Jordan Being Jordan

Posted on April 2, 2024 by moegolf

Mark Immelman is one of the best golf broadcasting voices out there. He brings his experience as an author, analyst, and golf instructor to the PGA broadcasts and the listeners are the beneficiary of his encyclopedic knowledge and experience garnered from years covering the professional game.

In this 45 minute episode from his “On The Mark” PGA Tour Podcast Mark interviews Jordan Spieth, a guy he clearly admires and respects for all that he has brought to what will be a hall of fame career.

Much as he does as the lead commentator of PGA Tour coverage, Mark is enthusiastic and thorough as he prods Jordan on the many chapters of his Tour career. It includes his early family life before the tour, storied amateur accomplishments, meteoric rise as a professional right out of the gate, and how he has worked through the inevitable ups and downs that have affected his career in recent years.

Jordan is a wonderful interview because, as we have seen over his career, he is not one to hide behind cliches and generalities when he is asked a question. Rather he is thoughtful and articulate in his responses, not afraid to deal with even the most introspective inquiries into how he approaches the game. This interview does not disappoint in that regard.

As Mark says in the interview Jordan really needs no introduction. He won two U.S. Junior Amateurs, a collegiate National Championship, three Major Championships, a FedEx Cup, and boatloads of money along the way. His Ryder Cup and President’s Cup record is stellar and he has recently accepted positions on the Tour policy board dealing with the schism that the invasion of LIV has created in the world of professional golf.

More than anything, much like Phil Mickelson in the early years, Jordan is must see TV every time he is on a weekend golf broadcast. Hell it is worth it just to hear Jordan’s stream of consciousness conversations with his caddy Michael Greller on how to play the next recovery shot. It is like two millennial fathers in the pickup line at kids rec soccer discussing the best way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich including whether it should be JIf or Skippy, Smooth or Crunchy, on Wonderbread or seeded Jewish rye. It’s all in the details.

There are plenty of nuanced Jordan explanations throughout but one of my favorite was his response to Immelman’s question on why Jordan plays so well at Augusta.

Jordan’s view is that courses like Augusta or Kapalua or the links courses of the British Isles present topographical or environmental conditions that fix a flaw in his game. The flaw in his game…..his inability to curve the ball dramatically on demand. On courses with fairways with pervasive uneven stances or green complexes with lots of movement due to topographical features the uneven lies or the sloped landing areas create big curves on their own. Same is true when the wind is up as it often is on links courses, the wind creates curve.

At Augusta, Kapalua, or Royal Birkdale these features “correct” the perceived flaw in his game by making the ball curve big time on it’s own. It is simply up to the player to read the required shot, embrace these tendencies, and plan the start lines accordingly. This is another example of the cerebral side of Jordan’s game.

There are lots more goodies revealed, so pour yourself a tall one and click on the link below to enjoy Mark Immelman’s revealing conversation with Jordan Spieth.

On The Mark with Mark Immelman

January, 2024

Click To Listen To “Jordan Spieth On Golf” Episode of On The Mark

Glen Oaks Club

Posted on February 21, 2024 by moegolf

Glen Oaks is a delightful collection of 27 holes in Old Westbury, New York along the way to Long Island. It is a private club with a relatively small membership that fosters a hamish atmosphere making for a warm welcome to all who visit. Since the volume of play is delimited by the membership size, there are no tee times which makes access very convenient if you are lucky enough to get a member to host you to play.

The original three nines were done in 1972 by Joe Finger. A master plan for renovating the place was begun in 2011 by Joel Weiman to be done over a four year period. In 2012 Hurricane Sandy did extensive damage to the course which forced them to retool the master plan on the fly. With the help of the Greens Super Craig Currier who had previously been involved at Bethpage Black, Joel did the work that you see presented today.

As the pictures indicate the removal of enormous swaths of trees taken down by the storm allowed them to present a marvelous array of holes with requisite width to encourage strategic play and wide visibility of the entirety of the property during play. The greens have plenty of internal slope and segmentation and the bunkers have tall white faces and sharp edges which when set in the hillier terrain give the place a bit of an Augusta feel.

A PGA Tour playoff event was played here in 2017 where Dustin Johnson beat Jordan Spieth in a riveting playoff. No matter which of the nines you get to play I am sure you will find it a delightful experience of tactical golf. Don’t miss two highlights during your visit, the men’s locker room and adjacent card room/man-cave and the amazing brunch they serve every day in the main dining room. Both will knock your socks off.

Hole-By-Hole Analysis (Red/White):

Red Nine

#1 Par 4 402/340 yards

GO Red 1 Par 4

Fairly simple opening hole, this driving area leans right to left toward the fairway bunker. Drive it up the right edge of the rough line and let it drift to center. Green slightly raised is accessible between flanking bunkers short right and middle left.

#2 Par 4 370/350

Similar in length to the first but this one is flatter with no fairway bunkering to consider. Drive to center and the approach is to a green slightly below you. Front left bunker is pretty deep so aiming to the right side on the approach where the right bunker is set back in the middle of the green is sensible.

#3 Par 3 160/150

GO Red 3 Par 3

First of the eye candy holes that express the expansive and clean presentation of the character of these courses. Significantly downhill, requires a one club adjustment into a green flanked by deep sharp edged bunkers. Green tilts back to front and left to right with a significant transition ridge from 9 to 3.

#4 Par 5 550/520

GO Red 4 Par 5 Tee

The confectionary look continues on a spectacular visual five par off a high perched tee into the valley below. The hole turns to the left around a horseshoe fairway bunker that is probably within reach. Best drive is center just off the bunker-don’t bail right off the tee as the rough and tree line on that side will cause problems for your second.

GO Red 4 Par 5 Green

The green is a true fortress-rings of bunkers protect the full surrounds-a few trolls with boiling oil may be prowling the top edge as well. Lay up is left center to about 110 which leaves an intimidating looking approach into a green that is very generous. Lots of slope here back to front so challenge the pin yardage of the day.

#5 Par 4 400/370

For a relatively flat hole this one has great visual impact created by the alcove driving area and the hill framing the back of the green. Drive to left center to leave a mid-iron approach into an accessible green. One greenside bunker on the left and a second framing bunker behind the green on the right, so the error on approach is short and right. Green leans 11 to 5 so from the front right you can be aggressive on a pitch.

#6 Par 4 405/355

One of the truly splendific looking holes of the day. This is a graceful uphill par four with a perched green framed on the horizon by a lone oak tree 40 yards right of the green. Drive right center of a landing area adjacent to the fairway bunker on the right. The hole climbs after that so the approach plays a full club and a half longer into a green with one bunker left and plenty of open grass on the right. They did a great job of letting the topography give this hole it’s character.

#7 Par 4 360/350

A shortish par four that leans left to right around a pair of bunkers that flank the driving area. The temptation is to aim well left off the tee but this can give you a perch side hill lie in the rough into the green that sits above you. Take on the left edge of the bunkers on the right as the fairway widens just beyond and you can have a short club in your hand making the approach much easier. Green sits on a 7 to 1 diagonal with fierce bunkers protecting the right and plenty of short grass surrounds left and behind the green. The green climbs on the same 7 to 1 line so putts and pitches up this line need the requisite intent to reach the hole.

#8 Par 3 130/120

GO Red 8 Par 3

A delightful short pitch Par 3 that is their homage to the Postage Stamp. Pitch is on level to the tee but the narrow green set on a 6:30 to 12:30 angle is tightly surrounded by massive bunkers. This gives you little choice but to hit an articulate lawn dart just below the hole position of the day. There are steps in the green along it’s setting angle and the pins to the right are much harder to get at. Middle of the green to any pin to the right is proper discretion.

#9 Par 5 550/500

GO Red 9 Par 5

This nine finishes with a three-shot five par with plenty of topographical interest. Drive to left center to avoid the fairway bunker on the right and the drop off of the fairway into the rough and trees on that side. The lay-up is down the left into the valley that will give you a view back up the hill toward the foot of the dining room patio where the green resides a bit to the right. Green has lots of sand surrounds but note that the first bunker on the right is set 50 yards way from the bunker creating a friendly miss area if you don’t want to take on the pin of the day. Green is stepped from 7 to 1 with a ridge across the center so getting an approach to the proper level is essential to avoid the three-putt opportunity.

White Nine

#1 Par 4 515/480 yards

The first of the White Nine is a very user friendly dogear left Par 5 that gently climbs from the landing area to a green perched up on top of the rise. From the tee the hole appears to lean to the right so a right-to-left drive just right of the two fairway bunkers on the corner is called for. Depending on what you have left this could be reachable in two, but if not the lay up is to about 100 yards short of the first bunker on the right which is set well back from the putting surface. The kidney shaped green wraps around a deep bunker on the front right and has an open short grass area to the left for a safer approach.

#2 Par 3 205/190

GO White 2 Par 3

The second is feisty longer sister to the downhill Par 3 third on the Red. A stunning view from the perched tee box, it ambles down the same sttep hill as it’s sister playing a full club and a half less then the distance. A quasi-reverse Redan arrangement the green curves around to the right behind a yawning bunker set into the right slope of the hill. The difference from a Redan is that the first part of the green is not banked to match the curve of the green so you do not get the benefit of the ground directing your ball toward the back right pin locations. There is also a pesky ridge that cuts across the center of the green creating two distinct levels. For the front level an approach landing right of the flag will feed to the left. For the back level you have to settle for a shot in the center of the green and then putt up and over the ridge because anything landing on the top level takes a downslope off the back of the green.

#3 Par 4 410/375

GO White 3 Par 4

This next Par 4 has lots of visual interest but lacks strategic continuity for me. From the elevated tee you see a sharp dogleg left working around a bank of trees, but there is this pesky water hazard gathering your attention straight through the right center driving line. For big hitters the penalty area is definitely within reach. If you manage to hit the drive to center between the bunkers on the left corner and the water you now have a slightly ramped up approach to a green sitting below the Halfway House. It is set 7 to 1 behind big face bunker on the right and a pinching bunker behind the green on the right. The bunker on the left is set back so there is a bit of breathing room on that side if you don’t want to take on a pin set behind the right bunker. This is another green with serious lean from back to front.

#4 Par 4 415/380

The next four holes present an interesting run of holes played in distinct corridors of the trees where ball position matters. This is a straight away par four-you drive to left center into a downhill landing area that will feed the ball a little right. The green complex sits below framed by trees and bunkers providing a very appetizing open access approach for a middle iron to hybrid. There is a short grass area back and left of the green if you overcook a draw. This green is deep so pay close attention to your actual shot yardage to reach the day’s pin or you can have a very long first putt over some challenging contour.

#5 Par 4 295/270

GO White 5 Par 4

This one falls into the drivable Par 4 category for some but should provide a good scoring chance for anyone who can hit a couple of articulate shots. For most of us the choice off the tee is not more then 200 yards aimed at the bunker on the left. This leaves a short wedge into a diagonally set narrow green that is squeezed by bunkers on both sides. This hole can only help your scorecard as long as you don’t do anything silly.

#6 Par 3 165/140

GO White 6 Par 3

More eye candy this shortish three par has a slightly downhill approach worth a half a club less to a tiered green setting protected by a pond across two-thirds of the green. The sharp top edge of the stone wall accent of the pond gives it a clean look that also clearly defines for your eye the required carry to pins center and right. There is a back right bunker that further frames the challenge of a pin on the section. Pins on the left allow you to skip one up the throat between the pond and the left greenside bunker and should provide a birdie opportunity.

#7 Par 5 520/470

This is a very technical four and a half Par 5 that takes real discipline if you want to take advantage. From a slightly perched tee drive it to center using the slope from the left tree line to help you. If the green is out of reach, as it is for most mortals, there is a receptive lay up area beyond the right fairway bunker at about 160. This shot will feed down to the right and gives a you a good look at the coffee table green set back to the left. The green is very deep and sharply inclined from back to front with a bunker front left and another two-thirds of the way back on the right so you need to take careful measure on your approach to give yourself a reasonable putting chance.

#8 Par 4 360/320

GO White 8 Par 4

One of the most unusual challenges you will get all day this is a short drive and pitch Par 4 that turns around a fierce constellation of five bunkers set into the topographical rise on the left. It is likely there was once a grove of trees in this spot that were lost to the hurricane that delineated and separated this hole from an adjacent hole on the Blue Nine so they needed to find a hazard penal enough to replicate the interference of the trees. Tee ball needs to be well right of the fairway hazard which will leave a short iron pitch up a very steep grade to a generous green surface you cannot see perched behind a very deep bunker on the right. On the approach long is the miss since a 50 foot putt is much better then the 3-story pitch you would have to play out of the front bunker.

#9 Par 4 400/370

This nine finishes with a very strong roller coaster Par 4. Drive strong to left center and you should be looking at a steep uphill shot into a green complex sitting at the foot of the clubhouse with full bunkering on either side. You are going to have to carry this approach all the way to the putting surface or the front bunker is going to get some action. Another deep green with very significant slope back to front makes you want to hit an approach with release to work up the hill.

Old Westbury, New York

Architect: Joe Finger (1972), Joel Weiman (2014)

(Red/White) Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 72 72.4 132 6610

White 72 69.1 129 6050

White 70 67.4 128 5609

Red 70 65.2 120 5142

(Click to the the printable text of this posting)

Mountain Lake

Posted on January 7, 2024 by moegolf

Of all the Golden Age architects Seth Raynor, a man who never took up the game of golf himself, seems an unlikely candidate as one of the game’s most prolific and impactful designers. Trained as a land surveyor and civil engineer Raynor was lucky enough to be employed by the small town of Southampton on Long Island when C.B. Macdonald was considering the plot of land next to Shinnecock Hills for his visionary development of The National Golf Links in 1907. Raynor surveyed the rugged and untamed piece property on horseback with C.B. and together they conceived and produced one of the seminal American golf courses in history.

Macdonald’s concept was to incorporate the characteristics of the most famous holes from the British Isles as template holes for new courses in the United States. Hole names like Redan, Alps, Biarritz, Short, Eden, Road, Double Plateau, Leven, and Cape became part of the American golf lexicon overnight and signature elements of Macdonald/Raynor designs.

Raynor’s gift was his ability to recognize how to seamlessly fit the design features of Macdonald’s template holes into the existing topography of the land in front of him. As a pair they went on to employ Macdonald’s unique approach to golf course design to build Piping Rock, Greenbrier Old White, Sleepy Hollow, Mid-Ocean, and The Lido and establish Raynor’s reputation as a first rate surveyor, engineer, and construction manager.

By 1915 Macdonald decided he had enough of course design and channeled all the new work over to Raynor. Over a ten-year period, starting in 1915 to his untimely death in 1925, Raynor produced over 30 first-rate golf courses under his own name and was one of the most sought after course designers of his era.

One of those opportunities arose because of a relationship Raynor had with Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr., the son of the world famous landscape designer who created Central Park in New York and the Boston Commons, who had been tapped by a wealthy Baltimore lawyer named Frederick Ruth to develop a private gated community in Florida. The Ruth family had 3,000 acres of ground in Lake Wales, Florida and wanted to develop a winter get-a-way for him and his friends. Olmstead was familiar with Raynor’s work at the Country Club of Fairfield and it resulted in Raynor being hired to develop his first golf course in Florida.

The forested backdrop on The Alps #3 accents the width off the tee and bunkering offset to allow a ground approach into a raised green with consequential movement.

Raynor had in front of him at Mountain Lake a heavily forested piece of subtly rolling terrain and very deep pockets in the owner to allow him to choreograph a routing of template and original holes to suit his fancy. What he delivered was a vintage Raynor track with tons of short grass off the tee, signature geometric shaped greens and bunkers, and green complexes with template characteristics to maximize the strategic thinking required to be successful.

Two things to keep in mind when you look at Raynor’s work here and elsewhere. First, this was still the age of hickory shafted clubs and the Haskell ball which meant even the best players could not carry and spin the ball effectively from the middle of the fairway so the architect had to provide ground routes into most holes to give the players any chance at getting to the pins. Gene Sarazen did not invent the sand iron until twenty years later, so all those pesky bunkers were real hazards and avoiding them on approach was a premium.

Second, the notion of Macdonald and Raynor using template holes from course to course was in no way a redundant exercise. They were not creating carbon copies of the great holes of the British Isles but rather were blending the strategic characteristics of these template holes into the existing topography they had in front of them. No two Redan or Road holes on different courses were very much alike at all so, even though the hole monikers were the same, the challenges presented were new and unique.

Mountain Lake has had two recent restoration/renovations under the watchful eyes of Brian Silva and Gil Hanse. I think both men were careful to adhere to the original intent of Seth Raynor’s design. This descriptive is off the Blue Tees at 6,156 yards.

Take heed on your way to the first tee that your hosts expect you to enjoy this experience and respect it accordingly.

The inventory of template holes at Mountain Lake described below exemplify this and a discriminating eye will find a delightful collection of golf challenges which require thoughtful consideration of position off the tee into the pin positions of the day on these complex green canvases.

Approach into #1, Double Plateau, is wide open but be wary of ground movement once the ball touches down.

The opening hole is typical of what Raynor shows you all day-lots of width off the tee, open access to the Double Plateau green complex, but mind where the flag is so you can work you approach up from the correct angle into that section of the green. What I noticed throughout the course is that the ball transitioning from one level to the next will often have significant side movement as well so often you have to aim here to get the ball there.

The 5th Biarritz Par 3 green is full short grass in both sectors of the green protected by rectangular shaped sleeper bunkers flanking both sides.

Biarritz holes are generally long par threes with a sizeable downhill transition from tee to green so you can see the two sections of the green on either side of the Biarritz divide. The 5^th at Mountain Lake has a little twist. At 184 yards you are hitting a long club as you would expect but it is into a green on level to the tee which makes the depth perception of the back section of the green hard to reconcile. For a back pin it still requires a running shot into the back section through the divide, visualizing the shot is quite a challenge.

This version of the Road Hole can have you scratching your head. It is 125 yards shorter than the 17th at The Old Course but is by no means a pushover.

The Road Hole at St. Andrews is the penultimate long and narrow par 4 in the round which requires a pressure blind tee shot over the old railroad sheds adjacent to the OB of the Old Course Hotel. One then has to negotiate a 200 yard fairway club into a long narrow green pinched by the macadam road on the right and the nefarious Road Hole pot bunker on the left.

Raynor’s version here comes much earlier in the round at #6 but is still a blind drive over a yawning cross bunker instead of the sheds with OB harrowing the right. What is left is a short iron pitch into a long and narrow green similar to the original with a cordoning bunker flanking the right to replicate the road and a severe bunker short left which has double bogey written all over it. Strategy is the same as the original but the parameters are much different.

The island tee box on the Lagoon 8th can make you a little woozy as you contemplate the forced carry across the water into the landing area.

What is not often acknowledged is that Macdonald and Raynor created an original template hole at The National that did not exist in Britain which appears over and over through their collective creations. The Cape Hole, 14^th at The National, is a longish par four with a drive over water into a fairway landing area that turns to the right around bunkering and marsh. A bold second is required into a peninsula green tucked in a corner with trouble on three sides that strikes fear in the hearts of players contemplating an aggressive approach line to the flag. This peninsula green arrangement was an original and gives the Cape Hole it’s moniker.

The 8th is a three-shot five par that replicates a Cape Hole green setting with a lagoon playing up the right and a severe walled bunker diagonally set to the approach line of play.

The Par 5 8^th at Mountain Lake begins with a narrow catwalk out to a tee pad in the middle of a lagoon ensconced by trees with hanging moss. A sense of isolation on this tee box can inject a bit of wobble into your confidence as you drive over the water’s edge into a wide fairway landing area on the hill. With the presence of the lagoon up the right, the Cape green is wedged to the right between a cordoning bunker on the left and a Jai Alai walled bunker on the right that makes a bail out line to the pitched fairway left an obvious choice. Truth is a layup to the right side of the fairway well short of the bunker gives a level stance pitch across the trouble into a receptive green that leans towards you. The genius of template Cape Hole is that the considered measure of risk and reward is present on all shots.

Traditionally the Short is a forced carry short three par with steep fall offs to trouble on all sides.

The outward nine finishes with a classic version of the Short hole, only a 113-yard pitch across a hazard into a raised, almost moated, green complex that falls off to trouble on all sides. The false front will reject balls hit without requisite resolve so the middle of the green is a good intention for all pins. It is not obvious from the tee but there is a bail out area left of the green over the front left bunker that would leave an on-level pitch back at the flag. Somehow bailing out on a short hole like this seems the ultimate rationale of cowardice.

Marion’s Halfway House offers congenial attitude and tasty treats at just the right time of your day.

When you walk off the 10^th green don’t fail to take a moment to visit the halfway house next to the 11^th tee. Fresh sandwiches, a stellar hot dog, deep fried chips, and some very special cookies are just the boost you need before facing the rest of the day.

The Redan 11th does not appear like your typical Redan hole but it sure plays like it.

When you step on the tee of the slightly downhill 160 yard Par 3 11^th you may be scratching your head wondering how this can be a Redan hole. The flat bunker short right of the green seems out of place, the green looks far too circular to resemble any Redan you have played before, but the dramatic tilt of the green offers a clue. From the high edge back right the green surface is almost a saucer shape that feeds dramatically to the far left side behind the yawning bunker. Prepare to be amazed at how dramatically your ball magnetically moves in that direction once it lands on the green. Pins on the right are impossible to get near and anything center to left has to start at the back right corner and let the ground do it’s thing. Raynor has succeeded once again to capture the theme of a Redan without replicating the original in any obvious form.

From the tee the Punch Bowl 15th looks innocuous enough.

A look from the teeing round over the 15^th hole does not reveal the drama of the Punch Bowl green that defines this quasi-drivable Par 4. Your drive will traverse the penalty area jutting from the right and try to skirt the high lipped bunker on the left that is actually well short of the green.

From the edge of the landing area you can see the drama of the punch bowl that surrounds a flag half obscured by the edge of the short grass approach.

Because of the punch bowl shape it is hard to miss the green on approach since everything feeds to the center of the bowl. But getting even a spinning pitch landing short of the flag to stay close is a tall task and you will often see balls roll past the flag leaving a slick downhill 10-footer. It may make sense to consider a lower pitch with no spin into the back slope behind the flag and let gravity feed it back more gently to the flag position.

What would a Raynor Course be without an Eden Par 3?

Eden is the last template hole of the day as it replicates the feel of the 11^th at St. Andrews. Eden holes will share some or all of four characteristics of the original, the Hill bunker on the left front of the green, the Strath’s bunker on the front, a shelled bunker short of the green, and the Eden River behind the raised diagonal green that pitches steeply from back right to front left.

The 17^th at Mountain Lake is an on level 163 carry into a diagonal green arrangement leaning toward the front left behind a deep pot bunker front right. The bunker in front of that is mostly visual intimidation. There is bail room to the left since there is no bunker on that side and this green is not raised dramatically like the original. Water meandering well behind the green gives this hole a halo feeling of the Eden River from St. Andrews.

What a finishing look!

The finishing hole is a very dramatic dogleg left 389-yard Par 4 that works its way up a steep incline to a blind putting surface set below the foot of the clubhouse. The green on this hole has some of the most dramatic contour you will see all day so full attention is required for a happy ending to your experience of Seth Raynor’s creative design at Mountain Lake.

Lake Wales, Florida

Architect: Seth Raynor (1916), Brian Silva (2002) Gil Hanse (2020)

Par Rating Slope Yardage

Black 70 72.7 135 6685

Blue 70 69.9 132 6156

White 70 67.4 128 5609

Red 70 65.2 120 5142

(Click to the the printable text of this posting)

(Click to see the Mountain Lake Scorecard)

Alphabet Soup

Posted on January 1, 2024 by moegolf

It is evident now that the deadline has come and gone that the end resolution to the PGA/LIV debacle is still a ways away.

Not being one to predict anything with all these circling vultures involved, I would guess that a menage a trois between the SSG, LIV/PIF, and the PGA Tour is the likely outcome.

The addition of the rich American sport franchise owners gives the Tour executives and players some cover that it is not just the evil foreign money taking control of the sport but rather the typical rich corporate guys who run the NFL, MLB, and NBA who will be holding some of the levers.

A number of things are not clear to me.

-How is this influx of big money into a sport that only garners 10 million viewers on a Major Sunday going to be financially viable?

They are going to have to add huge sources of regular income to support this and the corporate sponsors have made it clear so far that they are not willing to pony up much more ransom then they already have.

-How do they resolve the return of the good players they want and payoff to the patient players who stayed?

Offering the players minority ownership in the Tour seems pretty hollow to me-especially if the long term annual returns are not obvious.

-The team concept in golf, outside of true rivalry occurrences like the Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup, just does not seem viable.

Especially if they try to run them in parallel to individual competitions. LIV has proven that they do not work side by side.

-The essence of a vibrant and viable Tour requires vertical mobility of young up and coming talent as well as some degree of security for those veterans who have paid their dues.

Reconciling these two counter forces requires a sea change in the rules and regulations of the various tour entities. I do not think Jay and his tour bureaucrats are open-minded enough to make these kind of seminal changes.

-In the end the dominant theme of charitable benefit from Tour Events has to take a major hit.

With big time owners expecting return on investment this is likely something that will have to take a major step backwards.

-The real elephant in the room is the available TV money that has bailed out every major sport.

Golf Channel, NBC, and CBS have proven over the last decade that golf cannot provide the massive viewership of the other major sports that can justify the liberal underwriting of the rich incomes of top players (and now investors to boot). I love all the programming the Golf Channel has provided but the truth is that there is not sufficient interest across all viewership age groups to support all this TV golf content.

What a long strange trip this continues to be.

January 1, 2024

U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club

Posted on October 22, 2023 by moegolf

The symbiotic relationship of golf and the military is well documented and is evidenced by the fact that there are golf courses at almost every major military facility in the country. Best part is the courses are there to serve the individuals and families of those in uniform no matter their rank. The low key and humble presentation of this classic and challenging old school golf course makes for a memorable golf experience for everyone who steps on the first tee.

The Par 4 14th is typical of the day’s challenge-somewhat blind off the tee with a significant elevation adjustment required on approach.

The U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club dates back to the 1940’s and was created late in the distinguished career of the Golden Age architect William Flynn on a flowing piece of terrain close to the Naval Academy in Annapolis. The original course, having had a couple of holes added in the mid-50’s, remained as it was until Andrew Green did a thorough cosmetic renovation in 2021. He pruned back trees to open up the playing areas, relocated and rebuilt bunkering throughout to add some punitive expense to your misses, rebuilt the tees to modern standard, and reconfigured the greens to recapture lost angles and pin placements. But on balance he respectfully maintained the strategic playability of the original Flynn design.

The course is very typical of what was built in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 1940’s and 50’s. The macho formula of the day was find a high spot for the teeing ground, a low valley to receive the tee shot, and a higher spot to bench the green complex and complicate the approach. The course plays very uphill into the greens which makes a 6200 yard course play over 6500 even without any wind effect.

The 170 yard Par 3 7th has two forced carries-one over the water and one over the false front. Picking the right wrench is crucial on these short holes.

Besides all the uphill approach shots the most obvious characteristic is the complexity of the green areas. Flynn loved table top green settings and this one has more high tops then a singles bar. As a result meek approach shots are often repelled and you can wear out your 60 degree wedge on recovery shots. One thing you will find that is not original design are the moated short grass surrounds on a number of the holes with long approach shots. Green left a user friendly, close-to-the-ground option for recovery if you are a bit too aggressive into these greens.

Andrew Green expanded the putting surfaces to reclaim their original size and shape that typically wither over time. He left severe internal slopes and undulations creating segmentation to greens already steep back-to-front. This puts a premium on approach shots getting to the proper section given the pin of the day to avoid defensive putting.

Par 4 1st hole requires carry off the tee and a hoisted extra carry up the hill into the blind green.

The first hole is a template for what you will have to cope with through the day. Drive off a perched tee across the edge of a water element cordoning the right side of the fairway to an expansive landing area beyond. Now you are looking straight up a massive slope requiring a club and a half more then the distance to a blind putting surface perched behind a false front and deep bunkers. Green created a low collection area in the front left of the green behind the bunker that is a magnet for any ball aimed at a back pin without sufficient resolve. The new greens have plenty of pace in them so navigating undulations like you see on the first requires the right balance of confidence and resolve to play a game close to your index.

Memorable courses present a variety of challenges that keep the player off balance. The short, on level second, at just over 300 yards, tempts you to take a direct line to the flag but there is a sentinel oak tree in the right rough about 50 yards short of the putting surface that should dissuade you from such heroics. Lesser club played on a line well left of center gives leaves a manageable short pitch into your first coffee table of the day. From the rough or over a 60 foot oak your chances of holding this piece of furniture are slim and none.

#3 the first Par 5 seems simple from the tee but controlling the side roll on the first two shots is essential to having a birdie opportunity.

The first par five of the day is a stunning view from the tee and once again you get the formula of high tee to low landing area to high green setting, but this time the added complication of a fairway that cants sharply left-to-right on the first two shots is thrown into the mix. This last 50 yards of approach and the green are set on a plateau so there is none of that false front, sharp shoulder roll off, but the surface itself has plenty of turbulence so two-putts are not guaranteed.

One of the few truly downhill holes, the short Par 4 6th gives you an idea of how Andrew Green used variegated spacing of the bunkering to force strategic decisions off the tee.

The rest of the outward nine is open, hilly, and full of optics and challenge with your best scoring opportunities from four through seven. Eight and nine are brutally difficult long four pars so you need spending pars in the bank before you get there.

The 425 yard 8th is just plain hard but the green tucked behind the trees makes position on the left off the tee essential.

Eight may be the hardest hole of the day requiring a long carry tee shot not dissimilar to the adjacent first hole, but the approach this time is on level to a high top green arrangement tucked to the right behind a stand of trees and protected by some of the most viscous bunkers you will see all day. Take the “Pit of Death” moniker of the front right bunker seriously.

Once you traverse the long ninth make sure to stop in to the bar/restaurant under the blue awning at the base of the Naval Academy Primary School, their elementary school, on the way to the tenth tee. The cup of chicken salad, tuna sandwich, or dog at the turn you can get are delectable, cheap, and necessary, as the cloistered corridors of the inward nine take on an entirely different tone then what you have experienced so far.

Now amongst the trees on the back nine precision driving on the 10th becomes important to having an unobstructed look at the green complex.

The first three holes on the back nine are probably the most interesting variety you will face all day. As you turn the corner to the 10^th tee the same hilly terrain you saw on the front nine is now encapsulated in tree lined corridors of play. The drive on the tenth has to be hit far enough right to avoid the severe camber of the fairway that can abruptly drag a timid effort back towards you into the rough forty yards to the left leaving no visual of the green. From the middle of the fairway the approach is a half a club more to a half blind green setting on top of a hill.

The short 11^th switches gears suddenly with a twisting dogear left that is defined by OB right and trees left. I like the long club off the tee here that you are confident will not wander to leave the shortest approach into another blind green complex way up the hill. The bunker you can make out on the left is a good 50 yards short of the putting surface so adjust your club selection accordingly.

At 225 yards the 12th is not your grand dad’s typical Redan three-par…you don’t see one like this in a typical Seth Raynor collection.

What comes next is Andrew Green’s new hole, the most visual offering of the day. Best described as a driver/fairway wood reverse Redan par three with serious elevation parameters….now there is a mouthful. Matching left-to-right ball flight to the angle of the green setting is obvious, negotiating the downhill adjustment and the roll out of a driving club is a different kettle of fish. My conclusion is, that if in doubt, take the longer club and hit it through the green since the pitch back is a routine uphill bump and run to all pin settings.

As was true on the front side, the best scoring opportunities are in the middle holes of the back nine so control your tee ball on the next two and be aggressive on approach if you have a stock club in hand.

A solemn tribute to those who gave their lives in our effort to expand man’s knowledge through space exploration.

Walking from the 14^th green to the 15th tee take a moment to engage with the tribute memorial, a reminder of the bravery of seven space explorers who lost their lives in 2003 in the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster when the orbiter disintegrated upon reentry over Texas and Louisiana just 16 minutes from their intended touchdown. The stars in the pavers around this monument commemorate the lives of Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and llan Ramon who were lost in this tragedy. Solidarity with the brave always has a place in a military facility.

Interesting anecdote about the monument shared by a club member. William McCool, the pilot of the Columbia, was a Navy pilot who, when he attended the Naval Academy was the captain of their cross country team. The placement of this memorial was 16 minutes from the course finish line!

The Par 4 15th just tumbles below your feet from the elevated tee box. Position of this tee will determine whether to take on the carry over a wall of bunkers in front or lay-up right for an up-and-down effort.

The finishing holes will test your discipline as they are all about controlled shot making to avoid blowing up your scorecard. 16 is a short par four with a blind landing area off the tee leaving a dicey approach into another bar stool green sloped back-to-front with nothing but trouble around it.

Another uphill approach into this severely sloped green on the short 16th.

The signature hole in this run is the pitch n putt 17^th, a steeply downhill Par 3 which simulates landing a short iron on the hood of a VW Beetle. The view from the tee is disarming in that this is literally a lawn dart hole, there are no good misses here. If you miss the green playing for four is just smart.

17th green does not present much safe harbor so figure the downhill and the wind and commit to the middle of the putting surface.

The 18^th is the modest twin sister of the 9th just across the entrance drive, but you must drive the ball in play to have any hope of hitting this green and walking off the hole with a gratifying par. If you are out of position off the tee lay up in front of the putting surface for a little elevation pitch to today’s pin.

As I said at the beginning, there is nothing flamboyant or tricky about the presentation of this old school course. Having to hit a club or more extra into many of these Par 4’s will tax your patience and strategic discipline. I am pretty sure that walking off the 18^th green the first thought you will have is that you need another crack at this one. That is the sure sign of a course worth going out of your way to play.

Annapolis, Maryland

Architect: William Flynn (1944) and Andrew Green (2021)

Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 70 71.2 126 6610

White 70 69.6 121 6200

Red 72 69.0 120 4935

(Click to review the printable Naval Academy Course hole-by-hole descriptions)

Pasatiempo Golf Club

Posted on July 10, 2023 by moegolf

It is impossible to separate the character of this course from the reputations of entrepreneur Marion Hollins and renowned architect Alister MacKenzie, two seminal characters in the introduction and development of west coast Golden Age golf courses of the 1920’s. The two joined hands at Cypress Point setting a standard for what this area of the country could produce and their relationship was solidified with the development of what would become MacKenzie’s home course-Pasatiempo.

Dedicating the loos is an odd way of honoring the memory of these two larger then life characters who made this place possible

Marion was also responsible for introducing him to Bobby Jones, who would eventually tap Mackenzie to build his most famous creation of all in Augusta, Georgia. But seeing that MacKenzie lived here and tweaked the course right up until his passing one has to look at Pasatiempo as his swan song to the use of perception and deception in making so many great courses over his career.

Plenty of history grace the walls and showcases through the clubhouse

Many of the great California courses like Riviera, Bel Aire, LACC, Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and the Cal Club used the unique rolling terrain, prevalent arid conditions, and sandy soil to present a strategic version of golf where the movement of the ball initiated by the ground would determine success or failure in their play. We rarely hear the use of the term barranca in relation to golf architecture outside of this region, but in many ways these deep recessions created by nature of scrub, rock, and sand-often just dry bed streams, are the unique challenge that make California golf what it is.

For over 75 years they have held the Western Intercollegiate and you can see individual champions include Ken Venturi, Johnny Miller, Mark O’Meara, and Scotty Scheffler among others.

MacKenzie combined the use of barrancas with bold fairway undulations, slopy segmentation on the putting surfaces, and wildly diverse flash bunkering to make Pasatiempo the ultimate strategic test of golf. Power and length alone are no match for careful strategic planning and shot articulation when going around this place. Set against the stunning backdrops of the California coastal topography, the back nine presents the most varied array of holes that wed these parameters to challenge players of all caliber to be on their best game.

You can see the segmentation in this 2nd green makes you work the approach on the ground to get into the right section for the day’s pin position

Looking down the first two holes you get the sense that position off the tee relative to the segmentation of the green propagating varied pin positions is going to matter all day. When you see how MacKenzie works the slopes within the segmentation of the putting surface it becomes clear that it is not only approach angle that matters but use of the putting surface itself to move the ball into the most advantageous place to putt from. Three putts are in your day, delimiting them is important to keeping the bogie monster at bay.

#3 is a Par 3 where your hybrid or long iron must carry the narrow entrance and a false front into a sloped green benched into the side hill

Two par threes in the next three holes that are the 2^nd and 6th handicap holes tells you something about how challenging this day is going to be. The 3^rd is a long uphill shot into a precipice green complex saddled by deep bunkers on both sides. Standing on the tee there is a enigmatic cross bunker that is 75 yards short of the green that will have you scratching your head as to why it is there. One needs to remember this hole was created in 1929 when hickory clubs were still around and elevating a Cleek on a long par three was not given.

The array of bunkers off the tee and surrounding the green on #4 are emblematic of the MacKenzie style

The 5th is an even longer one-shotter then the 3^rd and once again the uphill shot to the green will demand a solid club and a half more to cover the false front and bypass the massive bunker that dominates the left side approach to the green. The green is a four leaf clover so there are many corners when they can hide the pin.

Drive off the 7th has to split the uprights to negotiate this narrow landing corridor.

The 7^th and 8^th are two really old school holes you just would not see built today which makes them a treat. The 7^th is an appetizing uphill corridor short four which calls for a well positioned tee shot on the left side of the fairway to have a look up a narrow putting surface set on a 7 to 1 angle to the approach area. The green is segmented with countering slopes so it takes a really articulate short club to leave a birdie putt.

What a look down the hill at the 8th green wedged between steep slide slopes and bunkers to boot. The Par 5 9th is climbing the hill in the distance to the back of the clubhouse deck

As you step on the tee of the Par 3 8^th your jaw will drop as you try to take in the parameters of the 45-yard long wildly contoured putting surface that sits at the bottom of the hill in front of you. If the wind is blowing all bets are off picking the right wrench. There is a line drawing of this green above the urinal in the MacKenzie men’s room in the clubhouse that depicts all the slopes and counter slopes he designed into this one. You might wish they handed them out on the tee for reference. Once your shot alights on the green it will work up the slope and feed toward the back left. This makes any front pin or back right pin extremely difficult to negotiate.

As you approach the ninth tee make sure to order a sandwich from the call box for the back nine……the barrancas are coming and you will need the protein shot in short order to cope.

Undoubtedly you have played courses where the front nine and the back nine look like brothers from a different mother, like Tralee where you go from banal flat seaside links to the vertical turbulent land of trolls once you step on the 11^th tee. The stark transition here is similar but the distinguishing characteristic is not the topography itself but instead the use of nature’s singular feature, the barrancas which were intended to capture and move surface water during heavy rains but in their dryer form provide inherent surface movement and magnetic attraction to a ball struck with insufficient intent. What makes MacKenzie’s work so unique is that he fashioned countless iterations of this design element to influence your perception of strategic choices in subtle and not so subtle ways.

Looking at the required carry off the 10th tee you realize this barranca thing is about to become real and it is going to be unrelenting

Stepping on to the 10^th tee the gaping rocky gorge at your feet is actually the simplest of the three interactions you will have with the barrancas on this hole alone. Once you drive it to the top the hill you feel the pull of the barranca well off the fairway to the left but then MacKenzie ingeniously integrates it into a cleaved array of bunkers and grass you must deal with the last sixty yards to the green.

The back end of the 10th the barranca takes on a tamer appearance but the magnetic attraction to roll out is undeniable

The most in your face barranca experience of the day is on the bifurcated fairway arrangement on the shortish par 4 11^th. The rocky gorge haunts the left of the driving area forcing you to lay up at the end of the driving area just off the entrance to the steel bridge that traverses the chasm. The hole is now truncated to the left leaving the barranca on the right as you try to carry your approach up a significant incline to a green complex set into the back part of the abyss. Another narrow, stepped green awaits a long iron or hybrid approach earning this the 3^rd handicap designation of the day.

This is the harrowing look of the second shot approach to #11 that has to traverse the gaping gorge and find a safe landing spot of a steeply banked green precariously perched above the abyss

The switchback downhill par 4 that follows has the wooded barranca haunting a bad hook off the tee. From the center of the fairway the approach is into a triangular green wedged between bunkers and a fronting dry grassed shallow version of the barranca that will gather a ball with insufficient carry. You have already experienced six different iterations of the barranca effect in just three holes.

The Par 5 13th is probably the tamest hole on the inward half but once again MacKenzie emphasizes the contour of the barranca by lining it with sand as the pathway to a counter sloping green surface

White knuckle time over the next three holes begins on the par 4 14^th as MacKenzie ups the barranca effect another notch by presenting it as fairway the left half of driving area. It is playable from down there but there is a good chance the depression is so deep you will not be able to see the flagstick from your approach position. A drive in the right half of the fairway at about 140 yards out puts you on a flat stance but the diagonal setting of this long and narrow green means you have to carry the fronting bunkers to get to the flag.

A close look at the Par 3 15th shows a footprint very similar to the 12th at Augusta…just a barranca to traverse rather then a piece of Ray’s Creek

The short pitch 15^th is a dry bed version of the 12^th at Augusta. The shallow green sits on the diagonal requiring a delicate forced carry with a series of deep bunkers and grass emanating out of the barranca. The entire back side of the green is cordoned by a bunker that will contain a long shot but the recovery shot from there is tricky as the green slopes away. Three here gains a shot on the field.

From over 150 yards out this approach into 16 is the most harrowing task of the day. Three steep tiers in this anvil shaped green with bunkers you will need a tow line to get in and out of

MacKenzie was particularly pleased with the challenge he presents on the #1 handicap hole in the next one. You drive from a low tee up a steep hill with a large mound dominating the right side of the landing area. The barranca flanks the driving area on the left so anything with too much draw can end up in the hazard. The conundrum is that the best drive is at the left edge of the large mound which feeds the ball left to a flat area with a good look up the green. This is the craziest green out of a collection of truly crazy greens in that it is a full 50 yards long with three distinct tiers, the first of which is impossible to keep your ball on. A humongous bunker will that covers the entire right side of the green will collect any approach with a hint of wandering fade and an up and down from there is highly unlikely. Good news is the green fans out in the second and third tier which gives a bit of wiggle room for an approach on the long side.

A look back up from the green on the final hole emphasizes the extreme elevation drop your ball will have to negotiate

One of the most memorable things about Pasatiempo is that it ends on a par 3 that is fully engaged with the deep gorge you had to traverse off the tee on #10. It is no more than a short to middle iron across but the green is a three clove shape that straddles the abyss and each section has drastic ground movement that makes keeping the ball in the desired section a task. Getting it on the green is half the battle…putting out in 3 putts or less is equally challenging.

The segmentation of the green itself makes it like three greens. There is so much back-to-front lean to the front barranca that matching speed and break is a three-putt possibility waiting to happen

A bit of an author’s disclaimer, this course is every bit as wonderful as I have described but it is in dire need of a total facelift. Tom Doak and Jim Urbina did a restoration of the course in 2007 and brought back a number of the MacKenzie parameters that had been dulled over the years. Urbina will be back starting in the Spring of 2023 to redo all the greens, bunkers, and fairways in an effort to bring this course’s condition and related golf amenities in line with it’s historical expectation.

One last thought is that the Pasatiempo logo may be the coolest golf logo ever…..it looks fabulous on everything. Make sure to give the golf shop a visit and find something cool to take home to savor your Pasa memories.

Santa Cruz, California

Architect: Alister MacKenzie (1929) and Tom Doak/Jim Urbina (2007/2023)

Par Rating Slope Yardage

Gold 70 72.5 141 6495

White 70 70.8 134 6093

White/Green 72 69.5 133 5780

Green 72 68.5 132 5595

Hollins 72 67.0 118 4438

(Click here to review the printable Pasatiempo Golf Club hole-by-hole descriptions)

Postcard From Goat Hill Park

Posted on February 25, 2023 by moegolf

If you are in the vicinity of Carlsbad, California there is a golf destination about 10 miles north, in the surf town of Oceanside, that you should go out of your way to experience.

Goat Hill Park has a golf vibe that all municipal golf courses should strive for, including affordable rates, full featured practice facilities, their three-hole “Playground” approach and putt course for kids that actually grows the game, and a unique 18-hole Par 65 executive course that will test your golf skill set and stimulate your senses with panoramic views of the hills of Oceanside and the Pacific Ocean.

Over the years the facility struggled financially and there have been repeated attempts by developers to consume this property for just another commercial or residential development. But the locals have had to foresight to fend them off and a recent revitalization project spearheaded by John Ashworth brought Goat Hill facilities and amenities up to World Class but kept the spirit of the operation in tact to serve the Working Class as their motto indicates. The result is now a thriving and affordable community resource that all can enjoy on a regular basis.

Golf Shop Front

The community anointed the name Goat Hill because of the severity of the land Ludwig Keehn had to use to morph an old 9-hole course into an 18-Hole Par 65 short course in the early 1990’s. General public weekday rates are $42 to walk-$58 to ride and considerably less for members, local residents, and seniors. Kids can walk for $10 and ride for $17.

Tin Goat

Inside the modest golf shop fit for the working class clientele, you are greeted with all sorts of nostalgic memorabilia including pictures of celebrities like Bill Murray, Adam Scott, Kelly Slater, and others who have frequented this place. There is also an ample selection of domestic and regional beer at surprisingly affordable prices.

Old Clubs

The annual Wishbone Brawl Tournament has attracted some pretty well known professionals to participate….many who live in southern California drop in from time to time to refresh their golf batteries.

Wishbone Scoreboard

There is a weekly Friday afternoon Skins Games that is a hotbed for locals as well as an array of other robustly attended competitions run through the year. They have a vibrant junior golf program, a women’s league, and even disc golf for those with that apptitude.

Goat Hill Match Play

A section of the matted driving range bays feature Foresight Game Improvement Technology but as you can see it is not a Starbuck’s crowd that is hanging about this place.

McCafe Cup

Folks of all ages and backgrounds make use of these practice facilities, some bring along their furry support staff to dutifully oversee their practice sessions. This one is clearly channeling her inner Sean Foley.

Range Guard

There are three putting greens about. One large enough for full-fledged short game practice, a second for remedial putting work, and one next to the first tee for a last minute warm up before the round.

Goat Hill Practice Green

To me the centerpiece of Goat Hill Park is “The Playground”, a three-hole Approach and Putt Course suited for kids (who play for free) or for anyone new to the sport who wants to develop their game. The Playground has short grass everywhere with sculpted green complexes sprawling across rolling contours…..it is mezzanine golf….actual golf between the range and the course.

The Playground-Kids Course-Gate

Playground Empty

In the middle of the afternoon you can see hordes of youngins chirping and frolicking about in a real party atmosphere that encourages exploration, experimentation, and refinement of their developing golf skills….or simply having fun.

Playground #1

Playground #3

Then there is the real course, a hilly, rambling roller-coaster affair. 8 Par 3’s, 9 hybrid Par 4’s, and 1 not so Par 5 with kitschy names will test you, taunt you, and eventually give you a few reasons to come back again. Multiple sets of tees for folks of varying ability and a special forward tee that makes up the “Mini-Goat”…..an approach and putt derivation for those who find the many uphill holes a mountain too high to climb.

Goat Hill Park Scorecard

Tee Stanchion

Mini Goat

There is good grass where it matters and no grass where it does not (which saves on maintenance and makes finding an errant shot pretty easy). Plenty of forced carries off the tee and well protected small turtle back greens on the other end. It is like there was a yard sale at a used VW dealership and they simply buried 14 old Beetles and grassed them over. Holding an approach pitch or simply two-putting is a real challenge on The Goat.

#1 Fairway

#1 Revetted Bunker

Precipice green settings just about everywhere. Besides negotiating elevation changes that will defy the slope adjustment setting on your Bushnell, there is virtually no bail out spot on most of them. Hit it where you are aiming or play the next one from the oblivion. Those who have any sense will play a match with a buddy and forget keeping a medal score. But you have to admit the horizon views are breathtaking.

#5 Green Par 3

#10 Green Par 4

“Oz”, the finishing hole on the outward half, speaks volumes to what Goat Hill Park is all about. Simple 100-yard pitch into an amphitheater green complex is a birdie chance a lurkin’. Note the plethora of homemade viewing benches that adorn the surrounding hills to provide ample seating for adoring crowds of people and dogs for the big events.

#9 Green Par 3

Goat Hill Park is a must visit for anyone with a serious golf bucket list. You will walk away from this experience with a dented ego but a head full of good vibes from this very unique golf destination.

February, 2023

The Golf Soul

Posted on January 25, 2023 by moegolf

On the obsession with score over quality of shots played.

“The man who regards golf as a matter of ‘card and pencil’ is not a golfer at all, for he has lost his soul in arithmetic, whereas the true golfer puts his soul into the game for the love of it, and not because it amounts to a mere matter of mathematics as he wends his way back to the club house.”

Henry Chellew (1927)

As quoted in C.B. Macdonald’s

Scotland’s Gift-Golf

Mastering The Game

Posted on January 25, 2023 by moegolf

In comparing two ways of learning to play-one based on trusting your natural instincts and the other focusing on acquired technical knowledge.

“A perfectly good, well-formed, strong, and healthy man with a keen eye may do all that he has been taught and yet never really learn to play the game well, try as he will. In getting all these injunctions synchronized comes the real test of a man’s inherent ability to excel; primarily there must be concentration, and further, there must be coordination with the subconscious self, strength applied with extreme delicacy.”

C.B. Macdonald (1927)

Scotland’s Gift-Golf

On The Road With Bill Murray

Posted on January 14, 2023 by moegolf

The Golfer’s Journal regularly offers a wide array of stimulating golf content for the golf inebriated mind, both written and oral selections, that cover everything but instruction and golf jokes.

This podcast #124 is a Tom Coyne travelogue interview with Bill as they drive through rural Georgia on the way to a golf event at The Ohoopee Match Club. Bill is driving….aggressively…which presents a few thrilling moments and Tom is the enchanted frog on a log just prodding Bill to rap about just about everything.

Learn a bunch of interesting Bill tidbits:

-Bill’s collection of golf recovery devices

-His currency preference for $50’s and $10’s and disapproval of Andrew Jacksons

-An informal dissection of a pop-up movie set

-Yearning for java and fruitcake

-Some Arnie musings

-His early life as a shag boy and a barefoot caddie growing up in Chicago

-What he loves about the golfing experience

This is a pleasant car conversation between friends with you sitting in the back seat just taking it in. Well worth some lounge chair time for a listen.

Click to connect to this Golfers Journal Interview

________________________________________________________

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: