We left because we felt the need to repurpose our financial resources. In normalspeak, that means we were spending too much at the club for the amount we used it. We have other things to save for, with college looming on the horizon.

But we still want to play, and we want our son to be able to play. For myself, I’m trying to play more regularly so that the little skill I have doesn’t have to be rebooted quite so substantially every time I tee it up with people watching.

So I am once again a public course golfer. Fortunately, we have in Orlando a real winner of an in-city course, Dubsdread in the Edgewater neighborhood, just west of downtown. The 89-year-old track is in good shape for essentially being operated like a municipal course. It has some interesting holes, and it’s not costly. Best of all, I can walk. I was never a fan of motorized carts. So when I play, I take a pull cart for my clubs and hoof it for the entire 18 holes, three and a half hours on my feet. (Most public courses in Florida insist that players use a motorized cart; that allows them to increase prices and generate more revenue. And in the midday heat in July, it’s almost necessary. I get around this by playing early on hot days.)

One of the advantages of private club life is that you know pretty much everyone and they know you. They’re there to play, and they keep up the pace. They dress well and they behave well (usually). On a public course, though, you never know what you’ll get. Slow, overly talky, making noise in your backswing, drunk and belligerent…you take a risk.

But just as often, you get a nice surprise. I hit the daily double in a recent round.

Sonja, who looked to be just past high school age, walked onto the putting green with her friend Katherine on the bag — and her father. I resumed practice putting and thought, “Oh jeez. Great. This guy is a scholarship hound, and he’s going to be stopping all over the course and giving her lessons, and berating her about bad shots. And she brought a caddie? To a muni? Seriously?” I prepared an extra helping of patience and put it in my mental oven to bake.

The starter introduced us. Well, they all seemed nice enough. We were playing different tees, so we didn’t get to talk much. But Sonja, her dad, and Katherine never did anything annoying. Instead, they chatted quietly when appropriate, perhaps discussing tee-ball strategy: “On this hole, maybe better to come in from the left?” That sort of thing. No egos. No tension. No taking anything or anyone too seriously.

Sonja could play, too. She had a quick move, like Nick Price. Drove the ball pretty well, and hit some great iron shots. When we were finally in the same place for a minute, I asked if she was getting ready for a tournament. She grinned and shrugged. I suggested she check out the Women’s Amateur qualifier dates. She already had a caddie, after all. Sonja’s Dad and Katherine smiled with pleasure.

We got around quickly. They endured my game, and when they left after nine holes, we all shook hands and smiled. I needed a couple emergency sleeves of balls (I butchered a few holes in the middle of the front nine), and when I got back out to the 10th tee, a pair of guys asked to join me. I wanted to speed around the back myself. But public course etiquette demands otherwise. I said certainly they could join.

Gary and J.T. were past 70. They played off-brand clubs, probably the same sets for 20 years, and their economic circumstances did not appear to promote high golf fashion. They began with apologies.

“We’re gonna tee off up there,” Gary said. “We’re short knockers.”

“Well, so am I,” I said from my perch on the back tees (oh be quiet; it’s only 6,100 yards total from the tips). “I’m just not very smart.” So we started the half-round with a shared laugh. That helped.

They were indeed short hitters, but they knew how to make good contact. These guys hit some nice shots. They kept up, they played promptly when it was their turn, and they didn’t drive their cart where they weren’t supposed to. Gary was a little on the chatty side, but I had some leftover patience from the supply I didn’t need to use on the front.

We stood on the 12th tee, a par 3, waiting for the green to clear. Gary was telling a story.

“You gents from around here?” I said.

“J.T.’s from Maryland,” Gary said. “I’m from western Pennsylvania.”

“Heard it in your voice,” I said, smiling. I grew up in Pittsburgh, I told him. Then it was off to the races, with between-shot chats about Pirate and Steeler greats of yesteryear, meeting Franco Harris in the Giant Eagle one day, the Penguins in the NHL playoffs, and how everyone not from Pittsburgh (J.T. excepted) risks being a jag-off.

I ordinarily don’t like to talk much during a round. But these guys were great. Instant pals; just add golf. I faltered on the last two holes — just plain tired — but we all smiled and played on and had a great time. At the end of it, hats off, handshakes, thanks, best wishes.

I may see Sonja, her Dad, Katherine, J.T. and Gary again. Or I may not. But thank goodness for people like them on the golf course. Because Mr. Slow Play Backswing-Sniffington, Esq. is out there. Ohhhh, he’s out there.♦

© 2013 Adam Barr

Brett and I could not be more excited to celebrate with them and are so happy for the perfect pair!

The ceremony was outside overlooking the golf course and was lit beautifully by white lights and small chandeliers.

The Ceremony

The officiant was great, and really funny, which made the ceremony quite entertaining!

Inside, the reception was very intimate and rustic, with white flowers and lace vases, and lit with white lights and hanging crystals, which I loved.

The Reception

The Bride and Groom’s Table

Centerpiece Decor

Once all tables visited the dinner buffet and ate the delicious food, it was time to dance!

The First Dance

Fraternity Brothers Reunited…. Piano Man!

Brett getting ready to do the Gangnam Style Routine…

The Bride and I and our Sorority Sister Karen

Dessert was my favorite part and I think I left on a sugar high.

The cake was so delicious! I shared my lemon flavored slice with my neighbor’s carrot cake and both were amazing! I am not one for cake icing, but the buttercream icing on their cake was to die for!

Oh – and did I mention the most genius idea for a wedding, yet?

A S’mores station! Amazing.

The night quickly came to an end and Brett and Summer were picked up in a fancy red convertible as we wished them the best and blew bubbles during their departure.

It was a great celebration and Brett and I could not be more excited for those too!

]]> http://christiangolfer.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/course-review-cog-hill-4-pre-jones-redesign/ Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:23:09 +0000 christiangolfer http://christiangolfer.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/course-review-cog-hill-4-pre-jones-redesign/ Rees Jones has taken tons of heat for his US Open setups and how he re-creates golf courses.  However, many say his redesigns are difficult but good.  Cog Hill #4 does not fall into that category.  Everything I read about the new look, feel, and setup has been negative.  I wish I could give my candid feedback, but I played the pre-redesign version a few years ago.  It was a few years back, so my comments are limited.  After reading the current reviews though, I think they should turn back the clock.

I arrived at Cog Hill as early as possible because I was a single trying to get on with a group.  It was a Friday in the summer, so it wasn’t a problem.  Arriving early affected my experience though.  I am not sure if it is a municipal course, but it felt like one.  The staff wasn’t overly helpful.  There either wasn’t a bag drop or no one was tending it that early in the morning.  The range isn’t near the clubhouse for #4.  I hadn’t been to Torrey yet, so I was surprised that a highly ranked course didn’t have better service than my local courses.  I was not impressed from the outset.

The round started off odd.  I was paired with a two-some, and they arrived at the tee prior to me.  When I arrived, the starter acted as if I was late.  I was a minute or two early, but he wanted us to tee off right then.  I wasn’t able to take in the views.  I hit a low hook in the rough.  The ball didn’t seem to go very far, and I struggled through the hole.  Thinking back, it is a nice opening hole.  It is a dog leg left with elevation change.

The second hole was a par 3.  I looked at the yardage book mounted on the cart and picked my club.  I hit what I thought was a good shot, but it landed short.  I chipped up and made a bogey.  I was in my cart calming down from the rushed start trying to think about why I left it short.  As we arrived at the next tee, I realized my two playing partners were playing back a set of tees.  The tee boxes are huge and long.  I didn’t pay close enough attention and picked the wrong club on #2.  I moved up for the next hole.

Hole 3 is a long par 4.  I realized here the course is huge.  The fairways were extremely wide with thick rough and then trees.  #4 ran parallel to #3 with the same characteristics.  At the time, I was struggling with pushes, so I played from the right side of the course all day.  These holes seemed relatively straightforward.

The next 3 holes summed up my thoughts about the majority of the course.  The holes were long, even the par 3 6th, with wide landing areas.  The greens were big, but you had to land it in the right sections.  They weren’t normal round or kidney-shaped greens.  Nearly every green was surrounded with bunkers, which required precise distances.  Hitting the fairway is a must because like the other tour style courses, the rough was thick.  The BMW was being held a few weeks later as the 3rd stop in the Fed Ex cup, so the course was pristine.

I didn’t know as much about golf then.  It was only my 2nd significant course to play, so much of my thoughts are looking in retrospect.  I remember it having the characteristics of “American Golf” courses.  It was target golf.  Not as many bunkers as Whistling Straits, but it probably placed as many strategic bunkers around the holes.  As I said, all the greens were guarded.  Distance control was a must.  The holes were mostly tree-lined, but the trees didn’t come into significant play.  The trees merely framed the hole.  The affect was nice though.  It did create more photogenic holes without much extra in the shot.  The protection for the fairway was the rough.  I played through the rough most of the day, which led to higher scores.

I enjoyed playing #4.  It was (may still be) worth playing to say I walked in the same places as Tiger Woods, et al.  Similar to Torrey Pines North, I wouldn’t make a special trip for it though.  The hospitality isn’t overly impressive.  The course is definitely long and difficult, but you can find most of your shots.  It has great elevation changes with some blind shots.  The nature views are decent.  The price isn’t too bad, so if you have the chance, play it.  However, if you are in Chicago looking for golf, I would still suggest driving up to Whistling Straits.  The course is harder, more beautiful, and hosted more majors.

Happy 2012 to you & yours! I hope to see you all again in 2012.

First hole, good drive, 200 left. Hybrid 3, left, dumped in the bunker from flag high, 7, end of story. 2: Killed a 25 footer in the hole for 2. On our way! 3: Pushed tee shot, good second to the bail out area looking up the neck of the green, up and down for 4. Kicking ass.

4: Lost ball right, drop, chip out, chunk, 7. 490 yard par 4 5th: Bunker, good layup, shitty wedge, down in 3 more, another shitty double. 6, left again with a 5-brid, got out with a bogey. 7 kicks my ass every time I play there, so even after I hit a good tee shot I screwed up around the green again and took a double. 8 REALLY kicks my ass every time, so, determined to play it like a man, I hit 3-metal off the tee to a rock solid 8-iron distance in the middle of the fairway, but unfortunately hit 9-iron from there. Chunked a chip, had another 25 footer for par, and drano’d it. “Fucking 4!,” I said, still disgusted with the chip.

9 is close to 600 yards and I hit two good enough shots to have another 8-iron to the green which I pulled barely, and again didn’t get up and down from 4 feet off the green for another bogey. (Tiger DID play it from 600+ a couple years ago during his 62 and eagled it with a medium putt. You have no idea how funny the idea of hitting that green in two is.)

10 is a little par-4 that the pros often birdie. I popped up a three wood, hit a nice drawn 5-iron round a tree into the front green-side bunker and fucked up thoroughly from there for another 6. 11 is a long par-5 and I hit two good shots to 100 and three-jacked a shitty wedge for another 6. (Satan golf; 6-6-6-6-6-6, it seemed.) 12 is a great par-3 that I couldn’t get up and down on then 3-whacked AGAIN for another double bogey.

13 is the signature hole on the course, IMHO. Hit my best drive of the day to 175 out, and covered the flag with a 6-iron, all the way. Missed a 6-footer for birdie, my worst disappointment of the day. Made a bad 5 on the par-3 14th by again three-jacking, and hit 5 good shots for par on the 15. 16 is just a beautiful golf hole, elevated tee, sharp dog-leg left, trouble everywhere down the left side. Beautiful drive, shitty second, shittier third, and 3 fucking putts for another bad 6. MANHANDLED 17 with driver-wedge, only I hit my goddamn PW 135 instead of the 125 I’d planned for and took a stupid bogey. 18 I dunked two in the water and walked off with a bogus 8. 96. I once had 76 there, but I was a lot better in those days. Hit the ball about 42′s worth on the back, but around the greens was about a 55 worth, so that’s why I had 49 on the back.

It’s a wonderful golf course to play if you’re ever in the area. Mature, old school, visually lovely, ridiculously fair (it’s hard to lose a ball out there) and fucking hard.

I had a blast.

Update: The place should get a US Open. I would love to see what those guys shot with a US Open set-up out there. You could make it as long and hard as you want, and it’s such a fair course a guy on a roll could go relatively low, but in general the place will weed men from boys.

New best friends bonding over a game.

This young lady has an amazing gospel voice.

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