Calusa Country Club - Preview

Long drive on 12

As everyone except Marcus should know... the schedule says we're off this weekend. But I'm going to go ahead and share the details for our final event of the season on April 6th.

 

It's been awhile since I felt like we got a "deal" somewhere, but we'll be teeing off at 8:48am for $79+.

 

Calusa Country Club opened the final week of January this year. It's probably not on any of your apps or GPS - although I did just get it added to GolfGameBook.

 

The carts have GPS screens with distances to the pin, so definitely rely on those.

 

It plays a LOT like Champions Gate Country Club (another Lennar community), but with more water. There are a handful of lakes/ponds you can't see from the tee, so be sure to check the GPS in the cart!

 

There's basically zero infrastructure out there. Anyone who wants to celebrate Tall Mike's 5th championship will need to hang out down the road (The Greyson by the interstate is decent).

 

Other notes:

• The retention ditch down the left side of the 5th hole is all OB. Everything is clearly marked... but you've been warned. Don't hit it up the left side.
• There's a lot of doglegs where you hit over water. There are no drop zones. If your ball doesn't clear the water... you'll more than likely need to re-tee.
• Fairways and greens are firm. Back nine is a little shaggier than front, as it was probably completed most recent. 

Below is the scorecard. While the base tees will be III... I highly recommend anyone who thinks they're a longer hitter to play the II tees. There's a lot of holes out there that don't require driver, so you might as well get the strokes.

Get your RSVPs up to date. We have one open spot currently. JW, Crum, Danny and Dan (the only four not in) aren't eligible to play as official participants. But they can fill the spot as a guest.

Jamaican Open - Spring 2025 Recap

A wonderful day on the course yesterday for the 26th edition of the Jamaican Open. The weather was perfect. The conditions at Huntington Hills were decent. The value was solid. And the first group somehow played in 3:49.

 

Holes 2 through 4 wrecked some mornings, as expected. I'm a little surprised the 5th hole only stung a few people — mainly Brendan who mentally ejected. The rest of the course played fairly easy, with sporadic blow-ups on the back nine.

Gorecki apparently had his game dialed in, stringing together a bunch of pars after the turn. He should have won this event outright by a lot, but he tried to choke it away going +5 (gross) on 16 and 17. Amazingly, he made a par on the final hole, knowing he needed it to be the clubhouse leader.

John was in the group behind, also faltering down the stretch. But with people watching on the final hole, and Dave's hot swing tips circling in his brain, John drained a 40-foot birdie putt to tie Gorecki for the victory. This was John's first win in over two years, as he's been severely struggling with his new domesticated life.

 

Chandler did all he could to finally get a win this season, but came up one stroke short despite setting a new course record of 76 (gross). Regardless of where he finishes in the standings, this will be one of the most underrated seasons in Club history, with six top-3 finishes, and three events only one stroke out of the winner's circle. 

And just three weeks after posting a career best (84 gross) and winning by 5 strokes... Geoff tied his career best to lose by three! And somehow his handicap is scheduled to increase next revision!

 

------------------------

 

Only three guys are mathematically in the running for the Cup. And there are a ton of ways this could go. The most likely scenario... Tall Mike grinds his way to a 5th title.

But more on that later. We're off next weekend for a make-up week we don't need.

Then we're hopefully playing the brand new Calusa Country Club in Lakewood Ranch. The course opened in the last week of January and is pretty cool... so you'll want to check it out. How often do we get to see brand new courses?

Anyway, make sure your RSVP is up to date. I won't know the exact time or price until 8 days out. But expect a start between 9am and 10am. And rate to be around $125.

Jamaican Open - Spring 2025 Preview

8:30am this Sunday at Huntington Hills. We've only been there once in official league play - 5 years ago - and it played very difficult at 6 strokes median net to par. It reminds me of a mix of Cypress Creek and Lexington Oaks. A handful of really easy holes... but a lot of target golf.

It's under new management, and they're making slow "improvements." But apparently not the low-hanging fruit that would make this course a lot better. Like the 7 minute tee time intervals which immediately jam up the course as holes 2 through 7 are some of the most difficult.

 

But whatever. The greens are decent. And fairways/rough are about what we see everywhere this time of year.

 

Here's a few quirks to know:

 

- Hole #3 - There's a drop zone on the other side of the lake on #3. You can use it if your approach (ie: 2nd shot or later) goes into the hazard. But if your tee shot goes into the hazard you need to drop before the hazard, per our local tournament rule. It's also been recently re-sodded and there are signs everywhere saying "keep off." For this event, ignore the signs, as it's clear other people have been doing the same and the only other place to drop is next to the cart path in shit grass.

- Hole #4 - There's allegedly a drop zone on the other side of the same lake on #4. I have no idea where it is... perhaps far right of the green. In any case, if you go in the lake then go across to the other side and look for it. If you don't find it, drop close to the edge of the lake and hit your 3rd shot.

 

- Hole #8 - Drive-able green for some of you people. But it's completely blind. Please send someone to the middle of the fairway to alert you green in clear before topping it off the tee box. Or text the group ahead of you to let you hit up.

- Hole #17 - Same as #8. If you're actually going to attempt to drive the green, text someone ahead of you to wave you up... or wait for them to get to their carts.

 

There is a driving range.

 

See you Sunday.

 

The Hangover - Spring 2025 Recap

"The Others" hosted us at O'Brien's on Saturday night, for an evening of cheap beers and weird people watching. Over half the field showed up and were entered into the Hangover side-pot. There was lots of good discussion about the state of the game, courses we should visit, and the upcoming reduction of our membership. When other Clubs are desperately trying to grow, we lean into streamlining and efficiency!

 

Unfortunately, as you can see from the photo below, we got a lot of work to do and need more GLP-1 meds if we are going to properly thin the herd:

 

Not pictured: Chandler and Gary, who are already streamlined.

The golf on Sunday was also good — except for the pace of 4:35 by the members somewhere in front of us. It felt excruciatingly slow. Unlike the greens which were excruciatingly fast downhill. Putting seemed to be the biggest challenge. In any case, Big Cypress continues to deliver the best value in our rota.

 

Mike Ho played the tips - and shot a very impressive 78 with nothing worse than a bogey. He picked up his 6th victory, and first in two years. And thanks to the Hangover pot, his winner's share was almost that of a full-field Major.

 

Chandler (c'est moi!) had another epic collapse (aka: choke) on the final two holes, but was able to hold off Reid for the 2nd place Hangover cash. He's finished in the top-4 in six of our seven events so far this season.

 

Reid carded one too many double-bogeys, while Moostie struggled keeping the driver on the planet. John co-led at the turn, but imploded with a +14 (gross) on the final five holes! In an effort to avoid reflecting on his own swing issues, Gary has officially taken up the case that Gorecki (and only Gorecki) should be allowed to play tees under 5,500 yards. Gorecki ended the day with one par, which was one more than Geoff. And Topor maxed out his potential with four max scores.

 

----------------------------

 

Moostie, Casey, and Chandler are still separating themselves from the pack in our standings, but twelve guys are mathematically eligible to win the Cup. We have another difficult course in two weeks at Huntington Hills.

 

More on this later, as we're off for "Spring Break." We'll be back on March 23rd at 8:30am!

 

See you then.

The Hangover - Spring 2025 Preview

Updates:

 

- Decided to change long drive to #17 (still not a great option)

 

On #14 there is an unmarked drop zone short and left of the green. But the tees might be on the street running up the right side. So if you choose to use the drop zone... you need to drive all the way around the green to get to it.

 

 -----------------------------

 

Tee time is 11am Sunday at Big Cypress (South). Everyone is on GREEN tees unless you want to move to the tips.

 

Notes:

- There should be a drop zone near the green on #15 if you go into the lake.

- OB is very tight to the right of #4 and left of #8.

- Long drive on #17

 

Looking at the Strokes Gained:Net data... and comparing to who is playing well at the moment... here are some predictions:

• Dave wins
• Tall Mike and Reid finish top 6
• Casey gets inconsequential points
• Gorecki bails before the event

 

See you Sunday.

The Championship - Spring 2025 Recap

Rumors of Geoff's demise were greatly exaggerated. After winning back-to-back season titles, it looked like he was in for a reset. Instead, he shot his personal best ever gross score (84) to win his 5th event in his last 17 attempts. Geoff was +6 (gross) after four holes... and then proceeded to shoot +6 (gross) over the next 14.

 

Casey and Tall Mike had a revival of their own, shooting +2 and +3 (gross) respectively on the final seven holes. Moostie now sits atop the Standings, looking for his 5th season title. Casey won his only Cup back in Summer of 2017, so he's itching to get a new Stanley Tumbler... or whatever those things are called.

 

The rest of us weren't very good.

 

-------------------------

 

I'm sure by now you've all seen the promotional materials from the "Other Brigade" - who after a lot of well-thought-out deliberation, selected O'Brien's for the Hangover bar this Saturday.

 

15435 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618

 

This will be the O'Brien's 3rd time hosting our season party. Anyone who makes an appearance will be eligible to win the Hangover Pot, which at the moment is $90 split 70/30 between the top two finishers.

 

I'm assuming people will show up around 8pm?

 

-------------------------

 

Golf Sunday is at Big Cypress (South) at 11am. While all the hangovers will be gone by then, it is the earliest they'll let us out due to member play. Rate should be $65+

 

Update your RSVPs if you can't make it. I'll post the scorecard later this week.

 

And don't forget we lose an hour of sleep Sunday.

FBGC Championship - Spring 2025 - Preview

Headed back up to Lake Jovita for our 2nd Major this Sunday. We'll be on the North course for an early 8am shotgun start. Be sure to check what tee you start on.

 

Also... twice this season we've almost had groups tee off without a player who was running late. Remember, you get the max score for every hole you miss.

 

I always find it funny when people are running late and calling/texting Dear Leader, especially when they aren't in his group. Not only can he not help you, he doesn't want to help you. He wants you to get max scores, lose the event, and purchase pitchers.

 

--------------------------

 

Everyone is on WHITE as usual unless you tell me you're moving back. The 55/25 guys can play White/Green combos. I moved up the usual suspects, but a couple of you who are aging better can also join them if desired. 

I've been playing with ways to show performance metrics, over time and by individual course. Still not sold on what to use... and definitely not sold on it being worth the effort... but here's Lake Jovita North's "Total Strokes Gained: Net" in our five outings (players in Sundays field only):

 

This should give you an idea of who to bet on. And more importantly... who not to bet on.

 

Long drive on #8 since people bitched about doing it on #1 last time. 

 

See you Sunday.

Match Play - Spring 2025 Recap

Tall Mike continues his quest for what would be a record-setting 5th season title, winning for the 2nd time this season at a very difficult Temple Terrace course. His 5-hole stretch of even-par (gross) — on holes 6 through 10 — vaulted him up the leader board after a shaky start.

 

Adam tied Moostie, picking up his 6th ever victory thanks to an impressive 41 (gross) on the front. Only Dave was better (37). Adam has jumped from the cellar to Group B territory, and can hopefully make a run at a title, assuming he maintains eligibility for the Final Event. He needs to play in two of the next three tournaments... or be within 600 points of the overall leader... to make it to Calusa Country Club.

 

Speaking of... your overall leader is still the Dearest of Leaders... without a victory.

 

------------------------

 

Temple Terrace has so much potential. However...

 

It's not "worth*" $95+... the greens weren't rolling smooth... most of the greens are too small, as discussed back in 2018 with historical images that are unfortunately not active anymore... it's rated way too easy**... there are still too many trees on the side of fairways... the bunkers weren't great (and they should remove some of them).

 

*I don't think we fully understand what golf is "worth" at the moment 

**TT is tied with Bloomingdale as the 6th most difficult course in our history (out of 82 courses)

But almost every landing spot is 100-150 yards wide from OB to OB. The most recent hurricanes have helped a lot with trees, especially on the back nine. Most of the claustrophobic feeling off the tee is visual. There was actually grass on the fairways this year. The greens — aside from their bumpiness — were receptive and the speed/slopes were a great challenge.

 

The 16th hole is really the only kick in the dick out there. Maybe also the 17th. Both would be drastically improved with bigger greens and some tree trimming. 

We've now played there four times since 2018. Let's look at the four-round Best Ball performance by Gary — who always finishes middle of the pack — and John — who is prone to shank his way to DFL:

 

 Not a lot of birdies... but proof even these guys can figure it out.

 

Anyway, we'll continue to monitor TT's growth with their influx of cash. But we probably won't go back until Casey is on the verge of winning another season.

 

--------------------------------------

 

Next week's Major is at Lake Jovita (North). It's an 8am shotgun. Pairings are posted, but we're one bail away from dropping a tee time. Not that we want to drop a tee time... but if you know your wife isn't going to allow you to golf, go ahead and bail sooner than later.

 

They've also jacked our rates up from $80 to $100... even though we just played there in late January for the lower price. Fun times.

 

See you Sunday.

Match Play - Spring 2025 Preview

Notes:

- Long drive on #13 - straight away par 4 (all the 5s are doglegs)

- All public roads are OB.

- Curbs are considered OB

- Balls that cross a road are OB - even if ball ends up in another part of the course

- Free drops are mandatory off practice greens (9th hole) and allowed from practice bunkers (9th hole), and practice tees (9 and 10)

- Flower beds and roped trees are ground under repair (free drop)  

 

 

10am tee time at Temple Terrace this Sunday.

 

Pairings are set, in order of current standings. Ride with your opponent. Regular stroke-play tournament is going on at the same time... with the Match Play portion at 80% handicap allowance.

 

Use whatever hole-by-hole handicaps are on the physical scorecard. Don't trust what I have on the blog is accurate. Here's the most recent scorecard I have:

 

 

Everyone is on WHITE tees... although I preemptively moved Melberg and Ho back to Blues. Let me know if that's not right, or if anyone else wants to move.

 

The pro tells me the greens are "the best shape they've ever been." Unfortunately, I can't afford their rack rate to go verify. Remember there is NO range at Temple Terrace.

We've officially played here 3 times, with higher handicaps winning:

 

2018 - Faz (14 handicap)

2019 - Danny (32 handicap!!)

2024 -  Topor (24 handicap)

 

-----------------------------------------

Match-Ups (w/ Strokes):

 

Chandler vs. Casey (2) - Casey leads series 2-1

Marcus vs. Troy (1) - Marcus' first ever Match Play event

 

Moostie vs. Gorecki (10) - Series tied 1-1

Faz vs. John (7) - First time ever playing each other

 

Reid (8) vs. Melberg - Reid leads 1-0

Ho vs. Gary (8) - First time ever playing each other

 

Geoff (3) vs. Buchert - Buchert leads series 1-0

Brendan vs. Adam -  Brendan leads series 1-0

 

Topor (16) vs. Dave - First time ever playing each other

Dave [ghost] vs. JW (11) -  Doesn't count for or against Dave

 

See you Sunday.

The Concussion - Spring 2025 Recap

Nice day out at The Groves for this season's iteration of The Concussion. The consensus of those who hung out afterwards say they like it better than Big Cypress (North)... which is interesting because everyone was praising Big Cypress last season.

I'm hoping to to book us at Countryway next season (although it's apparently not in the USGA/GHIN database at the moment).

Anyway, Gorecki stood on the 18th teebox with a big lead at -4 (net). The 18th was rightfully changed to a par-5 a few years ago, allowing a couple of lay-ups to still produce a "par." 

 

It's short enough that you can cut the corner and get home in two with a short iron.

But Gorecki had no interest in any of that. After choosing the first lay-up option... he pulled the rip-cord and ejected off the course — finishing with a BIPSIC max 10. Because he got two pops on the hole, the 10 became an 8, and he shuffled to the clubhouse at -1 (net).

 

Shotlink data provided by Casey

 

Only Chandler could catch him with a par on the final hole, but he predictably choked it away with a bogey from 100 yards out. And it should have been way worse.

This is Gorecki's 2nd time winning The Concussion — the previous coming in 2016! He's now on a 3 calendar-year streak of winning a tournament.

------------------------

The Groves produces a lot of birdies, as we had 24 and 1 eagle. To me, that's the definition of fun golf.

We're off next week for a make-up we don't need. Then we're playing Match Play at the less fun Temple Terrace (10am). Not that it's a bad track by any means... but it's a grind... rated the 8th most difficult course in our Club's history.

Which is good because the owed pitcher list is down to only two!

The pro told me the greens are "the best they've ever been."

From here on we're going out in order of standings, so those of you at the bottom of the list — and behind Gorecki & Tall Mike — have only yourselves to blame.

See you in a couple of weeks.

The Concussion - Spring 2025 Preview

8:30am this Sunday at The Groves.

Long drive on #16 (par 4). Right side of this hole doesn't look like OB... but it is.

I couldn't get the guy to tell me exactly what we will be charged. Rate is "somewhere between $40 and $45." So if it's much higher than that... tell them Jason said we had a group rate.

There is a range at the course.

 

Everyone is on the tips.

See you then.

The Open - Spring 2025 Recap

Rookie Marcus won his first ever event — and Major — with a solid -2 (net) at Glen Lakes. Ending the round with 3 pars was clutch, as I assume he knew he was in contention.

If he didn't know... then shame on his playing partners for not telling him every step of the way!

 

Super impressive by John to somehow put the wheels back on, finishing solo 3rd with a 50-41 (gross). The exact opposite happened to Reid, who was leading (by a lot) most of the day... carding 39-49 for solo 4th.

Anyway, it was a weird day out on the course. The weather was cooler and more overcast than expected... and somehow also pretty humid. The lack of wind made it extremely scoreable — if you could avoid the blow-ups that lurk around every corner.

As JW said... the course has some sneaky OB, but it never feels claustrophobic.

Today was one of the biggest standard deviation of hole-by-hole scores I've ever seen. We recorded 16 birdies.. but also 9 max scores. Only two players — Chandler and Casey — finished without a triple bogey (or worse). 

It's a good test of golf. Conditions were solid. It would be cool if GL was closer. It would be even cooler if we could go out before noon. But for $65 it's gotta be one of the best value options out there.

----------------------------------

We're playing early this upcoming Super Bowl Sunday. Tee time is 8:30am at the Groves.

It's our last week of randomized pairings, so I'll try to do that in front of witnesses again (we had 2 Member witnesses this week) to quell all the conspiracy theorists.

Whatever group you fall into, it should be a very quick day. You might even get home before your wife's boyfriend departs!

Spring 2025 - The Open Scorecard

Here's a scorecard from Glen Lakes. Let me know if you want to move back from the WHITE tees.

Also, here's the primer post I did last time we played there. It has some tips on a few holes... especially about the hidden OB right on #17.

Keep updating those RSVPs if your status has changed.

Long drive on #9

Playing the Wrong Ball

The USGA rule for playing a wrong ball is a 2-stroke penalty, and you must go back and "correct the mistake." 

If you don't correct the mistake before playing another hole or turning in your scorecard (if it happens on the final hole), then you are disqualified. (It's just loss of hole in Match Play)

A Complicated Example:

• Geoff tees off on a par 4, and hits his Nitro Crossfire #1 ball near OB.
• Geoff hits a provisional down the middle of the fairway.
• He looks for his ball, and within 3 minutes finds an identical ball to his in-bounds, somewhat in a bush but playable.
• Geoff punches that ball into the fairway, laying 2. He picks up his provisional ball.
• He then goes to what he thinks is his ball in the fairway to play his approach, but now notices that the ball - despite being a Nitro Crossfire #1 - it has a stamp on it that says "Lanky Louie."
• Geoff realizes that he is not "Lanky Louie," and that he played the wrong ball.
• Geoff has to go back to where he thinks he lost his ball, which is now deemed OB. He would then be required to play stroke-and-distance... he technically already did this with the provisional... but unfortunately he picked up the provisional!

I'm sure we would tell him to re-drop the provisional about where he picked it up. He'd be laying 5, hitting 6:  1- OB, 2- on the tee, 3- provisional to fairway, 4&5 - two stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball.

In the real world, he'd probably get another 2 strokes for picking up the provisional after he played the wrong ball, even though he was unaware of his mistake!

---------------------------------

All this to say Tall Mike was given a 2-stroke penalty yesterday for playing the wrong ball that was in the same area as his ball. The group was fine with it... they just didn't know how many strokes to give him.

Some of us have been yelling about this for years... but you people should be marking your balls with sharpies. Take one from your personal Sharpie Sniffing Stash, and put it in your bag. They even sell cool stamps and stencils like this one.

Get creative, and never hit the wrong ball again!

Our "New" Lost Ball Rule Explained

I think most of our confusion centers around a "Provisional" ball being allowed, and how it relates to your allotted 3-minute hunt (or 5+ minutes for some of you cheaters and slow players).

The FBGC rule I transcribed says:

8.4) You have 3 minutes to search for a lost ball. Once that limit is reached, you must drop a ball (with penalty) and continue play. Any ball found after the drop must be ignored.

 

I did NOT mention anything about a "provisional." I did say in the supplemental post announcing the new rule: "With a 4-1 vote, lost balls not near OB will be handled like the USGA intended (Faz voted against)."

 

One mistake I made was the following sentence: "Once that ball is dropped, that's your ball. It does not matter if you find your original ball - with the only exception of finding your original ball in the hole."

 

I believe this to contradict what the USGA intends, because it ignores the allowed use of provisionals.

-----------------------------------------

 

One issue is we don't consider "lost" balls to be stroke-and-distance penalties (the same as OB). So if you want to nit-pick and quote the USGA exactly, you've already lost the plot. Instead, we have to see how their rules blend with ours. I'll attempt to do so from their Provisional Ball section (18.3):

• If your ball might be lost or out of bounds, to save time you may play another ball provisionally under penalty. 
•  Before the stroke is made, you must announce that you are going to play a provisional ball. You must use the word “provisional” or otherwise clearly indicate that you are playing the ball provisionally under Rule 18.3. 
• You may continue to play the provisional ball without it losing its status as a provisional ball so long as it is played from a spot that is the same distance or farther from the hole than where your original ball is estimated to be.
• Your provisional ball becomes your ball in play - with penalty - in either of these two cases:
• When your original ball is deemed to be lost or out of bounds (after a 3 minute search).
  
• When your provisional ball is played from a spot nearer to the hole than where your original ball is estimated to be.  
• Your provisional ball must be abandoned if:
• Your original ball is found on the course outside a penalty area before the end of the three minute search time. 
• Your original ball is found in a penalty area or is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area. You must either play your original ball as it lies or take penalty relief. 
  

-----------------------------------------

 

A couple of key points to make:

• You only get 3 minutes to hunt for a ball. To save time, you can announce a provisional before you hunt.
• Does that mean you can hunt for 1.5 minutes, hit a provisional, and then hunt for another 1.5 minutes?
• According to the USGA - no. 
• I don't know how we want to handle this. A member literally told me today he didn't know how long 3-minutes is without using a stopwatch.
  

 -----------------------------------------

The USGA is even more strict on the matter. They do NOT let you hit a provisional ball if your ball is in a hazard. And it gets messy - like for this Korn Ferry guy who was DQd in 2023.

There's TONS of Reddit debates on the topic, and most of the arguments are around "virtually knowing" your ball is in a hazard.

They mention provisionals to save time, but they don't let you use them if you hit it near a penalty area. Only if a ball is lost away from a hazard, and even then you have 3 minutes to conduct a search after you hit the provisional.

 -----------------------------------------

The Board took a stab at writing a rule that can be enforced.

"Common Sense" isn't a rule. "It's bullshit if I find my ball 50 yards ahead" isn't a rule.

Feel free to make a better attempt in the comments for future Boards to consider. In the meantime, keep in mind you CAN hit a provisional before you hunt. But once that 3 minutes is up... the provisional (with penalty) is in play.