February 2010

VOL XIII No. 8

AND THE WINNERS WERE
CAMARILLO SPRINGS G.C.-01/07/10: Five fine foursomes full of newly-formed

Mr. Raymond

fervent resolutions welcomed the Twenty-Ten New Year and a new decade, unfortunately with the same old golf swings. However that level of prowess was certainly good enough for Gordon Crook and Jim Sabbe to share the Super Low Gross prize with nifty 76s. Mr. Sabbe smoothly posted a steady, though surprisingly birdie-less, round for his total whilst Mr. Crook was fashioning a mercurial come-from-behind effort for that tie with consecutive birdies on Holes #15, #16, & #17!! (Note: All of which were sadly left in the dregs of the blind-draw hat!) Despite their laudatory scores both of these players were relegated to well down the money list as three other birdie-boys picked up the big loot. Receiving $30 apiece they were Jim Raymond on the designated Hole #8, Bruce Simon on Hole #3, and a resurgent "Cat" Ballou on Hole #4. Firmly situated atop the day's money list with 48 big ones was Bob Stone, firing a feisty 79 that easily claimed FIRSTS in Porter Gross, Low Net, & Partners along with a runner-up in the Low Putts category to Jerry Lang's meager 28 total. SIMI HILLS G.C.-01/14/10: Just 14 players saluted this 14th day of the New Year on a track that seemed to be playing much tougher than usual, or else our Group must have left their "A" games somewhere back in the recent holiday festivities. Would you believe? -- only ONE birdie was recorded the entire day and that on Hole #12 by Gentleman Jim Raymond! Most certainly this is an event unmatched in the annals of Thursday Group history. A beaming JR graciously accepted the ENTIRE $60 contents of the birdie wager pot, providing himself a well-financed trip to the post-round celebration at The Oyster House. The only other mentionable performances on this otherwise unmentionable day were Fred Murphy's excellent Low Net win at 68 and John Moskoff's surprising 29 Putts which took that title by a huge 4-shot margin over runner-up Mr. Murphy. LOS ROBLES GREENS G.C.-01/21/10: A plenitude of potent precipitation pre-emptied playing on our first RAIN-OUT of this 2009-10 Season. SANTA ANITA G.C.-01/28/10: Our 20-player field welcomed the return to the tour of Dick Raguse, after a 14 week absence, and Jennifer Marshall, after 17 weeks, both having successfully resolved physical health issues. Once again the day's scoreboard displayed a dearth of birdies in what we certainly hope is not a continuing trend as only TWO tweeters were recorded all day long. Whoops, hold on, make that THREE, but unfortunately Bill Lewis' deuce on the designated Hole #4 didn't count as he had declined to enter that wager pot. So the two winners, "Joltin'" John Moskoff and "Chopper" Chuck Tamburro, therefore split the 90 dollar birdie jackpot. Mr. Moskoff tacked onto that 45 another 44 smackers with wins in Low Putts, Partners, and a Low Net tie for the day's top monies at $89. Meanwhile Mr. Tamburro took the runner-up spot while claiming the Super Low Gross title and some Partners' monies for a big 56 bucks. The birdie-less Bob Stone nevertheless managed a $35 take-home with his Porter Gross award, a Low Net tie, and a share of the Partners' loot. -- Somehow we seem to have entered a Birdie drought - Is it the economy? The weather? Course conditions? Nostradamus never predicted this... but the above leaderboard reflects only 6 separate members scoring birdies where the Jan. 2009 rendered a more typical 16. Hopefully Feb's leaderboard will show us getting back on track with more members sharing the wealth!

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GIGS N STUFF
Ted Winship did a commercial, this time for Lowe’s.

Mr. Winship

Chuck Tamburro popped into town to do a 24 on the morning of the 28th of Jan. and rushed to Santa Anita hoping to join the group by 10 a.m. He could use a lesson in watch watching, or is it time telling? Chuck, when the big hand is on the eight, it is eight o’clock, not nine. In February he fires up his gyro for two films, “Thor“, based on the Marvel Comic Books, and the other called “ Skyline“. More info as available. -- Marilou Miller closed out the month working three jobs in two days. If you want to hit her up for a loan, she will be at BV on the 4th. Poker maven Dick Harwood called to cancel Santa Anita. The excuse was he was to far ahead at the Vegas poker tables to leave. We will see how it turned out -- Birthdays in February include Dave Pell, Bruce Simon, John Moskoff & Jagger Belson. Why would you think it’s not a Jewish name? Rich Whorton celebrated his on the 28th by not bringing his wallet when the boys got together at the Oyster House. -- After a brief return, Barry Jenner has gone back into hiding. His new puppy must be taking up all of his time. -- We expected Selwyn Monarch to spend the winter up at his digs at Mammoth Mountain but he had a bit of surgery and will be sidelined from the slopes as well as the links until May. We wish him a speedy recovery.

RULES GUY
Rule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions, Embedded Ball, and Wrong Putting Green requires us to look up 2 definitions before even taking a peek at the rule. Abnormal ground conditions occur when there is casual water, ground under repair or a "hole, cast or runway" that was made by a burrowing animal, bird or reptile, interfering with play. A wrong putting green is any green other than the one that concludes the hole one is playing, including practice greens that haven't been exempted by the committee. The Rule provides that an embedded ball is considered such only in "closely mown areas" which consist of grass cut to fairway height or less, and the Decisions further offer that a ball is embedded when part of it is below ground, within it's own pitch mark. Relief from all of the conditions covered in this rule is penalty-free, (meaning that there will be one club-length allowed from the nearest point of relief for abnormal ground conditions or wrong putting green, and "as near as possible to the spot" where the ball lay for embedded balls); except when one is taking relief from abnormal ground conditions in a bunker, and the player opts to drop outside the bunker, when one penalty stroke will be added. Relief from the first two situations is optional, but taking relief from a wrong putting green is mandatory. Also, when in a bunker or on the putting green the player is allowed to drop or place the ball in a spot where they are afforded "maximum available relief," if full relief from the abnormal ground conditions is impossible. This sometimes necessitates invoking the one-stroke penalty clause, when a bunker is filled with water and there isn't a place within the bunker that provides any relief at all. Decision 25/6 is one of the classic decisions, clarifying the "status of saliva" as either abnormal ground conditions or loose impediments, at the discretion of the player. Other fine decisions deal with cracks in the earth, molehills, crawfish mounds, and when balls enter burrowing animal holes only to end up under the putting green.