SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MEN'S AMATEUR- ROUND 2 AT FORT MYERS COUNTRY CLUB

Additional photos by Steph can be viewed here

Beautiful days in Southwest Florida may become old hat to some, but turning into Fort Myers Country Club on this crisp cool morning for the final round of the Southwest Florida Men’s Amateur was anything but old hat to me. The dewy sheen on the recently rejuvenated emerald practice green was streaked with the trails of hopeful putts…most of those streaks didn’t end at the hole. It was a sign of things to come…

You have probably heard the saying, “The good lord giveth and the good lord taketh away?” Well the good lord may have taketh my golf game, but he gave me a foursome to make up for it. None of us played as we would have liked, but doggone it, we had a dang (yeah, this is a G-rated family blog) good time!

Dave Cobb

Today I had the side-splitting pleasure of playing with Archie Copeland, Craig Sherwood, and David Cobb. We all knew going in that we were out of contention for tournament honors, but we still had intention of playing well. Within a few holes, I think we all realized that the day before was no fluke, no temporary spell of bad luck, so what else are ya gonna do except have a good time if you can’t have good golf? I think Dave might have been the last to give up the ghost though.

Any of you reading this can sign up for my brand new course in “Drunken Crane” style golf (You don’t need nunchucks or Gi, just an inherent balance deficiency). Anyway, that’s what Archie termed my final drive of the day on No.9, and we had a good chuckle on that one (I wish Steph has been around to catch some video of that drive). Bottom line is that it was in the middle of the fairway and I had a baby 8-iron into the green to finish with a par. So karate chop that Archie!

Craig Sherwood

Craig and I rode together and saw more of the new FMCC layout during today’s round than a foursome who had played three or four times. But we kept on laughing…although Craig wasn’t really happy until the lady with the Coors Light on her cart came around the second time. After about our third hole, Craig was regretting not having stocked up when she asked us shortly after we began the round.

Craig was more than ready when we encountered her with just four holes to go, and he immediately expressed his joy with a par on No.6 and finished the final four holes plus-2. That’s no small feat considering he had scored plus-2 or more on 10 of the 18 holes we played. Ah, but he also had two birdies, which was one more than the rest of us. We had made a pact that score was not at all important by that time

Archie Copeland

Archie didn’t know it, but in addition to wanting to do better than I did the day before, finishing ahead of him was my motivation today. After the first two holes, it seemed obvious that he was the best player in our group, and I know Archie from the Quota/Skins Game at The Hideaway, so it was as good a motive as I could find to try to maintain some sense of competition despite being out of the tourney. Archie built a three-stroke lead through our first seven holes, but we were tied at 44 after the first nine holes.

Steph- our photographer

My first seven holes were like a metronome at a piano lesson: Double, bogey, bogey, double, bogey, bogey, double…C’mon, sing along; it’s catchy. Anyway, Steph finally showed up on No.17 (our 8^th hole played) and immediately things began looking up. No.17 is a par-4, listed as 380 yards on the card, and was listed as playing 320 yards on the instruction sheet they gave us this morning.

My eagle putt on 17 just missed

I suspect that neither yardage was correct because I drove the green and had a 18-footer for eagle. Even that strong wind at our backs and firm fairways couldn’t have helped me drive it 320; I’m just a short-knocker. However these new Snake Eyes balls that I put into play the past couple of weeks have definitely increased my driving distance. They haven’t seemed to hurt the little spin I do generate either.

Archie sinks one

In any event, I missed the eagle putt on No.17 (no shock given the way I putted this past weekend), but did make the birdie, and posted par on the following two holes. But then Steph had to go take more photos and the real me showed up again. Neither Archie nor I played lights out on the final nine, and Archie’s par on No.8 meant that I had a one-shot lead coming into our final hole (the 390-yard, par-4 9^th). I posted par and Archie posted a bogey, and at least I had won my imaginary competition…and had a great time with the guys to boot.

C-Flight

But what about the real competition? The Day 1 leader of our C-Flight Mark Johnson (80, 90), who had held a one-shot lead over Pete Chappell (81, 81), struggled most of the day before finishing strong with three pars. Johnson fell into a tie for 5^th. Chappell claimed the top spot in our flight, and was the picture of consistency over the two days, shooting identical scores (81, 81). On the final day, he shot 42 on the front and a nifty 39 on the back, despite two double bogeys in the final four holes.

Keith Cramsey, 2nd in Flight C, putts on Day 1

My cart partner of the first day, Keith Cramsey started the final day in 4^th-place, six strokes off the lead, and five shots back of Chappell. Keith leapfrogged Johnson and Brayden Fortini (3^rd after Round 1) to claim second in our flight. Keith shot 38 on the front nine, but posted 8-over 43 on the back, despite finishing the round with a birdie for the second consecutive day. I guess Keith knows how to finish strong.

It was a John’s day on Sunday, because John Rhoades and John Brown II both shot 78, the lowest score in our flight for both days of the competition. Rhoades’ score, 13 shots better than his score at Eastwood the day before, vaulted him from 11^th into 3^rd-place! Brown II’s 78 was 14 shots better than his first round, moving him up from 14^th to 5^th. Pretty nice climbs up the leaderboard huh. Me? I started in the middle of the pack and there is where I languished at tourney’s end (10^th). Somehow, I will find a way to deal with mediocrity!

Championship Flight (see News-Press article here)

Mike Andre and Jake Sherwin head out

In the Championship Flight, Jake Sherwin maintained his lead of the previous day, taking top honors for the second consecutive year with his three-under 69 at Eastwood and his even-par 70 at FMCC. He had shared that 1-shot lead over Griffin Hanson with Mike Andre coming in to the final day. Despite his four birdies, Hanson struggled to plus-8 on the day to finish 4^th, while Andre shot a respectable two over, with three birdies, to finish third in the flight.

Kaleb Johnson on his way to low round of the tourney

It was Kaleb Johnson’s day from a scoring standpoint, however. Johnson posted the low round of the tournament, shooting a 2-under 68, to finish second, just one shot short of Tournament Champion Sherwin. 

Winning form from repeat winner Jake Sherwin

Johnson posted a stunning eight birdies on his card on Sunday, compared to just one the day before. Unfortunately for him, he also posted six bogeys. Sherwin notched four birdies of his own, but they were offset with four bogeys. It may not be the PGA Tour, but it’s nice to take top honors in a field of 148.

A-Flight

In the next best flight, the A-Flight, Matt Hight was the only player to post two rounds in the 70s, shooting 79 at Eastwood and 75 at FMCC to win the flight by seven shots! Matt posted par or better on 22 of the 36 holes played and notched an eagle on the 560-yard, par-5 8^th at FMCC.

Dat Phan- 3rd in Flight A

Jo Jo Fortini, who was third coming into the final round, bettered his first-round 82 by three shots to take 2^nd-place. Dat Phan, who was tied for 8^th after Day 1, crept up the leaderboard into 3^rd with a final round 79, five shots better than his first-round score. Phillip Everhart, who was 2^nd and just two shots off the lead after the first round, shot 84 and fell into a tie for 6^th.

B-Flight

James Cole- Flight B Winner

The B-Flight winner was James Cole, who, despite being in a flight that called for players with handicap indices between 8 and 10, shot 76 at Eastwood (with 4 birdies!), and 77 at FMCC. His 153 total (which “cole-cocked” the second best performer by six shots) would have won the A-Flight…I’m just sayin’ and wondering if this is the same James Cole who is a PGA Professional. Sure did shoot like one.

Toby Schwetje- 2nd in Flight B 

Second-place in the B-Flight went to Toby Schwetje, who came close to posting two rounds in the 70s with a 79 at Eastwood and an 80 at FMCC. Schwetje needed a bogey or better on his final hole to accomplish the feat, but posted a double bogey. Ouch! He still held on to 2^nd by two shots.

View from proshop

Bo Pulley emerged from a logjam of players tied for 8^th-place after the first round, to tie for 3^rd with Danny Suero, who moved up from 4^th after Round 1. Suero hurt himself big time with three doubles on the back side coming in. Pulley posted an almost blemish-free first nine, carding a 37 with one birdie and a triple on the par-5 11^th.

Tom Wallace & Kari Phenix working the leaderboard

John Phelps and Ron Puder started the final round in 3^rd, but Phelps dropped into a tie for 9^th after posting 85, and Puder fell to tie for 13^th with an 86. The number of doubles on his card suggested that Phelps had an off day, and Puder, who had three birdies at Eastwood, could never get going at FMCC.

D-Flight

The winner of D-Flight, Tom Watkins, would have won C-Flight and taken second in both the B and A flights with his 158 total (77, 81). That’s some pretty stellar golf for a player with an index of 14 or greater I’d say. Watkins’ gross score was nine better than his closest competitor in the flight, and his net advantage was even more lopsided. I’m told that Watkins was recovering from injury and that’s why his index was so high. Good recovery Tom!

Pete Soom on Day 1

Two of the three players who tied for second-place Daniel Johnson and Michael Ahearn posted identical scores (87, 80) that were seven shots better in the second round than the first. Neither could make up much ground on Watkins’ 10-shot lead from Day 1. Pete Soom, who led my group the first day, was the third player to tie for second-place with a 167 total, but he was pretty consistent both days, shooting 85, 82.  All three would have tied for 2^nd had they played in C-Flight.

In Retrospect

Kari and Tom almost done

Regardless of how I play, I hate to see a golf tournament come to an end, and the Southwest Florida Men's Amateur is no exception. As usual, I'd like to thank the staff and volunteers at both facilities (Kari Phenix, Todd Brown, Tom Wallace and others) for putting on a terrific event. 

Todd Brown chats with participant

I just wish they were a little tighter on the handicaps. It wouldn't have helped me any, but I feel for the guys who played well in their handicap range, only to be blown away by players who posted scores that made a mockery of the notion of a USGA handicap. But hey, that's golf and we love it regardless. Next stop: West Florida Amateur Tour stop at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. Until then, your "drunken style" golf sensei and lovely photographer are signing off...

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MEN'S AMATEUR- ROUND 1 AT EASTWOOD GOLF COURSE

Additional photos can be seen here

It’s way late, or way early, depending on how you look at it, for me to be playing golf. Typically my golf season runs from the end of April to the beginning of October, but I could not resist the temptation of the Southwest Florida 

Men’s Amateur in my own backyard, being played this weekend at Eastwood Golf Club and Fort Myers Country Club. Besides, it will be an excellent tune-up for my first foray into the world of West Florida Amateur Tour competition on 12/1.

You couldn’t ask for more ideal weather conditions with temperatures in the 70s on this crisp fall day in Southwest Florida. I wasn’t sure what to expect heading out to Eastwood for the first round, given my two practice rounds the days before the event. Playing most of my recent golf at The Hideaway, with its lush, carpet-like fairways and greens to match (the paspalum effect), one can develop a false sense of security.

Chipping and putting before teeing off this morning, I realized that reading and putting the greens at Eastwood was going to be a challenge. I practiced putting for 20 minutes, and didn’t feel any more comfortable when I finished than when I started. Oh well, maybe I’d hit it close and wouldn’t have to worry about it.

I guess I took that discomfort to me to the first tee, because I was first of the tee on No.10, our starting hole, and I proceeded to dump my first shot in the water. I will spare you the gory details of that opening hole, but the bottom line is that I began the tournament with a quadruple bogey 8! Uh, can you say, “Shell shocked?”

For the first five holes on the more difficult back side, including another quad on the par-3 13^th (another two balls in the water!), What I was doing out there did not resemble golf, and I had to struggle to get a grip on my mind and emotions. I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t how you started but how you finished that counted most. Hey, what else could I say to myself at that point? I had already shot myself out of the tournament.

Well, I was able to get my act together after Steph paid me a visit on the green on No.15 green. After playing the first five holes 13 over par, I managed to post nine pars on the final 13 holes, playing those holes just five over par, 

despite my continued discomfort on the greens. Oh, one of those strokes was due to moving my ball inadvertently. I guess if I don’t have at least one episode of mental flatulence in a tournament round, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.

Anyway, I had the best score of our group by two strokes on the second nine, but I had done so badly on the first nine that my 90 was still three strokes worse the third best score in our foursome. That third-best score was 

posted by Rick Petersen, who notched the best score on our first nine with a four-over 41. But Rick faltered a bit, coming in with a 46 on the second nine. He still sits in 6^th-place in our flight.

J. Keith Cramsey, my “quad-city” cart partner, holds 4^th place in our C-Flight (11 – 13 handicap) after shooting 86 despite two quadruple bogeys. He had a tough back side as well, shooting 46, but he had only three blemishes on his card on the front side. Perhaps most gratifying for Keith was his birdie on the final hole. He had had multiple attempts that scared the hole but refused to fall. He’s in the hunt, but six shots back of the leader.

Interestingly enough, Pete Soom’s 85 was the best score in our foursome…and he is in the D Flight (14 & up handicap). Guess the handicapping was a tad off target in this instance. In fact, our C-Flight leader (Mark Johnson) shot an 80, while the D-Flight leader (Tom Watkins) shot 77. Go figure. Pete, sits in 2^nd-place in D-Flight, courtesy of his back-side 45, and front-side 40. Frank Seiler and Daniel Johnson shot 87 to tie for third in Flight D.

As for the big hitters in the Championship Flight (0 – 4 handicap), Jake Sherwin and Mike Andre are tied for the lead with 3-under 69s. Both players posted six birdies that were offset by three bogeys. Griffin Hanson had just one bogey on his card, and was the only other player under par, shooting a 2-under 70. Rokki Rogan and Kaleb Johnson are just three shots off the lead with their even-par rounds.  

The A-Flight (5 – 7 handicap) was led by Matt Hight who posted a 7-over 79 and leads Phillip Everhart by two shots. Jo Jo Fortini is third, three shots behind the leader. B-Flight (8 – 10 handicap) leader James Cole posted a nifty 39 on the back side and a plus-two 37 on the front side. Toby Schwetje (79), John Phelps (80), and Ron Puder (80) round out the top-three in Flight B and are well within striking distance of the lead.

All in all, it was a terrific day of golf at Eastwood Golf Course and I’m looking forward to redeeming myself tomorrow at the newly renovated Fort Myers Country Club (FMCC). Most of the talk around the practice greens this morning was about the new look and feel of FMCC, and by just about all accounts, the renovation is a hit. I’m looking forward to playing something that looks and feels like golf before my sixth hole of the day! Until next…

2014-15 WEST FLORIDA AMATEUR TOUR SEASON ON THE HORIZON- I'M IN!

Ritz-Carlton Golf Club- site of season opener

If you don’t like seeing your name on a leaderboard, if you only like playing with the same foursome on the same golf course, with not much on the line except what you usually put on the line, then you probably won’t care much about what I’ll be writing about here. However, if you enjoy playing stellar new golf courses, competing against new golfers on a regular basis, with opportunities to bolster your 19^th-hole kitty, then I think you might want to read on…

My 15 minutes of leaderboard fame at the 2013 World Am

Listen, even before seeing my name atop the leaderboard at the 2013 World Amateur Handicap Championship, I was hooked on tournament play. Since that experience, I look forward to any opportunity to challenge myself on the golf course, and to that potential rush of seeing my name atop the leaderboard. Now I have such and opportunity right in my own backyard!

WFAT 2014-15 Season Calendar

I’m talking about the West Florida Amateur Tour (WFAT) based in Sarasota, which, under the leadership of new WFAT Director Ross Hanson, seems poised for takeoff during the 2014-15 season. The WFAT offers one-day quota/skins events, 2 – 4 times per month from December 1 through April 20. The addition of three two-man-team special events has increased the number of events from 12 last season to 15 this time around.

Despite my working-man’s schedule, I’m now a member of the WFAT and I’m going to shoot for one event per month through the end of the season. Yeah, it’s likely to cost me more in sacrificed lessons than I’ll make playing the events, but despite popular belief, money ain’t everything…golf is! Obviously I’m joking (at least a little) there, but I am a bona fide golf-a-holic, and the only program they have for that is the 18-hole program.

In any event, membership in the WFAT is just $50 and if you play just two events, you will have covered your membership cost. If you play more than two, well, now you are earning money by becoming a member…and that is over and above what you make playing golf on some very sweet tracks!

Golf goodies in Cypress Lake Country Club proshop

Seriously, although the prize money comes by way of pro shop vouchers at the host courses, you can surely make enough to cover that new driver or putter you might be craving. I’m thinking it’s worth the entry fee and travel, even though I have to travel an hour or so up I-75.

Larry Herman (left) gets winner's prize from Ross Hanson

For example, although I’m not sure how they used their vouchers, in the Ritz-Carlton Series at the Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club in January, Larry Herman pocketed $300 for winning the Net Division, and John Vaccaro did the same for winning the Gross. Oh, Vaccaro also picked up more than $150 for winning two skins as well. 

WFAT Partner- Golfsmith

Entry fee covered? Check! Membership covered? Check! Think you could pick up something nice in the pro shop for that? Oh, how could I forget, having partnered with Golfsmith, the WFAT offers a $10 gift certificate for all participants in each event. More golf stuff on the horizon…

Lakewood Ranch: Cypress Links #10
(Palmer/Martz Design)
Photo courtesy of lakewoodranchgolf.com

Ah, but it’s not just the chance to pocket a few greenbacks that holds the most allure for a documented golf-a-holic. The anticipation of playing private courses designed by renowned architects like Tom Fazio, Donald Ross, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Rees Jones and Ron Garl really accelerates my pulse.

Ritz Carlton Golf Club
Photo courtesy of Ritz Calton website

For example, the first event of the season will be at the aforementioned Tom Fazio-designed Ritz Carlton Members Golf Club, and I can tell you from the experience that Steph and I had when we covered one of the West Florida Golf Tour’s professional events, that it is a lovely track that would tickle the fancy of any avid golfer.

Sara Bay Country Club- Photo courtesy of fsga.org

Or perhaps you are more of a history buff and would relish the chance to play on a legendary Donald Ross-designed gem that dates back to 1925 and saw the likes of Bobby Jones and Tommy Armour gracing its fairways and greens (they never saw any rough, right?). If so, then you would enjoy Sara Bay Country Club, another private venue open to WFAT members and tournament participants at the Sara Bay Series, the second Tour stop December 8.

Bradenton Country Club
Photo courtesy of bradentoncc.org

If you couldn’t make the 8^th, you get another crack at a Donald Ross design on the 15^th, when the Tour makes its third stop at the Bradenton Country Club. This masterpiece from 1924 in another track you wouldn’t have access to unless you were a member, but the WFAT offers you the key to this vaunted venue.

TPC Prestancia- Photo courtesy of golfersguide.com

In fact, in addition to the courses listed above, WFAT members and competitors will be welcomed at both courses (East & West, designed by Gary Player, renovated by Rees Jones) at Laurel Oak Country Club, two of the three championship tracks at Lakewood Ranch Country Club (Royal Lakes & Cypress Links- Arnold Palmer design), as well as the Ron Garl-designed TPC Prestancia in Sarasota.

Sara Bay Winners Justine Harper
 & Roc Irey  

Listen, if you enjoy the adrenaline rush of starting the back nine in contention, if you like standing over a four-foot putt that actually means something, go take a look at the WFAT website and see for yourself if it’s something you would enjoy doing. I guess I should mention that any guys afraid of losing to a woman should not enter, because women are welcome, AND have won on the WFAT! Yes, the women do play from a different tee than some of the guys, but so do the 60-plus men.

T. A. at River Strand

The bottom line is that whether you’ve just gotten back to sunny Florida or have spent your summer here, your golf game should be as good a shape as it gets, and there is a series of breathtaking challenges awaiting you and your golf buddies on the West Florida Amateur Tour. Oh, and just in case your game isn’t in tiptop shape, you still have almost a month to get ready for the first event.

Hideaway Quota/Skins Game players

I’m throwing out the challenge to all of the members of the Fort Myers Golf Club, to all the members at The hideaway Country Club, to all the golfers who played the Hideaway Quota/Skins game this summer: Come join me on the West Florida Amateur and lets have a great time on some great links, and pick up some pocket change while we’re at it. Are you in?

Chris Capps tees it up at Treviso Bay in Naples

I think my buddy Chris Capps is in for the season opener on December 1, and Steph and I will be photo-documenting our escapades, so stay tuned for more on our West Florida Amateur Tour adventure.