Looking forward to the U.S.Open?

I certainly am! Bethpage Black has to be one of the greatest venues ever to host an Open. First, it is a public facility that anyone can play...admittedly easier for some than others. Second, it is a classic layout, full of trouble to challenge the best golfers in the world, but entirely fair in that hitting good shots is rarely penalized. Finally, it sits just that close to the largest city in the United States, yet feels like pastoral farmland as you make your way around the course.

I am proud to say I have played Bethpage's Black course, and don't even live in NYC. A few years back, myself and a couple of co-workers were able to walk on in the late-afternoon on a very rainy and grey day. Yes, a stoppage of play during a deluge on the 3rd tee caused us to eventually stop our round on the 16th green lest we become lost and never find our way back in the darkness, but I played enough of the couse to experience its greatness.

If you have a chance to play this course, do yourself a favor and make the necessary effort to play. Not only will you be able to walk the very ground that has humbled the likes of ever golfer who has played it (save for Tiger...maybe), but I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy every one of your 100+ strokes. I play to an 8 handicap and I had an 81 through 16.

Finally, I think I can safely assume that you all have a T.V. Well, make some time over Father's Day weekend to watch the players try to tackle this beast while it is setup for the Open, should be a blast!

One of my favorite golf photos...

Pacific Dunes 10th Hole -- Bandon, OR

Itching to play

So, my new daughter, Hayden, was born on Friday afternoon. Kerry and Hayden just came home yesterday, and I am one proud dad. Xavier, my 2-year-old son has been growing up right before my eyes, and seems to be very excited to be a big brother.

As great as all that is, I last hit a shot on the afternoon of April 4th (and it was a good one - solid putt for par to tie Brad for the day out at Orchard Valley), and can't stop thinking about golf. A week ago, the day before Hayden arrived, I received a new Cobra 3-wood in the mail after exchanging one I had purchased a week earlier. I am DYING to hit this new club, as well as all the rest of my clubs.

The weather is finally getting warmer, and it looks like it will get well into the 60s tomorrow and Friday. The problem is that Kerry can't lift Xavier for another 5 weeks or so, making a full round impossible without some help from others. So, I turn to my mother, and wil ask her to come on by sometime in the next few days so that I might steal away, at least to the driving range, to hit some golf balls.

Short term goal...enter and play in the CDGA tournament at Balmoral Woods on June 9th.

Later...

D

Will this be the year?

Though it could be the first year in my memory that all five of the major professional sports franchises here in Chicago make the playoffs, I am actually talking about golf. More precisely, will 2009 be the year in which I finally play a round of golf at even par or better? Only time will tell.

One thing standing in my way is the weather here in Chi-town. It is already April and I have only played three rounds of golf so far! Another thing standing in my way (or could possibly help me) is my consistent inconsistency. In three rounds this year I have shot 77, 95, and 87...but I have had 2 birdies in each round. By best round ever was a 74 back in 2005 (I think), and I have a couple of 76 rounds in there as well, but even par is elusive, and as anyone who plays this game with any regularity can tell you, it only takes one bad hole to ruin a round.

Anyway, it had been more than a year since I posted to this blog, and since late 2006 since my Beaver Tour gathered, so I wanted to get the conversation going with a post.

Let me know what your goals for 2009 are, and please become a follower of this blog, and contribute regularly...perhaps we can make the tour bigger and better than ever!

D

Hey all. Long time - no post. All this snow on the ground is making me realize that we still have quite a while before we can start knocking down flags here in Chicagoland. So...let's go somewhere else!

Week Nineteen Tee Times at Mistwood

This week we are playing at Mistwood in Romeoville on Saturday, August 19th. Our tee times are as follows:

9:40 - Brad, David, Kerry, Angelique

Mistwood is now under new management, and from what I understand, back in tip-top shape. It is a cool layout and another SBGT value at around $50. Let me know ASAP if you would like to join us this week.

Week Eighteen Results -- Oak Grove

Another course and golfer made their debuts on the SBGT this past Saturday on an absolutely perfect day for golf.

Oak Grove is a very nice course, and can be a bit mean as well. It is nice to play through the hills of Northern Illinois...something we don't get to do much here in Chicago. The greens were very fast and rolled smooth. The fairways were in excellent condition. So, how was it mean you ask...wetlands, wetlands, wetlands. There were places to lose a ball on almost every hole, especially on the Back nine. Still, for only $55 a bargain for sure. It will not likely return to the tour however as all six golfers drove almost two hours for the pleasure.

I managed the win by only taking one penalty shot on my second swing of the day. Brad held the lead for most of the round until he took a triple bogey on the 16th hole after blowing a great drive on the previous hole and allowing me to tie. I held on despite Brad's nice birdie on the final hole. My 88 was lowlighted by terrible putting as the quick breaking greens had me stymied all day long. In the second group, Kim was able to overcome her frustration to win the Net with a net 72. Welcome as well to Angelique who debted with a consistent 124 on the most difficult women's course the tour has ever played.

Here were the results:

David: 88, net 74 (1 birdie/4 pars/38 putts/6 fairways/6 gir/67% sand saves)
Kim: 115, net 72 (1 par/39 putts/4 fairways/2 gir)
Tweek: 105, net 74 (3 pars/34 putts/5 fairways/3 gir/100% sand saves)
Brad: 89, net 76 (1 birdie/4 pars/31 putts/5 fairways/4 gir)
Bryan: 96, net 79 (1 birdie/2 pars/39 putts/2 fairways/5 gir)
Angelique: 124, net n/a (1 par/46 putts/1 fairway/3 gir)

See you all on Saturday at the return to Mistwood!

Week Eighteen Tee Times at Oak Grove

This week we are playing at Oak Grove Golf Club in Harvard on Saturday, August 12th. Our tee times are as follows:

12:05 - David, Brad, Angelique

12:13 - Bryan, Kim

12:21 -

We made three times as we anticipated a high level of demand for this 4.5 star course in the far Northern 'burbs. All you Northies, come on out and ensure that courses this far north stay on the schedule! Only costs $55 also!

Week Seventeen Results -- Prairie Bluff

This week, five golfers made it out to THE BEST VALUE ON TOUR...Prairie Bluff.

Bryan was the story this week with his third victory of the season, and second at Prairie Bluff. Despite sitting alone in fourth place after the front nine, Bry not only held it together, but turned it on with birdies at 13 and 16 on his way to a terrific 3-over 39 on the back nine to secure the two stroke victory. The Net 68 that Bry shot was easily enough for the three stroke Net victory over Tweek. Tweek was in great shape after his front nine 43, one stroke ahead of the pack, but quickly crashed back to Earth on the 12th hole with a 10 that set the remainder of his round into a tailspin.

Here were the results:

Bryan: 84, net 68 (2 birdies/5 pars/32 putts/4 fairways/5 gir)
Tweek: 99, net 71 (5 pars/33 putts/6 fairways/3 gir)
Brad: 86, net 74 (1 birdie/7 pars/31 putts/5 fairways/5 gir)
Kim: 113, net 74 (1 par/36 putts/6 fairways/2 gir)
David: 90, net 78 (6 pars/35 putts/4 fairways/7 gir/25% sand saves)

Hope to see you all next week at Oak Grove!

Week Seventeen Tee Times at Prairie Bluff

This week we are playing at Prairie Bluff on Saturday, August 5th. Our tee times are as follows:

10:54 - Brad, David

11:02 - Kim, Bryan, Tweek

See you there.

Week Sixteen Results -- Harborside

WOW, not a good week.

Even our winner, Bruce would suggest that he didn't bring his A-game to Harborside this week. Shot of the day had to go to Bruce with his 200+ yard Baffler from the fairway bunker on #9 onto the green to set up an amazing birdie. That shot actually turned out to be the turning point that allowed Bruce to knock off Brad who had been leading almost all day long. Bry and I fought badly for the title of 2nd flight winner. I managed the one stroke "victory" for 3rd, though if you peek at the Net score, you will see how bad I actually did play.

Here were the results:

Bruce: 87, net 75 (1 birdie/8 pars/36 putts/8 fairways/9 gir/67% sand saves)
Brad: 88, net 77 (1 birdie/5 pars/33 putts/4 fairways/5 gir/50% sand saves)
Bryan: 101, net 84 (1 birdie/3 pars/30 putts/4 fairways/3 gir)
David: 100, net 88 (4 pars/32 putts/5 fairways/3 gir/33% sand saves)

Week Sixteen Tee Times at Harborside

This week are playing at Harborside International -- Starboard Course on Saturday, July 29th. Our tee times are as follows:

9:30 - David, Brad, Bruce, Bryan

Please let me know ASAP if you would like to play Harborside this week. We need to have all spots confirmed by Wednesday night, so the sooner the better to ensure yourself a spot.

Week Fifteen Results -- Steeplechase

Now we're talkin'! These outings are getting a bit competitive.

On what turned out to be an excellent day for golf, the top three golfers finished within three strokes of one another. Fortunately for me I built up a large enough lead to hold off a repeat of last week when I doubled away the win on the last hole. I still doubled the last hole this week with a 3-putt, but only dropped a stroke to Bryan and Brad who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. With the help of birdies on #6 and #17 I managed to absorb a disastrous break on #14 when I bladed a wedge out of a bunker from 100 yards over the green onto a damn cart path and into the street. I took a triple bogey 8 on that hole, but held it together until my 3-putt on 18. Brad played well, but also broke down a bit after a par 5 on the aforementioned #14. He shot 5-over on the last four holes to let the victory AND 2nd place go by. That is because Bry did hold it together, winning the back nine with a nice 42, and nearly overcoming a 3 stoke deficit at the turn. Had Bry not also 3-putted the 18th, he would've walked away with at least a tie for first.

Bryan did take the Net victory with a Net 66, but even that was a challenge as Tweek came out of hiding to shoot a Net 67! After tying Bry with a Par on the 17th, Tweek gave the stroke right back on 18 with a double.

Also, congrats to Tom who is the latest "official" Beaver playing his 5th round. He scored his best on tour so far with a 101, which netted to a 73. Finally, thanks to Jackie for getting a few of us the resident rate (though I did end up paying full price -- no need to recount that tale).

Here were the results:

David: 84, net 71 (2 birdies/5 pars/30 putts/7 fairways/6 gir)
Bryan: 85, net 66 (6 pars/30 putts/5 fairways/5 gir/20% sand saves)
Tweek: 99, net 67 (4 pars/33 putts/5 fairways/4 gir)
Tom: 101, net 73 (2 pars/38 putts/6 fairways/3 gir)
Brad: 86, net 74 (6 pars/29 putts/6 fairways/4 gir/50% sand saves)
Jackie: 121, net 87 (1 par/31 putts/6 fairways)

Thanks, and see you on Saturday at Harborside.

Week Fifteen Tee Times at Steeplechase

This week we are playing at Steeplechase in Mundelein on Saturday, July 22nd. Our tee times are as follows:

12:05 - David, Brad, Tom,

12:14 - Bryan, Jackie, Tweek

We grabbed the first two times after noon so that everyone has the option to walk this course and play for just over $50. They have the stupid manditory cart rule before noon on weekends. I expect to fill these times very quickly, so please let me know right away if you would like to play on Saturday.

Week Fourteen Results -- Bolingbrook Golf Club

Saturday at "the 'Brook" was one of the most competitive rounds of the year. On a course that typically yields scores in the upper 90s and 100s, this week's foursome of myself, Brad, Greg, and Pat found relative success in the heat on Saturday. Despite our best efforts, Brad came away the victor for the third straight event shooting an 87 to win by one. The win was in my sights all the way up to our second shots on the final hole. Brad still had 220 yards in and was holding a 2-iron while I was standing in the fairway holding my P-wedge. From there the script was out the window and I collapsed with a double bogey six, while Brad scrambled for bogey and the one stroke win.

Pat had a very good round to take the Net victory with a net 66! In fact, Pat was sitting only three off the lead after the front nine with a tidy 43. Then he held it together on the inward nine, finishing four off the scrath lead.

More congrats to Greg who suffered through a terrible start and shot the best back nine with a 43 to pull within 6 of the final lead. To do this he had to regularly recover from rotten tee shots, and nearly holed out with an iron in hand on three different occasions, most notably on the Par 4 sixth which he nearly eagled from about 85 yards out, and tapped in for birdie.

Here were the results:

Brad: 87, net 75 (1 birdie/6 pars/33 putts/5 fairways/5 gir/33% sand saves)
Pat: 91, net 66 (5 pars/33 putts/7 fairways/3 gir/100% sand saves)
David: 88, net 75 (7 pars/33 putts/7 fairways/7 gir)
Greg: 93, net 77 (1 birdie/5 pars/32 putts/6 fairways/4 gir)

See you all at Steeplechase!

Week Fourteen Tee Times at Bolingbrook Golf Club

This week we are playing at Bolingbrook Golf Club on Saturday, July 15th. Our tee times are as follows:

9:10 - Brad, David, Greg, Pat

Plenty of spots open right now...please let me know ASAP if you would like to play. This is an expensive course, but the cost includes the cart, and they feature perhaps the best GPS available, and they treat us like kings and queens. Nice touches include free range balls, free fruit and lemonade at the first tee, and a bottle of water for each golfer in the on cart coolers. Oh, the course is really nice too!

Week Thirteen Results -- Makray Memorial

There are at least two things that anyone would say about Makray Memorial...1. nice course in great condition and worth the very average cost for upscale golf in Chicago, and 2. you had better keep the ball on fairways and greens!

Once again, the winning player led the group in green in regulation. Brad's 86 led the field by three...and he did it from only four fairways, and with an up-and-down putter. What this course lacks in sand, it more than makes up for in rough with some of the thickest grass we play on tour. Kim fell one net stroke behind Brad to take 2nd place in the Net competition with her net 75, including a nice par 4 on the 16th. Good to see Andy back on tour for the first time since Orchard Valley on 8/20/05...and he managed a 2nd place finish with an 89. I led once again in putting and fairways, but it landed me nothing but a third place 92...six strokes off the lead. Bryan had it together on the front finishing the ninth in a tie for 2nd with Andy, only two strokes back, but fought a 51 on the back to drop into 4th place.

By the way...we did make a last minute switch away from our planned date at White Deer Run due to WDR changing their rate to $89 all day, AND NOT ALLOWING WALKING UNTIL 3 PM!!! Stupid, stupid rule!

Here were the results:

Brad: 86, net 74 (6 pars/35 putts/3 fairways/8 gir)
Kim: 117, net 75 (1 par/37 putts/4 fairways/1 gir)
Bryan: 96, net 77 (5 pars/36 putts/4 fairways/5 gir)
Andy: 89, net 78 (4 pars/38 putts/4 fairways/5 gir/100% sand saves)
David: 92, net 79 (4 pars/34 putts/6 fairways/4 gir)
Tom: 115, net n/a (2 pars/41 putts/2 fairways/2 gir)
Jackie: 130, net 95 (42 putts/4 fairways)

See you all on Saturday at Bolingbrook Golf Club!!!

Week Thirteen Tee Times at Makray Memorial

This week we are playing at Makray Memorial in Barrington on Saturday, July 8th. Our tee times are as follows:

12:20 - Kim, Jackie, Andy

12:30 - Brad, Bryan, David, Tom

Obviously, one spot open for this stop in the northern burbs. Let me know if you will be joining us ASAP.

Week Twelve Results -- Cantigny

Our Independence Day Open at Cantigny continued this past Saturday. Four tradition-honoring players hit the famed links at Cantigny to try their hand at the tough Lakeside/Hillside layout. Brad was able to secure his third victory of the season (and his first sub-90 victory this year) with an up-and-down 89. Jim Struck had a couple of firsts...a Net victory without a par, and to the best of my knowledge, a record 14 bogeys to finish with a 95, net 72. Despite my poor overall day, I did have the only birdie (on the Par 4 12th) and led the foursome in putting and GIR. Tom's only par of the day came with a sand save which means that half of his pars on tour have now come out of the sand...maybe you shouldn't be aiming at fairways and greens, Tom. Our winner, Brad, also had 2 sand saves, but was in the sand on 6 holes, thus the lower pct.

Here were the results:

Brad: 89, net 77 (6 pars/31 putts/6 fairways/3 gir/33% sand saves)
Jim: 95, net 72 (35 putts/6 fairways/1 gir)
David: 94, net 82 (1 birdie/4 pars/30 putts/3 fairways/4 gir)
Tom: 105 (1 par/35 putts/6 fairways/100% sand saves)

Thanks, and see you all on Saturday at White Deer Run!

Week Twelve Tee Times at Cantigny

This week we are playing at Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton on Saturday, July 1st.

For those of you who are not aware, Saturday is Canada Day which celebrates the creation of the original dominion of Canada, uniting the British territories of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a federation. So, c'mon out Canadians, and display the Maple Leaf proudly...while the rest of us beat you at the grand old game, eh?

Our tee times are as follows:

8:50 - David, Brad, Jim, Tom

Unless someone gets me a foursome by Noon on Friday...we are all full up.