The Best In Golf

The Golf Pro Diaries-Member Guest Cont’d

October 11, 2009 · 2 Comments

Now Spike Lemon, otherwise known as The Old Pro, has been the golf professional at Angel Oak for almost a quarter century and in that time has seen some pretty amazing sites in the Member – Guest.

Like the time former Governor and 10- time State Am champ M. Tubby LaMoore shot 32 putting with his ball retriever. You see there was little choice after tomahawking his 8802 into the swamp behind two green.

His victim in that 9 -hole match was club president M.F. Ferris, who later said of the exhibition “Tubby hit it in there tight as Dick’s hatband on every hole and rolled it in with that damned ball retriever…man that was a show!”

Gushed LaMoore after the victory, “ever since I took a lesson from that one-armed blind fella I’ve been hittin’ it purer than a Mama’s love. Just can’t wait to get up to Pineville and defend the Carolina Four-Ball Dixie Seniors…man the Guv’s gonna bedevil and beguile those choppers. God Bless America!”

The Member Guest was about to start, the most anticipated event on the club calandar. All were in high spirits on the eve of the competition, all but new member Porter James that is.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: The Golf Pro Diaries

Trendy B.I.G.

October 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment

As all Best In Golf loyalists know, we’re big on trendy here at the ol’ Blog. If those snappy designs came in a little more athletic sizes (XXL +) we would be a lot moreso, that’s for sure.

Heard from O.O.T.G. (One of the Greats) today…the original…The Wizard of Wilshire. He was filling me in on this great new company and website getting off the ground out there in the land of whey shakes and sprout burgers…Trendy Golf.

Well if The Wiz gives it one of his boney little thumbs up, that’s good enough for me…check it out.

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Where Did You Learn The Ancient Game?

September 27, 2009 · 3 Comments

cornell3 Something strange and wonderful happpened to me last weekend and I’d like to share it with you.

A wedding in the family, my beautiful and talented niece Rosie was wed…my oldest brother George was the father of the bride.

It was a lovely affair in the countryside of upstate New York…Ithaca to be specific.

Ithaca in many ways is the land that time forgot…at least since the 60’s that is. No interstates, lots of old – fashioned dairy stores, and enough ponytails, Birkenstocks, and Subarus to start your own commune.

It’s also the home of Cornell University and where I grew up…kind of.

My Dad, George Sr., was an Old Pro (definition here), the Golf Coach and Golf Professional for the “Big Red” from 1937-1972 when he retired. He was the personification of the club pro of that era. You see we traveled as a family between Florida and New York loosely on the schedule of the Eastern Goose…that’s how it was done.

When the leaves turned we headed south and when the flowers started blooming it was time to get back to work. My parents would probably be reported to Family Services these days for a lifestyle like that but I’m here to tell you that a little travel and diversity can be a great education for a kid.

Back to my story. My niece’s wedding was the perfect opportunity to take Michael and David to the place I grew up in the summer…a boy’s road trip. At 14 and 17 they had never been there…I hadn’t been there since college.

When George suggested a game it was an instant yes.

cornell1 I could see the pull carts in the corner and smell the grass. The little tractor we used to pick the range with…range balls that were Top Flites, Blue Dots, and smiley Titleists painted with a red stripe.

Cornell University Golf Club, as it was called in my childhood, was Robert Trent Jones’ (Cornell ‘30) very first effort. It has 10 holes (#1-#6, #10-#12, #18) that would stand up anywhere, just superb. That’s 18 from the fairway to the right.

September is track time, and while we were playing the cross-country team was training along the perimeter of the golf course…just one of the many quirky things that make college towns so cool.

The highlights were Michael’s drive on number one…none of us could remember seeing a ball that close to the green…and David’s lipout chip for birdie on six.

The chance to walk the fairways where I learned the game with my boys and a few clubs was pure magic, at least for me. They on the other hand liked the cheeseburgers at The Moakley House afterward…but that’s OK, so did I.

So what’s your story? Where were you when you first learned of the passion and the grief of golf?

→ 3 CommentsCategories: Dads

Theee Open

July 12, 2009 · 1 Comment

Dan Jenkins is on Twitter at The British Open (danjenkinsgd) and here is a sample of his Tweets…that sounds nuts coming from a guy covering his 201st major but you have to love it that he’s grabbed on to the technology.

In fact with his quicker than my backswing wit you could say Twitter was invented for him.

Here’s a sample:

History lesson: Walter Hagen won four British Opens, but he never won a major Bobby Jones played in
If you’ve never been to Scotland: Turnberry & Troon, west coast; St. Andrews & Carnoustie, east coast. England down here; Ireland over there
In my experience at the Open, the best order of fish-and-chips is when the fish tastes like chips and the chips taste like fish
When there’s a lull in British Open action you can keep the mind alert by counting the toenails in your pork pie
Is it harder to hit an iron out of heather or swallow a mouthful of haggis? My vote goes to the haggis
In earlier days the only thing thicker than heather at a British Open was the nose hair on an R&A official

He’s the original…check it out.

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Every Golf Nut…

June 18, 2009 · Leave a Comment

…needs to spend the time to watch this.

I’m not in the habit of posting links on B.I.G. but this is something special. Jim Nantz and Jaime Diaz on the Charlie Rose Show talking about golf, The Open, and Dads.

It takes a little time to navigate and at times it’s a little pedestrian for golf insiders, but the last two segments are magic and worth your attention.

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10 People (Or So) Who Won’t Win The U.S. Open

June 11, 2009 · 3 Comments

ges It’s that time of year again. With the U.S. Open next week at Bethpage Black…can’t wait… with all due respect to the great and near-great golf scribes in the world, here is B.I.G.s version of 10 (Or So) People Who Won’t Win the Open:

1. Blair “Wee Man” Leburn- although he has the prodigious length necessary to hit the par fours in two, his other nickname of “nice drive” should be explanation enough on why he would struggle in this most revered championship…plus he’s a fuzzy foreigner

2. Ed “let’s all paint our faces camo and get a cocktail” Butler- stopped at security for his Glock 9 to which he replied “What’s your problem? Never seen a handgun in a shoebag before?”

3. Michael “Did I tell you how good I hit the ball yesterday?” Scott- always played great the day before which is problematic in a 72-hole event

4. Ed “where is it, where is it, I can’t see that far” Hardee- just had his bad eye rebuilt which is a shame for those of us who love to tell him his shot went in the water when it’s really pin high 10 feet

5. “Touchdown” Tom Bair- all set to head to qualifying but stopped by police for the combination of a strong odor from the bag of Whattaburgers in his travel bag and the silver golf shoes he was wearing to the airport

6. Tom “Lanky” Pashley- qualified for several USGA events but will only play those held at Pinehurst #2. Just doesn’t understand why they don’t just move the Masters to The Deuce

7. Matt “Matty G” Ginella- too busy working on The Matty G Project- tracking down (stalking) the prettiest cart girls in golf and blogging about it.

8. Patrice Hardee- got the short game but not tall enough to see over the back tees at The Black

9. Mike “The Old Pro” Harmon- liberal Yankee press don’t take kindly to his rants on how if global warming was true how come the greens don’t come back ’til May and he can’t cut that 1-iron like he used to?

10. Laura ” waive the bleed and you’re over” Sequenzia- backed out of special exemption when told nearest decent Tapas bar over an hour away

11. John “what’s our tee time tomorow?” Rusher- has completed the Grand Slam numerous times. Author of the bestseller “How to Attend All Four Majors and The Ryder Cup on $5 a Day.”

12. Jim “Tiger” Woodring- in a spring cleaning frenzy got rid of all but 22 pairs of his golf shoes…not sure that would last the week

13. Marion “The Governor” Moore- a true contender but Open is same weekend as Carolina Dixie 4-ball Senior Team Championship…playing in Walterboro this year, Thatababy!!!

14. John “another seabreeze if you pleeze” Corder- finds the 6-hour round a little too quick for his taste…just kiddin’ Boogalee.

So, there you have it. Everybody wants to tell you who will win the Open but only Best In Golf tackles the tough issues. Cheers and see you on the couch.

→ 3 CommentsCategories: Friends · US Open

The Golf Pro Diaries Chapter Two: The Member-Guest

June 6, 2009 · 4 Comments

oak Angel Oak CC, so named for the centuries old tree guarding the clubhouse, practically invented the Member Guest back in the day when the 2- woods were persimmon and the golf bags leather. The cars were black and the golfers white.

The year in the club archives is a matter of some dispute but most old timers agree it was somewhere around 1924 or 1925. Bobby Jones was the reigning US Open champion, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs fueled on hot dogs and lager…and Angel Oak was planning a party…a big one.

Proibition, although in full swing, was only a slight annoyance at A.O.C.C. You see the reigning club champion, Andrews B. Pine III, known to his friends as “Big Pine”, was an excellent engineer by day, but his skills as an amateur bootlegger were legendary in the Lowcountry.

It’s said that a still in the back of Big Pine’s law office produced the see-through liquid. But, when mixed with Miss Cheryl Pine’s fresh lemonade, created a concoction which all remembered…at least the first one but rarely the second. Many an Angel Oak celebration was fueled by Miss Cheryl’s lemonade, and more than one ended in song.

Big Pine, so named for the sheer size of the man, in addition to an unfortunate incident out on Old Route 17 involving his brand new Nash Rambler and a 60-foot Loblolly, was a natural at golf. It was reported that after bogeying the first nine holes of the final match against highly skilled and short game master Tad L. Pole, one gulp of Miss Cheryl’s lemonade at the turn and Big Pine finished off his victim with nine straight threes and a 10th club championship.

Tad complained briefly to the tournament committee but pretty soon all were sipping the pink mixture, and singing a song of appreciation to the champion.

Fast forward to the current day and not a lot has changed. Head Pro Spike Lemon is busy finishing up the preperations for the ultimate event at the club…the Member- Guest.

…To be continued

→ 4 CommentsCategories: The Golf Pro Diaries

The Most Underrated Things In Golf- Live Golf Early in The Morning

May 19, 2009 · 2 Comments

Did you watch the Irish Open over the weekend? If not get it on Netflix. This was golf as I like it and I know I’m in the minority.

I like to get up on Saturday, and Sunday when I’m all prayed up and don’t need to go to church, flip on The Golf Channel and watch what will seldom be boring, unless they are playing in Spain that is…the European Tour.

What never gets in the polls of best golf announcers are the undisputed heavyweight champs in the ”let’s send it out to 15″ group–that is Scotland’s Renton Laidlaw and Dougie Donnelly. These two make me laugh with fewer words than any two humans possible.

Like when they exchange:

“Don’t cough on me Rent, you might be spreading the swine flu.”

“Dougie you’re awfully quiet today, a little too much of the grape last night perhaps?”

I also love the way they call out the nationality of the golfer, for better or worse…like:

“And another VICIOUS lip-out for the Spaniard!!!”

“The motorway behind the green seems to be off-putting to the Irishman”

They don’t feel the need to talk the entire time and give their audience some credit for knowing a little about how golf dou is played…totally foreign to us, pun intended.

The weather was pure Ireland, cold and rainy. The contestants were Irish, Northern and Regular, Scottish, Swedish, English, Spanish, and French. But the story of course was Shane Lowry of Northern Ireland or Narn’ Iron’ if he were to say it, a 22-year old amateur known well to Europeans as a phenom…and he more than proved it.

The fact he had to pass on the half-million Euros after winning in a playoff was such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, I just hope he realizes that in his youth and holds on as an amateur for a little longer…at least until the Walker Cup at Merion.

Padraig with his three majors, Rory in Dubai, and now Shane? What’s next…we need to pay attention to find out…and I for one can’t wait.

If you don’t normally watch the European Tour do yourself a favor and give it a try, where you just might hear:

ren Renton: “This putt reminds me of an Irish Setter I had as a lad”

Dougie: “Rent, you were never a lad”

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Amateurs · Underrated

The Best Par Threes in Golf: The 15th at Cypress Point

May 2, 2009 · 2 Comments

cp-3 The 16th hole at Cypress gets more attention than Susan Boyle and is a great hole…in fact it might be the shortest Par 5 in golf

But the one I like is the one you get to play a few minutes cp-15 earlier…number 15. Cypress was built back in the day when if the land gave you two short holes in a row, that’s what you bulit. No need for enough space between tee and green for a cathedral with a pool screen.

It’s 90 yards shorter than the next and a whole lot easier because of it…and a lot more fun…it’s a beauty and a Best In Golf.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Par Threes · Uncategorized

Had To Happen…

April 15, 2009 · 3 Comments

end1 First let me say I love Angel Cabrera…I love the way he won the US Open at Oakmont, smoking a couple Marlboros to calm his nerves. I love the way his country idolized him after that win and even more that now he’s a cross between George Washington, Alan Shepherd, and JFK. And I think it’s super cool.

What I don’t love and never will is the long putter winning a major… If you use a long putter and are like me, a ten posing as a six , it’s cool. If you win your flight in the Member- Member or take a few bucks off your pals on a Wednesday after work, have at it.

But the Masters? Please.

It took longer than I thought. It’s a distinct advantage to bury a putter in your stomach under pressure I don’t care what you say, it just is. Cabrera hit some rediculous shots on Sunday, maybe the worst ever for a winner, but he made the crucial putts.

I know I know the putter is available to all, but that doesn’t make it right…he’s got the Green Jacket, but in my humble opinion, he shoudn’t.

I wish one of the ruling bodies would say “Win the Honda-Northwest-Whatever” with the Belly but not our tournament…grow a pair and you will be Best In Golf.

→ 3 CommentsCategories: Masters