Conference 7.286::golf

    I played in the slop at Easton the day after Gene. Went 42, one
    double bogey, one birdie and one three putt; 41, two doubles, one
    birdie and no three putts; 40, no doubles, no birdies and one three
    putt.  Not to shabby for the middle of January! But most of all, I
    cured my hook during the last six weeks
    in the living room. (yes, Jeff, it does work!) I am going to try
    again in two weeks. Contact me if anyone is interested. DTN 273-5387
    or dissrv::oconnor or Richard OConnor @VRO.
    

                        <<< USER$1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GOLF.NOTE;1 >>>
                               -< The Good Game >-
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Note 89.15                   1st round of the season                    15 of 15
BTO::HOGANP                                          35 lines  18-JAN-1989 14:40
                           -<  First round of 1989 >-
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    Well my first round of 89 was played on Friday the 13th at Stoney
    Lea in Attelboro Mass. I did not keep score on the card but tried
    to keep it in my head. Well I finished the front nine with a 48
    not all that bad concidering the conditions were not adventages
    to golf, temp. 36 and windy. I did manage to par the last two holes
    on the front so you can imagine how poorly I played the first seven
    holes. Driving the ball was the killer. On the back I realized I
    was swinging way to hard at the ball off the tee, although i swore
    all the down I wouldn't. I slowed the swing down on the back and
    it made all the difference in the world. Once I started hitting
    the fairways I played much better, 39 on the back. I have been
    practicing with the blade all winter in the living room and it sure
    helped on the course. I putted well. But i got to tell you it was
    GREAT to be out on the course again. I think I could have shot 100
    and loved every second of it. There's something about the game that
    makes it very speacial. Just the sight of a course, the smell, but
    there is something else i can't put my finger on. Maybe it's the
    history of the game or that there is no real opponent only the cours.
    It's a passion with me something i would never give up. It's alot
    like breathing , I just got to do it. My wife says I would rather
    golf than have sex. I told her the weather has got to be right to
    golf but you have sex anytime. I lied about the weather needing
    to be right I'll golf in anything but lightning. Wo, glad I got
    that off my chest I fell like I just went to confession. For penence
    I will go 36 and hit 2 buckets.
    
    The Mad Lasher
    
    Pete 
      
    
                                                                   
      

     A friend of mine (who is a Phd from M.I.T., so he must be a smart
    person, or something) and I were playing a few years ago, and I
    asked him if he'd rather play golf or have sex. He said "wait a
    minute; how'm I playing"? I guess since golf takes 3-4 hours, he
    has a point...
    
    --The Skoal Bandit

    
    	Damn, I just love this weather we are having here in N.E.
    	I got my second 18 of the season in yesterday, played at
    	Far Corner in Boxford, Mass. It was the first time I had
    	played the course and I enjoyed the layout... Normally I
    	wouldn't even be thinking about playing my first round of
    	the season for about another three months... I hope it
    	continues (but we all know we will get dumped on...!).
    
    	Gene

    Re:< Note 498.4 by MSEE::KELLEY "Custom clubs/club repair" >

    Who would say that I would be playing in New England on January 19th?
    
    I managed to  get  out  at  3 and played 9 at Stow, I got a 44 on the
    North front 9,  but  it  could  as well have been a 40 or a 50.  With
    this weather the course is very wet but it's frozen below that, so if
    I hit a high ball it would bounce a lot, so it was better to chip and
    roll  to get on.  I was always guessing  and  praying  for  the  ball
    either to bounce, when I took a couple of clubs less, or to hold when
    I shot right at it.
    
    Nevertheless,  it was GREATTTT!!  and today, if the rain holds,  will
    be another good day.
    
    Tavo

    I dunno.  Up here in northern Vermont we don't have any snow, but golf
    is not in the cards.  Like I asked Gene this morning... are the bananna
    trees in bloom down there.  :-)
    
    
    
    					KO

    I played my first round of the year yesterday (22-JAN-89) at Stow.
    I played the south course because there was a wait to get out on the
    north. I haven't played there in a while and was surprised to see
    the changes they made to the eigth hole. Two new fairway traps and
    some trees. Make the hole a little more interesting. Any changes
    on the north course?
    
    I've played golf here in New England in every month since the spring
    of '87. Its great playing when its not crowded. Played 18 in 3 1/4
    hours yesterday.
    
    Don
    

	I played the front nine at Far Corner in Boxford early yesterday
morning.  It was the first time I've played real "winter" golf.  Everything
was frozen solid, including the traps and water hazards.  The drives seemed
to roll forever; so too did the approach shots, chips, and down-hill putts.
 You really had to have good "touch" to play well.  I think that if I was
to summarize my experience I'd have to say that I learned that bump-and-run
is the name of the game under winter conditions.  The biggest problem?  It
was nearly impossible to get the tees into the ground. 

	Prior to my round some neighbor's asked my wife and I to come over
to their home for brunch.  I explained that I was going golfing, and they
couldn't believe it [said I was crazy or something].  Well, golf is my
passion.  I love to play the game.  To non-golfers, all of us that like to
play in various weather conditions must be crazy.  Not till I drove to
Boxford yesterday did I see a sport where folks ARE crazy.  Along the way
to the course was a pond with two ice fishermen.  Now there are some folks
crazy about their sport, so much so that they are willing to saw holes in
the ice to fish [actually, fish and f-r-e-e-z-e in the colder weather].  At
that point I felt lucky to be a golfer. 

Jeff

    re.8 
    
    Use "winter tees". I first saw them when I played Far Corners last
    winter. They sold them there. Its just some black foam type material
    used for pipe insulation. You can buy a 6 ft. piece for less than
    $3.00 at most hardware stores. That will make alot of tees. Just use a 
    knife/razor to cut it to the height you usally have the ball teed to. 
    Place the ball on the foam and swing away. The foam tee only goes
    a couple feet. I've used the same one for my last two rounds.
    
    Any other "winter" tips out there?
    
    Don
    
    

    re.8 
    
    You can also use Astro Turf tees.  When I started to play one course
    I used to play at was Goddard Park in Rhode Island.  They had replaced
    all the tee boxes with Astro-Turf!.  The sold tees that were little
    plastic tripods that the ball sat on top of!

    Larry

    I keep  on  saying this is it, from now on its cold and  snow, and we
    keep on having in Mass days like yesterday and Monday.
    
    But as much as it has been great to  go out, I wonder what does it do
    to my game playing in this  kind  of  conditions, i.e.  never knowing
    when the ball is going to hold  on the farway or green or is going to
    bounce 30 feet in the air, and having  to  either take two clubs less
    or just chip it and hope it rolls on.
    
    And I am not talking of the physical game, but the mental game.
    
    I  am  not saying  that  is  not a great challenge to play under this
    conditions and  may  require  more  skill  to  play  now,  but  it is
    frustrating to have a  great  stroke  just to see the ball bounce and
    disapear way behind the green.   Also  putting  in  a frozen green is
    tough.
    
    Based on that, yesterday we used our "mid-winter rules"
    
    1) If it hits the  green  and  bounces, replace the ball where it hit
    the green.
    
    2) No more than two putts after the ball is on.
    
    What are your comments about this?
    
    Tavo

     Tavo..
    
    As long as everyone agrees, and you are all playing by the same
    rules and having fun, what the heck... go for it. 
    
    I have a problem with the bounce off the green rule, as my ball
    sometimes bounces off during the sunny days of summer... :^) Since
    eveyone plays under the same conditions, we play using the standard
    rules of golf... again we ar all playing the same course and
    conditions, and... it also eliminates any hastles like "my ball
    landed 2" from the hole, not THAT far away.... (Of course, regardless
    of the conditions we play for a penny a hole.. and bragging rites
    so it's still competitive"
    
     the main thing is to have fun... especially during the cold weather
    months.
    
    Smitty

    
    re .11  I agree with Smitty. Have fun. It's winter and as long as
    you are out there and having a good time what the heck.
    
    Pete 

    	<Winter Play Tips>
    
    I have played twice this year (1/22 & 1/28) and I've had alot of
    fun playing on frozen courses here in Chicago. I have shot 78 &
    79 during those 2 rounds.  The main tip that I can give anyone reading
    this note is to over analysis a shot into a green. 
    
    Here's and example :
    
    	1st hole 265 yards Par 4 - tees moved up 30 yards.
    		Wind - 20 mph behind you.
    		Ground - frozen.
    
    		What's your club selection ?
    
                245 yards - 20 yards (wind) - 30 extra yards (frozen
    		ground) = 195 yards 
    
    		I hit a 4 iron because I hit a high ball and rolled
    		the ball on the green and two putted for a birdie.
                                     
    I have been playing "Northern" winter golf for 15 years and what
    playing on frozen surfaces will do for your game will make the golfer
    more adaptable to conditions (Winter, Spring etc..) whenever he/she 
    steps onto a golf course.
    
    Make good swings during this time of year constantly underclub the
    distance that your shoting into greens.
    
    Regards (Hooked on Golf - R.H.)
    
    P.S. I made my first 1989 eagle today on a Par 5 that was shortened
         to 465 yards. I hit a 4 wood downwind to carry over two bunkers
    	 and rolled to 150 yards out from the pin. I hit a 9 iron short
    	 of the green and it rolled up as close as the distance across
    	 your VDT screen. What a feeling to have a gimme for a eagle!
    
    
      
    
    

    
    Congrats Ron, both for your good rounds and for the eagle...!

	I played nine at Far Corner again yesterday.  I walked up to the
first tee as a single and luckily joined two fellows waiting on the
tee.  There were two other groups waiting to go next.  I rushed to the
tee, and after a brief introduction, took a practice swing, and nailed a
"perfect" 300 yard drive right down the middle.  I then heard a fellow
in the backround say "gee, doesn't this guy know it's January?"  I felt
great until I missed a 3 footer for birdie!

Jeff

    Ron, 
    
    I have a trip planned to Chicago the 23rd thru the 27th of February.
    Is it worth bringing my clubs ? If it is could you suggest a course
    or two north of Chicago and in the Deerfield area ? What was the
    temperature on the days you played ? It's difficult to predict the
    conditions this Friday no less three weeks from today but it might
    sway my decision. 
    
    This was not my idea of a golf vacation but I'd never pass up the 
    opportunity to play a new course. 
    
    Seeing-Chi-town-on-a-bakers-dozen                 
          
    TR
      

    
    	Well, yesterday was the best yet..., 66 degrees on Feb. 1st!?
    	It was like playing after a rain storm in mid spring. The greens
    	held, infact they were a little to soft (plugged on a few holes).
    
    	Here it is only February and I have played three new courses
    	this year and I have now played 12 months straight in N.E. a
    	true first for me (I don't think I had played more than 9 months
    	straight prior to this)...!
    
    	Gene

    Speaking of records, Gene, some time back I had a stretch of 47
    consecutive months of at least once a month in Massachusetts. I
    lost it in the month of February. I am now counting 13 and have
    yet to play this February. 

    
     Geeze... the 89 season has started, and the 1989 prices for greens
     fees will start very soon. I have found that most courses I play,
     mostly in the southern Mass area, are going up  3-4$ from last
    year.
    
     16-17 dollars, for your *very* avarage course, is steep! Last year,
     at Sun Valley, it was $13, this year it's $16. Golf is becoming
     a *very* expensivehobby. 
    
     Some of the reasons for higher fees are obviou. Developers are
     ofering *big* bucks for the land, and some course owners are
     excepting. Not to mention the increasing demand. I guess if I
     owned a course, I would get as much as possible too.
    
     What bugs me is that some of your public courses are going down
     hill in terms of maintainence, but still increasing the fees.
    
     Oh well.... I am still gonna go... Kinda like beer... it's overpriced
     too, but I still buy it :^) ...
    
       What are some of the green fees for other public courses?
    
      Smitty
    

    Re:< Note 498.20 by NETWRK::GSMITH "I need two of everything" >

    Read the last issue of BusinessWeek and Golf Digest.  Both have large
    articles on the way demand for golf courses has increased in the last
    few years and the expected demand for next couple of years.
    
    You would expect that kind  of  article  on  GD,  but  the article in
    BusinessWeek is even mentioned in a corner on the front cover!
    They  blame  the  demand  to babyboomers coming to  middle  age,  and
    prefering golf to jogging and tennis.
    
    Golf is big business and if  demand  is high, prices will continue to
    climb.
    
    I heard that on a weekend, the  north  course  at  Stow Acres will be
    $25!   But as you said, I'll keep on  playing. Well  mostly   in  the
    afternoon, when the rate goes down :^)
    
    Tavo

    	Well, I got the 89 season underway yesterday at Stow Acres North
    Course. Shot 1 41-51=92. Disappointing that I fell apart on the
    back nine. The front nine is tainted, though. Since I hadn't been
    to either a driving range or on a putting green yet, I gave myself
    a mulligan putt and a mulligan stroke both of which I took on the
    front. Nonetheless, for my first swing of the season, I hit my brand
    new Titleist DTR metal driver right down the middle of #1. On in
    3 and three putted, but I used my mully putt to make it a par. 
    	Shining moment of the day: Par on #9. Driver and 7 iron to the
    far left side of the green, the pin was far right side. ~70 foot
    putt to about 10 feet, and made the breaking 10 footer for par.
    	Hole to forget: 15 where I took a 9. Total disaster, took a
    penalty stroke for a lift, proceded to dump it into the greenside
    bunker. Out of the bunker to 10 feet, where I proceeded to 3 putt!
    	Overall, very happy considering my best ever has been 89, the
    only time I've broken 90. Couldn't have asked for better weather.
    Can't wait to get out again.
    
    							Keith 

    
        Incredible personal name Keith!  It had me (as they say)
    rooolllling.  By the way, congratulations on your good start.
    
    -rick