Well the day has arrived and I have reached 10000 views. When I started this blog in May 2013, I was happy just to have one. But since:
There have been views from 83 different countries….which I think is really cool!
My post Breaking 100 is my most popular with 503 views!
Best day ever had 147 views!
Written a total of 287 posts (this one is 288)!
Most importantly a total of 187 followers! Who inspire me to keep writing and keep sharing tips, tricks, and views about golf! Thanks to everyone.
Lastly, this blog empowered me to regularly connect with my new friends from New Zealand, Australia, USA, and Canada. Our conversations are always fun and uplifting. Additionally, I am able to stay connected with my old friends in UK(who is probably on the links as we speak – hope you played well), North Bay, Denver, and Halifax. I am truly grateful for their friendship through the years.
Well 10000 views is the first milestone! Time to go for 10000 more!
Recent modifications to The Blue Monster are the main talk at this weekends World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Mr. Donald J. Trump employed architect Gil Hanse to redesign this historic course to provide new and definitely greater challenges to the professional field. Situated within the heart of Trump National Dorval Resort in Miami “this 7,608 yard course features a series of strategically placed deep bunkers, long flowing fairways, interesting undulating greens, deep Bermuda rough and a challenging assortment of water hazards – all of which combine for a course that requires both length and finesse to score well.”
After two rounds, the goal of making this course a challenge was achieved. The Blue Monster is bearing its teeth and taking a bite out of every professional. Only three players had sub-par rounds on the second day and four players under par at minus one for the tournament (and tied for first) remind all golfing pundits of the US Open. If that is not proof that this course is tough, then maybe we need another toughness gauge!
The Blue Monster is designed to be a challenging course. However, is the redesign of the course really causing the pros scratch their heads, talk to themselves, or look to the sky in disbelief? Maybe, but many of the comments coming off the course point more to the conditions. The course is dry, greens hard, and the wind – gale like!
Sergio Garcia @TheSergioGarcia 14h – So challenging out there today with the wind. Other than two holes I played pretty well. Let’s see if we can get back into it tomorrow!
The wind is expected to continue through the entire weekend. Therefore, moving day will be very interesting. How much risk are the pros willing to take move up the leader board? How tight can they cut the corners with 25 mph winds moving their ball? When a course is playing this tough, any player within 10 – 15 strokes who can score two sub-par rounds of 3-4 under are back in the hunt. Moving day is going to be fun for the fans!
The Blue Monster, through the Trump National Dorval Resort, is a fantastic venue. The fans appear to be appreciative of the new course, the new challenges and the picturesque landscape. I am not so sure about the professionals who have navigate their way through this beast, but if the winner of the this marathon will definitely earn the PGAs motto “These guys are good!”
One of the more exciting strokes in golf is chipping in from anywhere. Of course, the closer to the hole increases the chances of success. Watching the ball roll up to the hole, take the break in the perfect way, then drop right in the heart is a thrill! Fantastic shot – your player partner says as you collect high 5s from the group! Some players will say ‘boy, that was lucky’…..or was it. Is that not the intent of every shot….to go in every time?
Watching the highlights of the WGC Cadillac Championship, it was amazing to see how many players recovered from a missed approach shot and chipped in. From the sand, the fringe, the fairway, it did not seem to matter. A while back, I posted an article on how to use the bump-and-run to increase a players changes of chipping in and as a result lower their overall score. Happily, after watching the pros, some of my technique had some similarities with the pros, but my skill level has a long way to go!
What do the pros have that empowers them to be more successful? Yes, they are highly skilled, make their living at playing golf, and have the time to practice, but that is not what I mean. So again – What do pros have that empowers them to be more successful?
Is it confidence, mental toughness, lack of fear, strong visualization skills or what? Actually, it seems to be all these things. When an élite player walks up to their ball, they immediately start to analyze the ball position, the lay of the green, the grain, hole location, and possible hazards. Watch their eyes. Sometimes they are looking at a spot that baffles the amateur, but it has caught their attention. When they have figured out what they want to do, they prepare to execute.
All their actions are feeding the best kept secret in golf – there is always a perfect shot that will result in a chip in. Every shot has one, every shot! The trick is to figure out what it is. It sounds complex and sometimes it is…..others it is obvious. Armed with this knowledge, the pros play with confidence knowing the answer is out there and they are the ones to figure it out.
If every amateur approached all their chip shots armed with the same knowledge and confidence, they would have greater success and their misses would not miss by that much.
Chipping in is possible for every shot. Figuring out exactly how all the pieces fit together is the fun part. It is the ultimate jigsaw puzzle. If you have any hints or secrets you would like to share, please send them along for all to share.
How many times have you heard the question – should I replace my 5 wood with an extra wedge. In 1980, Tom Kite first pro to put a 60 degree wedge. He and Dave Pelz, a former NASA physicist, worked on creating the lob wedge to fill a gap determined by Pelz’s research. It is a famous story and if you want more details the story is in the February 2013 edition of Golf Illustrated has all the details. That unlikely team changed the face of golf.
Ultimately, there really is no right answer. Previously I wrote on this same topic. The response I received was 50/50 of using either club. I originally felt that higher handicappers should use the 5-wood and lower handicappers the lob wedge. I still stand by that assessment, however, my logic seems to have a bit of hole in it.
Many of the pros are carrying the 5 wood and an extra wedge! They are removing their 3 iron. The reason for this change is the dramatic increase in the use of hybrids. The first hybrid golf club was the Rescue by TaylorMade in the late 1990s. Designed to deliver the precision of an iron with the ease of hitting of a wood. Personally, I recommend hybrids because they add a dimension to an amateurs game that allows for options when choosing between the two.
Choosing between a 5-wood and wedge is a tough decision. I recommend that you experiment with carrying each separately and carrying both in a round. I suggest that you play at least 3-5 rounds with each configuration to ensure an accurate sample group. Make sure that you keep track of how often you use the club and that is your answer.
I use a wedge vice 5-wood. On a side note, I also use 3,4,5 hybrid. This combination works best for me.
What is in your bag? 5-wood or extra wedge or both?
Recently, I signed up for the fantasy golf league at the PGA Tour. It is very easy to use and the program is intuitive and anyone can choose four players each week for the upcoming tournament. Always trying to learn new things, I thought it would be a great way to understand trends, stats, who is hot, and who is not. So far, all is going well, but I am not learning too much yet.
The biggest challenge for the first three weeks (including the World Match Play event) was my lack of knowledge about many of the journeymen players. Each week, some always steps up and throws a wrench into the standings. Personally, it is fun for the tournament, but not so good for my scores. As an example, I took Phil Mickelson last week at the Honda Classic. We all know that was a bust because he did not make the cut. My other players finished a high 54th and a low 35th. Can’t win with picks like that. That stellar performance had me 74th place at the Honda Classic.
This week is the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship. The players will compete on a newly renovated “The Blue Monster“. It is longer and has more holes with playable water. But for the golfing élite, it is a challenge they all relish.
This week I picked –
Phil Mickelson – he is my favorite and will want to redeem himself;
Jimmy Walker – hottest start of the year;
Rory McIlroy – should have won the Honda Classic and will bounce back; and
Webb Simpson – I like his game for Dorval.
I still have a day to make changes, so if you have any suggestions….I am listening!
