There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground.
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if you can’t see the video, click here.
This ESPN Sports Science on swinging like Happy Gilmore is an oldie but goodie.
(Seriously Padraig, please blink. You’re scaring us).
Stewart Roche is in a class all by himself. He has had 3 hole-in-ones in the last 4 years. I know, impressive, but no big deal. What if I added the fact he is 96 years old? Yep. Since his 91st birthday, Stewart has had 3 hole-in-ones. Amazing.
To put this in perspective, the average golfer’s chance of having one hole-in-one is roughly 12,500 to 1.
Oh, and this brings his career total to 9. I have logged over 125,000 holes played in my career playing golf. In that time, I have exactly one single Hole-In-One. Jokin. Uno. Un. One.
Check out the story here.
If you can’t see the video, click [here].
Congrats Stewart! Excuse me while I go jump off a bridge.
One of my favorite weeks of the year is Masters week.
My first memory of watching the tournament was in 1985. I was 7 years old, and Bernard Langer won by a few strokes over Seve, Ray Floyd and Curtis Strange. The next year I remember watching Jack Nicklaus make his memorable run for a 6th Green Jacket.
In 1987, Larry Mize chipped in to beat Greg Norman in a playoff. I was hooked. Right then, it became my favorite sporting event of the year.
The Masters kept getting better.
If you had been with me on the practice green as an aspiring junior golfer, you would have witnessed me winning at least 20 Masters tournaments. I’m pretty sure I beat Greg Norman, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, and Tom Kite at least four times (each).
My all-time Masters highlights
1994: I went to Augusta National for the practice rounds and Par 3 Tournament when I was 16. It was a birthday present. My best friend at the time scored some tickets and let me tag along. We spent every hour of sunlight combing as much of the club’s 365 acres as possible. We even managed to venture down Magnolia Lane for a few dozen yards until the security folks kindly asked us to move back behind the ropes.
The best part of the tournament that year was coming home and watching it on TV. After seeing the drastic elevation changes and undulating greens first hand, I gained a greater appreciation for what I see the guys do on the screen.
1992: By far my favorite Masters ever was held the days before I turned 14. My childhood golf hero was Fred Couples. His win that year inspired me for months and etched quality time with my dad I’ll never forget. I can’t wait to watch my son hang on every shot by his favorite golfer during the back nine, Sunday at Augusta.
This year’s tournament is sure to be exciting. It’s Masters week. The 2012 golf season starts now.
photo credit: gomattolson
A couple of weeks ago I played in a Scramble Golf Tournament at Duke University Golf Club. This was the first time I had played the course since I attended golf camp there in 1991.
The most vivid memory I have from that week has nothing to do with the golf camp. In fact, I almost quit golf after this incident. You see, golf wasn’t cool back then. Tiger didn’t break onto the national scene until 1996-1997. We had guys like, Craig Stadler, Tome Kite, and Duffy Waldorf. They weren’t exactly chick magnets or icons of cool. Sure, guys like Fred Couples and Davis Love III were smooth and athletic but the golf apparel designers seemed destined to give golfers a backseat in the sports department.
So there we were, me and Aaron Smith (my best friend at the time), at Duke Golf Camp. I remember we met up with a couple of cousins from NY. I had never known anyone from the BIG APPLE before so we all had a blast laughing at how different we all talked. Their names were Andrew and Michael. Michael was the smooth talker with a big smile. He was fearless and talked a big game. He probably ended up a Senator or something. Andrew on the other hand was the oldest (15) of our foursome and the most likely of us to challenge Bill Gates or Frank Ellison. He was a super nice guy but not great in the social skills department.
The camp was held on Duke’s campus along with other sports camps. In addition to golf was girls field hockey, boys and girls soccer, basketball, tennis, and baseball. Our favorite camp was girls soccer. For three days we worked up our plan (and courage) to speak to some of those girls in shin guards and Umbro shorts. We decided to say we were there for soccer camp too. Under NO circumstances were we to mention golf camp to anyone with two X chromosomes.
Day Four
I remember it like yesterday. We came out of the bookstore headed back to our dorm. We walked across the commons area and there they were. Four girls walking our way. In a flash, our chatter went from casual to game on. Michael was calling the shots and broke the ice. His Manhattan smile and charming words caught their attention. WE WERE IN. The conversation was getting good. We had names, we talked about hometowns, and interests. I could see that this was going to be the best week ever, hanging out and enjoying the company of the prettiest girls our 6th-7th grade eyes had ever seen.
Then the horrendous happened. One of the girls asked “What camp are you here for?” In our infatuated state, we didn’t respond soon enough before Andrew blurted “GOLF camp.” Immediately we jumped in “Soccer! No Soccer!…Soccer!” Too late. The next moment was like the movies when the orchestra stops playing and the strings, horns, and percussion come to a screeching halt. It felt like the whole campus stopped and all the oxygen was vacuumed out of the air. An eruption of laughter from the soccer girls jarred us from our shock. We stood there motionless and lifeless with our hearts in a puddle around our feet. What happened next is unknown. I only remember hearing their giggles fade in the distance as they walked into the void with my self-confidence and dignity.
I never saw or heard from Andrew and Michael after that week. Aaron and I have remained friends through the years. It only took a decade or so, but the scars did heal. Golf has become cool and mainstream thanks to guys like Adam Scott and Camileo Villegas. Wear your golf lifestyle badge proud. No longer do you need to be ashamed of wearing a Ping hat or knowing who’s leading the FedEx Cup.
photo credit: Matt Phillips
