Originally Posted on 12/23/08

There are two local golf clubs in the news as of late.  Firstly, the local pols have apparently reached an agreement to get Erie Golf Club open again.  Here are a few of the particulars as recollected from the Erie Times newspaper article which was placed above the fold recently.  

The Federal Aviation Administration has deemed the process acceptable in that the current nine hole course near the airport will be carved up and converted to a six hole course.  This will save a lot of fussing around and make it easier for Millcreek Township to acquire the 18 hole course now owned by the City but deemed to be a money loosing black hole,

The Raptor knew from the get go that Mayor Sinnot and his Administration couldn't manage the moment...it's probable that they couldn't manage a paper bag.  The bottom line is the fact that Millcreek will make a go of this and turn Erie into a desirable and well run facility.  It may not end up being the finest golf club in the region but it will be a destination golf club for a number of interested parties including: seniors, high school teams, leagues and local fundraising tournament chairs.

There are a few aspects of the facility that will require some tweaking and as The Raptor has read, the Millcreek Administration has brought in architect, Gary Matczak to spruce up the clubhouse.  That is a plus.  Now if the greens crew can make some changes to the course, The Raptor believes Erie can be a gem.

On another front, our beloved Lake View County Club is about to celebrate Christmas in a big way.  It appears that the two Board of Directors at the facility have come to an agreement which will allow Lake View County Club to eliminate some cash flow killing debt presently being held by local banks in favor of an in house all purpose loan courtesy of the Stockholders of Lake View Country Developments Corporation. 

The details are sketchy at this moment so The Raptor will defer on additional comment.  It's just a pleasure to se some progress.  However, I can't let this positive development go by without a little constructive caveat.  If the remaining members somehow look at this gift as a mandate to continue on a destructive path of wasteful policy...the whole thing will come crashing down within three years.

Originally Posted on 12/08/08

Kahkwa Club vs Whispering Woods - A Comparison

Rules: The comparison is being done by matching the relative assigned values on the hole handicaps.  Of note here is that the match is done by par value. Therefore, the lowest rated par four would be matched  etc.

The first hole at the Kahkwa Club is rated as the number seven-handicap hole.   From the member tees the hole measures 369 yards and is a straight away no-nonsense par four.  At Whispering Woods Golf Club the par four that would most closely match up to this hole would be the ninth hole which is the number 5 handicap hole.   It is a uphill par four that measures 359 yards.  If we were to compare these two holes for degree of difficulty it would seem to me that the ninth hole at Whispering Woods is more challenging than the first hole at Kahkwa.

As far as par threes go we can compare the third hole at the Kahkwa Club to the second hole at Whispering Woods.  The third hole at Kahkwa club is a very dynamic par three.  It measures 140 yards from the blue tees.  It should be noted that the original tee box was located directly behind the second green but for some reason unknown to The Raptor the tee was moved approximately 20 to twenty five years ago.  The new tee box is tucked into the woods and requires a heroic iron shot over a large water pond.  Normally I hit a seven iron to this green. In comparing this hole to the second hole at Whispering Woods, whjich measures 152 yards from the blue tees, I would state for the record that the third hole at Kahkwa club is more difficult than the second hole at Whispering Woods.

The remaining par 4’s at a K club are of a variable and nature.  In comparing the difficulty factors of Kahkwa Club number nine with Whispering Woods number four is a challenge.  The ninth hole is one of my favorite holes at the K. club.  It measures 381 yards and it is wide open and rolling with a huge undulating bowl shaped green.  After hitting a decent drive the player is left with a good middle iron shot perhaps a six or five iron.  It would be my impression that that the average worst score that I could record here would be a bogey.  Comparing this to the fourth hole at Whispering Woods, I would state that I like the ninth hole at the Kahkwa Club versus the fourth hole at Whispering Woods.  The fourth at Whispering Woods measures a short 271 yards and is considered by many to be the Club's Signature Hole  It is is a survival hole.  It's easy to make a birdie and it's just as easy to make a triple bogey seven.  The Raptor has been struggling there as of late and needs to bear down in order to play it.

Another comparison would be the Kahkwa Club six hole and the Whispering Woods fifth hole which is a short easy 281 yards, but there is no comparison.  Again there is no comparison.  The Kahkwa Club sixth is a lengthy par four measuring almost 400 yards from the blue tees and 411 yards from the black tees.  Hitting an excellent drive will not guarantee that you can see the putting surface which is at the base of a deep incline.  This hole is as much a bear as the fifth hole at Whispering Woods is a cupcake.

The number seven hole at the Kahkwa Club and the first hole at Whispering Woods is an interesting comparison they are both difficult and require an excellent drive.  I would give the nod to the seventh hole at Kahkwa which measures 425 yards because of its challenging tee shot up a steep incline and green which is generally accessed with a long iron or fairway club.  The first hole at Whispering Woods, measuring 426 yards is a very tough par four.  From the blue tees, the drive must be carried over 180 yards over a deeo crevasse.  I believe it's easier to record a bogey five at number one at Whispering Woods then it would be to make a five at the seventh at the Kahkwa Club.

The comparison between the fifth hole at Kahkwa Club and the eighth hole at Whispering Woods is a difficult one.  Number five at the Kahkwa Club is the pen ultimate Donald Ross par four.  It measures 367 yards and is even referred to on the scorecard as "Vintage Ross".  The tee box is nestled among the trees in deep woods and it is imperative to hit your drive with a bit of a draw.  Too much of a draw brings the left tree line into play and makes for a difficult approach to a green, which sets on top of a steep incline.  The putting surface is extremely undulating and par is a rare commodity here

The eighth hole at Whispering Woods is a brute of a par four going downhill and stretching out over 420 yards.  Its fairway is one of the widest in the Erie County but it's still difficult to place your drive down the middle.  There are heavy woods to both the right and the left and there is a pond that comes into play on the right side but is hidden from the tee box.  Reaching the green at the eighth is very difficult as it is protected by a waste area or water swamp depending on the time of year.  The green is of a postage stamp nature and is slanted from right to left.  Par is a rare here for the average golfer. 

I would call it a draw. 

As far as par fives goes the only comparison on the front nine would be between the eighth hole at the Kahkwa Club and the seventh hole at Whispering Woods. Based on all factors I would give the nod to the seventh hole at Whispering Woods as being more challenging and more Mickey Mouseish.  By that I mean that the average golfer is befuddled by the hole from tee all the way to the putting surface.  There is out-of-bounds on the right and deep woods to the left.  The big hitter can avoid all the trouble unless a slip of the foot causes the long approach to duck hook into the woods.

Therefore the front nine has four holes for Kahkwa and two holes for Whispering Woods with one hole being a draw.  There was no comparison available for the 3rd hole (a par five) and the 6^th hole (a par three) at Whispering Woods since there are not available holes at the Kahkwa Club to compare to.  The holes that are not matched at Kahkwa include the second and third holes which are par fours.

On the back nine we will compare the 10th holes in each course.  Whispering Woods 10^th plays to a lengthy 451 yards from the blue tees while Kahkwa plays 365 yards. For sheer yardage it's obvious that Whispering Woods has a more difficult hole but Kahkwa’s 10^th has a very difficult green. I would still give the nod to number 10 at Whispering Woods

A comparison of the two 13th holes is interesting.  I would give the nod to the 13th at the Kahkwa Club, which is an awesome par four with a yawning dogleg left pattern. There is also a big fairway bunker out in the driving area, which requires the player to hit a controlled tee ball.  A sand bunker in the rear of the putting surface collects mishit approach shots and an interesting false front, which can cause poorly struck approach shots to roll off the putting surface. The 13th hole at Whispering Woods is a short par four of 351 yards with quite a bit of hazardous terrain from tee to green.  The player must carry a crevasse known to many as "THe Raptor's Ravine" with the tee ball and then carry another crevasse to find a table top reen that is slightly elevated. The Raptor will give the nod to the Kahkwa’s 13^th.

Comparing the two 16th holes at these facilities leads me to believe that the 16th at Whispering Woods is more challenging while the 16th at the Kahkwa club is more interesting.  I will give the nod to the 16th at Whispering Woods.

In comparing the 18th hole at the Kahkwa Club with the 17th hole at Whispering Woods it is almost a draw.  However the 18th at the K. club is one of the strongest par fours on the course and has a dynamite finish with a challenging green.  So The Raptor will give the nod to the Kahkwa club's 18^th.

The 17th hole at the Kahkwa Club and the 18th hole at Whispering Woods make up our final comparison for the part fours.  They are both awesome holes. I like the 363 yard17th at the Kahkwa Club because there is out of bounds coming into play on the left and there is a fairway bunker system that can grab the tee ball on the right as well as the left and the bunkers are flanking or staggered which is totally awesome.  At the 18th at Whispering Woods which measures a deceptive uphill 402 yards, the player is faced with a number of challenges with par’s and birdies being rare and therefore The Raptor gives the nod to the 18th at Whispering Woods.

The par threes on the back nine match up one for Whispering Woods and one for Kahkwa with the 193 yard 15th at Kahkwa besting the 180 yard 14th at Whispering Woods based mostly on the tremendous drive required to reach the putting surface which is severely undulating.

The 11th at Whispering Woods, which measures 165 yards, while it somewhat bland having no bunkers of any kind but other characteristics along with an easy to hit putting surface make it a more enjoyable hole for The Raptor.  In addition there is a good deal of wild life hanging around the 11^th, including deer, fox and turkey.  The 11th at Kahkwa is a challenging par three with a severly undulating green, but the 11th at WW looks super cool from the tee.

The Raptor gives both the par fives on the backside to Whispering Woods.  The 12^th at Whispering Woods is trouble from tee to green, while the 14^th at Kahkwa is challenging in it own right.  It’s just that the 12^th at Whispering Woods and the 15^th at Whispering Woods are more photogenic than the 14^th and 12^th at Kahkwa. That is really the deciding factor here.  

The final tally is eight holes to Whispering Woods, seven holes Kahkwa club, one hole draw.  Therefore the courses are relatively evenly matched.  If I could I would be a member at both…wouldn’t that be great?

Originally Posted on 10/05/08

Golf in Erie PA is a challenge on several fronts.  For starters the season is unique since it always contains a beginning, middle and end.  This same sequence can’t be duplicated in places like California, Texas and Florida where golf is played year round.  Even moving northerly to venues like Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach still allows for winter golf, even thought the weather can be inclement.

Erie in the spring is a crapshoot.  From early March until the middle of April, there is always a strong chance for snow.  This can wreck havoc on our golf courses.  As a result of these spring storms, a muddy mess can occur.  This year was no exception as a storm occurred on about March 28^th, which dumped about six inches of the white stuff.

There had been some good weather in March and as a result some golf course had play then.  At The Raptor’s home course, Whispering Woods, an April 1^st opening date was planned however, this was moved forward to about April 5^th of 6^th.

Another challenge to golfers is the surplus of courses that have become available at reasonable pricing.  Consider The Raptor’s old home away from home, Lake View, in North East, PA.  Lake View is in superb shape this year.  The Raptor played there last week and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The course was hard and fast with green speeds approached 11 or 12 on the Stimpmeter.  As a result, my score of 83 was considered a winner.

Lake View is undergoing a transformation and could be morphed into a semi-private facility come 2009.  At the heart of the matter is the cost of membership.  It has slowly crept to a monthly tab of almost $300.00 for a single player.  Rumors abound about it’s future and in good faith, The Raptor will not spread any that could be detrimental to Lake View’s ability to survive.

Trying to justify a golf membership at a private golf club or at a public facility can be a difficult proposition.  Back in 2004 and 2005, The Raptor began to feel the economic pinch of membership at Lake View and as a result, resigned from the club.  At that time I felt I was making the right decision for myself and my family but since then I have been getting feedback that I am a “misfit” and that I am not wanted by those who are left behind.

This type of jingoistic attitude is a common denominator for Erie.  It has always been an us versus them place.  So, when I played at Lake View on Friday, I bumped into some of the old gang, who inquired as to what I had been doing.  When I told one individual that I now played at Whispering Woods, his cart buddy said with a straight face “never heard of it”. 

This gets frustrating because some of these individuals “hate” Whispering Woods…and they have never even seen the place.  Others have “heard” that the golf course is too hard…so they won’t play it.  Still others have played the course once and have deemed it a “dump” or worse yet…a public club.

The newest Whispering Woods discussion point is the 2009 member fee.  For 2008, the Member Fee was $2,000.00 for some golfers.  For others who joined early on, the fee amounted to about $1,000.00 per year.  This figure did not include carts, which cost $15.00 per round.  At present, there are about 125 to 150 members…some of whom do not play more than a couple of rounds per year.

On several occasions in the recent past few weeks, folks have come to The Raptor seeking answers to that nagging question…how much for 2009?  This is big stuff in Erie, especially since Erie Golf Club is coming back into the mix.

The 2009 rate has fallen into a range between $2000.00 to $2,500.00.  This price range would include a green fee and cart…but, probably no driving range inclusion.  That fully exempt range rat will probably put out an extra $200.00 to $300.00 for a year’s membership.

The Raptor has had great fun listening to the wails and gnashing of teeth by Erie’s finest.  There are individuals who will not rejoin under any circumstance and I do not blame them.

It has since come to pass that the 2009 Whispering Woods Member rate is $2,100.00.  However, if you can form a group with three others that rate will lower to $2,000.00…Not bad.  So let’s play a numbers game and consider what a $2,000.00 Membership means to the average player.

The Raptor has played an average of 4 to 5 times per week since Whispering Woods opened.  This is primarily in the period between about May 15^th to September 15^th, which calculates to about 17 weeks of steady play.  Seventeen weeks times 4 rounds is 68 rounds while calculating a 5-week pace tallies to 85 rounds.  The Raptor had posted about 90 rounds by September 15^th.  So, I am classifying my round count in the heavy category.

An individual who plays 3 times per week would tally about 50 rounds per year and an individual who plays two times per week would tally about 35 rounds per year. So it would be possible to classify these tallies as follows:

Using the Classifications established and plugging in the cost of a membership produces the following calculations

Using the recently announced $49.00 per round for Green Fee and Cart next year produces the following calculations

What do these calculations indicate?

First, Whispering Woods is a scremin’ deal of epic proportion.  The owners have placed the membership bar so low that many normal  red-blooded golfers will have no choice but to join the club.  If you are reading this and do not believe that you are living in a dream world.

More To Come… 

Originally Posted on 8/31/08

Labor Day is here and golf season has begun it's slow descent into the first signs of fall.  There is a chill in the air and the dew is heavy in the morning...sure signs of the fall season.

Golf in the fall is a fabulous reward for a region like Northwestern Pennsylvania.  The trees are splendid and the air is crisp with none of the offensive heat and humidity that we play in in July and August.

The Raptor looks back on this season and has deemed it a success for the most part.  For starters, a solid group has developed for The Saturday and Sunday game.  Included in this years gang were Ray, Frank, Rich, Ken, Chad and Tom.  Other groups included: Jack, John T, Bill and Dave plus Lou, David O, and Rick and Jim D, Jim P and Jeff.  Special thanks go out to Rob, Rich and Greg for their continued support.

The proshop did a bang up job and thanks go out to Rocky, Tony, Pat, Brian and Diane.  In addition, Lauren and Desiree and the Cart Gang (Scott, Zack, Bert and Brian).  Also thanks go out to the Greens Crew who kept the course in superb playing condition.

The highlights for The Raptor included: a 77 (June) and 79 (August 30th) from the Blue Tees which is going low (For The Raptor!).  A second place finish in the CPA Tournament (shooting 81 from LVCC's Blue Tees). The pairing with Lou in the EDGA Senior Better Ball which led to a second place finish.  On that day The Raptor shot 79 as well.  This time from the white tees.

The irony of this recent low scoring is the high scores that were interspersed including a 93 - 91 debacle in the WW Club Championship and a 94 in the EDGA Senior Tournament at Kahkwa.

The EDGA Senior was an extremely disappointing event.  The Raptor had played Kahkwa the week before and found the course to be excellent and suitable to promote some low scoring.  Unfortunately, the Kahkwa staff got frisky for the EDGA and set the course up long, hard and fast.  As a result scores were high.  Ron Coleman won with a fine 69 which include about 6 birdies and about 3 or 4 bogeys.  

The Raptor's playing group included: Lou (85), Jim D (87) and Jim P (92).  My 94 included two 9's one on 14 and the other on 17.  Other than those two meltdowns the rest of the round went smoothly including a birdie 3 on Kahkwa's 18th hole which is a 380 yard roller coaster.  Under normal conditions, a 85 would have been just fine, but the 94 left a sour taste in the mouth.

The WW Club Championship was also won by Ron Coleman.  Ron shot 74-75 from our Black tees and finished six shots ahead of David O and Jim D.  Our first flight winner was Nat Burnside, while Jim Piekanski won my flight with a super two day total of 83-80-163.  The final flight was won by John Torok

A season ending member guest is planned for this Saturday - the Raptor hopes to bribg out Larry Neizmik, Tom Burik and Rick Blakely to participate.

Originally Posted on 7/19/08

There is a constant discussion in the Erie area about the state of the golf business.  During the past 10 years, significant changes have occurred which have seriously depressed the local golf industry.

Consider:

The loss of the Nationwide Tour Event at Peek N’ Peak

The closing of Nevada Bob’s Golf

The closing of Pro-Golf Discount

The closing of Erie Golf Club

The elimination of waiting lists at venerable Golf Clubs like Kahkwa, Lake Shore, Lake View and Lawrence Park

The inability to complete the Harbor Ridge Project

This thread is presented in an effort to open up discussion on what has sure to be a hot button issue...that is the presentation about to occur at Lakeview Country Club on July 22^nd, 2008.

The presenters are referred to as the “Debt Reduction Committee”.  This group has been organized by long time LVCC members Greg Farrell, Chuck Kownacki, and Brad Klomp as a means to explore methods to make Lake View a sound, going concern.

As it stands, our beloved club is on shaky ground.  For the past three to four golf seasons, the club has been hemorrhaging members.  It started simply enough.  Lake View went through a transition in the 2004 golf season that initiated the migration.

The story goes something like this.  A long range planning committee had been evaluating the state of the club and made sweeping recommendations to bring the club into a new and exciting direction.  The crucial plans included

The remodeling of many of the golf course’s tee boxes. 

The completion of the sand bunker project and the addition of strategically placed fairway bunkers to “toughen” up the course in anticipation of future marquee events such as EDGA and West Penn Tournaments

The addition of a short game practice facility

The addition of a radical water hazard in the 18^th fairway to provide soil for the practice facility

In addition the clubhouse was to undergo a transformation as well with the addition of a plush locker room and a private grillroom for the members who required special accommodations.  It was generally thought that there were a core group of “serious” members who prided themselves on obnoxious behavior and therefore needed to be isolated so that offensive behavior could be promoted while leaving the regular grill room for the “lollipop” gang.

The lollipops were looked on with disfavor by the serious members since the lollies did not drink large quantities of beer and liquor but instead sucked up bottomless tanks of soda pop.

By constructing a wall to divide the grillroom, the serious members created a barrier that has broke up the harmony that existed at Lakeview for 40 years before.  In a relatively short period of time regular members bailed rather than support a club that was primarily benefiting the serious members.

As the member count plummeted from a lofty 375 heads in 2004 to less than 230 members at present, this loss of over 125 golfers to the budget has produced a whopping yearly shortfall of about $400,000.00 to $500,000.00 in revenue.

The Debt Reduction Committee has proposed to locate 50 “investors” who will provide $65,000.00 each in order to pay off the mortgage presently held by National City Bank.  The financing deal is costing $300,000.00 per year in interest charges.  Since there are less members to rely on, the principal amount has remained fixed…so the long-term result will be a failure.

The investors will be referred to as “Perpetual Members” (PM).  After the club by-laws are altered to recognize the Perpetual Members, the remaining class two members will support the yearly operating expenses through the dues that they pay.  Meanwhile the PM’s will pay no dues for the rest of their lives.  In addition, the PM’s would be capable of transferring their certificate to a replacement PM by paying a $2,500.00 fee to Lake View. PM’s would be the voting member.

Using the present member count this would result in 50 PM’s and 150 Class 2 members.  The Class 2 members would spend their $4,000,00 per year or $600,000.00, which would be used to maintain the golf course.  The clubhouse would be considered a separate part of the operation and would continue to be staffed by sub-contractors.

A challenge to the long-term stability of the club could result in eventual dissolving of the club in which case the PM’s would receive a settlement, which could be less than their original investment.

PM’s would still be subject to assessments.

There are several significant events that have led to this radical undertaking.  Those of you who have dug deeper into this site will recall that The Raptor wrote an analysis titled “The End Game” which predicted that the Lake View Club would spiral into failure subsequent to the buyout decision that was crafted almost 10 years ago.

Since then the serious member group has refused to reopen relations with Lake View Development Corporation, the original owner of Lake View’s Golf Course and Clubhouse.  The serious members arrogance and the Development Board of Directors who represent the conservative and relatively obscure North East Community at large exacerbate the situation.  It should be noted that the serious members generally reside in Erie and more specifically Millcreek and Fairview.

It is highly unlikely that the PM’s and the LVDC will ever see eye to eye.  The reason…its arrogance versus conservatism.  These two groups will pace around the proverbial ring like boxers for several years and the result will be a stalemate.

The Raptor wishes the PM Group the best of luck…they will surely need it.

Originally Posted on 6/8/08

April and May have come and gone and golf season is now rolling.  The Raptor has posted over 25 rounds at his home club - Whispering Woods with some unfavorable results.  However, after some poor play in the rain and chill of May, scoring has improved and The Raptor's handicap is prepared to tumble from 13 to 11.

The Raptor has been waiting with baited breath for the management of our course to come up with a plan for our members for next golf season.  Up till now it has been a steady stream of innuendo and heresay regarding a deal of some sort.

At stake is the momentum that has developed around a core group of 75 to 100 members who presently support the club with frequent visits and participation in club sponsored events.  Most of the member class have been patient for a number of reasons.

The first issues which raise the red flag are the driving range and the clubhouse.  Third on the list of question marks is the ill fated practice green.  Last season, the management tore out the original green and totally rebuilt it using state of the art construction techniques.  Unfortunately, the green has been slow to mature and remains closed.  The chance that putts will be struck on it before July 4th are slim to none.

The driving range has been another sore subject with members who have a feeling they were sold a "bill of goods"  The Raptor feels this is far from true.  Anyone who realistically joined WW last year thinking that an operational range would be open this year are in the 20 watt bulb range (dim).  The range got off to a slow start this year due to permit issues which restricted progress till the end of May...Then with the coupling of the airification of the golf course greens which backfired...the range remains pretty much a massive jumble of bramble and felled trees.

The 18 greens on the course were plugged or (drilled, punched, holed or airified), on or about May 5th and 6th have been bumpy and crappy since.  Last week the turf care group laid down some top dress and also performed a verticut to remove some thatch.  This seems to have smoothed out the putting surfaces a little...so relief is near.  But everyone is a little hurt by the airification process.  Let's face it, plugging greens never works exactly right...never.

The clubhouse issue also has major ramifications.  Up till now the members have been content to utilize the area under the tent...or perhaps sit around in the parking lot.  Eventually this will change when some sort of clubhouse is built.  But what kind of building will it be.  The problem is with the players.  It's a plain Jane fact that people don't really like other people.  She it is going to require some savvy marketing and promotion to make the clubhouse work...More to come on this critical issue.

So with that being said, the management has floated a price tag of $2,250.00 for next years membership.  The figure will encompass all green fees, cart usage and range privileges.  This is a fair figure as far as I am concerned.

Originally Posted on 5/19/08

Golf season is in full swing this year for a number of reasons.  First, Erie had another harsh winter that lasted virtually from the middle of November until the beginning of April.  A series of late season snow events moved the start dates for many local courses to around April 7th.

However, once the snow melted, the golf has been plentiful but the courses have been wet.  While total rainouts have been rare, The Raptor has had to don the Gore-Tex outfit on several occasions.

Scoring has been a challenge.  With over 15 rounds posted since the start of the season, most of my scores have been around 90.  Recently, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and a fine 82 from the Blue Tees resulted which included three birdies.

Just this past Saturday, another three birdie round led to a 87.  It should be noted that the windy conditions resulted in a number of unforced errors.

My home club, Whispering Woods is staging our first club tournament of the year on Saturday.  The format will be a three man scramble.  I am looking forward to playing in order to help promote some "budship" at our club.

The Raptor had a surgical procedure on right elbow in November of last year.  The effect has been positive for the most part.  It is hopeful that my strength capability will improve as well.  Up till now, the results have been a mixed bag.  My tee ball has been fine but my iron and short game have been suspect.

The Raptor has determined that I can play WW with 6 clubs. Driver, 5 wood, 5 iron wedge, sand wedge and putter. 

Tuesday's have been interesting.  WW has a nine hole skin game which is not a money making venture by any stretch, but it is fun to get a game going.

Phase 3 - Entered 12/3/07 (Here is a gem that arrived to The Raptor though the email - it was sent to me by a good friend and it is ultra boss!)

Old men play golf differently than the rest of us. Some play it well and some play it poorly but, as a class, their journey from the first tee to the last is worth studying. You can both improve your score and deepen the game's pleasures by paying attention when the elders lace up their spikes.

My own education began in a foursome that included three artificial joints:  two hips and a knee. The orthopedic hardware was bolted to the bones of three men in their eighties, all residents of a gated community in South Carolina . I joined them for a round during an annual visit.  They eyed me warily as I walked toward them with the starter. I learned later that my own age was almost a deal breaker. As a reasonably fit "kid" of fifty, they feared I might disrupt the octogenarian rhythms of their round. We exchanged greetings, handicaps, picked teams and teed off.   What followed was a post-graduate education in good manners, good fellowship and, in the end, what's so good about the game.  Like many retirees, they drove flamboyant golf carts: custom paint jobs, sound systems, flashy hood ornaments. There was the unmistakable echo of the Chryslers and Cadillac's they drove fifty years ago.   One, apparently the group's quartermaster, had a year's supply of pencils and scorecards at the ready, wrapped in rubber bands and meticulously arranged in what, otherwise, appeared to be a medicine cabinet: Advil, prescription meds, band-aids, tubes of mentholated muscle cream, disinfectant and multiple grades of sun block. Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest with fewer provisions. Clearly, this would be no ordinary round of golf. This was a pilgrimage and the lessons unfolded on every fairway.

Golf Cartography - Old guys frequently have an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world.  After all, they've spent seven or eight decades walking around in it.  If you're lucky, they'll map out the golf course for you, its landmarks, landscape and wildlife. Learning that your ball has come to rest under a "bougainvillea" and not a generic "bush" may be small consolation but it will better connect you to the golf course and, as the details accumulate, sharpen your appreciation of its architecture.  Knowing that the bird cartwheeling overhead is an American kestrel can turn an out-of-bounds tee shot into an occasion of wonder. Stop counting strokes and give more thought to the canvas you are playing on.

There's No Swing Like An Old Swing - Their swings are miraculously constructed.  In the best of them, there's a hint of the 50's Ben Hogan; in the worst, homage to the same decade's Bob Hope.  In all of them, you'll see ingenious compensations for body parts that don't work quite as well as they used to. Their swings aren't uniformly pretty but they're predictably consistent and give new meaning to the term "muscle memory".  Remember, they've been tutoring their neuromuscular junctions since Ike was in the White House. Because their testosterone is taking flight, they worship at the altar of timing and tempo more than young Turks do. During your next round, genuflect with them and watch your score improve.

Splendor in the Grass: Because they grew up during America ' first mass exodus to the suburbs, these guys love to landscape. They repair divots and rake bunkers unfailingly. They minister to ball marks on the green as if they were bruises on a granddaughter's arm. They know, from the hard-won experience of guarding their own health, that living things need looking after. Whether you play at a private club or a pockmarked muni, leave every golf hole in better shape than you found it.

Take a Lesson - Remember, you're in the presence of men who have stopped punching the clock and can still afford a tee time. They have more or less successfully retired. They may not be able to lead you to the next Google, but any elder foursome can be full of sage advice on money, marriage and generally managing your life. Ask them about their lives and careers, turning points and blunders. Take notes.  The Wonders of the Wager: With their business careers behind them, a golf wager awakens a slumbering will to win. It is a kind of business deal, isn't it? Strokes are ferociously negotiated and the stakes, typically small, are agreed upon. They started playing golf when Byron Nelson ruled the sport and a buck was still a buck. It's not about the cash, it's about the contest and the unspeakable pleasure of extracting another ten spot from the flinty, New Englander they've been playing with since 1975. Bet smart, bet small, and play fiercely down the stretch.

The Killer Short Game - Every golfer has had a $5 Nassau from his grasp as some old guy gets up and down on a crucial hole. This is their wheelhouse, where they swallow the indignity of being out-driven by seventy yards, offer a sly wink and go one-up on the match. Because they're on life's final lap, they know that how you start matters less than how you finish.  Inside 20 yards, this wisdom is decisive. It doesn't hurt, of course, to have memorized every subtle swale on the golf course and they have! If you are lucky enough to meet one of these masters of the short game, share a beer with him after the round and pick up a tip or two.

Enjoy the Journey - When you tee it up with a man in his eighties, you might well be witness to his final round.  As fit a fellow as he seems, the basic laws of probability insist that next week's foursome may be a man short and he knows it.  I thought more than once when one of my foursome made his way to the bottom of a bunker that he may never come out and that he might not mind that at all.  This must explain, in some measure, the simple joy they take in the journey. They generally play without anger or angst and, in an age of ball caps worn backwards and brawling basketball teams, they'll connect you to a gentler time.  They are the game's true historians and the keepers of its enduring civility. That golf remains such a grand, old game is largely thanks to the grand, old men who continue to play it.

AMEN!

Phase 2 - Entered 9/22/07

It's been over six months since this site has been open and The Raptor has been gratified by the number of positive comments made regarding the content and direction that the site has taken.  Please head to the Whispering Woods chapter for some important updates.

Phase 1 - Entered 2/25/07

I can remember it like it was yesterday.  The date is difficult to pin down but the story goes like this.  When I was 8 years old, I got for a birthday present, a nine iron and putter from my Aunt Sallie and Uncle Dan.  This was March of 1964.  I believe that the impetus of this present was my exposure to one Arnold Palmer in the previous 2 to 3 years.

Arnie was hot in 1964.  He had won 4 Masters, a couple of British Opens and a legendary US Open In 1960.  He was all over TV and was featured on such popular shows as the Wonderful World of Golf.  The tournaments that he lost in these years were as legendary as the ones that he won.

Who could not feel Arnie's pain when he lost the Open at Oakmont in 1962 and then turned around and lost it again in 1963.  In addition, Arnie seemed to crash and burn every year in the PGA and in one memorable Masters, he came to the 18th hole with a lead and produced a double bogey to loose.  Ouch!

One moment that still stands out for me came from some tournament that was on TV, I saw Arnie make a put with a very protracted break that the announcer called an eagle. Naturally, the crown went nuts.  It was this large break in the putt that I associated with an eagle and it was not until years later when I started to actually play golf that I learned that the eagle was a 3 on a par five.

Arnie pretty much was awful in the late 60's and he one his last PGA tournament in about 1973...I believe it was the Bob Hope..Arnie even wore glasses!  But I still remember Arnies shining moments..  In addition, The Raptor remember many of his shining moments while golfing and he invites you to check out it's content.