2014 Summer Schedule

Here is the tentative schedule for next season. Note that the finals will either be played on the 16th or 23rd of August, depending on the availability of those who still have a mathematical chance of winning the cup. Put these dates in your calendars now.

Faz: Groupon Just For YOU!!!

I know how excited you were when Bito was talking about his footgolf exploits, so when I saw this groupon in my spam email today, I immediately thought of you.  I mean, just look at how cool these people are while playing this incredibly original game.  And it's only $35 for a foursome and a pitcher!  Hopefully it's a pitcher of GHB so you don't have to remember that you once participated in footgolf.

Douchey hats not included

Jamaican Open Sign Ups

We have 8 people registered for next Sunday (April 27th).

I haven't heard from Dave, Brendan, Ben or Gorecki. If any of you want in, let me know before Sunday morning. If I don't hear anything, I'm only booking the two tee times.

DPT Golf Balls

I play in an annual weekend tournament that's primarily geared towards drinking, hence my mastery of the Hangover Invitational.  We call it the Salami Open, and we are playing the 8th annual this year.  We try to do some sort of golf paraphernalia with each tournament (covered by entry fees).  In the past we've done golf shirts (I'm sure I've worn mine to a DPT Golf event before), coozies, etc.  This year we did golf balls.  I think they look pretty sharp, although they aren't coming in for another week.  I do have the proof, though:

Anyway, now that Rachael was nice enough to make us our own DPT Golf logo, who wants to throw in on some golf balls for next season?  Don't you really want to see that awkward jumping high 5 on your golf ball as you're teeing off?

If anyone does have a cool logo, though, check out golfballs.com.  It comes out to about $7 a sleeve of Callaways (not sure about other balls, but you can check the pricing) when you buy 7 dozen balls with custom logos.  There's a lead time to get the good stuff on there, but it looks pretty cool.

You can just get writing personalization on there even cheaper, and they're running a promotion for free personalization on certain balls right now.  It's better than having Reid bother you about marking your balls.  Jamaicans love marking balls.

Update to Earnings Calculation

When I built this website, I tried to mimic most of the stats that the PGA Tour list on their standings page. Obviously earnings is a fun way to see who took most of your money. But three weeks into the league it was decided we needed to take a small rake in order to pay for trophies and whatnot.

On average, every player pays the league $0.84 each tournament. Our old calculation included this payment against your earnings. It was very easy to track and tie out, but greatly skewed the totals over time. If we play enough years, everyone will be negative just because of the league payments.

So now... the earnings show only what you've won and lost against other league members. Check out the current season in the "standings" tab a the top, and your career earnings in the "stats" tab. Enjoy.

Gorecki Par-3 Memorial - Stats & (Un)interesting Facts

Nobody loves the handicap formula more than Reid right now. A guy with his highest index in 8 months shows up and makes 11 pars, only blows up on 2 or 3 holes, and waxes the field to jump into 1st place with a rather significant lead. Reid has increased his DPT point total by 1,500 points in the last three events, which is more than Chandler (2nd place) has accumulated for the entire season. Mr. Front-9 37 is greatly benefiting from his game peaking at the same time as his ridiculous handicap.

Seeing as how yesterday was the ever-so-frustrating par-3 event, let's look at every one's par-3 performance for the season up to this point. The first table shows your scoring average for the Par-3s and the second table shows you how often you made the lowest score or tied for the lowest score on a particular hole for an event. You have to take into consideration that not everyone has played in every event so it's not technically an even playing field but you get the idea.  I haven't done the math but I'm pretty sure "most improved" at this point would go to Geoff seeing as he ended last season with a 4.22 average and made 6 triples as opposed to ZERO so far this season.

Player	Par 3s
Dave	3.42
Dan	3.47
Gary	3.69
Ben	3.79
Geoff	3.83
Chandler	3.86
Faz	3.89
Reid	4.00
Darren	4.03
Mike	4.10
Brendan	4.33
JW	4.65

Par 3s	Low/Tied	Chances	Percentage
Dave	7	12	58.33%
Faz	12	35	34.29%
Dan	6	19	31.58%
Gary	11	35	31.43%
Ben	5	19	26.32%
Chandler	9	35	25.71%
Geoff	9	35	25.71%
Mike	5	20	25.00%
Reid	7	31	22.58%
JW	4	20	20.00%
Darren	6	35	17.14%
Brendan	0	15	0.00%

As for our group scoring, we actually did OK overall with keeping our scoring average less than 1 over par for 12 holes but the par-4s were rough on us.  We averaged 5.2 as a group overall on the seven par-4s and we all failed to par the 14th hole, leading to a 6.55 scoring average.  I had a great view of Chandler's double par on that hole, only his second of the entire season.  Another reason Reid beat all of us is that he was +5 on the par 4s, which tied Dan for best of the day.  Gary was an incredible +2 for the day on the eleven par 3s.

Category	Hole	Difference
Easiest Par 3	16	0.222
Toughest Par 3	11	1.333
Easiest Par 4	13	0.333
Toughest Par 4	14	2.556

Gorecki Par-3 Memorial Recap & Other Happenings

Lots to talk about...

Reid won back-to-back tournaments with an impressive 73 at Countryway on Sunday. He made par on the final four holes and played very solid throughout the day despite two blow-up holes. In two weeks, Reid has gone from 8th place (and basically out of contention) to 1st with a commanding lead.

Gary started the day with two birdies, but a few short putts cost him the victory.

Gorecki actually resurrected from the dead and attended the tournament. He's not allowed to play much golf these days, but his game was just as sharp as it was when he played regularly. And by that I mean: terrible.

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Eight players are still in the race for the cup. Because Reid can technically win it at our next tournament, we will be going out in order of standings. It's actually been proposed that we do this year round... so we'll discuss it later.

Our next tournament is in two weeks, on Sunday, April 27th. Comment now if you're playing. We'll pick a location based on what deals are available.

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JW destroyed not only our league in the Masters Best Ball Pool... but also the world. About 66,000 people played... and he tied for 4th. Darren posted a score that would have won in ANY other tournament, and yet got beat soundly. Dan W and Litman tied for 3rd. All parties have been paid.

The next pool will be in two months for the US Open.

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Thanks also to everyone who attended the Masters party. All the food was delicious and the golf was pretty close until everyone except Bubba Watson decided to start choking. I still can't believe Bubba won another Major... let alone another Masters.

Masters Coverage

Masters.com streams coverage of the event every day for free on their website. There are two "featured groups" each day which you can watch their entire round. Might be good if you have one or more of these guys on your team.

Today (Thursday) Groups:
1) Graeme McDowell
Rickie Fowler
Jimmy Walker

2) Zach Johnson
KJ Choi
Steve Stricker

Enjoy.

Masters Pool Payouts

20 people in the pool... and by some miracle they've all paid AND selected golfers.

So since I don't have to kick anyone out, payouts will be:

1st - $130

2nd - $50

3rd - $20

Good luck.

And for the last time... change your golfers out Friday night. Some of your guys might miss the cut and you will NOT get points if you don't replace them.

Masters Pool

So we have 14 entries (as of right now) in the pool, and ALL of them have paid. Well... except Gary... but I'm covering his payment since I'm responsible for him.

With so many entries, there will be a small payout for 2nd place.

See you all Sunday.

DPT Championship - Stats and (Un)interesting Facts

Without even looking at the scorecards from previous events I can say with confidence that the Dudes Playing Together league definitely had it's best ever front-9 performance as a group.  We were all excitedly participating in the traditional DPT jumping high fives as we waited on the 10th tee to continue our great play.  And then it turned back into the Dudes Playing Terribly league we've all come to know and love/hate.  As Chandler mentioned, 1 of our 11 group birdies came on the back-9 along with only 18 of our 45 group pars.  Way to finish strong gentlemen!


So, exactly how good was Reid's 37 on the front-9?  Not only was it his best 9 hole score this season by 7 shots but it was also the first time he's ever broken 40 in the history of league play.  In fact, the only time he shot 40 was at The Dunes on March 30, 2013.  His near complete meltdown of a back-9 50 (only besting Geoff and Darren's back 9 scores) still allowed him to shoot a net 65, which is the lowest score by anyone all season.  I'm not sure if I'm mad I didn't get to watch him shoot 37 or if I'm excited I didn't have to watch someone shoot 50 and still beat me by 8 shots but anyway, congrats Reid, King of the Majors.


It wasn't just the Reid show on Saturday though.  As a group, we did some pretty cool things too.  Through the first five events combined we made a total of 13 birdies.  On Saturday...we made 11.  We came as close as we've ever come to collectively playing a hole in even par by playing the par 3 5th in just one over.  We would have been able to play it in even par if Mike and/or I didn't screw it up for everyone by making bogey.  I'm also assuming it's the first time we've ever had 6 out of 9 players shoot 41 or less on 9 holes and 8 out of 9 players shoot net 74 or less.  It's not too often that shooting your handicap will get you 5th place as it did on Saturday.

The best and worst of the bunch on par 3s, 4s, and 5s:

Par 3s
Best: Ben/Dan +2
Worst: Mike +9

Par 4s
Best: Ben +3
Worst: Geoff +23

Par 5s
Best: Chandler Even
Worst: Geoff +11

Hole	Average	Par	Difference
1	4.667	4	0.667
2	4.000	3	1.000
3	4.778	4	0.778
4	6.222	5	1.222
5	3.111	3	0.111
6	6.000	5	1.000
7	4.667	4	0.667
8	5.111	4	1.111
9	4.556	4	0.556
10	5.556	4	1.556
11	5.000	4	1.000
12	5.111	4	1.111
13	4.000	3	1.000
14	5.778	5	0.778
15	5.556	4	1.556
16	4.778	4	0.778
17	4.778	3	1.778
18	6.778	5	1.778

 No surprise that 17 and 18 were the toughest holes with average scores of close to double bogey!


    

 

DPT Championship - Recap

What a difference a week makes. With perfect weather and ideal scoring conditions, most guys greatly benefited from the reset.

Ten birdies were made on the front nine, which is probably a record for the league. Chandler improved from last week firing a 38 on the front... but instead of a huge lead he was tied with Faz who shot a 38 of his own. Gary also went low, picking up two birdies and finishing the front with a 41.

But the story of the day was all about Reid. As a 22 handicap, he shot 37 on the front (26 net!) and basically won the tournament before we even made the turn. It was all but impossible for him to choke away that lead.

However, Reid must have run out of positive thoughts because he failed to make a par on the back nine. He also finished the round with a 9 on the final hole, resulting in an atrocious 50. And even that wasn't enough to lose since Lexington Oaks has one of the most drastically unbalanced layouts in terms of difficulty. Only one birdie was made on the back nine and our gross scores were 10% higher. Tall Mike was the only guy who really improved on the back (Geoff doesn't count because he sucked all day).

So Reid won his fifth Major by two strokes, vaulting up the leader board from 8th to 2nd. In fact, all five of his victories on tour are Majors. He is our Jack Nicklaus.

Be sure to get your short game ready this week for the Gorecki Par-3 Memorial tournament. We play at 9:30am at the hallowed Countrway Golf Club.

And don't forget about the party afterward. The Masters coverage starts at 3pm. Bring stuff to drink.

Gorecki Par-3 Memorial Teaser

Everyone on the PGA Tour this week is gearing up for the Masters, despite there being another tournament scheduled (Shell Houston Open). All the big names playing in Houston don't really care about winning. Augusta is the ONLY thing that matters to those invited.

We have the same problem on the DPT Tour.

There is a rescheduled Major this week, and yet the field is slowly dwindling. All excitement in the air was washed away by flash floods last weekend. And I think I know why...

Everyone is focused on the biggest accomplishment of the season: winning the Gorecki Par-3 Memorial.

In one week we will be walking the lush fairways of Countryway and racking up the greenies. Following the tournament we will gather and enjoy the final round of the Masters. It's an exciting time.

But please don't forget why the Par-3 Memorial exists. Gorecki is having a child and is no longer with us. He was rarely able to overcome the chains of marriage, so fatherhood is definitely the final nail in his golfing coffin.

Take a moment to visit his memorial page. Sign the guestbook and submit your favorite Gorecki stories. And keep his memory in your heart next week, while leaving your driver in the bag.

Player Spotlight - JW

I had an idea the other day to periodically do a "Player Spotlight" on the blog and today being JW's birthday and all, we're gonna start with him.  The only things written here that can be confirmed as facts are his golf stats.

Profile
Name: Jack William
Hometown: DI4Life
Age: 32...kinda
Turned Pro: Spring 2014
Height: Taller than Faz, shorter than Tall Mike
Weight: Sturdy
College: UF (currently in grad school at UT)
Likes: Double par max rule, Alt-country music, golf cart fanny pack coolers, bitching about event dates/times as they relate to UF sporting events
Dislikes: Golf

YTD Season Stats
Handicap Index: 26.8
Events: 5
Wins: 1 (2014 Spring E-Flo Hangover Invitational)
Runner Ups: 1 (2014 Spring Geoff Skins Game)
DPT Points: 820 (4th, 321.7 points back)
Earnings: -$19
Greenies: 0
Long Drives: 1
Sandies: 0
18 Hole Scoring Avg: 108 gross, 80.4 net
Par 3 Scoring Avg: 4.65
Par 4 Scoring Avg: 6.04
Par 5 Scoring Avg: 7.25
Makes Par or Better: 13.33%
Makes Triple or Worse: 34.44%

Other Info
JW is currently DPT's only lefty.  He can pound the ball off the tee, but that sometimes leads to huge slices OB.  His short game is usually quite terrible, but he has one of the best wedge-tosses in the game.  On the upside, his high handicap sets him up to be the next player with rapid improvement, leading to more victories on tour.

Best Ball Majors 2014

ESPN's Best Ball Major pool is now active.

Go here to sign up.

Group: DPT Golf
PW is: doublepar

Send $10 on PayPal to chandler.brown at the gmail. Make sure you select the "sending to friend" option so it doesn't charge either of us.

Anyone who doesn't pay before tournament play begins will be kicked out of the group. I'll post the payouts later depending on how many people sign up.

You can read the rules on ESPN, but I'll do my best to summarize it:

• Before each round (Thursday-Sunday) you select four players. Each player has a dollar amount based on how good they are. Your team can not exceed a $50 salary cap.
• It's a "best ball" format. So if three of your players get a par, and one gets a birdie... your score for that hole is birdie.
• Lowest score wins (not counting playoffs).
• Remember that you can change your roster EVERY DAY. If you forget to do this after Friday, some of your players might not have made the cut and thus will not contribute to your team over the weekend.

Comment if you have any questions. Good luck!