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About moegolf

Moe is a narcotic golfer, father, and lover of golden retrievers, chocolate and well done fries. He plays the holes over in his head endlessly at night.

Senior Golf Preparation

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First, then, the toenails in old age grow almost as fast as the ears and the nose.  There is nothing you can do about them but you can spend a minute or two trimming the toenails.

Next, swallow a couple of Bufferin against the old back injury.  Next, a swift application of some mild anaesthetic for the bothersome scar tissue from that old haemorrhoidectomy.

Don’t forget the Tums, Bisodol or simply a packet of sodium bicarbonate as precaution against indigestion.

Clean the spectacles. Rub a little resin on the last three fingers of the left hand.

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Stand up straight-think of Raquel Welch (on second thoughts, don’t think of Raquel Welch).

Comb the hair smoothly and think of the swing of Dave Marr. Walk very slowly, masterfully, to the first tee. Put on the cap bought in Edinburgh and think of Hogan.

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Stand up straight.

Alistair Cooke

Golf-The Marvelous Mania (2007)

Great Bunkering…Deal With It!

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“Almost all golfers’ critiques revolve around the look and playing characteristics of the bunkers and often fail to notice the quality of all the other elements that make up a golf course. A great set of greens are far more important than great bunkers but everyone is drawn to evaluating a course by the bunkers since they are far easier to judge and far more obvious to the eye.”

In his treatise “A Complete Look At Bunkering” Ian Andrew points out that there is no subject that leads to a contentious discussion at the bar of the 19th Hole than the perceived fairness or unfairness of the bunkering of the course just played.

The Road Hole Bunker….the most infamous of them all…

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His view is that most of this contention is misguided because the modern player and influential board member have embraced the notion that even the hazards need to be fair for all players. This ignores that the basic purpose of the bunker as a “recoverable hazard” is to penalize the bad decision making or execution of the player trying to pursue the most advantageous strategic playing line of the hole.

The fact that almost every famous course designer, from MacKenzie to Coore and Crenshaw, is quoted therein with a similar view of the purpose and value of well placed sand bunkers as a strategic hazard pretty much says it all.

As Max Behr once said, “The golfer wants the most direct line he can find to the hole, while the architect uses bunkers and other hazards to create risk and reward options that suggest the ideal line for the player, or the line of charm.” Forcing players to consider strategic choices and making the proper execution of these options a necessity to avoiding deleterious effects on their scoring outcome is the main purpose of these hazards. Without that the game would be a boring four-hour stroll in the park.

Ian Andrew thoroughly delves into the aspects of bunkering in the modern game including depth, fairness, psychology, strategy, and aesthetics. He even covers why the trend of golf committees and tour decision makers demanding better maintenance of these hazards is actually undermining their purpose and making the game less interesting.

Ian concludes that, “It’s the one architectural element that creates contrast as it acts the counterpoint to all the other harmonious elements of a golf course. It’s the feature that clearly distinguishes one course visually from others. When exceptionally well used bunkers can take the most pedestrian piece of ground and leave the player with a complex puzzle to solve. “

Do yourself a favor, get a Vente Arnold Palmer, pull up a chair,  and take the time to read this fascinating study on the subject of proper bunkering. It may defuse some of your own criticism or that of your buddies the next time they elicit the misguided comment that the “bunkering is unfair”.

(Click to read Ian Andrew’s article ‘A Complete Look At Bunkering’)

A Complete Look At Bunkering
Ian Andrew (2015)

 

Golf Companionship

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The main reason for the lure of golf has to do with a unique brand of companionship possible only to a psychological type that unites the little boy aching to be king with the sensible adult who knows he’ll never make it.

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By providing every man with the visible proof that his partner is a failing show-off, golf reinforces one fo the great joys of friendship; it is all the more delicious for being secret, since the etiquette of golf requires that you keep it to yourself.

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For the golfer compresses into a few hours all the emotions he spreads over the rest of his life: hope, envy, betrayal, self-discipline, self-deceit, the Holy Grail in view, the Grail smartly whipped out of sight.

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You’re away, partner.

Alistair Cooke

Golf-The Marvelous Mania (2007)

Scottish Caddies

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Are apt to say….for a straight drive “We’re rait down the meddle” for the first slice “You’re way awf in the gorse”.

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Scottish caddies, like nurses, alternate between the first person plural and the second person singular as a handy method of distributing praise and blame.

Alistair Cooke

Golf-The Marvelous Mania (2007)

Sea Island-Seaside Course

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Sea Island LogoGolf development at Sea Island has a long history, it began in 1926 when Howard Coffin bought Sea Island and the Kings Retreat Plantation with the thought of creating a vacation retreat for the wealthy. The sight of one of the regular tour stops in the wraparound season, pros with strong resumes like Zach Johnson, DL III, and Kooch have taken up residence at Sea Island because of the idyllic setting and the family friendly atmosphere.

The original Seaside Course was the combined work of the front nine by Walter Travis, a reputed champion of the day, and back nine by Harry Colt and Charles Alison one of the most accomplished designing duos of the Golden Age. Colt and Alison collaborative work included contributions at Pine Valley, Sunningdale, Muirfield, and Royal Portrush among others. The back nine they created still stands as the centerpiece of the Sea Island Golf Club. In 1999 Tom Fazio was brought in to update the course and he combined the Colt/Alison nine with holes from the Marshside course created by Joe Lee in 1973 to assemble the Seaside Course we play today.

The marsh, sand, endless horizon on the scenic 4th

The marsh, sand, endless horizon on the scenic 4th

Click on any photo to view an enhanced version of the image

Despite it’s name the sea does not really come into play but the course does present a unique test of trajectory control and shot shape. Though not playing through tree lined corridors the challenge is similar to what you get at the Harbour Town Links in Hilton Head, influenced by the marshy surrounds and the ever present wind. The outward nine stretches out in a counterclockwise direction around the marsh and the inward nine takes the opposite path around marsh and sandy scrub. The holes cover all four directions on the compass so you are going to negotiate the wind in every conceivable direction through the day. The low hilly terrain combined with sweeping bunkers and sprawling tightly mowed green surrounds gives you a sense that successful play is often negotiated close to the ground.

The front nine starts simply enough with plenty of elbow room but step on to the tee at the second and the scale of the day’s challenge becomes readily apparent. Marsh grass left and water up the right all the way make drive position tactical to try to challenge a tricky cape style green complex set the water to the right. What follows is the first of the four stunning three pars you will encounter through the day. Pay close attention to the pin of the day relative to the lone bunker in front-it is important to be below the hole on your second shot on all the par threes.

All the one shot holes are scenic and challenging

All the one shot holes are scenic and challenging

The dogleg left par four fourth is a look you will see repeated all day-tight fairway and approach areas flanked by the marsh and sand with an endless horizon beyond the green-it can be very intimidating to your scorecard if you do not stay focused on the preferred lines of play. With the reverse setup on the equally technical fifth it is apparent that moving the ball both ways is a requirement if you are to position yourself favorably off the tees and into these challenging green complexes. Maybe the best scoring opportunity of the round is from five through nine but that does not mean these holes are easy-danger lurks wherever you see marsh grass or the glint of water.

After a banana and a power drink at the halfway house the true challenge begins on the inward half. The tenth appears simple enough to the eye but there is no room for wayward dispersion in either direction off the tee. The green is stepped and possibly obscured from your approach line so make sure you have enough club in hand to get to the correct tier. After a difficult par four in the same direction a long par three turns back 180 degrees playing into a undulating putting surface with little frame of reference. Beware of the false front left and it’s proximity to the marsh-a timid approach with too much draw can get sucked back into the hazard.

Focus your attention off the tee at 13 there is danger all around

Focus your attention off the tee at 13 there is danger all around

From here to the house the course presents one unique challenge after the other. The thirteenth is the #2 handicap hole with marsh left, sand right and another endless look to a green set against the horizon. My favorite hole of the day is next as you stand on the tee trying to discern a fairway landing area hovering against the horizon. You have to hang something no longer than 250 yards between the aiming post and the right corner of the fairway and trust it will feed forward to the left end of the fairway inside of 150 yards. The shot into the green sitting perched up on the hill surrounded by marsh left and behind and terrarium on the right is the Harbour Town challenge without the tall trees.

The shortish 14th is a technical challenge on the tee and the approach

The shortish 14th is a technical challenge on the tee and the approach

Two good scoring opportunities on the hopscotch technical holes at fifteen and sixteen where you either stay within the chalked boxes or you get to start over with two shots rung on the register. This brings you to a very underrated and difficult finish. The par three seventeenth can be as short as 150 yards but the diagonal set of this very long and shallow green behind two gaping bunkers makes it likely that you will be pitching back toward the hole trying to save your par.

Even the trees behind 17 suggest the pitch of this green you must negotiate

Even the trees behind 17 suggest the pitch of this green you must negotiate

The finishing hole is an intimidating sight requiring a long and straight tee shot into a narrowing landing area between bunkers to set up a long approach into a very tight green complex. If you are out of position off this tee a lay up to 85 yards right of the hazard is the intelligent option. Even with a short club in your hand from there getting it below the hole on the steeply ramped pinched putting surface is a major challenge. A couple of dropped shots on these last two is more the norm than the exception.

The finishing hole will capture your full attention from tee to the bottom of the tin

The finishing hole will capture your full attention from tee to the bottom of the tin

There is something classic about the way you have to work yourself around this course as well as the entire presentation of the facility. From the eclectic décor of the Lodge Hotel that houses the golf shop and the fine eating facilities right down to the signature wicker basket flag sticks that just seem right bobbing in the sea breezes, take the time to soak in the full golf experience when you are here. Sea Island is a first class golf resort with a first class track in the Seaside Course.

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Designer: Harry Colt/Charles Alison (1928), Joe Lee (1973), Tom Fazio (1999)

Tees        Par      Yardage      Rating      Slope

Blue         70          6657          72.6         139
Green      70          6323          71.1         135
White      70          5980           69.4        132
Gold        70          4978           69.1        123

(Click to see the complete hole-by-hole review of the Seaside Course)

(Click to see more information about the Sea Island Resort)

 

Old School Thinking

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This quote from Ian Andrew, an accomplished Canadian golf course architect, reflects the Golden Age of Golf design philosophy that he brings to his current new designs and restorations.  It is why players of all capabilities find courses from the hands of Raynor,  Ross, Tillinghast, Macdonald, and other sages from this age infinitely fascinating and playable.

“I believe in playing freedoms. I think you should have a choice between challenging yourself and playing for fun.

For the elite player, along the ideal lines of play, there must be strategic slopes and hazards that complicate the direct line. The more challenging the recovery shot, the more strategically important the hazard. This in turn must be counterbalanced by offering up a reward for successfully challenging the hazard. This will compel the elite player to actively flirt with disaster in order to score. That type of course is very exciting to play.

In contrast the average player requires the additional room to safely play away from danger. They can avoid the worst of the pitfalls and enjoy tacking their way across the property. They will be able to make a few pars for fun, but not enough to reward them for their passive approach.

And this is where the greatness in this approach lies. As players begin to show more skill and competence, this style of architecture will encourage them to take on more risk to shoot lower scores. And this is where the dance begins …

They will flirt ever closer to the key hazards to gain better positions. But as soon as they find the hazard and begin to lose strokes they will play far away from trouble the next time out. But they can’t score from the outside line and so the dance will begin all over again, ever closer to the key hazards … that’s the golf I believe in.”

Ian Andrew

Landing

 

Out Of The Rough

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Out of the RoughAs you can read in this book review by Jaime Diaz of the recent biography of the caddie days of Steve Williams the book has been generally panned by the reviewing pundits as a sensationalist hanging out of Tiger Woods dirty laundry.

But Diaz does not agree with this assessment and he feels that when the reader looks beyond the few charged quotes being used by the publishers to market the book Williams actually gives a fairly balanced account of his experiences with the players he has worked for, the most famous of whom was Tiger Woods.  Diaz says of Williams,  “For all his gruffness, he’s intelligent, insightful, frank, and on his subject, extremely knowing. On balance, he’s given us an important golf book”.

Jaime Diaz is the most insightful golf writer of his generation and having read the book I see where he is coming from.  The book is a detailed compilation of Steve Williams’s interpretation of incidents and relationships with Tiger and others that we may not have previously understood for lack of transparency.  But I think Diaz overstates how important the book is as a contribution to our golf knowledge.

This is your basic “lift and tell” book which sounds like a transcript of Williams talking into a dictaphone at his kitchen table. The writing is very mundane it takes an effort to keep reading and honestly Williams is not that interesting of a subject to write about.  Williams is a smart guy, successful sportsman, and very capable caddie, no doubt he influenced the careers of a number of great players in a positive way, including Eldrick.  But like many others  before and after him, Williams was also a lacky for Tiger and Steinberg doing their bidding to protect the brand.

What I got more than anything from this read is how sterile a character Tiger is.  He was a trained automaton by his father and pretty much guided awkwardly through all his personal foibles by his agent and his handlers.  Tiger’s attitude toward the other pros, the fans, and the people whose efforts benefited his career lacks any humility or personal sensibility.

Tiger has never been, and still remains, not his own man.  For all the money and fame he just lacks the simplest interactive social skills to treat people with honesty and integrity.  I blame this on his upbringing which clearly emphasized it is always about winning and nothing else.

If there is any contribution from this book for me it is Williams accounting of Tiger behaviors while they were together that confirm Tiger’s lack of personality.  To anyone who has watched the Tiger drama unfold over the last twenty plus years this was always pretty obvious.  So I do not share with Diaz that this book is a significant add to the public knowledge and, IMHO, it may not even be a wise use of four to six hours of your reading time.

Steve Williams (2015)

moerate1

Dormy Done?

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The rules of golf are full of nuance but it is still a rare moment when the tour players and even the officials are not fully aware of the impact of a ruling. Leave it to Lefty to unearth one of the most obscure rules and it’s odd impact at a high profile event as he and his partner Zach Johnson actually managed effectively lose two holes at one time in their four ball match in the President’s Cup.

Two guys you would expect to know the rules

Embed from Getty Images

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The “One Ball” rule is a common one that is present at most Tour competitions-it dictates that a player cannot change the make or model of his ball between holes in a competition. Since it was not in effect for the foursomes matches Phil incorrectly assumed it was not in play for the best ball matches as well.

Wrong!

He changed to a longer distance Callaway ball on the Par 5 7th only to find out down the fairway he was in violation of the One Ball and would be assessed a one hole “match adjustment penalty” when the hole was done. The bigger mess was that neither Phil nor the tournament official on hand realized that Phil was not required to pick up his ball and drop out of the hole. He could still play out the hole in an attempt to support his pard possibly win the hole and offset the match adjustment penalty.

By the time they realized their mistake in advising him to pick up his ball the tournament officials could not let him replay the shots and Zach lost the hole so they effectively went from even to two-down on one hole in the match.

If you think about it a “match adjustment penalty” like this could effectively make a dormy go away. Imagine if they had been dormy and two up with two to play on the 17th tee and made this bone head mistake. Losing the hole with the match adjustment would have rendered the dormy moot and they could have lost the match on the last hole.

Just another immutable circumstance that can be subject to override by a lurking phrase in the rules of golf.

(Click here for a Golf Digest explanation of their conudrum)

October, 2015

La Quinta Resort Mountain Course

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La Quinta Resort LogoThe Mountain Course at La Quinta is a challenging and visual creation from Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass period. It bears similarities to the stadium course in Ponte Vedra in that there is plenty of visual intimidation, especially in the green complexes, yet Pete gives you a fair line of play on every hole as long as you have the discipline to follow it. This is a positional driving course, you must plan carefully from each tee to pick specific lines that will give you advantage angles into the green arrangements and the pin of the day.

Approach to 14 is set against the mountain backdrop

Approach to 14, you expect incoming choppers with wounded to appear over the horizon

Click on any photo to get an enhanced version of the image

The course is carved into the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in Palm Desert and looks like the Hollywood set for MASH. You fully expect to see Hawkeye and Trapper John standing next to you on the practice ground. There are many Kodak moments of the holes set against the breathtaking mountains so you have to make sure you don’t let your mind wander to often from the task at hand.

The first hole puts all of Pete's design elements in front of you

The first hole puts all of Pete’s design elements in front of you

As you see at Sawgrass the bunkers are ever present, over 100 bunkers and waste areas, with a large splash of water as well, confine the driving areas throughout that make finding your proper drive position a challenge. The truth is the sand is very playable and it is more about intimidating the player while they are choosing their flight lines than punishing them terribly for missing them. The water is the punitive element to mind and is actually in play every time it presents itself.

Like most Pete Dye courses, the green complexes are what separates this course from the ordinary. Every green seems to pop up from the fairway with carve outs of grassy hollows and bunkers that make elevated approaches with spin the shot of the day. When you miss a green it takes real pitching imagination and agility to deal with the abrupt elevation change to the surface as well as the swoops and swerves you ball engages once it gets on the green.

At 6300 yards from the White Tees there is plenty of challenge for the average bear. Only two par fours are over 400 yards from these tees, but the elevation changes into the greens make many shots a club or so more on the approach. Even with a mid-iron or hybrid in hand the tight green targets give you plenty of opportunity to show off your recovery game.

Do you have the nerve to take on a left flag on the Par 3 2nd?

Pete wants to know if  you have the nerve to take on a left flag on the Par 3 2nd?

The front side has a very cool sequence. It begins with a neat finesse hole that sets the tone for day-controlled driver and precise approach play into s kitchy green complex. Your heart rate quickens on the second hole, a testing par 3 with a harrowing water feature that can wreck your scorecard early in the round. Plenty of scoring opportunity from 4 through 7 with a couple of imaginative par fives in this stretch. The finishing holes on the outward nine are very gamey, especially the 9th which wears the #1 Handicap Hole moniker with great pride.

Big sand and water elements make the Par 5 7th a tactical chore

Big sand and water elements make the Par 5 7th a tactical chore

The inward nine starts with a series of holes right out of TPC Sawgrass-three turning Par 4s with waste area containment on one side and some nastiness on the other. These are the only holes that make you feel like this course is in a gated community…..a very high end gated community at that. There are some jaw dropping second homes that look more like villas than vacation condos. After an innocuous three par 13th you turn the corner to the 14th tee and voila you are in Tolkein Hobbit Land for the next four holes.

The middle of the final stretch the green on 15 nestled in the rocks

The middle of the final stretch the green on 15 nestled in the rocks

This is by far and away the coolest part of the course with the imaginative holes routing in a tranquil valley between the majestic mountains. You just expect a large booming Yul Brynner voice to emanate from between the peaks warning you that you are entering a region of peril. These four Dye holes bear out such a warning but they are eminently playable if you keep your wits about you and do not try anything outside of your skill set.

The postcard moment of the day the high tee view on 16

The postcard moment of the day the majestic view from up high on 16 tee

It is worth taking a moment when you get to the Par 3 sixteenth and hike up to the perch which holds the back tee. You could swear you can see all the way to the Joshua Tree Forest from there, it is a grand view of the vast expanse of the desert and the Santa Rosa Mountain Range beyond. A more detailed account of this creation is provided in the Hole-By-Hole description below.

Last look from the 18th tee is soothing...three shots to the clubhouse

Last look from the 18th tee is soothing..avoid condos left…three shots to the clubhouse

When you are done tallying the score take time to schmooze around the clubhouse on the hill. The interior architecture is on a grand scale with high exposed wooden rafters giving it a homey feeling of a lodge- it makes you want to set a spell. While enjoying some good food and libation in the grill room the tall glass windows afford you a stunning view of the practice area and the course.

This place is a must stop on any visit to Palm Desert. Pete did a marvelous job putting together a tactical course that will tease and please you every time you play it.

La Quinta, California

Designer: Pete Dye (1985)

Tees      Par    Yardage     Rating     Slope

Black     72       6732        72.9        135
White     72       6300        70.9        129
Gold      72       5330        71.4        126

(Click for the complete course description of the La Quinta Resort Mountain Course)

For more photos click to review Postcard from La Quinta Resort Mountain Course