A special day at Cypress

I have been absolutely spoiled this year for golf. There’s no other way of putting it. So I’ve been struggling with how to describe playing at Cypress Point last weekend because it was so incredibly special, yet so different from the other amazing courses I’ve been lucky enough to play this year. I guess to understand how special it is to play Cypress, you first have to know a bit more about it…

Cypress Point is a private golf course on the Monterey Peninsula designed by Alister MacKenzie. Heard of him? Well, he’s designed a few other courses you may have heard of… Royal Troon in Scotland for example… or there’s that little course in Georgia where the Masters is played every year, Augusta National. Cypress has only 250 members, and the only way to play it is with an invite from one of its members. Cypress is considered the second most difficult course in the country to have the opportunity to play, next only to Augusta. Since women aren’t even allowed to play Augusta, Cypress is the toughest place in the country to have the opportunity to play! Before you play, you’re sent a list of guidelines regarding where to change your shoes, where to leave your cellphone, and what to tip your caddy. You’re warned that there are no yardage markers, no beverage carts and even no bathrooms available on the course, and by the way, be ready for the first tee when you arrive because guests are not allowed to use the practice range. Starting to get the idea of how exclusive a course it is to play? I have to admit that when we were driving to the course yesterday, I was skeptical that it could possibly live up to its hype…

Our tee time was 8:15am and we had to arrive by 7:30am, so we started the morning hitting balls in the dark at the practice range at Spyglass. We arrived at the very small parking lot of Cypress at 7:30 to my surprise what was a bit of a whirlwind of activity. There were at least 3 groups of 4 in front of us, and caddies, so the practice green was full of grown men whose collective nervous excitement transformed the practice putting surface to a second grade class about to partake in the best field trip ever! My initial skepticism was quickly replaced with nerves; which soon after were replaced by pure joy.

I feel like I’ve made this statement too many times before, but really, seriously… this time… the first tee at Cypress was the most nervous I’ve ever been on a tee box. I thought I was shaking at St. Andrews, but this time I’m sure I was physically trembling… and the shaking lasted the entire hole. Your first shot is over a hedge and over 17 mile drive! Oh – and its in front of your playing partners, your caddies, and all of the other players waiting to tee off behind you. I didn’t duff it thankfully; but I did pull my shot well left. It was playable, but I hit a second at the encouragement of my foursome and ended up in the middle of the fairway and on my way to a mulligan par on the first hole. We were off…

The first couple of holes were beautiful; the fog hadn’t lifted yet which gave the course a mystical feel. You couldn’t see any of your shots because the fog was so thick, so we relied 100% on our skilled caddies, Paul and Laurent (known locally as “Frenchie”). I think the fact that you couldn’t see the ball over the first few holes actually helped my swing. I kept my head down because I couldn’t see where the ball was going anyway! On the second hole, I experienced my first sand dune of the day. It took 3 shots before I could finally get my drive back onto the fairway. From then on though, something magical happened… my game actually started to come together!

I savored every one of the next 16 holes. I walked them recognizing this may be the only time I get to play them; and if I thought time flew at Pebble, then it was at mach speed at Cypress. Over the course of 18 holes, I had countless opportunities at making shots that I’ve never had the chance to try before. Some worked; like my putt out of a bunker on 11 that ended up within 2ft of the cup. Others didn’t; like my 9 iron out of the plant on the sand dune on number 8 that travelled about 10 ft further in the sand. There was also a 5 wood chip on the 14th that sailed 70 ft past the hole, but stayed on the green… just long enough for me to sink the longest putt of my life.

The greens had to have been the greatest source of entertaining shots from our entire group. On the 5th hole Frenchie told me to hit my chip past the cup. I did and watched with the same awe as the rest of our group as the ball flew past the cup, and then slowly but surely started to catch the swail in the green back towards the pin until it stopped about 3 inches from the cup. On the 13th hole after a disastrous start, I chipped right in from off the green to save a double bogey. There were interesting chips and putts all day long, but the coolest of them all had to have been Jim’s putt on the 8th hole. You have to see it to believe it so just look at the photo below. Jim is putting toward the caddy on the right, Paul. Frenchie is holding the pin in the center. His putt ended up about a 6 inches from the cup on this line. The round was so much fun and it felt so good to have confidence in my game again.

One golfer commented to me before our round that, “once you reach the 15th hole at Cypress Point, there’s nothing else like it in all of golf.” That really sums it up. The 15th hole is a short par 3 over the ocean. It’s impossible not to be distracted by the massive waves crashing up against the rocks lying below while preparing for your tee shot. You leave the 15th feeling like there’s no hole quite so beautiful anywhere in the world. And then you reach the 16th hole; which holds the distinguished reputation of one of the world’s greatest golf holes. It’s a par 3 for the gents and a par 4 for the ladies and you can hardly even remember the beauty of the 15th when you arrive at the tee box. Just have a look…

The 17th hole doesn’t disappoint either with your third consecutive tee shot that has to cross a massive chasm over the ocean to safely reach the fairway. Even once you’re safely over the ocean, you’re far from finished, with a massive cypress tree sitting protecting the green from the middle of the fairway. It’s a challenge to say the least.

The 18th hole plays quite differently from the previous three. The hole takes you away from the ocean and back toward the clubhouse, which is of course disappointing! By the time you play it though, you’re mentally drained. I think its disappointing more than anything though because it marks the end of your round at Cypress.

So if you’ve read this far, you might be wondering how it was that I even got to play on Cypress!?! Well… it was pure luck… someone else who was supposed to play cancelled, so I was the lucky 4th to join Bob, Jim and Scott on the course yesterday. I owe the greatest thanks to Bob for hosting us, and to Jim for suggesting I join when their 4th dropped out. And of course I owe so much thanks to Scott for taking me out west for one of our best anniversary weekends ever! Chances are I will never get to play Cypress Point again, but I’m OK with that, because I gave it everything I had… and for at least a few minutes during the round Cypress Point golf course knew it.

Below from left to right, Scott, Lisa, Bob, Jim

How to celebrate Halloween on the golf course

Start with the right costume - I recommend dressing up like a professional golfer...

Add: Some spooky morning fog

Add: A scary shot or two

Mix the above with ghoulish blood-looking beverage while watching other groups also dressed up like golfers trying to tackle the 18th at Pebble.

Boo! Have fun!

Time flies when you're playing Pebble Beach...

7am - Out the door to hit the range before the round... who really needs sunlight to practice, right?

8am - Tee off
Don't let the starter's speech add any pressure to your tee shot. "Welcome to Pebble Beach. We do not take mulligans on the first tee at Pebble Beach."

9am - 4th hole.
Hopefully your nerves are settled by now. You wouldn't notice it from the tee box, but you're about to get your first glances of the ocean on your right... beautiful!

9:30am - 6th hole
Just stand there and take a look at what's ahead of you... that's a heck of a hill you have to climb on your second shot! Oh - and don't forget about the risk of hitting your drive into the ocean!

9:45am - 7th hole
Its only 90 yards down the hill... but it may as well be an island green with all of the bunkers protecting the green! Try not to hit it into the front bunker, then across the green into the back bunker. I hear its hard to make par that way.

Oh - and while you're there - don't forget to have a look out into the bay to see what the kayakers are catching!

10am - 8th hole
Better hit a nice drive... so that you can experience what Jack Nicklaus calls the, "greatest approach shot in all of golf." Just don't get too close to the edge and stress out your playing partner!

Don't forget to look back from the green to fully appreciate the shot you just made!

10:30am - 11th hole
At this point, you've gone far enough along the ocean away from the clubhouse, and you make the turn to start coming back.

11:15am - 13th hole
Check out Bing Crosby's former home on your right - recently sold for a cool $22M

11:30am - 14th hole
Try to keep your putt on the green on this one... Paul Goydos took a 9 on this tough par 5 in competition, and that was it for him! I putt it off the green... woops!

Noon - 17th hole
Email your family and friends to let them know you'll be at the 18th green by 12:30 in case they want to watch you on the live webcam of the 18th!

12:15pm - 18th hole
Grab a second ball in case you put your first drive in the ocean... this is a mulligan-worthy driving hole (and the starter can't catch you for taking one!)

12:30pm
Sink your mulligan par putt and leave the course bewildered about how 4 1/2 hours could possibly fly by so quickly.

The West Coast Swing Begins... at Spyglass

(Above: Sunset on the 17th hole at Spyglass)

Well, its our 7th Wedding Anniversary - so where better to spend it than Pebble Beach?!? I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be! We arrived today and hit the links at Spyglass this afternoon. Spyglass Hill Golf Course is rated one of the toughest courses in the world and it lives up to its reputation! We were paired with Bill, who is here celebrating his 60th birthday, and Justin from Dallas who is playing here for the first time (and ended up shooting an 80 which totally contradicts my earlier comment that Spyglass lives up to its reputation as tough)! But hey - it was tough for me!

I really thought my entire game would come together today... my driver is finally working and my irons have been good all season, so it was about time! I stepped up to the first tee and smoked a drive down the middle of the fairway. My second shot was a smoked 3 wood down the middle of the fairway. My confidence was high; it was finally my time... WRONG! My irons and my short game left me. I duffed my next shot into the bunker; duffed my bunker shot into the next bunker, and then skulled my second bunker shot over the green. To make a long story short - I ended up taking an 8 on the first hole... and it didn't get much better after that! The next 15 holes were all about trying to find my iron swing, and trying to stay out of bunkers (because my bunker shots were disastrous!!)

So how do you get through a round of golf when your swing is off without getting too frustrated? Well - its difficult that's for sure. What made it easier today though was our caddy, Michael Jordan (yeah - that's really his name!), and the other players in our foursome. Every time Bill hit a good shot - every time - he celebrated with a vocal, "Woohoo". Justin scrambled from behind trees and tee boxes and somehow pulled pars out of thin air. Long putts by anyone in our foursome resulted in full-on rounds of applause by everyone else. And of course "Wedding Anniversary gimmes" got longer and longer as the round wore on. Everyone in our group had a great attitude, loved the game, and felt lucky to be out playing at Spyglass today.

On the 17th hole, I hit a great drive, and then finally hit a crisp 8 iron to about 8ft from the pin. I gave my birdie putt a chance but missed it and tapped in for my par. It the only par I had all day... but I had found my iron swing!! I made a bogey on the 18th after another decent drive and then a really good iron shot. It took 16 holes... 16 holes to find my iron swing today... talk about painful... but here are the lessons I took away from today:

1. There's not point getting upset over a bad drive!
My driver was finally working, but my short game wasn't so I was making triple and quadruple bogeys after driving the ball 200+ yards. Conversely - there have been plenty of rounds where I drove the ball terribly and walked away with pars and bogeys. So there really isn't any point stressing out about a bad drive

2. At some point keeping score is pointless - so just stop if you want!
I was scoring so badly that by about the 13th hole - I wasn't paying any attention to my scorecard because it really just didn't matter. Instead, I focused my energy on trying to find my swing. Who does your score really matter to anyway other than yourself?? There's no point wasting your energy beating yourself up over a bad round!

3. Attitude is everything - take time to enjoy the good shots and the good company
I walked away from today's round honestly not even knowing what my final score was. I enjoyed myself though, and I really enjoyed the company of our foursome. Their positive attitudes and enjoyment of the game was infectious... so remember the next time you're playing that your attitude and behavior could be making a big difference in someone else's round!

Below: Justin, Bill, Lisa, Scott

Practice breeds confidence: Getting the most from the driving range

I’ve mentioned already that before you hit the links for the first time as a beginner, you should spend a lot of time at the driving range to gain confidence in your swing. Your goal should be at minimum to make sure you can hit one club consistently about 100 yards before you hit the links. I stand by this advice, but it occurred to me the other day when I was at the driving range that it too can be a bit of an intimidating place to go for the first time, so here are some tips for hitting the range with confidence…

1. Choose a stall at one end of the range or the other
This may sound silly, but seriously – if you’re not confident, go to a place on the range where fewer people can see your swing!! Be assured – you will duff a few balls… and there’s a chance you might even hit a ball or two off the metal divider that separates the stalls. You will not be the first to do this, nor will you be the last!! (That being said though – people do notice when they hear the “clang”)

2. Start with your pitching wedge NOT your driver!
This is the biggest mistake people make at the range… the first thing they do is pull their driver out of the bag and start rifling through balls. It’s the most difficult club in your bag to hit, and your body is still stiff and your swing isn’t ready for it. Trust me – as tempting as your driver is - start with your wedge to get warmed up.

3. Create a routine that works for you
My normal routine is to hit my pitting wedge until I feel comfortable, then I move to my 7, then my 4 iron hybrid, and then my driver to warm up. Once I’m warmed up, I have two different routines. Some days I want to simulate a round, so I hit driver, then 4 iron, then wedge (to simulate the clubs I might hit on the course in that order on a given hole). Other days, I work through every club in my bag and I tell myself that I’m not allowed to move on to the next club until I hit 3 pure shots with the club I’m holding. If I fail with any club I have to start over. (I stole this one from Phil Mickelson who forces himself to hit 100 putts in a row during his practice sessions and has to start at 0 if he misses any – it simulates the pressure of putting during a round) This routine forces me to really focus on what I’m trying to work on

4. Shhhh….
Yeah, much like the course, people don’t want to hear people talking in their backswings… even at the range, so keep it quiet (even when you hit a few pure shots and want to celebrate)

5. Take breaks and practice swings
It is so tempting when you’re at the range to just hit ball after ball after ball after ball… without breaking and without even practicing your swing… but guess what – that isn’t anything like what it will be like on the course! Use your time on the range to practice for being on the course. This is your time to nail down what feels comfortable in terms of a pre-shot routine, and to really focus on practicing your swing… so just take your time and enjoy yourself!

Eat your heart out NKOTB

My 14 year old self would have loved this... it just has to be shared: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM2NocuEihw

Whoever said golfers are too serious??

The power of grey goose

I was reminded this past weekend of just how stressful the game of golf can be. We were playing a nice club and my swing was off. We were paired with another twosome that clearly had some serious game. I had zero confidence in my swing, and to make matters worse – I had switched golf bags and so I only had 4 balls in my bag!! Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t worry about having only 4 balls in my bag, but between that and my overall lack of confidence in my swing, it was a recipe for disaster! Stepping up to every single shot was nerve-racking! And sure enough – the disaster started to unfold on the second hole…

My drive landed in the middle of the fairway…. The fairway of the third hole that is!!! Walking to the fairway next to yours to hit a ball is like the walk of shame in golf. The only thing worse might be when you hit a putt so badly that you’re still further away from the hole than everyone else and you hear the two worst words in golf – “still away.” At any rate, I made my walk of shame to my ball, and after waiting for the group on the third hole to make their tee shots, I finally got the chance to hit my ball and proceeded to shank it into fescue. I was down to 3 balls in my bag.

On the third hole (which you could argue I should play better since I had already had a sneak preview of the fairway), my drive was decent. My second shot was another story though… this time I hit a duff… right into the fescue again! 2 balls down, 2 left in my bag.

On the fourth hole I stepped up to the tee and thought to myself, “oh boy, where is this drive going to go??” On the far right of this hole were train tracks and all I could think was that I was going to lose my 3rd ball on train tracks. “Why on earth do I play this game,” I was thinking! This is supposed to be a fun way to spend your day!!

On the fifth hole – everything started to turn around for the better. The beer cart arrived, complete with grey goose and Arnold Palmer mix. Let’s be clear – I am not going to say that alcohol solves all problems on the golf course… but sometimes I think you just need some way to step back for a second and realize you’re out there for fun…. You’re spending time with people you love (or at least like a lot usually!) The sun is shining, and you’re just lucky to be out in the fresh air living your life.

The rest of the round was entirely different. I hit some bad shots; I hit some good shots… and I even managed to keep my cool when I lost my third ball. I finished the round with the last ball in my bag, and a smile on my face.

Beating the first tee jitters

Playing golf in Scotland over the past few weeks took me back to the days when I was starting out with the game. Every first tee felt to me like the first tee at St. Andrews did last week. I had forgotten how nerve-racking an experience it can be when you’re starting out. It’s particularly difficult if you’re playing with complete strangers. I still get nervous still sometimes and I’ve been playing for 15 years now. So here are my tips for getting through it:

1. Look good! I thought of this one after we bought our argyle sweaters at St. Andrews; our thinking was, “hey, at least if we don’t play well we’ll look good!” Plus of course the more confident you are the better!

2. Use the club that you are most comfortable with. If your 7 iron is the club you always hit well, and you’re nervous – hit your 7 iron!! It doesn’t matter how long the hole is – you just want to get a nice shot into the fairway right?

3. Keep your head down. There’s an expression that says, “Never rush to look at a bad shot” and its so very true. When you lift your head in golf to turn and look at your shot… its never going to be good! Plus, if you’re nervous you’re more likely to have multiple swing shots in your head, and that’s not going to help anyone. So while you’re taking your shot – keep an eye on that ball the entire time; you’ll be amazed by the results!

St Andrews – the Old Course experience

It took 3 tries entering the daily ballot at St. Andrews for us to get a tee time on the Old Course; on Friday at 4pm we found out that we had a tee time on Saturday at 1:30pm. Our round on the Old Course at St. Andrews would be our last round of the trip to Scotland; how perfect!

Three days have passed since playing the Old Course and I’ve been struggling to find the right words to describe the round. All I could come up with is the word “experience”. Playing the Old Course at St. Andrews wasn’t just a round of golf on a famous course; it was an experience; an experience that I will not soon forget. We arrived at the course around 11am (yes, 2½ hours before our tee time). We didn’t want to feel rushed tee’ing off and as it turned out, by the time we had finished shopping for argyle sweaters (what else are you going to wear playing the Old Course?!?), finding the clubhouse and the practice facility, and hitting some warm-up shots, 2½ hours worked out to be just about perfect!

The first tee was unlike any first tee I’ve ever played from. It’s a wide open fairway; there are no hazards to speak of (at least not off the tee anyway), and its not even that long of a hole. Of course, its also the Old Course at St. Andrews, and there’s also the pile of spectators behind the front tee just waiting to watch you tee off. Noooooo pressure… After my terrible first tee drive at Carnoustie, I tee’d off with my trusty hybrid to build confidence; it was probably the best decision I made the entire round. Despite my shaking hands and racing heart, I hit the ball straight down the middle of that famous fairway and thus began one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf of my life.

Time absolutely flew by the entire 4 hours we were on the course. I put a ball in the gorse on the 7th; I put a ball in the burn on the 1st. I ended up in the hell bunker on the 14th and took two shots to get out. I don’t think I ever stopped smiling though. I walked along the undulating fairways feeling like they looked more like ski hills than golf holes, and gained an even greater appreciation for some of the shots the pros play. Between the two of us, Scott and I putt on shared greens; we saw tee boxes with bunkers; we made putts with elevation changes of 4 ft or more. And then there were of course some highlights; we avoided the Johnny Miller bunker, the coffin bunkers and also the Valley of Sin on 18. Unfortunately Scott was stuck in the road hole bunker, but his visit was brief and he played an excellent shot to get out. We both also drove our balls on number 17 over the Old Course hotel which, for me, was one of the most entertaining drives I’ve ever hit. And finally, after stopping for a photo opp on the Swilcan Bridge on number 18, I made my par and walked away still smiling.

Playing the Old Course may be a once in a lifetime thing; and if it is, I’m OK with it, because it was one of the best golf experiences of my life.

Trying to escape the hell bunker

The infamous road hole bunker

Perhaps the most photographed bridge in golf

Carnoustie: Car"nasty" is right!

Wow – I got my butt kicked today. Carnoustie is the site of Jean Van de Velde’s famous implosion on the 18th hole of the British Open when he had a 3 shot lead and made a triple bogey on 18 which then forced a playoff that he then lost. The fashion he did it in though is what makes him famous… have a look at the video footage to see for yourself: Video Here’s a short break-down… He drove his ball off the tee and fortunately narrowly missed the burn. (The burn is basically a creek that runs through the golf course; see the photo above) On the 18th at Carnoustie, the burn runs across the front of the green making your second shot pretty difficult as well. With a 3 stroke lead he could have laid up his second shot and then chipped onto the green, and still won but instead, he decided to go for the green with a shot that ended up hitting the grandstands. Normally a shot that hits the grandstands results in a free drop for the player, but Van de Velde’s shot bounced off the grandstand and into the thick rough next to it. He tried to hit his next shot to the green, but instead ended up in the burn in front of the green! Next he took off his shoes and socks and hopped into the burn planning to play his shot out of the water. Thankfully he came to his senses though and instead took a drop outside the burn. He then hit his ball into the greenside bunker, and it took a sand save (hitting the ball out of the bunker and sinking the putt in one stroke) to get into the play-off. In short – Van de Velde did what any amateur could easily do on the same hole…. Except he’s famous for it because it cost him the British Open!

My own Carnoustie experience started with a duff on the first tee into… the burn! Sigh… if only there had been a practice range I feel like it would have helped a lot to give me confidence over that first drive. Unfortunately I spent most of the day trying to find my swing. My whole day basically felt like what I imagine Van de Velde’s 18th at Carnoustie felt like. On the downside, it was most of my round that felt that way, but on the bright side, I didn’t have a tournament on the line, and I hit some pretty great bunker shots out of some pretty nasty bunkers (See the photo below for an example). My caddie told me on the 18th that they used to sell, “I beat Van de Velde” souvenirs in the pro shop. Unfortunately for me – my 18th was so bad that I couldn’t even have bought one of those souvenirs today!!!

The highlight of the round today was after 10 finding out that we had finally secured a tee time at St. Andrews on the old course for tomorrow via text message from the golf travel company. I did enjoy the round, but right now I am not in a hurry to get back to Carnoustie!!!

Below: One of the "spectacle" bunkers at Carnoustie

Kingsbarns: A biiiirdy-full day on the links

(From Tuesday, left - this is the only place in the world I don't mind calling them the ladies tees). Kingsbarns course, which is located about 5 miles south of St. Andrews is ranked #54 in the world for best golf courses. We couldn’t resist giving it a go, and have zero regrets about doing so. Today the sun was shining again and the winds were fairly calm (very calm for Scotland at least), but this time the golf story doesn’t get messy… well, just it did in a few parts I will admit.

To get a good picture o fthe beauty of Kingbarns, just take a look at the homepage of its website: www.kingsbarns.com. I was a bit worried about the course because from the front tees it’s only 5200 yards so I thought that might take away from it feeling like a true Scottish links course, but I was dead wrong. On the second hole, my caddie advised me to hit my approach shot at the par 5 about 40 yards left of the pin. On my own there’s no way I would have ever aimed that far left, but I trusted him and made the shot after which we both watched the ball roll up and around a swail on the green, stopping only about 10 feet short of the hole for my birdie putt. I knew from that point on two things – first, I had a great caddie. Second, it was was going to be a fun day.

Links golf is special to me because of all of the fun and interesting shots you can make. Over the course of the round today, I had several putts from way off the green (one unfortunately I putt clear across the green and into a bunker), punched shots along the ground and used the contours of greens to land approach shots in places I never would have though of on my own. I was also enterained by stories from my caddie about the course, about some of the famous people he had caddied before, and even a story about a golf club ending up in the ocean. (For his protecton I’ll keep that one private!) Maybe the best part of the day though was seeing Scott smiling as he walked up the fairways toward birdie putt after birdie putt. Hence - a biiiiirdie-ful day! Would have been nice if I was hitting my own birdie putts, but hey, I'll take my 91 and run.

(Below - the signature 12th hole at Kingsbarns called, "Ordeal")

Royal Troon: Hurts so good

In the immortal words of John Cougar Mellancamp, Royal Troon made me “hurt so good” today. This is the course that Colin Montgomerie (“Monty” to the golf world – one of the greatest Scottish golfers of our lifetime) has said, “is more difficult than good.” The 114 on my scorecard by round’s end has me completely agreeing with this quote and feeling like I was lucky I didn’t shoot 120!

It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and it was about 70 degrees. Warning! When a golf story starts with a positive comment about the weather – the golf part of the story is probably going to get messy! And that it did! I was really excited right off the bat because we were paired with another couple so I was not alone on the front tees. The first few holes went pretty well – my driver was working; I stayed out of the rough and the bunkers, but I still wasn’t scoring well. “That’s okay,” I thought to myself, “it’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and I’m playing one of the nicest golf courses in the world!” It’s a good thing I was able to hold onto that attitude because before too long I found myself pulling shots (which basically means hitting them waaaaay left of target), and suddenly I was contending with very thick fescue, and veeeery deep bunkers. Made it through the front nine though, feeling pretty good about my 53. Yes, 53 on the front – so that means 61 on the back. Yikes!

As we walked along the path toward the 10th hole, Phil, one of our group’s caddies told a story about Gary Player (yet another incredible golfer – this time South African) being asked by someone at the 10th hole on Royal Troon what the toughest back 9 is that he’s ever played; his response, “I’m standing on it.” Before our round we had also read about Arnold Palmer describing the 11th hole as, “one of the most dangerous holes in golf.” That same hole dashed Jack Nicklaus hopes of winning the British Open in 1967 when he scored a 10. All that was missing was the dramatic dooming music as we made our way up to the 10th tee box. Well, once again, I now understand the quotes. My highlight from the back nine was actually beating Jack Nicklaus score on the 11th hole; my score – a 9! That 9 though includes one shot that I actually hit myself with accidentally (that’s a new one) so who knows if the USGA would actually penalize me another stroke for that so maybe I didn’t beat him afterall! The back nine was just so tough. Briefly I felt down about how I was playing, but then I stopped and reminded myself that I was playing a long difficult course and I was clearly tired and my swing was suffering as a result of the fatigue. And oh yeah - I was still playing one of the nicest (and toughest) courses in the world... so in short, my hurt... started to feel good.

(Above right - the "Postage Stamp" hole at Royal Troon; named for the very small green which is only 11 paces wide. Below - discussing club selection at the Postage Stamp hole with my caddy, John)

Turnberry: 105 never felt so good!

Maybe it was the fact that the sun was shining for almost the entire round. Or perhaps it was the refreshing smell from the sea across the 8 holes that fall next to the water. Or maybe it was the birdie on the 6th hole (after leaving an eagle putt embarrassingly short). Maybe it was the beautiful views and challenging, yet fair course design from the front tees (even at approx 5800 yards) Then again, maybe it was the friendly (and incredibly helpful) caddies who reminded us both of just how far that ball can roll on a links course. Come to think of it, the roll alone on a lot of holes could have been the reason alone! Or it could have had something to do with Scott and I getting to play alone today, and Scott shooting a great score. There was also the friendliness and smiles on the faces of the men playing in the groups in front of and behind us. And let’s not forget the lager shandy at the bar after the round where we could sit and watch groups come up the 18th hole. Maybe its just the memories of Tom Watson’s incredible attitude and sportsmanship when he lost the British Open here in 2009; what a great attitude. Whatever the reason, shooting 105 has never felt as good as it felt today at Turnberry. Bar none - one of my favorite rounds of golf. I highly recommend it.

If its not Scottish...

If you google "origin of golf" you'll see that there is in fact some debate as to where the game of golf originated. Some argue that a game similar to it was played in the Netherlands or even in China as early as the 1200s! However, a spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, said "Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries, but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland." (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_golf) Based on the fact that there are references to golf in Scottish parliament from as early as the 1400s, I believe him! I'm sure that my Scottish heritage has not created a bias at all.

And so when one has two weeks off in the middle of the summer golf season in the North East of the USA with 90 - 100 degree heat, what else would you want to do than turn the temperature down a notch (to around 60) with a trip to Scotland for golf! So here I am in Scotland - our hotel last night was only about a mile down the road from the local municipal course which looks like a challenge all on its own, but we're here to P-L-A-Y and that's what we're doing. We have 3 rounds booked - all on courses where the British Open has been played. We are hoping for a 4th round at St. Andrews but will have to wait for lottery results tomorrow to find out whether this is going to happen! I'm ready to be humbled by the game... stay tuned for details...

What is the golf "uniform"?

Whether you know who Payne Stewart is or not, I’m willing to bet that when you first think of golf attire, an image somewhat like him pops into your head. His outfits on the golf course are some of my earliest memories of watching the game with my grandpa on TV when I was a kid. Payne Stewart was a very accomplished golfer who died tragically in a plane crash at the age of 42. His style can only be described as throwback. He wore knickerbockers and caps and looked like he had just stepped out of a time machine from the 1920s.

Fortunately for we ladies, Payne Stewart was an original, and though his outfits fit the bill for a very old-school traditional golf “uniform”, the sport’s fashion sense has come a long way. So what should you wear? Generally you have to abide by just a couple of rules:

- Wear a collared shirt
- Do not wear jeans or any denim
- Make sure your shorts or skirt are long enough that your Mom wouldn’t be embarrassed if she saw you in them

Easy enough right? So now the tougher question is where do you get great golf clothes as a woman? This is where I get frustrated sometimes because generally in a lot of sports stores, and even golf stores the selection of women’s clothing is limited. If you do find something you like – finding your size is an even tougher challenge. Fortunately though there are lots of great options online which is where I spend most of my $$$s on golf clothes. Here are a couple of good options:

The Golf Warehouse: www.tgw.com
Pinks and Greens: www.pinksandgreens.com
Nike women’s golf: http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,women_golf

If you don’t find anything you like, fear not! Just spend an hour or two watching an LPGA tour event and you’ll see that women’s golf fashion is improving everyday so while you get better on the course, you can be confident that your clothing will get even better too!

Empathy for Tiger?!?

Is it possible? It can’t be… after all of the drama with Tiger Woods off the golf course over the past while, I couldn’t possibly be feeling this feeling… it just can’t be… but watching Tiger this weekend competing in the World Golf Championship event at Firestone I recognized the familiar tug at my heart strings – I have to admit it. I actually felt empathy for Tiger Woods. But lets be clear – these feelings are only about his golf swing!

You see, early this golf season I went out and was playing great. I was excited for the season and I was even more excited about blogging about it! But then suddenly it happened… my drive just left me. Its bags were packed and it was out the door before I even had a chance to say goodbye. The warning signs were there for a long time – at least two golf seasons – but I’d been trying to ignore them, hoping maybe they would just go away. But now it was too late. My drive had left me and I was going to have to commit to seeing a professional to get it back. Off I went to see my local pro for a lesson. “My drive is gone,” I pleaded to Barb, “please help me get it back! I”ll do whatever it takes!” She was compassionate and ready to help, but asked me first to take out my pitching wedge, and then my 7 iron. “Uh oh,” I thought, “its just my drive – I’m hitting my irons well!” That’s what I thought anyway. Unfortunately though, after taking a brief look at my swing with these short clubs Barb broke the news to me… the issue with my driver, was in fact affecting my swing for all of my clubs. The driver, being so much less forgiving than my other clubs was the only one though that had left me completely. The truth I had to accept, however, was that I had been taking my swing for granted across my entire set of clubs and was at serious risk of losing them too if I didn’t do something about it! Since then I’ve changed my swing. I’ve taken multiple lessons, practiced and played at least 2 – 3 times per week. My scores have been terrible and my relationship with the game tested. I have found my swing again, but it’s just not that easy. My swing confidence is shaken, my distances with my clubs are all off, and I have in fact questioned whether my love in the game of golf is strong enough to get through these terribly frustrating and difficult rounds!

And so today I watched Tiger struggling, again. He too has a new swing. His distances are also off. His confidence is also shaken and he talks about having to “trust “ his new swing. He too is trying to put back together his relationship with the game of golf. And he is doing it in front of the entire world. And there you have it – I feel empathy for Tiger. Suddenly though, I feel like my handicap rising a couple of strokes during this big correction in my golf swing isn’t the end of the world after all. My audience is just the foursome I happen to be playing with on that day. (And in some cases the foursome on the fairway next to the one I’m playing where my ball has ended up). I’m confident now though; my driver and I – we’ll get through this – and the entire world won’t be watching. Now it just remains to be seen whether Tiger will too!

A girl's guide to golf balls - finding that special someone...

When I started to reflect on choosing golf balls, I couldn't help but laugh because I realized that when I really think about the process - its a little bit of a love story! My first love was Top Flite. Before I found Top Flite, I looked around, and tried a lot of different brands; who could blame me? I was young, and free, and there were so many exciting brands available on the market! I tried a lot of them; but it wasn't until I played a Top Flite that it just felt "right" for me. Sure, there were some bad days with Top Flite. I hit some shanks; I duffed a few shots, but overall - I was committed to Top Flite - my first true love!

My love affair with Top Flite lasted about 7 years until I was playing a course that did not sell my brand! I'm a bit surprised actually, that my relationship with Top Flite lasted as long as it did, because I started to play at much nicer golf clubs where Top Flites don't really "fit in", but I was committed. At that course that fateful day though, I was introduced to Titleist DT Solos and I never looked back! Last year was a bit rocky as Titleist decided to break DT Solo into two different brands - DT Roll and DT Carry, so I will admit that I strayed briefly and gave Taylor Made a chance. This year though, DT Solo is back on the market, so Taylor Made is just my back-up ball if my DT Solo can't be there for me! I'm in love again!

So what should you do to find the golf ball that you love? Well, I would recommend just playing the field! Try out a lot of balls and you'll eventually find the one that is right for you! Just don't get too frustrated by the process - remember that you might have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince!

Equipment guide - your first set of clubs

So you've taken a few lessons, or maybe you've just been to the driving range a couple of times - and you're convinced - this is the game for you!!! You're ready to invest in your own set of clubs... so how do you get started?

Well, first, remember the ever-present golf intimidation factor is probably going to come into play again when you decide to buy your own clubs. Do a quick search on golfsmith.com for women's clubs, and the first full set you'll probably find is around $800. Yikes! $800 for clubs, add another $100 for shoes (because let's face it - you've got to have cute golf shoes!!), and another $100 for a bag. Plus I have to warn you that you'll be investing a lot of money in golf balls (because you'll be losing a lot of them at first). Add all of these up and it gets expensive very quickly.

My first set of clubs were no name brand, and cost me about $150 - $200. This was for irons 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 8, 9 and pitching wedge, plus a driver, 3 wood and 5 wood. Now-a-days, (because 10 years ago was SO long ago in terms of golf technology) you can get a set that includes a 6, 7, 8, 9 iron, Pitching wedge, Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood and even a 5 hybrid included for about the same price of $150 - $200. (Check it out as an example at Golfsmith in case you think its too good to be true: http://www.golfsmith.com/products/NX147/Nextt_Golf/Ladies_Z_One_14_Piece_Full_Set) You can also probably find a good set on eBay for a great price.

Once you've played for awhile, and you're committed to the game - then I would consider investing in more expensive clubs, or even a club fitting session if you're really serious. When you're just starting out though - trust me - that $600 savings on clubs can buy you about 600 golf balls - which could come in reeeeally handy your first couple of seasons... Have fun!

Getting Started, Step 1: Take Lessons

There is no better advice that anyone can offer you when you’re getting started with golf than to take lessons! It makes sense right? If you had never skied or snowboarded a day in your life, it is probably not the smartest move to hop on the chairlift and head down a steep, cold, and potentially icy mountainside without at least a little bit of instruction. Granted, the chance of serious bodily injury is drastically less on the slopes – you have to remember that a typical golf round is going to last anywhere from 4 – 5 ½ hours. Do you really want to commit to that much time on a golf course if you don’t know what you’re doing?

When you take lessons when you start golf, the other advantage is that you start out with the right swing. Every golfer has issues with their swing at some point; it could just be something that affects one round, or it could last an entire season!! Take it from me though – it is much easier to fix a swing that started “right”, than to fix a swing that never really was “right”. Whenever I take lessons (which I continue to do on a regular basis!), the instructor usually has to make a small tweak to my swing to either fix whatever issue I am experiencing, or to give me more power in my swing. I credit this to the fact that I went out on the golf course only once or twice before taking a 6-week lesson package at my local driving range.

I wish I could say that the logical arguments above are what convinced me to take lessons in the first place, but it would not really be true. Sheer stubbornness is what convinced me. You see, one of the characteristics that many golfers seem to share is that they mistakenly think they have all of the answers for fixing your swing. (Which I would say is true of only the top 5% of all golfers – so if you are planning to golf with scratch – 5 handicap players, I strongly encourage you to listen to their tips, otherwise, keep reading!) For me – it was my Mom (who meant really well!) and my friends (who were also just learning so what the heck did they know?!?) who seemed to know what I was doing wrong with every swing. I just could not take 4 – 5 ½ hours of another complete amateur telling me what to do to fix my swing. For-get-a-bout-it!!! I could not take it!! Now, I am thankful for it because, although my swing is far from perfect, and I have a lot of improving to do, fundamentally – I know I have a good swing!

To find golf lessons near you, I recommend calling a local driving range or public golf course to see what they offer. To offset costs, you can grab a couple of girlfriends and sign up for group lessons, which drastically reduces the costs. By the way – if you do not have golf clubs, and you do not want to spend money on them right now, just ask the course or driving range if they have rentals. That way if you hate the game, you’ve only lost your investment in the lessons! (My guess though is that you’re going to love it and buy clubs in time for your 3rd lesson)

Golf Defintions - Intermediate

So now that you've learned the easy golf terminology, here are some additional terms in golf that are useful to know:

Shank – Unfortunately this is going to happen to you once in awhile; in particular when you are just starting out. A shank is when you mis-hit a ball and it immediately veers off in any direction except straight!

Duff – A duff is the most common type of mis-hit when you are starting out playing golf; you hit the ball, but it barely moves forward at all.

Worm-burner - A worm-burner describes a golf shot that screams along the ground (thereby “burning worms” as it goes) rather than becoming air-borne!

Mulligan – One of the greatest assets to an amateur golfer but by no means are mulligans “officially” part of the game; a mulligan is essentially a “free shot” that you can use if you have agreed in advance with your playing partner that is! If you mis-hit (ie shank, or duff for example) your drive, you may hit a mulligan which is a second chance at your drive from the tee without taking a penalty stroke. A mulligan on the first hole is sometimes also called a “breakfast ball”. Let's be clear though - taking a mulligan is just a very nice way of saying that you are knowlingly cheating!! (And for the record - I've taken several of them myself)

Breakfast ball – A breakfast ball is another name for a mulligan. A breakfast ball is essentially a “free shot” that amateur golfers may take in the morning after a mis-hit tee shot.

Gimme – When your ball is approximately within one putter length of the hole, most casual golfers will tell you the putt is a “gimme” which means you do not have to putt, and instead you can just assume you would have made the putt, and score as if you did. Example: on a par 4, if your 5th shot is within one putter length of the hole, and your golfing partner says it’s a gimme, you pick up your ball and your score for the hole is a 6. (ie It's as if you sunk your 6th shot - your putt)

The beach – Also known as a bunker, sandtrap/trap or simply, the sand. This is a place on the course that you do not want to be in – particularly when you are just starting out. There are two types of sand traps – fairway bunkers and green-side bunkers. The best confidence-booster for getting out of bunkers is to practice shots out of the sand regularly before your round, and remember to finish your swing when you’re hitting from the sand!

Water Hazard – Also known as “the drink” – This is worst place to be on a golf course – in the water. Once you’re in the water, your only option is to take a drop at the point where your ball went into the water and to take a penalty stroke. To make it easy to count the strokes - think of it this way - 1 shot into the water, 1 shot to take it out of the water and so your next shot is your 3rd shot.

There are so many other terms to learn, but this will have to do for now - the Hyundai Tournament of Champions is still on - time to see who wins!

Golf Definitions - Beginner Level

There is so much golf specific lingo to learn, so here are some basic definitions to get you started:

Ace – a hole in one! This is when your tee shot on a par 3 goes into the hole. You should also know that the person who gets a hole-in-one traditionally buys a round in the clubhouse after the round. In 1999, Golf Digest reported, "One insurance company puts a PGA Tour pro's chances at 1 in 3,756 and an amateur's at 1 in 12,750."

Clubhouse – This is where you find the pro shop where you check in for your round. You’ll also usually find a restaurant and/or bar a the clubhouse and locker rooms/bathrooms

Bag drop – When you drive into the golf course entrance, you’ll often see a sign for a “Bag drop”. This is where you can drop off your golf bag so that you don’t have to lug it all the way from your parked car!!

Pro shop – Check-in for your round in the pro shop when you arrive at the course. The pro shop is also where you can buy anything and everything you could ever need (and a lot of things you do not need) to play a round of golf.

Tee shot – Your tee shot is your first shot on every hole from the tee box. Remember you must tee-up your ball on or behind the markers on the tee box. If you’re lined up ahead of the markers – it’s a 2 stroke penalty!!

Round – A round has two definitions in the game of golf. First, a round is what you call playing 18 holes of golf. Second, and perhaps more importantly, a round is what you buy when you get an ace!

Par – Every hole has a par associated with it. This is the standard number of strokes for each hole on the golf course. Generally, there are only 3 values for par – Par 3s, Par 4s and Par 5s. You should know that sometimes the par for a hole is different for different tee boxes. For example, you may find a hole that is a par 5 for the front tee but a par 4 from the other tees (eg white, blue or black tee)

Front tee – Also known as the forward tee, ladies tee, or red tee. This is the furthest forward tee (ie. the tee box closest to the hole) Generally speaking, women and juniors play from this tee; there is no rule however that says women can not play a different tee. There is also no rule that men can not play the front tee!

Ready golf – This is a really important definition for beginners to know but it’s also very difficult to understand until you play, so when you’re on the course it will make more sense! Traditionally while playing golf, there is very strict etiquette around who hits their ball when. (The furthest player away from the hole hits first) With ready golf however, generally you can hit your ball before someone who is further from the green than you who is not ready to hit their ball. Ready golf is commonly played by amateurs to keep the speed of the round moving quickly. Usually at the first tee, or somewhere on the first hole, someone in your group will suggest playing ready golf – that’s how you know it is okay to hit your ball before someone else.

The PGA Season Kicks off at Kapalua

Today's entry is intended to serve two purposes - first, to convince you that golf is a wonderful excuse to travel to incredible places. Second, I'll try my best to get you interested in watching golf on television! Kapalua Golf Resort in Maui, Hawaii, I hope will help me in accomplishing both of these goals!

Kapalua Golf Resort in Maui has two courses - the Bay Course and the Plantation Course. Both courses are absolutely beautiful to play - but it is the Plantation Course where the PGA Tour kicks off each season with its tournament - this year, the "Hyundai Tournament of Champions," which kicked off yesterday. So, in case you haven't watched any tournament highlights from yesterday yet, have a look at some photos I took at these courses earlier this year to familiarize yourself with Kapalua:

Here's the Bay Course - which people may tell you, "isn't really worth playing" if you go to Kapalua. How wrong those people are!!

(In case you're wondering by now - yes, I find myself in a lot of bunkers!)

Here's the 18th hole at the Plantation Course:

And The Plantation Course at sunset...

One great swing on the back 9 at the Plantation Course...

So now back to the task at hand - first, convincing you that golf is a great excuse to travel. Well, I'll be honest... the pictures were really supposed to do it! If that didn't work, look at them again and think about the fact that Kapalua weather is pretty much 80's all year round! I will understand, however, if you're looking at the pictures and saying, "sure, that looks great, but I can't play golf yet!!" Fear not - just keep visiting this blog because soon I'll give you tips on how to actually get started with the game, and how to play incredible courses quickly and within the rules of the game so that you aren't intimidated and so that you're not slowing down your group, or the groups around you.

I haven't forgotten about my second goal - of convincing you that golf is great to watch on television! So here's why the first tournament of the year is particularly fun to watch. First, its called the "Tournament of Champions" because you have to win to get in. Every player in the tournament this weekend, won a tournament in 2010. What you're getting as a result is a relatively small field, of relatively amazing golfers! This tournament is a great opportunity for you to learn who some of the top players of the game are without being totally overwhelmed. The other reason that this tournament is particularly entertaining to watch is because the course has a few holes that are super fun to play. Turn on the tournament, and you're sure to see footage of the 6th hole - a 398 par 4 that the pros will regularly drive the ball to the green (or even past it). The 18th hole is another fun one that is long on paper, but is set-up with such a strong slope downhill that I even hit a 250 yard drive down it. (For the record my average is more like 190yards!) Then there are the entertaining stories that seem to accompany any golf tournament. Yesterday, Stuart Appleby arrived at the tournament only to discover his putter was missing. His caddie had to buy a new one from the pro shop which he played his round with! Are you convinced yet that this is a fun game? When even the pros make silly mistakes, its even easier to believe

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua will be on:
Friday and Saturday: 5:30pm - 10pm on the Golf Channel, AND
Sunday: 6pm - 10pm on the Golf Channel

Or if you're just willing to try to looking at highlights as a start, visit the PGA Tour website: www.pgatour.com

Enjoy!

First thing’s first – lose the fear factor!

When you think of the sport of golf, and picture in your head visiting a course for the first time – it is intimidating! Look around and you expect to see that most of the people (mostly men) around you are wearing stylish collared shirts, crisply creased trousers, sparkling clean golf shoes; they’re sporting the newest clubs in their Taylor Made, Nike and Titleist bags that are adorned with shiny and jingly bag tags from the plethora of courses they have played in the past. If you’re like me, you then think about the last golf tournament you heard about or watched where the winner finished at -5, -10, or even -15. Where do you even begin to fit in here – and do you even want to??

Now – let’s change tunes and think about going to the beach in the summer. Once again, if you’re anything like me your first thought is of the latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, and then of yourself in your own bikini or bathing suit. Ugh. In my books, the intimidation factor is similar.

Now fast forward to your actual trip to the beach. How many supermodels in bikinis do you find? None likely; at best 20% of sunbathers out there are even likely to draw attention – and even that is generous. A trip to the golf course is a similar experience. Sure – you’ll still see the stylish clothing and shiny new clubs – but what you’ll also find is that there is a very small percentage of golfers who play to the level that their outfits and equipment would suggest they play at. Par at a standard golf course is usually 72. According to Golf Digest – half of all golfers in America have broken 100. On average, only 5% shoot in the 70s, 20% shoot in the 80s and 27% in the 90s.

Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2009-04/golfguru#ixzz1AHDqamrW

In short – my advice is to think of your trip to the golf course like a trip to the beach. Do not let the fear factor get in the way … because a lot of the people there are just like you!