Take a former NBA All-Star, a sports journalist with a specialty in golf, an executive director of a golf website, and a mortgage banker with tons of golf connections, and what do you get? Well, outside of some interesting conversations, you might get a pretty decent golf team. Find out how AtlantaGolfer.com did with this vagabond cast of characters as we participated in the 2000 Swing Sessions Golf Tournament.
It had not been a good morning. After a week down in Florida where I averaged two hours sleep per night, and 36 holes of golf yesterday, we arrived at Atlanta National Golf Club a little late and I didn't get all the range time I wanted to prepare for the tournament.
"Will all the teams please head to your carts" the speaker
blared. I looked over at my team that was already seated and ready to go.
Brad Daugherty, former NBA All-Star, 1st pick of the 1986 NBA draft, 10 handicap
golfer. Bob Fiscella, CNN/SI sports anchor, host of the CNN Golf Show, 6 handicap.
Bill Bryant, Atlanta mortgage banker, but possibly the most golf connected
man I've ever met, 8 handicap golfer. Me, executive director of this website;
tired, cranky, and currently a 6 handicap. I surveyed the teams around us.
If nothing else, we averaged out as the tallest team.
"I forgot my doll," I announced to no one in particular.
Brad looked at me like I was crazy. "I bought this Brad Daugherty action figure
off Ebay" I explained, "and every time you miss a putt, I was going to do
a voodoo hanging of it." I'm not sure if he laughed or not.
"We're here to play golf, but more importantly,
the golf is for a great cause. The Foundation for Medically Fragile Children
is one of Atlanta's most worthy and respected charity groups. Benefiting at
risk kids who need medical supplies, equipment, and other financial assistance,
the group relies on many fund-raising events such as this golf tournament
to meet it's financial obligations. Such facts make it a lot easier to pay
$5 for a mulligan shot. Too bad the limit was two per player. Real bad actually
since Bob paid for mine. I would have let him buy me five or six. Other events
planned for the year include a jazz party, a western themed party, and a fun
run. Those interested in assisting The Foundation in any way should contact
them at (770) 951-6111.
The format today was a modified scramble, which meant
that we all teed off, picked the best tee shot, and then dropped there and
played your own ball in. Because of our collective low handicaps, I knew we
had no shot at winning any Net score prizes, but I figured we could and should
be competitive in the Gross score division. Not to give too much away, we
missed winning a new SUV by two shots! Well, it was given to a hole-in-one,
and we made a three on the hole.
We started out on hole #11 and I ripped the best drive
right down the left side of the fairway. My ball stopped next to a sprinkler
head that said "100 yards". The pin was slightly in the back, so I figured
a 110 yard shot should do the trick. All four of us hit our sand wedge/pitching
wedge, and all came up short. Strange I thought. We all had tricky 4 or 5
footers for par, Bill made his first so we all picked up. The next hole was
a par 3 that was all carry over water. Both Brad and Bill came up short (kerplunk)
and only Bob found the green….sixty feet away from the pin. We somehow managed
a par out of this one.
We use Brad's drive on the next hole, a par 5, and Bob
hits from between some trees to somehow reach the green in two. My shot hits
the tree and drops down a few yards away. Brad hits the tree square and his
ball careens way deep into the woods. Bill has also lost his ball. I rip a
six iron out of the rough to a few feet of the pin. Bob makes a great two
putt for our first team birdie. My putt doesn't matter, so let's just say
I made it. (I didn't).
None of us are playing well, and we're certainly not
taking advantage of the few strokes that we do get. "Don't worry about our
Net score" Bill keeps telling me, "we don't have a snowball's chance at that.
We need to make some natural birdies for our gross." Brad has played the celebrity
role fine, posing for pictures and chatting with many other players and club
employees, but now the competitive fire in him is coming out. He really gets
down to read putts, and when you're 7 feet tall, getting down to read a putt
is no small feat. Bob, ever the golf historian, is reading about the course
in the yardage book. "It says Pete Dye and P.B. Dye designed this course,
meaning…his son P.B did most of the work but they wanted a big name with it."
Everyone seems to be having fun - which is the most important part - but dang
it, I wanted to win too.
Brad must get an invitation a week to play in these
type events. He honors as many as he can, but truth is, with his many other
commitments, golf sometimes has to take a back seat. He is about to take off
to Texas to work with future NBA star Chris Mihms (who ironically, went to
the Cavaliers). I'm glad he was able to make this one. I'd be happier if he
would start hitting some fairways. Just kidding.
Bob hits a long birdie putt to get us rolling finally.
Brad drains a couple of clutch putts, including a tough 20 footer. I make
back to back birdies to close out the day including almost holing out a 90
yard sand wedge. Bill, well Bill drove the cart well. Kidding again.
Brad and Bill have to leave before the awards reception,
so Bob and I represent our team as we head into the house. After talking to
one of the assistant pros, Bob asks if the yardages are a little off since
it seemed our team came up short on a surprising number of shots.
"Those
yardages in the fairway are marked to the front of the green," the assistant
pro tells him. "Then you add the yardage from the pin sheet to that yardage
to get exact distances." Bob and I almost fell down in shock. We had played
incorrect yardages all day. "Brad knows that," the pro adds, "he's played
out here before." Lucky for Mr. Daugherty, he has left already. He thinks
he has a bad back now…..
We finish a good 45 minutes ahead of any other group.
So for at least awhile, our 7 under 65 looks pretty good. Out Net score is
59 - which as it turns out - is far and away the worst Net score of the day.
One of the last two groups to turn in their scores posts a 64, they will be
the Gross Score Champions. The AtlantaGolfer.com team will have to settle
for 2nd place. We each get $25 gift certificates to the pro shop, which means
that Bob and I get $50 certificates since Bill and Brad "forgot to tell us
how the yardages are marked". Daugherty gets squat.
All in all, the day was a tremendous success. We played
a beautiful course on a great day for a wonderful cause. Whether you're playing
partner is a former NBA star or can't spell NBA, it's tough to get much better
than this. Don't worry if you missed this one, we're doing it again next year.
Hope to see all of you there.
