Golf Cart KO..

You've all seen videos where you see a group of people doing donuts on the course or just flat out abusing a golf cart. Well here's one where the golf cart fights back.



No need to go to the cards..straight out..K-O!

Alriiiiighttttt...

I didn't realize until when I was going to right about a new golf club purchase when I noticed that this will be my 100th post..HOO-RAY!! *pop! goes the champagne* Anyway I really didn't think I'd make it this far and figured my g-blog would lose my attention and wither away..but on the contrary I'm enjoying doing this more than ever.

Ok, back to work, I decided to replace my hybrids with the Titleist 503H utility (hybrid) irons. I'm only going to test out one at the moment (22 deg.) and see how it fits into my game. I went with the same shaft as my current irons, Dynamic Gold S300, which should keep the feel consistent.

Right now I'm driver-less since I planned on receiving a TaylorMade R7 460, in lieu of my 905T that I sold, but unfortunately Jiangbo Han put an end to that and should be enjoying a nice, hot heaping bowl of won ton soup, at my expense, somewhere in mainland China.

I'm still going to play this weekend and maybe just using my current hybrids off the tee. I figure I hit my 17 deg. hybrid about 220 off the tee, so I should be able to move around the course fine. Who knows..this may do wonders for my game too.

Also to commemorate my blogosphere acheivement I have decided to come out of my nomadic cave and register for my own MySpace account. I'm still trying to figure out how it works. It just seems like you accumilate MySpace friends to the "N"th degree and then..but as a true nomad I can always have friends.

Wi Seong-Mi Can Dance..

Koreans love golf ..and they love Michelle Wie (Wi Seong-Mi, her korean name) Too bad there aren't variety shows like these in the U.S. A friend of mine gave me a link to a korean variety show called Ha-Ha. It showed the big Wiesy in a contest where a man (korean celebrity) tried to jokingly flirt with her and get her attention. She then verbally fires back at him in a funny remark.



Anyway, I thought what would be even more surprising or entertaining is to see Michelle dance which I'm sure none of you have seen on network t.v. here in the U.S. I think she's a good sport.



Here's another of her in what looks to be a driving contest. It also looks like there was a previous The Masters Open champion there sporting the "green jacket". Good slow-mo camera.

Jiangbo Han..

You may ask or might have already done a Google on Jiangbo Han. No, he/she is not an up and coming star on either the PGA or LPGA tour and not a dominant player overseas or a top-notch collegiate level player. I got scammed/ripped off by Jiangbo Han (Ebay seller name was date0) yesterday on a purchase I made for a TaylorMade R7 460 driver.

This criminal scammer put the fraudulent Ebay BIN (Buy It Now) auction up and I bit..hook..line..and sinker. I consider myself pretty savvy, well..not anymore, in spotting bogus auctions. Everything looked pretty good and I don't buy from overseas at all. The seller was actually based out of Pocatello, ID (Mary Kay Sherburne) and it all looked good.

I made all the proper notifications through Ebay/PayPal (they're the same). I actually did find the email for Jiangbo Han when I went into my PayPal account. His email and PayPal account was based in China..wonderful..to this hour, date I have not received any replies..go figure that.

Hindsight being 20/20, there were a few "red herrings" that I should've picked up on but didn't look deep enough. Look out for these eyebrow raisers:

No Feedback from "Buyers": My scammer had decent positive feedback (98%) but all the feedback were from Sellers..odd.

Cheap Shipping: The scammer listed it as worldwide low-cost shipping BUT the same price as domestic.

Same Item Picture/Different Ebay ID seller: This is usually a dead giveaway but this scammer used the same photo in another BIN auction.

I'm sure there are other dead giveaways but this guy had his ducks lined up. I'll still buy from Ebay but less likely from individual seller's..live and learn..and Jiangbo Han..if you're reading this..I want my money back..or at least $190 worth of broccoli and beef.

Goooo...Team!

Not the best start..waking up LATE and almost missing the sign-in for my first club tournament..but I made it. After check-in I got a bunch of goodies which included a GREAT fitting (I have a "Hal Sutton" head..hats just fit me bad) Adidas golf hat, Adidas golf towel and a pack of Noodles..which I'm sure I'll give away too.

I was surprised how many players were there. It was a shotgun start and with two four-somes at each hole..equalling 144 players..never seen so many golfers amassed in one location. I found my name on the team roster sheet, for lack of a better word, and I was in on team 17A.

The biggest buzz going on that morning was the $100 buy-in per team or $3600 purse. I thought there would be a few, that were like us, that were not going to buy-in..nope. It was a little humilating when the pro-shop was announcing (loudly, I thought, over the P.A. system) that "The teams that we have NOT received buy-in's yet..team 17A..17A..this is your last chance..Team 17A". I heard various snickers and guffaws..but heck this was my first club event so..oh well

We all got in our carts and then the starter announced over the P.A. system..GO! It looked like a wild golf cart race..kinda' funny I thought..but well directed traffic.

Our "first" hole was the 17th hole, par 3. I was amazed how well trimmed the tee boxes were for today and ALL the tee boxes were officically marked using the SCGA markers. We have four sets of official SCGA tees at our club (red, gold, blue, black). It turned out with my current index, 16.5, I was the "C" player. The "captain" of our team told me that I should tee off from the gold tees today..fine with me. I usually play from the blue tees anyway and with the new irons it just took a little pressure off from the start..or so I thought.

Our "D" player, who said he was a 25 index'er, played from the red tees..he said he plays from the blues..I'm glad he played from the reds. I hit second(our batting order was from the red tee to the tips) and pushed it BADLY right..ugh..not a good start. Everyone else got on and with the 4-man scramble format I was fortunate to pick my "errant" shot and take it back onto the green.

Our "D" player missed the putt for birdie but gave me a great view of the break. It was a quick downhill left to right breaker. I set up..took a nice stroke..good contact..birdie! Everyone was hootin' and hollerin'..wow. We also birdied the 2nd hole also, not me, but we were onto a GREAT start.

I'm not going to break down each hole..that would take forever..like this post already has..but we ended up going (-5) under for the round. We just about had a birdie opportunity on every hole but just a little out of our "index" reach and just made numerous pars.

I didn't have time to eat lunch with the team because something came up, wife called, so I high tailed it out of there. I was surpirsed for a scramble format how long the round took (5 hours) but we all were really taking time reading the putts.

Anyway, overall, I had a GREAT time and enjoyed the cameraderie throughout the round. We had great guys and our "A" and "B" players were fanatastic. No attitude and very endearing to the team..good bunch of guys..kudos to all.

Jitters..

A very late night post but I'm playing in my first tournament tomorrow at our club. It's actually a 4-man scramble so I won't have to worry about hitting good shots all the time..as if I did right? They are going to place four people (A,B,C,D player) in each group based on their index. Right now I'm at a 16.5 so I think I'll be somewhere between the C and D player. I was going to not play but figure if I'm going to do this it has to be now or never.

This may be crazy but I'm also going to test out the new irons (Titleist 704 CB) tomorrow. They want us to check in at 6:00 a.m. so I figure I'll check in and then get a bucket in. This may be not the smartest move but with this 4-man scramble format I figure I'll either hit a few bad and the others will carry me..or I'll just play so bad that I won't be playing in another tournament for awhile.

Hold your breath..

Hot..then ice cold..barren..wasteland

I played Meadow Lake Golf Club in Escondido last Sunday. I decided to leave the 775's back home, more on this later. I was playing with a couple close buddies that I haven't played with since last February. Since they both live and work in San Diego it's been difficult to get together with all our different schedules. Anyway, the course was beautiful and unbelievably not too many people playing for a Sunday. It felt more like a country club than a muni. I shouldn't give away any secrets but this place has to be one of the easiest places to get a tee time.

It's not a long course, measuring at 6580 from the tips, but all the fairways are undulating and there are many OB's and blind shots throughout. There are numerous elevation changes too. I usually walk but looking at this place I decided that wasn't going to be the plan this day. The course call for accurate shots but a friendly course overall.

I believe I have a mental problem when playing with these guys. I tend to play very bad for some reason. To make a long story short I shot a 101. I was smoking hot in the beginning and won 8 skins on the front. I even had a birdie and a couple pars back to back. What really killed me were the OB's all over the place. There was an easy par 3 starting the back 9. I pushed my shot slightly to the right..behind a staked fence. Then on the next hole, a par 5 dogleg right, I drove the ball to the right which landed OB. I tee'd the ball again and same thing.

My driving started to leave me for some reason. I felt that I was tensing up and felt I was in a choking big time. We were playing for a few skins but harmless. I'm not sure what to do when this happens though. For some reason I just can't scramble when I'm with these guys..it was awful. I know I'm a better player than I was last Sunday. Anyway, I was bummed out playing so bad and still recovering. I lost all confidence in my driving toward the end of the round. I'm most likely going to play this Saturday to try to get my game back.

I played the back 9 the day before with the 775's. I really liked the scoring irons but then after that I noticed a couple things which really didn't work for me. First, there was much more offset than I expected. I tended to draw too much or I had to compensate by opening my stance even more. Second, the shaft (NS Pro Regular) was not firm enough for me and I had some timing/tempo problems. Overall, I'd highly suggest this set to the up and comer aspiring player. Perfect first set of irons for the serious golfer.

I've decided that I will be a Titleist man and find the perfect Titleist set for me, it's just going to be a matter of time. I am waiting on delivery of the 690.CB but after doing some more research I found that the 704 CB may be more up my alley..the quest continues.

New Irons..

I recently acquired a new/used set of the Titleist 775 CB. I was contemplating to get them or not but I really wanted to try some new technology and also I've never tried Titleist for irons. I know they have a great reputation and their craftsmanship is nothing less than perfect.

I was comparing them side by side to my Callaway X-14 Pro Series the other night and as far as overall size goes they're the same. The only difference I saw was the 775 has a slimmer topline and less rounded toe than the X-14 PS. My current shaft is the Rifle FCM 6.0 which I think they're a tad to stiff/firm for me..but I've been getting by with them fine. The 775 has the stock NS Pro in (R) which I hope will elevate my ball height compared to the FCM 6.0's which definitely has a lower trajectory.

I'm going to play on Saturday to test the 775's out, but the main event is on Sunday morning. I'm playing with 2 of my old time friends and I always seem to play bad when I'm with these guys. Depending on how I play with the 775's on Saturday will dictate if they will be in play on Sunday's match or back to the time tested X-14 PS. Even just by my statements alone I should just play with what I know works but I'm always a victim of new technology on any given day.

I also got my dream putter a few days ago. It's a Scotty Cameron Newport Beach 1.5. It is sweet and has a neat "thud" sound at impact.




I also love the 1.5 necks. The crazy thing is I'm going to buy another Newport Beach 1.5 because it's a good deal..I'm sick I tell 'ya. Depending how things go I may switch to all Titleist. I've been hitting my 905T a ton and in control. The only thing I'm missing now is a Vokey sand wedge..mmmm..I'm liking those Spin Milled ones too. Maybe also replace my hybrids for the 503h but I've heard they're not that great from the rough..where I tend to frequent alot.

Color of money..

I had an interesting experience while I played last Saturday. I woke up and really wasn't planning on playing but I know I usually regret it during the work week if I don't. I made it to the course and asked if they had room in the morning for a single. The starter put me down on the waiting list and off I went to to putting green.

As soon as I missed my 2nd putt, on the putting green, my name was called to check in..sweet..that didn't take long. It turns out a foursome was missing their fourth and I got lucky enough to be grouped into them. The starter gave me a warning though: These guys bet heavy..just play your own game and try to stay out of their way.

When I reached the 1st tee, actually the 10th..we were playing the back then the front, I was greeted warmly but not openly. I shook hands with all of them and told them I know the routine. I told them I'd keep my trap to a minimum and try to stay out of their way. They all laughed..a good ice breaker..of sorts.

I'm not sure what "games" they were playing but after 9 holes the guy I was riding with was down $640 to one guy and $360 to the other guy..geez! Yes..I was riding with the big loser. He was an older guy, Cuban, warm hearted, but with a mouth of a sailor. He had, I assume, a very important chip shot on one hole. He hit a great shot but the ball released heavily and went about 20 feet past the hole..and his sand wedge 40 feet. Afterwards he apologized and tried to justify that it was the "world's easiest chip"..is there such a thing?..and his was actually fairly difficult coming out of thick rough to a downward slope..

I was introduced, but didn't partake for obvious reasons, to a new "game" I've never seen. They called it "Bing-Bing". Basically, you have to putt and hit each colored tee marker (blue, white, red) on the tee box and then back. You can use whatever club you want. The winner is the one who does it in the least amount of strokes. Although they only played it when the hole ahead was backed up, it came out to be around 8 holes..at $40 a hole..so..you do the math.

The coupe de grace for my friend, The Cuban, was on the last hole. It's a par 4, 440 yard, dogleg left. We all, yes..me too, hit 4 of the most gorgeous drives on that hole. I actually hit it the 2nd longest so I had the luxury of watching the drama unfold. The Cuban wanted to press the money he owed to one of the guys on this hole. I believe it was about $810. The other guy agreed and it was on. The other guys hits his shot to the right in the rough..very difficult up and down. The Cuban sets up and HOOKS it into the water on the right..think my stomach turned..too.

The other guy ends up bogeying the hole and the Cuban takes a drop. He's only 20 yards away for a possible up and down bogey tie. He sets up..and skulls it over the green into the parking lot. I looked at the Cuban and actually he was very restrained and showed no emotion..but was down a cool $1620..geeeeeez.

After we finished I shook all their hands and humbly thanked them for a true lesson that day. They all laughed..and so did I..and said anytime..yeah right. I thought they were done too but they were going to play 9 more holes. I was merely a mortal amongst gods.

Stingers..

I was able to get an early tee time last Saturday and played 18 holes. I was determined and focused to play well that day and really felt I was ready to play good. I actually played the back 9 first then played the front 9. What surprised me was that the back 9 plays easier than the front 9 but I scored better on the front which I've never done. I only hit 5 fairways, but the rest were just off so not that bad either. I hit 6 GIR's and made 1 birdie and 5 pars. The rest were bogies and I got a double. I was hitting some of the best cuts in a long time. I'm really getting to appreciate the quality of the 905T. I did notice that it does have a boring trajectory and doesn't "baloon" into the sky like the Callaway GBB2. I was really able to feel the head coming through that day.

To make a long story short I carded an 83 which is the lowest I've shot at Rio Hondo. I was able to scramble really well that day. A first for me was when I drove one into the water and took the penalty and was still able to make par. I was about 165 out, side uphill lie in rough, and manged to hit it about 2 feet from the hole with a one-putt..nothing less than unbelievable for me.

I have to say that I learned a couple things that round. One, bad players will not get me down. Two, I can also play well if I ride a cart. I would say I was grouped with 3 of the worst players I've played with together in a long time. Usually this has a tendancy for me to bring my game down also but I managed to keep my head in the game. I was also surprised that the riding in cart didn't effect me either. Usually it seemes like walking allows me to get into my overall swing tempo sooner than later. One of my swing thoughts that day was to pause at the top which did wonders.

I also got a chance to try out these tees called Stinger. They look like normal tees but are about half as thin in diameter compared to your standard tees..felt like the ball was on a toothpick.



They felt great and I did notice less resistance on my drives. I'm planning on buying a big bag of them soon. I've tried Zero Friction but have to say that these Stingers seemed to perform better. One con was that they tended to break in half quite easily compared to your standard tees, but for the performance you get it's worth it.