Holiday golf marathon

[Bravo]

My wife's sister and her husband are coming into town for the upcoming holiday weekend arriving on Saturday night.

I get to play four straight days....each morning, Saturday through Tuesday. Saturday morning with my regular group, Sunday morning with my BIL and a friend at my club, Monday morning with my BIL, cousin (architect) and his partner, and Tuesday just my BIL and me.

We play Ballantrae on Monday and the Robert Trent Jones course on Tuesday....

http://www.ballantraegolf.com/ - $44

http://www.rtjgolf.com/courses/oxmoo...ey/ridge13.htm - $38

[Pa Jayhawk]

I too have set up 4 tee times for Saturday through Tuesday, and am currently contemplating tomorrow to test out my new hybrids so as not to go into the weekend blind not knowing how far they will go. Fortunately after today, and all of the sun, most of the courses should be open, although our Saturday round is still in question. They were closed today and planning on opening 9 tomorrow, and think 18 will be open by Saturday. I did have to set up for the same course on Monday and Tuesday because the course we planned on for Monday will probably be closed for quite some time, as they are still under water.

[Massimo]

I have to get up to RTJ Highland Oaks in Dothan, AL again. I havent been there in years. A few people I met up with at another course in Dothan said that Highland Oaks was going thru a tough time in March. Either they got a new owner or new golf course mgmt/superintendant, but the course was in real bad shape and they had gone up in prices. The guys had told us that the grass was almost gone around the pitch areas around the greens, the tee boxs were almost all dirt/sand, and the greens were starting to develop fungus areas where the grass was disappearing. They had went on a beautiful Saturday and there were only like 8 cars in the parking lot, when you can barely park there on any weekend thru the year. Weird for a great course...

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Massimo

I have to get up to RTJ Highland Oaks in Dothan, AL again. I havent been there in years. A few people I met up with at another course in Dothan said that Highland Oaks was going thru a tough time in March. Either they got a new owner or new golf course mgmt/superintendant, but the course was in real bad shape and they had gone up in prices. The guys had told us that the grass was almost gone around the pitch areas around the greens, the tee boxs were almost all dirt/sand, and the greens were starting to develop fungus areas where the grass was disappearing. They had went on a beautiful Saturday and there were only like 8 cars in the parking lot, when you can barely park there on any weekend thru the year. Weird for a great course...

The courses are now of an age where they are ready in many cases for a 'makeover'. Bentgrass greens must be rebuilt from the sub-surface about two feet down - all the way up to the surface itself - about every 10-15 years, depending on weather and wear. This requires getting a front end loader and essentially tearing the green down to its subsurface drains and reconstructing it. From a money standpoint, it is like building brand new greens. If this is not done, the green will become hopelessly compacted, will not drain properly and the surface will die or never really be healthy. The green Must drain properly.


At Oxmoor Valley here, the Ridge Course and Valley course were opened in 1992 - so they are about 13-14 years old now. The Ridge was closed for four months earlier this year for green renovation and reconstruction. It is now reopned and the Valley Course is closed for same. In addition to green rebuilds, they are also doing drainage projects and tee work that can only be accomplished when the courses are completely closed. Oftentimes, drainage is not fully understood until a course has been opened for several years and the superintendent can see the affect of severe rain or drought under the worst conditions. At that point they can perform design changes in reaction. Because of all of the hurricanes/tropical storms we have had in the past ten years, I am sure they know much more now about how each course drains than they did when the courses were first opened.

It is my understanding that this is occurring all over the Trail as the original courses from 1992 go into the beauty shop for their makeovers...maybe you can call the one in Dothan and ask about that....

[Bama Duffer]

I'm set for Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, both on the RTJ Legislator course. (http://www.rtjgolf.com/courses/capit...egislator4.htm). Saturday is with the wife and another couple and Sunday is with some work colleagues.

Taking Monday off and may try to play every hole (54) on the RTJ course here.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Bama Duffer

I'm set for Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, both on the RTJ Legislator course. (http://www.rtjgolf.com/courses/capit...egislator4.htm). Saturday is with the wife and another couple and Sunday is with some work colleagues.

Taking Monday off and may try to play every hole (54) on the RTJ course here.

Have fun...that is the best complex in the state...

[Bravo]

Played my first round of the holiday this morning. Shot a 79 with three birdies and three double bogies.

Our golf courses are burning up. We havent had measurable rain in two months.

[Slingblade61]

We havent had measurable rain in two months.

That's because we took it!

Connecticut has had 6 months worth of rain (9.5 inches) in two.

[Bravo]

My Brother-in-law Ed, and I have never played golf together. Early on Sunday morning (7am) we went up to my club to play. We had one other player with us.

He tees off last, aims left and hits the ball about 160 yards with a fade/slice. He has a terrible grip and set up. I am thinking "this is gonna be a long, long golf weekend".

He hits his next shot and is about 40 yards short of the green. In the meantime, I have hit driver and 9 iron and sitting comfortably on in regulation with about a 20 foot putt.

I see him get out of the cart with about five clubs including his putter. He goes out into the fairway and starts studying his shot. He picks out a club and hits a low runner to about 12 feet. He two putts for bogey.

Next hole is a par 5. His tee shot is about the same and I begin to conclude that this is his maximum range. He reaches the green in 4 and two putts for another bogey.
In the meantime, I am playing with another guy who hits it pretty far and we are on the green in regulation and have routine pars.

Well, over the round his drives got a bit better and he maxed out at about 180 yards. He would get himself close to the green (short in regulation) and then select this variety of uncanny shots to get it close. Our course has very very tricky greens with lots of multiple levels and undulations. I frequently see good players who are guests who really get frustrated at how hard they are to read and putt properly. No problem for Ed...he is a chipping and putting machine.

We finish up and I have a stellar 77 and he cards a 95. We never, ever have to wait on him as he rarely hit it out of the fairway and always took about 5 clubs with him including his putter as we got to within 50 yards of the green. I drive the cart up while he is eyeballing his chip situation like a surgeon. By the time I get out of the cart next to the green, he has chipped squarely on and is walking up to the putting surface.

The next day, we play a nice public course - Ballantrae with my cousin and his partner. They can blast it well by him...but don't have the control or short game he has. I shoot a 79, my cousin has an 89, his partner has a 95 and Ed cards a smooth 90. The whole time everyone is blowing it by him and he doesn't give a hoot.

And yesterday, we played the Ridge Course at the Robert Trent Jones complex here. This is a brutal course with shedloads of deep ravines and blind shot after blind shot. I have played it twice before and it ripped me apart. I play it about as well as I can (tee to green) and shoot an 82 - with terrible putting. He comes in with a 92.

I am about golfed out after four straight days, but if I ever needed a reminder about the Short Game - I got it this weekend. This guy could hardly hit it out of his shadow but was a ton of fun to play with. We averaged about 4:10 per round and never waited on him...

[ManchesterGolfer]

If I'm lucky enough to get a day off work and manage to join the vetrans roll up they all play this way. 170 yards off the tee upto 160 yards off the fairway and chip and putt like demons. Some of the old boys are still in single digit handicaps. Lesson to us all I think.

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Massimo

I have to get up to RTJ Highland Oaks in Dothan, AL again....

That's awesome! My brother used to be stationed in Dothan, so I got to play there once when we were visiting him, I loved it!

As far as the weekend, Sat. and Sun. were tournament for me, took Monday off, and played on Tuesday. Tried to today, but we got about 2 inches of rain last night.

[VtDivot]

77-79-82

Nice weekend B. I'll take that in a second - especially the way I'm hitting it now

[SiberianDVM]

Second the short game. I didn't practice the short game at all last week: BIG MISTAKE!!

I drove and hit long hybrids like a single digit handicapper yesterday, but chili dipped 40 yarders and 3 putted a lot. Shot a 87, 91, and 93.

[Bama Duffer]

I managed to get my 54 holes in, but I didn't do as well as you, Bravo. I always complain about my lack of consistency, but maybe I'm complaining about the wrong thing. I shot 95, 97 and 95. Consistent, but not good.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Bama Duffer

I managed to get my 54 holes in, but I didn't do as well as you, Bravo. I always complain about my lack of consistency, but maybe I'm complaining about the wrong thing. I shot 95, 97 and 95. Consistent, but not good.

All the same, let's get together and play sometime. I have never played in Montgomery and really want to. I will bring my Trail card and we can tee it up.