From: thor@lucent.com (thor@lucent.com) Search Result 13 Subject: RSG-OHIO 1998 REPORT Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf Date: View: (This is the only article in this thread) | Original Format 1998/10/19 Sorry it took so long to get this report together - been too busy with stuff on the homefront.... Anyhoo, the third RSG-OHIO - 1998 was held on October 2-4 in the Columbus area. Approximately 30 players were in attendance, and I was granted the pleasure of meeting several rsg-ers that I had not met before, and of playing with some of them, and some that I have met and played with at previous rsg events. This is a great weekend - I look forward to it all year, and was not disappointed this year. We played a lot of golf - 36 holes on Friday, 27 Saturday, and 18 Sunday. We had players come from Texas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Lancaster PA, Indiana, and Bloomsburg PA, as well as Ohioans. ------------------------------------------------------------------ FRIDAY MORNING ------------------------------------------------------------------ We were to start Friday at a county course (Blacklick) for a pre-warmup round. This course is a good layout, and was completely rebuilt a year or two ago, and is a very good deal ($15), but the conditioning of the greens especially, leaves something to be desired. However, it was certainly a good place for our prewarmup. Our tee times were for 7:30, which were the first times of the day, and we had afternoon times at a course 1/2 hour away at 1:30. We arrived in the darkness of 7:00AM ready to go, but the course, alas, was not - a frost had occured, the first of the year, and we chomped at the bit for an hour and a half until they finally let us tee off at 9:00AM. I spent the time getting acquainted with the travellers who had come to join our group, and getting reacquainted with Dave Tutelman, Mark Koenig, Guy Cooper, and the others that I knew. We had a 3some and 2 foursomes, and the course put a single with the threesome, which included myself. I am not sure he knew what he was getting into, as I had put Mark Koenig, Mike P., and myself in this group, all of whom I expected to be speedy players - Mark from direct experience in our round last year. Some might have worried about finishing in time for the second round, but our group was in the parking lot after walking 18 at 12:15 (that is a 3:15 round for the mathematically challenged) - carts speed up play? BAH - efficent golfers are the only way to speed up play. We didn't even hurry - just moseyed to the next shot and hit it. It was very enjoyable - for us, but not for the mowing crew who were overheard several times to say "We just can't seem to keep ahead of these golfers!" and the like. I even heard about a rather direct confrontation with one of the other groups where the mowers were mowing the forward (red) tees and refused to move aside and let them tee off from the rear tees. The weather was excellent after the sun came out, and I played in shorts and short-sleeved shirt. ------------------------------------------------------------------ FRIDAY AFTERNOON ------------------------------------------------------------------ So, all warmed-up, we headed over to Westchester golf course - a new Michael Hurdzan course. I believe it opened last fall, and, although it showed its newness it was still in excellent shape. We were warned about some long walks between holes before we teed off. The course is on two sides of a road, and when you cross under the road and over a bridge it is a bit of a walk, but nothing as serious as they made it out to be. The LONG walk at Beavercreek last year was probably twice as long. We got to the first tee a little before 1:30, and were approached by the starter who seemed in a little tizzy... turns out there was another group who was to tee off in front of us. Then, one of the group drove up in his cart, and the starter leaves - to go find the rest of that foursome! It is at least 10 minutes after OUR tee time when they finally get together and tee off. As they get back in their carts, the starter says - "Gee good thing you got here or you would have been STUCK behind all these WALKERS!" Sheesh. We were mostly walkers - I guess we had 3 carts in 4 foursomes. So we finally teed off - I was playing Coops in match play as we like to do when we get together. I was playing pretty well, esp at the beginning of the round, and the match was staying very close. We were waiting on every shot, though, and that 4some ahead of us was also rather loud and distracting at times - they seemed to be playing Wolf and had to keep going over the rules for some reason. We arrived at probably my favorite hole on the front 9 - though the back was more interesting than the front. This is a par-5 with a split fairway, just over 500 yards. But if you take the upper fairway it is much longer. However, taking the left side is fraught with risk, as a lake borders the left the entire length of the hole from maybe 150-200 yards out to the green. So I aim at the dividing slope between the two fairways (on the principle that I never hit what I aim at!) and draw a power drive down to the lower fairway, just inside the 200 yard marker. Then, always seeking the elusive eagle, I fade a 5-wood toward the green - played the fade so it would be moving away from the water, but started it a touch too far left, and it just catches the greenside bunker, pin-high. Still in good shape - except I took 2 to get out of the fluffy sand and end up with a depressing bogie :-). Usually sand holds no fear for me, but I did not do well this time. That fiery competitor Coops took the bit in his mouth after that disaster and won the front. The weather that afternoon was absolutely perfect - good thing too, as we were waiting A LOT. We got to the 'long hike' and the following tee - a funny par 5 with a funny green with very little grass on it. That was the only green like that - I guess they are going to have trouble with that green unless they remove some of the surrounding trees. Anyway, even after this 'long hike' we STILL had to wait on the tee for those lucky carts who got in ahead of us walkers. There were some interesting holes on this side of the road - a par 3 with water the whole length, on the left and a sucker pin on the left edge of the green, a great short par-4 with a hundred different options and decisions to make, and a 200 yard par-3 that I hit stiff to the pin to put pressure on Coops as it was my last chance to halve the back side. Unfortunately Coops feels no pressure. As we stood on that tee, waiting for the group ahead of us, I looked back and saw the beautiful sight of golfers spread out behind us. I could see the last 4 holes, filled with golfers, some riding, some carrying, some pulling trolleys, and I wished for a photograph. All the groups were keeping pace, although that wasn't hard as the group ahead of us was pretty slow. The last hole on the course is a funny one - after the walk back under the road, you aren't even sure where you are supposed to aim. Then you see a flat spot on top of a hill surrounded by trees and you spy the 200yard marker over there. I hit a perfect drive - or so everybody in my group said - until it landed SPLAT in a naughty fairway bunker tucked on the left of the fairway. There is a lot more room to the right than it looks. I DID do a lot better out of that bunker. The 18th green also is a lot different than the rest of the course - very wavy with large undulations. Who was it - Tiger Woodchuckle? Had an impossible chip from the back of the green - it looked so hard that three of our group set up and tried to hit it close from there as soon as they putted out. We had gathered in the ampitheater to cheer/kibbitz. Except for Coops, who had gone into the clubhouse for something...... And while in there, was told of one of their regular groups having left all pissed off because of the G*D*N WALKERS slowing down the pace of play. So I talked to him - the group that held us up was sitting right there and we came in right after them so we couldn't have been the problem, etc. He agreed and also said it didn't reflect on us, and that he would let his regulars know the next time they came that we were in position. Unbelievable. I was so pissed off that we got blamed for this after our quick 3:15 round walking in the AM. I still have to send the director a letter. I sure hope he doesn't regret letting us walk. ------------------------------------------------------------------ FRIDAY EVENING ------------------------------------------------------------------ We had a blast at an Italian restaurant. The wait staff was trying so hard... we asked for draft beer..."We only have Miller" ... so we ask for a pitcher of that... "Sorry we are all out of it" ! HAH! This was a running joke the rest of the weekend... Anyway it was great fun and I had a blast getting to know Mike P. and William S. and everybody. Home to rest for The Main Event. Rain was predicted, but it helps being Thor and nobody was worried. ------------------------------------------------------------------ SATURDAY MORNING ------------------------------------------------------------------ Saturday at 9:00 AM we were to tee off at the Players Club at Foxfire, probably the most difficult public course in the Columbus area. At 8:45 it was cloudy with a wee mist in the air. Naysayers were starting to watch the weather reports with 100 percent chance of rain and a huge solid wall of water covering 3-4 states. At 9:00 we headed to the first tee... in a corner of the sky the clouds split open revealing a beautiful blue that spread over the course and we played in wonderful warm glowing sunshine for the entire round. I shot 6 under par including an eagle, a double eagle, and an ace. All the crossposters on rsg showed up and signed a contract in blood never to crosspost again, and Roger Bunn himself caddied for me all day. Yeah right - IT RAINED. We got really soaked. For once my powers utterly failed me - well at least we did get to play (no thunder or anything), and I think we had a lot of fun. As it started to rain I looked at my one small towel. I looked at my Winn Grip on my driver which just soaks up the rain like a sponge. I took my umbrella off my bag where it has been since I bought it, unwrapped it from the cellophane wrapper, and asked for instructions on how to use it from one more experienced than I in these wet conditions. Clubs were thrown - unintentionally. Brian M would have won the long drive contest with the distance his driver went on one hole. Unfortunately it was just a practice swing and didn't count. Through it all, the unflappable "Zippy" played a great round in this crap and won the new RSG-OHIO trophy. You have heard of the Wannamaker trophy, the largest trophy on tour, that Vijay won at the PGA this year - well our trophy, made from an antique engraved coffeepot, the most coveted trophy on the internet - is called the Coffeemaker trophy and now has three names on it. Shawn Beachy, last years champion, presented Zippy with the RSG-OHIO maroon jacket, and I presented him with a certificate from Bite Golf shoes good for a free pair. We also had prizes for various skills contests, lowest #putts, long drives, etc - mostly donated by Bite Golf Shoes (http://www.bite-golf.com) - THANKS BITE! We also had our first women participant - Lori F. (hope I spelled your first name right Lori!), who won the women's division of rsg-ohio (sorry, no trophy, just a small token prize). There we were, soaked to the skin. Wet clothes. Wet towels. Wet bags. Wet grips. Wet. Wet. Wet. And it was still raining. But we were golfers, born for adversity, die-hard competitors - we did not come to shirk our duty. For there was still a battle to be fought that day. Indeed, it was time for the greatest match play event this side of the Ryder Cup itself - Ohio vs The World!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------ SATURDAY AFTERNOON ------------------------------------------------------------------ Still raining, the maniacal golfers still standing headed to the first tee at Foxfire. Only four matches would be played, as the others all agreed to halve (wimps). Unfortunately, Ohio once again lost to the greater depth of the World Team, and I was soundly beaten in my grudge match by the Steely-Eyed, Cold-Blooded, wee Ice-Mon John G. from Indiana. On the last hole of my match, I swung what felt like a good swing, made good contact with the ball - and the shaft broke on my driver! Just above the hosel - splintered in two! This is the Precision Composites shaft that Dave T. has in his driver (ok I'm a copycat). I sank a long putt on the final green to keep the match alive if John missed his 10-footer... but no, the Ice-Mon dropped it with a cold wet plop. ------------------------------------------------------------------ SATURDAY EVENING ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ok I wimped out of the evening festivities at the Hoster's brewpub in Columbus, but I sent spies to listen to the great tales and times that were had by all. I had a prize to present to the best tale of the day, and that went to Dave T. who had played very well on Thursday, had trouble hitting fat shots on Friday, and played in the wet RSG-OHIO on Saturday. His analogy was that he had played the RSG-OHIO Triathlon - golf on Thursday, gardening on Friday, and swimming on Saturday! My 7-year old son Joey had decorated the package with an original drawing of a golfer hitting a ball into a sandtrap next to agreen, complete with rake, footprints, green, and flag. ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUNDAY MORNING ------------------------------------------------------------------ Good weather for Sunday, though the course was a little wet in spots. But we ALMOST played Granville, the Donald Ross course in Granville, OH. OK - we played, but it was unlike the usual course. The greens were long and shaggy and the course in very rough condition - I assure you this is VERY unusual, as I have never seen anything like it. Normally these greens are very fast and very tricky. I had the pleasure of playing with Mark G and his son Chris, who is getting to be one heck of a player. He made a great putt on #17 to win a skin. It sure was a blast!!! Thanks all of you who could make it! And a lot of EXTRA thanks to Deuce Dean, the Golfing Machine for his GREAT HELP so I didn't have to do it all myself. And to Brian M, Jim W, Neal B, Bite Golf Shoes, and anybody I forgot who helped me set this up. Soon it will be time to start thinking about RSG-OHIO 1998!!! Keep in touch... maybe Pittsburgh, NC, Memphis, Fripp Island......I love this game and playing with rsg-ers! -- -- -- David "Thor" Collard -- http://ttsoft.com/thor -- thor@lucent.com