MichaelAssink's blog

Well...this week I started a new "job"...yes, we still have The Pheasant, but my full time job is now in Kalamazoo.....yes I said Kalamazoo.  The drive is OK but the best part is the Newspaper is really great.  Lots of work to do, tons of challenges, and yes I still have time to golf and keep the course looking great.

With fall coming soon, it will soon be my favorite time of the year to hit the course.....the trees are normally beautiful and the cast of fall makes everything look great one last time before old man winter charges in.

With summer starting to wind down, a lot of us start to think about what we are going to do during the winter for golf....and that usually means a road trip.

I have probably played 3,500 rounds of golf in my life (or more) and have yet to get a hole in one...Having said that, I have had a lot of shots that I can remember like they happened yesterday.  In no particular order....here are the three shots that I think are the best I ever had.

1.)  Holland Country Club - #11, holed a 185 yard 8 iron for an eagle (after a TERRIBLE drive)

2.)  Stone Bridge CC - Ann Arbor area - #17, 208 yard 4 iron over a dozen bunkers to a tight left "sucker" pin....made the putt for eagle (yes it was a par 5)

I know we all see the ads on TV for the latest and greatest golf ball, but I wanted to clear something up for most of us when it comes to choosing a ball.

I can't believe it is the July 4th weekend already.....it seems like the kids just got out of school.  I guess what they say about time going faster as you get older is true.  The good news is there is still a lot of time to get out and have a great time on the course.

A lot of players are experimenting with Hybrid clubs....even the Touring Pro's are giving them a shot, yet I still see a lot of first time and ocassional golfers still trying to hit their old 2, 3, 4, and 5 irons.  Let me take a moment to explain exactly what a Hybrid club is and why most players should abandon their long irons.

Last week, I watched a group of guys playing the 7th hole at the course, and after hitting 2 balls in a row into the pond, one of them got very upset, threw his club, and eventually walked off the course after the 7th hole.

Today I want to talk a little about "playing through".....

A lot of people get uncomfortable and start to really play poorly when they are being "pushed" by the group behind them. Always keep in mind that your pace of play is just that....your pace of play. Some of us play slower than others, the key is to know when to let someone pass your group.

A good rule to follow is.....if the group behind you has been waiting on their shots for two holes, and the group in front of you is more than half a hole ahead of you, you should let them pass.

This week is I want to talk about scoring. You may not realize it, but only about 10% of the people who ever try golf will ever break 100 for 18 holes. If you have golfed a lot or a little, you remember the day you first boke through that barrier and started working toward the next goal (breaking 90). It's not always a case of your ability....quite often it is a problem of focusing on the wrong things.

This weekend is the annual Dandelion Festival in Borculo, our answer to Tulip Time, only the flowers are much easier to grow and we don't have all of those tour bus problems that Holland gets.

The big event is the Parade on Saturday so make sure you get to Borculo Saturday monring to see what I think is at least the 4th or 5th best parade in the Holland Zeeland area all year.