Golf mirrors life..........
The high of the thrilling U.S. Open between Tiger and Rocco.......The low of Tiger's announcement regarding his knee/ leg injury.......The sounds...."thud", "screech"....... The sights of "velcro ripping"
"Thud"- The sound Tim Finchem's jaw made as it hit the floor at PGA headquarters last Tuesday.
"Screech" - The sound of golf's prime time success hitting the brakes to avoid the sudden impact of Tiger's injury announcement.
"Velcro ripping"- The sight of Tim Finchem struggling against his restraints as he placed on a suicide watch following Tiger's injury announcement.
Golf fans take solace; golf-like life will go on in 2008.
As many of our loyal readers know, I have the propensity to get a little excited about certain topics.....The more involved I am with different forms of media; this blog, a radio show and some public announcement work that I do, my appreciation grows for the people who work professionally in the industry. People trust me, it is not as easy at it looks, sounds and reads. I may be a golf professional who occasionally breaks par but in the media business I am a struggling 20-handicapper, who some say” has some promise but really needs to work on my game". Sound familiar fellow choppers?
My point, we all criticize TV or radio announcers for being unoriginal, lacking personality, stating the obvious, using to many clichés and the always popular "I could do a better job than that idiot Gary McCord.”
However, when an announcer tries to inject a little personality or humor into his announcing we kill them for it. I am a Johnny Miller fan. He may not be the smoothest guy in the booth, but he "keeps it real" as the kids like to say, and he sure as heck knows what he's talking about when it comes to golf.
This whole flap over his comments regarding Rocco Mediate and cleaning Tiger's pool is completely out of hand. Italian-Americans called for this firing. Why? I am part-Italian and that thought never came to my mind that he was insulting my ethnicity. I took the reference as a tour journeyman with limited success knocking off the sports royalty, not as an ethnic slur.
Besides what's wrong with cleaning pools? It’s an honest living and I know a pool cleaner who is very successful and has several people working for him, unfortunately none of them are Italian so I couldn't get an insider's opinion. However, I did get some advice on surfing, living in your your parents’ basement, and an address to score some righteous weed if I was in the market. But, I’m not.
Think about the pool cleaning industry and its many benefits:
No nights
Plenty of sunshine
Bored housewives, girlfriends, housekeepers.......Bada Bing!
People, let’s not be so sensitive. Be like Buttermaker, the coach of The Bad News Bears and the most famous pool cleaner of all, have a drink and relax! I wonder if Buttermaker is short for Buttermakeroprano, I'll have to check that out.
From the fashion file.....It's hot outside, but that doesn't mean it’s ok to wear your bathing suit to the golf course. For that matter, please no coaches shorts, sweatpant shorts or cut-offs and leave your "nice" denim shorts at home. Most courses will not let you play in those and don't even ask me if it’s okay to take your shirt off once you are out of sight of the clubhouse. A little dignity please!
Fast fix........
If your golf ball is moving from left to right at contact, you are cutting, fading or slicing depending on the degree of ball movement. To help stop this, move your right hand on top of the club, where you can see at least 2 knuckles of the right hand if you are looking straight down at your grip.
Come play True Blue or Caledonia! Our June aerification is over and the golf courses are returning to their normal excellent condition. Visit our special page on this website for great summer golf rates for you and the kids.
Don't forget to tune into ESPN Radio at 93.7fm, 1050am or 93.9 fm on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. when you are in Myrtle Beach. You may have a chance to win green fees to True Blue and Caledonia. Call in and talk some golf with yours truly, and the Legendary Matt Lincoln on The Michelob Light Golf Guys.
Don't forget your sunscreen!
Bob Seganti
Head Golf Professional
True Blue Golf Plantation
Readers...............
April 14, 2008
Spring is here. The azaleas are blooming, the golf course is starting to reach its spring condition and that means my golf is on a temporary hold. The funny thing about being in the golf business is that you learn real fast that it is a business. Believe it or not, ownership expects me to actually manage the clubhouse, the golf staff and make them a profit. Whatever happened to hanging around the range in the morning, playing golf in the afternoon and closing the bar down at night? Man, those golf pro's back in the day had it made. See what happens when you don't have the right stuff to play for a living.......
Tiger didn't win the Masters.............again. I just doubled my anti-anxiety prescription. The more I study the greatest golfer of all time, and eventual winner of more majors than the legendary Jack Nicklaus, I'm starting to think that Tiger will win more British Opens than Masters tournaments. Here's why...
The British Open venues allow you to play the golf course in a variety of ways and the green speeds are always relatively slow, allowing aggressive putting which Tiger excels at.........
The Masters, with crazy green speeds and undulation, only allows you to play the golf course generally one way.... forcing iron shots into areas so small that you have to be spot on with your iron play to have reasonable putts or you have to be exceptional with your chipping and putting. If you are just average in those two phases you have no chance. Tiger is the only player in the field who can contend with his "C" game as he has proven the last two years by finishing second with what everyone would agree is less than his best effort.
By the way, I hope I'm not the only one who misses the old Augusta National where bone chilling roars could be heard every half hour on the hour. The golf course has gotten too long and difficult for the field to generate sustained excitement, no the only sounds you here are groans over missed up and down par chances.
Back to the Myrtle Beach Scene.........................
It's Monday after The Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament and Rock Concert at The House of Blues
An annual event taking place Monday, April 14 (duh) at Barefoot Resort featuring lots of celebrities from the music world, sports, golf and entertainment. Big time event hosted by the boys from Hootie and The Blowfish.
Its always a lot of fun guessing how many beers John Daly can drink and still manage to sing "Knockin' on Heavens Door" with Hootie and the Blowfish tonight. I was a little low with 20 beers last year so I'm going with 25 this year, since I figure John has been in serious training lately.
In all seriousness, I've always been a John Daly fan and I wish he would turn his life around and give up the booze, but as we all know only he can make that decision.
Well, back to work the shop is full with golfers from around the world having a great time in Myrtle Beach.... visit GolfHoliday.com to come see what everyone is talking about!
When you're in town ,don't forget to tune into ESPN Radio 93.7 FM, 1050am and 93.9 FM for The Michelob Light Guys from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. featuring Matt Lincoln and yours truly, Bob Seganti, talking about anything and everything in the world of golf.
Go Play Golf!
Bob Seganti
PGA Member
True Blue Golf Plantation
I'm back, I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I now must use this column to drown my sorrows over Tiger's unbeaten streak coming to an end. I'm not kidding. I'm really upset over this, probably way more than Tiger is.....afterall how many times in a lifetime do you have the chance to witness history in the making? Not many.
The reason for my angst is not that I don't think that Tiger is the greatest golfer to ever live. He is. It's that I would, for once and for all, like to quiet the folks who still think for some reason that El Tigre is not all of that and that he is bad for the game blah blah blah..... and for him to accomplish that, he needs to break every single record ever established on The PGA TOUR including the one that will be hardest... the 11-tournament winning streak held by Mr. Byron Nelson. So to all of you haters out there, enjoy the day because Tiger has already gotten over this one and now to really annoy you. Let The Grand Slam Talk begin!
No wait! One more kick in the wobblies for the haters.... Mr. Woods finished two shots out of first with his "C" game this week.............yikes
Back to the Myrtle Beach Scene....
PGA TOUR rookie Dustin Johnson, who lives in Myrtle Beach and practices at The TPC of Myrtle Beach, is back on form after missing two straight cuts. Dustin had a nice little article online at SI.com about how professional golfers are more likely these days to be good all-around athletes and they mentioned his basketball prowess.....I can imagine the trash talk on the court now after a thunderous dunk by Dustion......"I just flushed on you like a 9-iron from a flyer lie." Huh? For the record Dustin can really dunk, and yes, I do think golfers are athletes. How many of you coach potatos and desk jockeys can walk four or five miles and still manage to play tournament level golf? Have you ever seen some of those uphill par 5's on tour?
Old Joke.....
You know how you ask your buddy after your tee shots about The new Wal-Mart in town, the one their building between your ball and his..... everyone's heard that one, however try substituting Costco and it catches them off guard all over again.
Playing Golf......
Played the late Mike Strantz's design Bull's Bay in Awedaw, SC the other day and they had the bull tied up to a tree adjoining the 18th fairway. No kidding! Local rule states free relief from any area within reach of the bulls chain.
Which reminds the difference between a bull and a steer is. The steer has had its 2-ball pack removed from the shelf. I didn't get close enough for inspection of this particular animal, I'm going to assume steer.......although I'm glad I wasn't wearing a red shirt.
How to walk and talk like a player........
My bunker play has been sharp.......not, I'm really good at getting out of sand traps.......
I have been blocking the ball lately......not, I'm hitting it straight but it just goes to the right all the time...
From the Fashion File.......
Sorry folks, I'm not a fashion snob, but those jeans you have on better be the only pair of pants you have left in the closest and even if they are, I would make it a point to stop at Target or Stein Mart and pick up a pair of pants. Don't even get me started on sweat shorts, sweat pants or bathing suits. If you really want to embarrass yourself or the staff at private clubs and a lot of resort clubs these days try showing up in any of the above. They are about as classy as wearing tank-tops to indoor restaurants. "hey honey let's go to brunch at the club. Where is my favorite mesh tank top?"
Thanks for your time, I feel better already.
Hey did you hear True Blue was just ranked #7 in the state and our sister course Caledonia was ranked #3 in the state by Golfweek Magazine?
Come on down and visit there still a few tee-times left in April.
Go Play Golf!
Bob Seganti
Head Golf Professional
True Blue Golf Plantation
This is my third post for this blog and I hope the old saying holds true......................you know......"the third time's the charm"
Speaking of charm every time I hear that word I think of Lucky Charms which automatically takes me to St. Patrick's Day. Funny how my mind works...... Let me explain.
