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