Last sunday in Bad Saarow I played a quite pleasurable round on the Stan Eby course. On the Par5 17th (the one with the biiiig bunker on the left side of the fairway), I found myself with the lie pictured above.  In the light rough, with some 140 meters to the pin. I had to wait quite some time for the foursome ahead to leave the green. As soon as they had left, I gripped my seven iron, practice swing, adressed the ball, easy swing, solid ball contact, the ball starts a little to the right but then curves back left, following the contour of the fairway, comes down a couple of meters short of the green, rolls onto the green and comes to rest just two meters left of the pin.

This was exactly how I had this shot in my head before making it. Awesome feeling.  Proudly I walked up to the green, birdie putt was a fraction short of the cup, settled for par. But it was the shot onto the green that devinitely made my day. The rest of the round wasn’t to bad after all, 98 strokes, 37 stableford points net, 13 stableford points gross. Can I has more of that?

Wednesday, 30. April 2008
19.30 Eurosport, European Tour, BMW Asian Open
20.00 Eurosport, Golf Club

Saturday, 3. May 2008
13.30 CNN, Living Golf
19.30 CNN, Living Golf

Sunday, 4. May 2008
09.30 CNN, Living Golf
15.30 CNN, Living Golf
20.30 CNN, Living Golf

Today marks the third anniversary of this golfblog. What better way to celebrate it than to go out and play. I’m off to Bad Saarow to play my first team tournament of the season. Wish me luck!

Did you know that Greg Norman still plays tourneys? Didn’t know that, just discovered him on the leaderboard of this weeks BMW Asian Open @ Pudong GC (the one with the giant pitchmark).

…heißt ganz offiziell “Proette”. Dass sich darüber im Internet noch keine(r) amüsiert, verwundert oder aufgeregt hat, verwundert wiederum mich. Im vergangenen Jahr hab ich mal einen männlichen Pro gefragt, warum seine Kolleginnen diese fiese Berufsbezeichnung so klaglos hinnehmen. Er meinte:

“Immer noch besser als Pröse”.

Genau. Und auch besser als “Prötte”. Die einzige Proette, die ich kenne, bevorzugt übrigens den Begriff “Lady Pro”.

Played some nine holes tonight on our After-Work-Golf round. There was this guy in my foursome I know for a couple of years but never had played a round of golf before. He has been playing for a couple of years but still is stuck with his 36 handicap. He had ditched his etiquette in a water hazard some day as the following situation would show.

There is this twosome behind us since the first hole. They are not particularly faster than we are but they are visible at all times. At our third hole (dogleg right with two water hazards) he hits his first shot into the water. Drops a ball, third shot into the thick rough to the right. No chance to find the ball. Drops another ball,  fifth shot into the water.

The twosome is waiting since five minutes at the teebox of the hole. I remind him to pick up his ball and continue with us, since we alread lost sight of the foursome in front of us. He refuses, drops another all and hits his shot OB to the right of the fairway.  The count is seven. He then walks up to the green and drops a ball 5 meters to the side of the green and wants to continue. I strongly advise him to discard the hole, as there are no points to be made on this hole and he is so definitily slowing play.

Him: “I’m not picking up my ball! It’s only this one.”

Me: “Sorry, please be considerate of the other players and pick your ball up here and continue your game on the next hole.”

Him: “But we’re not playing a tournament here.”

Me: “No, we are not, but it is the first day since weeks with nice, sunny weather, the course is packed with people and they all want to finish their rounds before the sun goes down.”

Him: “But I want to continue to play my ball.”

Me: “There are rules to this game and there is something called etiquette, please consider that.”

Him: “No, I totally disagree with you, why can’t I continue to play here.”

That was the point where I was just about to kick him out of my flight or to give him a severe whack with my seven iron between the eyes. Or in the family jewels. Can you belive such ignorance?

Time is running out for spectators to take advantage of discounted season tickets for the week of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from July 13-20.

Until the end of April, £200 buys a season ticket that gives entry for the eight days of practice and Championship play, a saving of £115 on the full price daily tickets.

(full story)

Honey, can I go? I know its your birthday and all, but this is the Open??

Wednesday, 23. April 2008

18.30 Eurosport, US PGA Tour, Verizon Heritage
19.30 Eurosport, European Tour, China Open
20.00 Eurosport, Golf Club

The Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am reminds me of this tournament called Schnitzel-Cup I played two years ago. I wonder what they serve as halfway meal…

Phil Mickelson appears in new tv spots for a big hotel group. Follow the link to see the spots and more footage. Personally, I think they are fun, they even feature David Feherty in one commercial. Go see for yourself.

Link: www.youtube.com