COURSE REVIEW: Stonebriar/Fazio course; Frisco, TX

If you live in a major metropolitan area, and you have not yet discovered the infinite joys of the "urban escape", then I highly recommend you send me an email and I'll tell you all about it. It's just fantastic. I know it's silly and financially irresponsible to spend over a hundred dollars for a hotel room that's located less than 15 minutes from where you live, but MAN can it be a good time.

For me, one of my new favorite places to escape off to is the Westin in Frisco, TX (less than 30 minutes north of Dallas). The hotel itself is nice, and the pool area is wonderful. The area has a lot of restaurant and bar opportunities, but mostly I like it because I get a chance to play the Fazio course at Stonebriar CC.

This is my second time playing this course. I find that just playing a course once doesn't really give you the opportunity to appreciate it, as you're too busy finding your way around. By the second round I'm a lot more able to make an objective assessment.

THE DEAL

Let me start right there. The course is part of the private Stonebriar CC, but guests of the hotel are allowed to play (for a fee, of course). The best deal is the Stay 'n' Play package, which at the time of the writing of this blog was $179 for one golfer, which included one breakfast (best to be left behind for The Missus to hit the buffett around 11:00 AM).

THE DESIGNER

Tom Fazio has over 120 course designs to his name, he has more courses ranked in the Top 100 in the US than any other designer, and he's been awarded Golf Digest's "Best Modern Golf Course Architect" three times. Born in 1945, he's a throwback to the Alister MacKenzie school of thought whereby a golf course should naturally fit into it's surroundings. Having said that, he did manage to move 600,000 yards of dirt to construct this course. He also feels that a good course should be challenging to the good player but still playable for the average player. This assessment is fairly universally agreed on.

THE COURSE

Firstly, it's a Par 72 course. Am I the only one who's a stickler about this (on tour or at the local muni)? From the blues it's over 7,000 yards; from the whites it's a bit over 6,600, and from the Reds it's around 5,200 yards. The course stretches over wetlands to the west of the Westin hotel in Frisco, TX. It was ranked as the #6 public course in Dallas/Fort Worth by the Dallas Morning News in 2009, ahead of such notables as the TPC Four Seasons (home of The Byron).

The fairways, as a whole, are fairly forgiving and in good condition. If you miss the fairway by a bit you're likely to get a good bounce back into the short stuff. If you miss it by more than that, you're going to be up among the pine trees, or in the 5-foot deep wild grass, or in the next fairway (should you be so lucky).

I have a feeling that the more I play this course the more I will appreciate the little nuances of the design. The bunkering is very strategic, and visually appealing. The sand is perfect, and very playable.

The greens have a reputation as being very fast, and I guess they are, but they're also very true. I'm not a good putter by any means but I found a very distinct sense of confidence on these greens. If you get hot, you can make a LOT of putts here.

BEST HOLES

There are a couple of really good, really challenging shortish par four holes on this course.

The first one hits you once you catch your breath after the easy downhill #1 hole. #2 is a dogleg right hole that's uphill on the tee shot and downhill back to the green (378 yards from the white tees). There are good bunkers in the fairway, and the green is protected by a couple of deep bunkers, a clump of trees to the left, and a creek about 30 yards in front of the green to catch any weak approach.

The view towards the green as you get to the crest of the fairway is spectacular. This hole ate my lunch the first time I played it, but I managed a tap-in bogey this time, hitting the green-side bunkers on my second shot.

The most scenic hole on the course is #11 (pictured above, 379 yards from the white tees). A big pond to the right is about all you see off the tee, but the hole is fair as it curves to the right around the water. Big volumes of sand are at hand if you try to cut the corner and don't hit it well enough, or if you bomb it straight and go through the fairway. More sand is located to the right of the green, but at least there is the option of a safe fail to the left of the green, void of either ocean or desert.

IN SUMMARY

A great course for players of all levels. It will challenge the good players, especially from the blues, but it's still playable for a more average player. It's well maintained all around, and the service from the Pro Shop in the hotel to the starter is nothing short of immaculate. If you're visiting the area north of Dallas and have some time on your hands I highly recommend this hotel for your expense report and this course for your golf game.

The Full Monty

So, our dear dear friend Colin Montgomerie is admitting to an affair now. This is the same guy who made public jokes about Tiger not playing in the Ryder Cup because "there wouldn't be enough room for all his mistresses", right?

Monty has always rubbed me the wrong way. From walking in other golfers' putting line to sticking his arrogant foot in his mouth, I've just never been able to see a lot of redeeming qualities in him. And I'm a guy who can see redeeming qualities in Sergio Garcia, so you should know I'm pretty openminded. The big discussion today can loosely be umbrella'd under the heading "Where is the outrage?". Writers who slammed Tiger to the ground is now called on the carpet for not doing the same to Monty. It's just a matter of time until someone plays the Race Card and claims Monty's getting a free ride because he's white while Tiger's is the scary evil black man who's taking all our women (I paraphrase, of course). Race has nothing to do with this. IF Monty gets a free ride (and I'm not sure he is), it's for this reason: Just look at the dumpy fellow !!! Tiger is incredibly rich, famous, popular, athletic, and good looking. Monty is, well, somewhat famous. From the point of view of charm and looks, he's a lot more like the lager louts down at the pub than the golfer on the cover of a video game. Monty having an affair is like Billy Joel cheating on Christie Brinkley. It's Puffy calling a 900 number in the shower while married to Jennifer Lopez. It defies explanation, and it makes us shake our head back and forth in a very Lewisblackesque manner. WTF?

Quite Possibly My Favorite Golf Picture Of All Time

There are fantastic shots of beautiful holes and courses around the world, there are snapshots of supremely talented golfers executing impossible shots, and there are snapshots that capture moments in time that are as exciting as any in all of sports. How could you possibly pick one to be your favorite? How do you compare the waves crashing against the shore at Pebble with Jack sinking a birdie putt on 17 at Augusta in 1986? Do you prefer a full metal Tiger fist pump or an aerial view of Cape Kidnappers? For me, strangely, the picture that I keep coming back to is neither of the above, but a casual picture of Lloyd Mangrum lighting up a cigarette after a round at Augusta.

(Photo courtesy of Ron Watts Private Collection/Edwin Watts Golf) More than any other picture, this captures the coolness and the style of the game of golf. Lloyd Mangrum is in many ways a forgotten figure when you talk about golf in the 40s and 50s. Coming out of Texas, as it seemed half the tour did at this time, he won 35 tournaments, including the 1946 US Open. Mangrum was highly respected by his fellow professionals. Byron Nelson called him "The Forgotten Star", and Bing Crosby said he possessed a combination of "Rhythm, balance, and style." Mangrum won two Purple Hearts during WW2, and declined a pro job at an Army golf club which would have allowed him to avoid combat. His best golf was after the war, when he rattled off ten straight Masters Top 10 finishes, and five straight US Open Top 10s. Maybe it's the mysteriousness of the picture that makes it so alluring. Like Howard Hughes, he gives the impression that he might be anywhere in the world 24 hours from now. Nobody has covered this period in golf better than Dan Jenkins, and for all the amazing stories he tells about life on tour at this time, you'd have to think the stories that are still untold are even better.

My Day at The Colonial

It's VERY early Friday morning, and for starters it's odd to get up at five o'clock in the morning, and to be heading to a golf course, but to not be worrying about how I'm going to be playing today. But the Colonial is in town, and JD is going out in one of the very first groups, so I need to hit the road. As I'm enjoying my breakfast burritos the moon is clear and full in the sky. If it's that clear in Texas at the end of May, I'm thinking it's going to be hot. I was right. I get to the grounds around 7:30, and head straight for the practice tee. The course looks absolutely gorgeous. I'm not the kind of a golfer who gets to play courses like this on a regular basis, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed by the condition of the course. Nobody likes the look of bunkers, right, but LORD these bunkers look beautiful. Intimidating, yes. Ball-sucking, yes, but also beautiful. They're clean, and crisp, and perfectly maintained, and an absolute pain in the ass of any golfer who gets up close and personal. On the practice tee are all sorts of talented golfers and major winners, such as Paul Casey, my countryman Henrik Stenson, Trevor Immelman, and Angel Cabrera. I love watching pros prepare for their round. Shot after shot appears to this 14-handicapper to be absolutely perfect. I know they're not, but they sure sound and look like the real thing. My plan is to split my day between John Daly's group, the Furyk/Cink/Cabrera group, and watching Phil. This is not necessarily because those are my favorite golfers, but they were lined up pretty well one after the other starting on the 10:th tee. I chose to bypass the keg of Coors Light in the media center at 7:30 in the morning, and I go about catching up with JD at the Colonial. I get to the 12:th tee and I ask if John has played that hole yet. There was not a glimmer of doubt in the answer. Everybody who were standing around that tee knew exactly where JD was, and how close he was to their location. From a sporting point of view he hasn't been relevant in years, but the people of Fort Worth, Texas knew exactly when this golfer was going to get to their vantage point. This was not a surpise to me. The golf fans who are my friends in Dallas, and the golfers I work with, they all love John. Hell, I'm no differnt myself. His personality, his talent, and even his failures makes him the kind of a person and athlete that this state can relate to in a big way. And at eight o'clock in the morning on a Friday, I don't think anyone had a bigger following than John Daly. JD's hitting the ball well, with a lot of confidence, but not the kind of control he needs on a course like Colonial. His 125% swing is not really a good fit here, but he does a great job of scrambling for pars here and there, which is one of the things a good player has to do. Walking with his group, I'm amazed at the amount of support he's getting. Volunteers who allegedly haven't said a word all day now go out of their way to call out to JD. I stick with their group for about five holes, and then hang out to let the Cabrera group catch up to me. It's a totally differnt dynamic to this group. I like them both, but Jim Furyk and Angel Cabrera may have been as ill suited partners as you will find. Three major winners, partnered with Stewart Cink, this group also attracts a lot of crowd attention. The fans are a lot more demure, and the most entertaining aspect of this grouping is to see how far towards the next tee Angel Cabrera can get by the time Furyk putts out. I think if they both were to play a round on their own without any contention Angel would finish a good two hours quicker than Jim. You can tell Angel is antsy, as he's ready to march down the fairway before his partners are even done teeing off. Watching and hearing Angel hit a golf ball is a thing of beauty. He's very natural, and he makes great contact. His iron shot into the green on 18 for a tap-in birdie was magnicent. I join up with Phil's group, including Dallas resident Y E Yang and hard hitting youngster Bo Van Pelt, on the third hole (their 12:th for the day), and Phil is already in trouble. After mostly pars on the front nine he's missed the fairway way right, and he's got major tree trouble on the dogleg left. He manages to get through the fauna with nary a few leaves to spare, but makes a bogey. On the long par 3 fourth (247 yards on this day), Phil launches an IRON but again looses it out to the right. A good pitch, but a missed putt, and another bogey. On the fifth hole Phil goes with an iron off the tee, for no apparant reason. It's a long par 4, but not tight enough for either of his competitors to play anything remotely that conservative on their first shor. This feels a lot like the kind of experimentation he put us through at Torrey Pines a few years ago, where he absconded from the driver, and still had a hard time keeping the ball in the short stuff. Well, this time he left a long iron way out to the left, and had no choice but to punch out and settle for another bogey. By the time a few more holes go by it's clear the world #2 is not going to make the cut. I know he's won here twice, but The Colonial is really not a good fit for Phil's game. This is a tight course with small greens. Most pro players seem to like it, but it definitely puts a premium on accuracy. It's no surprise at all that a guy like Zach Johnson is doing well. The weather over days one and two has been hot and void of wind, which is unusual for any Texas golfer. At slightly over 7,000 yards and a par of 70, the course is ripe for the picking if there's no wind, and the scores reflect it.

The Colonial - Preview

This week the PGA Tour concludes it's Texas Swing with it's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, or "The Colonial" for short. No offense to the fine sponsors from Crowne Plaza, I give them props for keeping the name Colonial in the official title, but when a tournament has been around as long as The Colonial has it takes more than a sponsor to change the vernacular. Few events on tour have as much history as The Colonial, and the tournament is a living testament to the fact that it's quite possible for a good old tournament to not only survive but to prosper, to be successful, and to attract a world class field. You don't have to play on some new-fangled course with the letters TPC in it. You don't have to have a Greek urn as a trophy and call yourself World something or another. And you don't have to trick out your course to put the cut line at a handful of shots above par. Look at The Colonial, and you can see that you can get it done by being respectful of the past heroes and appreciative of the current heroes, and by putting in front of them a golf course which has been liked by professional golfers for decades. HISTORY The tournament has been played at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, TX since 1946. Only The Masters has been played longer on the same venue. The event has it's origins in the 1941 US Open, which was played on the course and which was very well received, and the Invitational tournament was launched shortly thereafter. The connection between the tournament and hometown hero Ben Hogan was established before the event even became official, as Hogan considered the Colonial CC to be his home course. Hogan won the first two tournaments held, and three more subsequently. In the history of golf few golfers have dominated an event the way Ben did at "Hogan's Alley". Other winners through the years includes Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, and in 2009 Steve Stricker. Only Hogan has won the event more than twice.

THE COURSE The Colonial CC was founded in 1936 in part as an argicultural experiment with bentgrass greens in the Metroplex area. Attempts to lay them at an existing course failed, so Marvin Leonard contracted John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell to design Colonial. The course plays to 7,054 yards and a par of 70. It's known as a shot-maker's course where distance isn't always rewarded, but it's generally very well liked by all types of players. The hardest hole is #5, a beast of a par 4 at 481 yards, and the last in a series of holes known as "The horseshoe" that are generally thought to be the most difficult stretch on the course. The average score over the past 25 years on this hole is 4.259. THIS YEAR'S EVENT In 2010 the tournament has drawn an elite field which includes Five of the top ten in the world rankings, and six of the top ten money and FedEx Cup point earners for the season. In addition, the last five major winners and 15 of the 22 winners this year are in the field. Put names like Mickelson, Stricker, Furyk, Poulter, Casey, Clark, Johnson, Kuchar, and Crane on a leaderboard; make them play a fair traditional layout in warm Texas weather, and it's bound to be a treat for golf-fans everywhere. Watch for the "Pink Out" on Saturday, when fans (and players) wear pink to honor the battle against breast cancer. This young tradition was started last year to honor Amy Mickelson's battle, as Phil had to pull out of the event.

BOOK REVIEW: "Golf Sonnets" by James Long Hale

It's been a good year so far from a Golf Lit point of view, as I've had the pleasure of reading not one but two books of original golf poetry. Today's offering is "Golf Sonnets" by James Long Hale. In his own words, the author is "an avid amateur golfer who freely gives and gets Mulligans, understates his handicap, and desperately needs the proceeds from this book to cover his losses. He owns seven drivers, five putters, and his widow enjoys gardening." This charming little book is roughly the size of a golf course yardage guide, and it contains 18 very well written golf poems of very disciplined, consistent syntax. The syncapation is quite Prussian, and the author clearly has wrestled significantly with the content in order to make it fit his meter. The end result is funny and witty and insightful, and it's clearly the product of a mind who spends many hours a day thinking about the game of golf.

Each poem covers one aspect of the game, such as "The Equipment", "The Swing", or "The Course". About "The Attire", as an example Mr. Hale writes:

"But now, for some, Golf's merely an excuse

To dress like pimps on Forty-Second Street;

With fuchsia pants and shirts of bright chartreuse,

And alligator wintips on their feet."

SCORE

Birdie. "Golf Sonnets" is a great gift idea, to golfers and non-golfers alike. It's an easy read without being simplistic, and the straightforwardness of the rhymes masks the complexity of the construction.

For more information about "Golf Sonnets", please visit http://www.golfsonnets.com/, or send an email to the author at info@golfsonnets.com.

Four Horsemen Of The Augustalypse

As the tournament is minutes from kicking off, here are my aces in the hole this week:

DUSTIN JOHNSON He obviously has the power, but the rest of his game is underrated. He's won this year, and although he's dropped off the radar a bit after his win he did have three straight Top 20 finishes before his win. CHARL SCHWARTZEL One may be tempted to dismiss his two early victories in Europe as they were against less than stellar fields, but then he's come to the PGA Tour and he's landed T9, 2, and T3 in four events. His game is definitely primed, and he doesn't seem to be suffering from much of a culture shock in America. LEE WESTWOOD Lee may be playing as well as anyone in the planet over the past six months. He has a 1, T3, T3, 2, T9, and T8 in his last nine tournaments. His ball striking will allow him to not only get the ball on the gree, but to get it in the right part of the green, which is key at Augusta. TIGER WOODS I really don't expect him to win, but I still give him a better chance to win than almost any other player in the field. He's physically healthy, and by all accounts his ball striking is good. The question marks are pressure putting and basic competition experience. While I'm at it, here's why I'm picking these four over other some of the other names that are bandied about: Strick - I just don't think he's long enough. When you are forced to hit Augusta's green-inside-the-green it's key to have as short a club as possible in your hands. I know non-bombers have won at Augusta, but it's more the exception than the rule. Phil - He has the game to win, but he's been too inconsistent this year. Maybe he needs Tiger around to bring out the best in him. Furyk - Not long enough, and with the exception of his win he's been inconsistent as well. Casey - I don't think he's 100% healthy. Augusta will kick your ass if you go in with less than your A-game. Poults - He had a great run going at the end of last year, but he's struggled with inconsistency this year. Ernie - We didn't really see his double wins coming this year, did we? I'll be cheering for him, but I don't know that he's all the way back yet. It's one thing to reach the winners' circle, quite another to maintain that level of play. Having said that, he was going to be my next pick. Ogilvy - He should do well here, with his short game, but I think he's distracted right now. He's the kind of a player who might benefit from having to play a bit loose, and he could get on a run. AK - He's playing well, and I'm very happy to see that. A LOT of things have to go right to win a tournament. In addition to playing lights out you have to have that little bit of luck to separate yourself from the other handful of players who also are playing lights out. It's not likely he'll A) Reach that level of play again this week, and B) Have all those things go right for him again this week.

Robert Matre Golf Photography

I think everyone is familiar with the term "Addition by subtraction", but sometimes that phrase comes true in surprising situations. Take the element of color in golf, for instance. To me, it's a critical aspect of my visual enjoyment of golf. The green of the grass. The blue of the sky. The white of the ball. The blinding white of the all-too-inviting sand traps. Hell, even the red of Tiger's polo on a Sunday afternoon. It's all part of what makes me love this game so much, whether I'm playing or watching it on TV.

Consequently, the idea of B&W golf photography never held much appeal for me. What's the point, right? Well, in my travels throughout the Twitterdom I've come across a photographer who's forcing me to change my mind.

His name is Robert Matre, and his B&W photographs of all aspects of the game of golf are absolutely astounding. He does take color pictures as well, but it's his B&W shots that appeal to me the most. Maybe it's like reading a book instead of watching a movie, where your mind has to fill in the blanks, and that makes it more enjoyable.

Robert's photographs are sometimes unconventional, at times quirky, occasionally challenging to the eye, but always interesting. His portfolio includes shots of top players at major tournaments, but also a casual visit to a local municipal driving range. His creative muse drives him to utilize all the equipment in his bag, from extreme wide angle lenses to the bazooka-like telephoto lenses we're used to seeing around sporting events.

Robert's photographs can be found at http://www.robertmatre.com/, and on twitter he's www.twitter.com/robertmatre. He's not only a great photographer, but a huge golf fan in general, and I highly recommend you check out his work.

Rickie Fowler - Old School?

I exchanged a couple of tweets with young Mr. Rickie Fowler (www.twitter.com/@rickiefowlerpga) this week. He complained about his errors on the course. I asked him if they were mental mistakes or bad swings. He said they were a little of both. I recommended "Zen Golf" for the mental side of golf (as I do to anyone who will listen). Rickie replied, and I quote: "na that stuff isn't for me...thanks though...I'm an old school guy."

This, obviously, got me thinking. Of all the words I'd use to describe Rickie's style and game on tour, "old school" is not really anywhere near the top of the list. I don't think it's even ON the list. At times Rickie looks like a smurf with better hair than Adam Lambert. Of course, he also looks like the kind of a golfer who can win several tournaments a year for a long long time. So, before I get to my final messages back to young Mr. Fowler, let's have a bit of fun, shall we? Let's play "How Old School Is Rickie Fowler":

Rickie is as old school as the 18 hole golf course.

Rickie is as old school as the carved wooden tee.

Rickie is as old school as the gutta percha ball.

Rickie is as old school as Walter Hagen. (Dude, the guy had a second limo carry all his clothes)

Rickie is as old school as the "8-iron".

Rickie is as old school as the steel shafts.

Rickie is as old school as Jimmie Demaret.

Rickie is as old school as long slacks.

Rickie is as old school as the polo shirt.

Rickis is as old school as the golf cart.

Rickie is as old school as a cooler full of Miller Lite attached to your golf cart.

Rickie is as old school as the Ping Anser putter.

Rickie is as old school as Doug Sanders.

Rickie is as old school as the sansabelt slacks.

Rickie is as old school as "metal" woods.

Rickie is as old school as Jack Nicklaus' putter in the '86 Masters, which looked more like a sledgehammer than a putter.

Rickie is as old school as graphite shafts.

Rickie is as old school as the half-liter driver.

Rickie is as old school as Jesper Parnevik.

Rickie is as old school as the belly putter.

Rickie is as old school as Payne Stewart.

Rickie is as old school as the soft spikes.

Rickie is as old school as Ian Poulter.

Rickie is as old school as the hybrid long iron.

Rickie is as old school as finely grooved wedges.

Rickie is as old school as Loud Mouth pants.

So, on to my closing comments to young Mr. Fowler:

1) Please take blog "with all due respect" (like your namesake Ricky Bobby would say). I love your game, and I love your style, and I'm cheering for you every week you're teeing off.

2) Dude, you're not "old school" ... but that's OK. The history of golf is full of people who advanced the technology and style of golf, without being disrespectful in any way of the people who came before you.

3) If you turn your back to improving your mental game, you'll never be more than just another really talented golfer who didn't live up to his expectations. I know it's cool to say you're an old school guy who don't need any work in the mental side of golf, but on the level you're competing at that's like saying you'd rather play with Persimmon woods, because that's all you've ever used. It shows narrow-mindedness and short-sightedness. Hell, even Yogi Berra knew that "golf is 90% mental, and the other half is physical".

Having To Eat A Bit Of South-African Crow

A few months back I talked about some of the big names that hadn't won anything in 2009 (http://golferinkilt.blogspot.com/2010/01/biggest-golf-losers-of-2009.html). One of them was Ernie Els, about whom I stated "Ernie changed swing coaches in 2008, after working with Leadbetter since 1990, and he has not truly regained his edge since. Ernie just turned 40, and one would have to wonder if time is running out on one of the best looking swings in the history of golf". Well, clearly I was wrong, and nobody is happier about this than I am. He's now won twice in a row on difficult courses with world-class fields. I love having that silky smooth swing back in contention on a regular basis. As a tall golfer myself Ernie is one of the few pro players I have a chance to pick up a few moves from. I can read Hogan's fundamentals until I'm blue in the face, but the fact remains that my left leg weighs more than Hogan does, and I can never do the things he talks about in the book. I took a few lessons last year, and at one point my pro showed my swing next to Ernie's on the computer. This was quite humbling, to say the least, but also very inspirational. I've said many times that there's nobody I'd rather watch hit golf balls than Ernie and Fred Couples. It really doesn't matter what the competition is. And now they're both at the very peak of their game, which makes it even more exciting. On a personal level Ernie comes across very genuine, and he's clearly had to deal with some significant personal hardships. The fact that he's come out of it all swinging (literally) and performing at the very highest level is a testament to his talent and perseverance.