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My Nemesis
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines nemesis as a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent; a source of harm or ruin; a curse. And, of all the many rounds of golf; on countless courses, including innumerable holes, only one hole, without a doubt, in my 50 plus years of playing golf matches this description. It did not start out that way. Although, it has been over fifty years ago, I don’t think I gave much thought to what I was seeing the first time I stepped up to the tee. The scorecard listed it as a par four, 341 yards, number eight handicap hole, a sharp 90 degree dogleg left. And, yes,…
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Went To See What Could Be Seen
The last time I played the course, formerly know as Park Mammoth, it was days away from being placed up for auction. As I walked off the 18th green, I stopped to take in, one last time, what once was a very serene landscape and reflect upon the memories created over the years, knowing things were bound to change and Park Mammoth, as I knew it, would be no more. It’s been more than 18 months since that fall day, the property is under new ownership, and according to the social media updates over the past few months, it’s obvious things have definitely changed. Although the footprint looked to remained…
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The Sojourn of a Course Formerly Known As
It was the spring of 64 when I discovered the game of golf. Up until then, being totally focused on other types of round balls, I am not even sure I knew anything about the game except our school had a golf team. That same spring, 600 miles away, a course opened that in time would become ingrained in my golf DNA. Park Mammoth Golf Course was part of a Best Western resort that included tennis courts, putt-putt course, horseback riding, private cave, and a miniature train that would take you “to and from” the lodge to various points around the complex including the golf course. Imagine a collage of…
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What’s the Yardage
Historians have debated the origin of the game for a long time. Was it the Dutch playing a game with a stick and leather ball which the winner was whoever hit the ball with the fewest strokes into a target several hundred yards away? Or, was it the documented Scottish game gowf played since the 1400s? Whatever the case, I am willing to wager, it was only minutes after the first club was swung, the thought “How far?” followed. Knowing the distance has always been a key part of the game. Years ago, long before the GPS and laser rangefinders, the main way to know how far was stakes on…
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First Golf Ball without a Handicap
The first golf ball without a handicap is what Spalding claimed on the sleeve box when they introduced the Tour Edition ball. According to an NY Times article published in February 1986, ” Spalding, has spent the last five years and $5 million producing a cover material it calls Zinthane. It put it on a new ball, the Tour Edition, aimed at better players. It is being priced at $32 a dozen, highest on the market (balls usually sell for between $9.95 a dozen and $28), but Spalding says the ball outperforms balata while resisting cutting.” Here were the main “talking points” of the value proposition for buying the highest…
