Par for the Course

The 2018 Golf season has officially begun, Tiger Woods is back in the field!

I know the 2017/2018 professional tour schedule technically began in October with the Safeway Open. But talk to any Golf aficionado and you will quickly see the “Tiger” effect on professional golf at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Google queries for Tiger Woods, specifically “Did Tiger make the Cut,” (at the Farmers Insurance Open) is in the top 10 trending searches on Google.

The Golf Channel, golf promoters, golf courses, driving ranges, golf merchandise sales, and television ratings are way up. Attendance this weekend (Jan. 27 & 28th) at Torrey Pines will soar. Try it, do a Google search for Tiger Woods and see what turns up. Profits.

Yesterday, after months of procrastination, I got off my duff and made the trip to the Carlsbad Golf Center to have a new grip installed on my TaylorMade three wood.

While shopping I eves dropped on the conversations in the golf shop. And yes . . . it was all about Tiger Woods.

“You think Tiger will make the cut?”

“He looks pretty good, we’ll have to wait and see.”

“I will say this, since Tiger announced he would be playing again in 2018 our business has been up.”

Admittedly, I’m a fan of professional golf. My interest in golf was sparked one day unexpectedly when Lori said to me, “I used to love to play golf with my Dad growing up.” The radiant smile and twinkle in her eye said it all. To my utter astonishment, golf was something she truly enjoyed!

“So - let’s play some golf.”

For her 40 birthday, with the help of my friend Chuck, we purchased Lori a complete set of Lady La Jolla clubs. I happened to be working in New York that week so Chuck’s mission was to deliver the clubs and surprise her on her special day. Alas, it appears that company has gone by the way side. But she still enjoys playing her clubs. You should see her antique Wilson set we have in our garage.

Now, it’s important to understand, this idea of playing golf, I had never really played golf, didn’t own a set of clubs, and no clue how to get into this sport reasonably.

“Are you kidding me, look at the price of this stuff.”

My participation in sports has always been cycling, softball, running, swimming, and walking, for exercise. Golf, to me, was not a sport. Really, how can you consider golf exercise when you’re riding around in a cart, chasing a little white ball, then back to the clubhouse for a beer?

So, my next step was to get my own set of decent, reasonably priced clubs.

This Golf thing can’t be that difficult. I thought.

Lessons, hah, who needs lessons, look at Bubba Watson he never took lessons. He can drive the ball a mile. When you watch the professionals on TV they make it look so easy.

“The short game, that’s where it’s at. Very few can drive the ball like Bubba.”

It’s obviously all about style, look at Rickie Fowler.

Boy was I wrong. These guys are good.

So for a number of years Lori and I would treat (frustrate) ourselves and play golf together on the weekends. Lori as my coach, I quickly learned that swinging hard did not work.

Lori would step up to the tee and with a silky smooth stroke, straight down the fairway.

Me, I would step up and bust it - Pow! Out of bounds.

“Why does that stupid ball keep shanking to the right,” I grumbled.

“You’re hitting it off the toe of the club.”

“Ok, now it’s curving to the left.”

“You’re swinging the club like a baseball bat.”

“We need to spend some time at the driving range.”

“That’s boring, let’s just play the game.” So we did.

For practice, we play a Par three executive course, 1822 yards. Lori keeps score. Turns out I was able to shoot par within the first six holes.

“That’s good, right?”

“No - not really.”

“Ok, what’s Par?”

“This pitch-n-putt is a Par 54 course. That means a good golfer should be able to take 54 strokes to complete 18 holes. Three strokes per hole, not 10.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

We were consistently shooting 90 strokes or higher.

“Think geezer swing,” she would say. “That’s why you practice at the driving range.”

Yes, I’m stubborn.

Well, to make a long story short, as they say, Listen to the wife. She was right all along.

So this year we’re going to spend some time on the driving range. Practicing my swing and learning which iron to use for different distances.

“It’s muscle memory, repeating the same swing using a different club for distance.”

“Ok, I get it - let’s go to the driving range."

On Friday, Tiger did make the cut at Torrey Pines, Par 72, over 7600 yards, he shot -1, (one under par). How they do it I’m still trying to figure out.

I wonder? If I practice enough, could I shoot Par for the course?

What do you think?

The Who Was - Series

In this episode, the Who Was? - Series . . . With over 250 titles, Penguin Random House Books Who Was? - Series tells the incredible stories of trailblazers, legends, innovators, and creators. Are you a bibliophile, an individual who loves and frequently reads books (a bookworm)? What is it that compels you to pick up a book? Is it the cover, is it the title, how about an interest in a specialized subject, or just - perhaps it's a whim? One of my ultimate goals with these podcasts is to reach a young audience. I've found that reading children's books is a gratifying and educational experience. Yes, even grown-ups can understand difficult concepts. To my surprise, both children and adults seem to appreciate the experience. With education such a hot topic in the news right now, we need to be reminded that whether it's going to school, visiting a museum, or online learning, the goal of education (both young and old) is to nurture an interest in learning. William Butler Ye

Big Apple, Big Charge

In this episode – Big Apple, Big Charge . . . Welcome back to On the Fly, your weekly dose of quirky observations and unexpected trends. Today, we're fresh off a trip to the Scaffolding/Plywood jungle, where we witnessed a phenomenon that will make you rethink your relationship with the humble wall socket. That's right, we're talking about New York City, and it's . . . wait for it — Free, ubiquitous electric outlets! New York constantly buzzes with traffic, jackhammers, honking horns, and helicopters. But what struck me most was the sheer volume of people glued to their devices while commuting and navigating the streets with hundreds of construction obstacles. It's like everyone's “plugged into” some invisible grid—phones, tablets, watches, headphones, earbuds, e-bikes—you name it. And that's where things get interesting. But, unlike our quiet suburban life, free outlets in NYC aren't exactly abundant. So, how do these New Yorkers keep their gadgets

What Time Is It

In this episode – What Time Is It . . . In the era before smartphones, let’s say we’re on a telephone call, and you ask me, “What time is it?” As a five-year-old, my reply is, "The big hand is on the two (2) and the little hand on the eight (8).” You would then say, "Alright, it's ten minutes after eight o’clock or eight-ten, right?" This is how we learned to tell time as children–remember? Well, what happened . . . During dinner last week in Westfield, NJ, a retired high school teacher told our group, “Did you know that children today cannot read the time on a traditional watch with an analog face?” “Why not?” we asked. “Because of smartphones and the proliferation of digital clocks.” “Wow! That’s hard to believe.” Welcome to this week's episode of "On the Fly." Today, we'll compare classic mechanical watches to modern quartz watches and explore an unexpected social shift. To begin with, let me take you back a few days. I’m a traditionalist and pre

It Runs on Steam

In this episode – It Runs on Steam . . . If you’ve seen Back to The Future III, you may remember Doc Brown's line, “It Runs on Steam !” Recently, I visited my good friend Billy in Westfield, New Jersey. Among his many other hobbies, Billy is a steam engine enthusiast. He proudly fired up his miniature steam engine and confidently explained its workings, which got me thinking . . . (Sound effect of Billy's steam engine whistle) Have you ever considered how environmentally friendly a steam engine powered by renewable energy could be? There would be no need for gasoline, batteries, diesel fuel, or Uranium-234. Imagine an engine powered by water—yes, water. I can hear the naysayers: "But . . .” Welcome back to On the Fly, where we dive into one of history's most fascinating inventions. Today, we're firing up a revolution – the Industrial Revolution, that is – with the mighty steam engine! For centuries, people relied on muscle, wind, and waterpower to get things do

On The Fly

Search This Blog