Golfography

Golfography has moved...

2006-01-15T18:37:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for my latest escapade, I've moved the Golfography blog to a new site. All posts after January 1, 2006, are now located here. So come on over. The golf is even better...

What a great golf year!

2005-12-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you, dear readers, for following my golf geography - or "golfography" - during 2005. It was a special year. I played some outstanding courses for the first time (Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, Bandon Trails, Western Gailes), attended a number of first class outings (to Scotland with the Blue Elephants, my brother's trip to Caves Valley, outings to Pinehurst with my friend Robert Miller, another with The Golf Channel, and a lovely stay at the Ritz at Reynolds Plantation with LINKS, among many others). Plus, I enjoyed more happy days at my beloved Secession.

I won't attempt to relive great moments here. The entire year's posts represent my highlights. So rather than write on and on about this Member/Member or that par 3 (on which I likely made 5), I'll say merely that, yes, 2005 was a very good year for golf for me.

And here's to a better (?) 2006!

Changing the landscape

2005-12-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

I began this blog early this year with this statement:

"We all have our passions in life, and then there are the things we truly enjoy. Playing golf is among the things I enjoy. But what I refer to as 'golfology,' now that's a passion. 'Golfology' is the culture of golf. And there's nothing quite like it."

For the last year or so I've written about the places and people with whom I've played golf. "Golfography," I call it, what I consider to be a subset of the bigger study of golf, "golfology." For the next 12 months or so I plan to write about the business of golf, especially the marketing aspects, an area in which I consider my company and myself to have a particular expertise.

I was meeting with a prospective new business customer recently. In preparation I made a list of all the golf companies with whom we've worked over the last 20 years. I couldn't believe the list myself - more than 25 different companies, large and small, established and new, some wildly successful, others (but not very many, such as NetGolfShop.com) no longer in the, ahem, golf landscape.

BURRIS is about to begin a dedicated push to acquire new golf industry customers, either for marketing consulting or communications plan implementation projects. There are quite a number of companies I believe we can help, bringing ideas to life and in the process making their brands stronger, their strategies tighter, their delivered customer experience richer, their communications materials better.

So the journal - or "blog" - "Golfography" will remain here, and perhaps from time-to-time I'll post my thoughts on a new (or revisited) golf "place." But most of my energies in this field will now go into "Golfology." And you can find that blog here.

Thanks for reading. I hope you'll visit Golfology often.

The Last Ride

2005-11-30T20:28:00.000-05:00

(Photos at bottom)
I enjoyed my last golf trip of the year on Novembers 29 and 30.

There's much that can be said about this one, from the planning to the departure, but I'll cut right to the parts that really matter:

1. We were at Secession Golf Club, which, I'm proud to say, I'd put up against any club in terms of delivering a top-drawer golf experience. Our president, Bob Harcharik, and our Director of Golf, Mike Harmon, have created an environment where guests are as welcome as they would be in our homes, and it shows. Last night, during dinner, I think my six guests felt as though they, themselves, were members, and there's nothing, nothing, that makes a host feel better than that.

2. My guests, their-own-selves, were top drawer. All had been to Secession before, and it's clear they value the experience. (That makes it all the better - the best, perhaps - for the host.) I've taken control of with whom I play and where I play, and it shows. This was - as was another the previous week - an outstanding group, and we laughed and cut up on as well as off the course. We played, drank, and ate together as old friends, even though some of them became brand new friends this week. (How good is that?)

3. Our golf wasn't all that good. We played a difficult, wet, not-in-its-best-condition golf course, but it was still pretty special. Secession played long (I forced us back on the "Grant" tees, and I think I'll have to re-chrome my 3-wood), and the game we played rewarded stick-to-it-iveness as much as a medal score. My pal Kirk Davis won all the individual games, but there were enough better balls going around that everyone won a little bit. Perfect.

I'll use another entry to sum up the year, but this was a perfect outing for me to end 2005's golf. Thanks, fellas. Hit 'em straight forever.

PHOTOS
This is our group being served dinner. Tami, who served our table is much nicer and more attractive, but Claude McElveen, who runs our food and beverage operation at Secession, helped serve the entrees.Let me tell you about the dinner Tory and Justin prepared: We had an outstanding appetizer (potstickers), followed by a Caesar salad, then a Rigatoni Bolognese that reminded me "sauce is, truly, King." The pleasant surprise, however, were some bacon-wrapped asparagus. (Did I tell you that we know how to treat guests at Secession?)

This is our last hole on the first day. I insisted we go out and play the "the point" (Secession's 16th, 17th, and 18th holes) again after we finished our round. Here's Glenn Prillaman on 18 tee: And, yep, it was that dark!

Here is Tami serving Kirk and Neil:

And here's the Secession club house at dawn this morning.How beautiful is that?

Closing out the year

2005-11-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

I'll be closing out my golf for the year at a couple of events I've scheduled at Secession Golf Club in the coming weeks. It's been a great year, one I've caught a lot of joking about. After all, I've played Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Bandon Dunes' three courses, traveled to Scotland and played Royal Troon and Turnberry Ailsa, battled in Member Guests and Scratch events...what a great year.

This space, however, will begin taking on a slightly different tone in the coming weeks. I plan to deal with some of the issues facing the golf industry in all of the areas that interest me and those where our customers go to market. "Golfology," I call it, and as such it's the "broader science of golf," of which "Golfography" is a subset.

One of the things we'll be watching is the LPGA Tour, which, I believe, will become the hot sponsor, spectator and viewer ticket in the coming couple of years. The talent there is phenomenal, and the people who'll be watching will be fascinated. Opinions abound (just ask my friend Rick Hall what he thinks of Michelle Wie), but my gut tells me this is going to be big.

In the meantime, I'll still write about where I play, just, I'm sure, not quite as often as in 2005...probably because I won't be playing as much.

Stay tuned.

Malcolm Gladwell on Golf

2005-10-23T15:44:00.000-04:00

Well, he wasn't really talking about golf in a recent interview for TIME called "What's Next," but he was exactly right when he said, "I'd like to make a distinction between change and progress."

"To use a prosaic example, technology related to golf has improved and will continue to improve dramatically. Golf clubs are way better today than they were 10 years ago, and will be way better 10 years from now. Golf scores, however, have remained absolutely stable. This is an important distinction because historically when we talked about the future, we talk about the possibilities for change, which says that either we have deliberately lowered expectations or we're playing a game where we're pretending what we're talking about is progress when all we're doing is talking about change."

Gladwell is the author of "Blink" and a regular contributor to The New Yorker.

For a link to the entire interview, click on the title of this post.

Blue-Gray at Secession, October 19-22, 2005

2005-10-23T14:24:00.001-04:00

The annual Blue-Gray event at Secession is the best tournament of the year, the one I'll always build my calendar around.

At its simplest, Blue-Gray is our national club's "Northern" members playing the "Southern" members. To fill out the teams we've been known to designate Texas as "north" and a New Jersey carpetbagger a "southerner," but, what the heck? There's always next year.

Three days of better ball competition, alternate shot, "emergency nines," great food and a bit too much drink.

What I like best about Blue-Gray is a course and house full of people you see only once or twice a year, friends who love golf the way I do, who are much better at telling stories than I'll ever be, and just enough friendly competition to keep us all grinding and joking and smash-mouthing each other to become better friends after it's all over.

You also see some interesting fashions. This year's story included three trends. (Hope not!)

1. Shorts that were too long for short guys, long enough to recall the term "clamdiggers," but now (and with this group) better described as "capris" for men. Tom Whitten and Steve McCarthy were singled out (and I laid low).

2. Collars turned up, giving the Providence-or-Hamptons-in-the-Summer look to a lot of members. The hair has to be just right in the back to pull this off. And, surprisingly, a couple of guys managed it. Maybe six members in all with this look this year. (Hope it doesn't last.)

3. And this. Sighted just after the bagpiper's walk and before the cannon's blast on Friday night.

Only at Blue-Gray. I hope I never miss another...

The incongruity of it all

2005-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Two golf course incidents in the last several months remain high on my mind, so I thought I'd share them with you, dear reader.

1. Back in early September, on my last day of vacation at Bandon Dunes, second round for the day, this one at the new Bandon Trails masterpiece by Coore and Crenshaw, after a light lunch (but including a couple of beers), Betty and I rushed to the first tee to make our 1:50p tee time. I join a couple of guys on the tee - they're already standing on the "championship" box, which is where I want to play from too - and while I'm rooting through my bag for ball, tee and glove, they hit solid drives that bounce this way and that but end up in the fairway.

Not me. I neck a diver that carries about 100 yards then bounces and rolls along the left dunes, coming to rest in a footprint undoubtedly left by Sasquatch, the original "Big Foot." I gouge it out, wedge my third onto the green, sink a 20- or 25-footer for par, and head for the second tee.

The second is a longish par 3, a short 215 yards downwind this day. I again hit third, after my two playing partners hit solid shots onto the green. I wave at this tee shot, what I call a "flair," a high, soft, harmless (to anyone watching) cut that goes almost nowhere and lands a full 30 yards short and right of the green. After an average lob wedge and two putts, I have a respectable bogey on the card where not one of the shots might be referred to as such..."respectable."

After another necked-diver tee shot on the third hole, one of the two guys I've now known for about 30 minutes - but whom I've hardly seen since meeting them on the first tee - sidles up to me as we walk with our caddies toward the fairway and says, "You know, just because Jim (the other guy) and I are playing the back tees, it's okay, if you want to move up to the forwards."

Not the least embarrassed - but now both amused and challenged - I looked at my round through a new pair of eyes. I knew I'd start hitting the ball solid soon, but for me there was new incentive. And every golfer who feels even the slightest urge to play competitively, gets motivated by something in the game. It's more than pride or ego. Our game was on.

By the way Bandon Trails is a magnificent course. Here's a look - from the fairway, no less - at the last 175 yards on the short (325 from the, ahem, back tees) par 4, number 14:

2. The second golf-related incident that keeps popping in my head occurred at Bulls Bay's club championship just last week. I knew I wouldn't contend for the championship itself, but my competitive Jones keeps me playing in the top flight. On the first day I'm paired with a member sporting a +5 handicap, an aspiring Champion's Tour player. I'm not playing badly, but I'm also not making anything on the greens (and to shoot a good score, I have to be putting well). Coming to number 12, a 180-yard par 3 over water, I'm five over. My tee shot flairs (again, an ugly "flair") and catches a finger of the hazard after crossing land near the green. I drop, punch a long, low pitch (7-iron) over two ridges in the green, scooting about 25-30 yards and coming to rest no more than 15 inches behind the cup. I want to tap in, but I'd be standing in both their lines, so I mark. By the time they miss their birdie putts - and one of them misses the par comebacker - I have kind of lost interest in the putt, already thinking ahead to a tough tee shot on 13. And, yes, I miss, miss a putt just over a foot, a certainty for anyone except, perhaps, Vijay (and now, John Daly).

The +5, aspiring Champions Tour player says to me as we walk off, "Aw, Mark, that putt was good. I'm giving you 4 there." I think he's kidding, so I laugh, walk on, but continue the expletive-laced lashing I'm giving myself under my breath. "No," he says, "there are players out here today who are taking putts like that and worse. That was good. I'm giving you that one."

I stop, look at him with both appreciation for his concern but primarily horror that he's serious. I say to him: "You obviously don't know me very well. That just can't happen, and if you write down 4, I'll change it to 5. You wouldn't do it, would you? Well, neither would I."

We compete not only to win, but also to see how we measure up against our own expectations, against the golf course and conditions. In both cases - the sanctimonious suggestion that I shouldn't feel intimidated by guys on the back tees or the condescending assurance that a botched tap-in can be forgotten with a "shucks, that was good" from a player who doesn't feel threatened by my presence in the field - these kinds of things tell us as much about ourselves as they do about the ones we know and play with.

I love golf, love what the game offers, not the least of which is a way to find how we live with ourselves.

Caves Valley, September 9-11, 2005

2005-09-12T06:39:00.000-04:00

I've had a great year in golf, played a lot of fantastic places and enjoyed some beautiful times. For almost six months I looked forward to a Fri-Sun trip with my brother Brad and ten others to Caves Valley, just outside Baltimore in Owings Mills, MD.

Brad's a member, and he invited six of us "Carolina boys" to play with - but not against - Ed Crenshaw and five of his Florida and Lone Palm friends.

What makes for a great golf outing? I believe there are three essential ingredients:
- You need a great venue, and Caves Valley is certainly that. We stayed "on campus" in a couple of clubhouse rooms and one of the cottages. The golf course isn't in very good condition, a victim of the blight that has struck so much of the Middle Atlantic and Northeast areas. But the operation at Caves more than makes up for a merely average course condition.
- You want a good bunch of guys, a group that can get along well and enjoy each other's company. This crowd, from two different parts of the country but held together by an appreciation for the game, showed affection for one another and rapier-like jabs too. A good combination.
- You need a good competition, fair but challenging. Brother Brad is especially good at setting up - and keeping up with - this element, and we had a number of winners. Brad likes a modified Stableford system, one that rewards birdies and, especially, eagles. It's probably not the fairest system when there are higher handicappers, but our group this time had some pretty low handicaps - the highest was 11 - so it turned out pretty well.

We didn't play as much golf as this group of guys used to. There was a time when 36 a day was normal. Now most of the group plays 18 holes, then heads off to a gin table or a nap. And there aren't many occasions to find them on the practice tee. I shot this early Sunday morning.

Believe it or not, this was my last trip for a good long time, and I'm ready to settle down for a bit.

Cypress Point - August 30, 2005

2005-09-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

Kirk Davis wasn't the first to tell me his favorite course is Cypress Point. But he was perhaps the most persuasive. Shot for shot, hole for hole, it's spectacular.

We started on the fourth hole in order to get ahead of a group of 20 older gents having a kind of member and guest outing. It's a slight dogleg left, not very long, and I put a drive in play only 150 yards out. My 7-iron ended up just below the hole, and my birdie putt - 10 feet, up the hill, breaking left to right - lipped out.

What's the big deal, you might ask?

Well, the tee shot was slightly uphill, and the landing area was maybe 25 yards. Miss it left or right and you find a bunker, one that probably would have required a pitch-out. And the green, like almost all of Cypress Point's greens, slopes aggressively from back to front. You really want to limit the times you're putting from above the hole, believe me.

The fact is, for fourteen holes Cypress Point is a subtle, wonderful architectural treasure. Hit the right shots, and you'll have a few good scoring opportunities. The others - namely, 15 through 18 - are four of the most beautiful golf holes I'll likely ever see. They weren't designed; they were carved out of the most magnificent topography on earth.

Fifteen is a short (135 yards from the back tee) par 3. The green has three peninsular areas, and I'm sure the pin is always in one of them, making the effective hitting area decidedly small.

Here's Darryl Leech lunging at a 9-iron.

Sixteen is the hole everyone talks about, another par 3, but this one is 218 yards. You have to try to hit, the caddies say; you can't bail left and play for four (though they say Hogan always did just that). But you're hitting over a spectacular formation of rocks and breaking waves.

Seventeen is a classic par 4, if by "classic" you mean beautiful, majestic, and tough as can be. It's only 386 yards, and I hit driver and wedge. But my wedge shot was 108 yards, under a limb, needing to draw about 20 yards to miss the surf and a bunker. (Got it up and down from the rough behind the green.)

And eighteen, though not over the Pacific or an inlet or any water at all, may be the best hole of all. Your drive is a blind shot - you can't see any fairway at all, only trees. "Hit it over that round-top tree, my caddie said." Which I did. Perfect. So all I needed to do now was hit a little 9-iron around another tree, which was hanging over the green, drawing it about 15 yards. That's a lot of complexity for a 343-yard hole.

Kirk said Cypress Point Club is where he would like to play every day. Not close.

I get it, Kirk. If you ever need another to play with, I'm there.

Pebble Beach - August 28, 2005

2005-08-29T08:13:00.000-04:00

This is my first trip here, and although it's beautiful, magnificent, almost too magical for words, it will likely be my only. Getting here - and paying for it all - make Pebble Beach for many a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The golf course is memorable. We've seen it on TV for U.S. Opens and AT&T Tour events so many times, we all practically know it...the way we know Augusta National. Here's the 18th green, for instance:

Walking this course it's so very hard to focus on the shots you need to hit because you're looking out at the seals playing in the cove or up at the mountains in the distance or over at the lone pine tree between the sixth green and seventh tee... You just do the best you can, hit the few good shots, and move on. At least that was my experience.

Getting here from back east was an all-day trip. We departed Charleston on a 6:10a Eastern flight on Saturday, August 27, and pulled off 17 Mile Drive and into the resort at Pebble Beach around 2:30p Pacific. That's almost 12 hours. Fortunately, we didn't schedule golf for that day, but on the next day, Sunday, our time was 8:10. It couldn't have been a prettier morning. A low fog over the water, the sun coming up over the trees, the first tee area abuzz with activity...

My round got off to a decent start: I bogeyed the first, then had 8 feet or so for eagle on 2 (tapped in for birdie), but I couldn't sustain it. By the time I hooked two tee balls into the rocks at 18, I was beaten in golf, but captivated by the beauty of everything that is, I guess, Pebble Beach.

I'd love a chance to play the golf course in competition, when the camera isn't in the bag, when the group ahead and behind are just as intent on the golf as on getting their caddie to snap this husband and wife team in front of Bing Crosby's former residence...

Maybe I will come back. But in the meantime, we play Spyglass today (August 29) and Cypress Point tomorrow.

VA vs. SC Matches - August 23-25, 2005

2005-08-25T18:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's post focused on a single issue, the "scorer" for an event or informal tournament. Today I'll report - at least briefly - on the event itself. Not so much the score, although the SC squad amazingly defeated the VA group by 1 point - 1 POINT! - over a three day competition. No, this is a bigger, more emotional look at these matches.

I don't know how this event originated, whose brainchild it was, or even who did most of the work pulling these eight guys together. But I know I was fortunate to have been included, not only because they are all great guys and we played very good golf courses and it was a formal, organized, formatted competition. In fact, it was all those things that made these VA vs. SC team matches an absolute joy.

As with most successful golf outings, I made several new friends, and I have golf to thank for it. You get to know someone so quickly, so well, on the golf course. You peer into their head, get a glimpse into their hearts, learn a lot about their character. You learn to laugh with them. You get to know and (vicariously) meet their families. You learn what's important to them, what isn't. You see how they respond to pressure, what it does to them, how much better - or worse - an individual they are when something's on the line (even if, sometimes, it's only pride).

The first day we played Secession, two groups of better ball. Three of the VA guys had no luggage, no golf clubs, so they played with rentals and spanked us. Out of a possible 36 points, they had 19.5, and after one day a 3 point lead.

(Each hole represents 1 point. If you halve, each team receives 1/2 point. If you win, you receive the full point. If you lose, you receive nada.)

On Day 2 we traveled just down the road to Spring Island's Old Tabby Links. The morning round was another better ball session; the afternoon was alternate shot. For the day there were 72 points in play, and we clawed closer. After two days only one point separated us: VA had 54.5 points; SC had 53.5 points.

Today, Day 3, was singles day: four individual matches, each worth 18 points, a total of 72 points for the day. The first and second matches were in one group; the third and fourth in the next group.

Match #1 yielded SC 10.5 points, or +3. Match #2 yielded SC only 8.5 points, or -1. So after the first two matches, SC had gone from being one point behind to one point ahead overall.

Match #3 yielded SC 10.5 again, or +3. But Match #4 - the two captains going mano a mano - SC lost by 3, capturing only 7.5, or -3.

If you're not totally confused, that means SC won overall by one point - 1 POINT! After three days, out of a possible 180 points, and two teams of four golfers each, only one point separated the two teams. 90.5 to 89.5.

The score was close, strangers became friends, good friends became better friends; the golf was good at times, not so good at others... But, my friends, these three days represent the best the game has to offer. If you don't do anything like this, put it together, do it now and do it often.

Thanks, fellas!

The Scorer - Spring Island, August 24, 2005

2005-08-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

There's one in every group. But in this group of eight, there are at least four...

I'm playing in an informal VA vs. SC residents team match at Secession and Spring Island's Old Tabby Links this week. After two days and 54 holes, the VA guys lead by 1 point.

The format has been Better Ball, Better Ball, Modified Alternate Shot. Each hole is worth a point - if we halve it's worth a half point - and it's this close. Tomorrow we'll have singles matches at Secession.

Here's the SC captain, Kirk Davis, working on the afternoon scorecards today in the lounge at Spring Island Club. Beside him is Dennis Kern, one of the VA players. At the time of this shot, we're between rounds and waiting for lunch and, for me, at least, another round of beers.

I'm accustomed to being the scoring guy, setting up the groups, preparing the scorecards, tallying the scores... But this time there are at least four of us who do that sort of thing, and it's fun to watch: so many type A golf personalities, pencil in hand, counting and recounting, checking the dots.

Tonight over dinner we'll set the pairings for tomorrow's final matches. The Old Dominion, aka The Commonwealth, they're tough. But they're going down.

More red shirts on Sunday?

2005-08-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

A quick heads-up from my "rip and report" file. (I routinely rip pages of interesting pieces from magazines, thinking I'll keep them somewhere nearby until I decide what to do with them.)

In the September 2005 Atlantic Monthly, I came across the following:

"In many animal species red coloration in males - a sign of high testosterone levels - is associated with fitness and dominance... The color may also be linked to prowess in human athletes. Two English academics examined four 'combat sports' (boxing tae kwon do, Greco-Roman wrestling, and freestyle wrestling) in the 2004 Summer Olympics; participants in these events were randomly assigned either blue or red attire. The athletes in red won 55 percent of all the competitions - and when contests in which the competitors were deemed unevenly matched were eliminated from the pool, more than 60 percent of the winners were found to have been wearing red... The researchers speculate that because red is associated with anger and violence, competitors may be sub-consciously intimidated by opponents dressed in it - and that wearing red may boost an athlete's testosterone levels and thereby improve his performance."

Who'll win this match? And are we likely to see Tiger's challengers duplicating his preference for a red shirt on Sunday?

Briar's Creek - August 18, 2005

2005-08-19T14:40:00.000-04:00

Gus Bright was kind enough to invite me out to The Golf Club at Briar's Creek (near Kiawah Island) for a round of golf with him and the CEO of the club, Dave Bailey.

Briar's Creek was Golf Digest's pick as the "Best New Private Course" in 2002. It's a Rees Jones design, fun to play (even as we danced between thunder heads), and, for the most part, straightforward. I love playing a course for the first time when you can see on virtually every shot what you need to do. No hidden bunkers or water hazards, and the shape of the shots is intuitively "there"...that's a great experience. (I recall Fazio's Forest Creek near Pinehurst is similar in this respect.)

Briar's Creek aims to be a private golf retreat for a (very) limited number of members. It likely will have a healthy combination of local, Charleston and national members. All guest play requires a member in each group, so national members can't just send their pals out there to "experience" the club. (And that's a good thing.)

In fact, the "experience" Briar's Creek offers is one of two noteworthy aspects about the Club. There's a kind of formula that director of golf Chris Edwards has instituted, beginning with a member of the golf staff meeting you at your car, standing near you on the practice grounds and insuring you have all that you need. Impressive, but not over the top. Very comfortable.

The second thing.... Part of the golf experience has to do with how golf and the homesites mesh. Like the best golf and real estate communities, the homes at Briar's Creek will be set back from the course, visible but not encroaching. Here's the view from the 8th tee area back toward the club's founder's home. Between the back tee and the home is a goodly-sized pond, and (I'm recalling here) about 100-to-150 yards (a good 7-iron to a wedge).

I played pretty well, but, as has been the case for a few weeks, got off to a slow start. We started on the back, where I shot 40 (+4). Then we made the turn to #1, where I birdied, missed a close one on #2 and again on #3. shot 37 (+1) on the back for a 77.

It's getting there...

Comment: The golf ball

2005-08-14T17:03:00.000-04:00

Someone pointed out to me recently that golf is the only professional sport that allows the players to supply their own balls. Well if you put it that way, I guess, maybe we should consider ratcheting back - or at least holding at its current state - the golf ball used in professional competition.

That's a debate for another day, however. Today, let's consider the awesome task of the range attendants at a professional event such as the PGA Championship. A lot of people may not realize that on the range at a Tour event, players practice only with balls like the ones they play on the course, causing a lot of extra, taxing, time-consuming work for the range guys and gals.

Here's a photo from pga.com:

So raise a beer stein to the attendants.

Sage Valley - July 30, 2005

2005-07-31T14:18:00.000-04:00

There are some who like the golf course ("I love all Fazio courses," said one person I was with last week); there are others who love the food ("The cake they serve there," says Rick Hall, "is the best in golf"). I have said myself that I think it may be the best conditioned golf course I've ever played.

I'm referring, of course, to Sage Valley, just outside Aiken, SC (and near Augusta, GA).

Betty and I visited for a round of golf with my good friend and SV member Darryl Leech and his wife Katy on Saturday, July 30.

There's obviously a lot to like at Sage Valley, but what I like most is that everything there - from the practice facility to the limited number of entrees on the lunch menu - everything is built around or to support the golf experience.

For instance, check out this setting. I'm no photographer, but what I see in the frame is a beautifully squared-off tee box, a simple, yet inviting bench, enough greenery to give the roving eye a lot to look over - what I see, overall, is a near-perfect golf setting.

Sage Valley isn't for everyone. It's a bit ego-driven; they may, perhaps, overdo it with the entrance and the security and that kind of stuff. But this part of it is pretty cool. In fact, aren't the best things about golf actually outdoors ... uh, on the golf course?

Golf Channel Viewer's Cup - July 2005

2005-07-31T13:44:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate to be invited to attend a pre-event and the opening ceremonies for the second annual (?) Golf Channel Viewer's Cup, for the second year held at Pinehurst Resort. I looked forward to many things about this event, including

- It would be an opportunity for me to play Pinehurst No. 2 within weeks of the 2005 U.S. Open. I played No. 2 weeks before (you can read about that here)
- I wanted to experience first hand how Golf Channel viewers interact with the brand they are so fanatical about
- I looked forward to catching up with some of my friends at The Golf Channel who would be attending

Here's Kenny Booth, for instance, posing with a couple of his more-difficult-to-get-excited customers:

The event didn't disappoint. Pinehurst No. 2, which we played on Wednesday, July 27, was exceptional. The fairways were still at U.S. Open width (though the rough was, thankfully, a bit shorter), the greens quick and (for No. 2) true. John Donnelly, The Golf Channel bigwig in our group, insisted we play from the U.S. Open tees, a suggestion I couldn't resist (though JD is at least 50 yards longer than I off the tee). It was a good round (82, thank you), as was our round on No. 4 the next day (76, thank you), so the golf, certainly, was top drawer.

But the golf was only a part of the week. The Golf Channel knows how to entertain, whether it's a customer or a viewer in their midst. The food, the events, the booty - I've never seen so much stuff given away - all were absolutely first class.

By the time the viewers swarmed into the real event's kick-off, a Thursday night reception, it was clear that our customer group was just the warm-up; the show this week was the Viewer's Cup. From the videos presented that night to the banter from the hosts - Kelly Tilghman and Vince Cellini - the evening catered to those who paid almost $3,000 to be near the TV channel they love most.

The rabidity of The Golf Channel audience is fascinating, and if I were a sociologist, I'm sure I could wax pedantic on brand association or transference as a phenomenon in today's media culture blah blah blah. I will say this, however: try as The Golf Channel management does to downplay the "junkie" label as a fit description for their viewers, they are - many of them, anyway - junkies. Andy Finn, Pinehurst's SVP of sales, hilariously described himself as a GCJ ("Golf Channel Junkie") in his opening remarks at the reception. This is a brand that has so much potential, so much room for further exploitation, one of the most critical things I can say is that it is - at this point, at least - underachieving.

Finally, I've been critical at times of customer service practices in general, of the sometimes lackluster performance of Pinehurst in particular. But not this week. Our group stayed at the Holly Inn ... excellent. I managed to make time to visit the Spa at Pinehurst for the first time ... exceptional. The banquet food we had - in a small (50) and large (250) group ... imaginative and tasty. (I've already mentioned the golf.) And this time - really - the service was attentive and helpful. Maybe it was the singular focus of the event: The Golf Channel had practically taken over the entire resort. Or maybe it was the fact that this event came at what is usually a slower time for Pinehurst (summer in Pinehurst isn't exactly prime time). Whatever the reason, this trip to Pinehurst was first rate in virtually every way.

Scotland Trip - Wrap-up

2005-07-25T07:48:00.000-04:00

For a little more than a week I've been meaning to write and post a brief wrap-up of the Blue Elephants trip to Royal Troon and other spots nearby. Here it is, divided into three simple topic areas.

PHOTOS
I'm certainly not a professional; I tend to use my digital camera to capture reference photos, and most of the shots I use on my blogs aren't much better than that. You can review all the shots I took by going to my Flickr site.

GAMES
I've already reported how the match went, the Blues squeaking out a victory over the Pinkies. But in addition we had a cumulative game going throughout the week, a modified stableford that Brother Blair won overall, one that featured - at one time or another - everyone winning something.

The game I put together I learned on the golf trips I take with my brother Brad. We subtract one's handicap (no "abouts") from 36, and that becomes the target score he must make. We award one point for bogey, two for par, four for birdie, six for eagle. Therefore, "par" turns out to be the player's target score. For instance, Blair Leburn, a 4 handicap, needs to make 32 points.

It turns out that Blair was the week's winner, falling 8 points short of his cumulative goal for the week. In other words, in every 18 hole round Blair needed to make 32 points. For the week - over a total of six rounds - Blair was -8.

Here's the final tally:
Blair Leburn -8
Mark Burris -17 (obviously a distant second)
Rick Hall -27
Nick Green -30
Michael Scott -31
Tony Orfanos -32
Peter Joos -35
Neil MacKenzie -42

Neil's finish doesn't quite capture his valiant, remarkable 76 during the match at Royal Troon. Unfortunately for him, his best round didn't count in our cumulative match. But it was on his birthday (!), in the native land of his grandfather - what a day! Here's Neil posing in front of the starter's shack at Turnberry Ailsa.

GOLF COURSES
We played relatively few, but some wonderful golf courses. We opened on Western Gailes, a short, delightful test of true links golf. We played Royal Troon twice, on Saturday at noon and again on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning we played a new Loch Lomond course called "Dundonald."

All of these were within minutes of our hotel, a marvelous concept.

On Monday we made the 30-minute drive to Turnberry. In the morning on Kintyre - at Nick's suggestion, I think - we played an alternate shot format. Great fun, and a wonderful way to play what's really an average resort course. Playing Kintyre in the morning in "Foursomes" allowed us to look forward and enjoy much more the treat that is Ailsa in the afternoon.

It was a great trip, full of laughs, pints, warm weather and all the chemistry you hope from a group traveling together for the first time.

Speaking of laughs, I'll remember one scene for the rest of my life. It's Saturday morning, about 10a, and we're gathering in the Trophy Room at Royal Troon. Two of our group are late getting there: Rick and Tony stayed up a bit later than the rest of us, and they took a bit more time to get ready and make the 200-yard walk from the Marine Hotel to the Troon clubhouse. When they arrive, we're meeting the club's Secretary, a paid staffer, but in private club circles over there, the Secretary is a powerful influence.

Tony comes into the room, bedecked in his jacket and Blue Elephants tie, a bit of sweat on the forehead and upper lip (it's warm, and, besides, there's all that vodka from the night before trying to find a way out). He comes up behind the Secretary, mistaking him for one of our group (we all just met the day before), slaps him on the back, and says, "Hey, buddy! How you doin' this morning?"

The look on the Secretary's face was priceless. Surely no one - certainly not a club visitor - had ever draped an arm over his shoulder and called him "buddy." But, hey, that's Tony.

Here's a shot of Tony and Rick that evening. A long, but successful day for both.

Cliffs at Glassy - July 14, 2005

2005-07-18T07:44:00.000-04:00

Having returned from links golf in Scotland, I didn't quite prepare myself for golf in the good ol' USA. And I certainly wasn't prepared for golf in the mountains, wet weather or rye grass roughs.

Did I say wet weather?

I played in a Member Guest event at The Cliffs at Glassy, part of a huge residential development just above Spartanburg, SC. The course itself isn't terribly long, and the fairways, though not generous, they are certainly ample, even for my driver. But undulating greens, rainy conditions (and no roll) - this was as foreign to my recent golf experience as it could be.

Jeff Rubin invited me months ago as his guest for this match play format event. It was great fun, with all the accoutrements of a first class Member Guest (I'm referring to great food and plenty of refreshment, unique tee gifts, etc.). We didn't do particularly well - losing our first match 7-2, then winning 6-3, before closing out 5-4, 5-4, 5-4. (So it's likely to be once and done for yours truly.)

The key to my experience, however, was the amazing change in "golfography." From parched links turf to soaked rye grass; from no grass with which to take a divot to huge pelts, replaced and then sanded; from long, straight putts from as far as 30 yards off the green to wild, slick, 15 footers with five feet of break.... Believe me, I was reminded how diverse golf yards can be.

Scotland Trip - On travel in general

2005-07-12T15:08:00.000-04:00

Our trip was marked by special favors and exceptional New England weather. No rain for five days, and some of the boys suffered some mild sunburn.

As for the "special favors," we were quite fortunate in that regard, and much of the credit goes to one of our hosts, Blair Leburn.

I'll explain.

Most golf trips to the UK find groups of four, eight, twelve or sixteen guys going from transport to golf course to hotel. With each new day, a new golf course and a new hotel. It's wonderful, but tiring, and two wishes set in:

(1) You long to have a chance to play a course more than once. "Just give me one more chance." You just know that with one round's worth of experience, your knowledge will help you play it better a second time. But, no, you're already on to another.

(2) You'd like to stop living out of your suitcase. Believe me, even if your wardrobe is limited to golf shirts and slacks, it's tough to keep pulling out clean clothes and putting back dirty ones.

The very nature of our journey was different. Our raison d'etre in Scotland was to play a match with the Pink Elephants, so we were assured a simpler, more stable schedule. We played Royal Troon twice, both times with a group of members. Our round at Turnberry's Kintyre we decided to make alternate shot, or foursomes, so not knowing the course wasn't as important as playing safe, strategic ("You hit the ball where?") kinds of shots. And at Turnberry's Ailsa, well, I'd played that before, so it was a return trip I looked forward to.

Even more settling was the fact that we stayed in one hotel the entire trip. So on the first evening I was able to unpack and put away the suitcases. You learn who to tip for services rendered rather than those hoped for. And you just, generally, better know your way around.

One other thing: it's indescribable how pleasant it is to be able to enjoy an evening away from hotels and restaurants. Our cocktails and dinner at Blair Leburn's sister's - Lindy's - home was terrific. All eight of us, many of our day's competitors, plus other extended family members ... it was a long wonderful evening.

Here's Lindy:

And here's a shot of Blair's mum, Celia, and me:

If you ever - or the next time you - go over, make sure you book several of the courses to play more than once. Avoid the "I-have-a-week-and-I-want-to-see-as-much-of-the-country-and-golf-courses-as-possible" trap. Settle down and get to know a little bit of Scotland a lot better. And go more often.

Scotland Trip - PEGS vs. BEGS

2005-07-11T02:18:00.000-04:00

The highlight of the golf on this trip was our Saturday match, the Pink Elephants Golf Society (PEGS) vs. us, the boys from across the pond, the Blue Elephant Golf Society (BEGS).

Captains Leburn - Blair and his father John - determined the pairings and the line-ups. Here are Michael Johnston (PEGS), Blair and Nick Green (both BEGS) going over the order of play.

There was time also for a bit of a reunion among the Leburns playing in the matches. Here are Blair, "Lord" John Leburn and Kevin Leburn.

Note the smashing jacket Blair's and Kevin's father is wearing. He forgot his and had to borrow the jacket of the Secretary. (More on the Secretary later.)

We had balls in the air (BIA) at 12:04p, just after a few pints during a learn-to-love-your-opponents mixer.

The first match pitted Peter Joos (a 16 handicap) and me (4) against Mark Curley (17) and Michael Johnston (4). Then there were three other matches to follow.

On the outward nine our match went back and forth, but when I birdied #7 from two feet, then #8, the famed "Postage Stamp," from about 6 feet behind the hole to go up two, things looked pretty good for us.

Not for long, however. Mark Curley made a natural birdie - with a shot - at #9, so we began in the inward nine only one up. And Curley was just getting started. His 17 handicap earned him strokes at the rest of Royal Troon's version of Amen Corner. On #10 and #11 - with strokes - Mark made natural pars. Before Peter and I could do anything about it, we were three down with only five to go. And just as quickly I missed a very makeable birdie to win #14, then again - from even closer - on #15 as Mark rolled in a 20 footer for par - with a stroke - and a 4-up-with-3-to-go victory.

It was a good match, they were thrilled to drive back the visitors, and I feared if our lead match was any indication, the Blue Elephants were doomed.

But, apparently, we were not to be denied. I don't know the details of the other matches - being first has its advantages: a few pints before the others can finish help make details difficult to remember. But all in all the visitors came through 2.5 points to 1.5 points, winning two matches and halving another in addition to Peter's and my defeat.

Here's what victory looks like:

(Click on any photo for a larger view.)

I understand a formal protest has been filed, that some sort of dispute is in motion, but it'll come to nothing without a rematch.

Scotland Trip - July 11, 2005

2005-07-11T01:57:00.000-04:00

Today will be our final day of golf - 36 holes at Turnberry's Kintyre and Ailsa courses. This is my first post from Scotland this week, due largely to a busy golf schedule and relatively slow internet access.

Regardless of the troubles, however, I wanted to report that even though we have spent a considerable amount of time on the courses, we've also managed to have a bit of food and drink. Last night's repast was a local affair for sure, fish and chips in a decidedly iffy part of Troon.

The Barassie Chippy ran out of haddock with our fourth order, so those of us near the back of the line substituted chicken. It's a fried food delight, so some say, but I'm suffering a bit this morning. Here's Nick Green, the "English Bastard, as Blair calls him, the first to be served the haddock, and Neil MacKenzie, still waiting to be called:

We took our eight bags of fish (or chicken) and chips, gathered 'round a picnic table overlooking the public beach just 100 or so yards away, and fought over napkins to clean our greasy fingers.

It's pretty interesting, actually: you come over here for the golf - and there's plenty of it, most of it marvelous. But some of what you remember most are the other things: the tiny rooms in the Marine Hotel; the hilarious one-liners or escapades of your travel partners ... and yourself; the extremely long days (the sun's up this time of year by 4a, and each night, it seems, we're asleep before it's dark); the pint after pint you drink before and after the rounds; the culinary excursions ... and what you're willing to eat in the interest of "local flavor."

I'll go back and fill in many of the blanks of the trip in coming posts, but this one I didn't want to get by.

Scotland Trip - Getting Started

2005-07-07T17:37:00.000-04:00

It's never easy, flying overseas. (Heck, it's never easy "flying." Enough said.)

I had a 3:45p departure planned for today, Charleston to Philadelphia, connecting at 8:30p for Philadelphia to Glasgow. The weather, the heightened security because of the bombings in London, the G8 conference at Gleneagles - all combined to advise a prudent traveler (actually, the prudent travel advisor, Cathy Farmer) to have me depart on an earlier flight out of Charleston.

So I have six - not three - hours to kill in the PHL airport.

I'm in the Envoy Lounge, the upscale part of the US Air Club. On this side of the club, reserved, I guess, for the platinum-level guys and gals and those of us with first class tickets - on this side of the club the air is cleaner, quieter and - ta da! - the booze is free.

When Neil MacKenzie, who is also among us on this Blue Elephant trip - arrived from Greensboro, I invited him to be my guest here in the club, but, "Nooooo!" No guests in the Envoy Lounge. (I'm reminded of Chris Rock's sthtick a few years ago about the "Champagne Room." Go here.) I tried to slip Neil a free beer, but, again, "Nooooo!" No alcohol or food from the Envoy Lounge is allowed in the regular US Air Club.

Remember the line in "Chinatown" when the guy tells Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), "Jake, come on, it's Chinatown," as though that would explain anything that didn't make sense? Well, it's US Air, I said to myself, as though that explained the illogical distinction between the Envoy and the "regular" US Air Club.

In about twelve hours none of it matters anyway. We'll be standing on the first tee at Western Gailes in Scotland, eight Blue Elephants, commencing our golf trip with a warm-up round before heading to Troon on Saturday.

No bombs in London, no politicians at Gleneagles, no tropical storm remains - nothing will stop us from having BIA ("balls in air") at 3p London time on Friday.

On handicaps, indexes and having a good bet

2005-07-05T14:01:00.000-04:00

As the Blue Elephants prepare for our Scotland departure (see this post), I'm reminded of a comment I made several months ago, something like, "There ain't no 'about' when referring to your handicap."

We've all heard it. When asked, "What's your handicap," too often the answer is, "Uh, it's about 8."

I'm putting together a game or two for our guys when we're not playing our matches against the Pink Elephants at Royal Troon. So I solicited from the seven of my fellow "Blues" their current handicap indexes. Six of them came back, all with a decimal point in place. (The seventh, Peter Joos, reported he doesn't have an index, but he told me his Stableford goal during the last several rounds he's played, which tells me what I need to know.)

When four of the "Pinkies" came over to play Bulls Bay in early April (read about this here), there was some controversy about theiir handicaps. Seems their "sponsor," Brother Blair Leburn, inflated their handicaps a bit in order to make them more competitive on this side of the pond.

We'll have none of that this week. Just as "there's no crying in baseball," there are no "abouts" in handicaps. I have all eight of ours, decimal points on seven of them. We may not be competitive - we may even get "slaughtered" - but we'll be playing off our July 1 indexes.

Indeed.

Off to Scotland

2005-07-02T18:31:00.000-04:00

The Blue Elephants - at least eight of us calling ourselves "Blue Elephants" - head to Scotland this week to play the Pink Elephants at Royal Troon.

Most of us depart on Thursday, July 7, arriving in the morning on July 8. Our first of two matches against the "Pinkies" will be on Saturday at noon. Needless to say, we're excited.

Royal Troon was the site of The Open Championship last year. But that's not why we're excited. We have a great group of guys going: Blair Leburn and Rick Hall from Golf Digest; my good friend Peter Joos, who's now living in London; Michael Scott and Nick Green, the partners in MacDuff Golf; Rick's and Michael's friend, Tony Orfanos; and Neil MacKenzie (good Scottish name) and me from BURRIS. Great group.

I'll be keeping up with things for this ol' golfography blog. And/or you can check the Royal Troon web cam on Saturday or Sunday, about mid-day here in the states. We'll be coming into 18 with either thumbs up or cries for another pint!

Here's the Royal Troon web address:http://www.royaltroon.com/
Go to "Courses," then click on the webcam. Maybe we'll see you.

Old golf clubs

2005-06-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

I gave up on my 1984 Ben Hogan Apex irons this week.

It's not as though I've been using them. They've been gathering dust in the closet of our office since 2001, when I switched over to a set of 2000 Apex irons.

Golf's technology improvements have been significant. I have a 440cc driver (Nicklaus) that makes its predecessor, the Titleist 875, look tiny. My mishits are as good as solid hits with the 875. And a friend's 460cc makes my 440 look small.

I can't imagine what it was like way back in the early '90's when I played with persimmon woods - "real" wood.

The 1984 Hogans were special to me. They were "blades," forged and thin, and I used them for all those years, never once really considering anything else. But the forged cavity backs a friend sent me to replace them...well, they're not as pretty, but they're pretty forgiving.

I couldn't sell them on eBay. They're not exactly collector's items, and who would want to play with them? No one I know wanted them. So I put them in a Club Car golf bag - also from my past - and dropped them off at a Goodwill center in Greensboro.

The attendant asked me if I wanted a receipt. "No, thanks," I said. "I should pay you, I guess, to take them."

2005 U.S. Open

2005-06-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

My college buddy Howard Waters, formerly the owner of a marketing company in Tidewater, VA, called late last week offering practice round tickets for Pinehurst. Neil MacKenzie snapped them up and went down yesterday (Tuesday, June 14) to see how the course and the players were getting along.

Neil and I often make a bet about the outcomes on the majors. Before The Masters, for instance, we each chose three we thought could win, added a "long shot" each, and bet a case of beer. I enjoyed 24 cold Harps.

Here's how it works:

We flip a coin to determine who chooses first. (I won and chose Tiger.) Then the other of us makes two picks. Then back to me for one, to him for his third, then to me for mine. By then each of us has a team of three. If any of my picks wins the tournament, I win the beer. Same for Neil. But if none of them wins, we go by cumulative score for those who make the cut. If Neil has 3 players - including his "long shot" - who make the cut, and I don't have at least three, he wins. If we both have 2, then the lower cumulative score wins.

Make sense?

I won the toss again for the Open, so I chose Tiger (although I don't think he can win - more on that later). Neil then chose Phil and Ernie. I chose Retief and DiMarco. He chose Vijay. My long shot is Ryan Moore. His is Jeff Maggert(!).

Here's where Neil was on Tuesday...

I'm sure he had lots of encouraging words for Ernie there on the practice tee.

Who will win? Many, including Sports Illustrated, say Phil Mickelson. He was so close in '99, he's been preparing well, and the course suits his bold style around the greens. Although he was my first pick, I don't think it will be Tiger who wins the Open trophy. Pinehurst is just too tough a course for him to build a commanding lead in the early rounds or on Saturday, and his inconsistency off the tee will punish him with must-make shots on Sunday.

Whatever, I'll be watching my HD set-up beginning tomorrow afternoon to see how the favorites, the long shots and the course hold up. It's oppressively hot this week - 98 as I write this - and there's little chance for rain other than the always-possible late afternoon thunder bumpers. It should be a great tournament. And this time, I think I may just be buying Neil 24 of his beloved Samuel Adams ales.

Herbert Warren Wind

2005-06-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

Back when I worked with Pinehurst (the site of the Open next week), the resort hosted a festival surrounding the arts and golf. Each year they honored one who had contributed much to the genre. Linda Hartough, for instance, was the recipient one year.

Anyway, on more than one occasion I recommended my own "golf art" hero, Herbert Warren Wind. It disappoints me that the powers of the festival never agreed with me. I wanted an opportunity to meet him. HWW passed away on May 30 at age 88.

Wind was a writer for the ages, perfectly mirroring the best of the game. His "Story of American Golf" is definitive and comprehensive, but I believe his best work came in his long pieces for The New Yorker. He would meander through a recap of The U.S. Open or The Open Championship as a walker in no hurry meanders through an 18-hole round, including references to historical champions, golf course architecture, and the drama of the event just played.

My favorite sports writers are those who can be called, perhaps, "writers" first, then "sports fans." There was Wind, of course, in golf (and to some degree championship tennis), and there remains, thankfully, Roger Angell for baseball. To a degree they, too, are my heroes in sport.

To read SI's story about Herbert Warren Wind's death, try this.

[And on a later date - July 24, 2005 - I found this Golf Digest piece by Charles McGrath. Great photo too.]

To my knowledge, The New Yorker has not made available online any of HWW's long pieces. I'll let you know if I find something later. Here's
The New Yorker's David Remick obit.

Wild Dunes - June 3-4, 2005

2005-06-04T16:28:00.000-04:00

Rick Hall and I played together in the Wild Dunes Member Guest. We didn't attend any of the social events, just 45 holes (one of those match play events) against 5 different teams in our flight. (My favorite format for this kind of thing.)

We got off to a great start in our first two matches (5.5 to 3.5, 5 to 4), but sucked in the third and fourth (2.5 to 6.5, 3 to 6). So we shot our way out before the final nine hole match. Oh, well. It was great fun.

Rick is a great partner. Hilarious with a joke, and easily pleased in almost any situation. He clearly loves what he does, selling Golf Digest in the Southeast. We're headed to Scotland together with the Blue Elephants in July, so he'll have plenty of opportunity to get sick of playing with me.

Nothing much to report from this event, only one gripe to voice: why is it that events like this still include something as funky as a "mulligan"? We play the ball down, the course is perfectly painted, everything is set up to make it "real golf," and we buy a $20 mulligan.

(Needless to say, Rick and I didn't use our mulligan very well. In fact, we forgot to use it in 3 of 5 matches.)

Finally, heard a number of good jokes, but the best line of the week came from Rick. Sitting at breakfast on Saturday morning, one guy was waxing on Sage Valley, including the food, wines, etc. Rick put it all in perspective: "Sage Valley's 'Orange Cake' is the best in all of golf."

Secession GC - May 25-26, 2005

2005-05-27T17:03:00.000-04:00

Two buddies joined me at my favorite place on Thursday and Friday.

Mike Read, Robert Miller and I teed off at 2p on Thursday, played 36, then collapsed over a "Lowcountry supper" on Thursday night. Along the way we all hit some wayward shots, missed a few short putts ... and had a wonderful day. By the time we'd played 27 holes, we decided to go to "the point," or "the loop," what we call holes 16-18 at Secession. We'd play the 16, 17, and 18, dash into the clubhouse, ask Al to mix a transfusion, then go out and do it again. Three times in all, as a matter of fact, which rounded out our 36 for the day.

Here's Al along with Christine (our server), Robert and George, Secession's chief of security.

The real heroes on Thursday, however, were our caddies. (Here Mike and Robert flank Gary and Billy.)

They traipsed down the fairways and into the marshes with us all afternoon. I'm sure we wore them out, but they never complained ... even when we missed putts they read perfectly.

Secession is a walking-only course, and with rare exceptions, it's a caddies-only course as well. Our caddiemaster Greg Crum has assembled an outstanding group of professionals to do this tough, dirty job, and a great part of the experience we have is due to our committing to and maintaining a top-notch caddie program. Your caddie is your comrade, your confidant, and, if you're lucky, your friend, not only during the round but beyond that. These two caddies - who worked with us both days - were very, very good.

On Friday we played only 18 - in 3 hours - and all of us played better. I shot 77, Robert shot 78, and Mike shot a personal best at Secession, 83.

Great weather, the course was in perfect May condition, we played a lot, played fast, and we all played reasonably well.

Pinehurst, May 17-19, 2005

2005-05-18T08:28:00.000-04:00

I returned to Pinehurst for the first time since the resort terminated its relationship with BURRIS. I was playing with Robert Miller of Media Networks, who hosted several of his best customers, a couple of his big shot associates...and me.

I tried to be objective about Pinehurst, tried to act like and actually be a guest instead of a former "insider" generating marketing or customer service ideas all the while I'm there. (It's not easy for me.) For instance - good news! The Resort has installed high-speed internet in its rooms, at least in the main hotel, The Carolina. But on the first night, after checking in and trying to connect, mine didn't work. "Tech" closes at 8p, I learned at the front desk; I'd have to wait for assistance the next morning. (Moan.) So I went to the Business Center first thing Wednesday morning (they open at 7a). I tell the attendant my problem:

"The high-speed connection in my room doesn't work. I'm hoping I can tap into one of yours and do a little work."

"Sure," the attendant in the Business Center says. "Our charge is $10 for 15 minutes." (I kept my comment about the cost to myself.) "How long do you need it?"

"I'll be here about two hours, I think," I replied. I can see she's doing the math in her head.

"Wait a minute," I say, interrupting her ciphering. "Is there someone we can call who will say it's okay for me to get this for free since it doesn't work in my room?"

"No, we're not with the hotel," she replies, suggesting her company is the subcontractor for business services at the hotel. "It'll be $80 for two hours."

I went back to my room and worked through dial-up.

On to the golf...

We played No. 2 first, and it was a wonderful experience. The resort had hosted a shotgun for Citigroup in the morning, and they all came off the course at 3p. Our 3:10p tee time, then, was the first after the shotgun, and we had the course to ourselves.

I shot a lackluster 81, never really getting things going. But it was great fun working my way around the golf course.

It's one month 'til the U.S. Open returns, so there's a lot of activity all around: bleachers going up, TV towers being installed, port-a-potties getting dropped off. But the course's condition was generally pretty good, extremely playable, though less than perfect.

The "less than perfect" part, however, probably requires a bit of explanation. The collars around every green had been sodded, so the traditionally necessary run-up shots from around the greens were practically impossible. Which means you're having to pitch over the sod, making short shots around the small and fast greens virtually impossible. I putted (or fairway-metalled) over the sod anyway, but it was unfair and unpredictable. It was cool to see the new tee boxes, to putt on greens already fast that you know will only get faster, and, frankly, I'm glad the rough wasn't grown up yet (my caddie told me they're through cutting it; now it's just water and 30 days to look forward to). And did I mention the greens? They were already too hard to hold anything but crisp wedges; I can't imagine what they'll be like around Father's Day.

Here's the issue for me, however. It's prime time at Pinehurst. They have looked forward to their Spring season since the USGA announced they would bring the Open back after the 1999 Championship. The resort is getting top dollar this year ("Play the site of the 2005 U.S. Open"), and golfers are willing to put up with some hammering and scaffloding to have a chance to play one of the few courses open to the public that host such a prestigious event. The challenge for Pinehurst is balancing the quality of the experience - amidst all the noise and activity - with the premium they want to charge.

Most of us will put up with a lot to play No. 2 right now. New sod? Not a problem. Lots of vehicles bustling about? Who cares? But Pinehurst takes great pride in the other golf courses they have, and they're counting on No. 4 and No. 8 - and, to a lessser extent, Nos. 6 and 7 - to take some of the pressure off No. 2 for rounds played. And those courses, though fine layouts and fun to play - those courses are not in top shape right now, during "prime time at Pinehurst."

Pinehurst No. 4 had slow putting surfaces and seemed generally ratty around the edges. Because the first hole on No. 4 is site of one really big hospitality tent for the Open, the routing is a little funky, and the finishing hole on No. 1 is now the finisher on this course.

Pinehurst No. 8, perhaps my favorite of all the "other" (than No. 2) courses, was in very good shape from tee to the putting surface, but the greens were rolling (I'm not exaggerating) about 4 on the stimp, and that just won't cut it (no pun intended).

The challenge for Pinehurst, I repeat, is extracting top dollar, harvesting the potential that an Open brings, and delivering the kind of experience that will make the guest's stay absolutely first rate. If you don't, then guests' disappointment will, undoubtedly, go forth and multiply as they relate and report to their friends.

For several years, some of my friends have said that they believe Pinehurst is taking advantage of its reputation and not delivering the product it needs to insure its future. I don't think I have a bias against the resort because they no longer work with me. But I do think I'm starting to agree with my friends.

Finally, one final photo. Here's what I saw as I walked by the 18th green toward the 10th tee on No. 8: the first twosome of the day.

Piedmont Driving Club - May 13, 2005

2005-05-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

A one-day member/guest with my good friend Gordon Harper...

On Thursday night over a great pasta dinner at Figo's, I asked Gordon if he'd ever won this event. "Yes," he said, with a partner named Tom.

"Well," I said, "I hope we can do the same."

"Winning's not important," he replied. "You're my friend, and I wanted to do this."

"Well, because you asked me instead of Tom," I said, "let's win anyway."

And we did, with the lowest gross (71) and net (62) scores in our flight. (Our gross score was low for the field.)

The Piedmont Driving Club course in Atlanta is a Rees Jones design, only about 5-6 years old, and a perfect balance of difficulty with forgiveness. The fairways are narrow but they're almost all buffeted by mounds that kick balls back to the center...at least on one side. So the safe play, especially when there's no rough (it's early in the bermuda season), is to aim for the edges of the fairways and allow the mounds to work their way with your tee shots.

The greens were quick, rolling at probably 11 or 12, without a hint of grain, even when close to water. And there's plenty of water. Most of the back nine surrounds a large lake.

I'm not the best commentator when it comes to writing about architecture. I'm sure the Piedmont Driving Club ranks up there in terms of its shotmaking values and conditioning. I know best how to appreciate and describe what Brad Klein at Golfweek calls the "walk in the park test," and PDC scores high on that.

As many of you know, I much prefer walking to riding when playing golf. But some courses' layouts - especially from greens to tees - make that difficult. Not this one. The PDC has devised an intelligent transport system that places its EZGOs at strategic shuttle spots. It's a better system even than the one on several holes at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, MD. So walking is a pleasure - with no huffing and puffing between holes. You're outside on a perfect day, hawks (and MD-88's - PDC is on the approach path to Hartsfield) are flying overhead, tall pines are swaying with a Springtime breeze...it's great. PDC also has caddies, good caddies, having recently turned that program over to Caddie Masters in Pinehurst.

It's a fun golf course. I was with a good friend. And we were victorious. Makes for a very good Friday afternoon!

Secession Member Member (May 6-7, 2005)

2005-05-08T09:18:00.000-04:00

I rounded out my two weeks of fun at our Member Member event at Secession Golf Club.

In the past my partners have been good friends Peter Joos (now in London) and Marion Moore (now in rehab from a recent surgery), so Bob Harcharik put his good friend Larry Bouman and me together this year. Here we are on the 10th tee, our first hole in the first round on Friday.

Larry and I made a good - if at times exciting - team. On Friday we struggled, but held a lackluster round together with pluck and determination. Our 68 (net) was looking more like an even par round 'til Larry finished the last three holes (7, 8 and 9) with a 3 for 2, 3 for 2, and 5 for 4. That put us in first by 3 shots going into the second and final day.

Larry again got us off on the right foot with a birdie putt from the fringe on the first hole. And from there we played well and struggled little (a bogey on 12 was our only hiccup) en route to a 62 (again, net). His iron play was outstanding the entire day, and we were both in almost all of the holes, the key to success in a better ball format.

We won our flight easily, then waited about 90 minutes for the "shoot-out."

Eight flight winners play off in an alternate shot staged from the middle of the fairway on 18. A coin toss determines which of the partners will play the first shot, and the winner's (loser's?) handicap determines the distance. Larry was designated for our first shot, and his 8 handicap meant he'd play from 100 yards. He stiffed it, I made about a 3-footer (good thing!), and we won the shoot-out outright.

Harcharik asked for a finder's fee on our winnings, but Larry and I pretended not to recognize him.

Note to Peter and Marion: Maybe you guys can play together next year.

LINKS Cup - May 2, 2005

2005-05-03T06:43:00.000-04:00

The inaugural event (several of the LINKS folks balked at the idea that this might be "annual") was held at the Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation. It was my first trip to the Ritz-Carlton Lodge on the lake, and I was impressed with what I lovingly called a "Ritz Lite." This Ritz was a bit light on the normal accoutrements we've grown to welcome and expect, but a worthy brand extension nevertheless. (For more on brand extensions, stay tuned to burris.blogspot.com.)

I played poorly, but not to worry; I'm tired of trying to play golf around other commitments. One more event in the coming days, and then I can take a break for a bit.

The LINKS Cup was the magazine's attempt to commune with its readers...and make an advertiser happy by hosting an event at their facility. There's more and more of this going on these days. The example I point to most often is The Golf Channel's Viewer's Cup, still a fledgling event, but one with potentially great impact on the Channel's golden triangle of relationships: the network, their viewers, and sponsors.

The Oconee Course (Rees Jones) was beautiful, immaculately groomed, and in fine condition. Scoring should have been lower, but it wasn't, and I can't explain why. The putting surfaces were tough to read, but smooth as any I've played, perhaps because ours was the first group out that morning. Many of the fairways are "enclosed" by mounds that help keep your (or my) errant tee shots in play. My one quibble: like so many courses, this one was built to sell real estate, so carts are necessary to traverse the distances from greens to tees. You couldn't walk this course in less than five hours, though the playing areas themselves are extremely walkable.

The entire Reynolds Plantation area continues to grow, and all seem to be solid luxury offerings. More than 90 holes, according to Bill Houghton, RP's VP of Marketing. Thousands (forgot how many 1000's, but it's a lot) of acres of shore-front property. Out in the middle of nowhere. It truly is a marvel.

Bulls Bay, April 29-30, 2005

2005-05-01T07:42:00.000-04:00

The next event of this busy season was the Member Guest at Bulls Bay GC. My partner was Jeff Rubin, a vascular surgeon from Spartanburg and a neighbor on Seagrass Lane on the Isle of Palms. Jeff's an 11 handicap at The Cliffs at Glassy, and we figured we could make a competitive team.

Our practice round was with Rick Hall and Geoff Russell from The Golf Digest Companies. Rick is a partner in a publisher's rep firm - working with Golf Digest, Golf World, and Golf For Women. He and Ed Butler went off on their own last year and have done an outstanding job for the magazines. Geoff, the editor of Golf World, was Rick's partner for the event. I've enjoyed playing with both of them in the past, and I thought Jeff would as well. We did. In fact, as we looked back on the week's competition, our practice rounds were our most enjoyable.

Here's Rick in fine form on the 2nd fairway at Bulls Bay:

This Member Guest featured the match play format, 10 flights of six teams each, with the opportunity over two days to play each team in your flight. Each 9-hole match is worth nine points; each hole worth one. Jeff and I played well but fell behind the first day, scoring 3.5, 5, and 3.5 respectively. Our 12 points for the day were well behind the leading team in our flight at 18.5, but we figured that since we played the leaders on Day 2, we could either catch them ... or at least spoil their fun.

In our first match on Day 2, we played a father and son team, and although we didn't beat them as soundly as we could have, we were pleased with our five of nine point performance. But out new, after-four-rounds total of 17 was still way shy of the leaders, who were also soundly beaten 6-3 in their first Day 2 match. So the leaders are at 21.5 and we're at 17, a large deficit for us to overcome.

We won the first two holes of our final match, with Jeff making solid pars for net birdies. Then we made good halves on the next two holes. The match came down to the last hole, which if we win, we take the match 7-2, overcome the deficit enough to tie the leading team, pending what's happening in one of the other matches.

Anticlimactically, we halve the hole, come up 1/2 point short, but because one of the other teams also had a good day, we successfully spoiled the first day leaders' weekend.

Ah, the smell of competition.

I love golf, but I love competition even more. And our course, Bulls Bay in Awendaw, SC, held up well to the field in this event. Lots of wind, no rain, fast conditions - this was a fun.

Here's a shot of the Bulls Bay clubhouse from the 6th fairway:

Next up for me? A day on the Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation in something called The LINKS Magazine Cup. Hoping to mix a bit of business with pleasure...

Secession GC - April 25-27, 2005

2005-04-28T08:38:00.000-04:00

It is a busy golf week this week as I participate in a couple of competitions, first at Secession in Beaufort, then at Bulls Bay near Charleston.

These have been on the books for a while, and I'm jamming work stuff around them, early in the mornings and later in the afternoons and evenings.

First up, Secession's "Scratch" event, a gross competition for two members or a member and his guest. Eighteen holes of better ball times three - one Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And after the better ball on the first two days, we competed with an additional nine holes of alternate shot.

My partner was Jeff Foster, my friend from The Golf Channel.
The event gave us a chance to play with (as well as against) each other and spend some quality time together.

The golf course was perfect. Bermuda just starting to come out in the roughs; the fairways not too tight; and the greens - after double-cutting and rolling each morning - putting at about 10. I won't bore you with a hole-by-hole or round-by-round summary. Suffice it to say, two friends, Kevin King and Gary Duren, won the event by 16 shots. But we finished second, with BB rounds of 70, 70 and 74 and alternate shot 9's of 45 and 38 (no details, but we were lucky to get the 45).

What was really remarkable about this event was not only the competition, but also the extracurricular golf. After the first day we played 4 extra holes - 10 of us did, anyway.
Money and alcohol involved. This is what I now think back on as "smash-mouth golf"; taunting and jeering were clearly evident.

Then after the extra holes - and each day after the competition - we took our smash-mouth selves to the porch at Secession and hit wedges "off the mat" and onto the 18th green...for $5 a man per shot. Closest to the hole wins each time, and the farthest from the hole goes out and retrieves the balls. Suffice it to say, I picked up balls more than once.
Here's Gary Duren from the mat:

Great trip, great (old and new) friends, a lively competition, and loads of fun.

My golf season is off to a great start.

Introduction - "Golfography"

2005-04-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

We all have our passions in life.

Then there are the things we truly enjoy. Playing golf is among the things I enjoy. But what I refer to as "golfology," now that's a passion. "Golfology" is the culture of golf. And there's nothing quite like it.

One of the great things about golf is the landscape of the game. You're outside, among the elements, participating instead of viewing. Doesn't matter how you play...you're still out there, smelling, seeing, hearing much of what nature has to offer. This blog, "Golfography," attempts to capture one person's communing with the landscape of golf. I'll snap photos, describe what I see, and log where I go to play. If you want to read about my work or my general thoughts, go to burris.blogspot.com. But if you want to see and read about my personal geography of golf, one of the key elements of "golfology," you're in the right place. Cheers.