Muirfield Village Golf Club

September 2009


Muirfield Village Golf Club (ranked #37 in the world) is a Jack Nicklaus design located near Columbus, Ohio, not far from where Jack grew up. The course is named after Muirfield in Scotland, where Jack won his first Open Championship in 1966. One key difference between Muirfield and Muirfield Village is that the one in Ohio, like almost all of Jack's courses, supports a large housing development, while the one is Scotland sits on open land between a farm and the water. Most golfers are familiar with Muirfield Village since Jack's Memorial Tournament is played there each year, more often than not when it is raining. Although the course was co-designed by Desmond Muirhead and Pete Dye, the club history states that the final product was 90% Jack and 10% Dye and Muirhead. The course opened in 1974. Muirfield Village is Jack's baby, and he has continued to tweak the course ever since it was built, often making the course more difficult if he felt the shots the pros hit were not hard enough at the Memorial.

Aside from Muirfield Village, Columbus has two other distinctions: It is the home of Ohio State University, and the horror film The Silence of the Lambs was filmed nearby. The film features Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who is incarcerated. I can't prove that the movie's producers chose to shoot near Columbus because of Muirfield Village, but they certainly may have. I think the movie is an apt metaphor for the course since I was often in jail and at times the course seemed to eat me alive.



Muirfield Village was designed from the beginning as a course to host professional tournaments and, like many Nicklaus designs, was built to suit Jack's style of play, which requires the golfer to hit the ball long and shape his or her shots. The course was built so that every hole has an amphitheater viewing area. The use of the amphitheater preceded even the TPC Stadium course in Ponte Vedr,e and Jack says, in a manner that would make The Donald proud, "It's a unique golf course. I don't think there's ever been a golf course built in the United States like Muirfield, or anything even close to it." The course has water actively in play on nine holes, normally both alongside the fairway and fronting the greens.

The first thing that struck me when seeing Muirfield Village is that it looks like Augusta. I have seen the course on TV and, just like Augusta, which I have walked several times, the terrain is much more dramatic in person. Muirfield Village is a very hilly course. One of the key design principles of Muirfield Village is that most shots play downhill. Jack's design philosophy about the course: "I believe golf is a much better game played downhill than uphill." You drive from elevated tee boxes or into a valley on the vast majority of holes, and your second shot is uphill only a handful of times. You can see the downhill terrain in this photo below looking back from the fourteenth green.


The downhill fourteenth hole looking back from the green

There are several courses in the world that stand out for having a great collection of par three holes: Cypress Point, Augusta National, Pine Valley, Woodhall Spa. In my view, Muirfield Village stands out for its par fives. Muirfield Village has a greater collection of par fives than any other course in the world I have played. The par five 5th, 11th and 15th are all world-class. Each uses Deer Creek, which snakes through the course, very skillfully. The 527 yard fifth hole begins with a tee shot from an elevated tee box (of course) to a fairway that slopes from right to left. The optimum play is to the right, since all balls naturally feed down to the left. On your second shot you have a choice of fairways to lay up to. The fairway on the left is safer and offers one of the few flat lies on the course.

MV 5


The par five 5th looking toward the green with fairways left and right

The fairway on the right is effectively very small since it continues to slope severely right to left and feeds balls not struck well into the water. This fairway on the right will leave you a shorter shot to the green, but also an uneven lie.

MV 5 green
The fifth hole looking back from above


The fifth green is fronted by water. If you hit the ball long off the tee and fade it, you can try for the green in two, but there is a big penalty being in the water if your shot is not well struck.


MV 5 back


The fifth hole looking back from the green

The hole is both strikingly beautiful and offers fabulous risk-reward options. As with most holes at Muirfield Village, a shot hit over the green leaves you in jail with a downhill sand shot to a green that slopes back to the water.

The conditioning of Muirfield Village is lush. The club history goes to great pains to say it was not modelled after Augusta, but I'm not so sure. The routing, use of water, hilly terrain and greens are similar to Augusta. Also, the par three 12th hole looks a lot like the par three 12th at Augusta, requiring a tee shot to be hit over a pond to a similar green. It is also hard not to think that Deer Creek is the substitute for Augusta's Rae's Creek. The greens generally were in excellent shape and were fast, although they are not the defining characteristic of the course; the hilly terrain and snaking creek is. Many of the greens are set at an angle to the fairway and have water in front of them, requiring precise control on both distance and location.

The 412 yard par four ninth is typical of the par fours at Muirfield Village. It plays from an elevated tee box, downhill (sound familiar). The fairway slopes hard from the right to the left and there are many uneven lies. Your approach shot has to be hit crisply from an uneven lie. If you are over the green, you will be faced with a penal downhill sand shot to a green sloping back to front and toward the water. This is a common design element at Muirfield Village.

Hole 9

The approach to the green at the par four 9th hole

The 567 yard par five eleventh hole is somewhat similar to the par five fifth and is also a world-class hole. You again hit from an elevated tee box (I warned you) down into a valley with a fairway that again slopes right to left.

11th from fwy


The world-class par five 11th from the fairway

Your second shot is over Deer Creek to another fairway, and then finally another shot over water to the green. Once again, long hitters can certainly try to reach the green in two, but the shot has to be precise, or the ball will be repelled back into the stream that fronts the green. The split fairways reminded me a bit of the 17th and 18th holes at Carnoustie, both of which have patches of fairway intermingled with a snaking burn. The creek snakes through the 11th at Muirfield Village so much that the hole has seven bridges that you can use to cross in different places.

Hole Fourteen

Par five 11th hole toward the green

The use of multiple islands of fairways on this hole is also reminiscent of the par five 15th hole at Hirono Golf Club in Japan, which uses a similar design.

11 back
Deer Creek snaking through the 11th hole with its split fairways

I liked the fourteenth hole quite a bit. It is a 363 yard par four where you have to hit a tee shot through trees into a valley with an amphitheatre. The green is large, but long and narrow and set at an angle to the fairway. I was worried about my approach shot to the 14th green and was about to yell "bite", but I had sudden visions of Anthony Hopkins simmering his fava beans, so I yelled "sit" instead. The ball landed in the middle of the green.

What Hole #
The 14th hole from the tee

Muirfield Village is a course suited to professional golfers. The co-designer of Loch Lomond, Jay Morrish, probably had me in mind when he said about Jack, "I've always felt Nicklaus really doesn't understand how bad people are. To him, a bad player is a two-handicap. If you're a 15-handicap, you're hopeless. There's no sense of you even being out there." Bingo.

Although his courses in general, and Muirfield Village specifically, are hard, I am not in the Nicklaus-design hating camp. I do find many of his resort courses unappealing and too difficult. However, I am a fan of his Mayacama course in Sonoma, California and of Cabo del Sol in Mexico as well as his co-design with Tom Doak of Sebonack on Long Island. I would make a distinction between Muirfield Village being very difficult, and thus hard for a mid-to-high handicapper to play, and the course not being good. It is a good course, has an interesting routing, is in superb condition and has excellent greens. I just wish I wasn't in the slammer my entire time there. Aside from all the other difficulties, there is a big penalty for being off the fairway, as the rough is tough and the ball nestles down into it.

15th
Par five 15th hole playing through a narrow valley

On the negative side I thought there were a half-dozen average holes on the course including the par three fourth hole and the sixth and eighth holes. The course is very hilly, and it is as difficult a walk as any course I have played; it is the toughest walk I can remember since playing the Addington in England about five years ago. I played my favorite way, walking with a caddie, which saved me from a complete flop sweat. Carrying your bag at Muirfield Village would be a real burden. Jack's design philosophy of almost exclusively downhill golf shots means that the walk from the green to the next tee is sharply uphill all day long. Although a very private club, the course gets a lot of play and there are groups going off all day on most days.

In my view, Muirfield Village deserves to be ranked in the top 100 because it has the best collection of par five holes I have ever seen. It will be Nicklaus's legacy and as such should be treated with respect. He's probably not the first of golf's historical figures I would want to have a beer with, but you have to respect everything he has done for the game. If I may digress, those I would love to have a beer with, in order, are Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Ernie Els. The ultimate prize, however, would be to have a couple of scotches with Colin Montgomerie because, in keeping with today's theme, he is a psycho. You'd probably have to block out a day and a half to just sit and listen if you just ask him, "Colin, tell me a couple of stories where you argued with people for putting you off your game." I can't wait for next year's Ryder Cup with Monty as captain.

For Columbus, Ohio especially, Muirfield Village is quite formal. There is a guard gate at the entrance like at Pine Valley, and if your name is on the clipboard you are buzzed through the gate. After you drive up to the clubhouse an entourage comes out and greets you by name, and they valet park your car, which is very nice. The people and service at Muirfield Village are first class all the way, and they manage to make you feel at home. They change the spikes in your golf shoes to new spikes to protect their greens, and there is an attention to detail that's 'kinda hokey in a midwestern 'sorta way, but makes a difference. Their wine list is excellent and they have a large selection of Chiantis.

Nicklaus on Muirfield Village, "Certainly it's a tough, tough golf course. But it's a fair test." To keep this comment in context, it is a fair test of golf the same way that swimming from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco is a fair test for a swimmer.

From the back tees, the course plays 7,366 yards and has a slope rating of 149. Be prepared for a stern test of golf if you ever play Muirfield Village and make sure you don't play it by yourself. Go with somebody to lessen your chances of being eaten alive. There's safety in numbers.

The Stars Collide - Both get wins

September 2009

The top two players in the world both had important wins Sunday at The Tour Championship at East Lake.

Tiger won the season long Fed Ex Cup Championship and added another 10 million to the Bank of Tiger. There is a pattern forming. If he putts well, he wins. If he doesn't putt well, he finishes second, or at worse, in the top 10.


Phil played ridiculous golf the last three rounds firing 67, 66, and 65. His putting lesson with Dave Stockton obviously worked as he drained many long putts throughout the week. Even more amazing was the fact that he made a snowman during the opening round. Had he just made par there, he would have won the tournament by seven strokes.

Phil took home 1.35 million for the tournament victory and 3 million for finishing second overall in the Fed Ex Cup.

The Fed Ex Cup 2009 worked out pretty well, but with the crazy point system it will need to be tweaked again for next year.

More coverage:

The 2009 Tour Championship and final round slideshow

Tiger's comeback season

Phil's up and down year

(AP Photo credits / Dave Martin)

36 holes away from 11.35 million

September 2009
(AP Photo / Dave Martin)

Round Two Slideshow

Third round tee times

Sean O'Hair leads after Round 1 at Tour Championship

September 2009
(AP Photo / Dave Martin)


Sean O'Hair shot 66 today to take a one stroke lead over Tiger, Padraig, and Cink. Obviously, with only 30 top players in the field, it will be a great tournament, but the early leaderboard is looking very intriguing heading into round two.

Full leaderboard

Round 1 Slideshow

Round 2 tee times

Mickelson seeks advice after snowman

September 2009

Phil Mickelson had a tough time on the 14th hole today on his way to a three over par 73.

Drive.
Approach shot into bunker.
Bunker shot over green.
Pitch shot over green back into original bunker.
Bunker shot left in bunker.
Bunker shot on green.
Putt.
Putt.

All in all, it equals an 8, otherwise known as the dreaded Snowman. Devastating for any golfer, especially one playing for 11.35 million.


September Medal - Draw

September 2009
The draw for Saturday's September Medal is as below.
Earlies

0800 M Scott & K Taylor
0807 B McGowan, D Gordon & M O'Toole
0815 S Bolderson, A Low & Mike Bell
0822 J Wood, B Simpson & A Ramsay
0830 S Murray, A Downs & G McCluskey
0837 M Melville, T Ogg & H McKelvie
0845 S Schofield, C Fairweather & G Hunter
0852 A Hughes, S Tosh & P Simpson
0900 J Ireland, A Jones & D McDonald
0907 C Petrie, T Bennet & D Findlay

Lates

1200 A Easton (Jnr), N Dyce & S Thomson
1207 C McKenna, I Butchart & J Scott
1215 I Scott, M Tinker & R Tinker (Jnr)
1222 D Grant, DJ Alexander & R Michie
1230 W McGregor, E Ritchie & G Haynes
1237 DM Alexander, F Moran & F Martin
1245 C Carmichael, D Thomson & D Norman
1252 K Ewan, FJ Moran (Jnr) & J Henvey
1300 J Torrie, C McDonald & K McVey

Best of luck to all.

Fed Ex Point System Whacked Out

September 2009
Although this year's point system has added a lot of drama and brought more players into the mix, it will surely be changed again.

Here is an excerpt from a Golf.com article explaining a few scenarios involving Tiger which really show the system is not quite right.


Tiger Woods was jolted at the start of the playoffs to learn he could win all three playoff events, finish second at the Tour Championship and still not win the FedEx Cup.

Wednesday brought another scenario that only made him smile.

Given his five victories before the playoffs began, and a system of cumulative points until the Tour Championship, Woods could have skipped all three playoff events and still been the No. 3 seed at East Lake.

Then, all he would have had to do is win the Tour Championship.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was asked if he was aware that Woods could have stayed home the last month.

``No, and I'm glad he didn't,'' Finchem said. ``Tiger is pretty adept at this. Tiger's view was his best chance of winning was to play them all, and make sure he was the No. 1 seed. I think the No. 1 seed has an advantage this week. Tiger usually plays to have an advantage.''

Woods is not likely to ever miss the Deutsche Bank Championship, which benefits his foundation. He has a long history with the Western Golf Association, which runs the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, where Woods has won five times.

Even so, the idea that having a big regular season allows him to miss a playoff event raises questions about whether he'll be at The Barclays next year.

Definitely needs to be fixed for next year.

The Tour Championship tee times and pairings

September 2009
(AP Photo / Michael Dwyer)

Come Sunday, someone is going to be 10 million dollars richer. Sorry ladies, it's not going to be the author of this blog. Most likely, it will be the guy above.

At least there will be some drama as all 30 players have a mathematical chance to win, although, odds are someone in the top five will take it down.

Tee times and pairings

Fed Ex standings

Top 5 Wettest courses

September 2009
We've had a ridiculous amount of rain in Tasmania of late that's stopping me (and others) play golf. It's probably a good time to detail the golf courses that are most affected by water, from my experiences.

1. Riverside - a.k.a. Riverslide. We played a Northern Open or something there in the mid 90's where it was unplayable. It is very close to the Tamar and if it floods then the course suffers.

2. Kingston - similar story to Riverside. If Brown's River floods there's not much the golf club can do about it. I've seen the course completely submerged a number of times over the years.

3. Seabrook - The first nine holes (the farm holes) can get very muddy but then the sand-based back nine can play completely differently.

4. Mowbray - affectionately called Mudspray. Similar to Claremont (below), it can get a little heavy after rain deluges.

5. Claremont - Yep, even my own course gets a mention. I've defended it for years from its detractors, but the course has not coped well in 2009. We've had preferred lies for months and there are pools of water demanding attention. Not good enough for a Metropolitan course.

It should be mentioned that Royal Hobart and Tasmania Golf Clubs with their sand bases have always handled the rain well.

I'll get back to playing and reveiwing more golf courses when this stupid rain stops.
Patto

Kerr to line up own shots - What a story!

September 2009

In huge golf news, it's being reported that Kristie Kerr, the #5 LPGA player in the world, will now line up her own shots without the help of her caddy.

This is one of the most ridiculous aspects of golf anyway, and hopefully they make an official rule against allowing caddies to stand behind the player and help line them up.

These are world class players. Are they really not able to line themselves up? From 220 yards away, does a caddy say move 1 centimeter to your right and you will be perfect.

Nothing at all against Kerr and I'm glad she made this decision. Hopefully other players will follow her lead or this will be banned for good because it is absurd.

Nicklaus and Saunders at Q - School

September 2009
Two very interesting names will attempt to make it to the PGA tour through Q - School this year.

Gary Nicklaus, the son of Jack, is now 40 years old and looking to make it back after losing his card in 2002. He has played in 100 tour events and has gone through Q - school several times.


Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer, has decided to leave Clemson a year early and attempt to make the tour.


Pre-qualifying events begin September 22-25 at The Golf Club of Dallas.

Mixed Invitation Results

September 2009
Results from the Mixed Invitation played at the weekend are as follows:

1. S Scott/G Edwards 39 pts

2. J Goodfellow/S Coghill 37 pts (BIH)

3. M Young/B Arscott 37 pts

10 million up for grabs at The Tour Championship

September 2009
(AP Photo / Mel Evans)


The Tour Championship kicks off this Thursday at East Lake in Atlanta and someone will be going home 10 million dollars richer. With the new system this year, the point standings have been reset, allowing more players to have a legitimate chance this week.

The top five:

Tiger Woods - 2500 points

Tiger looks for his seventh win on tour this year and his second Fed Ex Cup title in the past three seasons.

Steve Stricker - 2250 points

Stricker has been consistent all year, and has grown accustomed to playing with Woods in pressure packed situations.

Jim Furyk - 2000 points

Certainly not a flashy player, he still seems to constantly be on the leader board. We shall see if his steady play can earn him a Fed Ex title.

Zach Johnson - 1800 points

Johnson will look for his biggest win since the 2007 Masters

Heath Slocum - 1600 points

Slocum started the playoffs in 193rd place but shocked everyone by winning at the Barclays. He proved he can handle the pressure by sinking a 20 foot par putt at the eighteenth hole to win and avoid a five man playoff.

Full standings

More coverage and photo slideshow

Autumn Meeting - Results

September 2009
Well, it would appear the orning crew got the better of the weather as the infamous breeze held off, until the afternoon group went out, however some very good scores all round. Results are as follows:

CSS: 71

Gross

1st. N Dyce - 75
2nd. I Butchart - 76
3rd. S Thomson - 78

Nett

1st. C Carmichael - Nett 65
2nd. Mike Bell - Nett 67
3rd. I Butchart - Nett 69

Congratulations to both Norman and Craig, well done chaps.

2's

4 x 2's were recorded this week, and are as follows:

4th. A Easton (Jnr)
6th. S Thomson, D McDonald & N Dyce

Handicaps

Reductions

The following members receive a handicap playing reduction as a result of this competition:

I Butchart - New Playing Handicap - 6
Mike Bell - New Playing Handicap - 13
DM Alexander - New Playing Handicap - 15
C Carmichael - New Playing Handicap - 18

Up-Revisions

The following members receive a handicap playing up-revision as a result of this competition:

R Tinker (Jnr) - New Playing Handicap - 9
G McCluskey - New Playing Handicap - 16
F Moran - New Playing Handicap - 18
D Thomson - New Playing Handicap - 20
F Barber - New Playing Handicap - 21
P Simpson - New Playing Handicap - 22
A Jones - New Playing Handicap - 22

Last few events of the season coming up, sign up sheets in the clubhouse. Details for the winter events will be posted in due course.

Million dollar hole in one video

September 2009


Utah golfer Jason Hargett drained a nine iron on this 150 yard hole to win a million bucks at the Mark Eaton Golf Classic.

Mixed Invitation Day - Sunday 20th September

September 2009
The draw for the Mixed Invitation day is as follows:

1200 E Gray & S Bailey / MYoung & Partner
1207 J Scott & P Drysdale / R McGeoghegan & P Howlett
1215 J Goodfellow & S Coghill / R Fraser & F Kydd
1222 S Scott & G Edwards / K Findlay & D Grant
1230 N Dyce & L Fertacz / E & G Ralston

Format

Four Ball better ball stableford.
Gent's use white tees and 3/4 Handicap.
Ladies use red tees, add one stoke, then 3/4 handicap.
All players use ladies stroke index and par.

Good luck.

Autumn Meeting - Draw

September 2009
After the excitement of the Gent's Away day, we get back to club business this weekend with the Autumn Meeting, the draw for which is as follows:

Batters Up

0800 G Hunter & T Ogg
0807 G McCluskey, S Murray & B Simpson
0815 M Grieve, P Simpson & T Bennet
0822 A Ramsay, A Jones & S Schofioeld
0830 J McBAin, S Bolderson & D McDonald
0837 M Melville, C Petrie * Mike Bell
0845 J McCowan (Jnr), J Wood & C Fairweather
0852 K Ewan, D Gordon & J Ireland

Home Runners

1200 M Scott & A Aird
1207 SA Robertson, C McKenna & N Dyce
1215 A Ross, DM Alexander & C Carmichael
1222 A Easton (Jnr), I Scott & K McVey
1230 R Tinker (Jnr), J Scott & E Ritchie
1237 D Thomson, S Thomson & I Butchart
1245 J Torrie, E Gray & DJ Alexander
1252 C McDonald, FJ MOran (Jnr) & D Grant
1300 F Barber, F Moran & J Henvey
1307 W McGregor, R Michie & F Martin

Best of luck to all.

Top PGA events remaining in 2009

September 2009
What to look for the rest of 2009:

The Tour Championship - Atlanta, Georgia

Here we will find out the Fed Ex Cup Champion and the winner of 10 million.

The Presidents Cup - San Francisco, California

The United States team vs. The International team should be a great match up. This will be taking place October 8-11 at Harding Park in San Francisco. It will be interesting to see how Adam Scott performs under the scrutiny he will be sure to face. He might play great or might be more focused on surfing and dating starlets (and really, who can blame him).

The WGC - HSBC Champions - Shanghai, China

The tournament is November 5- 8 and many top players are scheduled including Tiger, Phil, Sergio, Ogilvy, and Casey among others.

The Australian Masters - Melbourne, Australia

Tiger will be playing down under for the first time since 1998 and is reportedly receiving a 3 million dollar appearance fee. Tournament is scheduled for November 12-15.

Chevron World Challenge - Thousand Oaks, California

The tournament features 18 of the world's top players. December 3-6.

Myrtle Beach deserves a mulligan!

September 2009
What makes a golf course destination like Myrtle Beach worthy of a mulligan?

Some may say it is the beauty of the natural surroundings, others conjecture that the challenge is the most important factor when deciding whether or not to revisit a course during a vacation.

One of the most meaningful factors to consider as to whether or not to return to a facility or club would be the fun I had during my round. Although the saying of allowing a "smile be my umbrella" is easier said than done on the golf course, it also helps when the destination offers a plethora of experiences to take the mind off of the more than occasional ugly shot.

Let's face facts; although I am a competitive golfer, I'm certainly no Annika Sorenstam. I play within myself and have had my share of rounds in the 80's but, for the most part, I too am a weekend duffer, relegated to twilight rounds and whenever time allows.

It is for this reason that, when I decide to plan a short, weekend bounce, I head over to Myrtle Beach. Over one-hundred golf courses allow me choices depending on my comfort level and natural beauty, which seems to be almost a given since, according to the EPA, "a typical urban golf course is 110-120 acres and courses in resort areas may be 170-190 acres."

During my yearly visits to Myrtle Beach, I have played some courses on a recommendation only to find that the track (Tidewater, for example) was completely out of my league. Add to that the fact that the golf course was designed for real "players" and in a downpour with winds whipping about, it's enough to get your knickers in an uproar, deciding never to return.

Other courses I have played on several occasions after having a wonderful experience on the cushy, open and well-manicured fairways. Myrtlewood Palmetto and the Myrtle Beach National "triple play" are two that come to mind. Although the Myrtlewood Golf Club offers both PineHills and Palmetto courses, Palmetto's scenic landscaping and playable challenges allowed me the opportunity to score well yet feel as if I struggled a bit to chalk up those pars!


King's North Golf Course, Myrtle Beach National, was a favorite during one of our weekend jaunts. Accolades include being named one of "America's Top Ten New Upscale Courses", being dubbed one of America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses as rated in the 2007-8 edition of Golf Digest Magazine and also considered as one of the Top 100 for Women (by the now defunct Golf for Women Magazine. It's "signature hole", the par-3 island green, is as much of a must-play as the bronze statue of Arnold Palmer guarding the entrance of Myrtle Beach National is a "must-see".

South Creek and the West Course round out the golfing "trifecta" at Myrtle Beach National, making these three courses worthy of a visit from high handicappers right down to scratch players whose idea of a day out on the links is to beat the "King" himself! South Creek is relatively short and is also woman-friendly (not that a man can't have a "go" at it as well) but the West Course is as challenging as the North. If you deign to play all three, you will not be disappointed as the country club atmosphere permeates through the acreage.

The 2009 Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year as chosen by the MBAGCOA is Shaftesbury Glen Golf and Fish Club. Last year, this same venue was also voted one of the Top 50 Golf Resorts in the United States by Golf World Magazine. Golf Digest has mentioned that Shaftesbury just might have the best greens on the Grand Strand as well, placing this destination on my list of future "must play"golf courses.

Myrtle Beach is not all about golf, despite the top level of courses intertwined within the Grand Strand. Beach lovers will enjoy the view from right outside their condomimium balcony where there are plenty of activities for adults and kids alike. Even so, make sure the little ones get a get a golf club in their hands at least once during the stay, even if it's a sand wedge on a deserted stretch of beach! They'll literally have a blast out of the sand!

Other options for fun include trips to the Nascar Speedpark, Ripley's Aquarium, House of Blues and Broadway at the Beach where you'll find great food and nightlife for the bigger kids!

You never know what you'll see at Myrtle Beach. Once I arrived to see warbirds flying overhead! You may be one of the many people who, after visiting the Grand Strand, decide to make it a permanent vacation stop as this destination was recently been named as one of the top-ten most popular places to own a vacation property in the world!

For an inexpensive yet extremely satisfying stay, place Myrtle Beach on your short list so you too can experience it's good vibrations!

Away Day - What Happened

September 2009
The sun shone on the Braemar Golf Course, and a few of the party were a little worried, what was this new phenomenon? Having played most of the season in drizzle, this was an altogether new prospect. We were warmly welcomed by Colin and his team at Braemar, and so we settled into what was to be an excellent day out. With around 160 in the field, the course and clubhouse waas never empty, and I think the only little complaint the lads had was the hold-up at the crossover between the 2nd and 8th tees, with some groups taking 20 minutes to clear through.

In time honoured tradition, first up for our group was the Captain, who was ably "cheered on" (heckled) by everyone else in the party, however managed to pull off a solid hit, landing in the middle of the fairway. Next up was our token Englishman, Sammy Bolderson, however it was a bit like teeing off with Tiger Woods for Sammy, as soon as the Captain had played, everyone left!

Some five hours later, the last group sauntered off the course, sunburnt and in extremely good spirits, everyone had had an excellent day out. And there were prizes as well, so here we go:

Main Competition

Class 2 2nd Place - Andrew Hughes
Class 2 3rd PLace - Dave Grant

Well done fellas

Club Prizes

Best Gross - Scott Robertson - 72
Best Nett - Dave Grant - 61
Best Stableford - Andy Hughes - 35
Longest Drive - Lewis Duncan
Nearest The Pin - Brian Jackson
Highest Gross - Eric Gray - 102
Worst Score on a Hole - Dave Findlay - 2 x 10's
Shortest Drive on the First - Ian Clark
Balls in River - Fergus Martin and Dennis McDonald - 2

All in all, a superb day out, so thanks to Mark for arranging it, Derek for assisting in the Sweep, and all of those that turned up for the day. Special mention to Paul Taylor, the driver, who decided that rather than spend 8 hours wandering round Braemar, he'd be better served playing, and so joined us for the day.

(Anyone with photos of from the day, please mail them to me, and I'll post them)

Greens Aerification

September 2009

It is that time of the year. We will be aerating greens on Tuesday of next week. 9-22-09. The process will be as follows:

Will will punch the greens with 1/2" quad tines. This will be smaller than in the spring but will yield more holes per square foot.

We will clean the plugs off the greens by hand and haul the material to the back of the driving range which we will clean up over the week with our dump truck and loader.

After the greens a clean we will topdress with USGA spec golf course sand. We will apply enough sand to fill the holes on the green completely.

Once the sand has dried on the greens we will drag the sand with a pull behind brush two times over and then follow with the buffalo blower. This help insure all hole are completely full and no excess sand is left to injure the grass.

Once this process is completed we will follow that with organic fertilizer. I have selected a oceanic blend of sea weed, kelp and crustacean shells to help the biology in the greens. We have already put down a pre-aerification fertilizer application to push growth coming into aerification and this will be the sustained release product to give us the boost we need to close up the holes in a timely manner.

Our first mowing will be san pick up. These mowing are necesary to remove the larger particles that were unable to work into the turf canopy. In no way do we remove enough sand to make a difference. We will start out at a raised hieght and work our way down slowly to our normal mowing hieghts. The greens will be a little slow for this transition time.

Our overall projected recovery will be no later than three weeks if the ambient temperatures remain up. This is where we trust mother nature to help us out a little. If we get a cold snap the recovery could be sluggish but inevitable.

If any members have any questions with the process or any other comments please feel free to contact me directly.

Justin C. Ruiz, CGCS

Summer Heat Stress

September 2009
Over the last summer we had a cart path only rule in effect after 1pm. We were continually questioned as to the purpose of this rule. Last year we had the same rule in effect although it was enforced after 12pm. We also had two hole on each nine that were cartpath only all day. These holes were rotated weekly to reduce cart traffic wear.

The reasoning behind this rule is to help the course in the afternoon when we are under water restriction. If we begin to water in a deficit which is less than the plant uses the prior night we are vulnerable to tracking damage from the carts. This rule help us, the maintenance staff, out by keeping carts off of stressed areas. We will also have better course conditions when we get into even more severe restrictions.














This season with our water management plan in effect we were able to only water in deficit only a few times which resulted in a fair amount of tracking damage. The success of the water management stategy gave us the flexibility to water what was needed with little or no restriction all season. Next year we will have a better plan of attack on how we can enforce this rule if needed but with our water conservation actions and our continued proactive approach we may not need the rule nearly as much as we have in the past.

The rule may be a nusiance for some afternoon rounds but we as the maintenance staff are grateful for your help and discipline to adhering to our afternoon rule. We have had a great year so far and with fall on our heels we will continue to have a great year.

Justin C Ruiz, CGCS
The Rim Golf Club.

This is tough to watch

September 2009
The top 30 players in the Fed Ex Cup standings got to move on to the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Brandt Snedeker was on the bubble and needed a two-putt from 12 feet in order to make it in. Watch the video to see what happened. Got to feel for the dude.


Back on Top

September 2009

Tiger put on a sick performance at the BMW Championship, reminiscent of his dominating 2000 season. He was accurate off the tee, his irons were all over the pins, and his putter finally got hot. This was the best he's played all year, and his performance may have answered some of the critics questioning whether or not the "old Tiger" will ever be back. Tiger won the tournament at 19 under par by eights shots which included a course record 62 on Saturday.

He's now regained the lead in the Fed Ex Cup playoffs which will conclude at The Tour Championship in Atlanta in two weeks.

Fed Ex Cup Standings

Photo credit (Nam Huh /AP)

Turf Removal for Water Savings

September 2009
This past spring we made a big push to redefine the perimeter of the golf course. We had many areas on the golf course where the sprinkler heads were trying to water turf behind the heads. Over the years the heads along the perimeter have had to be adjusted for a greater and geater arc to maintain turf outside the perimeter of the golf course. We decided to take back the original design of the golf course.

Not only did the turf begin to creep ou into the native areas it gave us a tough area to maintain in the heat of the summer because of the lack of irrigation coverage. We were waiting the water that was needed to basically water behind the heads. Some heads were outfited with tails to pick up areas that were tough to get by simply advancing the arc. All these adjustments and modifications were eating into our water usage for the year.

We began the taask of sod cutting the edge of the turf back
to the perimeter heads. Then followed that up with the reseeding of the native mix. We reused the sod for animal damage that plauged us through the winter months. We were able to remove quite a bit of turf throughout the golf course an not even change the playability. Each are we adjusted all the sprinklers and were able to save a good amount of water. In the big picture every drop counts.

All these projects have added up to help us have a better season. Not only are the members happy with the summer season at The Rim but prospective members can now truly see the golf course the way it should
be.

Running Out of Water?

September 2009
Over this summer we have been challenged by mother nature. Not only have the monsoon weather been underwhelming but the dry heat at our altitude has started to compromise out water storage lakes. We have have done a lot of work over the last winter and spring to make our irrigation system more efficient and save as much water as possible. Since I have been at The Rim Golf Club I have been told that the course has been too wet in the past and firm and fast is the ideal conditions. With my passion of environmental conservation I have made that my #1 priority. Save water and make the course firm and fast.
The first obstacle that we encountered was the amount of disease and insect damage. This was causing massive destruction each season and in turn using up valuable water to either grow-in damaged turf or combat root eating insects. With the creation of a Integrated Plant Management program we were able to significantly reduce our pest problems and focus on turf maintenance with less stress.

Our second obstacle was the irrigation system not only being out of adjustment along the perimeter but also the computer's database being incorrect. We had every head on the course assigned as an impact head. The only impact heads we have are portable irrigation that we have made for hot spots. Going through the database and making sure everyhead was properly assigned not only made the dry run on the computer match the actual usage for the night but also gave us the flexibility to water more accurately using more accurate Evapotranspiration Rates.

The last obstacle in our quest to save water came with the balancing of the irrigation system. My assistant Joe Trombino did a ton of work on the irrigation system and started to think about how the system was set up. We had rough heads on hillside turned up to outrageous percentages throwing to fairway heads that were nearly zeroed out. This cause wet areas along the edges of the fairways and dry in the middle. His thought process consisted of thinking "triangular". Every area is watered by three heads. When you adjust one you manipulate that area and affect the other two. His ideas basically were the opposite of what I knew were normal. He took the holes and adjusted the heads to become more balanced thus creating a consistently firm and fast condition. He was right on the mark with his thought process.

With the history of how we got to where we are today with great conditions year round we can explain our water issues this year. The monsoon season gave us little to no moisture. rolling in each afternoon but just not giving us rain.

We got through June and July with great course conditions and then we began to drain our storage. We were getting a small percentage of what we water each night from the sanitary department each week. We were watering at a great deficiet but with our work in the past with irrigation we continued to conserve water with no effect to the courses condition. This last month we were starting to use the storage held on the golf course. Our off site storage was completely gone.

In the past our driving range was the first casulty but with our conservation techniques we were able to keep our first impression intact. We may have been getting close to the red zone on water supply but I knew we were going to get the cooling of overnight temperatures and the Sanitary would once again catch up once ET rates declined.

So the question is are we going to run out of water? My answer is no. We could have a severly dry year that can give us an even bigger challenge in the future but rest asure we have done everything possible to conserve water which has given us the ability to endure a dry year and pervail. Not only has our hard work payed off but we have changed the perception of summer at The Rim Golf Club.

The Tiger Woods of Basketball

September 2009

Before Tiger, Michael Jordan was far and away the most spectacular and clutch athlete on the planet. In honor of him being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame tonight, here is a video of a few of his top dunks.


Gent's Away Day - Transport

September 2009
Due to lack of demand, there will be no pick-up from Dundee. All those travelling are to be at the club for 0900 on Saturday 12th Sep. There will be a pick-up at the Balmoral Hotel in Blairgowrie at 0930ish!

Happy Birthday Arnold!

September 2009

(One of the coolest golf photos ever featuring Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan puffing away)

Arnold Palmer just turned 80 and is still promoting golf as much as ever. There have been a lot of articles written recently describing what a great influence he has been throughout the years.

Check out this Arnie section for a look back on his career highlights and stories.

Continue on with the club throwing theme

September 2009
Top 100 teacher Charlie King presents how to throw your club.

Courtesy of Armchair Golf Blog.

Gent's Away Day - 12th September, Braemar

September 2009
The bus will pick up at Kingsway Tesco's Car Park at 8.30 sharp on Saturday. If you wish to take the bus please contact Mark Truswell (07921510883) BEFORE 9.00p.m. Thursday 10th September. If there are fewer than 4 people wishing to use this facility, then it will be removed and players will be required to be at Strathmore by 0900 on Saturday.

Urgent Notice - Player Required

September 2009
Due to a late call-off, the club has an urgent requirement for a player with a handicap of 13 or over to partner Kerr Taylor in the Magner's Regional Final at Crieff on Thursday. Anyone interested please contact the Comps Sec on 07841 334822 or at ferg60@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible. Please note, I may not be able to get back to you, until Wednesday due to other committments.

Many thanks

F Martin
Comps Sec

Ladies v Gent's Wooden Spoon

September 2009
Played on Sunday, this match resulted in a resounding 6-0 win for the Gent's! Well done guys.

Match v Whitemoss Cancelled

September 2009
As we were unable to raise a team for this match, Eric has contacted Whitemoss and cancelled.

At least Tiger didn't throw it this far

September 2009

Tiger tosses club

September 2009


Look closely at the 3 second mark and you'll see the club go flying. The messed up part is that his caddy had to go after it.

Gent's Invitation Day

September 2009
Results from the Invitation Day are as follows:

Spot Prizes

Nearest the pin guests - E Mcgregor,

Nearest the pin members - S Murray

Longest Drive Guests - S Burns

Longest Drive Memebers - Mark Scott

Doubles Placings

1st. I McGowan and G Fleming - 45 pts

2nd. G Hunter and S Burns - 43pts

3rd. N Dyce and D Smith - 41pts bih.

Well Done All.

Will Tiger Woods let the FedEx Cup slip through his fingers?

September 2009
Click here to listen.



Despite the fact that Tiger Woods missed his final putt at the 18th hole of the Barclays, he still made watching the event a nail-biting experience. Instead of fans cheering Woods to victory, however, this time his legion of die-hard followers were holding their breath as easy two-footers became part of his dilemma.

"Man," Woods said, "to miss as many putts as I did this week, to still have a chance on the last green with a putt, it goes to show you how good I am at hitting it."

Yes, Tiger is one of the greatest ball strikers of all time but it cost him just as much on the scorecard to slice one into the woods as to miss short putts. As Ian O'Connor mentioned, Woods' putter was "completely overmatched".

Could it be that Tiger has lost his moxie, is becoming less concerned about his game thus practicing his putting a bit less and is allowing his family to consume more of his time? Placing less importance on his game but savoring the important things in life could be the best thing that ever happened to Woods.

In spite of his misses, the number-one golfer in the world still has five wins to his credit this season as opposed to guys like Heath Slocum and Y.E. Yang who struggle to keep their tour cards each week. Woods is also leading the FedEx Cup playoffs in points and is still the hands-down favorite to win the $10 million prize.

So, Tiger Woods' "B" game is still strong enough to batter his opponents even though, on occasion, secondary Tour players shine. Every once in a while, a Riddick Bowe beats a Mike Tyson...that is what keeps fans coming out to watch.

As far as considering Woods' year a "letdown" (see link credit below) when comparing him to Roger Federer, each great player has had to defeat their "archrivals" but I believe that these enemies also come from within. Tiger Woods may be allowing this momentary lapse of career interest to occur only because, "our player career is a little bit longer than theirs (Federer)."

As for Jack Nicklaus, the jury is still out but, with time on his side, I think Woods will shake off his malaise and easily surpass the Golden Bear.


Even the Statue of Liberty s shocked that Tiger missed that seven-foot putt on 18!



This week on the Golf for Beginners podcast, we discuss if a tree is, in fact, 90 percent air and the odds of getting struck by lightning with the help of the Discovery Channel show, "Mythbusters". We also wonder if parents are doing enough to teach their children proper golf course etiquette after our twilight round this past week.

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Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by OrlandoGolf.com, 866-443-8566.


"Letdown" link credit: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/golf/view.bg?articleid=1194377&format=&page=3&listingType=Golf#articleFull

Photo Credit: © WayOdd.com

Year of the Gnat

September 2009

After spending a lot of time at the golf course this summer, I'm wondering if I missed out on scientists calling for the Year of the Gnat. The Gnats have been so bad, it's difficult to concentrate on the course. They swarm your head, and seem to enjoy eyes, hears, mouths, and climbing on sunglasses. What is the deal?

Seriously, has Northern Virginia turned into the Amazon Rain Forest? What is next? Anacondas on the fairway? Piranhas in the ponds? Jaguars in the woods? I'm starting to feel like Survivorman when I play golf.


In my entire history of golfing, I've never seen the gnats this bad, and they laugh at bug spray. I know cicadas come out every 17 years, but I haven't heard about the gnat invasion. If any bug experts are out there, please shed some light on this.

Away Match v Whitemoss - 13th Sept

September 2009
There is an away match against Whitemoss arranged for Sunday 13th September. Please put names on the sheet in the Gents Changing room or call Eric Gray on 0784971956.

Gent's Invitation Day

September 2009
Below is the draw for the Gent's Invitation Day, hopefully the weather will hold off and everyone will have a great day.

10.00 M Scott & G Edwards / G Scrimegoer & B Rryhnd

10.07 J Scott & G Edwards / G Hunter & Partner

10.15 E Gray & F Robb / C McDonald & Partner

1022 J Grant & J McKenzie / G Haynes & Partner

1030 G McGluskey & Partner / K Mcbay & Partner

1037 D Gordon & P Goldie / M Melville & A Taylor

1045 B Jackson & Partner / I Gowan & G Fleming

1052 F Moran & E McGregor / J Henvey & Partner

1100 D Findlay & S Lammond / D Grant & R Skinner

1107 J Torrie & D Grant / K Ewan & B Butter

1115 G Bullock R Ross / E Ritchie & A Redden

1122 T Ogg & A Findlay / C Davidson W Duncan

1130 I Butchart & R Taylor / A Hughes & G Hughes

1137 C McKenna & S Johnstone / S Murray & L Hardie

1145 P Crockart & Partner / F Barber & Partner

1152 N Dyce & D Smyth / J McBian & D Halliday


Format:

Two Ball, Better Ball, 3/4 Handicap off the white tees.

If any of the names, spellings etc are incorrect, blame the organisers, not the bloggers, we can only print what we receive. Best of luck to everyone.
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