The Surge's Notebook

Good onya Bazza
Anyone who can improve their handicap in that Darwin climate is a legend in my books
The humidity could drop the ball out of the air before it got past the ladies tee
Jack

Dragonhead

You almost got it right by accident pal. It is called Dragon Naturally Speaking. I have the 11.0 version. I'm not sure what it cost on the street. They gave me a pretty good discount for being a professor. I love this thing. It actually goes through my computer and reads all my reports and e-mails to learn my writing style. They have you read quite a few papers into the microphone so that it learns the sound of your voice. I use it on the blog, writing e-mails, and doing all my reports. I would guess that it probably saves me nearly an hour on each report rather than typing it. Plus it's easier on the wrists.

Dick

Thanks Steve. Having a great time on the course. My playing partner made comment the other day that he was amazed at how accurate I was from 80 m in. A nice feeling I gotta say. BTW I am a Vietnam Vet.

Here are the Utube links

Don
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

DJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Dick, Thanks for that professor [me too mate, I profess things all the time heh heh heh] Sounds good to me. May have to wait until we relocate, but a definite top of the list item.

You are right Steve. There's a lot more to it than that. It is the general misconception of a membership as to a greens program that contributes to the Superintendent "Merry-go-round." Great greens that roll true and stimp out at over 10' require an enormous amount of care. First, it starts with the variety. There is an enormous variety of grasses, and here I'm speaking of bent grass. Each one has particular characteristics that are more conducive to speed such as a thinner leaf blade, slower growth rates, lower crown, higher drought-tolerance, lower nitrogen requirements. It then becomes a choice of cultivating a mono-stand: using one variety; or a blend. A mono-stand may be more consistent but if susceptible to a particular pathogen can enable all greens to be lost. The next consideration is cultural practices; how short do you mow them - the shorter you mow them, the less energy is produced by the plant, the more chemicals are required to keep the plant healthy. We mow our home lawns at between 1 1/2 - 2 inches above the Mason-Dixon line. We mow greens at between 1/4 at the highest and 1/8 of an inch! Now you've got to determine what you'r going to mow them with. A walk-behind mower is the best way because the newest varieties have a turf groomer on the front that brushes the grass up before it's cut giving the best cut. It usually requires about six people on the crew just for the greens to get them mowed on a daily basis. The alternative is a triplex riding variety - two guys eighteen holes - two hours. The last triplex I bought was around $22,000. Now w'eve got to consider a chemical program. This is extrardinarily important the shorter you mow. You've got controal leaf spot, brown patch, dollar-spot, pythium (devastating), and have the equipment (sprayer) that can deliver product uniformly to within a .10 of an ounce per thousand square feet. Oh, and this has to be done within the environmental constraints imposed by the EPA and the golf industry. Now, about that sand. There are a wide variety of sands that vary in size and angularity that can contribute to smoothness of the green surface. They also wear down the blades & bedknives contributing to the equipment maintenance and height adjustments of the greens mowers. I'm not going to go on because you guys get the idea. It sort of get's me going though when somebody says the "secret" to anything is ..... Cuz there ain't no magic bullet fer nuthin. Just like our golf swing. You have to work at it and do all the things in the vertical swing system, not just pick the ones that you like & forget the rest. So listen to the golf course superintendent your course hired and listen to The Surge.

Keep it vertical

Bruce Kelso
Certified Golf Course Superintendent (Ret)

Kevin
I too have to write slowly so I can read it later
I can't read fast
Jack

Craig63

I wouldn't mind that as long as it wasn't asking me to squeeze somebody else's butt cheeks.

Dick

Hi Craig,

I wouldn't call myself a "Tin Cup," I've never intentionally broken my clubs in frustration. LOL I do like the one club approach, and use it quite often on the Par 3 course where I work. I'll play the entire course with a seven iron, one day, and with a nine iron the next. It allows me to become more skilled with each club, and it also allows me to play the longer holes as Par 4's instead of Par 3's. It works pretty good and helps to keep me sharp with the scoring irons.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Thanks for the welcome Bud. Great bunch of people.

Why did it just take him 5 minutes to tell us to keep a note book with sing thoughts... I have had all the babbling I can take from this porch... Good bye for good

I would have sung for you, just to keep the peace. Have a powerful tenor voice. How about Gaudeamus Igitur? Or if you like Calypso, have a repetoire of Belafonte songs. Can croon too! At Karoke here with a firm I was "cooperating with",for an educational establishment, scored 100% on "Unchained Melody". Will sing in any language you like as well.

If however it was "Swinging" and not "Singing", I am not into that. Broad minded yet no ta!
Your loss sunshine. This site has it all.
TTFN you will be back hahahaha.

Mike

Nice shooting pal. Just keep it up. Take it easy and have some fun.

Golf is a game, don't make it a chore. Sounds like you just went out there and had some fun today. Now, you just need to do the same thing at the good course, and you will take another sawbuck out of the doctor's pocket. Don't be too hard on yourself there mister type "A." You just shot an 83. 95% of people never reach that.

Let us know how it goes.

The whole Surge Nation is rooting for you.
Dick

Lyn
Perhaps he's not singing from the same song book as you
Perhaps he was talking slowly so you could take it in
I don't know
I don't even know why I'm replying to you seeing as you've gone
I hope that helped

Great reminder, Surge. I have my note pad in my bag and try to remember to flip through it every time I get to the range before I actually start swinging anything. Every time I forget, I'm sorry because it means I spend the first few minutes to half-an-hour remembering all of the things I have written in there.

Dick,

Just checked the weather. Temps may get to 60, 30% chance of rain and windy.. Thanks for crossing everything.. It doesn't look ideal, but hey, it's a built in excuse...lol.

Think I'll hit the sack. I don't want sleep deprivation to be an issue. You'll get the details tomorrow.

Good night

Lynn42

Hi Kevin,

My solution to my most hated hole was to play it with nothing but a seven iron. The hole that had my number, is the Par 4, seventh at Elmendorf AFB. It is 401 yards long, with a wide open skirt and bunkers on either side of the front. It is also the toughest hole on the course.

I always tried to hit a driver, then a hybrid or five wood to the green. Never failed to hit one of those bunkers}:>(

The first time I tried the seven iron only approach, I hit 145 up the middle, 145 up the middle and a little punch shot to the center of the green and one putted from 10 or 12 feet. I was ecstatic!

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Also, if you're an Inner Circle member, the videos are in your Inner Circle Videos section.

Maybe you should spend your time on the range practicing those three holes over and over. In your mind, I mean, per yesterday's lesson. Make notes on where you want the ball to land, and so on.

G'day Bazza
I hear the beaches over there (Perth)are magnificent as well - no crocs either
Having played golf in Darwin, you'll think it a picnic in the south
Hope you enjoy the change
Jack

Goodbye....

Bob,
That was the strategic thinking I was burbling about yesterday and earlier today. I reckoned, just before starting PPGS late last year, that I could play most par 5's using only a PW tee to green. The par 4 you mentioned, I would be close to the pin with the third shot.The last shot being a toss up between a PW and SW!
Don't know now due to the complete change of swing, but that isn't going to change. Best tool in the bag, the thing between our ears.Well mine anyway hahahaha.
Hit 'em Long and Straight no matter the number on the club ; - )

Lynn

I grew up singing in church. When I went through my teenage change of life, the lid fell off the bucket and I have not been able to carry a tune since then.

At church they ask me to sing solo. That is so low. So low no one can hear me.

The Bible tells us that we should make a joyful sound unto the Lord. Folks often put too much thought into the word joyful. I just go right past that word and look at the verse in it's whole context. I am sure the Lord likes me singing his praises.

I bet is sounds joyful to him,
Dick

Thanks, Boog, but believe me, "effortless" is not the sensation on the other side of that camera. ;-) But I'm certainly not unhappy with my swing.

Good on you "Tin Cup" Bob, a good mate of mine tees off on all par 4's and 5's with his 4 iron because he knows he will split the fairway. I'm trying to convert him to hybrids which will do the same job but with extra distance - oh well I can only try.

Regards, Craig S

Lynn42--Roy might have posted about swinging at a slower tempo, but for sure I did. I slowed down from 144 beats per minute (metronome) to 120 beats per minute, and my drives went longer and straighter. The first time I did this was in an actual round, my last round prior to my forced break. However, I have been hitting drives on the driving range the last four days, and I have maintained that tempo and results. Maybe a more experience golfer can confirm or dispute my theory, but I think that the slower tempo gave me time to execute the various segments of the swing more correctly, get to the top of the swing correctly (and not start the downswing too soon), let my wrists flex the way I need them to,execute the bump properly, hold the lag longer, release the club properly, get the club to the ball from the inside, contact the ball better, and swing up properly. Hmmmm, I didn't have to write all of this since I said "execute the swing properly."

As I posted previously, I don't plan to stay at 120 beats per minute. I plan to get my tempo back up to 144 beats per minute in steps, but only after I'm satisfied with the swing at each tempo.

Thank you T.

Charlie
I'm responding from Dashboard which has become my version of Surge's back porch...lol. Your reply did refresh my apparent short term memory loss. Slowing down as you suggest allowed me to have probably the best ball striking round in quite some time about a week ago. As you rightly suggest slowing down allows me to FEEL the various parts of the swing and not FORCE it.

If done properly I need to feel as though I'm making a pause at the top of my backswing. It's not a conscious pause, but more of a feel. I can get to about shoulder height maintaining a straight left arm, but I find a little break in my left elbow allows for less tension and a tendency to pull hard off the top of my backswing.

For me there is a happy medium which allows the club to drop at transition into the slot and finish the FUS. It's a fine line for sure and a work in progress.

Not sure my explanation makes sense to you or anyone else, but I'm taking it to the course today and will post the result.

Thanks for the help

Lynn42

Roger

As the old saying goes, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. A wise man knows that sometimes you just shouldn't do something.

We will all keep our fingers crossed for you.
Dick

Sleep tight and hope the bugs don't bite.
No dessert? I gave the dragon a verbal tweak when reading the Osama Bin Liner news today. Reading what his sons bought at the local shops twice a week, I said,"Even OBL had ice cream, mumble, rumble, grumble. Just wait until we hit New Zealand, Rum and Raisin ice cream, yyyyeeeeeehaaaa!
Stay well mate, we need your type of lunacy to lighten us up, when we become TOO Focused. When we are in that mode, our receptors don't work as well. The old brain needs stimulating.
Love the video pop ups. The wimps who whinge, would whinge even more were there no FREE videos.
Wonder when they go throught their GBSAPS equivalent routine, whether there is a "K" in theirs,ie, Keep a tight *ss!? Will give it a try, hahahaha.

Bob

I can help you out with that last part.

I am an expert on bunker maintenance. I have spent more time raking bunkers than most of the guys who work at the course.

I find that pushing the rake works better for me than trying to pull it.

Hope that was helpful.

I will do another post on bunker maintenance later. When I get me a video camera thingy, I will do a video on it too.

Get back to me with any additional questions you might have,
Dick

Kevin, You just sparked a few neurones in my brain. Getting ready to move as you know. Well I used to take a card with the club names on it in columns, with 1/2 3/4 and Full swing columns. and a remarks column. At the bottom I wrote swing thoughts and things I intended to practice. Very informative. but a pain in the fundamental orifice.Then a member of the Surge nation, gave me the spark. To my left in a drawer, exactly at arms length without stretching, is a mini-recorder [voice activated if needed]. Used mainly for my foreign language studies. It has not been turned on in.......for a long long time : - ( Now it will become a tool for range and course, thanks to you.
Keep it vertical long and straight and thanks again.