love and hate signature from Townsend Golf Club’s signature hole

The view from the tee box is daunting for a duffer: a large pond ringed by about 10 yards of cattails with a tiny, postage-stamp-sized green as your target.

Go short, it’s wet. Go right: still wet or the ball’s on the 3rd/12th fairway.

Hit it too far over the green and good luck with your chip shot onto a severely sloping back-to-front green.

Snap-hook it left or give it too much Titleist 910F-D Fairway Wood draw and you are out of bounds on F Street.

“To me, it’s the most beautiful hole on the golf course,” assistant pro Gabriel Tonan said.

“It might not have the views of the Olympics [like many of the other holes at Port Townsend] but the pond and wildlife is there.”

Players must carry their tee shot about 155 to 160 yards (more or less depending on what time of year you play and how much rain has been in the forecast) to the tiny green, the smallest on the course.

“The prevailing winds make the shot tough . . . very little room for error,” Tonan said.

A tough hole for sure, but one that gives you quite a charge if you do pull off a solid tee shot and stay below the pin to give yourself an uphill putt.

It’s still the closest I’ve ever come to a hole in one, sticking one stiff above Mizuno MP-69 Irons the hole and watching it trickle back down and literally hop over the hole.

Now that we know how hard the hole is, let’s talk about what a scenic vision it can be, especially in late spring with the cattails in bloom or fall with the background foliage ablaze with color.

My favorite spot at Port Townsend, though, is the teebox area for No. 9/18 because its elevation provides a great view of the pond with the No. 2/11 green peeking out of the top, and the neighborhood houses in the background.

Hopefully, something can be done about the flooding that occurs during the wetter months.

Last year the problem was the worst I’ve ever seen as the pond — the collection point for runoff from F Street, Discovery Road, San Juan Avenue and a discount golf clubs natural spring right off of No. 3 — spilled over and nearly took out the green.

Is it new development and poorly designed street drainage? Is it the spring? I’m not an expert but it’s a problem, and concerned golfers should share their thoughts with the city of Port Townsend to try and get it fixed.

Chip Brewer will be callaway’s new CEO

The Board of Directors, led by Tony Thornley and a search committee consists of independent directors, in addition to Spencer Stuart, a number one global executive search firm, conducted an extensive search that included a review of over 50 candidates such as a number with golf industry experience. "After a really thorough search, we presume that individuals have selected the perfect candidate to guide us with the next chapter at Callaway," commented Ronald S. Beard, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Chip has extensive expertise in all areas of the golf business, mainly in the Taylormade R11 irons advertising and marketing area, and it has a real love for golf. Chip boasts great relationships with customers and others in the golf industry and that he has been doing a fantastic job turning around and leading Adams Golf. The world thinks he or she is the correct leader to entrust with our valuable brands as well as the Board looks to utilizing him to revive profitability and increase shareholder value."

"After having the opportunity be CEO within this transition period, I know we now have selected the best candidate," added Tony Thornley. "Chip has got the right combination of leadership skills and experience to enhance their two main discount golf clubs strengths, namely its people and its leading club and basketball technology. In my opinion he has got the insight and ability to build upon these strengths and also have a sudden impact upon the corporation and it is recovery."

"The Board is incredibly grateful to Tony Thornley for his dedicated stewardship with this transition period," continued Mr. Beard. "Having a real strong and effective Taylormade R11 driver leader throughout the transition enabled the Board to accept necessary time and energy to conduct a comprehensive search and find the correct successor."

Mr. Brewer may be with Adams Golf since 1998 and it has served since it's President and Ceo since 2002. Mr. Brewer has an undergraduate degree in economics from the College of William and Mary and contains an MBA degree from Harvard University. Mr. Brewer features a low single digit handicap and is a member of the Pine Valley Club. Mr. Brewer and the family will probably be relocating for the San Diego area.

Woods was pleased with his full swings down the stretch

Snedeker and Stanley were the second-most-compelling American pairing after Tiger Woods, a three-time champion, and Nick Watney, who's won two PGA Tour events since Woods‘s last official tour victory in 2009.

Watney eliminated Woods, 1-up, in the match that resembled a log-rolling contest. Watney never trailed following the 10th hole and played steadily while Woods fought and fought to help keep his balance before stumbling for the 18th.

I respect greatly what Tiger is doing in this game and then for the bingo, so I’m very happy to move ahead, said Watney, that will face the former world No. 1 player Lee Westwood.

It would have been a very stand-up match, no callaway diablo edge irons gamesmanship or anything like that, Watney said. It was only hard fought.

Woods, who's won 33 matches in 12 appearances within this event, led only once or twice, after No. 4, and was two down with three holes to try out before making an elemen to win the 16th hole. He stuck his approach shot at No. 18 but pulled a 5-foot birdie putt that could have extended the match.

I was fighting the blocks for hours on end Ping Anser Forged Irons with my putter, said Woods, who had previously been happy with his full swings around the stretch.

I didn‘t miss an individual shot coming in, which can be good, he explained. And that was fun heading to the ball that well. Unfortunately, I recently didn’t come up with a putt when I needed it.

As Woods examined his last putt, all activity for the practice green involving the 18th hole along with the clubhouse ceased. Steve Stricker, who gave Woods a few discount golf clubs recommendations on the greens whenever they played an exercise round Tuesday, gingerly made his distance to a patch of cactus so he might get an improved look at Woods‘s putt.

Dustin Johnson, who had joined Stricker in the Round of 16, is 6 feet 4 inches but has not been tall enough to find out above the crowd ringing the back of the green, so he stood about the seat of your golf buggy.

Wooden clubs tournaments

While Temple Terrace lacks the length seen on modern PGA and L.P.G.An excursion courses, the real challenge in hickory golf is mastering the clubs. The wooden shafts torque differently inside swing process from modern-day equipment, forcing players to adjust to different timing. Probably the most successful players subdue the longing to overpower the ball.

The challenge is hitting a ball using a less-than-perfect Titleist VG3 Forged Irons implement, just make sure pull off a fantastic shot, it's exhilarating, Stevens said. Hickory golf is difficult, but it really uncovers your imagination.

Eddie Peckels showed some imagination as he holed out a mashie, the equivalent of a 7-iron, from 170 yards for the par-4 12th hole to have an eagle. Peckels, an experienced guitarist at Tuscawilla Golf Club in the winter months Springs, Fla., shot a three-over 76 to win the discount golf clubs wedding. Jim Garrison, the Temple Terrace host club pro, also carded a 76, but hurt his back late in the round and conceded the playoff.

Jennifer Cully, who shot an 85 and won the women's tournament for the second time, said today's modern clubs think that cheating in comparison with hickory clubs.

The hickory clubs are pretty whippy, so you have to have good timing, said Cully, a teaching pro at Apollo Beach (Fla.) Driver.

Tom McCrary, your head pro at Glen Lakes Country Club in Weeki Wachee, Fla., assembled his pair of hickory clubs after he helped a neighbor drive out an attic. He explained he enjoyed the process of hickory golf although he'd to sacrifice the traditional duration of his modern clubs.

It's a different technique as well as a different strategy using these clubs, he was quoted saying. You don't just hit it problematical.

Curiosity is usually the allure for players to test hickory golf. That was true for Gregor Jamieson, the director of golf at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, who tinkered with hickory clubs the first time Monday. His father was obviously a clubmaker Ping K15 Irons and the longtime head professional at Turnberry Resort in Scotland, who Jamieson said played with hickory clubs for 15 years after steel clubs were introduced.

Golf isn't easy anyway, but this brings it to a different level, Jamieson said. You're to not get any aid from these clubs. You need to hit the ball with precision.

Of course, precision is not easy using the hickories, nevertheless the hunt for it's enticing, said Brian Schuman of Long Island, who began the Metropolitan Hickory Society inside The big apple, New Jersey and Connecticut region.

Rory McIlroy has improved his swing

McIlroy leaves for the United states of america on Monday to play within the Accenture Match Play Championship, which starts Wednesday. The Masters begins April 5.

McIlroy opened his season by finishing second in Abu Dhabi and fifth in Dubai last week, when he revealed he'd been taking care of a ``few fundamentals'' in his swing.

``Posture was one of several key things, and just some Ping G20 irons swing plane,'' McIlroy said. ``I was setting the club somewhat steep on the way back, and so the club was receiving a tiny bit across the line at the pinnacle.

``So Michael and that i happen to be working on me getting good feel, and having the club pointed more left at the very top so it will be around the right plane. That's basically it.''

He added: ``I must be discount golf clubs well and truly ready for Augusta.''

McIlroy famously collapsed for the final day's the Masters recently, blowing a four-shot lead with a closing round of 80. But 60 days later, he won his first major on the U.S. Open and take care of 4 seasons at No. 2.

After having a strong season next year, McIlroy believes he's on the right track at the start of the new year.

``I feel like We have taken big strides Ping G20 driver this year in my game plus just how We are swinging the club plus my consistency as well,'' he stated. ``So I've stood a second and now a fifth. And even with no great weeks, but you still managed top-fives, that's not a bad thing.''


He's still got seven weeks to perfect his swing prior to Masters.

Mickelson has won three of those tournaments

She has been taking big strides along with his game in the last month or two, and he looked poised to interrupt through after a 67 within the third round at Pebble Beach got him to within four shots in the lead. But he needed a start like Mickelson, and was not ever really amongst people.

                             

Two weeks ago in the 2012 debut at Abu Dhabi, Woods was tied to the lead with unheralded Robert Rock going into  Mizuno JPX-800 Irons the final round and didn't break par, tying for third.

"What was frustrating is that I had an opportunity," he stated. "All I had to complete was leave with a good, solid start today. And I didn't do that."

Woods utilized to own Mickelson, but that changed with the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship. This became your fifth straight time Mickelson posted better score when playing in the same group as Woods in the final round.

Mickelson has won three of those tournaments, but they haven't yet been discount golf clubs within the final group on those occasions.

"Although I am like he brings out the most effective inside me, it's only been days gone by 5 years," Mickelson said. "Before, I managed to get spanked pretty good. Let's keep in mind the big picture here. I have been pummelled. Nevertheless the last 5 years, I am able to dig up some of my best golf out whenever we play together."

Ricky Barnes closed using a 67 and finished third. Kevin Na tied for fifth and earned a location inside the Match Play Mizuno MX-1000 irons Championship by 50 % weeks at Arizona.

Despite having Wi failing, that wasn't enough for Woods to get in on the experience.

Standing in the sixth fairway, Woods was just one shot out of your lead, yet the sleeves of his red shirt and his name about the leaderboard didn't apparently make him stand out the way has before.

last year’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Finally year's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Steve Marino held the 54-hole outright lead expecting earning his first title, but was among only four players within the eventual top 20 to write an over-par score, getting lapped by D.A. Points eventually.

I can just sort of put my nose down instead of search for and never value what anybody else is doing, Points said about playing from behind. When you Taylormade R11 irons have got the lead, you form of need to be cognizant of what's going on who are around you. I think that's maybe a lot more part.

Call it golf's ultimate Catch-22. Every player understands that it's less comfortable to be playing with a lead  and yet no player would need being anywhere but atop the leaderboard entering the final round.

That list even includes Stanley and Levin, fresh off their Sunday miscues. When asked whether he might hit a few stray shots on the Saturday afternoon as a way to spread the lead, Stanley laughed and said, I havenrrrt heard of that.

Levin, meanwhile, relishes another shot at finishing off a huge lead. Don't do not understand, he intoned. I'd like a six?shot led again. I believe that you Taylormade R11 driver will find great. However think it's easier [playing from behind] in the aspect that you are not expected to win. What happens I'm saying?

Palmer doesn't. The legendary swashbuckler was once inquired about players getting weak inside knees and shooting for the fat area of the discount golf clubs greens. He cocked his head to the side, produced a crooked little smile and spoke a truism that doesn't often happen in today's game: "I don't know what conservative is."