Iron Wood..

I played at a little 9 hole course in Cerritos yesterday. We couldn't get on at our course since they were having a shotgun tournament and booked until 6 pm. We decided to go to Iron Wood G.C. I'd classify it as an "executive" course with only two par 4's (I think they were like 330 yards each) and the rest par 3's (ranging from 100 yards to 154 yards). Not much playtime for the mid irons here and would only play here as a last resort..no offense.

We played it twice (I guess it would be a par 58) and I ended up with a 70 (going 7 over for the "front" and 5 over for the "back"). Not sure how to figure this out but I felt I played pretty good for what the course had to offer.

The new driver felt good. Quite a different feeling and sound from the Callaway. You really feel like you hit it with the "thwack" sound it makes, compared to the "PING" sound of the Cally. I would say it sounds like hitting a melon with a baseball bat. I did have to tee it up lower than before, which is probably due to the shallower face. I really did like the "pear" shape head at address and how clean it looked. One thing that bugged me is how tight of a fit the 905's headcover was. You really need to work it to get it on.

I have a feeling the 905T will stay in the bag and the Callaway GBB2 415 will be up on the auctioning block soon.

Terra Naomi..

She's not an LPGA pro but you guys know I'm into all kinds of music and I ran across this a couple days ago perusing YouTube..what a voice Terra Naomi has! I enjoyed seeing all the other people trying to do the same song, some funny some bad. It actually gave me some inspiration to drag my six string out of the closet too..maybe after MUCH practice I'll post my rendition of her song. Anyway, Terra, if you happen to read this keep it up..I know I'll be buying your CD soon.



BTW: Cutting out early from work to play today..hooray!

Back to normal..

I played last Saturday..just the back 9. I shot 8 over which is acceptable compared to last weekend's debacle. I received the 905T yesterday and it's in great condition. I know I've mentioned this before but if anyone is looking to for golf equipment check 4GEA.com (Swap Shop), before Ebay, first. You can usually get a good deal..I got my 905T for $135, shipped.

I decided to join the Men's Club at my golf course. I've decided instead of having to gamble on whether I'll be able to get off a round in the morning that I'll now be guaranteed, at least once a month, an early tee time for the monthly tournaments..and it sounds like fun.

I updated the "Fun Stuff" section with some new games..couldn't find any golf ones..the paperball in the waste basket one is the closest. Anyway..enjoy

Gol..

I've been watching alot of World Cup lately. I have to admit I'm not a die hard "futbol" fan but when the World Cup season hits I get excited. I can only name a handful of the world's top soccer players but my favorite, as probably many of you, is Ronaldinho. He is so absolutely unbelievable and has the best foot skills when it comes to manipulating the ball.

Yard Sale..

I sold my laser rangefinder this week on Ebay. It really is a wonderful device but I just needed to offset the purchase of my putter that I also purchased. It sold within a matter of hours on Ebay for almost the same price that I bought it for. I then had a thought and was browing through my sports closet and saw a bag full of headcovers. I decided to also see if anyone was interested and sure enough I sold a few of them instantly from placing them in the classifed section on a few golf forums. I sold 3 (a maroon and yellow Scotty Cameron and a silver Mizuno TP Mills) to one person and then a R7 headcover to another person..enough to finance a round of golf.

Oh yeah, I bought a Titleist 905T a few days ago for a price I couldn't refuse. Here's some more info on it. The last time I played with a Titleist driver was the 975D..the one that Tiger Woods made popular in his earlier years. I really had a hard time with it the last I remember..but maybe things have changed..my swing..technology..both? I believe I'm a better player than before so I'm excited to see what's in store.

Worst Ever..

I got to finally play a full round yesterday..it was the worst I've played in months. I started okay with an acceptable bogey as a result from an errant tee shot but it all went down hill from there. The next 3 holes I managed to increase my bogey count to double, triple, quadruple. I repeated this feat the next 4 holes. After that I felt disgusted and just tried to make the best out of it. I would have to place the blame on:

1. Time of play - We played in the afternoon and I normally play early morning.
2. Slow pace of play - There was an unbelievably slow 5-some in front of us.
3. Bad Driving - I hit 5 fairways but the rest were just horrible.

There's no need to go into detail about the round but I ended up shooting 105. UGH! I was playing with 2 friends who were really good, which normally brings my game up, but I just couldn't get it going yesterday. I good drive was followed by a bad second shot..that type of day you know.

One of the guys I was playing with (10 index) usually plays for big money. You could tell his heart wasn't in the round. Anyway the last 2 holes (a par 3 and par 4, respectively) we decided to have a little money on it. We had another group of friends behind us and since the round was so slow and it was late in the day we decided to play the last 2 holes all together.

We decided that the worst 4 scores out of the 7 players on the last 2 holes would buy dinner. I ended up bogeying the par 3 (I hit an embarassing thin shot that managed to get past the red tees) and then getting a par on the last hole. I hit a good drive on the par 4 which was consistently followed by a bad second shot.

I got a lucky bounce that caromed nicely off the driving range fence pole and put my ball smack-dab right back into the center of the fairway..I felt sick but then relieved. I had about 80 yards to the hole and hit an unbelievable, for the day I had, 3/4 wedge to dead-stop and one foot of the hole for a tap in par. With a bogey and par I managed not get stuck with the dinner bill..at least got something out of the day.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend to play again.

IHATEA

Geez..it's been awhile now since I've played a full 18 holes. I guess since I've been playing back-9's lately it's taken the edge off but still I yearn for more. I will for sure be playing 18 holes this Sunday..my wife said it's my Father's Day gift. I told her I didn't want anything and actually I'm looking to sell a few things off.

I was busy last weekend buying some furniture for our kids. We ended up going to IKEA and ended up purchasing a couple of drawers. I ended up, obviously, putting the drawers together that night after stuffing my face with carne asada and beer (neighbor had a birthday party)..my god the carne asada was sooooo good. How do they come up with all those stupid names for all stuff that IKEA sells? I hate asking for help and they ask you what product you're referring to..it's the Mermo, Mamo, Mimo, BAH!!

Anyway, needless to say, I was in no condition to put together a drawer system with a million parts that night..but my wife thought otherwise. Also I didn't like the fact of messing with my 12v power drill either in the present state of mind..but oh well. It honestly took me 5 hours to put one drawer together even with the drill, I could only imagine how long it would've taken with a screwdriver..I hate IKEA.

Looks like I got mentioned at Blogger Leaderboard again..yeah. Oh yeah if your're looking to buy a laser rangefinder or a Bettinardi BBX "Mercedes Benz" putter let me know.

59/153

She didn't make it (Michelle Wie Honolulu, Hawaii 68-75--143) but these are the men she did beat:

Ryan Dillon Aiken, S.C. 74-70--144
Alex Cejka Germany 69-75--144
Eugene Smith Glen Ridge, N.J. 73-71--144
Ricky Barnes Scottsdale, Ariz. 74-70--144
D J Brigman Albuquerque, N.M. 69-75--144
John Appleget Dorothy, N.J. 73-71--144
Heath Wassem Scarsdale, N.Y. 76-68--144
Andy Brock Chatham, N.J. 76-68--144
Scott Gutschewski Omaha, Neb. 72-73--145
Stephen Leaney Australia 72-73--145
Todd Tremaglio Meriden, Conn. 72-73--145
Shannon Sykora Davie, Fla. 72-73--145
Len Mattiace Jacksonville, Fla. 69-76--145
Duke Delcher Bluffton, S.C. 68-77--145
John Senden Flower Mound, Texas 75-70--145
Brian Belden Emmaus, Pa. 74-71--145
James Driscoll Reston, Va. 72-73--145
Troy Pare West Warick, R.I. 73-72--145
Michael Allen Scottsdale, Ariz. 74-72--146
Christopher Gray Newark, Del. 72-74--146
Charles Meola Mamaroneck, N.Y. 72-74--146
Andrew Dibitetto Rochester, N.Y. 74-72--146
David Young Garrison, N.Y. 70-76--146
Gregory Baker Boonton, N.J. 70-76--146
Geoffrey Sisk Marshfield, Mass. 70-76--146
Nick Clearwater Darien, Conn. 72-74--146
Frank Dully Salem, Mass. 73-73--146
Nathanial Sell Philadelphia, Pa. 73-73--146
Brandon Knaub York, Pa. 68-78--146
David Gossett Scottsdale, Ariz. 72-74--146
Rick Hartmann Sag Harbor, N.Y. 72-74--146
Allan Small Florham Park, N.J. 77-70--147
Kevin Silva New Bedford, Mass. 72-75--147
Matthew Cannon Huntersville, N.C. 74-73--147
Billy Downes Longmeadow, Mass. 73-74--147
Clint Deibert Doylestown, Pa. 74-73--147
Mark DiGiacomo Lebanon, Pa. 71-76--147
James Herman Port St Lucie, Fla. 76-72--148
Franklin Hatchett Dallas, Texas 73-75--148
John Guyton East Williston, N.Y. 74-74--148
Chris Dachisen Warren, N.J. 71-77--148
Chris Peddicord Palm City, Fla. 75-73--148
Michael Molino Dallas, Pa. 75-74--149
Brad Weesner Lindale, Texas 70-79--149
Ben Portie Westminster, Colo. 77-72--149
Bryan Bigley Schenectady, N.Y. 73-76--149
Austin Eaton New London, N.H. 75-74--149
John Reeves Bedford, N.Y. 74-76--150
Derek McDonald Westfield, N.J. 77-73--150
Mark Farrell Westport, Conn. 76-74--150
Ben Hoffhine New Rochelle, N.Y. 74-76--150
Tug Maude Jensen Beach, Fla. 77-74--151
Jim Roy Syracuse, N.Y. 75-76--151
Brent Wanner Orleans, Mass. 74-77--151
Mark McCormick Middletown, N.J. 77-75--152
John Nieporte Boca Raton, Fla. 73-79--152
Jeffrey Osberg Chester Springs, Pa. 74-78--152
Ray Maklowski Trinidad 78-74--152
William Morgan Whispering Pines, N.C. 79-73--152
Kenneth Jarner Las Vegas, Nev. 76-77--153
Bobby Myles New Britain, Conn. 75-78--153
Edward Kirby Wakefield, R.I. 77-76--153
Jeffrey Cowell Great Neck, N.Y. 73-81--154
Jim Wahl Holmes, N.Y. 78-76--154
Len Siter West Caldwell, N.J. 80-74--154
James Gifford Clifton Park, N.Y. 80-75--155
George Marucci Jr Wayne, Pa. 79-76--155
Ryan Gabel Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 77-79--156
Stu Blasius Midland Park, N.J. 79-77--156
Kyle Sleasman Loudonville, N.Y. 73-83--156
Brad Worthington Fairfield, Conn. 82-74--156
Scott Hawkins Bayville, N.Y. 79-78--157
Joseph Yastrub Lake Grove, N.Y. 76-82--158
Anthony Imburgia Effingham, Ill. 80-78--158
Rick Leal Feeding Hills, Mass. 78-80--158
Chris Damiano Scarsdale, N.Y. 79-82--161
John Pharr Buffalo, N.Y. 81-81--162
Ben Whelan Canada 78-85--163
John Elliott Pottstown, Pa. 80-NC
Briny Baird Tequesta, Fla. 71-WD
Jose Coceres Argentina 70-WD

I really don't have much to say on this topic that hasn't been covered in expert detail by all the other news sources but I wish she would add some credibility on her end by winning some LPGA tournaments. I know shehas come close but that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

The next tournament she'll be playing in is the LPGA's 2nd major, McDonald's LPGA Championship, in Havre de Grace, MD (Bulle Rock GC) on June 8-11 which she finished in 2nd place the year before. It'll be interesting to also keep an eye on Morgan Pressel who I'm sure will self combust if she doesn't win.

I haven't played a full 18 holes for about 2 weeks but I did play 9 holes last Saturday. I've now decided that anything less than a regulation 18-hole round will be deemed practice by me. I hate it when I put my concentrated effort into it only having to leave after 9 holes and wanting more. This has helped ease my angst also for not having played 18 holes..no need to see a shrink.

Heart Attack...

I was busy packing a putter (sold it on 4GEA.com - excellent place to buy/sell golf clubs), to be shipped, yesterday afternoon. My wife was getting ready to go to her step aerobics class when I overheard her saying, to our 3 year old son, to not play golf in the house.

I just told her that it's ok and let him do it. She told me that she was worried that our daughter might get bonked on the head. I said it's alright..it's just a plastic club and ball..you know..it's one of those oversized, plastic, Fred Flintoston type kiddie golf sets..harmless. I, carelessly, told her that I'll watch him so he doesn't do any bonking..mind you I'm in the other room..not in view.

She said she's leaving and I went to see her off when all of a sudden I see my son stradling and "pony riding" my Scotty Cameron SS Newport, and without the headcover on!, on our floor. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I inspected the head and fortunately, and unbelievably, no damage was done to the putter..not sure about my heart though.

Madame X..

I just got back from San Diego last night and played 9 holes today. I was going to play a full round but just felt that my swing wasn't there to really deal with it on the course. It was just me today and got off about 6:30 am. Surprisingly for a holiday weekend the course didn't have too many golfers. I was hitting 2-3 balls a hole practicing various shots and getting more time in with my new 51 deg. wedge. I can pretty much nail it about 110-115 yards which fills the perfect gap between my PW and SW.

It was nice because I was able to just throw a few balls down here and there and just tinker around trying different stuff. I also got to finally play with the Red X that I got a couple weeks ago..and decided that it will stay in the bag. The one thing that really stood out was it has a great weighted feel behind it and seems my putts don't come up short. The ball really does come off the face nicely. I also think alot has to do with the fact that I have always felt that my putter swing is more straight back and forward rather than the open/close door style.

'Outta My Way..

They say L.A. is the car chase, as well as bank robbery, capital of the world. I was going through one of my daily news feeds and it turns out our local CBS2/KCAL9 has an online video library of car chases, since 2004, that have occured in L.A. Under the Browse Video tab, scroll down to "Car Chases".

I know..I know..another non-golf entry..

Kewl..

Not a golf commercial..but pretty cool nonetheless.

No Golf..

A belated post but didn't play last Saturday. I was planning on it but then my wife hit me with a massive "honey-do" list which included removing old shower caulk and replacing it..thought about playing the whole time by the way..ugh. Anyway..not sure if I'll be playing next week either because we're on going to San Diego for Memorial Day weekend..and pretty sure my clubs won't get to ride in the back of the Sienna. I'm off on Monday so I'll be getting a round in then most likely anyhow. I'm happy though since I got to see Lumpy win.

BTW: I put up a new SOTW..never heard his version of it..I like it though.

Tom Slighter..

Can anyone tell me who Tom Slighter is?..anyone..anyone..Bueller..Bueller..? ok that was bad. Anyway I know many of you, if not everyone, know who Scotty Cameron is but I assume that not too many people know who Tom Slighter is. Tom is the owner/designer of his line of putters at Slighter Golf Custom Putters, based in Snohomish, WA.

They are absolutely exquisite putters that are individually handcrafted and customized to your liking. You can tweak it out anyway you want and there are numerous styles he offers. Although they may look a Scotty Cameron, but even his design is actually from the PING Anser style, you won't be able to get Scotty to tweak it like Tom will do for a fraction of the cost with craftsmanship involved.

Although Scotty Cameron is based here in the U.S., but unless you have deep pockets and are fortunate to get one of his handmade creations, his putters are made overseas. All Slighter putters are personally created here in the U.S. by a master like Tom Slighter. I would highly suggest if you are looking to step up and purchase a high quality putter get one by Tom ASAP while you can!

I found out about Slighter putters from one of the golf forums I belong to and he also does putter refinishing. I had a chance to deal with Tom, personally, and he is a great guy. He has great customer service and gets personally involved in your order, which you won't see Scotty Cameron doing unless you're on the tour. I will be sending in one of my putters (Yes! Tracy) to get it "Slighterized!" with the 3X Black Oxide Finish.

Examples of his work done:

Here is another one that got "Slighterized!"

You may have noticed that the bottom of these Yes! putters have the "beach" sound slot which was also done at his shop. I'm not sure how much this affects the weighting of the putter, if any, but Tom can also add additional weights if desired also..neato!

Not Yet...

I played at Oak Quarry, again, last Saturday morning going into it with new found courage since I broke 90 at Rio Hondo last week. I really came with the mindset to play well and break 90. I played well and and hit the majority of the fairways. My putting wasn't that bad either with only one 3-putt, one 1-putt and the rest being 2-putts.

The kicker, as before, were the greens. This place has no mercy if you do not hit the green or near by it. The majoriy of the green seem to be perched up and guarded by hazards on all sides. It also doesn't help that they're all muti-tiered which adds to the overall difficulty. The greens are extremely tricky too. The holes break ALOT less then what appears which I noticed throughout the day. I'd say the greenskeeper knows what he's doing..very sneaky.

I did manage to only lose 2 balls this time, both on forced carry par-3's over a ravine, fun huh.. One thing I wished they did replace is the sand in all the bunkers. It is so coarse and granular. Very similar to playground sand..maybe I should take my sand wedge out the next time I take my kids to the playground. You really have to commit on your bunker shots here or you're going no where, fast, since a majority of them are pot bunkers.

The rough here is also very thick. I hit a great drive on the 17th and our group couldn't find it..it was straight as an arrow but just rolled into the rough..I ended up finding it but it took some time. Hitting out of the rough here always always incurred an additional stroke.

Either way I ended up shooting the same exact as I did last time, 95, which I wasn't too happy about. My goal this year is to break 90 on this course.

Yellow Box...

I received a mysterious yellow box package today. It was on my front porch.

What could it be?!? Taaa-Daaa!!

My Scotty Cameron Red X arrived :)

After a couple weeks and a few thousand miles traveling around the midwest it finally made it here. I'm contemplating just keeping it packed or playing with it. I may be playimg Oak Quarry again this weekend so if I do I think I'm going to give it a whirl there. It truly is a work of art.

New Wedge..

I got home and the wedge that I bought on 4gea.com (swap shop forum) was there. I was looking for a wedge to fill in the gap between my PW (46 deg.) and my SW (56 deg.). I got the 51 deg. wedge (Cleveland 588 GunMetal) to fill this void and to keep it consistent with my SW. I've always played with a Cleveland wedge and aesthetically it is still the "cleanest" looking wedge out there..it doesn't have any fancy colors or graphics. I got it for $45, shipped, which was a great deal.

This was the 1st time I bought from the Swap Shop but it truly is a golfer's mecca (bazaar) for used/new golf equipment. I would say that it's better and worse than Ebay for golf gear. Unlike Ebay the sellers at 4gea.com don't have "ratings" so you just need to do some homework and see who's legit/trustworthy and who's not. This can be done by checking out how active they are in the swap shop forum and also cross referencing that with how many posts and other items they have sold/bought by using the "search" function.

Yes, I agree it's still not the most secure way to find a reputable seller but after you browse the numerous classifieds they have in the swap shop you can get a feel for who the regulars are. There is also a positive/negative feedback section to further compare sellers.

It definitely has better prices than Ebay and usually some room to negotiate. I've noticed a majority of the sellers sell their product with a final "shipped" price which makes it simple to understand. The majority of the selling/buying is based in CONUS so any overseas sales would probably cost a little more with shipping, but like I said there is always room for a little negotiating.

These seller's just don't want to deal with all the Ebay BS and just want to turn a quick sell with less hassle. Many of the items for sale do not have photos with them so you need to know exactly what you are looking for. Many of them will take a photo of the product if you ask for it but don't be surprised if the deal is too good and some other person just buys it under you..money talks.

Anyway, my wedge arrived in awesome shape and looks like it was probably used for no more than a few rounds and I was more than satisified with the transaction. I asked for photos but figured somebody else might just buy it so I trusted the seller. The seller had also sold other items which made me feel more comfortable in the transaction.

I'm waiting on a putter but it got misrouted, not the seller's fault, and should hopefully be here sometime this week. I think it's on a Fedex truck someplace in Kansas right now.

Funny Who You Might Meet..

I played my standard back nine at Rio Hondo on Saturday morning with my co-worker bud. He's getting better but has a way to go on his quest to breaking 100 this year..he averages about 125 right now. I played really well on the back and finished five over. We were just a two-some on the back when another guy asked us if he could join us. Sure, no problem here. He was the spitting image of Sam Elliot..talked like him too with that drawl, real nice guy, with a touch of schizophrenia..no joke.

We were playing and I noticed he had a very old set of clubs with an old bag. No brand name here but he was a player. His driving was about as straight as you could point at..all the time. He had a wonderful short game too! He was always just two putts out for par. I don't think he even used a wedge..just putted everything off the fringe.

He tended to give us a "narration" of everyones shot, but very low keyed, and was telling someone..in his mind..what we did wrong or right. We were talking about golf balls and he was mentioning how everyone loves the PV1 and then he drove away still talking about it. He was actually having his own arguments most of the time. After the 9th hole we parted ways and we shook hands..great player.

We finished fairly early, 8:30 AM, so we were able to play the front..sssweeeett! We got paired up with these 2 high school students and it turned out that one of them plays for his high school and the other dropped out. Both of them looked like the cast from "That 70's Show". They were dressed in that skater/punk style. One of them, "Ben", was wearing his high school's golf shirt, tucked in, and sporting an "oversized" old school black "SOX" baseball hat, the brim was still flat as new, keeping in his enormous caucasion afro. "Chris", the "Ashton Kutcher look-alike" drop-out, was wearing jeans and an untucked polo with a ski hat paired with your classic "Jeff Spicoli" black and white checkered Vans slip-on's.

I could tell though they were players and had game for some reason when they got on the tee box though. They both had wonderful stances and swings..and they hit their driver a mile..geez. It was refreshing to see that unleashed, youthful, bravado in their swings. Here I'm trying to maintain my swing, short of chaos, and too see these two kids hitting the ball LONG and STRAIGHT was amazing.

They were at times way off the fairway from their brute force, but had the ability to put their approach back onto the green or an awesome layup..something you see the PGA guys do lately. They both had wonderful touch greenside and knew how to putt to match. It's was awesome to play with these guys..or at least play along side them.

I tripled bogeyed the last hole with a tee shot into the water followed by 2 miserable shots but managed to finish 9 over on the front for a combined 14 over for an 85 (par 71) and FINALLY breaking 90 at Rio Hondo. It's funny who you get to meet when you play golf.

SOTW..

Lately I've been looking for some good songs but the question is easier said than answered. I was searching around for what would be "good songs". I typed it into Google and it brought me a link to Fingertips. It's an awesome site highlighting numerous indie bands/singers, in a nutshell.

The site is very simple..almost too simple..to navigate through..but that's the beauty behind it as well..and it is all about good music..right? The best way to understand what they're about, and a good start, is to go here and then as your read the introduction make sure you click the highlighted links.

I've put up a few songs from Fingertips in the SOTW (Songs Of The Week) section at the sidebar. If you got some time check them out..it's amazing. If you're looking for the latest Dixie Chicks song or any Billboard Top anything it won't be here..but imagine the majority of the good music the radio doesn't play.

Yeah, I know so what does this have to do with golf..nada..but I like all kinds of music, but please no The Smiths (including Morrissey) or The Beatles.

60 Balls...

I consider myself a "frugal" golfer and have been playing with "experienced" golf balls for some time now. My affinity, still, is for the Callaway HX Blue. I recently acquired 60 of them via Ebay for $45, shipped which comes to around .75 cents per ball. I always buy all my balls from Ebay, last shipment was for 48, since they have the best deals anywhere. I have to admit that this batch was not as pristine as the previous batch but nonetheless they were in good shape. They were the older version also which made it a little cheaper, but still felt the same.

On the average though I will play one of these "experienced" balls for a round and then it will usually go into the shag bag so their "lifespan" is fairly lower than probably a newer ball or maybe because I just had a bad round with it..probably the latter.

Anyway, before you head out and buy a new box of PV1's check out Ebay you may be surprised what you may find.