Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[dhartmann34]

Anyone have Sand Valley on their list for the season? Looks like lots of availability with tee times... But lodging is pretty tight. Thinking about making a day of it one day. 

[mci711]

19 hours ago, dhartmann34 said:

Anyone have Sand Valley on their list for the season? Looks like lots of availability with tee times... But lodging is pretty tight. Thinking about making a day of it one day. 

 

If you haven't been, it is a must. It is the best golf in the Midwest, and I could argue that it is my favorite resort in the country. Just pure fun golf. I went a few times while still living in Chicago. One of the handful of times I went I played woke up at like 3am and drove there, played 36, and drove home... I'm not sure I'd suggest that, it was a very long day. 

 

I do know some people who stayed at the lake resort or whatever it is nearby and then played golf at SV. 

[Argonne69]

19 hours ago, dhartmann34 said:

Anyone have Sand Valley on their list for the season? Looks like lots of availability with tee times... But lodging is pretty tight. Thinking about making a day of it one day. 

 

I believe I stayed in Wisconsin Rapids. Several hotels there and a short drive to Sand Valley. 

[dhartmann34]

2 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

If you haven't been, it is a must. It is the best golf in the Midwest, and I could argue that it is my favorite resort in the country. Just pure fun golf. I went a few times while still living in Chicago. One of the handful of times I went I played woke up at like 3am and drove there, played 36, and drove home... I'm not sure I'd suggest that, it was a very long day. 

 

I do know some people who stayed at the lake resort or whatever it is nearby and then played golf at SV. 

I played in October of 22 and it was great. But I've had an extremely tough last 14 months and my wife suggested I take a little golf trip in May or June. So I'm thinking either 36 in one day or maybe 36 one day and 18 the next and then go home. Just gotta figure out lodging if I stay a night. 

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, dhartmann34 said:

I played in October of 22 and it was great. But I've had an extremely tough last 14 months and my wife suggested I take a little golf trip in May or June. So I'm thinking either 36 in one day or maybe 36 one day and 18 the next and then go home. Just gotta figure out lodging if I stay a night. 

 

I'd drive to Erin Hills, play a round, and then drive to Wisconsin Rapids for the night. Two rounds at SV the next day followed by a long, but satisfying drive home. 😊

 

[dhartmann34]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I'd drive to Erin Hills, play a round, and then drive to Wisconsin Rapids for the night. Two rounds at SV the next day followed by a long, but satisfying drive home. 😊

 

I'm still mad at Erin Hills 😬 for a 6 hour round in sunny, hot, 85 degree weather... And 4+ holes open ahead of the group in front of us.... But they didn't want to upset them by telling them to let us play through. It ruined that trip for me and my group and the bad taste lingers... 🤷 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2024 by dhartmann34

[TBone0576]

Erin Hills is one of my favorites but I haven't played it since 2015 or so.   Hard to stomach almost $600 with greens fees, caddy and maybe a bite to eat afterwards during the peak season.  My wife and I walked out there for the Mid-Am two summers ago and it was so much fun, hardly anyone out there.  

[DavePelz4]

13 hours ago, dhartmann34 said:

I'm still mad at Erin Hills 😬 for a 6 hour round in sunny, hot, 85 degree weather... And 4+ holes open ahead of the group in front of us.... But they didn't want to upset them by telling them to let us play through. It ruined that trip for me and my group and the bad taste lingers... 🤷 

 

 

 

 

The last time we played EH, there was a working Ranger on the course.  The group in front of us was at least 2-3 holes behind.  The Ranger came to our group, apologized, said he'd kick the group in the arse, and then he did it.  That lasted about 10 minutes and then the process repeated and the third time, he moved the group a couple of holes ahead.  Even with that, our pace was still 6 hours which was sad, but it's an amazing course.

[jimwgt26]

If you can't stay on-site at Sand Valley, the Inn Of The Pines is the closest.  One star is generous, but it serves the purpose. https://innofthepines.com/

[dhartmann34]

10 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

The last time we played EH, there was a working Ranger on the course.  The group in front of us was at least 2-3 holes behind.  The Ranger came to our group, apologized, said he'd kick the group in the arse, and then he did it.  That lasted about 10 minutes and then the process repeated and the third time, he moved the group a couple of holes ahead.  Even with that, our pace was still 6 hours which was sad, but it's an amazing course.

There was no ranger there working when we were there. The caddy was even telling us they were soft on groups and pace of play and he felt it hurt his tips at times. We had four guys that play fairly well....  Which made the gap and pace issue so much more painful. I'll get over it one day... Maybe 🙂

[dhartmann34]

Anyone playing any scrambles? 

 

We're in the Mole Open at Hawks View at the end of the month. It's a fun 5 man scramble with crazy hole positions. A couple years back we were hitting drivers on par 3's because of the 40+mph winds and tees being back. Not many birdies being made out there. 

[MountainKing]

18 hours ago, dhartmann34 said:

Anyone playing any scrambles? 

 

We're in the Mole Open at Hawks View at the end of the month. It's a fun 5 man scramble with crazy hole positions. A couple years back we were hitting drivers on par 3's because of the 40+mph winds and tees being back. Not many birdies being made out there. 

 

I'll do the Chilli open at the end of the year at Lost Marsh.  Good comp and you play as 8 so there's no funny business.   Outside of that,  unless somebody asks me and pays my way they don't interest me.   I get too competitive for my group to put up a legit score in the upper 50s only for some group of 15 handicaps to come in with a 53.

[ldchristopher]

Foss Park this morning. We had the 7:03 tee time but there was a sign on the pro shop door saying they don’t open until 9:00 AM. Whatever. We decided to just pay at the turn or when we finished if it was still locked at 8:30 (it was). Foss was walking only and was very saturated. No real surprise there. The greens were slow and wet and the tee boxes were really shaggy. I hit the ball alright but missed two pretty short birdie putts on 7 and 17. I got one to drop on 9 but my putter needs to sit on the bench for a while. 75

Edited April 13, 2024 by ldchristopher

[MountainKing]

2 man best ball event at Naperbrook today.  Course was in decent shape, greens were some of the best I've seen there.  As expected in an event like this, pace of play was at 5 hours.  I prepared mentally and knew it was coming.  The new 18th looks like it'll be really cool once it opens up. 

 

My game was so so, drove it pretty decent but my iron play is still suspect.  Highlight of the day was driving hole 10 and getting it about 20 feet, didn't make the eagle but got the bird. Put up a 72, and a 68 as a team.  I think with handicaps it might be a 67 since I got 1 stroke and my partner got none.  Leading score was a 63 so we had no shot.  Not sure if I'll play next weekend or practice, I really need some dedicated range time to work on my irons.

[TBone0576]

14 hours ago, ldchristopher said:

Foss Park this morning. We had the 7:03 tee time but there was a sign on the pro shop door saying they don’t open until 9:00 AM. Whatever. We decided to just pay at the turn or when we finished if it was still locked at 8:30 (it was). Foss was walking only and was very saturated. No real surprise there. The greens were slow and wet and the tee boxes were really shaggy. I hit the ball alright but missed two pretty short birdie putts on 7 and 17. I got one to drop on 9 but my putter needs to sit on the bench for a while. 75

Whoa, don’t think I’ve played there since 93 or 94.  I managed to win my high school conference championship there on a cold fall day in 93.   I have a pretty good memory for courses but honestly can’t remember any specific holes out there.  At one time I think they had some tight ones that went through a grove of trees.   Conditions drying out at Brighton Dale.   Greens rolling pretty nice this early in the season.  

[ldchristopher]

11 hours ago, TBone0576 said:

Whoa, don’t think I’ve played there since 93 or 94.  I managed to win my high school conference championship there on a cold fall day in 93.   I have a pretty good memory for courses but honestly can’t remember any specific holes out there.  At one time I think they had some tight ones that went through a grove of trees.   Conditions drying out at Brighton Dale.   Greens rolling pretty nice this early in the season.  

Foss isn’t much. Short, scoreable 5’s, no 3’s over 190, but it plays almost 6700 yards. Foss has a lot of tight tee shots, big greens that mostly slope back to front for drainage purposes, very few bunkers, and built on a flood plain and doesn’t drain very well. I almost never play there because 1) it’s kinda dumpy and 2) they have a weekend cart policy before 10 AM. Bear and I were discussing this and there are a lot of courses East of 41 but very few dumpers that met that criteria. They probably go Veterans Memorial, Foss, then Midlane. 

[DavePelz4]

Yesterday at George Dunne was one of the most meaningful rounds of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2024 by DavePelz4

[TheBear95]

1 hour ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful round of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and they get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you you life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

 

DP4, I'm happy to hear you are on the mend and back on the course!

 

I mentioned to LD a few weeks ago that I hope you were ok since I didn't read any course recaps from you the past few months. Given the warm winter and playable early spring, I figured you would be out there unless something happened. Glad to read this update this morning.

[DavePelz4]

1 hour ago, TheBear95 said:

 

DP4, I'm happy to hear you are on the mend and back on the course!

 

I mentioned to LD a few weeks ago that I hope you were ok since I didn't read any course recaps from you the past few months. Given the warm winter and playable early spring, I figured you would be out there unless something happened. Glad to read this update this morning.

 

Thanks Bear...it's nice to be back.  Even being paired with someone yesterday who "was on a real golf course for the first time" and was playing range balls, it didn't bother me as I was enjoying the weather, my college friend, being able to walk pain free, and so much more.

[ssp]

Played Cantigny (L/W) Saturday afternoon (Golfweek event).  It was in good condition but wet enough for Cart Path only.  Champ flight played Championship tees (all the way back) @ 7,000 yards.  Way too much for this 63 year old.  I really like Cantigny though - fun layout and good conditions.

[MountainKing]

29 minutes ago, ssp said:

Played Cantigny (L/W) Saturday afternoon (Golfweek event).  It was in good condition but wet enough for Cart Path only.  Champ flight played Championship tees (all the way back) @ 7,000 yards.  Way too much for this 63 year old.  I really like Cantigny though - fun layout and good conditions.

 

My buddy Luke plays regularly in those events and got promoted to the tour director.  There's a chance I might sneak my way into the Lincoln Oaks field.

[MountainKing]

3 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful round of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

 

DP - I am glad to read you are doing well and back to form.  This forum needs you!

[ssp]

9 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

My buddy Luke plays regularly in those events and got promoted to the tour director.  There's a chance I might sneak my way into the Lincoln Oaks field.

I know Luke - saw him Saturday.  Wish he was taking on the Senior tour as well.  That one is still up in the air.  I will be at Lincoln Oaks ... that one can't play 7,000 yards.  😀

Edited April 15, 2024 by ssp

[MountainKing]

16 minutes ago, ssp said:

I know Luke - saw him Saturday.  Wish he was taking on the Senior tour as well.  That one is still up in the air.  I will be at Lincoln Oaks ... that one can't play 7,000 yards.  😀

 

LO plays a weird yardage.  Some of it feels like, but it's a lot of 350 yard par 4's.  The smaller greens tho make the longer holes feel longer I guess.  It sounds like he has a good event planned tho since that's his home course.

[DavePelz4]

2 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

DP - I am glad to read you are doing well and back to form.  This forum needs you!

 

Thanks for the kind words MK.  My surgeon said he didn't remove my sarcastic attitude, thankfully.

[Springsteennut]

6 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful rounds of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

I know that feeling but for me it was coaching a Little League game. I was brought into the emergency and having a hard time breathing. They put me in intensive care after evaluating me. A few hours later I hit the call button and tell the nurse I feel funny. I her a code blue announced over the PA system. I think to myself that’s not good for someone and it’ll be a while until they get to me. Next thing I know my room fills up with people and they bring in the defibrillator machine just like on TV.  My heart rate had dropped to 10 bpm. One nurse is calling my name and I look over and another is charging the paddles. Then the one calling my name tells her to hold off it’s going back up. I guess the rest of the night my heart rate kept dropping and then would go back up and they left the machine outside my room. Spent a week and half in intensive care and a few more days in a regular room. I have a neuromuscular disease and what happened is pretty rare for someone with my disease. Anyhow 3 weeks later I’m managing my team in a tournament. It felt so good being in that dugout. The kids made it easy and played their butts off and we finished third in the tournament. I hope you keep feeling better.

[propman]

6 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful rounds of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

I actually sent a copy of your message above to a buddy of mine who has ticker issues. He is seeing his cardiologist later this week.

 Thanks for sharing and hope all is well 

 

 

[Holy Moses]

9 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful rounds of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

Glad to hear you’re OK! What surgery/procedure was your former cardiologist recommending? 
 

I had a new test called a calcium score done a few years ago. Insurance doesn’t cover it, but it was only like $75. An MRI-like machine, but you are only in it for maybe 5-10 minutes. Recommended for anyone who wants to know if your heart has blockage. 

Edited April 16, 2024 by Holy Moses

[ldchristopher]

13 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Yesterday at George Dunne was the most meaningful rounds of my life, seriously.  No, there wasn't sand magically placed in the bunkers. I didn't shoot some personal best.  No hole in one or string of birdies.  Kate Upton, Shakira and Paige Spiranac didn't round out the foursome.  As a matter of fact, I probably shot one of the worst rounds of the last 25 years.

 

So what made THIS round so magical?  On March 8, I was wheeled into an operating room at Loyola at 5:30AM, my heart was stopped for 6 hours and my amazing surgeon did a minimally invasive triple bypass surgery.  He used 2 camera and went into the arteries through my ribs.  2 hours after surgery I was walking; the next day I was jogging in the hospital hallway; the third day I did flights of stairs; and the following day they sent me home because there was nothing more that needed to be done. 

 

The day after being DC'd, I walked 3 miles without any shortness of breath, which continues now. Within 5 days, I was driving and within a week I was physically back in the office. On day 28 I hit balls for the first time, have hit balls a couple of other times, yesterday hit balls for an hour, played and walked 18 and felt a bit tired after the round, but it was golf, which at one point in February, I was told it might be 6-9 months before I could play again, assuming I survived surgery.

 

I had 3 arteries that were totally blocked, but my heart is in wonderful condition fortunately. Prior to the surgery, I was passing out multiple times per day due to the lack of blood flow to the brain.  I was told if I had a heart attack, I was done, there wouldn't be enough time to get me to the OR.

 

As I've dealt with health challenges for the last year, it took almost 9 months to find the root cause.  My now former cardiologist told me in mid February that I needed a full zipper surgery with my sternum cut open, most likely ribs would be broken, my chest would be wired up, I couldn't be alone for 6 weeks post surgery, the return to work was 3 months, and if I was lucky, golf was a possibility in 6 - 9 months. He didn't share any options or other possibilities.

 

After a lengthy pity party and knowing that I was literally living on borrowed time, I started researching on a Sunday afternoon, found an amazing surgeon at Loyola and sent him an email with my condition and all the heart scans.  In less then 30 minutes, his staff called me (ON A FREAKING SUNDAY), said they reviewed the scans and they scheduled me for an appointment in 2 days. There's way more to that part of the story but suffice it to say their responsiveness was amazing. 

 

There have been some bumps in the road with meds post surgery, but the prognosis is literally a long and heart healthy life.  Will share that if there is any history of heart disease in your family, as there is and was in mine, get a heart scan, so if nothing else you have a baseline to work from and then get them periodically. It could be life saving.  And if a cardiologist tells you there isn't another option, don't take that for an answer.  When I spoke recently to my now former cardiologist and asked why he didn't recommend the minimally invasive approach, he literally said, "We don't recommend procedures that our hospital doesn't do." In other words, we're not going to send the money to another hospital, and don't care about your recovery, we care about the $$$.

 

I'm a blessed person and am doing everything possible to spread the words on minimally invasive heart procedures.  Not everyone will qualify, but it's a question to ask to see if you're a candidate. It will save you a ton of recovery time, BTW, I haven't had a single pain med post surgery, seriously, and will give you your life back in weeks as opposed to months.

 

For the record, striped the drive on 1, hit a solid 3w, wedge to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt, badly. Parred 2 and 3 as well. From there, it went downhill rapidly, but I'm alive, and playing golf again. 

 

 

Awesome news on the quick recovery. Take care of that ticker. The world needs DP4. 

[DavePelz4]

15 hours ago, propman said:

I actually sent a copy of your message above to a buddy of mine who has ticker issues. He is seeing his cardiologist later this week.

 Thanks for sharing and hope all is well 

 

 

 

Thanks for doing that.  If my journey helps 1 person to avoid the loss of life of if a minimally invasive procedure helps someone to avoid a full zipper, than it's been worthwhile.