My disdain for "winter rates" led me down a dark path for Week 5, booking Match Play at Bloomingdale Golfer's Club.
Tee time is 10am, with a $44 rate that includes range balls.
Bloomingdale is the 2nd most difficult course in league history, with a median of 8 strokes over net par. It's going to be a bloodbath. Should be fun.
We have 2 open spots, with 4 "maybes" on the RSVP sheet. First come, first served. Update your status, people.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
The Memorial - Spring 2019 Preview
We return to the lush fairways of Countryway, which might all be underwater at this very moment. Eighteen holes of non-stop action and excitement. And the best grill in Westchase.
Everyone I've talked to thinks they're going to finish DFL on Sunday. Should be interesting.
Against my better judgement, I'm allowing Gorecki to bring TWO guests on Sunday. According to the standings, this puts Dave in his group, so it shouldn't be a problem. Dave will be back from India, completely enlightened and filled with more Zen than JW. Since Perillo is playing, who shot the worst round in league history, we're moving them back to the final group.
See everyone on Sunday!
Everyone I've talked to thinks they're going to finish DFL on Sunday. Should be interesting.
Against my better judgement, I'm allowing Gorecki to bring TWO guests on Sunday. According to the standings, this puts Dave in his group, so it shouldn't be a problem. Dave will be back from India, completely enlightened and filled with more Zen than JW. Since Perillo is playing, who shot the worst round in league history, we're moving them back to the final group.
See everyone on Sunday!
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
DPT Open - Spring 2019 Recap
Yesterday the DPT Open was really the DPT British Open. Cold, windy, light rain for a brief moment. The scores reflected as we put up some massive numbers, especially on the back nine.
Brendan, who only showed up to keep his eligibility for the rest of the season (Rule 3.1), destroyed the field before smartly sandbagging the final three holes. He's now in the running for the Cup, and has to figure out how to play more events.
Gorecki has continued his stellar play, in relation to his astronomical handicap. While he imploded late in the round, he made one of the best pars I've ever seen on the final hole — while a handful of us stood around in the cold, drinking beers, jeering at him to blow up. But nope... he stuffed a short-sided chip to a few feet and made the putt... propelling him to #1 in the world for the first time ever. He could legitimately be a Rapture captain, breaking his streak of always being picked in the final two spots.
Danny also played well, until he mentally ejected for a couple of holes after making a birdie (net ace / albatross) on the 9th. His par on 17 was another net ace (eagle)... and he almost made the birdie for a net 0.
The scores on the back nine were terrible. Ten guys (62.5%) shot over 50. And the greens were great but seemingly faster than normal, with a handful running slow. I think it's an uphill/downhill thing... but as everyone was reminded yesterday, some of the greens break uphill out there. Many guys in the clubhouse sounded like they had a Little Peter experience:
The last group was super slow yesterday. Granted nobody else was behind us, but keep up with the group in front of you.
---------------------------
We're off this week for Gasparilla. In two weeks we'll be at Countryway. We have room for one guest.
I'll post the time as soon as I can book the round, but I'll be shooting for 9ish since there's no range and the course is close by.
All the pitchers from yesterday were rolled over to Countyway... so you might want to take an Uber.
Brendan, who only showed up to keep his eligibility for the rest of the season (Rule 3.1), destroyed the field before smartly sandbagging the final three holes. He's now in the running for the Cup, and has to figure out how to play more events.
Gorecki has continued his stellar play, in relation to his astronomical handicap. While he imploded late in the round, he made one of the best pars I've ever seen on the final hole — while a handful of us stood around in the cold, drinking beers, jeering at him to blow up. But nope... he stuffed a short-sided chip to a few feet and made the putt... propelling him to #1 in the world for the first time ever. He could legitimately be a Rapture captain, breaking his streak of always being picked in the final two spots.
Danny also played well, until he mentally ejected for a couple of holes after making a birdie (net ace / albatross) on the 9th. His par on 17 was another net ace (eagle)... and he almost made the birdie for a net 0.
The scores on the back nine were terrible. Ten guys (62.5%) shot over 50. And the greens were great but seemingly faster than normal, with a handful running slow. I think it's an uphill/downhill thing... but as everyone was reminded yesterday, some of the greens break uphill out there. Many guys in the clubhouse sounded like they had a Little Peter experience:
The last group was super slow yesterday. Granted nobody else was behind us, but keep up with the group in front of you.
---------------------------
We're off this week for Gasparilla. In two weeks we'll be at Countryway. We have room for one guest.
I'll post the time as soon as I can book the round, but I'll be shooting for 9ish since there's no range and the course is close by.
All the pitchers from yesterday were rolled over to Countyway... so you might want to take an Uber.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Boozer's Golf Review Vol. 12 - Southern Hills Plantation
One of the most difficult things we have to do here at the BGR is separate golf performance, conditions, and feelings for the courses themselves from our ratings. While one high ranking BGR official came away with a win, the other three were comfortably within pitcher territory. One in particular had an especially bad day around and on the greens, but set new records for cumulative club tossing distance while threatening individual club tossing distance records a few times (shout out to the great sand wedge toss of 2017 at Saddlebrook that went over one of the tall pine trees about 40 yards away).
All in all, six pitchers were owed at the end of the round, and none of them were purchased at the course. Our loyal BGR readers will recognize that Southern Hills lack of pitchers was a blessing for the 6 of us that had poor rounds with Countryway coming up in a few weeks and great pitcher pricing available there.
I was hoping we had written a previous review of Southern Hills Plantation as it has been our league's most played course by a decent margin. Alas, I have to write this and relive the pain of golf while describing the Booze conditions fairly. The things I do for love of Booze. Here we go.
You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning
I arrived early for this round with no booze other than the trusty bag bourbon I typically only break out in case of emergencies, which can range from a dry course to several duffs. Fortunately for me, I was able to fill my cart cooler in the lounge before the round on a Sunday morning. With six Buds in the chamber, I was ready for some golf shooting.
On-course service
The cart girl showed up at the 7th green for us, just as I was cracking open the 5th beer in the cart cooler. Great timing for a well stocked pre-round cooler, but not good if you'd started shanking the ball on 3 and needed to get those nerves in working order. It wasn't a busy morning, and cart girl timing is pretty random. She did recognize the BGR's proclivity for Budweisers and noted that she was only able to get her hands on a few of them and that the club house was low. A poorly stocked clubhouse isn't the fault of the cart girl. Overall, I appreciated the on-course service. Bonus points for braving the elements with her slight physique.
Cart coolers are always a boost for ratings in the BGR system, and the coolers at Southern Hills did not disappoint. They worked very well with the 12 oz cans and fitting more than 6 was no issue when the reload happened and we still had the 6th left in there. The BGR is nothing if not environmentally conscientious, and limiting golf course's reliance on single-use plastic bags as coolers is a crusade we will lead until every course encourages bringing your own cooler or provides real ones.
Thrifty Boozing
No carts in the parking lot, but depending on who's working where, you can probably sneak down there and grab a cooler from your car. You might even be able to subtly drop it with your bag if you really want to. I'm sure some of our thriftier golfers did just those such things, but as mentioned before, this Boozer only brought the emergency bag bourbon.
Prices weren't too steep and they had one of the finest 6-pack specials: buy 5 get one free. Domestics and craft beers were the same price, so if you were of a mind to accomplish a greater Boozing Enhancement at a faster pace, the IPAs would be a great deal for you. Speaking of the IPAs, they had a nice local selection including Brew Bus's Last Stop IPA. The cold weather pairs perfectly with that flavor for those that aren't driving.
The Clubhouse
There are a couple places to hang out before and after the round at the Plantation. The lounge is on the lower level and has an outside patio area that looks out at the leaderboard and driving range. It's much more casual than the dining room upstairs and a nice spot for post round food or booze. The dining room also has a patio that looks out over the 18th green. No hats allowed upstairs, and it's a bit stuffier. Still, both are well appointed and comfortable. Breakfast sandwiches come highly recommended for a good base for a Boozing round.
Our group enjoyed the lounge area, due to our balding members preference to keep their heads covered, most likely. The lack of pitcher availability was a disappointment to about half of the league, while the other half rejoiced. We've allowed pitchers to be credited by buying 4 beers in the past, but that diminishes the fun and utility of buying a pitcher. Also, it needs to be noted that gratuity is included in all pricing, which wasn't made clear in purchases at the lounge or in the cart. I don't mind tipping extra, but I'd like to know that before leaving the tip and not find out the next day.
Of note, I'm writing this section based on stories told to me by my fellow BGR leaders and past experiences. Camaraderie is a big part of the Boozer's round, and skipping out on post-round beers isn't looked upon favorably. I'd like to publicly admit that I did indeed run off right after the round to fulfill family obligations. This was in the interest of my continued presence in the league and to ensure future post-round drinking time and is in no way indicative of a change of heart regarding my enjoyment of hanging out with friends after a round of golf. Sundays have provided a unique challenge in scheduling recently and I am working through that as best I can. Thanks for your continued support.
Shot of the week
This week's shot came courtesy of Gorecki. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the favorite cereal of a large part of Gen X/Millenial childhoods. Gorecki has recently discovered that it's also a shot. Clearly Gorecki hasn't frequented bars in the last 5 to 7 years, which is surprising because he's building a bar called Gen X Tavern (which I look forward to checking out when it opens) in downtown Tampa. Regardless, Cinnamon Toast Crunch became our shot of the week post-round in the lounge and it was enjoyed by all. As the $8 shot special, it only showed up on Gorecki's tab as $6.50. Maybe the $8 was the gratuity included? Regardless, the pricing is in line with what you'll find at our local bars so no complaints from the BGR crew.
Overall
With solid on-course service, early booze availability, a comfortable lounge, and decent pricing, Southern Hills was on the way to a 5 or maybe even 6 Cold Beer Rating. Then they ran out of Budweisers, didn't carry pitchers, and some of us felt a little scammed by the lack of gratuity honesty. Therefore, we deem Southern Hills Plantation deserves a 4 Cold Beer Rating out of 6. A couple of tweaks might be able to bump that up next time we're out there, though.
All in all, six pitchers were owed at the end of the round, and none of them were purchased at the course. Our loyal BGR readers will recognize that Southern Hills lack of pitchers was a blessing for the 6 of us that had poor rounds with Countryway coming up in a few weeks and great pitcher pricing available there.
I was hoping we had written a previous review of Southern Hills Plantation as it has been our league's most played course by a decent margin. Alas, I have to write this and relive the pain of golf while describing the Booze conditions fairly. The things I do for love of Booze. Here we go.
You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning
I arrived early for this round with no booze other than the trusty bag bourbon I typically only break out in case of emergencies, which can range from a dry course to several duffs. Fortunately for me, I was able to fill my cart cooler in the lounge before the round on a Sunday morning. With six Buds in the chamber, I was ready for some golf shooting.
On-course service
The cart girl showed up at the 7th green for us, just as I was cracking open the 5th beer in the cart cooler. Great timing for a well stocked pre-round cooler, but not good if you'd started shanking the ball on 3 and needed to get those nerves in working order. It wasn't a busy morning, and cart girl timing is pretty random. She did recognize the BGR's proclivity for Budweisers and noted that she was only able to get her hands on a few of them and that the club house was low. A poorly stocked clubhouse isn't the fault of the cart girl. Overall, I appreciated the on-course service. Bonus points for braving the elements with her slight physique.
Cart coolers are always a boost for ratings in the BGR system, and the coolers at Southern Hills did not disappoint. They worked very well with the 12 oz cans and fitting more than 6 was no issue when the reload happened and we still had the 6th left in there. The BGR is nothing if not environmentally conscientious, and limiting golf course's reliance on single-use plastic bags as coolers is a crusade we will lead until every course encourages bringing your own cooler or provides real ones.
Thrifty Boozing
No carts in the parking lot, but depending on who's working where, you can probably sneak down there and grab a cooler from your car. You might even be able to subtly drop it with your bag if you really want to. I'm sure some of our thriftier golfers did just those such things, but as mentioned before, this Boozer only brought the emergency bag bourbon.
Prices weren't too steep and they had one of the finest 6-pack specials: buy 5 get one free. Domestics and craft beers were the same price, so if you were of a mind to accomplish a greater Boozing Enhancement at a faster pace, the IPAs would be a great deal for you. Speaking of the IPAs, they had a nice local selection including Brew Bus's Last Stop IPA. The cold weather pairs perfectly with that flavor for those that aren't driving.
The Clubhouse
There are a couple places to hang out before and after the round at the Plantation. The lounge is on the lower level and has an outside patio area that looks out at the leaderboard and driving range. It's much more casual than the dining room upstairs and a nice spot for post round food or booze. The dining room also has a patio that looks out over the 18th green. No hats allowed upstairs, and it's a bit stuffier. Still, both are well appointed and comfortable. Breakfast sandwiches come highly recommended for a good base for a Boozing round.
Our group enjoyed the lounge area, due to our balding members preference to keep their heads covered, most likely. The lack of pitcher availability was a disappointment to about half of the league, while the other half rejoiced. We've allowed pitchers to be credited by buying 4 beers in the past, but that diminishes the fun and utility of buying a pitcher. Also, it needs to be noted that gratuity is included in all pricing, which wasn't made clear in purchases at the lounge or in the cart. I don't mind tipping extra, but I'd like to know that before leaving the tip and not find out the next day.
Of note, I'm writing this section based on stories told to me by my fellow BGR leaders and past experiences. Camaraderie is a big part of the Boozer's round, and skipping out on post-round beers isn't looked upon favorably. I'd like to publicly admit that I did indeed run off right after the round to fulfill family obligations. This was in the interest of my continued presence in the league and to ensure future post-round drinking time and is in no way indicative of a change of heart regarding my enjoyment of hanging out with friends after a round of golf. Sundays have provided a unique challenge in scheduling recently and I am working through that as best I can. Thanks for your continued support.
Shot of the week
This week's shot came courtesy of Gorecki. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the favorite cereal of a large part of Gen X/Millenial childhoods. Gorecki has recently discovered that it's also a shot. Clearly Gorecki hasn't frequented bars in the last 5 to 7 years, which is surprising because he's building a bar called Gen X Tavern (which I look forward to checking out when it opens) in downtown Tampa. Regardless, Cinnamon Toast Crunch became our shot of the week post-round in the lounge and it was enjoyed by all. As the $8 shot special, it only showed up on Gorecki's tab as $6.50. Maybe the $8 was the gratuity included? Regardless, the pricing is in line with what you'll find at our local bars so no complaints from the BGR crew.
Overall
With solid on-course service, early booze availability, a comfortable lounge, and decent pricing, Southern Hills was on the way to a 5 or maybe even 6 Cold Beer Rating. Then they ran out of Budweisers, didn't carry pitchers, and some of us felt a little scammed by the lack of gratuity honesty. Therefore, we deem Southern Hills Plantation deserves a 4 Cold Beer Rating out of 6. A couple of tweaks might be able to bump that up next time we're out there, though.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
DPT Open - Spring 2019 Preview
We're headed back to Southern Hills. 9am tee time. $54ish greens fees.
We had another member bail, so we shuffled the Group of Death to the back of the pack.
A couple of you are having "problems" (ie: user error) with the registration form. But 18 of us are not. So after you change an RSVP... double check that it immediately happened on the blog. If it didn't, please text me so I can look into why.
But all of this is moot since we're probably going to get rained out. This time of year, storms are very predictable from about 4 days out... and it's not looking good. Same thing happened to us in December with our league scramble event.
Our only hope is that the front moves through early... we can clearly see it'll pass before 9am... and then we play on a wet course with 20 mph winds as the temperature drastically drops. We would 100% do this if possible. Bad elements can be fun, after the fact.
As always, the Board members in attendance will discuss in the morning (probably around 6:30am) and make the call. You'll then get texts with our decision.
If we do get rained out, the Major will be placed in the first open make-up week on February 17th.
Alright... stay tuned and hopefully we get out on the course.
We had another member bail, so we shuffled the Group of Death to the back of the pack.
A couple of you are having "problems" (ie: user error) with the registration form. But 18 of us are not. So after you change an RSVP... double check that it immediately happened on the blog. If it didn't, please text me so I can look into why.
But all of this is moot since we're probably going to get rained out. This time of year, storms are very predictable from about 4 days out... and it's not looking good. Same thing happened to us in December with our league scramble event.
Our only hope is that the front moves through early... we can clearly see it'll pass before 9am... and then we play on a wet course with 20 mph winds as the temperature drastically drops. We would 100% do this if possible. Bad elements can be fun, after the fact.
As always, the Board members in attendance will discuss in the morning (probably around 6:30am) and make the call. You'll then get texts with our decision.
If we do get rained out, the Major will be placed in the first open make-up week on February 17th.
Alright... stay tuned and hopefully we get out on the course.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Boozer's Golf Review Vol. 11 - Temple Terrace
Apologies for the late post, but even the best boozers among us need to take naps (some may call it going to bed) after a weekend involving 2 rounds of pretty serious booze golf. As our dear leader has already pointed out, the second of those rounds, Temple Terrace, was not my finest showing. Enough of me feeling sorry for myself, let's instead take a moment to step back and celebrate the fact that the BGR has held itself together long enough for our first ever second review of a course.
You can't drink all day if you start in the morning
True to form Temple Terrace has still, somehow, remained a private club and will allow you to purchase booze at your earliest convenience. While taking a moment to fill up with water, I was asked by the cart girl in the clubhouse if there was any particular beer she should make sure to stock. I looked at her blankly, apparently she was not aware that the BGR has a clear preference, and after regaining my composure simply responded with Budweiser. We had no need to stock the carts at tee time as one of the fine guests joining DPT for the week brought a 12 pack to kick start the round.
On course service
I was proud to see that our foursome was all boozing and happily ordered a sixer of Bud heavy on the cart girls second pass. The service and mode of transportation was much improved over last year's incognito beverage flatbed, but sadly the request from the clubhouse seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. I walked away with 5 Buds and 1 Coors Light. I have never been known for my tact, but politely requested she stock up for the next pass. Sadly though there were no more red bow ties seen on the links that day.
Thrifty boozing
I'm sure Chandler can link the last TTCC review to this post allowing you to review the very reasonable prices this course has to offer. We had another 5 pitchers purchased this week. If $8.95 for domestics held (I forgot to look), then this was the cheapest really crappy golf week yet.
I will go ahead and give a shout out to Gorecki for his very smooth thrifty boozer move of the week. While he may have his short comings he does know how to score some free booze. Previous examples include hitting up his connections at Tampa Bay Brewing Company and swiping a bottle of Triple Sec from the drink tent at Bay Hill a couple of years ago. On this particular afternoon he simply floated the idea of doing another shot review, and I happily obliged by ordering two of that new liquor the kids really like, Fireball. He knows his boozers, but at $6 per shot I will suggest that Temple Terrace might get knocked down a notch as this seems expensive to my eye.
The Clubhouse
All good boozers know that the key to successful boozing is having a good base of food in your stomach before, during and after a booze session. Temple Terrace's Cajun Chicken Sandwich will provide you all the bread and sweet potato fries a growing boozer needs, but if you are counting on some protein to help offset the negative affects of our favorite pastime, then you will be left sadly hungover.
Overall
Last year Temple Terrace scored a 3.5 out of 5. After this there was some discussion among the BGR board of sticking to only full beer ratings (clearly we don't leave wounded soldiers on the battlefield). I will go ahead and follow this rule and knock the rating down to 3 out of a possible 6. The first rule of customer service is to always under promise and over deliver. It is generally frowned upon for a course not to have a well stocked Bud heavy supply, but the fast one that was pulled on me is practically heresy.
You can't drink all day if you start in the morning
True to form Temple Terrace has still, somehow, remained a private club and will allow you to purchase booze at your earliest convenience. While taking a moment to fill up with water, I was asked by the cart girl in the clubhouse if there was any particular beer she should make sure to stock. I looked at her blankly, apparently she was not aware that the BGR has a clear preference, and after regaining my composure simply responded with Budweiser. We had no need to stock the carts at tee time as one of the fine guests joining DPT for the week brought a 12 pack to kick start the round.
On course service
I was proud to see that our foursome was all boozing and happily ordered a sixer of Bud heavy on the cart girls second pass. The service and mode of transportation was much improved over last year's incognito beverage flatbed, but sadly the request from the clubhouse seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. I walked away with 5 Buds and 1 Coors Light. I have never been known for my tact, but politely requested she stock up for the next pass. Sadly though there were no more red bow ties seen on the links that day.
Thrifty boozing
I'm sure Chandler can link the last TTCC review to this post allowing you to review the very reasonable prices this course has to offer. We had another 5 pitchers purchased this week. If $8.95 for domestics held (I forgot to look), then this was the cheapest really crappy golf week yet.
 |
| This league can get through some pitchers |
The Clubhouse
All good boozers know that the key to successful boozing is having a good base of food in your stomach before, during and after a booze session. Temple Terrace's Cajun Chicken Sandwich will provide you all the bread and sweet potato fries a growing boozer needs, but if you are counting on some protein to help offset the negative affects of our favorite pastime, then you will be left sadly hungover.
 |
| Is that a Cajun Pigeon Sandwich |
Last year Temple Terrace scored a 3.5 out of 5. After this there was some discussion among the BGR board of sticking to only full beer ratings (clearly we don't leave wounded soldiers on the battlefield). I will go ahead and follow this rule and knock the rating down to 3 out of a possible 6. The first rule of customer service is to always under promise and over deliver. It is generally frowned upon for a course not to have a well stocked Bud heavy supply, but the fast one that was pulled on me is practically heresy.
 |
| I'm not sure I'm allowed to remove the stock photo caption. |
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Skins Game - 2019 Recap
Great weather, excellent greens, very decent conditions, and Temple Terrace might have read my previous blog post and trimmed back a bunch of trees (although not enough). How in the world did everyone play so poorly today?
It wasn't the worst massacre in league history. That would probably belong to Bloomingdale in the Summer of 2012. But everyone ejected early, and often, on a course that continues to prove "short" isn't "easy."
Huge win for Danny, who had a rough entry into our league. Yeah, he recorded three 10s on par 5s... but 4 pars and 4 bogeys are stellar for a man of his handicap. Hopefully he can keep up the good play next week at a more open layout. It's always nice to get that first win out of the way early, kinda like JW did in his 4th event.
Chandler hit the ball terribly all day, but still found himself with a 2 foot (maybe less) putt to tie for the victory on 18. He yipped it so bad it didn't touch the hole. Some people just don't want it badly enough.
Reid shot a back-nine 39 to charge up the leader board and finish T3. A rare bright spot on our event scorecard littered with trash.
Buchert, who also finished 3rd, said after his round that he didn't deserve any points. I believe it, as he was even par on his best nine holes, and +16 on the others.
All across the board we had some monster numbers. Danny shot the same gross scores as John, who finished DFL. Five pitchers were purchased. Katie won our last event at Temple Terrace with a -6 net score, and shot 19 strokes worse today.
------------------------
The new Skins format was a success. Seemed like everyone enjoyed it, making the game a bit more personal. Everyone technically won some money today, with 3 being the lowest amount of skins won. Robbie won the most with 11 skins. Someone look at the card and make sure I calculated everything correctly.
Much to everyone's chagrin, I've currently given ClubCredit for all Skins dollars earned. That can be seen on the Club Dues page, and basically means you owe less money in the Spring. If you really insist on getting your $9-$33 paid through PayPal... let me know and I might entertain the idea.
------------------------
Southern Hills is this week, and they have to get us out at 9am due to other events. Don't be late. We're going out in order of standings. Greens fee should be $54ish. We also have exactly 16 people so I'll probably have the 5th tee time cancelled.
Our 2nd Major on February 24 is officially at Grasslands in Lakeland. Big John was nice enough to pre-buy all our rounds, allowing us to get a discounted rate of $42. If you're attending that week, pay him ASAP. Do not bring $42 cash the day of.
See you next week!
It wasn't the worst massacre in league history. That would probably belong to Bloomingdale in the Summer of 2012. But everyone ejected early, and often, on a course that continues to prove "short" isn't "easy."
Huge win for Danny, who had a rough entry into our league. Yeah, he recorded three 10s on par 5s... but 4 pars and 4 bogeys are stellar for a man of his handicap. Hopefully he can keep up the good play next week at a more open layout. It's always nice to get that first win out of the way early, kinda like JW did in his 4th event.
Chandler hit the ball terribly all day, but still found himself with a 2 foot (maybe less) putt to tie for the victory on 18. He yipped it so bad it didn't touch the hole. Some people just don't want it badly enough.
Reid shot a back-nine 39 to charge up the leader board and finish T3. A rare bright spot on our event scorecard littered with trash.
Buchert, who also finished 3rd, said after his round that he didn't deserve any points. I believe it, as he was even par on his best nine holes, and +16 on the others.
All across the board we had some monster numbers. Danny shot the same gross scores as John, who finished DFL. Five pitchers were purchased. Katie won our last event at Temple Terrace with a -6 net score, and shot 19 strokes worse today.
------------------------
The new Skins format was a success. Seemed like everyone enjoyed it, making the game a bit more personal. Everyone technically won some money today, with 3 being the lowest amount of skins won. Robbie won the most with 11 skins. Someone look at the card and make sure I calculated everything correctly.
Much to everyone's chagrin, I've currently given ClubCredit for all Skins dollars earned. That can be seen on the Club Dues page, and basically means you owe less money in the Spring. If you really insist on getting your $9-$33 paid through PayPal... let me know and I might entertain the idea.
------------------------
Southern Hills is this week, and they have to get us out at 9am due to other events. Don't be late. We're going out in order of standings. Greens fee should be $54ish. We also have exactly 16 people so I'll probably have the 5th tee time cancelled.
Our 2nd Major on February 24 is officially at Grasslands in Lakeland. Big John was nice enough to pre-buy all our rounds, allowing us to get a discounted rate of $42. If you're attending that week, pay him ASAP. Do not bring $42 cash the day of.
See you next week!
Friday, January 11, 2019
Weekend Pairings Changes
In the last 24 hours we had:
- One guest bail
- Another guest join who needs to play with 3 specific members
- Tall Mike officially remove his name from the field
- Dave contemplating bailing due to a back injury
Speaking of... what's with the Euros (Dave & Moostie) and their backs? Clearly they aren't a product of the most recent Industrial Revolution and Western Expansion that strengthened the backs of the American male... before MacDonalds came along.
Anyway, I had to shuffle the groupings around to accommodate special needs and potential loss of Dave. If you don't like your new group, I apologize. Consider it an Executive Order and we can shut down the league government if need be.
Although... the groupings are still relatively similar.
Remember... no range unless you want to go to Terrace Hill next door. I might do that. Geoff has convinced me.
- One guest bail
- Another guest join who needs to play with 3 specific members
- Tall Mike officially remove his name from the field
- Dave contemplating bailing due to a back injury
Speaking of... what's with the Euros (Dave & Moostie) and their backs? Clearly they aren't a product of the most recent Industrial Revolution and Western Expansion that strengthened the backs of the American male... before MacDonalds came along.
Anyway, I had to shuffle the groupings around to accommodate special needs and potential loss of Dave. If you don't like your new group, I apologize. Consider it an Executive Order and we can shut down the league government if need be.
Although... the groupings are still relatively similar.
Remember... no range unless you want to go to Terrace Hill next door. I might do that. Geoff has convinced me.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Skins Game - Spring 2019 Preview
The once vaunted and exclusive Temple Terrace Golf & Country club is nearing its 100 year anniversary. They still owe a ton of money to the city, and fear that defaulting on those loans would trigger a series of events leading to the eventual removal and redevelopment of the course (see: Quail Hollow).
I'm told membership is on the rise, although part of that is due to the new managements offering various membership levels. A member also told me the greens are in "pristine" shape, and some of the oak trees have been trimmed back.
They've greatly increased fees this winter, which is actually a good thing. Charging more, to a point, can make the course experience much improved if they immediately re-invest that money.
We're paying $50 for our 10am tee time on Sunday, which is a 23% discount off their member-for-a-day rate. Guys are on WHITE tees and Katie on RED, unless you tell me otherwise.
It's also the first season of our new Skins Game. Each group will be an individual $1 per hole skins match among members. Roll-overs are now a thing, and if the 18th hole rolls over the money goes to whoever won the FIRST skin. Winning the first skin is going to be very important.
All calculations will be done hours AFTER the round, giving me time to verify that hole handicaps haven't changed and that you've all entered scores correctly. You'll have an idea who won money on the course, but results won't be official until later.
Temple Terrace is right in the middle of our difficulty chart, with a median net score of +2. But the spread is skewed to the higher side, so there should be a handful of ejections. Any ball in the street is OB... so get those provisionals ready.
See you Sunday.
I'm told membership is on the rise, although part of that is due to the new managements offering various membership levels. A member also told me the greens are in "pristine" shape, and some of the oak trees have been trimmed back.
They've greatly increased fees this winter, which is actually a good thing. Charging more, to a point, can make the course experience much improved if they immediately re-invest that money.
We're paying $50 for our 10am tee time on Sunday, which is a 23% discount off their member-for-a-day rate. Guys are on WHITE tees and Katie on RED, unless you tell me otherwise.
It's also the first season of our new Skins Game. Each group will be an individual $1 per hole skins match among members. Roll-overs are now a thing, and if the 18th hole rolls over the money goes to whoever won the FIRST skin. Winning the first skin is going to be very important.
All calculations will be done hours AFTER the round, giving me time to verify that hole handicaps haven't changed and that you've all entered scores correctly. You'll have an idea who won money on the course, but results won't be official until later.
Temple Terrace is right in the middle of our difficulty chart, with a median net score of +2. But the spread is skewed to the higher side, so there should be a handful of ejections. Any ball in the street is OB... so get those provisionals ready.
See you Sunday.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Boozer's Golf Review Vol. 10 - Hernando Oaks
Hopefully the start of the 2019 season reminded everyone just how much they suck at golf (except for Dave, he’s good). Luckily, the BGR is here to remind everyone that the most important aspect of golf is not your score; it’s the opportunity to partake in some socially acceptable day drinking. While it was a little cold when we teed off, the day turned out to be beautiful. Hernando Oaks doesn’t get any extra credit for the fact that mother nature gave us perfect drinking weather, but it certainly was enjoyable out there.
You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning
A simple question to the bartender at 9:15 am regarding when they could start serving alcohol led to a 9:16 am purchase of a six-pack of PBR Tall Boys for $15.00. Four extra ounces times six beers equals another two beers!!!! That’s a deal that the BGR can’t pass up no matter what time of day it is. Some folks opted for the delicious taste of the King of Beers instead of the extra quantity, however. The BGR endorses both strategies. It helps to have some beers ready to go when you haven’t played a round of golf since September. You can’t always control whether you’re going to have a good or bad round, but you can control whether you’re going to have a good time.
We don’t know what goes in a Melonball shot or whether $6 is a good price, but we're pretty sure Big John got fleeced on that one. Note that carts were easily allowed in the parking lot for those extra thrifty Boozers.
This paragraph actually needs to be renamed “Trailer” for Hernando Oaks instead of Clubhouse. To their credit, Hernando Oaks seems to be fully aware of the fact that they are serving food and drinks out of a trailer and have set their prices accordingly. Unfortunately, the liquor selections were awful and draft beer had the bare minimum. The selection reminded us of a college bar that you only go to because they’ll accept your fake ID. Really a missed opportunity to not have Natural Light on tap. Would have been great for all the folks who had to purchase pitchers for poor golfing on the day.
You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning
On-course Service
Unfortunately, there was no cart-person to serve golfers on the course. If you bought the six-pack special mentioned above, you were given a plastic bag that they filled with ice to keep your beers cold. It fit right in with the $28 greens fee and the fact that they have two trailers instead of a clubhouse. However, not everyone has the forethought to purchase a six pack of beer at 9:16 am before teeing off. Having to wait until you make the turn to get some alcohol when your round has already gone into the toilet really sucks. As much as the BGR loves that unpretentious, homely, trailer-park feel that Hernando Oaks is rocking, they have to be docked for not having on-course booze readily available.
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| Pro Tip - Pack a small cooler in your golf bag for courses that only offer plastic bags and ice. |
Thrifty Boozing
The beer specials were about as good as you’re ever going to find on a golf course. For beer, it’s actually even cheaper than Countryway. Let that soak in for a second... The 2 for $5 draft beer special inside was also a great deal.
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| Succinctly listed specials available all day. |
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| Official review of the Melonball: not worth it. |
Clubhouse
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| Slightly extra credit for a decent deck, perhaps. |
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| So many delicious pitchers of beer, most already gone. |
Overall
Hernando Oaks is a Good Ole Boys type of boozing course. There’s nothing fancy, but they do have beer and they’re willing to sell it to you early in the morning at a fair and reasonable price. While at the clubhouse, we were thinking they deserved 4 Beers out of a 6 Pack for their rating. After reflection, however, we think that's mostly because we had the foresight to ask about cart girls and beer availability before the round. This is a BGR of the people, and not just the Boozer All-Stars. On-course booze service is a requirement to reach a 4 Beer rating, and we're not going to be dealing in half beers, so Hernando Oaks receives only 3 ice cold beers out of the 6-pack Special.
Also, if you're into live reviews and BGR action, check us out on Twitter @BoozersGolf
Sunday, January 6, 2019
The Classic - 2019 Spring Recap
Enjoyable day on the course, even though most of us probably went home unhappy with the state of our game. Hernando Oaks lived up to it's difficulty rating, producing 5 official pitchers and fairly close to having 9 purchased. Greens were in great shape (albeit slow), and the tight somewhat grass-less fairways proved to be a challenge for some.
Not for Darren, who shot an 82 to beat JW and Dave by a single stroke. JW probably wants to have a mulligan on the 9th hole, which he tripled. Dave kept a clean scorecard (in our world) with nothing more than a bogey on his way to an outstanding 75.
Casey led most of the day before ejecting when the temperature rose on the back nine. His 39-48 is the stuff that makes you question why you play this game.
We also got Robbie back for the first time since his surgery, and he struggled early before re-attaching the wheels. Adam made his league debut, imploding early and often on his way to buying a pitcher. Welcome to the league... you'll fit right in with us hackers.
While not my favorite layout in the world, the course was great for the rate we paid. We'll balance that out by over-paying (despite a $15 discount) next week.
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Speaking of... 10am at Temple Terrace. Rate will be $50 plus tax and I'll randomize the pairings tomorrow. There's no range so don't show up an hour early unless you really need to work on your putting.
Not for Darren, who shot an 82 to beat JW and Dave by a single stroke. JW probably wants to have a mulligan on the 9th hole, which he tripled. Dave kept a clean scorecard (in our world) with nothing more than a bogey on his way to an outstanding 75.
Casey led most of the day before ejecting when the temperature rose on the back nine. His 39-48 is the stuff that makes you question why you play this game.
We also got Robbie back for the first time since his surgery, and he struggled early before re-attaching the wheels. Adam made his league debut, imploding early and often on his way to buying a pitcher. Welcome to the league... you'll fit right in with us hackers.
While not my favorite layout in the world, the course was great for the rate we paid. We'll balance that out by over-paying (despite a $15 discount) next week.
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Speaking of... 10am at Temple Terrace. Rate will be $50 plus tax and I'll randomize the pairings tomorrow. There's no range so don't show up an hour early unless you really need to work on your putting.
Friday, January 4, 2019
2019 New Rules
It would be very remiss of me not to acknowledge some new rules by the USGA, and our Board of Directors.
Our Board has imposed a maximum score of +5 on any hole. This means you can now make an 8 on a par-3, and a 9 on a par-4. Par-5 10s have always been a thing. If you forget and pick up early... you're getting the new max.
As for the beaten to death USGA rules, I'm going to only point out the ones that I want to focus on. The rest you can find here.
Our Board has imposed a maximum score of +5 on any hole. This means you can now make an 8 on a par-3, and a 9 on a par-4. Par-5 10s have always been a thing. If you forget and pick up early... you're getting the new max.
As for the beaten to death USGA rules, I'm going to only point out the ones that I want to focus on. The rest you can find here.
- If your ball bounces off a tree and hits you... it is no longer a penalty. Nor is it a penalty if you hit your opponents or your equipment ON ACCIDENT. If you do it on purpose you get an ass beating, plus a penalty.
- You MUST now drop balls from your knee. Some of you were doing this before... so you’re now in luck. If anyone drops the old way... don’t be a dick about it.
- Searching for balls is now only 3 minutes. Not the 10 minutes some of you spend looking (it was previously only 5 minutes, you cheaters).
- You can officially unplug any ball that is NOT in a bunker or penalty area (red/yellow stake). We had a local rule for this (#10).
- You can now pat down spike marks on the green. Almost everyone was already doing this.
- You now have the option to remove any ball from a bunker for a 2-stroke penalty. Or you can drop inside the bunker for 1-stroke penalty.
- Double-hits (Brendan) are now NOT a penalty.
- You can now ground your club in a penalty area (NOT a bunker), and take practice swings. Some of you did this anyway, much to the chagrin of us purists.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
2019 PGA Golf Pool & Other Ramblings
We've officially opened registration to the 2019 PGA Golf Pool. Many of you have participated in the past, and a few of you asked about joining.
It's $50 to enter, you pick 20 golfers from a list, and those are your guys through the TOUR Championship. No setting weekly line-ups.
If you are interested and have NOT received an email, let me know in the comments.
Payment and entry form is due January 20th.
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While our fancy new weather widget is set to Tampa... Brooksville is going to be a crisp 45 degrees at 8am when we are on the range. Just like two years ago when Dave wanted to wear shorts. Prepare to be miserable for most of the front 9!
Pretty sure this will be the most league members we've ever had in a tournament (19). Should be a good competition for the season since more people will earn 0 points. It puts a premium on finishing top 4, and actually allows people down in the bottom to make a run at the title (assuming they get "help" by leaders scoring goose-eggs).
During the season, one of the countless Club-related projects I'll be working on is revisiting the point system. I do this every couple of years, and never come up with a better model.
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Since everyone has now PRE-PAID... just be sure to arrive early enough to warm up if you like bashing balls at the range. If not, be there by 8:50am.
If you happen to win money, you'll have the option of cash/paypal/venmo... or Club credit which will basically reduce your dues for next season.
See you Sunday!
It's $50 to enter, you pick 20 golfers from a list, and those are your guys through the TOUR Championship. No setting weekly line-ups.
If you are interested and have NOT received an email, let me know in the comments.
Payment and entry form is due January 20th.
--------------------------
While our fancy new weather widget is set to Tampa... Brooksville is going to be a crisp 45 degrees at 8am when we are on the range. Just like two years ago when Dave wanted to wear shorts. Prepare to be miserable for most of the front 9!
Pretty sure this will be the most league members we've ever had in a tournament (19). Should be a good competition for the season since more people will earn 0 points. It puts a premium on finishing top 4, and actually allows people down in the bottom to make a run at the title (assuming they get "help" by leaders scoring goose-eggs).
During the season, one of the countless Club-related projects I'll be working on is revisiting the point system. I do this every couple of years, and never come up with a better model.
--------------------------
Since everyone has now PRE-PAID... just be sure to arrive early enough to warm up if you like bashing balls at the range. If not, be there by 8:50am.
If you happen to win money, you'll have the option of cash/paypal/venmo... or Club credit which will basically reduce your dues for next season.
See you Sunday!
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