Yesterday on the 500 yard par-5 12th hole two golfers in front of me blasted their drives a massive 150 yards down the middle, then sat there waiting for the green to clear, some 350 yards out. You never know when you might catch that 3-wood just right and hit it, you know, 350 yards.
That’s not the main beef though. Today’s beef is committee golf.
Once the green had cleared on that par-5, from 350 out Player A hit his shot. It went way right and I’m guessing about another 150 yards. Good thing he waited for the green to clear. He got in his cart where his partner was sitting and they drove…. wait for it… about 10 feet. After the 10 foot cart drive Player B got out, gathered his yardage, checked the wind, chose his club, then hit his shot way left about 150 yards. This drives me absolutely nuts.
Player B could have walked the 10 feet to his ball while Player A was sizing up his shot and playing it. B could have gotten his yardage, checked the wind, chosen his club and been ready to hit within seconds after Player A hit his shot. Instead it’s another several minutes.
If your partner drove his cart into a lake would you do it too?
Keep in mind that was just the 2nd shot on the 12th hole. Multiply this scenario by however many shots each player hits on each hole, times 18. On a par-5 it could happen 5-6 times, adding 5-10 minutes. Do that on every hole and hello 6-hour round.
Play Ready Golf
Now that I’ve covered what not to do, here’s what you should do, play “ready golf.” In ready golf each player is always surveying his/her next shot, even before getting to it. When walking or driving up to the ball start looking at the wind and the situation. By the time you get to the ball, you’ll already know what direction the wind is blowing and where you’re going to aim. Also be aware of the yardage before you get to your ball. If your ball is roughly 160 out and you’re walking by a sprinkler that’s marked at 175, pace it off on your way to your ball. By the time you get there you’ll already have a yardage.
If you are in a cart, split up. The driver of the cart should drop his passenger off at his ball, let the passenger grab a few clubs he may need, then drive to his own ball. Then both players can be getting yardages, surveying the situation, doing their pre-shot routines and getting ready.
For the love of GOD do not do committee cart golf. Too many times I’ve seen a whole foursome in two carts drive to one ball. They watch the player check yardage, check the wind, do practice swings, then hit. Then the whole group of four and their two carts drive 20 feet to the next player and do it again.
Rinse. Repeat. BARF.
Conclusion
If you stop playing committee golf and play ready golf, we all might get home before dark and in time for dinner. The golf course might be able to squeeze a few more clients on the tee sheet and make more money. Maybe you can help your local course stay in business and help all of us golfers enjoy the round more. And best of all, you might avoid having me wrap my new hand-forged blades around your skull on the 12th fairway.
I was horrified to see this tragic situation first hand, a couple of days ago. It was on the 5th tee.
What events transpired to produce this awful waste? What happened? Looks like the person got one bite into it and boom. End of story.
Was that dog #3? Just couldn’t have any more? Did the wife catch him on the golf course eating hot dogs when he was supposed to be at the gym and on a diet? Did Gary Player make an unexpected appearance and the dog-eater had to secretly dump the one-biter in the trash?
If anyone has any information… any at all, please contact me.
Question, do golf balls from Australia spin the opposite direction? Let’s find out. Today’s review if the 6-layer golf ball from Austalia’s Forté Golf, the Apex 6. Why six layers? Because six is better than five of course.
Apex 6 Key Features
- Soft, low compression/high energy core reduces spin off the tee to help increase distance
- Soft mantle layer helps the ball’s feel
- Multi layer construction responds to multiple golfer swing speeds
- Surlyn ionomer resin helps increase feel and control on short game shots
- Urethane cover provides soft feel and spin around the greens
On The Course
I don’t do one-hole or one-round reviews. I played the Apex 6 for several months. I found the ball to be as long as any tour ball I’ve played and accurate because of the low driver spin characteristics. Length wise it is comparable to any of the high end tour balls I’ve played from the big name brands.
The ball’s driver trajectory for me was medium and it handled windy conditions well, not prone to blowing off line badly.
I played one ball over several rounds. Aside from a minor wedge scuff or two the ball showed little signs of wear. So the cover was quite durable. There’s a fine line between durability and high spin in tour level ball covers.
Around the greens I had nice control, as much as my ailing game has had that is.
Critiques
My only complaint with the Apex 6 is ball that it feels a bit hard. The hardness is noticeable with the driver, but most pronounced in the irons.
One other critique is with the Forté Golf website. I know the company is based out of Australia, but the copy on the site and some of the terms wreak of bad Chinese to English translation. For example:
Ideal for players who demands the best or nothing. Underneath the cast urethane cover is the world’s first 6 piece golf ball! It guarantees to outperform the competition in all aspect.
Along with some grammatical (Chinese to English) errors, there are misspelled words, like “Lonomer” which should read “Ionomer.” And “the best or nothing” sounds quite a bit like a Mercedes Benz ad, hehe.
Final Thoughts
Critiques aside I can confidently game this ball and it performs well in varying conditions. The Apex 6 is a solid ball, long off the tee and responsive in the short game.
One of my long time best golf and cigar buddies was in town from Vegas yesterday. He was here enjoying the cooler, 100 degree temperatures. Naturally I suggested we hit the links and I brought some “little friends” (said in the voice of Al Pacino). Those friends, a.k.a. golf cigars were the La La Aroma de Cuba/San Cristobal courtesy of Holt’s Cigar Company.
This sampler includes the following:
- 1 – La Aroma de Cuba Robusto (5.25 X 54)
- 1 – La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso (5.5 X 54)
- 1 – La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Maximo (5.5 X 54)
- 1 – San Cristobal Monumento (7.25 X 49)
- 1 – San Cristobal Revelation Legend (6.25 X 52)
These brands are blended by renowned cigar maker Jose “Pepin” Garcia, in Estelí, Nicaragua. This sampler rates in the 92-95 range.
On The Course
On the 11th tee dark clouds and rain hit us. Not heavy rain, but there was some lightning activity. We took shelter to wait it out and that’s when we said hello to our little friends. I chose the dark lady in the middle, the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Maximo while my buddy chose the San Cristobal Revelation Legend.
The La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva Maximo I found to be very smooth and slightly above medium bodied, for me at least. My golf buddy loved the San Cristobal Revelation Legend. He finished the 11th with a fine par and when he was fully into his stick he made a tremendous birdie on the par-5 12th. My game was supercharged too. In the cigar holes 11-13 I went par-par-birdie.
Conclusion
The numbers don’t lie. We were cumulatively -2 for the cigar holes. Next round I’ll be putting more of this cigar sampler into play. I enjoyed mine right down to the (not bitter) end. Some cigars I can’t go that far with, but my Reserva Maximo provided “maximo” smooth and consistent taste all the way.
The forecast for this afternoon is 98F and sunny. I’ll be doing my best to stay hydrated and keep my concentration and energy level up with the help of some Swing Oil.
Swing Oil
In my group “swing oil” or “swing lube” is normally in reference to another liquid refreshment.
I’ll be testing Swing Oil out over the next month or two and posting my full review soon. I’m playing so bad now that I’m tempted to not only drink this stuff but soak my clubs and golf balls in it as well. Hell, I might even pour some on my brain.
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