Bubba Watson.

The name sounds like an average joe golfer. But he sure didn't play like one when he won the Masters this year.

The funny thing is, he is the personification of an average joe golfer. He practices - but only a week or so prior to a tournament. He likes to play with buddies - and they've been known to have a beer or more during their round. He's never had a lesson being completely self-taught. He admires Tiger and still considers him to be the best golfer in the world - which many of us AJGs also believe.

Bubba had a few bad shots during this year's Masters, but probably none as bad as his final drive which he pull hooked into the woods. Everyone who follows golf knows what happened next. He hits his second shot off pine needles, down a pedestrian-lined ten-yard wide swath, and hooks the ball on a near right angle to 16-20 feet from the pin!

Suddenly he's looking at birdie when most people thought he'd do well to punch out, take wedge to the green and make a putt for par (and HOPE that Peter Oosterhuis doesn't get his birdie to win).

THAT shot from the pine needles wasn't an Average Joe Golf type of shot. Oh sure, we've all tried it and we've all probably had some semblance of success - and failure. But with The 2012 Masters on the line, Bubba pulled it off.

Oosterhuis meanwhile, chips and two putts for a bogey after his first putt barely misses the cup.

Now Bubba is sitting pretty. He knows that two putts win for him. His first putt misses left by 10 inches to a foot. His tap-in wins the Masters!

That kind of coolness under pressure isn't indicative of most AJGs.

And it's quite obvious that although his name could mistake him for one, Bubba Watson is not an average joe golfer.

Personally, I'm glad a golfer from the United States finally won a major. I actually thought McIilroy and Tiger were the ones to beat. If I'd been asked prior to the Masters which American golfer had the best chance of winning I certainly wouldn't have thought of Bubba. But I'm glad he did.

Congratulations, Bubba! Here's to the next one and many more!

I watched Friday's round while I was at work today. Rather I listened to it and took occasional peaks while I worked. Even though it was Good Friday I was busy and somehow it didn't seem fair though it did make the day fly by.

I've talked about this many times with my golfer buddies but don't you feel (as an average joe golfer) just a little perturbed by the announcers sorrowful chatter as the report another bad performance by Tiger?

And Tiger too kind of ticked me off. Tossing his club after an errant tee shot. C'mon, it's not like he's not used to playing sub par golf now.

I mean, I've got the best job of my employment career and my main "beef" was that I was working hard on Good Friday. And it wasn't even a beef! I knew what had to be done and I got to it. No one cried for me because I was at work.

And thats the thing. The announcers couldn't commiserate with Tiger enough. So the wheels fell off his swing. Big deal! So he couldn't hit an eight iron where he wanted to. Big deal! So his putts wouldn't drop. Big Deal!


The guy is PLAYING GOLF! The announcers are sitting in a chair with the best vantage point anyone could ask for and all the luxuries they want - and they don't have to pay a dime. In fact they're paid to do TALK! And much of what they talk about is "poor Tiger."

"Poor Tiger" my ass! He may not get another green jacket and actually the way he's playing he doesn't deserve it. Maybe it's time for McIlroy or Bradley or Duffner or Sergio or that other Watson (Bubba) to get fitted.

Don't get me wrong, I love to watch/listen to golf especially when it's a major. And I think Tiger is good for the game (when he's on). I feel for the guy. I really do. But he's playing a game that pays him very well. As are nearly all the others.

It's not the end of the world if Tiger's tee shot is a duck hook. It's not the end of the world if he nearly misses the cut. Golf goes on with or without him. It may not be as exciting if he's not "in it." But I think it's pretty damn cool that Freddy Couples is leading it with a guy (Dufner) who has never won a tournament!

And yeah they have to play on Easter Sunday. Big deal. I'm not crying for them. I'd trade places with any of them any time they want. Duck hook or not!

And THEY call what they do WORK. Laughable...

Still, I'm pulling for Tiger. I want him to make a charge tomorrow.

And if he can't then I'm all in for Couples. Gotta go with the old guy...

You may have noticed that there has been a nearly year-long absence in my posting anything on this site. You may ask yourself, "why?"

Well, I'll tell you.

It's because I'd rather be out on the range or course playing than sit in my office and write. Pretty simple, eh?

But with it raining outside and having already been to the range this morning, I figured I do some writing. So here goes…

While I was fairly pleased with my driver and irons play last year the thing thing that killed me was putting. And it's really no wonder why, because I rarely - even though I admonish people to do so - practice my putting. One thing leads to another - no practice makes for lousy putting. And it certainly showed.

This year I made a promise to myself to practice putting every time I go to the range. So far, so good as I've done exactly that.

I don't hesitate to watch others on the practice green. I check their grip and set up, alignment, how they "see" the putt, their stroke, etc. Two weeks ago I watched a very senior gentleman knocking everything close or in the hole from 3 feet to 25 feet. I was amazed and asked him for some help.

The fist thing he did was let me have it! "You're holding the club wrong - get in more in your lifeline not in your fingertips - it's not a damn driver! and get rid of that fancy putter , it's too heavy for you, make you wiggle all over!"

Whoa! Says I! But being the respectful mature man that I am, I listened to this Byron Nelson-wannabee.

I tried his blade-flange putter - it was probably 20-30 years old - and there was an immediate difference. I could "feel" the putter, the stroke was more smooth, no wiggle-waggle (yips!), and while I didn't sink the first couple putts I got closer than I ever did using my Guerin Rife Hybrid Blade (beautiful putter by the way!).

I thanked the man returned his putter and we walked out together talking about Tiger's chances the following week (he won and I'm glad he did!). I like Tiger and always have. While I can't condone what he did, it's like my wife says "Elin knew what she was getting herself into; If she didn't know he was a player then she was really stupid." I kinda think she knew and had agreed to put up with Tiger's philandering as long as it involved one or two women and stayed out of the news. When it got in the news (Esquire had printed an expose about his "other" life the week before) and she found out it wasn't two women but dozens in his lair, she'd had enough. Anyway, that's all for another day…

As soon as I got home, I checked the clubs I have stored in my garage and there it was… an original Acushnet BullsEye Standard blade with Acushnet grip! It had been my dad's club and I hadn't tried it since before he passed away in 1990.

It was quite tarnished and had some minor rust on the shaft but the original shaft sticker was still there. I gave it a quick once-over and used some window cleaner on the shaft - the rust was just mud or something because it wiped away. The shaft is now pristine! I used a small amount of Brasso brass cleaner on the putter head and it cleaned right up. I was careful to not get it too glossy. Yesterday, I replaced the old cracked grip with a Winn AVS Midsize pistol grip.

This morning, I tried it out after hitting a bucket of balls at the range.

To say I was pleasantly surprised with my putting isn't the whole story. I AM ECSTATIC!

This putter feels better than the one the old gent let me try. But ptobably the best thing is I am much more confident while putting. At least on the practice green.

The next test it to see if it translates to the course… time will tell on that.

For now though as it continues to rain outside I keep promissing myself that I'll practice putting each time I go the range with my new old putter.

Of course the goal is shave off 10-15 strokes per round. If I can do that, then I'll be the happiest guy on the course.

AverageJoeGolf.net doesn't have a mission statement, corporate sponsors or high profile professional players and/or teachers as contributing staffers. Sure it'd be nice, but then we wouldn't be a site for Average Joe Golfers (AJG).

What we do have is a way for all AJGs to read about products, review AFFORDABLE courses, spout off about golf issues, etc. And it's all compiled and uploaded by your peers.

Paraphrasing Joe Walsh - we're "just an ordinary, average" guy's website.

My foursome's most recent golf excursion took us the Sierra Nevada foothill community of Oakhurst - or rather it took us through the community of Oakhurst towards Ahwahnee on Highway 49.

The course we played and I review is the incredible Sierra Meadows Country Club. Well, they call it a country club and I suppose in someone's mind (the developer?) it originally was a country club. But since the proposed upscale housing development didn't materialize like the original developers wanted, they had to open the golf course to the public. Now it's supposedly semi-private and it does have that "look." However, it is a public course in every sense of the word and it's to our benefit that it is.

Read the review here...

There are various terms for the Average Joe Golfer - duffer, hacker, weekend warrior - but all of them pretty much describes the golfer who shoots in the 80s to 100s and wants to get better.

AJGs watch instructional videos, buy impact bags and putting tools, take lessons from "scratch golfer-friends" and hit countless buckets of balls at whatever golf range they can get to on a periodic basis. Feeling good about their game, they then play a round and tell anyone who would listen, "I can play better than that!" "If just a couple of those putts woulda dropped..." "Played well, but my drives kept getting me into trouble!" I played military golf - left - right - left - right!"

Ah... we've all been there.

I was at my favorite driving range the other evening and it occurred to me that I should write a review. I took a long look around and noticed again how peaceful and tranquil the range is. It's only had a few upgrades in the twenty or so years of existence. It's survived ownership change, a major flood, a lack of expansion (original owners wanted to expand to include a nine-hole course), the destruction of fairways and greens by rabbits, lack of use during hot and cold months and more. But it HAS survived!

Islewood Golf Range and Learning Center is a natural habitat for all kinds of wildlife. Golfers co-exist with bobcats, deer, geese, cranes, hawks and the occassional eagle while hitting away happily (or sometimes unhappily) on the range or while playing five full-size holes. To be sure there are drawbacks - one large one in particular. To find out more about Islewood click here because in a rarity in this age of the internet - Islewood does not have a website!