Welcome to the last Friday of 2011 and the final "Friday Fun" blog of the year.  Normally I try to post a fun golf activity to try over the weekend on Friday Fun, but today I'm going to simply do a quick mention about how fun in general it has been doing the Frogger Blog this past year.  This must be close to the 52nd edition Friday Fun.  I look forward to doing 52 more in 2012 so stay tuned to this frog blog channel.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

New Years eve is tomorrow, then the New Years holiday the 1st and 2nd.  This frog will be bringing in the new year, toasting the old and bringing in the new!  I wish you all a fantastic New Years weekend and ask that you all be SAFE.

We'll be back to blogging on Jan 3, so see you next year!  2012 is going to be huge.  Can't wait!

As 2011 draws to a close, many golf web sites are doing their reviews of the past year in golf and some previews for 2012.  There are some fun countdowns, reviews and previews.  Here are a few:

• PGA Tour's 2012 PGA Tour Preview covers the top 100 players to watch.  In a way that is sort of funny, because the top 100 are pretty much the ones which will be in the spotlight anyway.

• The PGA Tour Facebook page has a cool photo spread, the TOUR photographer's best of 2011.

• The PGA Tour web site also has the top 10 shots of the year, with of course Bill Haas's $10 million lake shot as number 1.

• Golf Channel posted their top 10 most read stories of the year, based on web traffic.

• A more creative top 10 list from Golf Channel is the Top 10 shots taken at Tiger in 2011.

• Lexi Thompson and Keegan Bradley make Golf.com's top 10 breakout golfers of 2011.

• Golf.com also does an image gallery of the top 10 biggest disappointments of 2011.  Inside are Graeme McDowell, Michell Wie, Jim Furyk and 7 others.

• Fun to look at Yahoo UK & Ireland's top five golf stories of 2011.

• On the gear end of things, Golf Digest has a list of the top 10 biggest equipment stories of 2011.  Frogger Golf must have come in at #11.

• On the golf blogging end of things,  GolfBlogger.com posted a preview of 2012 with some predictions, some reasonable and some not.  Hooked On Golf Blog did a look back at 2011 pro golf: part one - part two.

One of the best golf blogs out there is Armchair Golf Blog.  He doesn't do much in the way of gear articles or reviews, but Neil Sagebiel does a fantastic job covering professional golf.  You should make Armchair a regular stop like I do.

I was browsing Armchair yesterday when I came across this funny story involving LPGA star Laura Davies.  Davies was playing in the Indian Open, a Ladies European (LET) event in New Delhi.  Problems with her caddie's visa resulted in a delay, meaning her caddie wouldn't make it by the first round of the tournament.  For some unknown and puzzling reason, the irritated Davies chose to pull a trolley around with her clubs on it rather than enlisting the help of a local caddie.

Davies ended up firing a round of +3 toting her own bag, and didn't make the cut after her caddie did make it for the 2nd round.

"Ended up having to pull my own trolley around, which is the first time I've done that in 26 years on tour. I shot 3 over the first day. He made it for the second round, but it didn't work out. I missed the cut."

"The officials were like, `You should take a local.' But I was just irritated.  So I just wanted to get out there, try and shoot something that wasn't going to ruin the week, and I ended up shooting 3 over and the week was over before it got started." ~Laura Davies

Thoughts

This brings up the thought that if one has the opportunity, local caddies can really be a big help.  They know the subtleties of the course and the greens.  They know the aiming lines off the tee and the proper landing areas on or around the greens.  Why Davies wouldn't choose to use a local is puzzling to say the least.

Today's Tuesday tip covers two subjects, etiquette and safety.

Clubs

Did you know that most golf accidents/injuries come from clubs striking players rather than golf balls hitting them?  That's because players are not paying attention and someone gets whacked by a golf club when a another is taking practice swings.  For safety always be sure you are clear of other players when swinging your club.  It is not only safe, but good etiquette to stay nice and clear of players who are swinging their clubs.

Balls

Golf balls can travel upwards of 200 miles per hour.  As someone who has been hit by one three times, I can personally verify that getting hit by a small hard ball traveling 150-200 miles per hour is not pleasant.  It is very important for players who are about to play a shot to make sure that they are doing so when it is safe.  Players must make sure that the group in front of them is out of range and that nobody nearby is in danger. (Insert "people are always in danger when I hit" joke here)...  It is also very important to make sure that grounds crew (course employees, maintenance workers etc) are aware.

On the flip side, it is also important for players who are not currently hitting to make sure they're not in danger.  Players must always be aware of what is going on around them and be careful not to stand in the way of another player's golf shot or swinging golf club.  Once again, good etiquette and more importantly, safe.

From the USGA:

Players should ensure that no one is standing close by or in a position to be hit by the club, the ball or any stones, pebbles, twigs or the like when they make a stroke or practice swing.

Players should not play until the players in front are out of range.

Players should always alert green staff nearby or ahead when they are about to make a stroke that might endanger them.

If a player plays a ball in a direction where there is a danger of hitting someone, he should immediately shout a warning. The traditional word of warning in such a situation is "fore."

Just last week I posted the Frogger Killer Course for December, the Oasis Palmer Course.  Coincidentally enough while browsing some of the Frogger Blogger blog friends (see the "Frogroll" in the lower right column) this weekend, I came across a post mentioning a plane crash at the Oasis Canyons course in Mesquite, NV.  The Canyons is the 2nd of two courses at the Oasis facility.  Check out this photo below.

The 17th at the Canyons course is right by the Mesquite airport. Planes fly over the 17th when landing and taking off. Judging from the direction this plane is pointing I'd say it was on its landing approach.

The good news is that there were no golfers injured when the plane crashed, and the plane's passengers escaped with only bumps and bruises.  The cause of the crash is unknown.  Hope an errant golf shot didn't take it down.

Your friends at Frogger Golf wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...

...not even a frog.

Here's a fun match play (one on one, hole by hole) game which can be quite interesting and force players to hit shots with clubs they might not normally try.

Pick Up Sticks

In Pick Up Sticks the concept is simple.  For each hole a player wins in match play, his opponent is allowed to remove (pick up) one club (stick) from his bag.

For example: Player B wins the first hole.  Player A then removes player B's driver from his bag and player B may no longer use that club for the rest of the round.  Player B must resort to a fairway wood or long iron for those shots from that point on.

Strategy comes into play, figuring the best clubs to remove from one's opponent's bag.

Immunity Option

Before the round players may choose one immune club, say the putter or whatever is their best club.

Try It

As players' clubs are removed from their bags, they may be forced to play shots with other club choices.  This fun and competitive game can help a player's feel and improve his or her shot-making and creativity.

The final tournaments have been played and I'm looking forward to the first week of January when the 2012 professional golf season begins.  Can't wait.  Until then, the pro golf scene won't be too hot with new news except for the occasional off season sponsor/player movement between manufacturers.

OWGR

Now that the final tournaments are over, the final world golf rankings for 2012 are out.  Not much change in the top, a little movement in the middle.  Tiger Woods for instance moved from 52 to 23 after winning the Chevron a couple of weeks ago.

The top 50 in the world rankings are listed below in a table.  It is important to note that those in the top 50 at the end of the the 2011 season will receive automatic invitations to the Masters.  Big deal.  Jim Furyk barely made it, and poor Ryo Ishikawa missed it by one, in 51st. Continue Reading

I thought it would be a good time to cover a great winter golf destination course for this month's Killer Course, since most of North America is cold and not golf-able right now.  That great winter golf destination is the Oasis "Palmer" Course in Mesquite, Nevada.  Where you ask?

Location

Mesquite is a border town in southeastern Nevada, about an hour's drive up I15 from Las Vegas.  It borders Arizona, but also happens to be a 40 minute drive from the southwestern corner of Utah.  In Mesquite there are a few resorts/hotel/casinos and several great golf courses, including today's Killer Course, the Oasis Palmer.

Design/Terrain

The Oasis Palmer is one of the first courses in the town of Mesquite.  It gets its name because, yes, it was designed by none other than the King, Arnold Palmer.  When not called the Palmer, the course is often referred to as Arnold Palmer's "magnificent masterpiece in the desert."

The Palmer winds in and out of the northeastern hillside of the small town of Mesquite.  Holes feature drastic elevation changes up and down the desert plateaus and through the canyons between them.  The contrast between the lush green grass and the Nevada desert is quite breathtaking, as well as the fantastic desert panoramas which can be seen from several high points on the course.

"Mr. Palmer" did a fantastic job routing the course through the rugged desert area without compromising the quality of the golf.  Golf purists love the track, unlike more "crazy" desert golf designs.

The Palmer features five (six with the combo men's/women's gold tees) sets of tees to insure playability and fun for golfers of all levels.  From the tips the course measures out at 6,633 yards, but don't let that fool you.  The course is "killer" and will provide a strong challenge for the better golfer.

Par: 71

Rating from tips: 71.5

Slope from tips: 133

Big Break Mesquite

You may have been wondering where you've heard of the Oasis Palmer in Mesquite.  Perhaps you may recall that the Golf Channel's Big Break Mesquite TV show was contested on the Palmer course.  The series premiered back in October of 2007.

Amenities

The Palmer is one of two courses on the property, the 2nd being the "Canyons" course.  This makes the Oasis the only 36 hole facility in Mesquite.

Inside the spacious clubhouse is a very well stocked pro shop.  The clubhouse is also home to two restaurants, the Grill Room (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and the Redd Room (fine dining after 5:00PM).  The Grill Room is spacious and can handle large groups or banquets.

The Oasis has fantastic practice facilities with a driving range, practice green and short game areas.

If you need help with your game, PGA instructor and head golf professional Adam Schwartz covers group and individual lessons.

Contact

Oasis Golf Club
100 Palmer Lane
Mesquite, NV 89027
1-888-367-3386
http://www.theoasisgolfclub.com

Photos courtesy of Adam Schwartz, Oasis Golf Club