If he’ll be there for that reason, maybe I need to be on site to supervise the cart paths to ensure they don’t get hit?
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Listen here you shits.
Totally fair but it still hurts. Also fuck that car. Also that garage door and that roof.
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I’'m playing there Saturday. When is your match?
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We are playing Sunday. I was the one that asked in the whats app about the conditties.
My Gui right now my brain has the memory retention of a fruit fly. I’ll report back in the Whatsapp on Saturday
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Let’s kick off the elimination rounds! @MDM and I were lucky enough (with the always delightful @joecline41 as our attest) to get things started as the first elimination of the first ever OATW roost statewide match play tournament. This match was an all-timer and worth the TLDR read
THE SCENE
Mr MDM and I were fortunate enough to link up via a random refuge round last year and have since become golf pals and we were actually scheduled to play our first round of the year together at Boulder Creek prior to the release of the match pairings. Upon learning of our fate we decided to let bygones be bygones and make this thing Refuge official and tussle in our OATW match. We teed it up this morning at 7am with MDM slightly worse for the wear with a sick toddler at home and me mega rundown upon my return from a 5 day jaunt to Disney World with my 3 daughters. After 5 hours of delays and 13 hours in traveling we returned home Friday night at 1:15am whence I promptly fell asleep at 2am only to wake at 5:15 to drag my weary ass to the course.
THE COURSE
Boulder Creek in Streetsboro, everyone’s favorite course to love/hate. It was a little bit more brisk than anticipated with the early time but we were able to endure with copious coffee. This was my first time to Boulder, enjoyed it - some provacative shots out there. The course was very soggy but conditions were otherwise good for two high-ball long-adjacent hitters. Cart path only 
I came in sporting a 9.1 index to MDM’s 9.4 so no strokes were granted from the white tees, a TRUE match play situation
THE MATCH
Both hitters eased into the round with comfy pars on a welcoming par 5. MDM proceeded to go two up over the next two holes with pars to my bogeys. Things remained knotted through the 6th hole where on hole 7 I was able to claw back with a par on a par three with a long forced carry over water. Bogeys were traded on #8 and MDM stretched his lead back to 2 at the turn with a comfy par on another par 5 to my bogey (as an aside had we played any other set of tees MDM would have popped once on this hole but it was a moot point as he naturally won the hole)
At the turn
MDM out in 40
Flanwilder out in 41
MDM 2up
I found something on the first trio of holes on the back as I won three straight to flip the match to 1up in my favor. The next two holes weren’t as kind as I made back to back doubles to relinquish the lead back to MDM now 1 up. An errant tee ball on 15 for MDM put him in jail and I was able to win the hole to square the match with a bogey. No blood on 16 as bogeys were traded.
Thru 16 Match All Square
HOLE 17 - the signature short island green hole. Measuring at 115 playing only 100 downhill Flanwilder stuffs his tee shot to about 10 feet. MDM says “Nah Dog” and sticks his to about 6 feet. As we make our way down the hill squared up we both know a birdie will go a long way with one to play, we make no decision on what to do in the event of a tie. Alas neither can convert the great birdie look
Thru 17 Match All Square
HOLE 18 - A straight par 5. I drop kick my tee ball about 150 yds, at least its in the fairway - now a true three shotter. MDM goes to the right rough but has a look into the green. I melt a 3 wood into a stiff breeze and get it to 160 center of the fairway. MDM goes for the green and leaves it about 30 yds short left. My third shot misses left so I’m now firmly in trouble. MDM pitches a nice shot onto the green about 10’ past the hole. I proceed to hit my chip to about 10’ MDM lying 3 Flan lying 4 - we pace off the putts and can’t decide who is away. As we walk to the green, realizing my fate is likely sealed without a made putt we decide on closest to the pin from the 100yd marker as our tiebreak. Since we can’t decide who’s away I declare I’ll putt first as I need to make to extend. I stroke a great putt but it ducks left late and burns the low edge. Gutted. MDM now has 2 putts to win from 10’ but the 10’ is a greasy downhiller. The adreneline pumping MDM juices his first about 3.5’ by the hole. In a scummy move I decide I need to see him hole it for the win. Unfortunately MDM burns the edge for a truly tough three putt bogey.
Thru 18 match ALL SQUARE
MDM inward in 44 - 84 total strokes
Flanwilder inward in 43 - 84 total strokes
We head out to the 100yd pole and laser the front pin to 86 yds. A dual of sand wedges. MDM leads off and slightly overcooks his spin and he catches the left ridge and his ball runs off the green left due to said spin. I hit one of my better partial shots of the day (a shot i’ve been STRUGGLING with) and hit a knockdown sandy to about 12’ below the hole to take the playoff.
Match ends AS Flanwilder advances via sudden death tiebreaker.
Gutted for MDM, a true class act and gent - and an actual friend. Very tough way to bow out as he played his ass off, I take solace in the fact that he will be repping OATW at the NIT via his sublime qualification at No Findlaying Up.
Welcome to the tournament bitches - I need a nap
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This was a great match. Was going to be gutted for whoever lost at the end. Really enjoyed tagging along.
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It was a great match and @flanwilder is a deserving champion. Slugger Joe @joecline41 is a fairway-finding machine and as nice of a playing partner/rules official you could ask for. Looking forward to launching ‘em the rest of the year.
Hole 17 at Boulder
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Fortuitous availabilty in our favor, @rer145 and I were able to get in a great round at Powderhorn in Madison this morning. Upon arrival this course is nothing special. Simple clubhouse, no starter, dudes in jorts (nothing against denim’s short cousin), gravel lot, and I almost died tripping on a step on the way in the door.
The course on the other hand, absolutely not reflective of the accomodations. For a mere $33, and an hour drive east of Cleveland, you can enjoy rolling hills, smooth greens, and provocative (aka difficult) second shots on nearly ever one of the 12 par 4s they have to offer. 2 par 5s, no joke there either, and par 3s with all different distances. Such a diverse test, very refreshing. Smooth greens and a decent pace of play too. They also had yardage books, which is always a really nice little touch.
Our match got off to a big start in my favor. A couple wayward tee balls from Ron and I jumped out to a quick 4up lead. We both got into a rhythm for a few holes, and at the long par 3 8th, I put my tee ball into a creek/ditch. Actually got out of the muck, but not up and down, and that was the start of Ron taking the next 3 holes around the turn. On 12, I was able to right the ship and take the next 3 holes and close out the match. 5 and 4. A little bit of an up and down match on a really fun new course. Highly recommend to anyone looking to shake it up on the east side.
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Enjoyed a great round earlier today with @Creags (along with a delightful solo named “Tab”, whose bright orange outfit would make even Rickie blush) at the highly-regarded Denison Golf Club.
A few fortunate bounces came my way, and more than a few tough breaks and burnt edges came Creags’ way that allowed me to take a three hole lead into the turn. After some back and forth, Creags picked one up at 14. Facing dormie on the 16th hole, he was able to extend the match with a beautiful blind wedge over the pines on the right, along with a tough-as-nails 15-footer to extend the match. Starting to notice a trend with my match-play opponents hitting heroic wedge shots coming down the stretch (cough @WellingtonGolf cough cough)…
On the par-3 17th, Creags just missed the green on the right, while my tee shot hung on to the right-side fringe. My heart stopped for a brief moment when Creags’ shot barely missed the hole for what would’ve have been yet another heroic approach, and my par was enough to take the hole and the match, 3&1.
It was my first time playing Denison after hearing great things, and it didn’t disappoint. Coupled with great company, it all made for a very pleasant afternoon well worth the trip. I look forward to seeing @Creags bomb more drives in the future, hopefully sooner rather than later.
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Was an impressive display of fairways and greens, timely recovery shots and clutch putting by @BoomBaby812. Never gave me an opening to mount a comeback and I was fortunate to get the match to 17. Dude is going to be a tough out.
Denison was great per usual and is going to be fiery this summer as it’s already firming up nicely.
Had a great time participating in the match play, already looking forward to competing next year!
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If it wasn’t for a caved in Hybrid on the opening few holes of Snow Hill, which was fantastic, @nelso2jf (Jake) would most likely be recapping our Match rather than I. Many of the holes out there called for a shot around 240 as the doglegs and blind tee shots made driver a risky play. Jake unfortunately destroyed the face of his 240 club on a 240 yard par 3. He was then forced to play a choked down 3 wood or try and hit his driver 350 over corners, which he did a couple times, to keep up with my incredibly boring round. Jake went 3 down on the front after smashing his lag putts 10 feet by on a few holes and not being able to convert the lengthy par attempts.
The back nine turned once Jack learned how to keep his lag putts on the green and through 14 he was 2 up. To note also, on 13, a 158 yd par 3 with water right, I pulled my tee shot left of the green then Jack is a heely burner bouncing off the slope of the green and ending up in the water. I thought I just need to put my chip on the green somewhere and 2 putt for a tie at worst. That was the wrong mindset as you should always think your opponent will make their shot and that is exactly what happened. My safe chip led to a bogey while Jake made an incredible par by jarring it.
So down 2 with 4 to play, I was able to utilize one of my pops and get the match to down 1 with two to play. Hole 17 measures 306 to the front of the green. Jake easily has that D in his bag. To do so, it calls for a carry over the corner of a forest. It looked as if he pulled it off. I wasn’t ballsy enough to attempt it so I hit my 240 yard shot 70 yards short of the green on the 90 degree dogleg. I thought I was toast. While Jake was trying to locate his ball after we believe it hit a tree greenside, I hit my approach shot to 20 feet and knock it in for birdie. We could never find Jake’s ball. That was a gut punch to him. With a one hole match ahead of us all square, the second handicap hole, I get a pop. The shot was of course a 240 yd shot into the uphill fairway. The dogleg then went downhill 15 yards to a green that couldn’t have been more than 30 feet deep. As I did most of the day, I hit my hybrid down the middle while Jake hit his sawed off 3 wood just past mine in the middle. With the wind in our face, I go first. I hit an 8 iron to about 12 feet and that took the hole as I was getting one.
I cannot say enough what a competitor @nelso2jf is and what a pleasure it was to play with him. A little smack talk and a lot of fun made Snow Hill that much more enjoyable.
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Congrats to @flanwilder, @quicktempo, @BoomBaby812, and @OhioStateBrady on your first round wins! I’ve updated the spreadsheet to reflect these results.
Reading all of these recaps has been a blast for me.
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We appreciate all of the work @golf4miami and @smithburger are putting into this to make it go smoothly. Well done gents!
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A wild match at a great course against a great competitor! The broken hybrid face was a #tough scene, but to say I figured out how to putt on the back 9 is more than generous. To end birdie-par when down 1 with two to go is the stuff of legends. Clutch putts and approach shots when it matters, @OhioStateBrady gets it done. Good luck to the unfortunate soul that is matched up against him next.
Hats off to everyone who’s participated and organized the events, you all have been awesome and I’m excited to do it again next year!
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I feel bad whoever is playing @quicktempo in the next round. Alex rarely makes mistakes with such a smooth looking swing and just wouldn’t go away. Wasn’t my best performance but even with my best I doubt I would have had a much better outcome.
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His game is so boringly consistent. It’s a true marvel
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Had a wonderful afternoon with @JakeFromStateFarm at the beautiful Firestone South Course. We played the member tees which run around 6400 yards but make no mistake the course is still not easy. We looked for balls in the rough on every other hole and were in more than a few bunkers deeper than I am tall. @JakeFromStateFarm was getting 14 shots from me… on to the golf.
Hole 1: I think Jake would be happy if I just summed this up as I hit fairway green and 2 putt par. Jake explored a lot of Firestone’s first hole and I went 1up
Hole 2: more of the same from Jake and I decided to join him in the adventure. This is a brutally hard par 5 which invoked equitable stroke control for both parties. 1up
Hole 3: I hit my tee shot left, Jake hit his right, he punched out into a good spot and was able to knock the next one onto the left of the green. I had a look at the front right to a back left pin around an enormous tree (every hole has enormous trees). I decided instead of hitting a safe wedge to the front I would hammer pull one through the tree to 10 feet. This being a hole Jake didn’t get a stroke he just ran the par by and I was able to two putt. 2up
Hole 4: Another tough hole for Jake. I made a pretty ho hum bogey to his triple. 3up
Hole 5: Really good par 3 with a bunker fronting the middle. I hit a nice iron to the middle about 15 feet away. Jake hit his iron short right, hit his chip to about 20 feet and rolled a really nice putt to good enough for a 4. I two putted to tie. 3up
Hole 6: Long par 4 the folds gently right. I hit a drive up the left and Jake hit a squirrely drive left. Hit a nice recovery out to the fairway and wedged onto the front of the green, unfortunately the pin was all the way back. I punched out to the left rough and hit a nice wedge to 6 feet. Jake had a reasonable 3 putt for 6. I missed the par chance and made another bogey. 3up
Hole 7: short par 3, no pop for Jake. In the absolute pinnacle of taking advantage of my situation I wiped a wedge short right. Jake followed me. He hit a really nice chip to a couple feet. I followed just outside his ball. Yanked my putt and he converts his. Wins the hole with no pop. 2up
Hole 8: While the previous holes felt like a slow melt down for me, not taking advantage of some shaky play, 8 and 9 were me absolutely ejecting myself into the sun and throwing one hell of a pity party. 8 is a great par 4 the slides right into a narrow green surrounded by bunkers. Jake hit his drive right and into a bad spot. A good punch put him back in play. I melted a drive to 100 yards in position A. From there I tugged a wedge into the left bunker that is DEEP. I pitched out across the green to the rough. I chipped on and 2 putted for a solid 6 from 100 yards (sick). Jake hit just right of the green pitched on and two putted for a 6. Enough to win with the stroke. 1up
Hole 9: Long par 4 that plays back into the big patio of the clubhouse. I proceeded to defecate all over myself from tee to green. Jake was able to make a nice 5 on a hard hole while I pouted my way to a 6. EVEN THROUGH 9 WE GOT OURSELVES A CASE OF THE BALLGAMES
Hole 10: Par 4 left to right with deep bunkers around the green, stop me if you’ve heard this before. After giving myself a mental (and potentially verbal) pep talk I hit a drive right up the middle to follow Jake’s drive that went up the right trees. He had himself a bit of an adventure on this hole while I hit a good approach to 5 feet and converted the birdie. 1up
Hole 11: Par 4 with a big bunker left and center of the green. I can’t stress enough that @JakeFromStateFarm hit the greatest shot I’ve ever seen on this hole. I hit a drive up the left that got a nice kick off a tree trunk and into the left edge of the rough and Jake follows it with a dirty snap double cross that goes across the next fairway and down into was I assume is one of Dante’s circles of hell. His ball is so deep in rough I can’t see it as I’m perched 5 feet above him in the cart. He hit it far enough left that he had a small gap that ran up the length of the green. He proceeds to rip a 7 iron that would have made Tiger blush. It sounded like he hit it off a fairway lie and took off like a rocket directly into the small gap. We can’t see from where we are but we know it’s good. As we drive around to my ball we can see that he’s hit it to the back of the green about 20 feet away. Truly an amazing shot. I hit a nice wedge just over the stick to just inside his shot from Narnia. Did I mention this is a hole where he doesn’t get a pop. He runs his putt long and outside the hole, I ‘learn’ from that by leaving mine 4 feet short. He misses the come back and I convert my two putt. Escaping some truly heroic golf with a win. 2up
Hole 12: Par three with basically a cave in the front middle of the green. I hit the middle with a back left pin. Jake does some exploring with his wedge around the front right side followed by the back left side and again to the front right side. The hole is conceded before I hit a putt. 3up
Hole 13: I actually don’t remember this one much. I’m going to blame heat stroke. I know Jake made 6 for 5 and I in my infinite ability to not hit a putt close enough to be good tan my birdie putt from the back of the green to a solid 5 feet by. I made the far more stressful than needed par. 4up
Hole 14: Again I don’t remember much but Jake made another 6 for 5 and if I remember right in another display of shitty lag putting I three putted for a bogey to tie the hole. 4up.
Hole 15: NOW THIS I REMEMBER. @JakeFromStateFarm at this point has officially entered must win territory. 150 yard par three with deep bunkers left and right and a right center pin. No poppy on this one. Match in my sights. Step up to hit a beautiful little driving range 9i and wham there’s a sick pull that goes 25 yards left of the green. Honestly people should play against me without strokes. Jake hits a nice high shot that just gets battered by wind and floats into the right bunker, pin high. I’m sitting on an upslope with green tilted toward me. Straightforward pitch to 4 feet short of the pin. Pressure back on Jake who has a deep bunker shot with the green all rolling away from him. He hits a nice one that just rolls off the other side. Not much he could do. I’m more than happy to let him go first, he takes him time looking at his chip. We had been very chatty the entire time and were having fun, and he approached this chip we were both very quiet. We knew what was about to happen. He pops one out of the rough beautifully it hits the turf and I say get in, he says get in. What happens. It gets in. Was really a phenomenal chip. All of the sudden I have to make a 4 footer to put the match away. Luckily I was able to make my far easier par and not lose a hole in which I wasn’t giving up a shot. Match over 4 and 3.
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Truly honored to be able to play a course like that. @cwb19 was all class and an outstanding host. Best of luck to him and his butter cut as he moves on. The south course was truly a humbling experience unlike any I’ve faced before. Being able to check this off the list was an opportunity i NEVER would have had if not for this matchplay tournament and the Nest. To all the guys I had the privilege of teeing it up with ( @metzbuck33, @prop, @ChuckWoods ) it was the best company I’ve had on ANY course in my (short) time of playing. It was intimidating to say the least to meet up with randos and have a match but when the adrenaline starts pumping on 5 footers that matter, competitive golf was the best competitive feeling I’ve had in any sport. If any of you guys or anyone reading this in the columbus area are needing a 4th this summer, hmu! Thank you so much @golf4miami for setting this up! Can’t wait to give it a crack next year!
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