Washington Golf Alert

Insanity at Winged Foot

Colin Montgomeries' failure to win the U.S. Open is more demoralizing--to him--because he won't have as many chances again as Phil and it was damn amazing he had this one. This is the first time I've messed up, he said about his weak 7 iron to the 18th green and all the other majors he's lost, when outstanding play simply bested his own steady efforts. This is the first time I've messed up, which is okay. You're entitlted to a couple of mess-ups along the way. Right you are, Monty, and I'll be pulling for you again.

Phil Mickelson on the other hand never spoke truer words: I'm such an idiot. Yes, you are. Unlike past thrilling adventures, however, this time you know it and told the world you know it, which means you'll be fine. I think.

The Washington Post's Thomas Boswell puts it well today:

Finally, by the 18th hole, Mickelson had completely lost his golf senses. He hit four of the most poorly judged, badly executed and disastrous shots that any great player has ever inflicted on himself one right after the other.

Boswell believes Phil succumed to some kind of golf insanity because of the enthusiastic crowds cheering him on. No matter the reason, there was a return to the crazy Phil of yesteryear--not only the cut he tried on the 18th from the hardpan--and Boswell has this exactly right, it was a "Tin Cup" moment--but a freakin' 4 wood 140 yards from the 15th green out of deep fluffy rough. No. Try something with a higher percentage, like a comprehensive Middle East peace treaty.

Phil has two majors and tens of millions of dollars that you don't, so don't cry too hard. If you're not sitting right in front of the Mickelsons, laugh.

Tiger Likely To Miss The Cut

First time he's missed one in a major. Kudos to Tiger for facing the media after another 76-shot debacle at the U.S. Open. Listened to him on XM Radio just now, and he thinks the next time he'll play will be at the Western Open July 6-9.

Champions Are Different

Thomas Boswell in the Washington Post writes about how you and me are not Tiger and Jack:

In a different way, Woods defined, once again, how far he stands from any definition of "normal" behavior and how close he stands to the legends to whom he can be compared. Jack Nicklaus, for example, sometimes seemed not to have been present when he hit his worst shots; somebody else must have done it. Once, he topped a drive less than 100 yards at the World Series of Golf. Afterward, he described the hole as "driver, 3-wood, up and down for par." Pressed by eyewitnesses, he maintained, straight-faced, that he hadn't hit an especially bad drive. Yeah, only 200 yards shorter than normal...

When others might have felt sad, demoralized or any other emotion that might seem familiar to the rest of us in a moment of sharp disappointment just six weeks after the death of a parent, Woods said, with conviction, that he had only one emotion: "Frustration."

At a time when thousands in the gallery here thought they finally "understood how Tiger feels," they absolutely didn't. If anything, they were further from understanding him than ever...

That sounds about right. Elsewhere in this column, Boswell quotes Tiger saying he knows fans are looking for him to be more emotional after the death of his father. There's something understandable but not entirely attractive about the public wanting to see this guy break down and cry. Maybe later; not in the hunt.

I Love Johnny Miller

Though in a manly, platonic, respectful and extremely only platonic way.

Miller just now on NBC after a golfer muffed a shot at the U.S. Open:

That's a wipe. A wipe is when--at the last second, you know when you square up the club? A wipe is when you keep it open all the way. A lot of you out there have that down to an art form.

Women and Golf

Now that's an interesting question--where's the best place for women to play golf in the DC area? If I knew the answer, I'd be there trying to meet women who enjoy playing golf.

The query turned up in my referral logs--software that tells me how people found my site (don't worry, I don't know who you are, just where you came from). I think Google pointed to Washington Golf Alert simply because I write about golf in the greater DC region, not anything particularly helpful about women, which I haven't.

The conventional wisdom concerning women and golf is that more women play par 3s--more relaxed, more social, more fun. My directory lists a few, though I've never been to one and haven't tested the theory. Another place would be Singles Golf DC, a group I've added to my Washington Golfer's Toolbox, provided you're single.

Why don't more women play golf? I wish they did; I have this ability to pursue occupations and avocations overly represented by men. It could be that some men play golf to escape from their wives and girlfriends. It could be that recreational golf has been male-dominated for so long that women have better things to do than spend six hours at a public course being pushed by impatient cigar-smoking hackers. Or perhaps that's the stereotype.

It's Not The Ball, It's The Swing

I'm going to wave this story in the face of one of my golfing buddies, who we'll call Mr. High-and-Mighty Titleist:

MAMARONECK, N.Y., June 12 -- Phil Mickelson has played Winged Foot, site of the 106th U.S. Open, at least 10 times over the past six weeks as he attempts to win his third straight major championship.

During one of those practice rounds, his longtime caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, walked up to one club member and wondered what the U.S. Golf Association was going to do about all the lost balls still buried in the strangling rough.

"We kept finding all these Precepts and Top-Flites everywhere," Mackay said on Monday. "It's so thick, you take a step and you find another golf ball."..

Top-Flites! At storied Winged Foot!

I've played Top Flites regularly and right now I'm playing something even cheaper, which I'll save for another post. Yes, cheaper than a Top Flite and quite good. Ah, but you say, look at your scores--of course you play cheap balls, because don't take this personally but you suck. I don't take it personally. But my blowups aren't because of the ball I play--they're either from erratic short work or oddly unreliable woods (the latter used to be automatic safe plays). I'm coming around, and as I hover just above 100 I'm reportedly in the middle range of most recreation golfers. And for most of those guys, frankly the difference between a Top Flite XL or a Titleist is how much money they'll have left over for beer.

The best ball you can play is this: The same one all the time.

Field Notes: Broad Run

Lots of golfers I know have pretty dim views of nine-hole golf courses. But it depends on the course. They're not all par-3s, they're not all mid-tracks like Paint Branch over in College Park, Md. and by the way those are great places to practice and have fun. Meanwhile Broad Run in Bristow, Va., is a serious 9-hole golf course with some beautiful scenery and a slope of 135 from the back tees.

I used to have this place practically to myself when it first opened, since all you can see from the highway is the driving range, a short-game practice field with bunkers and a miniature golf course. No more. Perhaps because of its role in golf instruction--there's a resident pro on-site--Broad Run seems to attract more than its share of beginners but despite conventional wisdom this does not reduce the pace of play. In my experience it does produce some of the more pock-marked fairways around here, especially later in the season, because if anyone's telling some of these golfers to replace their divots they sure aren't listening.

No matter. Broad Run is varied and a worthy test. Yes, there are two short par 4-s, But they're not gimmes. The 322-yard first is a bit narrow for your fresh wailing drive and pinches with a mound from the left, right around your landing zone (I said your landing zone. Mine is safely behind yours). The third hole is 323 yards, but over a pond that requires a carry of about 156 yards at the left and 196 yards at the far, slicing right, at least according to my Sky Caddie.  All the rest are no-excuse holes.

The photo isn't the most scenic I could offer, but I'm trying to show the length and pressure of the par-5 second, 537 yards from the back with a narrow fairway that slopes gently from right to left in the landing zone. The photo, looking back toward the distant tee, doesn't do justice to the green, which is elevated and protected by bunkers on the right. Two holes have dramatically elevated tees--the 422-yard par-4 5th, and the 548-yard par-5 seventh. Throw in one 226-yard par 3 and you've got plenty of golf course on your hands. That par-4 5th is rated the toughest, with a gulch towards the last section of the fairway that'll force many of you to consider an ignominious layup.

If you're in the area, have your clubs in the trunk and a little time on your hands, you can take advantage of another Broad Run advantage: Just zip into the parking lot and peek onto the first tee. You'll know right away if there's much of a traffic jam. Personally I find it pretty hard to resist if there isn't.

Toolbox Update

I'm adding Waggle.com to my Washington Golfer's Toolbox, a collection of local resources put together by yours truly (click under "Categories" at left). Waggle has a tremendous amount of its own damn resources, including a golf course database with continually updated reviews that go well outside this region.

Field Notes: Ospreys

You might not think a 5,567-yard course  would be challenging. You would be wrong. Now if your golf buddies want to wail away with a driver every single darn hole, this is not the course for them--unless they're very long and exceptionally straight. On the same swing.

The Ospreys Golf Club at Belmont Bay, Woodbridge, requires a lot of thought. It's often tight, there are several daunting forced carries, and divided fairways prevent you from blithely aiming straight and just waiting for your ball to stop rolling. It includes the most demoralizing short par-3 I've ever witnessed, a 100-plus-yard jaunt over a gaping ravine to an elevated green. Here are options you should not choose: Left, right, short or far. Except for a several-yard bailout left, everything else will result in impenetrable brush or the Occoquan river.

The Occoquan reveals itself in glimpses on several holes; the photo looks down on second half of the spectacular par 5 10th. Much of The Ospreys is beautiful, though the 10th is the most dramatic. And although this golf course like many others here is being encircled by new housing, I don't feel it damaged the atmosphere very much. Golfers who have played there for years may feel different. For example, one of the par 3s on the front nine does feel a bit like playing in someone's back yard. But that's the exception. The area immediately around the course is now quite pricey--these are beautiful, expensive homes and much of the time you'll be out of their sightlines anyway.

The staff was exceptionally friendly the day I played, perhaps out of respect for what I was about to face: A forced carry on the first tee of a golf course without a driving range. Adding to the trial  were the flies. I was cheerfully told by a young man on my way out that they only hatch and agitate golfers during certain times of the year. This time naturally. If the starter tells you the flies are out, by all that is holy in golf take his advice and either use your own anti-bug spray or buy what's available in the pro shop. The course will be otherwise unplayable on the several holes where they're present. Marshes will do that sometimes.

My best ball striking was on that beautiful, terrifying 10th (photo). The first half or more of the fairway is on a plateau, and for mortals your second will be a blind shot. I nailed both, and the sloping 100-foot drop to the green left me just 50 yards short of it. Five shots later and you have a good feel for my short game. The next hole is a par 3 that takes you right back up the hill--I pushed my tee ball into bush and had to play my provisional--but most of the course's elevations are far more gentle.

Play Ospreys, inquire about Off, and grab a yardage guide--essential equipment for a chess-match of a course like this.

Score captured from FairwayFiles.com.

Say It Like You Mean It

From the Washington Post:

Michelle Wie woke up Tuesday morning feeling "like I was 80 years old" after playing 36 holes Monday in her unsuccessful attempt to become the first woman to qualify for the U.S. Open. Still, she said winning her first major title this week in the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock Golf Course would go a long way toward easing her pain.

Asked if she could have chosen which event to have won this week, she hesitated for several seconds before answering: "I think it would be to win [the LPGA Championship] this week . . . it would be really awesome. Yeah, I guess I would choose winning this week."

I don't blame her, but nobody believes that's what she feels. There's no telling what'll go on inside the Bulle Rock locker room this week. It would be terrible if there were, you know, an "accident."

No, here is Wie's true heart:

Wie said she has no plans to abandon her childhood dream of one day playing on the PGA Tour and will continue to enter men's events in the United States and abroad.

"The PGA Tour stands for Professional Golf Association," she said. "There's no 'men' in [the title]. I feel like I can play out there because I'm a professional now, so I think that's cool."