Golf

Going To Tempe...

Sorry it has been a long time since my last post...

This weekend I am taking my son (now 17 and a senior in high school) for an official visit to Arizona State University.  He has not been recruited for golf, but we are doing the campus tour and visiting some of the schools that he is considering.  We will also get to attend the ASU/Oregon game Saturday night and play a round on Sunday at the campus's own Karsten Golf Course.

What I wanted to share with you all is some interesting majors Ben is looking into.  One is through the Morrison Management and Agribusiness School where they offer a degree in Professional Golf Management.   The professional golf management concentration, under the Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness, is designed to prepare students for management careers in the golf industry. This program is appropriate for students who are skilled players and want to pursue a career on the player side of the business, such as a club professional. Students develop business skills and competencies while also becoming PGA Class A professionals.

So if you want to be in the business of Golf, this is the ultimate education and training wihich includes playing, getting a PGA certification and obviously introductions to the industry's big companies through internships.  They also have a major which focuses more on Golf Course Design and Management.

Outside the direct golf world, we are actually most interested in the School of Sustainability.  They are the only university in the country with a school dedicated to sustainable practices.  Ben is leaning toward a major in Business Sustainablity.  The Bachelor of Arts in Business with a sustainability concentration is an innovative, interdisciplinary program intended to prepare students for positions in a variety of professions where business and sustainability play an important role in ensuring success.  Interest in sustainability issues is growing and, most likely, will be increasingly important to business in the next few years. Businesses all over the world are asking serious questions about how they can understand, evaluate and act on issues related to sustainability while making sensible business decisions for both the short and long run. They seek qualified individuals who understand the societal, scientific and business aspects of the issues. Graduates from this degree program will fill these needs. 

Should be a great weekend.  I have to say, I am excited and sad to know that in less than a year, I will have a son in college.  Exciting to have him matriculating into a responsible adult with a good eye for the future, but sad to be losing my weekend golf partner.  Oh well.

 

 

The Eagle has Landed

by Mark Weinfeld

After almost 20 years of playing this wild game.  I had two major milestones in the month of May. 

On May 3 at approximately 5:45PM on the 577 yard par 5, 16th Hole at Green River's Riverside Course in Corona... I shot my first ever legit eagle.  I have probably putted for eagle at least two dozen times in my life, but never made the long putts to enter the Exclusive Bird club. 

On this day, I wasn't putting for eagle. The hole was playing slightly down wind and I bombed a driver about 305 yards in middle of the fairway.  I pulled out the new Nike Sasquatch 3 Wood and hit one on the screws, but the wind (and my usual fade) started to take it right and off target.  It landed on a scantily covered hill that created a natural barrier between the course and some modest homes.  I was now about 45 yards out and had to hit off of patchy dirt, dead ice plant and a bit of grass.  There was a low tree branch between me and the ultimate destination.  So I used a P Wedge instead of a sand wedge and hit a low punch shot that landed about 5 feet short of the upper shelf of the green and the fringe.  The ball released onto the freshly sanded green and began rolling down hill toward the pin.  I couldn't see the ball as it continued to roll across the widest part of the green and all I could see was my son looking in disbelief and turning back toward me with a puzzled look on his face as screamed "I cant believe that went in." 

Then on the following Saturday at Los Angeles Royal Vista, I had another golf milestone.  I shot a 79 on a par 72.  My first venture into the sub 80 territory ever.  On this day, the putter was the difference.  I didn't really play all that much different than usual but for some reason my putts were falling.  I never three putted the whole day.  My front nine was stellar.  6 pars and two bogeys for a 38 highlighted by a long 45 foot put on 9 to save a bogey after my only errant drive of the day. 

Knowing that I had a good shot at life in the 70's if I played smart on the back, I promptly hooked my drive on 10 into the water and chalked up a double bogey on the easiest of the four par 5's.  I knew after consecutive bogeys on the tough uphill par-4 14th and the short par-3, 15th that my goal was probably out of reach.  I would have to finish one-under on the next 3 holes when I haven't had a birdie all day.  After a long drive left me 195 out on the par-5, 16th, I pured a 4 iron onto the green and left myself about a 20 foot level put for my potentially second eagle in as many rounds.  The put ran just a little left and I tapped in for par.  I held par on 17 with long lag put from the upper fringe of a two-tiered green left me a wobbly 6 footer for par.  And then on 18, I blasted a big drive on a short 355 yard par-4 into a fairway bunker about 80 yards out.  With Ben's advice, I upped to a P Wedge instead of a Gap, and landed it on the upper part of the green and two-putted for par and the 79 was in the books.

What is weird about golf is that I competed on both of these days and the only opponent was Old Man Par.   That is right, you judge yourself against an opponent that never talks smack, never takes his game to another level, who never shows one bit of emotion.  God, I love this game.   

Ben Shot a 4-under 32.

by Mark Weinfeld

My son Ben shot a personal best 4-under, 32 at Skylinks on Monday to "medal" in a varsity high school tournament against Lakewood.  Los Alamitos won the non-league match and continues to be tied for the lead in the Sunset Leauge with only one loss.

You should have seen the excitement in his face later that evening when he told me about each and every one of the 32 stokes he took.  Priceless.  We even checked ocregister.com the next day to see his score listed as best of the match.

A Good Tip on Where to Buy Golf Balls

by Mark Weinfeld

Many experts will tell you that the most important piece of equipment that affects your score is ... the golf ball.  Yes the ball.  I am a bit skeptical about that comment, but it has been written my many contributors to Golf Magazine or Golf Digest over and over again.   

Anyway, I do find it very helpful to use the same balls all the time.  You do start to get a feel for them and know how to calibrate you swing on approach shots, have a consistent trajectory on your drives and (in my dreams) control the spin on your wedge shots.  So it is safe to say that you need to have a good supply of your brand of balls on hand at all times so that you are not paying the $15 per sleeve price at the course when you realize you have run low.

Some people will only play the 4-dollar a piece Titleist Pro V-1 or Pro V-1x.  Some other love the Callaway HX Tour or TaylorMade TP Black balls that are equally expensive.  I have found that the ball the performs the best for my game is the modest Nike PD Soft.  At less than half the price of the Titleist or Callaway, these balls have been given the highest marks from Golf Digest, Golf and even Consumer Reports.  I have found them to be easier to control on approach shots and quite consistent on the greens.  Nike also makes a PD Long and a PD Straight version, but since control is a much more pressing issue for me than length, I go with the PD Soft.  The Long is a firmer ball and the Straight generates less spin.

But bottom line, even at about $18 a dozen it can get expensive.  I have found a better solution.  At the Long Beach Golf Show, we ran into Scott and Brian from Golf Balls Only and they sell used balls.  These are clearly balls that are purchased from golf courses that have been freshly fished out of water hazards and such.  But they are newer balls with the current technology.  We have been buying from them now for two years and Ben gets three dozen Pro V-1s for the normal dozen price.  I get three dozen Nike PD Softs for $20.  All you do is call them and they ship them the next day.  They even take credit cards.  So far, in two years, we have never been disappointed with the quality or condition of the balls. 

Give them a call at 909-921-3155 or 909-238-4597.  Sorry, they don't have a website just yet. 

Random Thoughts for 2008

High school golf season is about to start next week.  My son Ben has made the Varsity squad at Los Alamitos High School.  They start matches next Monday, February 25 with all Orange County High School Tournament at Los Serranos in Chino Hills.  About 20 schools compete in this rare 18-hole tournament.  We played the famed par 74, South Course over the weekend which is the longest courses in California.  If you like dramatic elevation changes, don't mind brisk head winds and want a chance to give your fairway woods a really good work out, I highly suggest this track.  There are six par 5's including Holes 1 and 2.  Nice way to start, huh?  Green fees were reasonable  $48 with a cart for adults (weekend) and $20 junior walking rate.  I wouldn't recommend walking though... a very long course with many steep hills.

Tiger's 2 for 2 start to the '08 season has everyone talking about a possible Grand Slam in the majors this year.  He is playing with a renewed vigor that we havent seen in a few years.  When I watch Tiger, I realize why he makes a living playing golf and the rest of us don't.  I can hit a drive as long and straight as he does probably 1 out of 10 times.  I can hit a fairway shot onto the green and get as close as he does probably 1 out 25 times.  But I couldn't hit the putts he made in Oahu and at Torrey Pines even once in 100 tries.  His putting is simply unbeleiveable.

All the rain we have been getting is making even the cheapest municipal courses a pleasure to play.  The fairway grass is thick and green everywhere.  The greens are soft and tight.  Get out and play this weekend.

Mark

How's this for a bad lie?

This is the actual lie from my tee shot on the par 4 number 3 South Course at LA Royal Vista course.  My tee shot played left and bounced about 25 feet short of this tree.  The ball then clearly hit the tree and when we got down to there...this is what we found.  (That is my son, Ben in the background)

I hit a five iron out from this lie.  It went about 15 yards and I went on to bogey the hole.  But clearly the most memorable playable lie I have ever had.

We played on Sunday at Royal Palm in Walnut.  A fun course with lots of minor elevation changes.  A good deal too.  $40 on a weekend with a cart if you book through Click4teetimes.com (normally $52).  Click4teetimes is a great source of last minute tee times for some of the nicer course in LA, Orange, Inland Empire and San Diego county including Black Gold (Yorba Linda), Talega (San Clemente), Oak Quarry (Riverside), Lost Canyons (Simi Valley), Trilogy (La Quinta).  Discounts can be as much as 30% to 40%, but are more often in the 20% range.  Once you book, you have paid -- there are no refunds -- so you need to be certain of your plans.  Other than that, it is a great source of discount tee times that you can see all in one place.

Check out www.click4teetimes.com

Mark

 

There is only one place to buy...

No one has to pay me to be a spokesperson for this place.  No one had to convince me to write this.  The ONLY place to buy golf equipment is Roger Dunn Golf Shops. 

Why?

Not because they have a huge selection.  Not because they have the lowest price s on name brands.  Not because they have really good customer service.  None of these reasons top the single best reason. 

Whatever club you buy at Roger Dunn, you have 90 days to fall in love with it... or return it and get 100% of your investment back (in store credit).  What makes this especially great, it that it applies to new and USED clubs.  You can try it, play several rounds with it -- and return it and try a different one. And keep repeating until you find the one that feels just perfect.  You can go years on the same $200 hitting every hot driver for three months and moving on the next one.  And with today's product replacement cycle you can always be playing a technology that is less than six months old.

Remember what your father told you about cars.  A new car is a terrible investment as it devalues by 20% as soon as you drive it off the lot.  Well, golf clubs today are the same.  With new models coming out from Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade, Cleveland, Cobra and alike every six months or so, the prices tumble very quickly after the next model comes out.  Word of advice -- never buy a totally new club. 

Roger Dunn has huge selections of used clubs -- drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, iron sets, putters, wedges, you name it.  You are likely to find whatever you are looking even if you require less popular variations in loft or shaft.  You may have to visit more than one store, but I would almost guarantee you will find it.  Prices of one year old used clubs are usually 33% - 50% less than what they cost when they were introduced.  I bought my Nike Sasquatch driver for $149 exactly one year after the club was introduced at $299.  Nike had just brought out the new Sasquatch Sumo driver and the previous model dropped by $100 that day.

Now if you have your heart set on the new driver that you just read about in Golf Magazine and nothing else will do, Roger Dunn almost always will have a "demo" in the store that is marked down by about 20%.  None of the brands will allow a licensed retailer to discount their latest products if they are new, so this is really the only way around it.  But I challenge anyone to find a retailer that has more demos than Roger Dunn.

Golf equipment is expensive and having newer technology does make a difference in your game.  Traditional thinking is that newer technology only benefits the low handicap golfer and in reality it is just the opposite.  Newer technologies in golf generally make it easier to hit straight shots and the mid-handicap golfer will notice an almost immediate improvement in their enjoyment of the game. 

So, you spend a lot of money and there is nothing more intimidating than forking out hundreds for something you can only assume will work out for you.  Having that 90 day security blanket really takes the risk out of buying something new (but previously owned.)  Knowing that you can return it and try something else is a great peace of mind.  And remember that even after 90 days, you can still trade you clubs in (for a less, but fair value)  and upgrade to something better.

Can you imagine if you could buy a slightly used TV or a computer with the same 90 days?  I would have bought that 42" Plasma years ago. 

Roger Dunn has a store here in Santa Ana, but my insiders tip is to visit their location in Long Beach (near the Pacific Ave exit of the 405) because that store while smaller - has a full driving range and practice facility so you can hit all of their used or demo clubs on a real range before you buy it.

Go to www.rdgolf.com and get into the game.   

Were Oakmont's Course Conditions Good for the Game?

  I don't watch a ton of golf on TV.  It is usually good wallpaper while I do my Sunday chores around the house -- if I am not out playing.  But who could not get wrapped up in this past weekend's US Open at Oakmont near Pittsburgh?

There is something about a tournament where the winner is 5 OVER par.  Angel Cabrera was the first Argentine to ever win the US Open when Tiger missed a long birdie put on 18 that would have forced a playoff.  But the big story was that not even Tiger could muster a birdie on the back nine Sunday.  When he made a par he did his famous fist pump.  When have you ever seen Tiger happy about getting a par?  That is like Barry Bonds being happy with a solid single up the middle. 

Oakmont Country Club was beyond brutal last weekend.  It was near impossible at moments.  The rough was in most cases well over 5- 6 inches high.  The fairways were narrowed and slick so most drives ran off into the rough.  The sand bunkers were deep and always in the wrong spot.  There were grass bunkers in the middle of the fairways that had 12 inch high "elephant grass" that almost broke Phil Mickelson's wrist (he is expected to miss about three weeks due to this injury).  The greens were like painted concrete shaped like the back of a turtle.  In other words, almost every approach shot landed and rolled and rolled and rolled off into the 3 inch high fringe or up against the collar of the rough.

So many people talked about how cool it is to see pros actually getting double bogeys and celebrate when the made par... watching them fret with anguish after every other shot.  Was this good TV?  It is pleasing to see the best golfers in the world shoot scores that you and I can get on a good weekend?  I am not sure.

Too me it is a bit of a blunder for the USGA.  It would be like the Yankees playing 162 games in stadiums that have tightly cut grass infields, 90 foot bases, 10 inch raised pitching mounds and 400 foot fences... and then going to play the World Series in a place intentionally built to change the game.  Imagine a baseball field where the fences are now 550 feet to center field, bases are 110 feet instead.  The infield has thick uneven high grass.  The mound is now 18 inches high.  The best hitters in the game are brought to their knees and a high scoring hit fest ends with a 2-1 score and fans give standing ovations to walks just to see a runner get on base.  Would that be fun to watch?  Would that be an accurate test to see who is the best team for the whole season? 

I say "no way!" 

The US Open will be at Torrey Pines in La Jolla next year.  Torrey Pines is a public course that any of us could play (which doesn't happen often -- The Open is usually at a private exclusive club like Oakmont.)  I don't want to see the course changed so much that we barely recognize the layout and the greens.  I want see how the best players in golf play the same course I could play and what they score.  Hopefully, we can see Tiger or Phil or whomever win the biggest tournament in golf by being the best player that weekend ... and not by being "least worst." 

What do you think? 

Someone asked me about Golf?

Well, here it is.  A whole column dedicated to what I know about golf.  I am feeling pretty special right now.   Why should you listen to me?  What makes me qualified to give you advice about a precision game of skill and patience.  I was just like most of you I am sure... you know, a basic weekend warrior that got out a dozen times a year or so and enjoyed the game with friends from work ... until two years ago. 

My life changed. 

You see, my son who was 14 and had played golf maybe a five or six times in his life at that point and had yet to break 100, said to me... "Dad, I think I want to go out for the golf team when I get to high school next year."  This coming from a kid who had been annually named to the Little League All Star team, traveled to Cooperstown on a travel-ball team and basically had a mitt on his left hand for almost half of the waking hours of his 14 years on this planet.  He chose golf over baseball?  What the heck?

Well, he has now finished his Sophomore season at Los Alamitos High as the #2 seed on the JV team and has worked his way to about an 8 handicap.  Why did this change my life so?  Because it has become our passion... our shared value... if you will.  Not too many fathers have the to pleasure of "shared anything" with a 16 year old son.  So I feel blessed to share many 5 hour "good walks spoiled" with Ben.

Now, I play golf every weekend.  Most of my vacations revolve around golf.   I sometimes even watch golf on television now.  I have probably played every public course in Orange County and close to 75% of them in Riverside and LA counties.  I have played 12 courses that will host PGA or LPGA events in 2007.  I have hit every club Callaway, Taylormade, Nike, Cleveland, Cobra, Nickent, Ping, Titleist, Adams, Mizuno and Bridgestone have on the market today... and I have bought and sold plenty of them in the last two years.  I have not bought a golf ball in a retail store in over a year and yet I only play Nike PD Soft or Callaway HX Tours.  I have followed the prep golf scene and even attended an SCPGA event where a local 14 year old shot 4 under par.   

So my blog is going to focus on my collective learning of the local golf scene from the perspective of a parent who loves the game but isn't a "clubbie" and cannot afford to the weekend rates at the likes of Oak Creek and Tustin Ranch.  After all, I am paying for two for a few more years.