Santa Pants!

After a long off season for Santa Claus, he decided to hit the links one more time before the big Sleigh ride.  With an 8:30 tee time, Santa headed out to Chambers Bay for some Christmas eve birdies.

Because Santa is a big time celebrity around the holidays, he receives many high fives, and joyous smiles from his fans.  Santa was even encouraged by a local neighborhood girl to "hurry up" as she was aware of the big job Santa was responsible for in the evening.

The Santa fist pump is second only to the Tiger fist pump.

Because Chambers Bay was built for the local community, not just golfers, Santa was able to spread holiday cheer on just about every hole. After some birdies and a jolly good time, Santa high tailed it out of Chambers bay just in time for his annual sleigh ride.  Thanks to everyone at Chambers Bay for hosting and Happy Holidays to all!

Santa got in a quick 18 before loading up the sled today. Don't worry kids, Santa got this one up and down for par. #Santa #GettingSandywithSanta. 📷: @buman31 @thebengarrett

A video posted by Patrick Koenig (@pjkoenig) on Dec 24, 2016 at 3:51pm PST

Santa goes for the green on the short par 4 12th as the 15th green lights up the background.  

The Hammer 2.0

As an avid watcher of golf on television since the late 1980's, it was nearly impossible for me to avoid The Hammer X Driver infomercial.  Widely hailed as the best golf commercial to ever air.  The infomercial below is a thing of true golf glory.

The Hammer's pitchman is 6 time World Long Drive Champion Jack "The Hammer" Hamm.  In the original infomercial below Jack screams and yells as he bombs drives over mountains.  What a golf animal!!

After admiring Jack Hamm's technique for years, I decided to take my game to Chambers Bay and put Mr. Hamm's moves to work in my own Hammer infomercial.  What you are about to witness is 100% real.  No gimmicks or camera tricks have been used.  We even interrupted Instagram star, Karin Hart's busy schedule to get her take on the Hammer.

"Phase 2" Tiger

With about 500,000 blog entries, online posts, and articles written about Tiger Woods since he last hit a competitive golf shot, let's face it, you're still gonna read one more.  Here is my take on The Big Cat.

As a 36 year old, I grew up playing golf and watching Tiger Woods... and when I say watching, I mean screaming loudly at my TV as I watched him pull off shot after shot of magic.  Even as a youngster, with very little frame of reference, I knew this was an amazing time to be alive.  In fact, I would yell those very words at my television.

If you take some time to watch those shots, you will find that Tiger was apparently able to will the golf ball into the hole with his mind!  Did you see that putt on 18 at the 2008 US Open?  How could you "Expect anything different?"  What about that chip at the 2005 Masters?  Or when he raised the roof at the biggest party in golf?  Tiger is not simply "Better than most," he is the best. 

Bob May remembers this finger point well.

Rocco Mediate felt the sting of this scream.

I mean, you'd have to be a damned fool to believe that Tiger Woods will not win another golf tournament, or another major, before his time is done, right?  Unfortunately, over the past several years, Tiger has given us reason to doubt.  We have all seen the timelines, the injuries, the missed cuts.  The fall from grace and the time away from the game was tough for Tiger fans.

Things headed the wrong way for Tiger Woods at the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay.

Not all Victory Red days, end in victory

But even as the 898th ranked player in the world, I continue to believe.  There is a reason that Tiger still continues to command a tremendous audience.  There is a reason that "Tiger hits a chip shot" will always outperform "Pampling wins on the PGA Tour for the 1st time in 10 years."  The last time we saw a comeback of a similar magnitude, he came in T4th at The Masters.  We all know deep down, you simply can't count this man out.

I think most of us can agree that with this recent injury, that would have ended the career of any normal athlete, the days of total Tiger domination are beyond us.  But with a long pause, I believe Tiger has taken the appropriate amount of time to consult with the golden rule.

“You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

— Golden Rule

Even though there is a bit of humor in that last quote, I can't force myself to believe anything else.  The world's most glorious golfing mind has certainly found a way to embrace his age, leverage his ego, and tap into his tremendous passion to win.  I am very excited to watch it all begin to unfold this Thursday and I am more than ready to yell "What a great time to be alive" at my TV again.

The Devil's Nas-Saw

Every Halloween, Satan himself heads out to West Seattle Golf Course to host The Devil's Nas-Saw Tournament.  How does Satan set up a golf tournament?  Well, he sets up one of the most ridiculous, tipped out, pin tucked, terror inducing golf tournaments in the United States. "The Saw" has terrorized golfers in Seattle for the past 20 years.

Normally, West Seattle plays 6800 yards to a par 72 from the back tees.  For the Devil's Nas-Saw, the par is increased to 75 and the yardage is stretched to 8,000.  The course rating is 86.9 and the slope is a modest 182!  You will play 300 yard par 3's, 480 yard par 4's and the first hole is your standard 618 yard "Downhill Ride to Purgatory."  Over the tournament's history, 81 is the lowest recorded score.  

The Devil himself (PGA Professional Colin Gants) kicks off the tournament.  The Devil's main rule: No whining in Hell.

The format for the golf tournament is straight up stroke play.  However, set your expectations accordingly, birdies are about as common as a zombie with a heartbeat and 4 putts are standard practice.  The course is also extra muddy, so don't expect any roll out on those drives.

These Goblins are eager to host any golfer foolish enough to enter the West Seattle Golf & Graveyard.

Some 70 yards down a maintenance path you will find the Devil's tee box on the 4th hole.  "Good luck getting home in 3, you short hitting heathens!"

The 3rd hole, "Hell's Canyon," is a 243 yard par 3.  Good luck getting it through the chute on #12 tee box.  This would be a tough pin location from the hole's usual 120 yard distance.

Any time you make a par at the Devil's Nas-Saw you feel as if you have accomplished something special.  Nice par, now prepare for "Death on Rainier."  Satan keeps the pressure applied on just about every hole.  The only let up is when you get a boxed lunch and a brewski at the turn.  The Devil's chili was also delicious.

Here is Satan spicing up ‘Little Alcatraz,’ The Blair Pitch hole location from 2012.  Colin Gants recalls: "You had to hit it inside the bathroom and hole out near the urinal.  We had some dry ice going and scary music.  It was awesome but way too hard."

It's a Halloween massacre on the Devil's leaderboard.

Good times await your 2 iron approach on the "Burning Man" 5th hole.  Satan has tucked just about every pin.

“Driver and a sand wedge? Nope; now it is a 450 yard dog leg that will kick your ass”

— Satan

One of the Devil's Nas-Saw's traditions is the Blair Pitch Project.  The BPP is a mysteriously located 19th hole that can yield scores ranging anywhere from a 2 to a 12.  In year's past, the hole has been located on bridges and guarded by mole traps and barbed wire.

This year, the 135 yard hole was tucked in the corner of the golf course behind a fence.  Go long on "Stairs to Egan's Citadel" and you are O.B.  Come up short and you will face a flop over the fence to save par.

In the shot of the day, my tee shot struck the flag on the fly and ended up at about 7 feet.  Suck on that one Blair Pitch, I ain't afraid of no ghost!!

"No whining because remember, in Hell...  All hole locations are illegal."

The 2011 Blair Pitch Project hole location.  Yes, that is the hole down there in the middle of the bridge.  "The Goblins will be choking on all of the balls you hackers are hitting into the ravine."

Costumes are encouraged at "The Saw."  Here we see evidence that Batman and the Head Banger are indeed friends with Satan.

In the end, the winning score would be a mighty fine round of 82 in a field filled with single digit handicappers.  The score of 82 by Elias Tunison was just one off of the all time tournament record of 81 shot by Mike O'Keefe in 2009.  Either way, the Devil wins again.  

I would wind up with a 95 myself while managing to make only 5 pars.  Sahalee Club Champion, Ben Garrett. would record the only birdie in our foursome on the day.  That birdie would come on the 16th hole; one of three somewhat "regular holes."  

Even though the The Devil's Nas-Saw is painfully difficult, it is easily the most fun a 4 handicap can have shooting in the 90's and I shall return next year for more torture.  I think I have the skills to break 90.  

A big thanks to Colin Gants and the West Seattle Golf Club for spooking up Seattle and creating a fun and unique golf tournament.  Congratulations to the winners and Happy Halloween to all!

gottaGolf presents: Stadium Links at Turner Field

When Clint Jarvis over at gottaGolf invited me to join the crew for a round of golf at Turner Field, I thought he had his sports mixed up.  Clint was indeed being serious as a company called Stadium Links is transforming ball parks and football fields around the country into golf courses.  Clint had also assembled an all star crew of social media "Influencers" for our 8pm Saturday evening tee time. 

• Karin Hart - Karin is an accomplished Instagrammer and amateur golfer.  
• Ryan Rustand -  Better known on the internet as Coach Rusty, Ryan is a Golf Channel Academy Instructor and trick shot artist extraordinaire.
• Fiamma Felitch -  Fiamma is an aspiring LPGA star and former Big Break standout.
• Joshua Kelley -  Remember that video of the guy popping a champagne bottle with a chip shot?  That's Josh, he's good, real good.
• Chelsea Pezzola -  Chelsea is riding the road to the LPGA Tour and doing some modeling along the way.

Karin and the gang would warm things up at Atlanta's Top Golf, doing whatever this is.

After rocking some trick shots at Top Golf, the crew would head over to Turner Field, to play some baseball with golf clubs.

gottaGolf founder, Clint, starts things off on the 1st hole at Turner Field.

Mr. Holein1Trickshots, Joshua Kelley would not find his hole in one, but he would find the green.

Chelsea Pezzola mixes up baseball and golf, in the classic basegolf pose.

After a successful outing at Turner Field, we headed out to Big Canoe Golf Club for an encore round of golf on an actual golf course.  Coach Rusty and the team hammered out some trick shots and we rolled in some birdies.

Big Canoe features a ton of drastic elevation drops. Here we see, Justin Estes bomb one 300+ and almost take out Karin Hart and Coach Rusty on the fly.

When @gotta_golf has @holein1trickshots, @karinhart, and @coach_rusty do trickshots at @topgolfatlanta. 🔥⛳️ BOOM!! #topgolf #gottagolf GO DOWNLOAD THE GOTTA GOLF APP!!!

A video posted by Ryan Rustand (@coach_rusty) on Oct 16, 2016 at 2:28pm PDT

The rules for Stadium Links golf are simple.  Each hole has a specified green that you are hitting to out on the field.  If you hit it on the green, that's a par, miss the green, that's a bogey.  If you hit it within the circle around the pin, that's a birdie.  Stadium Links also gives any golfer that makes a hole in one a cool $100.

Chelsea Pezzola and Fiamma Felitch do some Turner Field golf modeling.

That sand in the outfield is real sand.  A nice touch.

Karin Hart hits a ground rule double with her 9 iron.

The gottaGolf boys are excited about the tee shot on the 9th hole.  Hats off to Karin Hart for capturing the magic.  A bigger hats off to Clint and the gottaGolf team for hosting a fantastic outing.

That's Karin Hart with the hand off from the golf cart, Coach Rusty proceeds to do his thing and Clint finishes things off with some tracer technology.  Be sure to visit gottaGolf and get in on the action today and make your very own tracer videos.