Bump&Run: 7/11/22
It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for, when the golf world returns to its roots. Dive in for an Open Championship pool and a backstage pass to St Andrews, plus a NorCal BTS meetup and much more.
Bump&Run is the weekly recap of our members-only Discord server. Haven’t joined our server yet? Do so here: glfrsj.nl/BTSconnect
a punter's chance
What’s better than an Open at St Andrews? An Open at St Andrews in which you’ve got a little (complimentary) rooting interest.
Join our free BTS Open Championship pool, pick your team and tiebreaker, and compete for your chance to win $150, $100, or $50 to the TGJ online store.
destination dive: st andrews
Oftentimes, you can have too much of a good thing… unless that thing is St Andrews content during Open week.
Last Tuesday, three St Andrews experts ascended to the virtual BTS Main Stage for an hourlong discussion on the ins, outs, humps, and hollows of The Old Course–plus everything else that makes St Andrews special.
Our Broken Tee Society panel included Ian Birrell, a St Andrews native now teaching golf and skiing in California (and holder of the title of youngest St Andrews club champion); Malcolm Bracewell, an Edinburgh-based chemistry teacher with a degree in Scotland’s golf offerings (and an abiding love for his home course of Brora); and our own author emeritus Tom Coyne.
Tired of the same old Open Championship preview? We’ve got you covered.
And if you’ve missed any of our previous recordings, you can subscribe to the BTS podcast here
the king in the north
Alister MacKenzie’s Bay Area bona fides are unimpeachable. From the divine (Cypress Point) to the sublime (Pasatiempo), the Good Doctor put an enduring stamp on the area’s golf offerings.
But in addition to those all-timers, MacKenzie took a trip into the woods to route a lesser-known layout that has nevertheless captured many a golfing imagination. Welcome to Northwood.
Ready to test your tightrope skills against these ancient aerial hazards? Join the Northwood GC BTS Meetup on Friday, August 5th!
BTS Bay Area Vice Captain Andy Tupman is organizing the event, and signups can be found below. Only 20 spots available, so act fast.
Sign up here
View Andy’s Discord event announcement in the Bay Area channel
bts irl
If you’re reading this, we’re betting you’re the type to schedule the work week around a few twilight nines or a sunrise 18. So while you’re on the course, grab a few keepers for the BTS-IRL channel, so that those of us in the office can live vicariously.
A sampling of last week’s adventures:
Speaking of Northwood, BTS member Jeff Lamb (L) and member/contributor Richard Johnson (R) met via random pairing there last Wednesday!
Wes Zondagh, Brendon Thomas, and Mark Warman displaying their deep-seated trust issues
Jake Breymaier flags one during the hickory loop at last weekend’s Sand Valley event
punch shots
A few of the past week’s finest offerings from around the server:
- Scotland’s gifts: Ian Birrell’s handpicked selection of the best courses to get a game within 20 minutes of The Old Course
- PNW picks: Whether he is or who he says he is or not, @NotJustinKaiser offered a killer collection of PNW golf courses for any BTS Member to visit while in the area.
- DJ sighting: DMV Vice Captain Carlos Marroquin touched down in Scotland, then snagged a selfie with two-time major champion and LIV MVP Dustin Johnson.
- The putting chronicles continue: Colby Creger is putting real work into his quest to fix IlliniGolferHack’s putting. After an exploratory questionnaire, the grind will begin in earnest. Here’s to more holed putts and fewer 3-jacks. Sorry, kids!
