That US Open rough kept average scores up for another week but “help” is on the way… SUMMER! After what seems like two months of below average temperatures and above average rainfall we’re expecting record breaking high temperatures and humidity to open up next week… Will Lou’s JD Gator air conditioning be up to the task? We’ll have to just wait and see… We’re only 10 days away from the 6th annual East Branch Team Championship and only one team of you guys have committed to play… Do we really have to concede the trophy to a team that calls Hanah, Delhi, or Shephard Hills home? I for one hope not.
For today let’s talk once again about pace of play and lost ball searches… (yes I hope to tame the rough and perhaps scalding heat indices may suppress all of the clover blooms) We’re typically playing in foresomes so perhaps we can help triangulate ball locations into an approximate 30 x 30 foot square? Four guys in 900 square feet will probably step on a ball during a search if they don’t actually see it first. After 5 minutes (or count down from 300 in the alternative) it’s time for all to agree to an approximate location of the ball, drop one, and add two penalty strokes. Flourescent Red or Green or Yellow balls might also help for us visually challenged… Know where your ball is (almost), know what club you think to hit, don’t take 50 practice swings (yes I know removing some hay around your ball might help your next shot) and just play “ready golf” (hit when safe to do so – no need to play furthest from the hole first)… consider finishing your putts (and / or conceding an opponents putt every now and then) Mark your scorecards on the next TEE… not on or next to the GREEN. Little things that will shorten your league rounds by 15 or more minutes – hey with the Summer Solstice arriving shortly you might even fire up that bonus round we used to play after league every week? Just be mindful out there… no need to rush – but…https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WpSnMImb6wrugvdCuzfvlyl8hAM5it1o/view?usp=sharing
