Guide for Beginning Golfers

Captain Fred Couple’s American Team continues the dominance over Greg Norman’s International Team and wins the President’s Cup for the United States at this years venue at Harding Park. The U.S. has won all but two Presidents Cups since 1994, one ending in a tie in 2000 and the other loss came in 1996 when the Internationals beat the American Team handily 20 -1/2 to 11-1/2 respectively. In 2009 the final score was United States 19-1/2, Internationals 14-1/2 which matched their winning scores in 2005 and 2007. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker took Harding Park by storm and made it look easy as they recorded four wins and no losses in their play against the Internationals. Woods record 5-0-0 and Mickelson’s 4-0-1 record is befitting the number one and number two player’s in the world. Their stellar play appeared to carryover from the victory they shared a few weeks back as they trumped the field in their one, two finish in the Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup.

Let’s not forget the rest of the Amercian Team led by Steve Stricker, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk who all played inspired golf in their singles matches on Sunday. The fact that American Basketball sports legend Michael Jordan was in their team room and delivered a speech on teamwork the Saturday evening prior, may have contributed to their inspirational play. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been teamed together in the past at both the President’s and Ryder Cups and their record together in these two venues is not reflective of the true ability of the world’s two best player’s. You would think they would be invincible as a duo but that is not the case. They may have relied too much on each other carrying the match and may not have put forth their best efforts. The teaming of Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim or Justin Leonard worked out well. Was it Fred Couple’s strategy or the players themselves teaming up with whom they felt most comfortable with? However the teams were established set the tone for the victorious play for the American Team. Kudos to Fred Couples and the American players who made their country proud by retaining the cup and continuing the dominance over the Internationals in the President’s Cup Competition!

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This past Saturday I played golf with my significant other at Brentwood Country Club in Brentwood, Long Island. The golf course is not as pristine, well manicured, or aesthetically as beautiful or pleasing as the name may suggest but it is a golf course, whose rates are reasonable and the course is walkable, which is preferable and a plus for us. The golf course is an excellent course for a beginning golfer because it is relatively short ( about 6200 yards from the back tees ), open and not tricked up with water hazards, lengthy carry distance requirements and OB ( out of bounds) areas or huge greenside sand traps and /or fairway bunker locations that are intrinsic to many of the more modern golf course designs. It is a perfect course for a walk in the park on a beautiful day and we enjoyed it thoroughly. My play and scoring was not what I would normally expect at this course but what is the saying ” A Bad Day on the Golf Course is Better Than a Good Day at Work” so I enjoyed myself just the same. I shot 85 which isn’t terrible but the course difficulty rating is not high and my normal round there is about 75 to 80, which is much closer to what I would expect at my ability level. Cathi shot a 96 which wasn’t too bad either considering she plays about once a month and no practice time to speak of. In another writing I spoke about the collateral benefits of golf and this was one of those days where we could appreciate those benefits all the more. We enjoyed some good exercise by walking the course, we unwound from the hectic schedule of the work week, no trains to catch, no bid date to meet, none of the everyday stresses and pressures inherent with many job responsibilities and we had a little competitive fun while taking our stroll in the park. 

When I first started writing about golf I wanted to help eliminate or reduce any potential pitfalls a new golfer may encounter when first preparing or learning to play this incredible game. In retrospect and to clarify that statement there are NO real pitfalls to speak of with golf. The pitfalls I was referring to is over spending on your first set of golf clubs, not taking lessons when you may have had the opportunity or giving up on golf before you ever gave the game a real chance. Our nice leisurely round walking the course this past Saturday helped reinforce my belief in the many more benefits to be derived by playing this exhilirating sport. The good exercise, especially if you walk, the banter and comraderie with your friends or significant other, meeting some new and often very nice people who join in your foursome, taking a client out to play, maybe letting them win and signing a huge deal after the round, the wagering and competitive spirit of golf, the exhilaration of hitting a career shot to a tight pin or flag placement, sinking a 40 to 60 foot putt on a double breaking tiered green, winning a $5 Nassau from your best friend or another competitor, coming close to or getting a hole in one, scoring your first par, birdie or eagle, or maybe the enjoyment of lunch or dinner and a few beers with your friends at the 19th hole after you just won the match, now that’s what golf is really all about. So enjoy the collateral benefits of golf and take “A Walk in the Park” every once in awhile, you won’t be disappointed. Have fun and Happy Golfing to all!

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I must admit I’ve been disappointed watching the Major Tournaments all season because the two best golfers in the world have not been able to capitalize when in the hunt on Sunday. Tiger Woods is recovering from ACL surgery on his knee after last year’s U.S. Open when Rocco Mediate played out of his socks to give Tiger a run for the money and force a playoff on the Monday after a tie for 72 holes in regulation – Good for you Rocco. As far as I’m concerned Rocco still had no business being there as Tiger Woods was well ahead of the field of many players much more statistically better than Rocco and on any given day could beat him handily, but Rocco was there and he gave Tiger some stiff competition. He knew in the back of his mind that this may be the only chance he would ever have for an opportunity like this and he did well to make the best of  it. We all know how it turned out but Tiger is back and Rocco deserves some credit for his tenacity in battle!

In this year’s Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup, a number of great players also had a shot at either title. Because of the new reset format it gives players who are close in the standings an even better opportunity to win the Cup. But finally the cream rose to the top. I’ve been waiting patiently all season as Major after Major have slipped out of the grasp of the world’s two best players, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. I’ve been rooting for these guys since the Masters, when Phil made a charge reminiscent of Jack Nicklaus in the 86 Masters and Tiger stayed right in the hunt with him but neither of them could seize the moment.  Phil Mickelson also had a good shot at the U.S. Open when he was playing his heart out for wife Amy, who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer as was his mother shortly thereafter, but the distraction proved too much for him and understandably so as he dropped out of contention on the final nine on Sunday.

The Tour Championship finally yielded the One Two Punch from the world’s two best golfers, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. With many of the world’s top players in contention for both the Tour Championship and the Fed Ex Cup, such as Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair, the lead exchanged hands a number of times between these players but Phil and Tiger showed them why they were considered one and two ranked in the world. Phil shot a final round 65, which was 4 strokes better than the rest of the field and good enough for a three stroke victory over the worlds best player Tiger Woods. Tiger’s statistical standings in all the important categories remain intact. He is # 1 in the world ranking, # 1 on the Money List, six victories under his belt this season on tour solidify his rank as # 1 in virtually any category that matters and now the Fed Ex Cup title and $10,000,000 dollars more in his bank account. What more can you ask for? Tiger is back and with a vengeance. As much as any normal human being would be satisfied with his accomplishments for this year I’m sure he has already strategized with his golf coach, Hank Haney, on how to ensure a few more notches in his Majors Belt for next year. Tiger is still young but impatient to reach the goal he had cemented in his mindset at an early age, tie and then beat Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors. He is well on his way with 14 but he may have a few more years ahead to reach his goal. There are many good players on the Tour who also want to win and who will provide Tiger with some stiff competition along the way but make no mistake about it he will be victorious in the end.

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