How old are you and what's your occupation?
I am 29 years old. I am an architect (mostly commercial, i.e., hospitals, post offices, corporate headquarters, higher education, etc.)

When did you start playing golf and what's your handicap?
I currently play to an 18.5 handciap. As a point of reference, I was a 23.0 at the beginning of 2009, so I’m improving. I started playing in the summer of 2007 after a fiery accident while racing sprint cars. I figured out that golf was a lot cheaper to play than fixing a charred race car.

How often do you play?
I try to play 3 times a month with at least a range visit or two per week. With a one year old and a full-time job, it can be tough to find the time. I usually try to tee off before the sun rises to get back home with the rest of the day left.

Tell me about a great shot you've made.
Well, I don’t have a lot of experience under my belt so my ‘great’ shots are few and far between. Earlier this summer I was playing in a scramble at The Trophy Club in Lebanon, IN (just outside Indy) and we had a 196 yard, right-to-left, approach shot to a lower green with trees and a water hazard lining the left side. I played my 5-iron and hit the shot of my life; a perfect draw around the dogleg that landed 4 feet below the hole and rolled out to around 9 feet for an eagle putt.

What is your best golf memory?
To this point, it was getting to play in a Sunday night 9-hole league with my nephew in the summer of 2008. We were both terrible but we had a blast spending the time together.

What is your "home" course?
Saddlebrook Golf Club in Indianapolis, IN.

What ball do you play?
Srixon Z Star-X when I can afford them. Callaway HX Hot Bite otherwise.

Clubs?
Last year I decided that the 1989 Dunlops just weren’t going to help me improve. So, I hit everything in the showroom and became a big fan of Cleveland products. I chose ‘Tour’ irons because I like being able to feel when I hit a bad shot. This made for some frustrating rounds, but now my ball striking is better than ever and I’m having a blast. So, my bag looks like this: 2009 Cleveland Launcher 10.5° driver, 3W, and 3H; Cleveland CG7 Tour 4-PW; Cleveland CG14 50°, 56°, and 60°, Titleist Scotty Cameron Red X3. Oh, and of course a SkyCaddie SGX.

Favorite pro?
It’s always been Tiger. Before I became seriously interested in golf, I would watch on Sundays if Tiger was in contention. Now, after being more heavily involved, I have a few different favorites like Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, etc. But, until he retires, Tiger is still the man to me.

Favorite course you've played?
Crescent Pointe Golf Club in Bluffton, SC (just outside Hilton Head) designed by Arnold Palmer. The course is gorgeous and well-maintained.

Dream course you've yet to play?
I know most people pick a PGA venue for this, but for me it has always been Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis. Having raced cars for many years, I’ve always wanted to play the Brickyard during either Indy 500 or Brickyard 400 practice since 3 of the holes are actually inside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Best round ever- and what course?
My best round ever to this point was an 87 earlier this year at Saddlebrook Golf Club. Basically, I didn’t have any penalties and limited the number of shanks, flubs, duffs to a minimum. Unfortunatel,y I was playing by myself so no one believes me.

Give an example of a time your SkyCaddie saved you a stroke?
I was playing Eagle Creek Golf Club – Sycamore Course in Indianapolis (side note: it’s across from the Indianapolis Colts complex) and I came up on a little par 3 I’d never played. If you would have asked me I would’ve sworn up and down that the flag was no further than 90 yards away; it looked so close. My SGX told me that the pin was actually at 119. I played my 119 club even though I thought I’d fly the green and stuck it within 3 feet.

What is one aspect of your golf game you would like to improve on in the next year?
Well, it’s pretty easy to see just by looking at my ClubSG profile. I have three main problems. I need to hit more GIR, and chipping and putting need to improve.

Tell us a story.
One morning a couple years ago I headed to my home course to get in an early Saturday round. I was playing as a single so I ended up being paired with two other guys (they weren’t that thrilled about it) who were probably in their late 40’s. As the round wore on I had to constantly here from one of the guys, we’ll call him Hot Rod, how good he is, how far he can drive the ball, constant unsolicited advice on my swing, etc.

Quick background, while my scores aren’t that great, it’s usually because of my short game, not my driver. If I control my slice, I can put it out close to 300 yards off the tee after it rolls out.

So, we come to the 8th tee box and the SkyCaddie shows us that it’s 287 to the center of the green from where we stand (note: we can’t see the green because of a large mound about halfway down the fairway). I’m tired of hearing Hot Rod yap about how far he can hit a ball so I figured I’d go for the green off the tee. I’d been playing hybrid off the tee all day long so I could play from fairways as much as possible.

Hot Rod tees off first and, admittedly, hit it pretty hard. As it sailed behind the mound he exclaimed, “Bam, beat that f’ers I’m pin high!” (again, you can’t see the pin from where we are). His friend lays up off the tee and so now I’m up. I pull the driver and Hot Rod says to me, “Whoa, son, that’s a bit much club for you ain’t it?” I wasn’t thrilled but in my typical, self-deprecating fashion I just said, “Maybe, but I’ve got to try it some time”. I muscled up and smoked a shot on a similar line to his. Walking off the tee box, he commented that while my shot was decent, I was probably in the bunker 30 yards short of the green.

We get to the green and sure enough there’s a ball in the bunker and a ball 2 feet from the pin. Hot Rod goes crazy, I wish I was exaggerating. Dude starts hootin’ and hollerin’, “See, told you so! Pin f’ing high baby. Not too bad for old man, eh?? See, if you keep your head down and drive through the ball you could eventually hit it like that. I love showing up you kids who think you hit it sooooo far.” He then asks me to grab my driver and take a practice swing so he can show me what he’s talking about to gain power.

As you probably have guessed, I walk up to the ball on the green and sure enough, in big black letters, are the initials ‘LMC’… as in Landon Michael Chapman. Get this, upon hearing this Hot Rod starts cursing and telling me that he’s going to move his ball from the bunker to the green because his ball had to have been on the green and my ball probably landed on his, thus knocking it 25 yards backward into the bunker. So, he grabs his ball, asks me to mark mine, and places his ball at my mark. I was dumbfounded. It wasn’t worth arguing because I don’t know the guy, am not playing for anything, and could care less. But I’d never seen anything like it. His denial was beyond self-destructive.

The rest of the round was more of the same, but less egregious... I didn’t realize these type of people existed.

Thanks!

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