The Family That Golfs Together...

...has balls!

ha

But seriously, the four of us went galfing this past Sunday. We played from the forward tees, as a four-person scramble. We had a blast.

Earlier that day I played the same course, our local public course, Orchard Valley in Aurora.

I started on the back 9 around 550AM. This is the signature par-3 12th hole.

As you can see, I had a birdie putt on this 12th hole. I made par. 

The approch to #13, a par-4. You have to lay up to here, then you have about 220 yards, over water. Alas, I hit into the pond and had to take a drop. 

This is the look back up #13 from behind the green.

Here is the par-5 16th. Hit your drive left, over water, and then it is a 90-degree dogleg right to the green. I left my drive too far right, wound up in the water and had to take a drop.

The par-3 17th. I got a par here.

I had a birdie chip, missed, and tapped in for par.

I played the front-9 after I finished the back-9. This is the par-4 3rd gole, drive over water. 

This is the par-4 9th, a monster hole, straight, no water, but LONG. 470 yards. I got a bogey here and considered myself lucky.

So that was my Sunday: 18 holes, alone, in the AM. Nine holes with my family in the evening. Lawn mowing and pool-hanging in between. It was a great Sunday.

John P. Needham

Tuesday, July 16, 2014

Aurora, IL 

The Brat, 2013. (Golf Pictures)

Golf-related pictures from The Brat charity golf event in Memphis this weekend.

On Saturday we played Mirimichi, north on Memphis. This is a practice round for The Brat. It is a terrific course, especially the back-9 in my opinion.

This is Mirimichi #8. 

This is the 10th hole at Mirimichi.

Mandatory picture of me at Mirimichi #10.

Sunday was The Brat event. It is a charity outing at Colonial Club (south course) in Memphis. Colonial is a classic old country club, the former home of the Memphis St. Jude's Classic PGA event. Al Geiberger once shot a 59 in PGA play at this course. It is a terrific course and The Brat is a terrific event. 

The Needham Consulting team started on the second hole in this 5-person scramble event. We played with Lance Mehl, former Penn State All-American and former NY Jets All-Pro linebacker. He was a terrific guy, a terrific playing partner and a great golfer. He hits the ball miles and miles, when he gets ahold of it.

This is #3 on the Colonial south course. 

This is #7 on the south course, a long par-5 with an elevated green. Our group birdied this hole.

We also got a birdie on the long par-4 11th at Colonial Club. Mike Zaccardi got the birdie after an awesome approach shot to here, following on Lance Mehl's bomb of a drive. 

This is the signatire hole at Colonial: the par-3 12th over water. We picked up a par here. 

This is the par-4 13th at Colonial, a sharp dogleg right over water. Steven Ishmael hit a bomb here, farther than anyone from our team ever has on this hole. 

This is Lance Mehl teeing off on the par-3 15th.

The par-4 14th was sponsored by Needham Consulting. Pictured, left-to-right, are Corey Farabi, John Needham, Steve Ishmael, Mike Zaccardi, and Lance Mehl.

Corey Farabi, Mike Zaccardi, Lance Mehl, and Steve Ishmael on the tee at the par-5 18th, Colonial (Memphis) south course. 

This is the approach to Colonial south course, #16. After hitting a bomb fase off an elevated tee, Steve Ishamel's drive was here. We birdied this par-5 hole, the first time a Needham Consulting team has done that on this hole. 

I'll post some other pictures later this week, but this is pretty much all the golf images I have to add at this time. The rest of the pictures are just general ones from my week in Memphis. 

The Brat is the best golf event I've ever participated in, and I'm fortunate to have been able to play in about 10 of them. Spending time in Memphis, with friends who live there and friends who come down from Chicago, is truly on of the spring highlights for me and Carolyn. 

John P. Needham

May 19, 2013

Memphis, TN

Four Birdie Putts Today

I played golf at Orchard Valley GC in Aurora today. Third round of the year; I played well tee-to-green, and had four birdie putts today. Since that is rare indeed, and since I had my phone at hand, I took a picture of each putt.

I played those four holes in even par. I was way OVER par otherwise. 

It was a good day of golf, all things being equal.