Championship Weekend
Sept 3rd
In near perfect golf conditions the Flight Champions battled it out, while the rest of us plodded along behind. Andy and Hammer played 18 holes - all even and will play their final 18 next week. Ed Ryan out-gutted Woody to win on #18. Charlie Horgan bested Jeff Shearman on #17 and Alan Goldberg got through Greg Schimoler. Congratulations to all our new champions. Andy Eisenberg has provided us with a dramatic summary of the matches on the Club Championship page (click here). Well worth the read. See my thoughts on their play in the section below, but indulge me for a moment first.
I have great sympathy for the stress and pressure of tournament play, but think we have to make it compatible with our responsibilities to other public golfers. Most of the matches this weekend were well over 5 hours. That just doesn't fit with our position at the head of the pack on Saturday mornings: our pace sets the tone for the day and affects how many golfers get to play. We're fortunate to have those early tee times - let's not abuse the privilege. We owe it to everyone to do better; to find a way to play a match and keep the course moving.Saxon Woods came through Irene with flying colors. No flooded fairways, very few soggy spots and many firm greens. I was most impressed by places like #5 fairway, which used to get those water blisters under the grass - like trampolines, bouncing up and down. Yet after the wettest August in history I saw many drives bouncing forward there - and on #6 too. Maybe it really was worth closing for those months last year.
Congratulations to Charlie Meola - and this time not for a great round of golf. Charlie got married last weekend. Immediately after his nice finish in the Met Open on Friday, Charlie was at the altar on Saturday. He and his new bride, Veronica, seem to have delayed their honeymoon to fit with the off-season. Appears they're off to a good start.
Saxon Woods will be hosting the Westchester County Senior Championship on Thursday. Scott Ingram is going to tweak the greens up as fast as the wet week will allow. So be prepared for some quick rolls in the Doherty Cup. Aeration will start the following Monday and it will be a few weeks before we are back to good putting. Enjoy it while we have it.
And an open ended question: How can we improve on the tie-breaker method of deciding important matches? So many of this year's victories were determined by putts on 18. It almost seems unfair to have one hole count for so much - is there a better way? Just asking.
This Week At A Glance
| From the First Tee | Saturday, September 10th | Play
This Week |
|
|
First
Tee Time: 6:50 Forecast: could be wet |
Club
Championship FINALS Open Eisenberg v Hammer All Even after 18 No Weekly in honor of Doherty Cup |
Reminders - everyone's Sept 1-15 handicap is on the Tee Times/Handicaps page; All members' contact info is in the Members Only section (hints to username/password on the page itself or on the Club Championship draws.)
Club Championship Play
Golf is Tough - Tournaments are Brutal
With the main event still
pending, the
winners of the divisions were determined this weekend.
Congratulations to our 2011 Flight Champions Ed Ryan, Joe
Valenti,
Charlie Horgan and Alan Goldberg. And congratulations
to the
finalists Woody, Rob Herschenfeld, Jeff Shearman and Greg
Schimoler.
I know they didn't win, but I had the honor of following a
couple of
them for the final holes - the people who played in those championship
matches were amazing.
Each match was a wonderful example of sportsmanship, camaraderie and performance under pressure. Every one of the participants put far more into the play than they ever expected to: most were exhausted well before #18 and yet pushed through. It's not often a bunch of normal guys like us are called upon to exceed our own expectations, but my observation was that is exactly what happened. Players continued on nerves, adrenaline and pure willpower. It wasn't always the prettiest golf, but it was always gentlemanly and produced some of the gutsiest shots of the year: After Shearman chipped to 10 ft on #17 - Charlie needed a tougher up/down to clinch; After Woody floated a hybrid to the back of the 18th green - Gunny's approach had to be closer and he hit the pin.
Everyone who played in this event took on more pressure than they expected and went through more stress than they ever wanted to. Congratulations to all who participated and especially to those who made it through to Labor Day. Well Played.
Each match was a wonderful example of sportsmanship, camaraderie and performance under pressure. Every one of the participants put far more into the play than they ever expected to: most were exhausted well before #18 and yet pushed through. It's not often a bunch of normal guys like us are called upon to exceed our own expectations, but my observation was that is exactly what happened. Players continued on nerves, adrenaline and pure willpower. It wasn't always the prettiest golf, but it was always gentlemanly and produced some of the gutsiest shots of the year: After Shearman chipped to 10 ft on #17 - Charlie needed a tougher up/down to clinch; After Woody floated a hybrid to the back of the 18th green - Gunny's approach had to be closer and he hit the pin.
Everyone who played in this event took on more pressure than they expected and went through more stress than they ever wanted to. Congratulations to all who participated and especially to those who made it through to Labor Day. Well Played.
