The People’s Pebble (Rocky Point) is the only golf course on the water on the western shore of Maryland. It’s a public track, incredibly fun to play, and was chosen as the site for the first round of the Crabcake Cup. The Cup is a season long match play event from the “Hamsterdam” Golf Club pitting 22 players against each other in a monthly series at different courses throughout Maryland. The top 6 players in terms of points earned will “play-off” for the club’s championship in October.
Hamsterdam you ask? The club’s name is taken from the HBO series - The Wire. In season 3, episode 4, the fictionalized Baltimore Police Department creates an autonomous zone, nicknamed “Hamsterdam”. Because Baltimore generally gets no respect nationally, being stuck between D.C. and Philadelphia, some golf junkies in the area created the Hamsterdam Golf Club as an alternative to the D.C. based Capitol Golf Club and the Philadelphia based Electric Phactory “roosts” that are officially recognized in the No Laying Up club structure. Although I’m playing in events sponsored by Capitol and Electric Phactory, being a Bel Air, MD boy, your Hack has a greater affinity for Hamsterdam and is hoping for an official succession from D.C. in the next year.
Rocky Point was chosen as the course for the March match play events and I was paired against ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg. KVV, as he is known, shot his career round at Rocky Point in 2019 and it was captured on “Strapped (Baltimore)” a video series from No Laying Up. Here is the episode (24 minutes) for anyone that wants to watch.
There were 6 matches on the course on Sunday, but we didn’t tee off until 1:50PM. The wind was building all day and was blowing hard by the time we teed off. We were playing with Jelley (who regular readers might remember from my Queenstown meetup post) and Connor, who were playing their own match. Jelley works for John’s Hopkins and Connor is in commercial real estate and has a new baby. They are both impossibly young. Jelley was giving up 9 shots in his match and had recently changed his wedge setups. Needless to say, giving up 9 shots in an 18 hole match can be unsettling, especially with some new wedges. I was only giving KVV 1 a side.
During my warmup, I got a message from KVV that his ETA was right at our tee time and he’d meet us on the tee. He wasn’t too far off as he pulled into the parking lot at 1:47PM and hustled to the first. After introductions (remember I’ve never met him before), he told us he’s played Blue Mash in the morning which is basically on the other side of the state. Yes, he is a golf sicko. We were all walking and Connor had paid his greens fee, so we planted pegs and headed out.
I made a “comfy” 5 on #1 and was one up as KVV struggled with chipping. The struggle continued on #2, but he was getting a shot and the hole was halved. Your Hack made an ugly double on #3 after a poor drive, a shank into the trees on the right and a forced chip out - all square. I was able to retake a 1 up lead with a par on #5 and hold it was another par on #6 as KVV’s chipping woes continued.
After giving the lead away on the next hole with a chunked 7 iron into the pond fronting the green, KVV made par on #8 to go 1 up. Heading back to the club house on #9, I drove it into the fairway and hung my approach into the right greenside bunker. After failing to get up and down, KVV rewarded my incompetence by chunking a chip onto the green and then 3 putting for a double. We were all square going to the back nine. A pillow fight was on full display as I shot 44 (9 over) and KVV shot 45 on the front. The good news - You Hack had exactly zero 3-putts!
Jelley was hitting his driver well, but having trouble with his irons and not putting to his normally high standards. By high standards I mean blowing a putt 6-8 feet past the pin and making the comebacker. He’s usually deadly from that range. Giving Connor 5 shots on the front side, including one shot on each of the first three holes, he was 1 or 2 down at the turn. To be honest, I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the other match. It was getting colder and windier as the day went on and I was having trouble finding the clubface.
The pillow fight continued on #10 as I won the hole with a bogey to move to the 11th tee 1 up. 11 is a cool par 3 hitting to the water, similar to #13 at Cripple Creek. I flighted a wedge just over the flag to about 4 1/2 feet, while KVV left his shot short of the green. Despite have issues with the short shots all day, he pitched a wedge to kick-in range for a conceded par. Your Hack’s birdie putt didn’t touch the hole - missed opportunity for sure.
Pars on the next two holes put me 2 up, but I doubled the par 3 14th. A par on the 15th got me back to 2 up with only 3 to go. The wind was so bad on by now that I hit a flush 6 iron to the green on #15 over water and uphill from 130 yards! KVV’s 3rd came up short and he made bogey.
As your Hack often does, I snapped hooked a 3 wood into the pond short left of the green on the par 5 16th hole. KVV made a solid par (should have been birdie) and I was now 1 up going into 17 where I had to give up a stroke. Both of us made bogey, so the match was back to all square going into the final hole. Meanwhile, Jelley had fought his way back and was 1 up on Connor going into the last.
#18 is a 400 yard par 4, uphill and into the wind. KVV hit a solid drive into the fairway while mine bled a little right but was inside of the tree line. Connor hit a solid drive, but Jelly’s was the definition of the big right miss. KVV’s approach hit the front of the green (pin was middle). Admittedly, I was little frustrated after losing the last 2 holes and blowing a 2 up lead. With my opponent on the green in regulation, I figured I had to hit it close to give myself a birdie putt and a chance to win the match. The frustration grew as I clipped a tree with my 9 iron and the ball fell short. I chipped it about 12 feet past the hole and prayed.
Connor hit a solid approach and Jelley was blocked out. A clipped tree and then a shot over the green left Connor with the hole and a halved match. KVV’s first putt was woefully short and I stepped into my par attempt from 12 feet above the hole. The wind gusted so hard that I had to back away twice before blasting the putt a good 10 feet past the hole. I was still away and feeling like I’d blown the day. Somehow, my putt went in for a bogey 5 and KVV missed his par putt. Our wind blown pillow fight ended with the match all square. One half point for each and on to the next month at Diamond Ridge.
I had a long drive back to the beach from Baltimore and a lot of time to reflect on the weekend. Although both days - Glen Mills and Rocky Point - were a lot of fun, your Hack has a long way to go with competitive golf. I can wheel it around Cripple Creek, but I haven’t been solid at all in these first two outings. Shooting in the high 80’s isn’t going to cut it. Lot’s of things to work on this Spring.
Thanks again for following along. Next up is the DSGA’s Spring Classic in April at King’s Creek and Rehoboth Golf & Country Club. I’m partnering with Steve Dewey for this 2 day Better Ball event.
Keep it in the short grass.