Good Morning From Sunny Miami

[DennisMiller]

Hi everyone... Like my screen name suggests, my name is Dennis Miller, the same as the comedien on television, but I had the name first and he's never paid me a royalty.

I'm 64 and have been playing nearly 60 years. I grew up in Louisville, Ky, lived in Jamaica for a number of years and have been in Miami about 34 years now. I'm a retired synagogue Youth Director and Executive Director who now works part time running the pro shop a golf course. I was briefly the Assistant Pro at Hunting Creek Country Club in Prospect, Kentucky right after college, (University of Louisville 1972), but I had stars in my eyes about doing that and was smart enough for once to get out of it and be a simple businessman.

I'm married, have 2 kids and 3 grandkids. My grandkids live on the course at Eagle Ridge in Gilroy, California and I'm thrilled the two oldest grandkids are taking golf lessons. I play about once a week most of the time, but I'm pushing to play more now because it's the time of year here in Miami when it's not as hot as the surface of the sun.

The course where I work is called Killian Greens in southwest Miami. It's unusual in that it's sort of a British style layout with rolling, bumpy fairways, some crazy little pot bunkers and the condition of the course determined a lot by Mother Nature. It takes more local knowledge to play it well than any course around here and thus, is wildly popular or wildly disliked depending how well you learn it.

My other interests are playing guitar, mostly acoustic, cooking and to some extent, gardening. I try to keep my yard looking good because my neighbors all have incredible green thumbs. I, on the other hand, could kill a plastic plant. I threaten to till my garden with a 7 iron and sometimes the plants behave. It's an eternal challenge.

[Fourputt]

Hi Dennis.  Welcome to the Sand Trap.  This is the place to talk all things golf.

[David in FL]

Welcome!

We have another long time member down there. @zipazoid moved from Orlando about a year ago and volunteers at Crandon Park.

[zipazoid]

Welcome Dennis!

As David in FL mentioned, I live in Miami too & Killlian Greens is the closest course to where I live (Dadeland area). I haven't played it yet but plan to; have passed by it a few times.

And yes, I volunteer at Crandon on Saturdays which gives me unlimited playing privileges...so I haven't ventured out to other courses much as a result. But I would love to meet up with you at Killian so you can impact some of that 'local knowledge' that's needed to play it well!

[DennisMiller]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Good to see you here too Rick.

Zipazoid - I run the proshop Monday mornings, opening in the morning and work until noon. Then I come in at 1 PM on Tuesdays and work until closing at dark. I'd love to get together. I used to have 3 regular games a week and within a two week period, all of them fell apart when one guy moved, another guy took a second job and a co-worker left for her dream job. I'm dieing to find someone to play golf with again on a regular basis and since I enjoy a 5 day weekend every week, I'm pretty flexible. I just wish my back was a flexible as my schedule.

I'll PM you my phone numbers.

Dennis

[Fourputt]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Good to see you here too Rick.

Zipazoid - I run the proshop Monday mornings, opening in the morning and work until noon. Then I come in at 1 PM on Tuesdays and work until closing at dark. I'd love to get together. I used to have 3 regular games a week and within a two week period, all of them fell apart when one guy moved, another guy took a second job and a co-worker left for her dream job. I'm dieing to find someone to play golf with again on a regular basis and since I enjoy a 5 day weekend every week, I'm pretty flexible. I just wish my back was a flexible as my schedule.

I'll PM you my phone numbers.

Dennis

Dennis,  What sort of rental clubs does your course have?  I've been tempted to fly over for a couple of days and hook up with you.  Have to clear it with my banker (wife) for air, hotel and car rental.  We can play golf, and compare back problems as we go. Maybe all 3 of us can get together.

[DennisMiller]

We have crap for rental clubs. They are mostly lost clubs the owner put together into sets.

On the other hand, I have a second set you could use if midsize grips don't bother you. They are a set of Callaway RAZR Tour irons, regular flex shafts, forged wedges. The woods are a Ping i15 driver, 3 wood and 2 hybrids. They are stiff shafts. There are 15 putters here from which to choose. If you can't find one to try, something is wrong with you.

I don't know what else you need to get done while you are here, but the golf part is easy. As far as where to stay, I'll check with Rosie in case anyone is coming through from Jamaica, but I doubt it. You could stay here.

My work days are Monday and Tuesday, so the rest of the week is my own time.

If it's easier to call, I'll PM you my phone numbers.

Dennis