Month: July 2007

Categories
How to break 80

Breaking 80 with the tools you already have

A goal among many amateur golfers is to break 80 and shoot in the 70s. I am starting a weekly (perhaps daily) column on how to do just that with the golfing tools that you already have in your possession. I recommend some practice but I’m going to go about this by not focusing on changes to your golf swing. Ben Hogan already did that in his book Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons. Instead, I want to focus on the other components of golf that come into play that you might not be marshalling in your quest to break 80. If you are reading this then you must feel that you have a realistic chance of breaking 80. Whether that means you have currently shot an 80 or even a 96 as your best score, I’ll leave it up to you to determine whether you have a realistic chance of breaking 80.

With that, let’s get started on breaking 80.

Looking for more tips on how to break 80 – see my publication, 79 tips to break 80 in golf.

Categories
Cincinnati Golf

The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills

The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills, First hole
The par 4, no. 1 at Stonelick Hills

On the recommendation of a friend, we headed out to Stonelick Hills Golf Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even though the course was just in its fourth year of existence, my friend promised a great golfing experience. And you know what? He was right. Pictured above is the starting hole at Stonelick. We opted to play from the blue tees. Stonelick also offers two sets of more challenging tees: the black tees from which the course plays 7145 yards and gold tees from which the course plays 6817. From the blues, we were looking at a manageable 6483 yards. Stonelick also offers white tees playing at 5841 yards.

Hole 1 is a great starting hole – not too tart and not too sweet. At 372 yards and with a generous landing area, the first offers a nice transition from the putting green to the golf course. Things get a little tougher near the green as a huge bunker guards against short shots and the shallow depth of the green in general requires a shot to an accurate yardage. My buddy found this out as his tee shot left him with a rescue club to the green. He hit a brilliant shot over some tall trees to the left of the fairway and drew the ball right over the flag. It was just a smidge too long and he ended up over the back side. I noticed on the first green that the course gets quite a bit of play as the green had been a bit roughed up by previous groups.

Hole 7 at Stonelick
Hole 7 at Stonelick

Here’s a shot of Hole 7 at Stonelick from the fairway back up to the tee. From the blues, the seventh plays 367 yards. Its a dogleg right with a pond at the bend. From the elevated tee, it doesn’t look too far to blast one right over the water.

Pond on 7
Pond guarding the right side on number 7

I, unfortunately, hit a fade (or as my playing partner liked to call it, “a sweet little buttercut”) that couldn’t quite clear the middle of the lake. My buddy hit a nice draw right over the front of the pond that worked its way to the middle of the fairway.

Green at no. 7
Seventh green

Here’s the green at no. 7. Camo shorts may not be the best golfing attire (see man in yellow shirt) but there was a deer stand above the green at the par 3 sixth which may somewhat justify his wardrobe decision.

Numbers 9 and 18 are two great finishing holes. Both are three shot par 5’s although the temptation to hit them in two exists. No. 9 has an island green that is fairly wide, so it’s not too intimidating. I was 200 out after a rough beginning on no. 9 but pulled a four wood and hit it in the front bunker. A decent tee shot can put you in position to go for the 18th green but water to the left and a narrow green may change your club selection at the last moment.

At the 15th tee at Stonelick
My good luck charm at the 15th tee

I had a rough front nine as tinkering with my swing led to a 51 but turned it around on the back especially after my good luck charm ran out of the forest and nearly right up to my buddy as he was teeing off. Hopefully, this little fella hadn’t lost his mother. After Bambi said hello, I shot 2 under for the last four holes and finished with a 38 for a 13 shot turnaround from front to back. I’ll take it.

Stonelick Clubhouse
Clubhouse at Stonelick

Finally, here’s a shot of the clubhouse at Stonelick. After my first birdie on 15, I took this shot on the way to the 16th tee. At $69 to ride 18, Stonelick was a great bargain. The course was in great shape and I really enjoyed the layout. Hopefully, I can get back there soon to take revenge on the front nine.

Oh yeah, my buddy beat me by one skin, so I owe him a bottle of wine at our next dinner outing. Yellow tail anyone?

The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills
3155 Sherilyn Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45103

513-735-GOLF

Categories
Ohio golf courses

Longaberger Golf Club – sooner or later reality had to set in

Longaberger’s par 4, dogleg left, eighth hole
The eighth hole at Longaberger

I’ve always enjoyed playing at Longaberger Golf Club but sooner or later reality had to set in: Why golf at the ‘berger when you can golf at Cook’s Creek for a fraction of the price and cut your drive time on top of it all? I would rate Cook’s Creek right up there with Longaberger, but driving over an hour and paying $125 (sans free towel these days) didn’t seem to cut it now that the novelty has worn off the ‘berger. Granted, the last time I played at Longaberger was at the beginning of April, and I was able to take advantage of the $79 greens fee (we were one of two groups on the course that day) and play 27 holes. Well all that has changed somewhat. Now, the ‘berger is $99 to play 18 for the summer with fees dropping to $89 on October 3. Those greens fees are starting to come more in line with what they should be. Eventually, the ‘berger may have to drop their fees even more as there is just too much competition in central Ohio from other golf courses.

With that said, let’s get on to the golf course itself. The ‘berger invites you to bomb it off the tee. There’s not a whole lot of trouble off the tees and the fairways are plenty wide so give ‘er hell! Your decision-making comes into play on your approach shot – especially on the par 5’s. The par 5, no. 4 is particularly devilish. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to pull the trigger on my second shot but the green is surrounded by water and trouble where there ain’t no water. Even after babying the ball up into the narrow neck leading to the green, your third shot is still no bargain. Similar conundrums await you at the other three par 5’s.

No. 8 is a memorable par 4 for its shape and slope. You can aim left off the tee and seek the flat landing area before the pond and hit over water from there. Or you can aim right and face a steep decline to hit off of to the green but avoid an approach over water. If anything, it’s fun to just rip one off the tee to the right with a little draw and watch the ball bound down the slope towards the green.

I’ve had many a good round ruined by the finishing hole. A long par 4 with the clubhouse looming overhead, the 18th requires a long, fairway bound drive in order to successfully maneuver yourself to a fine finishing score.

Longaberger Golf Club
740-763-1100
One Long Drive
Nashport OH 43830

Categories
Ohio golf courses

Blacklick Woods Metro Golf Course


The par 5 no. 4 at Blacklick Woods Metro Golf Course

One of the best deals in central Ohio is Blacklick Woods Metro Golf Course – $15 to walk on weekdays and after 5 pm on weekends. The long or gold course always seems to be in good shape. If you are a beginner and are looking for something a bit shorter but still 18 holes, try their green course which is a par 58 at around 3700 yards.

My favorite holes on the course are the above pictured par 5, no. 4. With woods lining the right hand side and a wide creek to cross right before the green, this hole presents some trouble, especially to anyone trying to reach it in two. I also enjoy the par 4, no. 7. Allegedly playing at 346 yards from the white tees, the seventh hole offers a blind tee shot to the green with water coming into play near the green. I once reached this in one to the amazement and disbelief of one of my assigned playing partners. The group on the green at the time confirmed it and had little complaint with being hit into. Rather, they were impressed that anyone could reach the green in one.

Number 14 at Blacklick Woods Golf Course
The par 5, no. 14 at Blacklick Woods Metro Golf Course

My favorite holes on the back nine are the par 5, no. 11 and the par 5, no. 14. Hole fourteen offers a good chance of hitting the green in two but don’t lose it to the right on your second shot or the trees/rough will steal your ball. Also don’t mishit it off the tee or you won’t clear the creek.

7309 E Livingston Ave
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
(614) 861-3193

Categories
Columbus Ohio Ohio golf courses

Bridgeview Golf Course Review, Columbus, Ohio

Starting in 2008, Bridgeview has reordered the holes on the course. Now you start on what used to be no. 6 – so the order is 6-7-8-9-1-2-3-4-5. Entrance is now at the driving range.

Bridgeview’s first hole
Bridgeview’s par 4 number 1 from the tee

Bridgeview golf course greets you with a 308 yard par 4 first hole but don’t be fooled into thinking you can drive it or be guaranteed a birdie because of its short length. The first hole at Bridgeview sets the stage for a recurring theme: position. If you don’t position your tee shot, the relatively short first hole will have you on your knees begging for bogey.

Looking from the tee, you are faced with a 90 degree dogleg right immediately before the hole. Towering trees on the right and in front of the hole, stand ready to swat down any attempt to shortcut the hole. A hilly fairway with a valley at about 125 yards from the hole almost guarantees an awkward stance for your second shot. Finding a level lie for your second shot requires a 225 yard bullseye to a concave dartboard of a landing area. Compounding the problem is that the fairway ends at about 240 yards from the tee. A mound behind the fairway attempts to stop those shots that result from overclubbing or being struck with a little too much first tee bravado. If not, a chain link fence is the last resort before going o.b. and re-teeing.

First Green at Bridgeview
First Green at Bridgeview

If, after your first shot, you find you have an angle to the green, you still face a severely sloped green from back to front that will make putting a many-stroked nightmare if you go beyond the flag. Take note of the pin placement and allow for some roll because this green is usually anything but soft to approach shots.

High risk – high reward shot: fade around the corner leading to an easy chip or jail in the trees.

Conservative approach – Drive down the middle or to the left leading to 60 – 115 yard approach.

Continue reading “Bridgeview Golf Course Review, Columbus, Ohio”

Categories
Golf Tournaments

Golf Club of Dublin holds 4th annual Dublin City Championship

Golfers warm up on the range

The Golf Club of Dublin held the 4th annual Dublin City Golf Championship on July 21-22. 101 golfers participated. First round scores were used to determine what flight a player would be in. First and second round scores were totaled to determine a golfer’s placing in that flight. A sandbagger rule was in effect so that anyone who shot a score 10% or more less than their first round score would be moved up a flight. Players competed in either the championship, first, second or third flight.

Number 9 at the Golf Club of Dublin

The weather cooperated this year as conditions were more like fall than the middle of July. As is usually the case at this course, the wind wreaked havoc throughout both days. Rumor has it that the greens were running a 13 so if you are used to much slower greens, you had a bit of an adjustment to make. Above is the par 4, number 9 at the Golf Club of Dublin. One of my small victories was to par this hole on both days. Not bad for the #1 handicap hole on the course.

Familiarity with the numerous quirks of this course could have proven extremely helpful. I had forgotten about the number of holes where water lurks behind the greens. Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 17 all have water behind the greens waiting to drown your ball. With such fast greens and hard fairways, you can begin to see how a ball that hits in front of the green can easily roll through the green and into the water.

Speaking of fast, tricky greens, my threesome took at least 11, if not 12, putts on the 18th green on Saturday.

Even if you are not interested in the competition, the event offers 2 rounds of golf, carts, a Footjoy golf glove, Footjoy sandals, Footjoy socks, two box lunches, a steak dinner, and a shock to your pride all for only $125. I definitely felt it was a bargain, met some great people, and had a good time. My only beef would be the pace of play. 18 on Sunday approached 6 hours.

Bagpiper at Golf Club of Dublin

I almost forgot. We had a bagpiper greet us on Sunday. Definitely a nice touch! Congratulations to Tom Sholl (in my first group on Saturday) for winning the prize for the longest putt!


Custom Fit Golf Clubs, Discount Price! Click Here!

Categories
Ohio golf courses

Safari Golf Club – revamped for 2007

Number 1 hole at Safari Golf Club

Heading to Safari Golf Club? They’ve got a new entrance. Pull in at the zoo entrance and follow the green arrows. They’ve also got a new clubhouse, practice facility, and a few new holes. Above is the new number one hole at Safari Golf Club. As of today, they are still using a temporary green about 100 yards in front of the regular green. No. 1 is a downhill, 360 yard, slight dogleg to the left, par 4. Carved into the trees, no. 1 provides a narrow chute for your tee shot. It’s a great start to the course, but does it continue?

The starter said that there would be a bit of a stroll to no. 2 from the green at 1 – 300 yards was his estimate. I’m shooting for close to double that. The second hole is actually the former number 16. Safari eliminated the former no. 17 and converted that to a wildlife sanctuary. The former number 18 is now a 175 yard par 3.

No. 4 is the original no. 10. They removed no. 11, thank gawd. 11 used to be a short par 3 – a hole that seemed to have been an afterthought – perhaps after they realized they needed one more hole to make 18. No. 5 is the original par 5 no. 12. 6 is the former par 3, no. 13. 7 is the former par 4, no. 14. 8 is the former par 5, no. 15, and 9 is the former par 4, no. 7.

I just played the front nine. The first hole was very impressive especially once they begin using the permanent green. After that it was back to the same old Safari but in a jumbled order.

No. 3 green at Safari

Here’s the green at the third hole – now a par 3. You may not be able to tell from this picture but Safari’s greens are tiny. Hopefully, there are plans in the future to update some of these greens. Walking the course is quite a bit tougher with the new layout. As I mentioned, they got rid of the former no. 11, so you have a bit of a hike from no. 4 to hole 5. As well as a bit of a hike from the eighth green to the ninth tee. It appears that they added a new 17th and 18th hole.

From looking at the scorecard for the back nine, it appears that the former par 4, no. 8 is now the par 3 tenth. Then there appears to be a huge journey to the tee at no. 11. 11 appears to be part of the original no. 9 but now it runs the opposite direction and is a dogleg right par 4.

It appears that Safari has added four new holes and significantly shortened two others. I’m not sure if these changes will make the original Safari experience that much different. It will be interesting to see what more they have in store for the former Riverview Golf Course.

(614) 645-3444


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Categories
The Masters

Woods Blows Masters with Bonehead Shot on 15

Unable to hit anything to the left all day, Woods left his tee shot on the par 5 number 15 in the right rough with a Georgia pine blocking his second shot to the green. To get to the green, he would have to go around the pine branch to a back right flag position. The smart play would be to lay up and hit onto the green with his third shot. Instead, Woods tried to hit a slice into the 15th green. He later termed it a “miracle shot” after his round. To hit that big a slice onto the green, he needed a fairway wood in his hands but only had a 5 iron. Woods ended up leaving the shot woefully short and rinsed it in the pond in front of the 15th green. To rub salt into the wound, he ended up getting up and down from his drop in front of the water which only verified that the proper play on his second was to leave it short of the green.

In his post round interview just off the 18th green, Woods stated that he didn’t “throw it away” with that shot but that his bogeys that finished two previous rounds did him in. At that point, it became clear that his “crappy shot” on 15 had been in his mind for the rest of the final round. He knew what questions were coming to him before he got off the 18th green and tried to downplay what had to be one of the biggest bonehead decisions in major championship golf. The Associated Press bought Woods’ nonsense about previous bogeys on other rounds doing him in! Oh my God! This guy gets every break! If Mickelson did that on 15, he’d never hear the end of it, but Woods’ ridiculous decision is somehow overlooked! Where is the justice!

The pressure that he created for himself became all too evident with his birdie putt on 16. You knew what was going through his mind on the 16th green, “I blew it on 15 now I have to make this putt on 16.” The pressure was too great and he missed on 16. At that point, mentally, the tournament was over for Woods although the announcers gave him every shot to birdie the last two holes and then, when he only parred 17, eagle the last. CBS’s announcers even started making excuses for Woods before he finished. There was speculation that he was “under the weather.” Peter Oosterhuis still held onto that theory hours after the finish of the Masters.

Woods’ decision on 15 may have been an even bigger bonehead play than Mickelson’s decisionmaking on 18 at the 2006 U.S. Open. Why in the world did he think he needed to hit it on in 2 at 15? I can understand amateurs going for it but Woods had no reason to try to hit the green in two. Birdie 15 and birdie 16 and he’s right where he needs to be. Just goes to show you that when the pressure’s on even the “world’s best” can choke.

Other Master’s thoughts:

1 – Rose hits a better shot than Woods into 16 but Verne Lundquist barely acknowledges Rose’s effort but wets himself over Woods’ shot.

2 – Faldo’s prediction that Woods would have an off day was not that prescient. I made that call on Thursday. I’ve never seen someone try so hard to hit the ball left and still lose it way right time and time again.

3 – The IBM commercial quoting Bobby Jones that competitive golf is played in the 5 inches between the ears could have been a little more timely (after Woods hit his second at 15).

4 – I’m watching future majors with the volume off. Couldn’t the announcers say something besides how great Woods is and how every other player is blowing their round because somehow Woods still intimidates them. Whatever!

5 – Luck played a huge role in the Masters. When you barely tap a putt and any little imperfection in the green can throw it offline because of the speed of the greens, that tells me that luck played too much of a factor in the outcome. It was basically hit and hope.

6 – “Have you ever seen anything like that in your life!” – Verne Lundquist on Woods’ shot at 16 in 2005. Well actually I saw three shots better in this Masters, Vernie. Putts by Westwood, Sabbatini, and heck there were so many I’ve forgotten the third. Just another example of Lundquist’s penchant for hyperbole when it comes to Woods and only Woods.