MD/VA/DC Golfers - Ten Seconds or Less

[SullGolf]

Played out at South Riding for the DCGT event with DCMidnight today, and were grouped with Stix. Good times. It was 6 holes scramble, 6 holes shamble, then 6 holes best ball. DC and I did it all backwards, by playing the scramble in +1, shamble in even, and best ball in -1. We made a handful of good par saves throughout, but should have been -1 or -2 on the scramble piece. We made bogey from 100 yards out in the fairway, and missed an easy up and down for birdie on one of the 5s. Made another bogey in the shamble from 100 yards in the fairway. Not good.

 

We were the first group out and played in about 4.5 hours while waiting a little bit. Went in and grabbed a beer and hot dog, and 45 minutes later the 2nd group is just rolling in. Eagle was in a later group and may be stuck out there in Virginia.

 

I liked the front 9 at South Riding, minus a few spots of poor conditions. Shaggy tee boxes, long rough, and a few greens that had dead spots that were down to bare dirt. But playable. Back 9 had one of the worst sets of par 4s I've played in the area. None of them individually were bad, but as a set I thought they were pretty tame.

 

Between last week at Blue Mash and this round, I'm feeling pretty good about my game at the moment. Those two are the first rounds in months where I felt like I was playing golf rather than tinkering with my swing all round. Have a few tee balls that are head scratchers still, but think it's just a small adjustment to fix it. I'm feeling good about my net chances next week.

[dcmidnight]

Good day out at South Riding today despite the conditioning. I think they have to have fired half their maintenance staff. Starting on the first tee, the tee box was rough height and there were a lot of them like that. Lots of rough areas looked unkept and not mowed. And as Sully said the greens had a ton of hardpan dirt areas and were generally very inconsistent in speed/height of grass. No idea how it was this bad, the weather has been almost perfect for golf courses in the last few weeks. Lower temps and minimal rain. Would not bang again.

 

We donked it around pretty good today. I think I was -1 over the last 6 holes in the best ball portion and made another birdie on the front nine - to go with our two bogies. I clearly did not hit enough balls because it took a few holes to shake off the rust. Sully continues to hit the ball the best off the tee that I've ever seen him, brought back that nice little fade and hes not giving up much distance to anyone.

 

And yeah I really have no idea wtf happened to the group behind us. Being 40 minutes behind the group in front of you just cant be acceptable, especially considering that the first 12 holes were scramble/shamble *and* it appeared they were playing from the short tees. Just absurd. And before you ask no, that was NOT Eagle's group.

 

BTW the cart girl was an 18 out of 10. Straight fire.

[gsrjc]

Agreed on the greens. I hadn't seem a course recently all the way down to dark dirt. Dom and I ended up +3. Just didn't have it all together this time. I believe we were even in the scramble and shamble and +3 in the better ball. I didn't help at all during the better ball. Played with some cool guys though. Zack and Sam. The best part of the day was when one of the guys topped the ball and went, man I haven't done that in like 10 years. I turned to the group and was like. I did that this past Monday in a scramble. All in all nice day and weather was great.

[SullGolf]

I clearly did not hit enough balls because it took a few holes to shake off the rust.

 

After teeing off on the third hole, I turn to DC and go "If I'm going to continue to carry us off the tee, this is going to be a long day for both of us." He promptly responded by mashing one down the middle on the 4th hole and was then fine the rest of the day.

[SullGolf]

I have an addition to the list of Things I Don't Care to Know about Golf: when Stewart Cink sinks a putt for birdie, I don't care that his projected FedEx standing went from 52 to 49.

 

FedEx is definitely getting their moneys worth for this advertising though.

[FAbb]

Heck of a day today, as I was very fortunate to get another crack at Caves Valley. Freezy, City, my FIL and I had the 9:00 tee time.

 

There was some serious #datthicc fog during our warmup, and it didn't look like it was going to let up when we were teeing off. We started on the 10th hole, and the visibility was maybe 150'ish yards. Luckily it seemed to just vanish in a flash as we were standing on the green. I'm glad it did, because it would've been a real shame to miss the visuals on those first couple holes we played.

 

I'll recap it a bit more tomorrow, but it was just a 10/10 day. That place is like a friggin' golf sanctuary. My kids weren't puking and keeping me up all night this time, which made it quite a bit more enjoyable. The course was perfect, and the company was top notch. So cool to do something like this with superfriends.

 

Until tomorrow, here's City playing the first hole (our 10th today).

 

[dcmidnight]

Best part of this pic is the Caves Valley Gold sitting on the tee box...mmmmm....

[dcmidnight]

Far from Caves but I got out with DC2 and a buddy to Burke Lake this morning. Unlike just about every other course around here, they really seem to be pouring money into the place. Brand new range (very nice) and new clubhouse opening next month. As far as 18 hole par 3 courses go, it stretches out pretty good, I think the holes range from @ 110 yards to 210 yards but most seem to be in that 160-180 range. Not a bad little practice spot.

[SullGolf]

Burke Lake looks like a good spot. Prices look right for a good par 3 course at under $30 peak in-season weekday AM rates. I've love to have a decent par 3 course like that near me.

 

FAbb, why'd you have to show pics of City instead of Freezy? What's up with that? Looks sweet, and jelly as always. I only saw the one pic here and one on IG, but looks in pristine condition at the moment.

 

Can't believe FAbbInLaw allowed City to play with him after the Pinehurst trip. :rofl:

[dcmidnight]

Yeah I dont think its going to win any architecture awards but $27 for weekend AM play isnt bad. Teed off with every club from GW to 4i.

 

 

 

Probably the nicest public range in the area. Two levels with a new covered lower level, lots of tables/chairs/benches inside.

[Gmen1204]

Hey Tex how about them boys ?

[misplacedtexan83]

Hey Tex how about them boys

 

Can't win them all but at we are 1-0 in our divine...how about yall? ;)

[Gmen1204]

Hey Tex how about them boys ��

 

Can't win them all but at we are 1-0 in our divine...how about yall? ;)

0-1 ?

[dagoose383]

How is the field looking for the Stroke Play?

[baddomes]

Field is set. Looks pretty sexy. I'll post more about it when I get to the office.

[vtnerf]

Had an absolute blast at the one-day member guest Saturday. We typically get a couple of good groups and then a grinding group that is pretty tight lipped. Not the case this time. We had three groups of guys that all of us were nearly crying at some point in each match. We were soooo close to pulling out the flight, but all our matches were extremely close. Weather turned out 9.9/10.

 

Would loved to have seen some of your reactions to the greens. Prob were rolling over 10, but were hard as concrete. Rick hit a high floaty wedge from 108 that hit, bounced about 10 feet in the air and directly into the back bunker on the first bounce. I had 200 into one of the par 5's and hit 5 iron, which is my 175 club. Nestled it up to 10' with the hops, skips, jumps, and run.

[top.h]

Anyone ever play Rolling Road CC up in Baltimore? Have an opportunity to play a member guest out there in a few weeks.

[FAbb]

I had an awesome day at Caves Valley yesterday with my FIL, Freezy, and City.

 

The entire experience was a real treat. I know you guys like making jokes about me getting some of these chances, but it's seriously not "normal" life for me at all. These are cool, unique experiences that I don't take for granted. Only ~20% of their membership is local, so it's primarily a national club where members come stay and play a couple times a year. We were playing in prime time on a Sunday morning, and I don't think we saw more than 3 other groups all day. There was definitely far more staff than players out there. The service and hospitality was great. We were 4 unaccompanied guests, but it didn't feel like we received any lesser treatment.

 

Conditions wise, the golf course is stunning. You can tell they put a very high premium on the visual appeal of the course. We saw guys pruning trees that were in sight, but nowhere near in play on any of the golf holes. Everything is lush, and manicured meticulously. It's hard to believe they hosted the senior players in July, because it's bounced back so quickly and in remarkable condition. I think the only downside of their high premium on the visual appeal is that they must water it a ton to get it so green and lush everywhere. The fairways were very soft. There was very little roll to be had anywhere. I hit a bunch of drives that just hit and stuck right next to their mark. My approach shots were releasing on the greens more than my drives were in the fairways. That made for a long 7,000 yards of golf. The greens played firmer than the fairways, and rolled very true. They were fast, but fair and playable.

 

We played the back 9 first, which features dramatic elevation changes, and is more tree-lined. It's very attractive. The front 9 is much flatter overall, and brings some water into play. I definitely prefer the back 9. There are tons of great vantage points on the course, where you're looking up or down at adjacent holes. I'd be interested to hear what the difference in elevation is between the highest and lowest points on the golf course. I suspect it'd be pretty substantial.

 

Although I'm sure the conditions could be altered to bring out some teeth, I don't think it's a "championship" course - and that's by design. It's a place for members and their guests to get away, and be able to enjoy their rounds. The playing corridors are pretty wide, even on the tree-lined holes. You aren't going to lose many golf balls out there. The green complexes are strong. They're modern style greens, that are larger with distinct sections. You could definitely end up with some grnarly putts if you hit greens in the wrong places. If you went out there and played it a couple times to figure things out, you could definitely put up a score. It's a fun golf course to play. The only two holes I'd say that are sort of bleh are the 10th, and the 5th.

 

The transfers are good in some places, and crappy in others. The holes closest to the clubhouse facilities feature the worst transfers. Once you're out in the meat of the property, they're generally better. In the end, it's kind of a wash anyway, since somebody else is carrying all your stuff.

 

Speaking of carrying your stuff, our caddies were phenomenal. After the dingii that carried for us last time, my expectations were very low. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Both loopers were top notch this go-round. The guy on my bag, George, was the best caddie I've ever had. His recommendations on the tee, plays like yardages, targets, and reads were on-point all day long. There were at least a handful of putts where he totally saved my a$s on the read. He even seemed to pick up on my yardages very quickly, and was good on helping with clubbing. It was crazy to feel like I could just totally trust a guy that had never seen me play before. Our other looper was a wily old codger, who does long-haul trucking when he's not caddying. Really enjoyable personality, and seemed like he was meshing pretty well with his players.

 

It was neat for me to see it a second time, and be a little bit more in golf mode than tourist mode. Last time I was sleep deprived, and just trying to take it all in, while posting one of the worst rounds of the my season. This time I was still able to soak in the experience, but I had sort of a comfort and familiarity with the course this time that made me feel more calm. I hit 2 snap-hook irons off the 10th (our 1st hole) to start the day, but luckily found both, and hit the ball well from that point forward. I hit a bunch of good drives, and was flagging my irons. I really think the swing work has me trending in the right direction. I landed a bunch of irons right next to the hole, that ended up releasing out. I never did adjust properly to account for some release when trying to hit the yardages the caddies were giving. I kept playing carry yardages, which put me past the pin a bunch. I was happy with my chipping and putting performance as well. I made an all-world par save from up against a tree way behind the green on the 14th hole (our 5th), which really helped me keep my momentum early. I backed it up with a 20 footer for birdie on the long par 3 that followed, that probably would've gone well by the hole if it missed. All things considered, I'm very happy with the round. Playing well on a day like yesterday is icing on the cake.

 

City brought the new boom stick out for its maiden round, and I think started to regret that pretty quickly. He just didn't have any mojo with it right from the jump, and that put him in tough places to score all day long. I know he really wanted to play better, but hopefully it didn't dampen the experience too much. Even amidst an off day, he was as enjoyable to play with as ever. FYI - my FIL actually very much enjoys playing with City, Sully. He said as much more than once yesterday.

 

You'd be hard-pressed to find another person that keeps the mood as good on the golf course as Freezy. He hasn't even been playing, and dude brought some heat yesterday. Swing was looking syrupy smooth, and he kept hitting this high, PQ-height draws all over the course. He threw away strokes in various places that probably kept him from posting a great score, but I thought he was looking good. He's in such a better place mentally playing golf than he used to be.

 

After the round, we hit up some showers before lunch. Large rainfall shower heads, with solid water pressure. As Freezy said, I could've stayed in there for half an hour if I was at home. Lunch was money. They do a golfers buffet, with a nice assortment of choices. I love eating a burger after walking a round of golf, so I banged one of those with some chipotle mayo. Topped off the plate with some wings, and fruit. Second plate was more fruit, a PB&J with bacon, and some desserts. All enjoyed with a draft IPA, and it was a perfect way to end the day.

 

This probably sums up Caves Valley best. As I walked to the cars with Freezy I turned and said, "I don't want to leave." I just wanted to grab the clubs and head out for some more golf, or go back to the bar and have a few more beers. I think they set out to create a club where the members could get away and just immerse themselves, and they did so very successfully.

[GooseHook]

Ha, I come on to do a write-up and you've logged your second Caves round in a year. Not a bad golf season!

[baddomes]

Tell me more about this Golfer's Buffet

[FAbb]

Ha, I come on to do a write-up and you've logged your second Caves round in a year. Not a bad golf season!

 

Don't let that stop you. I'm looking forward to hearing yours as well!

 

Tell me more about this Golfer's Buffet

 

I can't do it justice with a write-up like 827 would, so I'll just list the stuff I can remember. Nothing fancy. Just classic, well-done 19th hole food.

 

- Burgerz and dawgz, heated on the grill (legit, not some weak a$s frozen patty nonsense)

- Green salads

- Pasta and macaroni salads

- Fruit & yogurt

- Carving station with turkey

- Wings

- Chips

- Assorted dessert pastries/cookies

 

EDIT:

 

- PB&J with bacon

[baddomes]

you mentioned something about a PB&J with bacon?

[dcmidnight]

IIRC there was also a silly cheese plate with lots of delicious cheeses/crackers.

[vtnerf]

[GooseHook]

After more than a year of bad timing/weather and conflicted schedules, I finally got the chance to play Pikewood National last Thursday. No pictures here as the phones were tucked away- their website's the best anyway and you can get a great look at every hole.

• We pulled in at 9:30 through an unassuming gate and empty parking lot. The pro came out to say hi and welcomed us in. There were 8 people on the property all day- me, my two playing partners, two caddies, the pro, the super, and our extremely hospitable food and beverage girl.
  
• The pro shop and bar look like your typical, nice public course. Just 100% clean with a lot of cool stuff available. Three bacon/egg/cheeses were sitting on the bar waiting for us when we got there.
  
• Locker room is, yeah, a locker room. It's small and has a nice fireplace in there. Of all the golf memorabilia and photos on the wall, there are also a framed portrait of Kramer and Tiger's mushot. Eye candy in the bathroom area consistent with a men's-only club.
  
• Another thing that stood out- classic rock playing on the stereo in the shop ad locker room. That music was also playing on the range while we warmed up. There's a 100-150 yard wedge area too as you walk over towards the first tee, and the putting green.
  
• #1 tee is a healthy hike from the range, which gives you an idea of what to expect. This has got to be the singlemost grueling walk in golf, even without a bag to carry. My caddy said that if you're all in, it's roughly 11-12 miles of walking for one round and there are only a few breaks of flat ground. Pace of play is probably at least in the 4.5-5 hour range because it has to be, but it's not like you'd see another group.
  
• The trees are thick enough that you can't see the adjacent holes most of the round, and you lose your place of where you are. The handful of holes that have mountain backdrops or open sky wreck your depth perception. It's dizzying to hit shots into that view because it's just as disorienting as it is beautiful.
  
• Right after the first hole uphill, the 2-4 stretch is just ridiculous. Your second teeshot is a 490 yard par 4 with a 40 mile vista behind it. The next hole was a 230 yard par 3, with a back pin, with a 40 mile vista behind it. Then right below that green is a tee box (you can't see it) to a par 4. That tee shot is hit from 100+ feet above the fairway. Photos can only do so much to capture that.
  
• The par 5s are the hardest set I've ever played. Two have split fairways and go steeply uphill after thick cross hazards, one of which you can't hit driver. The 8th is U-shaped around a cliff and uphill..You can't see the green until you're 40 yards out to the side.
  

• The 17th is just a cool hole with a pond to create a risk/reward chance. It was playing longer than usual due to the constant light rain, but a good drive on a dry day can leave a mid iron in. They just put in a new tee box in the back- it's a 275 yard carry to reach the fairway from there.
  
• Not a single thing unfair about the course. It's long, hilly, and brutal but you always know what you need to do and good shots are rewarded. I was beat to death by a few bad iron shots. The rough is thick, but you won't lose a ball. Sometimes you can even get lucky with a lie in the trees but there is no such thing as a full shot out of them. half swings are all the room you've got and it's usually a pitch sideways. If you have any weakness anywhere in your game or on any stretch of holes, your scorecard will tell you.
  
• There are maybe 20 bunkers on the course and they're spread out. Only one shot was hit out of sand all day. The more prominent hazard aside from water is the thick heather that's all over the place.
  
• We played the "split" tees, a combination of the tips and men's tees at a supposed 6900. Breeze and rain made that longer. No idea what it was playing at, but I think the 151 slope is pretty accurate if not conservative. And yet all I want to do is play it from that yardage or longer when it's dry and sunny and see what I can do.
  
• Our caddies were solid, splitting up three bags for two loops. I got the help I wanted when I asked- they earned their money twice over.
  
• The day finished with big glasses of whiskey on the patio. Some chatting with the pro and then headed out. After dinner that night, I lasted a full 45 minutes before passing out in a recliner.
  

Played at a local 9 hole in Swanton the next morning and it felt like the fairways were 200 yards wide. Golf feels easier after a beating like that.

[misplacedtexan83]

Pro-net tournament-- didn't know

 

Wish me luck today boys!

 

[baddomes]

Stroke Play Flight 2

 

Playing from the white tees. We have six of The Hive's bro's duking it out for the top spot in a net competition. Strokes in parenthesis.

 

Golfer827 (34)

Gmen (18)

davechen (16)

dagoose (15)

endlesswinter (13)

AndyIdon'trememberhisgolfwrxname (12)

 

handicapping.....get it?......the field:

 

Look, 827 is getting almost twice as many pops as anyone here. If he can limit the damage....and there is no limit on the damage in this event....he'll win. He put up some great net birds at the UMD event, but has consistency issues. Gmen is in the same vein. The one time I've played with him he's had an issue with some untimely fades. That's a problem at Blue Mash. 10/11/12 will be tough if those pop up.

 

davechen from the white tees is in his wheelhouse. Keeps the ball in front of him, and 6000 yards is just right, but if any of dagoose, endless, or andy play their best round, they'll be tough to beat.

 

Looking through the grint scoring records, Andy has had the best form as of late. Lots of scores in the 80's. endless and dagoose have put up good numbers at times, but the inconsistency makes it hard for me to take them here. davechen has a few combined 9-hole scores that would get the job done...but the recent 18 holes might not get him over the line. I think 827 plays smart golf on Sunday, but it's not quite enough as Andy takes the $.

 

baddomes pick: Andy 1st, 827 2nd

[baddomes]

Other things I want more color on:

• Eagle's uplines in his new pyramid scheme
  
• What everyone else had to eat at the golfer's buffet
  
• Food options at the OCGC one-day member-guest
  

 

Is it time for lunch yet?

[bayrat88]

Anyone looking to play tomorrow or Wednesday afternoon?

 

Also 20% your Global Golf order with code: tourrewards

[FAbb]

TheCityGame came in strong with a heaping helping of wings on his first plate.

 

Freezy showed up at the table with nothing but a burger on his first plate. I scolded him pretty harshly for his weak showing. He made up for it with his strong beer order. They had 4 kinds of beer on tap, that are brewed/labeled for them. City finished showering and stuff first, and ordered the IPA. FIL and I showed up next, and also went for the IPA. Freezy strolled in after we found our way from the bar to a table. The bartender walks over for his drink order, and City says something like, "The 3 of us all got the IPA. It's pretty good." Almost without thought, Freezy turns to the bartender and orders the "gold" (whatever the F that is). I bet he wanted the IPA, but he wanted even more to be his own GD man.

 

FIL pulled a power move, and swiped the last bite of my PB&J with bacon off my second plate.