JM Sahr Studios

Golf Stuff

A man wiser than myself once wrote: Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar, well, it eats you. Much is similar on the golf course. My first and only lesson was at Beaver Meadow Golf Course in 1981. We spent 2 hours on the range, an hour on the putting green, we got a bag lunch and a free club of our choice. I chose a 2 iron. It was somthing about the feel - something about the power tucked away in that club that made the decision for me.

Now, 20+ years later I wouldn't be caught dead with a 2 iron in my bag. But I still find a happy place in knowing that at any moment, I can pull out my 7 iron and hit it just as far as that 2 iron went when I was 10 years old. The feeling is the same. If I knew back then what I know now, I would have chosen a sand wedge with my sandwich. Golf is good when life is good and vise versa.

Visit: www.thebostontour.com for more information on my golf game.

The JM Slam - January 2005

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3 Eggs, scambled with mildly sharp Vermont cheddar cheese (the cheese must be added during cooking)
3 Maple-flavored sausage links
3 Thick strips of hickory-smoked bacon
3 Pieces of Texas-style French toast, cinnamon baked in
Plenty of real Vermont Maple Syrup on the side
3 ice-cold 24oz. glasses of Redhook ESB

Sounds delicious. I have a recurring dream that I am devouring this directly off of the paper that lines the top of the exam table at my primary care physician’s office, while he sits in a chair and draws blood from my limp left arm. He says: “yeah, well, JM it appears that your cholesterol isn’t really moving in a positive direction, your blood pressure is spiking to an all-time high, and the maple syrup you’re spraying everywhere is going to take weeks to clean & sanitize.”

Although this has nothing to do with this month’s blog, I find it extremely difficult to deal with, considering I am on some sort of a “diet” and would find nothing more pleasurable than eating this for breakfast every day of my short, painful life.

So, what is the JM slam?
Keeping in mind this is ALL speculative until I am actually feeling turf under my feet.

The JM Slam is a modified version of the well known “Grand Slam” in PGA sanctioned golf, winning all four majors in a single season. The JM Slam differs in that I will either be visiting the event itself, or a course on which a major has been held. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Well hold your horses, Hootie Johnson. I will be attending the Masters this year, the US Open at Winged Foot, and then visiting St. Andrews in November. The only thing missing is the PGA Championship, which is being held at Medinah this year. Illinois is not an option unfortunately. So, since it is my Slam, I set the god-damned rules. 2 events, and a visit to the Royal & Ancient is good enough for me. Who the hell wants to go to Royal Liverpool anyway? I hear one of the sand traps is shaped like John Lennon’s head.

-jm

Will the real Tin Cup please step forward - November 2005

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As the snow begins to fly, so do our notions of a dreamy -warm winter where random rounds of golf are sprinkled throughout like the evil flakes that plague our games. The 3.5 month break we dread for most of the autumn months is inevitable. The “Holiday Sale” versions of the TGW, Edwin Watts, and Golfsmith catalogs show up in your mailbox with both delight and distain. As you thumb through Golf Magazine, cozied-up on the shitter for a snowy morning dump, you can’t help but feel a burning jealousy for those southern golfers that can actually put the 100 tips in the December issue to good use. If you look hard enough you may find a single, ¼ page article supporting your winter blues with words of encouragement, stretching exercises to keep your game in shape for the spring thaw, or a story about a crazy golf-nut that plays in the snow with an orange ball. Regardless, it isn’t going to make you feel any better and certainly won’t help you fund that trip to Orlando.

On the other side of the coin, here’s something that will keep you, at the very least, entertained all winter long. Starting January 18th on the Golf Channel, you will be able to see “The Daly Planet” – a 13-part reality television show based around the stable, conservative, and healthy lifestyle of one John Daly. My thoughts on this: It could be the greatest thing since the first season of “The Osbournes” or it could be like watching that god-awful celebrity dance show that somehow got picked up for a second season. There is something deep down inside of all of us that enjoys watching a fat, one-hit-wonder, long-ball hitting, b-list celebrity go about his daily rituals – the selling point is his affiliation with the game we love. Let’s be honest, a reality show starring Davis Love III or Justin Leonard just isn’t anything worth anything. Can you imagine, following Davis to the local Ralph Lauren store to pick out his 2006 pastel, sweater vest wardrobe? Or listening to Leonard tell the Ryder Cup putt story over and over again until your face falls off?

Here’s an excerpt from GolfServ:

The long-hitting, 39-year-old Daly has for years been one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour. A two-time major championship winner, Daly has also battled problems with alcohol, weight and his temper. Daly's life has seemed the stuff of fiction before. At an 1998 tournament, Daly shot an 18 on one hole, hitting shot after shot into a water hazard -- virtually mimicking Kevin Costner's character in the 1996 movie "Tin Cup." In it, Costner plays a regular guy -- a driving range owner -- who has a chance to win the U.S. Open before stubbornly hitting balls repeatedly into a pond. "I still say they made that movie after me," Daly said at the time.

Yeah, OK John. Just be grateful you still have a career – and do us all a favor and make the biggest ass out of yourself as humanly possible. We deserve it for sticking with you all of these empty, worthless years.

-jm

Jack Nicklaus, Good Bye - Monthly golf blog (September-2005)

July marked Jack's farewell to St. Andrews and the Open Championship & competitive golf as we know it. Unfortunately I did not see it live as I was at a wedding in Stowe, VT, however I did see the emotional replay of his walk up 18.......actually I flipped between that and Anaconda-2 Starring Ice Cube.

I love Jack, don't get me wrong. His 1986 Masters win is among my favorite golf moments. I think the entire country jumped out of their seats when he sank that putt on 12. but you know what, that's really the only solid highlight reel I have to look back upon, due to my age, I guess. Maybe I didn't get to know Jack during his prime - maybe I missed the greatest moments in golf that everyone talks about. Having to rely on what other people say, repeats on the golf channel, Shell's Wonderful World of Golf, and the expected montage during any and all majors isn't enough for me, deep down inside, to refer to Jack Nicklaus as the greatest player that ever lived. This is my opinion, of course.

Lee Trevino says this: "People ask me who's better, Tiger or Jack. It's close, but if they played one 18-hole round, both men in their primes, I'd have to take Jack. He was longer than Tiger, a better putter, and he'd game-plan Tiger to death. Nicklaus at his best always found a way to win."

Now this doesn't mean I think Tiger is the best player that ever lived either, but I do think he will be....one day. His talent, his abilities, his charitable contributions, his impact on the game, his bank account, his attitude and the story of how he became who he is, are all very inspiring and also very convincing.

That said, I don't want this to turn into a "who's the best golfer" situation. This is about paying tribute to a great golfer whose presence in competitive play will be missed.

You know, it's funny...I run a pool for each major tournament every year. I ask the participants to choose a 7 player team from the final field. Depending on how each player finishes they are assigned a score value and a winning team is determined. I've been doing this for about 4 years now and not once has anyone chosen Jack Nicklaus, myself included. I browse through the list of players and when I see Jack's name I quietly say to myself, "he may have something left....one more shot. He may make the cut, suprise everyone and place in the top 20.", I say this, I think about his putt on the 12th in 86' and I pass him by.

Jack, Arnie, Bobby, Sam, Lee....they all fall into the same category for me. Players that shaped the game I love and I take for grant it. It's unfortunate.

So it is with a meduim degree of sorrow I bid the Golden Bear farewell. We/I will miss your style, your follow-through, your post-round commentary, your ethics, and your legacy. Thank you for not retiring in your prime and allowing my generation to witness your greatness.

-jm