Not in the mood

Usually i would post something of substance today, but i'm not. I played golf all weekend, and played like shit. Actually, played o.k. on satuday, shot a 79, but missed 3 easy birdie putts so I should have been lower. then came out on sunday and played horrible. Then late in the afternoon I thought I would try my luck again at Whirlpool golf course. Played 9 holes, and sucked again. I don't feel very good about my swing for the upcoming Championships. My chipping which has been a problem is actually good, and my putting is o.k., but could be better. Hopefully I'll get out for 1 or 2 practice rounds this week and get in some kind of grove for the weekend. We'll see.

I guess I was due for it

After 6 really good rounds of golf I finally hit the wall. Although it doesn't effect my handicapp in a bad way or discouraged me from thinking I can play. But i guess i was due for it. After shooting a bad 77 on friday i went 86 at St. Catharines on saturday, and 82 at East Aurora on sunday. Both rounds I was only 2 or 3 over after the front nine. For some reason I just fell apart on the back.

I credit the collapse on saturday to fatigue. I didn't get much sleep the night before and just felt drained while playing and kind of gave up. No biggie i thought, I'll get it back on sunday. But i had a small problem saturday night. I got up off the couch and felt a massive pain in my lower back. I had the same pain last year when I pulled a muscle practicing. First thought, Oh shit. I got ice on it right away and just hoped for the best. Woke up sunday morning and felt good. I figured I was out of the woods. Probably could have used a day off of golf, but since we were set to play East Aurora in buffalo i couldn't resist testing it right away.

Maybe a mistake. After 9 holes yesterday I felt like i was going to be in big trouble. I could feel the back bothering me and was heavily favouring my right side. I think this caused some mental issues with my swing. Although i wasn't in enough pain or discomfort to not play, it was in my head all day. The most important thing for my swing is swinging all the way through the ball. BUt due to the back I didn't want to push it and this was causing me to loose some distance, and accuracy. A small sacrifice when I'm thinking of having to sit out for a few weeks again, especially with Club Championships coming up in 2 weeks.

So luckly I woke up monday morning with no pain. I plan on taking it easy for the next 2 weeks. Probably only play 3 or 4 times over the next weeks just to make sure I don'r reaggrevate the injury. Ice and rest, thats all i need.

I'm in the sweet 16*

Thats right, I'm talking about the Langly cup at our club. But you might of noticed the astricks beside it. Thats cause the guy I was going to play just conceded the match. I had contacted my opponent last week by email. Thinking nothing of it I didn't call him again untill monday, still no response. Finally he he got back to me yesterday saying his computer had crashed with no email for the week. So we tried to arrange a game but due to conflicts he wasn't able to play this saturday. Plus he is not in the handicapp range of 0-7 so he decided to just hand the match to me. I guess you could say a little bitter sweet. I mean it's cool to be further in this competition then i've ever been, but I wanted to play my way into it.

You never know whats going to happen in match play, but I believe I would have beat him anyways with the way I am playing right now. Plus my opponent doesn't even play from the black tees, plays the whites most of the time (2 tees forward), and I think even on a bad day for me I could post an 81 or 80 and beat him. Not sure who i play next but I'm sure it won't be easy.

More importantly, I got some amazing news yesterday. Ben Harper has announced his tour dates for the fall. All small venues and he plans on playing more stuff that they don't perform to often and some new covers. SWEEEEET!!! Right now I'm going to atleast 3 shows. 1 in New York at the Radio City Music Hall on the 15th. Then he plays 2 shows in toronto at Massay Hall, SWEEET!!! Heres the best part of all. The second show is on the 29th of September, my freaking Birthday. How fucking unbelievably amazing is that. I get to see my all time favourite performer on my brithday in my backyard basically. Fantastic. Tickets go on presale for Harper club memebers on the 25th, so I'll post back with how good of seats I get. I'm very nervous.

It's good to be good

Finally after 3.5 months of golf I am playing to my potential. After an extended period of only 1 round under 80 I posted 3 out of my last 4 rounds sub 80. Last tuesday I was 74, then 78 on friday, stumbled a little with a 82 on saturday, and turned it back on to shot 76 yesterday. What a run. In just 1 week I dropped my handicapp 3 points to settle at 5, and it feels fucking great to be back where i was 2 years ago.

I've been so frustrated with my play for the last 2 summers. I might aswell have not even played last year it was so bad and I was losing a lot of confidence this year. Well, actually it wasn't that bad this year. I knew I had it in me, i just couldn't seem to put it together. But after another swing change this year, my 3rd in 3 years, i felt i had the right stuff to get low. Now it's actually clicking perfectly.

So what has been the difference you might ask?

As i've mentioned before i have been trying to force shots. Thinking i can work the ball left to right, right to left, bounce off this hill, suck it back here and there, whatever. Instead of imagining these amazing PGA shots I've been just stepping up and hitting the shot. Trust the swing. So i'm swinging nice and smooth with a good tempo and just hitting the ball straight. I guess you could say letting it come to me.

My putting has been very good as far as I'm concerned. My lag putts have been good enough to leave 4 or 3 foot par putts when needed. And the odd time I needed to make long putts to save par have been dropping for me. I'm being a little more aggressive with the putting to make sure every ball gets to the hole.

One of the most improved things of my game has to be my wedge play. Not the chipping, which I'll get to later, but the 50 to 125 yard wedg shots. My gap wedge, always dependable, has been phenominal. I've been very accurate with it and have a lot of confidence in it. I've also changed my use of the 56 degree wedge. Where I use to use the gap wedge for shots 25 to 50 yards out and kind of run it up, now i pull out the 56 and treat it like a full swing, sort of. With a short backswing depending on the distance i just slowly swing all the way through and trust the touch. The results have been better accuracy due to a soft landing and getting a little spin to stop the ball from rolling. I'm very happy with that part of my game.

My driving has been off the charts. With my new R7 Superquad, which in my hands should be considered illegal, I am just killing the ball. I think over the last 4 rounds I've missed my drive maybe 5 to 8 times. The rest have been long and straight. The beauty of this new club is the force I can swing with. I've always had a very quick swing with my driver. The shaft in this one seems to be just a little more stiff that my previous driver which allows me to use everything i got when I need to. I can just swing and hit a nice 270 yard drive when it's called for. But when I want to really go after it I can cork up and come through the ball hard and blast it in the 300 range. Not saying I can hit it 300 everytime, but when i need to I can really get it out there. With my wedge play combined with these long drives i've seen the huge improvement.

All i need to do is get the chipping straight. I caught Ryan, my "teacher", on the putting green on friday and got some quick tips on chipping. He told me to put my fee closer together and move all my weight to my front foot. Then he gave me the biggest tip to help my rock hands touch, swing lighter. WOW!! Who would of thought that if you are constantly chipping it past the hole you are swing to hard, fuck i'm dumb. I've always been one of those guys who sometimes just needs to hear someone else say whats wrong with my swing before I get it. So i took his advise to the course and it did work. Still some bad chips here and there, but no where near as bad as it was previously.

Anyways, thats enough. I've got a match to play this week for the Langly Cup. Hopefully I can get a win and advance past the second round for the first time. Kind of stupid. I've waited to play this match for over a month and now the greens are getting punched today and i'm going to have to play in terrible conditions. Should of thought about that last week. Then the club Championships are the following weekend. If i can keep the form I've had this past week I will be able to compete this year. Not win, but compete. I'd just be happy with a top 10 finish, actually that would be just as good as winning to me at this point. My only plan is to try and get atleast 1 round in during the week before the CC. I'm sure i can find time to do that.

For Once, I'm Gooooooooooooood.

I took off work a half hour early yesterday to play golf with Matty B at the Club. A little hesitant to play in 40 degree weather, but it turned out not to bad. Atleast, not to bad after 6 powerades, 3 bottles of water, and a good drenching of water at every water station. Regardless of the temp I played great, finally, half way through the season.

Started off nicely with a routine par on the 1st hole. On the second I hit a average drive and found myself left behind some trees. Hitting a 7 iron into the wind 150 yards my ball landed and checked up about 4 feet from the hole. Made the birdie putt, -1.

3rd hole I bomb a drive to the 100 yard marker. Made a quick par just missing the birdie. Followed that up with another par on the 4th.

I found myself chipping out from behind the trees on the left of number 5. Hitting my third shot from the same spot matt hit his second I was prepared to loose the hole. Already Up 2 for the day I make boogie. Matt had a relatively easy up and down for par, but missed the par putt, I'm still up 2.

On the par 5 6th I tee it up and absolutly blast another drive. I was hitting my driver out of this world all day. I found myself 230 yards out. With a 4 iron in hand down wind, i kind of miss it and come up short in the bunker front right. Made a decent sand shot, and 2 putted for par. Matt birdies, I'm up 1.

On the 7th I make par, matt falls apart around the green and I'm back to 2 up. 8th hole we both make pars. Matt's par was a grinder par, i smoothed to a par barely missing the birdie putt again.

On the 9th I hit yet another bomb to the 150 yard marker from the black, thats loooooong. Make a horrible attempt at my birdie putt, but drain the par putt to finish the front even at 36. Great, I've got a chance for a good round. But we all know what happened last time I was in this situation, see Cherry Hill.

On the 10th after another bomb, I hit a 4 iron to a back pin into the wind from 180 yards. The ball lands in the middle of the green and rolls just past the hole. As it was landing and rolling I was seriously thinking that it was going in. Nonetheless it settled about 3 feet from the pin for eagle. I blew the putt and made birdie. Unfortunate, but no problem.

I would go on to par 11, boogie 12 after a horrible birdie putt, par 13, boogie 14, par 15, 16, boogie 17, and par 18. Shooting a 38 on the back for 74. Wow!! I played steady for the whole round, swung through every shot, didn't think to much and look what happens. I look like a real golfer. Plus i smacked Matt winning 4 and 3.

My driver was great all day. I didn't miss one the whole round except for being a little left on 2 and 15. My gap wedge from 100 to 120 could have been a little better, but overall solid. I boogied 14 and 17 only cause I made horrible chips, i really need to figure that part out soon. My irons were on point, and my putting was solid. It wasn't really anything out of the ordinary and i'm not trying to be a dick. I have been playing my irons and driver really good as of late, and my wedge play from the fairway has been decent. It's just that god damn chipping that is killing me. Regardless, I'm very happy with the results yesterday and the last few rounds. The handicapp dropped to a 6, first time it's dropped this year, and i'm looking to continue playing solid golf.

Gotta Love Club Link

Due to the Auction Pool event at the Club yesterday I took off to Milton to play golf with Preston and a few friends. We played a course called Glencairn Golf Club. This is a new Club Link course, only 3 years old. It is a very difficult track. A links style course with fescue every where, rolling faiways to the point of every shot bounces in different directions when it lands, making good shots turn into bad lies when it kicks hard towards the fescue. The ground is rock hard from tee to green, although the rain before we played softened it up a bit. And the greens are true and quick.

I played this course 2 years ago when it just opened up and after playing to a satisfying 87 I swore off the course for ever. It was so difficult and punishing I never wanted to play again. The fescue back then wasn't fescue. It was basically little bushes everywhere, you couldn't find your ball, and if you did these bushes gave you no shot. The wind just makes things worse since there is nothing but wide open links holes. But this time around it was much different. The fescue was real fescue, and that basically made all the difference. While it cost you a stroke most of the time you went in it, there was times it was forgiving cause they has cut it down a bit. I guess it didn't bother me to much since I only had one shot from it on the second hole.

So on to how I played. Playing the Leithfield-Speyside course (there is 27 holes, Scoth block being the other 9), which plays at 6840 yards with a 73.5 rating and 133 slope, i had a pretty good day.

Started off pretty weak going boogie on the first 5 holes. My problem which has plagued me recently was the short game. My chipping touch was just awful leaving long par putts all day. I was hitting good drives and decent approach shots, only to find myself blasting chips 10 feet past the hole for very tough par putts. Needless to say I didn't make any of them to start. After the rough start I said to Preston, "I just need to start hitting shots rather then pressing." A pattern for me as of late. I invision myself making these cut shots, draw shots, bounce it off this, whatever. The thing is, I don't hit a draw, and I don't hit a cut on purpose. So i don't know why i think i can hit these shots. I don't even understand how to change my stance, grip, swing, whatever to hit a draw. I hit the ball the straight. Thats what i worked for, and thats how i play. But for some reason I step up look at my shot and think I'm going to hit a perfect little draw into the back pin tucked behind a bunker. Anyways, I got the good thoughts into my head of just hit the ball and all of a sudden i started playing well. What do you know?

Just a quick not before I continue. We had 5 guys out yesterday, was supposed to be 6 or 7. After playing the first 2 holes as a 2 and 3 and waiting on every shot we decided to play as 5. This went on for about 3 holes untill the ranger came flying over to give us shit. After making a small deal of it he told us he was going to look into it. About half way down the next hole he comes up and gets in one guys face and says "you play as 3 and 2". Just to make sure we understood he used his hand to show 3 and 2, kind of funny. we are a little shocked that it was a problem since even with us playing as 5 we were still waiting for the group in front of us. Anyways, on the next hole we split back into 2 groups. Just after Preston and I tee off and begin to drive up to the green the ranger comes tearing down the cart path again, i'm thinking were in serious trouble or something. Instead he pulls up and tells us he cleared it with the proshop and they are going to allow us to play as a fivesome aslong as we don't hold anyone up. Crazy shit. Never heard of, especially in the middle of a sunday at a major facility. Just made fora better day, we kept up all day, and it helped the pace for us. Never saw the group behind us all day.

Back to the round. After i talked myself into hitting the ball and not thinking I began hitting perfect shots, one after another. Finished off the front with 1 more boogie coming in at 42. Not bad considering the difficulty of the course, but could have been a 38 easily. Off to the back 9.

I started off with a massive drive dead down the middle. 315 leaving myself 80 yards chip shot to the green. Nice being that close, but i was on a down slope and couldn't really get aggressive. Still made a nice shot leaving 15 feet for birdie, made the par.

Next hole is a short 385 yards, but your second shot into the green is about 50 yards up. I made a poor shot and had a long birdie putt. I hit it long, missed the comeback and made boogie.

Par 3 next which was down hill 160 yards with a strong wind right left. All 5 of us missed the green badly. My ball plugged in the side of a pot bunker, i ended up barely missing the par putt and made boogie.

Then came the hole of the day for me. 500 yards par 5. Off the tee you can see about 75 yards in front of you and the rst is down hill and not visible from where you are. I blast a perfect drive right down the middle. Drive up to find my ball 365 yards, leaving myself 135 to the pin. Maybe the first time ever I was driver gap wedge on a par 5. I hit a beautiful wedge to about 15 feet past the hole and sucked it down the slope to about 10 feet. Rolled in a nice left to right putt for eagle. Sweet, my first one of the year, and I'm back to even on the back.

Next hole is a routine par 3, 190 yards. I try to hit a 3/4 4 iron into the wind. I duff it into the waste area and make double. Fuck. so i gave it right back.

I go on to par out from there. I had a makable birdie putt on the 6th par 5, and on the 9th but missed both. The one on the 9th was dissapointing cause it was maybe 6 feet and i should of made it. Would have put me at 79, a great score out there. Still happy with the 80.

We had about an hour rain delay but after that the weather was pretty good. Humid, but not to hot. Oh ya, played under the Alias Ian Clark. Didn't pay a cent. Harris $150 - club link 0. Gotta love club link.

Ben Harper and friends Superjam

Had a big night downloading new concerts for John Butler and Ben Harper last night when I cam across something from this years Bonnaroo Festival. It's called the Superjam and it's the most amazing thing I have ever heard from Harper.

For those that don't know, Bonnaroo is the huge festival in Tennesse every year with hundreds of bands, and multiple stages. Harper, Butler, G-Love, Donovan Frankenreighter, The Roots, and many many more artists are there. I've never been, but hope to go one day.

Anyways, heres the deal. Ben Harper, John Paul Jones, and ?uestlove. ?uestlove is the drummer from the band The Roots, and John Paul Jones is from Led Zepplin. What a fucking combination. These got got on stage together and basically rocked out so hard to some of the all time classics. It really is a "superjam". I don't even have the words to describe how amazing this sounds. The talent is just amazing, and puts anything else from our current era to shame. No one should ever step on stage again without giving a shoutout to these guys for they're contribution to the world of music on this one. They are the very best at what they do.

Here is a link to download (do it, it will change your world of music) - http://www.sendspace.com/file/t1g90g

Heres what your in for.

97 minutes of pure musical genius.

Disc 1
01 Intro/Tuning
02 When The Levee Breaks*
03 Good Times Bad Times >
04 Bass Solo > Ramble On Jam >
05 Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)**
06 Drums Jam >
07 Dazed & Confused***

Disc 2
01 Banter
02 Superstitious^ >
03 Them Changes^ >
04 It's Your Thing^~
05 Introductions

Band: John Paul Jones - bass Ben Harper - slide guitar & vocals Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson - drums

Notes: * w/ Michael Ward (Ben Harper) on Bass & John Paul Jones on second lap steel guitar
** Cissy Strut teases
***Immigrant Song teases ^with Kirk Douglas (The Roots) on guitar & vocals ~


Now get on it and put this shit in your ipod, car, home stereo, bedroom stereo, kitchen stereo, everywhere you possibly can. You will thank me later after you listen to the most infectious thing I have ever heard. Enjoy.

A nice surprise

After an extended period of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals obsession of mine, I took an break from the best band on the planet to pursue other musicians. Getting a little deeper with John Butler Trio, revisting Bob Marley, going back to my roots in Hip-Hop, and even sampling some crappy Amy Winehouse (it was $7 figured it couldn't be that bad, it was). I turned my attention back to Harper last night just see what was going on. What did I find you might ask?

Well I found out that in the next few weeks a brand spankin new album is coming out, Lifeline. August 28th is the release date. From reading a recent interview it sounds as though the new one is going to take it back to the good old days. With some sweet jams, raw sound, Ben just belting out the lyrics. Here's some interesting parts to the interview.

"We recorded this album in a week so we had to check our egos and let the music speak and be at the forefront. It almost makes feel like a jazz musician, without those chops. Sorry I got sidetracked, yeah the album sounds this way due to the fact that were road weary, having our chops up and limiting the time we spent in the studio, we said we were going to do it in a week, one and a half to two songs a day and not bring everything plus the kitchen sink onto this record. Plus the sixteen-track analog tape machine really lets that 2-inch tape breath. "

TD: On this record your vocal style has really shifted into that of a soul singer, do you feel that is a result from working with the brilliant Blind Boys Of Alabama? BH: Thank you, I have been so lucky to work with the people I have worked with. The Blind Boys and The Funk Brothers, to share those experiences will defiantly have an effect on you. The Blind Boys kind of handled me with kid gloves, but with the Funk Brothers it was like ok, are going to sing or are you going to sang, so that pushed me in my singing. The guys in the band are so excited about my singing on this record, and I kind of don’t hear it right now, it’s just something I did. I guess it’s too raw for me right now, it’s almost like I don’t even hear it.

And the most amazing part of the interview -
TD: Your album comes out in August; will you be taking it out on the road this summer?
BH: We are going to take a little time off at the end of July, and then we are going to go head on into a full fledged tour, and I want to tour this record in a way that it deserves like intimate venues, like Radio City Music Hall, and I want to focus on this record, the Blind boys stuff never got represented on the road, We did one show at the Apollo, so those two records and songs off of previous records that are in that vain will be the spotlight of the tour.

An intimate small venue tour? Are you freakin kidding me? I can't wait for this. Last time he did a tour like that I saw 4 shows. 2 in a tiny club in Santa Monica called The Temple Bar, 1 in the worst venue ever the Warehouse in Toronto, and an amzing show in Royal Oak, MI that was absolutly off the charts. I think i met Ben and the band all 4 times, actually I did, i even introduced my sister to him, which was super cool. I can't wait for this tour. It's already been discussed with my cousin that trip to see a few concerts is a definite adventure. I'll be looking forward to the release of the new album, and to the concert dates. I'll update as to which shows I'll be attenting. I'm hoping for a Cali trip for 1 or 2 shows or the Radio City Music hall show in New York. I'd love to see a Toronto show at Massie (SP?) Hall or the Opera House, and catch a show in Michigan. Can't freakin wait.

I pulled a huge Greg Norman

At the conclusion of a glorious weekend of 4 days of golf I blew it big time. Playing Cherry Hill in Fort Erie monday afternoon with Matt, Cal, and Preston, i was poised to shoot one of my best rounds ever only to see it fade away with one relatively simple chip.

I started of better then i could have ever imagined yesterday. Cherry Hill is a classic private club beauty. With harldy any sign of people actually playing there (no divots or ball marks) this has to be one of the best maintained courses I play. The greens are like putting on marble, and your lucky to find yourself with a straight putt. Still I played great, for awhile.

I started the first 8 holes with out a blemish on the scorecard, all pars. Just one after another. Great drive off every tee, perfect little chip shots landing under the hole everytime, and solid putts for birdie, leaving tap ins for par. My only boogie was on number 9, par 3, after hitting a sub-par chip for my second.

On 10, i bomb another drive, made the easy par. 11 which is a longer par 3 with a crazy green, i hit a perfect 6 iron about 6 inches from the cup for birdie. Number 12, i drive just left of the fairway and with 260 left to go I blast a 2 iron rescue. Leaving myself 10 yards from the green and a chip over the bunker, i'm thinking birdie no problem. Except just before i hit it, i tell the guys to watch this go in the middle of the trap. Thinking nothing of it, i duff my chip and i'm in the bunker. Duff it out of there, chip on, 2 putt and double boogie. Now i'm 2 over. No big deal, i can control this.

On the 12th, i blast a drive, over the the road, out of bounds. 3rd shot from the tee, leave myself with nothing barely staying in bounds again. Make another double.

14, i hit an awful drive that finds it way to the base of a tree on the right side of it. For a right hander this was impossible. I turn the club over and try to hit a left handed shot like Matt. I make contact, but the ball bounces up and hits me in the chest. I make another double. I'm tilting so fucking hard right now.

The big thing about this day was the Happy Jacks Open. Preston and I team up to play Matt and Cal for dinner at possibly the best chinese food in the world. When i was playing well, it was looking like I was going to best the 2 of them all by myself. On the 15th Tee, we are 2 down with 4 to play.

All 4 of us hit bunkers off our drive. I'm in the right side bunker, fade, the others are in the left side, draw. I hit a pretty good shot to about 15 feet with a makable birdie putt. Matt hits hit to about 40 feet with a near impossible birdie putt. I watch as matt strokes his up the hill, along the ridge, down the hill with a left to right break. The ball hits the cup, spins to the back, freezes on the edge for about 5 seconds and drops in the cup. No one will ever make that putt again, but Matt the freaking luck box that he is makes it. I'm in total disbelief and make an awful stroke at my putt and we are 3 down, 3 to play.

Still super angry over that putt, I blast my PW over the green of the par 3 16th 140 yards, and make another double boogie. Match over, we loose, I am so pissed I think about which club i need the least so i can break over me knee.

I didn't break any, but I did blow it big time. Even on the 12th hole, and I go 9 over for the last 7 holes to shoot 81. Such a let down. Everything was going so well, and I just fell apart. Story of my golf game this year.