The Muni Golfer

Reaching a Peak in the Valley

2011-08-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

Neshaminy Valley Golf Club
Jamison, Pa.
Yards: 3338/2676 - 6014
Par: 36/34 - 70
Rating: 68.7, Slope: 118
Score: 43/44 = 87
Date: August 13, 2011

Saturday I returned to Neshaminy Valley Golf Club for late afternoon round of golf. I had originally hoped to play Bensalem Township Country Club, but an outing forced me to change my plans and head north to Neshaminy. I had played this course earlier this summer with my cousin and had shot a respectable 94. I was hoping to match that success when I teed off around 4 p.m. under very cloudy skies. Little did I know when I striped a driver down the middle of the fairway on the First Hole that I would not only duplicate my earlier success, I would exceed it by breaking 90 on a Par 70 or better golf course for the first time ever!

Neshaminy Valley Scorecard

The front nine was all 3s, 4s and 5s on the scorecard, except for the 529-yard Par 5 Second Hole, where I chunked my lay-up second shot into a ditch and made a 7. I made pars at the Third and Fifth Holes, and capped off the front nine with a birdie at the 537-yard Par 5 Ninth Hole. I hit driver down the right side of the fairway, a 5-wood just left of the green, but hole high. I chipped over a bunker to three feet and made the putt for my fifth birdie of the year. I shot 43 for the first nine and was eager to play the second nine. I was crushing my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver off the tee, hitting farther and straighter than any driver I have ever played. It was the best driving round I could ever remember.

The Sixth Hole, a 219-yard Par 3

The weather was making things tricky as dark skies where visible in the distance along the sporadic flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, but all we endured was few sprinkles. The back nine started off with a bogey, double bogey, triple bogey and double bogey at holes Ten through Thirteen, but I made a par at the 473-yard Par 5 Fourteenth, followed by four consecutive fours, including pars at the Sixteenth and Eighteenth. I was still hitting the driver long on the Par 4s and 5s and it was setting me up for short irons into the greens. My putting was also very consistent for one of the few times this year. My back nine 44 left me with an 87 for the round and my first time breaking 90 on a Par 70 or better golf course. I had one birdie and five pars during my round. I played Neshaminy Valley's three Par 5s in one over par.

The Thirteenth Green

When the round ended in the fading light of evening, I celebrated my historic round with a cheeseburger and french fries from Five Guys, which I washed down with some Turkey Hill Lemonade Tea, otherwise known as an Arnold Palmer.

The Par 3 Seventeenth Hole

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I am testing a couple of prototype golf balls from a major equipment manufacturer. I have now played three rounds with one of the prototypes and the only thing I can say is it is long. I have hit some of my longest shots with this ball. If this is any indication of how the other ball plays, I am really looking forward to putting it in play.

Back in The Fairways Again

2011-08-09T21:08:00.000-04:00

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 45/44 = 89
Date: August 7, 2011

My intention on Sunday was to test my game at Bensalem Township Country Club, but a change in plans with Mrs Muni Golfer had me teeing it up again at The Fairways Golf & Country Club. It was hot and very muggy when we teed off and it wasn't long before sweat was dripping from the bill of my golf cap. Since it had been three weeks since I last played, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was hoping to at lease duplicate my last round, which also happened to be at The Fairways.

The Fairways Scorecard

The two new Adams Fast 10 fairway woods were in the bag and I was anxious to see how they did on the course. I struggled at first with the 3-Wood off the tee, but the 5-Wood did just fine. On the front nine, I had a tendency to top the ball which caused me some problems, but I made pars at the Second and Ninth holes for a 45.

The Fifth Hole

The back nine started off really well, with a 5-Wood off the tee which found the bunker on the right side of the Tenth Hole, about 25 yards from the green. I wedged out to eight feet and made the putt for my fourth birdie of the year. But I quickly crashed back to earth by hitting two tree and four-putting for an 8 at the Eleventh. I recovered with a par at the Par 3 Twelfth, but at the Par 3 Fourteenth I found the bunker on the right of the green, took two shots to get out, chipped on and two-putted for a triple bogey. I made par at the next two holes, but made double bogeys at the Seventeenth and Eighteenth holes after hitting two of my best drives of the day.

The Eighteenth Hole from the tee

Given the three week layoff, my game wasn't as bad as I feared in might be. Generally I hit good shot, except for the occasional topped of heavy shot. I was a bit tentative with my chipping and pitching, but my putting continues to improve.

Shafted: Hybrid Gets a Makeover

2011-07-30T23:20:00.000-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

Earlier this week I picked up my TaylorMade Raylor 4-hybrid from Golfsmith, where I had them re-shaft it with a UST i-Rod hybrid shaft. I also had the length increased to 40-inches so it would play between a 3- and -iron in my bag. The Raylor was created by TaylorMade for some of its staffers to use at the 2009 U.S.Open at Bethpage Black. It has a "V-shaped" sole which makes it easier to hit the ball out of rough and to get the ball airborne from the fairway.

TM Raylor (above) and UST i-Rod shaft (below)

I had planned to have it in my bag today when I went to the course, but because of the high humidity, I decided to skip playing a round and instead went to the driving range at Bensalem Township Country Club. I purchased a large bucket, which gave me 80 balls to hit. I warmed up with some stretching and 10 sand wedges, then hit 10 9-irons and 7-irons. I varied my targets, hitting to the left and right, as well as down the center. After five 5-irons, I hit 10 hybrids, 10 5-woods and 12 3-woods, before finishing off my time on the range with 13 drivers. Overall, I hot good shots, but there were some fat and thin shots mixed in. I continued to work on my pre-shot move of rehearsing my takeaway to get the feel of the club moving back.

Bensalem CC Driving Range

After the range, I moved over to the putting green and practiced for about 20 minutes, hitting both short and long putts. On the long putts, I was trying to get a feel for speed and distance control, while I tried working on accuracy on the shorter putts. I also used a yardstick, anchored by two tees, to try and keep my putter moving in a straight line. I have neglected my short game practice this year and it has hurt my scoring as I have been inconsistent on my short putts all year. This has led to way too many three-putts. I hope this practice time on the putting green will payoff the next round I play.

No Beating the Heat

2011-07-24T20:56:00.002-04:00

With the East Coast in the grips of a killer heat wave, I decided to rest my game this weekend. The thoughts of last weekend's final few holes at The Fairways and how I felt afterwards from the 90+ temperatures were enough to confirm that skipping golf this weekend wasn't such a bad thing. I did, however, pick up two new pieces for my arsenal--an Adams Golf Speedline Fast 10 3- and 5-Wood. They will replace the TaylorMade Burners that I had been previously carrying. I picked them up on sale at a Dicks Sporting Goods near Easton, Pa., while visiting family this weekend.

The 3-Wood has an 15-degrees of loft and an Aldila Wasabi graphite shaft, while the 5-Wood is 18-degrees with a Grafalloy High Launch graphite shaft. As you may know, Adams Golf first made its name with its Tight Lies Fairway woods in the 1990s, which revolutionized fairways woods through its low center of gravity and upside-down head design. Adams has gone on to become a leader in hybrids and is very popular among players on the Champions Tour, including Tom Watson. I've ready really good reviews of the Speedline Fast 10 and I can't wait to get them on the practice range to get better acquainted

Recovery Continues at The Fairways

2011-07-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 47/41 = 88
Date: July 17, 2011

I continued to work on the recovery of my game with a round on Sunday at The Fairways Golf & Country Club in Warrington, Pa. I was hoping to build on some of the momentum I established last week at Juniata Golf Club. Under sunny, skies, it was hot and humid as I teed off on the Tenth Hole with Jim and Jim, a father and son that the starter paired with me. My goal for this round was to continue to build consistency in my swing and my putting. I was also playing my first round with the new prototype golf ball that had been sent to me for testing by a major equipment company.

The Fairways Scorecard - Front Nine

Typically at The Fairways, I play better on the front nine than I do on the back.For this round, I chose a 5-wood off the tee at the short, 248-yard Par 4 Tenth Hole and crushed a drive that left me about 30 shorts of the green. I pitched long, then three-putted for a bogey 5. The Eleventh Hole at The Fairways has a local rule that only allows an iron off the tee at the 291-yard Par 4 Hole which doglegs right. This hole typically gives me problems as I always hit my second shot well right of the green, often out-of-bounds, and usually a triple-bogey or worse.. Yesterday I had no such problem as I wedged on for my third shot and two-putted for another bogey. A missed short putt at the Par 3 Twelfth led to my third straight bogey, but another 5-wood, wedge and two putts gave me a par at 292-yard Par 4 Thirteenth. A two-putt par at the 134-yard Par 3 Fourteenth was followed by a bogey when I missed the 113-yard Fifteenth Hole left off the tee. At teh Sixteenth, a 323-rad Par 4, I missed the fairway left, punched down the fairway, wedged on and two-putted from distance for another bogey. At the 374-yard Par 4 Seventeenth, I hit driver for the first time and crushed a nice draw that landed in the center of the fairway, 134 yards from the green. But with the fairway sloping from left-to-right, the ball was slightly below my feet and I skulled my approached over the green. I pulled my pitch left and again missed the green, which led to a double-bogey 6. The Eighteenth is a 334-yard Par 4 which doglegs right, which two bunkers on the right at the dogleg. I aimed my 3-wood at the bunkers and hit a nice draw which found the left side of the fairway, about 100 yards from the green. But my approach found the right greenside bunker and I made a bogey 5 after pitching out and two-putting. This left me with a respectable 41 for my first nine holes.

The Fairways Scorecard - Back Nine

My playing partners decided to tackle the back nine again, so at the First Hole, I was paired with two young men, Chris and Adam. I hit driver off the tee and crushed another drive that ran through the end of the fairway. I hit a sand wedge to clear the pond fronting the green but went long and made a double bogey 6 after I failed to pitch back on the putting surface. At the 322 Second Hole, which plays slightly downhill, I hung a 3-wood out to the right, but had a good angle from the rough with a 9-iron. I cam up short of the two bunkers that guard the front of the green, chipped on and made another par. I made bogey at the short, 109-yard Par 3 Third Hole when I hit my tee shot fat and into the left bunker. I found the left bunker again at the 161-yard Par Fourth Hole when I three-putted after blasting out of the sand. The tee at the 372-yard Par Fifth Hole has been reopened, and I hit my 5-wood left into the treeline, then punched out into a creek on the right side of the fairway short of the green. Because of the dry conditions we have been having, the creek bed was only mud, so I blasted out--covering the front of me with mud--to the left side of the fairway, about 25 yards short of the green. My bump-and-run with a 9-iron just skirted the hole, but I missed the comeback putt for another double bogey. The Sixth Hole is a 284-yard Par 4 that plays downhill and has a creek running across about 85 yards from the green. My 5-iron off the tee ran through the fairway and my approach from the rough with a 53-degree wedge bounced over the back of the green. It took me three to chip on then I three-putted for a triple-bogey 7. At this point, despite constantly drinking water throughout the round, I was starting to run out of gas from the heat. My tee shot at the 168-yard Par 3 Seventh found the very back of the green, with the hole cut at the green's false front. My putt went long and rolled off the front of the green, but I nailed the second putt for my fourth par of the round. At the Par 4 Eighth Hole, I missed the green left on my approach, but missed an easy chip and had to putt from the fringe. I missed a short bogey putt for another 6, and with my legs feeling like rubber, I missed the green left at the Par 3 Ninth and made a poor triple bogey to close with a second nine 47 and a total of 88.

The Par 3 Seventh Hole

The Fairways was looking a bit brown due to the dry, hot weather and lack of rain we've experienced in the region. The fairways and areas around the putting surfaces were green, and the rough was playable. Overall, the course was in very good shape. Overall, I hit the ball very well during my round. I only hit one or two shot that were not as crisp as I would liked. I got a bit careless with some of my chips on the second nine which led to higher scores that I should have posted, but I think some of that had to do with my legs starting to leave in te latter third of my round. My first experience with the prototype ball was very interesting. It seemed very hot coming off the club and my distances yesterday seemed longer than usual. I don't know if this was a result of the ball, the hot and humid conditions or combination of both. But I will say that my initial reaction to the first prototype was very favorable. I'll keep you posted as I play with it more.

Photo by The Muni Golfer

Being Tested

2011-07-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

I have recently been selected to test two new models of a prototype golf ball for a major golf equipment company. They have sent a 3-ball sleeve of each to test. As part of the testing, they ask that you hit drives, hybrid/long iron approach shots, mid-iron approach shots, short iron/full wedge shots and short game shots. Once we have tested each model, we are asked to complete an on-line survey of our on-course evaluations of each. I will playing with these new prototypes in my next few rounds to gather my on course data.

A Recovery Round at Juniata

2011-07-11T22:43:00.001-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 43/49 = 92
Date: July 10, 2011

After my poor play in the Poconos, I decided I would try to get my game back on track with a round on the familiar fairways of Juniata Golf Club. So Sunday afternoon I teed it up trying to find the consistent swing that had carried through the first half dozen rounds of this season. As I had posted earlier, I made some changes to my arsenal, replacing my 4-Wood, 3-hybrid,, 4-iron and putter. In their place were a 3- and 5-Wood, 4-hybrid and a more traditional blade putter. I also wanted to try out a move move that I have added to my pre-shot routine in which after addressing the ball, I rehearse my club takeaway to get a feel for the club moving back away from the ball. I had noticed Kevin Streelman doing this on the practice and during his round at the recent AT&T National range at Aronimink Golf Club. I had worked on this move during my time at the practice range last week.

Juniata Scorecard

I met up with Tim and Darnell on the First Tee to form a threesome for the round. My round started outwell with a 7-iron onto the green, and although I three-putter, I felt very good about my stroke. Tim gave me a small putting tip on the first green and it seemed to help me throughout the round. I went back to a more normal stance and ball positioning for my putting, which also seemed to help. After my bogey at the First, I made pars at the Second and Third Holes, and just missed a third consecutive par at the Fourth Hole after I missed the green to the right with my approach shot from the left rough. An overhooked tee shot at the Fifth Hole led to a double bogey when I lipped out my bogey putt, and I bogeyed the Sixth Hole after finding the left rough with my tee shot. A good drive combined with a good up-and-down from the right fringe gave me another Par at the Seventh Hole, but I closed with back-to-back double bogeys for a 43 on the front nine. I felt my swing was much better than it had been the two previous rounds and I was making my short putts for a change. With this confidence I headed to Juniata's second nine.

The Fourth Hole's new fairway bunker

After missing the green right at the Par 3 Tenth Hole, I made a bogey, followed by two more at the Eleventh and Twelfth Holes. At the Par 3 Thirteenth, I again just missed the green to the right, but got up-and-down for my fourth par of the round. I followed that with a hybrid off the Fourteenth tee to just in front of the green, chipped on and two-putted for my fifth par of the day. Then the fun began. The Fifteenth Hole has become something of a mental block for me. Afraid of overcooking my draw out on to Wyoming Avenue, I instead push the ball way right, making it almost impossible to salvage bogey, let alone par. This round was no exception as I hit it into a sand pile and took a triple bogey. The Sixteenth Hole now features a new tee box, which sits back high and above the old one, stretching the hole to 400 yards. It has also eliminated the right side, and for someone like me who draws the ball, has left a tiny window through which to hit your tee shot. I pushed my first two shots off the tee into the woods on the right. I then took drops on the women's tee below and proceeded to dump three more balls into a natural area that has been grown in front of the tee. As I heard chants of "Tin Cup, Tin Cup, Tin Cup" in my head, I finally hit my eleventh shot--a 6-iron--to about 90 yards, wedged on and two-putted for a 14! Although disappointed that the score had ruined my round, I quickly regrouped and made bogeys at the final two holes, including a decent up-and-down from the left bunker at the Par 3 Eighteenth Hole. I back nine 49--which included 20 strokes on the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Holes alone--left me with a 92 for the round.

The new tee at the Sixteenth Hole

Overall, I played 16 holes really well and two holes really bad. My swing was as close to the best as it has been all season. I got off the tee well, hit my irons crisply, made mist of my chips and pitches, and putted about as well as I have so far this year. I now believe that the two poor rounds I played in the Poconos were just a hiccup as opposed to a decline in my game. The new tee at the Sixteenth Hole will require me to adopt a new strategy of hitting a mid-iron off the tee, with a longer approach shot to the green. I think a visit to the practice green this week will be beneficial in helping me build on the improved putting from this latest round.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

For Practice, Just Watch the Pros

2011-07-09T23:15:00.018-04:00

Last Saturday I attended the 3rd Round of the AT&T National, the PGA Tour stop that was making the last of its two-year visit to the Philadelphia area. My ticket was a birthday present from Mrs Muni Golfer. I had also attended last year's event. Like last year, I spent a bit of my time at the Practice Range watching the pros prepare for their round or work on some aspect of their game post-round. Here are a few observations of one player who finished T15:

One of the players I had targeted to follow this season was Kevin Streelman, a member of the Wilson Staff tour contingent. He was playing in the AT&T National and was scheduled to tee off at 11:11 a.m. in the 3rd Round. I had arrived at Aronimink Golf Club around 9:30 and went straight to the range. Streelman's wife Courtney, who would caddy for him that day, was already on the range with Kevin's bag, going over the yardage book.

Streelman arrived on the range at 10:17, almost an hour before his scheduled tee time. He went into his bag and pulled out a tube of lip balm, which he applied, then grabbed a handful of tees from the bag and put them in his pocket. He then pulled a wedge from his Wilson Staff bag and began to hit soft pitch shots. After a dozen or so, during which he worked up to a full swing, Streelman then switched to a short iron and began hitting balls at a target green on the right side of the range. After about a dozen balls he switched to a mid-iron and repated the same process before moving to a long iron. After his irons, Streelman took out his hybrid and proceeded to hit about a half dozen balls off the turf, before changing to his 3-Wood and hitting about 4-5 shots off a tee. He then switched to hit driver, which looked like an old Cleveland XLS and hit 4-5 tee shots. He finished off with six more pitch shots with a wedge, before leaving the range.

After the range, Streelman stopped at the short game practice area. He hit about 15 chips and pitches from different locations to the near and far pins positioned on the practice green. He hit them all with the same wedge. He then went into the practice bunker and hit about 8 shots out of the sand to the two pin locations. He finished off with 3-4 more chips before moving to the first putting green just outside the entrance to the Aronimink Clubhouse.

On the putting green, Streelman marked two sleeves of brand new Titleist golf balls, then pulled our a small accessory bag, from which he retrieved a putting clip, which he placed on the face of his Odyssey Dart Putter. He proceeded to hit some long and short putts using two of the balls. After about five minutes, he removed the putting clip and continued to practice his putts. After putting, he pulled a wedge and dropped a few balls into some gnarly rough around the putting green and hit about four chips aiming at a hole. Streelman then moved to a second putting green just across from the First Tee. At this second putting green, Streelman stopped and again pulled a wedge to hit several chips at various holes around the green.

At 11:05, Streelman and his caddy/wife walked to the First Tee, where he received his scorecard and a sheet indicating the location of that day's hole locations. He also took the time to spray himself with bug repellent, greet his playing partner, Hunter Haas and his caddy, before being introduced and officially teeing off at 11:11 a.m. I didn't follow Streelman after he teed off, but picked him up again at the Eighth Hole. Despite being one-over on the front nine, he carded three birdies on the back nine and shot a two-under 68 for the round.

While on TV you usually only get to see the players hitting shots on the course, it was fun, and very instructive, to watch how they go about preparing for a competitive round and then actually see then put that preparation to use on the course

Back to the Range

2011-07-07T22:10:00.000-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

After my awful play in the Poconos, I decided I needed to hit the driving range and see if I couldn't find what was wrong with my swing. So last evening, despite overcast skies and some earlier rain, I hit the range at Bensalem Township Country Club. I only hit a small bucket of balls, which equates to about 40. I warmed up with 10 sand wedges, followed by 10 7-irons. I felt pretty good so I hit my last 20 balls with the driver. I had brought two drivers to the range--a TaylorMade R9 and a TaylorMade Tour Burner--and 10 balls with each. I didn't hit either one that consistently, so I think the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver will stay in the bag for now.

Looking to shake things up a bit, I have also made some other changes to my club set. I have replaced the 4-wood and 3-hybrid with a TaylorMade 3- and 5-wood, my Wilson Staff Ci7 4-iron has been swapped with a TaylorMade r7 CGB 4-iron and my putter is now a Snake Eyes MCS2. Hopefully, these changes will get my game back on track.

The Muni Golfer Wins the FedEx Cup!

2011-07-05T23:00:00.001-04:00

What an incredible Cinderella story, this Muni Golfer comes outta no where to lead the pack, at the FedEx Cup. He's on his final hole, he's about 455 yards away - he's gonna hit about a two-iron I think. Oh he got all of that one! The crowd is standing on its feet here, the normally reserved crowd - going wild - for this Cinderella, this Muni Golfer, he's come outta no where, he's got about 350 yards left, he's gonna hit about a five-iron, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing - that's - Oh he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that, the crowd is just on its feet here, uh - He's the Cinderella boy, uh - tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last shot, he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a - its looks like he's got about an eight-iron. This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta no where, a Muni Golfer - now about to become the FedEx Cup champion. It looks like a mirac - It's in the Hole! It's in the Hole....

BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

Huh? Wha...what was I...was I dreaming? Oh well, one can always dream....

A Pocono Mountain High

2011-07-04T00:14:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, Mrs Muni Golfer won the use of a Pocono Mountain vacation home during an auction at a charity fundraiser. So last week, we traveled up to Hawley, Pa., at the northern tip of Lake Wallenpaupack, for a five-day getaway. This provided me with the opportunity to play a couple of courses in the Poconos and to test my game amongst the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Cricket Hill Golf Club
Hawley, Pa
Yards: 2819/2451 - 5270
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 66.1, Slope: 111
Score: 51/55 = 106
Date: June 28, 2011

For my first round, I played at Cricket Hill Golf Club, a public course located between Hawley and Honesdale, Pa. It was a real bargain, as green fees were only $18 to walk. Check out the Cricket Hill scorecard here. It was overcast and humid when I teed off at teh short, 305-yard First Hole and I promptly hit my tee shot dead right and out-of-bounds. It was an omen of things to come for the next 17 holes. The first four holes at Cricket Hill run parallel up and back, with three short Par 4s and a Par 5. A light rain began to fall as I holed out for an 8 at the First, but I settled down to play bogey over the next five holes. I seemed to have a problem with club selection at the higher altitudes and I was under-clubbing, leaving many of my approach shots short of the green. The rain had stopped by the time I played the Fifth Hole, but the humidity hung on as the sun finally appeared.

The Par 5 Fourth Hole

The signature hole at Cricket Hill is the Sixth, a 150-yard, Par 3 that plays downhill and offers a beautiful vista of the mountains from the tee box. After missing the green right, I chipped on and two-putted for another bogey, before moving to the 325-yard, Par 4 Seventh Hole, which plays back up the hill and doglegs right. I pulled my tee shot well right and had an awkward stance with the ball well below my feet. I managed to knock it back to the fairway, but with the ball again below my feet, I overcompensated and hit my next shot into the woods. I took a drop, hit my fifth shot to the fringe, then two-putted for a 7. That was the second of eight golf balls I would lose during my round. I made bogey at the Par 3 Eighth Hole, before hitting my tee shot way right into a pond at the Ninth, which led to another 7 and a 51 on the front nine.

The Sixth Hole

At this point, standing on the Tenth tee after a quick stop at the clubhouse, I found myself behind two foursomes of women, neither of which would allow me to play through. The glaciers that moved these mountains thousands of years ago probably moved faster than my round on the back nine. And the second nine at Cricket Hill is completely different than the first. Where the front is fairly open and the holes play straight (except for the dogleg Seventh Hole), the back is shorter, tighter and features six doglegs. Many of these doglegs you can go over with no more than a middle iron, but you then run the risk of leaving yourself with a short pitch from a very awkward distance to a very small, sloping green.

The Twelfth Hole, dogleg Par 5

My back nine crashed at the Tenth Hole, a 477-yard Par 5 that doglegs left. I hit one ball out of bounds and another was lost when it hit a tree. When I finally tapped in, I had an 11. I managed to hit good tee shots through most of the holes on the back nine, but I could never take advantage, and after a string of 4s and 5s on my card, I came to the very short, 243-yard Par 4 Eighteenth Hole, which doglegs right and has a pond in the middle of the fairway just around the dogleg. I hit three balls into the woods and bookended my back nine with another 11 for a 55 and total of 106. This was the first round this season that I had failed to break 100. I started the round with 12 balls in bag and ended with 4.

The tight tee shot at the Par 3 Fourteenth

Cricket Hill can be a fun course to play, but you really need to be familiar with the layout. For instance, on the back nine, I would not cut the dogleg on several holes, leaving me with a full short iron shot to the green. I chalked up my bad round to poor course management. If you ever get up to Wayne County, I definitely recommend you try a round at Cricket Hill. It will be one of the best bargains during your trip.

The short Eighteenth Hole

Buck Hill Falls Golf Club
Buck Hill Falls, Pa
Yards: (Blue/White Course) 3029/3239 - 6268
Par: 36/36 - 72
Rating: 70.3, Slope: 127
Score: 57/53 = 110
Date: June 30, 2011

My second round in the Poconos was played at Buck Hill Falls Golf Club, which opened in 1901. I have long wanted to play at this historic 27-hole course which was designed by the legendary Donald Ross. Even though it was a 45-minute drive from where we were staying, I didn't to pass up this opportunity. I was especially ready to shake off my bad round at Cricket Hill and get my game back in the groove. My round started off on the Blue Nine, where I teamed up on the First tee with a young woman named Laura. The first two holes of the Blue play straight uphill, then the course winds its way around for the next five holes, before playing back down the mountain towards the clubhouse. Check out the Buck Hill Falls Scorecard here.

Approach to the Fourth Green--Blue

My round started out OK, with a bogey and double bogey at the first two holes, when again, my poor putting reared its ugly head. The Third and Fourth Holes on the Blue are back-to-back Par 5s, and I played them with a double bogey and bogey. I was not hitting it that well off the tee, my ball striking was not that good, and I was again missing easy putts. At the 143-yard Par 3 Fifth Hole, my Pocono experience was summed up: I missed the green short right, chipped about 10 feet past the hole, then three-putted for a 5. Things only got worse from there as I made 8s on three of the next four holes.

The Sixth Hole--Blue

Laura only played nine holes, so I was playing solo on my second nine, this time on the White Nine. The White starts out like the Blue, with an uphill Par 4, but is followed by a 523-yard Par 5, with a stream running down the right side and crossing the fairway. I lost two more golf balls on this hole--bringing my total up to four on the round and 12 in 29 holes--for a 10 on the hole. After a double bogey at the Third Hole on the White, I decided to try to forget about everything else and try to concentrate on course management and just getting back to the basics with my swing. I then made a nice bogey at the 554-yard Par 5 Fourth Hole--my twelfth hole of the round. From the Third through Eighth Hole on the White, the course winds through vacation homes set along the fairways. I played a little better the rest of the way in, finishing my round with my only par at the Par 3 Ninth on the White. This 199-yard hole features an elevated tee and plays straight downhill.

The Eighth Hole--Blue

Even though I shot a 110, Buck Hill Falls is a beautiful, well-maintained course with scenic vistas. In the Donald Ross tradition, it features sloping fairways and devilish greens with many falloffs. I can see why Golf Digest calls it the "best course in the Poconos." It is a course I definitely have on my "must play again" list.

The Par 5 Second Hole--White

In returning from the Poconos, with scores as high as some of the mountain tops, I realize that my game needs some work. My swing is a mess right now, and only some time at the practice range is going to fix it. I also need to work on my putting, which has been brutal all year, as well as my course management. Until I get my game headed in the right direction, I need to take a more conservative approach on the course. Hopefully, some time at the practice range this week will get me headed on the right track.

Houses on the White Nine

The Par 3 Ninth--White

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Byrned on the Back 9

2011-06-21T22:57:00.000-04:00

John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2273/2610 - 4883
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 116
Score: 44/49 = 93
Date: June 20, 2011

Coming off the good round I played last Friday at Neshaminy Valley, I went to John F. Byrne Golf Club in Northeast Philadelphia yesterday for another early test of just where my game is at right now. This would be my sixth round of the season, so I should have a good indication of what is and is not working in my game. Byrne is one Philadelphia's five municipal courses, and one of three under the management of Billy Casper Golf. Formerly Holmesburg Country Club and designed by Alex Findlay, Byrne sits in a valley formed by the Torresdale Creek. The creek comes into play on no less than eight holes as it meanders through the course. Byrne also sits across Grant Avenue from its more famous neighbor, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club, which was designed by the legendary Donald Ross.

John F. Byrne Scorecard

My round got off to a horrible start, as a topped opening shot traveled no more than 10 yards off the the first tee. I hacked it down towards the creek, then up the other side and when my ball finally found the bottom of the cup on the first green, I had an opening 7. I followed that up with a double bogey at the 193-yard Second Hole, which plays downhill. After hooking my tee shot at the Third Hole, I was able to wedge on, but three-putted for a bogey 5. The fourth Hole is on my dreaded "Nightmare Nine." Off an elevated tee, the 293-yard Par 4 plays down and over the creek through a narrow opening in the tree line, then uphill from a fairway that slopes left-to-right. The green juts out of the side of the hill and missing right can leave a difficult chip or pitch. My tee shot caught a tree of the left, but made it over the creek. From there I hit an 8-iron short that bounded right below the green. I played it like a bunker shot and blasted on then made my putt for a par. A long three-putt bogey at the equally short Fifth Hole brought me to the Sixth, a 142-yard downhill Par 3, with the green just beyond the creek that crosses in front. After missing to the right, I chipped on and two-putted for a 4. My tee shot at the 240-yard Par 4 Seventh Hole, which doglegs slightly to the right found the trees as I tried to cut the dogleg. This led to another bogey 5. At the 168-yard Par 3 Eighth Hole, which plays longer because its slightly uphill, I hit a 4-iron short left, pitched on, then made a 20-foot putt for my second par of the round. The 376-yard Par 4 Ninth Hole plays over the creek and then straight uphill to a well protected green. After just making it over the creek with my tee shot, I made a sloppy double bogey 6 to finish off a front nine 44. Although I wasn't hitting the ball all that well, especially off the tee, I was still pleased with my score as I walked to the Tenth tee.

The Par 4 Fourth Hole

The back nine at Byrne starts with a tee shot across the valley and over the creek. My tee shot found the creek and my third shot out of the rough scooted up the right tree line. I then hit a wedge well left of the green, pitched on, but left myself well above the hole and my first putt ran a good 15 feet past the cup. I missed the comebacker to start with an. There have been a few course changes on the back nine, beginning with the Par Eleventh Hole, in which the tee box has been moved further to the right and back a bit. As someone who hits a draw, this has created a more difficult angle to the pin and I missed badly to the left of the green and wound up with a double bogey 5. Things didn't get any better at the 516-yard Par 5 Twelfth Hole, where I hooked my drive into the trees on the left, pitched out, then hit my 4-wood left. This led to another 8. I rebounded just a bit with bogeys at the next two holes--Par 3s of 89 yards and 219 yards respectively. At the 156-yard Par 3 Fifteenth Hole, I hit a 6-iron which drew nicely into the middle of the green and two-putted for my third par of the day. The Sixteenth Hole, a 465-yard Par 5, features another change, with the tee box being moved to the right, closed to the Twelfth tee. This has taken the slight dogleg left out of the hole and made it play much straighter. Here I hit my best drive of the day, just finding the left rough. I then hit my 3-hybrid to lay up about 30 yards short of the green, pitched on and made a 15-foot putt for birdie, my third of the season. The tee box at the Seventeenth Hole--a hole that has caused me a great deal of problems the last couple of years--has been moved up about 25 yards. This round would be no different. I hit my hybrid off the tee and hooked it into the old part of the Sixteenth fairway, up against some fescue-type grasses. Although I had a clear look at the green from about 50 yards, I had a bad lie and completely missed the ball on my swing. I then punched forward, chipped on above the hole and three-putted for a 7. The Eighteenth again plays across the valley, over the creek and up the hill. I hit the middle of the fairway, left my approach shot short, chipped short, chipped on and two-putted for a disappointing double bogey 6 and an equally disappointing 49.

The new tee box at the Eleventh Hole

Two 8s, a 7 and a 6 on the back nine was not what I was expecting after my front nine. I need to get a bit more consistent off the tee, especially with my 4-wood and hybrid. I seemed to be playing my second shots out of the rough too often. And my putting needs to get better. I am still missing too many short putts. I switched to an Odyssey White Hot Rossie for this round and felt a bit better with my putting, so I think I'll keep it in the back for at least another round or two. My irons, chipping and pitching have been the one constant in my game so far this season. A few more rounds and sessions at the practice range, as well as the practice green, should help me work out those problems.

The Eighteenth Green

Overall, I can't be too unhappy with my score. It was my sixth consecutive round in the 90s or better this season after getting off to a very late start. I feel my scores can only get better from here with a little more practice and playing.

A Golfing Gem in the Valley

2011-06-18T20:02:00.001-04:00

Neshaminy Valley Golf Club
Jamison, Pa.
Yards: 3338/2676 - 6014
Par: 36/34 - 70
Rating: 68.7, Slope: 118
Score: 47/47 = 94
Date: June 17, 2011

Yesterday I played Neshaminy Valley Golf Club, a nice family-owned public golf course on Almshouse Road in Bucks County. The course is built along the Neshaminy Creek, which runs along the Fourteenth Hole, a 473-yard Par 5. I had previously played at Neshaminy Valley about 15 years ago, but the course has undergone a complete renovation since. While the course is fairly open, its has some decent length from the white tees, playing just over 6,000 yards. Sloping fairways, doglegs and well-placed bunkers can make for a challenging round. The course is also well marked for distance, with blue, white and red poles signifying 200/150/100 yards respectively. And at only $26 to walk, Neshaminy Valley is a good value for your golfing dollar. I played this round with my cousin, and we were teamed up on the First Hole with a future father-in-law/son-in-law who were practicing for a family golf trip this weekend.

Neshaminy Valley Scorecard

I came to the first tee on Friday still brimming with confidence over my play thus far this season. Despite a late start, I have been hitting the ball pretty well and my scoring has been better than I could have possibly hoped with so little rounds played. I started off with double bogey at the First and Seconds Holes--the Second being a 529-yard Par 5 in which a I hooked my tee shot under some hanging branches and it was all I could do to punch out. I regrouped with bogeys at the Third and Fourth Holes, then made my first par of the day at the 390-yard Fifth Hole. Another bogey at the long, 219-yard Par 3 Sixth Hole was followed by a very bad double bogey at the 398-yard Par Seventh Hole after my tee shot found the left rough and all I could was hit a poor punch shot about 15 yards. a bogey at the short 317-yard Par 4 Eighth Hole, where I found the right bunker with my approach shot, was followed by a par at the 537-yard Par 5 Ninth Hole. This sent me out in 47.

The Par 5 Third Hole

The back nine at Neshaminy Valley starts with two Par 4s in which the fairways severely slope left-to-right (Tenth) and right-to-left (Eleventh). I made double bogey at each, then followed that with another double at the Twelfth, a 304-yard Par that doglegs right, in which you hit downhill to a fairway that has a creek crossing it at about 260 yards. Your second shot is slightly uphill to a two-tiered green that slopes back to front. The Thirteenth is a very short, 128-yard downhill Par 3 that I played with a 53-degree wedge off the tee. My birdie putt hit the cup too hard and bounced about four feet past. I missed the par putt for a bogey 4. I then parred the 473-yard Par 5 Fourteenth after my chip from the left of the green stopped about a foot from the hole. The fifteenth is another short Par 3 (149 yards), but with the tees up, I hit a 9-iron over the green, then failed to chip on. After chipping on, I three-putted for a triple bogey 6. I redeemed my self with a par 4 at the 344-yard Sixteenth Hole, but a fat tee shot at the 173-yard Par 3 Seventeenth led to another double bogey. The closing hole is a 367-yard Par 4 that plays slightly uphill and doglegs left. My tee shot left me on teh left side of the fairway, 152 yards to the hole, but I nuked a 7-iron over the green and closed out my round with a bogey and another 47 for a total of 94 on my round.

The Twelfth Hole

Overall, I continue to be happy with my play. I hit it well off the tee, especially with my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver and my iron play continues to be pretty good. I also hit some really good chips and pitches to help my score. My putting, however, has not been that good over the past three rounds. I have left way too many putts woefully short and I missed the second putts. This has led to an acceptable number of three-putts the past three rounds. I am thinking that maybe I need to change putters to try and get my stroke back to where it needs to be.

The tee shot at the Eighteenth Hole

As for Neshaminy Valley, it is a course I will definitely look forward to returning to play in the future. If you get the opportunity, try a round at this hidden little gem. I didn't think you will be disappointed. On a quick side note, my camera gave me some problems early in the round, so the pictures here are taken from Neshaminy Valley's Web-site.

Putt Putt at Paxon Hollow

2011-06-07T23:05:00.002-04:00

Paxon Hollow Country Club
Marple Township, Pa.
Yards: 2593/2824 - 5417
Par: 35/36 - 71
Rating: 66.2, Slope: 121
Score: 49/46 = 95
Date: June 6, 2011

On the 67th Anniversary of D-Day, I stormed the fairways and greens of Paxon Hollow Country Club, a wonderful municipal golf course in Delaware County. This hilly, 5400-yard, Par 71 track has gotten the best of me the previous two times I've played it; particularly the 519-yard Par 5 Eighteenth Hole, which is one of my "Nightmare Nine" holes. I've failed to break 100 in those previous attempts. But my game is brimming with confidence after my first three rounds of the season, so I looked forward to this challenge.

Paxon Hollow Scorecard

My round started off with a topped drive, but I recovered for a bogey 5 at the opening hole, followed by a par at the short Par 3 Second Hole. The Third Hole is a Par 5 that doglegs right around a hill and plays uphill to the green. A bad drive and an overcooked layup with my hybrid put me in early trouble, But I manged to get on the green in five, however a four-putt left me with a quadruple-bogey 9. That normally would have been the beginning of the end for me at Paxon Hollow in the past, but I shook it off a made a bogey at the Par 3 Fourth Hole. Another bogey followed at the the Fifth Hole, then at the short 261-yard Par 4 Sixth Hole--after a beautiful tee shot left me no more than 60 yards to the green--I thinned a lob wedge well over the green for a triple bogey 7. I followed that with a double bogey 7 at the Par 5 Seventh Hole, a 441-yard dogleg left. But bogeys at the Par 3 Eighth and Par 4 Ninth Holes left me with a 49 for the Front Nine. Not bad considering that I left many putts well short and couldn't lag it close if I tried. This led to numerous three-putts on the day.

The Par 5 Third Hole

The Back Nine started off with a nice par at the short, 250-yard Tenth Hole, but again, a Par 5 caused me trouble as I double-bogeyed the Eleventh, which plays uphill. The Twelfth was a problem from the tee shot which hit a tree about 75 yards off the green and landed in the rough. I hacked it up the fairway and two-putted for a triple-bogey 8. It looked at that point like my round was about to spin out-of-control and triple digits loomed on the scorecard. But from there on in, I managed my game nicely. I bogeyed the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, escaping a deep bunker on the left of the Fourteenth Green that I found with my approach shot. Another par at the 150-yard Fifteenth was followed by a 6 at the Sixteenth after I miss-read the slope of my first putt and three-putted the green. Another par at the downhill, 115-yard Seventeenth Hole came when I was short of the green, chipped on, then made my par putt. This brought me to my nemesis, the closing Par 5 Eighteenth.

158-yard Eighth Hole

The Eighteenth tee shot at Paxon Hollow is narrow, with trees protecting the right and a creek running down the left. Your second shot is uphill, over the creek, to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right, with the right side being protected by a huge tree that can cause problems for your third shot. A large, two-tiered green sits at the top of the hill at the foot of the clubhouse, with bunkers behind and to the left. Miss long or on the wrong tier and you could easily see your chip or putt run off the front of the green. Yesterday, my tee shot found the light rough just to the left of the fairway, where I was able to hit my hybrid up the hill. It rolled just into the right round about 120 yards from the green. I hit an 8-iron approach that two-hopped onto the green about 20 feet below the hole. I then two-putted for a par! This gave me a 46 on the Back Nine and a 95 for my round. I had finally broken 100 at Paxon Hollow!

Seventeenth Hole--A downhill Par 3

I was truly pleased with the way I played my round round at Paxon Hollow. I stayed mentally tough and didn't let a few big holes snowball into a very bad nine holes. Although I didn't play the three Par 5s very well--except for the Par at the Eighteenth--I balanced that out by taking advantage of the five Par 3s--three pars and two bogeys. My two main problems during the round was hitting my driver and 4-Wood off the tee and my putting. I couldn't seem to hit the ball anywhere near the hole on long putts, which led to numerous three-putts during the round. I did, however, continue to hit my new Wilson Staff Ci7s very well. I feel a great deal of confidence standing over the ball, whether on the tee, in the fairway or in the rough.

The Par 5 Eighteenth from the fairway

As for the course itself, except for gnats which seemed to be everywhere on the course, Paxon Hollow is in tremendous condition despite the very wet spring. The tee boxes, fairways, greens and bunkers were all in very good shape. If you have yet to play Paxon Hollow, I highly recommend you schedule a tee time in the very near future.

Back Where I Belong

2011-06-05T23:40:00.000-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 41/45 = 86
Date: June 4, 2011

I returned to Juniata Golf Club, my home course, on Saturday for the first round there since last October. I thought the familiar surroundings would give my game a good vibe as I look to get my game in shape after a late start to the season. Juniata, despite its location and reputation as being a "city course," continues to improve into a true hidden gem. The work of the Juniata Golf Foundation and the Juniata staff is to be commended. The playing conditions just keep getting better and better. If you haven't played this course in a while, or your reluctant to play there because of its location, you are missing out on a good golfing experience.

Juniata Golf Club Scorecard

I met Tim, a fellow solo golfer on the First tee and we teamed to play a round as a twosome. My round got off to a terrific start as I parred three of the first four holes. The only hiccup was a poor drive and missed short putt that led to a double bogey at the Third Hole. One new course this year is a fairway bunker on the Fourth Hole, about 100 yards from the green. This means a either laying up short or playing down the left side of the fairway, which I did. Starting at the Sixth Hole, Tim and I had to begin dodging sprinklers on the tee, fairway or green--sometimes a combination--on at least half of the holes we played. I made two more pars on the front nine--the Seventh and Ninth Holes--for a 41.

New fairway bunker at the Third Hole

The back nine started out with a bogey, then a double bogey at the Eleventh when I flubbed a chip after flying the green on my third shot. After two more bogeys, I had a momentary lapse of concentration that resulted in back-to-back double bogeys. At the Fourteenth Hole, a topped tee shot left me a blind shot to the green. Instead of punching out in front of the green, I tried to go over the trees with a 9-iron, but hit it into the wood on the left. I punched my fourth shot out, chipped on then two-putted for a 7. At the Fifteenth Hole, I rushed my tee shot to avoid the sprinklers and shanked the ball right. Because I was on the cartpath, I took a drop and hit another shank as I tried to punch low under the trees. A lob wedge short, chip on and two putts left me with a 6. I regrouped at the Sixteenth--where a new elevated tee box has been installed, stretching the hole to 400 yards--with another par after lipping out my 20-foot, downhill birdie putt. A bogey and double-bogey finished a 45 on the back nine and round of 86.

The Sixteenth Hole's new tee box

Overall, I was pretty happy with the way I played. I think my back nine woes could be attributed to the disruption caused by the sprinklers. I made one equipment change for this round, replacing my 17-degree Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood with a 16-degree Sonartec SS-07 4-Wood. I will keep it in the bag for my next round, which will played on Monday at Paxon Hollow Country Club in Broomall, Pa. While I have played a few rounds at Paxon, I have never scored well there, so I am hoping to carry the good play I've experienced so far this season into tomorrow's round.

The Green is Gone

2011-06-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

As you may know by now, Island Green Country Club in Northeast Philadelphia is no more. The 10-year-old course closed its doors on Feb. 15 of this year. The course opened in 2001 on the site of the old Budd Plant on Red Lion Road. It will now become a warehouse and distribution center for Teva Pharmaceuticals.

The course derived its name from its signature hole, the 300-yard Par 4 Eleventh Hole, which naturally, featured an island green. Although this hole was included in my "Nightmare Nine," which I wrote about last year, I did birdie that hole during a round there on Aug. 16, 2003. In total, I probably played Island Green about a half dozen times, with last being on Oct. 11, 2009.

Below are some pictures of Island Green then:

And Island Green as it is now:

A Fair Day at The Fairways

2011-05-30T17:17:00.001-04:00

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 42/44 = 86
Date: May 28, 2011

My second round of the season was played at The Fairways Golf & Country Club is Warrington, Pa. The Fairways is a great little walking course that winds through a housing development. A bit short at just over 4500 yards and a Par 65, The Fairways has plenty of protection from little streams that cross fairways, ponds that front greens or catch errant tee shots, deep bunkers and contoured, sloping greens.

The Fairways Front 9

Coming off the sloppy, wet condition of the previous week, The Fairways was in excellent shape. The fairways and rough had been cut and there was little evidence of the rains that have plagued the area for most of the spring. This round was played under hot, sunny skies, but with enough of a breeze it was a pleasant round of golf. While The Fairways is generally wide open, it is still important to put the ball in the fairway. Off the tee had killed me at Fox Hollow because the rough was deep, thick and very wet. At The Fairways, I missed just enough fairways to make me have to scramble to score. I didn't hit my driver or 4-wood as well as I had the previous week, but my iron game was much better, as was my chipping and pitching. My putter also ran hot and cold during the round. This is an area I have yet to practice this season.

The Fairways Back 9

Although I only made three pars, I only had five really bad holes during my round:

The Fifth Hole

* The Fifth Hole, a 322-yard Par 4: I hit my hybrid off the tee well right and was blocked by trees for my approach. I pitched out into the fairway and my third shot rolled to the back of the green, above the hole. I then three-putted for a double-bogey 6.

The Seventh Hole

* The Seventh Hole, a 168-yard Par 3: I topped my tee shot, which barely made it past the forward tees. My second shot didn't come out of the rough that well and barely hopped over a creek about 100 yards from the green. After pulling a lob wedge left of a left pin, it bounced off the green, short-siding me. I skulled another wedge across the green, chipped on and one-putted for a triple-bogey 6.

The Tenth Hole

*The Eleventh Hole, a 291-yard Par 4: Because of houses to the right on this dogleg right, a local rule only permits an iron off the tee, but also gives players the option to drop their ball at the beginning of the dogleg, about 150-yards from the green. I hit a 7-iron off the tee to the middle of the dogleg, about 155 yards out. I pushed my second shot right of the green and cart path, but just short of the out-of bounds. I hit a chip that rolled across the green and into the collar. I tried to putt it, but it came out soft and short. A two-put from there left me with a double-bogey 6.

The Twelfth Hole

* The Twelfth Hole, a 129-yard Par 3: Two large bunkers guard the left and right of the green and my tee shot found the right bunker. I hit my sand wedge a bit thin and my ball carried across the green. I three-putted from long distance for a double-bogey 5.

The Eighteenth Hole

* The Eighteenth, a 334-yard Par 4: The closing hole doglegs severely right and has a blind tee shot. My poor tee shot with driver found the left side of the fairway, well before the dogleg begins. I hit my hybrid, trying to cut the corner of the dogleg, but hit it through some trees, leaving my ball about 60 yards short of the green, with some branches to go under for my chip. I managed to chip onto the front left of the green, but left my uphill putt woefully short, then missed again for a closing double bogey 6.

Welcome Back Mr. Wilson

2011-05-26T22:55:00.003-04:00

Mad Golfer Driving Range
114 Street Road
Southampton, Pa
215/357-1622

A few years ago I moved from TaylorMade irons to Wilson Staffs, playing the Di7 irons. While I liked the club heads, I didn't like the Fat Shaft that Wilson used and I eventually moved back to TaylorMade. Well, I have decided to go back to Wilson Staffs once again, this time the Ci7s, which have a more traditional True Temper steel shaft. I already have the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver in my bag.

I took the irons for their first workout Wednesday night at the Mad Golfer Driving Range on Street Road in Southampton, Pa. It was my first time at the facility, which features a two-tiered hitting structure. I purchased a large bucket of approximately 70 balls for $9 dollars. I picked out a spot on the upper level and began my practice with Mr. Wilson.

After hitting stretching, I hit approximately 10 sand wedges to warm up, then worked the gap wedge, 9-, 7-, 5- and 4-irons, hitting approximately balls with each. I hit the majority of my shots straight of with a slight fade and had a nice high trajectory. I occasionally mixed in a draw. I finished with hitting six 6 balls each with my driver and a new Tommy Armour 845 3-hybrid. I was quite pleased with how the clubs performed and I look forward to taking them to the course for their first field action.

The Mad Golfer also features a short game practice facility; a pro shop; private practice areas; and heated, covered hitting stalls. A small bucket (approximately 35 balls is $7, and a jumbo (105 balls) is $11. Golf lessons are also available.

A Wet Season Opener at Fox Hollow

2011-05-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

Fox Hollow Golf Club
Quakertown, Pa
Yards: 3218/2886 - 6104
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 68.5, Slope: 120
Score: 50/48 = 98
Date: May 22, 2011

The first round of the 2011 season was played at Fox Hollow Golf Club, a nice public course in Quakertown, Pa. After a very rainy, wet spring, the course was saturated and swampy in many sections. Because they have been unable to mow, the rough was deep and thick, the fairways very soft and the greens slow. It played much longer than its 6100 yards. So you can imagine my surprise with a score of 98, especially when my practice to date had only been two sessions of hitting balls at the driving range. And the cherry on top: two birdies. I made only four all of last year, so I am half way to that total after my season-opening round!

Fox Hollow Scorecard

The round started off with a decent tee shot that plugged in the fairway, I hit a worm burner for my second, then splashed my third in the pond fronting the first green. After hitting my fifth shot over the green, I barely chipped on then three-putted for an opening 9. But pars at the Second and Third Holes righted the ship a bit. The Fourth Hole is a long, 552-yard Par 5, which was playing much longer and missing the fairway right made it seem like a mile. I one-putted for an 8. The Fifth was a beautiful Driver off the tee, then a 6-iron to about 20 feet, which I made for my first birdie of 2011. The Sixth is another 500-yard-plus Par 5 that I two-putted for a 7. A bogey 5 at the Seventh was followed by a double bogey 5 at the Par 3 Eighth Hole. I finished off the front nine with a three-putt double bogey after hitting a beautiful shot to the green from a fairway bunker. That gave me a 50 on the front nine and not much optimism for the back.

The Fifth Hole, a 552-yard Par 5

The back nine begins with a 370-yard Par 4 that doglegs left straight up a hill. After hitting my third shot over the green, I made a double bogey 6. The Eleventh is a downhill Par 3 that plays to a small green protected by two bunkers in front. I tried to baby a 9-iron but came up well short and made a bogey 4. The Twelfth Hole is a 485-yard Par, that I split the fairway with on my tee shot. I laid up and then hit a lob wedge above 20 feet past the hole on a green that slopes from back to front. I lipped out my three-foot par putt for a bogey 6. The Thirteenth is a short Par 4, but the fairway slopes from right to left and my draw of the tee found the left rough, leading to a triple bogey 7. The Fourteenth is a short Par 3, but I made bogey when my tee shot was knocked down short of the green by the wind. The Fifteenth Hole is one of my "Nightmare Nine" holes, a 560-yard Par 5 that plays downhill, then doglegs 90 degrees right to an uphill green. After chopping the ball down the right rough and three-putting, I had my second 9 of the day on the scorecard. But I came right back at the 128-yard Par 3 Sixteenth Hole, hitting my pitching wedge about 25 feet past the pin and then holing my second birdie of the day! A 5 at the 362-yard Seventeenth Hole brougth us to the Eighteenth, a 397-yard Par 4 that plays slightly downhill. I hit one of my best drives of the day to the 150-yard marker, then a 7-iron to the green, but a three-putt left me with a closing bogey five. A back nine 48 gave me a 98 for the round; not bad when you consider I had two 9s, an 8 and two 7s.

The Par 3 Sixteenth that I birdied

Fox Hollow is a traditional, tree-lined course that I would highly recommend. It will demand accuracy off the tee and challenge all the clubs in your bag. Now that my golf season has begun, I'm looking forward to the next round this coming weekend and I hope to build on some of the success I had at Fox Hollow, especially as the weather dries out the courses and the maintenance people can get them into regular playing shape.

Shanks A Lot

2011-05-21T21:40:00.000-04:00

Burholme Golf Center
401 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, Pa
215/742-2380

Because of the rain this past week I wasn't able to get to the driving range for a practice session leading up to my first round of the season on Sunday at Fox Hollow Golf Club in Quakertown. So last night, with a slight break in the weather, I went to Burholme Golf Center in hot a bucket of balls. After some stretching, I hit some soft sand wedges, then worked my way up through the even-numbered clubs in my bag -- PW, 8-iron, 6-iron and 4-iron -- before finishing off with my 4-wood and driver. In total, I hit about 65 balls and I didn't hit them very well. I would estimate that I shanked more than one-third of them. I don't know if it was my swing or the fact that I was slipping a bit on the wet mat, but it wasn't good. It didn't inspire a lot of confidence went compared to the way I hit the ball in my first range session of the year.

Because of the way I hit them last night, I will take a very conservative approach to the course tomorrow. I'm just looking to hit the ball well and post a halfway decent score for my first round. I'll then analyze what went right and what went wrong and tailor my practice plans from there.

Practice?. We're Talkin' Practice?

2011-05-16T22:30:00.000-04:00

I had planned to play a practice round of 9 or 18 holes this past weekend in preparation of my first scheduled round of the 2011 season next weekend, but a personal situation and the weather conspired to nix those plans. My goal is still to get to the practice range at least twice this coming week--once to hit balls and once to putt--weather permitting.

Last week, I began walking for about a half hour during my lunch several days in an effort to build up some leg strength and endurance for the golf course. I hope to continue that through the summer in order to establish and maintain these two critical areas, as well as lose some weigh.

Because of the lack of on-course practice, I am also beginning to develop a conservative game plan for my first round, which will emphasize good course management in order to avoid making big numbers on the holes. I also hope to make good course management one of my goals for the coming season, so no better time to begin than the first round.

The Swing is the Thing

2011-05-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

As part of my plan to prepare for my first scheduled round of the 2011 golf season, I ventured to the the driving range at Bensalem Township Country Club to hit the first balls of the year. Because of the ideal weather--warm with a gentle breeze--the range had its share of golfers tonight. I purchased a large bucket of approximately 80 balls for $7 and manged to stake out a spot in the center of the range.

After some stretching with my Speed Stik, I hit 10 lob wedges, beginning with some chips and slowly increasing to full swings. I then worked my way up through my bag, hitting 10 balls each with my gap wedge, 9-iron, 7-iron, 5-iron, hybrid and 4-wood. I hit them all off the ground since there was no tee. I managed to secure one from the hitting bay next to me and hit 12 drivers to finish off my hour-long practice.

Overall, I was pleased with how I hit the ball for the first time since last October. I mainly focused on getting my body acclimated to swinging a golf club once again and making solid contact, which I seemed to do about 70 percent of the time. I will be interested to see how my body feels tomorrow.

A Late Start

2011-05-08T17:32:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is the end of the first week May and I have yet to get to the golf course, let alone the practice range. My season is off to the latest start in recent memory. My first scheduled is in two weeks, so it is time to start earnest preparations. It I can get to the practice range three times--twice to hit balls and once to chip and putt--and get in a practice round next weekend, I could have my game in enough shape to play the scheduled 18 holes with my foursome.

Today, I went through my golf bag, making sure my equipment is ready. I re-gripped an Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood, which is going back into my bag as the only fairway wood. In addition, I added a 20-degree hybrid and 59-degree Solus lob wedge. This means my bag will consist of a Drive, 4-Wood, hybrid, irons (4-GW), sand wedge, lob wedge and putter. I had a great deal of success with a similar set configuration in 2008. I also marked some new golf balls, put three new golf gloves in my bag and re-stocked by supply of energy bars.

The golf season is well under way, but for me it's just beginning. I have a bit of catching up to do, but hopefully it won't take too long before I'm in the swing for 2011.

I'm baaaaack....

2011-02-19T23:51:00.000-05:00

Reports of my Blog's death have been greatly exaggerated. Unfortunately, I have let myself get behind on my blogging to the point where it looks as if has gone as dormant as Bermuda grass in the winter. I am now back, and I feel, re-focused on bringing The Muni Golfer back to where it was from its beginning in 2007 through 2009. Over the next week, watch for new posts and updates as I begin to kick off The Muni Golfer's 2011 season.

2010: The Year in Review

2010-12-31T16:58:00.000-05:00

This past golf year can best be summed up as the year that almost wasn't. Because Mrs. Muni Golfer and I moved to a new clubhouse in June, my time of the course was severely limited during the season. I didn't play my first round of the year until May 2 and didn't play my third round until July 18. In all, I managed to play my lowest number of rounds since I began playing 18 years ago. I didn't play any practice rounds in the early part of the season, which hurt when I actually was able to play on a more steady basis later in the summer.

The Fourth Hole/John F. Byrne

Overall, I played 13 rounds on 8 different courses. One round was canceled after four holes because of severe weather. For the first time in a long time, I didn't play any new courses this past season. I played at Juniata, Bethlehem Executive Course, The Fairways, Old Landing, Horsham Valley, John F. Byrne, Walnut Lane and Cobbs Creek.

The Second Hole/Horsham Valley

Overall, I played 238 holes this past season, took 1,215 strokes and averaged 93.4 for the 13 rounds I played. I made par of better on nearly one-quarter of the holes I played; 57 out of 238. I also recorded 4 birdies this year: the 8th and 16th at Juniata, the 11th at Old Landing and the 13th at John Byrne.

Eighteenth Hole/Old Landing

My lowest round of the year was an 85 at Horsham Valley on Aug. 29, while my highest round was a 110 shot in the rain at Cobbs Creek on Oct. 5. I only failed to break 100 twice this past year: 104 on Aug. 14 at Old Landing and the 110 at Cobbs Creek.

Driving Range/Bensalem Country Club

I did manage to get to the driving range 7 times this season, although it didn't seem to help much since I played so infrequently. I hope I can combine more trips to the range with more rounds of golf in the 2011 season.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-24T00:07:00.000-05:00

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year! May 2011 be the year in which we find nothing but fairways and greens, lower our handicaps and find even more enjoyment in the game of golf!

Not a Fall Classic at Juniata

2010-10-31T21:26:00.004-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 49/44 = 93
Date: October 24, 2010

My computer has been acting up recently, so I'm a bit late in this post. I teed it up for the second week in row at Juniata Golf Club, and like the previous week, shot an almost identical score. Because of two outings at Juniata on this particular Sunday, my round started on the Eleventh Hole; not exactly the ideal hole for starting a round of golf. While I didn't drive the ball that badly, my ball striking left a good bit to be desired and my putting wasn't as consistent as it has been recently.

The Seventh Hole

I was really done it by two holes in particular: the 280-yard Par 4 Seventh Hole and the 185-yard Par 3 Twelfth Hole. I made a 9 at the Seventh after driving my tee shot down the right side, leaving me a perfect shot into the green. However, I chunked two shots into the waste area, duffed a pitch and two-putted. At the Twelfth, I shanked my tee shot well right, missed another tee shot left, made it on the green in five and three-putted for an 8.

The Twelfth Hole

I continued to drive the ball well with the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver I put in the bags a few weeks ago. I also added a Momentus Power Hitter Lob Wedge into my bag this week and hit it a few more times on chips and pitches than I should have. The second new addition to my bag this week was a Tour version of the Odyssey White Hot #9 putter that I had been using. This model has a weight in the heel and toe of the putter and a slightly harder inset. Getting the right speed was a bit most difficult than I thought it would be, but I was getting better later in the round.

Odyssey White Hot Tour Putter

I took this weekend off, but look to return to the links next week to continue with the fall swing of my season. With any luck, the weather will continue to hold and provide with the gorgeous weather with been enjoying so we can extend the golf season a little later than we were able to do last year.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Blown Away at Juniata

2010-10-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/44 = 94
Date: October 16, 2010

On Saturday I took my friend and occasional golfing partner MS to Juniata Golf Club for a real taste on muni golf. We have previously teed up this year at The Fairways and Horsham Valley, so he was experiencing a true "public" golf course. The rains from a few days prior had softened up parts of the course, but the greens were running fast and the wind was howling. This made club selection extremely difficult and keeping the ball below the wind on many holes paramount.

Juniata Golf Club Scorecard

After a decent start, with a bogey and a par at the first two holes, I struggled in teh blustery conditions through the rest of the front nine and shot a respectable, though somewhat disappointing 50. The Third Hole was a prime example of my misery. Hitting a new Wilson Staff Smooth Driver, I crushed teh ball off the tee, only to be left with over 200 yards for my second shot. A 5-Wood into the wind only emphasized my draw and left me well left and still about 15 yards short of the green. A short pitch, a chip and two putts meant a double bogey 6.

Windy conditions like this made scoring difficult

The back nine was just as treacherous, although I was able to take advantage of some of the Par 3s to shoot a much better 44. Bogeys and double bogeys were the scores of the day, although I did mange to par the Eighteenth Hole after a nice up-and-down from the right bunker. This left me with a 94, not bad considering the very windy conditions.

The Wilson Staff Smooth Driver

As I mentioned earlier, I put a new Wilson Staff Smooth Driver into play for the first time during this round. I have been having trouble with several TaylorMade Drivers, most notably the R7, with was causing me to hit short duck hooks off the tee. I had not such problems with the Smooth. The ball flight was high, straight and long considering the windy conditions. I hit five out of eight fairways with the Driver, which felt solid and very controlable, despite its 45.5-in length. I'm hoping this might be the solution to some of my problems off the tee this year, which has generally been hit-or-miss. If I can hit the Driver consistantly, this will take pressure off the other parts of my game, as well as some much needed strokes off my score.

Back on Track at John Byrne

2010-10-13T19:03:00.002-04:00

John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2273/2610 - 4883
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 105
Score: 44/47 = 91
Date: October 10, 2010

After drying out from last Tuesday's wet and soggy round at Cobbs Creek, I was back on the First Tee at John F. Byrne Golf Club in Northeast Philadelphia. I had played 18 holes there about a month before when I shot an 89 and was looking to shoot something south of the triple digits I put on the scorecard at Cobbs Creek.

My Scorecard from John F. Byrne

Topping my opening tee shot and hitting a wrong ball for a two-stroke penalty and a 9 on the First Hole was not exactly the way I wanted to start, especially after I double bogeyed the Second Hole, but I then got in a bit of a groove and parred the next two holes, including the dreaded Fourth Hole, which has been my nemisis on many occasions. A shanked tee shot at the Fifth Hole led to a 7, but I parred the next three holes, with a nice up and down from behind the green at the treacherous Par 3 Sixth Hole. I finished off the front nine with a bogey to go out in 44, only one stroke worse than I shot back in September.

The First Hole from the tee

The back nine started much like the front, with a topped tee shot and a ball in the creek, for a 7 at the Tenth Hole, but I responded with a par at the Eleventh. I hacked it up the 516-yard Par 5 Twelfth Hole for a double bogey, but responded again with a birdie at the very short Par 3 Thirteenth Hole; my fourth birdie of the year. The next three holes went double bogey, bogey, double bogey, although the bogey at the 155-yard Par Fifteenth Hole was pretty good after I missed to the left above the green. The 371-yard Par 4 Seventeenth Hole is quickly beginning to match the Fourth as a hole that just drives me nuts...and my scores up. The creek which runs down the right side angles in shortly off the tee, calling for a cut or fade shot which is just not in my arsensal since I hit a pronounced draw. The hole features a green that is narrow in the front, with bunkers on either side. The left bunker, which I seem to have difficulty playing from, has become a magnet for approach shots. This round was no different. I barley got out of the bunker, then chipped past the hole and two-putted for a 6. At the Eighteenth, I found the creek yet again off the tee, but managed to finish with a 6 for a back nine 47--again, one stroke higher than last month. This gave me a round of 91.

The view from the Tenth Tee

Although I am still ahving problems hitting Driver off the tee, I did put my TaylorMade Burner 3- and 5-woods back in the bag, as well as replacing my 4-hybrid with a TaylorMade GCB 4-iron. As I continue to search for a Driver I can put in the fairway, I will try to stay with the rest of the current set-up for a few rounds and see how my scores go.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Rain Doesn't Dampen This Bad Round

2010-10-06T22:42:00.001-04:00

Cobbs Creek Golf Club
Olde Course
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2498/3258 - 5736
Par: 35/36 - 71
Rating: 67.6, Slope: 116
Score: 53/57 = 110
Date: October 5, 2010

It was rainy, wet and chilly yesterday as I teed off for a rare mid-week round of golf on the Olde Course at Cobbs Creek, the gem of Philadelphia's public courses. The course was designed by Hugh Wilson, who also designed the famed East Course at Merion. My partners and I were scheduled to play at Paxon Hollow Country Club in Marple Township, but the course was closed due the continuing inclement weather. So we headed over to Cobbs Creek, where we had no difficulty teeing it up.

My Scorecard from Cobbs Creek

Wearing my wet weather gear, including a FootJoy bucket rain hat that I picked up at Dicks Sporting Goods on my way to the course, we set out against the elements and the course. The greens at Cobbs Creek were in excellent condition, but the tee boxes and fairways showed signs of the extreme heat that has plaqued the Delaware Valley this summer. Due to the rain, conditions were sloppy at best and I hit a lot of fat shots. I also played poorly off the tee, often putting myself into punch out or hit it back into the fairway mode. Not the best way to post a good score. The only thing that really saved me on the front nine was that I played the three Par 3s in only two over par. On the back nine, I parred the short Tenth Hole, but did little from there, including a 9 at the very long 589-yard Par 5 Fourteenth followed by an 8 at the uphill Par 4 Fiftheenth Hole.

On a very wet tee

Bunkers were also water hazards

The rain gear made it difficult to swing comfortably and the bucket hat made me sweat so bad my eyes were stinging several times from the perspiration running down my forehead. But, still, I was playing golf. I laugh when people won't play in a steady drizzle. A lot of golfers spend thousands of dollars for golf trips to Scotland and Ireland. Well, yesterday's conditions would be called a sunny day across the pond. I'll just chalk the score up to the weather and concentrate on getting my next round back to where my game was a few weeks ago.

Rain clouds hung over the wet course

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Deja Vu All Over Again

2010-09-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 53/38 = 91
Date: September 19, 2010

Hoping to erase the nightmare back nine from last week's round at Walnut Lane Golf Club, I teed it up on the familiar links of Juniata Golf Club, which I consider to be my home course. I haven't played at Juniata since I was washed out after four holes back in July. I was hoping that a round at Juniata would help get my game back on track. Instead, my round looked like a mirror image of last week's round. Where I started strong on the front nine and lost my swing on teh back at Walnut Lane, shooting 39/51-90, I struggled to find my swing over Juniata's opening nine, only to find my game and scoring bringing it back to the clubhouse while shooting 53/38-91.

My Juniata Scorecard

Upon arriving at Juniata, my round was delayed by about 20 minutes while I waitied for a golf outing to finish their last few holes. When the course was finally clear, I was the first one off the tee and hit my opening shot just right of the downhill Par First Hole. While walking to my ball, I picked up 16 golf balls that littered the course, remnants of the outing and the abandonment of poor shots. I wound up picking up 24 balls during the round.

The First Hole where I found 16 golf balls

Over the first eight holes I was spraying my tee shots either right or left, or hitting them fat. I was forced to hit several punch shots just to get the ball back into play and my putting was lousy. I made an 8 at the 370-yard Par 4 Fifth Hole because of a ball hit out-of-bounds and two poor pitches, and a 9 and the 275-yard Par 4 Seventh Hole, where I lost two golf balls. On the tee at the Ninth Hole, I gave myself a pep talk about how I needed to grind it out since it was obvious I didn't have my best game. I then hit my best tee shot of the day; a 3-wood to just under 100 yards to the green. I hit my approach shot past the flag and two-putted for my first par of the round. Despite an opening 53, this par gave me a shot of confidence going to the back nine.

The Seventh Hole where I lost 2 balls

I started with a bogey at the Tenth Hole and another lost ball at the Eleventh led to a 6. I then made double bogey at the next two holes, both Par 3s. At the Fourteenth Hole, a short 240-yard Par 4, I thinned a hybrid off the tee, but hit my approach shot over the tall pine that guards the left front of the green and chipped to three feet, which led to my second par of the day. At the Par 3 Fifteenth Hole, I found the green with my tee shot and hit my 20-foot birdie putt a bit too strond and hit the hole and hoped to about three feet away. I then pulled my par putt for a disappointing bogey. The tees at the Sixteenth Hole have been moved well up because of construction of a new tee box, making the hole play about 250 yards. I hit a 7-wood to about 50 yards short of the green, then pitched on and made a 10-foot putt for birdie. I found the fairway with a 3-wood at the Seventeenth Hole and hit my gap wedge to about 30 feet and then just lipped out my birdie putt. Another par made ita birdie, two pars and a bogey in the last four holes. At the Eighteenth Hole, with the flag of the right side of the green behind a bunker, I hit a 6-iron draw of the green to about 25 feet behind the hole and two-putted for another par and a back nine 38 and a round of 91.

The tee shot at Seventeenth Hole

Just as I was disappointed last week about how I played the back nine at Walnut Lane, I was happy with how I turned it around on the back nine today at Juniata. I hope I can acrry that momentum into my next round and continue to improve my game as the summer now officially turns to fall.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Roundup of Recent Rounds

2010-09-12T09:44:00.002-04:00

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pal
Yards: 2173/2098 – 4271
Par: 31/31 = 62
Rating: 59.9, Slope: 91
Score: 39/51 = 90
Date: September 11, 2010

I had hoped to play yesterday at Juniata Golf Club since I haven't played there since July, but an outing forced me to move my round to Walnut Lane Golf Club in Roxborough. Walnut Lane is not very long, but it is a very hilly course that plays tight, especially on the back nine. It has 10 Par 3s and 8 Par 4s. Many of the Par 3s play either uphill, downhill or over ravines, while the Par 4s--while short--often are doglegs with sloping fairways; it's not unusual to have a sidehill lie for your approach shot. The summer heat does not look like it has been kind to Walnut Lane either. Many of the fairways and greens feature large bare spots and the tee boxes were so hard it was difficult to get a tee into the ground.

My Walnut Lane Scorecard

My round was a tale of two nines. On the front nine, I played pretty well, keeping the ball in play, pitching chipping and putting well. I bogeyed the first two holes, but then made three solid pars at holes 3-5. After hitting long at the Sixth Hole, I made double bogey after a poor chip, but made a bogey and par at the enxt two holes. After getting a good break on a tee shot I hit right at the Ninth Hole, I skulled my third shot over the bunker and out of play, which resulted in a 7. Still, I went out in 39 and visions of a very good score statred to dance--prematurely--in my head. As everyone knows, you want to stay in the moment when playing golf. The minute you start thinking score, you can quickly become undone.

The Par 3 Eleventh Hole

I started fairly well on the back nine with a solid par at the downhill Tenth Hole, even after a tree limb caught my drive as it was drawing around the slight dogleg. The came the Eleventh Hole, one of my "nightmare nine." Although it is faily short, 134 yards, it plays straight uphill thriugh a narrow chute; miss left or right and you are dead. Of course, I pulled my tee shot left, had to take a drop, pitching uphill short, chipped on and two-putted for a 7. "No swaet," I told myself as I headed to the Twelfth Hole, which plays uphill over a ravine off the tee to a sloping fairway that doglegs left. I again caught a tree with my drive, but was still in the fairway. I hit a poor seond shot left over the hill and lost my second ball in two holes. A drop, weak pitch, two bad chips and two putts left me with an 8. A little upset with myself, but still OK, I went to the Thirteenth Hole, a short Par 3 where the green is protected by two large bunkers. I underclubbed and didn't turn the ball over, which put me in the right bunker. From there I skulled my sand shot across the green and through the chain link fence (how do you do that?) for my third lost ball in three holes! After my 6 I moved to the Fourteenth Hole, where I began to get my game back under control, playing bogey golf the next four holes. I came to the Eighteenth Hole feeling good that I had gotten things back on track. But a mediocre tee shot left me with a long approach off a bare lie. I tried to hit my hybrid, but it went dead right into the brush; another lost ball, my fourth of the back nine. Demoralized, I hacked it around until I tapped in for a 9 and a back nince score of 51; 12 stroles higher than my front nine.

The tee shot at the Twelfth Hole

Except for the brief lapses on the back nine, I felt my play is continuing to improve. I could have done a little better off the tee and been a bit more aggressive in my short game, but I felt I played consistently and my putting continues to be very good. I made a couple of minor changes to my golf bag before the round, replacing my 3-wood with an Adams 4-wood and my 2-hybrid with a 3-hybrid.

My 9-11 Tribute Golf Shirt

Since yesterday was the 9th Anniversary of 9-11, I wore my Tabasco golf shirt that was made for Scott Hoch to wear at the 2002 U.S. Open held at Bethpage's Black Course in New York. The shirt features the New York skyline over the U.S. flag.

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John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2273/2610 - 4883
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 105
Score: 43/46 = 89
Date: September 7, 2010

Last Tuesday, I played a post-Labor Day round at John F. Byrne Golf Course in Northeast Philadelphia. This is a far cry from my usual post-Labor Day rounds down at the Delaware Shore, but since Mrs. Muni Golfer and I stayed home this year, it a local round of golf. Byrne is the former Homesburg Country Club that has been part of Philadelphia's Municipal Courses since the late 1960s. It has been managed by Billy Casper Golf for the past few years under contract with the Fairmount Park Commission. Located in a valley just west of Frankford Avenue, and across Grant Avenue from the more storied, Donald Ross-designed Torresdale-Frankford Country Club, Byrne is not overly long, but a good, challenging course.

My John F. Byrne Scorecard

Coming off an excellent 85 at Horsham Valley the previous week, my round at Byrne started off with a tee shot that went dead right. Although I wasn't in a bad location, I still took a double bogey 6 to start. From there, things brightened quickly. Back-to-back pars at the Second and Third Holes brought me to the Fourth, another hole from my "nightmare nine." From the tee, you hit your shot across the creek through a narrow opening in the tree line to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right. Of course, I made double bogey, as I did at the Fifth Hole after hitting into the fairway bunker about 20 yards short of the green. At the Sixth, a 142-yard Par 3 over the creek, I hit my tee shot pin high, about 15 feet left of the pin and made par. I played bogey golf the last 3 holes to shoot a very respectable 43 on the front nine.

The opening tee shot

On the back nine, I hit my tee shot into the creek that crosses the valley, but after a drop, managed to get and down for only a bogey 5. A par at the uphill, Par 3 Eleventh was followed by a double bogey 7 at the 516-yard Par 5 Twelfth Hole. Another par at the very short (89-yards) Thirteenth was followed by a disappointing 6 at the long, 219-yard Par 3 Fourhteenth. Yet an par at the Fifteenth, a 156-yard Par 3 was followed by a par at the back nine second Par 5, the 465-yard Sixteenth. Then came the hole that always manages to find a way to trip me up. The Seventheenth, Byrne's #1 rated handicap hole, is a 371-yard Par 4 that angles to the left and then slightly back to the right. The creek runs down the right side, but begins moving in a bit to the left around 150 yards off the tee. A fade would be the best shot off the tee, but since that is not a shot I can easily pull off due to my natural draw, this hole presents quite a challenge off the tee. I hit my hybrid through theline of trees on the left, then hit a tree while trying to hit a low runner down the fairway. My ball went forward, but kept me on the left of the trees. I then dumped a short pitch into the bunker on the left of the green and took three shot to get out. My second shot actually got out of the bunker and hung in the grass, but then fell back into the bunker. I then three-putted for a 9. I managed to regroup and make a 5 at the uphill, 338-yard Eighteenth for a back nine 46 and a total of 89.

The Fourth Tee viewed from the Green

Overall, I continued to play well from the round at Horsham Valley. I was particularly pleased with how I scored on Byrne's Par 3s, parring five of the seven on the course. In addition, I played the two Par 5s in two over par. My putting has really been good and I have been striking the ball solidly. I hope to build on the consistency through the fall as I begin to look forward to next golf season.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

What's in My Bag

2010-09-06T23:32:00.004-04:00

Since it's "Labor Day," I though this would be a good time to write about the clubs I labor with on the golf course. In the right hand column of this blog, you will see a listing of the clubs that I typically have in golf bag. I though I would finally take this opportunity to actually show you "what's in my bag." Although I typically walk and carry my clubs in a Sun Mountain Swift X stand bag, I put the clubs in a larger staff-type golf bag for the above photo. The clubs are:

* Driver: TaylorMade R9, 10.5 degrees, Fujikura Motore 65 shaft, 44.5-in, R-flex. I have the shaft set in the neutral upright position and 4-6-4 gram weighs in the toe, back and front respectively.

* 3-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 15 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42.5-in, R-flex.

* 5-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 18 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42-in, R-flex.

* 2-Hyrbid: Nickent 3DX DC Utility, 17degrees, Aldila NV 75 hybrid shaft, 41.5-in, R-flex. This club plays as a 2-iron and I alternate between this and the 5-Wood.

* 4-Hybrid: TaylorMade Raylor, 22 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 65 shaft, 39-in, R-flex.

* Irons: TaylorMade Tour Burner, 5-Iron through GapWedge, TaylorMade Burner 105 steel shafts, R-flex.

*Sand Wedge: Solus 4.1, 56 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Lob Wedge: Solus 4.1, 59 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #9, 3 degrees loft, 34-in.

My Sun Mountain Swift X Bag

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Going Low in the Valley

2010-08-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

Horsham Valley Golf Club
Ambler, Pa
Yards: 2536/2579 - 5115
Par: 33/33 - 66
Rating: 62.2, Slope: 101
Score: 43/42 = 85
Date: August 29, 2010

Yesterday, I played a round at Horsham Valley Golf Club, a challenging, Par 66 layout in Ambler, Pa. I really like playing there. It is short, playing just over 5,100 yards, but don't let that fool you; this course can jump up and bite you very easily. After playing our last two rounds together at The Fairways, my golf buddy decided it was time for him take his game to a different course, so he made us a tee time at the Valley.

My scorecard from Horsham Valley

Although my last round at Old Landing left a lot to be desired, I felt like I had found something in my swing while on the range at Bensalem Township Country Club a week ago. It seemed like I had found my old, more upright swing. I was hoping that this new swing would be with at Horsham Valley. It certainly was!

The Par 3 Fourth Hole

After an inauspicious start, going 6-5-7 over the first three holes, while pushing my tee shots to the right, I started to find my game and swing at the Fourht Hole, a 127-yard Par 3 that is protected in the front by a very large bunker and has a green that slopes front back to front. I made par there, then ripped a Driver at the 387-yard Fifth Hole. Even though I chunked my sand wedge approach shot, I still managed to get up-and-down for a par. The next ball brought be briefly back to earth as I shanked--yes, shanked!--my tee shot and made a triple-bogey 6. But I parred two of the last three holes on the front nine for a score of 43.

The tee shot at the Thirteenth Hole

The back nine starts with an uphill, 171-yard Par 3 with a severely sloping green, which I missed long and right. But I hit a nice lob shot onto the green that rolled to about 10 feet below the hole and I made a satisfying 4. I then parred the short, 296-yard Eleventh Hole and made bogey at the downhill Par 3 Twelfth Hole. The 403-yard Thirteenth is one of the most challenging holes on the course. Power lines run in front of the elevated tee box and the fairway below is guarded by a stand of trees on the left. A creek intersects the fairway just before the green. I again hit my Driver and smacked a nice draw that rolled to within 15 yards of the creek. I then hit wedge onto the green and two-putted for my fourth 4 in a row. The Fourteenth requires a tee shot over the creek and the power lines again come into play. A small sandy waste area sits in the fairway about 50 yards short of the green. I hit 3-Wood, wedge and two-putted (lipping out my birdie from just off the front of the green) for my fifth straight 4. As you remember from an earlier post, the Fifteenth Hole at Horsham Valley is in my "nightmare nine," holes that seem to get you every time you play them. Yesterday was no exception. A tee shot off the heel that just stayed in bounds, a chunked wedge, a skulled wedge into the water all added up to a 7 on this 184-yard Par 3. I got my last of eight pars at the short, 283-yard, dog-leg left Sixteenth Hole. A 5-6 on the last two holes brought me in at 42 and a round of 85.

The "nightmare" Fifteenth Hole

This round--with eight pars--was by far, the best I have played this year. I didn't have one 3-putt all round. And while I hit my Driver only three times, I hit it long and with a slight draw. I think I may finally have my new TaylorMade R9 dialed in correctly. I put the shaft in the "neutral upright" position and changed the weights to 4-6-4 (grams) in the toe-back-heel. We'll see if this combination continues to produce such results. I also made one other change to my arsenal for this round, replacing my 5-wood with a 2-hybrid, which I used effectively off the tee on several of the short, narrow Par 4s.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Range of Improvement

2010-08-19T21:24:00.002-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

After Saturday's disappointing round at Old Landing Golf Course in Rehoboth Beach, Del., I went to the Driving Range at Bensalem Township Country Club for some much needed practice. Primarily, I wanted to work with the Driver, which was a real problem for this past weekend. I took both my TaylorMade R9 and Tour Burner '08 Drivers with me. Because I also wanted to spend some time on the putting green, I only purchased a small bucket of balls.

After some stretching and warming up with 10 lob wedges, I hit 10 balls with the R9. I had reconfigured it since Saturday, moving a 14-gram weight to the center port, with 1-gram weights in both the toe and heel. I also moved the shaft to the "neutral upright" position to get less of a hard draw. On Saturday I had been hitting tee shots that were driving left off the club face or pushing out to the right. Tonight, in the first round of shots, I made better contact, and while the ball sometimes went left, it wasn't a diving duck-hook.

I then proceeded to hit 10 balls with the Burner '08. These were high, straight shots or slight fades, but shots that would have been in the fairway. I then went back to my R9 to see if I could replicate the 10 I hit with the Burner and, surprisingly, I hit miostly straight shots or fades. I think I will have to adjust for this off the tee when I'm hitting driver on the course and tee up more to the center as opposed to the left side of the tee box for a draw.

I then went over to the putting green and spent about 20 minutes in the twilight hitting putts to the various pins on the green. I also worked with my three "Big Putt" training balls. These are oversized balls that feel and roll like ordinary golf balls, but are designed to make you feel more confident on the short 6- to 8-ft putts when you switch back to a regulation golf ball because the hole now looks so much bigger. Overall, it was a good practice and I can't wait to tee it up this weekend.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Score Goes North Down South

2010-08-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Old Landing Golf Course
Rehoboth Beach, Del
Yards: 2991/3106 – 6097 (Blue Tees)
Par: 36/36 = 72
Rating: 68.7, Slope: 114
Score: 55/49 = 104
Date: August 14, 2010

This past Saturday morning found me on the first tee at Old Landing Golf Course in Rehoboth Beach, Del., for our annual family cousins golf outing. This outing has traditionally taken place at a course in the Rehoboth Beach area over Labor Day weekend, but was moved up a few weeks this year because of a change in vacation schedules. Old Landing sits back where Love Creek empties into Rehoboth Bay. It is a course that, like a lot of resort courses, gets a lot of play from golfers of all skill levels. It is more open around the clubhouse, but features about six very tight driving holes. Until recently, the course had had problems with its fairways and greens being more dirt than grass until it was discovered that salt water was getting into the irrigation system. The problem has been fixed and the course conditions have improved dramatically.

The First Hole at Old Landing

This year, one of my cousins wanted to play from the Blue Tees and the others went along. I reluctantly agreed, although I had some reservations because of the state of my game due to a lack of playing opportunities this season. My big problem on Saturday was getting off the tee and putting myself in position to score. If I wasn't hitting it into trees or out-of bounds, it seemed like I was always hitting a mid-iron or hybrid into the Par 4s. Not exactly a recipe to shoot a low number.

The Green at the Par 5 Seventh Hole

My round was really undone by two Par 4 holes on the front nine: the 369-yard Third Hole and the 355-yard Fifth Hole. On the Third, I was just over the green in three, but took three chips out of the thick rough to get onto the green, then three-putted. At the Fifth, a very tight dogleg left, I snapped hooked my drive through the trees on the left, across the road and into a yard--out-of-bounds. Aftyer retrieving my ball and taking a drop on the course side of the road, I tried to pitch it back into the fairway and hit another tree. The ball caroomed of the tree, across the road and back into the yard; again, out-of bounds. By the time I putted out, it added up to a 10 on the hole. That's 19 strokes on just two holes!

The Sixteenth Hole, a 339-yard Par 4

After going out in 55, I played a bit better on the back nine, although I still struggled to put together a string on good shots. My one highlight came at the 206-yard, Par 3 Eleventh Hole, where I hit my 5-wood to five feet and drained a downhill, right-to-left putt for birdie. It was my second birdie of the year and the only one of the day from our foursome. I then followed that up with a par at the 521-yard Par 5 Twelfth Hole. In fact, I managed to play Old Landing's four Par 5s in a respectable 3 over par.

The Green at the Par 5 Eighteenth Hole

We also had a small Dustin Johnson-like moment of our own during the round. On the Eight Hole, which runs along Old Landing Road, my cousin's husband hit his tee shot well left and the ball rolled under a line of cable that runs along the road like a fence. It sat on a grassy patch between the cable line and the roadway. I informed him that he was "out-of-bounds," to which he responded that he did not see any white stakes marking it out-of-bounds. I then read him the local rule printed on the scorecard that declares a ball hit left of the cable on holes Five, Six, Seven and Eight to be out-of-bounds. Most courses print any local rules on the scorecard and you should always read it before teeing off; it could save you some strokes during the round. For instance, one course I played allowed a free drop from any flower beds on the course. If only Dustin Johnson had read the local rules.

The Eighth Hole at Old Landing

Hopefully I'll get to the practice range this week to continue to work on my game and get it in better shape. Also, I will definitely be palying from the White Tees for my rounds until further notice. I am a great believer in playing from the tees that are dictated by your abilities, and for me, that means playing from the White Tees.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Early Trip to Delaware in 2010

2010-08-11T21:27:00.001-04:00

Because of the move earlier this summer, Mrs. Muni Golfer and I won't be making our annual trip to Delaware over the Labor Day holiday, so I won't be playing my usual 3-4 rounds in lower Delaware this year. But we are heading there on Friday for a long weekend to visit with family, so I expect to play at least one round of golf--and possibly two--with my cousins. This has become an annual tradition for me and my cousins at the Delaware Shore, only this year, the family outing will be taking place a few weeks earlier.

The Par 5 Tenth Hole at The Rokkery

While I'm not sure where we will play, The Rookery or Old Landing Golf Club are always a good bet. If I can, I might try to "sneak" in a second round, possibly at Marsh Island.

Old Landing's Eighteenth Green

My clubs are together and I'll be cleaning them tomorrow in prepararton for our departure on Friday afternoon. The only change I might make is to replace my 4-iron with a lob wedge. This will leave me with the 4-hydrid as my lone long iron. I'll also be packing at least two golf shirts and two pairs of shorts in optimistic anticipation of playing two rounds.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

11 Equals 12 at The Fairways

2010-08-07T23:20:00.003-04:00

The Fairways Golf & Country Club
Warrington, Pa
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 43/51 = 94
Date: August 7, 2010

Today I played my second round in the past month at The Fairways Golf & Country Club. The Fairways, which winds through a housing development in Warrington, Pa., reminds me a lot of Juniata Golf Club in terms of length and Par; both are Par 65, have 11 Par 4s and 7 Par 3s, and neither has a Par 5. Juniata is slightly longer though, 4990 yards to 4503 for The Fairways. But both are fun courses, enjoyable to play and easy to walk.

The Par 3 Third Hole

Back in July, playing my first round in over two months since the big move to a new house, I shot a very respectable at The Fairways. I was better on the front nine, scoring a 40, but I struggled on the back. Today was no different. I had an acceptable 43 on the front nine, but scored a terrible 51 on the back nine. I especially done in by the quirky Eleventh Hole, a Par 4 that doglegs to the right. Because of those houses, a local rules states that you can only hit an iron off the tee, which is a rubber matt. The rules also says you can forgo your tee shot and place the ball out around the dogleg, no further than a telephone pole which runs along the fairway. I, of course, opted to be a true golfer and hit an 8-iron off the matt, which I pulled severely to the left. I wound up with a good lie on the edge of the Eighteenth fairway. From there I--in succession--chunked a 4-iron, hit a pine tree with my hybrid, pushed a 7-iron long and right into a marshy area, took a drop and failed to get a chip onto the green, chili-dipped another chip, chipped long off the front of the green, chipped about six-feet past the hole with my hybrid, missed the putt, lipped out the next putt and finally tapped in for a 12. That basically finished any chance of matching, or bettering, the 89 I had previously shot there.

The Fifth Hole, a 372-yard Par 4

Overall, I didn't play that bad. I parred five of the seven Par 3s, bogeying the other two. I lipped out an eight-foot birdie putt at the 140-yard Fourteenth Hole. And I found greenside bunkers about four times and made good bunker shots on all but one. I also left numerous putts short all day. I think next time I go the Driving Range I need to spend some practice time on the putting green. But still, I take a lot of confidence from this round going forward. I also want to give a "shout-out" to my playing partner, who shot a 126 when we played The Fairways last month, but improved his course management enough to shot a very nice 112 today. Way to go MS!

Some more photos of The Fairways:

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Another Nite on the Range

2010-08-04T22:12:00.002-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

Tonight I was back at Bensalem Township Country Club's Driving Range to try and knock more of the rust off my swing and my game since I'm having a hard time playing recently due to the weather. Tonight I purchased a large bucket of balls--$7 for about 80 balls-- and took up a spot near the middle of the range. After stretching a bit, I warmed up by hitting 10 sand wedges, starting with small chips and working my way up to full swings.

The Driving Range at Bensalem CC

Once warmed up, I moved to my practice. I had put two alignment aids on the matt, one a t-square made from pvc pile and the other an alignment stick. I then proceeded to hit 10 pitching wedges, 10 7-irons, 10 5-irons, 15 4-hybrids (TaylorMade Rescue TP '09), 5 tee shots with my weighted Momentus Power Hitter Driver and 17 Drivers using my new TaylorMade R9.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the way I hit the ball. I hit some very good shots, some fair shots and only a few bad shots. Generally, I made solid contact, which I was pleased with. The hybrid had a tendancy to push right and the Driver lacked my desired draw, but that might have to do with the position I have the head set. I will need to continue experimenting with the different positions, as well as see how they perform on the course.

My friend called later this evening when I got home to set up a round this coming Saturday at The Fairways in Warrington, which we played three weeks ago. I'm looking forward to trying these new clubs on the course and getting in another round of actual golf.

Sunday Washout

2010-08-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

Another Sunday, another washout as thunderstorms hit the area today. Unlike last week when I managed to play four holes, today I never even made it to the course. This was particularly disappointing for several reasons. First, I've only managed to play one full round in the last three weeks and August is now here, so opportunities are going by fast. Secondly, I've still only been able to play two holes using the TaylorMade R9 Driver I bought two weeks. I did, however, shorten the Driver's shaft this week by three-quarters-of-an-inch to 44.5-in., which I feel is the optimal length Driver for my swing. And thirdly, this past Thursday night I went to Golfsmith

to buy some grips and also bought a used TaylorMade Rescue '09 TP 4-Hybrid with a Blue Grafalloy Pro Launch shaft that has the same FCT as the R9 Driver. But I'll have to wait another week before I can use it on the course. So with this week's washout, I'll have to head to the practice range again this coming week to get in my swings.

Back to the Range

2010-07-27T21:51:00.000-04:00

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

After only being able to play four holes on Sunday, I went to the Driving Range at Bensalem Township Country Club tonight in an effort to get in some swings and to try and dial in my new TaylorMade R9 Driver. I originally went to Island Green Golf Club's Driving Range, but it is temporarily closed for renovations.

I have played at Bensalem several times, but this was my first time using its practice area. A small bucket (about 40 balls) is $4 and a large (about 80 balls) is $7. Since I got a late start, I purchased a large. What I liked about the teeing area, which features 30 hitting bays elevated about a 250-yard range, is that several of the bays were designated specifically for hitting irons.

I warmed up with 10 sand wedges, taking small swings at first and working up to full swings for the last couple of balls. I then hit about 30 balls with my Driver, trying to dial it in to my preferred right-to-left ball flight. The shaft is currently 45.25-in., which is a bit longer than the 44.5-in that work best for me. I need to shorten the shaft by three-quarters of an inch for better control and accuracy. I also tried the adjustable head in several of the positions, including neutral and neutral upright. I hit some very good shots, a few bad shots and mostly acceptable shots, so I'm not too disappointed. I think when I get the shaft shortened and the weights properly positioned (the Driver was sent with a 1-gram, 14-gram and 16-gram weights instead of two 1-gram and a 16-gram which has the swing weight a bit off; TaylorMade is sending a 1-gram weight) I will get a better feel for this newest addition to my golfing arsenal.

Roundus Interuptus at Juniata

2010-07-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 18 through 4 Holes
Date: July 25, 2010

Trying to build on last week's round at The Fairways, I headed out to Juniata Golf Club this afternoon for my first round there since early May. The weather was very hot and humid and there was a call for thunderstorms. The sun was shining when I teed off, but by the third hole, the clouds had rolled in and rumbles could be heard in the not-to-far-off distance.

I parred the First Hole and took a double bogey at the Second after chunking two short pitch shots. I left a par putt short on the Third Hole, but parred the Fourth Hole after chipping to four feet. But at the Fifth tee, a long, sustained roll of thunder had me hoofing it quickly back to the clubhouse.

Over the next hour, thunder rumbled overhead and rain drizzled the course. I finally decided to pack it in and got a raincheck. Shortly after leaving, the heavens opened up and it poured heavily; to the point where I had to pull over and wait it out.

I'm disappointed I didn't get at least nine holes in today. I wanted to put my new TaylorMade R9 Driver to the test. I used it on two of the four holes I played. I hit a fade instead of draw, which means I need to re-adjust the head alignment with the weights. Hopefully I'll be able to hit the practice range one night this coming week to get the new Driver better dialed in.

I'm Back...But in a Limited Way

2010-07-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Muni Golfer and I have completed our move to our new clubhouse and we are still getting settled in. Some renovations are being done and this has caused me to have limited Internet access. But a few things have taken place during the time I've been off-line. I'll report on them more in detail in later postings once my computer and scanner are up and fully operational. In the meantime, I wanted to give a brief snapshot of what has been going on.

First, the URL of this blog has changed. It is now just www.themunigolfer.com. Blog has been officially dropped from the URL. I hope this hasn't caused you any problems.

Secondly, I attended the 3rd round of the AT&T National when it was held at Aronimink over July 4th weekend. It was a blast! I spent a great deal of my time at the practice range just watching. I'll post my observations in a later post.

Thirdly, I finally managed to get back on the golf course, playing my first round in nearly two months at The Fairways in Warrington, Pa., on July 18. Despite some rust and some hot, muggy weather, I shot a very respectable 89.

Fourthly, I finished reading John Feinstein's biography of Rocco Mediate, "Are You Kidding Me?" I have now started to read his latest golf book, "Moment of Glory: The Year Underdogs Ruled Golf." I'll post reviews later.

And lastly, I just received a used R9 Driver, which I order online at TaylorMade Pre-owned.com. Although it is used, it has hardly a mark on it and looks basically new. This is the driver that has the adjustable face settings, as well as movable weights.And I bought it at less than half the price of a new one! I can't wait to take it to the practice range and the course.

Well, that's about all for now. Look for more detailed posts about these and other developments in what I hope is the not too distant future.

On the Move: A Few Tidbits

2010-06-16T22:54:00.003-04:00

In less than a week, Mrs. Muni Golfer and I will be moving to a new clubhouse, so much of my time over the past few months have been devoted to readying our current clubhouse for sale and packing boxes as opposed to hitting fairways and greens. For more than a couple of weeks my golf equipment--including clubs, balls, accessories and apparel--have been packed up and are awaiting the moving men. I will be so glad when we complete the move to our new clubhouse and I can unpack my clubs and my weekends will go from scouting open houses to staring down putts.

The golf equipment is packed

In the meantime, the Muni Golfer celebrated his 51st birthday and received a wonderful gift from the missus of a ticket to Saturday's third round of the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club on July 23. The ticket was in a copy of John Feinstein's latest golf book, Moment of Glory. The book looks at the underdogs who won golf's four majors in 2003: Mike Weir (Masters), Jim Furyk (US Open), Ben Curtis (British Open) and Shaun Micheel (PGA Championship). If it lives up to the excellence of Feinstein's previous golf books, it will help me pass the time on my soon-to-be longer commute to work.

Working 9 for 5 in Bethlehem

2010-05-23T22:23:00.003-04:00

Bethlehem Golf Club/Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 2325/2581 - 4906
Par 34/34 - 68
Score: 45/Front Nine
Date: May 22, 2010

Yesterday, while in Easton, Pa., for a family event, I managed to get a rare nine holes of golf. Because of time constraints, I ventured over to Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course. This 9-hole facilty, loctade acoss the street from Bethlehem's wonderful 18-hole course, is a great place to practice and work on your game. It features seven Par 4s and two Par 3s. Holes play uphill, downhill or doglegs, while the greens are small and often elevated. There is a forward tee for playing the first nine and back tee for the back nine. And it only cost $16 on a Saturday afternoon to play as many holes as you want.

My Bethlehem GC Executive Course Scorecard

Considering I have only played 27 holes until yesterday, my game wasn't as rusty as I thought it would be. I hit it faily well off the tee and generally hit my irons crisply. My short game was better than it has been so far this year, but my putting still needs some work as I burned the edge numerous times. One of my big mistakes thoughout the round was failing to take into consideration the distance the ball carries because of the altitude change. I have found that when I play in and around this area, I am usually one club longer minimum. This, and a steady breeze, caused me to overhit a few greens. What I found interesting was that I made a 5 on all nine holes I played, a feat I didn't think I've ever before accomplished.

Downhill tee shot at the Second Hole

There was one really neat moment that occured while I was playing. Through the first four holes, I had a father and son playing in front of me. The son was probably in his early 20s and it was easy to tell he was new to the game. After waiting on the tee and in the fairway on each shot for them to finish ahead of me, the father told me to play through when I had reached the Fifth Hole, a very short Par 3. I had heard them tee off while I was on the Fourth Green, but the father told me his son was a beginner and they didn't want to hold me up. I had heard the father pull two tee shots into the woods to the left and exclaim "nice shot" when his son had teed off. Normally, I would have asked to play with them, but I needed to get back to the family event as soon as possible, so I thanked them, hit a poor tee shot and took two chips to get on the green. As I went to remove the flagstick before putting, I noticed a Maxfli golf ball in the cup. I didn't remove the pin, but walked to the front of the green and yelled back to ask if the son was playing a Maxfli. He yelled back yes and I hollared, "You made a hole-in-one!" They looked at each other then quickly made their way to the green. The young man looked in the cup and confirmed it was his ball. His father said it was only his second time playing golf. I congratulated him on his rare achievement before putting out and moving to the next hole.

The Par 3 Fifth Hole which was aced

After my round, I stopped by the local Dicks Sporting Goods, which has a really great golf section. I picked up a TaylorMade Burner 5-Wood on sale to match my Driver and 3-Wood. I plan to alternate this 18-degree fairway club with my 17-degree Nickent 3DX DC Utility 2-Hybrid depending on the course and the conditions.

TaylorMade Burner Fairway Wood

I will now be cleaning my clubs and packing them up as this will probably be my last round of golf until July as Mrs. Muni Golfer and I pack our clubhouse in preparation for moving to a new clubhouse later in June. While I'm looking forward to our new clubhouse, I'm not looking forward to the packing, moving and unpacking. But at least I'll be able to keep playing my favorite courses from my new location.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Weathering My First Full Round of the Season

2010-05-13T23:22:00.002-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 95
Date: May 9, 2010

On an usually cool and very windy Sunday in early May, I ventured out for my first full round of the 2010 season. Since I have not been able to get to the Driving Range and have done virtually no practicing since early April, I wasn't sure what to expect out of my game. I had played well in spurts over my first nine holes of the season the previous week, but I wasn't sure if that was just early season luck or what. I tried to downplay my expectations, but at the same time, I was hoping to build on the five good holes from the previous outing. I was fortunate to run into a colleague from work on the second hole and we played together through nine holes, which made the front side more enjoyable to play.

My Scorecard

The strong winds made club selection, as well as shot selection a bit difficult, especially with only nine previous holes played under my belt. I tried to play for the hard hooks I was hitting last time out with my irons, but that wasn't as much of a problem this time and I probably over-compensated for that swing flaw causing me to hit a few shots dead right.

The wind had flagsticks bending on the greens

I hit the ball a little better off the tee and with my approach shots, even if they were often affected by the wind. Where my game, and my scoring, really let me down this week was in the area you would probably most expect it this time of year--the short game. The lack of touch or feel on my chips and pitches caused me to waste shots, often adding at least a stroke or two to most of the holes I played. And my putting, while not bad, didn't feel as confident as it had the previous week. I did make two pars, but I let too many opportuntites go to waste. This will only be corrected by more playing and practicing, something I feel won't be happening on a consistent basis until the middle of the summer.

The new tee box at the Twelfth Hole

Construction of the new Sixteenth Tee

I am happy with the continuing improvement of Juniata Golf Club. More cart paths have been added and barriers have been put up along the cart paths around the tee boxes. The new tee box at the 12th Hole is open and construction looks like it is continuing on the new elevated tee box for the 16th Hole. And a new, fitting memorial to those who have served in our Armed Forces (below) has been erected outside the ever improving clubhouse.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

It Felt Divine to Finally Play 9

2010-05-04T23:34:00.003-04:00

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 45 (Front 9)
Date: May 2, 2010

I finally found the opportunity to grab my clubs and hit the links for nine holes this past Sunday. I played the front nine at the ever-improving Juniata Golf Club. I wasn't sure what to expect out of my game since it had been three weeks since I last made it to the practice range. I tried to keep my expectations to minimum and focus more on my swing and course managment. All-in-all, the results were a mixed, but probably a bit better than I expected.

After pulling my opening tee shot left on the downhill, Par 3 First Hole, I chipped to the front of the green and two-putted for a bogey. At the Second Hole, I hit a 5-wood up the right side of the fairway to about 30 yards short of the green, but pulled a sand wedge left. I chipped to about six feet and made my first par of the year.

My Scorecard

The next stretch of four holes demonsrated that I need to work on my irons. I hit the fairway, or was jst off it to the left on each hole, but managed to pull my approach shots severely left. This resulted in scores of 7, 6, 7 and 6. The 6 and the Sixth Hole was especially disappointing since I crushed my tee shot down the middle and had only 97 yards left uphill to the green. But, with the ball below my feet, I skulled my approach over the green.

At the Seventh Hole, I again pulled my tee shot left and thought I had hit the ball into the waste area that runs down the left of the fairway and must be crossed onapproach to the green. But my hybrid off the tee managed to find the left rough instead and I hacked it out onto the green, where I two-putted for another par. At the Eighth Hole, I again hit my 4-hybrid with a nice draw which landed just short and hopped up on the front portion of the green. I then nailed a 30-foot right-to-left putt for my first birdie of the year. At the Ninth Hole, I pulled my tee shot left into the rough, and my approach shot just left of the green and above the hole. I chipped to 10 feet below the hole, then two-putted for a par and a nine hole score of 45.

The Seventh Hole

I think the timing of my swing, as well as some mechanics, was the main reason for my pulling so many iron shots. I think this could be corrected with some more time at the range, as well as some more time on the course playing. But that may have to be put on hold as outside circumstances dictate other priorites right now.

Juniata Golf Club, however, continues to impress. Additional cart paths and other cosmetic changes, as well as very good playing conditions has this course on par with many higher priced courses you could play outside Philadelphia. I would dare to go so far as say that, with maybe the exception of Island Green, Juniata has to be considered among the top public courses in the City of Philadelphia. All credit goes to the fine work of the Juniata Golf Foundation.

Photo by The Muni Golfer

My Nightmare Nine

2010-04-25T14:51:00.008-04:00

Recently, fellow blogger (My Golf Philly) and former Philadelphia Inquirer golf writer Joe Logan wrote a piece for his former employer on his Dream 18--the 18 perfect holes in the area that are located on daily fee or municipal courses.

After reading his story, and realizing that I played one-third or six of the holes on his list, I decided to come with my version of the Dream 18. However, instead of picking my perfect golf holes, I decided to create my "Nightmare Nine." These are nine holes that consistently give me problems every time I play them. Everybody has some golf holes like that that they face on a regular or semi-annual basis. These are the holes that you begin thinking about in the parking lot while putting on your golf shoes; holes where you will gladly take bogey and run--not walk--to the the next tee.

So here is my nine holes of hell. They play to 3,077 yards and equate to a Par 36, with five Par 4s, two Par 5s and two Par 3s.

#4 Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Club, 413 Yards, Par 4 -- From a slightly elevated tee, it is about 260 yards to a pond that is surrounded by high marsh reeds. You want to play down the left side in order to even see the flag. This will also give you a shorter shot over the water. The small sloping green sits about 25 yards beyond the water, with trees on the right and behind. Get too far to the left on your tee shot and you are hitting out of gnarly rough. Get too close to the water and you have to get the ball up extremely quickly. Many of my approach shots have met with a watery ending on this hole.

The blind approach at FDR's Fourth Hole

#4 John F. Byrne Golf Club, 293 Yards, Par 4 -- A short Par 4 that requires a precise and accurate tee shot from an elevated tee through a very narrow opening in the tree line along the creek that runs across the fairway about 145 yards off the tee. If you manage to navigate the narrow gap off the tee, the fairway slopes hard from left to right and your approach shot plays uphill to a postage stamp-sized green jutting out of the slide of the hill. Miss long or left and you have almost no chance of keeping the ball on the green with your chip shot.

The narrow gap at John F. Byrne's Fourth Hole

#15 Fox Hollow Golf Club, 560 Yards, Par 5 -- Teeing off on the top of the hill, you cannot see the L-shaped dog leg right at the bottom of the hill. You have to hit your lay-up from a downhill lie to a small landing area which is easy to have your ball run through. You third shot is straight uphill to a small green. In a mid-1990s review of Fox Hollow for The Inquirer, Logan described playing it this way: "It takes two solid, straight shots to get the ball down to a hollow, where the 15th suddenly takes a 90-degree turn right and heads uphill into a bunkered, sloping green. Cutting the corner here is out of the question." Most times I've been happy to reach the green in 5.

#11 Walnut Lane Golf Club, 134 Yards, Par 3 -- This short hole plays in a small ravine and plays straight uphill. Often, the top of the flag is barely visible from the tee box. A small creek crosses about 20 yards in front of the tee box. Miss left, and if you can even find your golf ball, you are hitting straight up off the side of hill. Miss right and trees will slap your golf ball down well short of the green. As someone who hits a draw, I usually miss left because I try to hit the ball too hard to get it up the hill. I must confess, however, that I did birdie this hole in 1998. I think that was the only time I have ever hit the green with my tee shot.

The narrow, uphill Eleventh Hole at Walnut Lane

#11 Island Green Country Club, 305 Yards, Par 4 -- The hole from which the course drives its name. Your tee shot plays slightly downhill and requires nothing more than a long- to mid-iron. You want to keep your tee shot to the right for the best angle to the green, which sits on an island in the middle of a pond. Miss left and you can't see the green and could be hitting off a sidehill lie with the ball below your feet or out of tall, fescue-like grass. The green is medium-sized and slopes from back to front. Miss the green anywhere but in the front and your approach shot is probably wet.

The approach to the Eleventh Hole at Island Green

#18 Bensalem Township Country Club, 379 Yards, Par 4 -- This hole doglegs right about 240 yards off the tee. From there, it goes down to a creek that intersects the fairway about 25 yards in front of the green, which slopes severely from back to front and is well bunkered. Run your tee shot through the fairway and you could be chipping out the woods. There is room to miss your approach shot to the right of the green, but you could be pitching over a bunker to the green. In the summer, you could have a gallery on the clubhouse patio, which hosts numerous weddings and other events. The hole becomes even more difficult if I need a good score to shoot in the 90s. For me, 5 is always a tremendous score on this hole.

#4 The Rookery, 290 Yards, Par 4 -- Unless you are the longest of hitters, this is not the risk/reward hole it appears when you stand on the elevated tee. The fairway runs down to a large pond about 160 yards off the tee. To clear the pond, it will take a drive of over 270 yards, which can be made all the more difficult by the ever-present wind. Usually, the tee shot is nothing more than an 8-iron; and even that can run into the water. Be careful you don't get too close to the water or you could easily top your approach shot into the drink. The green is large and usually fast, so even if you do hit the green in two, a two-putt par isn't always guaranteed.

The Fourth Hole at The Rookery

#15 Horsham Valley Golf Club, 184 Yards, Par 3 -- This hole can ruin more good rounds. The signature hole at Horsham Valley, it is a longer Par 3, with the green guarded by a creek in the front and on the right, while trees cause problems for any shots to the left. Overhanging trees on the right can also knock down tee shots well short of the creek in front, causing a delicate pitch shot over water to the narrow green, which is also guarded by bunkers on the left and in the back.

Horsham Valley's Par 3 Fifteeth Hole

#18 Paxon Hollow Country Club, 519 Yards, Par 5 -- The closing hole at Paxon Hollow closes out my "Nightmare Nine." The tee shot is narrow, with trees protecting the right and a creek running down the left. Your second shot is uphill, over the creek, to a fairway that slopes from left to right, with the right side being protected by a huge tree that can cause problems for your third shot. A large, two-tiered green sits at the top of the hill at the foot of the clubhouse, with bunkers behind and to the left. Miss long or on the wrong tier and you could easily see your chip or putt run off the front of the green.

Paxon Hollow's Eighteenth Hole from the fairway

So there you have my "Nightmare Nine;" nine golf holes that can derail my round no matter how well I'm playing. I would gladly take a 45 for those nine any time I tee it up.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Tiger is Coming!

2010-04-24T15:01:00.004-04:00

Sorry it has been two weeks since my last post, but other events have been keeping me away from golf. That being said, some big news was announced this week when Tiger Woods committed to play in the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club in July. The event, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, has been played at Congressional Country Club outside Washington, D.C., but will be played at Aronimink this year and next because Congressional is hosting the 2011 U.S. Open.

After Tiger's off-course problems became public back in November, AT&T dropped its sponsorship of Woods and the PGA Tour announced he would not serve as host of this year's AT&T National when Tiger took an indefinite leave from the Tour. It was unclear whether Woods would play in his own tournament until his announcement earlier this week. He is the tournament's defending champion.

This will mark the first time Woods has played in the Philadelphia area as either a professional or an amateur. He did, however, make an national television appearance as a two-year-old on the locally based Mike Douglas Show, hitting golf balls with the legendary Bob Hope.

Friday Night Lights

2010-04-10T00:20:00.004-04:00

Burholme Golf Center
401 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, Pa
215/742-2380

Tonight I moved my practice from my usual spot at Fishers Glen to Burholme Golf Center, a large, lighted facility located in Fox Chase. A dip from our recent record heat spell, plus a gusty wind that sent the temperatures down into the low 50s, meant that Burholme was less crowded than one might expect on a Friday night this early in the season. Because of the lights, Burholme tends to draw a lot of golfers for afterwork and evening practice, as well as couples on date night. I paid $8 for a medium-sized bucket of ball--about 65-70 according to their price guide--and took up a spot on the far left of the range near the batting cages. Burholme has about a dozen covered, heated hitting stalls, but they are usually quite congested.

Under the lights at Burholme Golf Center

After some stretching, I warmed up with 10 sand wedges, then hit 10 pitching wedges, 10 8-irons, 10 6-irons, 10 3-hybrids, 7 4-woods off the mat and finished with 7 Drivers for a total of 64 balls. Because I left the house without my typical alignment sticks, I placed two wedges on the ground as aids. I focused on my alignment as well as my ball striking and tempo. Although my tempo was not as good as it has been in previous sessions, this was probably the most consistant session I've had on teh practice range in terms of ball striking. I hit a few fat or thin shots, but overall, I hit the ball as solidly as I have in any practice in 2010. My only problem how is finding the time to take my game from the practice range to the golf course.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

This is No April Fool's...

2010-04-01T23:45:00.004-04:00

While today may have been April Fool's Day, it was also a day of significance for us golfer's living in the Northeastern part of the United States. Today marked the official start of the active golf season! Our season, which means the dates between which scores of rounds played in the active area can be reported for handicap purposes, runs through October 31.

Peering into the Darkness

2010-04-01T23:13:00.005-04:00

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Last night I made my third pilgrimage to the practice range this season. It was a wonderful, warm evening and I was expecting to find a fair amount of fellow golfers hammering balls off the tees. Imagine my surprise when I arrived shortly before 7 p.m. and found the range completely empty.
Deciding it was time to step-up my practice, I went for a medium bucket of balls. My plan was to use this practice session to hit my middle irons--7-iron, 6-iron, 5-iron, 4-iron--and hybrid, as well as a few fairway woods if I had any golf balls remaining. I took my time, rehearsing my pre-shot routine before hitting a golf ball, and my practice session took about an hour.

I warmed up with some stretching and then hit 10 sand wedges, starting with easy chips and working up to a full swing. My practice session then went as follows:

7-iron -- 15 balls
6-iron -- 15 balls
5-iron -- 15 balls
4-iron -- 10 balls
Hybrid -- 10 balls
7-wood -- 4 balls
3-wood -- 2 balls

I tried not to focus on the results of each shot, but concentrated on my tempo--using a 1-2 takeaway and swing, my alignment using my alignment sticks and making solid contact on each shot. I did well with the 7-irons, but hit a lot of fat shots with the 6-iron. The 5-iron saw my tempo improve and my contact was crisper, but I had mixed results with the 4-iron. I'm not certain I will carry the 4-iron this season, but I wanted to work with it as I make my decision. I hit the hybrid really well, with only a few pulled shots. The 7-wood was not pretty. I used my last two balls to hit my 3-wood off the tee, imagining in each instance that I was standing on the tee at the 18th Hole and needed to hit the fairway. Mission accomplished on both swings.
I feel my swing is in much better shape at this point in the season than it was a year ago. My next practice session focus on the short game, which means heading to Juniata Golf Club's practice green for some putting and chipping. Then it may be onto the course after that.

The King's 10 Rules for Good Golf Etiquette

2010-03-30T19:26:00.006-04:00

As the calendar moves from March to April, the ground begins to dry out from the winter's snow, and the temperatures start to rise about 50 degrees, it's easy to realize it's the beginning of another golf season. And just as we make sure our equipment is in good working order and we begin to knock the rust off our game, we should also take some time to review a few simple rules of golf etiquette that will make a round of golf more enjoyable for us and our playing partners.

A few years ago, Golf Digest offered 10 rules for good golf etiquette by The King, Arnold Palmer. I believe that golf courses should reprint this article and make each player read it before teeing off during the first month of the season. Since that isn't likely to happen, I figured I would give you the 10 rules with condensed commentary by Palmer.

I. Don't be the slowest player

"Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play 'ready golf' (hit when ready, even if you aren't away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it's your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes."

II. Keep your temper under control

"Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder -- for better or worse"

III. Respect other people's time

"Because time is our most valuable commodity, there are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding last-minute to clean the garage on Saturday, or getting a call that the auto-repair shop can move up your appointment by a day, just doesn't cut it. Always make your tee times, and show up for your lesson with the pro a little early. Social functions are no exception."

IV. Repair the ground you play on

"I have a penknife that's my pet tool for fixing ball marks, but a tee or one of those two-pronged devices is fine. As for divots, replace them or use the seed mix packed on the side of your cart. Rake bunkers like you mean it. Ever notice that the worse the bunker shot, the poorer the job a guy does raking the sand? Make the area nice and smooth -- don't leave deep furrows from the rake. Before you exit the bunker, ask yourself, Would I be upset if I had to play from that spot?"

V. Be a silent partner

"Stand still from the time a player sets himself until the ball has left the club. Even with the advent of spikeless shoes, the etiquette rule of never walking in someone's line of play on the putting green is an absolute. The area around the hole in particular is sacred ground. The first thing to note when you walk onto a green is the location of every ball in your group, then steer clear of their lines to the hole. Know where to stand and when to keep quiet. Position yourself directly across or at a diagonal from a player setting up. Never stand on the line of play, either beyond the hole or directly behind the ball. When a player is about to hit a shot, think of the fairway as a cathedral, the green a library."

VI. Make your golf cart 'invisible'

"Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there. Because we tend to look where we're going and not where we've been, it's easy to damage the turf and not realize it. Avoid wet areas and spots that are getting beaten up from traffic. Golfers tend to play 'follow the leader' and drive in single file out to the fairway before branching off. It's usually better to 'scatter' -- everyone take a different route -- so cart traffic is spread out."

VII. Always look your best

"From Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the best players have been meticulous about their appearance. Their clothing has been sharp, and not one of them has shown up on the first tee with his cap backward, mud caked on his shoes, or his shirttail hanging out. Your appearance speaks volumes about you as a person, and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people there are special."

VIII. Turn off the cell phone

"If I had my way, cell phones would be turned off at all times on the course...but do whatever you have to do to keep it quiet. And if you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players. And keep the call so brief that they don't even know you made it."

IX. Lend a hand when you can

"It's easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls -- better yet, watching errant shots so they don't turn into lost balls. Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the headcover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, "Nice shot!" And if you see a cart out of position or a provisional ball that needs picking up, don't just walk by."

X. Learn the little things

"There are a hundred bits of etiquette I haven't mentioned, like laying the flagstick down carefully, tamping down spike marks when you're walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on. All of these things are learned by observing, with a sharp eye and a considerate heart. Just know that golf has a way of returning favors, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold."

We never want to have our round of golf spoiled by someone who showed a lack of golfing etiquette on the course. But let's make sure we don't spoil someone else's round because we failed to be courteous as well. Let's all make good golf etiquette one of our goal's for 2010.

Tiger Co-author Speaking at Temple April 1

2010-03-27T14:25:00.004-04:00

Pete McDaniel, who covers Tiger Woods for Golf Digest and has co-authored books with the world’s number one golfer and his late father Earl, will give a free public talk at Temple University on Thursday evening, April 1, 6 p.m. on the 2nd Floor of the Entertainment and Community Education Center, 1509 Cecil B. Moore Ave.

He was originally scheduled to speak at Temple in February, but the event was canceled because of the weather.

In his talk, McDaniel will discuss the historic struggles that have been faced by black golfers. In addition, he will also show “Uneven Lies,” a documentary produced last year by The Golf Channel. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the hour-long documentary is based on McDaniel’s book, “Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African Americans in Golf.”

In addition to authoring “Uneven Lies,” McDaniel has also co-authored two best-selling books: “Training a Tiger--The Official Book on How to Be the Best” with Tiger Woods, and “Training a Tiger--A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life” with Earl Woods, Tiger's late father.

The event, which happens one week before The Masters, golf’s first major championship of the year and the return of Woods to tournament play, is being sponsored by Temple’s Office of Community Relations.

For information or to RSVP, contact Temple’s Office of Community Relations at 215/204-7913.

Back to the Mat

2010-03-25T23:53:00.007-04:00

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466
Last night I made my second trip to the practice range as I continue to try and shake the winter's rust off my swing and my get my game ready to take to the course. I again selected a small bucket of balls and took up my customary spot on the lower level.

This time I brought my Momentus Power Hitter Driver with me. I wasn't able to use the Power Hitter much last season because of the forearm/elbows strain that hindered me through most of the season. I warmed up with some stretching, then swinging the weighted Driver. I then hit 10 lob wedges. Feeling sufficiently warmed up, I teed it up with the Power Hitter for 10 balls, before hitting 10 balls with my regular Driver, a TaylorMade Tour Burner. I then 10 3-Woods and concluded by hitting my last five balls off the mat with my 5-Wood.

Overall, I felt good about the way I hit the ball, making solid contact about 80 percent of the time. I also worked on my pre-shot routine, swing thoughts and tempo. I tried to focus more on these aspects than on the results of my shots, but overall, I think I hit the ball really well for the second practice session.

I think I might go to Juniata Golf Course and work on putting and chipping for my next practice session. I'm shooting for early April to play my first official practice round on the golf course.

Getting Back into the Swing

2010-03-18T22:37:00.006-04:00

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

The arrival of daylight savings time last weekend has brought lasting twilight and warmer temperatures. It has also heralded the arrival of the first venture to the practice range. Tonight a grabbed my clubs when I got home from work and headed to Fishers Glen, where I took my usual spot on the lower level. Equipped with a small bucket of balls--I didn't want to overdue on my first practice time of the year--I set my task at stretching, working on a pre-shot routine, ingraining the swing thoughts I outlined in my previous post and generally, just hitting some golf balls to begin knocking the winter's rust off my game.

Golfs balls litter the range at Fishers Glen

Initially, I stretched using my Speed Stik, then hit 10 balls with my 59-degree wedge, increasing my swing with each shot. I then stretched and swung the Speed Stik again before hitting 10 balls with my Gap Wedge. Another bit of stretching and then 10 balls with my 9-Iron, before stretching and swinging the Speed Stik some more. Then it was 10 balls with my 7-Iron, followed by another brief stretch and I finished off hitting 10 fairway wood shots.

I had laid out my alignment sticks to help with my aim and I went through a pre-shot routine between each shot. this consisted and standing 3-5 yards behind the ball and taking one or two practice swings, then moving into the ball, setting the club to my target, taking my stance, waggling the club once or twice then swinging. I wasn't concerned as much about results as I was about making good contact, which I did about 75 percent of the time. Not bad for the first time hitting balls since last October.

Darkness covers the practice range

Except for the lights above the hitting area, the range was completely dark as I hit my last shots, but I left the range feeling good about my first practice and I can't wait until I get back to the practice range for another session.

Swing Thoughts: Keeping It Simple

2010-03-13T23:52:00.006-05:00

A few years ago, Golf Digest magazine ran a monthly feature in which Tour Pros revealed their swing thoughts. The premise was that your swing thoughts should fit on a 4X6 card. The idea is, the fewer swing thoughts you have, the simpler you keep your swing. Any more and you would be complicating things. As I begin to focus on my preparations for the coming golf season, I have jotted down my swing thoughts on the 4X6 card below.

What was in the Bag: 2009

2010-02-27T23:23:00.015-05:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I am a regular equipment junkie. Clubs, balls and gloves find their way in and out of my bag fairly often. Last year, as part of my year in review for 2008, I did my own version of the Darrell Survey by examining all the equipment I played with in 2008. For those of you who don't know what the Darrell Survey is, it is an independent company that for the past 70-plus years has been checking the equipment of each golfer at a Tour event, whether it be the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour LPGA, European Tour or other professional tournaments. The information is compiled into a weekly report for the various golf equipment companies. They also used to produce a yearly almanac of equipment usage by the pros.

I had so much fun doing it last year that I decided to do it again for 2009. So here is The Muni Golfer's version of the Darrell Survey for last year. During the nearly 25 regulation and practice rounds I played last season, I used 5 Drivers, 6 Fairway Woods, 11 Hybrids, 5 different models of Irons, 3 Wedges, 5 Putters, 7 different models of Golf Balls and 5 different versions of Golf Gloves. They represented 14 different equipment companies. I also worn PGA Tour Golf Shirts and adidas Golf Shoes.

In true Darrell Survey fashion, here is a breakdown of the equipment in The Muni Golfer's bag during 2009:

Drivers:
Wilson Staff Spine
TaylorMade 360XD
TaylorMade Burner
TaylorMade Tour Burner
Tommy Armour 845 Stripe

Fairway Woods:
TaylorMade Burner 3-Wood
Golfsmith XPC Plus 3-Wood
Sonartec 4-Wood
Golfsmith Big Gun 5-Wood
TaylorMade 300 7-Wood
Wilson Staff FwC 7-Wood

Hybrids:
Alpha Golf Rx 4
Wilson Staff Fybrid
Elevon Tour
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 3+
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 3
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 4
Nickent 3DX DC 3
Nickent 3DX DC 4
Nickent 3DX Ironwood 2+
Nickent 3DX Ironwood 4+
TaylorMade Raylor 4H

Irons:
Wilson Staff Di7s
TaylorMade 200s
TaylorMade LCGs
TaylorMade Tour Burners
TaylorMade r7 CGB 4-Iron

Wedges:
Solus 4.1 53-degree
Solus 4.1 56-degree
Solus 4.1 59-degree

Putters:
Odyssey White Hot XG-9
Odyssey White Hot Rossie
Never Compromise Z/I Omega
Carbite B-4
Snake Eyes MCS2

Golf Balls:
Wilson Staff 50
Wilson Staff Zip
TaylorMade Burner
Maxfli Fire
Titleist NXT
Titelist HP
Titleist DT

Golf Gloves:
Wilson Advantage
Wilson Staff Pro Soft
TaylorMade React
Taylor Made Tour Ltd.
FootJoy SofJoy

Golf Digest Sr Writer to Speak @ Temple U

2010-02-17T23:36:00.009-05:00

While the world's top golfer is a man of color, African Americans have historically struggled for the opportunity to tee it up, as well as access the nation’s golf courses and tournaments.

Golf Digest Senior Consultant Pete McDaniel will discuss the struggles that have been faced by black golfers in a free public talk at Temple University on Thursday evening, Feb. 25, 6 p.m. on the 2nd Floor of the Entertainment and Community Center, 1509 Cecil B. Moore Ave. His talk is being held in honor of Black History Month and is being sponsored by Temple University's Office of Community Relations.

McDaniel is the author of "Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African Americans in Golf," which was produced into a documentary called “Uneven Fairways”, narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, which aired last year on the Golf Channel.

I had the privilege of meeting McDaniel last year at Temple as he discussed "Uneven Lies" and the obstacles that African Americans have overcome to make it into recreational, amateur and professional golf. He is a very engaging speaker and I encourage anyone who has an interest in golf, particularly this often overlooked part of the game's history, to come out and hear McDaniel speak.

McDaniel's Book "Uneven Lies"

In addition to authoring "Uneven Lies" and being a Senior Consultant at Golf Digest, McDaniel has also co-authored two best-selling books: "Training a Tiger--The Official Book on How to Be the Best" with Tiger Woods, and "Training a Tiger--A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" with Earl Woods, Tiger's late father.

For more information on McDaniel's talk or to RSVP for the event, contact Temple’s Office of Community Relations at 215/204-7913.

Greater Philadelphia Golf Show

2010-02-15T22:20:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I attended the third and final day of the Greater Philadelphia Golf Show, which was held Friday through Sunday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. It was the second of what was supposed to be two golf shows held in the region, but the Victory Golf Show had been canceled the previous weekend due to the economy.

The annual golf show is opportunity pick up new or used golf equipment, often at discount prices; learn about local golf courses; or if for those who like travel can find out about golf courses--golf resorts, golf destinations and golf packages. You can also try out the latest golf golf equipment at the manufacturers' demo range, get a free lesson from a PGA pro or test your skill in the long drive and putting competitions. There were also presentations by "Professional Long Driver" Brian Pavlet and "Professional Golf Entertainer" Dan Boever.

Although there wasn't any specific that I needed, I went to the golf show with an eye out for a potential bargain in a few select areas: a 4-wood, Solus wedge and any interesting accessories. While I saw a few 4-woods, none had that "too good to pass up" price tag. One reason I like to go to the golf show on Sunday is that by late in the afternoon, a lot of exhibitors are willing to start negotiating prices on equipment. I was hoping that would be the case with a 61-degree Solus Wedge at the Golfology booth, but no one ever approached me to ask if I needed help or had any questions. So I walked away. I also saw a See-More Putter that had my attention, but again, the price didn't motivate my purchase. So I left the golf show with a nice reusable tote bag from the Shawnee Inn and a handful of brochures and pamphlets.

I did have the pleasure, however, of meeting Joe Logan, former golf writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, who is now the creator of a great new local golf Web site, MyPhillyGolf.com. If you haven't checked it out yet, I urge to do so. The site contains national and local golf news, reviews of area courses, Joe's golf blog, discussion boards, equipment news and reviews, and highlights and commentary. I've had a link to this site for several months now and I was really pleased when Joe said he was familiar with this blog!

I also met Tony Leodora, a local golf writer and editor of GolfStyles Philadelphia Magazine. Tony, who hosts weekly radio golf show--Golf Talk Live on WNTP 990--can be seen on several local channels doing commercials for Myrtle Beach and he is also a frequent guest on Comcast SportsNet's Inside Golf. With Tony was Inside Golf host Harry Donahue, an anchor on KYW News Radio and the radio voice of Temple University athletics.

This year's crowd at the golf show seemed smaller than in previous years. I heard that Friday's crowd was very small also, while Saturday's was very strong. Perhaps it is the economy. Or maybe people were still digging out from the two snowstorms that dumped over 45 inches of snow on the region. Whatever, I was just glad to be around golf again, if only for the few hours. The groundhog seeing his shadow may predict six more weeks of winter, but The Muni Golfer seeing the golf show predicts golf season isn't too far off.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Seeing White, But Thinking Green

2010-02-06T22:33:00.008-05:00

Today's record snowfall that blanketed the Delaware Valley has everything looking white, but it has me thinking--or more appropriately--longing for the green fairways of the golf course. Hopefully, sometime in the next six weeks or so, the weather will permit heading to the Driving Range to start knocking off the winter's rust and honing the swing for the upcoming golf season.

The Driving Range at Fisher's Glen in Juniata

As you know from previous posts, all the nearby Driving Ranges have artificial mats as opposed to natural turf. While a lot of golfers I know proclaim that they would never hit golf balls off an artificial mat, my view is you need to make due with the facilities that are available. This view is also shared by Golf Digest Top-20 under 40 teacher Zach Heusser.

The Driving Range at Bethlehem's Golf Complex

"Golf doesn't happen only on grass," writes Heusser in the February issue of Golf Digest. "I teach at a driving range that has synthetic mats, the kind of place where a lot of people do their practicing. Sure, mats have limitations--you can hit a fat shot and get a deceptively good result--but they're cheaper to maintain than grass. As a result, you can find these ranges all over, probably one close to you. But hitting off mats doesn't mean you can't make meaningful improvements in your swing."
Heusser shows how incorporating such range accessories as ball buckets, bag stands and the mats themselves into drills can help a player visualize and feel the proper motion for a swing. "On the next few pages (see above and below), I'll show you how to develop your golf swing at the practice range--and get ready for the real grass on the course," he says.

(Click images to enlarge pages)

So hurry up and melt snow. Let the temperatures rise. I'm getting that golf itch and I can't wait to hit the Driving Range and try out these drills.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Victory Golf Show Cancelled

2010-02-03T22:29:00.004-05:00

The 2010 Victory Golf Show, which was to have been held this coming weekend in Valley Forge, has been canceled due to the economy. The announcement was made on the show's Web site. It also stated that the show would return in 2011. The show was created in 2007 when the Greater Philadelphia Golf Show was unable to be held in the area because of the closure of the old Fort Washington Expo Center. The Greater Philadelphia Golf Show will be held Feb. 12-14 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.

VCR Alert: Pro Golfers Featured on CSI

2010-01-19T21:51:00.007-05:00

Make sure to set your VCRs for this week's episode of CSI, entitled "Long Ball." The episode has the members of the Las Vegas Crime Lab investigating the mysterious death of a former pro golfer during a tournament. What makes this episode so intriguing is the guest stars: pro golfers Rocco Mediate, Natalie Gulbis and Duffy Waldorf, The Muni Golfer's favorite golfer. All will play themselves. CSI airs on CBS at 9 p.m. Thursday night.

2009 Season in Review -- Part II

2010-01-09T12:52:00.004-05:00

Last January, as I do every year, I set forth a list of golfing resolutions -- or goals -- for the coming year. I am currently constructing my list for 2010, but I thought now would be a good time to reflect back on last year's list and see if I achieved any or all of my goals.

2009 Golf Resolutions:

* Get myself physically ready to play golf before the season starts. -- My wife and I began a program of walking 2-3 times a week starting in March. While this certainly benefited my golf game, we did it more to lose weight than anything. Still, as someone who walks when he plays golf, this really helped me out, especially late in rounds when my legs still felt fresh.

* Begin playing as soon as weather permits, but no later than the first week of April. -- I played my first practice 9 holes of 2009 on April 5, and managed 5 practice rounds before my first posted round on May 17. I also hit the Driving Range 6 times.

* Play a minimum of 30 regulation and practice rounds combined. -- As I posted in my earlier 2009 season review, I played about 25 regulation and practice rounds combined.

* Play those rounds on at least 10 golf courses, with at least three being courses I've never played before. -- I played on 17 different courses last season and 3 where ones I played for the very first time: Mainland, Green Pond and Heritage Creek.

* Lower handicap to 20. -- My handicap stayed around 24, but I think the main reason for that was my awful putting last year. It was the one part of my game that was terrible throughout.

* Keep equipment changes to a minimum. -- I continued to be an equipment junkie. I will detail all the equipment I played in 2009 in a later post, but the biggest change I made was going back to predominantly TaylorMade after switching to Wilson Staff equipment at the end of 2008.

* Better emphasis on course management. -- I could have done better in this area, but overall, it wasn't bad. Of course, poor putting didn't help.

* Practice my short game, including putting, chipping and pitching. -- I did practice my putting a couple of time during the season, but after straining my elbow practicing during the spring, I tried to restrict my practice time in order to save my elbow for playing.

* Visit the driving range at least once a week from March through May. -- I didn't make it to the Driving Range once a week during this time, but I did go 6 times, which helped some.

* Break 90 on a course of Par 70 or higher. -- I had two real chances this year. I shot 90 at Mainland after making a 6 on the final hole, and a 92 at Bensalem after making a 7 at the 18th.

* Have FUN playing. -- I ALWAYS have fun when I'm playing golf, so this was the easiest goal out of all of them.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:54:00.004-05:00

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone
a very happy, healthy and safe 2010!

No Longer Tiger's Tournament

2009-12-31T14:21:00.004-05:00

News has come out today that AT&T is the latest corporate sponsor to drop Tiger Woods because of his well documented off-course personal problems. AT&T will remain as the sponsor of the AT&T National on the PGA Tour, which will be played the next two years--2010 and 2011--at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square. That tournament, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, had been previously billed as being "hosted by Tiger Woods." Along with the news that AT&T is dropping its sponsorship of Woods, the PGA Tour announced that since the golfer was taking an "indefinite leave" from professional golf, Woods would not be serving as host the AT&T National in 2010. As of today, Tiger Woods' image is still prominent on the tournament's Website. As I wrote earlier, the tournament is still proceeding as it originally intended before the Tiger Woods mess began on Thanksgiving.

My 2009 Season in Review

2009-12-31T13:15:00.008-05:00

As we count down the final hours of the first decade of the new millennium, it's time for me to look back at my 2009 golfing season. This past year, I played nearly 25 rounds, which included 5.67 practice rounds and one round that was washed out after three holes. I played on 17 different courses, including three for the first time: Mainland, Green Pond and Heritage Creek, although the Heritage was only three holes because of a huge downpour.

The Ninth Hole at Mainland

I played 447 total holes for the year. My stroke average was 95.4 per 18 holes, excluding the practice and incomplete rounds. I managed to make par or better on 64 of the 351 regulation holes for which I posted a score. That is just under 20 percent. The main reason for the low percentage I believe was because of my poor putting throughout the year. The most pars I recorded in a single round was six, which I did twice: June 19 at Mainland and Oct. 4 at Juniata. I did have four birdies this year: the Eighth Hole at Juniata on May 24, the Eighth Hole at Twining Valley on July 12, the Third Hole at Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 15 and the Fourteenth Hole at Juniata on Oct. 4.

The Third Hole at Green Pond

My low round of the year was an 86 on Oct. 25 at Juniata, which also happened to be my last round of the year. I also shot an 87 (Oct. 4), and 88 (July 24) at Juniata, an 89 (Aug. 15) at FDR and a 90 (June 19) at Mainland. My high round of the year was a 104, which I shot three times: June 3 at Paxon Hollow, July 3 at Green Pond and Sept. 6 at The Rookery. Overall, I only failed to break 100 four times in the 19.5 rounds I posted. Last year, I only failed to break 100 once.

The Tenth Hole at Jeffersonville

I also managed to hit the Driving Range seven times this season, mostly in the early part of the Spring. I'm not sure how much that helped, although I do feel that is where I might have first developed my elbow soreness that hindered me through most of the season. But hopefully, I another eight weeks or so, I'll be back out on the practice tee getting ready for the 2010 season.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Santa Checked His List And....

2009-12-26T21:34:00.005-05:00

When I checked under the Christmas tree yesterday I found that Santa Claus had left me a box of Titleist NXT Tour golf balls. Actually, it was my in-laws who gave me the golf balls, but Santa must have whispered it to them since they were on my list the Jolly Old Elf. Thanks Santa! I can't wait until the spring gets here to use them.

Dear Santa...

2009-12-24T15:20:00.003-05:00

I've made my list and hopefully Santa has checked it twice. Hopefully tonight that Jolly Old Elf will leave a few of my golf-related Christmas list items under my tree. This year I asked Santa for a gift card to Dicks Sporting Goods or Golf Galaxy, some Titleist NXT golf balls and some Clif Bars for my golf bag. Although my golf game was more naughty than nice this past year, I think Santa might leave a couple of these items. As the Chipmunks sing: "We can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas don't be late!"

Holiday Greetings from The Muni Golfer

2009-12-23T23:19:00.003-05:00

As we end the first decade on the 21st Century, I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season. I also want to thank you for visiting this blog and following my adventures throughout the year! May you get everything on your holiday wish list and may 2010 be a year of fairways and greens, birdies and pars, and lower handicaps for all!

Tiger Tales

2009-12-21T22:35:00.006-05:00

Unless you have been hiding in a cave in Afghanistan with Osama bin Laden, you know by now the off-course problems of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. Those problems, which I will not chronicle here, have led Tiger to take an "indefinite" leave from the PGA Tour. It is yet to be determined what impact his leave will have on the Tour, but one local place could be affected if Tiger doesn't return by the July 4th holiday. Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square is scheduled to host the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, June 28-July 4.

The tournament, which is referred to as "Tiger's tournament," announced that it was moving from its normal home at Congressional Country Club outside Washington, D.C. to Aronimink for 2010 and 2011. One of the draws to hosting the tournament is the presumption that Tiger will play. That assumption is now up in the air. Former Inquirer golf writer Joe Logan wrote recently on his Web site My Golf Philly that the tournament organizers are proceding as normal. It will be interesting to see what kind of attendance the tournament gets if Woods has not returned to playing when the event is held. Read Logan's entire story here.

The End is Here...the Season's End

2009-12-20T14:26:00.003-05:00

Sadly, yesterday's big snowstorm made me realize that the end of my 2009 golfing season has arrived. Although I have not been able to play since October, like many golfers, I kept hoping that there was one more round to play before the calendar flips over to 2010. But between a couple of colds, family commitments, the holidays and now the weather, I realize I've filled out my last scorecard for this year. Before the end of the year, I'll reflect back on how this season went and post my thoughts, as well as my statistics.