Oso planning to go pro
My son and I are playing Dubsdread at Cog Hill on Saturday. Curious on who has played there and thoughts. I have walked the course many times when PGA stop, but never played there. Just decided we are playing the Blue tees and very jacked up.
Got Sunday Masters tickets for next year. Anyone been?
Anyone gonna make the pilgrimage to the Black for the PGA next May? My inlaws live in Bethpage so I think I might swing down from Boston.Any tips on going to a major? Been to plenty of PGA events in the past...was thinking of going a combo of Wed/Thur so see the most/best action.
MU 82We played Dubs on Saturday and very much enjoyed the course. It was in very good condition, minus many traps being partially washed out, but very wet. It played very long and the bunkers were a half shot penalty due to the condition. I did not hit the ball at all, with exception of the five greens I hit in regulation, and putting my way to an 89. Very good course and we will return. I felt it was well worth the $155 in green fees.That said, aside from the the course, I found it to be a strange place. Customer service was not strong, amenities so-so and had a feel of a Door County resort golf from the 70's. I need to Whistling Straits amenities, but thought they are missing the boat on sprucing up the place and the staff.
++ I was shocked at how inexpensive the food was. Pimento cheese sammiches (local treat), $1.50, soda $1, beer $2. Other food similarly cheaper than ballpark food was 25 years earlier. I went to the Wednesday practice round this year. Beer was $5 for a 16 oz pour. The pimento cheese sammie was horrible (IMHO) but hte $3 BBQ was outstanding.++ Souvenir prices were higher but not outrageously so. I bought a couple of Ben Hogan polos (still have 'em, still wear 'em, still in good shape), a hat (still have it and wear it occasionally but not for golf because I don't want to mess it up), a greens tool/ballmarker set, a few other things. They weren't "cheap," but they weren't nearly as expensive as I expected. They did have plenty of outrageously priced things, and kitschy things though. A set of 4 wine glasses - $360; a "special edition" keychain - $79; apron/oven mitt/potholder set - $25, etc. I got out of the merchandise "tent" with only $400 in damage. I overheard some talking about the $1,000s they spent. It wouldn't be hard to do. But if you want Master's attire or anything else Master's, it's the only place to get it.++ I walked the course every day and it was challenging. There are a lot more hills and valleys than appear on TV. It's definitely more hilly than you can imagine by just watching on TV. It's also more green than you can imagine. Everything is green, including the beer cups I had and the sandwich wrappers, so if you drop one, it'll look green on TV. ++ No cellphones were allowed for the actual tournament days (they were for practice rounds). It was a nice respite from the things. Maybe they've changed this rule. This is still the rule, even for the Wednesday practice round. You could take a camera but not a phone/camera. There are banks of phones though so if you need to make a call, you can do so anywhere in the country.I couldn't justify spending $350/night for a crappy motel in Augusta, so I stayed outside of Columbia, about an hour away -- an easier trip than, say, Chicago to Joliet. There was a lot to choose from there. We flew into Charlotte, stayed and played at the Ballantyne, and made the 2 1/2 hour trip the following day to Augusta. The parking is free, but get there early. There ya go ... a 5-minute Masters primer. Your results may vary! Fantastic experience. Keep putting your name in the lottery and go when you can!
Actually, my favorite Jemsek course wasn't Cog but Pine Meadow up in Mundelein. I used to like playing there on a weekday afternoon, walking. Very walkable, very good test of golf, very beautiful property, very reasonable walking rates. Heck, I just checked it now and the twilight weekday walking rate is still only $41. (Cart is an extra 10-11, I think.) But again, I haven't played there since 2009, so I can't vouch for the conditions now.
Mike - Only played Dubs twice, but played Pine Meadow 20+ times. Both great tracks but Pine Meadow, though challenging, was more playable for the average golfer. Last time I played there (2015?) the greens were damaged by some kind fungus - but it was still fun.
Thinking about staying in Charlotte as well, golfing area until Sunday. Any recommendations?
Tiger within shouting distance at another tournament in the final round. He’s starting to put it together more in tournaments, just needs to figure out how to break through. If he can get a win before Augusta, I think he could be a strong contender. Trying to win for the first time in awhile at the Masters wouldn’t be an easy task.
Right now, he's kind of Matt Kuchar. Obviously talented, has all the shots, just can't quite put everything together. Of course, one could argue that's not entirely fair to Kuchar, who actually wins a tournament every now and again while saving most of his choking for the majors.It would be a great thing for golf if Tiger can be Tiger circa 2005 at Augusta. It's already good for golf that he is contending again.
I was listening a podcast where one of the folks brought up a really good point....if you look at how Tiger is approaching tournaments this year it is definitely to make cuts and play as many rounds as possible. He doesn't start to get aggressive per se until Saturdays (has the best Saturday scoring average of anyone on the tour this season). As he starts to feel more comfortable that he can sustain aggression across 4 days you'll see him start to score on Thursdays and Fridays. He shouldn't need to heroic Sunday results to contend, he'll be there when the round starts on Sunday.I don't think Swashbuckling Tiger comes back, but I've never been more confident that Tiger has 3 more majors in him before he's done. I think next year's Masters is a must see for Tiger barring some sort of health setback or him being "Mr Come for Your Girl" with DJ or something like that.