Transition to New England Winter

I played a number of rounds in October and November at Lexington GC. The golf course remains playable and in good shape. The club is in the process of a major renovation to the first tee and outside porch on the clubhouse.

My desire to play many more rounds in the cold is limited. I think I'm getting more sour to cold play each year. I will consider playing if its above 40 degrees, however, I'm changing my strategy this year to practice indoors. In the past, I have never put in a consistent winter of practice to improve my game. So, this year its a change!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I started working on my game at Big Sticks Golf in Burlington, MA off of Ray Ave. The facility is small and does not have short game areas or work out equipment. It does provide video options and virtual golf rounds. The head golf professional, Terry Felty, is available for lessons and walk by tips as you practice. My goal is to improve the consistency of my swing through repetitive drills. You do not get to see the ball flight unless using the virtual golf machine, that is similar to what you see on the Golf Channel's "Golf Fix" TV program.

For most, it may be boring and ineffective to hit balls into a net less than 10 feet in front of you. For me, i am focused on the 'smash' factor, i.e. ball contact, feedback. I've played long enough where I have a good feel despite the lack of visual ball flight. I will use the virtual golf equipment occasionally to see ball flight results.

During the first weekend, I spent most of my time hitting balls with either my left hand only or right hand only. My philosophy is that I will be a better player if I can execute shots with each hand individually. It will develop my consistency and feel for my golf swing.

Its $15 for all you want to hit (no video use). With video use, prices go to $30 and up.

No commitment to a membership is necessary, though, options are available.

Ciao,
Kurt

Flionis-Murphy Annual Four Ball Campaign - Norfolk County Classic

October 9-10: Norfolk County Classic @ Presidents GC in Quincy, MA
This event has been off our schedule for the last 4 years due to various conflicts. We were excited to have it back on our schedule and especially after a disappointing finish at the Dennis Four Ball.

We shot 73-68 = 141 (+1). The team birdie count was 7 and the bogey count was 8. You cannot afford to make more than a few bogeys in these events to have a chance. The winning team of Doug Clapp/Bob Malcolm shot 128 (-12).

Again, our issue was a slow start and lack of hitting greens. We played well on the final round, shooting 31 (-3) on our last nine holes. Round 2 was extra good because Mike and I got paired with Ryan Parker and Richie Stover, two former teammates of mine at Bentley. It made for a day full of good competition, laughs, and shared excitement. Parker and Stover were solid, shooting a bogey free 66. We couldn't catch them.

During Round 1, Mike made a birdie on the par-3 9th hole from above a left center pin placement. It was our last hole of the day and we needed a positive boost being +4 thru 17. Well this putt was the best putt I've seen in memory. Incredible, sharp downhill right to left from the fringe with me only in for bogey. Mike rolled it in at perfect speed. Wooooo, Don Small, PGA professional at Presidents, and Jim Fitzroy, President of Golf Course Superintendents of America, our playing partners were almost as excited as us. It was a pleasure playing with both Don and Jim, who shot 73 as well.

Other Highlights
>Weather was excellent for October, low 60s and sunny.
>I made birdie and par on the cornfields 15th, on the birdie i hit 3-wood to the peninsula and 4-iron on the green
>Hit the stick on the 6th hole, almost dunked it, from 85 yards to save par after hitting my tee shot into the fescue on the left side of the 8th hole
>Scores:

Bob Malcolm/Doug Clapp 65-63 128*
Frank Vana/RJ Foley 63-65 128

Herbie Aikens/Bob Mancini 67-62 129
Ryan Riley/Andrew Diraimo 64-67 131
Eric MacPhail/Doug Parigian 68-64 132
Kurt Flionis/Mike Murphy 73-68 141 (t38 of 76)
John Bradley/Steve McKinnon 84-79 163 (last place)

My advice to us is to get the ball on the green in regulation. Once we do that, we make birdies.

Big news for me: I officially made the debut with the Ping iSeries Craz-E putter! The first putter change since high school. I am very happy with the decision. I made a significant amount of putts in the 10-20 foot range.

This is the last tournament on the schedule for 2010. There will be additional blog entries about off-season plans, caddy comments, and maybe something else if I get creative.

Thanks for those who follow!

Live it up,
Kurt

Flionis-Murphy Annual Four Ball Campaign - Dennis Four Ball

Sept 18-19: Dennis Fourball at Dennis Highlands GC
Mike and I love this event. This was our fifth annual trip to Dennis where we play two days of golf, eat lots of food at Grumpy's (local breakfast place with some of the best muffins I've ever had, right up there with Gingerbread Man), walk to the beach, and enjoy a home cooked steak dinner with wine on Saturday evening. We always hope to play in the afternoon on Sunday so we can stay up later, sleep in a little, and have plenty time for Grumpy's.

This year we opened up the tournament with a horrendous round of 78 (+7) on a very scorable par-71 golf course. Weather was beautiful for this time of year, summer clothing. We didn't make a single birdie, struggling to find greens in regulations. With this type of score, our chances of playing in the afternoon were slim. Over our steak dinner, at approximately 730pm, Casey, Mike, and I put in bets for our projected tee times. I figured 830am. I made the call and was told we were teeing off at 12:50pm. What!? How was this possible? I had Mike call again 10 minutes later to confirm. I still don't understand. We got lucky. Cheers of joy and refills on the wine quickly followed that phone call. By the way, a late night here for us is 11pm.

Me being a morning person, I still got up by 8 o clock and walked to the beach barefoot. It was gorgeous. A few early birds with their dogs were walking. I did some yoga, stretching, and gazing at the boats. Perfect way to start a day.

Round 2 - Mike and I shot even par 71. We made our first birdie on the 9th hole, our 27th hole of the tournament. Wow, that's just bad. I hit a beautiful pitch to 2 feet on the par-5 18th (our 9th hole) to set up a birdie putt and Mike and I both looked at each other and said 'finally!'. Well, before I had a chance to be the birdie hero, Mike drained a putt from 40 plus feet for birdie. The one hole we birdie, we both do it!! I knew he was going to make it too. I had that feeling before he putt. We shot 3 under of the final nine, 4 under on the last ten. This would have been a great pace for the previous 26 holes. The difference was we started to hit greens and give ourselves chances. We were close to shooting 5 or 6 under on the last nine.

2-day total was 149, 19 shots off the winner. No winnings for us this year.

Other highlights:
>One of our playing partners on Sunday asked us if we wanted to take a hit of his reefa on the 16th tee and confirmed we were not DEA
>Teaching Mike some yoga moves in the front yard on Saturday afternoon
>No hot water on Saturday morning in the elephant shower (the strongest water pressure shower I've experience), I literally was shaking after trying to withstand the cold water, I felt like I would turn blue shortly if I didn't get out...Casey got the water fixed by the afternoon
>Multiple shanks hit by my partner
>Ordering an oatmeal waffle with fruit at Grumpy's
>Two days of awesome shorts weather (notable because its rained almost every year we have played)

2010 Mid-Amateur @ Dedham Golf and Polo

September 25 and 26 - Well, well, the time had come to compete in the 2010 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship at Dedham Golf and Polo Club. I waited one month to set foot on competing against the best mid-amateurs in Massachusetts. I felt great about my chances in the prior week, then, confidence began to dwindle in the days before due to uncomfortable swing thoughts. Its like taking a big exam. On the days before, you don't want to cram everything in or exercise your mind trying to re-learn everything. My success in the CFA program was a result of my ability to trust the knowledge I had built over my study period and let myself share that knowledge through the exam. I've yet to apply this to my golf preparation. This time I got tense over multiple swing thoughts and lack of comfort with alignment. I didn't let my preparation come through on the golf course like I did on my CFA exams. My alignment may have been off a bit, but I put too much attention on it, making it a big issue for me come tournament day. On exam day, I didn't know every subject in and out, but I knew I had the tools to make the best of it and there was nothing stopping me from success.

My tension came through in my first round as I rarely allowed my good golf swing to come through. My tee shots were going left and right, my irons felt awkward, and my putting was mediocre at best. I shot 84, including 4 double bogeys and 1 triple bogey. I had 4 three putts. Only 1 birdie. The conditions were fair, overcast skies and temperatures in the 60s. Wind was light. The most interesting and embarrassing hole was the par-3 12th hole, my third hole. I was hitting an 8-iron off the tee and proceeded to hit a tree overhanging the tee box about 20 yards ahead of me. The ball was re-directed left into the woods near a large oak tree. I was left with a blocked out 105 yard shot from the woods on a 150 yard hole. I made a great up and down from short of the green to make 4. However, I don't think I ever recovered from the embarrassment. Come to find out (after the tournament), my boss at work (a member at Dedham) said he hits the tree over half the time on that tee shot and has been pushing to cut it down. Never get caught up in a past golf shot! You are only as good as your next shot! Dummy.

On Day 2, I had a major turnaround and proud of my ability to bounce back. Yes there is some relaxation of tension after putting myself in a hole. At the same time, my own expectations I put on myself is what yields the most pressure. I did not want to leave this event without putting up a better performance. I shot 71 with 3 birdies and no double bogeys. I hit 15 greens, drove the ball well, and was confident in my swings. Still had 3 three putts.

My improvement came from getting to the left side of my swing more aggressively. When you have tension, its difficult to get through to your left side in a free flowing release. I did that once I committed to my alignment and trusted my envisioned shot-line. Both days I cleared the 2nd hole's water hazard with a 3-wood. I didn't see one other player go for that. Despite the common belief of this play being too aggressive, I didn't feel that way. I went with what I felt most comfortable with and believed this play was the higher percentage shot for me, rather than hitting a hard 4-iron or laying off a hybrid. The hazard was 225 yards away. This is something for me to build on! Shot of the day was on the par-3 14th, playing 186. I stuck a 6-iron to 2-feet and sank the birdie. The ball strike was pure and the ball flight never left the flagstick.

Both days my Dad caddied for me. As always, its most special having him with me. We rise and fall together, which can be a disadvantage from a player-caddie standpoint. Nothing is sweeter than sharing success with my family. We optioned for a cart on Day 2 due to threatening rain forecast. Day 2 weather ended up okay for my morning wave, a few quick periods of rain; there was high winds (hit a 5-iron on the same par-3 I hit the tree on in round 1).

Enjoyed a great celebratory early dinner at Cheesecake Factory in the Atrium Mall with my Dad. We also watched some of the marquee amateurs Frank Vana, John Hadges, and Brian Higgins play a few holes. Great golf course and tournament. I missed the cut by 5 shots.

My playing partners were Michael Christian from Wampatuck and Michael Miele from Meadow Brook. Good guys.

I'm confident I'll be back next year and I will be in contention in the future.

Mistakes will happen, the key is to learn from there. Next up, Norfolk Four Ball!!

Ciao,
Kurt

GUEST BLOG! - Successful Mass Mid Am Qualifier @ Bass Rocks

*The views and opinions expressed within this post are those of Kurt's caddy and do not necessarily reflect the views of the blog owner*

When I had the opportunity to guest caddy for Kurt to lead him to his second consecutive successful Mid-Am qualification, I couldn't refuse.

Seeing as how I am not Kurt's primary caddy, the cast of characters he competes against never ceases to amaze me. Here are some notables:

- A carbon copy of George Costanza--if he gained 50lbs. Costanza hit a paper thin iron off of the 1st tee that went dead right.

- The hunchback of Notre Dame's grandfather--Quasimodo Sr...most likely a short game wizard.

- Jeff Daniels's character in Dumb and Dumber (Harry) after a cycle of steroids.

- A guy with a popped collar.

However, I'm sure none of these golfers looked as strange as the 20 handicap that was seen putting on the practice green amidst all of the scratch golfers. Hey, I needed to test out the putting surface while Kurt was in the pro shop, what can I say?

Kurt was paired up with Wade White, a +1 handicap from Wedgewood Pines and Tim Suitum, a sweet swinging lefty from Kettlebrook. Wade White chose not to show and my attempts to pose as the +1 handicap were going well until the starter saw me take a practice swing. Wade was one of many no shows, including Lexington's own Bob Green who balked after learning it was too hot out for pants. This meant 20 out of a mere 65 would make the cut.

Kurt started his round at Bass Rocks by (fittingly) hitting his drive into the rocks that ran through the middle of the first fairway. It was no Costanza shot by any means, but still not a great start. Luckily he got a playable (although difficult and downhill) lie and hit an excellent short iron to the front right corner of the green. His lengthy 2 putt to save par was the first of many. Kurt had 7 pars after 7 holes...and was +1 after 12.

However, things started to unravel after a promising start. For starters, he didn't hit a single par 3 in regulation. He had a great up and down on 2, but couldn't repeat the magic on 8, 13, or 17. Perhaps the turning point was when he missed his tap-in par attempt on 14--the longest par 4 on the course which he had played nicely up until the miscue.

On 15, Tim's Kettlebrook buddies showed up Miller Lites in hand to watch the final 4 holes (after shooting 105 and 112 each). Kurt impressed the gallery with a massive drive that left him 30 yards short on a 320 yard par 4. However, Kurt bogeyed after being duped by what he called a "false front". The implosion continued until the 18th, where Kurt made a sweet up and down to save par--including a testy 12 foot putt to card a 75 (+6). Not bad considering he had 5 consecutive bogeys.

Then came the waiting. About 20 Dedham hopefuls were camped out on the Bass Rocks porch Jack Finlayson style.

We watched some of the late afternoon notables tee off on 15. Ronald Laverdiere, who won the qualifier with a score of 70, hit the purest long iron I've seen in person outside of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Alistair Catto, sole proprietor of what is known as the crankshaft golf swing, was chopping around like a madman. However, Catto, sporting his trademark bucket hat and looking as clumsy as Kevin Wilzcewski trying to regrip a club, made an otherworldly up and down par on 18 to finish T2 at 72. Catto is definitely one of my favorite amateur golfers and a guy I am always routing for--there are many golfers who could learn a lot from his easy going demeanor.

Due to all of the no shows, the last golfer was playing by himself with an MGA official. After what seemed like an eternal final 4 holes for the man flying solo (which triggered a bit of roid rage from Jeff Daniels), the scores were in--75 was the cut. Kurt's putt on 18 was the difference. He's Dedham-bound.

Kurt would like to thank the following for helping him qualify for the Mid-Am finals in Dedham. His caddy. Steve Keegan's notes. Mike Keegan's beard. Congratulations to Dan Brennan for also qualifying. It is worth noting that Dan subsequently held a share of the 1st round lead at the turn in Dedham--a feat second only to Woburn CC pro Paul Barkhouse briefly having a share of the 1927 US Open lead before suffering from scoreboard shock.

The celebration began by sitting in rush hour traffic (which apparently starts at 2:30pm these days), Kurt participating in a Stag conference call from the car on his day off (shout out to Ryan Delaney) and eating grass-fed burgers at Wild Willy's.

Thanks to all who have read my first contribution to Kurt's blog. Stay tuned for my future contributions to this page including posts such as "Kurt's quest to fix my swing", "Weirdest characters at Lexington CC", and "10 Reasons why Kurt should quit Finance for a golf career"

Rainy rocky US Mid Am Qualifier

August 23 - I teed it up in the U.S. Mid Amateur Qualifier at Framingham CC with my Dad caddying. The weather was awful. It rained for 4 straight hours. In fact, officials were crossing the line in getting this tournament in. On the 13th green, the groundscrew had to squeege the green in between groups. When I got up to my approach shot on the green, I had to take relief from casual water! The official almost gave me a penalty for dropping the ball instead of placing it for relief. You always should ask to be safe!

Another unusual situation occurred on the par-5 12th hole when I was in between a few trees. I setup to play a low 4-iron shot. As I drove low through impact, the club made a low crack as it shaved off a rock i never saw. My 4-iron was officially damaged with a chip on the bottom of the club. Time for new irons! I have to earn them! The actual 4-iron shot ended up right were we wanted and I managed to save par; maybe I should hit rocks more often.

I finished with an 81, 9 bogeys and 9 pars. Not very good. This was a good chance to steal a spot in bad weather, when I usually excel. The cut line was 75. I put myself in a poor position off the bat with 5 bogeys on the first 7 holes.

My Dad is the best. He went the whole way without complaining about the weather despite carrying a wet bag with an umbrella, towels, clothes, food, etc. We look forward to the next event together! Thanks Dad.

Appreciate everything,
Kurt :)

Arlington Golf League goes to New Hampshire

On August 7 and 8, 2010, the Arlington Golf League took its 'talent' to North Sutton, NH. Some brought golfing skills, other brought drinking, eating, and bonfire skills to name a few. The crew consisted of 22 golf league members, including my Dad (the real Prez), and 2 non-league members, my brother and I.

Day 1 - Derek and I teamed up with the Cooke brothers (Tommy and Billy) for the bramble competition. It was a great format. Select best drive on each hole and play your own ball in to the hole, taking 2 out of 4 scores on the par 4s / 5s and 3 out of 4 scores on the par 3s. Also, the 'D' player (with highest handicap in group) got to play from the first two best shots on a par 5. Billy Cooke was the 'D' player and only plays golf a few times a year. He took full advantage of the 2 shot rule, making birdie on one par 5 and making a key bogey putt for us on a par-4. Kudos to Billy for stepping up his game at the right times. We made no score worse than bogey. The hole of the day for the team was the 471 par 5 13th. I hit a great driver down the right side of the fairway, leaving us about 170 to the pin. Derek lasered a 6-iron over the pin, stopping on a dime to 6 feet. Billy two putted that shot for bird and Derek sank the eagle. Team Brother dominance won the competition on Day 1!

Night time included many beers for Jennings, Jimbo Riley, Bohannon, and Pissotti. Bohannon and I played 4.5 holes barefoot and showed up late for dinner. I think Bohannon scared the daylights of the groundscrew guy when he started mocking the guy for his marital problems. Don't ask how he gets these conversations going. We all stayed at the Inn across the street from the golf course. The boys pulled Phil Morris's truck into the backyard of the hotel (this was not your typical inn, no lobby or vending machines or bar, just grab the keys from the golf shop attendant and bunk up in a room with sheets and a TV from 25 years ago) and unloaded coolers of beers, playing cards, and sticks of salami.

Steak dinner was good. Sat across from the chimney sweeper. Nightmare! Watched Jennings eat bowls of sour cream with no chives. Saw Phil Morris passed out (face planted) in his golf clothes as i walked by his hotel room. Bonfire going late into the night with a roundtable of chatting, drinking, and singing by Jimbo Riley.

Day 2 - After seeing frightening sights in the hotel rooms at 7am (hint - people rising with blinds open), I made my way to breakfast and the golf course. This was the individual day, stableford format, gaining 5 points for birdie, 3 points for par, 2 for bogey, and 1 for double. Each player was assigned their own point totals and whoever did best relative to their target was champion. I was playing with my Dad, Derek, and Jimbo Riley. What a fun group! Jimbo didn't stop making comments throughout the round such as 'Derek for a point', 'Mike you blew that point', 'now Derek really go through this one, come on'. Jimbo was cruising along well, flirting with the cart girl as he bought bud lights at 930am......nevertheless, he made my Dad pull the cart over to the woods on 16 to 'puke' in the woods. I had a blast playing! Hole of the Day - The 376 yard par 4 7th hole. My Dad hits his approach, yelling get up, and it lands perfectly to the front edge of the green over a bunker and feeds to the hole, within tap in range. Minutes later Derek hits his third shot from approx. 100 yards in a similar spot and similarly yelling get up...it tracks, tracks, and turns right into the cup!!!! WOW, HOLE OUT. This is the beginning of the end for the rest of the field. Derek wins the tournament at +8. I battled but couldn't muster enough and finished second at +7. The Flionis boys dominated this one...two for two!

Enjoyed it Dad and Derek! Look out for Derek's game. Its starting to bud up.

Oh yeah, can't forget to mention Dad taking us to The Restaurant in Woburn for breakfast. They make a mean greasy breakfast.

Rumors floating that Samoset Resort will be on the schedule next year. Lets do it!

Smiles,
Kurt

Out West for MGA Father Son

My Dad and I traveled to Springfield, MA for the 34th annual MGA Father Son Tournament (our 2nd time competing). What a trip! I'll tell you Springfield is quite different than the buzzing city of Boston. Besides the Basketball Hall of Fame, I didn't feel much energy in the area. We stayed in the downtown Marriott which had nice rooms and a great breakfast. Would recommend to travelers. We had dinner at Max Tavern's at the Hall of Fame. Solid food. Its known for its steak. I had the NY Strip and my Dad loved his prime rib.

The golf tournament was held at Wilbraham CC, a semi-private course, par 72, approx 6,300 yards. Course conditions were great: nice fairways, tee boxes, and fast greens. The front nine was built in 1922 and the back nine was built in 2002. The nines are completely different with the front nine having soft, tiny greens and fairly forgiving fairways. On the back side, the fairways narrow and greens are very firm and average to above average size. We found the course fun to play and challenging, requiring the player to choose between multiple clubs off the tee, shape shots, and putt well (undulating greens). Accuracy is paramount on this golf course. If you don't find the fairway, bogeys can be accumulated in a hurry. Price is right too. You can join here cheap (less than $2k/year) for full golf privileges and practice facility (range, putting green, chipping and bunker green). No initiation fee.

My Dad and I played beautifully on the front nine, making two birdies to shoot 1 over par. In the photo above, my Dad and I analyzed a birdie putt on the difficult 9th. My Dad drained the 20 footer for bird, the shot of the day! I bet no one else in the field birdied 9.

The back nine was a complete 180. We shot bogey golf, never regaining a flow. We blame it on losing the tee honor after the 11th hole. Our playing partners than set their pace of speed golf and we couldn't keep up without losing focus. After being +1 thru 10, we finished at 82. Our downfall with mediocre driving and poor short game.

Our playing partners were Dennis and Nick Lopata from Wilbraham CC. It was beneficial having the home team on our side and they were two great guys. We enjoyed lunch and beers after our 3 hour and 45 minute round.

Its second consecutive year we have put together solid performance for a major stretch of the tournament. The experience of teaming up with my Dad is the best part about it. I know where I get my drive to compete. Team golf ball was the Callaway Tour i(s). I've decided to take a leave from the Titleist and try the Callaway, seeing how Titleist isn't paying me anything.

Format was a modified alternative shot, meaning select best drive and alternate the rest of the way in.

Great fun! Can't wait for the next one!

Let the good times roll,

K

Club Championship Final Two Rounds - Running the Statistics

Congratulations to Garrett Johnson for winning the 2010 LGC Club Championship with a 72 hole total of 292. Tied for runner up was Steve Keegan and Bob Green at 301. I was tied for fourth with Lee Smith at 302. My weekend rounds were 80-76.

This year's event had 4 days of perfect weather. The players couldn't have asked for better. As always, Sunday is a great time as most of the players hang out afterwards to watch the final groups and some stay for the Women's Club Championship too (congrats to Annie Sperandio). Also many family and friends come over to watch the final stretch. My brother, Mom, Gram, and Brandin came out to watch. It was awesome! It was my Gram's first time seeing me play and made my day.

Reflecting on my tournament, it was a disappointment that I was not at least in close contention to win on Sunday. Today, I needed to shoot a career round to win. I expect to be there every year at the top. So I felt the need to look into the numbers. I tallied up my stats and compared to my past victories. The verdict is: too many 'double bogies or worse'. holes Here are the number of doubles or worse for the tournament:

• 2010 - 7 (total of +16 on these holes)

• 2006 - 3 (assuming +6)
  
• 2005 - 1 (assuming +2)
  
• 2004 - 2 (assuming +4)

I won 2004 thru 2006. This year I lost approximately 10 or more shots compared to my past wins due to doubles or worse. How much did I lose by this year? 10 shots. (of course, the players ahead me had poor holes as well...but the stat is relative to myself)

I was +2 on 65 holes and +16 on 7 holes.

Winning a 72 hole requires focus and attention on every shot. You can't let one bad shot take down your guard. Minimizing your mistake to a bogey is very acceptable. Sometimes you have to let go of your urge to hit the heroic shot to get back to your target in regulation and play safe leaving a longer approach, but still leaving the door open to save par. Its okay to have Bogey Option Par (this means when you are putting for par its like a 'guaranteed bogey' with the option to make par).

Up next is the MGA Father-Son! My Dad did a magnificent job caddying and now he is going to carry me out in Springfield this Tuesday.

Good vibrations.

Breathe easy,
K

John Brewers Open

A John Brewer's Tavern regular, Mark, summed up the tournament in one line.

"You all are a bunch of drunks" (in a drunk voice)

The free booze started upon tee off at 8:30am and the bar was still open tab afterward in the Sandy Burr clubhouse. Needless to say, the drinkers showed up to get their money's worth. The group in front of us was drunk by the third hole. One of the guys fell out of the cart on a sleep downhill path, luckily uninjured. He probably didn't feel a thing. That group took the last place prize for worst score of the day. They won 4 cases of beer...how fitting.

The sober team of me, my Dad, my brother, and John Caissie shot 6 under par. Respectable, but not our best. We made a nice run on our final stretch, birding 3 of the final 5 holes (we started on number 9). All four of us made good shots throughout the day. We were edging the cups on putts and didn't birdie the par 5 11th or par 5 2nd.

Derek launched some towering drives and executed his masterful 7-iron chip as usual. Dad was also driving it well and took the crown for most putts that touched the hole but didn't go in. He basically made a naturally bird on #1. John Caissie did well considering his stiff neck and numb arm.

Some 300 lb guy beat me in the long drive by 10 yards. I won on a pound for pound measure!

12 under par won the event, 10 under was second place.

Great day weather wise and nice to see Jo Beth out there.

We will be looking for a sober event next year.

Relax and play golf,

Kurt

Club Championship - Round 2 - Perseverance

Three double bogeys put a major blockage in my attempt for two consecutive low rounds. I shot a 76 (+5). I struck the ball well throughout the day, giving myself multiple birdie opportunities on1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16. My actual birdies were on 6, 13, and 16. I made a 25 foot left to right putt to the center front pin on 6, hit the flag stick on my eagle chip shot to 13, and tapped in for bird on 16. It was another gorgeous day. The only difference was that wind was a factor. I'd say at least one club less on certain holes. Also, the general air flow and humidity seemed to keep the ball air borne longer, regardless of the wind. My approach on 4 from 140 yards flew the green in the air with a 'smooth' PW.

My pairing was the same as day 1. Steve Keegan put on a show, masterfully making his away around the course to shoot 70 despite finishing bogey, double.

I'm pleased with my game. A few holes continue to give me problems. Its amazing how one's body reacts the same on one hole at different times. I played the second hole in five each time, hitting each shot in almost the exact same spot; drive down the right side of the fairway (perfect position), approach shot to the right greenside bunker, bunker shot to 8 feet above the back right pin, and then missed the putt both times on the low side (just barely).

Continue to putt very well. I had two three putts, but also made some lengthy putts and lagging putting was solid.

Next weekend is going to be a bunched race to the finish with many in contention. Rumor has it that Bob 'PGA' Green is leading the tournament at 143 (+1). If that's the case, I'm three back with 36 holes to go. Perseverance is the key.

Zen baby Zen,

Kurt

Club Championship - Round 1

The Lexington GC Club Championship was off and running today with good weather and a field of 41 golfers. Weather and course conditions were prime for scoring: no wind and soft greens due to thunderstorms the night before. The only challenge was staying hydrated and keeping nourished with high heat (high 80s). Oh yeah, that mental thing too is always a challenge...just do your thing and let if fly!

Round 1 Leaders:
Kurt Flionis 70 (-1)
Rob Lynch 72 (+1)
Bob Green 72 (+1)
Dan Brennan 72 (+1)
Steve Tunney 72 (+1)

My keys to success in Round 1 was great putting, focus on the process, and patience. Pre-round routine was solid with Verstegen stretching, Zen putting techniques, and course tough practice shots.

I played with Steve Keegan, Steve Geldart, and Steve Jackson. It was literally me and the 'Steves'.

Memorable moments for me were birdie on 1, recovery shot on 10 from the 4th tee box (i took it over the trees with a 9 iron to back fringe, two putted for par), and long birdie putt on number 4. My wedge game was as good as its been a while; hit it tight on 13 and 15. Trust, trust, trust.

Its great to compete. Its been since April for me. The usual fellow competitors and friends were playing. The strange part was that I didn't get to see many of them because my group was last off.

Tomorrow we go first at 7:08am.

Course Conditions were good. Greens were rolling, but not nearly as fast as prior years.

Thanks Dad! Great teamwork.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow

Kurt

4th Annual Kravin Cup

The Bentley golfing crew was back in action for the 4th annual Kravin Cup at Crosswinds Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. Masterfully led by former Bentley Golf team captain Erik Swenson, 16 former and current team members joined together to play a 8 vs. 8 Ryder Cup style competition. It was a 27 hole event; 9 holes 2-man best ball, 9 holes 2-man scramble, and 9 holes individual match play.

I couldn't be happier to have this day marked on the annual calendar. And I truly realized how much it means to be there after almost missing the day due to schedule conflicts with a wedding and work. I would have regretted it! Thanks to Swenson, I was able to sleep the ride down to Plymouth early Sunday morning (June 27) after a late, late wedding night which included an encounter with Kendrick Perkins, Al Jefferson, and Tony Allen at 230am in Boston. Will Perkins be done as a Celtic after his Game 6 NBA finals injury?

The golfing experience was classic; creating many new stories and reliving old ones. Terrence Tedeschi and myself battled Jay Gargiulo and Matthew Freedman in the first 9 holes, gaining a halve point with no one going up by more than 1 hole. Tedeschi calmly made a 30 foot putt on the 9th hole for birdie to halve the match.

On the second nine, the perennial Team Woburn of Billy Murphy and I put on a show beating our opponents 3 & 2 in the scramble format, shooting 5 under par after parring the last two holes. I was solid tee to green and Billy did his thing draining putts, including a 35 foot downhill bender for eagle on the first par 5. We rallied off birdie, eagle, birdie to take command of the match. The competitive juices are pumping every year when teaming up with Billy the Kid.

My final nine was a match against the sweet swinging Jay Gargiulo who puts like Ben Crenshaw. Fortunately, Jay missed some putts and I was steady throughout the match to win 3 & 2. I owe my success to keeping the ball in play as much as possible by picking spots and executing my plan.

I'm grateful for having a great group of friends like these guys. The day is always very competitive, but the results are overshadowed by the laughter and smiles between the crew.

Other Highlights: Erik Swenson outdriving Matt Freedman moments after Freedman said he would walk off the course if someone outdrove him on the long drive; first year we added long drive, closest to the pin, and skins to the event; Brandon McDowall holing a 25 yard pitch shot in a 'pitch off' to award the remaining cash pool...ridiculous shot and he used a Pinnacle golf ball.

Crosswinds: fun track, greens roll great and run at 10.5ish, fair layout but you can easily lose golf balls on errant golf shots, 27 holes, no clubhouse but large tent with nice grill food going during the day like you would get at home

Visualize, Think, and Tune prior to addressing golf ball, then trust your intuition.

Kurt

Playing with the Pros

I'm back with the blog! (well maybe) I have to admit I'll be sporadic over the next month as I prepare for the CFA exam on June 5, a long study process. Thanks to my best friend Mike getting married in Miami last month (April), I had reason to pull out the golf clubs earlier than expected. My plan all long was to play as many events as possible on the Minor League Golf Tour (MLGT) (www.minorleaguegolf.com). Its a mini-tour in Southern Florida for aspiring professionals. As more and more mini tours fell off the scene in the recession and player budgets further tightened, MLGT's popularity has skyrocketed. Its an afforable tour for guys chasing a dream of playing on PGA Tour. It attracts club professionals, experienced PGA Tour players (Guy Boros, Ken Duke), Nationwide Tour experienced players, amateurs (must be a 6 handicap or better) and more.

So what was I thinking trying to play against these guys? The winning score is usually 5 or 6 under par for 18 holes! Most of the time you have to shoot par or better to finish in the top 15. Well, this is exactly why I was playing. I wanted to be front row and center against some of the best professional players. In fact, some of these guys that regularly played out here, I played against in college. I wanted to learn how they get around the course. I wanted to hear their stories. And most of all, I wanted to measure my own game against theirs.

I played three events over four days. Each event is 18 holes. First two days, I blew up with rounds of 85 and 89. Oh man it was rough. I made a '10' on the third hole of my first event. Talk about setting yourself back. The thing about these first two days was that I actually hit a lot of good shots. My score was hurt by penalty strokes and very poor play inside 100 yards. Part of the problem was playing new courses and lack of practice coming off the winter. I hit around ten water balls in the first two rounds. I didn't look at these rounds as complete failures. Each of the two rounds had one bad nine. I shot 46 on the front nine of round 1 with a 10 and I shot 49 on the front nine of round 2. Taking those away, my other four nines were 39,40,37, and 38. My best stretch was on the back nine of round 2 at Links at Madison Green (7,000 yards, rating 73.6, slope 144). Starting on number 10, I went birdie, eagle, par, par. You think I'd shoot low?, I followed that with bogey, bogey, double, bogey, double. At the Links at Madison Green, the winning score was 68, an incredible round given the high winds and course rating!

In my last event, I pulled myself together and shot 75, beating both pros in my group. I played steady, smart golf and showed great improvement inside 100 yards. I felt like a professional, strategically placing myself around the course, making good approach shots and recovering from trouble. The short game was better. I made 2 birdies and 5 bogeys. I finished one shot out of the money. Ending on this note was a great feeling and is driving me to come back again.

Reflecting on the experience, I learned a lot about whats its like to play golf day and day out. All of my playing partners were decent guys and each one had a different story. I played with one guy who has experience on the Canadian Tour, South African, and Asian Tour. He had sponsorship from Taylor Made and private investors. Another guy was an amateur and said he was going full time professional after he played his club championship. One guy who worked in membership sales at a private club and recently got significant encouragement to play full time, so he quit and here he is playing the MLGT with plans to compete on the Tar Heel tour in NC over the summer. Then, a club professional who left the day-to-day golf operations in Florida to play full time. Each one of these guys has a dream to make it to the big stage. Its a lot of time and money with very few making it. I admire their courage to take a chance.

Watching these guys play, I realized even more than before that I can make shots just like this guys, but the difference is that they do it more consistently and with more confidence. A good example was on par-5 at Abacoa Golf Club. I hit my drive past my playing partner (the guy sponsored by Taylor Made). I had about 260 yards to pin, he had 270ish. The options were lay up to the right size, with anything from an 8 iron to 6 iron or to go for the green, entirely protected by water on the front side. Maybe obvious what happened, but I laid up with an 8-iron. My playing partner waited for the green to clear and ripped 3-wood on the green. That's the difference! On a short par 4, 320 yards on paper, about 270 in a direct line, again green protected by water, this guy rips 3-wood just over the water leaving a chip shot. I hit hybrid safely to the right. Most pros are not afraid of the consequences of a risky shot because they know they can recover and believe its well worth the chance. And the result is many birdies, a must on the tour.

Another proven lesson is that short game is a momentual skill. All of the pros have it. It is a differentiator when you get to the highest level.

Every guy out here has a laser measuring device. Its huge for tournament play. I'm there pacing off yards from the 150, so old school. I'm getting myself a device ASAP!

I could continue to go about this experience and what I learned. If you have an opportunity to compete at a higher level, even if its just a small taste like I got, go for it, you won't regret it!

This won't be the last time I play with the pros...

Giddy up,
Kurt

First trip to Cali - Torrey Pines and more

Last month, my friend Mike and I spent a long weekend in San Diego, CA to play as many holes of golf as possible. We played 5 rounds in 3 days, including The Vineyard at Escondido, Mt. Woodson Golf Club, Coronado GC, Torrey Pines - North Course, and Balboa Park GC. If you haven't been to San Diego, its absolutely beautiful out there and filled with nice golf courses for the right price. Coronado GC, my second favorite course we played after Torrey Pines, costs $20 after 12pm and is right on the Pacific Ocean. The course condition is as good as a top tier public course in Massachusetts.

The highlight of the golfing experience was our round at Torrey Pines. We chose to play the North Course to save ourselves $100. This is still a recession people! We pulled into Torrey at 530am and there were a dozen cars already in the parking lot. Mike and I both walked up to the Pro Shop area looking to the check in. Come to find out, we had to go up to a random car with its heading lights on and trunk open in the parking lot to claim a spot in line. By the time we figured this out, we probably lost a few spots in line. Torrey Pines has a first come, first serve policy between 6am to 730am. After that, its tee times. We got the 12th or 13th spot. This number got us off the North tee at 7am with two gentleman, one from Long Island and one local from La Jolla. The local guy plays the course for a mere $40!!! Why can't we get a marquee course in the Boston that gives significant resident discounts?? It just doesn't exist. Granite Links costs $125!

At Torrey, you are welcomed by a stunning view looking out into the Pacific Ocean over the cliffs at 7am with a soft breeze and high 60s in mid-February. Its light enough to play at 6am as the sun rises. The fairways are cut tight and narrow and you feel the joy of walking on the same grounds as the greatest golfers in the world.

Mike and I played a different type of match play (hole-by-hole, quota, etc.) each round on the trip. For Torrey, we chose to play USGA stroke play. Finish everything out, tournament style. Winner takes all. We battled it out in a Tour-like finish and tied with 77s. Mike and I were both a 2 under par on the last 5 holes. On the 397 yard par 4 15th, Mike made a mammoth putt of about 50 feet for birdie and then a drained a 25 footer from off the green to save par. On the par-3 17th, about 180 yards, we both hit nice approaches to pin high. Mike went first and drained a 18 footer. Then I preceded to drop a 15 foot putt right on top of him to go all square into 18. We both made par on the par-5 18th. We couldn't have asked for a better day weather-wise and our golf games made us smile even more. Even better, after Torrey, we were on our way to round #2 of the day and the final round of the trip at Balboa Park.

As we New Englanders know, the golf season is short around here, so it was a treat to split up the winter break in California. Mike and I spent our time outside the golf course in Los Angeles to see my cousin Jay (who is the Jing Master out in LA at Erewhon Foods), at a famous Mexican restaurant in San Diego (El Indio - two visits), and a few trips to In-And-Out Burgers.

I left San Diego thinking wouldn't it be nice to live out here...

Namaste,
Kurt