| May 13 2003 - Calabash Golf Club |
| Course Rating: Tees: Blue; slope 129 Layout: B- Pace of Play: A Condition: Greens: C Fairways: B Overall C+ Difficulty: Medium To Hard Service: Average Value for Money: Good |
| Summary of the Days Play: With the morning's earlier car problems still fresh on everyones mind, (see headlines) everyone was less prepared than they would have liked. There had been no time to hit any practice balls or even a practice putt or two. However, Dean "Player of the Day" was oblivious to these hassles and shot a solid round of 40 points, which was equivelent to a 95 gross. Having no offical handicap, up went the cries of "sand bagger", "bandit" and "chop his handicap". In joint second place, a mere 9 shots adrift, was Mark and Mike with 31 points. Mark started off slowly with 13 points on the front 9, but recovered well with 18 pts on the back. Mike on the otherhand was quick out of the gate and was 1 under par after 3, having split both fairways and all 3 greens. He finished the front 9 in 5 over after hitting one O.B. on the 4th. Closely behind Mark and Mike on 30 points was Nick and John, with Rich only a further 2 shots back on 29. Rich may have scored better if only he could have resisted the temptation to leave the big stick in the bag and play his normal game. Following up the rear a further 2 points behind on 27, was rookie chuck, who took a while to get going and had only 2 points after 6 holes. The pressure of the competition and an unknown course was weighing heavily on Chucks shoulders, and lets face it those are pretty puny shoulders. Frustrated and distraught Chuck took on a more carefree attitude and once more relaxed found his rythm and scored 25 points in the remaining 12 holes. |
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| Course Review: Calabash is one of the cheaper courses we are playing and is classed as a 3rd tier course. It is a parkland course with most of the fairways lined with firs under which there is plenty of pine straw. There's quite a few holes that have water in play, however, other than the water, there isn't that many places to lose your ball, unless you are either blind or really wayward like Mark. There are quite a lot of doglegs so a bit of strategy is needed and the Driver should be left in the bag on several holes, unless you are Mike, in which case you'll just fire your drives through the fairways and into the trees. The greens are Bermuda grass and were about 9.5 on the stimp. They rolled pretty true, however, they were quite burnt, crusty and prone to spike marks. The Carts didn't have GPS but the course guide was very good, and all sprinklers were marked.. |
| Advil Shot of the Day: Although I never witnessed this shot apparently John, being ex-navy, has a profound knowledge of the dambusters and by utilising the correct approach trajectory, managed to skim the ball the entire length of the lake and onto a par 3 green. Why he didn't just take the aerial route I have no idea. |
| TODAYS STATS CENTRAL: Group Lost Ball Count: Today: 34 Total: 34 Rich's "I saw a Gator" Count: Today: 0 Total: 0 Group Eagle Count Today 0 Total: 0 Group Birdie Count: Today: 1 Total: 1 Group Par Count Today 20 Total: 20 Daily Advil Count: Today: 13 Total: 13 # Times Nick farted and then Laughed 3 $ Spent on Equipment to Date: $2700 |
| Top 3 Most Memorable Holes: As this is being written a day late and after we have just finished playing Barefoot (Love), it seems as though a lot of the Calabash holes are hard to remember. This does reflect the fact that many were very similar in style. For me No. 3 stands out, a short dogleg that I suspect noone other than me will remember, but since I birdied it in both in the morning's tournament and the afternoon practice round, it became a somewhat special hole in my mind. The 6th hole was a really long par 3 with a sloping green and water short right. The hole measured 195yds and was into a head on wind. Needless to say there was a fair few balls lost in that water. The best hole and most rememberable hole has to be the 18th. A short par 5. Water in front of the tee stretches down the left for about 200 yards, a good drive, to the right of the water will leave about 220 to the green. However, there is water both left and right of this narrow fairway. I lost 3 balls on this hole in just 2 rounds. |
| Last Update May 14th 2003 |