The best part about playing golf is playing

[Rich Goodale]

JM,

Her Redness, taking exception to my foul humor this morning, suggested I find someplace else to empty my bucket of ill-will, snot, animus and snide remarks about her Facebook classmates.

A nasty flu during a rare break from the litigation circus has darkened my Chi.

Naturally, GCA came to mind as a soothing tonic - and place to milk my accumulation of dyspeptic venom.

We've got the Bruins tonight and I am in no mood to suffer a defeat at the hands of my ex-wife's Alma mater.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my many Wolverine friends (start with Wigler); watching that putrid carpetbagger Urban Meyer go down in flames would improve my outlook immensely.    

Gibster

At least your Trojans manned up against Stanford and showed that they still lhave the backbone of a great team.  But who's going to coach them next year?  Ed Orgasm (sic) seems to be doing a good job but does Haden have the balls to go with him?  Good luck vs. the Bruins and give the redhead my best.

Rich

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gib,

What's the windier course, SFGC or Olympic ?

Ocean or Lake ?

Does the wind or lack of it influence your choice between the Ocean and/or Lake ?

[Niall C]

[quote Niall Carlton]

 Patrick

For a moment there I thought you understood, until that nonsense about wide fairways.

Golf is about adapting your game to the circumstances, not adapting the course.

Niall,

I was a zero handicap, +/- 2 for 45+ years, hence, I know how to "adapt" my game.

On windy sites, an architect who doesn't create wide fairways isn't doing his client any favors.
[/quote]

Patrick

I've been playing shite golf for over 40 years man and boy, and one thing I've learned is that golf is a game not a business.

Niall

[Patrick_Mucci]

[quote Niall Carlton]

 Patrick

For a moment there I thought you understood, until that nonsense about wide fairways.

Golf is about adapting your game to the circumstances, not adapting the course.

Niall,

I was a zero handicap, +/- 2 for 45+ years, hence, I know how to "adapt" my game.

On windy sites, an architect who doesn't create wide fairways isn't doing his client any favors.

Patrick

I've been playing shite golf for over 40 years man and boy, and one thing I've learned is that golf is a game not a business.

Niall,

Evidently, you didn't learn that that depends upon whether or not you're an architect  

Ask Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Donald Ross, Tom Doak, Jeff Brauer and others whether golf is a business

Niall
[/quote]

[Bob_Huntley]

I have not had many sets of clubs over the years but I do have a set of Hogan Apex's crca 1972 1 iron through sand wedge. No.4 shafts, stiff. Thy sit in my garage and now and again I pass by and think the blades look like razors and the shafts like flag-poles. Until some three years ago I would visit with Ben Doyle at Quail Lodge, hit the one iron for fun and bewail about making the game too easy to play. Now I am thinking of using my wife's fifteen year old clubs; at least I can lift them.

Bob

[Patrick_Mucci]

I have not had many sets of clubs over the years but I do have a set of Hogan Apex's crca 1972 1 iron through sand wedge. No.4 shafts, stiff. Thy sit in my garage and now and again I pass by and think the blades look like razors and the shafts like flag-poles. Until some three years ago I would visit with Ben Doyle at Quail Lodge, hit the one iron for fun and bewail about making the game too easy to play. Now I am thinking of using my wife's fifteen year old clubs; at least I can lift them.

Bob,

Great to hear from you.

And, you reminded me of how much fun MPCC was with that wind factoring in on every shot.

Two great courses, one great wind.

What a combination.

I could play MPCC, either course, every day, and have a lifelong affair with golf and MPCC

Bob

[Gib_Papazian]

Patrick,

The Lake Course winds its way down the leeward side of the hill, so is less effected by the wind. That stated, tree removal over the last few years (much due to pines reaching their lifespan) has drastically opened up the golf course, making the breeze more of a factor. San Francisco GC is technically on the windward side of a hill across Lake Merced - facing the Pacific - but is far more sheltered than our Ocean Course, much of which is routed right in the gunsights of the breeze. The fog and wind normally race up the sandy bluffs and cascade over the top shelf of the Ocean, specifically on holes 1,2,3,11-18.

After the Open, windy conditions and impossibly narrow fairways made the Lake an obnoxious obstacle course - and one I avoided at all costs. If I am only going to find time to tee it up once or twice a month, I'm not going to waste the day being harassed into discouraged depression by the entrails of USGA policy.

So, I played the Ocean 8 out of 10 - and given the firm and fast conditions, enjoyed every minute of it. Did Bill Love's Ocean Course renovation cough up a masterpiece like Cal Club? Oh gawd no - but it is a pretty damned good effort. If I had my way, DeVries or Neal would have nudged things around, but there isn't anything out there that makes me want to shriek plaintive oaths of woe . . . . . . . a lost opportunity (stealing a line from Ran), but a B- is better than the D+ Rees gave my many friends on the back side of Westlake Shopping Center.

Without getting into too many confidential details, a small ad hoc group (some holding formal office, some not) was arranged after the Open to tackle how to present the Lake Course in a more rational way - taking full advantage of the natural contours to encourage the ground game. If you take it hole-by-hole, dry fairways and intelligent rough lines drastically increase the strategic elasticity of the golf course - which is exactly what our GChair recognized and implemented.

At this point - given the arrangement of hazards on the Lake - I run the ball into the green on #1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12 and 14. You don't have to make that choice - and many still prefer the aerial approach - but my tendency is to use the humps, bumps and ramps that Watson and Whiting left behind for those of us whose launch angle is 2 degrees above a skull.              

  

[Patrick Kiser]

I run the ball into the green on #1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12 and 14. You don't have to make that choice - and many still prefer the aerial approach - but my tendency is to use the humps, bumps and ramps that Watson and Whiting left behind for those of us whose launch angle is 2 degrees above a skull.          

Sir,

Even on 2?  Really?  When can I see this in action?  The approach into 2's tighter than a ... nevermind.

The Lake with Gib ... one day.

[Gib_Papazian]

#2 on the Lake has become increasingly difficult for me in direct correlation to an age-related reduction in bat speed. From the white tees, a good drive and a hard seven-iron is still doable. Believe it or not, the extra 20 yards playing from our blue markers (black is absolutely out of the question) requires a complete change of strategy.

The putting surface is elevated, oriented diagonally and protected front right and back left with deep bunkers. I simply can no longer get enough air under a five-iron (often with a following breeze) to hold that green - and anything less than a perfectly struck shot inevitably rolls into a back bunker. Catch it a tick thin and the bunker of death waits patiently in front.

The only intelligent choice - given my eroded skills - is to knock down a five-iron and try to chase it onto the front of the green. The worst thing that happens is a Todd Hamilton rescue putt; maybe I make the par, maybe bogey - but at least I'm not standing on the 3rd tee with double or worse fouling my card.

Getting back to the point of Patrick's (Mucci) thread is that while occasionally playing in a stiffish breeze is an excellent litmus test (read: merciless exposure) of where my game actually is - I find the stark truth more depressing than useful these days.      

[Peter Pallotta]

Gib - let me add my voice to those welcoming you back. Good to read your posts again. Given how charmingly and well you write, it's easy to forget what a good and experienced analyst you are on such gca related matters.

Alas, 'more depressing than useful" is a feeling i get with more and more facts these days...

best
Peter

[Scott Szabo]

Come out to Northeastern Colorado if you like wind.  We have it most every day.  I just left Ballyneal where it was blowimg 25-30 mph steadily, and I had a blast.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Scott,

Is there a better feeling than being 150 or so yards from a green and punching a dead solid 4-iron into a strong to ferocious wind, 8 feet from the cup ?

The gratification is exhilarating and remains in one's memory banks for decades.

[Scott Szabo]

Unfortunately my knock down shots tend to flip over and go way left, but occasionally I can dial them in like you speak of.  On those rare occasions I would have to agree with your statement.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Scott,

You're probably letting your right shoulder come over the ball, which is a natural tendency.

It has to come under.

Try hitting it to one o'clock, it's a good way to stop coming over the top.

Good Luck

[Mark Chaplin]

Pat you won't find many wide open links courses yet they are some of the finest designs on the planet. As you say adapt to conquer.

[Thomas Dai]

Is there a better feeling than being 150 or so yards from a green and punching a dead solid 4-iron into a strong to ferocious wind, 8 feet from the cup ?

How very true. And then watching in quiet amusement as a knucklehead opponent hits say a full 9-iron way up into the air that comes down nowhere near the green or bury's itself in a deep evil pot bunker. Even more amusing if there's a few £$ on the line.

Another great into the wind shot is the down-the-grip driver from a very low tee peg or even the driver off the fairway. Head high and rolling forever. Wonderful slight and wonderfully satisfying when executed correctly.

Into the wind, a chip with a driver from the tee on a short downhill par-3 can be a pretty effective shot as well. Make 3 and move on. The scorecard only says how many you made, not how you did it.

ATB

[William_G]

no doubt that wind while playing golf makes it more challenging and rewarding at the same time

yet, I agree that  "the best part about Golf, is playing"  

[Jud_T]

Why do so many come back from the U.K. with a renewed enthusiasm for the game? Because the courses - though often difficult - are FUN to play. With a slack wind, the course is easier today - in a strong breeze, that bump shot from 100 yards looks pretty good. Try that shit at Butler National and you'll get your rectum rerouted.

Sums up my feelings about the brawny Chicago style about as succinctly as possible, and by a left-coaster to boot.  Welcome back, you old curmudgeon...  

I enjoy playing in a nice breeze on a course suited for the purpose about as much as anyone, but after my last visit to Bandon I've decided I need to avoid the summer winds next time around.  Granted we hit the worst of it, but 5 days of it blowing a steady 25-30, with even stronger gusts, was a bit much for all but the most masochistic among us.

[Thomas Dai]

I've heard a story about Sam Snead putting down the path on the 7th hole at Pebble Beach to avoid the effects of the wind? Anyone know if this really happened or is it just one of those tall tales that are told but never really happened?
ATB

[Gib_Papazian]

Jud,

I've got to admit my last trip to Bandon, I awoke on the 4th morning to 40-50 mph gusts and could not answer the bell. 10 years ago, I would have downed a snifter or two and marched defiantly to the 1st tee - determined to show Golf God that I cannot be intimidated.

Now, three days and 90 holes later - faced with a wall of wind hammering off the ocean - my stud-osity crawled back into my groin and hid. In one way it was like awakening next to Amy Adams and deciding to roll over and go back to sleep - surrendering to future regret and the first sign of dotage. On the other hand, with the inevitable realization that my get up and go had got up and left, came a strangely comforting resignation.

Certainly a consideration for saying Uncle (American idiom for giving up or "tapping out") was my game that morning was at Trails; the idea of coming home into the teeth of the wind at full trumpet (with rubbery legs) seemed masochistic insanity.  

Thomas,

I don't know about Snead, but I watched Andy Dillard hit most of a 4-iron to #7 during the final round of the 92 Open. Personally, I've whacked one along the ground there, aiming for the front bunker. Oddly, the ball chased up the face and hopped over the lip onto the putting surface. Taking full advantage of this fluke of fortune, I immediately four-jacked it for a double, proving once again that luck doesn't matter if you stink.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat you won't find many wide open links courses yet they are some of the finest designs on the planet. As you say adapt to conquer.

Mark,

I don't think you'll find any that are narrow tree lined tests.

WIND demands WIDTH

Without it, the architect has failed

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is there a better feeling than being 150 or so yards from a green and punching a dead solid 4-iron into a strong to ferocious wind, 8 feet from the cup ?

How very true. And then watching in quiet amusement as a knucklehead opponent hits say a full 9-iron way up into the air that comes down nowhere near the green or bury's itself in a deep evil pot bunker. Even more amusing if there's a few £$ on the line.

Another great into the wind shot is the down-the-grip driver from a very low tee peg or even the driver off the fairway. Head high and rolling forever. Wonderful slight and wonderfully satisfying when executed correctly.

Thomas,

Just last week, after hitting about the best drive I could on # 16 at Seminole into a 3 club wind, I hit a driver off the deck, hoping that it would find the fronting bunker.  I hit a low bullet, that came up just short.  Hit a choked down, closed face L-wedge with lots of RPM's about 6 feet and made a great par.

The satisfaction of executing those shots and making par made my day, especially since that par closed out our opponents, my son and his friend who thought they could beat their dads due to the windy conditions and their length.

My son and his friend asked me how to hit those low shots into the wind as their irons ballooned up and way right of the green.
They now include those shots in their practice routines.

Playing in a good wind is a great test and requires thought and execution not associated with rounds absent the wind.

Into the wind, a chip with a driver from the tee on a short downhill par-3 can be a pretty effective shot as well. Make 3 and move on. The scorecard only says how many you made, not how you did it.

But, all the FUN is in HOW you did it.

ATB

[Patrick_Mucci]

I've heard a story about Sam Snead putting down the path on the 7th hole at Pebble Beach to avoid the effects of the wind? Anyone know if this really happened or is it just one of those tall tales that are told but never really happened?

Thomas,

Snead was one of the great ball strikers in golf, with incredible balance.

Having watched him play on numerous occassions, I think that story, like many others, is a myth.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gib,

I never tire of reading your posts, they're entertaining, enjoyable and educational, a trifecta.

[William_G]

the best part of life is living