DPT Open - Stats & (Un)interesting Facts

Another major played at Southern Hills and another victory for Darren...blah blah blah.

Darren posted an impressive net score of 6 under by doing exactly what he needed to do.  He made bogey 12 times, threw in 2 pars and limited his damage to just 4 doubles.  I'm tired and still angry about my round so I didn't look but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first time where two consecutive DPT events were won with a net score of 6 under.

Dave continued his solid play by posting the lowest front and back nine scores (40/44) of the day.  He'd win a lot more tournaments if he sandbagged his handicap in the off season like the rest of us.

It wasn't exactly rare that we only made 3 birdies as a group but what is rare is the fact that they all came on par 3s.  Both Dave's and Mike's, on the difficult 3rd and 17th holes respectively, are very impressive.

Other than those few highlights, everything else was pretty sad.  Not a single person made par on the 14th or 18th holes and only one person made par on 4, 12, and 16.  Dan, who is clearly a masochist, was the only guy to make par on the 4th hole.  In case you already forgot, he played from the tips, which means that hole was playing more than 60 yards longer for him.  Right about now would be a good time for the rest of us to hang our heads in shame.

As a group we were +143 on the par 4s and +74 on the par 5s.  For comparison, last week we were +108 on the 4s and +43 on the 5s.


Best & Worst Individual Scoring Performances
Par 3s - Mike/Dave (+1) & Brendan (+7)
Par 4s - Gary (+8) & Geoff (+16)
Par 5s - Dave (+1) & Chris G. (+13)

Category	Result	Difference
Easiest Hole	Par 3 8th	0.500
Toughest Hole	Par 5 16th	2.083
Easiest Par 3	8	0.500
Toughest Par 3	17	1.417
Easiest Par 4	6/15	0.833
Toughest Par 4	14	1.833
Easiest Par 5	5	1.167
Toughest Par 5	16	2.083
Par 3 Average	4.021	1.021
Par 4 Average	5.192	1.192
Par 5 Average	6.542	1.542
Birdies	3
Pars	43
Double Pars	8

DPT Open Recap

Despite being an extremely challenging course, Southern Hills apparently caters to the high-handicappers. In the six events we've held there (all Majors), the average winner's handicap index is 23.9. Darren has finished first in three of those tournaments.

I'm really not sure why this is the case, other than the fact the course is forgiving off the tee. You can spray the ball and still make bogey. But personally, I find the greens difficult to read and chip around. And usually short game is what kills people with a high index.

The entire day Saturday was difficult. We dodged the rain, but the course was still pretty wet and it's a beast to play during cartpath-only conditions.

Darren once again bogeyed the course to death, winning his 4th Major and taking the overall season lead. Tall Mike had victory in his grasp until a grisly 9 on the par-5 16th. And Big John played well in his 2nd tournament, finishing 3rd despite some late double bogeys.

At the other end of the standings, Dan struggled from the tips, shooting +12 (net) with only 3 pars. SoHill's insane 7,557 distance from the back played much longer with the wet fairways.

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Next week we're playing at Cypress Creek at 9am (1011 Cypress Village Blvd., Ruskin, FL 33573).

It's one of the shorter courses we play, but by far one of the most difficult (median net score is +5.0!). Bring lots of balls! You will lose them.

The format is a modified skins game, with a $10 entry fee. Pairings and strokes will be updated on the event page and scorecard shortly. We have 12 league members playing so registration is closed. See you all there.

2014 US Open Best Ball Pool

Well the US Open was kind of a dud, with one guy obliterating the field. However, our best ball pool was much closer.

Big John pulled away the last day to win the 1st prize of $130. Faz overcame a terrible 3rd day to win 2nd and $50. And Nate, Joe and Litman tied for 3rd, splitting $20. They didn't get all their money back, but they got some of it.

Everyone has been paid out through PayPal.

At least our leader board changed a lot, unlike the Masters when JW won wire-to-wire. Speaking of JW... his total for the first two majors puts him at 31st in the WORLD. Out of 65,000+ players.

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Recaps from the weekend will be posted on Monday. Our game next week is Saturday at 9am at Cypress Creek. More on this later as well.

Southern Hills Rules

No denim.

No hats in the clubhouse.

Tuck your shirt in.

They take that shit seriously.

US Open / Geoff Skins Game

US Open starts tomorrow. So today is the last day to get me money if you're playing in the pool. Everyone who has set a roster has paid me except for Big John... so get on that.

I'll post the payouts as soon as our headcount is official.

For the new guys (John & Brendan)... you can change your roster every day. That doesn't mean you want to... but you can if one of your players is terrible. This also means that you absolutely should change your roster on Friday night. Some of your guys won't make the cut, so you need to replace them with guys who do.

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Who is in for the Geoff Skins Game on Saturday, June 21st? As mentioned before, we will play early so people can make other events.

I'm thinking Cypress Creek ($41) since it's not that far away and you can easily get to Tampa and St. Pete from there.

Chandler Classic - Stats & (Un)interesting Facts

The new season has officially begun and with it comes the onslaught of mildly interesting facts and figures about both individual and group performances. 

This being the first event of the new season it's only fitting that it was a day highlighted by many "firsts." 

- First DPT starts for John and Chris
- First time the league played Brooksville Country Club
- First woman starter I've ever seen (she was better than most miserable old men starters)
- First cart bro I've ever seen (not afraid to admit he was better than a lot of cart beasts girls out there)
- First 86 shot by a dude in mandals (not a league member but still impressive)
- First intentional club snap in league history (I believe?)
- First time it took Darren 16 holes to make a par since 2/2/13
- First time Chandler made a max 6 on a par 3 since 7/7/13


The Quarry Giveth and the Quarry Taketh Away
The main attraction for Brooksville CC is the old rock quarry and the various holes that play through it on the back 9.  We played the drivable par 4 12th in +2, which set a record for lowest group scoring average (4.2) on a par 4.  The very next hole on the other hand, was played in +23...a 21 shot swing!  And then there's the short and extremely downhill par 3 17th.  Six out of ten players took a max 6 and it played to an average of 5.1, tying the 17th hole at Stoneybrook last season, which just so happened to be like 200 yards into a 20 mph wind that day.


Since it's early in the season and I'm in a good mood I'll only list out the best individual scoring performances.

Par 3s: Faz/Gary (+1)
Par 4s: Faz (+6)
Par 5s: Dave (E)
Best Front 9: Dave (40)
Best Back 9: Faz (39)

Category	Result	Difference
Easiest Hole	Par 4 12th	0.200
Toughest Hole	Par 4 13th	2.300
Easiest Par 3	14	0.400
Toughest Par 3	17	2.100
Easiest Par 4	12	0.200
Toughest Par 4	13	2.300
Easiest Par 5	11	0.400
Toughest Par 5	3	1.500
Par 3 Average	4.075	1.075
Par 4 Average	5.080	1.080
Par 5 Average	6.075	1.075
Birdies	6
Pars	53
Double Pars	10

Did You Know?

Did you know that every event scorecard is saved on this blog?

You can view a specific "event page" by clicking the date-link on ANY schedule (current or past):

Schedules are also located at the top of the blog in the "Schedule" and "Past Seasons" tabs.

Each event page tells you who is playing, what their handicap is, and all points / money payouts. It also has the course address, entry fee, and approximate greens fees. But what about a scorecard? Well click the blue link that says "score."

Blue links? Click them.

There you go. Every hole ever played in every tournament has been recorded.

#17... ouch.

We're not sure why we track all this stuff. But it comes in handy sometimes when sitting around telling drunken golf stories. For example... go look up Steve P's 2nd round of the 2012 Summer DPT Masters. It's amazing.

Chandler Classic Recap & Other Info

2014 Summer season is finally underway, and Faz came out swinging less times than the rest of us.

He shot an impressive 81 (gross) on a course that most of us played decent. After nine holes it was a three-man race between JW, Brendan and Faz. But JW faded quickly on the back nine with a few double and triple bogeys. Brendan had a decent lead until the 13th hole in the quarry, when he lost a couple of balls while recording his first double-par of the day. The collapse continued as Brendan finished +8 on the final three holes.

Faz made two birdies on the back nine, and just held on while everyone else imploded. He notched his 7th victory on tour (currently 3rd in all-time wins) and got back into the "black" on the money list.

Gary shot one under on his final three holes for solo 3rd. JW, Reid and Dave tied for 4th to split the remaining points.

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Sorry we had to bolt as soon as the round was over. A few people had to rush over to the Rays game and other afternoon commitments. Nobody owed any pitchers of beer... so next week we'll relax a little in the clubhouse.

Speaking of next week... 10am at Southern Hills on Saturday, June 14th. They have an excellent (and free) practice facility so get there early! I'll be up there by at least 9am to take advantage of it.

As of now we have 13 league members playing. The payout will be large since this is a Major. Entry fee is $10 instead of the normal $5.

Pairings are up on the event page, but are subject to change if we add more guests.

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Don't forget to send me money if you're entering the US Open pool. $10 to chandler.brown at the gmails. Tournament starts on Thursday so your money has to be in before they tee off.

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Finally... week 3 is the Skins Game on Saturday, June 21st. I know of a few parties going on that day, including one at Treasure Island beach. I'll book us somewhere early so everyone has plenty of time to get to other events.

US Open Best Ball Pool

ESPN's Best Ball Major pool is now active for the US Open.

IF YOU PLAYED IN THE MASTERS POOL, YOU DON'T NEED TO RE-SIGN UP. YOU JUST NEED TO PAY YOUR $10 AND PICK YOUR PLAYERS. Anyone who does not pay me before next Thursday will be removed from the group.

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!

Week 2 - DPT Open Registration

Who is in for week 2 onJune 14th.??

Hopefully we'll be continuing the "Brooksville Swing" up at Southern Hills... which us undoubtedly the league's favorite course.

Let it be known! Make a comment before Saturday.

Chandler Classic - Preview

9:28am at Brooksville Country Club.

Get there early to hit the driving range. Make sure to bring your voucher if you have one.

Brooksville is weird because it plays 6,000 yards (short-ish for us) at a 122 slope... or almost 6,400 yards (long for us) at a 123 slope.  I don't know how those ratings are remotely accurate.

Anyway, there are a few holes on the back nine in a quarry. It's pretty cool.

Pairings are posted on the event page, and I'll get the handicaps up soon. See you then.

Official Golf Rankings

We now have Official Golf Rankings.

Based loosely off the Official World Golf Rankings, our ranking system tells you who is technically the best golfer in the group at any given time. Here's how it works:

You need at least 8 events in the previous 18 to have a ranking. You then total the DPT Points earned during that stretch, and divide by the number of rounds played. Because Majors are worth more points, the rankings boost for playing well in those is built in.

You'll find the OGR on the right side of this blog, under the current season schedule. I've also included a column that shows the highest rank ever obtained by each golfer, as well as how many "weeks" they've been ranked in the top spot. Obviously the OGR will only be updated after tournaments.

The rankings aren't really useful. They do show who has been playing well in a rolling two season stretch. It's just another thing to look at.

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We have 10 people registered for the opening week. So we will NOT be playing the two man Low Ball / Low Total game (unless Ben and Dan can suddenly attend).

Instead it will just be a normal tournament up at Brooksville Country Club. I'll post on Saturday when I'm able to book the tee time.

Summer 2014 - Week 1

Yep... the short summer off-season is coming to a close. I hope you married guys caught up on your chores to appease the wives.

Week 1 is Saturday, June 7th. We'll probably open up at Brooksville Country Club, which some of you bought vouchers for in late April through DealCaddy. Comment now if you're attending.

If you didn't buy the voucher, their current rates aren't terrible.

Course Difficulty Rankings

Our league has played a total of 41 rounds throughout its history. If you've never used the "Courses" tab at the top, each course has a detailed profile with a ton of interesting statistics. One of those is course difficulty percentage.

Here are the current rankings, based on median-net score to par:

   1 - Bloomingdale - 1 round - +10.5
   2 - The Claw - 1 round - +9
   3 - Pebble Creek - 1 round - +7.5
   4 - TPC Tampa Bay - 1 round - +7
 T5 - Plantation Palms - 2 rounds - +6
 T5 - Heritage Harbor - 2 rounds - +6
 T7 - Cypress Creek - 2 rounds - +5
 T7 - Highlands Ridge (North) - 1 round - +5
 T7 - Northdale - 4 rounds - +5
 T7 - Sun N Lake (Turtle Run) - 1 round - +5
 T7 - Copperhead - 1 round - +5
  12 - Crescent Oaks - 1 round - +3.5
T13 -The Dunes - 1 round - +3
T13 - Waterlefe - 2 rounds - +3
T15 - Southern Hills - 5 rounds - +2.5
T15 - Summerfield - 1 round - +2.5
T15 - Stoneybrook - 3 rounds - +2.5
  18 - Babe Zaharias - 1 round - +2
  19 - River Strand (S/T) - 1 round - +1
  20 - Silverthorn - 1 round - +0.5
T21 -Quail Hollow - 2 rounds - +0
T21 - Countryway - 4 rounds - +0
T21 - Lexington Oaks - 1 round - +0
  24 - Lake Jovita (North) - 1 round - -1

Obviously there is a small sample size for most of these courses. Lake Jovita (North) is NOT that easy... we just played well the one time we were out there. Still interesting to look at. In our Bloomingdale round, five of the eight players owed a pitcher.

Spring 2014 - Nightmare 18

Faz has been keeping some detailed scoring stats, and recently we joked about how we could make a "Nightmare 18" for the season. Basically... the four hardest par 3s and 5s, combined with the ten most difficult par 4s (based on gross scoring of every eligible league member).

And here it is:

*number in parenthesis is how many gross-strokes over par the hole played*

Hole 1 - Northdale #2 (2.125) - Par 4 - 383 Yards
Hole 2 - Quail Hollow #3 (1.571) - Par 3 - 156 Yards
Hole 3 - Heritage Harbor #12 (2.500) - Par 4 - 323 Yards
Hole 4 - Stoneybrook #12 (2.200) - Par 4 - 361 Yards
Hole 5 - Heritage Harbor #8 (2.000) - Par 5 - 496 Yards
Hole 6 - Copperhead #16 (2.833) - Par 4 - 385 Yards
Hole 7 - Heritage Harbor #4 (3.250) - Par 4 - 394 Yards
Hole 8 - Stoneybrook #17 (2.100) - Par 3 - 176 Yards
Hole 9 - Copperhead #14 (2.333) - Par 5 - 525 Yards

Hole 10 - Northdale #4 (2.125) - Par 4 - 385 Yards
Hole 11 - Plantation Palms #16 (2.091) -Par 4 - 387 Yards
Hole 12 - Quail Hollow #18 (2.143) - Par 5 - 425 Yards
Hole 13 - Heritage Harbor #18 (2.250) - Par 4 - 331 Yards
Hole 14 - Plantation Palms #7 (1.545) - Par 3 - 188 Yards
Hole 15 - Countryway #14 (2.556) - Par 4 - 375 Yards
Hole 16 - Northdale #16 (2.875) - Par 5 - 528 Yards
Hole 17 - Lexington Oaks #17 (1.778) - Par 3 - 189 Yards
Hole 18 - Plantation Palms #18 (2.364) - Par 4 - 375 Yards

I know most of you have god-awful "golf memory," but adding pictures and hole descriptions would be completely ridiculous for this project.

Anyway, five of us officially played every one of these courses this past season. So we ordered the holes based on difficulty rank, divided up the nines into evens and odds, and sorted it to make a functional course. I estimated it would probably play as a 135 slope (very difficult for our standards). It would also be the longest course we've ever played.

How did we do? Terrible.

Chandler won the gross score, but Geoff crushed everyone with his handicap. Faz had a wonderful stretch on the back nine before blowing up on the final three holes. And Gary failed to par a single hole this season, owing a hypothetical two pitchers of beer.

Click image for a larger view.