I haven’t typed anything in about 36 hours now. Why? Because my hands have just thawed. I couldn’t wait to get back home from Orlando to Salt Lake. I couldn’t wait to get back to 4200 feet above sea level, 12 degrees farther north in latitude than Orlando FLORIDA so I could WARM up. The big decompression day after my biggest and most exhausting PGA Show ever turned out to be nearly a complete train wreck, except for the fact that I got to spend it with two great pals.
I should have known when we couldn’t find a Starbucks within a 500 mile radius yesterday morning that it was going to be a rough day.
Orlando Golf Blogger and I had a rematch of the now world famous Guru vs Orlando Golf Blogger v1.0. This time we had a 3rd join us, John Duval from Into The Grain. John can play. In fact, I think he’s probably the lowest handicap golf blogger on our planet, and possibly several others.
The setting, Falcon’s Fire GC in Orlando
Thanks to our pals at Falcon’s Fire for playing host to this year’s battle. Unfortunately for us it was so cold and windy we were battling hypothermia, rather than battling the golf course. The winds were high and the temps down. After blading three irons on the range, numbing my hands, then hitting two low worm-burners left with my driver, I was ready for play after a two month golf hybernation… Right.
Time for some excuses
Until yesterday I hadn’t played golf for almost two months. That is like John Daly going 6 minutes without cracking a beer, Obama going 34 seconds with saying the word “change” and Tiger going three hours without picking up a busty waitress at Perkins… Oh, did I just go down that road? My apologies.
On the first hole I hit the fairway with my driver and I was 100% fairways hit for the decade. That’s as good as it was ever going to get. That stat would soon vanish, as would many of my shiny Srixons and Bridgestones in my bag. My confidence as well as my cash faded away as well, as I flamed out in the frozen wind blown tundra of Orlando.
I didn’t manage even one solid iron shot. It could be because my hands were frozen, or that I hadn’t played golf in weeks, or that I’d just worked my ass (or lack of one, since someone told me at the show that I didn’t have one) off for days at the PGA Show. It could just be because I’m a hack.
Whining aside…
OGB and Into The Grain are fun cats and I hope to play many holes of golf with them in the future. I gladly handed my hard earned cash to Dave (OGB) for his triumphant victory, and like a good sport congratulated him on his victory while watching him celebrate. The taste of defeat is bitter, but a character builder for sure.
16th hole fireworks
Because we were so cold and our scores were all blowing up, John and Dave decided to have some fun on the 16h. Could John, a right handed player, beat the left handed Dave with his own clubs on a hole? The video below contains the answer. Be sure to watch for the incredible green side bunker shot.
I don’t get out to other golf blogs as often as I’d like to these days. I’m very busy with my own golf blog here, The Golf Space, running some other sites, attempting to play golf and have some semblance of a personal life.
Since I’m feeling a bit of writer’s blogger’s cramp I thought I’d make a few stops and report on what some of my golf blogging pals are up to. In alphabetical order…
Armchair just got back from the McGladrey Team Championship, where Chris DiMarco, Natalie Gulbis and Zach Johnson were in the field. Armchair’s content is always great.
Deep Rough reviewed the new Ping i15 irons. I get lost on Deep’s blog though. The content is excellent but the blog format is confusing.
Miranda at Even Par Round is still at it. Good analysis of the PGA Tour money list and she’s always good at keeping track of the good lookers on tour. Now if I could just get her to switch to a new theme for her blogger template!
Geoff Shackelford is a must read. I recommend stopping by regularly.
Golf Babes is a blogspot blog (can’t win ’em all), but hey at least he covers all the beautiful women who golf with many photos. No comments allowed though. I always stop by there for a fix.
GolfBlogger is a rock. Nobody blogs harder about golf.
My pal Kristen, The Golf Chick, is still around. This is good.
Grouchy is still busting out great, controversial and engaging golf blog posts, like the latest one “The FedEx Cup Still Sucks.” I particularly like the comment in the thread from “Jessica” who says “I couldn’t agree more. Fedex Cup totally sucks balls.” Jessica, could I have your number?
I see my pal Luke Swilor every week. We play golf sometimes and he takes $2.00 from me in stymies now and then. Luke is in a position right now where he has some decisions to make. Whatever path you take buddy, I wish you the best.
Jay Flemma is a good pal and the engergizer bunny of golf writing. Perhaps his funnest category is “Chumps, Lunkheads, Dingbats.” I may add the category “Boneheads” as a result this great categorization.
My friend Dave, the Orlando Golf Blogger is working hard and has a good thing going. I especially like the post about nude LPGA players posing for pictures. Assuming I go to the 2010 PGA Show, I have a $1.00 with Dave’s name on it, literally.
My pal Scruffy agrees with Grouchy. Who’da thunkit?
The Golf Blog asks “Can Michael Wan save the LPGA?” Um, no.
Patricia, The Golf Girl, is passionate about golf blogging. Nothing better than an attractive and passionate brunette. Hey I’m lucky to have one of those. I just wish Patricia would bag blogger and move to her own URL soon! It is time!
Last but not least, The Green Blazer is twisted. Twisted in a reaaaallly good way. He needs to move from blogger too to bigger and better blog engines! Same green template that about 500 other golf blogs are using…
I’ve added a few new golf blogs to my blogroll/links section today.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
