{ personal }

Night Hero

Wanted to test the "pro low-light performance" of the GoPro HERO3 Black Edition. Turned off the living room lights and compared the Samsung Note camera with the GoPro,

Huge difference. But it's video I'm really interested in, so went out for a night drive. Also wanted to see if the skeleton housing with the open back improved sound. And this time, I'd mount it on the door panel not window.

Just had the car waxed so I was worried the suction cup would just slide off but it held fine. Again, the GoPro app with the live preview was invaluable.

Allowed me to start the camera and from inside the car and confirm the camera was mounted correctly.

This time I would record in 60 fps instead of 48 fps like last time. Not sure if that matters since I end up uploading it to YouTube.

Did the skeleton housing improve the sound? I think so. You can hear the exhaust a little

but once I got to about 40-50 mph you can see how the sound is just noise. Here's a little brake test and you can hear the little chirp,

As for the low light performance, it's not bad. Here's a little clip going from relatively dark freeway exit to ambient city light,

I'm pretty happy with the night time low light performance and the skeleton housing seems to help with the sound.

Be a Hero - Day 1

I've been eyeing a GoPro for some time now. After yesterday's drive to Canepa and Laguna Seca I couldn't fight the temptation anymore. So morning laundry and some rationalizing (could film my golf swing, capture the next Rodney King incident, etc.) I stopped by the local Best Buy.

I went with the HERO3 Black Edition because I wanted "pro low-light performance" and, more importantly, the remote. In hindsight I probably should have gone with the Silver Edition to save $100. I need a remote for mounting outside the car but the GoPro Android App also functions as a remote so a dedicated one isn't necessary. 

Time for a test video in a parking lot.

The quality is pretty good (watch it in HD 1080) and you get a nice wide angle. What's not good is the sound. Even at low parking lot speeds you can hear the noise from the vibration and wind.

I used the suction cup mount against the window. The suction cup mount is pretty good. Holds well against glass (haven't tried it against body panel). Suppose to be safe up to 150mph; fastest I got was about 85mph (see below). It's fairly flexible but a ball head mechanism would make it easier to position the camera more precisely.

Onto the freeway. 

At freeway speeds the sound is useless. It's just all noise. I guess that's why a lot of GoPro videos have songs overlay. Don't blame GoPro, think you'd need a much fancier setup to deal with wind noise. Inside the sound is much better,

Since the camera is housed in a waterproof case the sound is very muted. GoPro does include a case that has openings for sound but I didn't try it out. Need to figure out how to mount the camera to get dash recording...

Battery life is another issue. Indicator said 3/3 bars. After playing around with the GoPro for 30 minutes it was down to 2 bars; then 1 bar almost immediately after that. The camera/battery also got quite hot. The good news is spare batteries are relatively cheap (2 for $20 on Amazon).

The best part of the GoPro is the app. First, it makes configuring/setup much easier. Instead of using only two buttons to set options  you can do it through the app. Second, it serves as a live preview. You can actually see what you're shooting. A must-have. As you're mounting the camera you need to see what it'll be recording and not just guess.

After an hour with the GoPro I kind of regret the purchase. It'll be fun here and there for sure. Next weekend, for example, I'm doing a PCA drive then autocross so that'll be a good opportunity to record some videos. But it's probably not worth it for the occasional use. Hopefully I can find other uses for the GoPro besides mounting it to my car. Surfing?

San Francisco to Canepa to Laguna Seca

Sometimes the timing just works out. American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca and open house at Canepa Design  in Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz). Kill two birdies with one drive. 

Canepa is awesome. If you are a car enthusiast you will love this place. It's a showroom and a workshop. I enjoyed the workshop more than showroom. Love seeing cars being worked on, not just the finished product.

If you can't visit Canepa in person check this video out.

Then it was off to Laguna Seca for the race. Really glad I paid extra for the "Porsche Corral" parking. Made things convenient as the lot is much closer to the main attractions. There wasn't a huge crowd so things were relaxing.

As you can see from the panaromic photo above, just beautiful, sunny day. Don't really follow ALMS but it's just fun hearing race cars. Half the fun of a sports/race car is the sound. My car definitely doesn't sound like this:

That's why I could see myself getting a Tesla Model S (great commuter) but never the roadster (no audio sensation).

I Live My Life a Half Mile at a Time - Coronado Island Review

My first experience with Airbnb was great. What I didn't mention was why I was in Southern California. Like every red-blooded petrolhead I wanted to answer the age-old question,

Given a half mile stretch of open road and no cops, how fast can I go in my car.

At "No Fly Zone II" I would find out. 4,900 feet of tarmac at Shafter Airport just outside of Bakersfield.

Now, I know, Bakersfield is not Southern California but logistics dictated I make Newport Beach my home base. I would wake up at 4 am and drive up to Bakersfields for the 7:30 am driver's meeting. Google Maps says about 3 hours but I figured I could do it in 2 with no traffic.

After a few hours of fast and furious action I would drive back to Newport, shower and meet my sister for dinner. An ambitious plan indeed. But hey, I've driven from San Francisco to Bandon, Oregon to play a round of golf; Newport to Bakersfield is nothing! 

In preparation I got some Martini Racing livery,

and a new, updated SA2005 Speed Sparco helmet to replace my old HJC,

I'd probably be the slowest car at the event but I want to be slow in style.

In hindsight, my plan was just too ambitious. I ended up waking up late! Didn't factor in,

• Los Angeles traffic. Took me 2 hours Friday afternoon to go from LA to Newport. Very draining.
• Dinner with college  buddy. Late dinner Friday night meant I didn't sleep until about midnight.
• Old age. Energy level just ain't what it used to be.

Even though I woke up late I actually did start driving toward Bakersfield (already paid and there's no refunds). But about 20 minutes into the drive, when the GPS said "160 miles," I realized the stupidity of my plan. Alas, I returned to the carriage house.

Time for plan b. You always need a plan b, just in case. My plan b needed to be cheap (already out $200) and occupy me until dinner. How about golf at Coronado Golf Course? 

I read about Coronado last year in one of those "cheap fun" golf course articles. The photos look absolutely amazing. $30 green fees for a course in San Diego next to the water?!? Torrey Pines was close to $300! Coronado is an "affluent resort city in San Diego County,"

Yea, that sounds about right. Very cool little city. Lively downtown area with lots of restaurants and postcard scenery everywhere you turn. The Hotel del Coronado, a wooden Victorian landmark visible from the golf course, has hosted Presidents and Royalty, including President Obama. The beach is also suppose to be top notch.

Back to the golf. As you may have guessed, $30 green fees means muni course. Don't expect lush, manicured greens or pampered service. Coronado reminds me a lot of Pacific Grove. Well maintained (for muni) course, good value, fun layout and spectacular views. How can you not like playing golf next to boats?

I've read Coronado is very busy and was worried about walking on as a single golfer but for whatever reason it was very empty Saturday, May 4. Like Torrey Pines, Coronado has a separate, dedicated starter setup. You pay your green fees in the proshop then head over to the starter's box to figure out when you'll go out. It was $56 for me to ride, including range balls. Bargain.

The range balls were decent. Fairly new Wilson range balls. The range itself isn't great. You're hitting off mats. Moreover, I don't think the ground is level. Felt like I was hitting on a downhill lie. Didn't matter, barely hit 10 balls before the started called me.

The course is relatively short. With the firm fairways you get a lot of roll. There's not much rough. The greens are surpisingly good. They roll very nice and I made a lot of putts. I'm not a good putter by any means but I was draining putts left and right! It was very windy. Not sure if it normally blows that much but definitely 1-2 clubs on many holes.

The layout is OK. The holes themselves don't stand out but the backdrops sure do. You're next to a bridge, hitting directly into the marina, hitting along the shore, etc.. One hole (16 or 17) you're next to a beach volleyball court!

For the price, I can't recommend Coronado enough if you're in San Diego on a visit. As long as you're not a golf snob, you'll have fun at this unique muni course.

Some additional tips/info,

• There is a cart girl for drinks/beers but not much food besides chips. You can get food at the turn at the snack shop (hot dogs, etc.).
• Not cart path only if you choose to ride.
• Very walkable course.
• Carts are not allowed in the parking lot but if you park way back in the lot (near the 10th tee), you can basically ride your cart to the 10th tee and unload there.
• As you enter Coronado via the 75 bridge watch out for cops. They are lurking!
• To get to the course you basically exit the bridge, then wrap around the city to get back onto the bridge heading toward San Diego. But before you get back on the bridge (before you see the golf course) you need to make a sharp right, otherwise you are heading back to San Diego!

Plan b ended up being quite fun. Another course off the bucket list. Still need to answer that question, how fast can I go in 1/2 mile? Because you know, I live my life 1/2 mile at a time. 

My First Airbnb Trip

When I first heard of Airbnb, I thought, really, who would want to rent out their homes to strangers and who would rather stay at a stranger's house instead of a hotel? Well, apparently a lot of folks. And now I'm one of those folks. 

When researching hotels most travelers probably look for room amentities, quality of service, whether breakfast is included, etc. On the other hand, I focus almost exclusively on the parking situation. Will I have to valet my car? No thanks, don't trust some random 19 year old driving my car. Read Confession of a Parking Valet and how they like to practice drifting in the parking lot.

How's the self parking structure? Are the spaces cramped? Hello door dings. I'm not so much worried about theft or vandalism, just oblivious travelers slamming their doors against mine. I basically won't park in between two cars unless I have a full door's length cushion. Yea, I probably treat my car better than some people treat their kids.

Researching good parking is tough since it's such an afterthought for hotels. Lots of photos of the rooms and the swimming pool and the restaurant but none of the parking structure. I resort to Google Maps Street View but this only works for street facing lots. Yelp reviews can sometimes be useful. For example, the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point has horrible parking from a couple of reviews.

Then it hit me, why not try Airbnb? Private homes with private driveways, maybe even a enclosed garage. That's how I found this gorgeous carriage house studio in Newport Beach with a nice, deep private driveway. No door dings guaranteed.

Booking was super easy. I contacted Ken to confirm availability and to double check on the parking situation. A day later, booking was accepted.

The day before my arrival Ken reached out to check my arrival time. Told him 4-5pm. Unfortunately with Los Angeles traffic I was running late but he was accommodating. His family had plans for the evening so if I was going to be very late he would leave instructions for accessing the house. Managed to get to Newport around 5:30 so he was still around. Nice guy, offered to help me with my luggage.

The carriage house is very cool. It sits on top of a detached garage with its own private entrance. The room is spacious, much better than your basic Hilton. Don't let the photo fool you, there's also a sofa, desk and two lounge chairs not shown. And also a private bathroom and closet.

The carriage house has a nice cozy charm you won't find at your chain hotel. The house is very clean and well appointed. I never walk barefooted in hotel rooms but the carriage house is clean enough for me to break my barefoot rule. The view of Ken's backyard is so relaxing. Here's a panoramic view from the room's balacony. I really have no complaints and would highly recommend.

It's just so much more convenient than a DoubleTree or Westin. Park in the driveway, walk up to the room. No need to lug my golf clubs from the parking lot up elevators to the room. Forget something in the car? Car is right down stairs.

First time with Airbnb has been a complete success. Will definitely try Airbnb first on my next trip, then fallback to a hotel.

Bitch, Learn Your Rules

About two years ago I told myself I would stop blogging about annoying playing partners. Focus on my game, have fun. Happy-go-luck Tinou. But today I must break that pledge. You've been warn, bitching to commence.

Today was our men's club "Director's Cup" qualifying round. Top 32 would advance to match play. The weather was amazing, sunny and warm but not too hot where you're sweating. Course was in good conditions except the greens had recently been sanded so putting was awful. Two of the guys in group I've played with before; nice guys. The third wasn't a guy at all. I think she's one of two women in the men's club. Let's call her Miss A, for annoying.

Things started out well. Beautiful drive left me with a 7-iron in. Caught it a little heavy but still managed a two-putt par to kick things off. The 2nd hole is a long par 4, playing about 411 yards with the pin way back. One of the guy takes an unsually long time reading his putt, only to subsequently leave it 5 foot short.

Miss A expressed her disapproval with, "all that, for that?" A good ribbing among friends but toward a complete stranger? Mind you, Miss A is not a fast player. Took her 4 or 5 shots just to get on the green. Whatevers.

I'm away, next to putt. Before I can place my ball down she tries to putt. I interrupt her, rhetorically asking, "I am away, right?" Her reply, "thought we were playing ready golf." Um, yea, I am ready to putt and I am away.

I'm annoyed, lose focus, get frustrated and the next few holes were disaster, including a snowman on the 6th. Finally get something going with a very lucky par on the 8th. Played the 9th well, lagging a nice putt to 6 inches for a tap in par. Some momentum for the back nine.

To tap in my par I reach over the cup as to not step in anyone's line. Now get this, Miss A declares, "you know that's illegal. That's a 1-stroke penalty. You can't reach over to putt like that."

WTF. 

I was more in shock than angry at first. Who is this lady? And what is this bizarre "reaching over" rule is she talking about? Thank god for smartphones. USGA Rules 16-1 FAQ,

Reaching Across Hole to Tap in Short Putt

Q.  A player reaches across the hole to tap in a short putt (the hole is between the player and the ball). Is this a breach of Rule 16-1e, Standing Astride or on the Line of Putt?

A.  No. The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole. There is no penalty for making a stroke in this manner, provided the ball is fairly struck at and not raked into the hole. (Definition of "Line of Putt" and Rule 16-1e).

Bitch, learn your rules before you call me out. When you call someone out for a rules infraction, especially in such a direct manner, you better make sure you are correct. And she wouldn't let it go. When I was turning in my scorecard she brought it up again. Unbelievable.

More than anything, I just don't understand the motivation. It's a 6 inch tap in. I'm not doing something to gain an advantage. It's to help pace of play, something you complained about on the 2nd hole. Do you really want me to mark my 6 inch putt?

But you know, in hindsight, Miss A might have motivated me to play better on the back nine. I wanted to play lights out and let me game speak for itself. I was +3 thru 8 on the back, including a brain fart 3-putt on the 10th from 10 feet. Nerves got the best of me on the 18th but I think I played well enough on the back nine to make the cut for tomorrow's round of 32.

Ugh, Is the Cable Plugged In?

"Is the cable plugged in," asks the tech support guy. Of course it's plugged in! You think I'm an idiot or something? I'm sure everyone's had a similar experience. But today, the cable was figuratively not plugged in. Yes, I am an idiot, or something.

A few weeks back, to celebrate Kate official break-in (2,000 miles), I headed to Sonoma Raceway (aka Infineon aka Sears Point aka please stop changing names) to see what she could do in the 1/4 mile. I thought it was an open run type of format but it was actually some sort of bracket/elimination event so I just hung out for a bit then headed home. Today, I'd give it another shot; this time at Sacramento Raceway.

Their "Test and Tune" event seemed straighforward: pay $50, run your car as many times as schedule permits. I was expecting a small crowd, gear heads on a Saturday morning fucking around with their cars. But when I arrived there was a much larger crowd than I had imagined. There were spectators! Spectators? To watch a bunch of amateurs fuck around? But these guys did not look like amateurs. I was expecting to see normal, lightly modified street cars but these were loud, mean looking, purpose built machines. As it so happened, I was at the Nor-Cal Nationals.

Thought about heading home but after a 90 mile drive, I said fuck it, let's do this. The lady at the gate took my $50 and gave me a form. Of course, being my first time drag racing, I was clueless. I wandered a bit, trying to find someone who looked "official" to get more information to no avail. Finally stopped at what appeared to be a merchandise tent to ask for help. As it turned out, that was check-in.

She took my form and told me tech inspection was lane 7. Then she gave me the schedule. There were something lke 13 categories. D'oh! Will I be sitting around for hours waiting for the Test N Tune group? Got lucky, the next Test N Tune run (the 2nd of 3 scheduled) is about 30 minutes out.

So I head over to lane 7 and a few minutes later a nice guy came over to do a quick tech inspection. My old HJC helmet barely passed safety requirements and I was good to go. He writes "3 TT" on my car's windows, my car number and what I assume is abbreviation for Test N Tune, and tells me to just hang out until they call my group. 20 minutes later, the guy on the PA/radio tells the Test group to head to lanes 1 and 2.

I'm sitting in lane 2 all by myself. Lane 1 was completely empty. Felt awkward since the other had a bunch of cars. Then it occurred to me that I better do some research on how the lights work. So I'm busy trying to google "drag racing lights" when a worker signals to me I need to put on my helmt.

He tells me to go into the right lane. I knew enough to not go through the water pit, since my tires are street tires. But I completely miss the staging light and had to back up like a newb. Then all these lights start flashing and I see the guy in the left lane take off like a rocket. He would end up doing a 10 something at 128 mph.

So I just slammed on the gas as hard as I could but the car was a dog. I've been in Priuses that took off faster. I glance down at the tachometer and the needle is moving rather slowly and the PDK was upshifting below 7,000 RPMs. The speedometer read 99 MPH. At this point, it occurred to me that I didn't know when the 1/4 mile ended. I was looking for clues, saw some lights to side, and let off, hoping I didn't let off too soon. Even without the time slip, I knew it was a horrible run. In theory, stock Kate with the dual clutch transmission should do 0-60 mph in 4.4 (without launch control) and the 1/4 mile in 12.4. Let's just say I was almost a second slower.

The schedule said the next Test group run would be in about 2 hours. Tired from waking up at 6 am, I headed home. One and done. The entire ride home I kept thinking about why I was so slow. Theories,

• Engine not fully broken in.
• Let off too soon, before 1/4 ended.
• Should have driven in full manual mode/tried different launch technique.
• Larger optioned wheels are heavier.
• Accessories like power seats, sunroof, etc. adds  too much weight.

Then about halfway home this very nice Aston Martin Vantage S passes me (I was only doing about 65 mph contemplating my slowness). For fun I floor it. Wait a second, something is off. Why is it so quiet? Where's that low growl? I am such an idiot, SPORT mode is not on! The cable was not plugged in, you moron.

This explains everything, well a lot of things. Throttle response was horrible; upshifted too early; and during launch it didn't rev to 4,000 rpms. I normally drive with SPORT mode on but to save gas for the 90 mile drive I left it off. I was going to tweet a photo this morning showing how I was getting almost 30 mpg with the caption "who needs a Prius!" In the frenzy, I forgot to turn it back on.

Chalk it up to learning experience. Next time I'll be more prepared.

Carrera White Micro

The IT guys at work recently bought some Razor A5 Lux scooters for the company. Mostly for fun but also as a quick way to get around the office (our office spans the length of a large city block). After a couple of rides I was sold. You feel like a little kid again--so much fun. And practically, it would cut my 15 minute walk commute in half, at least.

$70 on Amazon, the A5 is a very good value. But I didn't want there to be any office mix-up so I went with Kickboard USA's Micro scooter in "Carrera White" (yes, that's the official colour on the box). Note, Porsche crest not included (aftermarket).

The Micro is better looking and better designed, but it's not worth 3x the price. Without the office mix-up issue I would have probably gotten the cheaper A5. 

That said, the Micro is a nice little scooter. It looks modern and sleek; the Carrera White paint gives it a clean look compare to the steel finish of the A5. Build quality seems good but the craftsmanship is lacking (designed by the Swiss but made in China). In particular, the plastic fender for the front wheel is misaligned.

Its best feature is the kickstand (lacking in the A5). Very handy, almost justifying the extra cost. Folding and unfolding is easy, just pull one level and push a button. 

The ride is basically the same as the A5. The 200mm wheels help with the bumps and cracks. Very rideable on the streets of downtown San Francisco.  I did a 6 mile trek through San Francisco on some pretty bumpy roads and had no problems. The back fender break work well.

Overall, fairly happy with the purchase. Cuts my commute in half, breeze to run nearby errands; and with the weather getting nicer, fun to scoot around San Francisco on the weekends.

SF City Championship Round of 16 - Playoffs

Playoffs, playoffs? You kidding me? Two weekends ago I won 2-up in the round of 32 to advance to today's round of 16 (hacker's division, uber hacker's flight). I'd be playing Ben, someone I met while playing as a single at Harding last year. From what I remember, he's a better golfer than me (played in high school) but, then again, I've also gotten better since last year.

Weather was absolutely perfect. Warm but not too sunny where you're sweating. Ben would have the physical advantage, being much younger than me and bringing his own caddie. Lincoln Park is a very tough, hilly walk. But he made a mess of the 1st hole and I'd go 1-up. We'd halve 2, 3 and 4.

My putting let me down on the 5th. From about 40 feet Ben would 3-putt and I'd 4 putt to square the match.

The 6th hole I hit a great little fade to the short dogleg right par-4. Ben played first and was below the hole maybe 25 feet. I thougth I hit a perfect wedge but my distance was off and I'm about 30 above the hole. He 2-putted, I 3-putted. Ben 1-up.

Ben gave me the 7th when he hooked his tee shot OB. All-square. I hit a really nice 6-iron on 8th, two putted for par to take a 1-up lead. 

We would halve the 9th so I was 1-up starting the back nine. I hit an amazing 2nd shot on the 10th to pin high to go 2-up.

The 11th my chipping let me down. Flubbed a chip to give away the hole. Tinou 1-up through 11. 

The 12th is a long par-3 (193 yards uphill with a left to right wind). I got a way with a little unintended Tiger Woods stinger to win the hole with a par to go back 2-up. I lost the par 5 13th to Ben's birdie. Don't mind losing to birdies.

Damn you 14, damn you! 14 is America's worst hole. A short (251 yards) dogleg left par 4. Unless you're going to go for it, you need to layup to about 130 yards to find a flat lie, otherwise you're against the side of a hill or your ball rolls left and you're blocked by trees. Wrong club, 20 yards too far, against a sidehill lie. Would make a mess of the hole and the match is all squared through 14.

I'm super frustrated at the wrong club selection on 14, Ben is riding momentum. He'd win 15 and 16 to go dormie. 17 he gave it to me, going OB.

18th hole, must win to go to extra holes. We're both scared of OB left, so he push our drives right into some crap. I'd punch out to about 160. Needing only a tie on 18 to win the match, I was surprised Ben went for it considering he was blocked by a huge tree. In any event, I hit a great shot, pin high, about 10 feet courtesy of a good kick left from the mound. Would win with a conceded par to take the match to extra holes.

They tell us to start the playoff on 14. No!!!!! I hate this hole. This time I'd take a 7-iron to make sure I land in the flat spot. But in the back of my mind, I felt 7-iron might still be too much, especially with the adrenaline of the match. So I totally decel and hit the 7-iron 50 yards. THE ABSOLUTELY WORST 7-IRON I HAVEN EVER HIT. Ben's ball is safe, in the flat spot.

My next mistake, I assumed Ben's ball is in a good spot and punched it to where his ball was. But once I got there, I realized both he and I were blocked by the tree. I needed to punch it about 10 yards farther right.

I was done. Lost on the 1st hole of the playoff.

All and all, was a blast. I highly recommend all you hackers to play the San Francisco City Championship. Match play is incredibly fun. Well, I guess it's fun when it's close. The other match in our foursome wasn't so close, the guy won 6 and 5. That must have felt like shit.

Thanks to the Harding Park crew for running a great tournament.

2-Up, the Best of the Worst at The City Championship

I signed up to play the San Francisco City Golf Championship a few weeks ago. "The City," as the locals call it, bills itself as the longest, consecutively played competition in the world (the British and US Opens suspended play when the world was at war). Great golfers like Ken Venturi, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson have played in The City. Of course, they played in the Championship Division (4 handicap and below) while I'd be hacking around in the Open Division (no index required).

Last weekend was stroke play qualifying. It's not really qualifying since everybody is guaranteed to advance (no cut). Base on your score you are further divided into one of six flights. Then you play match play (head to head) in a tournament format much like March Madness (round of 32, round of 16, etc). I played like shit last weekend in qualifying. Here are my excuses,

• I've only played Lincoln Park twice in my life
• I had just worked 60 hours that week and my back was killing me from sitting 12 hours/day
• I just suck, plain and simple

I had an 11 on hole 17, that's how bad I played. I'd be seeded in the uber-hacker's flight for the hacker's division.

Today was the round of 32. I'd be playing against Bob, who I knew from the qualifying round (same group). Although my score from the qualifying round did not reflect it (see excuses), I was pretty confident I was a better golfer than Bob. But talk and speculation is cheap, time to play golf.

Felt a lot better for today's match. Work was busy but my back was feeling much better from using a standing desk all week. I also was able to practice a little yesterday. Incredible weather for golf. Sunny but not too hot. Not too windy either.

My strategy for the day was to only hit 4-iron off the tee. Lincoln park is so short driver doesn't really make sense; you end up with awkward 45 car pitches on an sidehill/uphill lie. Relax and confident, I would win 6 straight holes to start the match. I lost holes 7 and 8 but wasn't too bothered because Bob played them well (conceded pars on both).

Hole 9 was the turning point in the match for Bob. He hooks his tee shot, is forced to layup, then flies the hole 30 feet. Meanwhile, I'm on in 2, albeit 30 feet short, below the hole. Terrible putt left me w/ a good 10 feet left. The nerves are kicking in? Then Bob drains his downhill 30 footer! My lead is cut to 3 after 9 holes thanks to an untimely 3-putt. Instead of going 4-up, I'm only 3-up and Bob has the momentum.

Next thing you know, I'm only 1-up after losing the 17th with another 3 putt! I could have ended it there but I think the adrenaline got to me and I flew my 1st putt 8 feet by. Bob would end up hitting it OB left on the 18th, conceding the match.

I have to give it up to Bob; he's much more of a grinder than me. He clawed his way back from a big hole and made things interesting until the end.

Match play is definitely more fun than stroke play. Stroke play, I'd be disappointed with all the 3 putts, all the bad shots. Match play, end of the day, you win, doesn't matter how pretty of how ugly. Of course, if I had lost, it would have been pretty devastating to lose after being 6-up.

The fun continues in 2 weeks.