Cerritos Ironwood Nine - August 31st 2006

Aaah, golf! The game of drama, comedy, and horror! The company was great as was the weather. The play was fast. We got done by 7:30, just as it was getting dark.

The Players: Wai, Mike U., Jeff V. and DB


Cerritos Ironwood Start House


Mike and I hit a few ball on the driving range beforehand

DB’s Summary of Play (high-lights and low-lights)

Hole #1 (111 yds par 3)
Used 6 Iron, 4 strokes with 2 putt (4/2), bogey.

Hole #2 (272 yds par 4) with water hazard in front and to left
1st tee hooked to the left into the lake
2nd tee long and straight and … disappeared into the sun
Had to take a drop (with penalty stroke) about 60 yds from
the pin and used a 7 Iron (too much club) to hit it over the green.
Chipped and 2 putted in (8/2), double par!

Hole #3 (133 yds par 3)
1st tee with 7 Iron … lost ball
2nd tee (provisional) chipped and 3 putted (7/3), bogey x4.

Hole #4 (316 yds par 4)
1st tee shot with TaylorMade Driver … longest of the four
tee (about 236 yds).
2nd shot into bunker on left, 3rd shot with sand wedge onto
green, 2 putted (5/2); bogey.

Hole #5 (100 yds par 3)
1st tee shot with 6 Iron landed on left upper corner of left
bunker (15 yds past the pin)
2nd chip shot landed about 1 ½ feet from pin, missed
conversion to par; 2 putt (4/2), bogey.

Hole #6 (140 yds par 3)
1st tee shot with 6 Iron fell about 25 yds short of the green.
2nd chip shot onto green, 1st putt went about 20 yds ; about foot
short of the hole (4/2), bogey.

Hole #7 (134 yds par 3)
1st tee shot with 6 Iron caught a divot and went about 60 yds
left onto a concrete ditch.
2nd shot after drop hit left of the green, chip and 2 putt (6/2).
Triple bogey / double par!

Hole #8 (111 yds par 3) with water hazard left.
1st tee shot with 5 Iron went crooked left into lake. Took a drop
across lake w/ penalty stoke.
2nd shot right into the right bunker; 3rd chip shot with sand
wedge into green about 2 feet from the hole. 2 putt (6/2)
Triple bogey.

Hole #9 (151 yds par 3) with water hazard left and right.
(DB’s complete meltdown)
1st tee shot with 5 Iron sliced right into the wider part of the lake
just three feet from the bank.
2nd and 3rd pitching wedge shots went hard right into the lake
4th shot after penalty stroke went into left bunker.
3rd chip shot went across the greens and next to lake.
5th chip shot went back over the greens and back into bunker.
6th chip shot went to the greens left of the hole.
2 putt for (10/2) bogey times seven!

Counted strokes for DB: 54 with 19 putts.
Wai 40 / 14 putts
Jeff 40 / 19 putts
Mike 42 / 18 putts

You gotta love the game! All the of the married folks went home to their spouses and kids; Wai and I went for Mexican food at Don Jose's.

-DB-





The resident duckie at Ironwood


DB's ball about 80 yds from the pin; tee shot was about 236 yds on hole #4


DB at 7th and 9th holes ready to play!


The 10th (watering) Hole


Yum, Tamale combo!


A nice frozen Margarita with chips and salsa to end the day!

Out to the driving tonight

I was kinda of under the weather since the weekend, probably alittle too much sun, not enough sleep and stay out too late. But I'm back and my coworkers want to do some twilight golfing tomorrow after work.

After dinner tonight, I loaded my clubs and went to my favorite driving range to hit some balls. I also wanted to try out some clubs (steel shafted 3 and 5 woods) from a set that my neighbor had given me especially since my favorite 3 wood broke on Saturday.

So I drilled thru all of my clubs including the hybrids and the replacement 3 & 5 woods. I didn't do too bad but probably need to work on the woods somemore before I feel comfortable with them. I still want to replace my nice Cleveland 3 wood ... dang graphite shaft! That's the 2nd one to snap on me! Hope Sports Authority or Cleveland Golf can replace my club ... but then I can always re-shaft it.

I hit okay with my driver tonight but not very impressed with my accuracy or distances. Likewise with my putting too, I hit some decent putts but not very consistent.

Well, we'll see how I do tomorrow. Think we're going to either Ironwood Nine in Cerritos or Bixby Village in Long Beach.

-DB-

Ode to my 3 Wood

Pity thy broken shaft, my poor faithful companion of these past few month. How I loved hearing the sharp crack of each well placed stroke that you have given me. Alas, my sad heart when today of all days your flexible spine was no more. May you see new life with a new and improved shaft.

"rats!"

"boo hoo ..."

Birch Hills GC "Mini Tournament"

came out an hour earlier to practice on the range


Wai conducted our little "mini-Tournament"


The guest of honor, Joe (2nd from left) and his brother in-laws and Rodney (future brother in-law?)


DB waiting to golf on the 2nd tee


ah, a little bunny rabbit on the 2nd tee


jumping ahead to the 10th hole; the group watches Joe tee off


DB's favorite club, the Cleveland 3 wood breaks in half!!!


resting after playing 15 long holes


DB's game went up and down but ultimately it's all fun and now it's Miller
Time!

In honor of our friend Joe who's moving to NorCal to be with his fiance; we had a tournament with Joe's brothers in-laws and a few of us from work. Wai did a great job setting up the tournament and nearly everyone took home some cool gifts! Folks won stuff for longest drives, closest to the pin/flag, first to land on the green, and 1 putts.

Good thing we started at 3:30; 7:30 it was already getting dark. We finished our evening at The Hat where the scores were counted up and prizes awarded. Joe's brother in-law, June won multiple awards for longest drives, hitting the green (8x), and best score. Rodney was runner up on greens, 2nd best score.

On a personal note, this was my 7th time playing at Birch Hills, shortest drives (but I didn't lose any balls in the water) and best score ever (104/39). It was fun, but I need to work on my temper (and stop cursing so much) ... like I've said before; "Golf is a perfect game for imperfect people!".

-DB-

Golfing today maybe tomorrow too!

Going to Birch Hills this afternoon with my coworkers for a mini tournament!

-DB-

Next golf lessons for DB

Just signed up online for intermediate Adult Golf lesson thru the City of Buena Park's recreation department. For four Saturdays starting on September 23rd.

-DB-

Driving Range after lunch

Back to Golfer's Paradise in Fullerton


On the open range side


Can you spot the golfball picker?


The Harrison are stretching before practice


James is showing Diane the ropes



The practice chipping area (for next time)



Went to to the range with some church friends after lunch (and after watching Tiger win the PGA Championship on TV). Jame's wife Diane just took up golf and got fully equiped with clubs, bag, shoes, etc ... Yippie! Another new golfer!!

-DB-

Tiger Wins 88th PGA Championship

Who's afraid of big, bad Tiger? Everyone, it seems

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Sports Columnist
August 20, 2006

Yahoo! Sports: The new and improved Tiger

MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) -- The practice green can be a lonely place, even when it's surrounded by hundreds of people. Mike Weir and Geoff Ogilvy were the only ones on it Sunday afternoon at Medinah Country Club as they stroked their final putts in silence, looking like condemned convicts hoping for a reprieve.

Their tee time was just minutes away. Their chances of winning the PGA Championship must have seemed a million miles away.

Still, the starter was calling their names. And after all, second place money of $734,400 is a good payday even for millionaire golfers.

And somebody had to make sure all the spike marks were tapped down for Tiger Woods.

Not that it really mattered. The way these guys laid down for Woods, he could have won with caddie Steve Williams putting for him.

Jack Nicklaus used to intimidate his opponents. Woods frightens his.

He hadn't even stepped up to the first tee on Sunday and they were already falling apart. By the time his birdie on the first hole went up on the scoreboards, this major championship was pretty much history.

Woods' challengers disappeared so quickly they could have stopped for lunch after nine and nobody would have noticed. Not that they would have been able to keep it down, the way they kept spitting it up all day.

By the time it was over, it was hard to figure out who was more in awe of Woods, the players who had just spent four hours helping crown him champion or the schoolboys clamoring for his autograph.

"He's just better than us," a weary Ogilvy said. "Someone has to be the best. Why not him?"

Why do they even try?

Woods, as has been well documented, has never lost a major when leading going into the last round, and there was nothing in his game this week to indicate he would back up on a golf course he found to his liking.

But try they did, even though there was nothing in the pedigree of anyone chasing Woods to indicate that they would break this streak.

Weir had a Masters green jacket, but that seems so long ago. And Ogilvy's U.S. Open trophy should have a picture next to his name of Phil Mickelson collapsing.

Luke Donald probably had the best chance -- or at least the best view of Woods running over him. He was not only tied with Woods at 14-under going into the final round, but was paired with him in the final group.

Donald was feeling so good about his chances that he even showed up on the first tee in a red shirt -- a fashion faux pas since anyone knows red is Woods' color for the final round of a major.

Woods didn't seem too concerned about it, though he wasn't as sure about Donald's sense of style.

"I thought it was kind of weird to have a blue belt with it," Woods said.

Donald, a nice enough guy who probably didn't realize all that he was getting into, was a shot down after one, two down after four and four behind after six. Afterward, he tried to make something positive out of it all.

"I'll learn from this," he vowed. "I'll be a better player."

Chris DiMarco felt some sympathy for Donald. He had been there himself with Woods in a final round, only to leave empty-handed.

"You'd think -- you'd think -- going to the first tee, he'd be the one feeling the pressure because everyone's expecting him to win, and it's the exact opposite," DiMarco said. "He doesn't. The guy playing with him feels the most pressure."

That's the way it was with Nicklaus in his prime, too, with one big difference. Nicklaus had some challengers with majors credentials who weren't afraid to get into a shootout with the greatest player of his time.

Woods has challengers who seem to have trouble keeping themselves from genuflecting in front of him.

Which begs the question: Is Woods that good or are the guys chasing him that bad?

"He's that good," Nicklaus said Sunday. "The guy is playing just great golf, terrific golf."

When it was over on this day, Woods came out of the scorer's trailer, planted a big kiss on wife Elin's lips and walked hand-in-hand with her to the 18th green to pick up the Wanamaker Trophy.

His opponents were left scattered around the grounds, muttering to themselves and wondering who among them will some day finally rise to the challenge.

One thing for sure: Whoever finally does won't be conceding before getting to the first tee.

"I'm not sure anything ever bothers him," Shaun Micheel said. "I wish I had that feeling just once."

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org

Slow play and scary squirrel at LB's Little Rec

My third outing at Long Beach's Little Rec Golf Course, was fun, frustrating and a little scary!

Today was really crowded. We had a 5:45pm tee time but we got pushed back to about 6:00 plus the entire course was reworked. It totally didn't help with the foursome in front of us was rude enough to take extra practice shots during the course of play!

Most of my early tee shots went wide so ho hum ... slow play and terrible strokes! I just missed several nice long putts too!

At the end of the first hole, I looked up and saw a furry tail on my golf bag ... hmmm, what's that I thought to myself?! Then I realized it was a very hungry squirrel trying to dig out my extra granola bars in my golf bag! I tried to shoo him away but the brave (or crazed) squirrel refused to go far. He kept coming back to my bag even after I took a few "playful" swings at him with my driver! I ended up taking some close up photo of the little guy before finally shooing him away.

We had a fourth player join me, Rodney and Mike. A sales guy from Indiana named Andrew. He was a friendy sort and a great player. He had the same TaylorMade driver as I did and hit a nice one down range on the 5th hole. I think Mike chipped one into the hole from outside the rough. I looked up and missed it. I think only Mike and Andrew witnessed it. Great Job Mike!

With the group in front of still hitting all those practice shots, we only played till the 7th hole before it got too dark to go on! I lost a couple balls on the 6th into the Lagoon with two hooks shots from the relocated Blue Tee box and had to take a drop back on the fairway.

My only highlights were my two long tee shot at the 3rd, 5th, the two tee shots over the Lagoon (didn't lose them in the water this time) at the 7th and finally parring the 7th hole just before we called it a day when it got too dark! Like I mentioned, I missed some nice close putts and then choked!!

We went back to L & L Hawaiian BBQ for dinner (see photos).

-DB-


Golf carts at "Little Rec" in Long Beach


Flag pole at "Little Rec"


The approach to hole # 1


Waiting past our tee time!


DB ready to wail on some balls!


The squirrel who ambushed us at the 2nd hole!


The Lagoon at the 7th hole



L & L BBQ after golfing


L & L's Moca Loca (hamburger patties, gravy and eggs plus rice & macaroni salad)

Back to Little Rec (LB) !!

I'm excited! My coworkers and I are going back to Long Beach's Municipal Rec Park 9, "Little Rec" for 9 holes tomorrow after work! I get to use my driver atleast 4 times!! Hope I make it over the darn water hazard (the Lagoon) on hole # 7!!

-DB-

Birch Hills GC with Gamera & Jimmy-Boy!

Our day started with a 10:52 am tee time


After our first 9 holes, we broke for lunch


We got the early Tee Special: $7 breakfast or lunch ticket with a sleeve of Nike Power-Distance golf balls; the cheese burger was actually really good!


Continuing on to the 2nd 9 holes


On the 11th hole Gamera-San hit a good one across the lake


Jimmy-Boy Harrison followed Gamera!


On the 14th, JBH takes a drop and shoot one toward the pin


DB hits a nice 200 yarder just up from the 150 yd marker


DB's ball awaits the next great stroke; unfortunately DB wastes his great tee shot!


There were a bunch of hungry squirrels running around the course.


There was also, a very hungry redtail hawk looking for food as well!


DB finally makes it to the 18th hole; eventhough it was fun, DB shot a crappy 120!

Until the next time!

-DB-