Monday, July 11, 2005
Talking Stick - South Course
http://www.golfweb.com/courseguide/ocdata?st=detail&gwid=39061
http://www.troongolf.com/courses/talking_stick_golf_course.php
There we were at the 18th tee at Talking Stick, 309 yds, give or take, with a water hazard in play on the right side of the fairway & green, when the young flatbellies we’d been paired with, amiable enough fellows, sorta rowdy in the gentile way of fast-trackers feeling their oats, when they see Mr. Science has pulled out his 5 iron.
“Aren’t you going for the green?” they queried in that rising voice that indicates teasing, or flat out ridicule.
“No,” Mr. Science amiably replied, “I *might* have reached the green when *I* was 27, but no way now.”
The assholes smirked, but remained silent while he poked it about 175 yards out in the middle of the fairway.
(One of the young flatbellies was about 20 yds short of the green, the other had two balls in the water. I was about 40 yards short (the wind was behind us, I will say, to stifle your disbelief)).
So, Mr. Science hit first, and stuck it stiff, ah, say 4 ft from the pin.
I hit next, about 20 feet past the pin (I HATE when Mr. Science hits it closer to the pin than me from 3 times as far away).
One flatbelly was in his pocket (the flatbellies had a sidebet going, and he was out of the hole, for sure).
Then Mr. TrashTalk bangs his chip against the pin, and it settles about 8 inches away.
While he preened and strutted around the green, I two-putted for my par and Mr. Science tapped his in for his birdie.
Mr. Science said, as we gathered for our handshakes, “Oh, cool. I got my 78 – tho’t it would be 79, but the birdie makes 78.”
I usually expect rather firm clasps from young flatbellies, but in this case, they seemed somewhat . . . half-hearted. . . 8^D. . .
We quite liked the course. . . I had reviews of the course disappointed with the flatness of the course: a criticism of the Architect. But since it was designed by Ben Crenshaw http://www.golfweb.com/courseguide/ocdata?srchkey=advanced&couky=&pk=&hhk=NON&staky=&cntyky=&citky=&prox=&pdist=5&punit=mi&zipky=&ik=&phoky=&bk=any&lk=Ben+Crenshaw&gk=it
(you all know he did Sand Hills up in Nebraska that is justifiably famous?)
and is maintained by the same company that maintains Troon North, I tho't it might be alright, but we were very pleasantly surprised: I believe those reviewers disappointed in the course missed the subtlety of the design -- then again, sometimes it isn't even that subtle, as on # 13, Eagle's nest, a Redan-ish par 3. I was in one of the deep bunkers greenside -- typical of my day -- from which I could get up, just barely, but not in.
So we liked it. One might say that we were prejudiced by scoring well, Mr. Science's 78 & my own 91, but it's only a slope 120 from the 2nd tees.
http://www.troongolf.com/courses/talking_stick_golf_course.php
There we were at the 18th tee at Talking Stick, 309 yds, give or take, with a water hazard in play on the right side of the fairway & green, when the young flatbellies we’d been paired with, amiable enough fellows, sorta rowdy in the gentile way of fast-trackers feeling their oats, when they see Mr. Science has pulled out his 5 iron.
“Aren’t you going for the green?” they queried in that rising voice that indicates teasing, or flat out ridicule.
“No,” Mr. Science amiably replied, “I *might* have reached the green when *I* was 27, but no way now.”
The assholes smirked, but remained silent while he poked it about 175 yards out in the middle of the fairway.
(One of the young flatbellies was about 20 yds short of the green, the other had two balls in the water. I was about 40 yards short (the wind was behind us, I will say, to stifle your disbelief)).
So, Mr. Science hit first, and stuck it stiff, ah, say 4 ft from the pin.
I hit next, about 20 feet past the pin (I HATE when Mr. Science hits it closer to the pin than me from 3 times as far away).
One flatbelly was in his pocket (the flatbellies had a sidebet going, and he was out of the hole, for sure).
Then Mr. TrashTalk bangs his chip against the pin, and it settles about 8 inches away.
While he preened and strutted around the green, I two-putted for my par and Mr. Science tapped his in for his birdie.
Mr. Science said, as we gathered for our handshakes, “Oh, cool. I got my 78 – tho’t it would be 79, but the birdie makes 78.”
I usually expect rather firm clasps from young flatbellies, but in this case, they seemed somewhat . . . half-hearted. . . 8^D. . .
We quite liked the course. . . I had reviews of the course disappointed with the flatness of the course: a criticism of the Architect. But since it was designed by Ben Crenshaw http://www.golfweb.com/courseguide/ocdata?srchkey=advanced&couky=&pk=&hhk=NON&staky=&cntyky=&citky=&prox=&pdist=5&punit=mi&zipky=&ik=&phoky=&bk=any&lk=Ben+Crenshaw&gk=it
(you all know he did Sand Hills up in Nebraska that is justifiably famous?)
and is maintained by the same company that maintains Troon North, I tho't it might be alright, but we were very pleasantly surprised: I believe those reviewers disappointed in the course missed the subtlety of the design -- then again, sometimes it isn't even that subtle, as on # 13, Eagle's nest, a Redan-ish par 3. I was in one of the deep bunkers greenside -- typical of my day -- from which I could get up, just barely, but not in.
So we liked it. One might say that we were prejudiced by scoring well, Mr. Science's 78 & my own 91, but it's only a slope 120 from the 2nd tees.
