Joe

We will be taking them out of the box and then training on the use of the Ipad.  Snippies (www.snippies.com) will be on hand to video and prepare the promotional aspect for Box.Net.  This is the other part of the program.  The part that is most important to D 7 is getting the maximum efficiency out of the Ipad for our services in the Building Envelope Consulting business.

We are getting ready to embark on a new path of work flow.  What used to take days will now take hours and in some cases minutes.  Getting information from the field to the office and into the client’s hands has always been the most difficult part of our work.  Through Box.Net we will be able to have the information in the office before the Quality Assurance Observer or Consultant is back from the field.  Having this head start on the document(s) will save time immediately.  Not to mention the processing of photos (always a time consuming task) this can be tedious and confusing.  We will now be able to have immediate access to photos from the field.

So if you are a client who wants quick turn around, look no further than D 7 Consulting.  This will be what we do best.  Combined with our technical ability, years of experience in the roofing and waterproofing business and top notch staff of experts, why would you look elsewhere?

With over 700 contest entries, the choice was difficult. We were thrilled when Box.net informed D 7 Consulting that we had been selected as the winner of the free Ipads, etc. We are now embarking on a new and exciting journey of improving our company. With that said, the plan is simple….take our work product and transition from days or weeks to complete paper work in the field to a matter of minutes or at a maximum days at best.

Here is a short version of what we are working on:

Step One:

Quality Assurance Observer watching the installation of a waterproofing membrane on a project in Los Angeles.

Typically, the Daily Report takes several days to get from the field to the client. We will be able to take the same report and have it in the hands of the client the same day! Furthermore, the photographs of the project that sometimes take a week, will be available to the client the same day they are taken! Imagine going from Lead time to Real time!

Step Two:

Use maps or other internet based satellite images for real pictures of the roof or building. This is already being done, however with Box.net we will be putting the information directly into the hands of our Admin staff that will not have to wait until the consultant comes back into the office to develop the report. The information provided by the consultant on our preprogrammed forms will allow the Admin to put the report on his desk for review within a day or two.

Step Three:

Time sheets and other documentation that sometimes seems archaic at best, will now be completely computerized. Our documentation for all services will be handled in a speed and efficiency that will far surpass any other way we had operated before.

Step Four:

Figuring out what to do with the rest of the time we will now have on our hands! Just kidding, my hope is that all of our clients will experience much better service that they will be touting our company as the only consulting firm to work with in the future. So the extra time will be spent working on new projects for new clients.

We want to thank the people at Box.net for this exciting opportunity. You can check out the announcement at their website blog.box.net Look for more updates in the near future as we go through the month long program with Box.net. We will be putting up video of the process for you to view and hopefully gain a better understanding of the “future” of business that we know. Join us for the ride.

The course itself was originally shaped by Dr. Alister Mackenzie and Jones. Jones had visited the site earlier while playing in Augusta. He had been searching for land to create a course. At the time it was an abandoned nursery. Jones was told of the property and upon seeing it for the first time, was quoted as saying “Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come and lay a golf course on it.” Consisting of 365 acres of rolling hills and many large trees, including the Magnolias that line the course, it was as Jones put it, perfect. Now if you have been there, you will know that a more beautiful course is hard to find. Add the beauty to the years of exciting golf and you have one of the finest events ever to be held. Jones would stand on a tee area and hit shots to assist Mackenzie in defining the best layout. Mackenzie was already renowned for his Cypress Point design along with Pasatiempo both on the Monterey peninsula near Pebble Beach. After playing Cypress Point, Jones had dubbed it as one of the best courses ever to have been built and knew he wanted Mackenzie for his Augusta layout. Alas Dr. Mackenzie died just 2 months prior to the first tournament in 1934 after completing the course.

12th hole at Augusta National

The very first Masters in 1934 was won by Horton Smith at 4 under par. After that, the club committee switched the back and front nines to create more excitement in the event. How prophetic was this bunch? Imagine Gene Sarazen holing out his 2nd shot on the Par 5 15th for a double eagle to go on and win in a playoff in 1935. This began the allure of the Masters and put it on the map alongside the U.S. Open and the other great events of the day. In 1939 they talked Jones into calling it the Masters for the first time. Fast forward to Saturday and imagine standing in the fairway and watching Phil Mickelson hole out his fairway shot on the 14th for eagle right after having made his eagle on the Par 5 13th. Then turn around and watch as he comes within inches of sinking his eagle chip on the 15th settling for just a Birdie! That’s 5 shots in three holes people. Excitement, remember the committee mentioned above? Now that crew knew what they were talking about. Mickelson’s Saturday heroics were enough to capture the tournament and the heart of the thousands that lined the fairways.

But wait, he then goes out and possible does it one better. Did you see the shot on 13 on Sunday? WOW! All I have to say is, he is either crazy or crazy good. I know it is the latter, but come on.

As somewhat of a history buff, I love reading about the old days when past greats like Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and many others before them marched across the now famous land and laid siege to the great course. If you have time, and you should if you are a fan of golf, go to www.Masters.com and you will find some great stories.

I was able to walk the course with my 14 year old son, Jaren and enjoy my 51st birthday. I could not have picked anything better than this for the day. We talked about how the course was made, why this land was chosen and many of the traditions of the event. I have been reading the Grand Slam of Golf, the Bobby Jones story. It has all the accounts of Bobby Jones and his ups and downs, victories and defeats, including the history of Augusta and the Masters. It is a wonderful chronicle of this great man and great golfer’s life. I did not intend on having the answers for my son, it just worked out that way. But it did make the day even more special. We flew home and now have a great memory to share for the rest of our lives. I can only hope it will be as great for him as it is for me.

So back to Phil and the 2010 Masters. As exciting as it was, one could not help but notice the stark contrast between Tiger’s finish and Phil’s victory. Having finished his round, Tiger was asked to sum up the week. His basic answer; “I finished 4th! I came here to win.” He went on to say that he would take some more time off and assess his situation before playing again. Really? He just finished 4th behind one of the great players and rounds in the history of the Masters and has to “assess” his situation? His game was clearly off after not playing for 5 months. Had he been in top form, we might have witnessed one of the greatest Masters ever. That is what we all were there to see, at least I was. Tiger Woods the golfer must not be thinking clearly. What else does he have to do? His great escape comes on the golf course. Imagine Tiger walking away from golf completely? I can’t, neither can the networks.

Now picture Phil, walking off the 18th green and hugging his wife. Talk about the picture perfect moment. Now cut back to Phil during the past 4 days. Did Tiger playing in the Masters make it more or less a magic moment for Phil? I don’t think it mattered one bit. Was it more of an “event” because Tiger was there? I don’t think so. What it did was create more money for CBS and the other news media covering the event. There were no more than the usual number of patrons (people who attend the event are referred to as patrons, not fans) they treated Tiger with respect and they applauded him as a past champion. All of this was refreshing within the confines of the event where Tiger’s past 5 months were not allowed. The Masters is bigger than Tiger or any other golfer. That is what Jack, Tom Watson, Arnie, Ben Hogan and the rest of the past champions came to understand. The Masters is a privilege shared by few. To come and win is an absolute honor. To play and feel the history, well ask the person who finished in last place what he thinks. Nathan Green is from Australia, he made a hole in one on the Par 3 16th hole on Sunday during his final round. Green said; “It was a big thrill to do it on this big stage.” He was on his way to a final round 75 to finish last of those that made the cut. He wasn’t thinking of anything but how awesome it was to have the hole in one. His main concern? Being able to play in the Masters again and performing better than this year. Did I say privilege to play? Nathan Green get its.

We will see all the usual suspects later this year at Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open in June. This is a crazy event. I cannot wait to go. I will be there watching and hoping for something special. We will see our cowboy with the black hat and the one with the white hat. You can figure out who is who. What you won’t know is who will win the next big event. Certainly this year at the Masters, Phil, Augusta National along with Jaren, myself and rest of the people watching were the Big winners!

Until next time, Fairways and Greens!

Hot fluid-applied rubberized asphalt;
Cold Fluid-applied urethane coating;
Single Ply;
Built-up asphalt roofing;
Modified Bitumen roofing;

Obviously, some are better than others. Some offer more advantages versus others. The main thing to understand is why you would utilize this type of membrane assembly.  In most roofing system, you install the insulation over the substrate, followed by the “waterproofing” membrane, with the surfacing (as in BUR or Modified roof systems).  With a single ply, the membrane is the first and final layer or surfacing. With the two fluid-applied systems, you would not see these in the more tradition roofing systems and they only come into play with the IRMA or PRM because of the covering or protection. Lets talk about what happens after the roof system is installed over the insulation. In time the building will have foot traffic, maintenance, equipment change out, typically atmospheric degradation such as sun, wind and rain. All of these are constant and cannot be taken out of the factors that affect the service life of the membrane. With the normal roof system, the traffic on the membrane eventually affects the service life. When water is allowed to enter through the membrane from any deficiency, then the insulation can now be affected.  Finally, finding the leak becomes problematic due to the fact that where the water enters the membrane and where it shows itself in the building can be two distinct locations. Maintenance or repair to the roof system may involve extensive testing via Infrared scanning or destructive testing by opening up the roof system to determine how wet or deteriorated the insulation is located. Both of these are costly and time consuming, not to mention the affect it has on the overall system. When leaks do occur within an insulated system, we have seen a lot of repairs performed without doing the homework to find out what has happened to the materials below. The roof may still leak, the wet insulation can still be holding water and worse yet, you have lost the insulating R-value due to the wet insulation thus rendering the insulation useless. The traffic also affects the overall service life. With a building that has a high level of equipment, maintenance and foot traffic the roofing membrane can suffer and the service life is shortened sometimes drastically.

So why use a IRMA or PRM system? Going back to the definition, we want to protect the membrane. How do you do that? Simple put it on the substrate (concrete in most cases) and cover it up so that it cannot be damaged. Start by installing the membrane over the structural deck. With all of the options listed above you want to “finish” the system meaning install the flashings, surfacing or protection sheet over the roofing/waterproofing membrane. This system can be worked over, walked on, even construction can occur after the roof membrane has been placed. In new construction, this allows the building to be watertight much earlier in the construction period so that interior work can move along faster than normal. As they say in the construction trade “Time is money!” Now that the membrane is in place, what is next? Now the insulation can be placed over the membrane. Except this is where the biggest change takes place. The typical roofing insulation is Polyisocyanurate insulation. To make it simple, this type is not suppose to be exposed to the elements. So you would not use it in an exposed assembly. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) or bead board or “Styrofoam” is another typical roof insulation. This also should not be used in an exposed manner. So what can you do? When using an exposed insulation, you would utilize an EXPS or XPS or Extruded Polystyrene. One location to learn more about this type of insulation is www.xpsa.com.  You will learn that XPS insulation has more R-value per inch than traditional insulation. It is resistant to moisture, which is why it is used in this type of assembly.
It has greater structural capacity or basically is stronger. It is and can be used in many locations on your building. I recommend reading more about it as an option for insulation when designing systems.

So once you have the insulation protecting the membrane, what do you do then? Well the insulation has to be held in place. Otherwise wind can literally blow it away. As in traditional systems, you have to provide a surfacing. The surfacing of an IRMA or PRM provides two benefits. 1) Holds the insulation in place; 2) Provides a walking surface. Now there are other components such as flashing membranes and drainage board, filter fabric and insulation tape for joints, but a “Design” blog is for later. This is for bestowing the basic principle of the IRMA roof system. The two components used are typically rock or ballast and concrete as in pavers or poured. In both cases, the most important factor to consider after the membrane of course is Wind Uplift. With all roof systems, the wind uplift should be reviewed so that you meet the local requirements and do not allow a wind failure to occur. By providing the correct amount of ballast per square foot (Typically 15 pounds psf for the perimeter) you will meet or exceed FMG I-90 wind uplift rating. (FMG stands for Factory Mutual global). When using pavers, the typical paver size is 2′x 2′ x 2″, any larger and the handling of the paver becomes difficult. The paver is used in window washing locations, foot paths between access and equipment, etc. The ballast is used in the field areas where foot traffic does not occur or is not required.

Now you can see the one thing that stands out on this type of assembly. For me it is simple. If I get a leak, I don’t lose my insulation. I can remove the materials over the membrane, find the leak location due to the fact my membrane is fully adhered to the substrate, provide repairs and put the materials back into place. Finally, the wear and tear on the membrane is eliminated, thus reducing long term maintenance costs. Remember I also have a greater thermal envelope on my building due to the higher R-value per inch. There are so many advantages to this type of system I could on and on. However, it does have one thing that keeps it from become more widely used. The Cost! The ballast and pavers are costly, the insulation is typically more expensive and if you are using the hot rubberized asphalt
system, that too can be more expensive. We would recommend a Life Cycle Cost analysis for anybody considering the use of this type of assembly.

I first became interested in this type of system when working with SOM(Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) in Los Angeles, CA. Their firm has been around since 1936 and began in Chicago. The IRMA or PRM system is a staple of their designs. If you go up on a building that has ballasted insulation, membrane below and walkways of either pavers or concrete, you are most likely on a SOM designed building. Go to their website www.SOM.com and you can learn more about them.

So what do we know? If you protect the waterproofing or roofing membrane it will last longer. If you utilize an insulation that does not break down under water, you won’t have to worry about the weathering of the insulation. If you use a solid walking surface, you won’t have to worry about damage to the membrane or insulation. All of these add up to greater service life and lower maintenance costs. So protect your investment and begin protecting your roof. You can’t go wrong.

The old me!

Imagine that you don’t sleep at night. Imagine that you haven’t felt well in quite some time. What if you are sore or tired or just plain over weight? Does any of this ring a bell? For me, it was a combination of things, the weight, my shoulders hurt and I knew I wasn’t in great shape. After years of procrastinating, I finally decided at the ripe old age of 50 that I needed to do something about it. I could only Imagine what was to come.

I first met Aaron Benes of Imagine If after I heard about him from my friend Mike Randell. I was interested in getting fit, losing weight and making my shoulders feel better. Imagine my surprise (see how I have mixed in the Imagine theme?) when he put me through a series of questions that were meant to see whether I was even a candidate for him. I found out that Aaron is unlike any other fitness professional in the country due to his unique approach and his selectiveness with accepting clients. After we talked I agreed to come back for an “interview” and to see what kind of shape I was in.

I started by asking him about the cost of a program. No sense in going through all the stuff and finding out I didn’t want to spend a dime on my own personal fitness right? Just kidding! But isn’t it true? Most people will spend a weeks salary on junk food and doing things that are not good for them, yet when asked to do something that will benefit them the rest of their lives, will cry all the way to the bank.

Well the “interview” consisted of a series of assessments that allowed him to see where I was at physically. Although I knew I was overweight, I didn’t think I was THAT overweight. And I didn’t think I was THAT out of shape! Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t even do some of the things he asked me to try. The session was tantamount to me being told I couldn’t play golf anymore! After I completed the assessment, sort of anyway, Aaron and I sat down to talk about my goals. My goals were fairly simple. I wanted to 1) Lose 30 pounds; 2) Get rid of the pain I have in my shoulders; 3) Gain flexibility so that my golf game could improve; 4) Get down to less than 20% body fat.

Looking Good! Feeling Good!

After I agreed to the Aaron’s terms, lets just say, he expects you to live up to your end of the bargain, AND he took overall body measurements…Waste, chest, legs, hips, etc., he then told me what my body fat % was. Wow, did I say I was overweight? Ok, I was committed for several reasons (see goals above) but knowing that I was considered obese was enough to get me going. I started on a program in July 2009. 3 days of training sessions each week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. And on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays I would walk for an hour in the early morning. Aaron tailored a diet plan, workout plan and an overall life plan to aid in me achieving success and attaining my goals.

After 6 months and countless hours, I can tell you that I have lost the 30 pounds, I am in much better shape, have increased my flexibility, I feel great and the inches have been stripped away around my body. Not to mention that at last check, I was down to 24% body fat. My biggest problem now if finding pants in the closet. My waist is back to pre D 7 days; which is over 16 years ago. My plan worked for me. Aaron tailors a custom program for each person. The food that I eat and what I drink has also provided a much greater benefit. Some of you know that I am an insulin dependent diabetic. I have been taking insulin since 1980. Over the past years, I have struggled with the insulin and weight gain more than anything else in my life. So losing the weight also reduced my insulin intake by as much as 25% each day. When I first saw my doctor for a check up, he looked up upon entering the exam room and wasn’t sure if it was me or not. He wanted to know if I ever did anything half way? He knows that when I am doing something, it is done only one way, ALL the WAY!

6 months ago, I could only Imagine what I could do, how I could feel? The only thing that Aaron can’t help me with is the golf game. He can increase my flexibility, make me stronger, help me lose the weight and much more. But he can’t swing the club for me. That part is up to me. My goals have not changed. I plan on losing more weight, reducing my body fat further, getting stronger AND FEELING BETTER. Aaron was the reason for my success. He could be a willing contributor to your success, if only you can Imagine what it will be like. Imagine If? That’s what I did. Thank you Aaron! You can contact Aaron Benes at 949-475-5555 or email aaron@imagineiffitness.com

Each year, I try to do something different and interesting. I have to admit, I do this more than once a year, but it is different each time. This is about the President’s Cup golf event at Harding Park, in San Francisco (or Daly City to be more precise). I left for the Monterey Pennisula on Tuesday October 6th. My flight to Monterey was short, but the excitement I felt was enough to make me feel nervous. I will be teeing off at Pebble Beach on Wednesday morning at 7:50 a.m.

For those of you who like golf, you know what I am talking about. For those of you who have played Pebble Beach, you KNOW what I am talking about. I have had the pleasure of playing there twice before. I learned a great deal about golf, my game and life each time. Now I am better prepared. Now I am ready!

I have spent the last 10 weeks getting myself physically fit to walk the course. Walking 4 days a week, working out 3 days a week, practicing on the range 3 times a week. All with the single hope that I can break 80!

Well the day came and went. The first tee was awesome. My experience kept me from yanking a bad drive, but before I even teed off, there stood Arnold Palmer. Are you kidding me? He was walking the grounds in the morning and stopped to watch the golfers. Of course I went right up to him and shook his hand and we stood and talked like we were best of friends. He was every bit as nice as people say and it was the highlight of the morning. I then stood up, energized by the meeting, and striped a 3 wood right down the middle. The second shot was 15 feet left of the flag. 3 putts later, I was shaking my head and wondering how did 15 feet turn into 25 so fast. Oh, they forgot to tell me they had rolled the greens on Tuesday prior to Mr. Palmer playing his round. Just a bit of info that I could have used before I ran the first one into the ocean almost!

Well once my caddie and I had a come to Jesus discussion, things went well. A few birdies (Holes 6 and 16), a few bogeys; well a couple more than a few and I was on the 18th tee box wishing it wasn’t over. A par 5 and I was in at 80. A birdie and I would break 80 on Pebble Beach! Well let’s just say, it was a great round. The players were great and the caddie was just a good. No I didn’t make a birdie and I didn’t put one in the water, but it now stands as the best round I have played at Pebble.

The next day I was off to San Francisco and the golf event. The weather forecast had sunny skies and 75 degrees. Unfortunately for me, it never reached above 60 and the sun came out on Friday for a few hours. Otherwise it was cold and windy. I didn’t dress correctly so I spent too much money in the merchandise tent buying warm clothes. Aside from that, watching the golf for four days and following Tiger, Steve and the rest of the Americans was a great experience. I was able to see some of my old friends with NBC Sports who I have had the pleasure of working with from 2003 through 2007.
Roger Maltbie, Dottie Pepper and some of the on course spotters, etc., were all fun to chat with. Even my cousin’s husband Dawson was there from Madison, Wis. I was able to get him to work the Ryder Cup in Dublin, Ireland a few years back and he is still working the circuit. He knows how much walking and work you have to do for little pay. The thrill is being up close and personal with the players each day. That is why I refer to Tiger and Steve by first name. We are buds as you know! Right! Steve Stricker is from Madison so there is that.

After four days, I returned home to hear “who are you” from my wife and son. They didn’t miss me as they say, since they were too busy having fun on their own. My golf adventures will continue as I have plans on being at the 2011 US Open at Pebble Beach of all places. Can’t wait. Next blog will be my experience playing in the World Series of Golf, stay tuned.

Here is how it works; the person, who draws the high card, goes first. This is like being dealt first in a card game. Each hand or on the next hole a different person is first to act or in golf hit the first tee shot. After the tee shots are completed, the first person has the option of checking or betting. The remaining players have the option of calling the bet, raising the bet or folding. Folding in this golf game means you pick up your ball and wait until the next hole to play again. After the bets, etc., the person who acts first hits again. This hitting, betting, etc., continues until someone wins the hole outright by holing out with the lowest score, or everybody else folds. In the case of ties, the players left each split the total amount bet to that point including antes. The object of the game is to take everybody’s money. The game is played with 5 players and it is mathematically impossible to go past two playoff holes based upon the antes. They double every 3 holes and start at $100.

Enjoying the White party prior to the event.

First there was a practice round to get used to the format and see how you handle the pressure of the event. That was followed by television interviews; you see the whole event was taped for broadcast over 13 weeks this past summer on WGN. Oh, I didn’t mention that cameras were right behind you while you were hitting? Guess I forgot to tell you about the rigid nature of the rules and how yelling “go all in” was frowned upon by the people in charge. I made that mistake on the first hole. I thought I was going to need an escort from the course. At any rate, after the practice round, I went to Vegas for the big event in May. There was another practice round on Monday, followed by the White party. This is where everybody shows up at the Mirage pool dressed in white. Cocktails and food, music and entertainment were on schedule for a great evening to kick off the 3 days.

As the evening went on, it became clear who the players were and who was there to have fun. Many of the golfers in the tournament included poker pros, most of who are sponsored by Full Tilt Poker. The hosts and cosponsors of the event are Mirage and Full Tilt. Lets just say, it was very cool hanging out with the best poker players in the country. Phil Ivey, Jesus Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu to name a few. Most of these guys were in for a while and left early, as I did to get some rest for tomorrow’s big day.

On Tuesday morning the players all gathered at the Paiute Golf course to get the tournament started. Cameras were everywhere. During the warm up on the range, they were coming up and asking questions, looking for some pearls of wisdom, comedy or just plain footage for the show. I did my best to make a show of it. I came dressed in my Packers gear; including shoes, hat, and shirt along with green and gold Packer golf bag. Everybody knew who the Packer guy was in the group. Each five some teed off at different times. Our group went off at 8:30 a.m. The five somes were broken down by handicap so we all played from the same tees. As the tournament goes on, the players with higher handicaps stay at the front tees and the players with lower handicaps stay at the back tees, and so on. This way everybody was even as the players were eliminated. Where the real difference became evident was the betting format. Even after a good drive in the fairway, you could be standing there with an all in bet to win or go home. That became the theme and definitely added the pressure to the entire day.

As Tuesday started out, I was feeling good. I drew the Ace and was first to tee off. My tee shot landed in the left bunker under the lip about 90 yards from the green. Out of 5 players 3 were in the fairway and only 2 played the hole. Landing in the bunker was the best thing to happen as it was easy for me to fold and watch losing only my $100 ante. Getting used to the cameras and overall pressure of the day took some time I figured. On the Hole #2 my drive was right down the middle. I was not the longest hitter in our group, but I was holding my own. With me and two others playing the hole, the first bet was $1,000. We called and hit our next shots. I was last to play since I had been first on Hole #1. With this advantage, I felt like it was time to take a chance. Well the first two guys hit great shots. Both ended up within 15 feet from about 160 yards out. Now I had the pressure of executing to stay even in hopes of staying in the hole. My shot went short right and rolled off the green. The next bet was $3,500 and the next guy called. I would be faced with a chip and putt for almost ½ of my money. And if somebody rolled in the putt before I hit, I would have to hole the shot to tie. Well this is why the poker part pays off. It was easy for me to fold and save the money. Live to see another hole, as they say. Both players two putted for par and we moved on to the 3rd hole.

On Hole #3, I again hit a great drive down the middle. I was feeling good with my driver and had some adrenalin pumping from the last hole. Well it ended up with me and another guy. This guy had played in the event in 2008. He had played the first two holes and halved each. So he had more money than I did and he was feeling lucky. We made the bets $2,500 in the fairway and he played first. So a total of $5,500 was on the line ($100 antes through 3 holes) He hit his shot right and I thought in the bunker. His balled ended up on the side hill in the rough not in but not out of the bunker. A tough lie and even harder shot. Now I was in go mode. I played an 8 iron from 145 yards thinking I would be charged up some and hit it a bit longer. Well that was the truth! I hit it long and right just off the green above the hole. Not a bad shot and I certainly had the best of the two positions. But all in all, I didn’t hit it where I was aiming. He checked his bet and I did the same. My plan was to get it close knowing that he would have to hit a great shot to get close I would then go all in and hope he would fold. He punched his shot out about 25 feet below the hole with a big break. I chipped to about 6 feet with a straight in putt.
He checked and somewhere in the back of my head, I felt a little birdie saying “don’t be greedy”, so I checked as well. Now the pressure was on. Even though we would still have money left and it was only the 3rd hole I felt like the whole game was on the line. He lined up his putt while I looked mine over. After what seemed like forever and the cameras positioning around him for better angles, he stroked it up the hill and it went in the hole like a homesick gopher! I couldn’t believe it. He jumped up and down, his caddie went wild and his wife was cheering. After everybody had settled down, including me, I lined up my putt again. 6 feet and straight in, or was it? Maybe a bit of a break, hit it firm, allow it to break, don’t hit it too hard, etc., etc.. You can imagine that I was freaking out. Now I had the biggest putt of my life. Miss and I would be down to less than ½ of my starting money. I would have little or no chance of surviving the whole day without putting my money on the line a few times. When I stood over the putt, I went to grip the putter and realized I was shaking so much I didn’t want the TV camera to notice. So I leaned on my putter to relax my hands. I stood over the putt so long, I could hear my brothers (as they say when we play together) that the grass would grow an inch before I would hit. In this case, they would have been right. When I finally took the putter back and hit it square, it went right in the hole without a doubt. I gave it my best Tiger fist pump and said something. The truth is I was so amazed that I made it, I don’t remember what I said. But the cool thing is that every time they showed the WSOG on WGN, that putt is in the opening credits, including the fist pump.

So off we went to the next hole, with some money in my bank. I didn’t play the next hole while getting air and trying to settle the nerves. The player I was against kept pushing and kept making the shots. On Hole #4 I was 4th to hit. The first three players didn’t reach the green on the Par 3 180 yard hole over water. I decided early on that I was going to be aggressive on the Par 3’s in hopes of stealing some antes and maybe getting close on a few. This was my chance to step up, as they say. I played a rescue 4 and hit it 10 feet to the left of the flag safe and away from the water. I got high fives and was feeling good. The next and last player was the, at the time, weakest so far. You can guess what happens next. He put it 2 feet from the hole like a dart board with a big swooping hook off the water. I check, he goes all in, I fold and so much for picking up a few extra dollars. That is poker on the golf course in a nut shell.

Hole #6 was the next wild one. We had a guy who sliced the ball 30 yards on every shot. #6 is a par 5 on which all the players hit good tee shots. I hit a good 3 wood and was 80 yards out. The “slicer” hit his right down the middle, but back about 110 yards. The guy who won the 4th hole bombs a 3 wood just off the green. I have called a bet of $1,000 to this point. The bomber bets $3,000 and the slicer calls. The bomber is getting warmed up I deem and I fold. He is 10 yards off the green with a straight forward chip. The bomber goes first and lays 2 feet of sod over his chip advancing the ball about 5 feet. The slicer clearly nervous skulls a wedge about 2 feet off the ground and it ends up……..wait……..you guessed it, about 2 feet from the hole. The bomber checks and the slicer goes all in. The bomber folds and is left with 1/3rd of his money. As I learned throughout the match, the tide can always turn and the nerves were always present.

Now on Hole #9, the slicer is first to hit off the fairway and has bet ½ his money. He gets 3 callers. Me, and two others. He promptly sticks a slicing 5 iron 3 feet from the pin over a bunker and water on the right. #9 is a hard hole. 2 guys hit in the water and I am on the front left (protecting from hitting in the water) and fold when he goes all in. Prior to hitting that shot, I had to decide whether to go for broke or play it safe and hope he wouldn’t push all in. Well it didn’t work. Now I am down to less than $3,000 in money with the blinds at $900 for three more holes. I fold from the rough on #10, I fold from the fairway on #11 and #12. On #13 I am faced with going all in to stay in the event and moving on to day 2 or going home. I hit what I would like to think is my best drive of the day. Not because it was right in the middle and not because it was the longest one in the fairway, but because there was more on the line and I was scared to death. So hitting that shot at that moment was a victory in its own right. Me and two others played the hole with my all in bet from the fairway. The first two were short left. I was in the drivers seat. All I had to do was get it close and beat these two to keep going for a few more holes. Well, my shot sticks the flag from 110 yards, jumps once and rolls slowly over the edge of the green down into a swail behind the green. I am bummed and knew that I needed to have this one close. The other two chip up and bottom line we end up halving the hole, which gives me just enough to stay in the next hole. The rules are that each player must have enough money to equal the ante on the hole in order to keep playing. So I was all in on #14. The fairway is a dog leg left with approximately 230 to clear the desert and get within a 100 yards to the green. Hit it straight and you are left with over 160 yards to a small green. I hit my drive as bad as I possible could. I was in the desert stuck behind a twig or root, whatever. I was in a bad way and took as long as possible while another player found his ball out of bounds and played. He was all in as well. I knew I had to make a miracle shot so I punched a 9 iron up to the green and stood and waited for my 3rd shot. There were 4 guys in the hole. Me, the guy (bomber) who was all in as well and laying 3 with a penalty. The other two were on the green but both with long 30 foot or better putts. As we stand there, the first guy strokes it and almost makes the putt. I dodged one bullet and didn’t have a heart attack, although if that is what it feels like, I would not like to have one. Well the next guy hits the cup, the ball jumps what looked like a foot in the air and goes down to the bottom of the cup. GEEZ! Now I have to make a 60 foot chip to stay in the game. I run mine past the hole 2 feet, just missing the edge and pick up and congratulate the winner of the hole.

Mind you this whole day has taken 6 hours to play 14 holes in the desert. I am tired and thirsty. I cracked open a Miller Lite that I was saving for after the round. It was good and I was cooked. The pressure of the day had taken its toll. I was going home without having made my money back and not even making it to the 18th hole. No chance for the $300K. When I got back to the club house, there were many other golfers hanging around. Some had been eliminated on earlier holes. There was one who was all in on the first hole and lost. Story goes he snapped all of his clubs in half right there and then. There were more interviews after the round and lots of food and drink. The days festivities were well managed and it was a joy for all the played win or lose. The Full Tilt Poker and Mirage groups along with the World Series of Golf personnel went out of their way to make everybody feel great.

The good thing, I was able to get back to work earlier than planned. The bad thing, I am now hooked and have been working towards the goal of playing again next year. Step one; Save money. Step Two; Practice my golf. Step Three; Practice my poker. I cannot imagine doing anything that was more fun. Each shot and play was awesome to be part of. Having the chance to watch it unfold on TV was a great experience as well. I didn’t get a lot of air time, but our groups 1 hour portion included some of my interviews and of course the “putt”. For the moment, I was a winner. You can go to www.worldseriesofgolf.com for more information and check out the format. I would highly recommend this event to anyone who loves the two games of golf and poker like I do. See you next year!!!

Comedian Ray Romano looks over his next shot while the TV sticks the microphone in close for a isten.