By: Pro From Dover

The late, great broadcaster, Paul Harvey, used to observe about the United States, “Self government requires self discipline.”

One of the coolest things about golf is the player, for the most part, is responsible for enforcing the rule book on him or her self. After a long time observing and playing the game we are persuaded that the vast majority of players intend to adhere to the rules and even if they don’t know the strict interpretation of a particular violation, are responsible enough to bring it to their companion’s attention and try to do the right thing.

But sometimes, this is very hard to do because there are rules in the game that scream “UNFAIR or STUPID or BOTH” and those make self-enforcement tough to swallow. So we want to explore just a few of those.

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By: Pro from Dover

The Boston Red Sox are hoping they can salvage a lousy July this week. Their offense has been non-existent from top to bottom of the order. How can that be? How can Youkilis, Pedroia, Drew, Ortiz, Varitek and rest just fall into a huge slump at the same time? These guys are professionals.

The answer is: it can happen to anyone in any sport at any level at any time. Unfortunately for the Sox, there’s a simultaneous meltdown.

(A related old time baseball observation from Casey Stengel, “I prefer good pitching over good hitting because pitchers don’t get into slumps.” Casey had never heard of Steve Blass, but that’s another story.)

Well, what about your golf game? Read the rest of this entry »

By: Pro from Dover

In 1986 famed Boston College alum, Doug Flutie, was playing for the Chicago Bears in the NFL. Jim McMahon, their brash quarterback, was recovering from an injury and, perhaps threatened by the loss of the limelight, dubbed the handsome, fleet, diminutive Flutie, “Bambi.” Not a compliment.

The equally brash Mike Ditka was the Bears coach and during a televised game he was seen berating Flutie on the sidelines. When outrage was heaped on him by fans Ditka whined that he was being unfairly criticized for yelling at “Bambi.”

Well, Stewart Cink, welcome to the club. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Pro From Dover

Tyranny of the minority.

A relative handful 0f ignorant, self absorbed, ego centric, clueless weasels jam our golf courses and inflict tortuous, long rounds on all who follow them.

Ah, there, venting makes one feel better.

More than expense, the thing most threatening to the growth and enjoyment of our wonderful game is slow play. Article after article is being written about the plaque so let’s add one more, with a little twist, to the queue.

Turtle golf is not a new phenomenon and it isn’t reserved for amateurs.

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By Pro From Dover

Sitting slouched and emotionally devastated in front of his locker after a horrendous round of golf, the man slashes his wrists and watches the blood slowly pool on the floor. Relief. Soon, the misery will be over.

Then he hears a voice, “We need a fourth for tomorrow.” The man presses his wrists together to stop the bleeding and replies, “What time?”

What is it about this game that makes most us crazy? Do we love it because it cannot be mastered…by anyone, ever? Does it bring out the masochist in us? Was Mark Twain right about it being a good walk spoiled?

We love the game and yet it taunts and humiliates us. Golf is not a good friend.

Why is it that:

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By: Pro From Dover

The carnage from the ongoing recession is strewn about with lost jobs, pay cuts, furloughs and general misery. Many of those not directly hurt seem to have had an epiphany, as well. Whether impacted or not, folks are reassessing their budgets and their lifestyles.

Frugal is the new extravagant. Individuals and families are reassessing the need for a new car. The boat has been sold. Close attention is being paid to budgets.

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By: Pro From Dover

A week ago, with our white sport coat and a pink carnation, we were all dressed up for the prom. And our date pulled a no show.

After twelve months of eager anticipation this is what we got? A disjointed, stop and start and stop and start, very unsatisfying swampfest. Even the players didn’t know the day and what round they were playing. The president of the USGA couldn’t even come up with the winner’s name at the trophy presentation. It was Lucas Glover. Wasn’t he the guy in “The Rifleman?”

Peculiar, the whole thing was.

We endure an endless winter because, we say with not a little arrogance, June in the Northeast is the best possible time of the year. Not this time around, Slick.

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By: Pro From Dover

The Masters Tournament is special. It’s played on familiar, fabled, hallowed ground at a time of year when we in the Northeast are beginning to believe we have survived another winter. It gets the juices flowing for the upcoming season. The British Open is historic, cranky and fun to watch and the PGA Championship tends to be an afterthought.

But the United States Golf Association Open Championship is by far our favorite major for many reasons that are almost impossible to rank. So, in no order of importance, here’s a smorgasbord of wonderful things about the Open.

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By Pro From Dover

An old joke: A guy gets a call from a friend inviting him to play in a charity golf tournament. The guys says no thanks. The friend says, “But it’s for blind and handicapped kids.” The guy thinks for a minute and says, “Hey, I’m in, I can win this thing.”

Over the past 20 years, the number of charity golf tournaments has grown geometrically. The events became a core part of fundraising for many non-profits. A well run tournament offered a chance for the charity to raise significant money and connect with more than 100 individuals for a day long infomercial on their organization. Companies used their contribution (aka a foursome or two) to entertain employees, friends and customers with a day of fun and team building. It was a classic win/win/win. Have fun, do business, do good.

But this year, a survey of local courses has found a notable decline in the number of events.  We have learned in speaking with golf course managers and pros they had been seeing a gradual decline in recent years but that has turned into a free fall in the past twelve months. Charitygolf.com also reports challenges facing events around the country. This is bad news for non-profits.

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By Pro From Dover

Praise the Lord and pass the Titleists! June is here.

We’re still a few weeks away from “The 91 days of Summer.” Also, thanks to a sort of early Spring, we already have some rounds under the belt and we’re beginning to get into the groove. Sweet!  We have lots of good weather and golf just waiting for us.

For the next five months, there is no better place in North America to play golf than New England. The variety and diversity of public access courses is sensational from seaside layouts to mountain aeries. Summer weather yields to the fresh, dry, clear Fall air when courses are less crowded. If we are lucky we can play well into November. We are blessed.

(Of course, the exception to not leaving the Northeast at this time of year would be those once in a lifetime trips overseas to Ireland and Scotland.)

“Best of” lists always inspire suspicion. How many times do we look at one and wonder if the person compiling the list has ever actually seen, tasted, visited (or whatever verb would be appropriate) the items being rated?

When it comes to golf course ratings, that’s even more the case. It’s interesting that occasionally, you’ll read about tour pros disagreeing vehemently on a particular set up. One will say “it suits my eye” while another will suggest that the course ruined a perfectly good sheep meadow.

We’ve had the good fortune to play many of the “top” courses in the country and we have been disappointed in a few. We just didn’t get the specialness of the place. It’s all so subjective.

Lee Trevino famously dissed Augusta National because it didn’t suit his game. Yes, Trevino liked to work the ball left to right but Augusta, in the days Trevino played it, was wide open. And for Trevino to suggest he couldn’t work the ball right to left when he needed to was nonsense. There was something more to it than his style of play.

Anyway, when we finish playing a course we apply three general tests to the experience and end up with a personal rating. What was the overall condition of the course? Are there memorable holes? Was the staff pleasant, helpful and engaged?

• Condition is paramount. A course doesn’t have to be a carpet of green velvet hand trimmed by scissors. But it should be consistent throughout, show tender loving care from the superintendent and his staff and not punish a shot with lies in divots and poorly maintained areas.
• As a relaxation technique, I like to mentally replay holes and the best courses have holes one can visualize long after a visit. All 18 needn’t be masterpieces but there should be several holes that can be recollected. Added to that there should be a continuity of style, a personality if you will. Was it a good test of golf requiring a variety of shots?
• A friend says, “For a service oriented economy, the service in this country stinks.” Agreed. So from the moment we walk into a pro shop to the starter at the first tee to the bartender serving beer after a round, we want to feel as if we are appreciated and respected. It should be a special experience.

The hope is that the result of these ratings is a strong desire to return and play the course again.

We could produce a substantial list of New England courses that measure well against those criteria. Not today, however. Following is a very short list of courses that rated well in my rating system and I have no reservations recommending a visit.  One caveat: we haven’t seen these courses in 2009.

• Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, Belgrade Lakes, ME was designed by Clive Clark (a Brit, no less) who took a lovely piece of Maine and sculpted a challenging but not punishing course. The Maine countryside is an active partner in the enjoyment of this course.
• Farm Neck, Martha’s Vineyard. It’s fun just getting there.
• Pine Hills, Plymouth, MA has two courses of almost equal quality. One of the great accomplishments of the architests is the courses look like they have been there for years.
• Newport National, Middletown, RI. Despite going through extraordinary financial difficulties this place is wonderful. One can play the course every day and not be bored. It has rolling greens, fescue to lose small children in and terrific views.

There’s a reason they make chocolate and strawberry and even this short list may ignite dispute but then that’s what the 19th hole is for. We’ll deal with other New England gems in future columns to keep the discussion alive.