results from 2012:
One last time for 2012! December 3, 2012
Days are short but nice enough for Nine, Nov 23, 2012
A great November day, Nov 12, 2012
A nice day on the Jones course Nov 2, 2012
The crew plays local, Oct 24, 2012
A great day in Hebron, Oct 17, 2012
A nice short drive to Woodbridge, CT, Oct 10, 2012
We played the Muni, New Haven , CT, Oct 3, 2012
Another road trip, this time to Stonington CT - Sept 26, 2012
Road Trip to Putnam CT - Sept 19, 2012
Tower Ridge where friendly is not in their motto - Sept 12, 2012
Sleepy Giant - Sept 5, 2012
A beautiful day for golf, August 29, 2012
Our annual trip to Shenny, August 23, 2012
Another Split Sqaud, August 15, 2012
A day in the Park, August 8, 2012
Played the Red and White in Avon, August 1, 2012
You couldn't have a nicer July day in CT, July 25, 2012
Great day in Berlin, CT, July 11, 2012
The rest of us got to Quarry Ridge, July 5, 2012
Second Split Squad of the season, June 27, 2012
First Time playing Simsbury Farms Golf Course, June 20, 2012
Swamp Golf, June 13, 2012
First Time playing Portland Golf Course, June 7, 2012
Seven head to South Hartford, May 30, 2012
The Crew plays Gillette, May 23, 2012
First Time playing 18 Holes May 16, 2012
Split Squad, April 26, 2012
First Crowd of the Season - Woodhaven Country Club, April 19, 2012
Sleepy Giant - April 13, 2012
DaHacker's first outing, Sleepy Giant - April 5, 2012
First time out - March 15, 2012 - Orange Hills Country Club
*Note: Each Week the majority of the Group play's the tee's that are closest to 6000 yards. But we encourage those who feel more comfortable playing tees that are more appropriate for their skill level to move to the tees of their choice.
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December 3, 2012 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Hamden, CT
Our last time out for 2012 (at least for myself) was a beautiful December
day with temps in the low 60's and sunny skies. We played nine holes at
Sleeping Giant with our foursome consisting Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim
Polony (daHacker), Noel Gabrielle (theN),
and Art Kunze (theRook).
Sleeping Giant is a fun little 9 hole course in Hamden, CT, playing at about 2500 yards with a 65 slope and 103 rating. For December 3rd the course was in excellent shape. Leading the way on this final 9 holes for the Freeport Golf crew was yours truly with a 40, theRook chipped in with a 43, theN played to a 47, and daHacker finished with a nice score of 49.
After our 9 holes we had Brew and Chew once again at Aunt Chiladas where the Happy Hour prices can't be beat..... Another fun day with family and friends and it was very nice to be able to get out for golf in December. A great golfing season for this writer was spent with all of the crew in 2012! Hope to see you all again in 2013.....
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Nov 23, 2012 - Laurel View Country Club, Hamden, CT
For a Friday in late November the weather was nice enough for 9 holes with
temps in the high 50's and overcast. On this day our crew consisted of
Dave Polony (theScribe), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Jim Polony
(daHacker), Noel Gabrielle (theN), Dan Gray (danTheMan),
Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), and Walt Baker (theGooseHunter).
Laurel View is a par 72 with 4 sets of tees with the following stats: Black 6900/74.0/136, Blue 6431/71.8/131, White 6005/69.0/129, and Red 5286/65.8/117. I would describe the course as a classic CT course that challenges players and also rewards for good shot making with the 4 set of tees perfect for golfers of all skill levels. The course was in very good shape considering it was late November and it had rained earlier that day and the night before.
Leading the way was danTheMan with a 44, next in was theScribe with a 45, theGooseHunter chipped in with a 50, theN swore minimally on his way to a 51, McBogey played to a 52, daHacker had a very respectable 53, and FlimFlam finished with a 62.
After our 9 hole excursion we headed down to Aunt Chiladas and enjoyed ourselves partaking in some Brew and Chew! Another fine day out with the boys!
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Nov 12, 2012 - Grassy Hill Country Club, Orange, CT
Absolutely gorgeous day with a nice bright sun and temps in the low to mid
60's you couldn't have a nicer November day in CT. As someone who plays the
course regularly I have never seen so many people on the course on a weekday
which shows how nice a November day we enjoyed. On this day our group
consisted of Dave Polony (theScribe), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob Fraedrich
(BomberBob), Jim Polony (daHacker), Noel Gabrielle (theN), Joe (Big Joe)
Walukiewicz,John Yerger (JY),
Greg Sanders (GS) and Art Kunze (theRook).
Grassy Hill is a typical New England course found in CT with holes lined with trees on one side that you must avoid, some up and down hill fairways, with some tight and some wide fairways, and some water hazards that must be avoided. The course was in great shape considering it snowed on Thur leaving 12 inches behind which thankfully for us we had a nice warm weekend allowing the course to reopen on Sun afternoon. The greens as they always are at Grassy Hill are fast and true with ball positioning the key for scoring on the greens. The tee boxes and fairways were in good conditions and the traps were perfect except those still scheduled for rebuilds for next season. The course has 3 sets of tees: Blue 6208/70.8/125, White 5849/69.2/122, and Green 5209/66.1/117. As someone who plays here weekly I of course would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun round of golf just remember to try to keep your approach shots below the hole on the greens and feel great if you bogey or better on the par 3 sixth hole which is one of the worst par 3 holes in the state (so I really only can recommend 17 holes) in terms of overall design in my humble opinion.
Leading the way on this day JY with an 88, next up was theScribe with a 90, theRook finished with a 91, GS chipped in with a 95, theN played to a 100, McBogey shot a 108, daHacker finished with a 119, and BigJoe played to a 129.
After golf 1/2 of the contingent headed down to 744West in West Haven on the Boston Post Rd for brews and chew. I would recommend the bar/grille to anyone looking for a huge beer list and good tasting very fairly priced food especially if you can get down there for their specials that we have enjoyed going in on a weekday. It was great getting out again for 18 holes and it was great to see so many in our group join us on the links.
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Nov 2, 2012 - Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield, CT
Superstorm Sandy came days earlier leaving behind widespread destruction in
NJ,NY,CT and being able to get out to golf on this first Friday following
the storm was surely something we were thankful to be able to do as the
storm did not affect any of us to the extent it did those in the hardest hit
areas. For us this Friday it was cool day in the low 50's with sun only
peaking out briefly but with little to no wind it was an ideal day for golf
in November in CT. Our crew on this day consisted of Dave Polony
(theScribe), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Jim Polony
(daHacker), Gregg Wright (GW) and Art Kunze (theRook).
We played the Jones course at Lyman Orchards with four sets of tees measuring out at: Black 7011/73.3/132, Blue 6614/71.5/131, White 6200/69.6/128, and Red 5812/72.0/124 so it's a longer and challenging course from all of the tees. The course was in good shape but the greens were recently aerated and not very true. For this golfer the only reason I don't play here more often is their courses are more pricey than others in the area that are just as enjoyable to play.
Leading the way was theRook with an 87, next in was theScribe with an 89, GW and BomberBob both chipped in with 90's, McBogey finished with a 98, and daHacker played to a 116.
After golf we stayed at the 19th hole on the course for brews and chew which hit the spot. Pretty good bar food fairly priced thus would not object to the choice in the future. Another fine day out with friends on the course and afterwards!
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Oct 24, 2012 - Laurel View Country Club, Hamden, CT
Another rainy Tue evening and Wed morning let up for us to play 18 holes at
Laurel View in Hamden, CT. It was a cool and damp day but 5 of us refused to
be detoured by the weather to get our weekly fix of golfing
pleasure/frustration. The crew on this week consisted of Dave Polony
(theScribe),
Mike McQuade (McBogey),
Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Jim Polony
(daHacker), and Art Kunze (theRook).
Laurel View is a par 72 with 4 sets of tees with the following stats: Black 6900/74.0/136, Blue 6431/71.8/131, White 6005/69.0/129, and Red 5286/65.8/117. I would describe the course as a classic CT course that challenges players and also rewards for good shot making with the 4 set of tees perfect for golfers of all skill levels. The course was in very good shape considering the rain the night before with only minimal places on the course being over saturated. The tees and fairways were great for late October and the greens were remarkably quick and dry.
Leading the way on this day was Flintstone with an 85 with 1 birdie and 4 pars, next in was theScribe with 1 birdie and 3 pars, theRook chipped in with a 90 with 1 birdies and 3 pars, BomberBob played to a 92 with 8 pars, and daHacker finished with a 114.
After golf we headed down the road to Aunt Chiladas for 1/2 price happy hour appetizers and cold brews. Always a good place for good Mexican/Tex Mex chew and brew with great happy hour and daily specials.
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Oct 17, 2012 - Blackledge Country Club, Hebron, CT
A beautiful autumn day with sunny blue skies, temps in the mid to upper
60's, with little to no wind, and colorful leaves on the trees and ground
was our setting for 18 holes in Hebron, CT. We played the Gilead Highlands
Course at Blackledge and on this day our crew of 7 was made up of Dave
Polony (theScribe), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob
Fraedrich (BomberBob), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Jim Polony (daHacker),
and Art Kunze (theRook).
The Gilead Highlands Course which is one of two at Blackledge is known by many as “The New Course” as it opened in the Spring of 2000. Gilead provides a heavily wooded landscape that can be formidable with a few water features that come into play throughout the golf course. The layout offers an interesting variety of holes from fun par 3s to demanding par 5s. The course was in excellent shape on this October day from tees to greens not a complaint from this golfer. And for a fall day in New England we obviously had leaves on the course but I never seen more crew out on a course working to clear leaves and other work in my life so kudos to the course maintenance staff. The course ratings are as follows: Gold 6537/71.6/131, Blue 6129/69.8/121, White 68.0/116/5714, and Red 4951/71.7/123. The 2 courses at Blackledge are worth the trip to Hebron with both being in excellent shape on the occasions I have played and at the special rates are a good golf value.
Leading the way on this day was
Flintstone with an 84 with one birdie and 6 pars, right behind was theRook
with an 85 with one birdie and 6 pars, next in were BomberBob and theScribe
both shooting 90 with 8 pars and one birdie and 4 pars respectively, McBogey
chipped in with a 98 with 4 pars, theGooseHunter shot a 100 with 1 par, and
daHacker played great with a 102 with 3 pars. This guy met us in the first
group on the cart path at the tee for hole number 10 and I think he gave me
the evil eye as it was my worst hole of the season!
After golf the crew we enjoyed the brews and chew at the 19th hole at the course where the food was good and the beer was excellent and reasonably priced at $12 a pitcher for Sam's Oktoberfest. I would recommend both the golf and the food at Blackledge for anyone in the area and look forward to playing it again next season. Another fine day of golf with good friends...
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Oct 10, 2012 - Woodbridge Country Club, CT
Lately here in CT our weather has been what someone called Seattle like when
they described it and this Wednesday was no different when it began but
again the weather turned better by afternoon and we played our 18 holes dry.
A first I believe for our group we played as a fivesome as the course
allowed us to go out together as there really was no one else out on the
course for most of the day. Our fivesome consisted of Dave Polony
(theScribe), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob
Fraedrich (BomberBob), and Art Kunze (theRook).
Originally planned for a road trip to the Pawcatuck but as the group dwindled and the weather was questionable the remaining group decided to stay local and play Woodbridge Country Club. Woodbridge is not one of this golfer's favorites but since it's local and we were able to get a reasonable price to play 18 I couldn't pass up a day on the course with the group. Woodhaven plays long from the white tees at 6302/71.0/129 and on this day it played even longer as a result of the rain over night. The course is hilly and not walker friendly with long distance from greens to tee boxes. The course was in below average shape with some of the fairways and greens with burned out sections. Billy Casper Golf took over the management of the course at the beginning of the season and hopefully for next season they will be able to address the issues that have occurred over the past few years since this course has gone public.
Leading the group was BomberBob who shot an 87 with 5 pars, next in was theRook chipping in with a 91 with 1 birdie and 3 pars, theScribe played to a 95 with 3 pars, McBogey shot a 105 with 2 pars, and theGooseHunter rounded out our group with a 107 with 1 birdie and 2 pars.
After golf the crew went to Ernie's pizzeria in New Haven, CT for pizza and brews. Ernie's has been in business since the 60's with excellent pizza and pizza only. Another fun day of golf, brew and chew, with good friends.
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Oct 3, 2012 - Alling Memorial Golf Course, New Haven, CT
Another overcast, drizzly, humid, day was our weather for golf on this
Wednesday following another Tuesday night of rain leaving the course fairly
wet but playable. Our group making the short drive to New Haven consisted of
Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Noel Gabrielle (thN), Fred
Mayernik (Flintstone), Mike Ricci (FatchaGaloop), Dave Polony (theScribe),
Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob Fraedrich
(BomberBob), and Art Kunze (theRook).
Many of us played Alling many times over the years with others having there first experience playing New Haven's municipal course. The course is located on the edge of New Haven and North Haven in an area I wouldn't recommend going for walk anywhere other than on the course which is a nice gem of New Haven landscape. The course layout isn't overly challenging and is forgiving with its wide fairways but does demand carry off of many of its tees. The course has a good number of water hazards to avoid and you want to score you must at all costs avoid the rough on this course as it's tough to play out of to put it nicely. The course is fun, fairly well maintained and very economical golf experience that I would definitely plan to play again next season. The greens were medium slow, the fairways were in good shape but had standing water on those that don't drain well from the prior night's rainfall, and the tee boxes were in fair shape as well. The course has three set of holes with the following specs: Blue 6248/71.2/132, White 5877/69.3/129, Gold 5191/65.5/121.
Leading the way was Flintstone shooting an 87 with 7 pars, next in was theScribe with an 89 with one birdie and 4 pars, theRook chipped in with a 94 with 2 pars, BomberBob was right behind with a 95 with one birdie and 4 pars, FlimFlam played to a 99, McBogey finished with a 105 with 3 pars, FatchaGaloop shot a 106 with 1 par, theGooseHunter played to a 114, daHacker finished with a 118 with one par, and theN was only able to play 9 shot a 50.
After golf the crew except for BomberBob went to Lorenzos Restaurant in West Haven for Italian chew/brew/vino. Pretty good food, staff treated us well, and another fine day out with friends.
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Sept 26, 2012 - Pequot Golf Course, Stonington,
CT
An overcast day, breezy, comfortable day was our backdrop as once again the
weather turned out fine for a Wed afternoon with rain in the morning and
rain on the drive home but none for our round of golf. Another road trip
began and ended our day for our group with our drive to Stonington, CT. The
crew who made the trip for another test of our golfing skill were Jim Polony
(daHacker), Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Dave Polony (theScribe), Walt Baker
(theGooseHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), and Art
Kunze (theRook).
It was the first or second time playing Pequot for all in our group and again everyone enjoyed their day on the course. The conditions of the course were good with slow/medium slow greens that rolled true, fairways except on a few holes where it appears getting water is an issue were in good shape, and the tee boxes were in decent shape as well. The course is short par 70 and very playable with some quirky holes with extreme dog legs where an iron or fairway wood off the tee are the prudent choice. The course has three set of holes with the following specs: Blue 5903/68.5/121, White 5476/66.6/118, and Red 5248/69.7/113. The majority of the course consists of par fours interspersed with par threes and a couple par fives on the back nine. The course is an easy walk with some of the longest walks from several greens to the next tee as you are taken through wooded paths that would lead you to believe you are camping not playing golf.
Leading the way on this day was theScribe with a 79 with 2 birdies, and 7 pars, next in was BomberBob with an 83 with 1 birdies and 8 pars, theRook chipped in with an 89 with 1 birdie and 6 pars, McBogey played to a 96 with 1 birdie and 1 par with one great bogey on the 11th with one shot off a tree and the next one off the stone wall, theGooseHunter who may have been distracted by a Goose on one hole shot a 97 with 3 pars and only one hunting attempt with his target BomberBob where he sent one iron shot getting it through Bob's parked cart from back to front, next in was FlimFlam with a 106, and daHacker finished with a 109 with pars on 8 (par 4) and 17 (par 3).
After golf we stayed for brew and chew at the 19th hole which was a small pub/restaurant that has a nice homey feeling with typical bar food that served our purposes. We met Wendy who served us and Zip her German Shepherd service dog who were both very friendly and treated us well. Another long drive for our golfing day but a fun day it was and I would definitely recommend playing this course again if it is on the certificate next season.
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Sept 19, 2012 - Connecticut National Golf Club, Putnam,
CT
Following heavy rain and wind with a tornado warning Tuesday night,
September 19 turned out to be a breezy, sunny, autumn like day with temps
right around 70. The drive to Putnam in the quiet corner of CT was a long
one for most in our group but a ride to try one of New Englands top 25
courses turned out to be one worth taking. Our group this week consisted of
Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave Polony (theScribe), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter),
Mike McQuade (Mcbogey), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob),John Yerger (JY), and Art
Kunze (theRook).
It was the first time playing this course for all in our group and I believe we all enjoyed the course and were pleased with the conditions of the course. Following torrential rains the night before the course was in excellent shape not noticeably wet in any areas of the fairways or greens. The only evidence of the rains were the bunkers where the were really still hard from the rain or still holding water. The greens were medium-fast, the fairways in good condition, and most of the tee boxes were in decent shape. The course has four set of tees with the following specs: Black 6935/72.9/133, Blue 6321/70.5/128, White 5913/68.4/123, Red 5002/69.2/119. The course has a great mix of holes, tough but very playable, large and undulating greens, receptive to well struck shots, and they rolled true. Hole number 8 I though was the only quirky hole, a severe down hill par 4 with a pond guarding right side of green that is reachable with a medium long drive, hit something that would go maybe 180 or so on flat ground down the right center, and you'll be fine. Avoid the left side of the fairway and beware the green at least on the right side near the pond is deceptive in that it appears uphill from the fairway to the next tee but the green actually rolled the opposite of how it appears. Definitely a course I would recommend, look forward to playing it again next year, and if you are like me and enjoy walking when you play the course is very walkable.
Leading the way was JY with an 84 with 2 birdies and 5 pars, next in was theRook with 1 bird and 4 pars & theScribe with an eagle and 5 pars both shooting an 85, next in was BomberBob with an 86 with 1 bird and 4 pars, theGooseHunter shoots excellent with a 93 (first time breaking 100!) with 4 pars, McBogey chipped in with a 99 with 2 pars, and daHacker finished with a 115.
After golf theScribe ended up going home after missing my exit to go to Joey Garlic's, some of the crew stayed for brew and chew at the 19th (so we would have to ask them how the fare tested), and some headed to Joey Garlic's where we know the food is excellent. Another fine time on the course and while it's definitely a road trip for all to get to Putnam I think we all enjoyed it enough to head back again next year if the course is on the golf cert...
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Sept 12, 2012 - Tower Ridge Country Club, Simsbury, CT
A spectacular sunny September day in CT, with the temp right around 80,
sunny blue skies, and not a drop of humidity was the backdrop for our round
of golf at Tower Ridge. Making up our crew on this day was Jim Polony
(daHacker), Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Dave Polony (theScribe), Phil Tortora
(TortelliniP), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), and Art Kunze (theRook).
The course was in good shape except the 10th where half way up the fairway it seemed there was sander and snow plow accident. The remainder of the fairways were in great shape, greens fast and rarely flat, tee boxes were fair, and the 19th staff was nice unlike the ahole in the pro shop. Course specs are Black 6443/71.5/132, White 6124/70.0/129, Gold 5745/68.2/125, Red 5164/70.2/121, the course is very hilly, with few flat lies, greens that you better be below the hole, and overall a shot makers course that you have to make good shots where you have to hit certain spots in the fairways or greens otherwise seemingly good shots are penalized by running off into crap, crappy lies, woods, etc. Tower Ridge is a course that you couldn't walk unless you are a Billy goat but does have some spectacular views to enjoy that unless you are a scratch golfer a round will take 4.5-5.5 hours depending on how crowded the course is on that day. Our tee time was 12:30 for our first group which I played in made it to the 14th hole at 4:20 to find out they started a 9 hole scramble in the midst of our round with no warning when we teed off our when our tee times were made. Not the first time this course as pulled this on our group and another reason this scribe has nothing good to say overall about Tower Ridge.
Leading the way was yours truly with a 90, next in was theRook with a 104, then FlimFlam with a 105, theGooseHunter chipped in with a 106, TortellinP finished with a 110, and daHacker played to a 115. The crew stayed at the 19th for brew and chew where again I don't have positive things to say about Tower Ridge where for the price the food was not worth the $12 they charge for burgers/sandwiches....
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Sept 5, 2012 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Hamden, CT
Well everyone bailed on playing in Hebron on this day relying on faulty
weather forecasts saying it would be raining all morning and afternoon.....
It turned out to be a fine afternoon for golf with no rain but quite humid.
It was just myself theScribe, Jim Polony (daHacker), and Fred Mayernik
(Flintstone) playing nine holes.
The course was in good shape, tee boxes and fairways were very good, and the greens were true but very slow. Leading the way was theScribe with a 43, next in was Flintstone with a 47, and daHacker finished with a 60.
After golf we took advantage of the excellent happy hour specials at Aunt Chiladas which has great drink specials and buy one get one free appetizers. Hope to see the entire crew next week at Tower....
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Aug 29, 2012 - Manchester Country Club, Manchester, CT
A picture perfect day for golf in Manchester was the backdrop for our 18
hole round on this day. The crew who made the trip to Manchester consisted
of Jim Polony (daHacker), Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Dave Polony (theScribe), and Art
Kunze (theRook).
The greens were what I would say a medium-fast speed, very true and in good condition, the fairways were lush, the tee boxes were in good condition except for the 8th par 3 where all the tees were grouped together while the regular tee box was being reworked, and the sand traps were in good shape. 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. The course has four sets of tees with the following numbers: Blue 6339/70.6/129, White 6118/69.6/126, Gold 5613/67.1/116, and Red 5528/72.6/126. Three of us played the whites and daHacker and FlimFlam played from the gold tees.
Leading the way was BomberBob shooting great at 8 over with an 80 with 1 birdie and 9 pars, next in was yours truly with an 84 with 8 pars, theRook was next in with a 98 with 2 pars, daHacker edged out FlimFlam with a 109, and FlimFlam finished with a 111. BomberBob was one stroke from breaking 80 and theScribe predicts he will in our outings before the season ends.
After the golf theRook, FlimFlam, theScribe 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. Next season we will try to put our trip to Manchester earlier in the schedule and not right before Labor Day.
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Aug 23, 2012 - Shennecossett Golf Course, Groton, CT
A road trip to Groton CT for our annual trip to Shenny was taken by 15
golfers from various parts of CT. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day for
our annual outing. The day was on sunny, with temps in the low to mid 80's,
with light breezes on this fine August day. This trip had a big contingent
of Sikorsky golfers made up of Tom Vandervliet (TV), Dick Krawiec (DK),
Gerry Livolsi (GL), Stan Magda (SM), John Yerger (JY), Gregg Wright (GW),
Jim Pellitier (JP), along with Noel (theN) Gabrielle. Our regular crew
consisted of Dan Gray (danTheMan), Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony
(daHacker), Mike McQuade (Mcbogey), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Walt Baker
(theGooseHunter), and Art Kunze (theRook).
Shenny was in good shape but showed signs of lack of rain on the tee boxes and fairways, the greens were true, and the many traps were in good shape. Shenny is CT best attempt at links golf with beautiful views of the Thames river mouth on 3 holes and as we make this trip every year a fun test of golf. The course stats from it's three sets of tees are 6562/71.7/124 from the blues, 6062/69.3/123 from the whites, and 5351/70.9/123 from the reds. Shenny is a great municipal course in Groton which receives great reviews and hosts many state championships every year and I'm sure the group will make the trip again in 2013.
Leading the way on this day was danTheMan and JY both shooting great 83's, next in GW with an 85, close behind was TV and theRook with an 88, BomberBob chipped in with a 90, theScribe whocouldntmakeaputt shot a 93, McBogey played to a 97, theN and DK both shot 99, JP ended with a 102, GL played to a 103, SM shot a 105, theGooseHunter played to a 107, and daHacker had a decent day shooting 118.
After golf Jim Polony, AceGolfer, DaMan secured us a table for 12 at the 19th hole where we enjoyed cool and tasty brews. The appetizers were very good but I must admit my meal wasn't as good as past years at the rest on the course. I would try the restaurant again next year but I hope the food is better next year. Overall another great trip to Shenny, hope everyone had a good time, and hope to see everyone in upcoming weeks.
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Aug 15/16, 2012 - Long Hill Golf Course, East Hartford,
CT
A trip to East Hartford was made by split squads playing on Wed and Thur as
some feared rain on Wed that never happened. But it did indeed rain Tue nite
into Wed morning leaving Long Hill drenched and in places underwater. Our
split squads consisted of Wednesday's crew: Dave Polony (theScribe),
Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Dan Fairchild
(bookEmDanno), Art Kunze (theRook), and Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob). Jim
Polony (daHacker), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP), Gary Ramadon (G), and Larry
Bodick (theTank) played on Thursday.
Best way to describe the course conditions would be swampy, slow, overgrown, and poorly maintained. I have played this course the last 3 years and the layout is nice with a wide open course but this year's trip was disappointing in that the conditions seemed to have gotten worse each year I have played this muni. The tee boxes were terrible, the course drains poorly, the bunkers had little sand, and the greens were the slowest greens I have ever putted on and were infiltrated with crab grass. The course could be a nice course to play but I could not recommend it in it's current state with so many other nice courses in the Hartford area of CT. From the whites the course plays at 6076 yards/124 slope/68.6 rating. I understand Long Hill is the East Hartford muni but in a state with some great muni courses this one rates pretty low overall.
Leading the way of the 2 groups was yours truly thanks to getting close to the pin with almost every shot with a wedge with an 82, next in was theTank with an 85, bookEmDanno, BomberBob, and G all chipped in with an 86, theRook played to a 95, TortellinP shot a 96, McBogey chipped in with a 101, daHacker played to a 112, and theGooseHunter finished with a 115 and another close call for the bird population.
After golf both groups on separate days headed to Joey Garlic's in Newington, CT for excellent food at reasonable prices with giant portions making it a repeat restaurant this year even not playing any course in Newington...... And while the course was disappointing it was still a day out playing golf so it beats the best day at work.....
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Aug 8, 2012 - Rockledge Golf Club, West Hartford, CT
A beautiful sunny, a bit humid, day in the mid 80's was the weather backdrop
for our day of golf in West Hartford, CT. This week's contingent was Dave
Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP), Dan
Fairchild (bookEmDanno), Art Kunze (theRook), and Bob Fraedrich
(BomberBob).
I'll use the same sentence I used last week for Blue Fox to describe course conditions at Rockledge this week: Fast but very receptive greens, great fairways, sand traps in great shape (albeit some of them you don't want to end up in), and the tee boxes were also in very good shape. Of the courses I play each year I would hate to miss Rockledge which I would describe as park like and just an overall fun course to play and walk. From the Rockledge website: "Rockledge Golf Club is recognized as one of the finest 18-hole public golf courses in the United States. Known for its beautiful landscaping and meticulous maintenance, Rockledge features a championship layout, courteous staff and a first-class golfing experience. Play Rockledge and discover why the “Rock” has been voted Greater Hartford’s “Best Public Golf Course” and one of New England’s “Best Places to Play." I would have to agree with that description whole heartedly. If anyone plays Rockledge later this year please consider theScribe for an invite! The course has four sets of tees Blue/Gold/White/Red with the yards/slope/ratings: Red at 5212/122/71.7, White at 5722/123/69.2/ Gold at 6049/125/70.2, and the Blues at 6440/127/71.1.
Leading the way on this beautiful day were theRook and bookEmDanno shooting very nice 83's, BomberBob was next in with an 86, theScribe finished with a 93, TortelliniP chipped in with a 103, and daHacker finished with a 120. I didn't get the card from the second group for a hole by hole account so I'll leave at the scores only this week.
After golf we had some great meals at the on course restaurant, Angelo's on Main Rockledge. I would recommend the restaurant on it's own to anyone in the West Hartford area... Another fun day of golf and good friends....
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Aug 1, 2012 - Blue Fox Run Golf Club, Avon, CT
While other parts of the state got torrential rains that washed out roads,
flooded basements, and in my case flooded the garage we were lucky and all
rain held off until our day of golf was concluded. It was mostly cloudy,
humid, but overall not a bad day for us in Avon to play golf. This week's
crew consisted of Mike McQuade (McBogey), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Dave
Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Phil Tortora
(TortelliniP), Dan Fairchild (bookEmDanno), Noel Gabrielle (theN), Mike
Ricci (FatchaGaloop),Art Kunze (theRook), Jim Derbabian (JD), and Tiny
Derbabian (Tiny).
The course was in excellent shape as Blue Fox always seems to be with fast but very receptive greens, great fairways, sand traps in great shape (albeit some of them you don't want to end up in), and the tee boxes were also very good. On this day we played the Red/White combination of their 27 holes with the yards/slope/rating from the black tees at 6205, 123, 70.1, from the blue tees at 6010, 122, 69.1, from the white at 5397, 113, 65.9, and from the red at 4703, 121, 68.08. Another one of this golfers favorites we play each year albeit prefer to play the white and blue courses as the red is short and quirky as one of our golfers described.
Leading the way was Flintstone with an 83 with 8 pars, next in was theScribe with an 89 with 5 pars,bookEmDanno chipped in with a 90 with 3 pars, theRook was next in with a 95 with 3 pars, McBogey played to a nice 96 with a birdie and 2 pars, Tiny finished with a 97 and 1 par, TortelliniP was next with a 101 with 1 par, FatchaGaloop played to a 104, the N finished with a 108 at least that's what I think (4 holes marked with a "X" what the hell is a "X" so he got double bogeys on those as my guess which may be generous?), JD finished with a 112, and daHacker ended up with 122. Another fun day on the course and nice to see the Derbabian brothers on the course. You guys must have had Noel rattled which explains the "X" for four holes. I would have guessed you took him for some $ on those holes?
After the golf we enjoyed a brew or 2 at the 19th using our $5 coupon from the course which was a nice extra from Blue Fox. After our drinks most of the group went to First and Last Tavern about 5 minutes down the road where we enjoyed good chew and brews. Another fine day of golf with a great bunch of friends....
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July 25, 2012 - Hunter Golf Club, Meridan, CT
After a week in which we were rained out on Wednesday and then some of us
were rained out again on Friday we could not have asked for a nicer day in
July in CT. Temps in the mid 80's, no humidity, and not a cloud in the sky
was the backdrop for our outing at another one of the best municipal golf
courses in the state. This week's crew consisted of Mike McQuade (McBogey),
Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), John Onofrio (MoparMan), Fred Mayernik
(Flintstone), Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter),
Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP), Dan Fairchild
(bookEmDanno), Noel Gabrielle (theN), and Art Kunze (theRook).
The course was in excellent shape, green lush fairways, tee boxes, and tightly cut greens. The greens were fast and true with dialing in your speed the key component to a good putting day this week. From the Hunter website: "A Connecticut Ten Best Public Course: If awards were given for improvement over time, this course would win hands down. What was once a shaggy, beleaguered muni was transformed by a 1987 makeover into an interesting, nicely maintained layout where a general air of continuing improvement prevails" (Charles Monagan, Connecticut Magazine's Golf in Connecticut). The course plays as a par 71 with four sets of tees with the following numbers (yards/slope/rating) the blues 6604/131/71.6, the whites (which the group played) 6198/127/69.5, the golds (5834, 123, 67.9) and the reds at 5569/123/72.4. The course is always one of this golfers favorites to play each year.
Leading the group was Flintstone with an 83, next in was this reporter with an 86, BomberBob shot an 89, bookEmDanno chipped in with a 92, theRook was next in with a 99, theN played to a 100, TortelliniP chipped in with a 103, FlimFlam shot a 109, daHacker hacking to a 113 edged out MoparMan who made his first appearance in our weekly outing finishing with a 114. Notable from the scorecards were Flintstone, BomberBob, and theScribe each with one birdie, Flintstone with 6 pars, bookEmDanno also with 6 pars, theScribe with 5 pars, BomberBab, TortelliniP, theN each with 3 pars, theRook, FlimFlam, MoparMan, McBogey each with 1 par, and thanks to daHacker for once again setting up our weekly outing.
After golf the crew minus DannO and MoparMan each enjoyed the fine chew and brew at Violi's the on course excellent restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine. Each of us had a great Italian meal off the nightly specials which on this Wed was a 13.95 combination of Italian meal and a desert. For anyone in the area I would recommend Violi's even if you don't play golf.... Another great day of golf, good friends, good food and drink.
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July 11, 2012 - Timberlin Golf Course, Berlin, CT
No split squad, no traffic issues, no weather issues...... Was it really a
Wednesday in 2012? Ten members of the Freeport Golf Crew enjoyed a beautiful
day in Berlin, CT. Our contingent this week was made up of Mike McQuade
(McBogey), Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Fred
Mayernik (Flintstone), Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka
duckHunter), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP), Dan Fairchild (bookEmDanno), Noel
Gabrielle (theN), and Art Kunze (theRook).
The weather on this Wednesday was excellent with temperatures in the high 80’s, sunny skies, and low humidity. The course was in excellent shape green lush fairways, tee boxes, and greens. The greens were medium-fast and what I would say tricky to read but with course knowledge surely fair and true. The course plays as a par 72 with specs (yards/slope/rating) from the blues at 6797/127/72, the whites (which the group played) at 6342/126/70.2, the yellows at 5831/124/67.6, and the reds at 5472/121/71.7. The course is accurately described on their website as "nestled along the base of Ragged Mountain located in Berlin, CT., you’ll find a hidden gem, Timberlin Golf Club, a premier 18-hole municipal golf course. The Al Zikorus design constructed in 1970, features rolling terrain and spectacular views of the surrounding farmland." Timberlin is one of this golfer's favorite courses on the certificate and hope to see it there again next year.
Leading the group was bookEmDanno with an 88, next in was yours truly with an 89, BomberBob shot a 92, McBogey chipped in with a 96, Flintstone played to a 98 and as I played with him on this day it seemed like daHacker's spirit invaded his body on the front nine shooting a 57 making his back nine a 41, theN and theRook were next in both shooting a 102, TortelliniP chipped in with a 104, daHacker hacked in with a 111, and theGooseHunter finished with a 114. daHacker may have shot one of the higher scores of the day but he did record the shot of the season thus far on the par 3 12th hole with his trusty 7 iron he hit a shot that Tiger would have been proud of, a majestic high trajectory cut into the wind spinning it back to hole ending a mere 2 inches from recording an ace. While the description of the shot may be an embellishment the results certainly were not and daHacker did indeed come within 2 inches of a hole in one! Nice shot Pop!!
After the golf the crew enjoyed our Brew and Chew at the 19th hole known as the Par Fore The Course Restaurant. The Brews were cold and refreshing and the food was tasty and reasonably priced. Another fun day with good friends on the course and at the 19th....
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July 5, 2012 - Quarry Ridge Golf Course, Portland, CT
A group of us unable to get to Quarry Ridge last week due to the Interstate
closings got to Portland, CT on this Thursday for 18 holes of fun and
frustration. Our group this week consisted of Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam),
Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Phil Tortora
(TortelliniP), and Dick Burke (theCobra).
The weather on this Thursday was excellent with temperatures in the high
80’s, sunny skies, and low humidity. The course was in excellent shape,
great tee boxes, lush fairways, and true greens that were much slower than
expected. TortelliniP and theScribe played from the blue tees which is just
over 6000 yards while theCobra, FlimFlam, and daHacker played from the white
tees which are just over 5200 yards.
Leading the way was the theScribe with a 94, next in was FlimFlam and the
Cobra chipping in with 102’s, TortelliniP finished with a 103, and daHacker
hacked in with a 109. The highlight of my day was on the 17th tee where the
two groups met. After watching TortelliniP and the Cobra tee off I was up on
the blues, hit a decent drive that unfortunately faded too much right
leaving a playable but not ideal 2nd shot but that is far from the memorable
moment from the 17th tee for this on course reporter see this picture below:
Now after viewing this picture I have 4 possible choices of why this picture
of a trashcan was my memorable moment:
a) After my tee shot a squirrel jumped into the trash and pulled out a Pro
V1
b) daHacker hit this trashcan which was behind him with his tee shot
c) daHacker hit this trashcan with the golf cart at full throttle
d) An errant shot from the 16th hit off the cart path and landed it in the
can
Email theScribe with your guess and I will tally the votes and reveal who
got this correct in a couple weeks.
And
the much anticipated answer is "c", daHacker hit that trashcan with the golf
cart at full throttle. And no it was not a DUI incident just another example
of why most people are well advised to never get in a motorized vehicle with
Jimbo driving. First hand accounts are as follows:
TrashCan: "He came right at me at full speed, like it was my fault he was
closing in on double par for the course....."
FlimFlam: "I am sure glad I was already out of the cart on the tee box"
theScribe: "Too Funny, brought back memories of the time in Hilton Head when
he rear-ended my cart at a stop for water at full speed and ended up
breaking parts of his cart"
daHacker: "I thought I could make that turn...."
After golf the crew enjoyed some Naughty Nurse, a Blue Moon, and some
traditional 19th hole chow at the grille at Quarry Ridge. The brew and chew
were good and as 19th holes go I would say the one at Quarry is pretty good.
Another fine day of golf was had by the group and we look forward to another
next week.
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June 27, 2012 - Laurel View Country Club, Hamden, CT //
Quarry Ridge Golf Course, Portland CT
Well for the second time this season we had a split squad outing, this time
it was a result of an accident on RT 15 and I-91 closing them both down for
part of Wednesday morning making it impossible for 6 of us to make our tee
times at Quarry Ridge. One foursome left nice and early and was able to get
to Portland despite the closures of the highways. Mike McQuade (McBogey),
Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), and Fred Mayernik
(Flintstone) made it to Quarry Ridge while Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Dave
Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Mike Ricci
(FatchaGaloop), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP) and Noel Gabrielle (theN)
regrouped and played Laurel View.
The weather for our golf excursions couldn't be any better with temps in the low 80's, low humidity, lots of sun, and a nice breeze. I think this was our first outing with no weather concerns but of course we had the traffic nightmare splitting up the group on this day.
Phone reports from the Quarry Ridge crew said the course was in good shape and everyone had a good time pleased with their games. The crew played from the blue tees making the course just over 6000 yards. Leading the way were both Flintstone and BomberBob shooting 89, McBogey chipped in with a 104, and theGooseHunter finished with a 118. The Quarry Ridge crew enjoyed their day in Portland CT once they got their and were able to play their round.
Reporting first hand from Laurel View I would say the course was in great shape overall with no course complaints. I always enjoy playing LV as it is one that can be walked, it's close to my house, and it offers 4 sets of tees that are appropriate for each level of golfers. We played from the white tees making the course just over 6000 yards in length. Leading the way was theScribe thankfully not hitting too many shitty shots with a 96, next in were theN and FlimFlan chipping in with a 102, FatchaGaloop and TortelliniP finished with 109's, and daHacker hacked in with a 112. It was a beautiful weather day and a fun day even for this reporter who has been struggling with this incessant game.
After the golf the Hamden crew minus FatchaGallop went to Aunt Childa's on Whitney in Hamden enjoying great deals on appetizers and Coronas. A good day was had by all albeit it was disappointing we couldn't all play together on this day. But in reality at least we were not the ones in the accident on the highway.....
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June 20, 2012 – Simsbury Farms Golf Course, Simsbury, CT
A contingent of 8 made the trip to Simsbury to play for the first time Simsbury Farms Golf Course. The crew this week was Bob Fraedrich (BomberBob), Dan Fairchild (DanO), Dave DeFlumeri (FlimFlam), Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP) and Noel Gabrielle (theN).
First time this year we had a Wednesday with no chance of rain in the forecast but instead we had hazy, hot, and humid with record high temps at 96 degrees with a heat index around 106. Personally I only played the front nine thus all my comments are based on holes 1-9. The course was in excellent shape, nice tees, lush fairways, and medium to fast true greens. From all reports back to me everyone enjoyed the course and definitely would like to play it again.
Leading the way was BomberBob with a 89, next in was the N with a 95, DanO chipped in with a 96, McBogey and TortelliniP both finished with a 103, FlimFlam played to a 116, DaHacker hacked in with a 128, and for calling it an early day due to a bad back and really bad golf yours truly played to a 52 on the front 9.
After golf I assume the boys enjoyed some brew and chew at the 19th?
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June 13, 2012 - Keney Golf Course, Hartford, CT
The crew headed to Hartford again to play the city’s other muni track and
the day can best be described as swampy. This week’s crew consisted of Bob
Fraedrich (BomberBob), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Dave DeFlumeri
(FlimFlam), Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter),
Mike McQuade (McBogey), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP) and Noel Gabrielle
(theN).
Another Wednesday and another day with rain and/or showers was no surprise
to the group thus driving to the course in rain was not promising. The staff
that spoke with daHacker prior to heading out said it would be cart path
only but the course had no standing water……. Can anyone say bullshit! We
arrived at the course, decided to play and other than a light shower for a
couple holes the weather actually turned out to be pretty good. The course
conditions on the other hand was as I began this report best described as
swampy. The course was in terrible shape with the inch of rain received in
the 24 hours prior to our day of golf and from this outing I can’t really
say anything positive about the course conditions. I have never played on a
wetter course with more standing water and greens any slower and spongy. I
would however say I would like to play the course again under nice dry
conditions as the course set up was interesting and being in the area of
Hartford the course had a nice setting for a muni course and the prices
could not be beat.
Leading the way was Flintstone with an 83, BomberBob chipped in with a 92,
McBogey broke 100 for the first time with a 98, I hacked in with a 99, the N
finished with a 101, TortelliniP shot a 105, FlimFLam came in with a 115,
and daHacker sloshed in with a 122. I have never played on a course where on
each and every hole and on each and every shot where your ball landed is
basically where your ball’s journey ended. Conditions only a duck or goose
would be happy with and I don’t remember seeing any of either species.
After our swamp golf the entire crew traveled to Newington, CT for brew and
chew opting for Joey Garlics restaurant to satisfy our thirst and hunger.
From the crowd at the restaurant you would have thought no one cooks at home
and there was nothing wrong with the economy as the wait for a table was
over an hour but lucky for us we were able to find 8 stools at the bar where
we enjoyed our food and drink. I would highly recommend the restaurant for
its food quality and portion sizes as well all for reasonable prices. While
the golfing conditions were not the best it was a fun day out with the crew!
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June 6, 2012 – Portland Golf Course, Portland, CT
A new course for the certificate, a new course for almost everyone in the
group, and eventful weather too! Our crew this week consisted of Bob
Fraedrich (BomberBob), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Dan Fairchild (DanO),
Dave Polony (theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Mike McQuade
(McBogey), Phil Tortora (TortelliniP) and Noel Gabrielle (theN). This
Wednesday was an ever changing weather day starting with a sunny morning
that clouded over and by the time our first tee time came we were playing in
light showers. By the 2nd or 3rd hole depending on your group the rain was
done and the sun was out for most of the afternoon until late in our rounds
when a fast moving thunderstorm blew through with torrential rains, thunder
and lightning and hail. It was a first for me on a golf course watching
DaHacker and BomberBob finishing the 16th on the green while being pelted by
hail while DanO and I were trying to stay dry in our cart. We all were
pulled off the course albeit in this golfer’s opinion about 15 minutes too
late as by the time the course made that decision lightning was already seen
and the storm moved in very quickly and was quite intense. Not sure why in
this day there are golf courses without signal horns to pull golfers off the
course for lightning in the area?
The course was in excellent shape, with great tee boxes, lush fairways, and true fast greens. The course is on the shorter side but with tight fairways, many holes with dog legs, smaller well protected greens with slopes and contours requiring accurate reads to make the putts. On the negative side the course lacks adequate yardage markers and lack of weather horns which on this day was really needed. Overall I enjoyed the course and the crew all had good things to say about the course and would definitely like to see the course on the certificate again next year.
Leading the way was DanO with an 82, next in was BomberBob with an 83, theN played to a 95, yours truly chipped in with a 96, McBogey and TortelliniP both finished with a 102, theGooseHunter and theDuckHuneter better known as the daHacker both came in with a 116.
After our round theScribe, daHacker, theGooseHunter, theN, McBogey and TortelliniP headed into Middletown for brews and chew at a local watering EliCannon’s voted 12 Hartford Advocate 'Readers Choice' Awards, 4 Connecticut Magazine "Best Of" Awards, and Malt Advocate Magazine: Best Beer Menu (National). I must say the beer menu was impressive and I wouldn’t mind taking some time to try many more on the menu but would need a driver to get home. The food was good as well and I think everyone enjoyed the place even if we were the oldest people in the place which did result in some enjoyable customers to gaze or stare if you were theN at…….
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May 30, 2012 - Goodwin Park Golf Course, Hartford, CT
Another Wednesday with possible rain or storms in the forecast and again it
turned out to be a fine day for golf with temps in the low 80’s with
moderate humidity. In attendance for this outing was Bob Fraedrich
(BomberBob), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Dan Fairchild (DanO), Dave Polony
(theScribe), Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Mike McQuade (McBogey),
and Noel Gabrielle (theN). Goodwin is one of two muni courses in Hartford,
CT and while I can’t rate any part of the course in good shape I would rate
all aspects of the course as fair and with a price of $15 using our
certificate it can’t be beat. The course has 3 sets of tees with the
following stats for length, rating, and slope: Blue 6015, 68.6, 119; White
5605, 66.8, 114; Red 5069, 64.2, 105. The course is mostly open with
generous fairways, water hazards on a few holes, slow greens, decent
fairways, below average tee boxes, and friendly staff. Overall not luxurious
but a fun course and a decent municipal golf course that I would play again
next year if included on the certificate.
Leading the way was BomberBob shooting a very nice 82 with 11 pars, next in was DanO with a 84 with 6 pars, the yours truly theScribe with a 88 with 6 pars, theN chipped with a 96 with 2 pars, then McBogey played to a 105 with 2 pars, the GooseHunter beat theDuckHunter shooting a 110, and daHacker aka DuckHunter hacked in with a 112 with 1 par hole.
After golf DP, WB, JP, NG, and MM headed down to Franklyn Ave in South Hartford for some Italian cuisine at Ficara’s Restaurant. The menu was a typical Italian menu; the food was good and fairly priced. No beer on tap and a limited beer selection was disappointing to this beer drinking reporter but I enjoyed my meal and believe that was the general consensus of the group so a fine recommendation by theN! Another fine day of golf with good friends was capped off with a fine meal.
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May 23, 2012 - Gillette Ridge Country Club, Bloomfield,
CT
Despite days of rain, showers, and overall gloom for the second Wednesday in
a row the afternoon turns out to be a fine day for golf with the sun taking
over with temps in the 80"s. Our second outing was well attended with three
threesomes consisting of Jim Polony (daHacker aka duckHunter), Phil Tortora
(TortelliniP), Mike Ricci (FatchaGaloop), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Bob
Fraedrich (BomberBob), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Dan Fairchild (DanO),
Dave Polony (theScribe), and Noel Gabrielle (theN). The course overall was
in good shape with fast true greens, lush fairways, and great tee boxes. The
bunkers were poor lacking sand and generally filled with dirt and rock
surrounded by unintended weeds and clover. Gillette is likely one of the
more challenging courses found on the certificate with 4 sets of tees with
the following stats for length, rating, and slope: Black 7191, 75.4, 141;
Blue 6703, 72.9, 136; White 6133, 70.0, 134; Red 5582, 67.7, 126. The course
includes many water hazards as well as many shots requiring carrying lengths
over unplayable hazards, thick rough, and fairways lined with out of bounds
where you couldn't find your shot even if you were one who likes to fight
off all types of hazardous plant life and the creatures who reside in there.
Overall a very challenging, fun course, offering players of every skill
level a good golf experience but the course is not up to the level it was
years ago as far as the maintenance of the bunkers and areas of unintended
weeds/clover.
Once again Flintstone led the group with an excellent 84 with 11 pars, next in was DanO with a 93 with 5 pars, right behind him was BomberBob with a 94 with 1 birdie and 4 pars, then the Scribe chipped in with a 96 with 1 birdie and 1 par, the N pitched in with a 101 with 1 par, next was FatchaGaloop with a 111, then in was TortelliniP with a 112, theGooseHunter came in with a 116, and daHacker finished with a 123 and 1 par!
After our round we partook in Chew and Brew at the 19th which was enjoyable. I would say the 19th was overall pretty good but would be better if they offered pitchers and real glass to drink your beer
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May 16, 2012 - Blackledge Country Club, Hebron, CT
Our first 18 hole outing of the season took us to Hebron, CT to play the Anderson's Glen Course at Blackledge Country Club. The first outing was well attended with two foursomes consisting of Jim Polony (daHacker), Mike Ricci (FatchaGaloop), Fred Mayernik (Flintstone), Mike McQuade (McBogey), Walt Baker (theGooseHunter), Dan Fairchild (DanO), Dave Polony (theScribe), and Noel Gabrielle (theN). After a couple days of showers and rain the playing of golf on this Wednesday was in question but despite a cloudy, misty start of the day it ended sunny and comfortable. The course was in great shape, tee boxes were well kept, fairways lush and well cut, the greens were true and slowed by the recent rain. The course has a nice variety of holes with good length and 4 sets of tees with the following stats for length, rating, and slope: Gold 6787, 72.3, 130; Blue 6394, 70.5, 125; White 6137, 69.4, 123; Red 5458, 71.9, 123. The course includes some water hazards that require carry from the tees, well-guarded greens by numerous bunkers, well placed fairway bunkers, reasonable rough and well-kept areas you would prefer not play but forced to due to errant shots. Overall of the 2 courses at Blackledge I would say Anderson's Glen is the choice to play if you only get a chance to play one.
On this day Flintstone led the group shooting an excellent 85 with 4 pars, next in was DanO with a 90 also with 4 pars, next in was yours truly with a 96 with 2 pars, theN chipped in with a 99 with 3 pars, FatchaGaloop played to a 105 with 1 par, McBogey shot a 116 with 1 par, theGooseHunter played to a 117 with 1 par, and DaHacker finished with a 120 playing his first holes since major back surgery and we were all glad to see him out again this year.
After our 18 holes we enjoyed brew and chew at the 19th hole known as the Blackledge Tavern. The beer we drank was a Long Trail brown ale which I think everyone enjoyed as there was more than 1 pitcher drank and not one person who only had 1 not counting Flintstone. We had nachos and wings which were tasty and everyone had sandwiches or burgers which were also well received. I would say with reasonable prices on brew and chew I would recommend the 19th if you play Blackledge.
Our first 18 hole outing turned out to be a great day enjoyed by all....
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April 26, 2012 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course / The
Orchards Golf Course
A split squad on this April Thursday with Jim Polony (daHacker) and Dave
DeFlumueri (flimFlamdeFlum) playing nine holes at the Orchards in Milford.
Playing the Giant in Hamden was yours truly Dave Polony (theScribe), Walt
Baker (theStrikeMaker), and Mike McQuade (McBogey).
The 2 old coots didn't want to get wet so they went out in the morning while the day was dry. Not being there to witness I can only report that flimFlamdeFlum shot a 44 easily beating daHacker's 51 by 7 strokes on the par 32 executive course. Leading the way at the Giant was theScribe shooting a 43, McBogey chipped in with a 52, and theStrikeMaker was close behind with a 53.The old coots decision to play early definitely worked out as we played in a light shower early in our round then after a couple holes a steady mist made for golfing weather reminiscent of playing in the old country. And a tip I learned while playing today was that sometimes you are better off not looking for a ball especially when it's on the side of a steep hill and it's not even your own ball. Additionally when tree stumps are wet they are quite slippery and all I can say is thankfully I can still fall and not get hurt. And I know Mike was happy that I didn't end of rolling down the hill because he would have been in my path to the bottom of the hill.
After golf the Sleeping Giant trio enjoyed happy hour food and beer at the bar at Aunt Chiladas. This reporter will definitely recommend Happy Hour at Aunt Chiladas with buy one get one free appetizers and $2 domestic drafts. A good time was had and it was good to see Mike and Walt after our long off season here in CT.
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April 19, 2012 - Woodhaven Country Club, Bethany, CT
A fine day was spent by Mike Ricci (FatchaGaloop), John Onofrio (MoparMan),
Jim Polony (daHacker), Bobby Polony (SoonerBob), Dan Fairchild (DanO), and
Dave Polony (theScribe) in the woods of Bethany, CT at Woodhaven County
Club. Woodhaven is a challenging 9 hole course with some of the hardest
greens in the states. The weather couldn't be nice for a mid April day with
temp at tee time coming in at 70 degrees with a beautiful blue sky. The
tees, fairways, and bunkers were in excellent shape. The greens
unfortunately were recently aerated making them down right awful for putting
but the beginning of the season here in the Northeast is the time to
get the greens in shape for the season.
Leading the way was yours truly with a 46, close behind was SoonerBob with a 47, next in was DanO with a 49, FatchaGaloop chipped in with a 55, MoparMan played to a 59, and daHacker brought up the rear with a 65.
After playing we headed to FatchaGaloop's place in West Haven for cards, food, and drink where the drink and snacks were provided by the Scribe. Unfortunately MoparMan had to head home but the remaining 5 were joined by Phil Tortora (TortolleniPhil) where we chowed down chips and salsa and the on excellent grinders from Capettas. After our meal we then played a few hours of poker where FatchaGaloop cleaned us out being the big winner for the night with DaHacker being the only other person slightly ahead for the night. And with my Uncle SoonerBob taking it on the chin big time at the card game I sure hope he'll come back to CT........ Overall a great day on the course and a really entertaining night at FatchaGaloops.........
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April 13, 2012 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Hamden, CT
A spectacular weather day was spent at Sleepy Giant by myself and daHacker
where we got in nine holes. I shot a 45 and daHacker came in with a 55. It
was a nice day out with my Dad who played better than anytime he did last
season. Afterwords we had some fine Mexican food and nice ice cold brews at
Aunt Chiladas.
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April 5, 2012 - Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Hamden, CT
A bit cool but for April 5, temp in the 50's, more than nice enough to play
golf. Myself and DaHacker were unable to entice anyone else to join us for 9
holes. It was daHacker's first time out since he had major back surgery in
December of 2011 and I must say it was great to have Dad out on the course
after that ordeal. And he played exceptionally well shooting a 52 and I
chipped in with a 40. We had food and drink at Sergios whose Italian food
and pizza are top rate. It was a great day getting out with daHacker and
makes me look forward to our 2012 season!
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March 15, 2012 - Orange Hills Country Club, Orange, CT
First time out in 2012 for this Freeport stringer and while the rust on the
game was measeurable it was great to get on the course. I (Dave Polony) was
joined by Mike Ricci (FatchaGaloop) and Dan Gray (DanTheMan). March has been
incredibly nice but this Thur was in the high 40's and overcast. The course
was in fine shape for March in CT. We played the front nine holes on this
afternoon.
Leading the way was DanTheMan with a 42, next in was yours truly with a 48, and FatchaGaloop came in with a 56. After golf we headed over to daHacker's place meeting up with a good contingent from our regular crew for a night of poker, beer/wine, pizza/subs, and March Madness. For this month's poker game we had Jim Polony, Dave Polony, Dan Gray, Phil Tortora, John Onofrio, Dan Fairchild, and Fred Mayernik. It was great to see everyone and it was a fun nite except for UConn capping off their disappointing season with a first round loss in the tournament. Looking forward to next month's poker nite on April 19th at FatchaGaloop's in West Haven. Preceding the nite of poker will be 9 holes of golf weather permitting.
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