MD/DC/VA Golfers - Twelve Monkeys Mental Divergence

[misplacedtexan83]

@TheCityGame
I tried your philosophy today. Got in two bunkers. Hit the perfect 60 yard shot out of a greenside bunker- too bad it need to go 40.
And just a little punch out of fairway bunker to set up my 3rd shot into a par 5
no raking at our course now - but supposedly the crew will rake the bunked every morning

[dcmidnight]

MV has now removed all rakes as well, playing LCP in the bunkers. Have to anyway as 80% of them are under construction.

Encouraging walking - which most do - but will be encouraging single carting.

[willboyrd]

Those two things are totally different. The stokes gained advantage by this supposed, hypothetical "good plugged lie in bunker' specialist would have to be nil. Right?

[aiyyer]

Social Distancing at Worthington today - club house and on the tee box.

[mizuno player]

Washington Golf and Country Club only has the range open now, course closed for two years, staff was told today no interacting with members at the range. Course opening may be pushed back.

 

I really hope courses do not start closing everywhere.

[ALTSean]

Army / Navy is still open, but they have removed the rakes too. They also removed the pins from the putting and chipping greens. All the restaurants are closed with the exception of the casual grab and go place for sandwiches, hot dogs, etc.

[dcmidnight]

Same. I think today we turned our at the turn spot into a grab and go option.

[FAbb]

-2 seems like an insane score for that format. I have no basis for that judgement. It just seems very low. If you truly have abcd, how many times do you not even really have two good drives to play from?

[dcmidnight]

I think we only had one hole without two drives in play. Basically myself and the B player were the longest hitters, so we'd hit two out there. The C/D players were short hitters but usually one was findable and playable. We would take the longest/best drive and have the C/D players play that ball - then the B player and I would take the best drive of the remaining.

Surprisingly talking about this strategy afterwards, I was the only one that thought of this. Everyone else did something random on each hole. Literally just picking random people to play each ball.

TBH I thought my strategy seemed like what everyone would do.

The hole we took two bogies on was a 450 yd par 4, playing dead into the wind. I hit a bomb out there but the C/D guys could not reach from there. And the B player and I had 250 or so in, into the wind, we couldnt reach either. Rethinking it, I wonder if I should have played from my drive - but that would have brought double or higher into play if the C/D guys played from the shorty.

Really fun format.

[dcmidnight]

Today I ordered 4 dz golf balls, two hats, a shirt and two Hogan demo irons.

JFC I hope things open back up soon.

[dcmidnight]

Course updates tonight include no more water jugs on the course - one automatic machine on the course left out. Considering going to cups cut 1" above the green.

Whatever, this is going to be the new normal for a while. So if it keeps the course open, do what you have to.

[ALTSean]

I’m surprised courses have not yet gone to a spray painted circle in the middle of the green with a radius of like a foot. This would be a good compromise over shutting down courses.

[GooseHook]

I'll do my top three takeaways from Sunday, since positivity is good right now:

1. I was actually able to shape my driver, hitting big fades on two of the hardest holes on the golf course. The SIM is a totally different driver than M5 and I have a different outlook with driver in my hand now.

2. Carrying a high bounce 60 along with a 58 gave me a ton of confidence around the greens, and I think in thick rough the w grind is a game changer for me much like my old TVD-K wedges.

3. Still don't know why I have a backup putter in the shed, but the 10 year old Piretti is my go to and I can truly rely on my putting to get me out of otherwise worse scores.

[dcmidnight]

Good article on what some clubs are doing: How golf clubs are adjusting (and readjusting) to find a role amid a crisis - Golf DigestMy top 3s from Saturday:

1 - Continue to drive the ball incredibly well. I posted about a day I had a couple months ago where everything started to click and since then, I've been waiting for it to fall apart - wondering if it was a lightning in a bottle sort of thing and just wondering if I was going back to my old driving. But every time I got out and drive it well, my confidence keeps growing.

2 - Love how good the tempo is in my iron swing for this time of year. I've been taking 100 swings a night with the swingsetter and I think its also paying off. Not rushed, not ripping back backswing away from the ball - just good and smooth.

3 - On a whim I put my old 2ball F7 ICE into the bag and just made everything I looked at. This is an old putter, it wasnt even that popular when it came out let alone now, I have maybe 20 grams of lead tape on the bottom and I've painted white alignment aids on the fangs. Its a freaking mutt. Oh and its got a super worn down small super stroke on it. But there's something about it I cant get rid of.

[Ocgolfrick]

From the man who brought you the hugely successful Skins Game at the Cradle comes a new idea:

COVID -19 Flattening Tournament and party at Fort's wedding!

I know we're all bummed out right now with this virus and could use a little pick me up. Luckily things are converging together! I have been in deep discussions with Eagle and Fort11 about this, so check this out:

By Mid-April this virus will be flattening. Things will be getting better and back to normal. Eagle's new job could use come recruits! And Fort has probably had to pay some non-refundable deposits for some people who won't show up. Luckily for both of them, they've got us!

24 of us show up to this ritzy private club and show interest in joining by playing an 18 hole stroke tournament ourselves! Get a look at the place, pickup some applications, etc. Say things like "This course looks very well maintained!" and "I love the design of this hole!" within earshot of other members. Help Eagle out.

Then, we'll all go help out Fort11 by eating the unused food and undrunk alcohol at his wedding! No point in just having it sit there wasting away! Its a win-win-win!!! And to make it even sweeter- we'll combine the tournament scoring and wedding together! How, you ask?

Grab the garter during the toss: Deduct 2 strokes from your final score.

Do the Chicken dance: Deduct 2 strokes from your final score.

Get a Bridesmaid's phone number (must be confirmed by fellow Hiver/Threadizen) : Deduct 5 strokes.

Get so drunk you are thrown out of Fort's wedding: Deduct 10 strokes.

 

So clear your schedules for Mid April! Let's make this happen!

 

PS When I say that I have been in deep discussions with Eagle and Fort11, what I mean is I'm just now informing them about it.

 

[TheCityGame]

It's the same thing; it's just a matter of degrees. You can play all year and not get a plugged lie in a bunker.

Playing plugged lies in bunkers isn't just "swing randomly and hope for the best". I use a low bounce wedge, get steeper (both so you can get under the ball), and pick a spot behind the ball based on the sand conditions and how far I want the ball to travel. I guarantee the good bunker players here make similar adjustments. That said. . .there's still a degree of randomness to that shot that far exceeds a normal bunker shot.

Serious question for people (not being snarky) : is there any provision in the rule book for playing some kind of LCP in bunkers?

Nearest I can tell. . .you can have a local rule that defines a course's practice bunkers that might be play as GUR if they're usually in bad condition. You can put local rules in place that say you get relief from standing water or temporary immovable obstructions (like televisions cables or cameras), or even water run-off zones. But even though I've played in events where they've done LCP, I don't know if it's valid at all.

There might be. . .I don't know, and I know why courses are doing it in these times.

I've played in an event where the "rule" is "lift clean and drop". So you can take your original lie, but if you want to rake the bunker, you need to drop the ball and take the risk that it sits down a little. I like that change better.

I actually think it would be fun (not permanently) if courses removed flag sticks from greens.

 

 

[2moreTerpz]

i don't care what courses do as long as i get to play. also if you just play a match and not stroke play a lot of the "problems" go away

[ALTSean]

Speaking of match play, are we going to do another Colony Collapse match play bracket this year? 2 dudes playing a match would likely qualify as social distancing and many of our schedules may be more open right now with the increased teleworking.

[TheCityGame]

yes, and I've totally been asleep at the switch. I'll get in touch with the board and get it up and running soon. I was supposed to do this a month ago, and just blanked.

[GooseHook]

Maybe there's a distinction somewhere between a sand trap and waste area? Honestly, the USGA rules don't have a pandemic response plan either. With water, flagsticks, ball washers and probably the scorecard box at #1 being removed I think it's now in the hands of organizers to just consider crazy circumstances and attempt to establish a standard. It might be a moot point anyway after the event but you'd be just as likely to have your ball end up in a deer hoofprint.

CCMD is staying open, but I'm not going anywhere near golf carts and club-owned push carts for a while. Mrs. Goose has a non-essential role at a hospital and was just told she has to practice telemedicine starting Monday, with no more days in OR.

[TheCityGame]

So, our grill is closed.

I came off 18 yesterday and walked back to my car, and right next to me, there were 6 members standing around drinking and vaping and shooting the bull.

They basically had a bar in one guy's trunk. He poured me a glass of gingerbread cookie whiskey or something. It was good. Tasted like Christmas and the weather was sort of Belgian so it went down pretty nice.

[TheCityGame]

@GooseHook Did you join CCMD? Nice course. Some tough greens and a couple very interesting holes.

[GooseHook]

Yes, been there about a month. Greens are about 10x the size of what I'm used to hitting into and quite tough so far. Surprisingly hard to make birdies and at par 70 does not play any even close to short vs. its stated yardage.

I love and hate the 14th hole. Something about "hit a perfect drive or make double bogey" is such a binary approach to a golf hole and doesn't allow for any strategy.

[SullGolf]

City’s still arguing about a possible rules exception at a tournament that isn’t happening, at a course that is taking precautions on rakes due to a literal once in a lifetime societal shut down.

[dcmidnight]

City’s still arguing about a possible rules exception at a tournament that isn’t happening, at a course that is taking precautions on rakes due to a literal once in a lifetime societal shut down....

...is the most City thing ever.

[TheCityGame]

City had dropped it and then got a direct question about it.

[vtnerf]

 

https://media.giphy.com/media/26BRCOaS38ynJswko/giphy.gif

[misplacedtexan83]

City did get asked about it last night In City’s defense

Sully is cyber bullying

DC is a funny guy - i like him

vtnerf - best beer collector I know

that is all

[vtnerf]

Finally got to drink some Dinner last week. Was one of a few "Top 10" beers left to try. And it was fantastic!

[TheCityGame]

WillBoyd : The stokes gained advantage by this supposed, hypothetical "good plugged lie in bunker' specialist would have to be nil. Right?

City : There's still an advantage. It's just small.

You guys : "city going crazy!!!"