For Jim

Amy's grandfather. James, passed away last week after a long bout with cancer. Among many talents and admirable qualities, Jim was the type of golfer I aspire to be. Even into his later years, he still managed what I would guess to be an 8 handicap. He understood that it wasn't about 300 yard drives and power fades. It's just moving the ball forward, and having the hands around the greens. Jim must have had some sense of touch, as his home course was a long one, and he routinely reported scores in the low 80s and even some in the 70s.

I'll miss Jim. I'll miss talking about the game of golf with him, learning how he - some 40 years my senior - could outplay me any day of the week. I'll miss watching PGA tournaments with him while other family members found entertainment through other means. Just this past Easter, we watched the final round of the Masters together while the rest of the family caught up on other things. Everyone seemed to have a special bond with Jim, including me. Ours was golf, although that is a passion he shared with anyone who was willing to talk golf.

Beyond golf, Jim was one of the most understanding, non-judgemental people I've ever met. And without getting into too many details, I've given Jim and the rest of my in-laws plenty of reasons to resent me. Jim was the easiest for me re-approach after I'd made a life error. He had that sage wisdom about him - "kids will be kids" - and I immediately felt comfortable around him, as I did the first day we met and we discussed his service in the Airforce (at that time, I was working as a civilian for the Navy).

I'm sure there are many great qualities that, through heredity, Jim left his family. I see a lot of Jim in Amy's talent and passion for the game of golf. In just three years, her swing is spot on in terms of mechanics, she knows how to manage a course, not just play it, and always strives to do better. I've never seen anyone so disappointed when they come up a few strokes over their target score than Amy. Like many men of his generation, Jim might not have mentioned to Amy how proud he was of her golf prowess (although I cannot say he never did), but I'm sure in his heart he beamed with pride that his loved granddaughter had taken a shine to the game he loved so dearly.

Unfortunately, I never had the chance to play golf with Jim, as he was fairly deep into his illness as we grew closer. But many of his friends and family members speak of the golfer that he was, the golfer - the man - I hope to be, and the golfer that Amy is becoming.

We'll miss you, Jim. And if you find the time, send a few birdies our way.

Struggles Continue

I developed my golf game - we developed our golf games rather - based on a once or twice a week golfing frequency. Since our membership at Birdsfoot, I've started playing about 5 rounds a week and Amy's playing about three. And things are getting worse. Mechanically, it's all there. But playing "loose" - that is, not allowing a week or so for those golf muscles to tighten, is quite an adjustment. We're over swinging and, as a result, losing the groove on the down swing. And I there's not a more difficult glitch to fix than shortening that back swing, especially when everything feels so loose and fluid.

So. I think we're going to take a few days off. We've been playing a ton, which is a lot of the reason why this blog has gone rather stagnate the past few weeks.

I guess another thing worth noting is now that we are members at Birdsfoot, this blog will more than likely be less about various courses, and more about the interesting experiences Amy and I share, and the interesting people we meet when we play. Although we'll still have the occasional round to review, e.g., Pinehurst in June. And we still owe our readers the full review of Birdsfoot. That will likely come in three or four parts, since we know that course so well now.

The course management is in the process of naming all of the holes, and are asking members for suggestions. The best I've come up with is "Eggplant," which I'll explain in a later post. The short of it is that the green is shaped like an eggplant cut in half - imagine the slopes there. And when the pin is near the stem of this eggplant-shaped green, forget about it.

I'll try to pepper that with some fashion, equipment and anecdotal, unqualified pointers and lessons here and there. But do stay tuned.

I believe there's a lot more to golf than 18 holes. Amy and I could both share rousing and tragic tales of par 3s gone awry.

A great golf writer and friend, Chris Rodell (his blog is listed here as one of my favorites) once told me to look for the story that's beyond just the scorecard. Look for the people, the course history, etc. Something that will actually be surprising to a reader. I'm going to steal his philosophy, but doubtful that I'll be as crafty as he.

Until next time, keep on keeping on.

First Things First

We played Birdsfoot again yesterday, as noted, and it was a fantastic adventure - winds at 20 mph that had quickened the previously moist greens, and the rough had grown to U.S. Open length.

At about the 5th hole, my stomach was growling and I could barely focus on the shot at hand. And I had not nearly enough energy to power an 8-iron to the pin.

Simple as it sounds, with all of the preparation we undertake - with cleaning the clubs and making sure our shoes are tightly laced - we often forget one of Maslow's essentials - EAT.

One of my favorites is Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats. They offer five grams of fiber and a variety of flavors - my personal favorite is the Blueberry Muffin flavor, and Amy likes Cinnamon Streusel. On an off note, although my mom doesn't golf, she eats Frosted Mini-Wheats Strawberry Delight like it's going out of style.

And while I consult for them as part of my day job, my love of this cereal is genuine. Pick yourself up a box. You might just save your self a few strokes on the back when the only jitters are from that 3-foot putt for par and not wishing you'd had a nourishing breakfast.

Disclaimer - I work for a consulting agency that represents Frosted Mini-Wheats. I was not paid or otherwise compensated directly by the company to include Frosted Mini-Wheats in this post. I frankly just love the cereal and have come to learn the importance of eating well to playing well.

Lakeview - Jared's Demise

I had been playing relatively well until a men's outing at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa several days ago.

In preparation for this event, I played about 54 holes at Birdsfoot in 2 days. That was probably my first mistake, as by the time we arrived at Lakeview, my back was so stiff I struggled to even lace up my golf shoes.

I'll write more on my experience - which was a great one - but am off to Birdsfoot today. But in the meantime, check out some of the photos at Flickr.

Tees for Two - Father Son Edition

It's Jared - playing with my Dad and a group of his buddies at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa in West Virginia. Secretly, I think my dad's just in it for the pedicure...

I'll tweet from the course and upload some pics to the Flickr stream.

This is a pretty nice course from what I understand, and the rates posted online aren't that bad, so Amy and I might play that one before summers' end.

Ciao

Birdsfoot GC

What a great round, and what a great course. More details to follow - so nice, we opted for the membership. See the photos at our Flickr journal or click here.

Birdsfoot

We are playing Birdsfoot today afterall. There was some concern about the weather, but it's looking like a reasonably nice day. I'm not only excited for golf, but we FINALLY got a new camera, meaning our Birdsfoot review will have some of our own photos, and we'll finally be able to get the Flickr photo journal off the ground. Birdsfoot is one of the more scenic courses we're playing in this area, so the new gadget could not have come at a better time...just hoping the weather holds...although that's why God invented plastics.

Laws of Golf

Check out the Laws of Golf by Al Lowe. This is great stuff, and so true. A few of our favorites:

A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.

During your swing, never think about more than a hundred separate things.

Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.

To calculate the speed of a player’s downswing, multiply the speed of his backswing by his handicap. Example: backswing 20 mph, handicap 15, downswing 600 mph.

It takes longer to learn to be a good golfer than it does to become a brain surgeon. Of course, you don’t get to ride in a cart, drink beer, smoke cigars and fart while performing brain surgery.

...There are about 100 nuggets like this.

Hope you enjoyed Amy's review of Strawberry Ridge. It looks like we might get rained out at Birdsfoot this weekend, but the weather is less predictable than my draw.