phan52

I have two hole-in-ones on the same hole, 25 years apart. In a strange category, I have eagled all four of the par 5's on my home course on approach shots, none inside 110 yards. 130 yards, 160 yards, 145 yards and 110 yards. Why on the par 5's, I don't know. Never holed one out on a par 4.

Just added Scotland last month!

43-40-83 I haven't broken 80 in six years now (I am 70 years old) but Saturday was the day I should have done it. One bad swing on 7 went OB where I made triple, plus I missed three putts inside four feet. Next time.

I was marshalling at a tournament in 2018 and I specifically remember standing next to Harman and being surprised at his size. I am 5'8" and I was slightly taller. 5'7" is probably accurate. McIlroy was slightly taller, probably no more than 5'9".

I don't begrudge anyone taking carts, but I much prefer walking. I am often the lone walker in a group. I am 70 years old and I am not slow and have no problem keeping up. But I seem to get out of synch in a cart. Walking to my next shot is part of my preparation for that shot. The only time I will always take a cart is with my wife. She would prefer to walk as well but she has a bum knee, so I defer.

My older brother and me are both left-handed but have always played golf right-handed. When we were very young, my dad cut down a few of his old clubs for us to knock around our expansive back yard. This was before either of us picked up a baseball bat and it became a natural motion. I ended up playing hockey and swinging a baseball bat right-handed, but I am a true lefty. I can't throw a baseball 50 feet right-handed.

Our Club Championship concluded over the weekend and it was won by a 64-year-old (format: qualifying round and 16 player field match play). He has been a very good player for years, but I didn't see this coming. He has really worked hard at the game and it is well deserved. Never give up.

We had tee times in advance, but we played some high-volume, popular courses. But there is a good links course around every corner, particularly in the Lothian area east of Edinburgh and also near St. Andrews.

Our course was the site of a PGA Tour event from 1963-1980. The first 5-6 years they allowed players to hit to adjacent holes, the third and 15th. It allowed them to hit away from trouble and give them a better angle to the green. It was not safe for both players and the fans, so the Tour decided to place OB stakes between the holes to stop it and it remained the rule for the balance of the tournament. It was never used for member play, although the young guns have figured it out and there is a lot of "FORE" going on.

I lobbied to get to Cruden Bay instead of playing Dornach twice, but it would have required too much travel in the short time we had. The area around Berwick is what we are considering for our next trip. It would also allow for a little longer stay in Edinburgh, particularly Old Edinburgh. We only had one evening there before we flew home and it wasn't enough. I am sorry that I discovered links golf so late in my life. Not enough time left.

I have been to Ireland five times and love everything about it, not just the golf. It really feels comfortable to this old Mick. But I just went to Scotland for the first time, and it will not be my last. I was unprepared for the Scottish Highlands, some of the more striking landscape I have ever seen. Our destination on the other end of the Highlands was what I have to think is the definitive links course, Royal Dornach. It is very difficult to get there but it was worth it. Nine out, nine back and no earth moved, just put together on a narrow dune just off the North Sea. The imagination it took to do it is impressive. It is so far north that they have tee times until 6:30 PM this time of year. We played it twice, the first day in benign conditions, and the second day with strong winds, the way it is supposed to be played (according to the caddies). More difficult but it was more fun. Another course we played way up north is Nairn Golf Club, another very old linksland track, not to be missed if in the neighborhood. The wind was really blowing that day. We went down to St. Andrews and played Kingsbarns, which is near The Old Course, and it was a treat. I was shocked to find out that it was only 23 years old because it is so well designed that you would think it was there for over 100 years. The difference is that they moved a whole lot of earth and sand to build the course. As good as it is, I will take the originals, like Dornach. We didn't play The Old Course but we snuck on for pictures on the Swilcan Bridge. It wasn't a problem, even encouraged. I do want to get back over there and play The Old Course, Carnoustie, and others on the east coast. I really enjoy links golf; it requires so much imagination.

Last week: Royal Dornach 83 Royal Dornach 84 Nairn 86 Kingsbarns 84 Gotta picture on the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course but had to infiltrate, as we did not play there. Really not a problem; a lot of people were doing it.

Years ago, we had a set of tees that were kind of haphazardly put together and called them Senior tees. Nobody would play them, particularly some Seniors who were mildly insulted. We also had a very penal set of Ladies tees, making our track just about the most difficult for women in the entire Philly area. After a study and a restoration, we put together a set of five tees, some of which required them to be built anew but got rid of the names (Junior, Ladies, Senior, Member, Tips) and used colors (gold, red, green, white, blue). There are a number of combo tees between the white and green tees but the overall difference between the whites and the greens is about 500 yards and makes a big difference in play for this 70-year-old. I still play the whites often to stay in touch because that is where all the tournament play is, but I do enjoy the greens and they are still very challenging. In fact, there are a lot of bunkers and trouble areas that I can't reach anymore from the whites that are well within range from the greens. Play it forward!

They were making a big deal about Cameron Young hitting a shot into a golf cart at the US Open, but I got a much better one than that. Just two weeks ago I was hitting a tee shot on a long par three. The group in front was already on the next tee, but one of them had left a cart on the path that was still in our sight line. I hit the shot and it was headed toward the cart while the player was headed back to the cart, and I yelled fore. He ducked behind the cart and didn't really see where the shot ended up. Oddly he waited around till we walked up so I thought maybe I hit him. No, the ball bounced up to the cart, hit the tied-up cover on the back of the cart that you would use if it rains, and fell straight into his golf bag. I never would have found that ball if he didn't see it go in the bag.

This was Rory's to lose. Again. I thought the turning point was on the front nine when they were showing simultaneous putts, where Rory was going for birdie and Clark was putting to save par. Clark had a one-shot lead and it could have been a two-shot swing. Clark made and Rory missed. I knew it would be a struggle after that because Rory just wasn't making anything. Some of his makeable putts never had a chance.

Should LIV players be able to play in Majors and the Ryder Cup? If they qualify, yes. Should they be able to play this week at the Memorial? Absolutely not. They quit the PGA Tour when they joined LIV. I don't think there is an argument to be made to allow them to play PGA Tour events. They would be taking spots from qualified Tour members.

Played a qualifying round for our Super Senior match play (65 and older) at around 6,050 yards. Got off to a good start but then got stuck in the trees on the par 5 third. After also hitting a shot into the water on the approach and three-putting, I carded a TEN! Instead of letting it get me down, I got my act together and shot 44-39-83 and qualified easily. That was three rounds ago and I have been playing my best golf in years since then.

Shot 44-39-83 after carding a TEN on the par three third hole. I hung in there.

Qualifying round to make the field for Super Senior match play (65 and older). Great start with a birdie on one but I was almost derailed by a TEN on the par 5 third. I stuck with it and parred seven of the next eight holes. I don’t remember the last time I made a ten, but it was medal play so I had to finish out the hole. 43-40-83 and qualified easily.

I hate sandbaggers but I don't think this system catches the ones who are proficient at it. We tried it out last year on a trial basis but didn't follow up this season. After hearing the original presentation, it appeared to me that it was started by a scratch or low handicapper who just doesn't like to give strokes and is frustrated with the handicap system as a whole. We track who plays and get very aggressive when players don't post their scores. Not much you can do about the guys who post "honey-do" scores when, say, they are playing with their spouse but, if it is a competition of any kind, the golf staff posts the scores. And those of us who play for money, well, if we tolerate the sandbaggers, that's on us. We know who they are.

Don't expect anything to change soon. Monahan: “We’re in the entertainment business. We’re on television. Look at the number of times that we’re finishing on time, if not early. That’s a frustration of mine because we don’t want people turning off CBS or NBC before the competition, before six o’clock. . . We get into places on the weekend where, you know, there’s a lot on the line, I think those are the moments that frustrate fans, but at the same time, there is a lot on a line."

Dream on. Monihan was just saying that they will not do anything else that isn't already in play. The concern is that they will finish before the allotted time on the networks. For instance, if they have airtime until 6:30 eastern time, they don't want them to finish at 6:00. It happened last week at the team event because of the alternate shot format. They finished way before they went off the air.

Jeffersonville right outside of Norristown and Raven's Claw in Pottstown are two good tracks. Walnut Lane in Roxborough is a good starter course. Unfortunately, some good public courses in the area have become developments in recent years.

43-44-87 Weird round. I handled the hard holes well and screwed up the easier ones.

Playing a 235 yard par three, a little downwind and pretty firm conditions. It is hit solid with a slight fade, going right on line with the pin. One of those shots when everyone goes “ooh” after it is in the air. A few bounces short of the green and it is still on line, finally rolling toward the hole. It slows down, breaks a little right and stops three feet short. If it had the right speed it would have been in the hole. It would have been historic, as there have only been 7 holes-in-one on that hole in 115 years, and that's with a PGA event there for 18 years.