PHAT Tour Championship 2018

Another year of the PHAT tour has come and gone all to quickly.  The tour is 5 years old now and for the fifth straight year I pretty much played like garbage.

Jeff Jiovanazzo and Bill separated themselves from the pack on the first 18 with an adjusted +1.  Chad was close behind at +2 with an impressive even par second nine.

And while the normally unflappable Jiovanazzo suffered a rare collapse in the sudden death playoff, scoring a delightfully familiar (for me) 9 on the first playoff hole.

I actually managed to hang around the top of the leaderboard for 11 holes before this hole derailed all of my dreams.  I will be thinking about revenge on this stupid easy par 5 all year long.

The second round of the tournament I was paired with Todd, Chris, and Dan.  Todd caught fire.  Despite trying to empty his golf bag on the 11th hole, he ended up essentially walking away with the second round title.

What is so tough about the par 3 11th?  I think the second go round we put 8 balls off the tee collectively in our foursome.  Ouch.

Jiovanazzo earned player of the year award by razor thin margin.  One stroke separated Chad and Jeff at the top.  Chad missed a honey of a putt on 17 that would have been the difference.  A tap in footlong that failed to drop.

Another great year with a great tour.  Hopefully I can retain my card for next year!

Flickr album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmivr1fj

Johnny

All of the people that I consider friends I know to be good people.  Life is too short to surround yourself with any other kind of person.  When I reflect on these friendships, there are some who stand out for extraordinary attributes.  For some it is loyalty; some a preternatural positive attitude that can't help rub-off on you. Others have humor enough to send you off your chair rolling with laughter.  Still others exemplify a selfless passion to help others.

A rare few exemplify a multitude of these qualities.  Still fewer have the singular distinction of possessing them all.   I hold the distinguished honor to say John Ericksen is one such friend.  I first met Johnny through my brother.  As I got to know him, his great attitude and his laugh made being around him a joy.  I have been blown away by the generosity that he and his family have shown over the years organizing and running the Johnny Open ClubnCancer golf fund raiser.  I tell everyone about this event that it is one of the highlights of my spring.  Events like this and the generosity that they demonstrate are one of the reasons that it makes me proud to be a golfer.  Over less than 10 years Johnny and his family have provided much needed financial support to families going through cancer.  With his hard work he has raised thousands and thousands of dollars and selflessly helped many wonderful families.

Johnny has had his own struggles with cancer for many years but you'd hardly know it from being around him.  His positivity every time I have been around him has been something I've always striven to emulate.

Cancer sucks and it is back again.  Since hearing this news I have been thinking about Johnny a lot.  About what a great friend he is, and more so, about what a great person.  I want nothing more than for him to be back out golfing on Thursdays as Dwan.  I wish for him a quick and full recovery.  But more than anything I hope for another win in his battle. 

A new painting for John inspired by cartoons of Peter Hobbs

New kicks for 2018

After finding out that each and every one of my golf shoes are no longer water proof in 2017, this year I have ventured outside my norms.  In the past almost all of my shoes have been Footjoys.  This year I decided to give the Adidas Boost 360 a go. 

These are my first pair of Adidas and my first foray into the BOA lacing system.  For those that don't know, the BOA system uses a system of braided wires instead of laces to tighten the shoe.  The wires are attached to a turning ratchet type device that lets you easily loosen or tighten the "laces" with the turn of the BOA knob.

So far I have been able to use them on only one occasion, which was my trip down to Streamsong in Florida.  I didn't encounter any inclement weather, as the weather was sunny and hot.  I can report that after walking 54 holes I had no break-in problems.  The shoes were very comfortable and non-fatiguing.  The only gripe I had is that the arch support is a little lacking. Not enough to cause any issues but enough to definitely be noticeable when I switched into my Asiics after the round.

Marquette Golf Club - Greywalls Course Part 4

Hole 16

Par 4
371 | 371 | 349 | 319 yards

You finally get a respite from the long holes on the par 4 6th hole.  This hole is a blind tee shot to a hole that is pretty much straight ahead.  

The best line off the tee is along the slope on the left side.  The fairway slopes pretty good from right to left so you want to try to avoid the left side.  Just don't hit too far right as a series of rocks run along that side, backed by trees which line the entirety of the hole. 

Once you get over the hill you have a clear view to the green.  A slope to the right of the green may save a wayward ball hit over there from the woods.  Avoid the left side as a hill right off the green will kick balls hit over there down into the trees.  There are a pair of bunkers sitting behind the green, hidden from view.

This is a picture taken from the right side of the green with the tees back to the left.  You can see how along the left side of the green the hole drops off into the trees.  Another large green here with a depth of about 35 yards and a width nearly the same. The right portion of the green is tiered above the left half.

Hole 17

Par 3
137 | 137 | 121 | 94 yards

The penultimate hole is the last par 3 of the day.  A short hole there is not much too this one.  A piar of bunkers guard the front of this canted oval green.

Seen from the back left you can see there is plenty of room to miss around the green, provided you miss the front bunkers.

As we finished this hole and were on the 18th tee, Jason Hougom who was playing in our party in the group behind proceeded to knock in his tee ball on 17 for an ACE!  Here is the video of him getting the ball afterwards.



Jason has not played golf much and wasn't too thrilled about the experience, not knowing how rare his feat was.  He proceeded to tee the ball up on 18 and drove it off into the left rough up in the rocks.  I had to go up there and find it, telling him he couldn't lose that after what he just did.

Hole 18

Par 5
533 | 533 | 463 | 442 yards

The final hole is a big downhill par 5 that requires an accurate tee shot.  If you can deliver one you can get a lot of extra distance as the ball bounds downhill towards the green.  TO do so you must avoid the chute of trees that the fairway passes down.  Also on the left side a rocky hillside awaits wayward shots down that side.

The fairway over the top of the hill, funnels on both sides into the middle.  With a lucky bounce your ball can find a friendly downhill trampoline effect, as mine did.

My ball actually tumbled down the hill around 315 yards from the tee.  I actually ran out of fairway, as you can see in the photo here, where a patch of first cut rough divides the start of the fairway and the fairway area that leads to the green.

This second fairway starts at about 150 yards out and this area is impressively massive.  After playing all day with much narrower landing zones, the nearly 70 yard wide fairway here feels unreasonably generous.

This is definitely a hole that encourages- almost demands- that you try to reach this green in two.

The green here is completely level with the surrounding fairway, even more of an encouragement to run something up from long distance.  Other than behind the green, where a hillside can come into play there is nothing standing in your way from taking on this 35+ yard diameter circular green.

Conclusion

What a remarkable experience Greywalls is.  I feel that pictures of most of these holes don't do the rugged beauty of this place justice.  They certainly have trouble conveying the elevation changes that are in play.

Some people might say some of the features are gimmicky or unfair.  While it is certainly true that on some holes a ball hit down the middle of a fairway can find trouble along a rocky embankment, to me that is part of the fun of this course.

Your round starts out with an undeniably breathtaking first tee.  Once you get to he fairway you get to experience some of the crazy fairway mounding that is mixed throughout the course. 

Holes 2 and 3 are good solid holes that could fit into many of the good "Northern" style courses you find in the upper Midwest.  They are not quite as extreme as the first hole.

Holes 4 through 11 are, in my opinion, the best stretch of holes.  Such great variety in layout, elevation, playability, and length are offered on these 8 holes that I would put them up against 8 of the best holes on any course in Minnesota I have played.

Hole 12 through 14 which all run adjacent to one another are maybe the most boring stretch of holes.  While they are all long holes they don't offer as much character as the 8 holes proceeding them and feel slightly ho-hum in comparison.

15 is a beast of a par 3, and 17 a memorable one with me witnessing the hole in one.

16 and more so 18 leave you with a memory of the great elevation changes this course offers.  Both of them featuring big downhill tee shots.  18 does everything it can to give you the opportunity to make a great score to end your round.

When I first got onto the property I had no idea what lay in store up the hills at Greywalls.  I hope that if you are ever in the U.P. of Michigan and looking for a place to golf that you give Greywalls some serious consideration.

Take Greywalls and pair it with a couple of other great courses.  You have Sweetgrass nearby in Escanaba MI, plus its new course opening in 2018. You also have Timberstone Golf Course in Iron Mountain.  These three places make for tremendous destination for an Upper Michigan road trip which I would highly recommended. 

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Marquette Golf Club - Greywalls Course Part 2

Hole 4

Par 4
425 | 379 | 316 | 256 yards

The 4th hole is an intimidating tee shot that must find the narrow chute of fairway running between the thick trees on either side.

The fairway is a bit wider than it appears off the tee.  A rocky hill on the right obscures part of the fairway from the tee.  The fairway is actually two distinct portions.  On the left half you have the upper fairway and on the right you have the lower portion.  The fairway is split by a rocky slope.

It is a forced carry to the fairway over native grasses and wetlands.  It is about 225 yards maximum carry from the tips to the fairway.

A ball hit down the right side will find the lower fairway and a partially blind shot to the green over the hill on the right edge of this hole.  A drive that can carry the hill on the left can get a big kick forward if it can reach the far side and the large down slope there.

With a good drive down the left you can see how your ball can shoot forward leaving a very short shot into the green.  All told the fairway here is almost 70 yards across so it should be fairly easy to hit.  The hazard is a ball down the middle that catches the rocky slope and gets hung up in the surrounding grasses.

With a natural slope coming in from the right this green offers an option to bank it in from right to left.  There is not much room to miss left as the rough is fairly close to the putting surface on that side.  Missing right, short or long, is not too bad with a sizable chipping area into this 40+ yard long green that is canted diagonally from the center line of the fairway.

Hole 5

Par 4
312 | 312 | 284 | 251 yards

With only a distance of 312 yards one would think this could be an easy hole but it has a variety of hazards to make up for the lack of distance.

Of the tee it is an uphill tee shot to the fairway.  It requires a carry to the fairway of 180 yards from the back tees.

Missing to the right you will find the trees that line that entire side.  Missing left of the lone pine tree will find the rocky slope framing the opposite side of the hole.  The hole does dogleg left once you reach the fairway.  A bold tee shot would be a driver at that solitary pine.  If hit on the proper line you can get very close to the green.

My tee shot was just a bit left of the fairway and this is the lie I found myself with.  Thick rough on top of rock.  Not fun.  You can see that further up the hole a sheer rock cliff comes into play down the right side.

That 50 foot rock wall is right up against the right side of the green.  On the left side of the green is another rock outcropping.  The green is basically in a gap between these two rock faces so hitting the green is important.  This is a deep green at just under 40 yards and is nearly 25 yards across.

Behind the green it falls away down to the cart path and the trees beyond.  This is a fun hole but one that can definitely benefit from having played a couple of times to know how to play it.

Hole 6

Par 3
188 | 178 | 151 | 137 yards

The 6th might be my favorite hole on the course.  A longish par 3 that plays in a variety of ways depending on which tees you play from.

From the back tees the green is essentially level, or slightly below you.  However, to reach the green you must carry the entire distance.  A rock wall marks the start of a fairway landing area short of the green.  This extends 100 feet to the green but is so steeply sloped back towards the cliff that anything hit short of the green may not hold this area.

The green is surrounded on the other three sides by rocks.  The green here is pretty massive.  It is about 30 yards in both directions and is shaped somewhat like a giant apple.  There is both a false front and back though so the actual playing area is less that it appears.

From the forward two tees I think this hole is almost more daunting as these tee boxes sit in the valley below the back tees and the green.  These shots are shorter but require playing a massively uphill tee shot.

A view from the rock wall immediately behind the green looking back at the tee boxes in the distance.

The front left of the green falls off as does the back right of the green.

Making a two putt even if you are safely aboard is no guarantee on this sizable green.

on the 6th green you are at one of the higher elevations on the course besides the first tee.  Behind the green you can see the massive shared fairway of the upcoming 9th and 10th holes.  Turning to the left you can see the par 4 7th you are about to play.

Hole 7

Par 4
489 | 432 | 347 | 347 yards

From the elevated perch that the 6th green shares, the 7th tee boxes are either highly elevated or,  if playing, the forward tees somewhere down the hill.  Speaking of hills, this is the parking area for the carts and the hill you need to climb back up to get to the back tees.

This par 4 features another fairway similar to the 4th hole, with two fairway levels bisected by a rock cliff.  Unlike on the fourth hole, this rock cliff wraps around the far side as well, making for a sheer drop at around 200 yards from the green.

The intended line here seems to be to the upper fairway.  There is danger to hitting here though because the hidden cliff cuts across at about 280 yards from the back tees.  A ball that doesn't fly that cliff can get an unlucky bounce and get lodged somewhere on the cliff face (I know, one of my playing partners had that happen).

If you can clear the cliff face and hit the lower portion of the fairway, the rest of the way to the green is open, provided you stay out of the trees.  There is another set of smaller rocky cliffs on the left side of the fairway (hidden from view as you play down the hole) but with them being 130 yards out they are unlikely to be in play.

This is the cliff face that runs across the fairway.  We are about to try to find a ball that ended up somewhere at the base of this rock face in some very thick grass.

Looking back up the fairway from near the green you can see how this hole descends pretty much from tee to green.

A look back from behind this unprotected green.  This is a really deep green, 50 yards from front to back. Missing on either side or behind the green, your ball will run off into a sizable chipping fringe.  The right side is the most severe runoff and would be the side to avoid.

Hole 8

Par 4
343 | 328 | 328 | 298 yards

The 8th is a tight driving hole.  The fairway slopes strongly from right to left so a shot down the right is preferred.  A pair of rocky mounds sit down that right side though and require either attempting to carry them or play to their left.  You don't want to play more right than the right greenside bunker in the distance though as more rocks await you down the right side of the hole over the top of the mound.

The first of these mounds is even with the start of the fairway which is a carry of around 130 yards.  To reach the second mound from the tips is 180 yards.

An ideal conservative tee shot would appear to be a 200 yard shot hit just at the base of the rock mound.  If properly played it will kick left and end up near the 150 yard stake.  A more aggressive shot with driver should be at the right side of the green.

From the forward tees this hole is much less visually narrow.  The rock mound is still in play but the length of the fairway is better exposed.  You can see that to the left of the rock mound is a trio of bunkers sitting among the native grasses.

The approach on this hole requires carrying a slope in front of the green to a triangular two tiered green.  Sitting on either corner, short of the green are a pair of deep greenside bunkers.  A front pin like we had requires hitting to the lower of the 2 tiers.  Hitting a back pin, especially one tucked into one of the corners makes this hole much harder.  With the green being 30 yards deep it can also make for a couple more clubs on your approach.

A look back down the hole shows the multi-tiered green and the size of the fairway over the top of the rocks.

Hole 9

Par 4
389 | 389 | 358 | 284 yards

The final hole on the front is one with a fairway shared by the 10th hole.  Looking out at the expanse of fairway it can be hard to know where to aim.  Your target is actually to the left of the stand of trees. A large cross bunker must be carried in order to have a short approach.  To carry that bunker from the tips requires at least 260 yards.  If you can pull that off you will have 100 yards in.  A shot played right of that bunker is safer obviously but that brings the trees into play and may prevent a direct approach into the green.

Over the top of the cross bunker the fairway runs uninterrupted to the green.  The green is perched on the edge of a precipitous drop-off  both behind the green and to the left.  A slope to the right of the green can kick balls back onto the putting surface.  There is a bit of an upslope right in front of the green so shots running up may not get there.

Whatever you do try to avoid the left side (unlike me).  Hitting down there brings in a couple of rocky patches and lots of rough.  I managed to find my ball and hit a great flop way up the hill onto the green but I failed to convert the putt on another 30+ yard deep oval green.

Part 1
Part 3
Part 4