Author: Administrator

Golf News for April 26, 2017

April 26, 2017
Fly the Hostile Skies of United

Clubhouse Attendant at the South Portland Municipal Golf Course — Temporary for the Golf Season (14-20 hours/week). Part Time, Flexible and Various. Early mornings, days, evenings and weekends. $10/hr – includes 2017 course membership. Application Deadline – May 5th

PGA Junior League Golf registration opens — “PGA Junior League Golf is a fun, social and inclusive opportunity for boys and girls ages 13 and under to learn and enjoy the game of golf.”

Immediate Rules Change Limits Video Review — “Yesterday, with what only can be called lightning speed, the USGA and R&A changed the Rules of Golf by enacting a decision intended to limit the use of video review and, the game’s governing bodies hope, stem the tide of rulings prompted by viewers calling in infractions.” We give a hearty golf clap! But we want stronger language that completely excludes ANY viewer participation on rulings.

Why Do Golf Courses Aerate So Much? — “Aeration holes filled with sand topdressing will allow excess water from the soil to evaporate, promote root development and improve drainage.” And, we like to limit our putts to two when the greens are freshly punched!

New USGA and R&A Video Rules Missed the Elephant in the Room — “What’s completely missing from the new rules is the way that rules infractions are discovered, reported, and the timing in which these notifications happen.”

Pro finds his clubs destroyed after United Airlines flight — “I was going to complain but I must admit I’m a little intimidated by United.” Fly the thuggish skies…

Ping buys Nike golf patents — “Federal patent records released Tuesday answered one of the lingering questions about Nike’s exit from the golf equipment business: What will happen to Nike’s sizable portfolio of golf equipment patents?”

Please participate in our weekly poll found in the upper-right corner: “What is the estimated impact of golf on the Maine economy?” We need to break the tie! Results next week. In the meantime…

Your Humpday Golf Lesson

Golf News for April 25, 2017

April 25, 2017
Former Greely golfer Sarah Hansen now Centennial Conference Player of the Year and All-Centennial Conference First Team

Maine Mid Coast Amateur Championship Set for Bath and Boothbay Harbor June 3-4 — Includes Stay & Play rates at local hotels.

Reese McFarlane, Cape Elizabeth, and Sarah Hansen, Greely, Two Former Maine H.S. Golfers Make Marks in College Play — Former MSGA competitors are tearing it up at their respective colleges!

Tater Recall: This is how golf balls could’ve ended up in those recalled hash browns — Yesterday, we linked to this story, and here is how it happened, apparently. Aren’t there driving ranges next to potato fields in Northern Maine?

Tomorrow is National Golf Day — Too early for Maine? No TopGolf facilities here… Let’s all take a moment of silence to observe our playing partner’s backswing.

TODAY: R&A and USGA set for announcement on Lexi Thompson incident — We will be watching, and will phone or text in any grammatical errors we see.

How it works: Zurich Classic team format — The new 72-hole stroke play format: Players from the PGA TOUR Priority Rankings who commit to the tournament will choose his partner. Foursomes (alternate shot) during the first and third rounds and Four-Ball (best ball) during the second and fourth rounds. We like Beef and Reifers…

A Journey Through Time – The Rules of Golf — An on-line museum of the history of the Rules of Golf, beginning with the Thirteen Articles of 1744, up through and including 2019.

Bill Murray and His Brothers Venture Into Golf Wear — We linked to Murray’s announcement back in February. NYT’s catches up.

R-Motion simulator fits in your hand, lets you play 100s of virtual courses — The March up the Fairway for Science.

And Now, Your Morning Take-Away

Golf News for April 24, 2017

April 24, 2017
To the Golfmobile, Golfman!

Maine Senior Tour Tee Times — Thanks to the Maine State Golf Association for compiling this list. Players are encouraged to use the MSGA Message Board to find a player to fill out their group if one more is needed. This is also the best way for an individual to find a group to join up with.

Maine Golf Course Openings — The list grew over this past weekend! Send news of course openings to us in the Comments Section below!

Maine Public Radio: Trump, The Golfer In Chief — By far the most prolific presidential golfer was Woodrow Wilson, who played nearly every day but Sunday — some 1600 rounds — including all through World War I.

Legends of Golf: Jack Nicklaus, Kid Rock win first ever Skins Shootout — We’re waiting for The Resistance to issue a release complaining about this.

Ko hires 2017 Caddie of the Year as new looper — Alternate headline: How to go from Caddie of the Year to Unemployed in 3, 2, 1…

Why Do Little Fat Ladies Beat Me At Golf: How To Play Better Golf — And the award for “Least Politically Correct Book Title of 2017” goes to…

‘This is the worst vandalism I’ve ever seen’ — Environmentalist extremists dump a banned, toxic herbicide that stays in the ground for five years, on 14 greens at a golf course to protest what they imagine to be the environmental sins committed by golf courses. Are we the only ones who see the irony in that?

The ultimate golfer’s guide to Ireland — ...And a belated Saint Paddy’s Day to yourself!

11 Golf Carts Guaranteed to Turn Heads At Your Club — Tricked out golf carts of the Rich & Famous.

Monday Morning Tee-Off

Speed Up Your Own Pace of Play Without Hurrying

April 23, 2017
The Eager Golfer Grows Impatient

Each year, as Spring makes its way into New England in much the same manner a maiden climbs a greased Maypole, the eager golfer grows impatient. “When will this snow melt? Golf is hard enough without looking for the errant drive of a white ball in white snow!”

Then, it arrives, in slower-than-slow-motion. The river ice breaks, the birds return, the snow gets real dirty and ugly before finally disappearing for good, and the golf courses begin opening, from South to North, in the same pattern that the lakes ice-out and the croci bloom.

Just as slowly as this annual drama unfolds, the group in front of you seems to stand at address over their drives for the entire Spring. They search interminably for their shanks and slices in the recently revealed forest floor, contemplate their four-foot putts for 40 seconds too long, and hunt endlessly for the plugged drives that, by some Easter miracle, found the fairway. Continue reading “Speed Up Your Own Pace of Play Without Hurrying”

Golf News for April 23, 2017

April 23, 2017
Grateful golfers, perhaps. Here’s one Grateful Caddie [Getty Images – click for story]

Gorham Country Club Set to Open — Gorham Country Club will open their front nine for the 2017 season on Wednesday, April 26th. The driving range is open, irons only, from 9-5 with the last bucket out at 4:30.

How Gratitude Can Take Your Golf Game to the Next Level — We’ve always been a Grateful Golfer, the game being more of a spiritual quest than anything else.

The NGF’s annual golf participation report uncovers favorable trends for the game’s future — The Tiger Era is clearly over. A deeper, broader view of the reported numbers actually says the game might be experiencing a renewed vigor, including some record-breaking indicators.

It’s Earth Day! Here are 9 ways golf has become more eco-friendly — We’re all for a “leave no trace” philosophy in life and golf, but filling our golf balls with fish food?! That seems like environmental extremism to us.

Golf ball pieces might be in Harris Teeter hash brown bags — We wholly endorse a golf rich diet, but…

Remembering Pat Browne, New Orleans’ blind golf champion, 84 — We met a blind golfer once. Very inspiring. In tournament play, blind golfers abide by all of the rules of golf save one – in a trap, they are allowed to ground their club.

Man taken into custody after using golf cart during pursuit at Norman course — Troopers responded and engaged in a short pursuit using golf carts. We’re already attempting to buy the movie rights just to film the chase scene…

44 States, Canada to Host Local Qualifying for 117th U.S. Open — Several U.S. Open champions have advanced to the championship through both local and sectional qualifying. Tom Kite, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller. Nearest to Maine: Thursday, May 11 Pinehills G.C. (Nicklaus Course), Plymouth, Mass.; Tuesday, May 16 Crumpin-Fox Club, Bernardston, Mass.

And here’s your Sunday Morning Golf Lesson, from Eddie Munster:

Golf News for April 22, 2017

April 22, 2017
Sebasco Harbor Resort Golf Club, http://www.sebasco.com/

Full Moon Golf — At Sebasco Harbor Resort, one of the courses we feature on our landing page photo. Lovely Coastal Maine golf!

Man vs. Golf – Chasing the obsession across Maine — An entertaining read from 2001, by Stephen Abbott, copy editor for both Maine and Maine Home+Design magazines. He reviews a few of his favorite courses.

Weather issues hamper start of eastern Maine golf season — To paraphrase the Scottish saying, “Nae snow, nae rain, nae golf.”

Lee Trevino reveals the untold story of Arnold Palmer’s last competitive shot — “This is the gospel truth: he quit on that hole. He quit on that hole. He said, ‘That’s it. That’s the last competitive shot I’ll ever hit.'”

Golf Course Strategy — Golf course strategy doesn’t have to be limited to only professionals on tour. Most of you can become much better players by doing a better job of thinking your way around the golf course.

Arnold Palmer’s Hometown Golf Course Adjusts to Life Without Him — The whole world is getting used to life without Arnie…

Benefits Multiply From Environmental Stewardship — Every day is Earth Day on a course that fits into the local ecosystem.

USGA Rules and Decisions — Read them, learn them, know them, use them!

File under: Been There, Done That

Golf News for April 21, 2017

April 21, 2017
The Best Golf Image, Courtesy of Golf.com

Happy High Five Day! The worst high-five fails in PGA Tour history — The Top Five Worst High Fives

Yes, Tiger Woods will probably play golf again. No, he will never be the same — We’ll try not to link to anymore Tiger Woods stories until the news is good.

Dave Pelz’s Golfer’s Paradise — This resembles The Backyard of My Mind…

Six drills to help you master the art of deliberate practice — We fully endorse each one of these 6 tips… Plus, the best golf image, evah!

Driving ambition: May 3 STEM Café to explore the physics of golf — Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics… Golf provides many learning opportunities, but we doubt it makes a good swing thought.

9 Golf Courses That Look Amazing in 3-D Thanks to the New Google Earth — This is how the NSA tracks anomalies in your backswing.

At the Fore Twenty Golf Tournament, Tee Shots Aren’t the Only Things Getting Smoked — We were too busy to participate on the greens yesterday.

“I can’t think of a movie that conveys golf more realistically” — Geoff Shackelford on “Tommy’s Honor”. We promise not to link to anymore “Tommy’s Honour” stories until we’ve finished the book or seen the movie ourselves.

Remember, High Five a Friend on International High Five Day!