Its a gorgeous morning, and Slamma vet, Papa Hicks joins the TGA Tour!!..Joining LT and Dagenator for the trip down to Riviere Rouge. LT has the bright idea of making an early start and get some time on the range before tee-off.
The chaps hit the range, and LT spends most of his time hunting down his unbreakable tees, after launching them further than the balls!. Some quality time with some additional time around the green, and we're all set.
A friendly game of skins is the order of the day. A debate ensues between Dag and LT regarding the number of strokes that Papa should get to start the round, eventually settling on 12 .. Dag and LT start off with a double or bogey or two.. with Papa Hicks kicking off with 2 pars.. Errrr.. I did say we'd be receiving strokes didn't I ??
Papa hicks comes back down to earth on the 3rd, but battles onward. LT picks up his game on the 4th with a tidy birdie , hopefully collecting a toonie from the Dag...
Further highlights from the round....
LT going Quad.. treble.. double bogey midway through the back 9... nice... DOH !!!.
Dagenator finishing the front 9 with a ...rather large number.. including some excellent hockey skills trying to manoeuvre the ball on to the green.
Papa Hicks... apart from the opening couple of pars.. continues to find his putter on fire.. unless he was three putting.. spots extra large cans of bud light on the cart.. and suddenly the score doesn't matter so much!..
Dagenator plays three blinding shots to offer up a two foot birdie putt to cancell out the toonie to LT.. but the financial pressure takes its toll, and the toonie is still on its way to LTs beer fund.
The first of the summer days of golf !.. Even Dagenator was tempted to wear shorts... thankfully for his golfing mates.. he'll wait for another day to bare those pins...
April 18th and 19th - Belle Vue and Ile De Montreal
Ok golf fans.. its a double header weekend. Alice is out next weekend due to a trip to Jamaica, so he's keen to get extra golf in to cope with the famine-like conditions for golf over the next weekend. (poor chap).
Saturday !
So its Saturday morning at Belle Vue (Belle Vue course) and a bit of an early start. Alice, LT and Ankur (yet to be named) at Mc Donalds for a bit of early fuel... then off to Lery. Ank is designated driver in his luxury Chevy SUV, with Bob Marley offering directions to the course. I hope he's better than John Cleese!!. So the SUV has a unique safety feature. Ankur explains.. that the windscreen is pre-broken, so that when you're in an accident, you don't hurt yourself going through the windscreen as its already part way smashed. LT buys the idea, but Alice is suspicious , realising that stuck in the back seat, Its Ankur's head that needs to be pre-broken to ease the blow of his own 120km to zero in 1.2 seconds motion.
However !!.. it did eventually give Ank his pseudonym.. now to be known to all as 'Crack'.
Arrival at the course was a little early. LT opened the gates.. allowing the SUV into the grounds, allowing Crack to be scolded by a 112lb greenkeeper. Despite his robust stature, Crack was looking a little beaten after the encounter.
Dagenator (my apologies for omitting his reference to now).. travelled separately, and arrived when a golfer should arrive at the course.. soon enough to get some practice, but late enough so you can use LTs balls on the practice range.. (Yes.. they still hurt... woohoo!)
The golf was the driest so far. The course still suffering a little from the winter, but very playable. Hardly any puddles, and greens very receptive to the shot...err.. chip from the rough.
Highlights of the round....
Dagenator on the short par 4 5th.. dogleg left.. Should suit the fade he's developed.. unfortunately the dog leg is not a broken leg.. and loses it left big!!.. twice.. finds the first ball.. finds a gap through the trees.. makes a par..
LT on the 10th, after watching all the players tee off and go straight at the green, through the rough and past a tree.. decides NOT to play safe and follows their stupidity. All 4 balls are within 40 yards of the green, and is the only one to make par.
Crack... almost had his name changed to 'Rim' after burning countless putts past the hole, highlighted by the 14th with a 6 foot chance for birdie, rimming it again, and the poor chap needed counselling for the next few minutes.
Alice.. Has another blistering start with 3 pars in 3 holes.. What we really need now is a long par 5 and a wayward tee shot to bring him back dow... ah.. there it is.. Alice realises that the PGA tour will have to wait a while longer for his services... TGA tour for now..
A beer on the patio after the round, with the TGA Tour players wondering why they brought their rain gear, and Crack explaining to all that he wore shell suit bottoms to keep out the moisture, but also keep it in, and his legs are now as sweaty as if they'd been wrapped in plastic film.. hmmm.. nice thought to end the day on.. (trying not to chunder (hurl) as I write this).
Sunday !
So the TGA Tour arrives at the ile De Montreal Ireland course. Its a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Alice is keen, turning up 3 hours early just to hit balls, and the St Lazarre contingent arrives in good time. Gazebo owes Alice some cash, so pays for his golf without telling him, only to find out that Alice has already paid for himself.. so.. FREE GOLF for Lord Taylor (woohoo!). Pelletier makes his first appearance of the year on tour, complete with a new driver, and the four determined hackers wander down the first telling Pelletier that 'its not the arrows.. its the Indian', but as long as he's happy.. so are we.
Now the first three holes at the Ireland course are known to be brutal, so LT and Alice are more than happy to get to the third green with a couple of bogey. LT is on the green in two and Alice is just off the green. Alice gets off the third with another bogey.. LT is still putting now, and limps off the hole having taken another 5 strokes to get the ball in the hole (it was a tough green.. honest!).. A brief exclaim to the heavens of his favourite stress relieving word (four letters.. rhymes with the last name of a famous British motor racing star of the 70's.. first name James)and he's brushed off his incident, and the short par 3 yields a feel-good par.
Gazebo is having fun.. His tee shot on the first was a thing of beauty, unfortunately she has an ugly sister that showed herself on the second.. oddly reappearing later in the round as she said hi to him again on the second hole of the back 9 !. Pelletier is having fun, having been told he should enjoy the course before the gorse grass grows for the year, St Lazarre's finest man decides he owes it to himself to visit all the hills on the first three holes. (We think he liked the view). Cleveland launcher comes good later in the round, and the fellow has his revenge on each of his comrades along the way.
Gazebo's driver starts to warm up, and a par at the 8th has the chap smiling. LT and Alice finish the front 9 with 40, with 3 birdies between them. LT wondering how something less that 5 putts could have helped that score !.
The 10th hole bites 3 of the golfers where it hurts, with Alice wondering what the hell was going on. Three buddies with lost balls in the rough out to the right, with 'mr Fade' in the middle of the fairway.
From there, Alice pressed home his advantage, Lord Taylor faltered, Gazebo found more of his drives going to the correct fairway, and Pelletier looked lovely at his new Cleveland Hi Bore and asked it if he could please give him a shot that was right.. on the 16th tee, it delivered, 160 yards forward uphill (and 50 yards.. à la droite)
Honours go to Alice for the day, although a birdie short of LT, had significantly less putts than he or Gazebo, collecting some loonies to spend on the beach next weekend...
Pelletiers naming will be given by democracy. The three nominations are....
1. Clouseau (searching for his balls in the grass required keen investigative techniques)
2. Monsieur la Droite (Mr Right, because he's such a fine chap, and nothing related to his drive direction)
3. Hi Bore (Because I like a driver that sounds like its a power drill.. and Robin's got one!)
your votes please !.
Saturday !
So its Saturday morning at Belle Vue (Belle Vue course) and a bit of an early start. Alice, LT and Ankur (yet to be named) at Mc Donalds for a bit of early fuel... then off to Lery. Ank is designated driver in his luxury Chevy SUV, with Bob Marley offering directions to the course. I hope he's better than John Cleese!!. So the SUV has a unique safety feature. Ankur explains.. that the windscreen is pre-broken, so that when you're in an accident, you don't hurt yourself going through the windscreen as its already part way smashed. LT buys the idea, but Alice is suspicious , realising that stuck in the back seat, Its Ankur's head that needs to be pre-broken to ease the blow of his own 120km to zero in 1.2 seconds motion.
However !!.. it did eventually give Ank his pseudonym.. now to be known to all as 'Crack'.
Arrival at the course was a little early. LT opened the gates.. allowing the SUV into the grounds, allowing Crack to be scolded by a 112lb greenkeeper. Despite his robust stature, Crack was looking a little beaten after the encounter.
Dagenator (my apologies for omitting his reference to now).. travelled separately, and arrived when a golfer should arrive at the course.. soon enough to get some practice, but late enough so you can use LTs balls on the practice range.. (Yes.. they still hurt... woohoo!)
The golf was the driest so far. The course still suffering a little from the winter, but very playable. Hardly any puddles, and greens very receptive to the shot...err.. chip from the rough.
Highlights of the round....
Dagenator on the short par 4 5th.. dogleg left.. Should suit the fade he's developed.. unfortunately the dog leg is not a broken leg.. and loses it left big!!.. twice.. finds the first ball.. finds a gap through the trees.. makes a par..
LT on the 10th, after watching all the players tee off and go straight at the green, through the rough and past a tree.. decides NOT to play safe and follows their stupidity. All 4 balls are within 40 yards of the green, and is the only one to make par.
Crack... almost had his name changed to 'Rim' after burning countless putts past the hole, highlighted by the 14th with a 6 foot chance for birdie, rimming it again, and the poor chap needed counselling for the next few minutes.
Alice.. Has another blistering start with 3 pars in 3 holes.. What we really need now is a long par 5 and a wayward tee shot to bring him back dow... ah.. there it is.. Alice realises that the PGA tour will have to wait a while longer for his services... TGA tour for now..
A beer on the patio after the round, with the TGA Tour players wondering why they brought their rain gear, and Crack explaining to all that he wore shell suit bottoms to keep out the moisture, but also keep it in, and his legs are now as sweaty as if they'd been wrapped in plastic film.. hmmm.. nice thought to end the day on.. (trying not to chunder (hurl) as I write this).
Sunday !
So the TGA Tour arrives at the ile De Montreal Ireland course. Its a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Alice is keen, turning up 3 hours early just to hit balls, and the St Lazarre contingent arrives in good time. Gazebo owes Alice some cash, so pays for his golf without telling him, only to find out that Alice has already paid for himself.. so.. FREE GOLF for Lord Taylor (woohoo!). Pelletier makes his first appearance of the year on tour, complete with a new driver, and the four determined hackers wander down the first telling Pelletier that 'its not the arrows.. its the Indian', but as long as he's happy.. so are we.
Now the first three holes at the Ireland course are known to be brutal, so LT and Alice are more than happy to get to the third green with a couple of bogey. LT is on the green in two and Alice is just off the green. Alice gets off the third with another bogey.. LT is still putting now, and limps off the hole having taken another 5 strokes to get the ball in the hole (it was a tough green.. honest!).. A brief exclaim to the heavens of his favourite stress relieving word (four letters.. rhymes with the last name of a famous British motor racing star of the 70's.. first name James)and he's brushed off his incident, and the short par 3 yields a feel-good par.
Gazebo is having fun.. His tee shot on the first was a thing of beauty, unfortunately she has an ugly sister that showed herself on the second.. oddly reappearing later in the round as she said hi to him again on the second hole of the back 9 !. Pelletier is having fun, having been told he should enjoy the course before the gorse grass grows for the year, St Lazarre's finest man decides he owes it to himself to visit all the hills on the first three holes. (We think he liked the view). Cleveland launcher comes good later in the round, and the fellow has his revenge on each of his comrades along the way.
Gazebo's driver starts to warm up, and a par at the 8th has the chap smiling. LT and Alice finish the front 9 with 40, with 3 birdies between them. LT wondering how something less that 5 putts could have helped that score !.
The 10th hole bites 3 of the golfers where it hurts, with Alice wondering what the hell was going on. Three buddies with lost balls in the rough out to the right, with 'mr Fade' in the middle of the fairway.
From there, Alice pressed home his advantage, Lord Taylor faltered, Gazebo found more of his drives going to the correct fairway, and Pelletier looked lovely at his new Cleveland Hi Bore and asked it if he could please give him a shot that was right.. on the 16th tee, it delivered, 160 yards forward uphill (and 50 yards.. à la droite)
Honours go to Alice for the day, although a birdie short of LT, had significantly less putts than he or Gazebo, collecting some loonies to spend on the beach next weekend...
Pelletiers naming will be given by democracy. The three nominations are....
1. Clouseau (searching for his balls in the grass required keen investigative techniques)
2. Monsieur la Droite (Mr Right, because he's such a fine chap, and nothing related to his drive direction)
3. Hi Bore (Because I like a driver that sounds like its a power drill.. and Robin's got one!)
your votes please !.
Saturday April 11th - Vaudreuil is Open!
All ready to drive south for week 2 on the Tour, but NO!... Alice finds Vaudreuil open already !. A quick drive down the 20 off the island, or a 1/2 drive from downtown for Grand-Par, making his season debut along with Papa Hicks, another Slamma veteran keen to bring his new skills to the Montreal golfing public (courses). LT and Alice make up the foursome, and a 7.30am arrival has the plucky hackers looking forward to the first tee.
Out of bounds off the tee for GP and LT, a hack along the right trees for Papa Hicks, and an opening four putt for Alice has the first hole pushed for the better ball pairs competition. The ground is feeling firm underfoot despite the recent rain. Alice points out that this is due to ground being frozen, and as the temperature warms, the players will not be able to spend long over the ball if they want to see their shoes again.
LT is trying out a new swing following a lesson. unfortunately the instructor seems to have kept it at the driving range, as it didn't make it to the course. Alice puts 2 balls out of bounds on the 10th, and wishes the draw he found on the 3rd hole could have been saved until then .Grand Par's best drives are the ones that hurt his shoulder the most. His facial expressions are now confusing, with a happy look on his bad drives, and an unhappy look when he hits a drive most would be proud of (Tiger is the only other player known to do this). Papa Hicks calm demeanor and concentration impresses the group. (or perhaps its just him not giving a .... if he's great or not.. 4 kids at home.. he's just happy to be out!) .
The game goes too and fro until Grand Par and LT go one up with one to play.. and seal the deal on the 18th green.. Good finish.. and the prize is a coupon for a a free round back at Vaudreuil !!.. woo hoo!.
Discussion already underway for next weeks Tour event. Alice has the weekend to himself, so could be a double header !!
Out of bounds off the tee for GP and LT, a hack along the right trees for Papa Hicks, and an opening four putt for Alice has the first hole pushed for the better ball pairs competition. The ground is feeling firm underfoot despite the recent rain. Alice points out that this is due to ground being frozen, and as the temperature warms, the players will not be able to spend long over the ball if they want to see their shoes again.
LT is trying out a new swing following a lesson. unfortunately the instructor seems to have kept it at the driving range, as it didn't make it to the course. Alice puts 2 balls out of bounds on the 10th, and wishes the draw he found on the 3rd hole could have been saved until then .Grand Par's best drives are the ones that hurt his shoulder the most. His facial expressions are now confusing, with a happy look on his bad drives, and an unhappy look when he hits a drive most would be proud of (Tiger is the only other player known to do this). Papa Hicks calm demeanor and concentration impresses the group. (or perhaps its just him not giving a .... if he's great or not.. 4 kids at home.. he's just happy to be out!) .
The game goes too and fro until Grand Par and LT go one up with one to play.. and seal the deal on the 18th green.. Good finish.. and the prize is a coupon for a a free round back at Vaudreuil !!.. woo hoo!.
Discussion already underway for next weeks Tour event. Alice has the weekend to himself, so could be a double header !!
Saturday April 4th - Race for the Border!
Alice is keen to get the season started. After a half joking comment from LT about when the season will start folling the Slamma.. Alice has already booked a tee time at international 2000! Montreal's legendary course that leads the opening of the season down near the Champlain US border crossing.
Enthusiams is light, the weather looks to be not too friendly. Alice puts this in perspective;
"I'll be wet.. I'll be cold... but HEY.. I'll be golfing !!"
LT , Dagenator and Alice, meet at an early hour, and with LTs car on autopilot, race to the course, getting there at 7.20am when the tee off is not until 8.00am ! The course is open.. the flags are fluttering on the gree... ah... umm.. maybe not quite green..
No practice range.. no putting.. straight on to the course.. who needs a warm up.. well.. We do apparently (LT and Dagenator anyway). Alice opens up with a couple of pars, this after the chaps decided that their second shots into the gree... brown on the second didn't count, as we had mistaken the 18th green for the 2nd.. Alice discusses a great statistic.. he had hit 3 greens in regulation on the first 2 holes!.
The game was.... fun.. with extra points being made for the largest splash-down in the fairway. Casual water rule was abandoned for the game, as this would have meant moving the ball to somewhere south of Pittsbugh to get a dry lie.
Dagenator demonstrates his new 3/4 swing, which is actually a full swing. Regardless, he's playing well. Alice picks up a skin on the first hole, then LT and dagenator take over, with around 5 skins each going into the back 9. it looks all over for Alice.. but NO.. the gritty player shows the determination of his Maple Leafs trying to skate without falling over, and puts in a back 9 worthy of a champ.. stealing the last brace of skins to win the match. LT is upset , leaving his game somewhere on the 14th fairway after playing out of a stream (successfully!) . Dagenators AWESOME drives left him wondering what he has to do to win. Alice reverts to the smug smile we know so well.
Mug of hot tea and a snack at Tim Hortons on the way back, and only then did it start to rain. The opening game a success, and excellent practice for playing through water hazards for the season to come!
Enthusiams is light, the weather looks to be not too friendly. Alice puts this in perspective;
"I'll be wet.. I'll be cold... but HEY.. I'll be golfing !!"
LT , Dagenator and Alice, meet at an early hour, and with LTs car on autopilot, race to the course, getting there at 7.20am when the tee off is not until 8.00am ! The course is open.. the flags are fluttering on the gree... ah... umm.. maybe not quite green..
No practice range.. no putting.. straight on to the course.. who needs a warm up.. well.. We do apparently (LT and Dagenator anyway). Alice opens up with a couple of pars, this after the chaps decided that their second shots into the gree... brown on the second didn't count, as we had mistaken the 18th green for the 2nd.. Alice discusses a great statistic.. he had hit 3 greens in regulation on the first 2 holes!.
The game was.... fun.. with extra points being made for the largest splash-down in the fairway. Casual water rule was abandoned for the game, as this would have meant moving the ball to somewhere south of Pittsbugh to get a dry lie.
Dagenator demonstrates his new 3/4 swing, which is actually a full swing. Regardless, he's playing well. Alice picks up a skin on the first hole, then LT and dagenator take over, with around 5 skins each going into the back 9. it looks all over for Alice.. but NO.. the gritty player shows the determination of his Maple Leafs trying to skate without falling over, and puts in a back 9 worthy of a champ.. stealing the last brace of skins to win the match. LT is upset , leaving his game somewhere on the 14th fairway after playing out of a stream (successfully!) . Dagenators AWESOME drives left him wondering what he has to do to win. Alice reverts to the smug smile we know so well.
Mug of hot tea and a snack at Tim Hortons on the way back, and only then did it start to rain. The opening game a success, and excellent practice for playing through water hazards for the season to come!
TGATour Blog Welcome !
Welcome to the Blog of the TGA Tour!
This blog is the official recording of the year long tour born from the 'Tarnish Cup', the annual event held each September. The 'Tarnished Golfers Ass-sociation' was formed to carry the spirit of 'The Tarney' into the regular weekly game. This will be your regular spot for catching up on the weekends golfing events on the TGA Tour.
Following the success of the Alabama Slamma blog, this blog will attempt to chart the highs and lows, successes (few) and failures (many) of the TGA Tour players, as they try and get some game together in the 2009 season.
The Slamma players have retained their pseudonyms, with additional players gaining their stripes on their first event played. The recorded 09 TGA Tour players are as follows....
Duncan ‘LT’ Taylor
Donald ‘Dagenator’ Dagenais
Michael ‘Alice’ Holland
Glenn ‘Gazebo’ Eady
Norman ‘Roofer’ Mackay
Richard ‘Grand-Par’ Bosworth
Stuart ‘Almost Aussie’ Mitchell
Dave ‘Papa Hicks’ Vijh
The Tour awaits the arrival of quality players such as... errrr... ok.. and also !.. Barthakur, Couture, Pelletier, Creamer, Stangle, Carveth, Smith and maybe even Lester!. Watch this blog for their opening rounds, and inaugural naming ceremonies (hehe)
Although unlikely to be playing too many events on the tour, 'Almost' is made an honorary member of the TGA tour, with early plans for a 'Mitchell Invitational' under discussion.
The TGA Tour players hope you enjoy the read as much as they enjoy playing their way into a contribution !..
Also, follow the progress of the TGA tour players at OOBGOLF.COM. links to the player stats (or at least, those who are expected to be recording their nightmares) are in the side bar on the right.
Watch this space !
Regards... LT
This blog is the official recording of the year long tour born from the 'Tarnish Cup', the annual event held each September. The 'Tarnished Golfers Ass-sociation' was formed to carry the spirit of 'The Tarney' into the regular weekly game. This will be your regular spot for catching up on the weekends golfing events on the TGA Tour.
Following the success of the Alabama Slamma blog, this blog will attempt to chart the highs and lows, successes (few) and failures (many) of the TGA Tour players, as they try and get some game together in the 2009 season.
The Slamma players have retained their pseudonyms, with additional players gaining their stripes on their first event played. The recorded 09 TGA Tour players are as follows....
Duncan ‘LT’ Taylor
Donald ‘Dagenator’ Dagenais
Michael ‘Alice’ Holland
Glenn ‘Gazebo’ Eady
Norman ‘Roofer’ Mackay
Richard ‘Grand-Par’ Bosworth
Stuart ‘Almost Aussie’ Mitchell
Dave ‘Papa Hicks’ Vijh
The Tour awaits the arrival of quality players such as... errrr... ok.. and also !.. Barthakur, Couture, Pelletier, Creamer, Stangle, Carveth, Smith and maybe even Lester!. Watch this blog for their opening rounds, and inaugural naming ceremonies (hehe)
Although unlikely to be playing too many events on the tour, 'Almost' is made an honorary member of the TGA tour, with early plans for a 'Mitchell Invitational' under discussion.
The TGA Tour players hope you enjoy the read as much as they enjoy playing their way into a contribution !..
Also, follow the progress of the TGA tour players at OOBGOLF.COM. links to the player stats (or at least, those who are expected to be recording their nightmares) are in the side bar on the right.
Watch this space !
Regards... LT
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