Monday, June 27, 2016

DPT Championship - Summer 2016 Recap

The day started unbearably hot, and turned into an apocalyptic looking storm. The first group was far enough to finish... most of the middle two groups braved random death by lightning... while a handful of us in the back decided to wait it out in the safety of the bar.

Somehow, all the storms missed us, and everyone was eventually able to go back out and finish the final holes.

Geoff removed his name from the Losing Streak list, shooting an impressive -1 (net). TPC Tampa is hard, and blow-ups lurk on every hole. But Geoff didn't have any triple bogeys until 16 and 18, and is now within striking distance of the season lead.

Speaking of, there are 1,600 points remaining in the season, so many of us will be eliminated after the next event.

We're off this weekend for 4th of July. The Hangover Invitational is Sunday, July 10th at East Lake Woodlands. Brendan was able to get us on this private club for the first time in league history. Let me know now if you're playing.

It's about time we soften up the event, so make a point to attend our bi-annual party the night before. We're doing a pub crawl on Davis Islands for JW's birthday. Party starts at 9pm at Molly Malone's (304 E Davis Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606). The spirit of the event is to get together and have some league unity off the course. Bring your significant others and let's enjoy a night out.

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Tall Mike and Dave have locked up the captain positions for this year's Ryder Cup. The draft will be held during the Pub Crawl on July 9th. I'll send those guys a grid of estimated team handicaps, and Faz might be able to send them some updated scoring grids to help make their selections.

See you all then.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Losing Streaks

For those of us without a win this season... below are your current active losing streaks. Also known as... how many events have you entered without winning, since your last win (if you even have one)?:

JW - 25
Reid - 20
Buchert - 18
Brendan - 14
Gorecki - 12
Faz - 9
Geoff - 8
Darryl - 8
Darren - 5
Chandler - 5
Troy - 3
Dan - 2

The top 3 guys on this list are all in the field this weekend.

The last (and only) time the league played TPC Tampa, Gorecki won with a gross (literally) 101.

Who ya got this weekend?!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Updates

We've basically filled up our group of 16 on Sunday. John requested to bring someone so just waiting to hear from him. As of now the pairings have the guests spread out, while still maintaining our normal order by standing.

As long as nobody pulls a Gorecki and bails, we'll be set.

The weather should be alright this weekend, as it appears we're entering the normal summer pattern of rain after 3pm.

*Edit* - Reservation at TPC Tampa is under "Gorecki" and not "Brown". Remember this when checking in.

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Official Golf Rankings lock after Sunday for Ryder Cup purposes. In the three years of the Cup, those rankings have only determined the two captains, as we've never needed them to select the 12 attendees.

Remember, the rankings are a rolling 18 events. So the event dropping off is just as important as the event this weekend. Tall Mike has the top captain position locked, and will control the first and final 3 selections. Congrats, Mike!

Dave will more than likely be the 2nd captain. There's a slight chance Chandler (aka: me) can overtake him in that spot.

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DealCaddy has a voucher deal today for Eaglebrook, ie: the course JW got an Eagle on... and the course with the island fairway. Our league schedule is basically set, so I doubt we'll use it for league play. HOWEVER, I'm going to buy a 4-some anyway for the off-season. Check out the deal here, and consider picking one up. You can never have too many cheap vouchers to good courses.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Fazioli Match Play - Summer 2016 Recap

Strange day out at Waterlefe yesterday. Instead of rain, we had dry and fairly cool (for this time of year) conditions. The course was in excellent shape. Darryl, Darren and Chandler won long drives. Two guys won matches but finished lower than their opponents in stroke-play. Four pitchers were owed. Darren shot over 100 for the first time in league play since January, 2015. Dan made a 9!

The last tidbit helped initiate a pretty nice collapse by Dan. But his loss was John's gain. Winning his first ever match-play contest, John limited the blow-ups and putted great during his 3rd league victory.

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This week, Gorecki actually added value by getting us on TPC Tampa for $50 at 9:50am. Get there early to hit the range.

I have OUT as listed: Dave, Brendan, Gary, Dan.

Darryl is going to let me know today. Everyone else is IN, so tell me now if that's not correct. We must fill up any open spots with guests this week.

JW has a co-worker playing, and I think Katie is playing to continue establishing a handicap. Depending on Darryl we'll have 2 or 3 spots open. But don't run and ask people yet. Let's first finalize who in the league is playing.

Comment away!

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Fazioli Match Play Preview

Faz sent me some stats to throw on the blog. See how your scoring averages compare to your opponent this weekend:



Predictions for the matches:

Gary beats Darren 2&1 in a match that has a lot of penalty strokes.

Dan beats Gary 3&1 in a match that doesn't matter.

JW beats Faz 1UP on a course they both don't play well (JW gets 12 strokes, and makes a lot of bogeys).

Chandler beats John 4&2 in a match of the two worst drivers in the league.

Darryl beats Geoff 2UP from the white tees.

Reid beats Gorecki 7&6 from the black tees.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Fazioli Match Play - Sunday, June 19th

If you saw my post about Esplanade, which was up for maybe 5 minutes, please disregard it. I got us a much better deal.

Waterlefe has a Father's Day special which is $13 cheaper than Esplanade, and you get a free voucher to come back later in the year. They can also get us out at 9:25am, a full hour earlier to beat the rain and make it back in time for the US Open coverage.

So that's where we're going.

I'll post the pairings once Darren tells me if he's playing. So... let me know, Baron!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Chandler Classic - Summer 2016 Recap

Absolutely brutal day out there today. Extremely hot, and very wet if you were off the fairway. And... Lansbrook is a tough course in general. I'm not at all surprised there was only one round under par today.

Gary snapped a 29 event streak without a win, shooting -2 (net) and beating Dave who finished at even. Tall Mike and Darren continued their good play, with a 3rd place finish (+1).

Brendan was allegedly defeated by alcohol, and missed the event despite it being held in his backyard.

The season leader board is very interesting, with the top 2 guys missing next week. Darren might also be out, giving the rest of the league a great chance to compact the standings.

As of now we only have 11 people signed up to play, with one guest joining us. Buchert is in if UF loses another game. That leaves Darren and Brendan who need to let me know.

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For everyone else... who is OUT for our 2nd Major (June 26th). Gorecki is allegedly trying to get us on TPC Tampa. Tell me now so we can negotiate a rate (I only have Dave out so far).

Friday, June 10, 2016

2016 Ryder Cup - 3rd Course

Quick recap of our 2016 reservation process:

After looking at a bunch of different options, we settled on two nights and three rounds at Reunion for $325. However, one of those courses will be freshly punched (Palmer). So we're only playing the Watson and Nicklaus course on Saturday, August 13th. Both are excellent courses, and the Nicklaus is seriously one of the hardest courses I've ever played.

So we need a 3rd course for Sunday, August 15th. As long as we kept the cost at $64,  it would match our total budget of $325.

My first choice is the New Course at Grand Cypress. It's extremely unique, because Jack Nicklaus built it to look like St. Andrews. Number 1 and 18 are actually replica holes. Basically zero trees on the property... giant hidden pot bunkers in the fairway... stone walls... large double greens... the works. The course is perfect for our "Ryder Cup" theme.

I finally got them to discuss our event, but could only talk them down to $70 (after tax).

We're over budget by a $6. Start saving a few cents per day so you'll be able to cover the cost.

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Official Golf Rankings for the Ryder Cup will lock after the DPT Championship (our 2nd Major) this season. The current plan is to hold the draft at the Hangover Invitational bar night. Kill two birds with one stone. More on that later.

Monday, June 6, 2016

DPT Open - Summer 2016 Recap

We somehow dodged the rain yesterday, allowing Dave to play an almost perfect round of golf. 14 pars... 4 bogeys... insane considering how difficult Club Renaissance can play. He's in top form, and well deserving of the victory. Too bad he's missing a bunch of upcoming weeks.

Darryl also played very solid, recording his highest finish ever in a league event. He remains the undisputed best Gorecki golfer.

Geoff had another epic Geoff collapse. Later I'll have to go through and recount his best implosions in league history. Regardless, he can still take away that he played well for about 14 holes.

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This week we are booked at Lansbrook, a course we've never played in league play (stroke play era). Tee time is 9:30am, and they do have a range. HOWEVER... the weather looks terrible all week. So I might move the event if that area gets flooded.

A bunch of people are out this week. So far that list includes: Buchert, Faz, Dan, JW, John and Dave. If this isn't correct, tell me now.

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I also need to know who is IN or OUT for Week 5 (June 19th). As of now I've been told the following are OUT: Darren, Troy and Dave. Let me know.

Monday, May 30, 2016

DPT Open - Sunday, June 5th

I'm a bit worried about the current forecast... so we need to get a fairly early tee time to give us the best chance to beat any potential rain (sorry, Brendan).

We're playing at 9:30am at Club Renaissance. It's a difficult course, so a good fit for the Major, and it was in good shape a week ago. Rate will be under $40, or so I'm told.

They do NOT have a driving range on site. If you want to use a range, you can head to Falcon Watch (you pass it driving in) and use theirs. Tell them you have a tee time at Renaissance. Of course, this requires you to get there about an hour early... which many of you won't be able to do anyway. So, just try to not show up 5 minutes before the tee time this week. We'll call that a success.

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I also need to know who is OUT for next week, June 12th. As of now I only have Buchert on that list. Tell me before this weekend.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Sunday Golf

Reid found a voucher for unlimited golf at The Legends Golf & CC outside of Orlando. Reviews are mixed, but the deal comes out to $14 a person.

I booked us a tee time this Sunday at 9am. We need two more people. If you want to spend your day golfing with us, make a comment now. If the course sucks, we won't play 36. Either way... this is how we discover new courses in general... so come join us.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Summer 2016 - Geoff Skins Game Recap

So we almost had another scoring issue today. This time, it was my fault (I think). Tall Mike's handicap on the app was 23, when it should have been 27. Either I entered it in wrong, or it got reset to his index when we were trying to figure out how to change his country flag on the website (spoiler alert, you can't).

Anyway... despite being screwed out of 4 strokes... Tall Mike STILL beat the crap out of everyone today. He's on fire, and won his 3rd tournament in a row. I'm pretty sure his handicap will finally drop on the next revision. But regardless, he's playing great golf lately.

Dave finished 2nd and was the big winner in the skins game. Check out the tournament page for the breakdown.

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We're off next week for Memorial Day. However, tell me now if you're not playing Week 3 on June 5th. The only regulars I have out right now are John and Buchert.

Friday, May 20, 2016

The Worst

Think about the most memorable (good or bad) shots you've personally had in league play. I bet they're all amazing. Now think about the most memorable shots by other people. You can probably only remember the blow-ups. When other people suck at golf, it gives you hope that you aren't the worst.

But we are all, collectively, the worst. And below is a list of your worst rounds to par (gross) in league history. Keep in mind, multiple people had to suffer through watching these turds.

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Steve P. - Summer 2012, DPT Masters (rd 2) - Turtle Run (Sebring) - 61 over par
The gold standard in terrible. Our first ever stroke play season, Steve shoots a max 72 on the back nine. He had 13 max double-pars in all. His net score? 98! Steve played one event with us after this round, shooting a much improved +51 at Southern Hills. Gorecki is the godfather to Steve's kid... so go ahead and connect the dots.

Gorecki - Spring 2016, Jamaican Open - Pebble Creek - 50 over par
It was a tough day for everyone, but Gorecki rode the struggle bus the entire time. After making a par on #2, his dad gave him a shout-out on the leader board, encouraging him to "keep it up." Mike went +46 on the remaining 16 holes. Seven double-pars in total. Zero bogeys or better on the back nine. And yet, he only tied for last (net).

JW - Spring 2015, Faz Match Play - Lexington Oaks - 49 over par
The Dub was actually on a pretty good run in the league, with seven "top 4" finishes in his first 13 tournaments. But this day he had a ton of penalty strokes (mostly OB). Five double-pars, with three 9s... he was +14 on the par 5s alone. Also, being match play, he lost 10&8... the worst result possible. After the turn he went to the parking lot with the intention of going home, but instead bought beer and finished the round. Lately his league results have dramatically improved, with three 2nd place finishes in the last 9 starts.

Darren - Spring 2013, Just the Tips - Pebble Creek - 47 over par
Sure, we played the tips this day, but Pebble Creek's back tees are only 6,400 yards. Darren failed to record a single par, and only had two bogeys on the day. Surprisingly, he didn't even finish last in the tournament. It was also his 2nd ever league event, so he did rebound nicely to go on the most dominant run in league history. Pebble remains one of Darren's worst courses, although he finally broke 90 there last week (on his 5th attempt).

Geoff - Spring 2013, Geoff Skins - Heritage Harbor - 43 over par
Two pars, 5 double-pars... THREE 10s?!? That will raise the score quickly. Just like Darren's worst round (in the same season), Geoff didn't finish last in the event. But he almost bought two pitchers. He also went on to win the Cup in the following spring. Geoff once shot about 130 at El Diablo, but that course shut down and I no longer have the scorecard.

Tall Mike - Spring 2014, Faz Match Play - Plantation Palms - 43 over par
Plantation Palms was a beast of a course, and I'm kinda sad to see it shut down. Mike had 7 double-pars, all on par 4s. Which means he only scored better than an 8 on three of them. But he only lost to Dave 5&4 in his match, thanks to a 28 handicap. Mike has come a long way, and now has a seat at the Champions Dinner.

Big John - Spring 2015, DPT Masters - Cypress Creek  - 43 over par
Cypress Creek destroys everyone. They closed the course for the summer to replace all the greens and allegedly make it easier. I'm looking forward to going back there. John probably isn't. Four double-pars, zero pars, and two pitchers bought after this stinker. Distance isn't everything, as the course is only 5,900 yards. John has only one top 3 finish since this round.

Brendan - Summer 2014, DPT Masters - Waterlefe - 40 over par
You can blame this round on Waterlefe's challenging layout through the Manatee River. Or you can blame his playing partners: Darren who withdrew after some rain and Guest who had about 50 putts on the round (9 on the final two holes). Either way, Brendan was consistently bad throughout, shooting 56-56. It's well past time for Brendan to challenge for a league title. But so far he's had one of the tightest score ranges in our group. And in this case, that's not a good thing.

Reid - Summer 2012, DPT Masters (rd 2) - Turtle Run (Sebring) - 37 over par
Back to our first ever season of stroke play... Reid made his only par on the final hole. The 59 on the front is really the only reason his score was so terrible. And he's much better today, so golfing every week has helped. But Reid should easily have a DPT Cup title by now. Instead, he's just leading the league in children.

Faz - Spring 2013, Tips AND Skins - Pebble Creek & Heritage Harbor - 34 over par
While one of the most skilled players in the league, Faz is also prone to long slumps. Spring 2013 was especially nasty, with 6 of his 10 rounds at gross 95+. In these two rounds combined, Faz only had 3 pars. He also lost to Darren's and Geoff's worst rounds... granted that's due to net scoring. You can safely assume Faz transformed into Mussolini and severely punished his wedges during both of these rounds. It must have worked because he won the Cup the following season.

Gary - Spring 2014, Chandler Classic - Heritage Harbor - 31 over par
His only league round over 100 came on a day when everyone played terribly, mostly due to difficult conditions. The winning scores were net 76! Gary had only two pars on the day, both on par 5s, which is decent for Heritage Harbor. But a 7 on the easy opening hole, followed by an 8 on the easy 2nd hole, set the tone for the day. With both nines in the 50s, he was one shank away from the double pitcher zone. Or, as our league is aptly named... Double Pitcher Territory.

Chandler - Summer 2013, Geoff Skins - Crescent Oaks - 29 over par
The final two holes of this tournament played into 30+ mph wind gusts that seemingly came out of nowhere. Too bad my round blew away long before that, with an opening nine 50. One par and one birdie means I averaged almost a double bogey on the remaining 16 holes. It was the start of a tournament scoring slump that lasted until Summer 2015.

Dave - Spring 2015, DPT Masters - Cypress Creek - 29 over par
It's kind of hard to rip on Dave for this round. It was at a difficult course and he beat two other people (net). But Dave was safely in the points until he just completely imploded on the final three holes, making double-par on all of them. I got to watch him limp across the finish line on 18, and he just looked completely deflated. What is amazing though... this round is 9 strokes higher than his next worse round. If Dave ever plays a full schedule, he's likely to win the title.

Buchert - Spring 2016, Geoff Skins - Heritage Harbor - 28 over par
As one league member remarked after the round: "I've never seen Buchert so drunk on the course." He actually tied this number last week at Pebble Creek. If Buchert's golf game were a stock, you should consider selling it.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Week 2

We're headed down to Stoneybrook for Week 2. 10am tee time... $25.

Last time we were down there, Brendan destroyed the field with a net 56.

We currently do NOT have any spots open. But that will probably change.

Jamaican Open - Summer 2016 Recap

Pebble Creek played as difficult as ever. At least it was dry.

There weren't many pars out there yesterday, with the front 9 playing a full 2.5 strokes harder than the back. Tall Mike continued his Jason Day like dominance, winning his 4th tournament our last 9 events. Troy had a solid first start to his official DPT career. And Reid almost had a really great day, but too many big numbers kept him from taking home his own trophy.

But it was a fun start to the season. I'm still looking into courses for this Sunday (May 22nd). But so far we have in:

Reid
Geoff
Dave
Tall Mike
Brendan
Chan
Faz
Gary
John
JW

If any of that is not correct, let me know ASAP. More details to follow soon.