Phil Mickelson’s wife Amy diagnosed with breast cancer. Phil’s schedule cancelled indefinitely.

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Categories: Life • PGA Tour
Tags: Amy Mickelson • breast cancer • Phil Mickelson

Fans either love Phil Mickelson or hate him. Regardless of your preference in that department, I’m blogging to send my best wishes and positive karma to Amy Mickelson, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer.

Amy has undergone extensive tests and will undergo more. Major surgery will be happening soon. I wish her luck. I lost my Mother to another form of cancer and it hits me pretty hard when I hear about people being diagnosed with it.

Phil Mickelson has cancelled his PGA Tour schedule indefinitely.

Day two at Black Mesa is history, and personal history was made

Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, May 18th, 2009
Categories: Golf • Golf Courses • Golf Lifestyle • Hackers • Life • Travel
Tags: Black Mesa • Black Mesa Golf Club

Today’s goal, break 80 at Black Mesa

The more I play Black Mesa the more I love it. This is a special golf course. I become more confident in my shots and where I want them to land or roll the more I play the course. I played probably the most solid nine holes of the year on the front today. I got up and down on #1 from a deep green side bunker. On #2, a short par-4, I used the contours to the right of the green to bounce my 100 yard approach shot to about three feet. But my putt didn’t drop as the speed was not as quick as I expected. That would be about the last bad putt I’d make for the whole day.

Above, the old squeeky windmill at Black Mesa. When the wind kicks up, the windmill plays a an eerie yet rhythmic tune. Normally I’d dislike a sound like this, but this tune almost hypnotizes me. How many millions of times has that wheel spun around? I need to find out if there’s been a name given to this windmill. If there hasn’t, I’m going to come up with an appropriate one….

On with the story…

When I got to the mega cool #4 hole I was still even par. #4 is the famous “dome” hole, where a cool sand dome guards the green left. I didn’t trust my yardage. It dictated a six iron. I hit five. Good choice. It ended up about eight feet below the pin. I drained the putt to reach -1. I played solid golf the rest of the front nine. My new and improving short game and some great putting helped me turn to the back nine at even par. I shot even on the front at Black Mesa. That is good. Could I hold it together for the difficult back nine?

I have shaky confidence in some holes which have kicked my butt every time I’ve played them, like the par-5 13th. Today I was cruising along playing well and 13 humbled me once again. I knew I couldn’t miss the green right or I’d have an impossible up and down from a very deep bunker. I missed right, 7. Ouch. I’m realizing how demanding this course is. You really can’t miss a single shot in the wrong place your you’ll have to make some incredible shots to save par. Usually errant shots will result in an “other” score. My two severely errant swings did result in double bogeys on the back.

Yesterday I melted down on the 15th, a beauty of a par three. I clanked my tee shot into the water and scored a double. I was wanting redemption today. With my good pal Eddie Peck, principal guy here at Black Mesa watching, I pulled a six iron left. The shot bounced off the contours left of the green and ran down to about five feet. I laughed and looked at Eddie and said, “I meant to do that.” Eddie laughed.

Eddie took off to watch the other groups so he didn’t see the putt, which I drained. The first thing he asked me upon the conclusion of my round was if I made that putt. I proudly told him that yes I’d drained the putt, and that despite having my golf ship taking on heavy water on the back nine, I paddled home with a 78. To me a 78 on this course is like shooting a 73 somewhere else.

Puye Cliff Dwellings

Following the round we visited the Puye cliff Pueblo Indian ruins, about 30 minutes from Black Mesa Golf Club. The Pueblo Indians had built an incredible set of dwellings on top of, and on the SIDE of, a cliff. I’ll post more about this fascinating part of the trip later, but here’s an image of our tour guide (right) telling us about the dwellings for now.

I’m too tired to continue writing, though I’d love to share the rest of this great day…

Gnite.

Played Black Mesa today and it was awesome

Written by: Tony Korologos | Sunday, May 17th, 2009
Categories: Golf • Golf Courses • Site News • Travel
Tags: Black Mesa • Golf New Mexico

I’m dead tired from a long day of traveling, playing Black Mesa and then the cocktail party, dinner and lounging in the hot mineral springs here in New Mexico. Yes it sucks, but someone has to do it.

Highlights of the round include making birdie on the 9th and the 16th. I almost aced the par-3 11th hole.

Must get some sleep so until I get more time to post, here are a couple of shots from today. First is the 17th hole, which I gagged, but it is a great view….

Next is the 18th green with the clubhouse in the background. The old squeaky windmill was playin’ some great music today.

HOG world tour travel day to New Mexico

Written by: Tony Korologos | Sunday, May 17th, 2009
Categories: Site News
Tags: Black Mesa Golf Club • New Mexico

I’m now on the flight to New Mexico blogging from my iPhone.

I should be teeing off at Black Mesa around lunch time.

UPDATE 10:48am: Just landed in Albuquerque. It will be a bit of a long drive from here but I’m getting excited to be back at BM soon!

I return to Black Mesa Golf Club, one of the finest golf courses on our planet

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, May 15th, 2009
Categories: Site News
Tags: Black Mesa • Golf Courses • New Mexico Golf

Over the last few years I’ve developed a great friendship with Eddie Peck, principal at Black Mesa Golf Club in New Mexico. Eddie and I have shared many a great meal and smoked many cigars together and of course, played many rounds of golf at some great courses around the country from Ballyneal to the TPC Sawgrass. As good as some of those courses are, Eddie’s Black Mesa is quite possibly the best course I’ve ever played. I had the pleasure of playing the course a couple of years ago and I did a review which can be found here.

I’m excited to announce that I’m returning to Black Mesa this Sunday and I’ll be there through Wednesday. I’ll be cramming in as many holes of golf on this world class Baxter Spann design when I’m not checking out the land which will soon be home for Black Mesa’s 2nd course, groundbreaking this summer. The 2nd course will be designed by my favorite course designer, Tom Doak. You may have heard of some of Doak’s previous projects like the aforementioned Ballyneal or the Doak course at Bandon in Oregon? Yes, Spock.

Down and dirty at Black Mesa’s 2nd course, which breaks ground this summer…

I can’t announce anything quite yet about what I’m doing or what the arrangements will be, because there aren’t any yet. But I’ve been in discussions with Eddie and his PR firm about being the official blog for the progress of the Doak course construction. Naturally that would require the real tough gig that I be at BM numerous times over the two years, the time it will take to get the course built. I’ll have to do a sit down or two with Tom Doak and pick his brain. That won’t suck.

For good measure here’s another shot from Black Mesa for your enjoyment below. You can access my Black Mesa Gallery here, which now has close to 300 images.