After a pretty rough start to the golfing year we have the grass down and Pine Valley is very playable. In our efforts to get the greens less spongy our then superintendent lowered the greens mowers too low and because the greens have never been rolled they have a number of bumps and the mower has caused some scalping. They are still playable, just not very pretty and believe me it bothers me and the owners very much. We have a new superintendent who is working to rectify that situation as well as make sure they are watered.

We have been getting a lot of areas cleaned up and a big THANK YOU to the fine folks at Radiant Life Church here in Wadsworth who came out and helped with stick removal and cleanup.

We are going to be working on tile and drainage issues so that a number of our wet areas will hopefully go away when we get rain. This course handles water really well.

We are also looking at updating some of our carts and within the next few days or weeks you’ll see them in service. We also got a pressure washer and I and the young men here are trying to get all the carts sprayed down and looking better.

Michael, Lisa and I are committed to making Pine Valley a great course and we appreciate everyone’s support so far and in the future and I ask that you bring a friend or recommend us to your friends and golf buddies. If you like any articles I post please share with your friends.

See you on the back nine,

Steve Combs

July 6, 2018

By: Associated Press

 

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Kelly Kraft is about to find out whether he’s ready to handle the lead entering the weekend for the first time on the PGA TOUR.

Kraft shot a 7-under 63 in the second round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier on Friday to take a one-stroke edge over first-round leader Webb Simpson and Anirban Lahiri of India.

Kraft posted his career-best round at the Old White TPC. He was at 13-under 127.

Kraft is looking to turn around a season that has included missed cuts in seven of his 10 previous tournaments, including last week at the Quicken Loans National. But he has had some success in West Virginia, where he tied for fifth last year.

“I’ve kind of changed my attitude a little bit starting with last week,” Kraft said. “I just feel like I’m ready to keep playing good.”

Kraft made four birdies on the front nine and didn’t let a bogey on the par-5 12th hole derail him. He added birdies on the next two holes and took the lead with a six-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.

Reminded that it’s his first time leading a PGA TOUR event after 36 holes, Kraft said he was confident.

“I’ve been up there before and I know I can play out here,” he said. “I’m just looking for two more low ones and a bunch of scoring opportunities.”

Lahiri shot a career-low 61 and Simpson had a 67. Both were at 12 under.

Lahiri has yet to make a bogey in his first trip to The Greenbrier resort. He found just eight of 14 fairways but reached all 18 greens in regulation Friday. Four of his nine birdies were putts of 18 feet or longer.

“I’ve been feeling good over the last two weeks,” Lahiri said. “I’ve seen the improvement on the golf course and I’ve tried to plug the gaps that I’ve found over the last two weeks. And I’m happy that more than anything else I haven’t dropped a shot. But I’m not thinking about that. The focus is just to put myself in the best position that I can, and that’s a big positive for me.”

After shooting 61 on Thursday, Simpson saw his chance for a very low score end quickly on Friday.

Starting on the back nine, Simpson hit a tee shot that went out of bounds and made double-bogey on the par-5 12th, a hole he had eagled the day before. He then bogeyed the par-4 13th after his tee shot found the rough. He made five birdies the rest of his round.

“It was not the start I was looking for,” Simpson said. “I hung in there. I weathered that storm and made some birdies there on the front nine to keep it under par and give myself a chance for the weekend.”

Jason Kokrak shot 64 and was in fourth place at 11 under. Whee Kim of South Korea and Harold Varner III were at 10 under. Kim shot 68 and Varner shot 64.

Simpson is the only one among the top six players on the leaderboard with a PGA TOUR win. Since its 2010 debut, the tournament has produced four first-time winners, including three rookies.

Just a reminder that this Sunday we are hosting the Barberton Band Outing.

The course will be closed until 3pm and that is when we will accept tee times.

If you or someone you know would like to host an outing or a large group of players, we can accommodate up to 100 players and would love to book your outing or group now.

At the Travelers Championship, cameras caught Bryson DeChambeau using a drawing compass during his third round at TPC River Highlands. The following day, DeChambeau informed reporters that the PGA Tour was probing whether he was breaking the Rules of Golf by using the instrument.

“They said we just want to let you know we’re investigating this device and seeing if it’s allowable or not,” DeChambeau said after firing a final-round 68. “It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened,” the two-time PGA Tour winner and former U.S. Amateur champion referring to a ruling the USGA made against a center-shafted putter he used in early 2017.

On Thursday, Golf Digest confirmed what the Golf Channel initially reported, that the USGA has come to a verdict. And for the second time in as many years, it’s one DeChambeau will not like.

After initially giving DeChambeau the go-ahead, the PGA Tour and USGA have changed their minds, deciding the compass is against the rules.

“The USGA has ruled that the use of a protractor (also known as a drawing compass) during a stipulated round is a violation of Rule 14-3a of the Rules of Golf,” read a statement from the PGA Tour to players. “It is considered ‘unusual equipment that might assist him in making a stroke or in his play.’”

John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of championships & governance, told Golf Digest that he had a 45-minute conversation with DeChambeau on July 3 explaining the association’s decision-making process regarding the use of the compass. In the end, Bodenhamer said, it was determined that the compass had the potential to “compromise a player’s skill and judgement.”

“With some of these sorts of devices, it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible and what is not permissible,” Bodenhamer said. “But here, we drew the line there with Rule 14-3 [that the compass did not conform].

“I’ve got to be honest with you, Bryson is amazing. We had a great discussion. We applaud his innovation. He always is on the cutting edge. And I think we need to be talking with him more often to get a sense of how technology can be used by players. I think we’ll see him continue to push things to make himself better and we applaud that.”

DeChambeau told reporters in Connecticut that he used the tool to double-check hole locations.

“I’m figuring out the true pin locations,” DeChambeau said. “The pin locations are just a little bit off every once in a while, and so I’m making sure they’re in the exact right spot. And that’s it.”

According to Golf Channel, DeChambeau declined comment. In 2017, the USGA ruled his putter used for a side-saddle stroke non-conforming.