The Dallas Holiday Classic is in the books, and now it’s time to crown the Power Events’ Player of the Year.
Before we do, we must first congratulate Houston’s Mark Stenmark on his tournament win. The dude’s a beast, simple as that, and he’s become a dominant force in Golden Tee this past year.
Now, however, it’s time for the top 32 players to play it out. Those that accumulated the most PEGT Points over the past 6 tournaments will now duke it out for Player of the Year honors.
It’s double-elimination, and should be a whole lot of fun. We’re cracking open another live blog (and another drink, or two, or three) to celebrate.
Sunday is here, and the Dallas Holiday Classic is back underway. Today promises to be unlike any Sunday in recent tournament history.
We hammered through some early matchplay games on Saturday knowing that there were two tournaments to be finished today. Once the Dallas Holiday Classic finishes (hopefully) sometime late this afternoon, the 32-man Player of the Year tournament will begin shortly after.
Another excellent day is in store and we’re firing up the live blog once again. Feel free to jump in or just stay tuned to find out the latest updates.
The 2011 Dallas Holiday Classic begins today, and we plan to live blog the all the festivities from start to finish. We’ll begin with the 5-course qualifier starting early this afternoon and then get a few matches in this evening once we’ve got our 32-man field filled.
It’s going to be an outstanding (but very long) day, and we’ll be trying out our new live blog widget below. Feel free to comment and jump in if you please, and we’ll keep you tuned in to what’s going on. Comments have to be approved (on the first post) so if your comment doesn’t show up for a little while (or it’s just an insane, curse-loaded rant), it may not show up for a short while.
In the year 2000, Granville, Vermont had a population of 303 people. Eleven years later it has certainly increased in size and is now the proud owner of its very own virtual golf course.
You know that exclusive country club that your dad talks about at dinner? The one that he says sucks, the membership’s WAY too expensive, and that only rich, d-bag doctors play there? Then finally, one of those rich, d-bag doctors invites him to play and he does a celebratory kitchen dance because he’s been DYING to play it all these years.
Auburn Glen is that country club, although no d-bags are allowed. Take note, folks.
And so we continue on our whirlwind adventure, which is suddenly nearing a halt. Here are some items of note when it comes to Auburn Glen as the 2012 ship date fast approaches.
Hooray.
A Taste of Traditional Golf
The majority of the courses featured in Golden Tee 2012 are extravagant in setting to say the least, and while Auburn Glen no doubt has characteristics that make it unique from any GT gem ever created, it’s also closer to a “traditional” golf course than any of the five new creations.
Translation: this is not the course to wear your favorite pair of jorts or an ol’ school football jersey. This is a virtual club and they won’t tolerate that kind of dress code destruction. No D-Bags, remember?
The Glen has almost a fall-like feel to it. The trees are all colors, the setting is warm, but somehow a pullover seems like the proper wardrobe choice here. You’ll get your fill of green – whether it’s the trees avoiding the fall season switch, the rough situated all over the course, or the fairways that you’ll want to stay on – green is everywhere, and make sure you take note of that last part. Trust me on that.
On the surface, this course reminds me a bit of the 2010 monster that was Southern Oaks. Not necessarily in the way the course sets up but in look and feel. Don’t let that comment scare you if you weren’t a fan of SA. While Auburn has it’s fair share of challenges, I don’t believe it’s quite on that difficulty level.
It’s a Trap(s)!
Now would be a good time to update your buddy-hitting-out-of-the-sand joke arsenal.
Auburn Glen is absolutely jam-packed with sand traps, most of which can come into play if you’re not careful. While many of the greens are surrounded with ‘em, it’s the fairway bunkers that can pack a punch, especially on par-5s and long par-4s. In these instances, missing the fairway means your giving up at least one stroke and potentially depending on your recovery.
While there’s no doubt a great deal amount of traps on the course, the depth of some of these bad boys is also impressive. The back nine in particular features a couple of deep, deep, deep bunkers – not quite pot bunkers we’ve seen in the past – but some intimidating possibilities if you happen to find them.
These greenside bunkers come equipped with elevation, and to stay out of them I must pass along some advice. Tackle this course with a full arsenal with fairway woods. The 7-wood in particular on this course will be your best tool to avoid these bunkers and you’ll likely want it for tougher winds and pin placements.
The Barns and the Bridges
Although you wouldn’t consider hole 7 or hole 14 the typical spot for trademark holes on a golf course, Auburn Glen isn’t just any other golf course. Holes 7 and 14 are similar because a) they are both drivable par-4s and b) each features a barn like obstacle in the center of the hole that will make getting eagle a challenge from round to round.
This obstacle that is featured on both holes is a covered bridge that resembles a barn. On hole 7, this barn is situated horizontally guarding the green, and on hole 14 it’s situated on the left side with its opening facing towards you.
There will be a variety of different ways to tackle these holes depending on the winds, tee boxes and pin placements, but these holes also come with plenty of risk. There is water that is VERY much in play, as well as trees that can send your ball into the hazard. And then there’s the bridges themselves that serve as the true cog in the entire design.
My suggestion: Experiment with fairway woods and tee it up high if you’re at all concerned about getting there. Don’t be afraid to try some “unique” strategies on this one. I’ve already said too much…
One more course to go! Check back here next week as we climb the final mountain. Literally.
