[littleprov1x]

Wondered where all of you are playing your U.S. Am qualifers. I've got mine at Lake Merced in Daly City.

[rdavison]

I'll be teeing it up at Lake Merced also. Tough to pass up the oppotunity to play 36 holes out there and try to make the field across the street at Olympic.

[seasuks]

The Patriot Golf Club in Ninety Six, SC (about 45 miles from Columbia, SC) July 23 and 24. Thank goodness it's over two days. Last year was 36 in one day in blazing heat. Forecast was about 15* off and the heat index was around 100*.

Needless to say, we all looked like penguins waddling down the fairway on the last hole we were so chaffed.

I'll be in SF June 4-11, and I'll have my clubs! Let me know if you guys can get out to tee it up, I'm available to play the 5th - 8th. I'd need to play fairly early on the 8th though.

Sea

[matthew.bakkum]

I am teeing it up at the Fargo Country Club, in Fargo, North Dakota. One of the nicest courses in the state. Good luck to all of you.

[PatScan]

I'm playing at the Orchards in South Hadley, MA. It hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 2004. Anyone else?

[minitour]

I'm at Manakiki GC and Kirtland CC near Cleveland, OH on the 30th. Not sure how it's going to work with 36 holes, one day, two courses, 144 players.......I'm guessing I'll be back Tuesday.

-mini

[madmaclive]

Quote

I'm at Manakiki GC and Kirtland CC near Cleveland, OH on the 30th. Not sure how it's going to work with 36 holes, one day, two courses, 144 players.......I'm guessing I'll be back Tuesday.

That qualifier is always tough because the NOGA has no idea how to actually run a tournament. They always have it at two different courses and 36 holes the same day. I won the Cleveland qualifier that was at Fox Den/Lake Forest 3 years ago.
This year, those two course = no way. I'm going down to play at Dayton CC instead. Plus the Cleveland qualifier coincides with the Western Am, so there might be a few notable guys from around Cleveland that will be missing from that one.

[minitour]

madmaclive, on Jul 13 2007, 01:36 AM, said:

Quote

I'm at Manakiki GC and Kirtland CC near Cleveland, OH on the 30th. Not sure how it's going to work with 36 holes, one day, two courses, 144 players.......I'm guessing I'll be back Tuesday.

That qualifier is always tough because the NOGA has no idea how to actually run a tournament. They always have it at two different courses and 36 holes the same day. I won the Cleveland qualifier that was at Fox Den/Lake Forest 3 years ago.
This year, those two course = no way. I'm going down to play at Dayton CC instead. Plus the Cleveland qualifier coincides with the Western Am, so there might be a few notable guys from around Cleveland that will be missing from that one.

Yeah I played in a NOGA event a few years back and wasn't impressed. It's local though, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Better than going to Western PA and having to shoot 63-63 to have a 25 for 1 playoff. I'm usually not impressed with WPGA either. CDGA seems to have a good idea of how to get it done, but with NOGA/WPGA, I'm not so sure.

I'm thinking I better make hotel reservations for Monday night because I'm assuming somewhere on the 12th hole of my 2nd round they're going to suspend play. Manakiki and Kirtland are like 15 minutes away from each other from what I hear, and I'm not even sure if Manakiki has a driving range to warm up at.

Hopefully they'll split the field and do a two-tee start and we'll have a chance, but I've got a feeling it's going to be either a full field two tee start or a split field start on #1....just knowing how NOGA does things.

I didn't think about the Western Am being around the same time...that should make things interesting. I'm trying to go with low expectations. Honestly, with the shape that I'm in, if I can finish 36 holes carrying my own bag, I'll be extatic...stroke letter or not :P

-mini

[CooGAR]

I've done many of these over the years, but a bad knee has forced me to limit myself to the 18 hole US Mid-Am Qualifier.

However, after many years of walking 36 holes in the Houston heat, I have a few tricks that some of you may or may not know of that help make the "36 hole walk in August" a bit easier.

1) Get a caddy if you can! Heck....get 2 caddies (one for each 18!) This may be the most obvious, but I have played with several people who it never crossed their minds. Pay a friend or 2 $50-70 to carry your bag. It is worth it!! Another thought is to carry your bag the first 18 and get a caddy the second 18.

2) Take potassium tablets a few times a day for the whole week leading up to the tournament. This helps avoid cramping, but you must build it up in your system. Take some during the tourney as well.

3) To avoid chaffing, I used 2 methods with good success. a) Wear those thigh length, tight underwear that look like bike shorts (or hell, wear bike shorts) under your shorts. If you have big legs (like I do) these will keep your thighs from rubbing together during the last 12 holes when your shorts are dripping wet and 10X the size they were when you started!! b) Lube up!! The other place you will chaffe is in your.....well........ CRACK! A couple of fingers full of petroleum jelly (aka - Vaseline) before you tee off will keep you walking normal all day! LOL!

4) If you have time.....take a quick shower and change clothes between rounds. Five or six times, I have 45+ minutes between my rounds. So I choked down a sandwich and hit the showers for a quick, cool rinse! The shower along with a new set of clothes made standing on the 19th tee box feel like it was the first!

5) If you can, change socks and shoes after the first 18. This will help you avoid blisters. A different pair of shoes will "rub" in different places, thus hopefully avoiding blisters. Also, load up your socks with Dr. Schoals (sp?) Foot Powder to stay dry.

6) Carry Moleskin in your bag and some scissors for when you feel a blister coming on. Moleskin is a thick felt pad that hikers use for when they get blisters. I use to get bad blisters on the balls of my feet. They did not hit me until the last nine holes. Once they were so bad, I finished the last 5 holes of a qualifier barefoot! I got smart and carried Moleskin and it was never a problem again. I also precut the moleskin to fit the balls of my feet and back anke area. That way, all I had to do was quickly stick them on with minimal time delays.

7) Another obvious one, but........stand/walk in the shade whenever you can. When in the shade, take you hat off to let the heat out of your body. Most of the heat in your body escapes thru the top of your head! Your cap is trapping all that heat in....so let it out! Carry a small face towel and wet it down with cold water when you can. Keep it on your neck.

I know all this sounds like a lot of work, but the US Am Qualifier is not only a test of the best golfers....it's a mental stamina test too. The last 9 holes is when you make your dumbest mistakes. If you are mentally weak from heat, you a** is chaffed, your feet are blistered, and you legs are cramping....... the last thing you are thinking of is concentrating on hitting a cut 6 iron to a tucked pin!!

Good luck....wish I was joining you!

[seasuks]

Or, do it here in South Carolina where it's a two day qualifier

[minitour]

Coo Gar, I'll be joining you in the Mid Am ranks next year (thank God!) but I think those are all great points. I'm trying to con my wife into the caddy thing because my friend who just caddied for me is........well....................awful.

-mini

[CooGAR]

seasuks, on Jul 14 2007, 03:23 AM, said:

Or, do it here in South Carolina where it's a two day qualifier

My last attempt at a US AM qualifier WAS in South Carolina at Colleton River.....and it was 36 in one day!

Cool thing was is that is where my father is a memebr and he caddied for me driving his golf cart the 36 holes. I had a cooler full of Powerade, bananas, wet towels, etc....right there with him on the cart. I could also sit down in the cart and rest if there was a wait.

[theboom]

is there a site where you can get more info on the us am?

[CooGAR]

www.usga.org

[boomer234]

I'm playing at Diablo CC -- have a practice round on Sunday. Anything in particular I should expect? Is it a nice course?


CooGAR, thanks for the tips! Although I'll probably skip the chafing section, I walk 36 holes all the time without problems down there

[DRGJR72]

I have to wait to get my AM status returned to me......then I am off to the mid-am qualifier......tough shot for the US AM....to much young talent and I am not playing enough to compete....

See you in 08

DG

[carrera]

boomer234, on Aug 1 2007, 09:58 PM, said:

I'm playing at Diablo CC -- have a practice round on Sunday. Anything in particular I should expect? Is it a nice course?

Strong field at Diablo! Nice old fashioned course that you can go low on if there isn't wind. Good luck.

[UCRgolfer11]

I played at Western Hills CC in Chino Hills, California. All 36 in one day, didn't play too well on the front nine of the course on either round. 8 over on the front and 7 under on the back. 132 won it, and he had 1 bogie the entire day shotting 33 on all 4 nine holes.

[shallowdivots]

good luck!

[bjackson]

My good friend made it out of Lake Merced...he was medalist @ 141--Martin Trainer.

[victor2000]

CooGAR, on Jul 14 2007, 06:47 PM, said:

seasuks, on Jul 14 2007, 03:23 AM, said:

Or, do it here in South Carolina where it's a two day qualifier

My last attempt at a US AM qualifier WAS in South Carolina at Colleton River.....and it was 36 in one day!

Cool thing was is that is where my father is a memebr and he caddied for me driving his golf cart the 36 holes. I had a cooler full of Powerade, bananas, wet towels, etc....right there with him on the cart. I could also sit down in the cart and rest if there was a wait.

How did you use a cart in a USGA event?

[txpgolfer]

victor2000, on Aug 11 2007, 12:13 AM, said:

CooGAR, on Jul 14 2007, 06:47 PM, said:

seasuks, on Jul 14 2007, 03:23 AM, said:

Or, do it here in South Carolina where it's a two day qualifier

My last attempt at a US AM qualifier WAS in South Carolina at Colleton River.....and it was 36 in one day!

Cool thing was is that is where my father is a memebr and he caddied for me driving his golf cart the 36 holes. I had a cooler full of Powerade, bananas, wet towels, etc....right there with him on the cart. I could also sit down in the cart and rest if there was a wait.

How did you use a cart in a USGA event?

Alot of U.S. am qualifiers let the caddy take a cart. The player still has to walk the round, and if the player is in the cart while it is moving, he is DQ'd. But he can sit in it when at rest.

[seasuks]

txpgolfer, on Aug 12 2007, 11:01 AM, said:

victor2000, on Aug 11 2007, 12:13 AM, said:

CooGAR, on Jul 14 2007, 06:47 PM, said:

seasuks, on Jul 14 2007, 03:23 AM, said:

Or, do it here in South Carolina where it's a two day qualifier

My last attempt at a US AM qualifier WAS in South Carolina at Colleton River.....and it was 36 in one day!

Cool thing was is that is where my father is a memebr and he caddied for me driving his golf cart the 36 holes. I had a cooler full of Powerade, bananas, wet towels, etc....right there with him on the cart. I could also sit down in the cart and rest if there was a wait.

How did you use a cart in a USGA event?

Alot of U.S. am qualifiers let the caddy take a cart. The player still has to walk the round, and if the player is in the cart while it is moving, he is DQ'd. But he can sit in it when at rest.

Not DQ'd, two stroke penalty per infraction. One guy at the qualifier I played in hopped in the cart after he hit his first tee shot and took off without even thinking about it. He was laying three in the fairway.

All of the USGA qualifiers allow a "cart driver"/caddy. The caddy drives the cart while the player walks. The only advantage is that you have a place to sit during the inevitable wait on every tee during one of those five and a half hour qualifying rounds.

[minitour]

seasuks, on Aug 12 2007, 11:37 AM, said:

...during one of those five and a half hour qualifying rounds.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was driven absolutely crazy by that. Granted, the 3rd in our 3some didn't show up, so we were a 2 the whole day....but why so friggin' long? The ball isn't going to get intimidated while you stare at it for a minute before you hit the shot.

Oh well..

-mini