Who's Your Caddie..

If you're interested you may have the opportunity to caddie for Billy Casper in the 2007 Masters .

I got bored today and have included a couple games you can play on the sidebar area under "Fun Stuff", sorry for the lack of creativity for a title. I'm actually kind of picky when I play internet games but these looked rather cool. There are a bunch more from the same site that I've linked to. Actually, I believe the site that is hosting the games, http://meph.eu.org/penguin.php, were the originators that introduced the ever popular YetiSport "Penguin" games..I really love all these.

Not Bad..

I played last Saturday morning with a co-worker from work. He started playing this year and still cutting his teeth out on the course. I'm a firm believer that if you play with bad players it rubs off on you. We ended up just playing the back 9 because there was a tournament going on. I just don't know what it is but when he and I just play as a two some I start mimicking his game..just bad shots followed by more impressively bad shots.

It got so bad at one point he tried to give me a tip. I looked at him as if he was speaking some foreign language. I'll gladly take advice from a better player but not from one who still considers moving the ball from bad lies and hitting a ball without checking if it's his. He wanted to play for money and I just rolled my eyes..Calgon take me away. It was the worst I've played in a while. I just wasn't into it. For some reason I just can't get serious when I play just a back 9. I ended up playing 2 to 3 balls per hole just for practice and fun..if it was that.

I did get to finally try out the new HX Pearl. It does have a unique pearl-luminescent cover to it. It definitely is a "harder" ball than the softer HX Blue that I'm used to playing. It was noticeable pretty much on all my shots. One thing I didn't like was that it seemed to come off the face a tad quicker than the HX Blue. I'd say it's in between the HX Blue and the HX Hot. I've ordered the HX Red yesterday. It's supposed to be a tad harder than the HX Blue but still a soft 3 piece. If it comes by this weekend I'll give you guys a report of it also.

I played again on Sunday with my normal playing partner. He and I play about the same and I played pretty good. I was only 7 over for 13 holes but we ended early since he wasn't playing good and that we promised our wives to get home early..I had some easter egg painting duties left.

Ta-Daaah!!

Well, actually I finished it last night..impatient. The Testor's paint seems to dry fairly quick and it probably helped I used my wife's blow dryer on it. It came out much better than I imagined and have a newly found attraction to it now.







I was reading that the Testor's paint may not hold up that well under play. That's alright, I was thinking the next time to go with a hot pink. I also found out they sell these paint pens which would make the job even quicker, cleaner.

Facelift for my 588..

After reading a few "how-to's" on other various golf forums (GolfWRX and TourSpecGolf..to be exact)I decided to take the plunge and "soup up" my old Cleveland 588 RTG 56 deg. sand wedge. Actually, I don't think I would've done it but I was with my wife, she was shopping for Easter stuff, today and we were at Michael's, arts/crafts store, and it turned out they had a bunch of Testor's paints.



After looking at all the colors they had I decided to go with "Flat Yellow". I wanted a little color to go against the natural patina of the wedge. Here's the process:

1. I removed all the original paint..the majority of it was already gone do to use. I ended up just picking the rest out with a tip of one of those utility razors. I heard they sell some goo (solvent) that will take the paint off of anything..which sounded way too scary for me to attempt to use even in the first place..saw bad things could happen.

2. After the paint was all out I cleaned it with some soap and dryed it out with a blow dryer..I'm impatient.

3. I brought out a few toothpicks, round kind, and dipped a little bit of the tip into the paint and then carefully dabbed it into the cavity of where the old paint was.

4. I took out the blow dryer again and started to cure the paint..impatient..but now it's just sitting in a corner of the room drying out on its own.

5. (Tomorrow) Take a wool pad and rub off any of the excess paint..maybe even go over it with a little Acetone (wife's nail polish remover)...WA-LLA!

*IMPORTANT: If you plan on doing this in the house wait until your wife leaves the house.

Taxes..

I was getting ready to play a round last Saturday but this little bug in my head was telling me not to..I haven't done my taxes. I made an effort to dedicate the whole morning in doing my return. I was running into a few problems with the online TurboTax program, but was able to debug it and ended up finishing it Sunday night..hooray.

I received the Callaway HX Pearl's but wasn't able to use them so I'll have to give you guys a report after I play this coming Saturday. I did get to examine them close up and they have this interesting pearl luminescence shimmer to it. The cover seems a little harder than the HX Blue I'm used to playing though.

Go Ben..

I'm not going to go into all the hoot and holler with the start of the Masters..there are numerous other sites/blogs that can and will do a much better job than I can even attempt, for example these guys, but what I am extremely excited about is that one of my favorite golfers, Ben Crenshaw, is tied for 8th with a -1 finish today.



I really don't know what I can really add to all the other information you can dig up or by visitng The Masters site. Besides all the drama of the lengthening..again..of numerous holes (holes 4,7,11 and 15 to be exact) here are some quirky tidbits about Augusta National:

Average age: 72
Average handicap: 13.2
Jobs: Corporate titans, politicians, oilmen and golf legends.
Duds: Green jackets at all times in the clubhouse. But never, ever, off club grounds.
Youngest Member: Jeff Knox, 41
Richest Member: Bill Gates (net worth $46.5 billion)
Best player: USGA president Fred Ridley (1 handicap)
Former guests: Celine Dion, Mike Shanahan, John Elway, Sandra Day O'Connor
Total Members: 300
Cost: $50,000 (compared to $350,000 for a membership to Trump National)
Membership: Invitation only
(courtesy of GOLF magazine)
1st golfer to be shot at in Augusta: Tom Lehman (read the story here). I'm sure there will be a future trivia question about who Troy Willis Smith is.

Singing Hills..

Sorry for not keeping up with the posts but I was just feeling out of it last week and things at work were hectic. I didn't even get to play last week but I did play Saturday. One of my buddies was having his bachelor party in San Diego and golf was part of the festivities. The course that they chose was Singing Hills, but I believe it's now owned and operated by one of those gaming casinos and now it's called Sycuan Golf Resorts..or something like that..anyway I'll still be calling it Singing Hills.

"Singing Hills" has two 18-hole course and then a 18-hole par 3 course (Pine Glen). I thought we were going to play the good course, Willow Glen, but the guy in charge of the bachelor party said it was on Oak Glen..bah. Willow Glen is much more prettier and better designed. All the holes on Oak look the same..but he did manage to get us a good price on the green fees and after not being able to play all of last week I really didn't care at that point.

We all played from the white tees and I ended up shooting a 93. I was satisfied with it being that I was just putting horribly with just too many 3 putts for double bogeys. I was getting out of the tee box unbelievably that day. I only had 2 holes where they went stray but with the lack of water on this course I was able to bring it back in.

My best shot of the day was from a fairway bunker about 120 yards out. My tee shot had ended up here but it was a very clean lie. I decided to take an additional club and went with my 9 iron. I hit it super clean and it came out perfect. I landed about 3 feet away for birdie and 2 putt, story of my life, for par.

I was playing today with the Callaway HX Tour and I must say it is slightly longer and stays on line a little better than the HX Blue. Since I'm running out of my HX Blue I'm going to probably switich to the HX Tour or Tour 56 which I hear is a tad softer than the regular HX Tour. I ordered a box of the new HX Pearl from GolfGods. I'll give you guys a report after I try them out.

The Fastest Green..

I always wanted to try this in one of our office building hallways but looks like someone beat me to it..and the stimp meter rating on this, compared to carpet, has to be next to putting on ice.

Dorm Hallway Putting

Andre Agassi vs. Tiger Woods

It's from the days when MTV showed the claymation "Celebrity Deathmatch" stuff..or do they still..? Anyway, it's worth a look..if you can stomach it..and Andre does the famous Tiger Woods ball juggling trick.

Tough Course..

I played Rio Hondo CC today and, as normal, it was still a bear..like a grizzly. I call this the "harder" course since it has a higher slope/rating compared to Los Amigos, the "easy" course. I've broken 90 on numerous occasions at the "easy" course but have yet to break 90 at the "hard" course. I brought my dv camcorder out with me as usual but honestly didn't have time to capture any footage because the course was a handful..probably best that I didn't today anyhow.

It may be just an optical illusion but the fairways are smaller and treelined to start with at Rio Hondo. Compared to Los Amigos, if you go off course you aren't going to have an open shot back in. Also the rough is really "rough" and has numerous collection areas on the sides of the fairways..I call them nasty ditches.

I wouldn't call it a long course, 6344 yds., par 71, but very narrow and you need to have an "accurate" game. There's absolutely no room for stray drives or approaches unless you like hitting from nasty ditches. An ideal player would be one who hits it straight and HIGH (see Tiger Woods). The greens are fast, not as fast as the greens when I played at Balboa Park GC, and true. Their greens are hard thus a need for a high shot that lands straight down.

Their #1 handicap hole is the the first hole. It's a par 4, slight dogleg right, and NARROW without any forgiveness. Basically if you're not long, hitting a good cut, down the middle forget about it. The fairway itself has undulations which also add to the difficulty. What kills me is the postage stamp green at the end. It's, honestly, like 20 feet by 60 feet and is the smallest green on the course..thinking about it..it's actually the smallest green I've ever hit into. All this combined would adequately make it the hardest hole. The desciption of this hole goes for about all the holes at Rio Hondo. My putting wasn't bad and I did manage to get 2 pars but ended up carding a 94.

It seems like my game is at the cusp of the high 80's but I manage to have a couple of blow-up holes that put me a few miles north of 90. I had two triple bogeys today which thinking back was so uneeded. This usually happens when I want to make the "big" shot and end up with a more precarious one.

Rennaissance Golfer..

A good friend of mine brought me this golf gift below when he was working in Rome, Italy for about a year. He said he saw it in one of those quaint stores along a cobblestone street along his way to work. When I first received it I had no idea how it was used. I saw the tees and that it held golf balls and just thought it to be a keepsake. On the other side there is a luxurious belt loop..a-ha. He told me that this is to be worn on the hip.

I thanked him for the wonderful gift and it has remained on top of my bookshelf since. It really is a beautifully handcrafted piece. I could see it now, back on a golf course in somewhere in Italy, that these maybe the rage with the upper class, nobility. In my case I just don't have the proper "attire" to don this piece de resistance to complement my accoutrement. He just started playing golf recently this year and I am tempted the next time I play with him to wear it for him.

Isn't One Enough..

I just started getting GOLF magazine today. Lord knows I don't need "another" golf magazine, but after I read an issue at LAX last month, dropping off my brother in law, I really enjoyed how "simple" and entertaining it was.

I never really paid attention to GOLF magazine until I read their last issue and noticed how different the two really were. Although it lacked the serious articles and interview I love Golf Digest for, GOLF magazine covers the rest of the golfing hodge podge. I like it's quirky articles and tid bits currently in the golf kingdom that Golf Digest doesn't really cover.

I'm not sure if the issue I received today, Februrary, is the current issue or last month's but take for example in "The Starter" section, page 23. There's a quick one page article called "My Favorite Thing" and it shows Shigeki Maruyama holding up a $20,000 watch of his (Audemars Piguet), one of 40, and grinning. They quoted him saying "Your watch? It's thin, not thick like mine. It looks cheap-like an old man's watch!"..I'm sure it sounds funnier in Japanese.

"I love to shop. I'll spend $150,000 a year on clothes. I never wear the same golf shirt twice. The most I've spent in one day is $30,000. My favorite brands are Boss, Dolce & Gabanna and French Connection. My son is 5. He wears Diesel and D&G Junior. We both like shoes-John Lobb, Hermes. I own more than 100 pairs. There's no place at my house to store them anymore! I don't wear a lot of what i buy. I'll practice, go shopping and forget I have it."

The overall layout seems less rigid than Golf Digest also..a little more hip. One part I don't agree with is their "comic book" look they have in their instructional section, "Private Lessons". I just like to see "real" photos of people, not renditions, in the act and this is where Golf Digest shines.

Funny Stuff..

Unfortunately, he hasn't updated his site since my last visit but golfff, 19th hole comedy (tm), has a very funny golf blog. I read his profile and appears he's writing a book about his own perils and pleasures of golf. The last entry, Why Club Pros Don't Stay at a Job Too Long, is an absolute riot and so are his others. I, and I'm sure many of you, could relate to Home Decorating 101.

I also enjoyed reading Bad Golf. Rob's golf blog, from the Central Coast of California, was actually written up in the the Washington Post last year. One of the funnier stories is My Most Embarassing Shot which really hits home.

Come guys..winter is over..at least in California..get out of your cave..it's been long enough..

Raw Footage..

In case you haven't seen it I put up some videos, both of me and some of my favorites, on the sidebar of the page..good stuff huh..? It looks a little better when viewed at a smaller resolution.

Wahoo..!

I wasn't planning on playing yesterday since weather.com gave a 90% chance that there would be thunderstorms..NOT! But due to that bogus forecast it caused me to lollygag and eventually it got too late, for me, to even consider it. I started making a pot of coffee, Melitta coffee is absolutely great..bought it at Ralph's, and then everyone started getting up. My wife saw me and was surprised I was still in the house. I told her weather.com was to blame and then a few minutes later my friend Peter, usual golf bud, gave me a call to play..it was like 10:45 am at this point.

I told him the story about the bogus forecast and told him I couldn't play now since it's too late for me. Surprisingly, my wife told me to go play! I was surprised since it would put me getting back into the house probably past 3:00 pm. She said she knew how I eagerly wait the whole week to play Saturday mornings..but she said that once I get back we're ALL going to Chuck E. Cheese..yes, the kiddie pizza arcade place. She told my son that we were going this week and he loves that place. No prob! DEAL!

I brought my DV camcorder again and took some more footage which are up if you look on the sidebar of the page. I need to get a mount..it's getting to be a pain to retrieve the camera and put it back each time.

I'll save you guys and won't go into the details of every hole but I finished with an 83. My driving wasn't accurate and I only hit 5 out of 13 fairways, but the key to the day was that my iron game was strong..for me. I had five GIR's that day and was able to convert those into two birdies and three pars. What I focused on were three things with my iron shots:

One, I kept my stance at address just a hair, slighlty, open to the target line. Two, my backswing went only as far as I felt comfortable with and didn't force it to get to parallel. Three, on the downswing, I made a conscious effort to come down shallow, not steep (normally for me), and "push" through the contact with the hands staying low and following the ball..yes, it's like a punch shot..but wow, what a difference! This maybe a bad way to vision this but I was thinking of a my clubhead being a plane and how it's coming down for a landing. It's smooth and shallow..but also needs to dive into the turf at the end for that good contact and divot..scary huh.

I know that this is the proper way to play with windy conditions, and it was, but I've decided to play this type of swing from now on. The contact and trajectory was amazingly pure. It was lower but a boring shot and it had quite a bit of backspin when it hit the green. My golf bud was amazed on how I was spinning the ball back on a few holes..me too.

I actually wore shorts and a windbreaker yesterday and everyone thought I was nuts but I hate wearing pants and will only wear them if I really need to. I just got the windbreaker a few days ago (made by Sun Mountain..didn't even know they made clothes) and it worked like a charm. It did rain a little bit but was windy which made it cold. My legs were cold but the upper body was feeling good..and it was quite windy the whole day. It is a really well made jacket. When I inspected it it actually has taped seams on the inside, like those rugged North Face jackets, and it's got that waterproof/windproof coating througout the inside..bottom line..it works.

I bought one of those STX putter clips to keep my putter at bay, instead of constantly pulling it out and back in. It just clips to the side of my bag and I just slide my putter into it. I also bought a pack of these plastic tees called "Zero-Friction". It supposed give you longer and straighter drives. They are literally indestructable since they're made out of a plastic..how do they plan on making money on this stuff..? I liked them but I wish they were a half an inch longer, but looks like they're coming out with a longer version mid-March. I ended up going back to my longer "Texas" tees.

The funny thing is I've now played my best rounds of the year in miserable conditions, St. Andrews here I come.

Camera Mount..

According to weather.com there's a 90% chance it's going to rain tomorrow. I don't mind playing in the rain but according to the the site it's supposed to be a thunderstorm from 06:00 AM to 12:00 PM, my prime playing hours. I have played a few years ago where it rained so hard during the round the ball was literally floating out of the cup. That didn't stop us but the water level on the green started to rise where it the water start going into our shoes..not that we weren't drenched already.

Lately, I've been looking for a mount so I can attach my camcorder to my push cart. I was debating to just take pictures but I think if I capture video that would be much more entertaining to see. I got hooked after seeing my swing for the first time when I played last week in San Diego. Either way if I play tomorrow I'll be taking some more footage and put them up.

Come See "The Shanks"..LIVE

I hate even saying the word but I thought this was one of the funniest videos I've seen today:

http://www.mlebeau.ca/movies/shanks.wmv

..The Offspring kick ass.

Hurricane Balboa..

I was looking for an appropriate title in relation to my game in San Diego yesterday at Balboa Park Golf Course (slope 127/rating 71.1)

"A devilish little course. Its deceiving short yardage makes it look easier than it actually is (if easy at all). Perhaps it's the perfect example of when the USGA slope/rating system, seemingly based mostly on distance, fails to capture the true difficulty of a golf course. Some holes have no bail out, forcing the players to play very safe, short of greens, to avoid disaster. Agressive play will, sooner or later, lead to disastrous consequences. A good course for not-very-long and straight hitters, and patient players. A bad course for those who are wild off the tee and inaccurate iron players."

I wish I had read the above statement before playing..the last sentence is rather funny. This has to be, unexpectedly, the worst I've played in months. I finally got to play with two of my closest friends and it was a gorgeous day to top it off. I showed up at BPGC at 5:01 AM to put my name on the waiting list. When I got to the parking lot I was surprised to see about 6 other people milling around the parking lot. A few minutes later they all started to march together toward the clubroom where the waiting list was and formed a line.

I asked the last guy if I was supposed to park my car in some special order in relation to the waiting list and he said that my spot on the waiting list goes by how many cars were here when I pulled into the parking lot. I started counting and it looked like with my car I would be 10th. He then told me I could sign in as #7. It was, I'm sure, a time-honored system that goes back for years and there was absolutely no room for any foul play here. Everyone knew everyone and I was the f.n.g., but real good guys. The #3 waiting spot was open and I asked why that was, he said that he could vouch that the guy was here waiting..true knights.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I hit a perfect tee shot on the first hole and hit my first (and only) GIR that day. I managed to 3-putt for a bogey though..more on this later. The wheels came off this train from hole #2 and onward. I feel after analyzing my round relentlessly, for possible scoring mistakes, most of the strokes taken were on the green with multiple 2 putts and 3 putts..ugh. I couldn't believe how fast the greens were. The whole day I couldn't find the pace of them. They had that pace where the ball rolled all the way out. Even like the last foot it kept rolling..and rolling..and rolling. It was just plain scary to putt that day. BPGC is also an undulating course which is nothing like the flat courses I'm use to playing..but enough with excuses.

It also didn't help that I lost three balls (OB), two on one hole, either. BPGC has absolutely no water hazards but it is played along on top of a ridge with numerous, vast canyons to the sides. Any errant shot means a loss ball going down into the vast steep canyons. I believe they're in play..if you don't mind hiking all the way down or the thorns and possible rattlesnakes in between. I actually didn't have a chance to hit many irons because it seemed like I was hitting my hybrid all the time..which actually probably helped me more than I thought. I ended finishing with a 101, my highest round this year.

I brought my video camera to catch all of us playing but actually didn't have much time to do that because the group behind us were playing fairly fast and was pushing up on us a few times. I thought we were playing slow but finished the round in 4 hours which to me is fairly fast for walking.

I did manage to take a video of our swings on the 13th hole. It's a par 3, 134 yards, downhill green. It's ranked as the 16th handicap hole, probably due to the short distance, but if you miss short to the front, you're done. It's an extreme drop off if you come up short and your ball, if lucky, will go all the way to the base and hopefully stop. Most of the time, though, your ball has so much speed rolling down that it ends up going into the canyon. Both of my friends hit their 9 iron, which seemed plenty of club, and fell victims to the consequences of coming short. They were well struck, nothing fat or thin..just good contact, but both ended up short and claimed unplayable lie and carded a triple and double respectively.

I went with an 8 iron, super-plenty of club, and put my normal swing on it (I'm the last one hitting in the blue shirt). I made really good contact and thought it was just going to be long, but it landed about 10 feet pin-high on the green. I assumed if these guys didn't get on with their 9 iron that it must be windy up there. I'd love to have one of those SkyCaddie GPS units to really measure the distance out. I still managed to 3-putt for a bogey..and how Sam Snead shot a 60 here (course record) in 1943 is truly amazing.

Dawn Patrol..

Motley Golf..

I got an email today from Vince Neil, lead singer for Motley Crue, that he was inviting me to join him and several of his favorite Girls Girls Girls on May 5, 2006 for his 10th Year Anniversary Edition of The Skylar Neil Memorial Golf Tournament. Actually, the email wasn't just sent to me alone, but to all of his fans. I've been a Crue fan for many years and a closet headbanger and received this invitation since I registered on the Motley.com forum a few years ago.

The Skylar Neil Memorial Foundation has donated over a million dollars to the T.J. Martel Foundation, an organization dedicated to cancer, leukemia and AIDS research. It is being held this year at the Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley, CA. I believe Rich, Eat Golf blog, plays here often.

Vince lost his daughter, Skylar, to stomach cancer in 1995. As a parent I can only imagine the sorrow and loss of his child..God Bless.

If any of you are interested in playing in the tournament or becoming an event sponsor or would like to donate an item to their gift bag, auction or raffle, contact tournament coordinators Alan Koenig (615-255-9000, alankoenig@bellsouth.net) and Jon Scott (818-981-9876, jonscott2004@aol.com)

Nigeria 3 (million) - Gottschalk 0 (zero)..

Let me preface and say this is not golf related but I wondered who falls for the famous Nigerian email scam.

The scam where the infamous "General of Nigeria" asks you to open up an account and pay transfer fees and in return the bearer would get a hefty return once the money is "freed" up. I still get these emails today..

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nigerian2mar02,1,2284647.story?track=rss

.."different" Nigerians....Ooohhhh..Loooouis!

Blog Rehab..

I think I'm getting addicted to my blog..I've done nothing all day except spruce it up and mess around with it. I've added a video of me chipping in the backyard a few days ago and today I even added my voice on it.

I found this cool blog site, BlogFlux, where it offers all sorts of blogging goodies. Anyway, it's time for me to go home now, at work, and I know I'm going to be messing around with it at home too. You guys like it so far?

Callaway Crazy..

I think I'm getting brainwashed by Callaway marketing. It seems lately, since I replaced my irons to the Callaway X-14 Pro Series, I've been leaning toward using everything by Callaway. Besides their golf equipment, I also really like most of their other products.

I think they have the best looking golf shirts and clothing. I don't think TaylorMade (I believe Adidas is under the TaylorMade brand now though) or Titleist make their own shirts..and just putting your name on some generic golf shirt (i.e. Cutter and Buck or Ashworth) doesn't count. I don't buy stuff because it's trendy or it's the "must have" item of week, month, year. If that was the case I'd be playing with some version of the R7 or some Titleist driver. My trusty GBB 415 is just fine..anytime..anyplace.

Callaway seem to really do well with their clothing line and always seem very high quality. I own a couple Callaway shirts..they're not cheap..but very high quality. My wife actually bought me a cool blue Callaway golf shirt out of all places, Costco, for around $25. I'm going back there this weekend to pick up a few more colors. (Costco has been selling some really good clothing lately. I bought a pair of "dirty" Calvin Klein and Lucky Brand for $29 each.) I'm not a fashionista by any sense but it's my only day of the week where I get to look presentable.

My hybrids, wedge, putter, shoes are still OTC (Other Than Callaway), Wilson Hb5, Cleveland 588, Yes! Tracy, Foot Joys, respectively, but my socks, gloves, balls and bag are by Callaway. Actually I only own one pair of Callaway socks..the rest being Foot Joy socks. I also like Callaway golf shoes but their sole seems rather thick like the Oakley golf shoes. I actually like some of their watches too. One good thing now is I don't need to look all over for different manufacturers and styles the next time I'm looking for golf gear.

I honestly think Callaway denotes serious but fun golf..hey, maybe if they're, Callaway, reading this they can use that as their next marketing slogan. It could be something like "Callaway, seriously fun."

Quote Of The Day

Is That Mine..?

I'd love to not mark my balls when I play, but with all the same ones out there it leads me no choice. I've actually seen little ball templates you can buy to create a unique imprint on your ball. I've actually also seen "special" mini golf ball markers..which look just look like a smaller version of a Sharpie marker. I didn't even know it but they even has a "Sharpie" PGA Tour Team. I like the Sharpie Mini as a matter of fact.

Anyway, before I could say anything, a buddy of mine bought the mini golf ball marker at the pro-shop. He kept the red marker and gave me the black one. They cost around twice as much as a regular Sharpie marker also. I almost bought that ball template where it cups your ball and draws a straight line to aim your putt, because it came with an actual Sharpie, but I already have 2 Sharpies. I didn't buy it.

I always try to come up with unique ways to mark my ball. I normally do the "one dot" below the number but my buddy started doing this. Actually this little ball marking gadget looked pretty cool..those crazy Japanese golfers..what will they think of next.. Now I like to place to a small dot before and after the name of the ball. I think PGA Tour Pro Duffy Waldorf actually has his daughters draw a colorful design on them.

What's In My Pocket..

I consider myself a superstitious golfer when it comes to keeping certain items at hand when I play. The first thing I do when I get to the course is to remove all my wordly possesions (watches, keys, phones, wallet, change) and put them in my bag. I then pull out the two balls I used last week (if they aren't damaged) and put them in my right pocket. I then pull out my Tom Lehman PGA Partner's Club medallion coin (it's slightly larger than a JFK half dollar coin) along with one "Texas" 3 3/4 long white tee and also put these in my right pocket.

The piece de resistance is my bronze Doral divot repair tool with the little magnetic disk. I've never played Doral but actually found the divot repair/marker tool in the grass, while looking for my ball, when I was playing at the El Toro Golf Course 3 years ago. The only thing I know about Doral is that it's called the "Blue Monster".

I recently changed my magnetic marker disk (it was the original bronze Doral insignia) to a Tiger. I like Tiger Woods but the reason I got it was it looked the most visible on the green compared to the other insignias they had..I believe it's a Clemson University Tiger as a matter of fact. The pro-shop had a bunch of college mascot markers but for some reason San Diego State University, my alma mater, didn't make the list.

I've never bought shorter tees because my driver's head size is fairly large and I only use a shorter tee for par 3's. Usually those tee boxes are littered with half broken tees anyhow..but if I find a unbroken shorty tee I'll try to collect those. I'm fairly picky when it comes to my tee color and I just buy white.

I use to like all those colored ones but as I got more serious about my game all I want to see when I tee it up is white. To me it's distracting to see a white ball sitting on top of a red tee (or any other color besides white). I know it's just a visual thing, but I like to see all white down there then a myriad of colors. It seems like there's a bigger object to hit then a little bitty ball. I also like to use a bigger ball marker because it's easier to pick up and place. However, it is big enough to carom a rolling ball off of, so if it's in the line with another person's putt I'll just use my smaller, flatter Clemson Tiger ball marker..genious huh..?

Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde..

I always think of these two characters and how they resemble my golf game (other reference being a biotech stock of the early 1990's). On any given day I can be really hot, like last week, even while it rained I finished with an 82 (43 on the front and 39 on the back) and it felt easy too. Yesterday was another story..I started of with a double and then a triple..ugh. I maintained for a bit with 3 pars and a bogey and a double, but then scored a TRIPLE again on a par 3. I went into the sand, which I had no worries about, but the green was sloping downhill from it and I was positioned on the downward slope in the bunker. There was absolutely no way my ball would stop anywhere near the hole.

The sand was not that hard but slightly moist from the previous week's rain. The lip in front wasn't even high, but it was the downhill lie after that that made it unbelievable..my luck. Anyway, I was thinking what my options were. It was a decent lie and I could have chipped/picked it out but then it would've rolled all the way off the green. I decided to try to flop it out of there. First attempt..it just hit the very top of the lip..back in..almost in the same place. Second shot..ditto. FUDGE! Third shot, I said screw it and took my normal bunker swing..which came out perfect. It did check a tad but rolled off the green as expected. I swear not even Tiger Woods could've done better..it was just a miserable situation in the bunker.

What was weird was I just couldn't get into my game yesterday. I felt all day in a mental fog..I'm usually feeling pretty sharp at this point. True, I don't eat anything before I play..just loadup on coffee..but usually I'm just a little jittery on the putts..but not even that. I couldn't shake it off or get into my game until the 17th and 18th hole. I just felt I was just merely going through the paces..not really getting into it. Even my golf bud asked me what was up. I did go to sleep later than normal so that was the only thing I could blame it on..I just felt sleepy.

Oh yeah, my push cart (Sun Mountain Speed Cart V1..that's a mouthful) arrived Thursday (ordered Monday..fast!) and got to use it yesterday. I got mine from GolfGods, ask for Mike V. and he'll set you straight..he's a great guy and wonderful to deal with. I've bought a few clubs from them also. Very courteous and prompt! Anyway, I ended up carding a 93 (13 on the front and 10 on the back, par 70) which I was surprised to even get that for my lack of attention for the whole round. Mental note to self next week..get more sleep.

Index and Pearl Balls..

I just signed up today to get an official USGA index at GolfServ. Out of my research, they seemed to have the coolest features. I can play all over L.A. and not just limited at a home course to log in scores. I had a few scores to record already and it gave me a projected index (trend) of 15.2 which seemed about right. I think with this scoring system in place, I'll be able to focus more on my game to improve. One of my goals this year is to break 80 again..I was close last week with an 82.

My wife gets GOLF for Women but I usually end up reading it more than her. Anyway they were showcasing some of the newest items for women golfers. The item that caught my eye were these new balls from Callaway called the HX Pearl. It's designed for people with slower swing speeds and it's a 3 piece ball. It supposed to have this cool, iridescent cover that I guess has a "pearl" opaque look to it and it supposed to aid in locating the ball.

The Callaway site doesn't even have it listed yet but my favorite internet golf store, GolfGods, is already selling it. It looks like they're waiting for their shipment but I'm placing my order today. I remember the Precept "LADY" ball was a popular ball with men for a while, I assume this will be the same..if you can get by with having a pearl ball.

My Setup..

Not sure how fundamentally sound my setup is but it had been working for me consistently lately:

1. Tee the ball high (about 3/4 of the ball above the face of the driver), I play with a 415cc Callaway Great Big Bertha 2.


2. Pick out a spot a few feet in front of the ball in direct relation to the intended target/landing area.


3. Set up slightly open with 80% weight on the right side.

4. Initiate hip trigger and "Slow and Low" backswing slowing down at the top. I know the taught method is shoulder turn first but this works for and as long as I get the hips firing through first, which I do, that's all that matters.

5. Keep head behind ball at impact.

6. Hit ball at 4 o'clock for straight or 3 o'clock for cut/fade.

I never knew until I was watching some episode on The Golf Channel that Tom Lehman also sets up open. They said he usually hits it pretty straight or an occasional cut/fade (I've noticed that with my ball flight also). Funny coincidence is that my ball marker is a coin with Tom Lehman's face on it. He's been my mental image when I tee it up now.

Kicked Arse..

I shot an 82 today..lowest round in a long time. Today marked the fourth and last round of our "kitty" tournament. I ended up winning our informal tournament by 2 strokes. (I was 5 strokes off the lead to tie this morning) The key was I successfully converted four up and downs to save par and then had landed four GIR's with 2-putts for par and I got a birdie.

I still did have 7 holes that I 2-putt for bogey (they were all tap in bogeys too..geez). Taken this into account, if I was just able to get up and down, on those bogeys, for less than half or 3 holes I would've shot a 79. The short game is the way to the promised land! (This is my golf mantra)

Another thing I noticed is that when I hit more than 50% of the fairways (I hit 8 out of 13 fairways) off the box, I know it's going to be a pretty good round overall. I feel confident that I will shoot another, last being June of 2004, sub-80 round this year at this rate. The icing on the cake was that, although my golf bud and I are even strokes..he may think else, I didn't have to hear him say that he STILL won this time..it's was pleasantly quiet.

*You can see some of T.J. Mahaffey's funnies here.

Use The Force, Luke..

Lately, I've really been concentrating on not letting bad holes ruin my round. This really is a hard concept for your average golfer, me, but it's this ability to perservere, adapt and move on that really is the nitty gritty to becoming the better player. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to prove to my self on such an occasion and that I can overcome this and move on.

On the 8th hole, par 5, I topped the tee shot really bad and the ball landed about 30 yds. in front of the tee box. I then managed to hit consecutive bad shots that had me lying 5 from about 80 yds. left. I was thinking to myself that even if I play this hole decent I leave with a triple. I put the Jedi mind trick on the ball and ended up chipping out for a bogey.

Everybody was hooting and hollering..I was stoked on the inside, but tried not to get too giddy about it. I was more than excited that I saved 2 strokes right there. Talk about the pressure being taken off on the next hole. (The 9th is a wicked 230 yd. par 3, straight hole with an enormous green, I ended up two putting for bogey)

The funny thing is the back 9 was played consistently with bogey golf. (that should've been 5 shots better with numerous up and down misses..more about this on Proof Is In The Putting). Another facet I need to polish up is to reduce "blow up" holes. Those holes where for some reason you forget how to play golf and every shot feels like your very first ever taken. Usually these holes feel like the same when I get the dreaded shanks. But once again it's the ability to overcome the current crappy state that takes you to the next ability level.

Run Forrest..Run..

I'm not sure how many of you incorporate some extra physical fitness into your golf routine but I've been an avid runner for almost a year now. What brought this on you say? Well, about a year ago, I noticed that toward the end of my golf round I would get fatigued and sometimes get cramps in my calves. It probably didn't help the fact that I'm a walker and never ride unless the course mandates it. I also felt that I was developing a slight midsection, not a 6-pack, but the other way.

At that time I was about 180 lbs, I'm 5'9", and felt a little sluggish also. I decided to take up running and I absolutely hated, WITH A PASSION, running. I was the person, after the first couple laps, that would get tired and depressed and stopped..eventually. I then told myself that I'm going to beat this and take it seriously.

Preface: I used to weigh over 200 lbs. in college and got down to 155 lbs. when I graduated. I was one of those that saw the physical fitness "light" and just changed my whole lifestyle. I ate nothing but salads and NO fast-food for a year and in addition to all this I seriously worked out, mainly cardio stuff, for about 3 hours every night. WHY?!?! you ask, I was training to be a firefighter and knew there were some serious physical fitness tests up ahead.

Last May, 2005, I ran in my first competitive run. It was actually termed a "FUN RUN"..an oxymoron..but turned out rather competitive. It was actually longer than a 5K, 4 miles to be exact, that started in the Gaslamp District in San Diego and went over the Coronado Bridge and finished at the nearby park. I placed 22 out of 44 people in my age class (34), 30-35, with a time of 41:21, not the fastest but not the last either..a true "midpacker".

I really do believe running has helped my golf game also. I am definitely in better physical fitness, but besides that I feel more alert and aware of my game. I no longer experience those nasty cramps in my calves either.

Lately, I haven't ran due to what I felt was a sore hip after my last, and final time, walking a full round with my bag. I ran just a little while ago, about 2 weeks off since, and felt really good. I started REALLY slow but ended up finishing 4 miles easy. My normal run, 3 times a week, is 3 miles. I'm currently debating/training to run the Seal Beach 5K/10K in April.

I'm confident I can blast the 5K but have been seriously contemplating doing the 10K. My goal is to do a marathon..someday. I really tried to test myself and do 6 miles today, about a 10K distance, but my legs started to get tired and heavy. Physically, my breathing and pace were great and everything was working good, no pain, but my legs started to poop out on me after the 4th mile so I stopped.

The furthest I've ran is 5 miles and I'm sure if I train for it I'll be 10K ready by April, but maybe I'll just work on kicking some 5K butt instead. What's weird is, like my golf game, I usually do much better after I lay off awhile and come back..thus my golfing and running relationship.

Sky Marks, Diaper Bags, Jack on Credit..

I got to play today, just the back nine at the local course with a buddy of mine because I was taking my daughter to the doctor's office for her 6 month check up. Well, for the longest time I tried not to put a sky mark on my hybrids, and I was doing great, but it only lasted until today. I managed to put some nice sky marks on the toe end of BOTH of them. The PUP, Pop Up Protector, seems like a nifty idea. I probably would bought it if I had known about it before the marks.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels sick when they mar up their beautiful clubs. It's truly a sign of an amateur hack indeed. It happend when I teed the ball a tad to high on a long par 3 (220 yds) and ended up putting 2 in the lake guading the green. Anyway, I felt actually relieved, after a few minutes had passed, because now that whole "brand new" cautiousness was no longer there.

After the round I was going to go to the nearby hardware store to see if they sell some touch up paint so I can just cover up the visual scratches. I decided to first dab on some "Sharpie" ink and see if it holds. I just really hate looking down and seeing scratch marks on clubs. I guess it just leaves a reminder of bad shots from previous rounds. I've been known to actually replace clubs just because of this reason.

I'm not following precedent because I really have been hitting these hybrids well and has been my "go to" club for shot from 220-240 (I have both a 21 deg. and 17 deg.) and tight fairways. They really need to make the graphics on the top of these heads stronger though. I've hit a few on top of my Callaway driver but it has resisted any noticeable marks.

I told my wife, and this has nothing to do with golf, when we were leaving the house to the doctor's office that she has the world's most expensive diaper bag. It's actually not a diaper bag but a really nice Coach tote handbag, but a big one. You know the kind where it's deep enough to hold an umbrella (folded), newpaper, folders, etc. I got it for her a couple years ago but now it is serving double duty as the all essential diaper bag. Actually we're getting good use out of it because it really holds ALOT of stuff. You name it and it's there, including a camera and a mini-DV camcorder. I paid $500 for it at the Coach store at the Glendale Galleria at the time.

While driving to the pediatricians office we were stopped on the corner of La Cienega and Pico in West Los Angeles. There was a Jack In The Box restaurant there which, I thought, had one of the funniest/quirkiest signs. Right underneath the tall, customary red and white "Jack In The Box" sign there was another sign that read: "Credit Accepted Here" and had the VISA, MC logos. I can see now some guy in there strapped for cash signing a loan application for a Jumbo Jack.

Turn Your Headlights On..

I'll keep this one super-short and want to thank Rich, EatGolf, for telling me that my moderate comment function was on..thus no longer feeling that I'm going crazy, just speaking to myself..gratefully, I have had a few comments..gracias. Rich, when I saw your email in my Gmail account it read "Eat, me". I guess what it means is that it's from Eat(Golf) TO me..I got a chuckle out of it anyhow. Anyway, I'm glad to know some of you guys are out there.

Get Off My Balls..

When I played last Saturday the pro-shop at my local course had an armada of Sun Mountain V1 (SMV1) push carts for rent. I decided to try it out to see if it was worth it..it was. It was an absolute joy to walk that day and now see how much more fun the game is when fatigue doesn't set it. I usually get tired at the back 9, but today I felt energized. I'll get one probably this week but seems like the internet is cheaper than the stores (see Pimp My Ride below).

The SMV1 was effortless to push and rolled great. It has a cool cup holder in the middle for my coffee, or any other beverage..beer..and a little compartment where you can store your keys, wallet, cellphone (forgive me). On top of the compart is a scorecard holder and a pencil holder. There is a spare ball tray too. It also has 6 holes to hold tees. The SMV1 also has a place to hold a tire pump and divot filler cup. If you really want you can also add a side chair (I guess for thoser really LONG rounds), umbrella. They also sell a seperate cooler bag or pouch. Honestly, I can see golfers bringing a small t.v. to watch the game with this thing.

I actually felt I was playing faster and had more pep in my stride. Where it really paid off were those slightly downhill grades where you could just push it and it would gently roll to a flat area..but becareful with this..like make sure there isn't a lake at the bottom..ahem..

--

So back to the real gist of this post. I cannot stress the importance of playing your OWN ball. I was the victim of someone in my group hitting my ball. Not a regular, but somebody I was grouped with. I hate ProV1's because it seems like everyone is playing it now. I've been playing the Callaway HX Blue just for this reason..not too many people play it..until last Saturday. I hit a great drive and when I went to it it was not there. I looked up and turns out this other guy was telling me, as he was chuckling in his heavily thickened asian accent while carting down the fiarway, that he plays a Callaway too!..I checked at the one on the ground and it was a Callaway alrighty..a frigging rock hard "Warbird"..and all dinged up too..what the..the dude hit my precious HX Blue and left me his crappy, doggy chew toy.

I placed another HX, in place of abandoned ball, and ended up getting a par..and no I didn't penalize myself..because in the real world stuff like this just doesn't happen..unless you happen to get grouped with a group of Philipino doctors..as was my case.

Proof Is In The Putting..

When I played last week I realized how much putting REALLY matters when you want to lower your score. As dumb as this new found theory may sound, just bear with me here.

Out of my years playing golf, I never really wanted to strangle my putter and "helicopter" it into the nearby lake more than last week. My technique or stroke didn't feel bad, it probably was though, but I missed five, pathetically easy, putts. You know the "all hope and life on Earth depending" 2 footers. The reason I was placing so much importance on these putts, last week, was that I was in realistic contention to convert all those putts to save par and even birdie.

These missed putts were literally on the edge/verge of dropping in. If the wisp of a bee's wing had gone by the ball as it rolled it would've sank. I had this one hole, dogleg right par 4, and ended up driving it into the rough. I got very close to the hole on my 2nd shot and had an uphill 2 footer for a birdie. It doesn't get any easier than this right? It was a great wedge followed by an obscenely easy uphill putt for a birdie..which I managed to convert into to a tap in par.

For the longest time I've always played with the mind set that I'll get get on dance floor then I'll take a 2-putt anyday. It seems though I usually don't got on in regulation and after having all those missed opportunies where I REALLY needed to 1-putt to save, forget the 2-putt theory.

I realize now how dramatically this matters if you are playing, at a level, where you regularly have chances to convert up and downs to save par. Who says you have to be on in regulation! I now see the light when everyone, good players, is saying it comes down to putting. I can see how a mid 80's player can realistically be a high 70's player just by making more of these putts..gees!

On the other side of this argument I also can say, with confidence, that if you're shooting in the hundreds, this part of the game is probably not a blip on your ability radar yet..like who really cares if you're finally on the green in eight. I'm still a strong believer that once you have the basic fundamentals, you should concentrate on the driver on down, UNLIKE the teaching methods of all your PGA teaching professionals today. Like who really wants/cares to be able to get up and down to save an 8..right?

Are they saying learning to keep a 250 yard drive in play down the middle is any easier or harder than getting proficient with your up and downs? I say they're equally important, but you gotta be in play too for any of this to matter.

Andre Agassi was taught how to play tennis his father and was taught to hit the ball as hard as he could. It didn't matter to his father if young Andre was hitting the windscreens on the opposite side fence. His father believed that once he gets his power he can dial down the accuracy later. Andre Agassi is the oldest player on the ATP today, 36 next April, and is ranked 8th in the world, but sorry I digress.

Anyway, with this new found knowledge I expect to shoot a 79 this weekend..lol

eCraig..

When I'm in the mood to buy used golf equipment, I usually check out eBay, first, to see what's out there. I use them as a barometer of what the current market value is as well. If it's a good deal then, obviously, I'd buy it there, but lately I've had the best luck or deals from Craigslist.

It's very easy to use and amazed at how much good stuff is really out there. I've bought and sold on Craigslist with great success also. What's great is there are absolutely no fees to use this service. Sure, it looks a little rough around the edges, but for the person that knows exactly what they're after this is the place. I also like the fact that you can upload your pictures directly, instead of having to host it, if you're selling something.

I've been looking to get a new stand bag, particularly the Callaway STS. I went to eBay and they did have some great deals (MSRP $99) for around $50-$60, but then usually the shipping is around $15-$20. I decided to check out Craigslist, Los Angeles, and low and behold there was a guy selling the EXACT same bag for $50, NWT (new with tags, common Ebay acronym). I immediately emailed him and left a message. He called me back about 30 minutes later and we decided to meet at Loyola High School, a local private prep school.

I don't know if it's just me but I always get the feeling that meeting someone from something like this to do a transaction might be iffy..not dangerous..but who knows. Fortunately, on the three occasions I've sold and bought, the tranaction went without a hitch. I guess as long as both parties agree to meet in a open, public place then it would make it safer for both..which in our case was the parking lot at an exclusive private boy's preparatory school..and turns out that the seller's son attends school there.

Anyway, I cannot say how happy I was with the stand bag. The next time you're looking for golf equipment check out Craigslist.

BTW: that picture in the upper right hand corner is the man himself, Craig Newmark. Founder, Chairman of Craigslist.

Part Deaux..

The Scotty Cameron (SC) Club Cameron "Welcome Kit" arrived this afternoon at my doorstep. I originally posted the pictures but it was messing with the frames so just click the links:

The putter headcover has a silver, carbon-fiber, look to it. The embroidery is beautiful to say the least.

The baseball cap is a weathered and unstructured. A relaxed fit that has a polished, metallic adjustable buckle.

Not sure how I'm going to use the sticker or lapel pin, but excellent quality nonetheless. I'm sure these SC pins will be a collector's item soon, if not already.

The piece de resistance has to be the backpack. It was the reason why I actually bought the kit in the first place. It is a very heavy duty bag and reminds me of a skydiver's rig. After a close examination it is simply a beautiful backpack. The inside of the backpack has the famous SC "crown" all throughout. Although I did not put it on it looks it would be very comfortable.

The SC t-shirt was wrapped in plastic and I didn't open it up, but looks to be of the same quality as all the other items. After I took these pictures I wrapped it back up in the box. If you're debating to get this or not, I think just on the investment alone it is more than enough reason to shell out the $93. Rest assured the quality is outstanding, like his putters. I checked Ebay and you can't even get these yet. I've seen someone selling the putter headcover for $75.

I'm A Somebody..

Well, with enough pleading, moaning, griping and bribing sometimes you can get things your way. Here are a few folks who have painstakingly linked to me:

Blogger Leaderboard

The Undaunted Duffer

BogeyLounge

EatGolf

There will always be a place in my heart for these guys. *weep weep*

Pimp My Ride..

I've always been a true "walker" when it comes to playing and never ride, unless it's absolutely required by the course. A lot of people who claim they walk do so, but take a pull cart or one of those newer 3-wheeled push carts. You've seen them. They actually look like those baby joggers and I've heard their design actually derives from it..which makes sense. Who else would you trust to carry your babies..sorry clubs.

I've always mocked the push cart'ers deep inside for using such a behemoth of a contraption. At least your 2-wheeled pull carts didn't look as offensive, or noticeable, but still ugly, none the less. I figured to maintain the truest form of golf one had to play the round looping the bag yourself, preferably a light stand bag. It defitnitely adds another hurdle of fatigue when you play, but I have noticed though that maybe my game might have also suffered, respectively, of this too.

After much debate I've decided to put my looping day behind me and purchase a golf "trike", as I call it, soon. I've been doing some research into whether I should just pick up one of those "cheapo 2-wheel pull carts or the fancier 3-wheel push cart. According to a couple sites, that coincedentally also sell the 3 wheeler variety, it turns out that "pushing", compared to "pulling", is less fatiguing on golf swing muscles. You're right though.."You can still push a pull cart dummy."..but that extra motion of pushing down and pushing forward, with the 2 wheel carts, probably fatigues in another way..or just my excuse to get new golf gear.

The two companies that seem to dominate this 3-wheel "trike" market is Sun Mountain and BagBoy. I was surprised how many different models and options you can get. The most expensive, non-motorized, seems to be the (EZ fold in action) BagBoy EZ Fold (MSRP $250). Actually, while writing this entry, I found it for $189 (with FREE shipping here). The cheapest one I found was the BagBay SC-525 for $99.95 (with FREE shipping here). You can actually get an optional cart seat or cooler bag too..geez, what's next..GPS, A/C? Some of them actually have chrome mag wheels! Check out BestBuyGolfBalls for a pretty good line up of the most popular push carts.

The course I play at actually has these for rent so I'll try it out and see if it really matches up with what everyone has been saying.

*UPDATE* I found a cheaper place for the Sun Mountain V1 for $169.99, SHIPPED, at ColoradoDiscountGolf.

Friendly Wager..

I played with my regular golf bud this weekend and played yesterday at our local track. He jokingly said he was bored playing with me UNLESS we put some money on it and was tired of beating me..so he thinks. We're about the same level of play on any given day so I have no problems playing straight up, no handicap, with him.

We've played for a a few dollars here and there before (skins, birdies, murphies, drainos, etc.,) but I came up with a different betting game this time. We both play around bogey golf or a few strokes either way so I told him instead of playing against each other let's set a base par of 80 this game.

Any strokes above this base par we would add $1/stroke to the "kitty" per player. Then, after we play 4 times, we would take whatever money is in the kitty and we would take our families to go eat out. He really liked this "new" game and so did I. It still has that competitive edge but then you know there's a mutually beneficial reward at the end.

I ended shooting an 88 and he shot an 87, so we both put in $8 and $7, respectively, into the pot. I figure at this rate we'll have around $60 in the kitty. Actually it's probably not going to be enough to feed 8 people (actually 4 adults and 4 kids) but it could be a healthy "discount" toward the bill.

Ric Breeden..

His name has already made the #1 search on Google for his feat. *DRUM ROLL*..Ta-Da!! He's the new owner of a $35,000 (Yes, "thirty-five" thousand dollars) special edition, mint condition, Scotty Cameron Classic Mini putter.

I have highlighted some of the finer moments of the Q&A session between ScottyCameron.com and Ric Breeden:

SC: "Did you have to run this purchase by a significant other, and if so, how did that conversation go?"

Ric: "My wife has no idea I own this putter, nor is she aware of the price. I trust that my fellow collectors will keep this information in strict confidence."

GolfNomad says: "Ric, by any chance is her name Wilma of BedRock?"

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SC: "$35,000 is a lot of money for anything. Explain to us why you purchased this Classic Mini."

Ric: "There are a few reasons. First, most collectors have a deep appreciation for finding and acquiring something this rare and exquisite. That's the first reason. What makes it extra special is that this is actually a piece of Scotty's history, one that will be mentioned for a long time as a sought after putter. You could call it one of the "Holy Grail" putters. Scotty was asked which putter was his favorite. His answer: the Classic Mini because his wife announced the impending birth of their first child by placing this putter head underneath his pillow.This made it even more important to me, this special emotional tie to Scotty. Another reason is that it's been on my fantasy list for some time. It's one of those putters I've known about, would love to own, but never expected to ever see. The Classic Mini was first on my list. When this came up for sale, it was a dream come true, and in fact it was difficult to not buy. There are so many reasons why I purchased this putter. I guess the most important would be because of my respect for Scotty's art and the respect for our friendship.

GolfNomad says: "..sounds a little creepy to me."

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SC: "Have you stroked a putt with it?"

Ric: "This is a putter so valuable that one would think it wouldn't touch a ball. I have to admit, though, that the first thing I did after opening the UPS overnight box...I couldn't resist. I set a golf ball down on the carpet in my office and stroked three dead center 10-foot putts. I immediately oiled it and placed into its display rack. I have to say it's an excellent putter. Not something I'd let go of easily."

GolfNomad says: "..imagine that.."

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SC: We now know where four of these putters reside—one with you, two in Japan, and the other with Scotty. Any word on where the other one is, and do you have any plans or desire to acquire it?

Ric: I believe Kaz Nakamura has one. His was a putter made for a Tour player in Japan and has been used. I have not seen that putter. I've heard this from other collectors. The location of the last one is unknown. To my knowledge, it has vanished. Rumor has it that it may have been destroyed.

GolfNomad says: "..but it was secretly saved as it was smelted and forged into a sword used in The Last Samurai"

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SC: How did your passion for collecting putters begin?

Ric: I learned to play golf in high school, but I never really played much in college or in the service. I played baseball and still played softball into my late 30s. I had some injuries and decided to find something less punishing on my body. So, I started playing golf again. It quickly became a passion. I was using a Bulls Eye. Then, while visiting a friend in Missouri, I noticed that he had this putter sitting in his office with a black headcover. I pulled off the headcover and took my first glimpse at the most beautiful putter I'd ever seen. It was a 2003 Newport Beach 1.5 Black Pearl Prototype. I thought it felt wonderful. Just a perfect putter. The craftsmanship. The beauty. My friend came back into the office and I said, "I need this putter." He explained to me that it was a prototype that he had just secured from a Titleist rep. I told him to bill me. I didn't care what it cost, and I took it with me. Thankfully, we are great friends. I soon became infatuated with my new putter.

GolfNomad says: "*CHIME IN* The Twilight Zone theme song..doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo"

Ric: Sometime after this first acquisition, I got on eBay and just by chance started looking at golf equipment. There was another Newport Beach 1.5 Black Pearl Prototype. The one from my friend was my gamer, so I figured I'd get this one on eBay as a backup. The passion was full-blown, and within a month I had 7 Black Pearls, 7 Newport Beach 1.5s, and an assortment of Oil Cans. Within a few months I was hopelessly hooked on collecting Scotty Cameron putters.

GolfNomad says: "..passion..or infection?"

Ric: When I started, I bought stock putters, 1 of 500s and the like. But, as I became more educated and started connecting with other collectors, I began to learn about putters I'd never seen before. The Classics and Handmades most golfers haven’t seen and aren’t even aware of. In that process, I began to change my focus and direction in collecting. To get the putters I really wanted, I had to now sacrifice some. I sold almost all of my stock production putters while I refined and upgraded my collection. I still have a few Tour models. I must say, too, that I've made several road trips to personally pick up and pay for certain Handmades. Nothing over 3,500 miles roundtrip.

GolfNomad says: "..oh, what a relief, as long as you didn't go over 3500 miles roundtrip."

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SC: Do you have any advice for other collectors?

Ric: Patience.

GolfNomad says: "..and a stash of cash."

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SC: Help our readers get into the mindset of those final moments when you stroked a check, issued the wire transfer, or delivered $35,000 and received this very rare putter. Take us through your routine.

Ric: Well, first of all there was nothing routine about it. My first feeling was disbelief. This was a putter I thought I'd never see, let alone own. After I saw it on the website, I had about two hours of anxiety as I walked around my office, wringing my hands, wondering about buying something this expensive. Who knew if I would ever have another opportunity to own a Classic Mini? If I let it go, I may never see it again. So, I immediately figured out how to raise the money. I sold the best handmade I own. It was hard to let go of, as it was pristine, just an exquisite piece. It hurt, but it was worth it.

GolfNomad says: "..wow, congratulations on the birth of your..putter..?"

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SC: Any final thoughts?

Ric: I'd like to give new collectors a few words of encouragement. For guys in it for years, they already own some valuable putters. But, for new collectors, the first feeling could be discouragement. They could be thinking "I'll never be able to get a putter like that."

GolfNomad says: "..naaa..really..I heard that left arms go for pretty good these days"

Ric: I thought that, too. Finding this Classic Mini was a fantasy and something I appreciate beyond words. I look at it this way, when you get your driver's license at 16, you don't give up driving just because you don't get to drive a Porsche right away. Things come around when you're patient.

GolfNomad says: "...absolutely, in high school I didn't settle for anything less than a..BMW."

Ric: Also, you will meet other collectors who appreciate Scotty Cameron putters the way you do. In fact, fellow collectors are some of the best friends you'll ever make. They appreciate Scotty Cameron's art. Because that's what it is. It's not just a putter he makes. It is much more than that. Scotty’s putters are pieces of art. I liken his putters to works from Picasso, I really do.

GolfNomad says: "I'm sure the Picasso family agrees too, Ric"

Ric: To a collector, these rare works represent something far beyond a putter that has the mechanical ability to help a golfer put the ball in the cup. They are beautiful and full of emotional attachment. And, new collectors are going to get opportunities to find other rare putters. For instance, collectors like me who sell something to acquire something else put rarities on the market. That's how I've picked up a lot of the putters I have now, from guys who were looking to refine their collections. To those new collectors, I should mention that on one occasion I sold 40 putters. On the same day I bought 3 and broke even. Persistence and patience are the keys. Stay in the game and eventually you will own some very nice pieces—even if you never own something on the top of your fantasy list. In the quest, though, you’ll meet some friends for life. And, in the end, that’s what it's all about. You get that internal enjoyment, relaxation, and satisfaction. Look for that passion in your life and that’s what will make you happy. Guaranteed.

GolfNomad says: "I wish my passion had six zeros behind it too"

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What a treat, a glimpse into the mind of your modern day Howard Hughes.

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag..

Recently, I was looking, both online and at the stores, at getting a backpack. A fellow member, at one of the golf forums I belong to, told me about joining Club Cameron.

I've heard about the "club" before but really didn't want any more golf stuff, but then it turns out every year they change their new "Welcome Kit". This year they're offering a backpack (along with a baseball cap, t-shirt, putter headcover, sticker and a pin) for $93. I guess last year they had a duffel bag or something like that.

In addition to the gear, you get Club Cameron "exclusives" access to the inner world of Scotty Cameron and alot of in-depth articles and commentary regarding the SC line of putters. You also get notified beforehand when something special may be coming out. One of the MANY cool things they have in Club Cameron is the "Scotty On Tour" section. A picture gallery of him currently on tour, FBR Open this week, with the guys.

I heard they used to have problems of not really updating the site, but it seems very updated. There are alot of behind the scene photos that's pretty cool too. Club Cameron has every imagineable aspect covered if your an avid fan of SC, more than I can cover here, and you can actually have your questions answered by him too!

At first I thought the price was a tad high, but then looking over what I'll get it seemed like a pretty good deal. I figure a decent backpack is going to cost me around $40~$50. Okay, but I spent about another $50 right? Well, then that gets you a SC (Scotty Cameron) baseball cap (usually they go around $16 at golf shops), a SC T-shirt (around $15), a Limited Edition Scotty Cameron '06 Fine Milled putterhead cover (stock putter headcovers on the Scotty Cameron site go anywhere from $25 on up and this being a limited production who knows what it could be worth later), a SC sticker (probably $3..if you can find it) and a lapel pin (I don't know what this would cost but on Ebay I'm sure it would fetch more than its share). From the picture everything looks awesome.

After assessing what the true value of these contents may be, someday, maybe I won't even use them at all and just hold onto it and sell it when my kids go to college. Seriously, have you seen what Scotty Cameron putter headcovers are selling for on Ebay?! OOPS!..too late..it looks like this guy is already selling his Scotty Cameron "Welcome Kit" gear on Ebay. If he does sell it he's going to make $185..talk about a 100% net gain in profit..capitalism at it's finest. It may be worth renewing my membership yearly.

According to the fine print, which I seem to never read, it said it would take 4-6 weeks for delivery, not that this would've swayed my decision either way. I've emailed them to see what my order status is. I really look forward on getting this and will keep ya'll informed when it arrives and let you know if my expectations matched up.

10-4! Good Buddy..

I was surprised at how far golf clothing has gone to mimick current fashion trends. You can see almost every young, hipster in L.A., and celeb's, sporting the "Von Dutch" trucker mesh back hats without skipping a beat.

It was funny to see Davis Love III sporting the same lid but with the "Titleist" logo instead..hmm.."Von Titleist"..naaaah. I too was a victim of golf fashion recently and got a similar one but made by Callaway. It seems like all the other major golf companies are also following suit too like PING, Srixon, Precept. Even putter maker guru, Scotty Cameron, has one out.

One thing is that it keeps your noggin cool during the round and actually found it not insulating enough during those chilly rounds, but it's lightweight and won't shrink. Just call me 'Clem.

Don't Hate The Playa'..

I just got off from reading a post from one of my favorite golf forums, The Sand Trap, and that my beloved Phil Mickelson is one of "The Ten Most Hated Athletes" today, according to David Gargill and Nate Penn of Men.Style.Com, The Online Home of Details and GQ.

In the article "Mr. FIGJAM" (the second paragraph of the article explains the acronym), was ranked 8th. Obviously, I don't know Phil on absolutely any personal level but what I can relate to and appreciate is his playing ability.

I think when it comes to any mega-sport athlete you're always going to have three types of athletes, or players in my case. You either have a fan of the people, a fan of the players, or both (ala Tiger Woods). Phil is surely a fan of the people and it's obvious at whatever tournament he's in by the gallery that forms. I think it stems back from when he was "go for broke" Phil and did stuff on the course that would make you cringe but deep inside you wanted to see him do it to.

I think reasons like these make him so likeable by the fans. They want to see excitement and drama. They can relate at that level when they know it may not be the smart play but it's sure going to be fun to try.