A Victory For Beards

Lucas "Brian Wilson" Glover sealed victory in an exciting play off against Jonathan Byrd on the first hole of a sudden death play-off. Glover also predicted exactly that Byrd would birdie the final hole in regulation to make the pair tee off again. This was some prediction seeing as the 18th was one of the hardest holes on a tough course. Quail Hollow, in my opinion is easily worthy of a place in the US Open roster. It seems to tick all the boxes required to make for an exciting event, so lets hope the organisers take heed of all the feedback.

Annoying South African Rory Sabbatini was also in the race, but fortunately fell short at -14. He did however shoot a flawless 65 on the final day, this doesn't help the fact he has a face that I defy anyone would not like to slap. I could easily see him playing with a chalk knob drawn on his back by a fellow pro, or a "I blow donkeys" sign, hastily masking taped on by a spectator. Rory doesn't seem to be liked that much amongst fellow pro's, pundits and fans alike. He is also a hot topic at the moment regarding slow play & etiquette issues, as he squared up nose to nose, to Sean O' Hair in the middle of the fairway for a dust up. I wish he had done that to other player in the group, Pat Perez, the feisty Perez would have knocked him square on his ample arse.

Rory Sabbatini

Repo Man Ray Lamontagne

Seve Ballesteros, Hero, Inspiration, Legend

Seve in full flow

Very upsetting news filtering through from various sources has got me thinking about Seve a lot today. I wish him all the very best.

Even before I first played golf back in the early 80's, I was aware of who he was. I was only 11 or 12 but I could tell he was special when he came on the TV screen, with his dark good looks and flashing, fearless golf power. I remember going to a Summer school at a local golf club around 1984, which was essentially, a chance for parents to get you out the house for 6 weeks & let someone else keep an eye on you for a few hours a day. It was an eye opening experience for someone so young, and to throw in a few lessons, a mini tournament, balata golf balls, plastic tee's, plus the chance to hang around a real golf club, well, it was a dream. (I revisited the course recently & a lot has changed since back then, but it has been over two decades. The car park was a gamble, 4 kids were playing football on the 18th green & the 3 holes at the turn should be renamed 'Dog Sh*t Alley) The pro who ran it turned out to be bit of a boozer with an acute gambling addiction, but that's another (familiar) story. It was Seve who I always wanted to be in the practise sessions, I tried to play all the bunker & low punchy recovery shots just like him. My friend Rob was always a Nicklaus, a Watson or a Norman. I remember asking my Mum to buy me a dark blue Slazenger sweater, dark navy trousers and white shoes so I would look the part. My school trousers and Dad's oversize Gabbici polo shirt just did not make me feel like an exciting new golf pro, more like I should be pulling pints in The Red Lion. I never did get the clothes, although I think they would have helped edge me into a first place instead of a paltry third in the final tournament of the Summer. Maybe, with that sprinkling of Spanish, Slazenger navy blue fairy dust it may have happened. Let's face it, it just wasn't going to happen in Farah knock offs and my Dad's old pigeon fanciers shirt. I got beat by my mate (Greg Norman that day) and a girl. (Who I'm sure cheated heavily and lied about being 13 years old, she was at least 5 inches taller and had 2 stone on me. Come to think of it her boyfriend had a motorbike and drank Special Brew)

I didn't look like this

When I finally got back to playing golf after 20+ years, it was Seve who I looked out for on TV and in magazines, yes he may have been way past his best, his back in bits, and missed cuts galore but he was still magical and charismatic to watch. I went to Hoylake GC in 2006 to The British Open, and it was Seve who I followed around all 18 holes. Watching him hit the ball was fantastic, his short game still as good as ever, it seemed so natural & effortless for him. His son was caddying for him that day, and it was just inspirational to see him hit shots around a tough links course, having a laugh and appearing to just enjoy being out there & playing again. 

At the Ryder Cup 2010, I was at the front of the crowd at the closing ceremony when that black and white picture of Seve & Olazabal was being paraded down from the clubhouse to the stage by the caddies. It was a fantastic moment for both teams and the crowd, to show what love and respect they had for this great ambassador of golf. (I'm getting goose bumps right now thinking about that moment)

I finally got to play The Brabazon course at The Belfry a few years ago, (and four times since) and on the 10th hole, I always try to drive the green, regardless of my score, good or bad, just like he did in that famous Ryder Cup shot from the 80's. I never make it, but I will try again everytime I go back there. When I play golf, I never lay up. It wasn't his way, it isn't mine. 

The Masters Great Moments #1

Almost The Masters, The New Season Has Started Then?

So, I fully prepared for yesterday's (20th March) society day at my home course by going out the night before for a retro boogie and an in-proportionate amount of vodka & stella artois. Let's just say a 3.40am taxi ride home confirmed my pre match routine/plan was going well. First tee, smashed a driver down the middle,with a textbook wedge and a solid two putt. Good start. This was basically the same all the way around, apart from a few birdies and 2 double bogey's thrown in for good measure. (A double bogey on the 17th, a 121yd par 3!) The back nine was a slog, energy levels depleting on a hole by hole basis. I just tried to focus for the shot, tuck that chicken wing in and slam it, and then zone straight back out. 

I shot a gross 8 over, my hcp being 16.0. 42pts total score. My best ever round on my home course Swindon GC. The  nearest to me was 38pts, a solid round from Pete, a guy who had never played Swindon before, but whose first full 18 holes was  with me around 4 years ago. "A BAPTISM OF FIRE" he described it.."BUT IN A GOOD WAY!" That's a great score from a 21hcp around Swindon, which is a tough, tight, tree lined track. No one out of 20 people got nearest the pin, (155yds!) and the longest drive was won by a guy who played with me, he shot 14pts overall & lost a SW and an umbrella on the 2nd hole! He hit a duffed chip and threw his club backwards over his head into a tree about 25ft up...the umbrella was then dispatched skywards around 10 times before that too was grabbed greedily by the trees spindly Autumn arms. His longest drive was about 6 yards off the fairway, but I didn't have the heart to tell him..."Sorry mate....but if you look back at the cut line up the fairway....."

                                          

January's Action

After a lengthy lay off from golf, the Ryder Cup to January this year, returning to the fairway’s post bad weather, with no driving range action, my game was ‘ahem’ streaky, at best. I could still smash long drives and hit suck back wedges, but they were dotted sparingly, sprinkling hooks, double bogeys & NR’s all over the card. I almost missed the ball on the tee at least 5 times due to a massive over the top, pop out downswing! My first actual comp in late January was fairly good, 32pts on winter greens, but scrappy and torturous to witness. A few friendly match-play games against my nemesis ‘Carl’ proved no better, a few matches going down the last, but always, ultimately, losing.

                                     

Do you think Taylormade's new driver is aimed at high handicappers?

February's Crack Of Light

February proved better, with a few more regular games under my large buckled belt, some semblance of consistency returned. My new swing thoughts of fookin' smash it, but finish high like Luke Donald’ yielded some good drives and fair scoring. I played in a Pro Am at Bewdley Pines, finishing 3rd as a team & me winning a nearest the pin, (almost won 2 nearest the pins, I hit a 225yd par 3 to 8ft, losing by 4”…a wounder!) I also beat Carl 5&4, although he was using a new driver, which he stole from the pro shop for £35, a square headed Callaway FTi (now in his garage with the other 25 drivers)

                                    

Finish High, Let It Fly

March Madness

March seemed optimistic; I got a ‘Mental Toughness for Golf’ book from a charity shop and have started to glean nuggets from the heavily underlined pages. If it goes tits up I could always use Gary Wolstenholme's tips in his chapter on ‘How I Tamed The Tiger’ to order pizza. I also got ‘The Real Monty’ from 2002, and was amazed how much Monty’s hair looked like Weetabix in the 80’s. Again I beat 'Carl' three times and lost once.

                                          

 Two Or Three Shredded Wheat?

I had my best round of the year so far at Hagley Golf & Country Club, shooting 6 over gross. Okay it was off the matt's but it is a fairly tough old track with some hard approach shots. It did help my score with a whole bunch of par's & 3 birdies, but it was a rock solid display. Apart from a thinned 8 iron to 4 feet! I absolutely owned the wedges all day, distance control smack on, putting on fire too. 

My newest swing thought is dropping hard on the inside on the downswing, (think Garcia) or tucking that chicken wing elbow in (with the driver) on tee shot’s. Seems good so far, occasionally hooky, but I have hit some really “DEEP” balls. (I heard that phrase on the golf channel, Americans…nutters) A smooth, slow deliberate takeaway with a full finish is the next stage to my 'focused one part takeaway'. 

After 18 months, I finally gave up on my Darren Clark DCC Stuburts, I have never had had a more uncomfortable pair of expensive shoes. For 3 holes they were great, but then no matter what I did or padded & plastered, they would shred my left heel until it resembled a watery hole full of Frazzles. Ditto a pair of J Lindeberg's....Ebay tastic fodder for the two of them. The best pairs I have ever worn are a cheap pair of Dunlop's and a pair of Puma Leeres (now no longer waterproof) they were awesome!

Loved the look & feel but, wow! they hurt                                      Fav Shoes so Far

Looking forward to The Masters this year, I hope a European wins it. Possibly Kaymer, or maybe even Westwood? I feel a PGA tour player will win though, probably one of the generic faceless ones. Bubba Watson, that would be okay with me. 

Tom Petty FreeFallin'

                                

GPS vs Laser, Rumble On The Fairways

“GO..GO..GO...what? I flushed that” As the ball drops with a thud on the front of the green, 20 yds from the pin. “Hmmm..did the starter say the markers were to the front or middle of the greens?” 


I did a lot of research last year into buying either a GPS or a Laser Rangefinder. There were pro’s and con’s on both sides of the argument, but for me I found the Bushnell V2 Rangefinder was far more useful. I have used it for every round since last May, bearing in mind I played 70+ rounds in that time on many different courses, so the battery life has been great. (My playing partners are always asking for yardages too so it has been well used. Battery only now needs replacing) It's also easy to use on course or the range to find the distances you are hitting each club exactly. The downside of the Rangefinder is getting used to the 'pinseeker' technology, but with a few rounds using the device it is quite easy to 'lock on' to the flagstick. Basically it can pick up something behind the green (first yardage), and then it gives you an exact yardage as the software locks onto the pin. (shown by a circle around a flag)

BUSHNELL TOUR V2 LINK

My favourite part of the game has always been from 150yds in. (Hence my long game is somewhat streaky at best) This is the scoring zone. When I first started playing I spent countless hours pitching, flopping, chipping, grooving a feel in getting the ball as close to the pin as I could.  Maybe it's because Seve was my favourite player that I also play a reasonable percentage of my approach shots from some interesting lies and locations. However I felt to get my handicap down to single figures I needed to know exact yardages to the pin. I could see other players with poorer or shorter long games than mine with much better handicaps. It was their short game. They hit it closer than I did. Knowing that my LW is 75y, SW 90y GW 105y, PW 120y (until it started going 135y!!) would give me more control & confidence at getting the chance to par or birdie more holes. I now feel more confident over my 8 iron to LW thanks to the Bushnell. If the ball doesn't go where it should it's down to poor execution rather than blaming the yardage.


Without the rangefinder I found my usual method of pacing out was okay, but sometimes it could be a full or even two clubs difference. For a mid handicap golfer like me, who has a pretty good short game, fixing the exact yardage to the pin was crucial. GPS technology I found was like pacing out, guess work, unless it was a tiny green with the pin in the middle.


So over the two products, I would recommend the Rangefinder, but ask yourself these questions if you are considering buying one of them.

1. Price. Are you getting value and all you need for your money?
2. Ease of use. How easy is it to read yardages and use the various features? 
3. Do you need other info than just yardages? 
4. Do you want to clip it to your to your bag, or do you want it in your pocket?
5. What are the costs of downloads, if any?

6. Does this GPS carry my course(s) map in it's database?

7. How accurate is the unit?

8. How long will the batteries last? Do I need to remember to keep recharging every round?

Using a Bushnell V2 will give you incredibly accurate yardages to pins and all clearly visible hazards & markers. The unit is easy to use with just one button to press, but getting the right reading may take a little practice. One thing I noticed is that getting accurate readings in the rain was a bit difficult (but I am normally always a fair weather player) These units require no uploads and have a really long battery life. 

GPS units are able to give you an overhead view of the hole, and distances to the front, middle and back of the green. However, they are not as accurate as the laser-based models. One big advantage that they have over the Bushnell is that they are not dependent on line of sight. Since these devices get their measurements from GPS satellites, they will work regardless of the terrain you are in. The battery life though is not great and needs re-charging every 1 to 2 rounds. I have seen some of my friends curse as the life drains from their device. Another disadvantage of the GPS models is that not all golf courses have been mapped. Also, you may have to subscribe to download the maps and have access to a computer to load the maps onto the device. Bad weather & connection can also affect them adversely.

At the time of writing this blog, I have seen a new product coming at the end of Feb (below), giving you the best of both worlds. The GPS/Laser Hybrid from Bushnell. It seems it will retail for around £400.....This will give you the opportunity to get the V2 at a much cheaper price! Happy Daze.....

New Kid On The Block

Beards Are The New Black

I pretty much always have some facial hair, be it stubble or more likely a grade 3-4, but I always seem to grow a beard over Christmas, does it makes me feel warmer out on the golf course? probably not. Inevitably I get attached to it & grow it until late March & feel a tinge of sadness as the blonde/brown but mainly ginger hair falls into the sink to form a shape close to an albino hedgehog. Maybe I feel comfortable with one because of the music I listen to, the people I hang out with or the fact I'm sometimes in a band. I NEVER see full beards at golf clubs...why is that? no younger players with the same taste in music & clothes? The fuzz I grew from 2010 was a beauty. I grew it for around four and a half months, only occasionally trimming it or pulling out those white hairs that seemed to grow longer and faster than the others, it was impressive & friends called it a 'proper' beard. I did however get a few comments, some good ones but mainly negative about my appearance. One bar manager at a golf club said "10 years ago I would have thrown you out for looking like that" I guessed the rules had slackened slightly seeing as the bar was empty, the course patchy and the members few on the ground. If you happen to see my friend Tom Cox and I out on the golf course, you would be forgiven for thinking a couple of The Beach Boys circa 1971 were out for a leisurely 18 holes. Or when my friend & band-mate Andy comes out for quick 9, he also loves a good beard but can't quite grow it enough to stop him from looking like Peter Sutcliffe.

You never see good facial fuzz in the pro golf ranks. Graeme McDowell, the only bearded player to win a major?.  I could knock that chin strap out over a weekend. Raphael Jacqeulin has a go now and then but looks homeless rather than exuding hipster coolness. Finally, we have someone who doesn't mess around when it comes to sporting a beard on the golf course. Lucas Glover US Open Winner. Not since the days of Old Tom Morris have we seen something so luxuriant in the pro game. We salute you. 

Excerpts from Lucas Glover interview from Waste Management Open Feb 2011.

Q. Were you able to go any holes without somebody commenting on your beard?

LUCAS GLOVER: No. I'm worried about a bunch of the guys asking me for my phone number, but they keep commenting on it, so that's going to be my line next time. (That makes no sense... GF)

Q. What's been the best comment?

LUCAS GLOVER: I don't know, you get a lot of "Grizzly" and "Brian Wilson."

My best comment was from a Big Issue seller outside a Band Of Horses gig..."Nice Beard Chief..."

Q. How long have you been growing it?

LUCAS GLOVER: I don't know, seven, eight weeks. I started the 1st of December. 

(7 weeks! he was seen October 2010 with the start of a beard GF)

Q. Are you going to stick around with it?

LUCAS GLOVER: I don't know, just lazy, something to do. (Yes, if he starts winning again! GF)

The Band King Harvest Long Black Veil 1970 Beards at their best

"So what? So let's dance!"

Grip It & Rip It golfer John Daly tweeted a photo yesterday of his new "Caddyshack" golf bag that was inspired by Rodney Dangerfield's character, Al Czervik. He tweeted "No beer taps bc I quit drinking, so I'm tryin to get Diet Coke to dispense instead...Rodney Dangerfield inspired me! Now working on his dance!" I really wouldn't fancy caddying with that on my back for 4 hours. Clearly it's going to be flashing sponsor's names and products on there, but if he's playing poorly he could always flick Poirot on for an hour or two. Just imagine Daly on the road hole at St Andrews doing the "So what? So let's dance!" moves. You would hear the sound of blazers stiffen in the R&A.... 

Great to see John back playing well, and actually appearing on leaderboards again. Just a shame he can't seem to string 4 good rounds together. I'm banking on him winning loads of events on the senior tour, his swing may even be parallel at the top by then!