Invitational at Concord CC

August 4-5, 2017: This tournament has been on my list for a number of years.  Others have spoken very highly of the competition, course, and tournament committee.  And it lived up to all the hype and more.  The golf course was in spectacular condition; greens were perfect, fairways were like carpets, rough was thick (sometimes only a 9 iron or wedge was the play back to fairway), and bunkers had just the right amount of sand.  The committee and staff at Concord set up the golf course, scoring, food, starting grounds, and rest of tournament preparations in a first class manner.  In particular, the pin placements were very very well thought out, each one requiring great skill to save par or make a birdie.  In its truest form, there were no gimmies!  

My partner L. Bohman and I were both making our first go around in the Invitational.  We were paired with J. Stoddard and J. Magner in Round 1 and the Arnold brothers in Round 2.  Fun guys and good players, consistent with the entire field.  We shot 75-72 (+7) missing the cut by 1 shot, placing in T21.  The Champions V. Galvani and D.Hynes played very well at 5 under par over the 45 holes.  The last eighteen was cut short due to weather delays from torrential rain earlier in Round 2.  

The story of our weekend was crazy streaks.  We started the tournament on #10 with nine straight pars and followed with only one par in the next 14 holes (includes start of Round 2).  One piece of the latter stretch included six holes where our best score was bogey.  Despite the volatility, we came to our last hole in Round 2 (#9) knowing if we made birdie we would move on to the final round.  My partner made a run at a very difficult birdie putt that slid by.  

Shout out to a great hole out for eagle on #18 in Round 1 by Galvani and Hynes.  Most of the field roared from the clubhouse!  In fact, we later found out this "eagle 2" followed an "eagle 3" on 17.  Now that is a strong finish!

It was great competition with many familiar faces.  Concord CC thank you!

I'm looking forward to playing in this event for many more years.

Keep the summer golf rolling,
Kurt

Sweet Home Alabama

March 31 - April 3, 2017

Grand National - Hotel View

Kyle, Chris, Jay, and I changed up the winter golf trip to Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Auburn/Opelika at Grand National and in Prattville at Capitol Hill.  As I reflect on the trip, I keep thinking of the food...introduced to Pork Rinds, conecuh (?) sausage, and much more.  Kyle, Chris, and I flew JetBlue (upgrade to extra leg room thanks to Bates!) into Atlanta while Jay came up from Fort Myers.  Then we made a 90 minute drive to our first stop at Grand National, home of PGA Tour Barbasol Championship.  The drive went by in a flash as we welcome ourselves into the area with the beats of Jermaine Dupri, featuring Ludacris, Welcome to Atlanta and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama.  Then, thanks to Kyle, we had a great itinerary of food stops, starting with top local establishments Chuck's BBQ (solid minus the mustard BBQ sauce) and Zazu (downtown Opelika - fantastic sweet tea chicken and cornbread).  Its at these places where we started to experience the Southern Hospitality...random people coming up us to that didn't work at the restaurants, asking us if we needed help and giving us advice.  The same experience happened walking down the street in downtown Opelika.  When I say downtown, its like 2 blocks of stores and restaurants.  People say hello and smile to strangers in Alabama.

Capitol Hill - Judge Course

On the golf course, Jay dominated the Barbasol course at Grand National, dropping 6 or 7 birdies. Each of us had our moments and battled some tough tracks.  The courses had significant elevation changes and a lot of forced carries, especially Par 3s over water.  It felt like most of the Trent Jones greens were of severe undulation, more than we ever see in the Northeast.  Hello 3-putts!  These are big hitter courses from the tips, but also require good touch around the greens.  We also played a great Par 3 at Grand National that was a nice break from full 18, lotta action in WOLF. "Y'all going to have fun" said many of the golf staff.  Kyle had a lot of fun at the Grand National clubhouse, ordering a side of fries and being convinced by the waitress to sprinkle with splenda (sweet home alabama, right?).  She insisted this was the best thing ever (I disagree!).  We all opposed, but Kyle took the chance.  Kyle said it tasted like fried dough and I think he even tried a little in his peanut butter beer.  Yes peanut butter beer; they do things differently in the South.

Pork Rinds at The Hound (Auburn)

Shout out to Mellow Mushroom and Bates recommendation to try it.  Some of the best pizza crust I've had.  I'm not sure I want to know what its made with, but it is pure addiction...no matter how full you are you will want some more.

None of us had ever played golf in Alabama.  After 4 days, 5+ rounds of golf and some great Southern food and hospitality, we intend to go back to play the Trail in 2018.  26 courses across the state.  It is a great value trip.  We enjoyed having access to multiple golf courses on one site to limit drive time and maximum golf time.  Also, this time of year came with weather in the 70s!  We only ran into one weather problem, on the last day, with hurricane force winds and hail.  We were on the 3rd hole at Capitol Hill - Senator Course when the skies went dark and within an instant, the four of us were getting cloaked with hard rain/hail and high winds.  It was so strong that we were concerned about being able to make it back to the clubhouse.  We waited it out for an hour or so in the clubhouse boardroom, but when the electricity went out and backup generators kicked in, we knew our day was over.  We were able to get cash back for the value of the round and spend it in the golf shop.  Next, we had the full day to fill in before a late flight from Atlanta back to Boston.  We thought about every option, including trying to beat the storm east and playing in Atlanta.  Ultimately, it was a wash from Alabama to Atlanta.  Though, the outcome was about as good as it could get, when we found Top Golf Atlanta!  None of us had been before and always wanted to try it.  Golf, food, drinks, and music for 4 hours at less than a price of a round!

Thanks for a great trip boys!  Looking forward to seeing where next year takes us!

Fli

p.s. Did Kyle really ship golf balls and beers to the hotel??

Amateur

July 11-12, 2016 - I competed in my first MA Amateur Championship @ Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, MA!  Over the past 15 years, I have tried to qualify for it (not every year, but I am guessing 9-10 times)!  Achieving it this year was one of my biggest goals for the season and I did it in style with co-medalist honors at my qualifier at Haverhill CC. 

Now I title this post "Amateur" for two reasons: 1) I want emphasize the importance of the word "Amateur" and 2) Every competitive golfer's "Amateur" is different and changes over time.

1) The Amateur world of golf is so much fun and speaks love for the game.  Everyone, with some exceptions, have other full-time jobs and commitments and we aren't getting paid for this.  The camaraderie and pride at the MA Amateur could be felt in the air.  There was mutual respect between competitors and people really respected the tournament.

I was randomly paired with my good friend Swen (his first trip too) and another really nice guy Rob.  Competing alongside good players that are positive, respectful, fun, and supportive is no better.  Additionally, I practiced with and watched players that are much more accomplished than me; learning many new things about preparing for and playing at this level and what it takes to do well.  At the end of the day, it comes down to who is most prepared, most confident, most purposeful, and most in the zone at the right time (some days you just don't have it or someone will just have it more than you), because everyone here can play golf well.  

(L to R) Swen, Flio, Rob (4th hole)

2) The second point is that a golfer's "Amateur" may be a local club championship, a U.S. Amateur, a U.S. Mid Amateur, a senior amateur, the Hornblower, high school state tournament, a member-guest, a BAGS tournament, and so on.  All have different levels of attention and notoriety, but if its important to you, that is what matters most.  Whatever it is, it gives you that feeling of pride, accomplishment, and joy.  The MA Amateur gave me this feeling and more...

I came here with my Dad and my goal was to make it to match play (top 32 after two rounds of stroke play).  I fell four shots shy and I played my heart out through the last putt (Par 71 - I shot 76-75).  I walked away with my head high and had so many great memories in a mere three days.  It is such a special game and I believe it pushes you to be a better person...more than how you finish (because only one person wins each time...at the MA Amateur, over 130 players went home with a loss), its about what you learned about yourself and from others to get ready for the next opportunity.  Its about being aware of your emotions and body during different pressure situations.  Its about having a plan and enjoying the whole process.

Yardage Book and Notes

I recently got time with a very well known golf executive and when I asked him about handling the highest competition and highest pressure, he said the great thing about golf is that it is an invitation-based sport, so you are privileged to have each opportunity.  He said make sure you appreciate that and the work you put in to get there.  Whether you win or lose or get nervous or make a big mistake, at the end of the day, always learn something each time.

Some highlights:
1)Taconic lives up to its ranking as of the best public courses around; its a special place, fantastic condition and layout.  Its worth a trip if you haven't played it
2)MGA runs a very professional event, the attention to details makes a world of difference to me and the rest of the players
3)Making birdie on my first hole
4)My Dad makes it the most special for me; to share this week and emotions alongside with me; walking the course on Sunday prior to tournament in rain; #preparation
5)Thanks to my family and friends for rooting me on (and to my friend Andrea for coming to watch in Round 1).

Can't wait for Part Deux

To raising yourself to a new standard,
Fli

Naples Trip - Reuniting the Team

March 20 – 23

Bates, Richards, and Flionis lean back and look at each other with a grin, then a head nod, and the words “lets do this again next year!”  The thought of adding in more downtime crossed our minds as we sat on the 9pm flight home from Ft. Lauderdale.  Yeah good idea, maybe, well see.  We were coming off six rounds of golf in 72 hours.  Each one of us couldn’t have been happier with the time together, golf courses, the competition, and the weather and our gracious hosts over the weekend.  

First host, Mr. Gargiulo; our Bentley Golf teammate, friend, and great golfer.  He has this Shivas Irons mystique, something about him; and he is good, real good.  Prior to the trip, my friend Swen said “enjoy Gargiulo making every 15 footer on u”.  My brother  when thinking about him said, “I didn't realize Gargiulo was the Florida guy you were meeting up with--I would have remembered him by name since I hung out with him in your room in Rhodes at least twice.  I remember you telling me he had a pro-level short game back in the Bentley days.”  Despite the surprise that Gargiulo ended up being the high man on three putts, he was the low man on stroke play over 108 holes.  I’d say the 3 putts is a result of his aggressiveness and confidence…he probably dropped the most 15-20 foot putts.  Gargiulo is now a resident of Naples.  He guided us around the Naples area and got us out on a serious gem and very prestigious Hole in the Wall Golf Club.  Thanks Gargiulo!!  We call this place August National meets Marlborough Country Club.  Its got all the characteristics I like to see in a golf club, including pure golf only, mint greens, walkable, beautiful sand, and requires all the shots from tee to green. 

Second host, my family in Boca, including my Aunt Iris, Uncle Jay, and 98-year old (almost 99) Gram.  We all had dinner together at Brio, enjoying many laughs about life, business, my hair, my dating life, golf, etc.  The time was too short together, but nonetheless worth every effort to find the time we did together.  Boca is a beautiful area.  Bates, Richards, and I kept saying why aren’t we down here when Boston finishes off a record winter of over 105” inches of snow, the majority coming in a 45 day stretch!  Brutal! (and still snowing during this trip)  Lets go with "balance" as why stay; 4 seasons bring a balance of options and opportunities.  Plus another reason to fly to Gargiulo and my family. 

Jumpin to the Non-Stop Trip (btw the four of us love golf, so this is a constant HIGH until we crash to our beds)…oh it was also March Madness time, so no shortage of entertainment and betting.

The Bets: Rotating 18 hole best ball matches, dots (birdies, greenies, sandies), snake (any 3 putt adds $1 to pool), daily low gross, weekend low gross, everyday side match with the relentless Bates (love it), longest hole out…I’m sure I am missing some, we had it all going

The Schedule:

Friday: Land in Ft Lauderdale at 930am; quick brunch; tee off at Boca Lago at 12:30pm; dinner with Flio family at 6pm; 100 mile drive to Naples

Saturday: 8am tee off at Fiddlers Creek; no lunch; 130pm tee off at Wyndemere; dinner at Senor Tequila’s

Sunday:  8am tee off at Vanderbilt; lunch at Vanderbilt clubhouse; 220pm tee off at Old Corkscrew; dinner at Blue Monkey

Monday: 8am tee off Hole in the Wall Golf Club; lunch at Black Eyed Pig BBQ; 100 mile drive to Ft. Lauderdale; Arrive in Boston 11:30pm

The Results:

Gargiulo wins low gross over the weekend with limited big mistakes.  Flio wins overall group bets pool (somehow wins the longest hole out at 44ft! and takes dots with a 10 dot effort at Old Corkscrew).  Bates gets low round of trip at 75 at Vanderbilt (impressive given next best at Vanderbilt was 81).  Richards wins snake pool for least three putts (2).   

The biggest dagger of the weekend was when I drained an 18 foot birdie putt from the apron on the 18^th hole at Old Corkscrew for the Bates/Flio 1up win over Gargiulo/Richards.  This came right after Kyle missed a birdie bomb by inches.  You should have seen the look on everyone’s faces.  Disbelief!  Shock!  Excitement!

Hole in the Wall GC - Look at this place!!

Gargiulo was sweet swinging tempo most of the weekend, ripping drivers down the middle and over trees.  Bates would make hot runs and putted well considering he just gave up the belly putter.  Kyle was a master putter from inside 10 feet and was playing a fade?  I was just trying to take Bates money all weekend, even taking my shoes and socks off at the Hole in the Wall Golf Club to play from the bank of a pond, you ain’t getting me without a fight!  I hit some great iron shots, putted poorly, and showed touch in the bunkers (many dots hea!!).  

What a great time!  We had amazing weather, 80s and sunny everyday.  The golf courses would take too long to write about, but Hole in the Wall was the favorite (perfect, I mean perfect greens) followed by Old Corkscrew (great layout and challenge) and Fiddlers Creek (immaculate condition).  Vanderbilt, Boca Lago, and Wyndemere were all solid.  Each course had nice greens. 

No shoes and socks on!

It was just like old times at Bentley.  We didn't miss a beat and the game, competition, friendship is appreciated even more.

Gargiulo, hope to see you up north later this year! And congrats on the engagement and house!

Ready for warm weather in Boston,

Flio

Golf Channel Am Tour - Kiawah Island

March 13-15:  GCAmTour Kiawah Championship at Ocean Course and Turtle Point
Turtle Point: Par 72 - 6,526 yards (Round 1)
Ocean Course: Par 72 - 6,566 yards (Round 2)

My scores: 84-82 (Overall T17 of 178; Championship Division 13 of 26)

Kiawah Ocean Course Starter

My friend Gavin and I flew into Charleston, SC thru DC on Thursday evening.  We arrived in Charleston after midnight and by chance had a Wendy's right next to our hotel.  The fast food chain never tasted so good (the rare times when bad food choice = great decision is fun).  On Friday morning, we made the one hour drive to the infamous Kiawah Island, stopping along the way at a gem breakfast place called Sunrise Bistro, which had amazing open faced omeletes.

This was my first trip to Kiawah, host of the 2012 PGA Championship and location of the currently ranked #3 course you can play in the U.S. (the Ocean Course).  Given my background in Massachusetts and golf travels, this place had a mix of Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, combined with the extravagance of a Waldorf Astoria.  The Sanctuary Hotel was to be marveled at, with ridiculously expensive interiors (wish I stayed there) and a steakhouse we couldn't get in because we didn't have the formal attire and the homes along the island spoke Wall Street Wall Street Wall Street.

Kiawah Ocean Course Driving Range

Well, we were here for the golf.  And the golf was something special.  The Ocean Course's putting green and driving range flanked the ocean, literally with bags of sand standing nearby to prepare for a beach reclamation project.  The caddies wore white jump suits, the back nine was one of the prettiest nines of golf I've ever played (can't believe the shots the pros have to hit from back tees, especially the 240 yard+ par-3 17th over water, I mean all water), and the greens were firm, fast, and many turtle back with shaved grass all around.  Wide fairways, no out of bounds, tightly bound grass that looks withered from the ocean salt (aka not perfect green grass),

very tricky greens.  When the wind blows here, its a bear of a course.  We had strong winds in the practice rounds that changed club selection by 2 clubs easily and calm during the tournament.  My caddie Dean was exceptional, great guy that lives in Charleston area with his wife.  His nephew is a rock star.

The other course we played was Turtle Point, a Jack Nicklaus redesign.  This course is New England like with similar grass (less grain), tree lined holes, tight, and not overly long.  Accuracy prevails over distance on most holes.  I really enjoyed this course.  Greens were excellent.  I saw my first 10 foot long alligator here.

My game was rusty as expected and I putted poorly.  6 doubles, 35 putts, and 38 putts are bad numbers.  Hitting 12 greens at the Ocean Course was encouraging.  I'm excited to build on this experience coming home to Boston.

I could see myself coming back here next year and spending a day in Charleston.  Would love to bring more friends and family.  The Southern lifestyle is attractive!  We avoided expected rain all weekend and temperatures reached the 70s on Sunday, the other days were between 50-65.

Thanks Gavin putting together most of the bookings for this trip.

Back to New England snow (100 inches plus this winter!)
Kurt

p.s. snow delayed our flight home on Sunday night (March 15!); we arrived in Boston close to 1am and everyone else too, as the cab line was 45 minutes long!

Season Finish Recap 2 - 3 events

This is a fun time of year when the tournament schedule shifts to team competition:

September 21, 2014: LGC Fall 2-Man
Course: Lexington GC
Scorecard: Par 71 - 6,100 yards
Best Ball - 1 Net Plus 1 Gross: 138 (T5)

Brief Recap: Mikey K and I teed it up with S. Keegan and D. Brennan.  We battled, but did not have our best.  Due to a scorecard mistake by my great friend S.Keegan, we were knocked out of the money.  Good day of golf and laughs.

October 4-5, 2014: LGC Member Member
Course: Lexington GC
Scorecard: Par 71 - 6,100 yards
Best Ball Net: 68-70 = 138 (T18)

Brief Recap: Todd K and I teed it up and played with Mannings (both Peters).  Todd and I have done very well together in the past, but this time was not going for us.  I did not hold up my end, making few gross birdies.  I shot gross 76-74.  Todd's game was not his typical play and he did not make as many net birdies.  We enjoyed the company of the Mannings and was good to catch up with Todd.

October 11-12, 2014: Norfolk County Four Ball
Course: Presidents GC
Scorecard: Par 70 - 5,800 yards
Best Ball Gross: 71-74 = 145 (T43)

Brief Recap: Mecke and I were first time teammates.  Under rainy and cold conditions (got called off course for 60+ minutes during round, it felt close to cancelling whole day), we pulled together a marginal Day 1.  On Day 2, we started on the tough #6 with a bogey, then I birdied #7.  We got to the 10th tee at even and then the wheels fell off.  We proceeded to go bogey, bogey, bogey, double, par, bogey, bogey, bogey on holes 10-17.  +8 thru 12 on best ball!  It was so bad.  Not sure what turned, but the flip switched "on" after 17.  On 18, I stuck a 9-iron to 6 inches and made birdie.  On 1, Mecke chipped in from short left of the green to front left pin for birdie.  We just missed birdie on 2 and 3 and then I birdied 4 and Mecke birdied 5 to go 4 under on last 6 holes and avoid the basement of the leaderboard!  Where was that all weekend!  Really enjoyed competing with Mecke and hope to do so again in the future.  Also, Alberico brothers are cool dudes.  My individual gross scores were 73-78.

Season Finish Recap 1 - 2 events

August 21, 2014 - Massachusetts Mid Amateur Qualifier
Course: Marlborough CC
Scorecard: Par 71 - 6,500 yards
Score: 83 (T43 of 80)

Brief Recap: I felt great about my game coming into this event and the results were very weak.  My energy level was so depleted, physically and mentally, which led to poor tee shots and I recall about seven three-putts!  It was so sluggish out there!  I grinded and couldn't pull it together.  It was great to enjoy dinner with my good friend C. Bates (he shot 80) and his Dad after the round.

September 13-14, 2014 - Dennis Four Ball
Course: Dennis Highlands GC
Scorecard: Par 71 - 6,464 yards
Best Ball Gross Scores: 69-69 = 138 (T9 of ~40 teams)

Brief Recap: M. Murphy and I had a solid showing against a very strong field, with USGA qualifiers and MGA champions.  We were happy with two rounds under par, especially on Day 2 when the winds were blowing hard.  One of my best birdies was Day 2 on Hole #7 Par 3, pin on right side of green and front, leaving little room to get to the hole.  I hit a 6 iron to 10 feet above pin.  Always a great weekend and well run tournament!  I've lost count, but we are probably over 7 consecutive years in this event.

LGC Club Championship - Rd 3 and Rd 4 - 5 time

Aug 2 - 3:
18 hole lead: 1 shot
36 hole lead: 2 shots
54 hole lead: 4 shots
Final: 2 shot victory
Scores: 69-78-74-76 = 297 (+13)

I won my 5th club championship, which I believe is one off tying the club record!  It was no easy feat as I struggled in the final round.  My 4 shot lead was cut to 1 within the first few holes.  I never relinquished the lead and the tension was high as ever during the tournament.  My championship moment when I truly felt like I was in a dream, everything around me was still and non-existent, as I made a hard swinging right to left 20 foot putt to save par on 16 (back right pin putting from crest of ridge).  As I prepared to putt, I envisioned making a very similar putt years back when I previously won in front of friends (Brandin) and family and at that moment the meaning of the putt disappeared and it was laser focus on making a good putt.  This penultimate putt came after my tee shot went into the trees on the 17th tee box, barely giving me enough room to punch out.  It was an incredibly emotional hole, I was shaking after.  I went on the win by 2 shots over S. Keegan and B. Douglass.  Keegan and I played head to head the whole final round.  He is a true competitor and a great friend.  What a rush and I am honored again to have my Dad caddying for me again (and for all the victories!).

And to do it wire-to-wire is special.  You go through so many ups and downs in 72 holes.  My Dad and I are pushing and pulling so hard.  From an almost flawless 69 in Round 1, to battling to shoot mid-70s tests resolve and determination.  We drew on experience and teamwork.  I'll leave it to an excerpt from Pacino to Any Given Sunday (I added golf),

"You find out life's this game of inches, so is football (golf). Because in either game - life or football (golf) - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step (swing) too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the f*&king difference between winning and losing!" 

As the golfers say on Tour, its culmination of a lot of work that puts you in a position to win.  With a combination of skill, luck, and positive attitude, anything is possible.

Feeling grateful,
K

US Mid Amateur Qualifier - Southwick, MA

July 28 - Ranch GC - Par 72 - 7,174 yards
Score - 74 (T12 out of 60)

It was my third consecutive day of tournament golf!  One day after a disappointing 78 in the second round of the LGC club championship, I had a chance to erase those thoughts.  The day was humbling because I was expecting a wash out (forecast was scattered thunderstorms all day) and it made me realize how excited I was to play and fortunate to have these opportunities.  My ride along the Mass Pike for 90+ miles included consistent, heavy rain, some torrential enough to ruin vision beyond a few yards.  I pulled over in Charlton to call The Ranch about tee time status.  The lady in the pro shop says, "On time, 8am off 10 and 1.  Thanks."

What!? Okay? I thought in disbelief.  When I pulled into the Ranch at 745am, there was no rain and partly sunny.  It stayed that way all day!  I took advantage making birdie on the Par 5 1st and then going out in 37.  I was in the hunt with a strong back nine!

Bogeys at 11 and 12 set me back but I held strong and came in with 37.  I battled all the way to the last putt.  I missed the cut by 3 shots.  I missed 8 putts inside 10 feet.  It is a very fine line out here; if my putter was hot I was in.  Great experience.  Great golf course.  My playing partners J. White and K. Harrington were fun to walk with.  Me and K. Harrington talked a lot of hoops, given his bro is the former trainer of Kevin Durant!

Good luck to the qualifiers at Saucon Valley.  I will be rooting for you.

Savor each experience (good or bad),
K
p.s. Reflecting on a confident mind set, more aggressive play on long 4s and par-5s.

Club Championship at Lexington GC - Rounds 1 and 2

July 26 - 27: First two rounds of 72 hole gross stroke play tournament

Scores: 69-78 = 147

Someone (not close to me) recently said golf seemed very important to me and wished me good luck in the tournaments ahead.  The LGC club championship has a different vibe and meaning to me than others because its "home."  I go through a similar routine each year in preparation (e.g. sleep pattern, pre-round off-site routine).

In Round 1 and Round 2, it was disappointing to see that a few familiar faces were not playing; R. Lynch and L. Smith.  I was paired with S. Keegan and J. Harding.  My Dad was on the bag, a celebrity in his own right at LGC and not even a member.  On the first hole, I scrambled from the rough on the far side of the right greenside bunker to a front left pin to save par.  From there, I rolled along with three consecutive pars, bogeyed #5, birdied #6 and #7, and barely missed birdie at #8.  On the back nine, I birdied #14, #16, and #18 to shoot 69!  S. Keegan shot 70 including a 135 yard hole out on #9 for 3 and a 40 foot birdie on 18 from back fringe to middle pin.  Two incredible shots!  What a fun day.  Weather as mid 70s and sunny.  It was an easy, free flowing round for me.  Good luck was spurred by my Dad's friends Maury and Tommy.  Motto: To beat par; Result: 2up on par and 1st place by 1 shot

Day 2: I felt fantastic and was amped up.  I came out with a shaky bogey on #1 (made a 12 footer); then went par, par, birdie.  After that, the wheels started to loosen...4 bogeys over the next 5 due to bad tee shots on 5,6, and 7.  I was still feeling confident at the turn, making a solid par at 10 and placed a perfect drive at #11; boom here we go.  I proceeded to hit a 4-iron into the right fescue and made 7 :(.  I was up and down the rest of the way for a 78.  The golf course was interesting with the white tees back on #3 (par 4 - 450 yards) and blue tees on fifth tee box for hole #12 (par 4 - 485 yards).  The 12th tee was an idea of a golf course architect who recently visited.  I birdied #12 with a chip-in!  Wish there were skins.  It was the first birdie in LGC history on that hole.  Overall the course was get-able and I felt solid so results were disappointing.  Still, my lead was 2 shots.  

Another heroic hole by S. Keegan on #10.  After shanking his second shot into the right woods and declaring a lost ball, he stiffs his next shot and makes bogey.  There was hard rain over the last 5.5 holes.  We barely finished before conditions were deemed unplayable.  The Ladies Club Championship had to cancel its final 18.  

My take away after Round 2 was to not become overdefensive after a good round, push even more for a great score.  Too much thinking of where not to be, then where I want to go.

Kurt

US Amateur Qualifier - New York

July 14 - U.S. Amateur Qualifier at Trump National Golf Club Westchester - Briarcliff Manor, NY
Par 72 - 7,291 yards
Score - 80 (T44 of 83)

Typically I would not travel far for a qualifier but when I saw the opportunity to play Trump National I decided to make a mini trip (3 hour drive).  I packed the bags, booked a Holiday Inn in Mt. Kisco, NY, enjoyed a Kobe steak at the Village Social Kitchen & Bar (excellent restaurant), and went cold turkey to a course with 154 slope and 78 rating!

I reserved a Trump caddy named Ricky from Miami.  When I told him I never played the course, he looked at me like your "F*$*@?."  Then he gave me a lesson on the greens, dropping balls in the best spots for me to learn pace and said we will get you around.  Well, I came out smashing with par, birdie, par, par, and par.  This course had every look off tees and approaches to greens; streams, ponds, major bunkers, ravines, out of bounds, and tree lined bowling alleys.

After a strong start, the rest of my round was up and down.  I reached the 14th tee at +3, a number that would get me to the afternoon for sure.  My tee shot was hit down the right tree line, along scattered trees, rough, and a drain, and we never found the ball! (caddy thinks it went down the major drain hole haha).  I re-teed and made a double.  That was the end of me.  I shot 80 and missed the second 18 holes by 3 shots.

Taking a pro caddy was a huge plus because I never had to read a putt (thankfully because the greens were very tricky) and I didn't lift a finger on a range finder, borrowed the caddy's rain jacket, received accurate yardage adjustments on elevation changes, and spot on recommendation on what side of the hole to be on when approaching greens.  If you are swinging well, this is a major advantage.  My driver got erratic on the back nine which cost me any of this advantage.  I played with 2 high schoolers, including C. Daly who was coming to Winchester the following week for the NE Amateur.

It was a superb day (mostly sunny and hot, a 15 minute hard rain on back nine) and experience.  On the long drive home I realized it was somewhat fortunate I didn't make the cut because Round 2 got postponed due to rain until the next day and I have to work!

Treat yourself to a mini golf trip,
Kurt

Wyndham Cup

July 7 - Stepping off the golf course and returning to my world left me thinking many thoughts, both backward and forward looking.  Backward looking, such as "I wish I was that age again," "why wasn't I that good at that age (and now haha)"; Forward looking in that I would use the feelings of inspiration, determination, and focus to continue improving my golf and other areas of my life.  I did also leave with extreme admiration, some jealously, and feeling like I could be a parent and coach. Would it be fun to coach golf?

In five plus hours at the AJGA Wyndham Cup hosted by Old Sandwich with the Top 12 high school boys and Top 12 high school girls from each coast of the U.S. competing Ryder Cup style over 3 days, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Pro-Am and was paired with an OS member as well J. Seiple (West Team - Colorado) and R. Dai (East Team - Atlanta).  What amazing talents, but more importantly I held high respect for their maturity, attitude, and appreciation toward others.  Not sure I will have this opportunity again, a special day!

p.s.: got smoked by Seiple from the back tees; if I had my "A" game I would have challenged his "C" game

Worcester County Amateur - Kettle Brook and Wachusett

July 5-6: Round 1 at Kettle Brook (Par 72 - 6,912 yards) and Round 2 at Wachusett CC (Par 72 - 6,587 yards).  Results 81-80 = 161; T33 out of 90.

My Mom came to watch Round 1 at Kettle and she rode in the golf cart with me!  The first time we have done this since most tournaments rules are too strict for spectators in carts.  This tournament is fan friendly and families are often seen watching, a unique characteristic that is my favorite part and makes it a regular on my schedule.  I was a bit fatigued after the July 4th holiday and nervous with my Mom closely watching.  I got off to a very slow start with bogeys on 4 of my first 5 holes. Later, I turned it around with a solid middle round to shoot 81 in difficult conditions (30 mph winds!).  No one broke par and only a handful broke 75.

On Day 2, I played well coming out par, par, par, birdie.  On the 5th hole I made a quad (9), then went par, par, bogey, par, birdie, par, birdie...before struggling in for an 80.  It was still windy conditions, but calmer than Day 1.

Putting together a flawless 18 is very rare, birdies are needed and avoiding doubles or higher is critical.  Another good tournament.  Well run.  Solid course conditions and competition.  Congrats to the winner.  And a big thanks to my Mom's support.

Cheers,
K

1st Place - M. Leger 73-73 146
2nd Place - R. Riley 76-72 148
3rd Place - F. Vana  73-76 149

2014 MGA Father Son Tournament

June 23 - MGA Father Son Tournament @ Willowbend GC (Bay and Bog Course)
18 Holes Modified Alternate Shot; Score = 83

The Cape Cod setting was exciting given my family used to spend a lot of time in the Mashpee area.  A two-day experience gave us a chance to enjoy some old favorites, including Bobby Byrne's pub where I had excellent nachos and a good baked salmon.  We played a practice round with great, longtime friends Mike and Chuck Murph.  I made a very memorable eagle on the 18th hole with a blind 5-iron approach to the peninsula green.  On tournament day, my Dad and I didn't hit the stride/momentum you want for alternate shot.  The score was below expectations.  Willowbend is a tricky golf course, with some challenging greens, intimidating tee shots, and well placed hazards.  The 16th tee shot has a crazy blind lay up area (in front of marsh), nearly blind 'go for it' over the marsh fairway, and a blind green.  Never seen anything like it.  Golf course was in great condition and weather was sunny and high 70s.

16th hole approach

Willowbend Villas are a treat for lodging as well as providing a nice swimming pool, tennis courts, gym, and food options.

Can't beat another chance to compete with my Dad, the athlete I grew up admiring most.

To Father-Sons,
Kurt

Mass Amateur Qualifier - Bass Rocks

June 19, 2014
Mass Amateur Qualifier - 18 Holes Stroke Play - Score: 83

Coming into this round, my game was progressing very nicely with solid play at the Hornblower and Sherrill Cup.  I made multiple swing changes over the spring/winter that developed quickly.  My brother was caddying, always a special time together.  I have played a few times at Bass Rocks in tournament conditions, including past success qualifying for the Mass Mid-Am.  I thought the course would be the least of my worries.  The result was exactly the opposite as I forgot how difficult their greens could be.  I mean firm and fast and probably running at 12 on the stimpmeter! (at least it felt like it)  At only 6,000, you are ready to be hitting a lot of wedges into greens, but the course forces you to go for accurate tee shots over distance and puts a number of mid-irons in hand.  Between the greens and a few mental miscues (including hitting an 8 iron from 130 yards after taking the laser's distance to a rock wall behind the green), I felt apart after a 1 under start through 4 holes and shot 83.  I had 4 three putts and 37 overall.  The weather made it a perfect day to play; light winds, sunny, and mid-70s.

The Mass Am continues to escape me, but never gets old trying.  Thanks to my brother for being there with me and sharing lots of great stories.

Bro Time,
K

Sunday River - 12 Man Team

Golf Clubs drying off from Friday's round at Old Marsh GC

June 14-16:  This year we expanded our annual golf trip from 8 to 12 players.  New and returning friends, B.McDowall, D.Conte, K.Richards, and A.Swenson.  Since I am writing this so late, I want to reflect that this 12 man team would bring it all if we represented the US in the Ryder Cup.  We would bring hole-in-ones, hard play in torrential rain with head first dives into pools of water, shanks, fist pumps galore, hugs, chest bumps, and a lot of laughs off the course.  This year included a hole-in-one by B. Murph in the worst golf weather I've ever played in at Old Marsh GC in Maine.  There was not another sole on the course.  K. Richards went barefoot on the second hole because his shoes were flooded.  D.Conte fended off the shivers for 18 holes as he only had a golf shirt and a light jacket.  We gambled at Oxford, with McDonough going Boom Boom on the roulette table again, hit one number for over $700.  Almost left C. Bates at the casino before driving the crew back home and making our epic stop at Wal Mart late night.

Can't wait for next year!!  We expect to move it from US Open weekend to PGA Championship weekend.

Sweet swinging, hole-in-one man B.Murph

Lake Winni Golf Channel Event

June 7 - Today was a Golf Channel Am Tour event at Lake Winnipesaukee GC in New Hampshire.  A one day 18 hole scratch event.  When I saw this on this schedule, I made it a point to get here.  I played it in 2013 with my friends on our annual Sunday River trip and loved it.  This course meanders through the woods, up and down significant elevation changes, with holes cut in many different shapes and it demands good placement off the tee and a solid short game.  The weather was excellent, sunny and 70s; course conditions were solid (especially given most courses struggled from a harsh winter); greens were not running fast but rolled well.

My ball striking/putting led me to a 74 (+2) and a seven shot victory.  I hit 12 greens and 10 fairways.  Aside from two three putts, my putting remained hot.  I drained multiple putts over 15 feet, including a 35 foot birdie putt on the par 3 4th hole.  I was 2 under through 8 holes then had a hiccup mid-round with a 4 over stretch on holes 9-12.

The first hole is memorable to me.  With over a 100 foot drop from the tee to green, I drove the green last year from 340 yards.  This year, the tee was set up at 380 yards.  I like to think I can it far, but no chance reaching it this year.  I decided to hit driver anyway and got to about 45 yards away.  I pitched it to 10 feet and rolled in the birdie!  (Note, one of my playing partners drove it greenside...kid was crushing the ball all day, but had difficulty keeping the ball in play...he withdrew mid-round given the struggles; hitting it long without some accuracy is not a good formula; if he straightens it out, than potential is high)

My fellow competitor G. Barton and I commuted from Charlestown together and shared a lot of golf and business stories.  G, I hope to see you at a future event soon and maybe Kiawah next year!

Play aggressively smart,
K

2014 Sherrill Cup

June 4 - The annual Sherrill Cup at Essex County Club lived up to its usual greatness - excellent golf course conditions, good food all day long, high level but friendly competition, and great tournament staff.  A couple of different highlights this year included a new tee box on the 16th hole (perched about 50 feet high and I'd say added 30 yards to the hole), less fescue!, my best club caddy yet in S. McLean (read every putt well), and my morning and afternoon partner was S. Keegan (recent years have been with R.Lynch).  We played with Concord CC throughout the day; good group of guys that manage to play well while enjoying multiple beverages!  I couldn't do that for sure.  Hope to set up a Concord-Lex Battle someday in the near future.

Team LGC - myself, S. Keegan, R. Lynch, and S. Geldart couldn't quite break through in the afternoon; always difficult to stay steady through 18 holes alternate shot.   I generally find we have one, bad 4 hole stretch, that loses us 4 or 5 shots.  We finished T6 at 466.  The winning team of Old Sandwich won by 6 shots.  The weather forecast was very bleak coming into the day, with heavy rain expected.  Fortunately, there was only minor rain before 9am and than a few showers in the afternoon round that were gone in less than 10 minutes.  During that 10 mins of heavy rain, Steve and I made a disappointing 7 on the second hole; consecutive chips that rolled back to our feet above the greenside bunker.  I think the 2nd green is one of the hardest on the course given it falls off on both the back and front.

In my morning round, my putter remained pretty hot.  I had one three putt and 30 putts overall.  I made long putts (over 10 feet) on 18, 3, 5, and 8.  My most adventurous hole was 18.  I hit a driver, right, into the fescue.  I had a decent lie, but it was downhill and ball above my feet.  I foolishly (in hindsight) slashed a PW and the club was grabbed shooting the ball left and low.  It cleared the front stream (about 25 yards shot of green) by inches.  I hit a poor chip to 30 feet above the pin and drained the putt for par!  I got away with par, but double would have easily been in play 8 out of 10 times with that strategy.  It was my 'no reason to complain for the rest of the round' shot of the day.

My Dad walked the morning 18 with us.  His first time seeing the entire Essex course!  Thanks Dad!

50th Annual Hornblower Memorial - Putting Display

May 30-31: A bit to my surprise, I was accepted to play in the 50th annual Hornblower!  It has been at least 5 years since I tried to play in the event.  What was I thinking!?  This event is top-notch.  The field attracts the best amateurs in the state, top ranked collegiate team players, and out-of-state competitors.  You see school bags from Texas, Wake Forest, UConn as well as Mass Amateur champions.  Golf course is fantastic with greens that will drain all your energy and focus.  At 6,300 yards, you think the course will be very scorable, but it plays long with only one par-5 (par-69).  We had warm weather with healthy winds and the winning score was +5!  Not a single player in over 150 rounds played in two days broke par!

My goal coming in was to make the cut.  I made the cut and I finished T19!  This is one of my top amateur finishes and I can't wait to come back.  My ball striking was okay, but my putting was pro-like.  Over the two days, I had 58 putts including 27 putts on Day 2.  The way I was putting on Day 2 I should have shot par.  I made putts of 10ft, 15,7,12,8,15,16,10.  I stood over every putt thinking I could make.  I'm not sure the reason, but I attribute a lot of it to taking time to practice on the putting green after Round 1.  When you play greens this slick, you have to find such a fine tuned rhythm that gives you full confidence in your ability to match speed and break.  I got it and the hole looked like a bucket.

Good to see J. Burke and good to see fellow Bentley players A. Jeffers and J. Stoddard finish near the top of the leaderboard.  Bentley represented well !

Thanks to my Dad for caddying on Day 1.  Can't wait for next year!  Below are pictures of random scores, a flag they had all the participants sign, and Top 20 scores.  Cut after Day 1 was 76.

BETTS, William - Longue View Club 72 4 5 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 35 3 4 5 4 4 3 5 5 3 36 71 143 

MCLAUGHLIN, Nick - Wentworth BTS 70 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 3 5 35 2 4 7 6 4 3 5 4 4 39 74 144 

CLAPP, Doug - Old Sandwich GC 76 5 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 34 2 4 4 4 4 3 6 4 4 35 69 145 

SPITZ, Ben - Unaffiliated 76 4 5 3 5 4 3 3 3 4 34 3 3 5 5 4 3 5 4 3 35 69 145 

AIKENS, Herbie - The Pinehills GC 71 4 4 4 4 5 3 3 5 4 36 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 38 74 145 

PARZIALE, Matt - Thorny Lea GC 74 4 5 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 34 5 5 4 3 4 3 5 4 4 37 71 145 

STODDARD, Jonathan - Plymouth CC 74 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 4 34 4 4 5 5 3 4 5 4 4 38 72 146 

JOSEPHSON, Kevin - CC of Farmington 73 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 35 3 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 5 38 73 146 

WILLOCK, Michael - Cohasset GC 72 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 35 4 4 6 4 4 3 5 5 4 39 74 146 

GRENUS, Evan - TPC River Highlands 70 4 4 3 4 5 3 6 4 5 38 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 4 4 38 76 146 

HIGGINS, Brian - Franklin CC 74 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 5 33 4 4 5 5 4 3 5 5 4 39 72 146 

WALTHOUSE, Billy - Longmeadow CC 73 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 37 3 5 5 4 4 4 3 4 5 37 74 147 

PELLETIER, Ryan - Pawtucket CC 72 3 4 4 5 4 4 5 3 4 36 5 4 5 3 4 3 5 5 5 39 75 147 

HEFFERNAN, Paul - Oyster Harbors CC 74 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 33 4 5 6 4 4 3 6 5 4 41 74 148 

BURAK, Steve - Thorny Lea GC 72 4 5 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 37 4 6 5 4 5 3 5 4 3 39 76 148 

JEFFERS, Alex - Woodland GC 75 4 3 3 4 3 3 5 3 5 33 4 3 5 4 4 5 6 4 5 40 73 148 

LACAMERA, Paul - Plymouth CC 74 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 37 3 5 5 3 5 4 4 4 4 37 74 148 

HADGES, John - Thorny Lea GC 73 3 4 3 4 5 5 4 3 5 36 5 5 5 4 4 3 5 5 4 40 76 149 

KUHN, Stephen - Plymouth CC 73 5 5 4 4 4 5 3 3 5 38 3 4 5 5 4 3 4 6 4 38 76 149 

GUISE, Danny - Griffith Harris 73 5 5 3 3 4 4 5 4 5 38 3 3 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 38 76 149

CARLSON, Brian - Clinton CC 72 4 6 3 4 4 4 5 3 4 37 3 5 4 4 5 3 5 5 6 40 77 149 

FLIONIS, Kurt - Lexington GC 75 5 4 4 5 3 4 5 4 4 38 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 36 74 149 

GATELY, Kevin - Unaffiliated 70 4 4 4 4 5 4 7 3 4 39 3 4 5 4 7 3 5 4 5 40 79 149 

CAREY, Kevin - Dennis Pines 74 4 4 3 6 4 4 5 2 4 36 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 39 75 149 

Braintree Municipal

May 25 - Tee'd it up at Braintree with my brother and friend Josh H (home is Michigan - go State!).  The weather turned out excellent, sunny and high 60s, and the golf course was in great condition.  Greens were on the slower side, but very well maintained and the fairways did not draw a bad lie.  One of the best municipal courses in the area.  I'd consider it almost in the category of Wachusett CC, another gem of a municipal course.  My brother is working on his swing through lessons and took it to the course with good progress, most notably the Mashie club (makes me think Francis Ouimet) and destroyed the #11 hole, number one handicap with a solid ball striking display from tee to green!  Braintree is a tight course to challenge yourself and he managed very well.  Josh played his low cut driver off the tee and showed good touch around the greens.  #18th was a great finish for all; Derek hit his best drive with a three wood, Josh hit an 80 yard shot to inches from the hole, and I just missed birdie; keeps you coming back for more! Unexpectedly, we came face to face with a handful of goats.  Apparently there is a goat farm? They were separated by wire fence, but we got a close first hand look at their big ole' heads.  I went around in 74, two birdies (#10 and #13), two bogeys, and one double.

Fun day and great value.  $38 for 18 holes walking!  I recommend this course for those in the area.  Its a great value play!

Thanks for a great day bro and Josh a.k.a Tank.

To family and friends,
KFly