By Joe McAdory
Posted 07/16 at 03:34 PM
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Got something in the mail recently that didn’t belong to me. I’m broke and desperate for money, so when a card comes along that probably has money inside, it’s easy to get the wheels inside my head turning.
But it wasn’t mine, so I felt compelled to get it to the right person. Sad thing was, I couldn’t read the handwriting on the letter. A girl named Ashley ... that’s about all I could figure out. But whoever this girl was, I was determined to put this letter in her hands.
The letter came from out of state, a Mrs. Wiglesworth. Not your everyday last name, but neither is mine. I got ahold of Mrs. Wiglesworth (nice lady) and told her what I found. She said she’d sent a check to Ashley for her wedding. That makes sense. The wedding was in May. Come to find out Ashley studies vet medicine at Auburn. Mrs. Wiglesworth gave me what she believes to be the correct address, and I think she’s right this time.
So it looks like Ashley and her new husband will soon be getting that check from Mrs. Wiglesworth after all. I hope the check is for a lot of money. Oh well. It is the thought that counts.
By Joe McAdory
Posted 07/15 at 08:43 PM
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Is there a more difficult golf course in the area than Auburn University Club? I don’t think so and Wednesday the boys and girls on the U.S. Kids Golf Tour Auburn Summer Series learned for themselves. The series continues next Friday at Callaway Gardens’ Mountain View course and concludes July 30 in Montgomery at Lagoon Park. Below are the top three finishers Wednesday in each age division:
GIRLS
9-year-olds
Mychael O’berry, Hoover—40
Chloe Wegeinka, LaGrange, Ga.—44
10-year-olds
Jordan Susce, Birmingham—40
Taylor Stallworth, Montgomery—58
11-year-olds
Grayson Gladden, Helena—50
12-year-olds
Sarah Grace Drop, Phenix City—49
BOYS
6-and-under
Gabriel Engberg, Montgomery—60
7-year-olds
Brandon Driver, Wetumpka—53
8-year-olds
Ben Carr, Columbus, Ga.—48
9-year-olds
Dawson Popwell, Montgomery—44
B.J. Morrison, Dothan—49
Xavier Williams, Columbus, Ga.—50
10-year-olds
Addison Nix, Auburn—38
Davis Thompson, Auburn—41
Turk Pettit, Auburn—41
11-year-olds (18 holes)
Tyler Hoylman, Douglasville, Ga.—77
Jinbo Ha, Montgomery—86
Ashton Klein, Dothan—89
12-year-olds (18 holes)
Walker Wise, Montgomery—82
Payton Marsh, Montgomery—92
Turner Huddleston, Opelika—100
13-year-olds (18 holes)
Derrick Bass, Auburn—90
Patrick McGinn, Montgomery—132
14-year-olds (18 holes)
Corey Smith, Dothan—79
Chance Caylor, Auburn—90
Mason Bunn, Columbus, Ga.—103
By Joe McAdory
Posted 07/14 at 02:41 PM
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If I could design a public golf course and take 18 holes from our area’s public courses (Grand National, Indian Pines, Auburn Links and Lakewood), what would it look like? Probably something like this:
The name: Grand Indian Links
Par: 73
Length: 7,195 from the tips
Hole 1
Auburn Links No. 1 (Par 4, 360 yards)
A pair of gulleys separate an otherwise wide landing strip of a fairway. Some folks fall short and dunk their first shot into the first gulley. Long hitters must beware their power, because a long ball can find itself in the second gulley. Some people choose to use irons off the tee. From the fairway, the player has anywhere from 80 to 150 yards uphill, slightly to the right, to a large green protected in the front by bunkers. Great starting hole if you don’t lose your ball.
Hole 2
Indian Pines No. 2 (Par 4, 372 yards)
A wide fairway greets you off the tee, but the danger on this hole lies in the approach shot to the green. Water separates the fairway from the green, so a long tee shot is a must. You don’t want to have to waste a second shot by laying up. Once you have cleared the water, which is about 20 yards across, you have a large green to the work with which slopes from top to bottom. A chip from the top of the green can easily roll past the green into the rough at the bottom. Be careful here.
Hole 3
Indian Pines No. 3 (Par 3, 142 yards)
TPC has an island hole. So does Grand National, sort of. Well, this one is sort of an island hole too. Miss short and your ball is wet. Miss long and your ball is wet. Miss right and your ball is wet. Miss left and ... hey, you might find land. There is some rough around the green, so you might need to bring a wedge with you.
Hole 4
Grand National Links No. 6 (Par 5, 544 yards)
It’s time for a par 5 and this one’s a beast. The fairway is deceptively wide, but sand traps greet wayward shots to the left about 200 yards from the tee box. A marshy area, about 100 yards long, separates the fairway from the green, creating a dilemma to lay up or go for the gusto. Considering the distance across the marsh, it may be wise to lay up on the third shot, making the fourth shot more manageable. But by doing this, the chance for par pretty much goes out the window unless your putter is magical or your approach shot is spot on.
Hole 5
Grand National Lake No. 2 (Par 4, 428 yards)
Several factors contribute to this hole’s difficulty. First, it’s hard to get the ball from tee to green in just two strokes from this far out. Second, the fairway isn’t the widest and Lake Saugahatchee looms to the left and creates a mental hazard. Third, a trio of sand traps on the right side of the fairway demands perfection off the tee. Just hit it down the middle.
Hole 6
Auburn Links No. 4 (Par 3, 155 yards)
Pretty hole. Tee box is elevated, creating a somewhat shorter distance, but don’t underplay your ball as a pond lies in front of the green. Be long, not short. The green is large and very sloped from back to front, creating tricky putts.
Hole 7
Grand National Links No. 13 (Par 4, 418 yards)
Hard to reach the green in two unless you really know what you’re doing. The hole is a massive dogleg to the left. A bunker lies in the center of the fairway, so it’s wise to hit beyond this hazard for more than one reason. You’ll need the distance if you plan on reaching the green on your next shot. Again, a large marsh separates much of the fairway from the green. Many players choose to hit to the right of the green, where plenty of landing room of available. But by doing this, you have to one-putt just to make par.
Hole 8
Grand National Lake No. 12 (Par 5, 522 yards)
Lots of trouble here on this hole that curves from right to left and hugs Lake Saugahatchee to the left, so don’t hook the ball. After a straight tee shot, heavy woods them loom to the right, and the lake still hasn’t gone anywhere. Beware the large pine tree in the left side of the fairway. Its limbs can slap your approach shots back to earth. The green is protected to the left and some to the front by some water with a bunker to the right. Green can be reached in three, like it’s designed to do, if none of your shots along the way find trouble.
Hole 9
Auburn Links No. 18 (Par 4, 470 yards)
One of the best finishing holes in the area, so I made it the front 9’s finisher. Hole is long and straight and played slightly downhill. The hazards here are 1) a large gully two-thirds of the way down the fairway approaching the green, and 2) five bunkers that surround the green. Long hitters can slap the ball 250 yards and perfect and watch it bounce into the gully, so watch out. A perfect tee shot comes to rest 15 yards before the gully, which puts you at about 180 yards from the green. This is very long for a par 4.
Hole 10
Grand National Links No. 14 (Par 4, 467 yards)
The challenge here lies in the slope of the fairway, which climbs upward to the right from the center. It’s hard to hit the ball when you’re not standing flat. You won’t stand flat on this hole. Novices will struggle to reach the green in two strokes.
Hole 11
Grand National Links No. 11 (Par 3, 260 yards)
One of the most beautiful golf holes this area offers, particularly in the fall when the trees are 10 different colors. But don’t be subdued by the charm, this hole is deceptively challenging as water looms all around. The player can be long and be right and still be in decent shape to chip on to the green. Don’t tee off from the back tees here. 260 yards is crazy.
Hole 12
Auburn Links No. 12 (Par 5, 565 yards)
This might be the most difficult hole at Auburn Links. First, it’s 565 yards. Ouch. The fairway is wide enough, with woods to the left and trees and a few homes to the right. But a big challenge awaits the approach shot as a creek flows before the green. Again, do you lay up or shoot for a long, but narrow green? Placement is paramount here.
Hole 13
Indian Pines No. 12 (Par 5, 497 yards)
My favorite hole at Indian Pines. It’s not pretty as much as it is unique. The fairway slightly flows left to right—with a bunker placed on the right side of the fairway in perfect position to catch your shot. But even after two strokes, you may have a hard time even seeing the green, which is tucked away to the left as the hole turns sharply at the end of the fairway. Sometimes it’s easier to hit through a group of trees to reach the green in three strokes, but that’s risky. A small ditch in front of the green can snag shots that don’t get airborn.
Hole 14
Auburn Links No. 14 (Par 4, 440 yards)
You stand in the tee box and wonder, what makes this hole so hard? It’s straight with a fairly wide fairway. But it’s long for a par 4. Way too long for the green to be reached by myself in two strokes. Slight mounds on either side of the fairway can get in the way too. The green is rather flat on the approach, which might change your strategy if you’re 25-30 yards out.
Hole 15
Grand National Lake No. 15 (Par 3, 230 yards) Pictured above
Here it is ... Grand National’s signature hole, our other “island hole.“ Actually, it’s an isthmus. Anyway, you’ve got to pound the ball some 200 yards or whatever over Lake Saugahatchee, then hope the ball sticks on to the green without landing in the rough or a sneaky bunker behind the green. Just be happy if your ball is dry.
Hole 16
Lakewood-Phenix City No. 18 (Par 5, 520 yards)
If you’ve never played Lakewood, I recommend it. Rates are reasonable, the course isn’t terribly demanding, but also offers a few tricky challenges that provide fun. The place is hilly. However, the 18th is flat, with woods hugging both sides of the fairway. It’s really long and a creek flows in front of the green creating that decision I hate to make, “go for the green or lay up?“ Go for the green. You can miss a bit to the right and be ok, or miss long and be ok. Just don’t be short, or be too long and peg a car in the parking lot.
Hole 17
Grand National Lake No. 16 (Par 4, 334 yards)
Crazy hole. Not sure what to do off the tee here. Very wide fairway with a clump of trees in the middle with Lake Saugahatchee beyond them. You can hit a driver off the tee to the left, or you can tee off with an iron to the right of those trees and take the most direct, shortest route to the green—setting up a shorter approach. Regardless, your approach shot must clear about 50 yards of water. The green is protected by sand. Either way you go, right or left, this hole is interesting.
Hole 18
Grand National Links No. 18 (Par 4, 471 yards)
It’s hailed as the most difficult finishing hole on the RTJ Golf Trail. Could be. The only way to avoid trouble is hit perfect shots. Tee shots must be straight. Those hit to the right can catch a sand trap or an embankment, neither of which provide for good second shot opportunities. Shots to the left seem furthest from the hole. So, like I said, hit it straight. From the center of the fairway, you must hit your approach shot 150 yards over water and a large rock wall on to the skinniest green I’ve ever seen in my life. Better hit it high and put some back spin on it to make it stick, or your ball will fly over the green. At least it’s dry there. You can still hit to the right of the water and take the long way around, but that’s wasting strokes.
Note: Three area golf courses, Saugahatchee, Moore’s Mill and Auburn University Club, were not included on this list. Why? They are private. I don’t get to play on private courses on a regular basis. I simply don’t know these courses well enough to analyze them, though I’d relish the opportunity to find out. All three are fine facilities that I have played a time or two, but not enough to form an opinion.
By Joe McAdory
Posted 07/10 at 04:38 PM
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Contrary to what some want to believe, this newspaper did not glorify Matthis Chiroux’s refusal to deploy to Iraq in a story printed Monday. We covered an event where Chiroux, who made news because of his controversial choice, was speaking and discussed his reasons for making that choice.
This newspaper never backed Chiroux’s decision. We quoted what he had to say. Then we quoted others, including his custodial father, who opposed to his decision. Naturally, nobody barked and claimed we were slamming Chiroux then.
I know, I know, we have an agenda. One person left a comment claiming we were aiding and abetting Chiroux. We have a column in Monday’s paper written by U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, giving him a platform to speak. Are we aiding and abetting him too?
We report what happens. Sometimes what happens creates a stir or gets people talking. We allow readers a forum to voice their opinions on the subject matter. People often discuss controversial issues, and particularly issues they do not agree with, more than the average run-of-the-mill issues. Newspapers often search for stories that evoke emotion and create conversation.
That’s our agenda.
Next story.
By Joe McAdory
Posted 07/09 at 11:36 AM
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Back from my eight-day sabbatical. Here’s what I observed over that duration:
* Pre-race music before a NASCAR event has sunk to new lows. The garbage that was played before Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 was the worst these ears have heard, and few in the grandstands were enjoying the ... ahem ... entertainment. It was grotesquely loud and actually painful to the ears. I don’t know who the group was, but it was some punky hard rock band complete with tattoos and maybe a few piercings. Is this the demographic Daytona International Speedway is trying to appeal to? More folks would listen to fan karaoke, which would be funny and entertaining. The speedway would save a few bucks too, not that the band that played deserved a check for their efforts.
* The Atlantic Ocean is still there. I never actually got in the water, or even stepped on the sand for that matter, but I saw the ocean for a few minutes.
* Golf in Daytona Beach can be very cheap. How’s this: 18 holes at Pelican Bay for $20. It’s a bargain and the course is fair.
* The Georgia Lottery must be rigged. I keep playing and I keep losing.
* A ton of kids showed up for Monday’s U.S. Kids Golf event at Indian Pines. Could have been the largest tournament of the year. For results, check this link: http://www.oanow.com/oan/sports/recreation/article/area_roundup_u.s._kids_golf_rolls_on_at_indian_pines/81906/ The next event will be Wednesday at the Auburn University Club.
* Golf courses at Callaway Gardens are nice, but I think a bit overpriced. One can expect to pay $70 or more, depending on the season. Discounted rates can be found in the afternoon. My son and I played for $58, as part of a promotion. I thought it was a good $50-$60 course. It was pretty, like Augusta National without the azaleas and dogwoods. I’d play Callaway again.
