters. What I do know is that summer is a wonderful time to read novels and play golf. Perhaps if you're sitting in a fine wooden chair near a peaceful place, you'll be at ease with one of these novels in your hands and thoughts. June 2008--Get Acquainted With Competition If you zealously read the local golf scores in the Buffalo News, you might have seen the following blurb last Monday: ELMA MEADOWS: Get Acquainted Tournament — Overall: Lynch-Montesano-Gawinski-Sylvester 64. Woods Flight: Kelm-Jeffords-Waz-Brennan 64. Nicklaus Flight: Garcia-Libsey-Piechota-Jentsch 65. Snead Flight: D’Addario-Jantzi-Szczepanski-Kane 65. Shockingly, both The Scrambler and Mo' Golf combined for a victory. We had help, no doubt, from the putter of the year, Ken Gawinski, and Mr. Personality, Craig Sylvester. The format was a scramble and we did emerge victorious on a match of cards, but a win is a win is a win. The Scramble was no intellectual cakewalk. Each golfer could play a maximum of four drives and The Scrambler used his up by, oh about hole number eleven. Gawinski is recovering from shoulder surgery and bunts the ball around the course, while Sylvester went through a spate of "The Wilds." When they needed Mo' to come through, he didn't, but in the end, we got the job done off the tee. Into the green, we were pretty good. The best iron I hit was a six into number one at Elma Meadows. It drew four feet off the right edge, stopping five feet from the hole. After Gawinski drained about his fifth birdie putt of the day (we always let him putt first), we were off and running on our front seven (we started on # 17.) We had a little trouble on the back nine. After stuffing a wedge to eight feet on ten, four attempts at birdie never touched the cup. Eleven and twelve are two demanding par fours and we got out of that serpent's den with no bogeys. We had only pars and birdies on the day, which impressed all of us. Our only run at eagle came on the short par five fourth hole, where Mo' (yup, that's me) hit a wedge in to three inches for a tappie-tappie-tapper. I want to thank Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News for bowing out at the last minute, opening the door to my participation, and my teammates for their support and vigilance. I look forward to much future competition of this ilk.
May 2008--The Best Golf Trip I Never Took Weird things happen to weird people...Had a trip planned to the Adirondacks for some northern Spring golf this weekend. Hotel had been reserved for another reason and didn't want to eat the loss (darned Hotwire!) Got in touch with Top Of The World Resort (up north!) and Malone Golf Club (way up north!!) and arranged for three rounds of golf with reviews and photos of all 54 holes. Sadly, it was not to be, not yet at least. Circumstances conspired against me to remain away from the Lake George/Adirondack area. It wasn't Mothers' Day, I'll have you know, but other events. Feeling sour, I emailed both properties to inform them of my impending non-arrival. They assured me that I was welcome at any point in the future. In fact, given the weather of the season, it might not have given the best light for photography. As I sit here amid the raindrops in western New York this Sunday, 5-11-2008, I browse the websites of both properties and envision what this excursion might someday be. Top of the World looks like friendly fun. The address, Lockhart Mountain Road, says it all about the views one might anticipate. There's a farm on the property, a restaurant in the farmhouse, and somewhere between 9 and 11 rooms in the bed and breakfast. Guests receive reduced rates on the golf course, which tops out at 6000 yards. All the comforts of someone else's home and a fun, frolicking golf course. I cannot wait to see the place. Unlike Top of the World, Malone Golf Club seems to espouse a brutish toughness. It's farther to the north, nearly to Quebec (land of dog teams and surly French speakers, right?), and boasts of matches between Babe Ruth and his friends. Although there is no lodging on site, Malone Golf Club offers stay and play packages in conjunction with a local Econolodge and Comfort Inn. Malone Golf Club possesses two courses designed by Robert Trent Jones the Old. Both top out around 6600 yards. Let Jones alone in the mountains, however, and he'll make 6600 feel like 7200 into the wind! I've played his Bristol Harbour course in Canandaigua, NY, along with his effort at Boyne Highlands in Michigan, and could not believe how the downhill holes felt uphill. He has another one at Treetops (also in Michigan) that I might have to return to play. After searching for years to find something defensible about the man, perhaps his legacy is his work in the mountains. I'll know for certain when I get to Malone. There you have it, my attempt at salvaging a lost weekend of golf course reviews and photography. With any luck, some of the shots that I take at Malone and Top of the World will make it on to their websites. Until then, I'll search for the perfect weekend to motor on up to northeastern New York. May 2008--You Can Go (to someone else's) Home Again: Tom's Run In Blairsville, PA For ten years the family made at least a monthly trek down the 219-119 Corridor into the hamlet of Blairsville, Pennsylvania. My in-laws ran a store with their family there. Born and bred in west-central PA, their blood ran thick and their roots, deep. Fortunately for me, the oasis that is Chestnut Ridge happened to occupy the corner where 119 ran into route 22 to Pittsburgh. CR had just completed work on its second course, a contemporary design by Bill Love and Doug Ault that complemented their original course. Tom's Run (the new one) and Chestnut Ridge (the old one) made a formidable 36 for anyone looking to sharpen his or her game.
A weekend or two past, the store held its annual opening sale of equipment and my in-laws, unable to immediately attend, asked that I might go in their place. Imagining that the courses had matured and that Sunday morning would be clear for golf (store opened at 11!), I agreed. I made contact with the resort and secured an early tee time on Sunday. By my side would be an 11-year old nephew, somewhat keen on the game but not yet addicted. He'd hit the occasional shot, putt and chip everywhere, and shoot lots of photos to earn his trip around Tom's Run. I'd heard rumors that quite a bit of development had taken place in Blairsville, but nothing prepared me for the site of that intersection of routes 119 and 22. On the right (completely obscuring the view of the town high school) sits WyoTech, a seven-campus, 2-year school for mechanics. The Blairsville campus represents the school's first foray into the northeast. On the left, an enormous plaza with Wal-Mart and other stores. Most impressive is the new Hampton Inn situated between the clubhouse and 18th hole of Tom's Run golf course. In spite of the development, the downtown/main street of Blairsville hadn't changed much. Brizzi's Candy appeared vacant, but the rest of the stores seemed content to remain isolated by the chestnut ridge from the new Blairsville.
Tom's Run was the gem that I had remembered. Thanks to a scheduling mistake on my part, we ended up playing holes 5-18 and shooting the first quartet after. The second hole at Tom's Run is one of those holes that you should remember, with a 70-feet drop from tee to green. Guess what? It's the least memorable of the first four! Other than the drop, the green is rather ordinary and the bunkering, forgettable. The power lines in your line of site don't help much, either. Now, before you dismiss the course, let me tell you about the fantastic 17 holes that wrap around this one. Tom' Run begins and finishes with two holes that typify western Pennsylvania. The first is a robust par four that dips down into a valley via a serpentine fairway, then rises to a well-bunkered green set on a shelf. It's the type of hole where 4 makes you puff out your chest, 5 is just fine, and 6 leaves you scratching your head as to why you were so arrogant. Remember, you don't have to follow a bad shot with a great shot; a good one will get you back in play. 18 is a level par five that ebbs and flows like a gentle tide, meandering between bunkers and mounding until you reach the most deceptive green on the course. From the tips I belted driver and three wood and stuck a pitch to 12 feet. Sensing birdie, I proceeded to three putt the green THREE TIMES! FROM THE SAME SPOT!! I'm warning you that if the pin is in the middle, watch out. If it's long, play short, because over is no good. If it's up front, eat it up!
Holes three and four at Tom's Run are without doubt two of the prettiest golf holes in creation. Set down in the hollow, they demand nothing less than strategy and nothing more than average distance. Don't get muscular down here; all you'll end up fighting are lateral hazards and penalty strokes. Three plays 359 yards from the tips, while four wanders off a bit farther, to 492 paces. In all honesty, leave your driver in the bag, heck, leave all your metals in the bag from the first green to the fifth tee. You'll understand when you see 3 and 4; if you don't understand before, you'll know why as you drive up the path to the fifth tee. Both putting surfaces are inspired yet fair, and both fairways are wide enough in the spots you should target. Sometimes a designer dictates where to hit the ball and sometimes you should listen! The fifth tee awaits after a drive across a bridge and up a rainforest. What you find is a driveable par four that lets you reclaim your macho. Bomb away with the driver on the next three holes. Love, Ault and Clark bring you back to the highlands in style, with three enjoyable par-four holes. Eight is a lovely par three along or across (depending on the angle) a pond. Nine is a monstrous, cross-country ramble of a par five, stretching to 620 yards from the big-boy tees. Finishing far away from the clubhouse, the ninth green reminds us that out-and-back is a fine way to design a golf course.
After a pair of healthy holes ( a 402-yard par four and a 232-year par three) to start the inward half, you are treated once again to a short par four, the rediscovery of the century. Short par fours reward the intelligent golfer with runs at birdie and par, yet wound the over-zealous with armfuls of bogies and worse. This one is fairly straightforward, so have a go at the green! When you get to the next tee, you'll find nearly 1500 yards of acreage on the next three holes, with an aggregate par of 13. Hole thirteen runs to 560 yards, heading east. Hole fourteen returns westward at 440 yards. As if to remind you of golf's difficulties, hole fifteen drops, then ascends, some 460 yards back to the east. Framing and penalizing bunkering spot each of the three holes. The final triumvirate is kinder and gentler. You'll need no more than a mid or short iron to reach the par three sixteenth, then it's on to a short par four (371 from the tips) with a Sahara desert up the left side. Don't be tempted to cut the corner (it can be done, but a hernia usually results); instead, play safely to the right side and you'll have a 9-iron or wedge pitch up to the green.
It's evident from the pictures and words that I've told you nothing about the other course, Chestnut Ridge. Chestnut Ridge winds its way around the inside of Tom's Run and offers nearly as many interesting holes as the younger brother. Chestnut Ridge has a more mature feel to it, almost like a New England course might. Blending the open sense of Tom's Run with the treelined nature of Chestnut Ridge makes for a wonderful, complementary weekend of golf. April 2008--Some Of My Favorite Golf People In WNY While many in WNY are watching round three of The Masters today, I was out in North Amherst. After dropping daughter #1 off at a canal for some rowing practice, I drove to Glen Oak for my first outdoor shots of the season. I love GO for its putting and chipping green; the creekside location and the elongated hour glass putting surface make it aesthetically and rationally helpful. After noticing that green # 18 was 70% under water (making the hole location a tough target, indeed), I headed inside to speak with Mike Zuppa, head pro at the course. I had last seen Mike at the Buffalo-Niagara golf show in March and welcomed the opportunity to visit with him. He assured me that # 18 would be playable by Monday. As I drove away from the course, I got to thinking about golf people in WNY. I had the good fortune to meet Jim Thorpe in 1981 as a junior golfer (me, not him) and to work with Lonnie Nielsen in a coaching capacity. Both are on the Champions Tour now and I follow them regularly. They among many represent the people that golf has brought into my life. In honor of the first major championship of the year, I'm going to do a very quick Tale Of The Tape on about fifteen golf people that I really like in WNY.
1-3 My right-hand men, the Scrambler, the Duff, and the Mouth. We'd have no site without them.
4 Lockport-based architect of Arrowhead, Deerwood Doe and Ironwood. This fellow knows more people and more about golf course architecture than anyone else within 200 miles. If you don't know him, you should.
5-7 Head pro at Niagara Frontier, Owner of Discover Golf Buffalo and Director of the local Last Minute Golfer site. All three signed on as writers this year and did not disappoint.
8 Owner of Arrowhead. Controversial and curmudgeonly, he jump-started the renaissance of golf course design in WNY with Whitter's Arrowhead.
9 Co-Owner of The Links at Ivy Ridge. Deciding between a trailer park and a golf course, they flipped a coin and golf course won. Thank God! One of the straightest shooters in the local game.
10 Met him when he was coach of St. Francis golf team. Runs Harvest Hill and has a vision and dedication for golf for the young beyond words.
11 Protector and promoter of junior golf for girls in WNY. We disagree on time of year (she says Fall, I say Spring) for the girls high school league, but no one gets more respect than Betsy.
12-14 Patty, Marlene and Cindy have all played competitive golf at a high level. As teachers of the game in WNY, they serve as excellent role models for juniors and adults throughout the region.
15-16 Director of Golf at Diamond Hawk, Jim has taken control of the most anticipated course in WNY and shepherded it through the difficult first year. As previously indicated, Mike runs the shop and course at Glen Oak and bends over foreward, backward and sideways to make your time there memorable. There are many more that I will name at a later date, in a future column, or when you run into me on the first tee. In the meantime, reflect on your favorite people in golf and let them know how you feel. Chad Kulpa passed away on Sunday, March 16th, 2008. It was a beautiful day in western New York, in terms of the weather and the camaraderie that inseparably bind us. I had the casual opportunity to meet Chad last June for a brief five minutes on the 7th tee at Westwood Country Club. The Travelin' Duff and I were participating in the 3rd Chip In For Carly's Club fundraiser for Roswell Park Cancer Institute, while Chad was the guest of honor. He was an all-too-real reminder (a survivor of childhood cancer) of why we had all gathered. Chad was a golfer, through and through. He dressed the part, spoke the part, and smiled the part. He hit a shot with every participant that day, showing sincere gratitude for the time we spent playing a silly game, for the time we spent raising money to fund research for the battle to seek a cure for cancer, to seek better treatment for cancer. Chad kicked my behind in the fundraising department. He fundraised from personal experience, putting the most human of faces on the struggle to endure the treatments, the setbacks, the advances. I'm glad that he did. It somehow wouldn't have been right for a healthy, spoiled golf guy to exact more gratitude and solidarity from his brethren. I remember, too, that Chad struck a beautiful shot from the tee, on a hole that he asked to play with every participant. I'm pretty certain that he had a run at par, while I was fortunate to make bogey. I do know that we left him with a BuffaloGolfer.Com golf hat, courtesy of the ever-thoughtful Travelin' Duff. For whatever reason, it did not occur to me that Chad was still in danger, that his cancer was not in remission. Perhaps that's why Chuck Collard's email shocked my senses. Even in the sorrow of death, we were reminded what Chad gave to those of us who knew him briefly. Chuck spent time with Chad's family on Sunday and let us know the following: "Each family member told me how important Carly's Club was for Chad, and several specifically mentioned the "chip in" event. I wanted to pass along their thoughts and appreciation for your commitment, and I want to stress how important your efforts are in the process to support pediatric families confronted with cancer. Every program that we put in place is a result of efforts like the "chip in" event." Another of our co-participants, Eric McClaren, commiserated thusly: "It was my worst played hole of the day. With Chad, his Dad, and tv cameras on me...but it was my favorite hole by far. It was an honor to play with Chad and I will remember that every time I play that hole, over and over again. Thanks for letting me play with him."
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sponsorship of this year's Chip In For Carly's Club made be made through this link.
February 2008--Rochester Golf Show Recap Due to a scheduling conflict, the Rochester edition of Upstate New York Golf Shows 2008 made a venue switch. Instead of the urban locale of the Riverside Convention Center: Downtown Rochester, the golfing elite made the trek to Henrietta and the Dome Arena for three days of courses, clubs, and other vestiges of golf. Travelin' Duff and I arrived on Sunday (long story, no time) and sensed immediately that the site offered a certain intimacy that a traditional convention center might not. Our hunch proved correct as booth owner after booth owner confirmed that a vibe coursed through the show for three days, making the large crowds seem even larger, and the inquiries seem even more personal and individual than expected. Now that's a show. The Dome Arena was divided into two sections. The main bowl housed the indoor testing range, a recreational vehicle display, and the smokeless tobacco tent. Duff and I checked out the R/Vs, but could not figure out where the storage areas were. Sure, your friends and you travel in the lap of luxury, but where does the stuff go? The smokeless tobacco greeters were of the stuff that makes teenage boy fantasies, but neither of us ever dipped nor has teenage fantasies anymore, so on we paced. The indoor testing center, populated by Callaway, Nike, Wilson, Srixon Mizuno and Ping, offered an opportunity to slam balls with the finest equipment available today. Ever read a bad club review? Do you know why not? Simple: the amount of money that goes into the research and development of these sticks is astronomical; no one makes a bad product anymore. The second section of the hall, more rectangular and less domed, contained the traditional show booths. Courses like Mill Creek, Webster, Brookwoods (formerly Ontario Golf Club) and Reservoir Creek put forth quite suggestive reasons as to why you should play their tracks. With the Canadian dollar equal to ours, it makes sense to travel east for a day, rather than risk border issues and a higher green-fee ratio. Coming soon, we'll list our top ten reasons to travel to Rochester for a day of golf, combining high-end courses with value destinations. If you've ever studied Rochester golf, limiting the deal to ten is darned-near impossible. Two of the more attractive booths boasted golf trails. While I think the term "trail" is overused and overhyped these days, I cannot deny the persuasiveness of the argument. The Finger Lakes Golf Trail, made up of Mill Creek, Greystone, Ravenwood and Bristol Harbour, offers golf and lodging or simple golf packages. Visit www.fingerlakesgolftrail.com to learn more. The New York Golf Trail has grand aspirations, intending to conquer the entire empire state. To begin, though, they'll offer you deals at six Adirondack courses and one Syracuse-region layout. Visit www.nygolftrail.com to find out about great mountain golf. If you ran out of golf balls at the precise moment you teed off on 18 last November, don't worry. Chances are your ball was found and repackaged by one of the golf equipment superstores that will also sell their wares at the Buffalo-Niagara show next month. If you lost your shirt, they have plenty of those as well. Professional tournament and amateur golf tour information, fitness and rehabilitation, and free lessons made the Rochester Golf Show a great day away from the Buffalo region. If it's not already on your schedule, block out a day next month (March 14-16) to visit the Buffalo Convention Center and the Buffalo-Niagara Golf Show. Stop by www.upstatenygolfshow.com on the web for an overview, hours and directions.
When events exceed expectations, can bliss be far behind? As previewed, the brain-trust behind BuffaloGolfer.Com met last weekend for the annual Writers' Summit. We do our best to patronize one of our sponsors because it makes sense! The Famous Dukes at The Links At Ivy Ridge had just closed for the season, so we headed to The Frog Hair to discuss plans for 2008. If you haven't been to TFH lately, the place was mobbed! In fact, it's a good thing we had The Mouth with us. He's a mid-twenties guy, good-looking and physically fit. That characterizes half of the crowd at the bar and dinner. The simulators were full and the joint was truly hopping. For us, our business lay elsewhere. As you'll see in the coming months, a fair number of additions to the BuffaloGolfer.Com site are in the works. They are initiatives that came together as 2007 drew to a close and will serve to enhance the writings found on the site. One of these additions is Scott Witter, a Lockport-based landscape and golf course architect. Scott is the artist and artisan behind three of the newer courses in western New York: the Deerwood Doe nine, Arrowhead, and Ironwood. Each course is unique to the others, yet reveals the practiced hand of someone who knows the trade. With a true architect, things don't just happen on a golf course; they are caused for a reason. Scott joined Mo', Mouth, Scrambler and Duff on that Saturday evening and changed the course of humanity. I had often been spoiled with the opportunity to converse with Scott on the twin subjects of golf course design and golf course history. You cannot have a helping of one without a serving from the other. Scott has been working of late with Mark Fine, another noted designer and restorer. With the slowing of new course builds in the continental USA, another element of the business has taken wing: golf course restoration. Unless your head's been in the sand, you know that everyone from Jack Nicklaus all the way round to Jack Nicklaus has been raising voices in complaint against the advances of technology. Put it simply, the ball goes too far and straight, and older courses are not what they once were. Let me tell you that many of those courses are not what they once were because of age, erosion, evolution, and the heartless fact that they never were what they once were. Guys like Mark and Scott make those courses better again, or good for the first time. It's a wonder to behold. Scott brought along graphics from two recent jobs, one near Rochester and one in Massachusetts. He showed us photos of a bunker restoration near Rochester; restoration is a kind term. The bunkers never were of the quality the course deserved. Scott made them so. He also passed around original hole routings from a club in Massachusetts. The routings were done by the hand of one Donald J. Ross, golf's Shakespeare. While it's true that Ross gave us championship layouts like Oak Hill East in Rochester, Pinehurst #2 in North Carolina, and Oakland Hills in Michigan, he also contributed Lu Lu Country Club, Mount Crotched and Pinecres on Lotela. Ross' name is everywhere, but his fingerprints and DNA are less commonly found. Ross didn't show on site to most of his reputed designs. The course that Scott showed us was one of the exceptions to this nasty secret. Holding those schematics in a gingerly fashion, I became aware of the treasures that this man Scott Witter accesses, and the treasure that he in return provides to BuffaloGolfer.com. If we're fortunate, he'll grace our web pages with his prosaic thoughts on golf and golf courses. The evening was a blur of conversation, with the exception of Duff. Like the wise buddha, aged and wary, he listened throughout the minutes and hours. We raised many a toast to each other, to the commitment to the web site, to the many twists and turns its personal path has taken. A sage once spoke of the medicinal properties of a meeting of kindred spirits. I'm of the mind that one of those took place not long ago, and that anywhere that golf is discussed, on a wintry night in western New York, the same holds true. Stay attuned. December 2007--End Of The Year As We Know It
I cannot emphasize enough that you should not try this at home.
Whatever possessed me ten years ago, as our youngest was turning two and
our oldest, nine, to begin a golfing publication that would ultimately
turn into BuffaloGolfer was a mad fit of whimsy. The celerity of
this snowball's pace has amplified and multiplied and magnified to a
point beyond control. It all came to a head this November when,
for the first time in forever, I missed a column. I'll review the
contents of my world, to let you in on why and how I could skip a month
of writing: And those are the activities I remember to do. It gets so crazy-busy at times, but I've grown to love crazy-busy. Before I wed, I was a "lazy single guy." My wife taught me the value and the reward of busting ass. I don't hold it against people if they don't subscribe to my theory, but I don't slow down, either. Here's what I'll remember from 2007...Great days of golf at Ivy Ridge, Peek'N Peak, Harvest Hill, Thundering Waters, Brockport, Buffalo Tournament Club, Arrowhead, Diamond Hawk, Holiday Valley and many more...a great tour of Michigan along the Michigan Road...three fantastic golf shows in Hamilton, Rochester and Buffalo...two near-perfect rounds of golf (enough to keep me playing!)...a new driver (Nike Sasquatch!)...Seven great golf holes with Jeff Russo and Channel 7...two wonderful, local pro events at Peek'N Peak and Turning Stone...and the list goes on and on. Here's what I anticipate for 2008...three more great golf shows, including one where we give away 150 rounds of golf at Brockport...continued maturation at Harvest Hill, Ivy Ridge, Arrowhead and BTC...my first glimpse of Talking Stick, the new course in Lewiston...three near-perfect rounds of golf...more viewers for BuffaloGolfer (tell the world, y'all!)...and health and happiness for all I encounter...
Happy New Year! October 2007--An Unbelievable Round, Part Two It's not often that I'll write so similarly, so coincidentally. Another one of those unforgettable rounds took place on Sunday, for reasons entirely unanticipated. The four horsemen of the apocalypse, otherwise known as Travlein' Duff, The Mouth That Roars, The Scrambler, and Mo' Golf, headed south to Peek'N Peak for a glorious celebration of Fall golf in western New York. The Upper Course at the Peek, site of the Nationwide Tour's annual showcase event, promised an adventure beyond words, beyond compare. The course is a pleasure and a treasure, winding its way through woodlands, up and down hillsides, across slopes and beyond the wilderness. Its tiny creeks and sizeable ponds provide balance and challenge, while its putting surfaces demand an accurate stroke on all counts. I'll get to the point: I produced a hoganesque round from tee to green, a ball-striking display the likes of which I hope to see again, the likes of which I had not previously know. Here are the details:
15 greens in regulation. I do not recall missing a fairway beyond one to two feet. I do not recall being outside of 35 feet on any birdie attempt. And I do not recall three-putting fewer than 10 times...on my way to an 80. Can you imagine? Having 17 putts at birdie, and one chip at birdie, and the sole putt to drop was an eight-footer on the home hole. From the tee I was Thor, from the fairway I was Odin/Oden, and on the short grass of the green, I was neither. The putter felt comfortable, the reads seemed accurate, and each approach putt came short or drew long, by ten feet at a time. The money distance, from six to ten feet, was a foreign language to me, and with each missed attempt, we laughed more and more. That, perhaps, was the essence of the day. The score did not matter, the putting display did not affect us. In spite of near-perfect greens, the hole seemed to be covered by transparent film. And on we played, on we putted, on we enjoyed. Play well this Fall. Go for a personal best and take chances on every hole. The end is nigh and the Winter should be one of contentment. As you sit inside on a snowy evening, you'll remember these Fall rounds, the chances you took, the heroic ascents you scaled, and the glory of Autumn.
September 2007--18 Hours At Turning Stone
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9-23-3:30 August 2007--The Byrncliff Open Every competition has its ups and downs; a scramble needs 18 ups and 0 downs to be a success. It's hard to determine which is worse at a scramble, a string of pars or the dreaded bogey. When Mo' and the Scrambler teed it up last week in the Byrncliff Open, one pair in their foursome started off with three consecutive birdies, and went on to shoot 62 and tie for first. Sadly for our boys, it wasn't them. They acquitted themselves well, shooting 67 to tie for 7th. After Mo' calmed down with some iced tea, he revealed the following details from the event. Be cautioned: the following text has a stream-of-consciousness feel to it; if you didn't like reading Faulkner in high school or college, this may not be for you.
So, Mo', how did it begin?
Did you make any birdies at all?
Then came one to three, really a birdie stretch, right?
Birdie, right?
So you drove in and quite?
Final thoughts...
Any more events this year? They seem to come out of nowhere. You go along for a few holes, make some consistent shots, and before you know it, you're in rarefied strata. The relative difficulty of the course need not matter; I've seen it happen on the neighborhood goat track and the championship layout. It even happens to Mo' Golf from time to time, although not in recent memory. You find the groove, the distances for your irons are right on, you mix in drivers with 3-metals with driving clubs off the tee, and the score stays low. Somehow you find a way, somehow you encounter the calm to move the round through to the finish, then you stare at the score card with incredulity. I had that round yesterday. Here's the low-down: 12 greens in regulation. 31 putts. One birdie. Two bogies. 72 on a par 71 at Holiday Valley. No goat track, this one. 6600 from the tips, up and down the ski hills, in between renovated bunkers, across smooth and icy-slick greens. Before I find hubris, thinking that this round was one for the ages, check this: four missed birdie putts inside twenty feet on the front, including one three-putt on number nine. Six missed birdie attempts (two were putts from the fringe) on the back nine, where I had nine consecutive pars. The true player finds a way to convert half of those, to complement the two twelve-feet, par-savers I drained, for a ho-hum, average tour round of 67. That's the difference...when I get it going, I make fifteen pars. When the pro gets it going, she or he makes one-unders. Did it help that I was playing with a friend (in this case, The Scrambler), the two groups let us play through? That the third member of our crew (in this case, The Mouth That Roars) gave us the cold shoulder? Absolutely. All those elements conspire in your favor, just as they might easily conspire against you on another occasion. I'll take it, again and again. The sound of the driver, blasting 322 yards straight down new number eighteen...the feel of the five-iron, gliding to fifteen feet down number fifteen...the sensation of the wedge, sliding under the ball on number seven, over the stacked-sod bunker to six feet (missed the birdie putt, darn it.) The next time, it might be 78 or 88, but I'm always hoping for 68. August 2007--Summer to Fall Plans I blogged every day last week for travelgolf.com on the USGA Women's Amateur and PGA championships, so I'm a bit out of ideas for a new column. Suddenly, it hits me...write in the present tense. Nah, that's not it. What hits me is, how to transition from summer golf into fall golf. My season has gone like this...100 holes of golf in June; trip to Northern Michigan in July; week in Connecticut (that's an upcoming article) in August. In between, a day at the Peek'N Peak Classic, articles for New York Golf, Buffalo Spree and Sports & Leisure. What's left? Lots of opportunities. To begin, the Xerox Classic on the Nationwide Tour this week in Rochester, followed by the Turning Stone Championship in late September on the PGA Tour. I'll play two fun events at Byrncliff, beginning next week at the Byrncliff Open, followed by the WNY Publinks 2-man scramble in September. I figure that my partner, The Scrambler, and I are due. We've played well in these things before, but it's time to start making some birdies! Starting my 8th or 9th year as an assistant high school boys coach means the onset of fall high school golf, the greatest time of year to be on the course. Coaches, however, are rarely on the course with clubs. They hold tryouts, make cuts, arrange practice and competition schedules and venues, pray for good weather, and conduct matches. When I played for Amherst, we competed in a bizarre combination of match and medal play, making us wonder which rules (match or medal) were in effect. Things are streamlined today, either all match or all medal. One thing hasn't changed: kids still don't hit provisional balls until they get to the OB stake, or until they determine that their ball is lost. How hard is it to remember to declare a provisional, put it in play with a hybrid, then conduct a search for the original? Ahh, youth. It makes the game funny for them and maddening for us. If you haven't had the chance, you might want to schedule a round at the five new public-access courses in WNY. The old dame of the group, Arrowhead, has been around for four years. Links at Ivy Ridge, for three. Buffalo Tournament Club for two and Diamond Hawk for one year. The new kid on the block, Harvest Hill, opened its doors last month. As the leaves diversify their colors, as different odors waft across the fairways, as the dew seems to hang on just a bit longer, the golf is melancholy and spectacular. Enjoy these last weeks of August, and cheer on the Bills on Sunday. Make time for golf until the snow flies, and then some. Golf...it's what's for pleasure. August 2007--Publics versus Privates: The best golf in western New York The talk on Monday around the office used to go like this: so-and-so invited me out to (you fill in the blank) this weekend. What a course! It was like playing from a carpet. So many bunkers. Greens were fast, like the hood of my car. You don't get that ever at (fill in local municipal course.) Fast forward to 2007, and
Verdict: A Tie...barely.
Let's be honest: Niagara Frontier, East Aurora, Orchard Park, and Brookfield blow the doors off the next four public courses in western New York. The next tier of privates (Lancaster, Westwood, Gowanda, Lockport T & C) extends the domination even farther. However, around 2010, when the Seneca course in Lewiston opens its door, and as Buffalo Tournament Club continues to grow in well, there will be seven top-notch public courses to challenge the best of the private clubs across the Niagara region. August 2007--Hook A Kid On Golf in Hamburg Statistics claim that golf participation is on the decline, that the Tiger Woods "burp" has now expired, that the Michelle Wie "burp" hit a big bump in the road, failing to drive little girls to golf the way Tiger drove little boys to golf. The problem with participation in golf is, it's all about retention, not necessarily introduction. Don't get me illogical...you cannot have the former without the later. It's the hook that's necessary to increase the numbers, and it's not always easy for the beginner to find a place to fit in. I grew up a long drive from the third tee at Grover Cleveland golf course. In the late 70s, when I was sneaking over and under the fence, no one was golfing. The rangers chased us off only when we really acted up, and sometimes, we really acted up. I had a three-hole loop that I played relentlessly; it was my neighborhood rink, my park hoops court, my proving ground. If there were any junior programs at Grover, I was unaware. It was a city course back then, and only the country clubs had any real junior golf development. Around 1994, thing began to change. And change took place south of the city. In 1994, Joe Wenzel started Hook A Kid On Golf the town of Hamburg. Wenzel is a recreation specialist, manager of the town golf course and the director of the HAKOG program. Since its inception, the program has grown from 11 participants to over 300. Wenzel employs area high school golfers and other recreation aficionados as instructors, maintaining a low teacher-student ration. Six different levels of HAKOG are featured at Hamburg. The program begins with Start Smart Golf, move to Tee-Level, then Green Level. At the competitive stage, the Challenge Golf League culminates in a Traditions of Golf challenge team, which moves on to national competition. In 2004 Wenzel's program was named the Don Springer Award recipient by the national organization, in recognition of its commitment to make a positive difference in the lives of today's youth through golf. Hamburg also offers golf clinics for the physically and mentally disabled.
For more information on the program, visit the following links:
The Porter Cup is halfway home, and the scores may be the lowest ever.
A tumultuous growing season left Niagara Falls Country Club without its
characteristic rough, one of the primary defenses against super-low
scores. If you want to see birdies and eagles, head on up to
Lewiston Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, parking is a
couple bucks to the Boy Scouts. In the meantime, here is a photo
gallery of action from day two.
11th: The end of the road as we knew it ... and we felt fine. My one moment of lucidity was the scheduling of a par three course for our final round. Our one regret? That it encompassed only nine holes. Rick Smith, in addition to coaching Phil Mickelson for a great while, can now lay claim to the two finest par three courses in the world (Threetops at Treetops and Sandstone Hollow at Turning Stone (Verona, NY). The Fazio course at Treetops, our 18-hole morning round, is a masterpiece, part rustic links bunkers, part mountain hike, part nature trail. Here are a pair of shots from each place. Fazio Course at Treetops
Threetops at Treetops
And that's the way it went. It seemed that it was over before it began, but the truth is, the golf courses of Michigan are beyond anticipation. You'll do yourself a favor if you look into a junket of your own in 2007 or 2008.
10th: This is where things get confusing. We actually played Bay Harbor on the 9th, and the two Boyne Highlands courses (Heather and Hills) on the 10th, or was it the 10th and the 11th? In any case, here is what I have from those courses, just a taste until I get each shoot uploaded later this month. Bay Harbor
Bay Harbor
Boyne Highlands
Boyne Highlands
9th: The vagaries of the internet require that I combine two courses from separate days into one entry ... and that's ... Okay. Shanty Creek is a tremendous resort in Bellaire, Michigan, divided into three different villages: Schuss, Cedar, and Summit. The resort boasts four golf courses, two of which truly caught my attention: Cedar River is a Tom Weiskopf design, while The Legend is a product of Arnold Palmer. Both courses incorporate mountainous terrain, weaving their fairways up and down declivities, over creeks, and around wetlands and drylands. The greens on the Palmer course have a greater severity than those of the Weiskopf course. The angles of fairway movement on the Weiskopf course are less, while, angular than those on the Palmer layout. That is, Arnold decided to add 90 degree turns to many holes, while Weiskopf opted for the more forgiving 75 degree and below movements. In other words, you won't play the same course twice. Below are a number of pictures from each track that tell the story better than words ever could. Cedar River Images
The approach to 18: A terrific end to
The left approach on the dual-fairway 13th The Legend Images
The uphill (and dangerous) tee ball
The downhill tee ball to Legend number 15
The terrifying tee shot on Legend number 6
The final approach to the par five 7th
Shanty Creek proved that it belongs in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
