A Tale of Two Putts - On the par 5 ninth hole, after almost reaching the green in two...

...Adam announces "I am going to birdie this hole." We both hit great drives (as I recall I beat Adam by a foot or two). After his second shot he was feeling pretty good.

"Hmmmm. How bold." I think. "But a spit in the eye of the golf gods." I remind him of Proverbs 16:18.

Pictured above is his 3rd shot - an easy chip to the green.

Which failed to quite make it to the green.

In the meantime, I duffed my 2nd shot but striped the 165 yard third shot to inside 5 feet.

And here is the rest of the story - two birdie putts on the 9th green:

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Zwick The Elder out of jail on 9

Barely.

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Rick's 2nd shot on 6

That's my drive in the far distance

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Bob up the throat on 5

Short

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Adam misses his birdie putt on five four.

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Rick tees off on 4

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Out of the trap on 3

Barely

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Bob tees off on 3

I'm beating him by 3 strokes after 2

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Adam tees off on 2

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Live blogging Sharp Park

Bob and the Zwicker twins.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

SF Public Golf Alliance: Important "Save Sharp Park" Update

From my inbox this morning - noticed it prior to heading out for a round at Sharp Park - Some particularly good news and an apropos bit of advice - "Now head out to your favorite course and play 18!"

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	SF Public Golf Alliance: Important "Save Sharp Park" Update
Date:	Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:23:43 +1000
From:	Jeff Phillips <info@sfpublicgolf.com>

Dear San Francisco Public Golf Alliance Members,

We have cleared another hazard. San Francisco Recreation & Park Department on Friday published its Report on Sharp Park recommending that Sharp Park Golf Course be saved as an 18 hole facility. See the attached links for news coverage (SF Chronicle; KGO-ABC 7)

Your advocacy and support are making a difference! But the game is not over. We are on the third hole of a long round with this effort to Save Sharp Park.

The all-volunteer SF Public Golf Alliance has built support from a growing regional and national coalition of golfers, environmentalists, labor unions, community activists, working families, professional superintendents and golfers and political leaders to preserve affordable, eco-friendly golf.

The opponents are still growling. They will not rest and neither can we. Follow us on Facebook and tell your friends to sign up at sfpublicgolf.com. We will keep you up to date on developments as they happen and need your continued support and dedication to public golf.

Now head out to your favorite course and play 18!

San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, an All-Volunteer Coalition of Golf Supporters
Support the Alliance with a PayPal Donation Today
Become a Fan of the SF Public Golf Alliance on Facebook

P.S. Listen to the debate on Sharp Park on Monday at 10 a.m. on KQED's Forum. Call in and voice your support for public golf.

Back over the bridge and home

It was dark when I crossed the bridge this morning, and it was dark when I returned with my abalone limit this evening.

As I pulled into The City, I was assigned a stop to pick up dinner. In line at Taco Bell on Lombard, a reminder that Halloween is indeed The City's most important holiday.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Sunset - Pacific Highway

Heading home with 3 ab hitchhikers.

Will fill in later with additional posts since this mornings sunrise shot.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Après-dive

We lunch on fiendishly good sandwiches at Trinks in Gualala.

I am enjoying "The Russel" (Roast beef, roasted red bell peppers, red onion, mayo and horseradish cheese, served hot). I don't know how it got its name.

After lunch Doug finds the fiends in the kitchen responsible for the sandwich (yes it is Halloween).

A good day to dive

Doug said he wanted to dedicate this dive to Ms. Smith's Schneider Elementary School class in Farmer City, Illinois. They are learning about abalone and following his abalone diving exploits on video.

Conditions were calm and visibility good (~6ft) as Doug forecast.
Not perfect, but pretty darn close.

Gearing up on top of the bluff...

...and climbing down the hill.

It is about an hour past high tide and Doug looks for good entry points in the cove...

... however, he does not walk on water.

In the water...

...we quickly find abs.

We are experimenting with the underwater camera here - two shots of the same abalone hole - one with flash and one not. I think the one without the flash is better, as the flash just lights up the particles in the water. But I'll leave it up to Ms. Smith's class cohorts. I wonder - How many abalone can they count in these pictures? (the pictures can be expanded by clicking on them)

We soon limit out...

...and shoot some video clips of abalone diving in these conditions.

Doug on the beach with his catch.

The catch. Doug's are bigger than mine. As an ab diver, I suffer from premature extraction.

Après-dive.

For the benefit of the Ms. Smith's elementary school class -The kids should know that in this picture I am holding a bottle of an anti-inflammatory and nerve soothing medicinal tonic prescribed by a medical practitioner to treat PDSS (Post Dive Stress Syndrome).

Calm Cove

We decide to dive the point.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Sunrise - Bay Hill Road

Pretty spectacular. More pics later.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Rolling north

It was a dark and foggy morning on the Golden Gate Bridge...

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

This is the end...

... of the abalone season.

One month left.

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Re: This is the end...
Date:	Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:30:36 -0700
From:	MW
To:	Zach

Thanks Zach
I'm planning on coming back tomorrow night, but - depending on how I feel - might crash at your place and blow out early Sunday (avoiding the incoming Halloween traffic). I'm figuring this to be the dive when I finally get my trophy 10 inch abalone. Maybe three.

I'm sure we'll have some more shots in November. I'll keep Doug on watch, and tell him I need reports of good conditions even if he can't dive. You need to get your priorities right. BTW - Nice gavel work at the exchange.

Got a new phone (Palm Pre) but had to switch to Sprint Network. Not sure how it'll work up there, but will text on arrival.. - mw

---

Zach wrote:

No problem Mike. I can't make it...just got off two weeks on the road and getting ready to go on the road for another two weeks...everything should be where you left it! please let me know when you get there and start drinking my beer :)

--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

---

Rick wrote:

Mike,

Thanks for the invitation. I tried to rearrange my commitments for tomorrow, but was unsuccessful. Happy hunting and let me know if we are lucky enough to have another opportunity this year.

Rick

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

---

MW wrote:

Zach, Rick,

This is the end of the abalone season - in case you had not noticed. One month left.

Let's review the season, shall we? I have made three carefully planned attempts this year, all of which have met with less than ideal conditions and several washouts. Nevertheless, I have managed to get four abalone marked on my card this year (which I believe - puts me four ahead of your combined total).

For the last month of the season, I have a new idea. The"No Plan" plan. Instead of scheduling a dive in advanced based on tide tables, I've asked my reliable local source to inform me of ideal conditions, with the intent of dropping everything and heading up on a days notice. No sooner did I set this up, when I got my first notification. Ideal conditions are forecast for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday AM. What say you boys? I am up for a Friday drive (early or late) to target either late Friday or Saturday AM dive - or - a crack of dawn drive on Saturday morning for a mid-morning Saturday dive? - mw

The End
lyrics by Jim Morrison & The Doors

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end

Point Arena, California
Thursday	10/29/09	7:39AM	Sunrise
Thursday	10/29/09	8:53AM	5 feet	High Tide
Thursday	10/29/09	3:11PM	1.45 feet	Low Tide
Thursday	10/29/09	3:59PM	Moonrise
Thursday	10/29/09	6:17PM	Sunset
Thursday	10/29/09	9:07PM	4.29 feet	High Tide
Friday	10/30/09	2:54AM	1.36 feet	Low Tide
Friday	10/30/09	4:28AM	Moonset
Friday	10/30/09	7:40AM	Sunrise
Friday	10/30/09	9:18AM	5.36 feet	High Tide
Friday	10/30/09	3:50PM	0.9 feet	Low Tide
Friday	10/30/09	4:23PM	Moonrise
Friday	10/30/09	6:16PM	Sunset
Friday	10/30/09	9:59PM	4.43 feet	High Tide
Saturday	10/31/09	3:29AM	1.66 feet	Low Tide
Saturday	10/31/09	5:30AM	Moonset
Saturday	10/31/09	7:41AM	Sunrise
Saturday	10/31/09	9:44AM	5.72 feet	High Tide
Saturday	10/31/09	4:28PM	0.36 feet	Low Tide
Saturday	10/31/09	4:49PM	Moonrise
Saturday	10/31/09	6:15PM	Sunset
Saturday	10/31/09	11:48PM	4.54 feet	High Tide
Sunday	11/01/09	3:03AM	1.94 feet	Low Tide
Sunday	11/01/09	5:36AM	Moonset
Sunday	11/01/09	6:42AM	Sunrise
Sunday	11/01/09	9:12AM	6.05 feet	High Tide
Sunday	11/01/09	4:06PM	-0.14 feet	Low Tide
Sunday	11/01/09	4:19PM	Moonrise
Sunday	11/01/09	5:13PM	Sunset
Sunday	11/01/09	10:36PM	4.61 feet	High Tide

---

Doug wrote:

Hey Kids,

Tomorrow and Saturday will be very good dive days... Keep in touch, and enjoy!

Doug

19th hole

MW 103
RE 113

 But I got crushed on skins... Waiting for DH to provide final skins accounting.  Although Don left after 13, we divined he would have shot 92.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē