THE FIRST TEE Things were going great as we arrived at the first tee. Christopher has never been on the Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson shows demonstrating his elevated skills at the age of three, however, we had talked about grip, alignment, and posture. Chris has been picking up a club and swinging at random from the time he was two. His attention span is about 15-30 seconds before he moves on to his fire trucks and front end loaders. His first request was , "Can I Drive, Pa?" Having driven the … [Read more...]
NBC Coverage of 2016 Ryder Cup-Zero *****’s
LIVE AT THE 2008 RYDER CUP If you have never been to a Ryder Cup, put that on your bucket list. And if you watched NBC coverage of the 2016 Ryder Cup that should be enough reason to boycott any NBC golf telecast and go "Live to a Ryder Cup". To experience a week at the Ryder Cup is a golfer's ultimate pipe dream. Ryan was fortunate to win the ticket lottery back in 2008. Kim (Ryno's mom) and I got to attend the 2008 Ryder Cup along with Ryan. I got there at the beginning of the week and … [Read more...]
Slow Play or Just a Day of Golf?
OLD TIMER'S VIEW OF SLOW PLAY Still trying to learn the rules of engagement for posting articles and blogs for #Front9/Back9. One topic of conversation has been the issue of slow play. Coming from an old-timer, I have a totally different view of "slow play" and how it applies to an enjoyable round of golf. Don't take this the wrong way, slow play is a major factor in the game for the novice golfer and a real pain in the rear for us avid golfers. Each round of golf brings in different factors … [Read more...]
Ryan’s Final 36/ “In Memory of Ryan”
From Front9Back9, Ryan's dad and mom want to thank all of the golf bloggers and the #golfchat twetters who have reached out to our family. A special thanks to Zeb for including our family in Tuesday's (08.02.16) #golfchat. Ryan's last 36 were played in the Destin, Florida area while on a family vacation. Ryan's brother, Kyle and I, joined Ryan to play two great layouts, Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club and Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club. Ryan was consistent with an 85 and 84. I will … [Read more...]
Ryan Randall Young….December 10,1980-July 24, 2016
This is Ryan's dad, Randy, I want to share with all of you the passing of Ryan. I am not really sure that this post will connect with the universe. My goal is to keep Front9Back9 going in memory of my son. I have had the honor of reading all his posted and how creative he was in his writings. We hope in the near future to establish a "Memorial Golf Tournament" in his name to support his two sons, Christopher (age 3 ) and Bryson (to be born in October 2016). Please send me any of the information … [Read more...]
My Pursuit to Break 80 is Not Working Out as Planned
It's been just over three months since my last update on my pursuit to break 80. March 28, to be exact, was my last progress report. Since then, I've posted an additional nine rounds of golf. The good news, there's been no scores above 90. The bad news, there's been no scores below 80. I've gotten close, but I haven't reached that milestone yet. Here's how my scores have fared over my last nine rounds of golf: 86, 84, 81, 87, 84, 81, 80, 86, 84 So let's get into the breakdown of my … [Read more...]
Golf on Your Honeymoon: 6 Rules to Avoid Divorce
Friend: "Hey man, did you play golf on your honeymoon?" Me: "Well, I didn't go on a honeymoon. But if I did, I would have. Why do you ask?" Friend: "I am going to Napa Valley in June after the wedding, and I want to try and play golf." Me: "Hell yeah you should try to play?" Friend: "I just haven't talked to her about it yet. Don't know how she'd react." This was the exchange between my friend and I recently in regards to him playing golf on his honeymoon. A lot of people … [Read more...]
The Case for Rickie Fowler
The Case for Rickie Fowler is a guest post by Cassie, author of the blog Bandwagoner’s Guide to Golf. Check out her bio at the bottom of her post. The Case for Rickie Fowler Don’t worry, this isn’t just a fangirl piece fawning over an attractive golfer. Not entirely, at least. Even after his Masters disaster, I still feel the need to make a case for golf fans to respect Rickie Fowler. He’s the reason I found an interest in golf and as far as I can see, he’s part of the reason that the … [Read more...]
Valero Texas Open Field is Set But Missing a Big Name Texan
The 2016 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio is just five days away. The deadline for players to commit to the tournament has passed and the field is set. Some big name PGA Tour players are coming down next week to take on the difficult AT&T Oaks Course, but the biggest Texas golf star at the moment is MIA. In years past, the golf course has played firm and fast, with the South Texas wind playing a big factor in scoring. This year is shaping up to be quite different. We're expecting … [Read more...]
Progress Report on My Pursuit to Break 80
It's been about a month now since I last provided an update on my pursuit to break 80 on the golf course. It's been a goal of mine for sometime now and I am really focusing on three key points of my golf game for 2016. Since I wrote that last article, a Twitter friend @PracticalGolf, sent me a direct message saying my article had inspired him to write about what a lot of golfers face when they are setting out in pursuit of a golf goal. Simply put, you have to believe you can do it. What … [Read more...]
My Pursuit to Break 80 on the Golf Course: #ProjectBreak80
It's a milestone I aim for every time I play a round of golf. While some golfers might be able to break 80 every time they go out, I find it a very difficult obstacle to overcome. In 2016, I set a goal again of trying to break 80 for the first time in 16 years. I've done it once before, at The Golf Club of Texas when I worked in the cart barn and pro shop back in 2000. This was the time in my life when I was playing golf just about everyday. I decided to start this series again on … [Read more...]
#GolfChat Anniversary: Reflections From A Year of Golf Fun
#GolfChat Is Blowing Up This Tuesday, February 2, will mark my one year anniversary of partaking in something in the Twitter world known as #GolfChat. It was February 3, 2015 when I found #GolfChat, and since then, I've watched it grow into an amazing community of like-minded golf nuts. I wanted to try and find exactly when my first #GolfChat Tweet was sent, so I went back to the beginning of 2015 and searched my Twitter feed to find where it all started. Sure enough, this brilliannce was … [Read more...]
The #GolfNut Podcast 010: The Restart
Welcome to episode 010 of The #GolfNut Podcast. I am calling this episode The Restart because it's been five freaking months since my last episode, which is frankly bullshit if you ask me. I don't know what the hell has been going on but I vow to get this thing started up again. Today's episode is short, only 5 minutes, but I have a couple goals to share and a request to my Twitter followers and #GolfNut listeners. Goal #1: Get to 50 podcast episodes in 2016. This is episode 010 so … [Read more...]
9 PGA Tour Golf Tournaments I Would Travel to See Live
PGA Tour Golf Tournaments With the PGA Tour season finally getting back under way next week at Kapalua for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, I thought it would be the perfect time to list out the my top nine PGA Tour golf tournaments I would like to go see live. Each year, I tell myself I want to travel and see a different PGA Tour tournament in person. Over the years, I've compiled these golf tournaments that would be at the top of the list. While there's over 50 golf tournaments … [Read more...]
Golf Review: Rukket Haack Golf Net
With a full time day job, a full MBA school schedule and a wife and son at home, it's hard for me to get to the driving range during the week. If I get one range session per week, then I'm actually doing well. My weekends are really the only time I am able to play 18 holes because of my busy workweek. It's no wonder I can't seem to get over that hump and break 80 as I have set out to do. If I ever want to get better at the game of golf then I will need to practice more, period. This is all … [Read more...]
Peter Malnati: PGA Tour Winner and Insightful Golf Blogger
It's not uncommon for PGA Tour players to have a personal website. Hell, most of them have the URL embroidered on their golf bags these days. On these websites, you'll find the basic stuff; like what's in the bag, their upcoming schedule and logos of sponsors with a write up of how great the product or service is. I think everyone would agree having an online presence is pretty important in today's world. Even PGA Tour pros know the importance, or at least their agent or PR firm knows. On … [Read more...]
Champions Tour Creates Playoff Series for 2016 Charles Schwab Cup
The Champions Tour has finalized plans to create a three-event playoff series starting in 2016 to settle the season-long Charles Schwab Cup. The newly formed Powershares QQQ Championship will be played in Los Angeles to kick off the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs for the 50 and over golf tour. Seventy-two players will compete at a yet-to-be-determined golf course in 2016. From there, the top 54 will move onto the Dominion Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia and compete for their share of the … [Read more...]
Justin Thomas Picks Up First PGA Tour Victory at CIMB Classic
Justin Thomas posted a final round 66 on Sunday to hold off Adam Scott at the CIMB Classic and pick up his first PGA Tour victory. Thomas made tournament history with a four day total 26-under, setting the tournament scoring record in relation to par. Thomas needed birdies on his final three holes at the Kuala Lumpur Country Club on Sunday after making a double bogey on the par-4 14th. He needed the strong finish with Adam Scott already in the clubhouse at 25-under. Scott fired a … [Read more...]
Golf Tee Shirts From The Golf Nut Golf Shop
I'm happy to announce the official launch of my newest business venture, The Golf Nut Golf Shop. I've been contemplating a lot lately on launching a golf tee shirt website to help take my golf business to the next level and the time is now. I chose Shopify as my retail commerce partner because they offer secure checkouts for customers and integration to include coupons and discounts. The Golf Nut Golf Shop is live and open for business, and I'm starting with this six items: Golf … [Read more...]
Tickets Sold Out For WGC Dell Match Play in Austin
The World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play is coming to Austin March 23-27, and if you want to go see 64 of the best players tee it up, you'll have to get on a waitlist. Tournament officials announced on Friday all tickets have been officially sold out, making this the quickest sell out in event history. Dell signed on as title sponsor of the WGC Match Play earlier last spring and the venue change to Austin will mark the sixth move for the event since it's inception in 1999. Austin … [Read more...]