MD/DC/VA Golfers - Twelve Monkeys Mental Divergence

[HighBoomingDraws]

Elon did bring us Paypal. Thanks for that.

 

Was up at Woodmore affiliate White Manor all weekend with Buttery Cut and Bandon Dunes. That course is awesome. Perfect weather as well. It came time to tipping the club cleaning guy Saturday night, and in true millennial fashion, i didn't have any cash on me. I asked the kid if he had paypal or venmo, and he gave me his venmo. Boom, a couple bucks!

 

That brings me to my get rich quick scheme idea. Create an app for tips where patrons of the establishment send all necessary tips for little things like bag drop and club cleaning directly to the course. The tip money is then evenly distributed to the staff. You'd think it would encourage a more well rounded customer service effort.

 

At the bare minimum these kids should have their paypal or venmo handle on their name tag for me to use.

[TheCityGame]

I like that idea @HighBoomingDraws . They have a common "tip box" at the club they split up anyway. Get that tip box on venmo.

 

I usually leave them 2 to 5 depending on what I have, but whenever I ask for change for a 20, I get, "you want 15 back?"

 

ok. sure. I wouldn't store my bag there for $50 a month, if it was a charge, but I guarantee I go through $50 a month in tips.

[Golfer827]

Dave basically got it all together for our group. He kept us in holes and then I would make a putt or two.

 

Shot of the day:

 

Down 3 with 3 left on the inside 9, Dave puts it on a uphill slope on the 6th fairway. I’m looking at the next shot and lamenting how I need to hit a high hook to get over the trees and to the green.

 

I pull 23 Hybrid, out the ball further in the stance and got it pure.

 

“It’s got the hook, it’s got THE HEIGHT!”

 

Put it to 10 feet where Dave makes the putt to get us to 2 down with 2 to play. Little Chen daggers is at the 8th.

[2moreTerps]

i'm going to buy whatever car is truly driverless at speeds less than 25 mph AKA in traffic in three years. i think there is a decent chance it'll be a tesla. i'm tired of spending 4-5 hours in the car in traffic.

[gsrjc]

> @2moreTerps said:

> i'm going to buy whatever car is truly driverless at speeds less than 25 mph AKA in traffic in three years. i think there is a decent chance it'll be a tesla. i'm tired of spending 4-5 hours in the car in traffic.

 

I will not trust any driverless car no matter the speed. Look at what happened to a telsa model 3 last week in Florida when the car went under a tractor trailer. It became a convertible.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/5/17/18629214/tesla-autopilot-crash-death-josh-brown-jeremy-banner

[SoloShot84]

> @gsrjc said:

> > @2moreTerps said:

> > i'm going to buy whatever car is truly driverless at speeds less than 25 mph AKA in traffic in three years. i think there is a decent chance it'll be a tesla. i'm tired of spending 4-5 hours in the car in traffic.

>

> I will not trust any driverless car no matter the speed. Look at what happened to a telsa model 3 last week in Florida when the car went under a tractor trailer. It became a convertible.

>

> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/5/17/18629214/tesla-autopilot-crash-death-josh-brown-jeremy-banner

 

I am with you. Autopilot will work where everyone is on autopilot with proper lane control. Like in movie AI. Then even Will Smith would have left alot mess when he overrode autopilot in that movie

[baddomes]


 

[Ocgolfrick]

THREAD WAR ON DRIVERLESS CARS!!!!!!

Fellas, today on your ride home, take a peek at your fellow drivers on the road. Really LOOK at them. Count the following:

1) Number of people talking on a cell phone

2) Number of people who do not use their blinkers changing lanes.

3) Number of people who may possibly be inebriated and/or high.

You're going to be shocked on high you count. Do you trust your fellow people, some of whom are driving like morons now, over a computerized vehicle that is taking in all factors like weather and safe driving distance, into account in the future? I'm all in on the driverless cars- there's going to be some slipups (ok, deaths) along the way, but far less than if we continue doing it the way we are.

[ceejay81]

> @Ocgolfrick said:

> THREAD WAR ON DRIVERLESS CARS!!!!!!

> Fellas, today on your ride home, take a peek at your fellow drivers on the road. Really LOOK at them. Count the following:

> 1) Number of people talking on a cell phone

> 2) Number of people who do not use their blinkers changing lanes.

> 3) Number of people who may possibly be inebriated and/or high.

> You're going to be shocked on high you count. Do you trust your fellow people, some of whom are driving like morons now, over a computerized vehicle that is taking in all factors like weather and safe driving distance, into account in the future? I'm all in on the driverless cars- there's going to be some slipups (ok, deaths) along the way, but far less than if we continue doing it the way we are.

 

 


 

[SoloShot84]

> @Ocgolfrick said:

> THREAD WAR ON DRIVERLESS CARS!!!!!!

> Fellas, today on your ride home, take a peek at your fellow drivers on the road. Really LOOK at them. Count the following:

> 1) Number of people talking on a cell phone

> 2) Number of people who do not use their blinkers changing lanes.

> 3) Number of people who may possibly be inebriated and/or high.

> You're going to be shocked on high you count. Do you trust your fellow people, some of whom are driving like morons now, over a computerized vehicle that is taking in all factors like weather and safe driving distance, into account in the future? I'm all in on the driverless cars- there's going to be some slipups (ok, deaths) along the way, but far less than if we continue doing it the way we are.

 

That is the thing. If I am the only one driving auto pilot with those high risk. I am in deep trouble trusting my car to response those unpredictable.

especially, this morning, this Tesla guy backed out 100 fts from the car in front of him then everyone kept cutting in front of him pushing him back further and further. not to mention traffic he causing on that lane. now I am not blaming him for being root cause of traffic but you just can't be driverless by yourself. It will take collective effort.

[dcmidnight]

> @gsrjc said:

> > @2moreTerps said:

> > i'm going to buy whatever car is truly driverless at speeds less than 25 mph AKA in traffic in three years. i think there is a decent chance it'll be a tesla. i'm tired of spending 4-5 hours in the car in traffic.

>

> I will not trust any driverless car no matter the speed. Look at what happened to a telsa model 3 last week in Florida when the car went under a tractor trailer. It became a convertible.

>

> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/5/17/18629214/tesla-autopilot-crash-death-josh-brown-jeremy-banner

 

I dont mean to say so what - but so what, isnt this one of like 5 deaths in Tesla autopilots? I know they get all the press so they are probably highlighted more than normal. I would trust a Tesla on its current version of autopilot right now more than say...50% of the cars I see on the beltway in the morning.

 

> @TheCityGame said:

> I like that idea @HighBoomingDraws . They have a common "tip box" at the club they split up anyway. Get that tip box on venmo.

>

> I usually leave them 2 to 5 depending on what I have, but whenever I ask for change for a 20, I get, "you want 15 back?"

>

> ok. sure. I wouldn't store my bag there for $50 a month, if it was a charge, but I guarantee I go through $50 a month in tips.

 

We tip at the end of the year into the employee fund right around Christmas. No tipping every time you play to two or three different people every time - that S could add up. So they do it once a year.

[Ocgolfrick]

> @ceejay81 said:

> > @Ocgolfrick said:

> > THREAD WAR ON DRIVERLESS CARS!!!!!!

> > Fellas, today on your ride home, take a peek at your fellow drivers on the road. Really LOOK at them. Count the following:

> > 1) Number of people talking on a cell phone

> > 2) Number of people who do not use their blinkers changing lanes.

> > 3) Number of people who may possibly be inebriated and/or high.

> > You're going to be shocked on high you count. Do you trust your fellow people, some of whom are driving like morons now, over a computerized vehicle that is taking in all factors like weather and safe driving distance, into account in the future? I'm all in on the driverless cars- there's going to be some slipups (ok, deaths) along the way, but far less than if we continue doing it the way we are.

>

>

> 

>

 

All Dodge Charger enthusiasts with a demanding jobs who need to keep in touch with the office and are forced to use a organic herbal remedy to relax during their day are exempted from my earlier statement.

[gsrjc]

So would you all fly on the Boeing 737 plane that is currently grounded due to a software problem? We all know that computers are doing lots of things so the comparison to the driverless software in the Tesla is similar.

[FAbb]

Autonomous cars are sparking the fiercest thread war since the dawn of newWRX. Things are worse than any of us realized.

[XHoop24]

Part 1

**Itinerary**

Day 1 - Arrive at MKE at 8 PM, drive to Madison for the night

Day 2 - Drive from Madison to SV, Mammoth at 9:30 AM, Sand Valley at 2:30, Sandbox at 7

Day 3 - SV at 9, Mammoth at 2:30, drive to Ripon

Day 4 - Lawsonia Links 9:40 and 2:30

Day 5 - Erin Hills 10:30 (rained out), fly home

 

**Sand Valley**

 

When arriving at SV, the first impression is just an incredible horizon of golf. The sky looks big and you see golf holes across your entire view. The Sandbox is to your left, driving range and Mammoth in front of you, Sand Valley to the right, and golf holes as far as you can see. The place is just golf - nothing else. Service is great, accommodations are perfect for golfers. At the Sand Valley halfway house they have tacos for $1.50 - perfect for a quick lunch between rounds or a quick snack at the turn. Breakfast sandwiches and wraps premade for a quick bite before your morning tee time. Good local beers on tap, Moon Man being a new favorite. The place just feels like golf. Wanna hit putts at 10 PM while having a beer, go to Craigs porch and they have lights in the holes for night putting. Wanna go grind at the range, you have unlimited TP5’s with a nice short game area. I enjoyed being at every part of the property from golf course to hotel room.

 

**Mammoth**

 

As we were driving from Madison to SV, it started to storm, a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning at 7 AM. We were both worried we might not get on the course the entire day. Luckily that turned out to not be a worry at all as we played 53 holes that day. The rain stopped around 9 AM, and although our first tee time was delayed 30 minutes, the courses were bone dry from the first hole on. Incredible.

 

The first tee at Mammoth is located on the the practice green, looking out you see a fairway about 100 yards wide with slight movement right to left.

What makes the course so interesting is that there is still strategy. On the first hole, if you want a view of the green you have to hit it to the left side of the fairway which brings a huge waste bunker into play. If you play out to the right, it's almost impossible to miss the fairway, but you will have a blind shot. On the first golf hole of the entire trip, I made a 30 footer for birdie from just off the front of the green, a great way to start the trip and was on 59 watch for about 25 minutes:) The golf never got much better than that, but the fun continued. Mammoth is laid out in a way that looks like its been there for a 100 years when its not even 2 years old. Take the par 3 13th hole, you tee off across a small valley to an ‘L’ shaped green. There is a small hill behind the green with patches of natural grasses and native areas. It looks like the green is just the extension of the nature grasses that just happen to sit on a bit of flat land. Amazing work.

 

I was cursing this hole after round 1 as I missed the green by a yard and ended up in the valley 40 feet down. Domes has a great picture of me swearing and making an X on the hole. You can probably see me in the photo below.

 

 

The highlights to me are holes 5 and 6 on the front followed by the stretch from 13-18 on the back. Holes 6 and 14 are both driveable par 4s and really fun for all golfers. 6 a boomerang green that has so many awesome hole locations that play very differently. This is the type of hole you keep replaying in your mind and would be so much fun to play every Saturday morning with a group of 3 friends. I feel that way about the entire course - it's not traditionally difficult from a scoring perspective, but would just be an absolute blast to play every week. Domes and one of our playing partners had eagles on 15 during the second round.

 

The design of Mammoth generally feels like it's trying to help you. The majority of holes funnel balls to the green, almost always helping the player. This is in contrast to SV which I’ll detail more below. The course played firm, but the fairways were cut a bit long - true of SV as well. They are being conservative with grass as their spring has just started and it's only their second year of growing grass on this course. I would love to see it in another two weeks with the fairways cut low and balls on the ground getting even more runout.

 

A few more comments about the turf. So the fairways, even after the rain described above were unbelievably firm. I really struggled with hitting anything off the turf on my first day on site. In our first round on Mammoth, we got paired up with a solid golfer from the local area who was really striking his irons well. When he hit, there was a loud ‘thwack’ followed by a small divot - maybe three inches in length and super shallow. Definitely not what I’m used to in this DC/NOVA area. In contrast, the waste areas surrounding the fairways were incredibly soft and acted as a true hazard to be avoided. To me, they were significantly more difficult to play out of than similar waste areas in the Pinehurst region.

 

Overall, I feel the closest compare for Mammoth is Tobacco Road. The design is not as dramatic as TR, but the width, playability, and look all remind me of that course, which I know is a favorite to many in this thread. There are dramatic elevation changes, fun/playful greens that were rolling exceptionally well, and good scoring chances when taking on an aggressive line.

 

 

**Sand Valley**

 

As we moved from Mammoth to Sand Valley on day one, we lost our playing partner from the morning and went out as a twosome on an almost completely empty course (at least on the front nine - we caught a slower group at the turn). It was a truly surreal scene and was almost eerily quiet at times as it felt like we were alone on the course. That said, the difference between the two courses is evident immediately on hole 1. On the large majority of holes, Sand Valley requires accurate and precise approaches to the greens and will repeal shots that are not up to spec. It's a great test of golf, and I think Domes first mentioned the comparison to Pinehurst #2. The greens are not traditional Ross turtle backs, but many have a side or section of the green that act in a similar manner.

 

For some reason, I found putting (and short game in general) much more difficult on SV than Mammoth. At first I was a bit scared of the speed of the greens, as they did run slightly faster than MD, but I don’t think that was it. The greens also had more break than MD and many were in areas that gave a visual that a putt past the hole could run off the green. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but Sand Valley didn’t allow you to get comfortable. I had a dreaded four putt on the part 3 14th (I did get revenge with a par the next day).

 

SV has a great collection of par 5’s. My favorite hole on the course is probably the par 5 7th. It has a long scar bunker that runs vertically up the hole impacts play on the second shot. The 4th and 18 are both very good although uphill 5’s. 18 is reachable with two really good shots and has a great amphitheater for spectators having a beer after their round.

 

**Sand Box**

 

We played the sandbox on our first day after walking Mammoth and Sand Valley. We teed off around 7 PM and finished around 8:30 right as it became completely dark. The course was still playing off mats for the teeing area and they planned to switch to grass next week. The mats were probably a good thing after 36 holes on the big courses and some really tired legs. The holes are anywhere from 40 to 110 yards long with extremely exaggerated greens based loosely on the templates. The slopes and bunkers were so extreme that they would most likely be deemed too ‘unfair’ on a regular course but fit right in with the vibe of this par 3 layout. Our caddie said the entire course can be played with just a putter and I believe it. Domes and I played for a $1/hole with three wedges and a putter in a small quiver bag and a beer in hand. Large groups were on some of the holes playing 8 to 12 golfers on a hole. You could hear the cheers coming from all directions. Highlight of the round was almost holing out on a the 9th. Even with exhaustion setting in, the sandbox was as much fun as I’ve had on a golf course in a long time. We played for free as it was our third round of the day and I can understand the sentiment that its expensive (maybe $65 I think) if played alone. That said, I personally think it's a must play if you visit SV.

 

**Final SV Thoughts**

The two courses at SV are a great compliment to one another. They look similar but play differently. SV is a true test that requires great shots to score. MD gives everyone a chance to hit good shots. After day 1, I think I would have stated I preferred Mammoth over SV, but after two rounds on each and having a chance to think about it for a few days, I think I would play 3 rounds at SV for every 2 at Mammoth. Sand Valley is great test of golf without being overly penal. It has incredibly strong par 5’s, a great mix of 3’s and 4s and would continue to test you as a golfer from a 25 handicapper to scratch. When I think back on all four rounds, I find myself thinking about the holes on SV.

 

The only minor issue was related to pace of play. I feel like the rangers could do a better job working with slower groups. We played 3 of our 4 rounds with only two of us in the group, but the pace on 2 of the 4 rounds was approaching five hours. Not great Bob.

 

[XHoop24]

Part 2

**Lawsonia Links**

 

After two days of great weather at SV, the forecast for the weekend in Wisconsin looked awful. We arrived at Lawsonia and the high was in the low 50s, and although we didn’t get the forecasted rain, the air was cold and damp. Domes played in rain pants, windlight, and beanie for almost the entire day. Although we still played 36, I would love to get another shot at Lawsonia in better weather.

 

Lawsonia is known for elevated greens and huge scar fairway bunkers. The greens proved extremely difficult to putt and seemed to always be breaking from the moment you hit the put until it stopped. We made almost nothing over 5 feet over both rounds of golf. The fairway bunkers were a true 1 shot hazard. Unless extremely lucky, you basically had to punch out sideways. When you move from the front to the back nine, you cross a little street and the entire back nine is visible. You see golfers everywhere - its an awesome vista with no trees. My favorite hole is the par 5 13th. There is a that runs from say the 140 yards to 65 yards before the green. You have a choice to layup to 150 or go for the green but risk ending up in the valley which has no view of the hole, green, or even a visual to reference.

 

As we finished our second round, a layer of fog rolled in that added an awesome element to the last few holes. We both hit great drives on 17th that looked like they were going into the abyss. Really cool moment.

 

 

**Random Highlights**

 

* Domes and I didn’t lose a golf ball during our entire time at Sand Valley (8 rounds between the two of us) and I finally lost our first ball after hitting I hit a ‘practice shot’ out of a bunker and into the woods during the second round at Lawsonia. Golf is more fun when you can find your golf ball :)

* On the second day at Mammoth, we teed off behind a group of what looked like four high school kids. To give context, this isn’t the group of high school kids who look they are auditioning for the PGA tour. Think more along the lines of future hive members. Three of the four with push carts, one rocking a bucket hat, and one carrying his clubs. While we were putting out on hole 7, we hear a loud cheer coming from the tee box on the par 3 8th (very cool ‘island’ hole that is completely surrounded by sand). We finish up putting out and run around the corner to see the kids in front of us going nuts, one of the kids in the group got a hole in one on the SAME EXACT HOLE he got a hole in one on last fall. Its posted on the SV IG account. The kid who hit it in even said, ‘I”m not even a good golfer!’

* In the room at Sand Valley, they know that its most likely two dudes sharing a room and give two hand soaps, two shower soaps, etc. Nice touch as I prefer not sharing soap with Domes if I don’t have to.

* Our caddie at Sand Valley was solid. After having a laser battery issue that got resolved on the first hole, he essentially said, I’m Goose and your Maverick. Let me know what you want. If you want a read, ask for it. If you don’t, I’ll stay out of your way. It was great. Highly recommend and can pass along his name if anyone else visits.

* Have I mentioned the tacos at SV, they were delicious.

* Speaking of food, we hit up Adam’s Rib for dinner on day 4, I ordered the half rack of ribs, and based on our servers recommendation, optioned up to the side of hashbrowns with pepperjack cheese and onions. So delicious.

* On day 2 at SV, the caddie recommended we hit a Friday fish fry at a townie bar. The fish was delicious and was great to get a sense of the local ‘scene’.

* As we checked in to our motel after leaving SV, the owner/operator tells Domes that 'We don’t really clean the rooms during your stay because I don’t really like when someone is in my room with my stuff there’ and letting us know that if we needed anything else we could pick it up at the front desk. Got it.

* Domes handled the rental car and we got a Dodge minivan. Absolutely awesome. We used the back as a locker for the entire trip and will 100% be renting minivans on any future golf vacations.

[dcmidnight]

> @gsrjc said:

> So would you all fly on the Boeing 737 plane that is currently grounded due to a software problem? We all know that computers are doing lots of things so the comparison to the driverless software in the Tesla is similar.

 

These comparisons are actually not even remotely similar. Unless you include the fact that a “computer” is involved...

 

 

[FAbb]

Oh, XHoop.

 

THAT is a recap. Bravo!

[aiyyer]

> @FAbb said:

> Oh, XHoop.

>

> THAT is a recap. Bravo!

Incredible recap and wish I was capable of that!!

BTW any issues with mayflies on the courses - Whistling Straits was swarming with them making a couple of holes really uncomfortable.

 

 

 

[gsrjc]

> @dcmidnight said:

> > @gsrjc said:

> > So would you all fly on the Boeing 737 plane that is currently grounded due to a software problem? We all know that computers are doing lots of things so the comparison to the driverless software in the Tesla is similar.

>

> These comparisons are actually not even remotely similar. Unless you include the fact that a “computer” is involved...

>

>

A computer is processing the information that is being obtained so there should be software that’s running an algorithm to respond to the data and make adjustments to the car or airplane. So bad data can cause errors so perhaps the Tesla auto drive software and hardware have issues just like the Boeing situation. I’m not an expert at all with software or hardware but I prefer the human aspect of things and self control rather than relying on a car to drive me.

 

[Mizzy45]

I think I fell asleep reading the recap

 

> @FAbb said:

> Oh, XHoop.

>

> THAT is a recap. Bravo!

 

 

[FAbb]

That's disgraceful. Xander deserves a GD Pulitzer for that piece.

 

Any comparison between Dormie and SV, Hoop?

 

Bummed to see you guys missed out on Erin Hills. Guess you'll just have to go back :)

[Gmen1204]

Nice recap

 

[SullGolf]

I wonder if WRX can provide some advanced stats on “most disliked post of the year”, so we can quantify TaylorMazzy45s ridiculousness.

[gregh729]

Played a beer round at Poolesville yesterday with a group. One of the guys leaves for England in a couple weeks for a 3 year liasion gig. It is in really good condition. The greens are in very good condition. Medium speed, pretty flat. It might be the only course where I feel comfortable putting.

Anyway, great day with a bunch of friends.

[TheCityGame]

> @dcmidnight said:

> > @gsrjc said:

> > So would you all fly on the Boeing 737 plane that is currently grounded due to a software problem? We all know that computers are doing lots of things so the comparison to the driverless software in the Tesla is similar.

>

> These comparisons are actually not even remotely similar. Unless you include the fact that a “computer” is involved...

>

>

 

Also, yes, I would fly on that plane. The risk of death is probably high compared to baseline airplane flying. But in no sense is it high compared to other things we do in life. We just think it's so much worse because "oooooh, scary plane crash."

 

 

[dcmidnight]

> @TheCityGame said:

> Also, yes, I would fly on that plane. The risk of death is probably high compared to baseline airplane flying. But in no sense is it high compared to other things we do in life. We just think it's so much worse because "oooooh, scary plane crash."

>

 

Exactly. And a "computer" runs every single flight that you are on now. I think Tesla proved that their autopilot driving is statistically safer than non-autopiloted driving. People who think its nonsense and that they can stop quicker or react quicker than a computer are kidding themselves. I'm not saying its perfect by any means. But I would have no issues driving in one or driving next to one.

 

[dcmidnight]

Cannot wait to get to Sand Valley. The par 3 sounds awesome, just my kind of thing at a course like that.

[XHoop24]

> @aiyyer said:

> > @FAbb said:

> > Oh, XHoop.

> >

> > THAT is a recap. Bravo!

> Incredible recap and wish I was capable of that!!

> BTW any issues with mayflies on the courses - Whistling Straits was swarming with them making a couple of holes really uncomfortable.

>

>

>

 

No issues last week. I heard it can get quite bad but didn't see any last week.

[TheCityGame]

> @XHoop24 said:

 

> * In the room at Sand Valley, they know that its most likely two dudes sharing a room and give two hand soaps, two shower soaps, etc. Nice touch as I prefer not sharing soap with Domes if I don’t have to.

 

Soap cleans itself, fancy pants.

 

I was renting an apartment with a guy in college and one day he was like, "I know you're using my soap because there was no hair on it when I was done with it and now there is."

 

I was like, "of course I'm using your soap. You could have just asked."

 

There was a joke on Friends once where they were talking about this. I think that Chandler was mad that Joey was using his soap and he says to Joey, "what's the last thing I wash and the first thing you wash?"

 

Joey starting doing a puking pantomime.

 

Of course, the joke makes no sense if you think about it, but it's funny.