Lost Balls Invitational: 2012 Summary and Statistical Wrap Up

LBI Results

Tournament

• Champion - Bryan Mikoy
• Runner Up - Tim Slough
• Third - Damon Mikoy
• Last - Ryan Doyle
  

Low Net

• Heathland:  Flight A - Bryan Mikoy
• Heathland:  Flight B - Rob Weinig
• Moorland:  Flight A - Damon Mikoy
• Moorland:  Flight B - Steve Boswell
• Heather Glen:  Flight A - Bryan Mikoy
• Heather Glen:  Flight B - Rufus Knight
• Kings North:  Flight A - Tim Slough
• Kings North:  Flight B - Tie between Jimmy Flynn, Steve Boswell, & Rufus Knight

Closest to the Pin

• Heathland: Hole 8 - Kevin Shea
• Heathland: Hole 12 - Bryan Mikoy
• Moorland: Hole 5 - Tim Slough
• Moorland: Hole 13 - Tim Slough
• Heather Glen: Hole 4 Red - Bryan Mikoy
• Heather Glen: Hole 2 White - Jason Lich
• Kings North: Hole 4 - Pat Shea
• Kings North: Hole 12 - Tim Slough

 Four Man

• Heathland:  Dave Nasar / Mike Hollandsworth / Damon Mikoy / Pat Shea
• Moorland*:  Brett Mikoy / Bryan Mikoy / Jimmy Flynn / Jason Hand
• Moorland*:  Dave Nasar / Mike Hollandsworth / Damon Mikoy / Pat Shea
• Heather Glen:  Matt Sapsford / Troy Welck / Steve Boswell / Rufus Knight
• Kings North: Brett Mikoy / Bryan Mikoy / Jimmy Flynn / Jason Hand
•  *Teams tied at Moorland and split the money

Skins *Number in parenthesis is the hole won

• Heathland (Flight A) - $13each:  Tim Slough (7/13/18), Jason Lich (15), & Damon Mikoy (11)
• Heathland (Flight B) - $13each:  Troy Welck (14), Steve Boswell (5), Jimmy Flynn (12), Doug Barszcz (8), & Dave Nasar (4)
• Moorland (Flight A) - $7each:  Tim Slough (2/5/17), Luke Gilreath (7), Gabe Castro (18), Damon Mikoy (6/8), & Chris Mikoy (12/13)
• Moorland (Flight B) - $7each:  Troy Welck (7), Steve Boswell (1/9), Rufus Knight (17), Rob Weinig (13/18), Mike Hollandsworth (4/6), & Brian Ladd (2)
• Heather Glen (Flight A) - $7each:  Tim Slough (3/5/11/16), Kevin Shea (12), Jason Lich (14), Gabe Castro (7), Chris Mikoy (15), & Buddy Wilbanks (18)
• Heather Glen (Flight B) - $7each:  Steve Boswell (1/7), Rufus Knight (14), Mike Hollandsworth (6), Doug Barszcz (8/13), & Chris Stevens (5/12/15)
• Kings North (Flight A) - $6each:  Tim Slough (2/11/14), Kevin Shea (1), Damon Mikoy (17), Buddy Wilbanks (12), Bryan Mikoy (9/10), Brian Ciarlo (3/4)
• Kings North (Flight B) - $13each:  Steve Boswell (6), Rufus Knight (11/13), & Jason Hand (5/8)

Money

$649 - Bryan Mikoy

$506 - Tim Slough

$245 - Damon Mikoy

$112 - Steve Boswell

$98 - Rufus Knight

$63 - Jason Hand

$62 - Pat Shea

$58 - Jimmy Flynn

$58 - Mike Hollandsworth

$50 - Dave Nasar

$45 - Jason Lich

$45 - Troy Welck

$39 - Rob Weinig

$38 - Kevin Shea

$37 - Brett Mikoy

$27 - Doug Barszcz

$25 - Matt Sapsford

$21 - Chris Mikoy

$21 - Chris Stevens

$14 - Gabe Castro

$13 - Buddy Wilbanks

$12 - Brian Ciarlo

$7 - Brian Ladd

$7 - Luke Gilreath

$1 - Ryan Doyle

$0 - Matt Moden

Statistical Wrap Up

• Rounds - 102
• Strokes - 10,204
• Average Gross Score - 100
• Average Net Score - 80
• Average Handicap - 17.3
• Holes Played - 1,836
• Average Score per Hole - 5.5
• High Gross Score - Ryan Doyle w/ 134
• Low Gross Score - Tim Slough w/ 73
• Low Net Score - Rob Weinig w/ 69
• Total Prize Money - $2,253
• Golfers Winning Money - 25 of 26
• Total Eagles:  3 (Kevin Shea Leader w/ 2)
• Total Birdies:  44 (Tim Slough Leader w/ 13)
• Total Pars:  366 (Bryan Mikoy Leader w/ 47)
• Total Bogeys:  584 (Chris Stevens Leader w/ 32)
• Total Double Bogeys:  432 (Dave Nasar Leader w/ 32)
• Total Triples or Worse:  407 (Troy Welck Leader w/ 44)
• Total 10's Recorded:  54 (Troy Welck Leader w/ 7 / Jimmy 2nd w/ 6)
• Hardest Hole:  Legends Moorland - #18 - Played an average 2.38 above par
• Hardest Course:  Legends Moorland - Played an average 30.27 above par
• Hardest Front Nine:  Kings North - Played an average 15.16 above par
• Hardest Back Nine:  Legends Moorland - Played an average 16.23 above par
• Highest Average Score on a Hole:  Kings North #6 - 7.3 (Gambler)

Heathland Difficulty Statistics

• Highest Average Strokes - Hole 5 / Avg Score of 6.7
• Highest Average Above Par - Hole 1 & 16 / Avg 1.92 above Par
• Front Nine Average - 49
• Back Nine Average - 48
• Course Average - 97
• Front Nine Average Shots above Par - 12.54
• Back Nine Average Shots above Par - 13.04
• Total Average Shots above Par - 25.58

Moorland Difficulty Statistics

• Highest Average Strokes - Hole 15 / Avg Score of 7.2
• Highest Average Above Par - Hole 18 / Avg 2.38 above Par
• Front Nine Average -50
• Back Nine Average -52
• Course Average -102
• Front Nine Average Shots above Par - 14.04
• Back Nine Average Shots above Par - 16.23
• Total Average Shots above Par -30.27

Heather Glen Difficulty Statistics

• Highest Average Strokes - Hole 12 / Avg Score of 6.8
• Highest Average Above Par - Hole 10 / Avg 2.16 above Par
• Front Nine Average -50
• Back Nine Average -49
• Course Average -99
• Front Nine Average Shots above Par - 14.16
• Back Nine Average Shots above Par - 13.48
• Total Average Shots above Par -27.64

Kings North Difficulty Statistics

• Highest Average Strokes - Hole 6 / Avg Score of 7.3
  
• Highest Average Above Par - Hole 6 / Avg 2.36 above Par
• Front Nine Average -51
• Back Nine Average -50
• Course Average -101
• Front Nine Average Shots above Par - 15.16
• Back Nine Average Shots above Par - 14.56
• Total Average Shots above Par -29.72

Projection Analysis

• Average Projection Differential of 6
• Best - Dave Nasar / Ryan Doyle projection hit
• Worst - Pat Shea missed by 15

 

Golfer	Actual	Projected	Delta
Bryan Mikoy	1	6	-5
Tim Slough	2	1	1
Damon Mikoy	3	9	-6
Steve Boswell	4	8	-4
Rufus Knight	5	19	-14
Jason Lich	6	10	-4
Pat Shea	7	22	-15
Brett Mikoy	8	2	6
Gabe Castro	9	4	5
Rob Weinig	10	18	-8
Jimmy Flynn	11	21	-10
Mike Hollandsworth	11	16	-5
Chris Mikoy	13	7	6
Kevin Shea	14	17	-3
Brian Ladd	15	3	12
Brian Ciarlo	16	5	11
Chris Stevens	17	15	2
Matt Sapsford	17	13	4
Matt Moden	19	11	8
Doug Barszcz	20	24	-4
Jason Hand	21	20	1
Troy Welck	22	26	-4
Dave Nasar	23	23	0
Buddy Wilbanks	24	12	12
Ryan Doyle	25	25	0
Luke Gilreath	26	14	12

2012 LBI Pre-Rankings!

Countdown: 
Noun
A period of increasing tension and excitement as one approaches an event horizon.

Can you guys feel it?  LBI 2012 is JUST around the corner.  A mere 4 days before RV departure....just 5 days before the practice round....and in 6 days.....6 days, we will be on the course, sipping beers, knocking down pars, dropping birdies, and doing all things awesome!  I'm pumped up.  Hell, I'm beyond pumped....I'm uber-pumped.  That's German...and you know if I'm speaking German, I'm serious.

Now that the pairings are official, we've gone through and created a set of pre-rankings based on past performance, current skills, and just wild guessing.  Last year we issued a set of pre-rankings as well, and we missed on damn near every projection.  Will be do better this year?  My gut says maybe, but my heart says perhaps.  The rankings are a 3-way average between the AP poll, Coaches Poll, and a Computer Statistical Model (i.e. Robot).

Please note, the individual write-ups were done by CT.  Yes, Brett and I helped here and there, but if you want to punch someone in the nose, he's your man.  Tossing people under the bus....that's how we do it here in the central office!

26: Troy
We all want Troy to win, and I don't know why he struggles.  A couple of lessons here and there might help him stand a chance.  Until then, he's going to show up, have fun, and enjoy his time.

25: Doyle
I have only one round in the books with Doyle, and I don't remember it being a strong one.  However, he's a slim guy.  Not sure how that helps him win, but Moden is slim and he's won before.  Doyle will also be spending time with some veterans in the RV...but then again those veterans are Hollandsworth, Shea and Saps...also known as DNF, Blackout and the Mental Midget.  It's not looking good for the rookie.

24: Barz
Oh Noooooooooo.  Barz still needs to figure out how to harness his inner power.  Until then, it's just going to be a struggle.  It'll be a drunken (and likely mustached) struggle though, so be sure to enjoy the ride (mustache ride).

23: Nasar
Has Nasar spent any time at Chelsea pier this year?  Nooooope....he just had a bebeh, and has spent more time changing stinky diapers than working on his swing.  Still, while he may not have been working on his short game, I'm sure his newly acquired "cleaning up vomit" skills will come in handy at least once.

22: Pat
Is the hamstring healed?  This year is a do-over for Pat, having injured himself the week before last year's LBI.  He's a rookie, but he's also a Shea. That's like saying you're a Mellon!

21: Jimmy
Will the pga-tough like gallery from last year's Thistle round help turn him into a hardened veteran.  Will his win on the Orlando mini-tour teach him how to close?  Uhm....no.  Chris doesn't like Jimmy's chances for victory.  Chris thinks Jimmy needs to focus on something other than soccer.

20: Hand
Who had the better beard; Charton Heston in "Spartacus" or Tom Cruise in "Tropic Thunder?"  Trick question dummies, the answer is Jason Hand on the Santa Crawl.  Can he golf?  For sure.  Can any rookie actually be prepared for the LBI Tour?  No way.

19: Rufus
I've heard rumors the right-to-left action has been reduced lately.  If this is true, then he's got a good chance to finish above this spot.  What I really want to know though, is just where the hell are all these courses I see Rufus enters into Oob?!?!

18: Rob
Last year, last place....emptier of the RV shitter.  That's motivation enough to stay out of the bottom...and now that he's past year-one, he should be able to settle in for a middle of the road finish.

17: Shea
Oh, the 2-stroke penalty hurts.  Shea's game has actually been improving since last year's victory - and if he can find away to actually play the correct fairway (or even stay within 30 yards of if), then maybe he still has an outside chance.  Putting.  Caddies.  Discuss...

16:  Hollandsworth
Shooting a 111 to close out the 2011 LBI would have sealed the victory.  Instead, Mike shot a 114.  Will he bounce back this year, or will he be left wishing he still had that max handicap.

15: Stevens
I've heard rumblings about a Stevens' victory for a few months now.  He seems to be a popular sleeper pick, and if the mental game can come around, he's got a solid chance.

14: Luke
I don't know anything about Luke except it took him 60 seconds to say he was in just 2-weeks out, and that he's a fairly new golfer with manic tenancies....such as having Bryan re-shaft his clubs one week before Myrtle.  Let's hope he makes better decision out on the course.

13:  Saps
Saps has been costing me money in bets for tow years now.  I KNOW he's got it in him...and by "it" I mean a chip placed by the Umbrella corp to make sure melts down anytime the game is on the line.  As soon as he yanks the tooth that chip is in, I'll predict a victory....but not until.

12:  Buddy
He'll drink with anyone.  He can play with most, but he loves only one.  A candidate for "most interesting man" award......he doesn't always drink on the course, but when he does, he prefers to get everyone around him hammered.

11:  Moden
The two-time champ hasn't necessarily faded into the sunset.  Moden keeps hanging right around that top-10 mark, but I just don't see enough oob rounds to justify making a championship run.

10: Lich
Aim 45 degrees right, then just close your eyes and see what happens.  Lich is a wild card; once one of the strongest golfers in the LBI field but the last two years have plagued his reputation.  Maybe it's due to nagging injuries (shoulder / wrist) but more likely it's his growing obsession to document an actual Sasquatch sighting.  The shoulder is healthy (healthier), could we see the return of the Lich of old?

9: Damon
D has actually been putting in some time on the course this year, with some serious dedication.  For a big man, he hits it as straight as anyone.  Unfortunately he falls in the CT, Ciarlo category of blowup holes.  If he can keep those blow ups in check, I'm thinking he has a chance.

8: Bos
Former champion, new clubs, virtual year layoff.....total wildcard!  His rounds leading up to the LBI haven't been stellar, but maybe Myrtle is where he puts it all together.

7: CT
I don't know what to say.  Just like Ciarlo and Damon, I always seem to find one or two blow up holes that derail my chances.  Going into this year, I've played the least amount of golf ever.  But I tell you this; if I can keep it near the fairway and putt decently....I've got a chance.

6: Bryan
No one has made more improvement over the years....and this year could actually be the one in which he plays at or to his potential.  The days of throwing clubs are behind him and his game is rock solid.

5: Ciarlo
I feel like we say the same thing every year.  Eliminate the two or three blow up holes, and he's your champeeeen.  Is this the year?

4:  Gabe
Gabe was solid last year and played solid through more shotguns than he's ever done in his life.  Last year he just missed a top 5 finish.  This year he makes it....and makes a strong push for the overall win.

3:  Ladd
That handicap is looking awfully high.....and a pre-myrtle round in the low 90s significantly effected the odds makers here.  Looking like a strong favorite for 2012.

2: Brett
Every year, no matter if he's playing great of terrible going into Myrlte, he always finds a way to compete.  His secret coach isn't Chuck will....it's Gerg!

1: Tim
I don't know about you, but I think Shea must have paid Tim to take a dive last year.  71, 74, 70....80?????  Well, if not a payoff then maybe Tim just couldn't handle more than 0 shotguns.  either way, I don't see how anyone can take him down.

So there you have it...this year's pre-rankings.  Let the smack talking and side bets begin!!!

~Saps

Lifetime LBI Rankings

Less than a month before Myrtle?  Is that really what the calendar is telling me?  In just 3 short weeks, the RV will be pulling out of the station, and heading south for mirthful debauchery and golf....terrible golf...golf filled with shanks, snap hooks, duffs, misreads, thins, fats, slices and cursing so vulgar it makes penguins cry.  Here at the central offices of the Lost Balls Invitational, we're always looking for ways to make this little golf trip feel more legitimate and add as much unwanted pressure as possible.  Last year we came out with a set of "pre-season" rankings (we hope to do the same again this year), and I think we did a pretty good job of getting into people's heads (if we can't make golf more stressful, then we're just not doing our jobs).  This year, officially the 6th year of LBI play, we wanted to come up with LIFETIME RANKINGS, to answer the question no one has asked, but everyone is thinking; "Who is the #1 golfer on the LBI tour?"

Like everything we do, we put way too much thought and effort into something that is, quite frankly, trivial.  Could we keep going down to Myrtle each year without knowing who performs the best on Par 5's?  I suppose.  Could we continue to hand out singles to "aspiring caddies" without ever learning who has the lowest average net score on courses with a total length of 6,500 yards and above?  Sigh, I guess somehow we'd manage.  And could we step onto the first tee without the knowledge that finishing the round with a sub 100 could potentially move you up five spots in the LBI rankings?  No sir....that is where we have to draw the line!

And thus we established the Institute for Managing the Systematic Myrtle Ranking Theory or IMSMRT (see what I did there)...or just "Institute."  Our primary function:  Figure out a way to rank every golfer who ever competed in the LBI using a complicated, but not completely incomprehensible, point system - one that makes enough sense for people to understand, but still leaves room for people to argue over the results.  We settled on three categories that I think do a really good job of gauging total performance; Overall Finish, Earnings, and Myrtle Ratio.  Once again, none of this would be possible if not for Brett keeping the stats for the past 5 years.  If you guys haven't bought him a shot of Seagram's 7 by now (Brett's all time favorite shot), you better buy him five this year (make sure he does them all in a row).  

I'll quickly go over the point system, but I don't want to spend too much time here, since I'd much rather get into the results.  If you glance over this next paragraph and your eyes go crossed and you start drooling, then I've done my job properly.  Really you should just sit back and trust that everything is being handled by a professional (that's me).  Points were awarded to each golfer based on rank, and number of golfers entered into the tournament that year (100 points for overall score, 50 points each for Earnings and Myrtle Ratio).  So, for example in 2011 with 20 participants, each position in the Overall Finish cagagory was worth 5 points.  Shea received 100 points for the overall leader, Tim 95, Hollandsworth 90, and so on.  For the "Earnings" category, we looked at the prize money won during the mini-games (closest to the pin, skins, team) -- in this way, you're not just getting some loot for that closest to the pin prize, you're getting Myrtle Points too.  Looking again at 2011, Shea was the overall money winner with $138, so that net him the full 50 points.  Hollandsworth was right behind him with $124 which was rewarded with 47.5 Myrtle Points.  Make sense?

Since we wanted to make this a LIFETIME RANKING, we needed to include all rounds from all years, but we also felt it was important to focus on at current performance.  As such, we will be keeping the full point totals from the past 3 years, but then discounting everything else by 50% (we'll reassess this in a few years to see whether or not we want to let points expire after some point).  We think this is a good rule for a lot of reasons, partially because these were the years when Moden won the LBI (I'm kidding, of course....maybe), but primarily because it allows new comers to get into the mix without having to fight 5 years worth of accumulated points.  It's also a modified way of how they handle the world golf rankings, and like I said, we try to keep our shit legit.

So what is this mysterious Myrtle Ratio?  I'm hoping to do a full post on this at some point before Myrtle, because this ratio is becoming my all time favorite stat.  The Myrtle Ratio is the difference between the handicap you have established when you roll down to Myrtle, and the handicap computed from your scores while you are at Myrtle.  Last year I rolled down with a 15.1 handicap, but over my 4 rounds my handicap was computed as 20.36 or 1.35 times more than my established handicap.  Again, I want to do a full post on this because it's such a fun stat and really telling when it comes to Myrtle performance.  For reference, 1.35 is right around the middle of the pack.  The overall winner will tend to be right around 1.00, whereas we've seen a couple of people up around 2.00 (ouch).

Ok, have you bought in on the methodology?  If not, that's too bad....this ain't no cheerocracy and I'm your cheer-tator (yup, I just brought it on).  Without further delay (or text based rambling) I proudly present the LBI Rankings updated through the 2011 season (as with all of the Tableau charts, click on a golfer's name to see the annual and career details)!!

Powered by Tableau

Pretty freakin' sweet, right?  I know, I know you're probably still in shock seeing how high or (gulp) how low you've placed.  Well for all those sitting near the bottom, have no fear - a top 5 finish goes a long way towards moving you up in the charts.  Hell, by finishing 3rd last year Hollandsworth went from damn near the bottom (0 points awarded for DNF) all the way up to #13!  Take a look at the data below to see how the points break down (total and by year).

Powered by Tableau

So there you have it, LIFETIME MYRTLE RANKINGS.  I won't always be putting those in ALL CAPS, but then again maybe I will because it's my blog and I do what I want.  It should be interesting to see how things play out this year.  Brett and Moden have been occupying the top spots for most of their careers, but Shea made a big leap last year after winning it all.  Will we see the same old people in the top 5, or is this the year someone new breaks through?  Is this the year Ciarlo makes his charge?  Does CT, with only one finish outside of the top 5, finally win it all?   After a year off, does Bos jump back into the mix?  Does Rob learn from his first year and make some noise in his Sophomore season?  So many questions.....which will be answered in LESS THAN A MONTH!

My nipples are hard just thinking about all this excitement!

~Saps

Golf is Hard...

...But where is it the most hard?


After watching 74 of the world's best golfers fire ball after ball into the water at Doral this past weekend (or in some cases attempt to assassinate the camera man), I thought to myself "Golly...I wonder which hole is our own personal 'Blue Monster.'  Well, unless you're Brett, who's personal 'Blue Monster' happens to be the actual 'Blue Monster,' Your 'Blue Monster' was probably encountered down in Myrtle, and more than likely you don't remember it because you were blacked out and/or shirtless.  Well, lucky for us, Brett has been collecting hole by hole data for the past 3 years...and lucky for you, I'm here to remind you just how badly you got your ass kicked by the golf course!

The List
Interactive charts???  What wizardry is this!  Yup, we've been working hard over the past year...not so much at our golf game, or writing skills, or professional development, or personal growth, or reconnecting with family, or really anything of actual substance.  No, we've been scouring the web for ways to make charts and reports.  I like charts and reports....charts and reports are cool.

Click on any of the holes below to see how the scoring breaks down.  Pretty cool, right?

Powered by Tableau

The Top 10 Holes from Hell!

I threw out the teaser question yesterday afternoon to the Facebook group, and as many of you correctly guessed, the hardest hole from the past 3 years was indeed #18 at Glenn Dornoch.  Slightly surprising however, was learning 3 of the top 10 hardest holes were at Glenn Dornoch and very surprising was seeing only one hole from the (overrated) TPC course  in the top 20.  Then again, I guess that's why they call it schpoople.....let's start from #10, shall we.


#10:  Thistle Golf Club - Mackay #7 (aka Stewart/Mackay #16)
         Par:  5
         Average Score over Par:  2.545

Looking at the yardage book, this looks like a ho-hum straight shot.....well that's just a load of crap.  In real life, unless you're able to hit a draw around a 45 degree angle, you're likely playing a "safe" tee shot to the corner, leaving you with 300+ to the green....with a waste bunker lining all down the right edge.  Oh, and you need to clear marsh / wetlands on the approach shot...just in case you felt froggy and wanted to attempt getting home in two.

   Caution: Actual course may kick your ass in real life

#9:  TPC of Myrtle Beach #9
       Par:  4
       Average Score over Par:  2.583

Warning: Dick habitat

We weren't the biggest fans of the TPC course in Myrtle, but then again we're not big fans of douche bag starters and asshole employees.  Getting an attitude from the starter after we had to wait an hour to tee off was a bad start, having the marshals escort one of our foursomes around the course to make we were up to the standards of play was over the top.  Still, there were some pretty sweet holes at this course, and #9 kicked our asses pretty good.  Another hole that doesn't look all that difficult in a yardage book rendering, but in real life it had some real dangers.  The water was very much in play down the right hand side (always a killer) and the multi-tiered green gave a lot of us fits.  Of course, since we started out on the back nine, the 9th hole played as the finishing hole for us.  After multiple altercations with the marshals, most people were just done with the course.

#8: Legends Golf Course - Mooreland #16
      Par:  4

     Average Score over Par:  2.586

For the life of me, I couldn't remember #16.  In fact, I had trouble finding it on the satellite map.  I absolutely recall the par 5 15th (with multiple water crossings), and I clearly remember the par 3 17th (surrounded by an ocean of sand)....but I simply did not remember this short, 223 yard par 4.  "Why couldn't you just hit an iron onto the green," I thought.  So I looked up my score, hoping to refresh my memory...and I took a 10 with 2 penalty strokes!  What the hell?!?  The absence of any recollection lead me to believe the hole was so damn hard that I completely buried my performance into the deepest recesses of my mind.  I reached out to Brett, asking him for any thoughts on this hole, and he responded "You mean 'Hell's Half Acre'....you don't remember that one?"  Ohhhhh noooo....the memories came back in a flood of pain...and I remembered...sweet baby Jesus...I remembered.  Do you see that brown 'waste bunker' running down the left side there?  That's a 10 feet deep ravine (maybe more).  That pot bunker in front of the green, it's easily 7 feet deep.  That 'open' area to the right runs downhill hard, and the green sits atop a postage stamp sized mound with sides so steep if you miss, you'll either find yourself back in the ravine, in a pot bunker, or rolling OB.  All things considered, I think i was pretty lucky with just taking 2 penalty strokes.  Ouch.

Warning: Memories of this hole are filed next to the time you saw your grandmother naked

#7:  Heather Glenn White/Blue #1
       Par:  4
       Average Score over Par:    2.625

This one really surprised me, because while I remember the course being challenging, I don't remember the opening hole as all that difficult.  Then again, I took a double on this hole and that meant I played it slightly better than average.  An uphill par 4 with a slight dogleg right, this hole was sneaky hard.  The approach shot required at least 1 extra club due to the hill, which brought the bunker guarding the front of the green into play.  There was also a hidden bunker right for anyone trying to hit the power fade around the corner.  Tough opener on a great course.

Caution: Sneaky Hard

#6:  River Hills Golf and Country Club #10
       Par:  4

       Average Score over Par:    2.636

We started our round on the back nine at River Hills, and from what I recall most of us either found trouble right, trouble left, or in some cases failed to make it across the water in front of the tee box.  Maybe it was the odd angles and sight lines on the hole, maybe it was all of the pressure of teeing off with a large gallery, or maybe it was Doug Barszcz whispering sweet nothings in our ear...whatever the reason we made this hole far more difficult than it was (only the 11 handicap hole on the course).

Caution: Doug Barszcz will cause you to loose golf balls

#5:  Prestwick Country Club #4
       Par:  4

       Average Score over Par:  2.643

There were a lot of mixed reviews of Prestwick, and while the green conditions left a lot to be desired, the course layout was interesting and left a lot of room for creative shot making and/or throwing up mozzarella sticks.  Number 4 was one of the more difficult holes on the course, requiring a water carry on the tee shot, and then bringing more water into play for the approach shot.  Tough little hole. 

Warning: Green conditions may cause rage in Mikoy's with the first name Chris 

#4:  Glen Dornoch #6
       Par:  4

       Average Score over Par:    2.688

The 4th and 3rd ranked holes were both found at Glen Dornoch....in fact they were found right next to each other.  Running up and down the inter-coastal, Glen Dornoch juxtaposes the raw natural beauty of the wetlands with the picturesque ascetics of lush fairways and rolling greens.  It also gobbles up golf balls like some sort of golf ball gobbling machine (Gobblo-tron 5000).  Number 6 at Glenn Dornoch is just one of many holes with a forced carry over the wetlands.  Breathtaking...yes.  Awe inspiring....yes.  Frustrating.....abso-friggin-lutely!

Caution:  This hole robble robbles golf balls like a certain someone robble robbles cheeseburgers

#3:  Glen Dornoch #5
       Par:  5

       Average Score over Par:    2.750

Lich was the only golfer to par this nasty bastard back in 2010, with the vast majority of us rocking a double bogey or worse.  While it's not overly long, reaching the green in 2 on this par 5 was almost impossible.  The dogleg left and marsh-land hazard really restricts the golfer's ability to be aggressive on the tee box.  Anything over 270 off the tee is flirting with trouble, and anything under that leaves 270+ yards to the green.....with water and bunkers guarding the green.  Of course, said water and bunkers make sure that even laying up isn't exactly a 'safe' play.  Reaching the green in regulation requires 3 perfectly executed shots...and firing 3 solid shots in a row is not really this groups specialty.  Unless you're talking about bourbon, but even then asking for 3 in a row without finding a hazard is a tall order.

Warning: Tequila and Jager like to fight

#2:  Long Bay #18
       Par:  4

       Average Score over Par:  3.182

Golfers will instinctively try to avoid the water on the right by aiming down the left hand side, but fail miserably in doing so 1.  In addition to having the water in play with the tee shot, the 90 degree dogleg right keeps the water in play on the approach...making sure that if you didn't lose a ball on your tee shot, you still have one more opportunity to suck before closing out the round.  Still, as a finishing hole this one has at least one great quality; a nice mound behind the green to sit back, pound whatever beers you have left, hang out with your "caddies" and watch the other groups fire balls into the drink.  Nothing erases personal golf course rage like watching someone else experiencing their own.

       Caution: Golfers finding the water on the tee shot are less likely to laugh at your drunken antics

1 So much failure on course resulted in much rage.  How much rage?  2 broken shafts and the windshield of the golf cart.  I'd like to think I've matured in the past couple years, but in reality I just can't afford to get the shafts replaced on my clubs anymore.

#1:  Glen Dornoch #18
       Par:  4

       Average Score over Par:    3.438

If I didn't love this course so much, I would hate it.  Seriously...look at that #$@ker!  Unless you're feeling confident enough to land your drive on the left side of the split fairway, you'll be looking at a 200+ yard approach shot by playing the "safe" option down the right side.  It's all risk reward, and no one from this group found the reward (0 par's in 2010).  If the 5th hole required 3 perfect shots to record a par, this bastard requires 3 perfect shots to secure a bogey.  Just freaking hard.

Warning:  Just pick it up and write down the "10"

I hope you've enjoyed this walk down memory lane - I know just looking at all these courses is getting me pumped up for the 2012 trip.  Like I said at the start, we've got a butt-load of stats and data collected from the past LBI tournaments, so look for more cool charts and more witty banter to come.


WORD!

~Saps

In One Week and Two Days, IT Will Only be Two Months Away

But who's counting?

Every year seems to whip around quicker and quicker. Some of don't mind that and some of us do. Whether you care about getting older or not, the one thing that can never come quick enough every year is the Lost Balls Invitational!

This past year, moreso than ever, has seen change:

• Ladd became a father.


• Troy had a second, didn't he? (as you'll see below, no one really knows)


• Nasar grew a mustache...no wait, he also became a father


• I moved a thousand miles away


• Lich stayed 3000 away

And that doesn't even get into the barrage of engagements we saw to close out the year and begin 2012:

• Moden


• Saps


• Hollandsworth


• Brett Todd Peter Pod

And then there was this...a hole in one caught on video

I have two burning questions as we approach the two month mark leading into the LBI:

1) Where the hell is the chatter?

2) Has anyone done anything at all to improve their games?

3) I know I said two, but how the hell did we get so old that we have an over 50 non-parent coming this year?

Question #1 I hope will be solved by posting this blog so I'll skip over that. And #3 is just a shot at Buddy Wilbanks who might need the Casey Martin rule and drive around with a special flag on his cart so he can go past the area where they generally allow carts to go.

So, effectively, there's one question to be answered, did anyone do anything to improve their games or are they just hoping for random luck and blackout drunkenness to guide them through LBI 2012. Honestly, that's not a terrible strategy.

Let's start with the crew who rarely to never posts a score to oob:

- Troy: Troy is the most elusive of all the wild animals at LBI. We don't hear from Troy for 11 months of the year. He pokes his head out to verify the cost and date, shows up, parties, loses his phone, has a great time and the disappears for the next 11 months. Along the way, there is ZERO postings from him on OOB.

- Moden: A two-time champion, Moden has struggled since being forced to post scores and to develop an actual handicap. is that said out of jealousy; yes, in large part. However, is it true that Moden has played just a single round since LBI 2011? In addition, not joining facebook is another suspicious activity. At least Lich can claim he's on top secret chupasquatch genetic mutational missions for the US Gov't.

- Ciarlo: are we really supposed to believe that Ciarlo has not played since late August?

- Nasar/Ladd: at least Ladd and Nasar can claim new fatherhood and the limitations that can put on your time to play.

- Jimmy: I don't even know if Jimmy knows how to spell oobgolf. You never see a posting of a score from him. But fresh off of a victory in Florida, he might be able to parlay that into success at LBI. But to me the question is was this an improvement in his game or Saps inability to stay away from the triple/quad combo.

- Lich: he's on the IR for LBI 2012 I've heard. He will take the place of Bos from last year. However, I'm putting him up here since we've seen a disappointing bout of results from Lich in the past few years. Once a force to be reckoned with, even with the completely unorthodox "aim 45 degrees right and hit it straight even though i don't believe any of you when you tell me i'm aimed 45 degrees right" sytle...

None of these can be expected to have improved their games at all since last year. Your best bet with this crew is whether or not they'll accumulate more pars or penalty strokes during the 4 round event.

Then there's the group who posts to OOB but who don't play too much. This is the majority of the group:

- Gabe: Gabe will always be a threat given his potential. However, will the multiple shotguns and jager shots undo him again this year? He doesn't get to play too much given his two children, but on any round, he could post a high 70s or a low 90s. Since LBI 2011 and my time living in Texas I've seen an increased consistency; though I will stop short of saying I've seen a marked improvement. It's raw skill at this point...

- Me: the one thing i have going for me is that I have not posted a round over 89 since August 2010. So my driving and irons have improved quite a bit. My issue at this point is putting inconsistency. My last three rounds, I have the following number of putts: 39, 27, 37. Overall, that means I've improved a little, but basically I've remained flat. I will say, however, as we get closer to predictions time I am feeling nowhere as good about my chances going into LBI 2012 as i was last year.

- Damon: pretty much repeat what I said about Gabe and copy it here. Damon is all raw skill. Never had a lesson; hell, rarely even wears golf shoes. Plays pretty infrequently and could go either way on any day.

- Rufus: Rufus wants to play. Rufus really wants to play. but he just can't seem to get out as much. It could be the kiddo; it could be something else. He's a bit of an enigma. However, he brings one of the best overall attitudes to the game. There's room for improvement in his game; a lot, frankly. And that's one thing that has puzzled me about Rufus. it seems as if he's got the athletic ability/potential, but it never seems to manifest. Which makes me wonder...is it mental?

- Barczhzczczczczhzcadfazcvz!#$: Another guy with plenty of room for improvement. I'm not going to go into anything else with Barz except his mental game. Go to oob and look at his rounds pre and post myrtle. most are in the low 100s. At LBI 2011, teens and 20s.

- Shea: And then there was Shea. How can anyone improve from 2011 LBI Champion status? It is a possibility though. A repeat carries a tall order of goodness to live up to. However, he's been actually working on a few things - so I've been told - and he's got a pretty reasonable mental resolve.

- Stevens: I'm hearing some buzz about Stevens this year. I'm thinking there will be some high predictions for him. It's been said by a couple people he's been seeking and listening to advice on some aspects of his game. Does he have the discipline mentally? Well, he's kept us all in the dark on his vocation for a decade now, so I'm saying yes.

The second to last group is the regular players: Brett, Saps, Mike, Bos, Hurricane, Tim

- Saps, if he can just figure out that golf is not the same as figure skating and not posting the triple, doubles all the time, he'll be in great shape.

- Brett, it's chuck. Always chuck. the question is will he post 4 rounds in a row in the 70s and then see chuck and post 2 in the 90s. I can't say whether his game has improved. i mean, personally, i hold a head to head lead of 9 matches. But overall, it's just a strong game that is tweaked too much.

- Mike: no one has more desire to improve than Mike. And he made major strides getting from about 40 down to 26. since then, however, it's been a struggle. Will he mentally do the things necessary to really improve? That's up to him...but with a wedding coming up, I am going to guess he has other places to spend than on Chuck.

- Bos: The only question I have for Bos is when are you going to get new clubs?

- Bryan/Tim: It's tough to actually improve when you're a 5 and a negative handicap. However, I've heard rumblings from Bryan that he's figured something out. Now my question is did he figure out how to prevent that pre-shot rountine from rivaling Ingwers???

The final group is the newbies. No Information available on this crew. I hear there's a guy named Hand. But that name sounds made up to me! When will this crew get an oob account and post their recent scores? Vegas rules require the oddsmakers to base their predictions on something...Let's get it done.

So, that's it for now. A basic overview that, now that I'm all done, tells me that no one has done much to improve for 2012. Did the time just slip away from us? Did we lose focus on improving in return for just getting out and playing? Did priorities change?

I don't know for sure, but I do know that we're mere weeks away from another LBI...and it can't come quickly enough!

word