2010 SHELL HOUSTON OPEN pics/tourney comment page!!

[OldSkoolTexan]

I guess we were asleep except for gwtraveller & woodsnewport!

2010 SHELL HOUSTON OPEN!
<br><br>
Unless someone comes thru at the Pro-Am, then gwtraveller's practice round pics will be all we have to feast on....
<br><br><br>
gwtraveller Tues pics page 1
<br><br>
gwtraveller Tues pics page 2
<br><br>
Thanks gwtraveller! :clapping:<br><br><br>
Uh oh, here comes woodsnewport with over 300 pics, nice! <br><br>
woodsnewport page 1<br><br>
woodsnewport page 2<br><br>
woodsnewport page 3

[OldSkoolTexan]

Looks like Im not the only one rockin the Pro Stingers, nice!<br><br>
The Scratch van has a sweet paint job, too bad you couldnt get near the vans. Last year it wasnt officially roped off so I wandered around that parking lot checking out the vans. I guess they have it more controlled this year.

[dannybsj]

Whats up with the blue pants with bleach spots???

[jwalaballa]

[quote name='dannybsj' date='31 March 2010 - 02:12 AM' timestamp='1270019555' post='2352046']
Whats up with the blue pants with bleach spots???
[/quote]

+1. Who is the guy with the bleach spots? I can't imagine that was intentional... Or is it?

[InTheHole!]

Did anyone notice in the 2nd part of the pic thread that Rory was teeing off with a Titleist AP2 iron in one of the pics? Prob a playing partners' club as he was in a flight with fellow titleist player R Fowler.

[jwalaballa]

I did. It's possible. I also wouldn't be surprised if Rory was just working with his [i][b]own[/b][/i] AP2 as one of the longer irons.

[pga43]

Thanks for taking the time to #1 take all the pictures and #2 send them in. We appreciate it.


Greg

[gwtraveller]

[quote name='jwalaballa' date='31 March 2010 - 02:44 AM' timestamp='1270021495' post='2352060']
[quote name='dannybsj' date='31 March 2010 - 02:12 AM' timestamp='1270019555' post='2352046']
Whats up with the blue pants with bleach spots???
[/quote]

+1. Who is the guy with the bleach spots? I can't imagine that was intentional... Or is it?
[/quote]

That was Kris Blanks... I think it was intentional, but you never know... They looked pretty scruffy to me.
Some of the guys have started wearing painters caps, maybe he's starting a trend to wear painter overalls..?

[gwtraveller]

[quote name='InTheHole!' date='31 March 2010 - 02:48 AM' timestamp='1270021719' post='2352061']
Did anyone notice in the 2nd part of the pic thread that Rory was teeing off with a Titleist AP2 iron in one of the pics? Prob a playing partners' club as he was in a flight with fellow titleist player R Fowler.
[/quote]

That was Scott Piercy's AP2 that he was using to tee off on the par 3 14th hole.
Like I said in another thread, he seemed to have an unusual liking to Scott's wedge aswell.

[gwtraveller]

[quote name='OldSkoolTexan' date='31 March 2010 - 01:20 AM' timestamp='1270016422' post='2352015']
Looks like Im not the only one rockin the Pro Stingers, nice!<br><br>
The Scratch van has a sweet paint job, too bad you couldnt get near the vans. Last year it wasnt officially roped off so I wandered around that parking lot checking out the vans. I guess they have it more controlled this year.
[/quote]

You know what, I could probably have done that this year.. I just assumed I wasn't allowed and wasn't ballsy enough to try it, but thinking about the setup, there didn't seem to be anybody guarding the regular entrance to the parking lot.

[johndeere10]

Is that Doug Sanders on the far right? I read where he lives in the Houston area.

[gwtraveller]

[quote name='johndeere10' date='31 March 2010 - 07:22 AM' timestamp='1270038128' post='2352232']
Is that Doug Sanders on the far right? I read where he lives in the Houston area.
[/quote]

Just looked at the full res image and it could well be Doug Sanders... I didn't even notice him at the time.

[pga43]

Yes it is Doug. I believe that he travels to a few events each year talking with the guys to try to get them to play in a charity event that he runs.


Greg

[InTheHole!]

[quote name='gwtraveller' date='31 March 2010 - 07:29 PM' timestamp='1270034964' post='2352169']
[quote name='InTheHole!' date='31 March 2010 - 02:48 AM' timestamp='1270021719' post='2352061']
Did anyone notice in the 2nd part of the pic thread that Rory was teeing off with a Titleist AP2 iron in one of the pics? Prob a playing partners' club as he was in a flight with fellow titleist player R Fowler.
[/quote]

That was Scott Piercy's AP2 that he was using to tee off on the par 3 14th hole.
Like I said in another thread, he seemed to have an unusual liking to Scott's wedge aswell.
[/quote]

Thanks, in another pic where Rory's flight was practising chipping from a collection area below the green you can see that Rory is passing an iron, possibly a wedge back to Scott P as well.

[NCSergio]

Ok, so who was the blonde in the Fowler/Rory group?

[InTheHole!]

[quote name='NCSergio' date='31 March 2010 - 08:44 PM' timestamp='1270039449' post='2352281']
Ok, so who was the blonde in the Fowler/Rory group?
[/quote]

That's Rory's girlfriend

[Sandman600]

Thanks for the photos! The course looks really really good!

[cmmgolflab]

Who's bag is the blue Titleist stand bag with the AP2's, Cobra headcovers, and Golden Gopher Headover in it on page 2 (about 1/2 way down right before the pic of Appleby and Alex M.)? Thanks for the great pics!

[gwtraveller]

[quote name='cmmgolflab' date='31 March 2010 - 09:15 AM' timestamp='1270044916' post='2352451']
Who's bag is the blue Titleist stand bag with the AP2's, Cobra headcovers, and Golden Gopher Headover in it on page 2 (about 1/2 way down right before the pic of Appleby and Alex M.)? Thanks for the great pics!
[/quote]

It appears to be someone called Tim Thelan.. I don't know of him personally, presumably an amateur? Here's a closeup of the bag with the highlights recovered to show his name.
[attachment=567856:P1030083b.jpg]

[gwtraveller]

[size=2][size=2]In case any of you missed these comments from the other thread.... This is the right place for it I think:[/size][size=2]
[/size][size=2]A few snippets of gossip as I remember them from my day at the SHO....

1) Somebody mentioned the guy with the "big" lens who didn't know about golfwrx (shame on him)... If it's the same guy I overheard, he knew the club pro (or assistant) and the guy started talking clubs. the guy was very negative about the taylormade r9 irons. To the extent that he's changed affiliation from taylormade to cleveland.. He described the the taylormade irons as "shovels" and the cleveland cg7 tours as some of the best he's seen. Also commented extensively on shafts and was raving about the nippon prototypes or something... All just opinion from a club pro I think, but interesting nevertheless. Personally I quite like th elook of the R9's so I was somewhat surprised by his comments.

2) Rory McIlroy's girlfiend was "very" white.... I heard the guys ribbing her about her lack of color... Being a brit myself I can sympathise.. I think the weather has been miserable in the UK so I suspect she's in the US to warm up and turn the same shade as a cooked lobster in the process.

3) It's a bit blurry but there's a picture of a "matte" titleist (I think) driver... Can't remember the pro's name (aussie either Chris Wilson or David Lutterus), but he was saying how his alignment stick ($1.99 out of a hardware store in the US) had stuck under his headcover and scratched his driver... His friend had then basically taken sandpaper to the rest of it and the thing was now "matte"... Kind of a funny story, but the same thing has happened to me and I'm now tempted to give my driver the cool finish.. Not sure i have the skill (or balls) to take sandpaper to my driver though.

4) Probably covered before, but found it interesting how Scott Piercy has a Callaway bag, but mostly Titleist irons... Couldn't figure out whether he was generally playing titleist balls or callaway.. Rory's caddie would often chick him a new "nugget" as they called them when Scott ran out after practice shots... Ohh to have an unlimited supply of "nuggets"...

5) Rory seemed to be very envious of Scott Piercy's wedge... He tried it out several times and loved it.. To the point that he threatened to steal it... Scott's caddies' retort was that each shot deserved a $500 rental fee and hence Rory was paying for dinner tonight...

6) Also may be common knowledge, but Kris Blanks pants/slacks/trousers were apparently covered in paint, or fake paint... I think it's just a style, but it was freaky.

7) May be normal for him, but Angel Cabrera had at least 3 different putters in his bag....

8) Noticed looking back over the pictures that Jeff Overton was putting with Srixon balls.. Is that a new thing, or just he first balls he got hold of? Lol...

Will type more gossip as I remember...

gwtraveller[/size][/size]

[woodsnewport]

I forgot the guys name but they are polo pants. It was like a splatter version of the polo horse logo on one pants leg.

Actually in person look like some old pants that he had been painting in.

[cpriceAP2]

Tim Thelen is one of the top Club Pros in the country. He used to teach here in the Houston area but I believe he is now in Bryan/College Station and working at The Falls in New Ulm.

[cmmgolflab]

[quote name='cpriceAP2' date='31 March 2010 - 10:49 AM' timestamp='1270050552' post='2352652']
Tim Thelen is one of the top Club Pros in the country. He used to teach here in the Houston area but I believe he is now in Bryan/College Station and working at The Falls in New Ulm.
[/quote]

That is correct. Tim went to school @ Houston Baptist U and is from Albany, MN (which probably explains the headcover). Thanks guys!

[jhigdon]

Also, in case you missed this from the other SHO thread:

The Rife rep said they were the best these guys have seen all year. The Taylormade putter rep asked one of the TM tour pros (can't remember his name, young guy longish hair) who was walking on to the practice green, "how do you like these greens?" The Taylormade tour pro responded, "they're like the best ... on the whole planet." I guess that means that they are good.

The course prep is insane. When I was out playing last Sunday, there were literally 30 guys standing in a bunker off of No. 1 getting a lesson on how to prep all of the bunkers properly. Anyway, since I don't think that it is a trade secret, here's a blurb from our course superintendent, Randy Samoff, to all of the Redstone members discussing last week's course prep - it is pretty crazy:

"Dear Members,
We are finally in advance week in preparation for the Shell Houston Open. I don't think we ever thought it would get here or that the weather would cooperate with us. Spring is definitely in the air! The trees are budding out, the pollen is falling, and the ryegrass is shining. We are shaping up for a great event as we are putting on the final touches.

Most of you don't get to see what it truly takes to pull off an event like this, especially with the course closed the week before. It is not your average Tour event either. Our maintenance crews are here before anybody else and we don't leave until well after everybody leaves. From the start of advance week to the last day of the event, there is not a single blade of grass that is not touched and groomed at least once a day. We mow and blow all of our roughs daily in one direction (towards the green), we mow and blow all fairways, approaches, and tees daily in one direction (towards the tee), and we hand mow and blow all of our bunker fingers and surrounds daily. Those 3 steps alone take in excess of 40 people. The mowing of the grass in one direction (opposite directions) helps to create a sharp contrast between short grass and rough. The repetitious mowing helps to keep the grass nice and tight but also helps lay the grass down at an angle that will create the contrast. Th e players will see the same thing when they travel to Augusta.

For the 4 acres of bunkers and pretty white sand, the work is just as intense as the mowing. We will spend most of this week with 4-8 men packing the sand with vibratory plate compactors that get the edges nice and firm. Not only does it help with fried egg/plugged lies, but it preps them for the grooming of the sand that takes place after. We will use a combination of a teeth rake and brooms to float the floors to the consistency that the Tour requires. You might actually see us watering them from time to time to keep it consistent. The players like it a little fluffy on the very top, but firm down below. All of these steps are in preparation of our daily hand raking that will take place during the event.

We saved the most intense work for the most important part of the course - the greens. We will spend most of this week cutting the greens 2-4 times per day (a morning and afternoon double or single cut) and rolling greens at least twice daily. We will begin working our cutting height down to achieve speeds that the Tour desires. It doesn't stop there. The other huge element of speed and consistency is all in the moisture content in the profile, which drives speed and firmness. I'm sure some of you have seen our little purple devices that we plug in the greens before we water. These devices are moisture sensors that give you a percentage of moisture content. We have a desired target percentage that we want the entire green to have and the meters let us know where to water. So, the big hill at the back of the green should have the same percentage as the low spot on the front. This creates consistency that the players love. Firmness and speed are two things you will hear th e players and announcers talking about next week.

I could write a novel on every detail that goes in to what we do to prepare. I hope I have given you a glimpse of what it takes. I didn't even mention all the meticulous edging of everything. There truly is no blade of grass that goes untouched. We hope you take as much pride in watching the event as we do in preparing the course for such a special event. We hope to see you out for the Shell Houston Open! Come by and watch us after play concludes each day - if you want to see 75+ guys on one hole prepping the course....it is quite a sight!


Randy Samoff
Golf Course Superintendent"

[Sandman600]

Wow again! Thanks Jhig!

[woodsnewport]

I took about 350 pics yesterday and just finally sent them to Richard he said they should be up later

[Asleep]

Once again, the SHO will have one of the best fields of any tournament save the Majors.

 

And the course will again get rave reviews from the pros.

 

 

 

Tim Thelen is a heck of a player, great in the wind, unflappable, won the national Club Pro Championship two times.

[mat562]

I took about 350 pics yesterday and just finally sent them to Richard he said they should be up later

 

Thanks in advance for your efforts.

 

Along with many others I look forward to enjoying the photos.

[Aitch]

Thanks for the pics.

Man, the course looks like it is in great shape!

[OldSkoolTexan]

Apparently Woody is sponsored by whoever puts out Tour Issue led tape!