Results from 2011:
Chilly Autumn day in Woodbridge, CT - Oct 21, 2011
Beautiful day spent in Milford, CT - Oct 11, 2011
Nice Autumn day in Orange CT - Oct 6, 2011
Grey Gloomy Day in Hamden - Sept 15, 2011
Good to be able to play after Irene hits CT a few days ago - Sept 1, 2011
Perfect day at Shenny! - Aug 24, 2011
Crew heads to East Hartford - Aug 17, 2011
Small group plays Goodwin Park - Aug 10, 2011
Off the cert to play Hunter - Aug 3, 2011
A fine day of golf at Blue Fox Run - July 27, 2011
Woodbridge Country Club on the Cert! - July 20, 2011
A great day of golf in West Hartford, CT - July 13, 2011
Another beautiful day in Central CT - July 6, 2011
A beautiful day in Central CT - Jun 29, 2011
Please no more rain! - Jun 22, 2011
Was the food or the golf better? - June 15, 2011
Heat??? That won't stop us from playing 18 holes! - June 8, 2011
Monday for 9 holes - June 6, 2011
Luckily for us the severe storms stay north - June 1, 2011
The sun came out and we finally got in 18 holes!! - May 25, 2011
A hearty Duo take on the Weather God - May 18, 2011
Big crowd for 9 at Sleepy - May 12, 2011
DaHacker's debut! - May 5, 2011
First Outing of Season - April 28, 2011
back to top / view some above average golfers
October 21, 2011 - Woodbrige Country Club
A sunny but chilly day and we got one foursome out to take advantage of a
great low rate of $28 for 18 holes. The course was in so-so shape but it was
good to get out and play. On this day it was just yours truly (DP), Mike
McQuade (MM), Jimbo Polony (daHacker), and Dave DeFlumeri (flimFlam).
Leading the foursome was DP with a 92, MM next in with a 97, flimFlam chipped in with a 113, and with his creaky back daHacker came in with a 119.
After the golf we headed down to Scoreboard Sportsbar and Grille right off of Amity Rd in New Haven, CT where we had some nice cold beers and burgers and the such. Thinking this may be the last time out for the Freeport crew and if it is I had a great time out with all the guys who played this year and look forward to 2012!!!
back to top / view some above average golfers
October 11, 2011 - Grassy Hill Country Club
A beautiful fall day in CT on this Tuesday and 4 from the Freeport crew got
out for 9 holes at Grassy Hill. On this day Dave DeFlumeri (flimFlam), yours
truly (DP), Jim Polony (daHacker), and Fred Mayernik (Flintstone) enjoyed
the weather and the golf.
Playing the front 9 the course was in good shape. Leading the way was myself with a 39 with my second ever eagle on the 9th hole, right behind was Flintstone with a 40, next in was FlimFlam with a 54, and creakyDaHacker shot a 60.
After golf we made our way the Orange Ale House where we had some delicous grub and grog. I think everyone from our group has been to the Ale house but in case you haven't it is a bar with a decent kitchen located on Route 1 in Orange,
back to top / view some above average golfers
October 6, 2011 - Orange Hills Country Club
A cool but nice Fall day in CT the crew got out in mass again for one of
final group outings of the season. Playing on this fine fall day were myself
(DP), Jimbo (daHacker), Dave Deflumeri (flimFlam), Noel Gabrielle (the N),
Bob Fraedrich (theBomber), Phil Tortora (PhilTheThrill), Mike Ricci
(FatchaGaloop), Mike McQuade (MM), and Walt Baker (WB) - gotta work on some
nicknames for Mike and Walt.
The course was in fine shape for this time of year, not too many leaves on the course, the greens were quick, fairways lush, and the bunkers were on the hard and wet side. Leading the way on this day was theBomber with a 86, next in was yours truly with a 90, the N chipped in with a 95, the Thrill came in with a 105, flimFlam shot a 107, FatchaGaloop played to a 110, WB shot a 115, and daHacker and MM both hacked in with a 116.
After golf the crew headed down Route 1 to West Haven and enjoyed good grub and grog at 744 West. Nice portions, great beer menu, great apps, and very good meals for very reasonable prices. Very much what I would call a bar with a good restaurant.
back to top / view some above average golfers
September 15, 2011 - Laurel View Country Club
Well as golf days go this was one where you say at least we got the 18 holes
in..... The day started with a delay on getting started due to tournament
falling behind their scheduled times with overcast skies, with drizzle,
light showers, and very humid. But it definitely was good enough to golf!
The day ended with rain and wind but all the groups got their 18 holes
completed albeit some of us were unable to make the turn prior to league
play and were forced to play the front nine twice. Playing on this gray day
were Dick Burke (DB), Jim Polony (daHacker), Dan Gray (DG), Dan Fairchild
(DF), Dave Polony (DP), Mike McQuade (MM), Walt Baker (WB), Mike Ricci (MR),
Bob Fraedrich (BF), and Noel Gabrielle (the N).
The course was wet from prior days of rain but not drenched, the tee boxes were OK, fairways good, rough was long, and the greens were medium speed due to the wetness and except for a couple spots where some grounds keepers cut to tight at some point in the season were in decent shape. The course is a typical course in CT where if played from the proper tee boxes for your skill it can challenge and reward with good scores. Author disclaimer my group was sent to 17 to start the day and never made the turn and had to play 1-7 twice to get our 18 holes so I was disappointed that I did not get to play 10-16 and can not comment on those holes on this day. Laurel View is one that will always be a must play if on the certificate for most in group as it's close to home and is a generally fun course to play.
Leading the way was DF with a 85, BF and DP both shot 86, DG played to a 92, MM chipped in with a 97, the N played to a 102, DB and MR played to a 111, WB came in with a 110, and daHacker played to a 115.
After golf daHacker, DB, the N, WB, MM, and DP enjoyed brews and chew at Aunt Chiladas on Whitney Ave in Hamden. A fun day of golf concluded with some good food and company.
back to top / view some above average golfers
September 1, 2011 - Manchester Country Club
The fourth day since Irene hit CT where many here including 2 who played
with us were still without power. The irony of it all is in how nice the
weather has been since Sunday and today was no exception. Making the trip to
Manchester was Dave DeFlumeri (DD), Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave Polony (DP),
and Bob Fraedrich (BF).
The course weathered the storm well with some down trees but other than that is was in good shape. The greens were what I would say a medium speed and in good condition, the fairways were lush, the tee boxes were in good condition, and the sand traps were in good shape and populated often by daHacker and DD. Overall the course was in good shape and it's one that if it's on the certificate again next season you really should try to make time to play. We played the white tees which play to a little over 6100 yards and to a 69.6 slope and 126 rating.
Leading the way again was BF shooting a nice 87, next in was yours truly DP with a 88, DD chipped in with a 121, and daHacker hacked to a 127.
After the golf DD, DP, and daHacker had some brew and chew at the 19th which was very enjoyable. I would recommend Manchester to anyone looking to play a nice, well maintained, CT golf course. Look forward to playing again next season.
back to top / view some above average golfers
August 24, 2011 - Shennecossett Golf Course
Perfect, Perfect day for golf here in CT on this day! The weather could not
have been better with sunny skies, low humidity, temps in the low 80's and a
nice light breeze made for a great day of golf in Groton, CT. Making our
annual trip to Shenny was Fred Mayernik (FM), John Onofrio (JO), Noel
Gabrielle (the N), Dave DeFlumeri (DD), Jim Pelletier (JP), Jim Polony
(daHacker), Dave Polony (DP), Bob Fraedrich (BF) and Mike Ricci Sr
(MR).
Shennecossett was in great shape on this fine August Wednesday, the greens were fast and true, the fairways were hard and tightly cut typical for a Links style course, most of the bunker appeared to be in decent shape with a few that were substandard with less than adequate sand, the tee boxes were good except for a few that showed the signs of the long season, overall the course played true to links style golf and is a different type of course than most you find in CT. The group played from the white tees making the course length of just under 6100, a slope of 123, and a course rating of 69.3. For those with more accomplished game the course plays from the tips at 6600, 124, and 71.7. Shennecossett is the municipal course run by the town of Groton founded in 1898, Shennecossett continues to host premier Connecticut golf events, such as the Connecticut Senior Open, and furthers its reputation as one of the best public golf courses in the state. In September of 2007 Shennecossett was featured in Golf Magazine as one of the "Thrifty Fifty" (view article) in the United States; best public access courses that one can play for under $50. Shennecossett was featured in The Best of Northeast Golf 2007 Reader's Choices as one of the best overall conditioned courses and best overall courses.
Leading the way was BF shooting a great 85 with 8 pars and an awesome back 9 shooting 38, next up was FM chipping in with a 86, yours truly came in with a 89, the N and JP both played to 93's, MR had a nice day shooting 96, also with a nice day DF with a 97, JO came in with a 102, and daHacker hacked in with a 120.
After golf the crew enjoyed brews and chew at the restaurant on the course and would recommend it to anyone who plays the course. It was another great annual trip to Shennecossett! A good day of golf spent with good friends! I recommend anyone who hasn't played make the trip to Shennecossett to play a course indicative to the origin of golf. By far my favorite course of the season even with it not being on the golfing cert. And on a side note Kudos to the organizer of our outing, thanks as always to daHacker! One more side note Kudos to the hiring manager at Shenny as Bethany was by far the most attractive beer girl of the season! I sure hope the N made it home as I think I saw him searching the course for her after we ate!
back to top / view some above average golfers
August 17, 2011 - Long Hill Country Club
Summer came back after a couple days of torrential rain and one transition
day making this Wed a great day to play golf with Sunny Blue skies and temps
in the mid 80's. This day's crew was made up of Dan Fairchild (DF), Jim
Polony (daHacker), Bob Fraedrich (BF), Mike McQuade (MM), and Dave
Polony (DP).
Long Hill was still wet after torrential rains on Sunday and Monday but overall it dried out fairly well and was in very playable condition. The greens were inconsistent with some due to holding lots of water from the prior days and some were medium, and one or two were on the quicker side all due to their different locations on the course and how well they drain. The bunkers were not all that bad considering, the tee boxes were good albeit some what confusing how they are back to back, side by side for a set of 4 holes, and the fairways were lush and spongy. I would say the course crew did a nice job staking off the real wet areas as grounds under repair and overall having the course in fair shape. We played from the white tees on this day making the course length at almost 6100 yards (blues only 100 longer), the slope at 124, and the overall rating at 68.6. Long Hill is East Hartford's municipal course and as such very reasonably priced whether using the cert or playing at normal price. I would rate the course as a typical New England park like course that if you make good shots you will shoot really well.
Leading the was on this day was yours truly DP shooting 88, next up was DF with a 90, BF chipped in with a 91, MM played to a 119, and daHacker hacked in with a 127. While this reporter had the low score on this day the best part of the day was playing with my Pop daHacker and DF. But I must say it was nice to finally edge out DF for the first time this season so I guess it does help to hit it straight into the fairways which for a change I did!
After golf BF, MM, daHacker, and DP headed down to the Berlin turnpike and went out to eat at a restaurant in Newington called Joey Garlic's which I would recommend to anyone looking for a good Italian restaurant. Large portions, good food, reasonable prices, and cold drinks made for a nice dinner and good wrap up of the day.
back to top / view some above average golfers
August 10, 2011 - Goodwin Park Golf Course
A beautiful day in Harford, CT was spent by a small crew consisting of Dan
Fairchild (DF), Dave Polony (DP), and Bob Fraedrich (BF) playing
Goodwin Park. You couldn't ask for better weather on this day with sunny
skies, temps in the low 80's, and very low humidity.
Goodwin was very wet after torrential rain the afternoon and night before so the greens were slow, the traps were hard, and the fairways may have been slower than the greens with most shots leaving nice size divots plugging most of the time. Goodwin is one of two muni's in Hartford that is very reasonable price for all golfers. The course would rate as a nice easy play giving you a nice chance to shoot low. I would play the course again if included on the certificate and while it wasn't the nicest muni in the state I would say I have played worse courses in my life that I wouldn't go back to but for the price it can't be beat. We played from the blue tees giving the course a length of about 6050 yards and it actually played longer as your shots of the tee were all carry as there was none or very little run once the ball hit the fairway,
Leading the way was DF who tore up the front nine shooting 3 over at 38 and ended up with a 85 for the day, next up was BF with a 87, and yours truly chipped in with a 88. I have to give DF a thanks for my tip of the day when I told him my back was tight early in the round he stated maybe I need to get more beer in me and after the 4th hole I only had one double bogey the rest of the round! Beer is good!
After
the round we all headed home but if we play next year there are plenty of
places to eat and entertainment in Hartford fairly close to the course or
you could do as the N would do and head down the Berlin Turnpike.....
back to top / view some above average golfers
August 3, 2011 - Hunter Golf Club
You couldn't say it was the most beautiful day but the weather held out and
ultimately we had a nice day of golf in Meridan, CT at Hunter Golf Club. On
this day we had a 6 man crew playing consisting of Dan Fairchild (DF),
Dave Polony (DP), Bob Fraedrich (BF), Mike McQuade (MM), Fred Mayernik
(FM), and Mike Ricci Sr (MR).
Hunter was in excellent shape, the greens were quick and true, the fairways were excellent, most of the bunkers were good except for a few that were wet and hard, and the tee boxes were in good condition as well. Overall I would say for a municipal course you couldn't ask for the course to be in better shape in August in CT. From the white tees the course plays to about 6200 yards with a slope of 69.5 and from the tips it plays at 6600 yards and a 71.6 slope. The course is a typical New England course with tree lined fairways, some hills, fairways sloped with balls above/below your feet, some water, some marsh, etc. The course is not overall hard or easy and is what I call a fun course to play that I try to play each and every season. And the course is one that is very walk able for all except the invalid like daHacker.
Leading the way was DF with an 88, BF played to a very nice 89, yours truly DP chipped in with a 91, FM played to a 94, MR shot an even 100, and MM played to a 111. I think the entire crew had a nice round of golf on this day, the course was unrepentantly uncrowded and our first group BF, FM, and MM played at blistering pace finishing close to an hour before us in the 2nd group who played at our leisure with not a sole pushing us and only waiting the first couple holes on the back when a group was sent out on the back just as we made the turn. I would recommend anyone playing in CT to try a round at Hunter.
After golf we had a nice dinner at the 19th chowing on some good wings, nice entrees, and cold brews. I would recommend the 19th for anyone playing Hunter or for anyone living in the area.
back to top / view some above average golfers
July 27, 2011 - Blue Fox Run Golf Club
The weather could not have been better for this golf outing and with the
great weather we had a nice crew come out to Avon to play on this Wednesday.
The crew had 11 players consisting of Dan Fairchild (DF), Dave Polony
(DP), Phil Tortora (PT), Noel Gabrielle (the N), Joe (Big Joe) Walukiewicz,
Bob Fraedrich (BF), Mike McQuade (MM), Fred Mayernik (FM), Dave
DeFlumeri (DD), Jim Derbabian (JD), and Jim Polony (daHacker).
The course was in good shape, fast greens, lush perfect fairways, filled water jugs all over the course, and they had a beer girl out as well. The tee boxes were not top quality which is understandable with the course saving it's water for the fairways and greens and some of the sand traps lacked appropriate amounts of sand. Blue Fox has 3 nine hole courses and on this day we played the White and Blue courses. This is the longest of the 3 possible course combinations playing at a length of approximately 6200 yards from the white tees and 7100 from the tips with a slope of 116 from the white and 129 from the tips so the course can be enjoyed by our group playing the whites and from lower handicap players from the black tees. As we come back every year it is one of my favorite courses we play as it's walk able, well maintained, and just an overall fun course to play.
Leading the way at Blue Fox was FM shooting a very nice 83, DP was next in with a 89, the N chipped in with a 92, DF played to a 93, BF shot a 95, PT came in with a 103, JD played to a 105, MM shot a 107, Big Joe came in with a 123, DF just edged out JP with a 126, and daHacker hacked in with a 128. The course I'm sure ate a few balls but the crew had a good time playing on this Wednesday as did I despite the fact that the daHacker twice tried to impale me with golf balls shanking balls right at me which I guess is the reason when I see the rest of you play with my Dad never get in front of him when you are in his group!
After golf 8 of us headed on down to First and Last Tavern in Avon, CT where we enjoyed excellent wings, brews, nice meals and good company. The restaurant has a nice menu of Italian foods, brick oven pizza, sandwiches, appetizers, etc. I highly recommend the wings cooked in the brick oven. Thanks to Jimbo for getting us a 25% off coupon making the food good and nicely priced!
back to top / view some above average golfers
July 20, 2011 - Woodbridge Country Club
A warm, sunny, perfect day for golf in CT set the stage for the big crew
playing Woodbridge Country Club which for the first time appeared on the
golf cert! We had a big crew on this Wednesday afternoon consisting of with
Dan Fairchild (DF), Don Fairchild (DFsr), Dave Polony (DP), Walt Baker (WB),
Phil Tortora (PT), Noel Gabrielle (the N), Joe (Big Joe) Walukiewicz, John
Onofrio (JO), Gary Ramadon (GR), Dan Gray (DG), Mike Ricci Sr (MR),Bob
Fraedrich (BF), Mike McQuade (MM), and Jim Polony (daHacker).
The course was in good shape, fast greens, lush fairways, perfect fairways, and good tee boxes. Only complaints for the course would be the lack of water and beer girl on the course on a hot day, a couple greens had some burn out areas, and geese poop. The course plays longer than the 6302 with many uphill holes requiring long drives and the par 3's (except the last one) were above average lengths having the course rating a 71.0 with a slope of 129 from the white tee's making it likely the hardest course the Freeport group will schedule this year as a group. Additionally playing the course for the first time for many and only the second time for this duffer makes having any knowledge of the course lacking which comes into play all around the course but especially on the difficult greens. I would recommend the course and surely will play again next year if the course is on the cert at $20 the price is right!
The toughness of the course led the better golfers in the group far exceeding the rest of us with their scores. Leading the way was GR with a great 83, tying in second on this day was DG and DF both shooting a terrific 91, next up was the N whose accurate game enabled him to shoot a very nice 94, BF chipped in with a 96, DP shot a crappy 102, PT came in with a 105, JO shot a 107, MR and BigJoe both shot a 114, daHacker and MM came in with a 122, WB shot a 125 and DFsr only played selective holes with this being his first time playing this year coming back from a back injury.
After the golf 8 of us headed down the road to Scoreboard Sportsbar and Grille right off of Amity Rd in New Haven, CT where we had some good food and nice cold beer. I would recommend the Blue Point blueberry brew if you would like to try something different and if you have a big group only 1 full order of nachos is necessary as we ordered 2 for our group and I think the N took home almost one order as we couldn't possibly finish and eat our ordered meals. Think everyone ordered sandwiches or burgers and I think the consensus was the food was very good bar food. It was a good day of golf, grub, brews, friends and family. Thanks to daHacker for arranging everything and to DF for getting us a gift cert from restaurants.com making our bill a bit cheaper for everyone!
back to top / view some above average golfers
July 13, 2011 - Rockledge Golf Club
The day started out as beautiful as it gets here in CT but as the day rolled
on showers overtook the course for the last 4 or 5 holes. We had an almost
full crew with Dave Polony (DP), Fred Mayernik (FM), Walt Baker (WB), Phil
Tortora (PT), Noel Gabrielle (the N), Dave DeFlumeri (DD), and Jim Polony
(daHacker) played 18 holes on this fine course in West Hartford, CT.
The course couldn't be in any better shape than it was on this day. Every green was quick and true, the fairways were immaculate, the tee boxes great, as was every part of the course, Rockledge is a fair, fun, course for players of all abilities and I can not recommend it enough for anyone looking for a fun course to play in CT at a fair price. The course plays about 6100 yards from the white tees which we played today (well most of us) and for the longer hitters the blues play at about 6500 yards.
Leading the way was FM with a great 85 shooting a spectacular 39 on the back nine, next up was the N and DP both chipping in with 91's, DD played to a nice 95, PT aka Mr. Birdie (birdied holes 11 and 17) shot a 97, and both WB and daHacker came in with 110's. After the golf the entire crew enjoyed a great meal and cold brews at the on course restaurant which I think we all would recommend to anyone looking for a good meal whether or not you play golf on the course.
back to top / view some above average golfers
July 6, 2011 - Timberlin Golf Club
Another beautiful sunny day here in CT with temps in the mid to high 80's
made for a great day to golf in Berlin, CT. Due to a few cancellations for
this outing the group was missing a few valued friends on this day but none
the less yours truly Dave Polony (DP),Phil Tortora (PT), Bob Fraedrich
(BF),and Noel Gabrielle (the N) ventured on to play the intoxicating,
infuriating, addicting, pain causing, joy giving (I can go on and on with
the adjectives good and bad) game of GOLF!
The course was in great shape, fast true greens, lush fairways, and all the tee boxes were in great shape too! I would describe the course as typical park like CT course with a great layout, very visually pleasing, well maintained, and a nice challenge from the white tees coming in at 6300 yds with a 126 slope. The course held a junior PGA qualifying tournament in the morning so we were challenged with tough pin placements from the morning qualifier. The course plays better for those who are straight and long with a high value on being straight as most of the fairways are lined with many, many, trees and water comes into play on 4 holes on the back nine. Timberlin is municipal course that is both enjoyable and very reasonably priced making it a must play for anyone with one of the certificates. Anyone who goes some other time let me know as I would definitely return again this year and recommend it to anyone looking for a nice round of golf.
Leading the way was BF shooting a nice 95 with a great back nine shooting 44, next up was DP shooting a 98, then the N came in with a 103, and PT chipped in with a 109. I would say it was a great day of golf and good time had by all...... The N and myself had a cold brew and a decent meal at the 19th which I would also recommend stopping by after your round at Timberlin.
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 29, 2011 - Quarry Ridge Golf Club
A beautiful sunny day in the low to mid 80's with low humidity making for a
perfect day of golf in Portland, CT. Playing on this fine golf day were Jim
Polony (daHacker), Dave Polony (DP), Fred Mayernik (FM), Dan Fairchild (DF),
Phil Tortora (PT), Bob Fraedrich (BF), Walt Baker (WB), Mike McQuade (MM),
and Noel Gabrielle (the N). Quarry Ridge is always a fun play and today was
no different. The course was in good shape overall except for some soggy
spots due to rain last night making us play cart path only. The fairways
were in good shape, the greens were quick but not overly fast and true, most
of the tee boxes in good shape, and the rough was very fair and playable.
The course plays at about 6050 yds from the men's tees and about 5200 from
the senior tees. It's definitely a course we will be happy to come back and
play again and recommend to anyone looking for a fun round of golf.
Leading the way was MR's pal Bruce who shot an outstanding 78, from our group FM led with an 83, next up was DF with an 85, DP chipped with an 89, BF shot a 91, the N played to a 93, PT played to a 105, daHacker shot an outstanding 106, MR came in with a 111, WB shot a 113 and MM played to a 115.
After
golf the crew had chew and brew at the 19th hole where the food was good and
the beer was nice and cold. Another fine golf outing on a great summer day
here in CT!
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 22, 2011 - Laurel View Country Club
A crappy, rainy, wet day where Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave Polony (DP), and
Fred Mayernik (FM) were able to squeeze 9 holes of golf in some intermittent
light rain during the 2 hours we played. Not a good day to judge a golf
course but lets just say the greens were slow after the soaking rain from
early morning and the night before. Leading the way was FM with a 44, DP
chipped in with a 45, and daHacker played to a 65. It was good to get out
even in less than ideal conditions. We were suppose to play Keney on this
day but there was little chance of getting 18 holes in and driving to
Hartford was not a good idea for just 9 holes so maybe later in the season
Keney will find itself back on the schedule.
After our 9 hole excursion we had some lunch at Chili's which finished up our afternoon nicely.
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 15, 2011 - Tower Ridge Country Club
A beautiful day in Simsbury CT where Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave Polony
(DP), Dan Fairchild (DF), Phil Tortora (PT), Bob Fraedrich (BF), and
newcomer to the group Dave DeFlumeri (DD) played 18 holes at Tower Ridge
Country Club. The day started out beautiful and ended with heavy rain but
not until we were in our automobiles on the road home. The course offers
some beautiful views, difficult holes, nicely maintained tee boxes,
fairways, and greens. Most of the course is played going up or down, with
many balls above or below your feet, overall a challenging but enjoyable
course with a couple of holes that can best be described as stupid but that
may just be the opinion of the author. We play the course every year and I
am sure we will be back again next year,
BF led the way shooting a very nice 92, next in was DF aka GoutMan with a 93, yours truly DP shot a 96, PT chipped in with a 104, DD played to a 111, and daHacker hacked in with a 121.
After
golf the crew had a great meal at the Tower Ridge Grille all you can eat
Prime Rib for $15!! The food was great and I'm sure the other guys who
stayed would concur with that judgment of our meal. Another fine day of
golf, grub, and beers was had by all!!
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 8, 2011 -
Pine Valley
On the hottest day thus far for 2011 in CT six of us spent the afternoon in
Southington, CT on the course at Pine Valley Country Club. The crew
consisted of Walt Baker (WB), Mike McQuade (MM), Noel Gabrielle (the N),
Dave Polony (DP), Mike Ricci Sr. (MR), and Phil Tortora (PT). The day
started out hot with some clouds and as the day went on it got sunny and
much hotter and more humid but it beats an air conditioned day at the desk
at work! The course has a nice layout with every fairway tree lined with
many Pines as the name of the course implies along with every other tree
typically found here in CT. The course was in nice shape with nice fairways,
medium fast greens, very playable rough, water in play on a few holes, and
overall in good shape. I would recommend the course to anyone as a very good
value for the rates they charge for a very nice golf course. The premium for
the course is accuracy as errant shots will most likely end up under trees
or in adjacent fairways shooting back through the trees to the correct
fairway/green.
DP lead the way shooting a 96, the N chipped in with a 104, MM came in with a 105, both PT and MR both shot a 106, and WB ended up with a 133. Despite the heat I would say it was good day on the links with good friends.
After the golfing fun the gang headed to the 19th hole for brews and chew where the N was in good form claiming he was a Steelers fan because the bartender Angela was from PA and a big time Steelers fan. I must say for a mother of 4 children with the oldest in their late 20's she was well maintained and I'm not sure if the N ever left Southington?????
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 6, 2011 - Laurelview Country Club
Report by
DaHacker:
Mike Ricci, son Michael, and yours truly certainly played like hackers
today! While The Thin Man prevailed, as expected, he had a rotten
outing. Perhaps his dad and my very erratic shot making
influeneced his game. But is was a very enjoyable early morning round,
and compared to the cold weather experienced the previous week in Tahoe, truly delicious
weather! Chew 'n brew provided by Mike and Carol following the round
were much appreciated! The small crew on this Monday played 9 holes with MR
Jr leading the way with a 54, MR Sr shot a 60, and daHackler hacked in with
a 62.
back to top / view some above average golfers
June 1, 2011 - Gillette Ridge
A steamy Wed afternoon was spent by the crew in Bloomfield,CT playing 18
holes at Gillette Ridge. The group consisted of Dave Polony (DP), Dan
Fairchild (DF), Gary Ramadon (GR), Dan Gray (DG), Fred Mayernik (FM), Walt
Baker (WB), Mike McQuade (MM), and Bob Fraedrich (BF). The day started out
nice and hot with a chance of T-storms in the forecast which held true and
after 10/11 holes we had to clear the course due to lightning in the area.
Thankfully our delay of about an hour was nothing more than a nuisance
compared to what the people of Western Mass went through with multiple
tornadoes touching down doing considerable damage and taking lives. The
course is a great layout with challenging holes, fast undulating greens, and
fairways in great condition but the course was lacking the amenities that
course used to include. Many of the traps lacked sand, the beverage stop at
the turn was only open early, no beer girl on the course, and the 19th hole
was already closed when we finished our round at 7:15.
GR lead the way on this challenging course shooting a 87, DG was close behind with a 91, next up DF shot a nice 93, yours truly DP chipped in with a 95, FM played to a 102, BF was next up with a 105, MM shot a 109, and WB came in with a 136. I would say it was a good fun day out on the links.
Due to a late night out at a Mets game by much of the crew they did not partake in any brew and chew after the round. DP, DG, and GR headed down to the Berlin turnpike and went out to eat at a restaurant in Newington called Joey Garlic's which was very good. Large portions, good food, reasonable prices, and cold Sam Adams made for a nice dinner and good wrap up of the day.
back to top / view some above average golfers
May 25, 2011 - Blackledge Country Club
The first 18 hole outing of the year finally takes place! Spring in CT
always seem to be sketchy weather wise and this year has not been any
exception thus after 2 postponements of our first 18 hole excursion finally
happened and it turned out to be the nicest day of 2011. Bright sunny skies,
warm temps, and cold brews made for a great day of golf. The crew who played
on this fine day was Dave Polony (DP), Walt Baker (WB), Fred Mayernik (FM),
Jim Polony (daHacker), Mike Ricci Sr. (MR), Jim Pelletier (JP), Phil Tortora
(PT), Jim Derbabian (JD), George Derbabian (Tiny), and Joe Walukiewicz (Big
Joe). For most of the group it was our first time playing Blackledge and on
this day we played the Gilead Highlands Course which I would describe as
park like typical course here in the Northeast. The course was wet from
rains the previous night and days thus parts of the course were very soggy
making for little run out, deep divots, and more walking on some of the
holes which were cart path only. The greens were fast, true, and were tricky
to read for this first timer as they actually had less break for the most
part than appeared. Playing for the first time overall I liked the layout
and I believe just like any course the more you know the layout it would
make playing the holes more enjoyable when making shot decisions. I would
play again and would like to try their other 18 hole course as well.
Leading the way was FM with a 89, DP unfortunately had a few too many
penalty shots to challenge FM came in with a 94, JP was next up shooting a
98, Tiny finished with a 104, JD pitched in with a 107, MR chipped in with a
109, PT played to a 111, WB came in with a 121, daHacker finished with a
128, and Big Joe came in with a DNF due to injury but assures us that he
would have finished ahead of daHacker if there was any beer on the line!
After the round the crew came in to the 19th in a very staggered finish, we weren't sure if JP, daHacker, MR, and PT were ever going to join us as they say the only played 18 but I would have guessed 27. We enjoyed some good bar food and some nice colds brews! The nachos were excellent and I think everyone enjoyed their sandwiches as well. Overall a good time was had by all! And if that's not true for all well all I can say is you could have been at work!
back to top / view some above average golfers
May 18, 2011 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course
The hearty duo of Walt Baker (WB) and Mike McQuade (MM) could not be
deterred from getting their golf fix in for this week and despite the
cancellation of our 18 hole outing due to weather what could be best
described as duck weather. As reported by WB the duo challenged the weathers
god and won getting in 9 holes at Sleepy on Wed afternoon. MM who hasn't
touched his clubs since his trip to Myrtle Beach in April started the
afternoon off with a Par on the first hole. He parred again on the 7th
finishing up with a 46. WB tried to slow his swing down a bit and parred on
the 5th, 6th and 8th ending the day with an all time low of 50. The Weather
God woke up as they left the 9th hole reminding them it was a wise choice
not to play 18! The 9-holes were followed up by a few cold brews. Glad
you boys were able to get your golfing needs met while the rest of us were
disappointed not playing this week. Nice scores as well! Look forward to
seeing you guys and the rest of the crew over our next few weekly outings.
Please everyone appease the weather gods for the rest of the season!
back to top / view some above average golfers
May 12, 2011 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course
A beautiful Spring evening was spent here in CT playing 9 holes at Sleeping
Giant Golf Course in Hamden, CT. Enjoying the weather and golf on this fine
evening were Jim Derbabian (JD), George (Tiny) Derbabian, Dick Burke (DB),
Joe (Big Joe) Walukiewicz, Jim Polony (DaHacker), Walt Baker (WB), Fredo
Mayernik (FM), and Dave Polony (DP). Leading the way on the course were FM
and DP both shooting 39, next up was Tiny chipping in with a 50, WB played
to a solid 53, daHacker had a much better outing than last week without
shooting any birdies or pars with a 55, Big Joe and JD both came in with
57's and DB played to a 58. Following golf all but WB went to Aunt Chiladas
for dinner and drinks which most of us really enjoyed. A nice 9 holes of
golf and good time was had by all...
back to top / view some above average golfers
May 5, 2011 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course
A chilly but nice Thur evening was spent by Walt Baker (WB), Jim Polony
(DaHacker), and myself (DP) playing the great game of golf. Dahacker in his
season debut had the best score for 2 holes going birdie, par on the 7th and
8th holes so Kudos to him! I'm thinking as a result of those 2 great holes
he will get out again this year to try for the eagle! Unfortunately for him
there were 7 other holes with respect to his score thus DaHacker came in
with a 65. WB played to a 62 and DP chipped in with a 46. Following the
action we chowed down at Sergio's Restaurant enjoying some good pizza,
italian food, and a few cold Sammies!
back to top / view some above average golfers
April 28, 2011 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course
Unfortunately afternoon storms washed out our first big outing of the season
planned for Oxford Greens. As a result yours truly (DP), Fredo Mayernik
(FM), and Walt Baker (WB) headed out in the mid morning to grab 9 holes at
Sleeping Giant to scratch the ole golfing itch. On what would be described
as a mild Scottish golfing day (60's humid, misty, little drizzle) we were
able to get in our 9 holes and had a nice lunch at Aunt Chiladas. We all had
the Golfer's Special and for the price it can't be beat. So for our 9 holes
I would say we each had a few good moments and a few to forget but that's
golf! FM and myself tied both shooting 45's and WB hit the ball well and
gave one ball to Sleepy Giant neighbor of the second hole green (think he
under estimated his strength trying to lob one up on the green from the
right side) came in with a very respectable 54. Great idea Walt to get out
before the afternoon storms!
back to top / view some above average golfers