2008 Trip

We're embarking on the 2008 Golf Trip now. Here's video from the 2005 trip and a picture of Scott and his soccer hooligan "friend".




See you in the desert.

Thoughts from our resident analyst

As most of you know, one of our golfers, Dave Deboe, knows the golf swing inside out. I found a video of someone who's stolen Dave's words to describe the golf swing. Have a look, but make sure you don't think about ANY of this stuff on the course.

Brian's Slideshow

Brian put together a great slideshow of the 2006 trip. You can see the show here.

Bredow's Thank You Note from 2006

I also would like to send my thanks to everyone for the trip. Who would have thought that twelve guys in Palm Springs could have such a great time! Wait ... that didn't come out right. Well, you know what I mean. I am finding myself daydreaming at work about tee shots, club selection, and those beautiful courses.

I have to give special thanks to Montecor, the only person with the patience and passion to put together such a remarkable trip year after year. Thanks for doing this once again Dave. It's an honor for a hack like myself to be invited. I hope the king size bed and the low scores were enough thanks for all your hard work.

To The Great White, your great golf game and easy going attitude inspire me. I look forward to my golf lessons from you someday in addition to receiving that herd of camels in return for my daughters hand in marriage to Andrew. And for the record, who would ever bet big on a six four suited before the flop? I don't care what John says.

To John "team mom" Sandoval, thanks for the sandwiches and orange slices. Not to mention the steak, salad, and pork chops. You have the gift of hospitality and you use it well. It made it hard to be mad at you for keeping me awake with all that snoring. And seriously, the six four suited was brilliant. I don't care what Brian says.

Thanks To Scott Rojas who allowed John Heddon and I to be in the presence of greatness. Shadow Ridge was the greatest example of grace under fire as Scott fired the most nonchalant 78 (or whatever it was) I've ever seen in my life. Only Scott could hit that "one in a million shot" 78 times in a row. And to John for not sneezing in my backswing. Twice.

Thanks to "Cool Carl" Lachman for being such a gentleman (despite that one round where you burped or farted in the middle of every backswing), even going so far as to let me hit your golf ball out of the sand when I couldn't find my own. At least we think that might have happened.

To Dave "Long Drive" Deboe who continues to amaze me with his play. It's always a pleasure to watch you play and to match up with you in poker. I have only three parting words for you. Ball go far.

Thanks to my chauffer Mark "Boomis" Loomis who carted me around all weekend. You drink a buttload of Gatorade, my friend. I commend you on your vastly improved ball striking and your new fancy set of clubs. It must be true that spending money on your game without practice is the quickest and most effective way to improve your game.

To Mike Hernandez, my nemesis. You played fantastic. Thanks for the great pad to crash in and the words of encouragement on the golf course. Nice touch on the matching final round 92 - great way to end our not so bitter rivalry.

Thanks to Dave "Card Shark" Chitty. No matter what I had in my hand I was always afraid to go in against you. I don't know why that is. Maybe it's that friendly smile you always have. It's a pleasure on the golf course, but a bit unsettling in poker.

Lastly my thanks to Jason "Babs" Barbieri. Fantastic golf and a great attitude. It's always so fun to see you and catch up on life. And seriously, that last hole on Firecliff was awesome. Kudos to you shelving your pride and pandering to the unruly crowd. You have earned all of our respect with your phenomenal perserverance.

So that's it for me for 2006. Once again I thank you all for allowing me to hack up the course alongside so many great golfers. My theory of playing once a year paid off again with another personal best. Next year I'm gunning for 89!

Dennis

Chitty's Thank You Note from 2006

Thanks to every one of you for adding immeasurable pleasure to my pathetic, unexciting life last weekend.

Thanks to Dave Little for finding the will and the way to get it all done.

Thanks to John Sandoval for inspiring me to stand my ground when all around me are howling their displeasure at my actions.

Thanks to Brian White for the light in the darkness.

Thanks to Scott Rojas for showing all of us that breakfast burritos probably are the actual "breakfast of champions".

Thanks to Dennis Bredow for reminding us that a great sense of humor probably is better for you than even the breakfast of champions.

Thanks to Jason for taking me off the hook as giving the worst performance at Desert Willow (was that really a 16 on number 18?)

Thanks to Dave Deboe for the kind instruction in just about everything.

Thanks to Mike Hernandez for lining up the palace.

Thanks to Mark Loomis for the kind words.

Thanks to Carl "Iceman" Lachman for modeling even-tempered behavior at all times and for imspiring me toward completely clean and responsible living. Even so I still can't do it.

Thanks to John Heddon for stepping in for Angelo - sort of a kinder gentler Ted, so he has that going for him, which is nice.

Gunga-la-gunga.

Have a great summer - see you next fall

Day of Purpose

Alright guys, it’s that time. For the last day of purpose, I give you my favorite poem. Lots of application to golf here, especially the part about meeting triumph and disaster. I promise you there will be plenty of both in the desert.

Finally, in the words of Tom Kausrud, along with Chitty one of the founders of this tradition:

If it goes right it’s a slice,
If it goes left it’s a hook,
If it goes straight it’s a miracle!

See you in the desert.

Montecore

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Day of Purpose

Hi guys,

Hope your long weekend is going well and that you’re barbecuing a bunch – or at least getting to eat it.

Looks like there will be more barbecuing going on toward the end of the week. I’ve been checking the weather and here are the projected temperatures for Wednesday through Sunday: 106, 107, 108, 106, 107.

So this could be the hottest year yet, which is nice. I remember one year I saw 114 degrees on the thermometer on Washington just north of Fred Waring, so that’s the record so far. Whoever’s riding with me in the cart during the Friday afternoon round will have an idea of the temperature pretty easily. At 106, the hair on my arm starts to cook off. It’s a sight to see, but I’ll tell you it’s not the best thing you’ve ever smelled.

Alright, back to watching the Dodger game. Pretty fun to watch when they send 17 guys to the plate in the first two innings. I think even Lance Carter and Odalis Perez could hold onto this lead.

Dave