Grab Your Member

The season is finally, really underway. I played in my first tournament action this weekend. Oak Meadow had their Member / Member action on Saturday and Sunday. I played with my brother, “Mook,” and we had a few ups and downs.


First of all, my game is as rusty as it could be. I’ve played just 18 holes in the last few weeks. Between vacation and having to spend a week in Chicago for training on the new job, it’s been tough to get out. I was excited to get it going as I think over the next few months the golf is going to start cranking up. I am preparing this weekend for my first “major” of the year, which is next week; we’ll get to that over the next few days.

Back to the M/M tourney. We had some very interesting formats, hot weather and cold beer. I never bogeyed the 19th all weekend!! Starting out on the front 9 of 27 holes on Saturday was a Shamble format. Both players tee off; both players hit from the spot of the best drive and then play your own ball in. Team score is better ball. We did ok. Nothing special but we held our own. We shot level par and really had very few hiccups. I am still fighting pulling my irons but have stuck with the tips the Coach has provided. I have turned my “pulls” into playing a steady draw, which if nothing else is fun to do for the first time in my life. The 2nd nine was a better ball format. Mook struggled with his driver off and on, which everyone does on this course due to the tight fairways and 14 million f’n trees. But his putter was hot and that helped keep the scores in range. I made a lot of pars and am really just coasting. I’m not missing shots too bad, but still not dialing it in. Really, ordinary golf. Again, nothing great but we haven’t shot ourselves in the foot…….YET.

On the third nine we played a format called Pinehurst. It’s a bit different from the format that I’ve called that in the past. Both guys tee off, for the 2nd shot I hit Mooks ball and he hits mine. At that point we pick the best 2nd shot and start alternating until the ball is holed. A lot of fun, we played 8 holes at even par. But, let me describe the 500 yard dogleg right par 5. We had a fairly mediocre drive and second shot to choose from. Mook puts me in the bunker on our third shot. I hit one of my many lousy sand shots waaaaaaaaaaaaay over the green. After my partner locates the ball on the edge of the high grass he proceeds to blade it over the green down a really big hill and into the trees. I hit a fabulous punch shot from under the trees about, oh, half way back up the hill. After Mook composes himself I turn around to grab my putter and hear, Oh God, Oh SHIT! Yes, shot number seven has screamed across the green into the rough. Shot 8 was awesome. I actually put it on the green, break out the whiskey and the whores………WE ARE PUTTING!! Ho hum, ho hum and we are in for a 10. Yeah, it was freaking great. So, I looked at him and said well there goes our tournament. We come in at +5 and pretty much embarrassed.

In tomorrow’s blog I will let you know what happened on Sunday. We took quite a bit of shit off of The Shot Gal for another shitty tournament experience. I put down my turkey burger, wiped off the ketchup that she pointed out was on my chin, and stoically told her with a pointed finger. “I’m a big believer in fate; I’ve got a good feeling about tomorrow.” At that point she said, as only TSG can, “You have mayo on your face too.”

Check in tomorrow night for …………………the rest of the story.


Also, each day this week we will be talking about the Belt Tech Classic at Country Oaks, coming up this weekend. I will have some insight about the history of the tournament and hopefully an interview with key figures through its history.


Coach, I need help with greenside bunker shots. Fairway bunkers I have no problem with but I’ve lost confidence in my short bunker game.