Why was the coverage of the RBC Heritage so much better than Augusta?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Next to the Masters, the Harbortown RBC Heritage Classic is as laid back as a golf tournament can ever get. The exact opposite of the pressure cooker that is Augusta National’s Masters Tournament, a lot of the players come here to decompress. The southern “low country” lifestyle is apparent the moment you arrive, and you can certainly hear it when the announcers refer to “Fans” and “galleys” instead of “patrons” and “Stadium”!
Martin Kaufmann of Golfweek put it succinctly when he said, “the focus turned to the competition, which is where it always should be.” Thanks, Marty, for the great article!
18th at Harbor Town!
Can anyone explain to me why the RBC Heritage was a more interesting television production than the Masters?
I didn’t say “more compelling”; nothing gets our juices flowing like a dramatic weekend at Augusta. We start talking and writing about the Masters months in advance. Some people probably even start dreaming about it by February. Nothing in golf compares to the buildup to Augusta.
My opening question was rhetorical. Solely from the standpoint of a television production, I found the RBC Heritage to be much more interesting and pleasing than the Masters. And I think the reasons for that are quite plain.
I’m not so arrogant as to think the barons of Augusta National Golf Club give a damn what I think. But at some point, one hopes they will give some thought to the question I posed, and perhaps – perhaps – loosen the reins a little on CBS. After the somber, oh-so-serious tone at Augusta, the shows from Harbour Town Golf Links felt light and airy and thoroughly agreeable. We’re watching a game being played; it doesn’t have to be treated like an audience with the Pope.
The RBC Heritage telecasts moved faster than they did at Augusta, which I attribute to the fact that there were no marquee players on whom CBS could obsess. At the Masters, for example, we had cameras following Jordan Spieth as he strolled down the fairways and circled putts. At Harbour Town, with no Spieth nor Rickie nor Rory, the focus turned to the competition, which is where it always should be.
The telecasts also were far more conversational and informative than what we saw from Augusta.
That certainly suited Dottie Pepper, who was back on top of her game after a rocky debut at the Masters.
Another example: When leader Luke Donald snap-hooked his drive at No. 8 on Sunday, we saw Protracer track the ball into the hazard. Then Peter Kostis broke down Donald’s swing in slow-motion.
That prompted Faldo to ask Kostis, “Peter, do you think he turns his hips enough on the backswing?”
Kostis: “No. That’s always the issue, Nick. I think guys who are trying to fire so hard to get ground-force reactive, they don’t get turned in the first place.”
It sounded like two smart golf guys talking about the game, and in the process sharing some insights with their viewers. I liked that.
Speaking of Protracer, we really saw its value at Harbour Town, as it tracked Branden Grace’s low bullets that stayed below the tree line and out of the wind.
Jordan Spieth Predicted his Masters win 7 years ago!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Wow, what an exciting Masters Tournament! Jordan Spieth won wire to wire, tied the scoring record, and broke the 36 and 54 hole scoring records!
I am looking forward to watching Jordan, Rory, Hideki, and all the other under 25 golfers that are the game’s future. As Nick Faldo said on Sunday, “Golf is in great hands right now” Brian Wacker of PGATour.com tells us that Jordan named his Master’s goal 7 years ago.
Brian Wacker – Pgatour.com
Jordan Spieth enters the third round of the Masters with a five-shot lead after the lowest 36-hole start in tournament history and tying the record for the lowest two-day start in any major. Should he hold on the next two days and win, it would be his first career major championship and he would become the second-youngest Masters champion behind Tiger Woods.
As you’ll see below, winning at Augusta National is apparently something he has been thinking about since he was 14 years old. His swing, even back then, is something that should be noted, too.
Before he was a PGA pro headed to the British Open, Jordan Spieth was a student athlete at Jesuit High School in Dallas. Watch a profile of Jordan from 2008. Before he was a PGA pro headed to the British Open, Jordan Spieth was a student athlete at Jesuit High School in Dallas. Watch a profile of Jordan from 2008. Before he was a PGA pro headed to the British Open, Jordan Spieth was a student athlete at Jesuit High
The Daily Life of an Augusta National Greenkeeper!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
As golfers, we always admire the great condition that Augusta National is in each and every year for the Masters.
I have had the good fortune to play Augusta several times, and I can tell you that this conditioning is year-round. (while the course is open) But take a moment to think about the men and women who work these hallowed grounds. Mark Townsend from nationalclubgolfer.com gives us a story here that we don’t really think about much – the greenskeeper and his staff!
Headingly greenkeeper Andy Stanger told his careers advisor that he loved cutting grass. Twelve years later he earned himself a six-month internship at the most famous corner in golf in the run-up to the 2009 Masters.
“I got the internship after a three- hour phone interview with three different people. There were 14 of us interviewing for one job. I began in late October 2008 and was appointed to work on holes 8 and 9. Then Amen Corner came up so I spent 15 hours a day working on 11 and 12. It was a dream spot, where else would you want to be as a greenkeeper?
The Daily Life of an Augusta National Greenkeeper!
“They have 45 full-time staff on turf, 35 on horticulture, and eight to 10 interns on hole care.
There are also four full-time mechanics. The greenkeepers’ prefab is immaculate. They will sand down all the paint on all the walls and paint it all again brand new every year.
“The site is huge. To get from Amen Corner from the maintenance facility would take about eight minutes to drive to. The trees go on for quite a way before you get to the edge of the site, it’s like a fortress.
“I have always fancied caddying there. The caddies say the 11th is the hardest hole, if you go left from the tee you’re dead, and it’s the most difficult to putt on. In the morning, with the dew on it, you can see really subtle breaks and the nap goes down towards the pond. Pros will drop 50 balls to find a way to run one down to the pin.
“The 12th can be deceptive, there is a hole in the trees where the creek runs and that can act like a funnel for the wind. The green is tiny. If you go long there is no up and down from the bunkers.
“They have a bunker technician there every single day; depth checking, cleaning, topping up, edging. I can guarantee and the depth of sand will be exactly the same in every bunker. When the course shuts they get a black liner and peg it all in so any bunker can’t be contaminated or get blown away. Then they clean them out and freshen them up.
The Daily Life of an Augusta National Greenkeeper!
“The course opens again in October, and they have all new grass every year.
The Bermuda grass in the summer basically holds the soil together and looks terrible and that’s why it’s shut. In October they scalp all the Bermuda grass down to the soil and plant new Ryegrass everywhere. And then the clock starts ticking and the countdown goes up on the wall. There is no ‘we’ve got til April’, the intensity is then ramped up from that point.
“You will get weak spots, bits that are in the shade we will be working on. We were throwing seeds two weeks before the tournament – anything that can be picked up on a camera will be painted green.
To have this as your office every day must be such a thrill!
They get the green speeds to around 14. No club golfer will ever understand that. And that is on firm and undulating greens
“Members aren’t expected to be out there playing every day. A busy day might be four rounds; most days there would be nobody. Two to three weeks before the tournament the players start arriving. Two weeks before that is the members’ tournament – The Jamboree – and that is the big deal and where you can get your name on the boards.
“Jack Nicklaus said if you put a 10-handicapper in the middle of every green, he still wouldn’t break 90, and he is spot on.
It is the sheer firmness. How they stop their balls on 15 is beyond me.
“They have chalk points on the greens that are 10 feet apart and they roll between them. They get the speeds to around 14. No club golfer will ever understand that. And that is on firm and undulating greens.
“Three weeks before you start mowing morning and night. They will say to cut the 10th three times, the 14th four times and the 12th just once and that will keep changing. Every green will be exactly the same speed.
“It is different to the US Open where the greens are purple by the Sunday, it is 80 ̊ in April and they haven’t been trampled all year and are not stressing it as a plant plus everything is monitored.
“On tournament days we would meet in the shop at 3.30am for a briefing. The chairman would come down at 4.30 to gee everybody up and you would be given a number of a mower with instructions.
“I had 12 which I would only cut once. There was no grass coming off, just dust, so I would help on 13. There is as much food and drinks as you want and then you are free to watch golf or get some sleep.
“A lot of us sat in the shop and watched it on the big screens. It is the best networking time and where you would get your next job. By 2.30pm I was in a buggy by the 5th in case anything went wrong.
“Then after the golfers have come through, you start mowing the course again.”
The Daily Life of an Augusta National Greenkeeper!
Andy is now the head greenkeeper at another Alister MacKenzie-designed course – Headingley, near Leeds
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I was extremely fortunate to be invited to play Augusta National.
My host was the late Wayne Calloway, who was the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. One of the finest human beings I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Wayne never thought he would be invited to be a member of Augusta because Georgia is Coke country, and he led the rival company Pepsi. However, his stature in the business world made it a no-brainer for Wayne to be a member there, and the selection committee obviously knew that.
We stayed in the cabins alongside the 10th fairway and ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the clubhouse. I must say they have one of the finest wine cellars I have ever seen.
Each morning I would get up early just to walk around the ground close to the clubhouse, and there were already staff out picking up the leaves that had fallen during the night. The place is immaculate!
Augusta National is not a club where you apply for membership.
If you have to ask, you’re not welcome. That’s the basic membership policy at Augusta National Golf Club.
Members at Augusta National are usually wealthy, but a more distinction would be that holders of the green jacket are accomplished. Wealth alone doesn’t grant immediate access into one of golf’s most exclusive and secretive clubs. Details about the membership policies leak out from time to time, but for the most part, the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule is observed.
When USA Today published a comprehensive list of the members in 2002, it revealed the average age of an Augusta member to be in the early 70s. Notable members include Warren Buffett (CEO of Berkshire Hathaway), Bill Gates (chairman of Microsoft), Roger Goodell (Commissioner of the NFL), Lynn Swann (Hall-of-Fame wide receiver) and Jack Welch (former CEO of General Electric).
Augusta announced in 2012 that Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore would become the first two female members in the history of the club. A third female member, Ginni Rometty, was admitted in 2014.
In the 2002 USA Today package, one Augusta member offered some inside information.
The club likes to keep its total number around 300 and fees range from $25,000-$50,000. That’s a bargain compared to rates at other private clubs, which can be well into the six figures. Augusta’s waiting list is about 300, populated by those nominated by current members. Members are allowed up to four guests, and as long as the member is on the property, his guests can play without him. The playing period is a lot less due to the club being closed from mid-May to mid-October for course renovations. A 2006 GOLF Magazine study revealed the average handicap of the club members was 13.2 according to then club president Hootie Johnson. A former Augusta caddie said the number is probably closer to 15.
The best piece of gossip from the Augusta caddie? One member took to walking his dog on the course in the morning, but was told he couldn’t do so because his dog was not a member. He resolved the issue by paying a guest fee for his dog.
So there you have it. A dog is more welcome at Augusta National than you are.
20 Memorable Shots of Seve Ballesteros – #15 is my Favorite!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
It is 35 years since Seve Ballesteros won his first green jacket at Augusta National!
The Master of Magic thrilled us all with his infectious smile, and his unbelievable ability to get it up and down from the ball washer. I am sorry that I never had the chance to see Seve live, and I am poorer for that.
The European Tour has put together 20 gorgeous photos of Seve in a memorandum of this golfing genius.
20 Memorable Shots of Seve Ballesteros – #15 is my Favorite!
To celebrate 35 years since Seve Ballesteros became the first European to win the Green Jacket, in the build-up to this year’s Masters Tournament europeantour.com takes a look at some rare photos of the Spanish legend.
1. Young Seve.
Seve competing in the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club in 1976. While he didn’t win that week, he did go on to claim 50 European Tour titles over the next 19 years.
2. Seve and Ollie.
An early photo of Seve sheltering from rain alongside his good friend José María Olazábal. Three years later they would pair up together for the first time at The 1986 Ryder Cup. The duo went on to play 15 Ryder Cup matches together, winning 11, drawing two and losing two. The most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history.
3. On the range at Augusta.
Seve, his coach Mac O’Grady and his caddy Billy Foster prepare on the range at Augusta ahead of the 1994 Masters. The video technology might have changed but the caddy outfits haven’t!
4. Escaping from the crowds.
A 22 year old Seve emerges from the crowd on the final hole of The 1979 Open Championship at Royal Lytham Golf Club. Two shots later he would secure his first Major title, beating Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw by three shots.
5. Leftie.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Tony Weaver/ANL/Shutterstock (1061046a)
6. Receiving some bad news.
Seve was often in need of a ruling and he knew the rules better than most players but in this instance at Wentworth, European Tour referee John Paramor is the bearer of bad news.
7. The rake shot.
Seve was never shy when it came to entertaining the crowds. Seen here at the EMC Skills challenge before the 1999 Volvo PGA Championship, Ballesteros showed off by escaping a green side bunker with a rake.
8. Fairway bunker, fairway wood.
Few players could hit the escape shots that Seve hit but even fewer would even attempt them. At the 1997 Canon European Masters Ballesteros found this lie in a fairway bunker. Many may have just wedged back to the fairway but not Seve, he used a fairway wood and took aim at the green.
9. The miracle escape.
A few years before at the same event, Seve hit one of the most incredible escape shots of his career. Having birdied five holes in a row to tie the lead, Seve drove his ball on the last hole in the trees behind a wall. Despite Billy Foster, his caddy at the time, urging him not to Seve took on the impossible, hit it under the tree, over the wall, and just short of the green. He then, of course, chipped in for birdie. “There is not a chance in the world that anybody else would have considered that shot let alone played it,” Foster said. ” It was simply miracle stuff. Genius”
10. Seve at St. Andrews.
Perhaps the most famous victory of Seve’s career came at the Home of Golf. He entered the final round two shots behind Tom Watson and Ian Baker-Finch but by the time he walked across the Swilcan Bridge he had a one shot lead. One famous birdie putt and celebration later and he had won his fourth Major championship.
20 Memorable Shots of Seve Ballesteros – #15 is my Favorite!
11. Seve at Pebble Beach.
There are very few photos of Seve at Pebble Beach but this one is pretty special. He and caddie Billy Foster take a moment to enjoy the the view from the fairway on the par four eighth hole during the 1992 US Open.
12. Captain Seve.
No one enjoyed the Ryder Cup more than Seve Ballesteros and this photo shows a moment of celebration between him and Ian Woosnam as they toasted a famous victory at The 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill Golf Club.
13. Seve in a crowd.
Seve was beloved by British golf fans. They would flock to Open Championships and European Tour events to see the matador-like flair of the Spaniard. This photo was taken during the first round of The 1988 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club.
14. All eyes onSeve.
Thousands of fans gather for the play-off at the 1991 Volvo PGA Championship on the first hole at Wentworth, where Seve battled Colin Montgomerie for the title. This five iron from 220 yards would finish three feet from the hole and secure the win for Ballesteros. Many consider it one of best shots in European Tour history.
15. An intimate lesson from Nick Faldo.
Nick Faldo helping Seve Ballesteros on the range at the 1992 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica. We’re not too sure why Seve isn’t wearing any trousers.
16. Seve the magician.
Ballesteros entertains guests at a clinic ahead of the 1988 European Open at Walton Heath Golf Club.
17. Between the legs.
And if you thought off the knees was too easy, here’s Seve during a practice round at The 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale escaping a green side bunker between his legs.
18. Seve in the gym.
In an effort to keep fit Seve installed a personal gym in his home in Pedrena in Spain. Here he is at 38 years old running on his treadmill preparing for the 1996 European Tour season.
19. Victory for Seve.
A young Jesper Parnevik looks on as Seve celebrates holing the winning putt at the 1992 Turespana Open de Baleares at the Golf Santa Ponsa in Spain.
20. Farewell to the Open.
In 2006 Seve bid an emotional farewell to The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club alongside his son, Javier, on the bag. He finished his career having won the Claret Jug three times with 28 appearances in total at The Open.
14 Records at the Masters – I did not know about #3.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Stats and records have always intrigued me, and I enjoy reading golf trivia.
So when Sean Zak put this compilation of Seve moments in honor of the 35th anniversary of Seve Ballesteros’s first Master’s victory for the European Tour, I had to post for my readers. I am sure Seve is walking Augusta’s fairways this week and pulling for his fellow countrymen Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Sergio Garcia.
The Masters is the most sought-after championship in professional golf. The green jacket, to no surprise, is the greatest trophy. With just one event held at Augusta National each year since 1934 (except during World War II), the records for the Masters Tournament represent the best of golf history.
Most Appearances.
Gary Player – 52
Arnold Palmer – 50
Most Victories.
Jack Nicklaus – 6
Tiger Woods – 4
Arnold Palmer – 4
Best Career Scoring Average. (100+ rounds)
Fred Couples – 71.91
Jack Nicklaus – 71.98
Most Second Place Finishes.
Jack Nicklaus – 4
Ben Hogan – 4
Tom Weiskopf – 4
Greg Norman – 3
Tom Watson – 3
Johnny Miller – 3
Tom Kite – 3
Raymond Floyd – 3
Course Record. (4 rounds)
Tiger Woods – 270 (1997)
Jack Nicklaus – 271 (1965)
Course Record. (18 holes)
Greg Norman – 63 (1996)
Nick Price – 63 (1986)
Highest 18-Hole Score.
Charles Kunkle – 95 (1956)
Doug Ford – 94 (2000)
Doug Ford – 94 (1997)
Albatrosses.
Gene Sarazen (1935), Bruce Devlin (1967), Jeff Maggert (1994), Louis Oosthuizen (2012)
Youngest Winner.
Tiger Woods – 21 years, 3 months, 14 days
Seve Ballesteros – 23 years, 4 days
Oldest Winner.
Jack Nicklaus – 46 years, 2 months, 23 days
Youngest Competitor.
Guan Tianlang — 14 years, 4 months, 19 days
Largest Margin of Victory.
Tiger Woods – 12 (1997)
Best Amateur Score.
Charlie Coe – 281 (1961)
Worst Score On a Hole.
Tom Weiskopf – 13 (1980)
Tommy Nakajima – 13 (1978)
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s odds and expectations!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Going into the 2015 Masters Tournament we have some great storylines.
There is the entry of such superstars as Rory McIlroy, (World #1) Jordan Speith, Jason Day, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson (World #2) plus golfers in their twilight years like Tiger and Phil. And don’t count out players like Freddie Couples, (who has the best scoring average in history at the Masters) and Louis Oosthuizen, who is always a danger at Augusta. Can they pull off a miracle as Jack Nicklaus did in 1986 when everybody thought that Jack was through? Time will tell, but I can tell you this. I will be glued to my TV on Sunday afternoon. Please don’t call, I won’t pick up.
The Top 10 Greatest Shots in Augusta National’s History!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
When I see the Azalea’s blooming in my driveway, I know it is Masters Week!
The heralding of spring, the start of a new golf season, and the anticipation of either going to Augusta to watch the greatest golf tournament in the world or, like me, sitting at home on Sunday afternoon watching this great spectacle!
Azaleas mean Master’s Week!
Augusta National is a special place. At the beginning of every April, golfers and fans worldwide tune in to watch the best players in the world play one of the most challenging courses in the world. And with challenge comes some magical moments.
Here are some of the greatest Masters shots to date.
#1. Phil Mickelson – 13th Hole.
Phil Mickelson – 2010 With two pine trees, a creek, and 207 yards between him and the hole, Mickelson delivered a towering 6-iron off the pine needles through the trees to four feet. It was vintage Lefty and one of the gutsiest shots ever played. Phil missed the ensuing eagle putt, but the birdie propelled him to a 67 (his third of the tournament) and his third green jacket.
#2. Jack Nicklaus – 17th Hole.
Jack Nicklaus – 1986 Jack made a monumental back-nine charge, shooting a 30 that featured an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch on 15, 16, and 17. The round featured several clutch shots, but the tricky 12-footer he holed for birdie on 17 most resonates. After parring the 18th and carding a 65, Nicklaus watched as Tom Kite, Norman, and Seve Ballesteros faltered to give Jack his sixth green jacket.
The Top 10 Greatest Shots in Augusta National’s History!
#3. Gene Sarazen – 13th Hole.
Gene Sarazen – 1935 Sarazen’s historic hole-out for double eagle went a long way toward popularizing the Augusta National Invitational, aka The Masters. Sarazen was torn between hitting a 3-wood or a 4. He pulled the latter. The result was a blistering shot that flew some 235 yards, cleared a greenside pond, and dropped into the hole. The deuce tied Sarazen for the lead with Craig Wood, and he went on to win the only 36-hole playoff in Masters history.
#4. Bubba Watson – 10th Hole.
Bubba Watson – 2012 There’s likely no other player in the field who could have pulled off the shot Bubba hit on the way to victory in a playoff with Louis Oosthuizen. After a wayward drive on the downhill 10th found the trees right of the fairway, Bubba unleashed a huge hook with his pitching wedge that landed, spun, and settled 10 feet from the hole. Here’s how Bubba described it: “I hit my 52-degree, my gap wedge, hooked it about 40 yards, hit it about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree, and then it started rising — pretty easy.” Oosthuizen made a bogey, and Bubba went on the victory.
#5. Sandy Lyle – 18th Hole.
Sandy Lyle – 1988 Sandy Lyle’s path to the green jacket was secured with a masterful fairway bunker shot on the 18th hole Sunday. His 7-iron approach caught the slope behind the hole and trickled to within 10 feet. He rolled in the putt to make birdie and finish a stroke ahead of Mark Calcavecchia.
Bubba Watson’s Top 5 Masters Shots – Even his Caddie did not believe #1.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Bubba Watson reminds me of Seve Ballesteros. He has that masterful imagination that sets him apart from the rest of the pack.
Not only does he have this great imagination, but he has the ability to create those shots he sees in his head. Even his caddie is left gasping at some of the fantastic shots he has played at Augusta. Here is Ted Scott’s (Bubba’s Caddie) account of the top 5, as it appeared in GOLF Magazine.
A Tour caddie for 15 years and himself a scratch golfer, Ted Scott is hard to impress. So it speaks to Bubba Watson’s sublime shot-making skills that the two-time Master’s winner regularly makes his longtime looper’s jaw drop. Scott counts down the five most amazing Masters shots Bubba ever hit — and No. 1 isn’t what you think!
#5. 2014, Final Round, Par-5 15th
Shot: 181-yard 6-iron cut approach over water
“Last year everybody freaked out about this [choked-down 6-iron second] shot through trees and over water. The hard thing was hitting it far enough to carry the water. TV made it look super scary, but we had an angle to the trees to where even I could have hit it through. Could I have hit it over the pond? Doubtful. Bubba’s distance control — to hit a cut that starts low and lands on the back of the green, down the stretch on Sunday — was impressive. He made par, which is all you need with a three-stroke lead.”
#4. 2012, 2nd Round, par-4 7th
Shot: 161-yard 9-iron approach through trees
“Bubba’s tee shot ended up in the right rough. The pin was in that front-right bowl. Trees were in the way, so he couldn’t hit a big ol’ hook to get it on the green. I encouraged him to hit a low shot into the front bunker. He said, ‘What about that gap there?’ I look up at a 10-foot-wide circle way up in the trees about 50 yards away. Now, the farther away the gap, the smaller the target. And hitting it though there had him aiming right of the green, so if we don’t cut it, we’ve got nothing for the third shot. But I don’t argue with Bubba if he’s confident — it’s like telling Picasso he can’t paint a painting. He hit a 9-iron cut shot through the gap to about six feet from the pin, straight up the hill. Skillwise, it was amazing.”
It was a firm lie, ball above his feet, and he had an opening. He just had to hit it hard and hook it, but doing it in a playoff and winning makes it more special. I equate this shot to Tiger making that six-footer on No. 18 to get into a playoff with Bob May at Valhalla [in the 2000 PGA Championship]. It was the high-pressure circumstances, more than the pure skill, that made it amazing.”
7 Biggest Surprises About The Masters – I was surprised by #3!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Your First Visit? Each spring, the Masters at Augusta National holds the attention of golfers worldwide.
I have had the good fortune to attend the tournament and play golf on this hallowed ground. This is why I was interested in the blog provided by The Cliffs, a fabulous collection of 7 golf communities in the mountains of North & South Carolina.
The blog is titled ‘7 Biggest Surprises About the Masters.’ It is written with first-time visitors to Augusta in mind, and I heartily agree with Nos. 1 and 7. Television coverage does not prepare you for the eye-popping colors and the absolute perfection of the entire course.
Read Nos. 4, 5, and 6 describe three ways that the Masters treats its ticket holders like family. No other event of any size caters to its ‘patrons’ like this!
cliffsliving.com brings us this informative article on things you did not know about the Masters.
Each spring, the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club holds the collective attention of enraptured golfers worldwide. The lucky few who gain admittance certainly get some surprises on their first visit to this hallowed ground at tourney time.
If you have the good fortune to experience The Masters in person, you’ll experience these 7 surprises.
1. The terrain.
You’ve seen the Masters for years . . . but TV flattens out the terrain, and we promise: you are not ready for the amazing rises and falls of this golf course. You’re also not ready for the fact that there’s not a single flower blossom or piece of trash anywhere.
2. The aroma.
The Masters has one overriding aroma: cigars. While women are in attendance, there’s a classic men’s’ club vibe to this tournament. You can have a cigar on the course – no problem and are enjoyed en masse.
3. The line for the ladies’ room.
In case you didn’t figure this out, after reading #2 . . . there is none! That’s right, there’s no waiting for the ladies at this one large gathering. It’s the fellas’ turn.
4. The price of food and drinks.
Unlike other bucket list events, the Masters treats its ticketholders like family. $1.50 egg salad sandwiches are washed down with inexpensive beer, making the whole wonderful experience all the more surreal.
5. The telephones.
Heads up: No cellphones inside the gates. There are landlines made discreetly available . . . and long-distance is no problem.
6. The unspoken ‘chair rule.’
The Masters is unique in so many ways, but this might be the best of all for fans: get there early, place your chair where you want it . . . and its stays there all day. That’s your spot. Savvy return attendees place a business card inside the plastic sleeve on the back of the “official” armless chair they bought during a previous visit.
7. The perfection.
You think you’re ready to see the most beautiful golf course ever: its famous azaleas . . . pristine greens . . . lush fairways . . . but you’re not ready for Augusta’s shock factor. The course’s vivid colors, its dazzling perfection, and the utter lack of even a single blossom or leaf lying on the ground will leave you speechless. Until, of course, you get together with friends who also love The Masters.
The Cliffs are proud to have Mr. Fred Ridley on our Board of Directors. He is the Tournament Committee Chairman of the Masters, one of golf’s most prestigious events (and – we’re happy to say – is located a short drive from our clubs). Mr. Ridley, a former PGA professional, is also a past President of the United States Golf Association.
#4. 2012, 2nd Round, par-4 7th
