Bold talk, devilish greens

The phrase "You cannot be serious" has become ingrained in Oldgolfdawg's mind lately after repeated exposures to the television commercial in which tennis great John McEnroe complains to a rental car company employee about its "Choose any car" policy.

Every time Oldgolfdawg views the commercial it makes him think of Deer Ridge Golf Club in Bellville, Ohio, about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. The "You cannot be serious" phrase captures a reaction he often had after stroking an ill-fated putt on its lightning-fast and severely sloped greens.

Oldgolfdawg had driven by Deer Ridge probably a hundred times while making frequent visits to his old stomping grounds in the Stow-Kent area north of Akron. But he didn't realize what a gem of a course was located just off an exit of I-71 until last summer when a gathering there of old high school friends taking part in the annual Gula/McClintick Classic opened his eyes.

The course, designed by Brian Huntley and opened in 1998, isn't long, but its large undulating greens make up for whatever it lacks in distance. Along the way are breathtaking views and scenic vistas on a well-maintained course with many tree-lined fairways and several holes with extreme elevation changes.

The seventh hole, a 156-yard par 3 from the blue tees, is the fifth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen. The golfer can't see the green when teeing off because it is nestled on top of a hill about 70 feet in elevation above the tee box. The green is large and sloped from back to front. If the pin is located near the front of the green and your tee shot ends up above the hole, you better start praying. If you're on the green and below the hole, you have a chance to escape with a par. But the hole only rewards those with a brave heart and a steely putting stroke.

Oldgolfdawg often gauges the difficulty of a course by the comments made by playing partners during or after a round. So Oldgolfdawg took note when Billy "Bear" Carlyon, a longtime friend and golfing rival, suggested he was going to rip Deer Ridge a new one the next time he played it after a round last October. Billy Bear, as Oldgolfdawg calls him, plays to about a 3 or 4 handicap and he was running a little hot under the collar after shooting an 84. At the Gula/McClintick gathering in August, Bear had posted a field-leading 77 and perhaps entered a return engagement with The Ridge with a false sense of security.

Anyway, after hearing Billy Bear's boast, Oldgolfdawg couldn't help but try to temper the situation by quoting Ned Pepper of True Grit fame and saying, "I call that bold talk for a one-eye fat man."

Only time will tell if Billy Bear will get his revenge. All Oldgolfdawg knows is that Deer Ridge is the kind of course where the phrase "You cannot be serious" runs off the of lips of even the best golfers.











http://www.deerridgegc.com/

Palmer pins down a victory

The back-nine duel between Ryan Palmer and Robert Allenby in the final round of the Sony Open in Honolulu yesterday made for compelling theater. It reached a crescendo on the 18th green when Palmer hit a 50-foot chip shot that hit the pin and left him with a tap-in for birdie and a one-shot victory.

Oldgolfdawg was glued to the tube watching the way Palmer and Allenby jockeyed for position as the day's final pairing made the turn and headed for the clubhouse. On a scale of 1 to 5 dog biscuits, Oldgolfdawg would throw it a solid 4. If the drama would have unfolded in a bigger event, it would have earned an additional half biscuit.

After Allenby hit a fabulous sand shot to birdie No. 9 and Palmer could only manage a par on Waialae Country Club's easiest hole, it looked like the wheels were beginning to come off for the eventual winner. Palmer proceeded to bogey No. 11 after hitting into a trap but matched a birdie putt by Allenby on No. 12 to maintain a one-shot lead at 14 under.

The jockeying continued over the last six holes, but Palmer answered each challenge mounted by Allenby. Tied at 14 under coming to the par-5 18th, Palmer and Allenby each had a reasonable shot at getting up-and-down for birdie after missing the green with their second shots. Allenby hit through the green and pitched to just inside 10 feet. Palmer came up short of the green and faced a delicate uphill chip against the grain.

Palmer feared his chip was hit a little too hard, and he tumbled backward in relief when the ball struck the pin squarely. Allenby missed his birdie putt, and Palmer tapped in for a 4-under-par 66 and his third career PGA Tour victory.

“Lucky bounce,” Palmer said. “It was probably going to go by 7 or 8 feet. I still hit a good chip. You need things like that to win.”

Palmer, a 33-year-old Texan trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 season in which he finished 150th on the money list, earned exempt status on the PGA Tour through 2012 with the victory. It also earned him a trip to the Masters for the first time in five years.

Allenby, an Australian who won the Nedbank Challenge on the Sunshine Tour and the Australian PGA Championship on the Australasian PGA Tour at the end of last year, closed with a 67.

“I had a couple of chances out there,” Allenby said. “It’s so easy to look back and say, ‘I could have made that, I could have made that.’ But at the end of the day, realistically, I needed to make a birdie at the last.”

Steve Stricker, the highest-ranked player in the first full-field event of the year, shared the lead briefly on the back nine, and had a 65 to finish third, two strokes back. He was done in down the stretch by a few uncharacteristically loose shots.

Don't mess with Lucy

As a season pass member for two years at Foxfire Golf Club in Lockbourne, Oldgolfdawg learned the hard way how rounds can fall apart quickly. Numerous times he was on track to break 80 at The Players Club when all hell would break loose on No. 14, the first of three tough holes in a row.

The fourth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen, No. 14 is a 547-yard par 5 that doglegs to the right when it gets to within 160 yards of the green. After numerous crash-and-burn experiences on the hole, Oldgolfdawg decided to call it "Lucretia MacEvil," a tribute to Blood  Sweat & Tears and in reference to Lucy of Peanuts fame for its ability to snatch away a good round just as she always thwarted Charlie Brown's attempts to kick a football.

Many times after negotiating the first 13 land mines of The Players Club in relatively unscathed fashion, Oldgolfdawg would feel his muscles tighten as he peered out from the tee box of "Bad Lucy." The hole is hemmed in by menacing wooded areas on both sides of a rolling fairway that goes down before heading up and eventually toward a narrowing where it begins to turn right. A well-placed 3-wood puts a golfer in position to hit another 3-wood or possibly a 5-wood or long iron to a level area at the top of a hill. A slight fade at the end of the second shot puts one in the best position to go at the green as long as it doesn't go too far right and becomes blocked by trees.

The green is well protected by two bunkers. The one in the front sprawls across most of the putting surface and has to be carried. The one on the back left side swallows approach shots that come in too hot. A pond also backstops the green but only comes into play if a player nukes a shot or skulls one. If the pin is on the right side of the green, the putts won't have a lot of break. But if the pin is more toward the left the difficulty increases as the green is more sloped and causes balls to run off.

If a golfer is lucky enough to come away with a par on "Bad Lucy," her tree-lined sisters, "Not So Sweet Melissa" and "Heartbreak Annie," are up next, making Nos. 14-16 a gantlet of sorts. It should be noted that The Players Club is for "players." It measures 7,077 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 132 and a 74.2 USGA rating. From the white tees, where Oldgolfdawg hangs out, it still measures 6,705 yards and has a slope rating of 128 and a 72.4 USGA rating.

About those britches

Other than John Daly himself, no entity was more disappointed that he didn't make the Sony Open cut than the Golf Channel, which constantly plugged a show it has produced about the seemingly star-crossed golfer during its second-round coverage of the event.

Daly, who is in much better shape after losing some 115 pounds, was identified as "The Spotlight Player" during the coverage, which after awhile seemed to become nothing more than a vehicle to promote the show "Being John Daly." The fact that it will premier on the Golf Channel March 2 was drilled into viewers to the point of distraction.

Another source of distraction for viewers had to be Daly's pants, which my old boss and good friend Ray Stein would describe simply as being something straight from the goofy rack. Even Boo Weekley, who isn't exactly a fashion maven, was taken back by their orange-, pink- and peach-colored diamond-like design.

When asked during the telecast about the comeback bid being made by Daly, Weekley thought there was a good chance it would succeed before adding, "Man, we got to get J.D. to do something about those britches."

Daly is sort of like the sad-eyed dog you kick out of the house for leaving a mess on the rug only to let back in when he shows up at the backdoor later on wagging his tail and oblivious to why he was kicked out in the first place. You want to pull for him, but you're always waiting for the next stain on the rug. He missed the cut by three shots and was struggling with the flat stick.


Golf show observations: Oldgolfdawg dropped in on The Greater Columbus Golf Show yesterday around 3 p.m. and witnessed a beehive of activity. Vendors of golf equipment, apparel, travel packages and even one for bathroom remodeling seemed to be doing a lively business despite the current rough patch we've hit in the economy.

Those in attendance had opportunities to test their skills in a Long Putt Challenge, to compete in the Adams Golf Long Drive Championship and to watch exhibitions by noted long-drive champions. Walking down the aisles of the convention center was a little like going trick-or-treating. The vendors were passing out brochures like candy to kids on Halloween and were eager to answer any and all questions about what they were selling.

When Oldgolfdawg got home and began sorting through his plastic bag of loot he discovered that he had collected more than 40 brochures or fliers promoting this and that. The Myrtle Beach and Santee Cooper travel package vendors were there in force. They know how to butter their bread and central Ohio golfers who travel south in early spring figure big in their bottom lines.

Taking the bite out of green fees

Oldgolfdawg has purchased The DivotCard the past two years and believes it is a great thing to have if you enjoy playing a variety courses at a discount. It is especially handy for the golfer who can't find a playing partner when the urge to play strikes and who doesn't mind joining up with strangers or going it alone.

Participating courses in central Ohio this year include Bent Tree, Blackhawk, Chapel Hill, Cooks Creek, Darby Creek, Glenross, Royal American Links, Westchester and Longaberger. All but Longaberger offer a free round (not counting a $14 cart fee) for play on Monday through Thursday. Seven more free rounds (not counting a $14 cart fee) can be obtained through repeated play at the courses using 28 additionally discounted rounds. http://www.thedivotcard.com/columbus/

Longaberger Golf Club, rated by many the best public course in Ohio, is new to the lineup. The coupon boxes for it are $10 off (cart included) for the first visit, $20 off for the second visit (after the use of $10 discount) and $30 off for a third visit (after the use of the $10 and $20 discounts). The coupons are good Monday through Sunday and are based off current seasonal rates. http://www.longabergergolfclub.com/

Included in The DivotCard deal are free driving range balls and pro shop discounts on apparel. If you go to the Greater Columbus Golf Show in the Veterans Memorial Building this weekend, you can get one for $69 and receive a free logo cap.

Different horses for different courses

As central Ohio starts to thaw from the recent cold snap, the PGA Tour will begin the second leg of its swing through Hawaii today when the Sony Open unfolds in Honolulu. The tournament will be telecast by the Golf Channel.

Waialae Country Club will provide a different test than last week's winner's-only event at Kapalua. The tour's first full-fledged field will tee off knowing that Waialae's more classic design of narrow fairways and numerous doglegs rewards shot-making over distance. Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for third in driving last year, and he hit his last seven fairways on his way to a back-nine 31 and a one-shot victory over David Toms.

Waialae, with its ocean-side location and flat terrain, has traditionally been one of the most difficult courses in terms of driving accuracy. In 2006, the fairways of the Sony Open were the hardest to hit of any PGA Tour event for the entire year. Waialae can become a long-ball hitter's nightmare when the winds pick up. Early forecasts call for gusts up to 20 mph from the north when play begins today.

This might make things difficult for John Daly, who received a sponsor's exemption and has lost about 100 pounds in the last nine months through lap-band surgery. Daly only played in seven tour events last year after serving a six-month suspension for conduct unbecoming a professional. He has missed the cut or withdrawn in 30 of his last 47 PGA Tour starts.

The smart money will be betting that a veteran ball-striker such as Johnson, Toms, Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly, Robert Allenby or Ernie Els will emerge as the winner. Since Paul Stankowski won at age 27 in 1997, no one under 30 has won the Sony Open.

That won't stop Hawaiian teenager Tadd Fujikawa from trying. He will have the support of a home crowd as he plays in his fourth Sony Open. The 19-year-old made waves last year with a third-round 62, but he faded to a final-day 73 and finished tied for 32nd.

Ohio's Golf, one of Oldgolfdawg's favorite links, is sending John Stampe to report live from the Sony Open. He will be blogging and paying extra attention to Ohioans in the field such as Ben Curtis, Chris Wilson and Jason Dufner.

Golden Bear welcomes Tiger's best shot

Can't help but wonder what Tiger Woods was thinking last weekend when he heard that Jack Nicklaus was warning him about the dangers of sitting out the 2010 majors season.

In an exclusive interview with the Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte, Nicklaus admitted he didn't want anyone to break his record of 18 major championship victories. At the same time, Nicklaus also said he didn't want to see Tiger not break his record because of injury or personal problems.

If Oldgolfdawg were Tiger, he would take that as a challenge. You know, kind of like, "Hey Tiger, catch me if you can." In a conference call to members of the media last Friday, Nicklaus was asked whether Woods' indefinite leave from the PGA Tour creates more doubt about him surpassing Nicklaus' mark.

"If Tiger is going to pass my record, I think this is a big year for him in that regard," Nicklaus said. "If he doesn't play this year, then obviously the chore will be a little tougher."

This year's first three majors are being played on courses where Woods has won multiple times and by record margins. Of Woods' 14 major championships, seven have been won at Augusta National (four), Pebble Beach (one) and St. Andrews (two). Woods, 34, has been a regular in the mix at Augusta National every year. But the U.S. Open won't return to Pebble Beach again until Woods is in his 40s. The British Open will return the Old Course in five-year intervals when Woods is 39, 44 and 49.

Before Woods' personal life came crashing down on him the day after Thanksgiving because of later admitted infidelity, the assumption of many that he would catch Nicklaus was based partly on the belief Tiger would have a big 2010 major season. Now that has come into question and wide-ranging speculation continues over when Woods will return.

"If he works on the emotional things he needs to heal, I could see 2011," John Cook, a close friend of Woods, told Golfweek. "It wouldn't surprise me at all."

Butch Harmon, Woods' former swing coach, expects a faster rebound. "Those who say he won't play again are crazy," Harmon told Sky Sports. "People who say he probably won't play this year, I don't really believe that. If you want to put a timetable on it, I'd say you may see him in Florida before the U.S. Masters."

Whatever happens, Nicklaus isn't worried about golf's future, saying: “Tiger always has been a big influence on the game. But the game had Bobby Jones, the game had Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Nicklaus. The game always survived that. The game will continue to go forward. Tiger is a big influence, probably the largest one we ever had. And certainly, we hope he comes back and plays. It’s not all about one person. The game is a big game.”