[archie_struthers]

 

Really leery on this one, but because I'm among friends here goes.   As embarrassing as it is , I'm  beginning to relate to Sergio Garcia, and his crazy rants about luck. Bad luck that is, as it relates to golf, actually my golf.

Love the game ,   Spent my formative years carrying  countless bags for hackers and some legendary players.   Started my looping career at Woodcrest (Flynn) at 99 lbs at 11 years retired at Pine Valley at 26.5.  . Played all sports , college soccer .   Did a stint in Florida for four winters , got to caddy for Arnie,  Slammin Sam , Crenshaw , T. Watson , etc etc .  Just a half ass wanna be player , won a couple  am tournaments , low round 64 , not scared to play for some quid, lost a small fortune building Twisted Dune and lived to fight another day   etc etc blah blah blah . Sorry but had to establish a base for my rant. .

I've made 15 or 16 holes in one. Hit it awful, made everything for years. Chipped in ridiculously often , from  crazy places. Prided  myself on being able to escape from almost any awful drive, of which there were many.  Lucky as hell !  But it's all dried up, the well is dry !  

 I'm totally jinxed . For two years I have hit it pretty good and made absolutely nothing....no yips , just hundreds of lip outs ...but that's just the beginning. Hit it two days in a row behind the skiinniest tree  (three inch caliper) 270 yards out off the first at my home club .    Bounced two off the pin on the 18th hole in tournaments into hazards to lose both by one. Hit it into the crotch of trees a ridiculous number of times, sometimes three for three during the course of a round etc etc blah blah blah. In a local USGA qualifier buried it six times under the lips of bunkers ( three in FW bunkers  with drivers ) and had to go backwards (shot 78) . In that same event hit a nice big hook around a dogleg  , and it was lodged behind another tiny lone tree thru the fairway ...hit the pin on a 215 yard par three that day, and bounced into a footprint in a bunker ( got it up and down)    Sorry guys ....but I do believe in spooks , and I don't know what to do.It would be funny , but I'm serious.  Even a few of my playing partners are grudgingly thinking I might not be nuts and keep their distance. Of course they have no pity as they steal my cash lol !

There I've said it , anyone else out there believe in jinxes ??   Greg Norman are you listening.    

[Sven Nilsen]

For having 15 or 16 holes in one, I'd take the jinx.  In the immortal words of Charles Barkley, you, sir, have white people problems.

[Jim Nelson]

Hey Archie:  The answer to your question is yes, you are nuts.  Even one hole-in-one is a wonder.  You can't even remember how many you have!!  Love your narrative, but a word to the wise.  The punctuation police are out there.  Be careful.

[Bill_McBride]

Archie:  ten Hail Marys and a novena.  No more problems.

[mike_beene]

Are you healthy and playing golf?You are not jinxed but are a winner in life's lottery.The ball has to roll somewhere.

[archie_struthers]

 

I feared  no one would believe !  Any other kooks out there who relate. Just one would help ?   Mike , of course my life is blessed , but golf is religion too.

[Colin Macqueen]

Archie,

As you say, golf is a religion and, to your credit, you have displayed zealotry. However The Gods o' Gowf do not like attention being drawn to their ways as they balance the scales. Given this I suspect that your woes may well continue for a wee while longer simply because of this thread. My heart goes out to you, as no doubt does Sergio's, but struggle on you must. You have, as you yourself admit, been blessed and no doubt once The Gods are appeased your apparent "bad luck" will diminish. 'Tis the way of the Lords of The Links.... the jinx.

Yours in perpetual sorrow,

Colin

[Anthony Gray]

  Sale your clubs at a garage sale. You're toast.

  Anthony

[archie_struthers]

   

Now we're talking, but rather than selling , I'd give them to another unfortunate, save my 1978 vintage Wilson Staff JP sand wedge ,   it owes me nothing.  

I'm there for you Colin if ever you need some therapy. Your kindness no doubt will give you absolution from any golfing "sins" past or present. Bless you!

As for you, Mr Gray,  we have a standing game five days a week here in the wilds of South Jersey . Bring your weapons to the first tee and  I'll surely come out of hiding  

[Kris Shreiner]

Archie,

As you well know, play this game long enough...and goblins and ghouls, in various forms of affliction, are almost bound to surface. Call it the ghosts of good golfing fortune past, or whatever, you have enjoyed MANY years of the kind of golf game many long for. Sure, you put your time in, and as a fellow practitioner who found the game as a caddie, You've EARNED IT my friend!

While you've played the type of golf at a level that you feel you should be getting more out of it at present, life, like golf,doesn't always deal us good cards. I've gotten frustrated myself of late, having battled about a two year bout of driveritis...just can't get the tee ball in order. I, like yourself, have prided myself on my Houdini recovery prowess from the dire...but that gets VERY OLD when there is no relief, even marginally so, in sight!

Fear not my friend. Don't despair, rather take the frequent, cruel predicaments with a smile. Remember all those wonderful rewards(a score of aces for starters!) and embrace the absurd. The episodes will diminish eventually, and some sanity regarding your golf game should return. Hand tough my fellow looper, we've seen it before(for sure) and this too shall pass!


Cheers,
Kris

[Adam Clayman]

Cycles Archie.

Compared to most, it sounds like you've been on the good side of the bell shape curve, as it pertains to luck.

[archie_struthers]

 

Kris , all the best to you.  I'm going to take out my old MacGregor Eye o Matic and say a prayer for your driving!

A quick story. Nelson (Nellie) Dane was a local member at PVGC who I caddied for more than a few times when I started there. He was a decent player  (7 handicap) ) who thought he should be able to break 80 with some good course management . A nice guy , easy to caddy for. His level of frustration grew one spring into summer as he just couldn't finish off a round there. A bunch of mid to high eighties scores.

One day he striped tee shots on one and two and made real nice pars. This continued past three, four and the dreaded #5, where he hit three wood on and made it for birdie. Uh oh!   I'm looping with a wonderful grizzled veteran nicknamed Cappy , and we were out front forecaddying on seven. We both marveled at his ball striking that day!   Despite this , Cappy  looked at me when he whipped his drive almost to "the acre" and said , nah, can't last.  I replied , you gotta believe!

"Nellie" parred seven , hit a beautiful flip wedge off the hanging lie on #8 , and headed to nine tee one under. Cappy looked at me knowingly as he hit another big tee shot on nine and muttered that the second shot matters too.  He wasn't rooting against him, but was a non believer.

As we walked jauntily to up the hill to the ninth green, I was careful not to say anything about the fact he had a fifteen footer for 33, two under par.  
I wasn't going to "jinx him" !  

He eyed up his putt, running straight down the spine on the left green, and asked me for a read. Mumbling quietly , I suggested he lag it and give it some extra break to mitigate the downhill. Just then he lost the magic, why we will never know. He stabbed the putt, sending it down the hill too fast and off the front edge.  In a moment of golf horror , he shanked the ensuing chip into the bunker, and proceeded to butcher the hole and the front nine.  Needless to say he didn't break 80 that day.

I remember feeling awful for him, and perhaps my empathy was noticed by the "golf gods" . Right after that I broke 70 for the first time , with an improbable number of long birdie putts .  Nothing but good karma followed.


Kris , I'll repent and play on,  thanks for the support!

[Anthony Gray]

  When you loose track of how many aces you have its time to give the game up. Who wants to play a game that is that easy. I would fall asleep on par 3s.

  Anthony



 

[Anthony Gray]

  You may be going through what Tiger is going through. You used to have an A game but now is just brief periods of excellence followed by periods of normalcy. Or you just may suck at golf which means you'll enjoy the game more. For you maybe only 3 to four more aces before you give up the game. You can always fall back on your caddying talents which I have done. Keep your chin up it only gets worse.

  Anthony

[archie_struthers]

 


Anthony , my affliction is different than  Tigers' ! My A game and his bear no resemblance .  He is arguably the best player who ever lived, I'm a rank amateur.

He has the yips , I have something weird going on. If I listened to you , I'd quit !

Thank goodness there are a few cognoscenti out there like Kris and Colin who give me strength to push on! 

[Kris Shreiner]

Archie,

I'm counting mightily on those prayers!    Ahhhh, the old Eye-o-matics, what beauties those were/are.

Cheers,
Kris

[Bruce Katona]

Archie my friend: The golf gods keep a scorecard.  It is a net sum gain of 0.  Thise 1's and chip-ins need to be offset on the big scorecard somewhere; now may be the time.

The good news is you're out there playing; many a person would trade your tainted luck just be be out for "the good walk spoiled."

[Kalen Braley]

Archie,

I'm sure i'm not the only one on this site who wouldn't trade to be in your shoes in a hot second.  My man you have lived the good life, even if you feel tortured at times.

I too have had my fair share of fried eggs, poor bunker play, lies in divots, shanks, ganks, and wicked slices...but not much on the positive side to balance it out.  My only shining moment is one round about 3 years ago when it all came together and I shot a 77 with 3 birdies in the round.....only time I ever broke 80 in my life.

[Anthony Gray]

Anthony , my affliction is different than  Tigers' ! My A game and his bear no resemblance .  He is arguably the best player who ever lived, I'm a rank amateur.

He has the yips , I have something weird going on. If I listened to you , I'd quit !

Thank goodness there are a few cognoscenti out there like Kris and Colin who give me strength to push on! 

  How can you push on when in the past you were holing out and now you are just hitting the pin. YOUR GAME IS SHOT. If your golf game was a horse they would put it down and send it to the glue factory.

  Anthony

[JESII]

Arch,

A round with me is the tonic you need...set up a game and I'll be there.

Sully

[archie_struthers]

 

Aha Anthony , my bad reverse psychology ........gracias and bouno fortuna !   Sully  come on down the waters fine. We're planning a big game soon . You missed the Irish Open.

[Garland Bayley]

Clearly you play too slow. Step it up.

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