Wednesday, December 29, 2010

How Do You Spell Graeme Anyway?

Graeme McDowell has been voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America. Not sure I will ever learn to spell his name. I am good with the spelling of Tiger or Phil just in case they rise again next year.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Let Me At Um

-David Fay to retire-

David Fay is retiring from the U.S. Golf Association and I am waiting by my phone for a call. I even checked my answering machine to make sure it was working in case I happen to be outside scooping snow (something I do a lot of these days).
When Fay stepped down last Friday many people were surprised, not me. He is nearly as old as I am and old guys like us need to play golf not watch others play. But I will put down the clubs and take over if the call comes. Ordered two dozen golf balls yesterday just in case someone in the Association office is on vacation and they accidentally call the wrong person.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas and Sledding

Christmas is over and I am sitting in my recliner playing with my brand new Kindle. All four kids and all seven grandkids made it. BUT as always there had to be a mishap and this one was a dozy. Our four year old granddaughter broke her leg sledding. It was our second day on the hill (yesterday) she is a tough little kid but when she said she needed to go to the doctor we knew it was hurting. Now it is all cast up (hip to foot) and in about eight weeks she will be as good as new. Thank God for grandkids, good doctors and quick healing for four year olds.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas from the Old Golf Guy

From time to time I will be posting some of my favorite quotes and jokes from the world of golf. This is one of my favorites.

The proper score for a businessman golfer is 90. If he is better than that he is neglecting his business. If he's worse, he's neglecting his golf.
~ St Andrews Rotary Club Member



Merry Christmas and hope you get a bunch of great golf stuff from Santa this year.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

FORE !

FORE – Is that enough warning for one of my wild shots?
Looks like I don’t even need to holler.
A case brought to court by Dr. Azad Anand, who was struck in the eye ( and blinded in that eye, according to news stories) by a shanked shot in 2002 on a New York (Long Island) golf course by his friend Dr. Anoop Kapoor. (I think this may have strained their friendship.
Anand said his injury was caused by Kapoor failing to yell "fore" or some kind of warning for a ball headed his way.
But the New York State Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling, saying that Kapoor was not at fault.
"A person who chooses to participate in a sport or recreational activity consents to certain risks that are inherent in and arise out of the nature of the sport generally and flow from such participation," the court wrote.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Giving Golf for Christmas

This is a bit tricky. If you know exactly what is wanted, golf stuff can be a great gift. If you guess, giving golf for Christmas can and likely will be a disaster. I give my kids (all grown-up) golf balls every year. But I know what is good, what they like and what they play. Not sure anyone should pick out a bag, clubs or balls for Christmas, stick with shirts, sweats, bad ties, books and food items. This stuff they can re-gift—now that I think of it bad golf gifts could be re-gifted for bad golfers.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tiger's Got A Brand New Putter

So Tiger’s got a brand new putter. He ditched the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 he has used for years in favor of the new Nike (surprise) Method 003 in the last tournament of the year. Wonder if the change will stick this time.

Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover are already using this model and looks like Tiger thought he needed to give it a try. It has a different look than the Scotty Cameron, might take some time to get used to how it looks at address. I thought Tiger looked pretty comfortable on my TV screen with the new putter. Changing from the more conventional looking Cameron to the semi-mallet is a huge for the greatest golfer on earth and may take more than one tournament to find the correct feel.

The putter is a little pricey for this old guy (who once putted great with a fourteen dollar K-Mart putter) and at two and a half bills I will pass. I think for most of us a putter in a mid price range will look and feel good. If you want to compare brands, prices and styles before going to the shop or range, I like this site—GolfPutters.net.


Oh by the way-Think Tiger will put a Ping grip on this new putter like he always did with the Newport 2?

Monday, December 13, 2010

The All New Golf Blog

Another Golf Blog! Oh No!
Well this is a little more than that. I have spent a lifetime at the golf course, no, not just waiting to get on. Following are a few of my golf associated activities over the years.
• Manager of 2 golf courses
• Professional Golf course superintendent
• At one time a single digit handicapper (hey, give me a break I am 62 years old now)
• More than a dozen years of golf course work
• Architect of one water system and two golf course remodels
• Architect of two course expansions—adding holes
• Golf club builder and tinker for over thirty years
• Golf teacher for ten plus years
• Published author of several golf course articles
• And I watch the Golf Channel to excess

Follow me here for two or three blogs a week – let me know what you think

Sunday, December 12, 2010

The Old Guy Talking About the Weather

Maybe there is something to global warming. We had a great fall and we have not had a single temperature below zero this winter—very unusual here. But we have had 25 inches of snow and double that up on the ski area. Not even the first of the year yet and I am already hoping for an early spring.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pearl Harbor Day

We should all remember this day in history. December 7, 1941.
My wife and I visited Pearl Harbor three years ago and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Every American should be lucky enough to some day visit.
When I was in college I had a history professor who told us that when he was a kid he thought he would never watch a parade without old men proudly walking by in their Union and Confederate uniforms. When I was a kid I watched so many old solders marching in their World War One and World War Two uniforms waving to us kids. I hope that there’re not all gone before all of us remember to say thanks. And not just to them but to all who served and are serving now.