Welcome to Our World

The following was sent to me by Wade Sarkis a competitor in the recently completed John R Williams Four Ball tournament at Oak Hill:

My Oak Hill experience can be summed up by 8 and 9 on Saturday (note: East Course - Black Tees)

Big drive on 8 with 135 to the pin.  Pulled it left to about 30 feet, pin high.  Hit the putt left edge and it stayed there rolling over the left edge about 3 inches long.  Never even fluttered at the hole.

Crushed the drive on 9.  171 to the pin.  Hit 7 iron to the middle of the green right at the flag.  Got up there and it was 6 inches long, buried in the gnarly grass.  Chopped it out and it rolled over the hole to about 8 feet.  The putt curled back at me.  4 good shots and a bogey. 

What a course!  I love to hate it.

Wade

Welcome to our world Mr. Sarkis.

Long Gone?

Some people, well, let's narrow it down to Dave Fries, think Oak Hill CC is in danger of not hosting another major championship after the 2013 PGA. Why? Because the course will not be long enough. My initial reaction is, that's a little bit of a stretch (ha, ha, pun intended). But if we had to lenghten Oak Hill is there room? And how much? So here are some thoughts, with no consideration of the cost in doing so or whether I think these are good or bad ideas:

# 1 - Might be able to push the tee back another 10 yds

# 2 - Extend tee to edge of creek - 10-12 yds

# 3 - Cut down tree next to white tee and go back, could probably stretch to 230 yds or extend current back tee another 10 -15 yds

# 4 - Flatten tee and go back probably at least 30 yds or move green to old #5 green adds 150 yds or do both for 180 yds

# 5 - Room to extend tee another 10 yds

# 6 - Add another tee to golfers right could add 10 -15 yds

# 7 - Room to extend tee another 10 yds

# 8 - Extend tee 5 yds

# 9 - Extend tee another 10 yds, probably room for more

#10- Relocate driveway, loading dock and part of the clubhouse and go back 20-30 yds Ok - I'm just kidding on this one

#11- Could probably add another 10 yds

#12- Go back across the 9th fairway and put a new tee in behind Tony Cotroneo's backyard Ok - just kidding here too

#13- No joking around here, this hole is a masterpiece

#14- Ignoring traffic flow you could find a way to add 10 yds

#15- You could add 15 yds if you really wanted to

#16- Flatten tee and go back 15 yds

#17- It's already too hard so what's another 25 yds? There's room to do it.

#18- Pick a number, there's room. Let's say 15 so we don't finish with two 500 yarders

Add it all up and realistically we should be able to add 300 yards. That puts the scorecard at 7445 yds. Or we could just go "Let's not and say we did" and put it on the scorecard anyway. It's just a number. Grow the rough, speed up the greens, pick pro pin positions and take your best shot. No one has ever torn up the East Course. Not for four rounds.

Tuesday Nights with Johnny or Skins 101

Or any other night for that matter. One of the highlights of my golf season has been a seemingly regular Tuesday night skins games with Jim Mason and Brad McAreavy. As the season progressed we even slipped in a few extra nights here and there.

The format: 9 holes, East course (more often than not), confirmation required. The outcome: Brad and Jim winning holes, failing to confirm and then on the 9th hole Schantz shows up to take home most of the skins.

The details: Brad picking up 3-footers he "thought" were conceded and then dissing everyone (well actually just me) for stinking up the place but winning all the cash. JUST KIDDING BRAD! I had to throw this out there to pull your chain! Just so you don't feel lonely there was also the fact that Dave Fries would show up after 5 or 6 holes and try to get in on the action. He did try to explain how it would be fair if we let him. Hey, I might be just a home builder, Brad's in the car game and Jim is "just" an internist but we're not dumb enough to fall for Dave's convoluted reasoning!

Really, it did get rather ridiculous after a while. And I did kind of stink it up a few nights but somehow I would show up on the 9th hole, someone would miss a 3-footer and I would win. Just the way they teach it in Skins 101 - win the holes that matter.

Can we change the format of the club championship to a skins game? Actually, I think I'll quit while I'm ahead because the only person whose luck can hold up for any length of time is Jim Mason (probably because he's good, not lucky).

Gold Update

Well it looks like I lost my dollar back to Dr. Mason. Gold made an intraday move above $1,000 today. It did close under $1,000 but I did clearly state in a previous post that intraday moves would qualify. Why do I insist on specifying everything? Now I can't even wiggle out of paying off!

Seventeen Again - 2009 Club Championship Round Up

The last time we saw Dr. David Fries roaming the 17th fairway of the East course on Labor Day he was marching to victory in the 2007 club championship. In a comeback for the ages Carter Lucas defeated David 2 up for his eighth club championship title.

The weekend featured perfect weather with light winds, sunny skies and temps in the low 70's. The East course was in perfect condition with firm greens running at 12+ on the stimp meter. The crew placed four players in the championship bracket - Brad McAreavy, David Fries, John Schantz and Jim Mason.

Brad bowed out early in a match-up with Carter Lucas. David defeated Matt Kaul, Jim took down Mark Dugan with a classic display of putting and John Schantz defeated George Kavanagh (where I closed out a 1 up victory with a 35 foot downhiller for 4 on the 18th hole). The Fries and Mason victories setup a quarter final showdown between the two former club champs.

While Cater Lucas was battling back from 3 down to Jamie Lamb, Jim and David were locked in a free-for-all match. With no halved holes from the 6th hole in David fought back from one down to win the last three holes for the victory. With Schantz, Mason and Fries all in the same quarter final bracket a Schantz victory would secure another spot in the finals for the crew. I obliged by defeating Brendan Glavin 4 and 2.

In a rematch of the 2007 semis Schantz and Fries squared-off again. After running in a 20- footer for par on #1 and a 1-up lead I watched David play one over golf for the next 14 holes. David's fine display was highlighted by a holed bunker shot for birdie on #8 and tee shot on #15 to 18" to close out the 4 and 3 victory.

The championship match between Lucas and Fries threatened to become one-sided after the opening 18 holes on the West course. In what can only be described as a stunning display of golf David shot a 68 to take a 4-up lead into the afternoon round. Dr. Fries's round was punctuated by a brilliant stretch where birdied 7,8,9,10 and eagled 11 to go 7-up on the match. His bid to take an 8-up lead failed when his 12-foot birdie putt at #12 would not fall. Dropped shots at 13, 15 and 17 lead to the final margin.

As the afternoon round began David extended his lead to 5-up with a fine sand save on #2. The turning point of the match may have come at #3. Hitting first David's tee shot finished 8-feet from the hole after nearly going in - no small feat considering the rock hard green. When Crater missed the green and his chip shot finished 20 feet from the hole it appeared David would take a 6-up lead. However, David misjudged the speed of the slippery downhill putt and the resulting 3-putt lead to a halve.

Carter then reeled off wins on 4, 5, 6 & 7. Game on.

Carter's momentum was shaken when he 3-putted 8 for bogey. However, the favor was returned on #11 as Carter made a fine par from the back fringe while David 3-putted from 40 feet. A missed fairway at #14 lead to another bogey for Fries and suddenly, improbably the match was all square. Both players found the green at #15 and the hole was halved with pars.

Was one of these champion golfers going to step up and hit the big shot or could one grind out four pars hoping it would secure the victory?

The answer would come on #16. David's tee shot just found the long rough right of the fairway and his approach shot would release to the back of the green. Carter's tee shot stayed in the first cut and his high, spinning approach to the tucked front left pin hit the green took one hop and rolled to 3 feet. David's 60 foot downhiller came within an inch but missed. Carter holed-out and now took command of the match.

Both players hit poor drives at 17 but solid second shots left each 35 yards from the back right hole location, Dave from the fairway, Carter in the front left bunker. Dave's chip shot bit up too quickly while Carter hit a fine bunker shot to 12 feet. Dave's 60-footer did not go in and Carter now had a putt to win the championship. He calmly stepped-up and ran it in, center cut. Carter deserve all the credit in the world for not giving up. But Dave fought every step of the way and carried himself like a champion. As his lead disappeared he didn't lose his cool and kept on marching forward.

Maybe next year?