As of today my winter handicap is 13.0. Not that it matters, but it gives some perspective. About 30 years ago I was ready to throw my clubs in a fairway pond...my hair started smoking I was so mad, and why?... yea, shanked one. Now my score looked like 110 rather than 109. Big deal.
So I thought ( a rarity)...why did I spend all that money on clubs, and $20 for the round only to drive myself to the brink of insanity? hmmm....good question. At that point, life changed...for the better.
If you can relate to this, here are some ways I've learned to enjoy the most frustrating of all sports. The site also serves as a convenient placeholder for links I use, for golf books I read, and for golf tidbits it took me awhile to find and might be of some use.
Golf Trip VI, 31 Jul - 10 Aug 2012
2012's plan takes shape...
To sample a different set of scheduling conflicts, I'm planning next year's trip a bit earlier. Hopefully some of the teachers will be able to make it this time.
On the mid-Sunday I'm planning something different. We'll start by visiting the Tiger Zoo, where we'll sample an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch. Then perhaps a bit of go-carting, followed by a 1 hour afternoon elephant trek. That evening we'll hit Mum-aroy seafood restaurant. We loved it last year!
I'll start setting the golf itinerary in the next week or so; it'll look familiar, but with a few twists.
...didn't come last year? Think about this year as it'll be bigger and better than ever before.
Nardo sports one of the Mulligan hats, which this time apparently didn't help him much. You can have 1 mulligan per 9 holes, and only from the tee box. If you declare a mulligan, you must wear the milligan hat for that hole.
Take a look at Siam's Old Course. Pretty nice facilities, course, and caddies.
Played with Jose and Roland yesterday despite a forecast for typhoon winds and rain. Somehow we beat the odds as the bad weather has arrived today instead.
Jose's game was off, but knowing him, he'll get in two more rounds before the trip and will work on the weak spots. Roland played pretty well, although a bit inconsistent. Again, a few beers and some thought about hitting soft shots should prepare him well.
For me, I was pleasantly surprised as the swing mechanics I'd been woring on seemed to improve significantly. Still missed some easy putts and hoseled a tee shot...but then again, that's my game.
The Foursome
by Troon McAllister
The Foursome
The Green
Scratch
Barranca
J. Michael Veron
The Greatest Course That Never Was
the Greatest Player Who Never Lived
The Caddie
Rick Reilly
Missing Links
Shanks for Nothing
Bob Mitchell
Match Made In Heaven
Philip Reed
In Search of the Greatest Golf Swing
James Patterson & Peter de Jong
Miracle on the 17th Green
Golf fiction’s finest hustler— Eddie Caminetti—returns in a laugh-out-loud novel featuring a foursome of upwardly mobile golf fanatics who get their just rewards. Mixing equal parts of suspense, hilarity, and raw human drama, Troon McAllister deftly shows readers what can happen when money, friendship, ambition, and greed converge explosively in a single round of golf.
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Great book!
Khao Kheow island green. Simply gorgeous settings on this course.
Want to know your USGA handicap, for free? Here's a little program I created to do just that. Download the Hanidcapper (shown at the right) and take a look.
For a lot of additional trip details please click here.
