GRUDGE MATCH/WINE VALLEY pictorial.......COMPLETED

[Anthony Gray]

  As stated before golf is great because of the land it is played on and the people that play it. Wine Valley proved to be a perfect setting for THE GRUDGE MATCH. So one out of two aint bad.

  Wine Valley sets in a secluded area that is surrounded by wide open spaces. It has plush green fairways that are framed by vibrant yellow tall grasses.

  The course is very playable. The bunkering style is secound to none and are placed in areas  along the course that challenge every level of player. Truly worth the effort to get there.

  All involved would like to thank the curtious staff for making this event a success. Everything from the intimate candle lit mens room to the crowd control of  the unruly spectators.


  

  

  
  

[Anthony Gray]

  After pleasantries on the first tee the match got underway using the match play format.


                     

[Anthony Gray]

  The first hole is a 380 yard par 4 that bends slightly to the right. The right side fairway bunker is reachable(proven by Garland) and the left side bunker is a great target and gives you the best angle to the pin. The green sit in the middle of a hill and the balkl can be played off the bank above the green.


   

   

   

   

     Garland had to play long to avoid the fronting bunker because of his poor angle.

   

      Kalen sinks the bogey putt for the win

   

   
      After 1     Kalen 1 up

[Bill_McBride]

Anthony, "plush" is not good.  Are you sure the fairways were "plush," or were they fast & firm?

[Anthony Gray]

   The 2nd is a slightly uphill par 4 of 345. The aesthetics of the bunkering is well evident.


    Both players hit the middle of the fairway. Kalen came up short after a 3 wood off the tee from 140. Garland hit a great approach from 120 and two putted for par and the win.

   After 2..............All Square

     

     

     

[Anthony Gray]

Anthony, "plush" is not good.  Are you sure the fairways were "plush," or were they fast & firm?

  A little soggy after the all night and early morning scotish rain. But the color contrasts were someting we don't see in the south much.

  Anthony

[Jeff Doerr]

This is what we wanted to see!

The course looks great!

[Bill_McBride]

Anthony, "plush" is not good.  Are you sure the fairways were "plush," or were they fast & firm?

  A little soggy after the all night and early morning scotish rain. But the color contrasts were someting we don't see in the south much.

  Anthony

Thanks.  It looks just beautiful, the bunkers have a certain "Slaggishness" to them. 

[Anthony Gray]

  3rd hole. 505 par 5 with centerline bunkers and pond guarding the left side approach. Ideal line is right of the centerline bunkers.


    The hole did not start out the best for Kalen

   



    After finding his tee ball

   

  He hacks out into the fairway


   

   

   


   Garland makes 5 for his secound par in a row.......After 3    Garland 1 up


   

[Eric Smith]

Love the bag drop.

Golf course looks fantastic.  Keep em coming!

[Tom Huckaby]

I am not ashamed to say I am loving this.  Keep 'em coming!

QUESTION - how was Kalen's back?  Man for all the joking in that other thread, he had a pretty serious lower back episode last week... as one who has suffered through such for 25 years, I quite literally felt his pain... and man driving 9 hours to play a golf round, hell that would tax Tiger Woods... Kalen has to get points for effort in any case... but really, was he walking well?  Pain levels?

And oh yes the course does look very very cool.

[Anthony Gray]

  4th hole par 4 330. One of my favorites. Requires a long tee ball because the green is fronted by bunkering that must be carried to find the putting surface. THe green has a backstop to aid the long approach. Great design. After two pop up drives the players were left with mid irons to carry the bunkers. Garland pulled his dead left and long leaving a long difficult down hill pitch. As for Kalen....................well.....

   

   

   

  Kalen's first sand shot


   

   His secound



   

  Garland's amazing low runner for a conceeded par. His third in a row.

   

   

  After 4............Garland 2 up.

[Garland Bayley]

I am not ashamed to say I am loving this.  Keep 'em coming!

QUESTION - how was Kalen's back?  Man for all the joking in that other thread, he had a pretty serious lower back episode last week... as one who has suffered through such for 25 years, I quite literally felt his pain... and man driving 9 hours to play a golf round, hell that would tax Tiger Woods... Kalen has to get points for effort in any case... but really, was he walking well?  Pain levels?

And oh yes the course does look very very cool.

Kalen said his back was fine, and don't feel sorry for him about driving 9 hours to "play a round of golf." The schedule of golf he had set up to follow the GRUDGE MATCH could make you green with envy.

[Tom Huckaby]

Oh I know his schedule post-grudge match.. and green with envy I am!

I just meant that he drove 9 hours and then played golf... no rest, no sleep.  That's a tough call even for those without back issues.
SO... no excuses.. I was more just curious how his back felt after all of that (given I have done stuff like that myself).  I am sure the man himself will report.

So two up after 4... no way you blow that lead, do you Garland?

 

[Garland Bayley]

  4th hole par 4 330. One of my favorites. Requires a long tee ball because the green is fronted by bunkering that must be carried to find the putting surface. THe green has a backstop to aid the long approach. Great design. After two pop up drives the players were left with mid irons to carry the bunkers. Garland pulled his dead left and long leaving a long difficult down hill pitch. As for Kalen....................well.....

   

   

   

  Kalen's first sand shot


   

   His secound



   

  Garland's amazing low runner for a conceeded par. His third in a row.

   

   

  After 4............Garland 2 up.

My second was not "pulled left" as a left hander will not pull things left. The design of the hole made going for the green for someone of my capabilities out of the question. Therefore, I aimed right and hit it a bit beyond what I had hoped into the junk. However, the second bit of my calculation was that I would be left with the hole green to work with, so my little pitch landed a short ways on the green and ran all the way to close to the hole.

Meanwhile Sandman lived up to his name. 

[Charlie Goerges]

Okay, I totally missed something. Kalen's back did NOT keep him from playing? Was it all just a hoax?

[Rob Rigg]

Always fantastic to see the "Mellow Yellow" sticks in action.

Is Anthony filling a cavity or something - more pics are needed - the suspense is overwhelming!

WV is a wonderful setting for this "SWWoG" event

[Garland Bayley]

Okay, I totally missed something. Kalen's back did NOT keep him from playing? Was it all just a hoax?

\

Kalen's back cured quite quickly. I provided most of the cure by letting him know I shot 102-102 ESC adjusted to 100-102 on the previous weekend in our club championship to finish dead last. By Tuesday he was quietly letting us know he was back in the match.

[Tom Huckaby]

Okay, I totally missed something. Kalen's back did NOT keep him from playing? Was it all just a hoax?

As often happens with lower back episodes, when it occurs one feels as if he is close to death, and golf is the farthest thing from possiblities.  You just want the pain to stop so you can lie or sit comfortably.  However... it then tends to get better rapidly... even in a horrid spasm situation, after 3-4 days one can be pretty much back to normal.

And that is what occurred with Kalen.  He had his first ever back episode, felt as if he were gonna die, and thus reported there was no way to make the Grudge Match happen.. however... as the week went on, it became more and more possible.  So he made the long drive and did it... he had quite a few other courses after this on his agenda, as Garland alludes to.  I am sure we shall hear about those also.

 

[Anthony Gray]

  Hole number 5. By far the strongest hole on the course. Long 435 par 4. A sand river runs down the left side the bisects the fairway 100+ yards out. An approach can be banked in from the left side. The choice is to try to challenge the hazard with the secound shot or play short and conceed bogey. Again great design. As for our players ....... lets just say high handicappers have more fun...and more shots.


   Sorry about the blurry photo...I don't have steady hands.

   

   

   

   

   

   


  WOW.....where do we start. Garland laced one down the middle, then either played short or took on the cross hazard. Hard to tell which because his secound landed dead center of the hazard. Kalen push his tee ball to the right into the high stuff and hacked out then placed his third in the hazard. Kalen then recieved a favorable ruling from the official due to standing water and we were off to Garland. By the time the players reached the putting surface the scorer had lost count. After all the confusion Garland 7....Kalen 6.

          After 5......Garland 1 up.

[Tom Huckaby]

BEST ONE YET!!!!

You are great at this, Anthony.  Keep 'em coming.....


 

[Pete_Pittock]

   Sorry about the blurry photo...I don't have steady hands.

SOL (snort out loud) doc.


P/S deleted the pictures and extraneous (to this) text

[Garland Bayley]

I was laying up short and right of the hazard, but with the ball below my feet, the ball (as it and its kin sometimes do in such situations) decided to go left and run down the hill into the hazard.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Bag rests, wow, I thought they were open air urinals, you learn something new everyday on GCA.com. You sure you are not taking the Piss 


I was wondered what that little hole was for, starting to get me worried

Melvyn

[Tom Huckaby]

I was wondered what that little hole was for, starting to get me worried

Target?