SkyCaddie sg2.5, 3, 4, and 5
The SkyCaddie has to be the way to go to lower your handicap. A friend of mine is getting one and I’m thinking about pulling the trigger myself. I’ll do a bit more research on the SkyCaddie and report soon.
Category: Ohio golf courses
The Golf Channel recently had a show on its top ten sexiest golfers. Here’s the list from bottom to top:
10 – Sophie Sandolo – currently on The Big Break Ka’anapali
9 – Greg Norman
8 – May Wood
7 – Erica Blasberg
6 – Fred Couples
5 – Anna Rawson
4 – Tiger Woods
3 – Camilo Villegas
2 – Natalie Gulbis
1 – Adam Scott
TGC had to dip into unknowns to pick its top five women. I only am familiar with Sandolo and Gulbis. Personally, I think Gulbis is way overrated. She looks good now but I always think that she is one hamburger away from ballooning out. She has really skinny legs but the chubby face suggests that trouble lies ahead. I hope I am wrong.
I think Sandolo is even more overrated even though she came in at 10. Just because you make a nude calendar doesn’t mean you are sexy.
Raymond Memorial’s Fourth Hole
I recently visited Raymond Memorial after not having played there for a couple years. I generally try to avoid Raymond in the prime golfing months as it gets a whole heck of a lot of play and the people playing there are not too current on their golf etiquette. Despite this, Raymond Memorial does have its charm. And if you visit it when it gets a bit cooler, many of the blue collar crowd will be noticeably absent.
Raymond is known for its huge greens, mammoth sand traps, meaty par 3’s, and surly employees. It is also known for its double greens. Back when it was built in 1952, Robert Trent Jones, the designer, constructed two tees and two greens for each par 3 on the course. The idea was to speed up play. If someone was really slowing you down, you could always pass them on the par 3’s by playing whichever green the others were not playing. It probably led to a lot of confusion and the practice was abandonned but Raymond has always maintained the extra greens/tees. Raymond was using the alternate par 3 for the fifth hole which I had never seen done before in my years of playing there.
Holes of note on the front side include the par 5, first hole. Its a fairly straightfoward par 5, and I remark on it because it can be an easy birdie to start your round with. Just note where the flag is and make sure to hit to the appropriate level on the green.
Fourth hole at Raymond Memorial Golf Course
The fourth hole is a par 4, 90 degree dogleg right. If you are daring, you can take it right over the trees. Aim farther right than you would think. I’ve often ended up past the original no. 5 tees on my drive because I didn’t aim far enough right. On this day, we played from the blues, and I took it way right over the trees and ended up just left of the right bunker in this picture. If I went further right, I would’ve ended up in the trap. It would take a gutsy and powerful drive to hit this green in one but it may be possible.
I always like the short par 5 number 6. It provides for another birdie opportunity as the green can be easily hit in two. No. 7 is a really long par 4. I finally birdied it two years ago, and I believe that that was my only remaining hole that I hadn’t birdied on the front nine.
No. 9 is a dogleg left. You used to be able to take it over most of the trees and leave yourself a short shot to the green. Raymond has planted a lot of new trees which prevent this, and they have added a lot of trees all around the course in general.
Overall, Raymond is a good time – just avoid the crowds in the summer.
[where: 3860 Trabue Rd
Columbus, OH 43228]
614-645-3276
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
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.
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
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 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
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.
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.
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