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Regardless of the weather, in my mind, it’s not really Spring until golf’s Masters Tournament begins. And here we are! I watched some of the play today, and the best pros in the world make it look soooo easy. But I recall a few years back, on another Masters Kickoff Thursday, listening to some sports-talk radio guys interviewing a former pro. They asked him the following question:
"We both play golf. Suppose a regular guy — a hacker like one of us — went out there on the course at Augusta and found it set up the way it is for the Masters. What would we shoot?”
The reply was fascinating. He said:
"Forget about the length. Forget about the tight fairways. Ignore the deep rough… and trees and water and bunkers. We’ll go around the course like this…
"I’ll drop a ball 50 yards from the front of the green, in the middle of the fairway, and you can start every hole from there. If we go around the course that way, a regular golfer like one of you would be lucky to break 100. The greens are just soooo fast! And treacherous! Starting from 50 yards out, you’ll pitch it onto the green and it will roll all the way off the backside. Then when you chip it back up, it will roll all the way off the front. When you finally get it to stop on the green, you’ll three-putt.”
Clearly, he’s seen me play.
But watching the pros on the gorgeous course… Hope springs eternal. It’s golf time again!
Discussion (17)
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Do they have golf during baseball season?
Why?
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The big difference is that I’ll never get to play on the field at Yankee Stadium. But if I’m willing to spend the money, I can play on a course that the pros play on. Not Augusta necessarily … it’s a private club… but there are many around the world that anre public. Like St Andrew’s. And if I’m brave enough I can hit from the professional tees.
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Not a golfer any longer, never got my handicap below 39, but still always enjoyed playing, especially when our foursome agreed that at 7 strokes, you could pick up your ball and move along. Heh. Of course that round could not be counted in the handicap calculations....
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Hello, friends. It’s a tradition unlike any other…
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Watched Cantlay put two in the water from close range on 15, and then Rory did it once on the same hole. Once the ball rolls just a little past the hole, it's gone.
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