April at The Ridge was unbelievable! The
course was still a mess from all the rain. On one hole, while walking in the
“fairway”, Bud almost lost his shoes in the mud. A couple of the holes had NO
fairway at all. The groundskeepers were unable to get the mowers out there so
the grass was still growing. The 16th hole in particular was awful –
there hadn’t even been ANY attempt to mow it.
For anybody feeling as though we paid too much to play there in those
conditions (there was a bit of grumbling), we did play at a discount that had
been set up earlier. The course was scheduled to aerate right before our
tournament. I did a quick poll after the tournament – out of the 17 people
questioned there were at least 63 golf balls lost!
May tournament will be on the 11th at
Turkey Creek. If you haven’t sent in your money yet – please do so as
soon as possible. The format is Low Net. This tourney will
be an NCGA qualifier for the Associate Club Net Amateur Championship. Our
club is eligible to send 3 players and will pay the sectional qualifying fee.
All members with an established handicap are eligible, men- maximum index
of 36.4 and women-maximum index of 40.4. The three lowest net scores will
be selected regardless of handicap-no flights; more information is
available at www.ncga.org.
From my Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook for
Golfers Calendar
How to play a ball out of a Water Trap:
1. Determine what is under your ball. Swinging into a hard surface can damage your hands or wrists.
2. Take off your shoes and socks if you must step into the water. Wear a raincoat and prepare to get wet.
3. Hold the club firmly. Because the club will be moving through something with a high resistance—water—the club head will twist if you do not maintain a good, firm grip.
4. Open the club head slightly. The club head will naturally close as it moves through the water. Let the club and force of the water do the work.
5. Aim behind the ball. Hit the water approximately one ball length behind the ball.
6. Swing down and through the ball hard. The force of the water behind the ball will carry the ball, not the club face itself.
Talking about hitting out of water…from Astonishing but True Golf Facts:
In 1975, Owen E. Cummings was playing the par-5 7th hole at a course in Fortville, Indiana. His second shot landed in 4 inches of water behind a stone wall. Cummings took a vicious swing and topped the ball. It ricocheted off the wall and bounded into the cup for an eagle 3. The shot won him the hole but cost him the match. When he swung, the club head struck the wall, flew off and smacked Cummings in the face. He was carried off the course unconscious and unable to finish.
It’s BIRTHDAY time again! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:
5/5 - Wes Gill 5/8 – Brad Purcell
5/10 - Joan Iljana 5/23 – Mark Gamba
5/30 – Rich Cowles & Margie Randolph