What If...

The differences between golf and the other major professional sports are obvious. Golf is an individual sport while the others are team-oriented. Baseball, basketball, football and hockey require uniforms while golf is, once again, more individual in nature (think: plaid pants). One difference, however, is a bit more subtle and one that elevates golf above the others. As we approach the 2008 U.S.Open at Torrey Pines this week, we are reminded of that difference in a notable moment from the same event some 83 years ago.

During the 1925 Open at Worcester Country Club, golf legend Bobby Jones (shown left) was standing on a very steep bank preparing to execute a difficult greenside chip. Just before impact-the ball moved. So slight was the movement that Jones was the only witness. Yet, abiding by the rules of golf, he called a one-stroke penalty on himself. Instead of winning outright, Jones dropped into a tie for the lead with Willie Macfarlane who would capture the U.S. Open title with a 36-hole playoff victory the next day. Though he lost the tournament, Jones' stature as a golfer was never higher.

Imagine the following:

• It's 1988 and an injury-wracked Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers is facing the best closer in baseball, Oakland's Dennis Eckersley, in Game 1 of the World Series. After a lengthy and painful at-bat Gibson launches one to deep right field for an apparent, dramatic game-winning home run. But wait! Gibson's not running! He's speaking to the umpire. No one else saw it, but as he swung, Gibson had stepped out of the batters box. He calls himself out and the Oakland A's go on to win the Series. Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, and all Dodger fans are left feeling "Dodger blue".
  
• It's 1972 and the Oakland Raiders are leading the Pittsburgh Steelers 7-6 in their AFC Divisional Playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers are on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds left in the game and it's 4th down. Terry Bradshaw goes back to pass and under pressure cannot find his primary receiver. He instead throws the ball downfield in the direction of his running back "Frenchy" Fuqua. Fuqua gets drilled by Raider defensive back Jack Tatum just as the ball arrives. The hit levels Fuqua but the ball pops up in the air and is grabbed by halfback Franco Harris just before it hits the ground. Franco eludes several stunned Raider defenders on his way to the game-winning touchdown. But wait! One official signals "touchdown" but referee Fred Swearingen is gathering the entire crew for a discussion. Fuqua makes his way over to the officials and confesses that the ball had glanced off him- thereby making Franco's catch an illegal touch. The Raiders decline the penalty, take over on downs, and win the game.
  
• It's Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Eastern Conference Championship series at the Boston Garden. The 76ers have cut the Celtics lead to 1 point but the Celtics have the ball out of bounds with 5 seconds left. Unbelievably, Bill Russel's in-bounds pass hits a guy wire that supports the backboard and now the 76ers will get possession under their own basket. Hal Greer scans the parquet floor and spots Chet Walker out deep. As the ball approaches the intended target, Celtics super "6th man" John Havlicek launches himself into the passing lane and steals the ball. As Johnny Most's bullfrog voice is screaming "Havlicek stole the ball!" that bouncin' Buckeye from Ohio State has called time. Havlicek tells the referree that he actually fouled Chet Walker on his way to the ball. The Celts are in the penalty so Walker gets two shots and makes them both. The 76ers win and Celts' bid to to win their 7th consecutive title falls short.
  

Now, I know that these other sports do not have rules that allow for self-reporting. I'm just sayin'...what if they did? I think we all know the answer. Thank you, Bobby Jones.

Enjoy the Open!

Colonel Bogey

Drive For Show...Putt For D'OH!

When I was a kid my friends and I would frequently hang out down the street at the Vickerson's house for hours. There was a baseball field across the street and trails for riding bikes through the woods behind their house. My friends Frank and Bill Vickerson had a ping pong table in the basement and a basketball hoop in their driveway. It was like today's neighborhood "rec" center only without the registration fee. Anyway, it was common to see several kids standing around the driveway shootin' the breeze and firing shots at the basket....for HOURS! An actual game rarely happened. For the most part, we just stood around and kept throwing up shots at the basket while we talked about sports, girls...well, that was about it...sports and girls. We were a simple lot. This dreary, slow-paced activity really put my type "A" personality to the test. The same held true for baseball or soccer or hockey. "Enough already with the pre-game routine....let's play!" But, golf was different.

For some mysterious reason, going to a practice putting green and working on chipping and putting for an hour or more seems just fine, thank you. It's made even better if the practice facility has a bunker. Not only do I find that it has a strange calming effect but, as we all know, it really helps to shave strokes off our score.

So, with putting playing such a crucial and pleasurable role in the game of golf, it is particularly annoying when golf courses fail to notify us when they have aerated or top-dressed their greens. These nasty conditions make long putts swerve unpredictably left or right (or both) on their way to the promised land and even short-range putts are an adventure. I'm fully aware of the need for this course maintainance. But, I also understand the financial reasons why golf courses don't make it a habit of telling us about it when we call to make the tee time. It's sort of a "don't ask - don't tell" policy. As in: If the customer doesn't ask - then don't tell them.

General Managers...hear me now...and hear me later! As a daily fee golfing nomad, I am more likely to come back if you tell me up front that you've just punched your greens then if I find out when I get to the end of the first hole. I would encourage any of you readers out there who have experienced this short-sighted policy to speak up when you finish your round. Competition among the courses for your hard-earned cash is stiff and they should feel inclined to listen to their customers' concerns.

Conversely, when a course DOES tell you up front or offers a small discount until their greens are more playable, give them positive feedback and your repeat business. We should encourage all courses to do the same. So, to all of you GM's who already employ the full disclosure policy. Thank You! It shows respect for the game and respect for your customers.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Hit 'em straight! And knock in a thirty-footer while you're at it!

The Colonel

Mind Games

"Baseball is ninety percent mental, the other half is physical."


- Yogi Berra




Like most of Yogi's quotes, this reference to the mental aspect of baseball seems misguided at first, yet makes sense the more you read it. In the end we understand exactly what Yogi means to say, it just takes a while to get there. Funny thing is, Yogi could just as easily been "talkin' golf".

All the sports we play have both a mental and physical component. But, the physical part is more easily explained. Body mechanics and kinetics can be analyzed on video or computers and corrected with lessons, coaching and practice. It's the mystery-shrouded mental part that I find so fascinating. How can a Manny Ramirez hit .178 during the month of April and then tear it up in July? How can a Davis Love win a tournament one week and then miss the cut the next week? It's all between the ears.

As golfers, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our physical approach to the game and there is a universe full of equipment and gadgets to help us reach our full potential. There are clubs whose hinges break in three or four places, weighted clubs, plastic hoops that guide our backswing, set-up alignment aids, videos, computer programs, etc. Think Rene Russo in Tin Cup. Then there are the technical advances in clubhead design, shaft characteristics, and the balls themselves that constantly push the laws of physics to the max.

But, in the end, I wonder if the real key to improving our golf game -regardless of our physical abilities- resides in our golf bag or, as I suspect, inside the gray matter we call a brain. I'll provide an example. How many times have you hit a bad shot and immediately thought to yourself "Why the hell did I just hit that? I wasn't anywhere near ready to hit a shot!!!." You might have been talking to your golf buddy about "Dancing With The Stars" or thinking about getting the lawn mowed before it rains but you certainly hadn't given any thought to the task at hand...hitting the green from 130 yards away. Before you know it you're scrambling to make bogey and you have no one but yourself to blame.

Here's another one. I really like playing at Spring Meadows in Gray. It's one of my favorite courses in the area. But, I start thinking about the 15th hole - a devilish Par5 dogleg left- while I'm still in the shower. I haven't even left the house yet and that hole already has me by the Callaways! I've never scored better than a double-bogey on that stupid hole. It has ruined many a good round.

Well- no more! You know why? Because last week I decided to change my mental approach. Instead of cowering in fear trying to finesse a draw around the trees or laying up with a three-wood, I decided to stand up to Mr. 15th Hole and cut the corner with my driver. Guess what?

I ended up going through the dogleg by a couple of feet into the first cut. An 8 iron put me in the next landing area and another 8 iron put me 15 feet from the pin! I missed the birdie putt but I felt like a million bucks walking off the green with my par. The curse was lifted!

Same guy...same clubs...different outcome. The only thing that was different was my mental approach. So forget all the gadgets. If you want to lower your score, spend some time trying to analyze how you might start "thinking" your way around the course. You can still relax and have fun but be focused and ready before you hit your shot.

There's a multitude of books and websites that'll help you get your brain ready for your next round. Here's a link to get you started.

http://www.iseekgolf.com/golfpsychology/5795-rid-your-game-of-mind-bumps

If any of you fellow golfers out there have any stories about overcoming your golfing demons please share them here. I'd love to hear from you.

See you on the course!



Colonel Bogey

Spring Is A "Super" Time For Golf

I'm not sure which is more difficult - writing your first blog or making a 5- footer to save par. At some point, though, you just have to pull the trigger. So here I go.

As often as I can, I will try to offer up some topics about the game we all play that will spark some comments and discussions. The topics will range from local Maine golf to the professional tours...from the things we all love about golf to the things that drive us crazy. But most of all, I'm hoping to create a community where people can come and spend some time with their fellow golfers and have some fun.

Spring is finally here and most of the local courses are open. Whew! As a local golfer that stays here year-round...I can tell you this past winter seemed like one of the longest in recent memory. A long winter also puts extra pressure on a nearly invisible group of folks who are crucial to the quality of our play. The Supers! Next to meteorologist, being a golf course superintendent in Maine might be the most thankless job. They certainly hear about it when things aren't right!

The financial pressure to squeeze out as many rounds as possible in our short Maine season must be balanced with the long-term agronomic health of the course. Here's a "Shout Out" to the course superintendents and all of their assistants for a job well done here in Maine. The supers I have met are a dedicated group of professionals who genuinely care about their courses and their members. But all of us can play a part in the care and feeding of the courses we play, too. Replacing fairway divots, driving carts responsibly, raking traps, and taking the time to fix your own ball mark as well as those left by other golfers can really help. There is a right way and a wrong way to fix a ball mark, so ask your Pro or grounds keeper for a lesson in the correct method. It will make a big difference in the overall health of the greens and leave them in better playing shape for those who come along after you.

A program that promotes fixing ball marks correctly is the Green Fix tool system. You might want to bring this program to the attention of your course pro or general manager. But, even if your course doesn't employ the Green Fix tool program, you can still change your technique for fixing ball marks with a traditional divot tool that can help prevent further damage.

Check out this video "The Truth About Ball Marks" for more information:

http://www.greenfixgolf.com/The-Truth-About-Ball-Marks.html

There is also a store on their website where you can purchase the Green Fix tool for yourself or as gift. I've already sent for mine.

In case you're wondering, no, I do not represent Green Fix or receive any compensation. I just happened by their website the other day and thought it looked like a good idea.

If any of you have some ideas on this topic or others, be sure to add your comments below. I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks again for all of you out there whose job it is to keep our courses looking and playing great. We'll see you on the course!

The Colonel