Play of the Week 13
May 6, 2011
This week’s POTW goes to the Navy SEALs. This week, the SEALs took down Osama bin Laden. 10 years and over a billion dollars after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we finally got him.
I have had the pleasure of knowing several SEALs. They are, without a doubt, some of the bravest and most important people for our country that you will find. One SEAL I knew was saved from death by another SEAL who jumped onto a grenade to save his fellow SEALs, absorbing the explosion to save their lives. That SEAL later died defending a base Iraq.
For those reading this, never doubt the importance of our bravest and finest solders. They may be the most important part of our continued existence as a nation.
Here’s to you, Navy SEALs. We celebrate you for what you’ve done today, but you are never out of our minds for the many things you do that we will never understand.
Fail of the Week 2
May 6, 2011
With the popularity of our Fail of the Week (FAIL) 1, I present to you, this week’s epic FAIL. This week’s FAIL focuses on Rashard Mendenhall, runningback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It all started with the labor negotiations. Many eyes raised when Mendenhall compared NFL players to slave trade:
“Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel each other”
Of course, in his wisdom, Mendenhall ignored the fact that slaves were physically beaten and oppressed–not to mention unpaid–while he earns more in a year than I probably will in my career. But, of course, when you’re stupid, you’re stupid.
Many wrote this off as a dumb comment–or, perhaps, were too cowardly to comment, given that this country has a hard time dealing with race relations. But Mendhenhall now has drawn the ire of the whole country. In an amazing day in American democracy–the subject of this week’s POTW–the villain of the worst disaster in American history was taken down by Navy Seals. Osama bin Laden, the pursuit of the world’s armies for the past decade, was shot in a firefight early this week.
Football players are known for doing some pretty stupid stuff. But sometimes, it’s just disturbing to find out what’s rolling around in their heads. Following bin Laden’s reported death, Mendenhall felt the need to tweet…
Stupid tweet #1:
“What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”Stupid tweet #2:
“We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style”
Let me explain to you, Rashard, how the people of this country can HATE a man they’ve “never heard speak.” He killed 4,000 of us. That’s all I need to know to HATE him. And while I don’t think it’s good for our country to relish the death of anyone, I cannot deny that bin Laden needed to die, if for no other reason than he was our sworn enemy.
But, looking to Stupid Tweet #2, I have to say that you need to quit football and check into a mental health institution as soon as possible. You have obviously taken far too many hits to the head. Have you not seen the videos?
I’m looking forward to the signs in the audience when you’re in Baltimore. The 8 road games this year are going to be fun; I wonder if the fans will chant “TERRORIST, TERRORIST, TERRORIST” for you.
You probably should leave the tweeting to the professionals.
So, to you Rashard: you are an epic failure.
Review: Sunset Beach Golf
May 2, 2011
Today’s post reviews custom putter maker Sunset Beach Golf Company (ssbeachgolf.com). We have reviewed other custom putter makers in the past (e.g., thepowerfade.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/review-byron-morgan-california-flatsticks) and will try to keep our remarks in concert with the others.
I first learned about Sunset Beach Golf while searching for custom putter makers online. Amidst Byron Morgan, Slighter, Piretti, Palombi, C&L/350 Milled, and others, Sunset Beach came to my attention. It happened that the company was running a special price on some of the marquee putters, so I contacted them about a quote.
One of things I love most about dealing with small golf companies is the personal attention that you receive. If you want to buy a Rossa or Cameron putter, you have to go to Golfsmith or Edwin Watts and pick up what they have on the rack. When I contacted Chris Jordan (president and owner of SSB), I received several personal emails from Chris attempting to set up a phone conversation. When we were able to talk, Chris spent a good hour (maybe more) talking with me about his company, what his goal was in creating the company, and how SSB could meet my needs. Originally, I was on the fence about whether SSB would give me something I really wanted, but the phone conversation with the president of the company made me confident that my concerns would be addressed.
Sunset Beach Golf is a company started by Chris Jordan–former mini-tour player–to create custom putters at reasonable prices. Chris and I had a good conversation about a putter we both loved and enjoyed, the Newport Beach. Back in the day when balata golf balls were king, the Newport Beach was a great putter–responsive, soft, a true gem. However, as the Pro-V1 emerged as the dominant golf ball, the Newport Beach lost its remarkable feel. Chris Jordan started making his own putters to bring back the feel he once had with the Newport Beach even when using a modern golf ball.
What emerged was a company dedicated to custom work. After teaming with LaMont Mann (of MannKrafted golf, mannkrafted.com), Sunset Beach was born.
Sunset Beach offers a variety of standard head styles that can be shaped and ground to exact weight, shape, and look. The standard head shapes are offered with any variety of neck styles–in Chris’s terms, “any neck you can think of, we can do it.” The company offers a number of custom finishes and platings, including colored polymer platings, which offer the maintenance of stainless steel with the feel of carbon steel. In addition to the standard offerings, Sunset Beach can create custom milled or handmade putters as well in virtually any shape or style imaginable. Sunset Beach also offers custom stamping options.
My SSB was an attempt to create the Newport Beach in a heavier weight head. The Newport Beach is a 330-gram putter–I wanted the same putter in 350 grams. After filling out an order form, I provided Chris with a map of some stamping options. We discussed finishes, grind options, weight options, face milling patterns, and colors for stampings. What came out was one of the most beautiful putters I’ve ever seen.
Sunset Beach offers customization options just like Byron Morgan, who we reviewed earlier. However, what is great about Sunset Beach is that the cost is minimal when compared to Byron. Chris Jordan talked to me about a custom offering that he had quoted for a customer. When he made his quote, the customer stated “you’re cost is 1/3 less than everyone else I’ve talked to.” Moreover, what you get is a truly custom option. Literally ANYTHING you can think of, Chris and LaMont can create it.
Moreover, they’re super guys to deal with. They both kept me well-informed on the progress of my custom putter, and, although there were some delays due to unforeseen circumstances, I was never without information about what was going on with my putter. I simply cannot say enough good things about Sunset Beach.
So, how about the quality? Well, the inaugural round happened to be my first ever round at East Lake Golf Club (site of the Tour Championship). I rolled almost 120 feet of putts, taking just 29 putts to shoot a one-under par, 71. This putter is in my bag for good.
Price: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Time (order to putter): 7/10
Quality: 9/10
Customization: 9/10
Finish: 8/10
Customer Service: 10/10
Communication: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
For other custom made putter views, visit SSBeachgolf.com, or search on forums, e.g., www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/386679-beautiful-putters-from-sunset-beach/
Update 7/14/2012
We’ve had some questions come up recently that we thought would be helpful to answer in the body of this post rather than in the comments.
First, SSB putters are made in the USA. This was one of Chris Jordan’s major goals, as he’s stated to me several times. Initially, they made some heads in China because they couldn’t get a good enough price from a US supplier, but they have since increased volumes and found a US shop that will machine for a reasonable price. Contrary to popular belief, very few putter makes–even custom putter makers–make each and every putter by themselves in their own machine shops. Most outsource the raw machining and perform custom operations, including finishing, stamping, one-off milling (like my sound slot above), welding, making sight lines or dots, and grinding to weight. Even Byron Morgan does pretty much all of the finish work in his shop, but he doesn’t mill most of the putters he makes. Some putters made by LaMont, Byron, and Slighter are truly “hand made” in that they personally performed each and every step of the milling. This is not the case for most putters. However, it does not decrease at all how “custom” the putter you get from SSB is.
Additionally, it should be noted that LaMont is one of Byron’s biggest fans. None of this post is intended to suggest any slight toward Byron–he makes incredible pieces. In fact, Byron started LaMont on this career, to the point of even supplying LaMont with unfinished anser-style heads so that LaMont could offer that line. However, with SSB, the value for the price is every bit as good as a Byron putter. LaMont’s work is very, very high quality–if you haven’t seen his recent customs on facebook, you’re missing out. And what Sunset Beach offers in the way of customization is an excellent option for someone who wants a custom made putter without breaking his bank account.
Fail of the Week 1
April 30, 2011
As an appropriate counterpart to our ever popular “POTW,” we humbly introduce the Fail of the Week.
In his Nationwide Tour Debut, Former Atlanta Braves Pitcher John Smoltz missed the cut at the South Georgia Classic by, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 27 strokes. He backed up his opening round of 84 with a gentleman’s 87. Sorry, John, but they count all the strokes out on the tour.
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=6456512
Course Review: Bridgemill Athletic Club
April 26, 2011
Today, I review Bridgemill Athletic Club.
I recently had the opportunity to play Bridgemill for the first time. The course in Canton, GA, used to be a fully private club but has recently moved to semi-private.
Having never played the course before, my first impressions are always lasting. Typically, I find something to complain about on the layout–either that it is unfair or did not give enough cues as to where to hit the ball or whatnot. Bridgemill, I must say, was extremely fair. There are no truly blind shots, no unknown landing areas, no unfair drops. The closest thing to “unfair” was a hole (I believe #6) where the fairway sloped severely to the right once you got over a hill, but the ball would not be lost just because it was hit there.
At over 7,000 yards from the tips, one would guess that the course played very long. However, I did not get the feeling that the course was out of reach. Many of the par 4’s are under 420 yards. The longer they are, typically the more open they become. I hit a good number of fairway woods from par 4 tee boxes, even from the back tees. Where the course makes up yardage is on the par 5’s. No par 5 is less than 545 yards, and the par 5 9th hole is over 600. The par 3’s are also no joke. Although one is downhill at 173 yards, the others range from about 190 up to 237! The 237-yard 5th is all carry to a large green. Thankfully, there is a bailout right. The signature 199-yard 16th hole, however, has no bailout, being an island green.
Also, the greens were in the best shape of greens I have seen this year. Rolling fast and true, they had no signs of aeration. There were a number of slopes and undulations, including multiple 2-tiered greens, which I enjoy. Moreover, they were bent grass, where so many of the local courses have chosen to go the bermuda route (which I cannot stand).
The clubhouse is very nice, and the practice facility at Bridgemill is top notch. Two practice greens, a nice range, and a bunkered chipping/pitching area were all in fantastic shape, ready for players. Moreover, at $55 on a Thursday morning, the price wasn’t terrible either, at least for the experience. And it isn’t a bad place to hang around–the homes that line the course, simply put, beautiful.
As always, The Bads: The course is a ways from Atlanta. Although it is in a beautiful part–with mountain vistas on the drive in–the drive in was a long one. The staff were a little prickly, as well, pairing us up with a single when there was no apparent reason to do so, as well as “forgetting” to tell us that a shotgun tournament was going to hold us up, and restricting us from going to the first tee before our tee time because “maintenance won’t be done yet.” Still, the course was a great one, and I enjoyed it very much. Although it had rained just the night before, I also must note that the course was pretty soggy.
Layout: 9/10
Greens: 10/10
Fairways: 9/10
Other Maintenance/Upkeep: 10/10
Cost: 6/10
Value: 8/10
Location: 6/10
Staff: 4/10
Overall: 8/10
For more photos of Bridgemill Athletic Club, visit http://www.atlantagolfpics.com/BridgeMill/bridgemill1.htm
Perhaps the Scariest Hazard in Golf
April 20, 2011
Next to 17 at Sawgrass, the Devil’s A**hole at Pine Valley, and the Road Hole Bunker, this might be the scariest hazard in all of golf…
Play of the Week 12
April 18, 2011
This week’s play of the week is…..ME! I’ve finally conquered the golf swing. 5 straight rounds without a lost ball, and on Saturday (4/16) I hit my 5th hole-in-one–161 yards with an 8-iron. I also holed out from the fairway on a par 5 for eagle, and nearly slam-dunked another ace on the next par 3. If only I could’ve putted and chipped half as good as I did at the end of last year, this would’ve been my low round by far. As it is, the round wasn’t all that spectacular. Oh, except for my 5th ace!
I wish I could say it was pure as the driven snow, but, unfortunately…the exchange went something like this:
Me: “Oh no, that’s off the toe….Get up over that bunker!”
Friend: “You made it, it’s on the green.”
Me: “OK. Hey, did that go in?”
Friend: “I don’t know. I saw it land, and I don’t see it now, so, it must’ve gone in”
Well, I take them how I get them. So, here’s to me. I rule. Kind of.
The Gift of Tiger Woods
April 13, 2011
LG and I agree–this is some incredible writing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Bill Simmons of ESPN in one of the best pieces on this year’s Masters tournament.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110411
Course Review: Shoreline Golf Links (Mountain View, CA)
April 12, 2011
As JK mentioned in his previous post about Southland, our goal at the PF is to review courses that the average joe can play. Enter Shoreline Golf Links. This great little muni is located in scenic Mountain View, CA very near the headquarters of Google. The course offers a full length golf experience at a reasonable price. Who could ask for more? Here’s the run down:
3 practice facilities – chipping, putting, and a practice bunker
18 holes- 4 sets of tees:
Red – 5437 yards – 66.5/116
White – 6061 yards – 69.3/123
Blue – 6608 yards – 71.9/127
Black – 6996 yards – 73.5/129
1st Hole - 579 yard par 5
Large Driving Range – Small bucket 5, large bucket 9 – range cards available
Full service pro shop with decent selection of gear and good deals on occasion.
Great bar/grill/snack shop
Resident rate can get you out at twilight for $21 walking (excellent deal for this area; I’ve finished 18 several times with this rate on the weekends)
The downsides:
1) JK and I played this course together when we were both working in Palo Alto. We were both incredibly impressed by the volume of goose poop that littered this course. We both recommended to the pro shop that the course retain a pack of dogs to help reduce the problem. Seriously, this amount of poop could be used to fertilize any number of “green” projects around the state.
2) We played the course in the mid-afternoon. By the time we reached the back nine, the wind had kicked up so violently that we really had no chance to make any kind of score. The notorious Bay wind really bears its teeth in the afternoons on this course.
3) The par 3s are not really that great. As I play more golf, I realize that I tend to judge a course more by the quality of the par 3s than any other holes on the course. These holes tend to be the most scenic and provide the best drama in most rounds of golf. While I love the set of par 5s that this course offers, the par 3s probably equal out the rating. Three of the four are long forced carries. While I have no issue with this kind of hole, I find these three to be rather repetitive. The par 3 eighth hole, however, has a very interesting green and a tricky bunker that make it an enjoyable hole.
Goose Poop
Review and conclusion:
After our initial negative experience, I was hesitant to revisit Shoreline. After moving to Mountain View, however, I had little choice. Time to play golf has become increasingly limited so even a windy round is highly welcomed. After a few weekend rounds here though, I must admit that first impressions can be deceiving Shoreline is as interesting a layout as almost any muni I’ve had a chance to play. When compared to the Palo Alto Muni, it’s certainly the more interesting track. The course opens with a 579 yard par 5 that plays uphill (I almost got there in two!) and does not get much shorter. The back nine has some of the more interesting holes, to be sure, but the par-5 ninth and tenth (back to back par 5s!) offer two major scoring opportunities. The 9th is a paltry 519 yards and its mate is 525. An ace on either par three that bookend this pair puts you in prime position to do what Phil came up just short of at last year’s Masters – three eagles in a row.
Overall, if you are in the area and have time to get round of golf in, I’d highly recommend Shoreline over the other munis in the immediate area. Not to knock the Palo Alto muni, but I’d rather pay less to play a more interesting layout with some goose poop on it than a long, boring track where you can see nearly every single flag from any place on the course. It also probably doesn’t help my bias that I nearly aced the par 3 fourth hole (see below and POTW 6).
Near Ace - Par 3 Fourth
Greens: 6/10
Fairways: 5/10
Other course maintenance: 3-4/10
Cost: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Pace of Play: 7/10
Pro shop/clubhouse: 8/10
The Verdict: Great casual round, but if you’re looking for high end golf, look elsewhere.
Play of the Week 11
April 11, 2011
This week’s play of the week goes to Charl Schwartzel, Masters Champion 2011. A protege of Ernie Els, Schawrtzel played beautifully all week to capture the Green Jacket, the most coveted prize in golf.
Schwartzel shot 69-71-68-66 for a total 274, -14. All rounds under par, Schwartzel saw the leaderboard for 3 of the 4 days, but led the tournament only on the back 9 of Sunday, briefly on 15 before Adam Scott birdied 16, and then on 16, 17, and 18. Amazingly, Schwartzel is the only player I can recall who has birdied all four of the closing holes of Augusta. Although 15 and 16 are “under par” holes on Sunday, 17 is a usual stumbling block, and 18 can be treacherous if not played perfectly.
As is usually true at Augusta, the player who putts best usually takes home the jacket. Schwartzel, cool as the other side of the pillow, rolled in 15-footers on 16, 17, and 18 to pull away from the pack and shoot a final round, 6-under 66. At one point, LG and I thought we might have a large playoff (when Tiger and 4 others were tied at -10–and Schwartzel was not one of them), but Schwartzel’s incredible play put that to rest.
So here’s to you, Charl. You conquered Augusta in style. While we may not have picked you to do it, we certainly were happy for the performance you gave.
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