Was this incredible putt at the US Senior Open a happy accident?

Originally published at: Was this incredible putt at the US Senior Open a happy accident? | Boing Boing

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Pictured: the 2023 US Senior Open Course

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That looks alot like the dry lakebed at Edward’s AFB. At the Muroc golf course there, the SOP is to paint the grass green. Because every major military base must have a golf course.

Also see Motivated Reasoning.

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I’ve attended many golf tournaments in person. The experience is much different than watching on tv mainly because tv cannot adequately render the contours of the course. This was a prime example.

FWIW - I know going to a golf tournament sounds dull, but it can be worth it even if you have a small interest in the game (I don’t play). I’ve attended tournaments that have mini golf courses laid out on other parts of the main course. The same one had a half dozen food trucks along the course.

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I am not a big sports guy, but have been to some sporting events and they are always more fun than watching them on TV.

I used to play golf as a kid. Was never very good at it… It was more fun to play than watch. Though I did catch a skins game on TV and that was fun. They get money per hole and if there is a tie, it carries over to the next hole. It ramped up the excitement/stakes.

As for the putt - man - the pro golfers can sink some amazing putts. It comes from years of experience reading greens and practice.

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Aussies don’t need grass

http://www.cooberpedygolfclub.com.au/golf-images/7ntto15ourddtav6ifniu1h897n9el

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Same, i abhor watching sports on TV but i’ve been to a few pro and college games (volleyball, baseball & basketball) and they were immensely fun. I don’t know how much i would enjoy watching golf in person but as long as i get food and drinks and it’s not 100 degrees outside i would likely not hate it.

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That’s a big plus. At worst it is a gin and tonic in the park.

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The golf course in the video is in Pennsylvania but your photo illustrates why it drives me crazy to see courses in places like Las Vegas and Palm Springs. It is such a tremendous waste of water.

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I used to golf quite a bit but that damn windmill kicked my ass every time.

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Couldn’t agree more. On tv they all appear to be driving roughly the same distances, and reaching greens for birdie attempts. In person you can better appreciate how superhuman their drives really are; how really intimidating are some greens that they’re aggressive hitting approach shots into; how they’re shaping shots around and out of trouble. Such things don’t always convey well on tv.

You might also see them on the range, after 18 holes, still refining some swing aspect. Or, like I saw after one 3rd round, a pro in a deep sand trap hitting more than 100 balls up onto an adjacent green 6-feet above him. Such behind-the-scene views show up the wags I’ve sometimes heard who say: “Yeah, I’d like a million dollars for 4 days work!”

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The one thing I’ll never understand about watching golf in person is the requirement for silence. Get over yourself and learn how to tune out the noise.

I do enjoy a good Baba Booey in the middle of a putt.

My dad golfed his whole life. After he retired he worked at a golf course into his 80s. When I was a kid I went golfing once with him to see what I was missing. I never golfed again.

That putt looks like a combination of skill and a little luck.

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I don’t habitually watch golf, but I do recall seeing a bad shot bounce off a rake into a very good position during one tournament. Is there a strategy to placing rakes?

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