Norfolk County Classic 2012

Perfect day in the making - mid to high 70s, sunny, and minimal wind at Presidents GC, paired with good friends Swen and Dan B.  One thing about Presys, its always windy; today was the exception.  My preparation started well with a warmup at Granite Links GC.  I left there at 1155am, giving myself plenty of time to make my 1239pm tee time, since its only a 10 minute ride to the course.  Well, that changed in a hurry when I missed the exit coming back, got lost off the next exit, got back on 93 South and took the wrong exit again!  As I go towards the off ramp, breaklights lead to stand still traffic.  I was panicked because I was lost again and time was ticking to make my tee time...stand still at 1215pm and no idea where the course is from my location.  I put the car in park, jumped out, popped the trunk to grab my cell phone and then called 411.  I connected with the golf course and this guy Frank saved the day, staying on the phone with me until I got to the course.  After a few curse words and raised heart rates, I made it with time to spare, as the tee times were running 5 minutes late.

First tee shot with 3-wood went 50 yards right, almost into the 8th fairway.  I hit a nice second shot with a 6 iron (over the trees) to get back into the hole and then chipped in for birdie!!!  Parred #2 and then birdied #3!  -2 thru 3.  Finished the front bogey, par, par, bogey, bogey, and bogey.  36 out.

Back nine was not so friendly.  I doubled #10 after a flubbed chip, then hit three tee shots on 12 leading to an eight.  Actually a nice eight, I made a four on the third ball.  Never got in going again.  Shot 46 coming in.  Total 82.

Disappointing to end up the way I did.  I felt good with the swing.  Chipping was nice and rolled the putter well.  Still 4 three putts!  My mistakes around the green came from peeking too early and my poor tee shots on 12 were pure nerves. New irons felt good.  I think I'm gaining distance with them.  Three wood came up a few yards short of driving #11.

Focusing on the positive shots I hit out there - many good drives, putts, approaches, and bunker shots.  Best shot of the day was probably my 60 yard approach shot on #6 from a tight lie to 7 feet and made the putt to save par.

Hope to get in a number of rounds between now and the Mass Am!

Stats:
33 putts
3 fairways, 8 greens, 2 birdies, 1 triple, 2 doubles, 7 bogeys, 6 pars, 3 penalty shots (2 with distance)

See ya,
Kurt

Augusta National Trip

April 4, 2012 - Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to purchase 4 tickets to the Wednesday practice round at the 2012 Masters, one of the most anticipated Masters tournament in years with all the top players in the world peaking at the right time. I stalled for a few days, should I spend the money and go or not?, then I finally stopped and reminded myself that there is no better time than the present and took the tickets! Myself, my brother, my Dad, and my best friend set our minds on a dream trip to August National, the sacred grounds almost every golfer wishes to see or play.

We packed up and headed to Charlotte on Tuesday, teeing it up as soon as we landed at The Golf Club at Ballantyne, a well maintained resort course. The greens were running about a 13 on the stimpmeter. The layout was straightforward, with not many holes that would cause an average player to shoot high numbers, typical of a resort layout. I enjoyed the course and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area...a great value at $60 for 18 holes with a cart. Charlotte golf is so much more affordable than Boston! All of us played pretty well. My brother was the most consistent I have ever seen him play with great touch around the greens and good tee shots. I had one of my best nine holes in a while, shooting 2 under 34 on the back nine, including 3 birdies and 1 bogey. I was very close to birdieing three other holes on the back. I shot 75.

After a nice evening of free beer and nachos at the hotel and a solid dinner at Mac's Speed Shop, we set our alarm clocks for 430am departure to Augusta. The excitement was so high! I couldn't believe we were on our way to Augusta. What would the event be like? Would it live up to the hype? How would the crowds be? Would we have time to get merchandise and see everything we wanted to? The ride in from Charlotte was smooth. We made one stop about 50 miles outside of Augusta at a McDonalds. It was 6am and after we walked in, two cars full of other Augusta bound fans came in. You could feel the energy, we were all on a dream mission.

As you get off the exit to Washington Street, immediately you start seeing people holding signs 'need tickets', 'buying and selling tickets'; then as you drive 1.5 miles down a main road with retail locations on both sides of the road, each retailer offers parking or has signs related to the golf tournament. We passed the Hooters where John Daly's motor home was set up to sell merchandise, sports illustrated had a party tent, ticket companies had tents. The FREE masters parking lot is a gigantic rolling field with stadium lighting, volunteers directing you exactly to your grass spot. From there, its walking distance to the entrance. No shuttles necessary!!

Walking into Augusta, was like a kid walking into Disney World for the first time. Thousands lined up at the gate waiting for the 8am opening. Hundreds and hundreds went through the mini merchandise building that is set up for spectators to get at before they enter the gates. We hit up both the mini merchandise and the large, department store like merchandise building inside the gates. Wow I spent money fast on shirts and other memorabilia!!

I think I could write a book on this experience. I am going to cut this short with a bullet point list of some key memories:

• You have no idea how beautiful this place is until you see it in person
• Driving range and practice facility is a dream for the practicer
• Every blade of grass is impeccable
• The hills on the golf course are very big, you can't really get the perspective on TV
• Augusta roars must be unbelievable, on a Wednesday 16 was loud and the stands weren't even half full...in person, i found it surprising how close 15 green, 16, and 17 tee are to each other...i now know what they mean when they say you can hear the roars almost everywhere on the course
• 12th hole is good as it gets and looks just like you see in the pictures, but even better
• Masters tournament operations knows how to run an event better than anyone I have ever seen - the concessions were immaculate and so efficient, same with the merchandise tent and bathrooms, all cables were underground, green gravel is used on certain edges of the grounds, tv towers were permanent fixtures, no corporate advertising allowed
• Buy your merchandise first thing and bring it back to your car, its worth an hour of your time
• Par 3 tournament was phenomenal, a pure party, fun-loving atmosphere where everybody is so laid back including the players...you really need to spend time here, more than we did, get there as soon as it starts and plant yourself near a green
• 16th hole water skipping tradition is worth seeing
• Rory McIlroy is the real deal
• You can't beat the price of food and drink, cost me $5 for a sandwich, lemonade, and cookie..beer was less than $4
• My Dad snuck us into the clubhouse area and we met Gary Player's wife and mingled around Nick Faldo, Brandt Snedeker, Stewart Cink, and many others
• We walked all 18 holes
• There is literally no rough worth a trouble for these players
• The pine trees are so tall it hurts to try to look up at the top
• The greens are way more undulating in person than on TV

The day following Augusta, we played at Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, SC. This is rated the hardest public golf course in the Charlotte area. A great layout. The greens are very firm, roll good, but speeds are inconsistent. The condition is fair, not well groomed, but you get good greens and a solid layout. The value was very good for $51 with a cart. Again, I recommend it! I actually liked the layout much better than Ballantyne. A local person recommended we try Edgewater next time, a Fuzzy Zoeller course - claimed to be best greens in the area. My brother and Dad played great golf, again both driving it beautifully and producing steady results. I shot an 82 and felt I played well for most of the day, a brutal course at 145 slope and 73 rating from the tips.

The memories are unforgettable this week! Thanks Dad, Derek, and Mike! I want to go back!

Happy 2012 season,

Kurt

Still playing

Its December 4 and the golfing weather remains very acceptable. It was 50 degrees and partly sunny. I played a course in Attleboro called Highlands CC, where PGA Tour player Jim Renner grew up and holds the course record. I did not challenge the course record, however I did manage to play decent for this time of year with Murphy, Ciombor, and Ciombor's Dad. Highlands CC is a nice, well-conditioned 9-hole track with small treacherous greens and challenging par-3s. The greens were in great shape. If would be a fun course to belong too if I lived in the area. It reminds me a bit of Lexington given that its a 9-hole course with what seems to be a more blue collared crowd.

The extended forecast calls for more good weather this week. Thank you Mother Nature!

Cheers,
Kurt

Turkey Shoot! Woburn CC

November 24 -Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shoot at Woburn CC! My brother played in it last year for the first time and he invited me to play this year. The event is a 9-hole scramble with an ABCD team. Each player's drive must be used once. You cannot make worse than a par. Also, you can make up to 4 birdie putts on a hole. For example, if you have a 5 footer for birdie and all team members make the putt, you score 4 under for the hole. Its a great format for the cold conditions and gives every team a chance if they have 1 or 2 good holes.

The atmosphere was even more fun than I expected. Barky (the golf pro) had a table set up near the first tee with bloody marys and shots of anisette! Players were tailgating in the parking lot with beer and cigarettes. I thought people were getting ready for the Pats game! It actually was a bunch of locals in jeans, red sox jackets, winter hats, winter gloves, hoodies, and work boots getting ready for a golf tournament. Who would have thought this has taken place for the last X number of year right down the street from my parent's home?? Where have I been?

My team started on the sixth hole. My partners (K. Winter, J. Gallagher and brother K. Gallagher) each shanked it right or pulled it left into the woods leaving me stranded. I striped a drive down the fairway, 60 yards from the pin, hit my approach to 7 feet (after my partners shanked or duffed their shots). None of us made the birdie putt. So, two good shots and we end up no better than anyone else in the field (because par is worst score you can get)! After many chances, we succeeded by making 3 under on the first hole. I hit a 7-iron approach to 4 feet. Then, I made a 15 footer for birdie on number 3 on Winter's approach shot from 100 yards. We finished 4 under, thinking that would put us in the running.

Who else was out there??.....

My brother and TC. They fired a solid 5 under to take home the Turkey Cup. Derek hit a 15 footer for birdie on the 2nd hole, the group's final hole of the day. A clutch performance by my brother and the former State High School champion went down. Should I return for a rematch?

I think so, but this time I hope I get my brother on my team!

Some other moments of note

-TC handing out 20 dollar bills to Derek after the round saying 'barky gave me extra, you made the winning birdie, so take some more money'

-Barky opening a bottle of goldschlager to take shots after the tournament finished

-My partner spilling beer all over myself. Still feeling the effects of a late night at the bar.

-Barky driving around the course with a bucket full of beers

By the way, the weather is great right now. I played 9 holes the next day with my Dad and 18 the following day at Lexington. It reached mid-60s on 11/26/11!

Looking forward to the next Shoot.

Congrats Derek!

Kurt

Bentley Boys Reunite at Norfolk County 4Ball

Oct 15-16, 2011 - Flio and Swen, former Bentley captains, made the unprecedented appearance at the Norfolk County Classic 4Ball at Presidents GC in Quincy, the 2-day best ball event that has drawn the best amateurs in the state since the late 1970s. This weekend's events brought nice fall weather in the mid-60s, but heavy winds, 20-30 mphs both days.

Let me tell you Swen came out like a seasoned professional birdieing the first two holes, 10 and 11. He knocked it stiff on 10 and then made a heroic birdie from the edge of the left woods on 11. If I didn't know the kid, I would think he was a full-time player. Great ball-striking all weekend. Swen made the birdies for the team and I held the fort down with a lot of pars.

First day, we shot 2 under 68. We played very well, despite no birdies on the par-5s and two three putt bogeys. Our game plan of consistent GIRs and decisive club decision off the tees led to a blast of a day. The wind was whipping. Both of us aimed 30-yards left of the pin on #4 and ended up right of the pin after good shots. On the par-5 15th, I smoked a 20 degree hybrid and it barely cleared 190 yards on my second shot. I normally hit the hybrid 240. It was a very satisfying round even though we felt a 65 was what we played to.

Day 2 brought many challenges. We bogeyed the first hole and never really got it going like we did in Round 1. The wind factor was more intense. On #3, I sent my drive so far right, it went to the far side of the 5th fairway. I had 128 yards to the flag and smoked an 8-iron. The shot ended up 20 yards shot of the pin. Yeah wind! I lost that battle. Swen birdied the 18th hole, making it an opening and closing birdie tournament. We shot 71. Oh yeah, we also played with J. Hynes, a real estate mogul in the Boston area who plays good golf and is a very down to earth person.

The winners were Riley-Diramio. And you know what? We were tied with them after Round 1. They shot a scorching 61 and won on the 3rd playoff hole. Unbelievable round 2.

Another great weekend. Here are the top results from the Presidents GC website.

1 Ryan Riley, Andrew Diramio 68-61—129*

*won on 3^rd Playoff Hole

Dan Falcucci, Brian Higgins 64-65--129

3 Frank Vana, RJ Foley 63-67--130

4 Mark O'Sullivan, Aengus McAllister 65-66--131

Andy Drohen, Ace Eaton 64-67--131

Doug Clapp, Bob Malcolm 64-67--131

7 Bernie Lynch, Michael Willock 66-66--132

8 Chris Congdon, Scott Congdon 67-66--133

Steve Bruce, Chris Tarrallo 69-64--133

10 Garrett Whitney, Doug Karo 67-67--134

Dave McAdams, Dylan Evans 66-68--134

28 John Mazzocca, J.B. Randall 70-69--139

Kurt Flionis, Erik Swenson 68-71--139

80 John Hurley, John Sassi 82-78--161
81 Murt Naughton, Ollie Murray 84-77--161

Lex Member Member

Oct 1-2: Lynch and I teamed up for the LGC Member-Member, a best ball 90% handicap competition. Rob was getting 0 and I was getting 3. We shot 67-69 to finish well off the pace. The winning total was 123 by Volpicelli and D. Brickman. The weather held up okay over both days and we played with the Keegan brothers. Overall, it was a very fun tournament. As low handicaps, we had almost no room for errors. We didn't make enough birdies to have a chance, but we competed and we will be back again!

Top 10 shots in California

1. PGA West - Stadium Course: Round 3 of Nationals - Hole #4 Par 3 - 128 yards (to pin) - I hit a 9-iron to 1/16th of an inch. It landed a foot in front of the hole, bounced two feet by, and spun back stopping on the lip of the cup. Even better, my Dad was standing greenside watching the whole thing! If that went in, I would have pocketed at least $1k in skins and prize money.

2. PGA West - Stadium Course: Round 3 of Nationals - Hole #14 Par 4 - 372 yards - I hit my drive into a fairway bunker that runs the whole right side of the fairway, leaving me 200 yards to a blind green. The bunker was below green level, requiring me to walk down a flight of stairs to get to my ball. I puree'd a 4-iron to 8 feet below the hole, the ball flight was on a string and the compression was PGA tour caliber.

3. PGA West - Stadium Course: Round 3 of Nationals - Hole #18 Par 4 - 439 yards - On the tee shot, water runs the entire left side of the hole to the green. Its complete risk and reward. How much do you want to cut off? I picked out a bunker over the corner and ripped my best drive of the day, down the middle, settling 120 yards from the green. The long-drive champion only edged me by 10 yards.

4. PGA West - Nicklaus Course: Round 4 of Nationals - Hole #11 Par 5 - 490 yards - I lied two in a large greenside bunker to the rightside of the green. It was a 35 yard bunker shot with 25 yards of bunker to carry. I kept the face slightly open, much closer to square than normal and pinched it perfectly, landing 10 feet below to the hole taking two hops and stopping within 4 feet of the hole. I attribute a successful shot to practice my long bunker play in morning warm-ups.

5. La Quinta Mountain: Round 1 of Nationals - Hole #15 Par 5 - 517 yards - I lied one in the middle of the fairway, 206 yards to the pin. The green was tucked inside the mountains (literally surrounded by rocks behind and to the right as well as a bunkered on the same sides. I starched a 4-iron, starting at the left side of the green and fading to the center. It landed on the green and rolled to 25 feet for eagle.

6. La Quinta Mountain: Round 1 of Nationals - Hole #4 Par 5 - 508 yards - I blasted my driver down the left side, a very aggressive line. It stopped in the fairway, only 200 yards from the green. Ball flight was great, a soaring drive!

7. Putting - I had 27 one putts and 1 three putt throughout the tournament. I drained a number of 10-15 footers for par and rarely missed a putt inside 5 feet. The best greens were Stadium Course and my best putting change on the week was no practice strokes inside 15 feet.

8. Silverrock Resort - Final Day of Trip - Hole #18 Par 5 - 520 yards. My Dad lies two from 120 yards into a heavy breeze over water. He flushes a shot to 10 feet below the hole and drains the putt to finish the trip with a birdie!! The perfect ending and classic story that leads a golfer back for more.

9. La Quinta Mountain Course: Round 1 of Nationals - Hole #14 Par 4 - 389 yards. After hitting a drive that I thought was in the mountains (to my relief in was in the fairway, a deceiving view from tee) and blowing my approach long left (again thought in was in the mountains, but happened to be a large collection area), I was left with a delicate flop shot downhill to a narrow strip of the green. With soft hands and nice touch, I lofted a chip (w/ 60 degree wedge) up quickly and got it to stop after a few bounces to within inches of the cup. Tap in!

10. PGA West - Stadium Course: Practice Round - Hole #5 Par 5 - 514 yards - I had 235 yards left to the green on my second shot to a peninsula green. Water was protecting all up the right side on the green. There was bailout area to the left, but it was covered with large mounds and bunkers. I hit a high fade with my 20 degree hybrid that landed on the front edge of the left side of the green and rolled to the center, leaving a 25 foot eagle putt. This was all done to the amazement of the attractive cart girl, who was told by my playing partner from FL to watch this shot!

Yes yes yes to shot visualization...see it and do it,

Kurt