Phillies Baby, Phillies!

While the weather was beautiful today and the links were calling my name, I just had to stay home and watch the Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 6-1. That victory, combined with the New York Mets 8-1 loss to the Florida Marlins helped the Phillies claim the N.L. Eastern Division title. It is the first time the Phillies have made the playoffs since 1993. Golf will just have to wait until next weekend. Phil-lies! Phil-lies! Phil-lies!

New Adams Hybrid in the Bag

After finishing a doctor's appointment early yesterday afternoon, I drove over to a nearby Dick's Sporting Goods in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. There I found an Adams Idea a2 4-hybrid with an Aldila NV shaft on sale. I already have the Aldila NV shaft in my 3 Wood and Nicket Utility club. Since I had a couple of Dick's gift cards that covered half of the price, I made the purchase and it will now get a tryout in my golf bag. Adams hybrids are very popular on the PGA and Champions Tours and I can't wait to see how this one performs for me. If fact, Mark Wiebe, who just won the Champions Tour's SAS Championship this past weekend, had an Adams hybrid in his bag. He beat Dana Quigley, who has about six Adams hybrids in his bag.

Back in the Swing...An Ugly Swing

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Score: Practice Round
Date: September 23, 2007

It has been almost three weeks since I last swung a golf club at a ball, so I ventured over to Juniata Golf Club this afternoon for a refresher 18 holes on how the game is played. I would have done better to stay home and watch the Eagles play. I rearranged the make-up on my bag, trying a different 3 Wood, taking out two of the hybrids and adding a 5 Wood. This experiment will be short-lived. The Nickent hybrid goes back in the back and out comes the 5 Wood, while the 3 Wood and 4 hybrid model has also been replaced by different models. I've gone back to the 16 degree Golfsmith XPC Plus and put a Black Max 24 degree hybrid with a Stripper graphite shaft in play. I've also replaced my irons with a set of TaylorMade RAC OC2s, which I used on-and-off since 2005. My biggest problem today was my concentration and focus. I questioned myself on whether I really felt like playing today, I sure sign I should have skipped the links. But since I've been able to play in almost three weeks, I didn't want to waste an opportunity. Because of the Eagles game, the course was virtually empty, so I played the 18 holes solo and my mind was everywhere but on the shot at hand. Lets just say I managed one par during my round. My short game was non-existent; not surprising since touch is one of the first things to leave you when you haven't played for a bit. I'm hoping this is past and already, I'm looking to make amends next weekend!

The Soul of Golf

I have just finished reading The Soul of Golf by William Hallberg, the story of one golf writer's ultimate road trip across the country to find the true soul of the game we are all addicted to and love with an unyielding passion. Hallberg, who writes for various golf magazines, is better known as the author of the golf novel Rub of the Green. In The Soul of Golf, Hallberg chronicles his 1996 trek across the United States in which he plays large private country clubs, small nine-hole public courses, and such hallowed linked as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point, playing with whomever he can can get paired with on the first tee in order to find what makes this golf so wonderful and appealing. Throughout his travels, Hallberg must cope with the constant thoughts of ailing parents, a sister who is dying of bone marrow cancer, and a daughter who severely breaks her leg on summer vacation. Although Hallberg does to ramble on about things unrelated to golf, it was enjoyable to read about his quest to play small, unique, out-of-the-mainstream golf courses with everyday people. For them, these courses are the very lifeline to their passion for the game. The Muni Golfer can relate to these people as I too enjoy playing these type of courses.