The Golfchick

That chick blabbing about anything golf related.

Month: June 2008 (page 1 of 2)

Star Valley Ranch Golf

I just finished playing Cedar Creek in Star Valley Ranch in Thayne, WY. Beautiful. I’ll give more details later as I’m blogging from my GooseBerry now.

I am about to head back up the Grey’s River above Alpine, where about 35 or 40 of my family members have taken over a great lodge. Big party up there tonight for my uncle’s birthday with a terrific band. My family knows how to party!

We have ZERO cell/internet service up there (not to mention limited electricity) so I figured I’d post this real quickly before making my way back up.

More later!

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Things I Have in Common with Michelle Wie

There aren’t many, I admit, but there are a few. I also admit that while I’m glad for many of the things we don’t have in common, I sure wish I had her potential in golf. That said, here’s what we do share:

  • Skipped a lot of school (wish mine had been for golf)
  • Enjoy Cheerios (educated uneducated guess)
  • Wrist pain
  • Wish we could putt like Tiger Woods (what, you have something in common with her too?)
  • Won’t win the US Open this year
  • Thought we could
  • Occasionally delusional

I think that about covers it.

michelle wie us open putting drill

Photo by Ashley Mayo. Check out her live blogging from the Women’s US Open to read about the putting drill pictured and all the US Open action on the Golf For Women Editor’s blog.

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Road Trip Update

We’re almost there. It has been a leisurely drive and we’re taking our time. We also have company in our convoy but I still can’t release details since the surprise hasn’t happened yet. We have seen many golf courses and Greg may go play a little nine-holer across the street from where we’re staying in the morning while Vito and I sleep (relatively) late. We only have a couple hours driving left so we aren’t in any rush. I’d play with him but we can’t leave Vito alone in the room.

Anyway, here are a few photos from our journey so far. More to come.

road trip

I love Utah.

vito great dane ear flap in window

Flapping in the 70 mph breeze. Too bad the camera didn’t catch the lips in full flap position.

vito great dane yawn

Are we there yet?

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Road Trip!

Would anyone in their right mind take a 2000 mile road trip instead of flying these days? Dunno – you’d have to ask someone in their right mind.dog on board

Despite the insane fuel prices, we’re going on a road trip tomorrow. Of course we have to take Vito with us, and he’s nowhere near ready for the trauma of being stuffed in a giant crate and treated like cargo on an airplane. So we’re loading up the car and heading out. That’s quite a trick with a dog this size and luggage and golf clubs, but we’ve got a plan.

Can’t give you too many details now as our arrival is meant to be a surprise and even though the surprisee will likely never see this, better safe than sorry. I don’t think I’ll have much opportunity to blog while I’m there but I’ll try. If not, I’ll be sure to fill you in when I get back. Meanwhile, stay cool out there!

May they all roll true…

Great Dane Vito

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Great golf course closing soon – play now!

There are a couple of weekends left to get your round(s) in at a terrific golf course. I’ve written about Primm Valley Golf Club before and I absolutely love both of its 18-hole courses.

primm valley golf club lakes course

There are two golf courses on the property – the Lakes and the Desert. They’re amazingly different from each other so you’ll want to play both. My favorite is the Lakes, simply because I play it better and I like all the water. But here’s the thing: Primm uses bent grass on its greens and some poa annua grass has crept onto the Lakes Course greens. It’s spreading around (probably on people’s cleats) but luckily it hasn’t reached the Desert Course. Many courses use poa annua by design or by accident because it takes over. The greens crew is keeping them rolling well for the mean time and the course still plays great (I was just there a few weeks ago).

Rather than attempt the commonly failed overseeding method to fix it as some courses do, Primm is closing the Lakes Course down completely for 3+ months to repair the greens. At least they chose the hottest months to do it. The date of closure is June 30 so the last day to play Lakes is June 29.

That leaves two more full weekends to play both courses on an affordable trip. Primm Valley Golf Club is owned by Mandalay Bay, but they partner with Terrible’s, the casino/hotels on the Nevada side of the California/Nevada stateline. The courses themselves are a couple miles down the road on the California side. They’ve got great rates (even lower in these hot summer months) that allow you to stay and play without breaking the bank like many of the resorts in Las Vegas proper. Two people can stay Friday & Saturday nights and play both courses on Saturday and Sunday for just $195/person. So if you’re tired of “stay-cations” and want a quick getaway, this is a great option. But you’ll want to play both of these golf courses so you better get cracking.

The course reopens on October 18th 2008, when the rate for the above mentioned package increases to $295/person. Still a great deal, especially since the weather is so nice then, so if you can’t get away this month, just wait until fall.

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Looking and feeling good on the golf course

Lily's of Beverly Hills Hamptons collectionFashion? On The Golf Chick? That’s right, I do care. In my latest post over at Golf For Women, I talk about the importance of feeling good on the golf course, which includes looking good. Any ounce of confidence you can add to your game can help lower your score, so why wouldn’t I care? I am all about the golf and trying to improve my game and that includes, rather than excludes, fashion.

Whether or not Oprah answers my call, I will continue to try to improve my wardrobe as well as my game.

In that post, I also talk about Lily’s of Beverly Hills, a fine golf apparel company whose clothes I enjoy for their comfort and style. I have my eye on a particular outfit from their Summer/Fall 2008 line called the Hamptons (pictured). I haven’t been able to find it at the stores carrying Lily’s in my area but I hope to get my hands on it soon.

You can see their latest collections and find a retailer in your area on the LBH website. Or google Lily’s of Beverly Hills to find an online store for some of their classic pieces.

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Tiger Woods out for the Season, PGA stock plummets

Tiger’s taking his ball (and US Open trophy) and going home. For the rest of the year.

Stress fractures of the tibia, a torn ligament, and his upcoming ACL surgery have the world’s number one hobbling away with his winnings to recover for the rest of the year. I hope he has a good disability plan, because how can someone afford to just take that much time off?

The LPGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours should prepare for scattered viewers. After Tiger’s competition against Rocco in one of the best golf tournaments ever, regular PGA Tour events are going to just seem like … golf. And we get that on the other tours. Yes, we’ll miss Tiger but it will be fun to watch other golf for the rest of the summer in His absence. Maybe towards the end of the season with Tiger far enough away in our rearview mirrors, the events will even seem exciting. There is certainly potential for a lot of drama and excitement from the women.

Oh but first we have to get past all the press coverage and speculation about how the injuries affected his play at the US Open, and how he’ll be when he finally returns. I’m sure once it hits in earnest, it will spiral out of control for awhile, so I’m bracing myself and am prepared to play through it.

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Now that’s entertainment! (and other US Open thoughts)

If you missed the US Open, you missed some of the best golf ever televised. It was incredible. Almost literally. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was rigged to script the drama. I guess it’s conceivable that Tiger could aim for an adjacent hole’s bunker knowing he could execute the amazing recovery shot. He could even have been paid to make it close and have missed a few putts on purpose knowing he’d win in the end. He could even wince in agony and magically recover in order to secure a few more million dollars a year from an Aleve endorsement all while lending credibility to his human persona. But did the USGA really collude with Aleve and Tiger’s creators to concoct this “competitive tournament?” Nahh… it all happens behind the scenes in Tiger’s camp, and the script began back when he had his work done. The USGA, the PGA Tour and the golf industry as a whole are simply lucky beneficiaries of Tiger’s placement here on Earth. Not to mention the fans.

The USGA did an amazing job of setting up the course to play exactly to par for the best of field. We all know that doesn’t include Tiger. He just played up to it for his own agenda which happens to make for highly entertaining golf.

tiger woods rocco mediate us openAll is right with the Universe

The Monday playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate was stellar. I bit off all my nails just watching and had putting butterflies as though I were playing and not safely home on my couch. As much as I love Tiger, my appreciation of him is for his dominance. I know some people would root against him for that reason and a lot of people rooted for Rocco because of his underdog status and his outright affability. I don’t think I’m alone that I was rooting for both of them – many of us simply wanted a good show (as Rocco said), and the players certainly delivered.

I wanted Rocco to win, but I needed Tiger to win to reassure me that the Universe was still on course. That the Earth will stay on its axis. As I rooted for Rocco, I worried about what life on Earth would be like if he won.

It was the most compelling round of golf I’ve personally ever watched. Wasn’t it fun to watch just two guys play every shot on every hole and to have it be so close? I was riveted – no skipping ahead through holes on my DVR. Every shot and every word (from the players) had to be seen and heard.

On Sunday, I was really rooting for a three person playoff. I would have loved to see Lee Westwood in there as well. My heart sank when he didn’t make it. Would it have been as entertaining as the underdog vs. number one head-on duel? We’ll never know.

The unwitting pool boy

Pool boys are known for their sex appeal. I’m guessing Rocco never really has been, what with his funny body and funny smile, but I’m also guessing that just changed for a lot of female golf fans (and maybe Johnny Miller as well). Perhaps it’s simply Rocco’s easy demeanor that makes him a pool boy in Johnny’s eyes, but for me, his sexy quotient was elevated to pool boy status by his amazing golf and how he competed with the best, had him on the ropes and fought it out to the finish.

Random thoughts:

Could a non-golfer ever truly appreciate just how great Tiger Woods is? Before I took up golf, I know I didn’t.

If Elin hadn’t dressed like Rocco on Monday, would the round have been a blowout?

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Johnny Miller “gems” from the US Open

I’m told he’s not mentally disabled, so I guess Johnny Miller is fair game. With all the incredible action yesterday, it was irritating to have to listen to his nonsense. Rather than muting the telecast, I decided to document some of his gems. Some are listed by readers in this previous post, but here are some examples of his “brilliance” from Sunday at the US Open:

The nonstop comparison of himself to Tiger because of their similar knee surgeries: “I can relate to everything Tiger’s going through right now.” (Riiiiiight. There’s his delusional perspective at work.)

“Four par” (meaning a par 4 hole, not four par scores)

On what shots Tiger should hit all day: “If he plays the hook, he’s just another player.” (Uh, if he plays the hook, he’s probably an amateur. Do you mean draw?)

and… Johnny decided Tiger should be playing his power cut shots all day since they’ve been working best. (this shortly after we hear that the shot that hurts Tiger the worst is the cut, especially the power one since he snaps his left knee.)

On a random 6-foot putt: “These are the ones you gotta make if you wanna win.” (not the 4 footers, the 12 footers, the 2 footers, the approach shots or anything else?)

On a putt that didn’t break into the hole: “It stayed up there for some reason” (wonder what that reason is?)

On a shot decision with a poorly timed telestrator accompaniment: Lots of bumbling words followed by “he was playing the shot that would go this way” (are you sure he’s not mentally disabled?)

I’m recording the playoff so I’ll update this with any gems I pluck from today’s broadcast once I watch it (trying desperately not to hear the score!).

Update: From Monday’s playoff round

Talking about how “sole-ing” the club in chunky lies rather than keeping the club level at the ball for chips from the rough is the “biggest mistake I see from professional golfers.” (as though if he were still a player, he wouldn’t make this mistake and since it’s the most common, he’d be better than they are)

On the third hole after Rocco almost aced it and Tiger was in the bunker: “I had a feeling he was gonna make a 2 there when Tiger was buried.” (cocky blowhard now thinks he has ESP)

Talking about how Tiger made a bunch of one-putts then missed some “I sorta jinxed him.” (cocky blowhard thinks he has that power as well)

Constantly giving advice as to how caddies should interact with their players. For example – yesterday he suggested if he were Stevie, he’d be more forceful with Tiger’s club decisions off the tees. And today, saying if he were Rocco’s caddie he would have pumped him up by telling him to take advantage of the second par 3 when Tiger was in trouble. (Give me a break – these guys have relationships with their players and know exactly how to work with them.)

After the 18th hole when they were on their way to the 7th tee for sudden death, he said he was shocked that Tiger ate and drank as much as he did before going back to play: “It’s not always good to eat so much.” (Again – give me a break. Like Tiger doesn’t know his own body well enough to balance his own pH levels.)

Johnny – do you get paid by the word? Why do these people keep hiring him? Yes, he was announcing during the ESPN portion of the coverage as well as NBC. The only reason I can think is that the other announcers insist that he’s there alongside them so that they’ll appear brilliant by comparison.

Care to share some of your favorites? Please do!

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Annika v. Lorena: The Rematch

Also known as The Greater Sinaloa Open 2: Electric Boogaloo

Well, I took Lorennika Sorenchoa back to the local dogrun to give Annika a rematch. The course wasn’t too busy but we didn’t have it all to ourselves. I caught up to a family on the third hole and the little kids were adorable to watch. There was nowhere to go in front of them without having to speed things up (drop one competitor) and play through a bunch of groups. So we lolligagged and enjoyed the nice day. It was more humid and buggy out compared to Tuesday’s perfection and I sneezed more (lately I think I’m even allergic to my allergy pills) but it was still a great evening. The family ahead of me consisted of one dad and two boys, one of them quite small. Very cute. It was great to see him teaching his boys etiquette as they whacked the ball around. He’d not only coach them on their swings, but where to place their golf bags around the green to be positioned to leave for the next hole and how to navigate the putting surface. Nicely done, strange dad. This is exactly why we need courses like Sinaloa.

*Laker fans take note: The other people on the course should have been home watching the Laker game like they were on Tuesday. If you want someone to blame for last night’s loss – these are your scapegoats.*

Sinaloa hole 5Moving on… remember the hawk hole from Tuesday? Here it is. Friendliest pin position ever. The front bunker usually has a big, hairy mustache on the top. Sadly, it has been trimmed. The small squares are the ladies’ Tuesday ball positions and the big rectangle is where the hawk was standing. The circles are last night’s ball positions – Lorena in the front, Annika in the back. Ochoa made par, Sorenstam bogey’d.

As promised, I won’t run down each and every hole, so here are the results:

Lorena: 32 (5 pars, 3 bogeys, 1 double)

Annika: 34 (1 birdie, 2 pars, 4 bogeys, 2 doubles)

This time, Lorena played with the Lady Noodle and Annika used the Precept Lady. I didn’t notice a big difference in ball flight, but Annika wasn’t as consistent as Lorena so it’s kind of hard to be scientific. Once again, Annika drank a little more than Lorena though not as much as Tuesday night since she spilled one of the beers.

A couple guys caught up to me as I was waiting on the 8th tee and they played the last two holes with us. It sounds like they’ve been playing since they were kids but their techniques sure didn’t show it. Nice guys, but they teed up their golf balls so high you’d expect them to be using drivers with oversized heads rather than irons. They each played two balls off the tee and chose their better ball to play out the hole. I’m guessing their scores were in the high 40s to 50s. One guy told me I had a nice swing and that I “didn’t swing like a girl.” I thought to myself “yes I do, and maybe you should try it.”

Congratulations to Lorena for backing up her win. Had Annika taken this one, we probably would have needed a rubber match. Now we don’t have to spend Sunday night (the next – and perhaps last – Laker game) at Sinaloa and can instead enjoy Father’s Day and the US Open Final.

sinaloa hole 6

Just for fun, here’s a shot of the shortest (and purportedly easiest) hole on the course. There is the family playing in front of me on the green. The trick to this shot is all in the touch of the wedge.

Post Script

Oh yeah – why do I avoid Laker games? I know it’s cool to like basketball but I just don’t. Can’t stand it. Oh, maybe I’d get caught up in the excitement if I actually attended a live game but watching it on television is just irritating with all its obnoxious sounds. Squeaka-squeaka-squeak! Not to mention the noise emanating from a certain fan I know as he yells at the screen as though the players, coaches and refs can hear him. My loathing of basketball grows more irrational as the years go on. I get downright twitchy when it’s on a television near me. Much better to be on the golf course!

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