Ron Jumps to #1-- Insurmountable Lead???

With an apparent cancellation of play this Friday due to weather, the 1st month of this year's play is in the books. And with only 11 months left in the year, the 2009 Player of the Year may already be set. Ron's average score of 0.00 per round may be hard to beat. Ron is leading 2nd place Sam by 77.5 strokes per round. Even if Sam were to shoot 59s for the next 10 rounds, Ron would still lead by 62.08 strokes per round. Unbelievable!!! Hopefully before the year ends, TFF will be able to actually all play together. Hope to see you all next Friday. Don't forget the presentation of The Provisional Mulligan Cup next Friday night in Memphis. Bellow are stats and rankings for January:

1. Rounds played
1.Sam-3
2.LT-3
3.Karl-2
4.Mike-2
5.Ron-0

2.Average Score Per Round
1. Ron-- 0.00
2. Sam-- 77.5
3. Mike-- 80.5
4. LT-- 85.67
5. Karl-- 89

3. Birdies
1. Sam-4
2. LT-2
3. Mike-1
4. Ron-0
5. Karl-0

4. LT/Ron vs. Karl/Mike
No matches

5. Dinners Bought (total Cost)
1. Karl ( $17.73)

6. Shot's of the Year
1. Mike's sand shot #16 at Chickasaw-1" birdie putt
2. Lt's drive #8 at The Farms- 85 yards out on par 5

7. Putt of the Year
1.LT's #17 (29 feet) at Chickasaw-birdie
2.Sam's #9 (originally measured as 46 feet adjusted to 28.5 feet) at The Farms-birdie
3. LT's #3 (21 feet) at Decaterville-birdie

8.Club Toss ( in anger)
1. Karl - 36 yards #15 The Farms (8 iron )

9. Leaf Rule
1. LT

10.End of January rankings
1. Ron
2. Sam
3. LT
4. Karl
5. Mike

Sam Buys LT's Lunch

#16 at Chickasaw

In an otherwise uneventful day at The Bear Trace at Chickasaw, Sam in an unprecedented move, bought LT's lunch. Mike, Sam, and LT were the only members of TFF present. Mike had a 2 stroke lead over Sam at the turn with a 38 and seemed destined to move up in the rankings. LT had a respectful 42. Things continued well for Mike and on #13 he was only 82 yards out on the par 5 in 2. However a pulled L wedge into the woods for a lost ball 7 followed by a 12 foot birdie putt by Sam led to a 3 stroke swing. The match remained close, an when Mike missed an eagle by 1 inch from the green side trap on #16 (shot of the day at the time), he knew he would pick up at least 1 on Sam. However, Sam answered with a high pressured 12 foot birdie putt of his on(new shot of the day at the time). The match came down to the testy #17 par 3. Once again Mike had hope as his drive was just 30 feet from the pin and Sam had an apparent lost ball. Sam was able to find his ball, get up and down, and watched Mike melt under the pressure with a 3 putt. To make matters worse for Mike, LT had the official shot of the day, a 29 foot putt from off the green for a birdie. LT finished with an 83, Mike-79, and Sam-77. LT won $2 from Mike. Mike and LT had 1 birdie each, and Sam had 2 back 9 birdies for a 37. The guys then made the short trip to Bell's in Henderson to dine on the best hamburger in the state. That's when things got a little strange. According to Mike, for no apparent reason, Sam picked up LT's tab. Some have speculated that Sam is trying to move in on Ron (The Tongue), and form a partnership with the 2008 player of the year. TFF blog spot was able to catch up with Sam who made this statement: "I simply could tell when they brought the bill that LT didn't understand that he was supposed to pay. LT hasn't payed for his own lunch in months and was totally unaware that Karl was not there to pay for it."


In an unrelated event, TFF regrets to announce that due to financial problems, we have had to let Ashley go. Ashley has served as TFF's graphics expert, photographer, and editor since the inception of this blog spot. Ashley will be missed and we thank her for her month of service. In the future TFF will continue without any photos, videos, etc., unless someone knows a person willing to take over this job. (like Sam)

Conflicting Reports

The lucky hat at various Miami spots...

The fountain at the Biltmore

Golf course at the Biltmore.

Bush at the Biltmore.

Pool statue at the Biltmore

Eggs benedict at the Biltmore

Another spot at the Biltmore

Former TFF blog administrator

Front of Biltmore

Banyan tree in Coral Gables

Another shot from Coral Gables

Without a TFF reporter at this Friday's match, there have been a couple of conflicting reports as to exactly what happened. According to 2008 Player of the Year LT, "I dominated from start to finish. There is little doubt that I will move up in this week's rankings." However, Mike was also claiming victory:"I'm back and better than ever. I may have dropped a buck to LT but there's no way I could have dropped in the rankings." No truer statement could be made in regards to Mike's ranking, since he was currently ranked last. TFF will make every attempt to obtain reliable documentation of this week's match and report back asap. Meanwhile, TFF was able to catch up with Karl with a K in Miami where he agreed to an exclusive interview. According to Karl, his absence from this weeks match had nothing to do with reports of a Mike/Karl breakup. "Mike is still my partner. I'd hate to think what would happen to him if he didn't have me. We'll be back together soon." Asked if he had travelled to Fla. perhaps for a tuneup of his swing Karl laughed at the thought. " Do you remember the scene from "Happy Days" where The Fonz looks in the mirror and starts to comb his hair only to stop when he realizes that his hair is already perfect? Well that's the way it is with any pro that has ever looked at my swing: what could they change?" After a little more questing, Karl finally explained his trip to Miami. "I'm a little superstitious. I was looking for a lucky hat. I drove over to Dick's but nothing felt right so I drove to Nashville. Nothing. Then Atlanta. On to Orlando, still nothing .Finally, at The Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables Fla. I found it. 19 hours of driving was worth it . Never underestimate the value of a lucky hat."

Obama Requests Tee Time with TFF

Karl and Mike during happier days.

Absent from this Friday's match will be Karl with a K. He is taking a sabbatical from action until Mike apologizes for his behavior at the ping pong match last Friday. As of today, Karl and Mike have not spoken and rumors of a split up are rampant. It also appears that Karl is already negotiating with Sam for a possible partnership. In other news, in his first action as president, President Obama has requested a tee time with TFF. Although it is easier to join Augusta than to play with TFF, his request is being considered. It looks like from this video that he has the game to play with the boys.

LT and Ron Claim Ping Pong Victory!!!

It was cold outside, but nothing compared to the frigid partnership of Mike and Karl. Forced inside for ping pong, TFF missed their 1st day of golf of 09, so the rankings will remain the same as we go into week 4. After splitting some matches, Ron and LT came from behind to win the championship match. Fortunately for Karl and Mike, there was no lunch lost. After a good showing in his only appearance at the table a couple of weeks ago, there were high expectations of Mike. To say he didn't live up to the hype would be putting it mildly. After Ron scored 5 straight points on his serve to Mike, the match was all but over. With encouragement from his pardner(Karl kept reminding Mike of him losing 5 straight points to Ron), Mike never responded. Despite an afternoon of inspired play from Karl , Ron and LT went on to a 21-19 win. While LT and Ron were celebrating their victory, Mike and Karl went their separate ways. TFF caught up with Mike and asked him what happened to his return of Ron's serve."I know the basic rule of ping pong is to keep your eye on the ball. As hard as I tried to do this while Ron was serving, I couldn't take my eyes off his tongue. What he does with that tongue has got to be illegal." Ron has become known as "the Michael Jordan of ping pong". The nickname has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with his tongue. TFF contacted the USTTA(United States Table Tennis Association) about any rules that limit the actions of the tongue during a match. Rule 154 clearly states, "as long as the tongue does not contact the ball, it is free to be used for distraction purposes." LT, who has used his tongue to talk his way into countless victories, had this to say about his pardner: "I stand behind my pardner, and if your pardner wagged his tongue around like Ron, you'd be sure that you were standing behind him too!!!" Karl's concerns were focused on Mike. "All I can say is that I wasn't surprised(about Mike's poor play). Mike ate up all the talk about him being the next Forrest Gump, but when it came time to play, his game was definitely not like a box of chocolates because I knew exactly what he was going to do: choke!!" Meanwhile, Sam was a no show for the match as he was contemplating going to Highland Green for the free cart special. TFF Ping Pong Rankings 1. LT 2.Ron 3.Karl 4.Sam receiving votes but not enough to be ranked:Mike

The Michael Jordan of ping pong in action.

LT: "I stand behind my partner."

Mike with his friends. He was no Forrest Gump.

LT receives #1 ranking!

TFF to Compete in Ping Pong

Due to inclement weather conditions, TFF will compete tomorrow at the table. (the table tennis table). Hopefully, the weather will improve for next week's match. TFF was able to obtain some video clips of LT and Ron practicing for the match.

2008 Award Ceremony Set

LT in his "Godfather of Golf" days

The 2008 award ceremony has been set for Friday, February 6th at 6:30. It will be a formal dinner at Jim's Place East. The highlight will be the presentation of the player of the year award to LT. TFF is asking for your input in 2 ways. First, we need access to photographs. Due to cutbacks, TFF does not possess a digital camera. This picture of LT is from before he joined TFF when he was better known as "The Godfather of Golf." It is the only picture of LT that TFF has. Please bring your camera on Friday and,or email any good shots(especially of Ron in his w.t.)to: martha30@charter.net. Also, we need a name for the player of the year award a.s.a.p. Without any input TFF will name this award. At this time there are only 2 names being considered:

1. The Friday Fivesome Cup

2. The Provisional Mulligan Cup

This will be a trophy that the yearly winner will posses until the next year's award is presented, and will be engraved with the winner's name. It is looking good for golfing on Friday!! They have taking snow out of the forecast and temps could reach the mid-20s!!!!!!!!!!

week 2 rankings

1. SAM

2. LT

3. Karl

4. Ron

5. Mike

Despite the grin, being ranked 5th was no laughing matter to Mike, who has refused all attempts by TFF for an interview. His only comments during the Friday match that were picked up by TFF reporters both occurred on #3. After hitting another booming 175 yard drive, he yelled out, "That's as good as I can hit one!!!!!! Then, when asked by Karl if his drive was ok ,Mike responded with these word's of wisdom: " If you aren't in the crap, you're ok." TFF couldn't help notice some friction between pardners Mike and Karl. Mike refused to ride with Karl who was forced to ride with his nemesis LT. In other notes Karl, has retained legal representation from his son for an alleged blow to the head from the hand of LT on hole #6. TFF will keep you updated with any further developments.

"It was like riding a bicycle"

After walking off the 9th green ( which was the 18th today, TFF will explain later), Karl met with reporters briefly. There were tears in his eyes but for the first time in months,they were tears of joy." I couldn't even see the hole on any of my 3 putts."Karl had just defeated LT for the 1st time in , well nobody can remember when. When asked if he could remember what it felt like to win, Karl responded;"It was like riding a bicycle, even if you haven't done it for years, it comes back pretty quick. I can get used to this!!" Karl then left in a rush, refusing to sign any autographs.

Once again the golfers were blessed with beautiful weather when they arrived at The Tennessee River Golf Club in Decaturville. Unfortunately, for the 2nd week in a row, only Sam, LT, and Karl were able to make the trip. Ron (WT) once again elected to go duck hunting. He is scheduled to make his debut the first Friday in February. Mike was unable to play due too----Wait a minute, Mike actually was there, it was his golf game that didn't make the trip. Mike's day was highlighted with a par on the back 9. TFF would like to congratulate Mike on his par. Due to some frozen greens on the front 9 the group was forced to play the back 9 first. This evidently caused some confusion for LT, who actually thought he was playing the front 9. If you remember, LT gave Karl 2 strokes today , and after 9 holes Karl was up 6.Sam birdied #12. LT received a very generous leaf rule on #15 which proved to be huge as Karl and LT tied with 85s. This kept Karl from an outright victory. The shot of the day occurred on #17. After hitting his drive in the water, Sam took some frustrations out on the tee marker. He didn't get the marker up in the air very well but got a good roll for a 18.7 yard shot. Karl hit a nice 6.5 foot par put on 17 to pick up 1 on LT. Karl picked up one more on 18 as his 4 footer hung on the lip for what seemed like an eternity before falling in for par. LT didn't get his 1st par until #2 which was #11. He followed that up with his 1st birdie of the year, hitting a 21 foot putt. (putt of the day). This got LT down only 4. The match was pretty much over when LT's 48 foot putt on 8 for birdie lipped the cup and Karl hit a 9 footer for par. Karl coasted to victory with a double bogey on 9. After losing 6 balls last week, Karl had none. Mike lost 7 to LT. After buying LT's meal at Los Portales ( $10.28), Karl finally crawled out of the hole he had dug himself into to go all square. LT agreed to give Karl 1 stroke(2 if at SF) next time.

Sam 78

Mike 82

Karl 85

LT 85 (leaf rule aided)

There's more to TFF than just golf

When 5 men ride together for a couple of hours as we did today (well 4 today), many topics will obviously come up. LT mentioned having relatives from Ebenezer. Karl found himself singing, and or humming the song " O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" all day long. There was some discussion of what it means to raise my Ebenezer. TFF hopes that the following explanation will help:
What does “Here I raise my Ebenezer” mean in the familiar hymn?
The phrase, “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” is the beginning of the second verse of the familiar hymn, “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” This hymn, written by Robert Robinson in 1758, stresses the joy of Christianity and the Christian’s need to rely on the Lord. Robinson chose the phrase, “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” from 1 Samuel 7:12, because it reminds God’s people how He he delivered Israel from danger.
Chapters 4 through 7 of 1 Samuel describe a series of battles between the Israelites and the Philistines. In an attempt to defeat the Philistines, the Israelites took the ark of the covenant into battle as a sort of good luck charm. To their anguish, however, the Philistines captured the ark and took it back to their pagan temple. God then sent plagues upon the Philistines and caused the idol of their god Dagon to fall over on its face. Fearing God, the Philistines sent the ark back to the Israelites, but continued to fight. As they fought more battles, the prophet Samuel led the Israelites as their last judge. As prophet and judge, Samuel offered sacrifices to God, so that when the Philistines approached, God “thundered with a great thunder” (1 Samuel 7:10). In the confusion that followed, the Israelites soundly defeated the Philistines.
As a reminder of the great victory God gave to Israel, Samuel took a great stone and raised it as a memorial “between Mizpeh and Shen.” As he raised it he “called the name of it Ebenezer [or stone of help], saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12). Whenever the Israelites looked at the stone, they would remember how God had helped them. Unfortunately, the exact site of the stone is unknown today.
When we sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” we are poetically quoting Samuel, who raised the Ebenezer stone to remind the Israelites of God’s help for them in their time of trouble. The words fit well with the sentiment expressed in the hymn: “O Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me ever to adore Thee, May I still Thy goodness prove, While the hope of endless glory Fills my heart with joy and love. Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’ve come; And I hope by Thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home.” The words of the hymn remind us that God is truly the “fount of every blessing,” Who deserves our worship and our praise. Although the words, “Here I raise my Ebenezer” sound obscure to us, they do express the sincere attitude of gratitude we should have to God Who is our “help” in time of trouble.

Improve Your Game!

From time to time TFF will share tips that we think may improve your game. We've found that keeping the swing thought process as simple as possible is the best way to do this. We believe that if you follow the simple advice of professional golfer J. C. Anderson, and remember what he says each time you swing, you should see great advances in your game. Good luck!!!

LT wins despite poor play. Sam moves up to #1 in rankings!

The 2009 season is in full swing as TFF began play at The Farms. The sun was out and the temperature was in the 50's. There was a gentle zephyr, making for an excellent opening day of golf on the 2nd day of January. Present were Sam, LT, and Karl, (Mark and David, LT's friends also played). Karl had sent Mike to Fla. to work out a few kinks in his game before joining the group. Ron on the other hand, fearful of meeting up against Karl and his #1 preseason ranking, elected to go duck hunting. I have often wondered why anyone by choice would get up early to go out in freezing weather to kill a duck. What must go on in those duck blinds? After seeing a picture of Ron clothed only in his tighty whiteys, I'd rather not know! Karl clearly had the best drive off the 1st tee, and thus had the early lead in the shot of the year category. Karl chose a 9 wood to gently work his 2nd shot left to right around the dog-leg and laying up for an easy up and down birdie. However, during his downswing, the beast within decided to go for the green. He hit a beautiful shot easily clearing the majestic timbers and it was going straight for the green. His first thought was double eagle, but since it was a blind shot, he'd settle for eagle. When he got to the green and there was no ball, he knew it had to be a double eagle! However, evidently a 9 wood hit in the screws still doesn't travel 230 yards. He took a lost ball 6. LT had a 6 and the match was on. Karl hit 2 drives into the woods on #2 for his 2nd lost ball and the 1st mulligan of the year. Both LT and Karl played uninspired golf on the front 9. LT did hit the drive of the day (cart path aided). He was only 85 yards out on the par 5 #8. He managed to complete the next 85 yards in 4 shots, missing a 3.5 foot birdie putt. Sam hit the putt of the day (and year), a 46 foot downhill curler for birdie on #9.(1st birdie of the year) Lt and Karl both shot 46; so with the stroke, Karl's up 1 at the turn. Karl quickly went up 3 and his hope for an undefeated season was looking good. LT fought back to all square after 15, but hit wide right off the tee on #16. Karl smoked his drive to the filter and his 2nd shot was about 10 yards short of the green. LT was laying 3 in a similar position. Karl advanced his 3rd shot about 10 feet. The estimated throw of his 8 iron was 36 yards (leading distance for thrown club in 09.) All square with 2 to play. LT hit a tough 5 footer for 1 stroke lead going into #18. Both hit good drives. Karl hit next 2 shots in the water for an 8 and loses by 4 strokes. 6 lost balls for Karl who goes 3 down to LT. We dined at Arby's ($7.45 meal). Karl down 2 to LT. LT agrees to 2 strokes next time (3 if we play at Shiloh Falls). LT shoots 89, Karl 93, Sam ?? New rankings:
1. Sam
2. LT
3. Ron
4. Mike
5. Karl

Undefeated Season???

Watch out 1972 Miami Dolphins! Move over 1976 Indiana Hoosiers basketball team ! There's talk of another undefeated season this year. TFF interviewed Karl moments before he teed it up for the 2009 season opener at The Farms. Karl spoke not only of revenge for the 2008 season, but even mentioned the possibilty of running the table in 2009. Karl was quoted as saying; "I've got the game, and with my new sports psychologist I've got the mental toughness to do this. But to go undefeated is never easy, and remember, I have to carry Mike on a weekly basis. However, today should be a breeze, no Mike, no Ron, just me and LT head to head. I haven't slept well since dropping our last match at Chickasaw. I was 3 up with 2 to play. But that was last year and I've put that behind me. Besides, LT's giving me a stroke today. I owe him 2 lunches, a win today could set the tone for the 2009 season. Have you seen the 2009 preseason rankings? The experts must see something in my game. I'm not rated #1 for nothing!"

2009 Preseason Rankings Released

1. Karl

2. Sam

3. LT

4. Ron

5. MIKE

2008 Player Of The Year Announced

The editor of TFF is pleased to announce that the 2008 Player Of The Year Award goes to LT!!! After a few lessons early in the year, LT increased his driving distance by an average of 132.6 yards during the 2008 season and was the unanimous choice for Player Of The Year. Please note that this award does not necessarily go to the player who averages the lowest score, but to the player who has played the best with his handicap (s), and believe me, there are alot of handicaps to consider. Congratulations to LT!!!

The Friday Fivesome

My name is Karl,(that's Karl with a K). The purpose of this blog is twofold. First, my new sport's psychologist suggested that perhaps if I expressed myself in writing, it would help exorcise some of the demons that possess my golf game. Second, to record the events that occur on Friday's with my regular fivesome as we golf throughout 2009. Because of our ages, we can't remember what happened last week, so this blog will serve as a reminder of scores, wagers, strokes to be given, etc. It will also record outstanding shots, putts, club tosses, as well as keep up with Player of the Year standings. The members of my group include Sam, Mike, LT, and Ron. No one knows how many years we've been playing together on Fridays, or how Ron and LT became a team and Mike and I became the other team. The best I can remember, no one wanted Mike so I got stuck with him. Sam is The Lone Ranger, choosing to go it alone. We play real golf, better known as LT rules. I'll explain how we compete against each other on a weekly basis. Best of luck to all members of The Friday Fivesome (TFF) as they compete for the coveted 2009 Player Of The Year award. By the way, we need a name for this award; any suggestions????