In talking with Grossinger's Country Club course manager Kenny Cogswell last week about the most difficult hole to play at the "Big G" the old memory bank kicked in and we began thinking back to some of the great memories I have of this outstanding facility.
Back before they redesigned the "Big G"golf course at the Grossinger Hotel there was no such things as golf carts and caddies make a summer living carrying one or two golf bags for 18 holes seven days a week.
And if you were good at this trade you might work 18-holes in the morning and 9 holes in the afternoon. An accomplished caddy in the early 1950's could easily take home several hundred dollars a week and that was considered pretty good pay in those days.
My broth-in-law was a good golfer and while he was attending college he worked as a caddy at the Grossinger course. As a youngster attending Liberty High School and one who loved the game of golf I was introducted by my brother-in-law to Caddy Master "Frank" who took a liking to me as I followed the rules and remembered well that if you tipped the caddy master each week he always made sure that you got plenty of work.
It also helped to know the game and know how to club the golfers you were working for.
Now, when I say "club the golfers" it means you knew what club to give them at certain locations on the golf course. If they scored well your were rewarded with a bit tip.
In my early caddy days the head professional at the then 18-hole Grossinger colurse was Joe Turnesa, a very accomplished professional and a pure gentleman who was well known and respected in the golf industry.
We all remember the movie "Caddy Shack" but the true meaning of this term was the section of the golf club house where the caddies sat waiting to be called for work. Caddies were paid a specific fee according to how many bags you carried and how many holes your worked. A good caddy with golf skills got a bitter tip if he knew his trade.
Many movie-television stars and professional athletes came up to the Grossinger Hotel and most played golf. I had the opportunity to caddy for such greats as World Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Joe Lewis, comedian Jerry Lewis and singer Dean Martin. Lewis and Martin were a true comedy act even on the golf course course.
Remember meeting and becoming friends with one of the "professional" caddies, an Irishman named "Mike" who worked at Grossiner's in the spring, summer and fall and a Florida course in the winter months. He was guaranteed two rounds of 18-holes a day with double bags. A class "A" caddy I remember he drove a nice Cadillac and wore the best in golf shoes and clothing .... real professional who added dignity to the game and when I west to Mass one Sunday saw him gratefully place a $50 bill in the collection plate.
Yes, those were some of the "good old days at the Grossinger Golf Course where I often caddied for Paul Grossinger and ate with Paul and Bunny in the main dining room at night.....just a great family.
Houston architect Joe Finger redesigned the "Big G" as it is today and he rewarded ball flight and touch rather then brute power and distance and Finger's design makes golfers control their ball from uneven lies.
Each nine holes (and their are three of them) at Grossinger's starts a top a hill, works down into a valley and then back to the top of the hill with many holes having a bend, most right to left and go around water hazards and bunkers.
We describe the picturesque most difficult hole on this course in our Ed's Outlook portion of this column.
Ed's Outlook
Hole No. 13 at Grossinger's in all probability is the most difficult hole on the "Big G" course and it certainly can be defined as the signature hole.
It's the "island green" which is 40-yards in depth and 29 yards in width and requires a good long tee shot over a small stream and a solid fairway shot that can put you in good shape for the third shot to a green situated out in Grossinger Lake.
Yes this hole can be a par with good golf shots.
This 512-yard par 5 hole requires a 220-yard tee shot off the blue tees to carry the brook. The whole features a lake on the left andd the drive should be taken to the right side of the fairway and the second fairway shot should carefully be placed so as to offer an easy chip shot to the large green.
Golfers with a shorter tee shot should layup short of the small stream and take a longer second shot for the chip shot over water to the green.
Definitely a beautiful golf hole with dangers lurking but carefully executed golf shots can give you a par.
Ed Townsend is a PR Consultant to the sport of golf. Ed writes and compiles the information for this column. If you have league and tournament information, shoot a hole-in-one or even shoot your age, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
Golf professionals love talking about rhythm and tempo during the golf swing.
It is an important aspect of the swing.
So what exactly is rhythm and tempo and what role do they play in the golf swing.
Rhythm is movement with a patterned occurrence of beat and tempo is the rate of the patterned movement.
In laymen terms, rhythm is the structure of the golf swing and tempo is the timing of the swing.
Sometimes when instructing a student, I find that all they need is a good tune-up of these aspects of the swing.
Just as musical instruments need to be tuned .....likewise the golf swing need to be tuned to create its fluidity.
Here is a simple tip that can help you find your rhythm and tempo to create a harmonious golf swing.
1. Line ten tees in the ground about 2-5 inches apart.
2. Swing through each tee in a continuous motion starting with a small swing on the first tee (at about 10% capacity) and moving to a full swing on the tenth tee (100 % capacity.
3. Count 1 during the back-swing, 2 on the top of the swing, and 3 at impact...as you work through all ten tees.
This is a great drill to help fine tune your game and can be done at the practice range or even in your backyard.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club on Mt. Hope Road in Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net
Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel Jr.
As a golfer, and, in particular when putting, since putting is about half of the entire game of golf....it is important that your have confidence in your ability as a top level putter.
We strongly urge that you take professional putting instructions and after that practice diligently what you have learned.
This will lower your putts per round, lower your total score and will give you confidence to keep practicing what you have learned.
Overall will you enjoy the game must better.
Joe Bermel is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organization and golf shows/tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To Putt Well" is available at his web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com
The "island green" at Grossinger's offers golfers a large green (40 yards in depth and 29 yards in width) but getting there from a tee 512-yards away requires finely tuned golf shots. Easily the most difficult hole to score on it definitely is the "signature hole" at this 18-hole complex.
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