the GOLF BLOG of HYPE....by one man

Just what does it take to get the ball into the hole? Considering that's the most important part of the entire game you'd think we should know more about how to accomplish that.

There are every kind of putters imaginable out there to help us accomplish that very simple task. You can buy a short putter or a long putter. There are putters that you shove in your belly and some you hold under your throat. Some putters have teeny tiny heads and some have mallets. The choices are endless.

There are all kinds of balls, but they look exactly the same. Hmmm...putter....ball....hole. Seems easy to me.

This simple task, this seemingly very easy part of the game, has lost tournaments, has destroyed psychies, and has ended careers.

Getting it in the hole...or rather, not getting it in the hole, has fueled the putter industry and has kept the golfing public in a confused state of "putting frenzy".. While some golfers will use the same putter for an entire career, others will change putters almost as often as they change their shirts.

After 12 years of using the same putter I have to admit I finally decided to buy a new one. Albeit, it's one of the leading putters out there, I've paid as much as a new driver. But, it's my birthday this week and it's extremely similar in weight, length, and basic shape to my current putter, which will now be relegated to the "extra clubs" bag in my garage.

My putting has always been good, but obviously I'm hoping the new club will help me get it in the hole more often. It sounds more like a personal problem though if you ask me. Ha Ha Ha I only want 2-3 less putts per round and that's very do-able for me. It's going to be the coolest looking putter in my group each time I play though. I'll post a picture of it when it arrives.

Until then,...practice, practice, practice. And get it in the hole!

Wow, has it really been a year since my last post? Yes, it has. Last year went by in a blink it seems. Well, I did accomplish one of my goals this past year....and that was to golf more than the year before. I posted 46 rounds last year which is a little over twice from the year before. But how pathetic is that really, that in the last 2 years I've only posted 65 rounds or so?! I've got to increase that drastically BUT I'm taking the first 3 months of 2009 off and away from the course.
This doesn't mean that I'm not going to be doing anything about golf at all. On the contrary, I'm going to be doing a lot for golf during this time. Notice I said "for" golf, not "about" golf.

I had a number of golf related goals for last year and this is what happened: My handicap came down like I wanted it to, though not quite as low as I'd hoped (3.6). I can create more distance with my irons when I need to, but not as consistent as I would like. My swing has slowed down a bit (on purpose) and I'm getting more distance with my driver and fairway metals, and that's always good. My putting is still good and I finally decided to buy a new putter for my birthday this year....more on that later. The major goal of practicing more did not happen but that was due to a job change early in the year that kept me extremely busy all year. This is a good thing especially with the way today's economy is going. I'm secure in what I'm doing and making more money, 2 very good things.

OK, so, 2009 golf and business goals. You'll see a change in this site in the next month or so and the posts will come with greater consistency, I promise. I've got a number of other golf sites that will be upgraded early this year also and I'll let you know when that occurs, though the first phase is happening right now. I'm expecting my putting to improve quite a bit this year with my new putter. I broke down and bought a "name" with the Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport2 Mid Slant...could he give it a longer name? Most of you have seen this putter, it has a more traditional appearance, very good weight (similar to the one I've used for the last 12 years), and I'm expecting it to provide me even more confidence on the green than I already have. If I can shave just 3 strokes per round, which I believe I can, then I'm going to be very happy. My irons WILL be replaced this year and I'm looking at either the new Titleist Irons (been playing Titleist for 10 years), the Taylor Made irons because their supposed to be one of the best, or the Nike Irons because they have a great look. I'm also going to eliminate my 3 and 4 irons and put a couple hybrids in my bag...time to get more serious with my game. I'm working to gain a bit more physical strength by getting back into shape a little more than I already am, and to that end I have lost 7-8 pounds in the last few weeks. I only weigh 177 so it's not a lot. I've been using a Top Flite golf ball, mainly due to cost, about $15 a dozen. I've historically used the ProV1 or the Nike One Black, but at $50 a dozen that added up. It didn't seem to matter since my handicap dropped a bit and I still had the control I needed.

I've got a friend that I golf with on occasion and a few months ago we were out and I drove my ball through the fairway slightly. As we were looking for it he asked me what kind of a ball I was hitting, I told him "a Top Flite with a blue line",...he turned around and said "you're kicking my ass with a Top Flite"? He only plays ProV1's but he gets them for free from his work (big company). I had an earlier post about the golf ball I think. You have to remember the Pros don't all use Titleist, they all don't play the same ball. And there's not that much difference in the ball, especially for all of us amateurs. It really makes me laugh when I'm with someone who is a 12, 13, 15, or 20 handicap explaining how he gets so much more from his ProV! and then proceeds to shoot a 88 or even a 98! Yea, it's the ball stupid.

Oh well, I'm going to work hard and continue my good luck from last year in most areas of my life, including golf, and carry it into this year. I hope you're all able to do the same. With this economy it would be nice if the golf courses where I live would drop their prices just a bit, but that isn't going to happen. For me to golf each weekend and maybe play twice on some weekends, on a good, challenging course, is going to cost $400 to $600 per month. That's a lot...but that's a commitment to the game. (I should be committed) Hit 'em solid and hopefully in the direction you wanted to ...and have a great year! And keep your attitude in check, no one likes playing with a whiner. Competitiveness is a good thing, being well mannered and pleasant is even better. It makes everyone in the group comfortable and happy, and the round for everyone is what it's supposed to be....fun.

MrGolfBall....

When people ask me what the weather is like in California I like to tell them that we have two seasons...Summer and Rain. I live about 30 miles from some of the most famous beaches in the world and the year round weather here is very moderate and tolerable almost all year. And yes, we do have cold weather, well, cold for us. It does get down into the high twenties - low thirties, but for a very short period of time. Winter is a regular length season for us just like everyone else, it's just that we don't have to shovel snow where I live and we only have to wear warm jackets for a few months of the year.

Golf is a year round activity here and in most of California actually. So the ability to stay fairly sharp and on top of your game is good. We've been pounded pretty well off and on the last few weeks with equal amounts of storms and sun.....and that's typical for us. I feel for the North and Eastern parts of the U.S. where the golf season is typically over around November for about 4-5 months. Whew...no thank you.

I'm supposed to golf tomorrow with some friends but the weather is supposed to be like today, cold, wet, and windy at times. Cold..about 48-50 degrees, wet...light rain off and on all day, and windy but not too windy. This storm has been coming in from the North so it's a cold one. I'll have to wait until the morning and see what the weather guy says.

I golfed last week and played pretty decently for not having gone out in a while. Shot an 81 with a triple on the front. My round could very easily have been 5-6 shots less. I'll chalk it up to a bit of rust but mostly to my new swing I've been working on; I'm working on more consistency with my ball striking, direction, and with it all comes added distance. I was 8 over on the front and 1 over on the back including 6 pars in a row and finishing with an eagle on the long par five 18th.

I'll let you know if I go and how I do. I'm enjoying getting my new swing in place and am looking forward to a very good year on the course.

Well, well, well....another day, another year already started.

What resolutions have I decided to work on this year? There are definitely a few but nothing I'm going to spell out here except for my golf related choices.

Let's list at least a few items to work on this year regarding my game;

1. Practice consistently, mid to short irons, dial-in my distance with each club.
2. Practice putting skills (which I normally haven't done much of).
3. Work on getting the ball on the clubface properly ALL the time when hitting. NO MISS-HITS.
4. Increase my flexibility through exercise, which will create more distance.
5. June/July, new set of clubs.
6. By end of summer reduce my index to a solid 3 handicap or less.

When you go to the driving range to hit balls remember 2 important things;
- range balls are almost always limited flight balls (they don't go as far as normal)
- golf mats may not be the best alternative BUT they make you concentrate on swinging smoothly and picking the ball cleanly with the clubface, not digging into the turf.

I've noticed that the major loss in my game from lack of consistent play over the last 12-18 months has been distance. My ball flight has not moved much, I still either hit it straight or pull it just a little left, but my distance has decreased by as much as a full club length. That's been very frustrating and completely my fault due to less time at the range and on the course.

My putting has always been very good from distance control to reading of the greens. I need to improve my accuracy and can accomplish that through time spent on a practice green, something that I've never really done before.

To play consistently takes a real concerted effort since I have very few friends that golf. This means that I have to get motivated to play as a walk-on single almost all the time, which means I have to usually get up early and to my chosen course early in order to get on the singles list. This is also a big part of my not golfing much the last 12-18 months. As much as I love to golf it's always more fun to be able to golf with friends.

Golf is a singular sport from a participation standpoint, but a social sport from a public perspective. That's why most people enjoy the game so much. You get out of it what you put in to it. I've always excelled at singular sports from track and field, to tennis, to racquetball, and obviously the great game of golf.

List out what you want to accomplish with your golf game this year and start working towards your golf goals. If you're in an area where there's snow for the next few months, work on your putting in your hallway, get a practice club you can swing, clean and re-grip your clubs, empty your golf bag completely and clean that out. Keep golf in your mind one way or another and when the weather gets better you'll be more excited and prepared to play.

Play well.

Wow! It's hard to believe that 2007 is already over, it seemed to go by in a very quick blink. I haven't even posted an entry in 7 months, I apologize. I have a lot of readers around the world on this site and will work harder to make sure that I post properly. With the year ending, we all look back on what we accomplished and what we did not. Did we keep to our resolutions set a year ago, did we veer off track, or did we completely forget them? Personally, I veered off track and don't think that I met any of them fully.

"At least you have your health" is what we all seem to hear, "that's what is most important". I guess it's all perspective though, right? My health is the last thing that I ever think about as I've not been sick in any way for about twelve or thirteen years I think. My kids are doing great, done with college last year, working towards their future, whatever that may hold for them. And oh yeah, they're healthy too. My favorite dog had to be put down after 14 years of incredible love and friendship, that was a huge loss. I still have one more but she's also getting old. I'm still working to make my business dreams come true but that has proved much tougher than I thought, though I know it's not easy or everyone would be wealthy. I'm a huge optimist and continually look forward to the positive and learn from past mistakes.

It was a challenge this year in many ways though I always had a bright outlook and was and am still working hard to be able to walk around the corner where all things are good and bright and rewarding. There are a lot of things in my life that I love and there are a lot of things in my life that need improving. There always will be. It's not a balancing act as much as some people may think, it's been many things the past couple of years. First and foremost it's been enlightening. I've found out more about myself in the sense that a lesser man would have collapsed under the weight of everything that was thrown at me. That was a recent realization and a day to remember for sure. Second is the discovery that I learned some heart lessons this past year that reinforced some previous learnings and shattered others, and as Forrest Gump would say "that's all I have to say about that". Third, last, and most important of all....John Lennon wrote on his last album in a song to his son that "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans". This past year I would have to amend that a bit to state that life is what happened to me while I was trying to make other plans. I like me a lot, my friends like me a lot, and all the experts say that you have to be happy with yourself before you can be happy with others, and I'll add...if you want to be happy in life. Does that mean I'm fine and dandy and content where I'm at?....NO.

2008 is a year in which I will set out to regain control and move forward once again. I do want more in my life, as we all do, and I will continue to work hard towards that goal.

GOLF...ok....let's talk a little golf. My game this year was just ok. I'm still a five handicap but did not play much this year much to my displeasure (20 rounds), so that's going to climb. Golf will continue to take a slight back seat in the early part of the year but will make a strong comeback. I was good once and will be even better soon. I've been practicing again and will continue that process. Practice in all areas of life no matter what you want to accomplish, is important. In an earlier post I talked about golf reflecting life in various ways. I believe that golf does say a lot about a person but mainly from a manners perspective. You can still be an ass, a good golfer, and have manners, and not show it on the golf course (at least not all of it), but most of the time you can't hide the fact that you only care about yourself.

Golf is a respite from the everyday world for me and most people. You're in a park for 4 hours, riding in a cart (if that's your choice), enjoying great weather no matter what kind of day it is, you can have a drink if you choose, a cigar if you want, and you're with friends talking having a great time, and oh yeah, every now and then you have to stop and hit a little white ball. What can be better than that, really. I love golf and the vagaries it provides. I enjoy the challenge of needing to stay consistent in mind and body, both the mental and the physical state. I relish working hard at trying to repeat on the course what I'm accomplishing through practice. I've never hated a shot or a putt or a partner....well maybe a partner a little bit, usually the self absorbed person that I'm paired with that day, and I've never hated going out to play. It's awesome. Getting up early to go play is a drag but once you're on the course all that goes away, the sun comes out, the sky clears up, you hit your first drive, and life is good!

SO....have a great New Year in 2008. Practice for the course, Practice for your life, and enjoy all of it.

MrGolfBall.........

It's been 2 weeks since Fathers Day. Congratulations to all the fathers. I'm a father so every day is my day. I love being a father more than anything in the world really. It's a pretty incredible feeling.

It's one day also that I know my children are definitely thinking of me.

My children graduated from college last year, both with honors, and both happy for their own success. What an achievement for a father also.

It's harder as they're getting older and more on their own that the time spent with them (in person) is that much more special. I know it's special to me because I'm the father and I know it's special to them because, well, I tell them it's special to them. And I can tell them that because I'm their father.

My father is still alive and I call him every Fathers Day also and every now and then in between, 'cause he's my dad and because he has all the same feelings about being a father that I do. It's great being fathers.

My kids call me pops, dad, and daddy (once in a while is still nice).

And as Forrest Gump would say...."and that's all I have to say about that".

When you're on the course what do you talk about?

First question that comes to mind, obviously, is...who are you with? 3 friends that make up the foursome?, your significant other and another couple you invited?, just you and a buddie?, or did you walk on as a single?

Each one of these scenarios plays to a different level of conversation covering potentially numerous and wide ranging topics. And depending how everyone in the various groups are playing that particular day the decibal level of conversation could vary greatly.

I've been in all of these groups at one time or another and have experienced all the various topics and sound levels there could possibly be. In fact, this is one of the many "dynamics" that I like to experience on occasion when I play. Do take notice that I said "on occasion", as too much of one is not always conducive to a consistent level of play. Personally, for the majority of rounds that I play I prefer to have specific short discussions or very little chatter at all.

The singularity of golf as a sport for me is one of the attractive parts. It's me and the ball. Racquetball was another sport that I excelled at for many years, again a solitary sport, just me and the ball. There is no one to blame when you do poorly but yourself. And when you win you know that you're the one that performed at that level, all by yourself. You can't experience the same levels of defeat or success when you're part of a team sport. Oh sure, you may be on the team that wins the World Series, but you may have been on the bench the whole game and got to "watch" the guy hit the home run that won the game.....for the team. Not to say that you didn't play a part in "getting there" but you didn't really win the game by yourself.

I love golf and I really enjoy the group I'm playing with no matter whether they're close friends or friends that I just met at the first tee. Close friends are always preferable though.

Conversation with close friends is different than with people you just met, obviously. You never really know what to talk about with people you just met so that's when I just play my game, keep up, and make sure that I play better than them. That makes me feel good and my concentration level is higher.

Playing golf with new friends or old friends...it's still about the experience. So whether you're experience is talking during the round or just playing the round, it's up to you. I'll let you know what I prefer one way or another.

Just make sure that if you're talking about something it better be interesting!

You hear it all the time...Golf is like life. OK, in what way?

I do believe that you can learn a lot about a person by playing a round of golf with them. You also hear that a lot. But that does hold true I believe. You're able to get a pretty good look at how they handle certain situations and reflect back on how they may relate that to their daily life.

There are a couple of people that I golf with on various occasions and for the most part they are pretty even tempered. But if their game starts going the wrong way watch out! I'm not saying that I haven't been upset on certain days but I've always pretty much accepted the shot I hit and moved on. I may not have liked the shot but once I've struck the ball there's no way to get it back. You go get it and make a better stroke the next time.

In trying to relate it to life I guess there could be a couple of ways you would do that;

First - Financially....in life you can run a surplus or a deficit vs. in golf you are over par or under par. All of us at some point are on both sides of that equation, that's life right?

Second - Emotionally....in life you are pretty happy, consistent, and can have a good attitude about most things, or you can believe that everyone is against you and that you'll never succeed because "they" won't let you vs. in golf you're either playing great and having fun or your game sucks and you're really angry and playing poorly because the other players are making too much noise, they're talking too loud, or their poor game is bringing yours down (been out with a few of those types).

A third comparison and probably the most telling of all is how you handle all of this around other people. What I mean when I say that is...Are you able to control your emotions when things aren't quite going the way you want them to? Do your expectations of your game exceed your actual level of playing ability? Do you make excuses for a poor shot when in reality you don't have the ability to produce a better shot?

On the flip side, if you're a good player do you throw your great game in your playing partner’s faces? Even in jest? Or do you simply play the game you're capable of and provide positive remarks when your partners hit a good shot?

Within this third area of comparison lies a very telling way of exposing a bad side of yourself and the people that do this aren't aware they're doing it because this is how they truly are on the inside; Are you constantly telling someone what they're doing wrong, whether or not you're able to do it right? That is a BIG error in personal exposure.

I love playing golf and the group dynamics associated with the game, especially when I'm introduced as a single joining another group. I usually keep to myself and stick to my game, which is usually pretty good (low single digit handicap), I acknowledge when someone does well, rake the bunkers, fix the ball marks, and do the things that a good golfer and a good person would normally do when being conscientious of myself, my surroundings, and the people that I'm with.

So yes, Golf is like life I suppose. You just need to know what type of life you're projecting when you're on the golf course.

We can't all be happy all the time, but we can all be courteous, cordial, and polite, both emotionally and vocally.

So be a good person, you'll play better and enjoy the game more. And most of all...have fun!

You add 2 more and heighten the score,

and the rest of the year you don't see her no more!!!

AND ONE MORE........

This little Wie-sy hit bad drives,

And this little Wie-sy can't putt,

This little Wie-sy can't count right,

and this little Wie-sy's a nut,

and this little Wie-sy lied "my wrist, my wrist, my wrist, all the way home.

OK...ONE MORE.....

There once was a golfer called Wie-sy,

Whose game was once good now it's cheesy,

Her golf score went HIGH,

She quit 'cause that guy,

And the excuse she provided was sleazy.

I won't tell you that I belong to a country club because simply put I don't. I have played at a number of them though over the years, mostly in tournament play. They are pretty and they are in great condition....at least most of the ones that I've played.

Recently one of my best friends stepmother passed away. She lived on one of the oldest country clubs in California, San Jose Country Club. I think it's the second oldest course in the state at about 108 years old (give or take a year). Her backyard overlooked the 8th green and the 9th tee. After the luncheon we had gone back to her house and had drinks and talked. There were three of us, all lifelong friends and we were watching all the players come through late in the afternoon.

There was a shotgun tourney finishing up and we were watching the last few groups go past. From the yard we had a straight shot looking from behind the 9th tee to the green. It was a par 3 marked 190 yards from the white tees to the center of the green. No one had hit the green from any of the groups that played through for over 2 hours. It wasn't long before the tournament was over so us being us and having known each other for 36 years we thought let's go get some clubs from the garage and play a couple holes. We usually didn't play by all the rules growing up so why should this be any different. And it was a beautiful afternoon/evening.

My friends father has passed away about 6 years ago but his clubs were still in the garage, which by the way is cleaner and neater than most peoples homes, and we found the key to the gate that let us out on the course. No one was around so we went to the 10th tee. Again, marked 190 to the center, slightly up hill to a well bunkered green with a slight breeze back towards us to the left. I took out this old 3 wood (metal) and a ball that had been in the bag for over 6 years and teed it up. I had come back to the house from work and was still wearing my dress shoes, suit pants, and my dress shirt. I took a few practice swings and hit a perfect shot about 12 feet past the pin. My buddy who was playing with me shanked one nasty one right, over the fence between some huge redwoods trees and just absolutely nailed this house. We laughed pretty hard of course and he teed up another one. He played the next one up near the green and took a 6. I putted down hill past the hole about a foot and then sunk the par putt.

We then went back the other direction towards the house and walked over to the 8th tee. It's a flat par 4 about 353 yards, pretty narrow fairway with big redwoods lining both sides (remember this is a very old and historic course). I pulled the old driver out, used the same old ball and smacked one down the right side of the fairway just inside the first cut of rough. My buddy was able to shank another wild one right, over the shorter redwoods. I was just about 145 to the flag, pulled an old 7 iron and hit it stiff about 8 feet above the hole. I sunk the putt for a birdie. 2 holes played, 1 under par, old clubs, old ball, even older course. Easy game. Yea, right. It was karma that day and we were all feeling good to be with each other, despite the circumstances.

San Jose Country Club is a very well known golf course and still a favorite for high caliber celebrities from all walks of life. Since its' creation a long time ago, many golf celebrities have also enjoyed the challenge and subtle design of the San Jose Country Club golf course, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Walter Hagen, Babe Didrickson-Zaharias, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Patty Berg, Gene Sarazen, Johnny Miller, Julie Inkster, Patty Sheehan, and Fred Couples, just to name a few.

My friends father Bob, was a very well known attorney and had lived there and was a member there forever, and he loved to play golf there. I remember about 15 or 16 years ago I was visiting him with my friend (his son) and I told him I would love to play there. He asked me what my handicap was and at the time it was about a 15. He said "when you get down to a 10 call me", well I was well below a ten but never called him to play in time before he died. But I did finally get to "play" the course and it was great. I even got to play with the same clubs he played with at the time. They sure don't go very far compared with todays clubs. But it was awesome. I guess I can honestly say that when I played San Jose Country Club I played it 1 under par. Bob would have enjoyed my "little joke".

I thought of him when I played those two holes and in my heart dedicated my score to him and the lifelong great friendship I have with his son. Golfing with him would have provided more pressure but certainly would have been more fun. It would have been great to have played a round with him... because without him.... like the title says, country club golf is easy. I'm looking forward to getting out there now and playing the other 16 holes. But I think I'll use my clubs and balls this next time.

http://www.sanjosecountryclub.org/