Another week has passed and I played two events this last weekend. One in Vero Beach, FL and one in Naples , FL.
To say I am satisfied with myself would be a straight up lie. While on both days I had my moments and played golf as it should be played. I am far from where I should be. This causes major stress issues which I did not encounter before like that.
On Saturday I had good round, but was not able to sink my putts as I should. It would not be a big deal, if there were not half a dozen putts which were very make able and within 5 feet.
My tee shots were acceptable and my approach shots were not bad. A few wrong decision in terms of club choice or shot choice really caused the biggest trouble. In all, I played a round which just does not reflect my game and my ability. I struggled my way through it and finished OK.
Last Sunday I then played at Esplanade in Naples. Small qualifier for the WGAT USA. My swing was in much better rhythm and my course management was by far better than the day before. Really did not make big mistakes and played along nicely. However, again I struggled to get my putts in and on 2 holes I clearly made choices which cost me an unbelievable 6 strokes! Now that is for sure not acceptable.
Again I have to say that those are mental errors. I am aware that I do not have the perfect swing and for sure I am not working hard enough on my game. However, with my current game I should never use more than 74 to 78 strokes to play the courses I am playing on. at this time
On a good note I have to say that I am able to get out of any crisis situation on the course and come back strong with good shots. Now that is a huge plus. The average player when shooting an 8 or so pretty much is done for the round. For me it is a hole by hole thing. Shoot an 8, follow up with a birdie and a par.
In all I have some positive things which I can take from both golf rounds I played, but clearly I am far away from were I was just a couple months ago. While there is some mental issues which I am not sure yet how I will master them, I know for sure that my daily routine simply is not what it needs to be.
But getting this routine done every day is not that easy. Even though I have plenty of opportunity and options, there is also plenty of other stuff around which continuously throws me off. It is not that those issues are existent, it is how I deal with them.
In other words, I am completely unsatisfied and frustrated with my daily golf routine, practice and play. Also I am not satisfied with my physical progress on top of that.
Here is the thing: I do not practice enough, play enough, work out enough, work on my mental game enough and get easily side tracked by things around me which really have no meaning for my golf future at all.
While you are reading this you now might think that I am on the edge of giving up and let it all go. And you are totally wrong! I am just getting started. But I need to make some serious changes. Changes which might have a profound impact on my life, social life, family life and environment around me. Not all of them will find a warm welcome from others. But that is the least I am worried about.
Right now I am worried that I spend all this time and $ and do not move forward in the right direction.
How shall my days look like? No answer here today. But I will write about it for sure and again will ask for more advice and tips.
I cut my tournament schedule down tremendously already. Not too excited about it, but needs to be done.
Mainly focusing on 2 things for the rest of the year:
1. Win the National Finals of the WGAT USA after winning the Tampa Bay Tour
2. Play the Mid Amateur and Mid Senior Amateur of Florida and get into the World Golf Ranking
In between trying to play some FSGA Events, which are most important for moving forward and some Golf Channel Tour Events, if they are on courses in my area.
2016 is already on the plan and despite I want to play as many events as possible, my focus in the future needs to be official ranking events and National Events. Only with those I ultimately will be able to move forward.
So yes, I am not happy with my current circumstances in golf and frustrated with the way I am doing my work, but all it does is making me more determined and more aggressive in pursuing my goals and my dream. After all my time is running and it is running fast. Now 47, I have 3 years to the Senior Tour and just need to keep going, working and believing ( the last one being my top strength), no matter what!
As always I appreciate comments, suggestions, tips, any info which might help to move the game forward or improve the basis in terms of sponsorship, equipment, travel, events etc.
Thank you for all your nice messages and support. Those alone represent a big help.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
The Garmin Approach S2 - 18 months in use - is it still working?
In December 2013 I wrote a review about the Garmin Approach S 2. Just go to the archive and take a look at it.
Today I write a short follow up.
I have played well over 100 rounds of golf with this GPS watch. Tournament rounds as well as social rounds. All kinds of courses in different states. Played in good weather , bad weather and very bad weather.
All I can say is that the Garmin Approach S2 worked great every single round I played with it.
But I want point out a few things which you might consider before using it.
1. Accuracy
The Garmin Approach S 2 is accurate to a point. Away from what they say, I figure that I have plus/minus 3 yards, maybe a little less. It depends how good you are to determine the relevance of this distance. To me it is relevant, but I can live with it because I work with a rangefinder on top of the watch and use yardage books. Often I prepare a play book with google earth. I also heard that other watches do the same or are worse. I played with people who had the same watch and there was a difference or used other watches and there was no , small or huge differences.
2. Functionality
My Garmin Approach S 2 worked great (and still does) on every course I played. But I have to mention that there were a few occasions where it did not.
I played courses in several states. The GPS watch was able to find a satellite and give me data. However, here are the few things which did happen:
- a couple of times my watch did not find a signal. Both or all three times that happened we played in extreme weather. Clouds, storms and rain. So I understood and you understand, that the signal just could not be picked up properly
- on a couple of courses the holes were mixed up or the watch jumped to the wrong hole. So you stand on 5 , but get yardage for 8. That is a technical error which is also easy to understand. We are talking about satellites in the heavens and then my tee box is next to another tee box. The simple fix was to just scroll to the right hole
- One or two times I played a track which was not entered into the Garmin system yet. New courses or courses which were altered fall in this category. Champions Gate Country Club being one of them.
There was nothing I could do and there will be nothing you can do. But again, it was not the watches fault.
3. Others
- The loading cable had some issues. When I click my watch on to the loading clip it does not always start the loading process. I always check twice that it works. It happened a few times that I put it on and went to bed. Next morning I woke up and found my watch not loaded at all. So you need to watch that part after a while. Maybe it is dust or fat on the contacts.
That is it. I like the watch. All points above are no big deal. The watch is very durable, easy to wear and it works. That is what you are looking for in a watch.
It is true that they now have watches with all kinds of gadgets. But we need to focus on the game, not on all kinds of other things. For that matter what you need is 3 distances and a range finder.
My suggestion is to start with this watch and then determine if you want to spend more money later.
It would be nice to hear from other golfers about this watch and how they feel about it. Meanwhile I think it is a very helpful gadget for my game.
Did this short article help you? Please let me know. I am trying to create helpful information and am open to suggestions at any time.
Today I write a short follow up.
I have played well over 100 rounds of golf with this GPS watch. Tournament rounds as well as social rounds. All kinds of courses in different states. Played in good weather , bad weather and very bad weather.
All I can say is that the Garmin Approach S2 worked great every single round I played with it.
But I want point out a few things which you might consider before using it.
1. Accuracy
The Garmin Approach S 2 is accurate to a point. Away from what they say, I figure that I have plus/minus 3 yards, maybe a little less. It depends how good you are to determine the relevance of this distance. To me it is relevant, but I can live with it because I work with a rangefinder on top of the watch and use yardage books. Often I prepare a play book with google earth. I also heard that other watches do the same or are worse. I played with people who had the same watch and there was a difference or used other watches and there was no , small or huge differences.
2. Functionality
My Garmin Approach S 2 worked great (and still does) on every course I played. But I have to mention that there were a few occasions where it did not.
I played courses in several states. The GPS watch was able to find a satellite and give me data. However, here are the few things which did happen:
- a couple of times my watch did not find a signal. Both or all three times that happened we played in extreme weather. Clouds, storms and rain. So I understood and you understand, that the signal just could not be picked up properly
- on a couple of courses the holes were mixed up or the watch jumped to the wrong hole. So you stand on 5 , but get yardage for 8. That is a technical error which is also easy to understand. We are talking about satellites in the heavens and then my tee box is next to another tee box. The simple fix was to just scroll to the right hole
- One or two times I played a track which was not entered into the Garmin system yet. New courses or courses which were altered fall in this category. Champions Gate Country Club being one of them.
There was nothing I could do and there will be nothing you can do. But again, it was not the watches fault.
3. Others
- The loading cable had some issues. When I click my watch on to the loading clip it does not always start the loading process. I always check twice that it works. It happened a few times that I put it on and went to bed. Next morning I woke up and found my watch not loaded at all. So you need to watch that part after a while. Maybe it is dust or fat on the contacts.
That is it. I like the watch. All points above are no big deal. The watch is very durable, easy to wear and it works. That is what you are looking for in a watch.
It is true that they now have watches with all kinds of gadgets. But we need to focus on the game, not on all kinds of other things. For that matter what you need is 3 distances and a range finder.
My suggestion is to start with this watch and then determine if you want to spend more money later.
It would be nice to hear from other golfers about this watch and how they feel about it. Meanwhile I think it is a very helpful gadget for my game.
Did this short article help you? Please let me know. I am trying to create helpful information and am open to suggestions at any time.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
The Rookery at Marco - Marriot Golf Resort in Naples, FL - played May 1st,
Playing the WGAT USA has many fun advantages. One of them without a doubt is that we get to play all kinds of private clubs all over the state.
Last weekend I was scheduled to play in the WGAT USA Masters at The Rookery Golf course. The Rookery is part of the Marriott Resort of Marco Island. It is a private country club which too my knowledge allows play if you a member, a resort guest or part of a group like our tournament at that time.
After a two hour drive I finally arrived at the entrance to the property Friday morning at 11 am.. My GPS mistakenly took me past the entrance. So here is a tip for you. When your GPS guides you to the side entrance, which is close to a driving range off Collier Blvd., make sure you take a right into Fiddlers Creek. Although the name will raise questions in your mind, The Rookery is part of a property which has more than one courses.
Since I had a tee time , entrance was easy. I got a guest pass with a bar code for entrance and exit.. The drive to the course already leads you through a well maintained and groomed neighborhood. Right there I was sure that I will find a very nice facility.
Arriving on the parking lot my thought was confirmed. Everything looked immaculate. There was a bag drop and a few cart guys waiting. I did not use this service, but spoke with them briefly and they were very friendly, welcoming and gave me the feeling that they were concerned about me having a good time and enjoying my stay.
First I set my bag on the cart which was marked with my name and ready to go. Stocked with some cold water and ice as well as tees and a towel mine and all other carts were clean and equipped with a GPS system showing not only front, middle and back distances but even the hole layout itself. I liked it (on the course the distances the GPS provided were slightly different than what I got from my GPS watch and pin seeker. But overall they were very helpful).
As always I checked out the pro shop first. Looked nice. Was well stocked. But the pricing was way over the top. Marriott or not. Pro V1 golf balls , for example, should never be 60 $ plus tax. That is just one item, but I assure you , that most items where way over priced. Staff was friendly and asked several times if I needed any help.
The club house was impressive. All very well taken care off, nice restaurant with bar and a nice outside deck with view over the range and the course and many other rooms for other occasions. Restrooms in the club house were clean and well stocked.
I liked the atmosphere and the overall impression of the clubhouse. Next I went to the putting green. A big green with all kinds of breaks. The green was perfectly groomed and fast. I really liked the pitching and chipping area. A nice large bunker, big green with 2 pins and all kinds of possible lies you can choose to warm up.
After spending some time there I went over to the range, which was described as one of the best in the state. Nice range. Not sure if I would praise it that high. Plenty of pins to shoot for, good balls and grass tees in good condition. I could imagine to practice at this facility more often.
Finally ready I headed to the convenience station right behind the range. A small building which I thought had restrooms and a water station. But it had much more. There were restrooms, a water station, a refrigerator with cold wet towels, some chairs to rest and a box with markers, repair tools, score cards and pencils. Really a nice feature I must say.
The entire station was very clean and well stocked. I loaded up some towels and a couple waters. Also I took some other supplies and off I was to the 1st tee.
Right away I noticed that the tee boxes were not only in excellent condition but also level. As a matter of fact, I found them to be very level through out the entire course. I appreciate good tee boxes. Being able to hit your tee shot of a level ground makes live much easier.
My first tee shot was not in the fairway but close to the water on the right. Gave me the opportunity to check out the water, the rough and the bunker next to it. All looked great. My shot out of the rough was good, but I could tell that the rough on this course was not the place to be. While looking light, it was strong and caught my club big time.
When my ball hit the green it did not even make an attempt to stop. It ran right through it. Not unusal when hitting out of the rough. But once I got there , it became clear, that not only was my ball coming out hot out of the rough but the greens where pretty new ( I later found out that they were redone about 6 months ago). In other words: The greens were like concrete. But they were in very good condition and rolled nicely. Very fast and true.
From here on I found great tee boxes on every hole. Most fairways were excellent and all greens were fast, hard and tough to read. All things which I found very enjoyable as a low handicap player. For the beginner or the high handicap player the greens alone could cause some serious issues.
Pretty much every tee shot was intimidating. Much tougher than I expected. Once I got of the tee and could see the hole backwards, it was not all that bad. Good course design. The ideal tee shot would be dead straight down the middle, which made it all even tougher.
There were plenty of hazards, tight fairways and traps ( both: fairway and green side). I found a few hazards and a ton of traps. The reason though why I found those obstacles was not that I hit my balls too long or not straight enough. The reason was that the fairways were pretty hard as well. A couple times I got 30 yards plus roll out of my tee shot or my second on shot on a par 5.
You for sure need to consider that when playing this course. It makes this course even tougher, but at the same time it gives the shorter hitter the opportunity to play some old fashion bounce shots. Be it towards the green or as a lay up on a par 5.
I also learned that being long is a big no - no. If you miss a shot, miss it short. Better short or in a trap than long and in the hazard or in a collection area.
The entire course looks and probably is a sanctuary. We saw many gators, birds and fish. Wonderful. I really liked the landscape they put together there. It was fun to just ride along and look around. Naturally many good looking homes rounded that feeling up. Another positive thing I thought was , that the homes were not too close. You never felt like you had people right in your neck.
It was a tough round, but a wonderful golf day on that course. After the round we went straight to the club house. I wanted to check out the bar and see what food they serve.
No luck with the food though. They stopped serving at about 3 pm or so. They had a full bar there including some interesting drafts. I opted for a draft beer. Good choice. It was cold and fresh. The girl serving at the bar was very friendly and on top of things. Nobody had to ever ask for a drink. She always followed up.
The prices for the beer were a little high. Not a surprise, but I would not go there every day.
Getting off the property was no challenge. The bar code worked fine ( despite some stories I heard that it would not).
Overall : I really liked this golf course. It was tough, but beautiful, challenging but fair. If your handicap is higher, make sure you play it forward. There was no easy hole and in order to have fun you want to hit some greens and hit some fairways which naturally is easier if the hole is shorter.
I certainly was impressed with the practice area and would come back to spend time there any time if I would get an opportunity.
Everybody was very friendly and I felt welcome.
No doubt that I will play this course again soon when I get a chance. Great course, great experience. If you ever get an invite to this place, make sure you make it.
The Rookery at Marco makes my top 20 list in Florida at this point.
Have you played there? What was your experience.
Last weekend I was scheduled to play in the WGAT USA Masters at The Rookery Golf course. The Rookery is part of the Marriott Resort of Marco Island. It is a private country club which too my knowledge allows play if you a member, a resort guest or part of a group like our tournament at that time.
After a two hour drive I finally arrived at the entrance to the property Friday morning at 11 am.. My GPS mistakenly took me past the entrance. So here is a tip for you. When your GPS guides you to the side entrance, which is close to a driving range off Collier Blvd., make sure you take a right into Fiddlers Creek. Although the name will raise questions in your mind, The Rookery is part of a property which has more than one courses.
Since I had a tee time , entrance was easy. I got a guest pass with a bar code for entrance and exit.. The drive to the course already leads you through a well maintained and groomed neighborhood. Right there I was sure that I will find a very nice facility.
Arriving on the parking lot my thought was confirmed. Everything looked immaculate. There was a bag drop and a few cart guys waiting. I did not use this service, but spoke with them briefly and they were very friendly, welcoming and gave me the feeling that they were concerned about me having a good time and enjoying my stay.
First I set my bag on the cart which was marked with my name and ready to go. Stocked with some cold water and ice as well as tees and a towel mine and all other carts were clean and equipped with a GPS system showing not only front, middle and back distances but even the hole layout itself. I liked it (on the course the distances the GPS provided were slightly different than what I got from my GPS watch and pin seeker. But overall they were very helpful).
As always I checked out the pro shop first. Looked nice. Was well stocked. But the pricing was way over the top. Marriott or not. Pro V1 golf balls , for example, should never be 60 $ plus tax. That is just one item, but I assure you , that most items where way over priced. Staff was friendly and asked several times if I needed any help.
The club house was impressive. All very well taken care off, nice restaurant with bar and a nice outside deck with view over the range and the course and many other rooms for other occasions. Restrooms in the club house were clean and well stocked.
I liked the atmosphere and the overall impression of the clubhouse. Next I went to the putting green. A big green with all kinds of breaks. The green was perfectly groomed and fast. I really liked the pitching and chipping area. A nice large bunker, big green with 2 pins and all kinds of possible lies you can choose to warm up.
After spending some time there I went over to the range, which was described as one of the best in the state. Nice range. Not sure if I would praise it that high. Plenty of pins to shoot for, good balls and grass tees in good condition. I could imagine to practice at this facility more often.
Finally ready I headed to the convenience station right behind the range. A small building which I thought had restrooms and a water station. But it had much more. There were restrooms, a water station, a refrigerator with cold wet towels, some chairs to rest and a box with markers, repair tools, score cards and pencils. Really a nice feature I must say.
The entire station was very clean and well stocked. I loaded up some towels and a couple waters. Also I took some other supplies and off I was to the 1st tee.
Right away I noticed that the tee boxes were not only in excellent condition but also level. As a matter of fact, I found them to be very level through out the entire course. I appreciate good tee boxes. Being able to hit your tee shot of a level ground makes live much easier.
My first tee shot was not in the fairway but close to the water on the right. Gave me the opportunity to check out the water, the rough and the bunker next to it. All looked great. My shot out of the rough was good, but I could tell that the rough on this course was not the place to be. While looking light, it was strong and caught my club big time.
When my ball hit the green it did not even make an attempt to stop. It ran right through it. Not unusal when hitting out of the rough. But once I got there , it became clear, that not only was my ball coming out hot out of the rough but the greens where pretty new ( I later found out that they were redone about 6 months ago). In other words: The greens were like concrete. But they were in very good condition and rolled nicely. Very fast and true.
From here on I found great tee boxes on every hole. Most fairways were excellent and all greens were fast, hard and tough to read. All things which I found very enjoyable as a low handicap player. For the beginner or the high handicap player the greens alone could cause some serious issues.
Pretty much every tee shot was intimidating. Much tougher than I expected. Once I got of the tee and could see the hole backwards, it was not all that bad. Good course design. The ideal tee shot would be dead straight down the middle, which made it all even tougher.
There were plenty of hazards, tight fairways and traps ( both: fairway and green side). I found a few hazards and a ton of traps. The reason though why I found those obstacles was not that I hit my balls too long or not straight enough. The reason was that the fairways were pretty hard as well. A couple times I got 30 yards plus roll out of my tee shot or my second on shot on a par 5.
You for sure need to consider that when playing this course. It makes this course even tougher, but at the same time it gives the shorter hitter the opportunity to play some old fashion bounce shots. Be it towards the green or as a lay up on a par 5.
I also learned that being long is a big no - no. If you miss a shot, miss it short. Better short or in a trap than long and in the hazard or in a collection area.
The entire course looks and probably is a sanctuary. We saw many gators, birds and fish. Wonderful. I really liked the landscape they put together there. It was fun to just ride along and look around. Naturally many good looking homes rounded that feeling up. Another positive thing I thought was , that the homes were not too close. You never felt like you had people right in your neck.
It was a tough round, but a wonderful golf day on that course. After the round we went straight to the club house. I wanted to check out the bar and see what food they serve.
No luck with the food though. They stopped serving at about 3 pm or so. They had a full bar there including some interesting drafts. I opted for a draft beer. Good choice. It was cold and fresh. The girl serving at the bar was very friendly and on top of things. Nobody had to ever ask for a drink. She always followed up.
The prices for the beer were a little high. Not a surprise, but I would not go there every day.
Getting off the property was no challenge. The bar code worked fine ( despite some stories I heard that it would not).
Overall : I really liked this golf course. It was tough, but beautiful, challenging but fair. If your handicap is higher, make sure you play it forward. There was no easy hole and in order to have fun you want to hit some greens and hit some fairways which naturally is easier if the hole is shorter.
I certainly was impressed with the practice area and would come back to spend time there any time if I would get an opportunity.
Everybody was very friendly and I felt welcome.
No doubt that I will play this course again soon when I get a chance. Great course, great experience. If you ever get an invite to this place, make sure you make it.
The Rookery at Marco makes my top 20 list in Florida at this point.
Have you played there? What was your experience.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples - Played on April 19th 2015
The World Golf Amateur Golf Tour holds events on all kinds of golf courses around Florida. Last weekend I was scheduled to play on the Ft Myers / Naples tour yet again.
Eagle Lakes Golf Club was on the list. I have never heard of the golf course before, but the name sounded interesting since I figured they did not give the place this name without a reason.
I checked out the website before hand. Usually I check if they have a hold by hole description of the course. Just so I get an idea on how to play a course which I did not play before. The website offered all kinds of helpful information. Like a score card, green fees , membership info and some photos.
The hole by hole page however was still not ready at that point. Seemed like they are still working on the website.
After a 2 1/2 hour travel we finally pulled into the community where Eagle Lakes Golf Club is located. As we pulled in we saw a driving range ( Aqua) on the right hand side. At that point we did not think that this range belonged to the golf course.
The club house is only about 1 mile from the entrance. Easy to find. A bag drop is available , but the parking lost is relatively small. So you can just park and carry the bag if you can.
We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who directed us to our cart. Cart was clean and seemed new. Also he told us where we can sign in and where the pro shop is located. That was a good start.
Went around the house and signed in for the tournament. Sign in table was on the front deck. Looked very nice. View on a lake and some homes. There we saw our first eagle. Very nice. When I saw the deck I right away was looking forward to a drink after the round.
Went inside and found a nice looking restaurant and bar area. All seemed pretty new and I thought it was inviting. Because I wanted to get ready to play I did not check the prices , menu or anything in there.
In the restaurant I also met the pro for the first time who helped me find the restrooms. Restrooms in the locker room were clean. Locker room was clean as well.
From there I moved on to the pro shop. They have some selection of product. Nothing special. Everything you need for a round you can get. Pro shop also was clean and organized. I bought some golf tees. Priced like on most golf courses.
Talked to the pro for a little about the course and how to play it. He told me that I should miss to the right when missing and that the greens are pretty flat. Further that I should play half the break I read and that there is water on all 18 holes. Good enough for me. Last I asked him where the range is.
To my surprise he told me that the range I saw at the entrance is the range where I could hit balls, but that it does not belong to the golf course. A separate entity. But I also was told that I can take my golf cart there.
So I went to get my cart and started my way to the range. I found that funny. I was told that I could not take the cart to my car, but I can drive the cart through the entire neighborhood on a regular street to a golf range which does not belong to the golf course.
Oh well. The ride gave me a better view of the community. Seemed like there is plenty of lots empty and the place is still in the growing phase. Made to the range after about 5 minutes. So it is not a very long ride. Just watch for the cars.
Went straight into the shop. Small golf shop with products of all kinds. The place is a golf school, owned by the course but operated by a third party. The person behind the counter was friendly and asked me what I needed. After seeing the pricing I opted for a 20 ball bucket for 5 $. I thought that I medium bucket for 10 $ was pretty hefty. The large bucket was 15 $ and not even close to being a large bucket. On top of it those balls were Aqua Range Balls.
They have grass tees which are in good shape and some targets. Worked out, but was not what you would expect from a golf club. Chipping area was ok. The green was nice and speedy and they had a bunker. I only spend 30 min there. Just did not feel right and the balls were ok , but Aqua Balls are simply not my favorite.
So I drove back to the club house and went on the putting green. Great putting green. Fast, in good shape and large. Many different breaks and you can also chip around the green. That was the better warm up.
The starter came and asked for my receipt. That was strange, because I was in the tournament and naturally the organizer paid. He did not seem to understand that at first. But left me alone. Next I know the same starter was calling for me. 10 min earlier than scheduled. Felt a little rushed at that moment. But not a big deal.
Off we went. I had never played the course and so I decided to follow the pros instructions. Played towards the right side of the fairways and tried to use the hole prints on the back of the card to make my way around.
Teen boxes through the course were ok. Maybe not in the best of shape, but green and I always found a level spot somewhere on that day. They have their boxes numbered 1 through 4 in Latin numbers. So what out what the number says. I almost made a couple mistakes. Colors are much easier to work with in regards to tee boxes.
The Fairways were in pretty good shape. Plenty of grass to play from and they groomed them well. You will get a lot of roll out of those fairways since they are pretty hard.
All greens were in great shape and were running at about 10.5 or so. So that was a nice speed and they were consistent through out the round. Which that is a bonus. Green size is not huge I must say, but they are not difficult greens and relatively easy to reach.
The course layout is what makes it interesting. On every hole water comes into play. Some times on both sides. Some times in front and sides. Behind greens and along fairways. That makes every tee shot more interesting. Although the layout overall is not too challenging , the fact that the water comes into play, makes this course a tough little thing.
We had one long hitter in the group and he was in the water often. So if you are a long hitter. A 3 wood might be a good choice on many holes. To me this all did not present a problem. I am not a very long hitter and even though we played from the II tee box, plenty of the trouble I could have gotten in to was far away. I used my 3 wood a few times.
There was plenty of wind on that day, which made the long par 4s even longer. But if you follow the pros instructions ( miss to the right and play the middle of the green) nothing can happen. Only a few holes have OB and that is pretty far of the line which needs to be played.
Had a few bunker shots and I liked the traps. There was not too much sand and it was a white , shell sand. Easy to hit from. The club does not get stuck that easily.
We played a pretty fast round of golf. 3 1/2 hours. There were not many players out there. Considering that we are still in season I was surprised. However, it was a good thing for us. I was looking forward to have a beer and maybe a snack.
When we came back to the club house however, we found that the club house was closed. And I mean completely closed. No pro shop, no restaurant and not restrooms. Only person left was the friendly cart boy. He cleaned our clubs and helped unload the car.
I was pretty disappointed. After all it was only 5 30 pm. The good news was that there is a toilet on the green side of the cart building. So if you come into the same situation, there is a tip.
Overall I had fun to play the course. I liked that there was plenty of water to challenge us. The greens were in nice shape, rolled nicely and acted as the pro described. Also I was happy with the fairways. Compared to some places we play, they were very good.
Even if you are not excited about water holes you could play there easily. The water is there, but it is not too threatening. Nothing to be too afraid off.
You find the rates on the website but for those rates I probably would not play this course again. However, if there would be another event and I could manage to play, I would.
The staff I met was friendly, club house and grounds were clean. Range and restaurant situation was strange.
The one thing which is really nice are the eagles you can watch there. Large wonderful birds who gracefully fly over those many lakes which are the main feature of this golf course. Have you played there before? What was your impression?
Official website for Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples , Florida
Eagle Lakes Golf Club was on the list. I have never heard of the golf course before, but the name sounded interesting since I figured they did not give the place this name without a reason.
I checked out the website before hand. Usually I check if they have a hold by hole description of the course. Just so I get an idea on how to play a course which I did not play before. The website offered all kinds of helpful information. Like a score card, green fees , membership info and some photos.
The hole by hole page however was still not ready at that point. Seemed like they are still working on the website.
After a 2 1/2 hour travel we finally pulled into the community where Eagle Lakes Golf Club is located. As we pulled in we saw a driving range ( Aqua) on the right hand side. At that point we did not think that this range belonged to the golf course.
The club house is only about 1 mile from the entrance. Easy to find. A bag drop is available , but the parking lost is relatively small. So you can just park and carry the bag if you can.
We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who directed us to our cart. Cart was clean and seemed new. Also he told us where we can sign in and where the pro shop is located. That was a good start.
Went around the house and signed in for the tournament. Sign in table was on the front deck. Looked very nice. View on a lake and some homes. There we saw our first eagle. Very nice. When I saw the deck I right away was looking forward to a drink after the round.
Went inside and found a nice looking restaurant and bar area. All seemed pretty new and I thought it was inviting. Because I wanted to get ready to play I did not check the prices , menu or anything in there.
In the restaurant I also met the pro for the first time who helped me find the restrooms. Restrooms in the locker room were clean. Locker room was clean as well.
From there I moved on to the pro shop. They have some selection of product. Nothing special. Everything you need for a round you can get. Pro shop also was clean and organized. I bought some golf tees. Priced like on most golf courses.
Talked to the pro for a little about the course and how to play it. He told me that I should miss to the right when missing and that the greens are pretty flat. Further that I should play half the break I read and that there is water on all 18 holes. Good enough for me. Last I asked him where the range is.
To my surprise he told me that the range I saw at the entrance is the range where I could hit balls, but that it does not belong to the golf course. A separate entity. But I also was told that I can take my golf cart there.
So I went to get my cart and started my way to the range. I found that funny. I was told that I could not take the cart to my car, but I can drive the cart through the entire neighborhood on a regular street to a golf range which does not belong to the golf course.
Oh well. The ride gave me a better view of the community. Seemed like there is plenty of lots empty and the place is still in the growing phase. Made to the range after about 5 minutes. So it is not a very long ride. Just watch for the cars.
Went straight into the shop. Small golf shop with products of all kinds. The place is a golf school, owned by the course but operated by a third party. The person behind the counter was friendly and asked me what I needed. After seeing the pricing I opted for a 20 ball bucket for 5 $. I thought that I medium bucket for 10 $ was pretty hefty. The large bucket was 15 $ and not even close to being a large bucket. On top of it those balls were Aqua Range Balls.
They have grass tees which are in good shape and some targets. Worked out, but was not what you would expect from a golf club. Chipping area was ok. The green was nice and speedy and they had a bunker. I only spend 30 min there. Just did not feel right and the balls were ok , but Aqua Balls are simply not my favorite.
So I drove back to the club house and went on the putting green. Great putting green. Fast, in good shape and large. Many different breaks and you can also chip around the green. That was the better warm up.
The starter came and asked for my receipt. That was strange, because I was in the tournament and naturally the organizer paid. He did not seem to understand that at first. But left me alone. Next I know the same starter was calling for me. 10 min earlier than scheduled. Felt a little rushed at that moment. But not a big deal.
Off we went. I had never played the course and so I decided to follow the pros instructions. Played towards the right side of the fairways and tried to use the hole prints on the back of the card to make my way around.
Teen boxes through the course were ok. Maybe not in the best of shape, but green and I always found a level spot somewhere on that day. They have their boxes numbered 1 through 4 in Latin numbers. So what out what the number says. I almost made a couple mistakes. Colors are much easier to work with in regards to tee boxes.
The Fairways were in pretty good shape. Plenty of grass to play from and they groomed them well. You will get a lot of roll out of those fairways since they are pretty hard.
All greens were in great shape and were running at about 10.5 or so. So that was a nice speed and they were consistent through out the round. Which that is a bonus. Green size is not huge I must say, but they are not difficult greens and relatively easy to reach.
The course layout is what makes it interesting. On every hole water comes into play. Some times on both sides. Some times in front and sides. Behind greens and along fairways. That makes every tee shot more interesting. Although the layout overall is not too challenging , the fact that the water comes into play, makes this course a tough little thing.
We had one long hitter in the group and he was in the water often. So if you are a long hitter. A 3 wood might be a good choice on many holes. To me this all did not present a problem. I am not a very long hitter and even though we played from the II tee box, plenty of the trouble I could have gotten in to was far away. I used my 3 wood a few times.
There was plenty of wind on that day, which made the long par 4s even longer. But if you follow the pros instructions ( miss to the right and play the middle of the green) nothing can happen. Only a few holes have OB and that is pretty far of the line which needs to be played.
Had a few bunker shots and I liked the traps. There was not too much sand and it was a white , shell sand. Easy to hit from. The club does not get stuck that easily.
We played a pretty fast round of golf. 3 1/2 hours. There were not many players out there. Considering that we are still in season I was surprised. However, it was a good thing for us. I was looking forward to have a beer and maybe a snack.
When we came back to the club house however, we found that the club house was closed. And I mean completely closed. No pro shop, no restaurant and not restrooms. Only person left was the friendly cart boy. He cleaned our clubs and helped unload the car.
I was pretty disappointed. After all it was only 5 30 pm. The good news was that there is a toilet on the green side of the cart building. So if you come into the same situation, there is a tip.
Overall I had fun to play the course. I liked that there was plenty of water to challenge us. The greens were in nice shape, rolled nicely and acted as the pro described. Also I was happy with the fairways. Compared to some places we play, they were very good.
Even if you are not excited about water holes you could play there easily. The water is there, but it is not too threatening. Nothing to be too afraid off.
You find the rates on the website but for those rates I probably would not play this course again. However, if there would be another event and I could manage to play, I would.
The staff I met was friendly, club house and grounds were clean. Range and restaurant situation was strange.
The one thing which is really nice are the eagles you can watch there. Large wonderful birds who gracefully fly over those many lakes which are the main feature of this golf course. Have you played there before? What was your impression?
Official website for Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples , Florida
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Fort Myers Country Club - April 4th 2015
The WGAT ( World Golf Amateur Tour) USA held an event at Ft Myers Country Club and this time I was able to be there. Drove by this golf course dozens of timesc but never stopped to even look.
My tee time was 2 pm. I liked that. Usually with a late tee time you have time to warm up and check out the clubhouse and all other facilities.
I arrived there with plenty of time. Signed in and right there found out that there is no driving range to warm up. Not a good thing. With Country Club in your name one might expect at least a short range (after the round I then found out that there must be an area where you can hit shots up to 150 yards, but I never saw it ?)
I headed to the putting green. I was impressed by that. The green was of good size and offers a variety of breaks. That gave me some hope because I read that the course is a Donald Ross Design and I was expecting tough greens.
So I spent time putting and chipping.trying to prepare as good as possible. The putting green was in very good shape and of good speed. There is plenty of great chip locations for you to play from.
Just before my tee off I checked out the restrooms which were well taken care off , always a positive sign. Last I checked out the pro shop. Well stocked and in good order. Staff was friendly and welcoming.
On first tee box I turned on my GPS watch and immediately noticed that the distance looked odd. It did not seem to match with the score card I had. But I did not give it much further thought. Sometimes the GPS just does not work too well for different reasons, like we weather, storms beside others.
Finished the first hole with a good two putt and noticed that the greens were pretty fast ( similar to the putting ) and very hard. Not a surprise because I read that they got new greens last November and it takes 12 to 24 month to soften.
Right after the 2nd hole I turned off my watch . The GPS seemed to be confused and the distances I got from my watch just looked wrong and at times were wrong. If you have a pin seeker, use that one instead.
I expected a lot from this golf course, but the truth is that it was not very interesting at all.
The tee boxes were OK , fairways were not in good shape at all (hard as rock, little grass ). The rough was well grown and groomed on some holes and not to find on others.
Best part of the course by far were the greens. They were at times very large and offered many tough breaking putts. But most difficult probably was to keep the ball on the green. Because they are new and so hard balls run off easily.
Best you can do is bounce the ball on and make sure you are short rather than long. When I started playing more this old fashioned way, I had many more opportunities for birdies and did not have to play tough lies behind the green.
Another challenge I found was the fact that there was little signage to guide you towards the next hole, which got us lost once and confused a couple times.
After a tough round I was looking forward to a cold beer in the clubhouse. The outside seating area looked very nice and they had a nice patio bar on the first floor. Very inviting.
I went up there and ordered a beer. The girl was OK friendly. The beer price was very friendly. Guess it was happy hour.
The view from the bar area is great. You over see the tough number 10, 18th green, putting green and first hole. Even from the lower seating area the view is nice. A little bit like in a southern country club. I enjoyed that and it made up for some minuses from the golf course.
My partner ordered some stuffed mushrooms and offered me to try one. Although not hungry I took the opportunity to test at least some of the food. The stuffed mushrooms were excellent. Crunchy with a nicely done filling of crab ( at least I think that is what it was) . Also I was able to try some pizza and I was positively surprised. The Menu looked very exotic but very interesting and prices looked OK as well. Not sure if the Edison Restaurant is run by the golf course, but it seems like a good place to go eat and even if I am not planning to play the golf course any time soon, I would stop at the restaurant for a drink and some food. If I do that, I will add a comment.
Overall I say that the staff was friendly, the course was not great and the restaurant inviting and offered a good menu and nice seating outside.
I would not play the course again other than in a tournament. But I would stop there for a beer and a bite.
Anybody has been at the Edison Restaurant in Ft Myers or played the Ft Myers Country Club? Comments are welcome.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Game Golf - How good is this golf game tracking device and does it work well?
The Game Golf - Digital Tracking System for Golf
Statistics are probably the best and most important indicator helping any professional golf player to see where he or she stands with their game.
Professionals as well as low handicap players keep constantly track of their game. Those statistics can range from 2 or 3 points to a very complex sheet which includes by far more references.
But it does take time, patience and effort to get this done and done correctly. This is where Game Golf comes into play. One of the most interesting devices you can get today.
I myself keep comprehensive stats at all times. The only way to find out the weaknesses and the strengths of your game is to take notes whenever you play and practice. If you do that enough, you eventually find patterns and then can work on specific things. Ultimately leading to better rounds and more fun.
When I heard about Game Golf and what it might do, I was immediately excited. Only took me a little research and I bought myself this brand new tracking system. The price at that time was 249 $ plus tax. However, I received a discount because I am a member of the GC Am Tour and we got a 50 $ of coupon. I saw that the device now is 199 $.
Set up:
It was very easy to set up the device and to attach the transmitters to the clubs. Most grips today have the proper hole in the back. You need to add your clubs to the software online. Identify each club and put the corresponding transmitter on the back. Does not take very long at all. Also I did not think it is invasive at all and does not bother me while playing.
1 hour after charging the device I was actually ready to go.
On the course :
When turning it on the first time, you need to be patient. At times it takes a little time to find a satellite. But most of the time it does not take longer than 2 minutes.
The LED lights will tell you when you are ready to go. There is nothing else to do. The device knows where you are and what course you play.
Once ready for your tee shot, tag the transmitter on the bag of your device to the bottom of the device itself. It will give you a little vibration. That means your device is ready to record the shot. Play your golf shot just as you always do and then continue to your ball.
There you do the same thing again and continue to do so before every shot. Do not worry about double tapping or anything.
I was not bothered or hindered by the Game Golf at all. As a matter of fact, it helped me to stay with my routine. When I was not sure if I tapped it right, I did it again and if I thought I forgot it, I made a note on my score card. ( you do not have to do that, but I like to be accurate and keep some stats anyhow).
Loading data to the website:
Really simple. You connect your Game Golf device and the computer will lead you through all further steps. Once you have an account on the Game Golf website, things go pretty much automatic. You will see the loading bar and it will tell you when your round is downloaded completely.
Final editing of the round:
This is one part I found not to exciting, in the beginning. When I opened my round and then the first hole I found that some of my tagging points where not consistent with my true location on the course at the time of play. Also I had some double tags as well as missed tags. Further I was not sure how to deal with hazard shots or OB balls which I had on other holes. Last , on the putting green many locations where not 100 % correct and at times I did not record putts.
So I had less strokes than I really had. I worked my way through my round. correcting locations as well as strokes and adding penalties etc. Took me a little while to get it right and to figure all things out. But once I was done, it looked great and I had my actual round right in front of me. Pretty exciting.
The second time around I did it in half the time and from there on the entire process only took me minutes. So you must be patient and see the big picture of the entire process and why you are doing it.
I suggest to do the download and edit as soon as possible after the round ( I do it immediately after every round I record). The computer screen picture shows you the holes and where you tagged the device. Your short term memory can help to make necessary corrections.
I used the help section to guide me through the process and also found advice from other users. It was a little different than I though, but again. Once you made it through the first time it gets easier and you start having fun doing it.
Statistics:
Once you have a few rounds in the system, you start to see patterns of your game. It really does not matter how good you edit the round when putting it in. A few yards will not make a different. You will find out some very interesting things about your game. Where you miss when teeing off and how many putts from what distance. Most interesting to me was distance of the tee and on approach shots.
At times I was surprised on how short I was. But in the end, the device seemed accurate. What I really liked what the visual. You see the hole, your shots and locations and you see stats at the bottom of the screen. This is much more helpful than just numbers.
What do I think about the Game Golf?
I love it. It is a great addition to my practice tools. It works well and is easy to work with. the quality of the product is good. The price seems high. But that is a matter of opinion. It all depends on what you are working on and how serious you are interested on improving your game.
Game Golf will help you to learn about your distances and tendencies. After working with it for many months now I can say that the distances I get are mostly accurate. But you will need to pay attention to your round to make sure that you can make final corrections if necessary.
First I thought the 200 $ were to much. After my first few rounds I thought the price is OK.
The Game Golf is a nice and good functioning GPS tracking device which might help you to improve your game. Certainly it will help you to see where on the course you actually play. I am glad I bought and will use it a few times each months to see where I stand with my game.
Note: I dropped my device many times. But it works great even after that. So it is durable. But I did lose the spring which helps the clip to hold the device to your belt and I was not able to put it back on. I will keep working on it and also I wrote to Game Golf asking for advice. But if I can not replace it I am sure I will find a way to get it done so that I can use it again.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers with World Golf Amateur Tour - March 22nd 2015
The WGAT USA brought us to many courses before this one and I will try to catch up as soon as I can. But first things first.
A couple days ago we were scheduled to play Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers. This golf course is run by the city. Based on that my expectations where not exactly high. The fact remains, that city golf courses do not have the funds needed to get their tracks in top condition.
When you go through my reviews you will find that I actually did a short review about the range some time ago. The range did not change at all since then. Almost looked like they did not replace any of the range balls as well. But it was good enough to get warmed up.
The course is easy to find and driving in to the parking lot is actually pretty nice. Lots of trees. Lots of green. Drove straight to the bag drop. Nobody around there to greet nor to provide me with a cart.
I did not stop at the pro shop because I signed in with the tournament director. Nothing I can say about the shop at all. The restaurant was empty. Looked like they have a kiosk where you can buy drinks and snacks. But I did not look any further as well. Looked a little strange and not to inviting.
Because I did not meet any of the staff members at this point I can not even tell if they were friendly or helpful. So let's go to the course.
The tee boxes through our round were OK. Nothing special. But they had a level spot to tee off and were green for the most part. We played the second set of tees , which gave us about 6500 yards or so.
Fairways were in good condition. Not to many brown spots or grounds under repair. For the most part if you found the fairway with your drive, you found a decent lie.
The rough was not too high, but represented a good challenge. Not sure what kind of grass they have there, but it was not the toughest one you can run in to. I think it is save to say, that you have a good chance to get out of the rough and back in the fairway or on to the green ( depending on your location). Now that is from the first and second cut. There was some deeper rough where the ball was sitting down. Yet again , you would be able to get it out.
Fairway bunkers were plenty and in good position. They were not to big and not to deep. So they represented a good challenge, but were not scary or intimidating. The sand was fluffy in general and there was plenty of it in it ( much better compared to most municipal tracks I played before).
What I really liked about the traps was the cut. They were cut, but in a way which made them almost look like in Scotland. A little rough and wild.
The traps around the green were a little more challenging, but not overly deep. There were plenty of them though. The greens were protected nicely by those bunkers.
Once you where on the green a real challenge came right on to you. Slow greens with tons of grain. It was not easy to put on those greens. For the most part I struggled to get the ball to the hole although I was hitting my putts pretty hard. I just could not get adjusted from the fast greens I usually play. On top of that the grain was tremendous. It was difficult to get the break right. Sometimes I even had the feeling the grain was going two ways on one putt.
Chipping was even more difficult. I could not find a way to find a middle between stopping the ball or letting it roll out. The greens seemed to have their own mind.
On a good note: They were all cut and green with no bad spots.
There were plenty of hazard areas on this course. Most of them marked OK. However, some hazard areas were marked so bad, that we did not know where to drop. No lines and the sticks were at times so far apart, that it was hard to find a line.
My favorite feature was the landscape. There is a lot of trees and bushes. Put that together with the water and you have a really nice looking golf course. Almost reminded me on WA at times. The thing is, that all those trees also can give you some headaches. You have to be straight on this track.
Overall I would say that Eastwood Golf Course is a medium municipal golf course which looks nice because of the landscape and plays tough because of the same. The course is not easy to play because you need to be in the fairway and away from trees to get your ball to the green fast.
While not of country club quality, the course is in decent condition to play. I did not pay in the pro shop , so I have no idea about the green fees, but would not think that they are very high. The course was not exactly full and thinking about quality it should be a good price Check out the official website for that part. ( I posted the link at the bottom).
If you are in the area and look for a quick round or some practice Eastwood Golf Course might be an option. I personally would not play this course unless there is an event going on or I have a great deal to play.
Let me know your experience if you played the course.
Official Website of Eastwood Golf Course in Ft Myers
A couple days ago we were scheduled to play Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers. This golf course is run by the city. Based on that my expectations where not exactly high. The fact remains, that city golf courses do not have the funds needed to get their tracks in top condition.
When you go through my reviews you will find that I actually did a short review about the range some time ago. The range did not change at all since then. Almost looked like they did not replace any of the range balls as well. But it was good enough to get warmed up.
The course is easy to find and driving in to the parking lot is actually pretty nice. Lots of trees. Lots of green. Drove straight to the bag drop. Nobody around there to greet nor to provide me with a cart.
I did not stop at the pro shop because I signed in with the tournament director. Nothing I can say about the shop at all. The restaurant was empty. Looked like they have a kiosk where you can buy drinks and snacks. But I did not look any further as well. Looked a little strange and not to inviting.
Because I did not meet any of the staff members at this point I can not even tell if they were friendly or helpful. So let's go to the course.
The tee boxes through our round were OK. Nothing special. But they had a level spot to tee off and were green for the most part. We played the second set of tees , which gave us about 6500 yards or so.
Fairways were in good condition. Not to many brown spots or grounds under repair. For the most part if you found the fairway with your drive, you found a decent lie.
The rough was not too high, but represented a good challenge. Not sure what kind of grass they have there, but it was not the toughest one you can run in to. I think it is save to say, that you have a good chance to get out of the rough and back in the fairway or on to the green ( depending on your location). Now that is from the first and second cut. There was some deeper rough where the ball was sitting down. Yet again , you would be able to get it out.
Fairway bunkers were plenty and in good position. They were not to big and not to deep. So they represented a good challenge, but were not scary or intimidating. The sand was fluffy in general and there was plenty of it in it ( much better compared to most municipal tracks I played before).
What I really liked about the traps was the cut. They were cut, but in a way which made them almost look like in Scotland. A little rough and wild.
The traps around the green were a little more challenging, but not overly deep. There were plenty of them though. The greens were protected nicely by those bunkers.
Once you where on the green a real challenge came right on to you. Slow greens with tons of grain. It was not easy to put on those greens. For the most part I struggled to get the ball to the hole although I was hitting my putts pretty hard. I just could not get adjusted from the fast greens I usually play. On top of that the grain was tremendous. It was difficult to get the break right. Sometimes I even had the feeling the grain was going two ways on one putt.
Chipping was even more difficult. I could not find a way to find a middle between stopping the ball or letting it roll out. The greens seemed to have their own mind.
On a good note: They were all cut and green with no bad spots.
There were plenty of hazard areas on this course. Most of them marked OK. However, some hazard areas were marked so bad, that we did not know where to drop. No lines and the sticks were at times so far apart, that it was hard to find a line.
My favorite feature was the landscape. There is a lot of trees and bushes. Put that together with the water and you have a really nice looking golf course. Almost reminded me on WA at times. The thing is, that all those trees also can give you some headaches. You have to be straight on this track.
Overall I would say that Eastwood Golf Course is a medium municipal golf course which looks nice because of the landscape and plays tough because of the same. The course is not easy to play because you need to be in the fairway and away from trees to get your ball to the green fast.
While not of country club quality, the course is in decent condition to play. I did not pay in the pro shop , so I have no idea about the green fees, but would not think that they are very high. The course was not exactly full and thinking about quality it should be a good price Check out the official website for that part. ( I posted the link at the bottom).
If you are in the area and look for a quick round or some practice Eastwood Golf Course might be an option. I personally would not play this course unless there is an event going on or I have a great deal to play.
Let me know your experience if you played the course.
Official Website of Eastwood Golf Course in Ft Myers
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