[Ace-in-Space]

It seems a lot of BYOCers are golfers. Maybe it would be interesting to know a little bit about everyone's game. You can lie if you want (although unlike poker, in golf you can ask for strokes). I will start (you don't need to follow my format):

Handicap: 11.7

Best round ever (in relation to par): 75 (at La Mirada in So. Cal. Par 72) I have parred the back 9 at Haggin Oaks Arcade Creek once, and the front 9 of Alondra Park in L.A. once

Aces: Not yet (although I witnessed 4, 2 of them were high handicappers). I have gotten as close as 2-3 feet a couple of times.

Strengths: fairway wood (5W, usually) off the grass (I can hit the green more often from 200 than 175)

Weaknesses: too many (let’s not go there right now, it’s too painful to think about)

Eagles: 1 (6 iron from 160 at Bing Malonie No. 8 par 4)

Longest holed out: about 190+ yard with a 4 wood (unfortunately, it was for PAR)

No. of holed outs from sand: 1 (Haggin Oaks MacKenzie Old No. 13, which has since been demolished from the new layout)

Most memorable shot from trouble that was actually planned: At Diablo Creek outside of Bay Area on No. 1 (par 4) I pushed my drive to the right rough (I don’t remember how bad the lie was). I had about 170 to the flag and the pin was tucked just beyond a bunker. Somehow I got the brilliant idea of try to hit a low shot which would intentionally land but skip out of the trap and on to the green. It went according to plan and I made par after 2 putting.

Home course: Ancil Hoffman (although I do much better at Haggin MacKenzie). In L.A. where I used to live it was Rancho Park

Favorite public course (within 1 hour drive from Sacto): Dry Creek

Best courses I have played that people may have heard of: In U.S.: Makena South (HI), Princeville Makai (HI), Pine Meadow (IL), Univ. of New Mexico (NM), Kayak Point (WA), Sandpiper (CA), Torrey Pines North (CA), and Poppy Hill (CA). World: Singapore Island C.C. (Singapore), and Saujana (Malaysia).

Courses I hope to play one day: St. Andrews (Old Course) and Pebble Beach.

Rounds per month: 2-3 (I would like to play once a week, unfortunately, with a new baby is tough, and I haven't played since July)

Steady partner/group: None currently (when I was in L.A. I had a couple of buddies whom we always played together)

Membership: Sacramento Chinese Golf Club (I nearly won the club championship gross one year, when the lowest handicap in the championship field was a 5 and the guy who beat me was a 6. My neighbor, who is a 1 or a 2, did not play that year)

Distance: 7-iron: 150, driver: varies

Clubhead speed: driver: 91 mph (last time I checked 7 years ago)

Most money ever won or loss in a golf game: about $20 (I am just not confident in my game to gamble that high)

I just got a whole new set of clubs (except the driver, which has not arrived) so I am itching to try them out on the course. I hope to play some of your BYOCers soon.

 

[Dodger]

Dodger Don

Handicap: ranges from 2.0 to 3.5 (currently 3.0)

Best round(s): Shot 64 at age of 18, probably not my best round, but best score. Playing Mather from the tips for big money against a buddy's s-talking friend, in the wet and windy conditions. Hit every green in regulation, shot 66, and took a boat load of money. Shot 31 on the front side of Haggin Oaks during Sac-State qualifying.

Aces: None either, but do have a double-eagle. Playing in a high-school match, driver/2-iron on a par five, holed out. More luck than anything. Thought it went over the green, found it in the hole 4 minutes later.

Strengths: consitent, hit a lot of fairways and greens

Weeknesses: Don't make a lot of putts, and only get to play 1-2 rounds a month.

Eagles: many, in fact had one in each of my last two rounds. Played Presidio yesterday and eagled the par 5 18th. Scramble format, I hit drive on the 489 yard hole to 165 yards out. Hit a smooth 7-iron to about 15 feet, made the putt. Lots of help from my teammates. Previous round with Hagar, Brookside #4?, about 515 yards. Hit drive to about 235 out, grooved a 3-wood that scared the hole and stopped about 18 feet passed it. Knocked it in that started an eagle, par, birdie, birdie run after Hagar said my game was boring. Shame him for challenging me.

Longest hole out: about 205 yards

Holed out of the sand many times.

Most memorable planned shot: Playing a high-school tourney, I'm in the trees about 195 yards out with little or no escape route. Come up with a planned slice-punch that ends up about 4 inches from the hole.

Least memorable un-planned shot: In the trees to the right of old Haggin oaks #7. Hit an awesome high 5-iron that sneaks through the trees and is heading right at the flag, then suddenly drops out of the air. Walk up 50+ yards to find my ball next to a dead bluejay. His blood on my ball. In more of a jail than origional shot. Damn bird.

Home course: Belong to an associate club now, but was club champ at Mather 3 years in a row.

Best course I've played: Poppy Hills, Spyglass, Ocean's Hammick, LPGA International, I love Bayonet, Winchester CC

Course I hope to play: Augusta

Favorite public course local: Hard to say, maybe Dry Creek, probably Chardonnay

Rounds per month: 1-2 (have 2 little ones)

Steady group: President of the Sacramento Nomad golf club, Several BYOCers are also members, Max, John Pogocar, Bedrock, maybe soon to be Hagar

Distance: Sand wedge:105 yards, 7-iron:160 yards, Driver:270 yards

Most money won: about $350 in one day gambling, won the maximum $500 gift certificate several times

 

[Hagar]

Allright if you must know....


Handicap: 3 (my woods, my irons, my putter) (old joke sorry) I'm a 19 that plays to about a 27. Somehow I shoot just enough "decent" rounds to keep my index just below my ability.

Last year I was down to a 16 and was playing pretty decent golf (for me - breaking 90 with some regularity), but whatever I was doing right suddenly went away last fall (far away). Best scores: 14 over (Castle Oaks, Ancil Hoffman, Dry Creek, Mather)

No home course - play through an associate club through work.

Usually a Jeckle and Hyde type of player - can, at any given moment pull off the shot of my dreams (have holed from bunkers, threaded through thick jail onto the middle of green from 170 yards out (etc); can also turn the easiest shot in the world into a 4 or 5 stroke mistake - I just never know what's coming (but I usually expect the latter vs. the dream.)

Some days I hit most fairways, but miss every green. Some days I can't get off the T-box, but manage to scramble my way around to some form of respectibility. Some days my short game will let me get away with my poor approach game. Some days my short game will wreck what little bit of game I have going. I have so many weaknesses, that I don't really know what to work on. Somedays I can putt like a wizard; some days I putt like a lizard. Usually, I screw up a little bit (sometimes a lot) on all types of shots.

When I'm swinging well, I have pretty good distance with my irons. I used to have a monster driver (280+), but haven't hit 3 good t-shots with my driver in the last year. Do you sense a lack of confidence?

I do have one eagle to my name - holed out from 160 yards on number 13 at Ancil last year. I have had exactly 3 eagle putts in my life. One was rediculously short (~4 ft.) which I missed. The other two were putts only by the strictest of definitions - very long.

I love tourneys, but really suck at them. My favorite format is scramble, and I enjoy a good 2 man best ball format, when I'm able to help, that is. Don't ask me to play for money (well maybe .25 or .50 a hole) - I really suck at that. Maybe a little in a team format (if my partner is willing to take on my anchor).

I try to have fun with the stupid game, but tend to have more rounds that make me want to quit, then I do where I leave laughing. I tend to have more fun when playing with friends (duh), but I play most of my rounds as a walk-on with strangers. I play 5-7 rounds a month. You think I would get better, but "don't think Meat".

Basically, I suck and need to get over myself.

"More beer please!"

I would love for us to get a BYOC Golf/POker day together if we can ever get it scheduled. We'll have to find a way to equalize Dodger so we do somekind of scramble/best ball type of thing, but it would be fun.