Frogger Blogger

Just when I thought I'd found every variation on the golf scramble, I found another! We're talking about a Florida Scramble today.

First we need to understand a basic scramble, which you can read more details about here.  Essentially a scramble is a team format in which all players on the team hit each shot and the best of those shots is chosen for the next shot.  This process is repeated until the hole is completed.

In a Florida Scramble the person whose last shot was chosen must sit out for the next shot.  As an example we will take a four player team as an example.  All four players tee off on a par-5.  One player (player A) crushes a drive 325 yards in the middle of the fairway.  The group chooses to use that player's shot.  On the next shot, the player who hit the 325 yard drive must sit out.  Of the three players who hit the 2nd shot, player B hits the green.  The group chooses his shot.  On the 3rd shot, the putt for eagle, player A is now back in play and player B must sit out as his shot was the previously chosen shot.  Player C hits a great putt which does not go in, but is chosen as the 3rd shot.  For the 2nd putt, player C must sit out and player B is back in the game.

A.K.A.

The Florida Scramble may also be referred to as a Mexican Standoff, Stand Out, Stand Aside, Step Aside or Dropout Scramble.

This is a great week on the PGA Tour, the week of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The Byron Nelson has been a long time favorite of both players and fans in part because the course is so challenging for the players and a great viewing venue for the patrons.

"TPC" stands for Tournament Players Championship. Typically TPC courses are designed for PGA Tour events and for stadium style grass seating for the fans (photo above).

TPC Four Seasons Overview

TPC Four Seasons is a par-70 track which plays very difficult during the Byron Nelson. When the winds kick up the course is very tough.

Back in 2011 winds were high. The only tournament on the PGA Tour which had higher scores that year was the U.S. Open.

Design

The TPC Four Seasons was designed by Jay Morrish in 1983 and went through a large renovation and redesign in 2007-2008 by D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolford.

TPC Four Seasons winds through a very hilly area. Those hills produce some great elevation changes from tee to fairway to green. Players must calculate yardages precisely, accounting for rises or dips in altitude. Not only are the undulations of the fairways and greens a challenge, the course is lined with trees. 68 sand bunkers and eight water hazards round out the challenges to the players.

Scorecard

• Par: 72 (70 for PGA Tour)
• Yards: 7,166
• Rating: 76
• Slope: 142
• Tee sets: 4

Amenities

The Four Seasons resort is a large, multi-faceted resort which offers not only golf but luxury lodging, dining, tennis, extensive golf practice facilities and more.  The clubhouse is very large and capable of hosting major events.

Contact

4150 N MacArthur Blvd
Irving, Texas 75038
Dallas County
Phone: (972) 717-2525
Website: www.thesportsclubfourseasons.com

One of the negative parts about golf is the amount of time it takes.  These days many busy people don't have time to play 18 holes of golf in 4-4.5 hours time.  When the play is slow it is even worse; five or even six hours on crowded public courses!  No wonder golf as an industry is struggling.  People don't have time for 5-6 hour rounds of golf.  Lets look at what we can do to help speed up play, and everyone's enjoyment of this great game.

Keep Up

Many scorecards have printed right on them, "keep up with the group in front of you."  This is one of the most basic concepts.  You should always be on the tail of the group in front of you.  If they're on the green and you're on the tee of a par-4 or par-5, you need to pick up the pace.  If they're on the next hole and you're on the tee you really need to pick it up.

Ready Golf

"Ready golf" should be played all the time.  Quite simply "ready golf" means that players hit their shots when ready.  It doesn't matter who has the honor or who is farthest out on the hole.  Just go when you're ready.

Be Ready

Be ready to hit your shot when it is your turn!  While other players are hitting their shots, plan yours.  Get your yardage or make your club decision.  Line up your putt.  Do whatever you need to do in order to be ready to pull the trigger when it is your turn.

When approaching the position of your ball, you can save time by getting your yardage as you walk up to it. You can analyze the situation on the way to your ball so you have a good idea of what shot and club to play when you arrive at your ball.

Let Slower Groups Play Through

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, your group may be playing too slow.  If you are holding up players behind you, get their attention and wave them through.  It is the right thing to do.

You're Not Putting To Win The Masters

We see tour pros lining up putts from all sides, discussing them with their caddies etc.  That's fine when you are on tour and the put is to win a million bucks or a huge championship.  But if you're just an amateur golfer, read your putt quickly and let it rip.  You're not putting to win the Masters, though winning $2.00 from your buddy may feel like it.

Conclusion - Pay Attention

Personally I play better when I play fast.  Waiting around between shots breaks up my rhythm.  Try playing faster and see if your scores improve.

Be aware of your position on the course.  If you're behind, catch up.  If you're holding up groups behind you, let them through.

Good thing this post has gone live.  The last post was number 666!

PGA Tour
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

This past week the PGA Tour held THE PLAYERS Championship on their home course, TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, built by Pete Day.  The Stadium Course was built to be a great test of PGA Tour players and also provide "stadium" viewing for the fans.  Thus the "Stadium" part of the name.  THE PLAYERS boasts the strongest field in professional golf, and the biggest single purse as well, with $9,500,000 in prize money.  The winner takes home $1.71 million and 600 FedEx Cup points.  Was the quality of golf high and the viewing for the fans great?  It almost always is at this event.

In the first round of the tournament Roberto Castro took the lead with an amazing 63.  Most players don't follow up super low rounds with another one, and Castro's 2nd round 78 was a prime example.  In striking range after day one though, were Rory McIlory and Tiger Woods.  Day two found Woods firing a 2nd consecutive 67, putting him tied at the top of the leaderboard with Sergio Garcia.  They played the third round together, where Garcia edged Woods by a shot.  During the round there were "words" between the two and post-round both expressed that they weren't big fans of each other.

Garcia and Woods would not be in the final pairing Sunday.  Woods was in the 2nd to last group and Garcia was in the last group with unknown David Lingmerth, fresh off the Web.com Tour.  Players like Jeff Maggert (49) and Lingmerth had flashes during the final round, flirting with the lead.  In the end it came down to Garcia and Woods in the last three holes.

Woods and Garcia were tied for the lead while woods was on the 18th tee and Garcia on the 17th tee, the island par-3 green.  What happened next was, shall we say, interesting.  Garcia hit pitching wedge to the right pin on the island green.  It didn't have enough to carry onto the green and splashed into the pond.  Garcia re-teed from the same spot and hit another shot in the water.  On the 2nd re-tee, he was hitting his 5th shot.  That one hit the middle of the green where Garcia would two-putt for a quadruple bogey 7.  For good measure, Garcia hit his drive in the water on the 18th.

Garcia's water issues left only one competitor with a chance to challenge Tiger, who had now finished his round and was in the clubhouse sitting at -13.  David Lingmerth was was one shot behind Tiger on the 18th tee.  His drive went through the fairway into bermuda rough which made it hard to control.  His approach ended up some 60 feet long.  He'd have to make a 60 footer to force a playoff, an "one in 50 putt" according to Johnny Miller.  Lingmerth 3-putted, cementing a two-shot victory for Woods.

This win for Woods marked the fourth of the 2013 season.  In NO season during Tiger's career has he reached four wins so quickly.  This win was also on Tiger's 300'th PGA Tour start.  On the season Woods has four victories and no other player has more than one.  Player of the year could be wrapped up before the halfway point of the season.

Other Tours

The other major tours, LPGA, Champions and European Tour, were off this week.

If you are hosting a tournament here's a fun format to try, 1 2 3 Best Ball.  The first requirement is that this game is for four player teams.   Each player plays his own ball the entire round and finishes each hole.  The low single, two and three scores are scored on a hole by hole basis.  Lets take a closer look.

Holes 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16

On the first hole, and the first in each set of three holes, the single player with the lowest score on the hole is the one whose ball is counted.  So if player A scores birdie and B, C and D score par or worse, player A's ball is the one which is counted.

Holes 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17

On the second hole, or second in each set of three holes, the two lowest player's scores are counted.  In this case lets say that player A and D made bogey, while players B and C made par.  Players B and C would be the scores used.

Holes 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18

On the third hole, or third in each set of three holes, the three lowest scores are counted.  Lets say player D makes birdie, C makes par, B makes bogey and A makes a double bogey.  Players D, C and B are the three lowest scores and theirs are the scores counted for the hole.

How cool is this?  The Frogger Blogger was playing a round of golf this past weekend.  Big surprise eh?   I was paired up with a nice gentleman named Dan, about a 12 handicapper.  We had a fine time chasing the white ball around the course.

Dan's Ball Towel

Dan had a Frogger BrushPro on the bag (nice play) which he swore by.  He touted the advantages of having clean grooves and how they helped his short game.

Dan also had a Frogger Ball Towel.  Rather than hanging the ball towel on his golf bag or putting it in his pocket, he used the included caribeaner to hang it on a belt loop (picture above).  Very nicely played Dan!

The quickest way any amateur golfer can reduce strokes on the golf course is by reducing 3-putting, 4-putting and "other"-putting.   Amateurs give up so many shots on the putting surface.   Just think about it.  If an amateur 3-putts every green rather than 2-putting, that is 18 strokes.  EIGHTEEN strokes!   Imagine for a second if you could take 18 strokes off your game!  That 100 would turn into an 82.  That 90 would turn into an EVEN PAR 72!

3-Foot Circle

3 and 4-putting is mostly a result of bad distance control.  Most golfers know the general break of a putt when they look at it.  They can get the ball started in roughly the right direction.  But putts which end up 15 feet long or 15 feet short are a one-way ticket to bogey-land.

One great practice drill, and great on the course as well, is to imagine a three foot circle around the hole, like the photo to the right.  The goal with all lag putts is to get the ball in that circle.  This drill makes distance control much easier.  If you think about it, there's a six foot margin the putt can finish within: 3-feet short to 3-feet long.  Once inside the three foot circle, the 2nd putt is much easier.

The 2nd part of the practice drill of course, would be to practice all kinds of 3-footers!

The week of playoffs...

PGA Tour
Wells Fargo Championship
Quail Hollow Golf Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

Interesting week on the PGA Tour.  We had flashes of some big names atop the leaderboard.  Rory McIlory was in contention early on, finishing in a tie for 10th.  Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney shared the 54 hole lead at the end of the day Saturday.  Which one of them would brave Sunday's hard rain and claim the victory?  Neither.

Derek Ernst, a relative unknown, was a 4th alternate.  He was about to head to a Web.com event when he was notified that his 4th alternate spot was good enough to make it into the field.  Ernst took great advantage on Sunday, firing a 70 which leapfrogged him past Mickelson (73) and Watney (76).  At the end of regulation the rookie Ernst would be tied with David Lynn.  Lynn's errant drive set him on a path to bogey on the final hole to match Ernst's par.

With the win Derek Ernst has a world of possibilities which have opened up.  The most immediate was his entry into this week's Players Championship.  Down the road berths into the Tournament of Champions and the Masters in 2014 will follow.  Big week for the rookie.

LPGA Tour
Kingsmill Championship
Kingsmill Resort River Course, Williamsburg, Virginia

Another professional tour goes into a playoff.  The LPGA's Kingsmill Championship ended with two players tied at the top, Suzann Pettersen and Cristie Kerr.

The playoff lasted two holes.  On the 2nd playoff hole, the 18th, Kerr only needed a par to seal the victory.

"I just made so many putts out there to save par and kind of save any momentum, and I started hitting it a little bit better late in the round just in time to make a ‑‑ catch up a couple shots.  Yeah, really hard fought, really hard fought.  I'm very happy." ~Cristie Kerr

Champions Tour
Insperity Championship
The Tournament Course at The Woodlands, Woodlands, Texas

What a fun week for the seniors and especially the fans.  For a now rare occurrence, the "big three" appeared in competition and in the same group.  Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus played in a side event to the Insperity, the "Greats of Golf."

The regulation tournament was somewhat historic as well.  A great fit to Sunday being Cinco de Mayo, Mexican golfer Esteban Toledo became the first Mexican golfer to win on the Champions Tour.  You guessed it, the victory for Toledo came in a playoff.  This time the playoff was three holes, Toledo polishing off Mike Goodes.

Here's a fun game which will also help players improve their shot selection and course management (strategy).

Trouble

Like golf itself, a lower score in the game Trouble is better.  Set a predetermined bet amount with your group per point.  Point allocation is as follows:

Penalty Points

• Ball in sand trap: 1 point
• Hitting into a hazard: 2 points
• Hitting out of bounds: 3 points
• Three putting: 1 point
• Four putting: 4 points
• Duffing, blading, chunking a shot: 1 point
• More possible, use your imagination

Subtractive Points

Negative points for good play can also be part of the game.  Performing a great shot, making birdie etc can reduce the points as follows:

• Making birdie: -4 points
• Making eagle: -6 points
• Hitting a shot stiff: -2 points
• One-putting from long distance: -2 points
• Getting up and down from a sand trap for par or better: -2 points
• More possible, use your imagination

At the end of the round the person with the LOWEST point total wins.

We're happy to see another favorable Frogger product review on the web.  This Frogger product review appears on Examiner.com, courtesy of writer Chris Burns.

 

Check out the quote at the end of the first paragraph: "The San Mateo, California based Frogger Golf is a company who does accessories better than the competition."

Couldn't agree more, Chris!  Thanks for the positive comments.