Get on the Links ya Dinks and then come laugh with Uncle Bobby!
The Bath Golf Club and Boothbay Harbor Country Clubare proud to host the 2017 Midcoast Amateur Championship Golf Tournament. This 2-day, 36-hole individual stroke play championship features two of Maine’s premier 18-hole facilities. Bring your game to midcoast Maine on June 3rd and 4th to compete in this great annual event. Due to a limited field, This tournament will SELL OUT! don’t hesitate, sign up today! As a bonus, Maine comedian Bob Marley will perform at The Bath Golf Club on Friday, June 3rd, and this show will sell out!
Golf Instructors and Counselors for Maine Summer Camp, Belgrade — New England Golf and Tennis Camp, a top-rated children’s residential summer camp located in the beautiful Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, seeks talented persons with exceptional skills in golf instruction. Looking for pros, college level players and camp counselors.
5 Questions with Jennifer E. Poth, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Operation Support Military Golf (OSMG) —Often, overseas golf courses are our service members’ only safe and cost efficient means of outdoor recreation and relaxation from work stress and separation from their families. As of 2011, stateside military golf courses are provided zero government funding to operate and overseas courses receive minimal funding. They are required to be entirely self-sufficient. OSMG was founded to help fill this “non-essential” items void.
Rules Throwback: One Size Didn’t Always Fit All —“However, there was still one significant difference between the USGA and The R&A Rules coming out of the 1952 code: the size of the golf ball. Over the years, various sizes and weights of golf balls were used around the world.”
The Benefits Of Eliminating Intermediate Rough —Intermediate cuts of rough may save the occasional stroke on a player’s card, but eliminating it can save time and resources, improve playing conditions and enhance overall aesthetics.
Five major takeaways from the TaylorMade sale —“The golf business has been looking for good news after 2016’s annis horribilis with Golfsmith’s and Sports Authority’s bankruptcies (and the loss of more than 500 places that sell golf equipment), declining overall sales and unimpressive rounds played and participation numbers. But that trend started to shift with positive news from the NGF, a newly invigorated retailer on the scene in Golftec and now the presence of Wall Street endorsing golf.”
TUESDAY’S TOOLBOX: Ben Hogan practicing his medium, long and short game for the Pan American Open in Mexico in May 1953. This year Mr. Hogan won this tournament, the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open. Notice how still he keeps his cigarette holder!
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!
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…
Gutty Challenge Match – Parks Vs. Morrises —Far more than pride was at stake this day. After the match all went to see Tommy’s Honour at a nearby movie establishment with the match losers paying.
Elder faces one more hurdle in golf: Hall of Fame —Elder still chuckles when he tells the story of how he flew to Atlanta on the morning of the 1997 Masters final round to see Woods become the first black to don a green jacket, only to be stopped for speeding by a state trooper.
Golf Scramble to Support LifeFlight of Maine —Maine is the second most rural state by population density in the United States. LifeFlight of Maine helicopters, flying at 165 miles per hour, bring lifesaving equipment and critical care nurses and paramedics to emergency scenes and small, rural hospitals throughout the state. Join the fundraising Golf Scramble June 26th at Martindale Country Club.
Embattled Harris Golf involved in a 2nd golf course-related dispute —Because of Coulombe’s promise, Harris Golf not only backed out as a competing bidder for the Boothbay club, but sold Coulombe adjacent land at a discount price and helped prepare the course for its initial season under Coulombe’s ownership, the lawsuit alleges.
Five courses that put the green back in golf —Hundreds of golf facilities across the U.S. are designated as sanctuaries. They limit pesticides, enhance habitats and institute green initiatives such as solar-powered carts and geothermal clubhouses. Many reclaim water, use the natural environment and promote eco-friendly practices to players.
Masters 2017: Sergio García Finally Wins First Major Title —“It is unquestionably the high mark of García’s career, but his first major title may not even be the highlight of his year. In July, he is set to wed Angela Akins, whom he met when she was an on-air reporter for Golf Channel. Akins, who played golf at Texas Christian, affixed Post-it notes with sunny messages in places like the bathroom mirror where García was sure to see them.”
How Much Better A Golfer Can You Become In 12 Days? Much Better —Turns out, game improvement is more about the quality than the quantity of time you put in. In other words, the two hours you spent mindlessly hammering drives till your hands went numb probably won’t drop your scores. Starting with simple skills, like putting and chipping technique and basic ball-striking moves, will set you up for more success.
Anderson Finds Trust in Srixon Golf Balls —University golf coach puts Srixon in team’s bag. “I tried a lot of different golf balls and some felt ok but would get sticky after a while.” Anderson said. “I like how the XV you can play 18 one day with the same ball and feel confident taking that same ball out the next day for another 18.” We’re lucky if we get the same ball around an entire 18!
Rock’s Best Handicappers —Sometimes even some of the world’s greatest rockers need a break from their busy schedules of debauchery. Some invest their off time in fine wines, businesses, acting, or other arts, while others will happily try to take each other down in the calming sport of golf!
Why does Bubba Watson use pink golf balls? —He uses green ones, too, so look for those on the weekend — or maybe even on Monday, after everyone’s left you can hunt for the green balls he couldn’t find.
Sorry, it’s not for sale: Meet the homeowners who have resisted Augusta’s advances — Living in a sea of parked cars for one week a year is only a minor hassle, the Thackers say, and it doesn’t prevent them from going about their daily routines. Come Masters week, Herman still fires up the grill while Elizabeth rakes the pine straw in the yard and keeps her landscaping immaculate. The other 51 weeks they enjoy their privacy.
Fantastic Four Lead at Augusta —“I love looking up and seeing the big leaderboards,” Fowler said. “It’s a cool thing about Augusta, very old school with the non-electronic leaderboards out there. It’s a lot of fun to see your name up there, so hopefully I can go ahead and keep it up on the big leaderboards.”
Fought, ASGCA, and Fry, ASGCA, provide their perspectives on Augusta National —As part of a roundtable discussion on Augusta among golf course architects with Epoch Times, John Fought, ASGCA, and Dana Fry, ASGCA, included their viewpoints on the best the course has to offer – and a couple suggestions for improvement.
GCSAA Job Board —Did you know Golf Course Superintendents Association hosts a nationwide Jobs Board?
As we all get out for our first rounds of the season, here is a refresher course on Etiquette Around the Greens:
DSG 100e – A hi-tech premium ride built for both serious and casual golfers.
Field Staff – South Central Regional Representative —The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is seeking a dedicated professional to serve as a conduit to the nine affiliated chapters within Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Trump Wins Privacy Rights Case in Scotland — An anti-Trump activist urinated on his golf course, then sued when staff cameras filmed her. It’s what we might call a wicked pissah!
How exactly is Bernhard Langer still so damn good? —Langer’s greatness lies in his organized, consistent but also intuitive approach to patient improvement. If you’re a golfer, it’s worth paying attention.
The snitch speaks! A conversation with the fan who ratted out Lexi Thompson —Why is The PGA encouraging this behavior? “I’m the Henry Hill of golf! I’m the guy who nailed Tiger with a four-stroker at 15 at Augusta in ’13! Remember? Cost him the green jacket? His wedge hit the stick and ricocheted back into the water. And he lost his mind and dropped a full yard BACK from the original spot? What a fraud! Anyway, I didn’t catch that one until dinnertime. Same with that time I nailed Padraig Harrington nicking the water from that riverbank lie that one time. Slowed it down 50x. Nailed him good. What a scammer!”
Opinion: Golf’s Leaders Must Take Stand on TV Call-Ins —In the pre-Twitter era, the O’Meara incident faded away quietly. But the issue of amateur rules officials phoning in potential violations from home continues to rage. Hopefully, leaders in our game will take a stand and end this scourge once and for all.
The Golf of Maine 