View from the Fringe

Tiger and the Ryder Cup

viewfrom — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:00:22 +0000

By Brandon Pace

This being my first contribution to View from the Fringe, I thought I would share some thoughts about perhaps the two biggest stories in golf left in the 2010 season. The first story, of course, being Tiger. It’s been quite a year, to say the least, for Tiger. I am happy to have seen in Tiger’s absence some of the younger, talented players, like Dustin Johnson, step to the forefront of American golf. Golf needs Tiger, and I fully suspect him to round him game back into shape sooner, rather than later. It’s been his nature to change his swing constantly, and it’s always produced wins. (I do think, however, his swing with Butch Harmon was the best swing in the history of golf, but that’s for another discussion.) This week has been the best his swing has looked in a long time. He’s not laid off hardly at all and he’s been keeping that head more still throughout the swing. Once the confidence gets back into his swing, his putter will return, too. Now he is beginning to play the par 5′s like he used to, which is his biggest in-round boost.

As for Tiger’s mental health? Well, he’s been telling us that it’s all a ‘process,’ and he’s right. Life changes such as his recent ones can and do certainly change people’s perspective on things, and for the moment, it seems as if Tiger has lost a bit of his bite. But like other star athletes, Kobe Bryant, for example, after some time Tiger will get to the top of his game again. My only question is, ‘has Tiger learned anything?’ My biggest problem with Tiger in the past has been his awful displays of anger on course, amid watching, youthful, and starstruck eyes. It always befuddled me that Tiger had such control over his golf swing that he could stop the swing right before impact, but he lacked enough self-mastery to stop the awful things coming out of his mouth. Hopefully, Tiger will realize that his selfishness has hurt him on the golf course, as well as off the course in his personal life. One can obviously learn to be a gentlemen and not sacrifice his competitive spirit for the game (see Bobby Jones.) If Tiger implements the lessons that I hope he’s learned, then I believe he’ll be back winning, and winning big.

Speaking of winning, if America is to have its best chance of winning the Ryder Cup, it’ll be with Tiger on the team. Tiger is a winner, and that needs to rub off on the Americans. One of the reasons, I believe, that Europe has played so much better in the Ryder Cup in recent years, is because their main stable of players are winners. They have fewer players that compete at the highest level, but the ones who do, seem to win very often. American players seem to get into such a comfort zone with the amount of money and popularity that they receive, that there seems to be content among the players with one victory a year, or worse yet, a string of top tens and a million dollars won in a season. Of course, a victory a year and a million dollar season is spectacular, but it just doesn’t seem like America has the constant, go for broke, gunslinging winners of the past decades (excluding Tiger and Phil.) Europe’s Ryder Cup stars, however, have in the past seemed to win more. Of course it could be that the talent on the European Tour isn’t as deep as the PGA Tour, but nonetheless, winning breeds winning. As very young players, for instance, Lee Westwood, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, and others have been able to win multiple times in Europe. Even Luke Donald and Paul Casey pick up wins overseas when it seems that the well is dry for them in America. So what does this boil down to on the golf course and at the Ryder Cup? It means that Europeans have an expectation to win, and the experience of winning to help them realize that expectation. Nothing would please me more than to see young American players like Hunter Mahan, Sean O’Hair, Matt Kuchar, Stewart Cink and others (who all have incredible talent) win multiple times each year.

I believe that our future star of the Ryder Cup, once healthy again, is Anthony Kim. He is completely fearless. And when he gets in the hunt on tour, he is trying to win harder than anyone. He may crash and burn, a la Mickleson or a young Tiger, but he goes down swinging, and I love it! Hopefully Tiger and AK will get picked, and their desire to win will spur the US to victory in this Ryder Cup. This is my favorite sporting event in the world, and I want to see passion from our Yanks, because as a fan, I won’t be as passionate about any other event. Good luck to our boys and good luck to Captain Pavin. They have a tough challenge in front of them, but I believe they will win! GO USA!

photo credit: Keith Allison

Congrats Arjun! 2010 Wyndham Champion

david horne — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:57:57 +0000

Congrats Arjun! I was happy to see Arjun Atwal win the Wyndham Championships. He and I played together during my only trip to Q School. He is a super nice guy and a solid player. What I remember most was how unassuming his rounds were. We would get finish and I thought he’d shot around par. I would add up his score and it would be 67. Those are the guys that have long fruitful careers on the PGA Tour.

Another cool bonus (besides the $918K check) is Arjun became the first Indian born winner on the PGA Tour. Nice work, 1 out of a billion. He also had to Monday qualify to get into the event. Of course, you can read all the details about Arjun Atwal’s win here.

Seeking View from the Fringe contributors

david horne — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:25:06 +0000

Hello golfers. We are remodeling View form the Fringe. Our goal is to build a community people who see golf as more than a game. It is a sport that teaches values for a successful life and unifies people from all backgrounds.

If you would like to contribute to View from the Fringe, please fill out the form below.

Loading…

Tiger Woods and the goatee

david horne — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:33:48 +0000

Tiger Woods grew a goatee and is a little off his game. That could be the understatement of the year. I have stayed clear of the Tiger topics for the most part, but today I will make an exception. With the years’ final major starting today all eyes will be on the current #1 to see if he can come out of the fog. Global Golf Post’s articles this week on the slump are worth the read. Instead of focusing on his poor putting or duffer-like like misses, let’s talk about his goatee.

The added facial hair and poor play reminds me of Superman III when Superman becomes dark. Sure, the film was one of the worst in the franchise but do you remember when Superman turned bad. Tiger appears to have taken the same kryptonite. Don’t be surprised if he blows out the Olympic Torch or straightens the Tower of Pisa. Maybe this week at the PGA he will win the battle against himself and return to his former self.

I am not the biggest Tiger fan and many of his life choices I do not endorse. However, I like the game better when he is in it. Maybe there is an internal voice telling Tiger it isn’t time to be dominate again. I have no doubt, despite the naysayers, that he will come back and play like Superman again.

Making the turn

viewfrom — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:37:44 +0000

Well it is getting hot. I played a couple of times in July and it was 100 degrees.

We are working hard on the reworking of View from the Fringe. We are excited about the new direction and design.

Until then a few chip shots:

Last week I played at Meadowlands Golf Club. I got off to one of my best starts in a while going birdie, birdie, birdie, par, birdie, par, birdie. Five under through the first seven! Wow! Then I woke up and pared the last 11 holes in a row. Lesson: Keep in the moment one shot at a time.

Saw Bubba Watson out there. I haven’t seen him in since we were jrs. competing. It is awesome to see him winning and playing well. When we were kids he used to wear pink socks and promptly win everything he played in. Nice guy and great talent. Keep up with him on Twitter at @bubbawatson.

Global Golf Post continues to deliver great golf content. If you don’t subscribe and you love golf, you are missing a great digital magazine.

I’m in the market for a new driver. Any good suggestions?

Why did I do this?

david horne — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:03:44 +0000

A few weeks ago I started reshaping with Ted Bonham at Precision Fitness. Why did I do this? What was I thinking embarking on a journey with painstaking cardio and stability training? And I am not even to the hard stuff yet.

I promise to give you weekly updates about the process moving forward. Here is a summary of where we are now.

Session #1: Met with Ted for an evaluation of my flexibility, strength, and mobility. Let’s just say I failed all most of the tests. “This is good” Ted explained because the testes gives us a starting point of where you are at. We can use the data to move forward and develop your body into reaching its potential.

Session#2: Ted gave me a personalized workout and we went through the exercises. They are designed to build a foundation for which phase two is built upon. For me, I need to gain flexibility in my hips, wrists, ankles, shoulders, back,…um is there anything else. The other area I need to retrain is cardio. I used to play soccer and could run for 120 minutes at interval speeds. Not so much now. I can walk across the room briskly. I only run now if I am being chased.

Session #3: Ted went over the exercises with me after I had done them for a week to see how I was doing. This was really helpful. My form was a little off in a few exercises and a few others needed to be modified to make sure I got the most out of my workout.

Session #4: coming soon (diet and check up)

Last thing….New View From The Fringe site coming soon. I am excited for you guys to see the new look and feel.

Reshaping with Precision Fitness

david horne — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:20:10 +0000

Yesterday it started. I made the decision a while ago to reshape myself. Part of this process is returning to a level of fitness my body hasn’t seen in almost a decade. When I played professional golf, being in fit was part of

thejob. Tiger Woods changed what it meant to be a golf athlete. I remember working with a guy in the Triad who helped me find limitations in my body that inhibited consistent golf swings. I still have nightmares about the two-hour stretching routine. Thinking back, man I was in good shape.

Today things are different. I am still in good shape. Unfortunately the shape is more oval or round. The athletic physique I used to see in the mirror has laid dormant underneath a warm layer of insulation. No more!

On Wednesday I met with Ted Bohnam at Precision Instruction. He is taking me through his TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) fitness program. Ted is a certified TPI instructor and a black belt in multiple disciplines of martial arts and runs the Precision Fitness division of PI. He will guide me through rebuilding my body from the inside out. The program is thorough. After an evaluation to determine where my body is physically, we will work on balance, flexibility, strength, nutrition, endurance, speed, and power.

Ted will create a specific program for my body to reach my peak fitness levels. Doing this will minimize the restraints of my body that produce improper tendencies in my golf swing. My goal is to reduce variables that cause me to make poor golf swings. The freedom that comes from this is amazing. When your body can DO what you are training it to DO – then reaching your goals is a matter of time and effort.

I hope you can learn something about the role fitness plays in improving your golf game. I will post about things I am learning both mentally and physically. You can also follow our adventure on the Precision Instruction blog where Ted will share from his perspective.

photo credit: Scott Ableman

A visit to Old Chatham

david horne — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:07:40 +0000

Last week I received a great invitation from my friend, Justin, to play at the Old Chatham Club in Durham NC. He recently joined and is making the rounds with friends who love golf as much as he does. I felt honored to get the call. This course has been one I have wanted to play for a while and it was a great way get golf ROI in prep for the US Public Links.

At first glance you can easily miss the understated entrance off Jordan Lake Rd. Many travelers don’t notice the small wooden sign marking the entrance to the piedmont oasis. This is just how they like it, hidden in plain sight among the tall pines and rolling hills. The Rees Jones design stealthily opened in September 2001. The select membership call it a “golf club” not a country club. There is no pool, tennis courts, or bridge club. The clubhouse is warm and quietly luxurious but it is not the mantel piece. The epicenter here is 7,247 yards of perfect greens and tree-lined fairways.

It was a beautiful day to play and Justin and I carried our own bags from the championship tees. I have played many Rees Jones courses (he is one of my favorite architects) since my first walk down his fairways at the Emerald CC in New Bern NC. His style is distinct. Mounded fairways, large bunker complexes, and tough par 3s. I love that his courses are out in front of you. There is no trickery or blind deception. His courses stand toe to toe with you, testing your skill and shotmaking. Old Chatham was classic Rees Jones.

The most memorable holes were the 11th, and signature 17th. The 11th hole is a 622 yard par 5. All three shots ( I dare you to get there in two) require thought. The day we played, the hole location was +10 and there was a one club headwind. It played long. Real long. Justin calls it the “longest hole in Chatham County” and I believe him. It might be the longest hole in the world, or at least it played that way. The 17th hole is a great hole. The 226 yard par 3 has water down the left side which cradles the back left part of the green like a mother lion protecting her cub. Bunkers on the right sing like Homer’s sirens as you stand on the tee. The green is generous to the player that hits it. Let me know when you meet him or her.

My only critique of Old Chatham is that the course was good. There isn’t a single bad hole on the course but there aren’t many great holes either. But it wasn’t great. I don’t remember every hole like I when I played Taconic or Grandfather CC. I remember the experience and I have never met a nicer staff and membership at a club of its caliber. Kudos for that. Even as a guest I felt welcomed and accepted. Proving again that golf bridges the gap between age, social status, and ethnicity.

photo credit: oldchathamgolf.org

Mission Public Links Bryan Park

david horne — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:29:23 +0000

This year the US Amateur Public Links is being played at Bryan Park Golf Club near Greensboro NC. In some delusional state of confidence I entered the tournament. All you have to do is have a handicap under 4 and not belong to a private club. Check and Check.

What I thought I would do (to hold myself accountable to some form of preparation) is begin tracking my progress towards competing in one of our national championships.

Stay tuned if you wish to follow my journey. Let the prep begin.

How to get the best ROI on your golf game

david horne — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:45:21 +0000

Spring has finally arrived. It is time to get your clubs out of hibernation and dust off the footjoys. I am asked all the time about how I get back into playing shape after the winter layoff. Today I want to share how to get the best ROI on your golf game this season.

For me, the best investment for golf (or any endeavor) is in yourself. Don’t worry about buying the newest equipment yet. I know, you watched Jim Furyk break a three-year winless streak and you immediately look to see what is in his bag. If you must know, check this out from sandbox8.com. I say take that $500-$1000 and invest in YOUR game.

Here are three things, in addition to practice, you can do now to get the best return on your golf investment.

Get instruction- Every spring I begin the season with an assessment and lesson from my coach, Robert Linville. I have done this religiously since 1994. This does two things for me. It allows me to see what natural tendencies have resurfaced that I can work on. Second, I let my coach know my golf goals for the year and we come up with a plan for improvement that I can execute.

Play somewhere new- Get away from the familiar. I know guys that can play their home course blindfolded. They know every break on every green, they know every club to hit off the tee, and every decision. This is great for playing nassau against some weekender. This is not good for learning how to manage yourself around a golf course. I recommend going to a course you’ve never played before or are unfamiliar with once a month. The green fee is an investment into lowering your scores. Playing a new layout will teach you to read greens better and assess targets and club choice. These are great skills that can be learned.

Compete- Nothing gives you a better learning experience than posting a score. You don’t need to enter the U.S. Open to compete. There are any number of local and regional tournaments you can play in. How about a club championship, city amateur, or charity event? Any of these give you the opportunity to tee it up when it counts. If you are uncomfortable, enter a tournament that is flighted by skill level. Who cares where you finish. This is an investment into you.

I am not saying you don’t need to buy new equipment ever. I am just saying that if you gave Anthony Kim a set of Northwestern irons he would still be a tour player. The secret is his fundamentals and deposits into his own game. By the same token, take my brother Doug, a new set of Mizuno irons will not have him playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. If you are playing Wilson Staff Goose-neck blades then I suggest spending your money on something made since Google was born. Other than those cases, invest in yourself, you will play better and have more fun.

Are you investing in your game this year? How?

18 holes at Fire Rock

david horne — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:36:00 +0000

Last week I spent time in Scottsdale, AZ visiting a few clients. I love working with folks in the golf industry. We spent most of our time answering the two most important questions.

Thanks again to Eddie at Victory Golf Works and Fred and Tim at Golf Academy of America- Phoenix for treating us so well. I think I would work for free golf if my family didn’t have crazy demands like eating regularly or shelter. I did get the opportunity to play at Fire Rock Country Club outside of the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. This was a treat for me since I had never played in the desert before. The contrast of the fairways and greens with the desert was beautiful.

Enjoy the pics below. Does anyone have a great southwest golf experiences to share?

[ No. 1 fairway ]

Funny, it is sunny 350 days a year. We hit one of the 15 days it rains.

[ Par 3 over the desert ]

[ Oasis in the valley ]

[ Definitely unplayable ]

Do you have an amazing golf story?

david horne — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:35:57 +0000

Need your help here at View from the Fringe.

I am working on a project and need golf stories. If you or someone you know has any crazy, funny, I can’t believe that just happened, amazing, or memorable stories related to golf, and you like to be a part of something big, please send them to me. I have included a simple form to fill out below if you are interested in sharing.

I am excited about rolling this out and I look forward to sharing the details soon. Thanks!

Submit your golf Stories

Thinking about golf posture (when I shouldn’t)

david horne — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:04:49 +0000

Last week I found myself sitting in a breastfeeding class. In my defense, I was there supporting my wife. We are expecting our first child in a month and I felt it was my duty to be there with her. Ok, I am not fooling anyone. She made me go. I will say this, there is way more to it than I thought, and I did learn a lot despite my mind wanting to revert to back to 4th grade (when the word nipple was funnier than almost anything).

One word that kept coming up in the class was posture. I was amazed at how important getting the baby and mother in the right posture is to successful…well, you know. In the golf swing posture is also key. This time of year when it is cold and outside practice is limited, one thing we can always work on is posture. I try to do this a few times a week leading up to the warm season. A mirror is all you need (club optional). Practicing your posture is one of the best off-season uses of your time. Please check out this post on posture by my friend Chris Guy. He is a golf instructor and touring professional from across the pond.

P.S . Congrats Freddie on your first Champions Tour victory! Talk with you soon.

Golf’s big dance

david horne — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:35:49 +0000

Every year the PGA Merchandise show converges on Orlando.

Anything and everything golf related makes a splash.

Check out the Link to the HQ

Follow the action with some of the top golf bloggers in attendance

Sandbox8

Hooked on Golf

Also check out the streams from #pgashow on twitter

I haven’t kept up with equipment too much. I wonder if they will announce the igolf? Yep, it is Apple’s newest product launch on the heels of the recently unveiled ipad.

The new device actually allows you to swing like Fred Couples, Jonathan Byrd, or Michele Wei depending on which app you download. The putting app produces a Mutual of Omaha putting line on the green which makes it easier to line up putts.

Ok, just kidding.

I am curious to see what the golf world will unveil this week. What are you looking forward to hitting?

When does the golf bug bite you?

david horne — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:40:38 +0000

photo credit: foxypar4

The other day I dreamed of being in a climate conducive to playing golf in January and February. North Carolina normally has breaks in the winter weather which allows some of us to escape for a round or two. This year that has not been the case. To be honest, I have hardly thought about the game until recently as the PGA tour started its season. My golf itch typically doesn’t need scratching until the crowds start to gather around Amen Corner in April.

This mini-sabbatical is a good idea for all golfers. While many links players are aided in their leave of absence by snow, ice, and blizzard conditions (Michigan, Vermont, and Canada come to mind), our friends in balmier climates have to force themselves to take time off.

I know for me, coming off the break I am recharged and excited about the process of practicing and fine tuning my game for the summer. So Enjoy your break, watch some sports, spend time with the family, and get ready for the golf bug that bites in the Spring.

What do you do in the off season while waiting for the greens to thaw?