My three week suspension from posting on the site has finally lapsed and I do apologize for not posting. The suspension of my blog was because Greg May edited my last update. I understand that my grammar is not exactly up to the liking of Greg, but if he edits my work, I will again go on another delay of any blogging.
What a great time to be a CGA golf fan! I have been fortunate enough to be on vacation the past two years at this time. There is no better time to be on vacation than when the US Open is being played. I love the fact that the Open is all about seeing who can shoot even par over four days. Personally, on a side note, I think Phil will win his first ever US Open Championship. Certainly, watching the best golfers in the world compete on a course that is set up as the most difficult they will face all year brings about great entertainment. To me, getting beat up by a golf course is what golf is all about. A difficult course is what makes the game great.
To me, the definition of golf is "a game that brings out friendship and competition". We are really lucky to have a league that builds our friendship as well allows us to bring about some competition. Some leagues around town just show up and play golf with whoever is on the first tee when they arrive. They do not keep teams or track standings or anything like that. I sure hope we will continue to keep the competition element in our league. From what I was hearing, some of you would rather we stop keeping standings and eliminate the competition from the league. Sure hope not, as we have an exciting season taking fold right before our very eyes.
As we head to the half way point in our season, we have a great leaderboard with some great stories developing. BuBU is in the lead by 8.5 points but will lose that lead this week as they are forced to take a bye. Defending Champs, Chuckie West will take the lead back over as they will battle Dr. Red Love who is in tied in third with Webbie Doggie 74. Dr. Red Love still has a bye on the last week of the first half, so one can assume that at the half way point, BuBu, Chuckie, and WebbieDoggie all will be somewhere near the top of the team standings. WebbieDoggie has been making a late charge and continues to play the best golf in the league. One would think this might be due to the fact that we have played the front side so many times where the Tunnels of Love are positioned. One would have to think that WebbieDoggie will not have the stamina to hold in the dog days of August. BuBu has been carried by the stellar play of Rob Burkley. If they are going to contend, they are going to have to get some form of play out of KC Budzik. The team race is sure to bring about more excitement as we head into the second half of the season.
The individual standings are just as exciting. Rob Burkley has a 3.5 point lead over Greg May, however Burkley will lose his lead this week as he is on a bye. Greg May will hold an edge over Brinkman, followed by Underwood and Hosket. As we have always said, "Hang around in June and July and win the title in the dog days of August",
This past week brought about some great golf. Steve Porterfield turned in a nice 40/34 as he received a gift "59" from Hosket. Jason Diwik shot a 44 to take down your individual leader, Rob Burkley by a score of 11.5 to 3.5. WebbDoggie swept Doug May and Pete Ebel as they continue their climb up the team standings. I was not at the course, but it sure looked like it must have been a great nice to be challenged at the GCD.
The course as always this time of year is drying out and players have to keep the ball in the short stuff. Let me tell you a secret, your golf ball will run farther as the course continues to dry out, and here is the real secret, if you do not hit it straight it will run farther into the longer grass, here on called "rough". Lastly, let me tell you the real secret, you do not have to hit the longest club in your bag. You are allowed under the rules of golf to hit a shorter club, even one with a #5 on it, off of the tee. The course is giving us a great challenge right now and that is what I find great about the great game of golf. You can learn a great deal about a person when they are challenged. Do they blame it on the course? Do they continue to bang the long club into the "rough" time after time? Do they rise up and make adjustments to their game? Do they wine to anyone that will wine with them? Do they want to change the rules of the game?
I received word that some of you were upset about the "rough" and the GCD golf course. The fact is that we can not change courses during the season. So, we will continue to play the rest of the year at the GCD. If all of you want, we can vote on changing to the white or red tees for the second half. I do think we should be on the white tees. However, I was always taught you tough out the game and finish what you started and never change the rules in the middle of the game. That was taught to me by my father, thanks, Dad and happy fathers day! I will take a vote at BWWW Monday night if you want to move to white tees for the 2nd half of this season. Must be present to vote and if 75% want to move tees we will change tees starting with the first week of the 2nd half (believe 2nd half starts July 5th)
Anyway, whoever wants to move us to another course next year, is more than welcome to do so. I am just one vote and would happily follow the league to another course. I will be done with my two year assignment as Commish and will gladly hand over the reigns to whoever wants the job. As I mentioned, we are finishing out at GCD, so I would suggest, you all stop whining, step up and be a man and play better golf. Put away the driver, hit a 5# iron and let the ball run down the middle of the fairway. Help spot each other when a ball goes off the fairway. Or I guess, you could stay home and whine to your wife that the GCD is a horrible unfair course. Or we could move to Wilson Road or for that matter we could move to a bowling league. I know the guy that runs Sawmill and he could set us up with Bumpers and that way we will always keep the ball straight. Just sayin.
Enjoy the Open, golf is a great game that is best when the rough is thick and the course is stepping up to bite you. Where have I heard that?
