Thoughts for 2009

Here are some thoughts for 2009.
- Keep the alternating shot. Maybe adjust the mulligans, but not much.
- Consider a handicapping system that adjusts each day to keep more people competitive. It was great having 3 people competing on Sunday. Would be great to have 6 people competing.
- Have prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- Don't let LaPorta draft teams

Anyone else have thoughts?

Sunday Finale

Entering Sunday's round, Tad, Mickey and Tony all had a shot to win. Charles joined them in the final grouping. Tony got off to a quick lead when Tad and Mickey scored 9s on the first par 5. Tony built a 4 stroked lead over Mickey at the turn and Tad was checked out. Mickey got hot and tied it after 11 holes. On #14, Mickey found his ball that we assumed had gone in the water. He chipped onto the green for par and took a 1 stroke lead. On #15, TA rocketed out of the fairway bunker and it was headed deep into the woods but squarely hit a tree and bounced back safely. TA 4 putted and MY 3 putted. The pressure was getting to them. Down 2 with 3 to play, TA got par on #16 and closed the gap, but Mickey got the stroke back on #17. TA had one last chance on #18. Down 2, he stuck his approach 15 feet from the pin for a makeable byrdie. But Mickey almost holed his approach (for the 2nd day in a row) and won. It was a storybook ending that deserves to be a major motion picture someday... Mickey sleeps on a mattress outside with no blanket and beats out the heavy favorite, Tad Selby, who slept at the Ritz and had breakfast in bed.

From Rob...
"The Emry vs Tom match was also dramatic. Emry was up 1 with 3 to play. Tom completely blew up the par 4 16th and Emry made a natural bogey to go up 2 with 2 to play. It was back and forth the entire round. Emry’s knees were practically shaking on 17, which was a long par 5. Emry is greenside sitting three, but there is a bunker between him and the green. I tell him, “Whatever you do, don’t hit it short into the bunker.” He doesn’t, but instead hits it long across the green into the bunker on the other side. Four swings later, he picks up his ball and takes a double par 10. Emry is up one going to the 18th tee, a 350 yard par 4. Tom crushed his drive to within 60 yards of the green; Emry hits his classic 200 yard drive right down the middle. Emry hits a great approach that is pin high to the left – IN A BUNKER!! Emry is getting a stroke from Tom on this hole. Tom hits his pitch shot about 20 feet off the front of the green. So he is sitting 2 there and Emry is net one in the bunker. With his solid bunker play from the previous hole is only swing thought, Emry hits the shot of his life out of the sand that rolls about 15 feet past the hole that leaves him a down hill put from there. Tom, of course, takes the pin out of the hole indicating he intends to make his chip shot. He hits his shot and it lips the cup leaving him a 3-footer for his par. So all Emry has to do is two put and he is guaranteed to at least halve the hole and win the match. “Inside the leather, Emry; that’s all you have to do,” I tell him. It is a downhill, with a slight left to right break. I am telling you, he TAPS the ball and we all think it is tracking perfectly to stop short of the hole by about a foot to close out the match, but it rolls four feet past the hole!! So now he has to make the 4-footer for the half and win and drills it into the bottom of the cup for the match win!!"



The Deadbreads won 4 of the 6 individual matches and won the weekend 10.5 to 4.5
SK over CW
NJ over CJ
TA over TS
MY over CR
ME over TC
JM over RL
We packed up and went to Chilis in Dalton for a late lunch on the way home.

Other awards...
Fagitas got Schwetty Balls as a consolation prize
Janke wins Tennis license plate for last place
Tom wins prize for worst shot of the weekend
Wyman wins a bunch of long drives. Mickey wins one.
SK, ME, TC win closest to pin prizes.
SK wins farthest from pin
Rob wins Poker champ
Tom is last place Poker
Mickey gets LMA for his eagle chip-in
Jay gets team MVP for going 4-0 and dominating all his matches
Jay wins the NIT

Bear Trace - Saturday

We had a leisurely Saturday morning and went to the course for lunch before our round. This was a high ball/ low ball round. On the first par 3, JM shanked one over the trees into the middle of the lake. On #9, ME was winning a side bet with TA, but was feeling depressed. While addressing his tee shot, he gave a speech about how much he stunk at golf and shouldn't be playing anymore. Then he crushed it. His approach shot landed in the green side bunker and gave him the worst lie I've ever seen. He could only hope to improve his lie in the bunker. He whacked it and it ended up in his footprint. He whacked it again and it trickled out and then rolled back into the bunker. His sand wedge was tossed across the green. After some calming moments, he tried again and the ball sailed over the green, hit the cart path and bounced towards the clubhouse. His return chip hit the cart path again and bounced off course. He picked up and walked off.

The DeadBreads swept the round and won dinner.
TA/JM over ME/CJ
CW/NJ over RL/CR
MY/TC over SK/TS

Selby eagled #17 with a tap in putt and Mickey chipped in for eagle on #18 - this turned out to be the shot that won him the tournament.

We went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and ordered Apple Pie even though we weren't hungry for dessert.

More poker. Emry gets 3 Queens in guts to beat Janke's pair of Kings. LMA nomination.

Friday dinner and poker

We drove into Chattanooga and took a detour around the Bike Week festivities and stumbled upon a Chilis. Wyman went in to ask for a table for 12 at 7pm on Friday and they had one immediately (Wyman gets an LMA nomination). Lots of food and 2 for 1 beers followed by a round of 4-way CC roulette. TA, SK, CJ, CW lost.

We went to the house and there weren't as many sleeping options as expected. Selby decided to go to a hotel instead. DeadBreads got to pick beds first and we drew cards for the selection order. Tom chose the crib, Nick chose the couch and Mickey chose to sleep outside on an inflatable mattress. That left beds for everyone else.

There were strange rooms hidden all over the house. Jay found a secret shower and Tom had a personal ack chamber.

Wyman, Emry, and I went to search for a grocery store but were unsuccesful. We found a Gas Station instead and loaded up on snacks and drinks.

Janke was the 2nd best poker player on each hand and quickly fell behind $100+.

Round 2 - Alternating Shot

This was a new format that we tried instead of the scramble. Each player received mulligans equal to 1/4 of their handicap. It was a fun, fast round and the mulligans added a lot of strategy to it. TA/MY got down and didn't win a single hole against TS/RL until #10. They they started a comeback and lost on the final hole.

TC/NJ were in a battle with SK/ME. Tied on the par 3 17th, Tom chumped one into the woods. Nick shot out of the woods and onto the green. Meanwhile, Emry used all 3 of his mulligans trying to make a 6 foot putt and couldn't do it. Then SK has to sink a big putt on #18 to save the tie.

CW/JM had little trouble with CJ/CR in the other match.

So the teams tied and everyone had to buy their own dinner. Shacksy.

Round 1 - Best Ball

A group of us met at my house and we carpooled to Calhoun, Ga to play at Fields Ferry. The first round was a Best Ball format. Tom brought coolers full of drinks and we smuggled them into our bags. Good thing because there was no cart girl on the course. #16 was a killer and caused many 9s and 10s on the scorecard. TA/NJ were in a battle with SK/ME and tied coming to the final hole. TA put one in the creek and it looked like the match was over. He took a drop, nailed his approach and made a 25 foot putt for bogey. That forced SK to sink a 20 foot putt for par to win... and he did. Such a Fagita.

Final Talleys: CW/TC beat ME/CR, CJ/TS beat JM/MY, SK/RL beat TA/NJ.

We gathered for hot dogs (courtesy of the Fagitas) and strategy and set the pairings for the next round.

Go away, Fay

We had everything planned to go to Montgomery and Opelika and then Hurricane Fay, off the east coast of Jacksonville, decided to take an immediate left and head straight to Montgomery. Rob and I spent most of the day scrambling to alter the plans. We called dozens of courses from Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee as well as multiple rental houses. It finally all came together and we were able to get all our money back from Fairways.