Winter Golf

Well, no golf today. Bit too much snow.

But that's not all bad, I am warm and watching the Players Championship on TV.

U.S. Open and Another Very Old Course

I love U.S. Open week. This year looks especially good with the new remake of Pinehurst. Sounds like the course will look and play a lot more like an old fashioned golf course, should be fun.

Maybe not this old - but I love this photo

 

I would like to see Phil win this one, but not sure he is going to. I don’t think an upstart newcomer will win, look for one of the old familiar faces to get this one.

What do you think? I am going with the young kid from Northern Ireland, you know, the recent called off wedding guy. He is now 100% concentrating on golf, I will go with him this week. Rory McIlroy !
But I still wish Phil would pull it off.

Hitting a few balls on course abandoned 60 years ago - very cool

 

Golf at Age 66

Weather is getting better, played three times this week and three last. I am hitting the ball pretty well for 66. I am still doing my stretches and quite a bit of walking.

Looks like my distances will be the same this year as last.

PW-105
9 Iron-115
8 Iron-125 and so on  -   Now hitting my five wood 190-195 and
 3 wood, 205-210.
 This leaves my driver in the 230 range. About right

These are pretty true distances for me, I occasionally hit a drive over 250 but the 225-235 range is about right.

I have some new Irons, haven't tried them yet, Adams V4, can't wait to hit them but waiting for the course to soften up. I also have a new Ping Putter, now I will putt like Bubba.

Golf from the 1930s

A lifelong historian and history teacher for 42 years I am always looking for new/old adventures. And if it involves golf – all the better. This past week I hit some balls on a course that has been out of business for more than 70 years.

Great fun, still could find several of the tee-boxes and old sand greens, although they didn’t look much like it any longer. And no I didn’t use my new Adams irons. I used some clubs from the fifties as I was afraid I would break my old hickories if I tried them.

No old golf balls though, I just teed up a modern Tommy Armour, not because I like this ball but because the Worthington, Tommy Armour, was the ball of choice when this course was up and running in the 1930s.

Great way to spend a warm early spring day in Wyoming.

I have managed to play several rounds this month, today the wind is blowing, and I will settle for a hike in the state park and some TV golf.

Miguel Angel Jimenez - a Very Flexible Man

Like many golf fans I have long been intrigued by Miguel Angel Jimenez. Doesn’t look like he is in the best of shape, and there are always photos of him drinking and smoking cigars. He is partying while the rest of the tour guys seem to be running, lifting, resting, meditating, visiting with their personal sports psychiatrists or any number of stroke loosing activities.

But players on tour refer to him as the Mechanic, and for a reason. He is good, and can adjust on the go, he can easily fix things with his swing when needed and even if he is 50 he can still play with the young guys. Last year he became the oldest winner ever on the European Tour breaking the record of a 49 year old winner –oh, never mind, that was him also.

It is well known that he doesn’t practice much, other than hitting some balls before he plays, so what is his secret?

Flexibility, he seems to be blessed with it. Watch the video below, forget what he is saying just take a look at the 50 year old and see how flexible he is, that is why golfers, above all else, must stretch and stay flexible.

 

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/grill-room/video-jimenez-leads-group-stretching-class/

 

Miguel Angel Jimenez one of my favorite golfers!

Stadley, Buba and Four Guys on a Golf Course

Good to see young Stadler finally get one, even if I kind of wanted Buba to win. Looks like we will have two Stad's at the Masters this year.


Just for fun another golf joke!


A Foursome of young married guys playing golf on Sunday - One the second hole the following conversation took place

First Golfer: "Man, you have no idea what I had to do to be able to come out golfing this weekend. I had to promise my wife that I will paint every room in the house next weekend."

Second Golfer: "That's nothing; I had to promise my wife that I will build her a new deck for the pool."

Third Golfer: "Man, you both have it easy! I had to promise my wife that I will remodel the kitchen for her."

They continue to play the hole when they realized that one player has not said a word. So they ask him. "You haven't said anything about what you had to do to be able to come golfing this weekend. What's the deal?"

Fourth Golfer: "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say that the foundation for the new house is being poured next Tuesday."

New Clubs Time of Year

Are your clubs more than five years old? If they are you are likely missing out on the best of new technology. Now is a great time to buy new clubs. There are some great deals on end of the year clubs, new clubs are coming soon. If you buy the 2013 there are many, maybe too many, reviews of what you will get. Buy 2014 and you might be taking a bigger chance. Right now E-bay and Amazon have dozens of sellers hawking last year’s latest technology.

Not in the market for new clubs, did you know that you should change your grips every year. Some of mine are five years old and I play a lot of golf, 200 plus rounds per year. But I am not going to take my advice on grips; instead I am going to order new irons. I bought new Calloway woods last year, and love them. I bought a new putter two years ago and will probably buy a new one this year. I have been looking at some new Adams hybrid irons and Ping putters so believe that is the way I will go.

-Laugh for the day-

A golfer, playing a round by himself, is about to tee off, a non athletic looking salesman runs up to him, and yells, "Wait! Before you tee off, I have something really amazing to show you!"

The golfer, annoyed, says, "What is it?"

"It's a special golf ball," says the salesman. "You can never lose it!"

"Whattaya mean," laughs the golfer, "you can never lose it? What if I hit it into the water?"

"Not a problem," says the salesman. "It floats, and it detects where the shore is, and spins towards it."

"Well, what if I hit it into the woods?"

"Easy," says the salesman. "It emits a beeping sound, and you can find it with your eyes closed."

"Okay," says the golfer, impressed. "But what if my round goes late and it gets dark?"

"No problem, sir, this golf ball glows in the dark! I'm telling you, you can never lose this golf ball!"

The golfer buys it at once. "Just one question," he says to the salesman. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it."