Golf, the Universe, and Everything

This round was brought to you by Groupon.  Every once in a while a good deal on a good course lands in my inbox.  I'm always glad to return to Augustine, a good track that would be so much better if it were closer to where I live.  But then again, if it were closer, it would get tons more play and maintenance wouldn't be able to keep up with the inconsiderate hacks that patrol the courses and don't replace or fill divots, drive on cart path only holes, and don't repair ball marks.  Come to think of it, I hope it has a long and healthy life.  Date:  Saturday 6/21/2014 Location: Augustine Golf Club , Stafford, VA Score:  81 Excuses:  Played too aggressively on a few holes, badly timed rain, not enough practice time...    Course Conditions:  Acceptable.  Greens were in great condition, they rolled very well but slowed down by the occasional rain.  Fairways were in good shape.  Can't say th...

This round was brought to you by fathers everywhere, especially mine (RIP).  It was also brought to you in small part by Martin Kaymer, who made the US Open very non-competitive with his thrashing of the field.  Another round with the ultra-long hitting head case known as Clint.  His children didn't take him out to play golf, so I took it upon myself as a good golf buddy to do take on that responsibility.  Good to get out and watch him crush a drive 50 yards past my best effort.  But still managing to beat him in the all important stat of balls not lost :). Date:  Sunday 6/15/2014 Location: Forest Greens , Triangle, VA Score:  85 Excuses:  Swing Change (Round #3), Slow Play...   Course Conditions:  Not bad.  Greens were in pretty good condition, but the greens on the course rolled WAY slower than the practice greens.  Fairways were hit or miss (no pun intended), the rough was extremely penal and the pin po...

It's tournament time again!  This time just North of the Mason-Dixon Line at The Links at Gettysburg.  If you've never played the course, it stunning.  However you do have to enjoy links style golf (as the name would indicate) to fully appreciate it.  Date:  Saturday 6/14/2014 Location: The Links at Gettysburg , Gettysburg, PA Score:  89 Excuses:  Swing Change, Failure to Plan Appropriately (Never played course before), did not practice enough..   Course Conditions:  Phenomenal but wet.  Greens were in excellent condition, but rolled slower than normal due to the rain (thank goodness).  Fairways were in excellent shape, but cart path only :(.  The rough was very penal but not as penal as the fescue, and of course, the water.  Sand had standing water but I didn't land in a bunker all day!            Th...

“Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game's two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.” -Jack Nicklaus There's no shame in punting right?  Well maybe in Football.  In golf, technically the course is always on the defensive and you're on offense.  Maybe I've played too much football and am way too competitive to give up on par.  I feel like the course wins every time I get a bogey or worse.  Not to mention what your playing partners must think, especially if you're the only one laying up.  But I'll put it to you this way.  What will your playing partners think if you take a 9 on a Par 5 versus the worst you could have done if you laid up was a 6?  And that's my story of the day.  Date:  Monday 6/9/2014 Location: Redgate Golf Course , Rockville, MD Score:  91 Excuses:  Swing Change, no warm-up, way too aggressive, poor course management  Course Conditions:  Fair...

As most of you know, I am an incurable perfectionist.  Even though I've learned that golf is not a game of perfect, I just can't help myself.  But, then again I'm not so different from any other golfer.  Every golfer or athlete in general who wants to get better at his or her craft will tinker with his or her mechanics endlessly until they reach raise their performance.  Just remember Padraig Harringon.  In 2007-2008 he won three majors (2007 & 2008 Open Championship and 2008 PGA Championship), then late in 2008 he decided to change his swing.  Why?  He wanted to get better!!!  The same with Martin Kaymer.  He won the 2010 PGA Championship (more truthfully Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson lost it) and soared to #1 in the world, then decided to change his swing so he could win at Augusta.  Didn't work, but he did add the Players Championship and now a US Open to his trophy case...  "Achievement...

This round was brought to you by Booz Allen Hamilton.  More realistically by an ardent BAH employee and friend Alan who put in the winning bid in a silent auction (with a little help from yours truly).  Bottom line, awesome day of golf and dining at a very exclusive resort. Date:  Saturday 6/7/2014 Location: The Golf Club at Landsdowne (Robert Trent Jones Jr. Course), Leesburg, VA Score:  82 Excuses:  None  Course Conditions:  Outstanding!  Fairways, greens, and tee boxes were immaculate.   Everything I expected from a country club course and more.  Excellent experience.          The Good:  Two over par on the front          The Bad:  That I couldn't stay longer           The Ugly : Following up a solid birdie with a triple on a par five tailor made to reach in two (with two great shots th...

Another GolfWeek Amateur tour stop.  This time in lovely Middleton, MD.  Mean Gene and Clint were in on the fun as well.  And by fun I mean being beaten down... Date:  Sunday 6/1/2014 Location: Maryland National , Middleton, MD Score:  90 Excuses:  Losing my focus, poor course management  Course Conditions:  Excellent!  Fairways and greens were pristine, the rough was very penal, and the elevation changes were great.  And more great views of Sugarloaf Mountain.          The Good: Solid Birdie, finishing in the money           The Bad:  Opening with two straight double bogeys, including one on a short par 5           The Ugly : Three triple bogies in a row on 9, 10, and 11 Having played this course multiple times before, I thought I had a leg up on the competition.  Unfortun...

Round three of the weekend and second of the day.  Myself and Joe Flatstick drove a convenient 15 minutes down I-64 to a practical golfers paradise.  Not quite the most well-known course around Willamsburg, but a great place to golf.  54 holes of championship golf designed by none other than Dan Maples (The guy that designed South Riding for all you NoVA heads), a country club feel, great practice facilities, and a dynamite on-site restaurant and bar. Date:  Saturday 5/31/2014 Location: Ford's Colony  (Marsh Hawk Course), Williamsburg, VA Score:  81 Excuses:  Not taking the time to wam up again.  Course Conditions:  Excellent!  Fairways and greens were pristine, tee boxes were manicured well, and no overgrowth (where it wasn't supposed to be).  Excellent experience.          The Good:  Two birdies and finishing the back at one over par     ...

Round two of the three round weekend and the 36 hole day.  In keeping with the tradition, or in this case, the Tradition Golf Management company; me and Joe Flatstick continue our journey through merry old Williamsburg and its great golf courses.  NOTE: By the time I'm getting around to posting this, the course is probably in really good shape.  Date:  Saturday 5/31/2014 Location: Stonehouse Golf Club , Toano, VA Score:  76 Excuses:  Aerated Greens with HOUS's (Holes of Unusual Size), early start time  Course Conditions:  Awful! Dime sized the holes in the greens.  Fairways were not in good shape, the rough was not terrible, but there was tall grass growing out of the drains in the fairways.  I'm guessing the mowers could not cut them and the greenskeepers hadn't gotten to them with a weed whacker yet.          The Good:  76!!       ...

Welcome to Williamsburg!  Or in this case, lovely Providence Forge in New Kent County, Virginia.  A scant 2 hour drive from the hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia.  This is the first round of a three round weekend, and what better way to start than on the hardest course in Virginia!!  It's like going to Pinehurst and starting on #2... Date:  Friday 5/30/2014 Location: Royal New Kent Golf Course , Providence Forge, VA Score:  81 Excuses:  Aerated Greens with HOUS's (Holes of Unusual Size)  Course Conditions:  Awful! You could fit marbles into the holes in the greens.  But the fairways were not in good shape and the fescue and what passes for rough was not fully grown in and looked terrible.          The Good:  Hitting 11 out of 14 fairways            The Bad:  An ugly 4 jack which only counted as a 3 jac...

This is a non-golf post but it will have good golf undertones.  After all, this is Golf, the Universe, and Everything.  It is Memorial Day, 5/26/2014.  Taking time to remember those who have fallen in our pursuit of freedom and those who would take it away from us.  All game some, some gave all.  Thank you... As part of a tradition with me and some of my closest friends, we go on hikes around Memorial Day (close to my birthday) and around Columbus Day (close to my friend and non-golfer, Hino's birthday).  This year, the hike took us to Sugarloaf Mountain.  We always try to hike somewhere different every year and get off the beaten path (pun intended).  The golf undertone of Sugarloaf Mountain is that from most golf courses around Frederick, MD (Little Bennett, PB Dye, Whiskey Creek, Worthington Manor); Sugarloaf Mountain is used as an aiming point for a lot of the holes.  I have seen it and aimed for it for years, and now I was h...

Somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour after I left the parking lot at Hobbits Glen, I arrived at Herndon Centennial Golf Course.  Round 4 of Memorial Day Weekend and Round 2 of the day.  I knew I would not be playing golf on Memorial Day and I had just enough daylight to finish a round.  And I bet you're wondering, why Herndon, why drive nearly 48 miles, 11 of which is completely out of your way in order to get home. Well, I was pretty limited in the amount of daylight, I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and strangely enough, I wanted to walk.  At that point, it was between Herndon and Falls Road.  Falls Road would have put me farther away from my house and I had already played there yesterday. For those of you not familiar with Herndon Centennial, it is another short course.  From the tips it is a scant 6,197 yards.  Basically a similar distance to Falls Road.  Another reason I chose Herndon was that it was a course I grew up ...

This round was brought to you by the Columbia Association and the mind of some ardent J.R.R Tolkien fans.  There are two golf courses part of the Columbia Association,  Fairway Hills and Hobbits Glen.  Anyone can play Fairway Hills, but you have to be a member of the course or the association to play Hobbits Glen.  As my Columbia Association membership was about to expire, I decided to go play the flagship course.  So Round #3 of the Memorial Day weekend was a blast.  But it also featured some rather forgettable moments, this time however, not by me :). Date:  Sunday 5/25/2014 Location: Hobbits Glen Golf Course , Columbia, MD Score:  85  Excuses:  Probably could have hit a couple of irons on the range before the round, but took the first available walk-up slot as they don't do tee times for singles.  Course Conditions:  Amazing.  Very green rough and fairways,...