I'm thinking about the belly putter.
Just thinking about it, not going there. Not yet anyway.
I know that listening to someone else talk about their golf game is as much fun as long bunker shots but indulge me for a moment. Maybe you've been where I am today.
Then again, how many of you have three-putted seven times in 18 holes in a tournament like I did Sunday? That didn't include the 18-incher I also missed.
If I'm going to continue playing, I'm going to get behind the push to go to 15-inch wide cups like the ones they used at Pine Needles earlier this year to see how much better people played. Not only did it speed the game along, players made more putts, there were more smiles and no one was the worse for it.
It's a helpless feeling when you're standing over a putt with your mind doing a Google search for a new swing thought. You know what it's like: That didn't work so let's try this. Hmmm, that didn't work either. What about...
I knew this was coming. I wrote a blog last fall about how nice it was to be a good putter again. Six-footers were opportunities, not evil teases. I was making more than my share of 15-footers and it showed in my scores.
Todd Smith, a superb teacher and a friend of mine, had given me a simple suggestion and it worked -- for several months. Now that simple suggestion has gone the way of eight-track tapes.
With the likelihood of 15-inch cups being adopted any time soon by the USGA, I've asked Todd to try and work his magic one more time. There's a member-member event coming up at Cedarwood where I play in a couple of weeks. The way I'm putting, it could do serious damage to a friendship.
And I'm not ready to go shopping for a belly putter.
Not yet, anyway.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Golf's Summer To-Do List: The First Five
It's not exactly like a New Year's resolution but now that we've hit full golf season around here, I've concocted a list of five things golfers need to do this summer. It's just a start. I'll do another list of five later and if you have suggestions, feel free to pass them along.
1. Play in at least one tournament.
It's one thing to play golf with your buddies, it's something else when they put the pencil in your hand and tell you to putt them out. Some people thrive on competition. Others, not so much.
If you haven't played tournament golf in a while, do it again. It's amazing how much attention you'll start paying to those 18-inch tap-ins.
2. Play with seven clubs rather than 14
You can pick which clubs you leave in your car's trunk but take half of them out of your bag for one round. It will force you to hit different kinds of shots.
If you're like me, you've probably got five or six clubs in mind you'd like to take out permanently. My hybrid, for example, would not make the seven-club cut. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are getting along better than my hybrid and I these days.
3. Practice putting
Rolling a few putts before a round doesn't qualify as practicing your putting. If you practice at all, you probably bang balls and avoid the putting green. It should be the other way around.
I know that and you know that. Of course, they tell us cheeseburgers are bad for us, too, but that doesn't change our habits.
4. Walk nine holes late in the day
It's the prettiest time on a golf course. If you don't want to carry your bag, you can pull a cart but walk, don't ride. Just this once.
5. Don't wear those ugly shorts
You know the ones I'm talking about. Everybody has a pair but, really, it's time to let them go.
1. Play in at least one tournament.
It's one thing to play golf with your buddies, it's something else when they put the pencil in your hand and tell you to putt them out. Some people thrive on competition. Others, not so much.
If you haven't played tournament golf in a while, do it again. It's amazing how much attention you'll start paying to those 18-inch tap-ins.
2. Play with seven clubs rather than 14
You can pick which clubs you leave in your car's trunk but take half of them out of your bag for one round. It will force you to hit different kinds of shots.
If you're like me, you've probably got five or six clubs in mind you'd like to take out permanently. My hybrid, for example, would not make the seven-club cut. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are getting along better than my hybrid and I these days.
3. Practice putting
Rolling a few putts before a round doesn't qualify as practicing your putting. If you practice at all, you probably bang balls and avoid the putting green. It should be the other way around.
I know that and you know that. Of course, they tell us cheeseburgers are bad for us, too, but that doesn't change our habits.
4. Walk nine holes late in the day
It's the prettiest time on a golf course. If you don't want to carry your bag, you can pull a cart but walk, don't ride. Just this once.
5. Don't wear those ugly shorts
You know the ones I'm talking about. Everybody has a pair but, really, it's time to let them go.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Changes Coming To Golf Club At Ballantyne
The eighth hole at the Golf Club at Ballantyne is being reworked and will have a new green when the project is completed in late July.
The par-4 eighth hole has been among the most challenging holes at the course, particularly its green which runs diagonally behind a creek. The project will enlarge and relocate the green, providing more options for hole locations and for players approaching the putting surface.
A new tee is also being built behind the existing tee, a fairway bunker is being added and another is being extended.
Also, the par-4 second hole is getting a new tee, which will make the hole more of a dogleg.
Play will not be disrupted during the project.
The par-4 eighth hole has been among the most challenging holes at the course, particularly its green which runs diagonally behind a creek. The project will enlarge and relocate the green, providing more options for hole locations and for players approaching the putting surface.
A new tee is also being built behind the existing tee, a fairway bunker is being added and another is being extended.
Also, the par-4 second hole is getting a new tee, which will make the hole more of a dogleg.
Play will not be disrupted during the project.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
UNC's Inman Eyeing Champions Tour
After 13 seasons as the men’s golf coach at North Carolina, John Inman is going back to work on his own game.
Inman resigned his coaching duties recently and with his 50th birthday less than two years away, the former PGA Tour player is planning to give seniors golf a try. Inman, who won twice on tour in his 12-year career, nearly qualified for the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago, losing the final spot in a playoff.
“My whole life has been around professional golf and I love to compete and play at a high level,” Inman said. “You don’t forget how to play and how to compete. But if I’m going to have an opportunity at the Champions Tour, I need to be ready.”
Inman became the first man to win the ACC golf championship as both a player (1982) and a coach (2006). In his tenure with the Tar Heels, Inman led his team to 16 tournament titles and five top-20 end of the year rankings.
He’s staying connected to the North Carolina program for six months, helping with the construction of a new clubhouse at Finley Golf Course while the school searches for his successor. Leaving North Carolina, Inman said, is bittersweet.
“I feel a little bit of everything,” Inman said. “Anything you’ve done for a long time and put your heart and soul into, when you leave there are a lot of different feelings. I enjoyed working with the guys and seeing them reach the next level.
“But it’s a demanding job and it takes a lot of work, effort and some luck. It’s kind of like playing professional golf. All the things have to go right for you.”
Inman resigned his coaching duties recently and with his 50th birthday less than two years away, the former PGA Tour player is planning to give seniors golf a try. Inman, who won twice on tour in his 12-year career, nearly qualified for the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago, losing the final spot in a playoff.
“My whole life has been around professional golf and I love to compete and play at a high level,” Inman said. “You don’t forget how to play and how to compete. But if I’m going to have an opportunity at the Champions Tour, I need to be ready.”
Inman became the first man to win the ACC golf championship as both a player (1982) and a coach (2006). In his tenure with the Tar Heels, Inman led his team to 16 tournament titles and five top-20 end of the year rankings.
He’s staying connected to the North Carolina program for six months, helping with the construction of a new clubhouse at Finley Golf Course while the school searches for his successor. Leaving North Carolina, Inman said, is bittersweet.
“I feel a little bit of everything,” Inman said. “Anything you’ve done for a long time and put your heart and soul into, when you leave there are a lot of different feelings. I enjoyed working with the guys and seeing them reach the next level.
“But it’s a demanding job and it takes a lot of work, effort and some luck. It’s kind of like playing professional golf. All the things have to go right for you.”
Monday, May 16, 2011
Choi Wins, Toms Doesn't And The 17th Keeps Us Watching Again
Thoughts on The Players Championship:
-- It was great to see K.J. Choi win Sunday. He doesn't have the profile and popularity of some players but he's been a quality player for a long time who is respected and admired on multiple levels. He's always been an excellent ball-striker but hasn't been a great putter. There were moments Sunday when it looked like the putter might cost him again but he made enough. Good for him.
-- It's almost a cliche but it's better to see a guy win a tournament than to have someone lose it. David Toms' late miss, while not totally unexpected, was disappointing. The birdie he made to force the playoff was big time and to turn around and let it get away the way he did was unfortunate.
-- Every year there's the debate about whether the 17th hole at the Stadium Course is gimmicky. Of course it's gimmicky but that's part of its charm. I've already had two people who don't normally watch golf on television talk about watching The Players because they like to see the pros playing the 17th hole. And it still takes its victims.
-- I didn't see Graeme McDowell's meltdown coming. I figured he was the likely winner when the final round started but, under the gun, his swing didn't hold up. It may next time but under pressure, new swings (McDowell has just tweaked his) tend to revert to old habits. It was tough to watch.
-- Still wondering what happened to the new generation of stars at The Players....
-- It was great to see K.J. Choi win Sunday. He doesn't have the profile and popularity of some players but he's been a quality player for a long time who is respected and admired on multiple levels. He's always been an excellent ball-striker but hasn't been a great putter. There were moments Sunday when it looked like the putter might cost him again but he made enough. Good for him.
-- It's almost a cliche but it's better to see a guy win a tournament than to have someone lose it. David Toms' late miss, while not totally unexpected, was disappointing. The birdie he made to force the playoff was big time and to turn around and let it get away the way he did was unfortunate.
-- Every year there's the debate about whether the 17th hole at the Stadium Course is gimmicky. Of course it's gimmicky but that's part of its charm. I've already had two people who don't normally watch golf on television talk about watching The Players because they like to see the pros playing the 17th hole. And it still takes its victims.
-- I didn't see Graeme McDowell's meltdown coming. I figured he was the likely winner when the final round started but, under the gun, his swing didn't hold up. It may next time but under pressure, new swings (McDowell has just tweaked his) tend to revert to old habits. It was tough to watch.
-- Still wondering what happened to the new generation of stars at The Players....
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tiger WDs At Players Championship; What's Next?
Tiger Woods' withdrawal today after shooting 42 on his first nine holes at The Players Championship is one more chapter in the story that keeps swirling.
It's apparent that Tiger's knee/Achilles issue hasn't healed which raises the long-term question about what's next for him. The U.S. Open is five weeks away. That's the target. Whether he gets there, it's too soon to know.
The PGA Tour suits have to be cringing. This is the second straight year Tiger has pulled out at Ponte Vedra and, before lunchtime on Thursday, the tournament is without Woods, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy.
It's too early to know much about Tiger's situation and he's not one to share everything anyway. My guess is he went to The Players with some question about whether he was physically ready and he got the answer in a hurry. At 35, what used to heal quickly takes more time.
Who knows what's next.
It's apparent that Tiger's knee/Achilles issue hasn't healed which raises the long-term question about what's next for him. The U.S. Open is five weeks away. That's the target. Whether he gets there, it's too soon to know.
The PGA Tour suits have to be cringing. This is the second straight year Tiger has pulled out at Ponte Vedra and, before lunchtime on Thursday, the tournament is without Woods, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy.
It's too early to know much about Tiger's situation and he's not one to share everything anyway. My guess is he went to The Players with some question about whether he was physically ready and he got the answer in a hurry. At 35, what used to heal quickly takes more time.
Who knows what's next.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What's It Say About The Players That Westwood, McIlroy Aren't There?
With world No. 1 Lee Westwood and No. 6 Rory McIlroy bypassing The Players Championship this week at the famous TPC Stadium Course, does it say more about them or about the tournament?
It says something about both.
As for Westwood and McIlroy's highly publicized absences, it has the feel of a political ploy designed to point out the problems with limiting the number of PGA Tour events non-members can play each year. Westwood made that clear by skipping The Players despite having a game built to win at the tricked-up but fun to watch Stadium Course.
McIlroy can point to his two visits to The Players and his two missed cuts as evidence that the course doesn't suit his often otherworldly game. He has the facts in his favor but it's hard to believe there's a course to which McIlroy can't adapt his game.
Both players share the same agent, Chubby Chandler, and he seems to be making a point to the folks in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.. about limitning non-members to 10 events a year. That may work for the rank and file but it's my feeling that if you're in, say, the top 40 in the world, you should be free to play where you want.
The idea is to get the best players on the course as often as possible. Let more scheduling freedom be one of the perks of a high world ranking. Having Westwood and McIlroy there this week would make a special week even better.
But how special is The Players Championship?
It's one of the biggest tournaments in the world. It's not a major championship and it never will be but it doesn't have to be a major. It's great being what it is.
I think it woudl be better if it were moved back to the latter part of March when it used to be played but that's not likely to happen. The way it fits now, there's a big event from April through August now, allowing players to point to peak moments. That's what Tiger's always talking about and it's why he's at the Stadium Course this week -- because the U.S. Open is just over a month away.
The Players Championship has its own traditions and, love it or hate it, the 17th hole demands you pay attention.
It's a huge week -- with or without Westwood and McIlroy.
It says something about both.
As for Westwood and McIlroy's highly publicized absences, it has the feel of a political ploy designed to point out the problems with limiting the number of PGA Tour events non-members can play each year. Westwood made that clear by skipping The Players despite having a game built to win at the tricked-up but fun to watch Stadium Course.
McIlroy can point to his two visits to The Players and his two missed cuts as evidence that the course doesn't suit his often otherworldly game. He has the facts in his favor but it's hard to believe there's a course to which McIlroy can't adapt his game.
Both players share the same agent, Chubby Chandler, and he seems to be making a point to the folks in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.. about limitning non-members to 10 events a year. That may work for the rank and file but it's my feeling that if you're in, say, the top 40 in the world, you should be free to play where you want.
The idea is to get the best players on the course as often as possible. Let more scheduling freedom be one of the perks of a high world ranking. Having Westwood and McIlroy there this week would make a special week even better.
But how special is The Players Championship?
It's one of the biggest tournaments in the world. It's not a major championship and it never will be but it doesn't have to be a major. It's great being what it is.
I think it woudl be better if it were moved back to the latter part of March when it used to be played but that's not likely to happen. The way it fits now, there's a big event from April through August now, allowing players to point to peak moments. That's what Tiger's always talking about and it's why he's at the Stadium Course this week -- because the U.S. Open is just over a month away.
The Players Championship has its own traditions and, love it or hate it, the 17th hole demands you pay attention.
It's a huge week -- with or without Westwood and McIlroy.
