Greetings Links Lovers!

After being away for approx. 10 weeks, I am back! 

First of all I wish to say "THANKS" to those of you who have sent your support during my stay in the hospital and recovery phase.  (FYI.... I have what is know as Chronic Obstructive Asthma)  But I have to share with you my recovery vacation!

In need of a dry warm climate. my German medical provide sent me to Lago di Gardi, Italy for 2 weeks.   (My wife and family joined me for a third week.) Lake Gardi is 30 miles west of Verona. Beautiful!

Now what is a man to do for  2 weeks with no family around?  Play golf of course!  And that is just what I did! 

But first let me back up a bit.  While I was in the hospital, I found a website that offered golf drills.  The drills are broken down by each phase of the game...swing, chipping, pitching, putting.    (http://www.purepointgolf.com) I have learned so much at this site!

So, here I am in Italy with 4 golf courses all within a 45 minute drive.  

I spent most of my afternoons at Gardagolf Country Club.   Here is a description of the course.....from www.golffriend.com

18 holes, mt. 6.505, Par 72;
Gardagolf was inaugurated in 1986 and it is by now acknowledged as one of the best golf courses created over the last 15 years. It stretches over a surface of 110 hectares according to the project of the English architects Cotton, Penninck Steel & Partners. The 27-hole golf course winds between Manerba fort, Soiano castle and Valtenesi hills and offers wonderful panoramic views. The whole area is covered by cypress and olive trees, centuries-old oaks, cluster pines and holm oaks. The course is characterized by wide and well-kept fairways winding between gentle hills and sheets of transparent water. Gardagolf is a demanding course, meeting the requirements of any player, even of the most exacting one.

Here I worked on my drills and played a few 9 hole rounds.  Nothing special, but I was slowly seeing an improvement in my game.  Never have I spent SO much time on the driving range with a real plan in mind!

When I left Italy I was feeling great physically and even better about my game!

So, those of you looking for a GREAT place to relax, rest, recover and play some golf, I highly suggest you look at Lake Garda!  

Upon my arrival home, I have gone off twice to another course I found in the Czech Republic. 

Next week, I start back to my job, so my time on the links are slowly winding down.  Not to add that fall is in full swing here in Baveria!  

So again, THANKS! for your support and remember.....SAND TRAPS AHEAD! 

This is not a golf topic, but please bare with me for a moment. It may give you peace of mind.

Normally I would not write a blog stating that I have updated my profile.  That would be rather tasteless. 

However, I have and let me explain why I am writing about it.

As soon as you open my profile, an alarm will go off and in the upper left corner you WILL see the ProjectSafeKids box. 

ProjectSafeKids is the same as the AMBER ALERT (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response). 

To learn more go to.....http://codeamber.org/

Whyhave I added this to my profile? Simple, I spent my Army career in law enforcement and in criminal investigations.  Had this resource been available earlier in time, just think of all the children we would have been able to save and recover.   Those of us who have young children should also register our young love ones with the local police department.  Anything to have peace of mind.

Tell me what you think.

CONGRATS!!!

Let me be the first to say "Congrats" to KEONI (aka Troy) and his wife Jen for the birth of their son!  Today, 15 June 2007 at 12:10 pm Landon Kaimana'onalani was born!    (KEONI is from Hawaii if you are scratching your head about the name).  Weighing at 6.5 lbs. 

Thats all I am able to report, since I was notified by a text message on my cell-phone.

So again, Jen and Troy ALL the best!

Sleep Well!

For the past three months, my wife and I have been fostering a baby girl.  She was a new born when she came into our home, just 5 day old! 

As of yesterday, the courts have given us total and full custody of her!  Now our family is complete with a son and a daughter! 

So will this stop me from being on the links.....not by a long shot, "mamma" says that it will be a stress break for me.  What a wife!

What....another changing is calling me!

18 REASONS WHY GOLF IS BETTER THAN SEX

Ok, so I stole the this list....but I like!

18- You don't have to sneak your golf magazines into the house.

17 - If you are having trouble with golf, it is perfectly acceptable to pay a professional to show you how to improve your technique.

16 - The Ten Commandments don't say anything about golf.

15 - If your partner takes pictures or videotapes of you golfing, you don't have to worry about them showing up on the Internet when you become famous.

14 - Your golf partner won't keep asking questions about other partners you've golfed with.

13 - It's perfectly respectable to golf with a total stranger.

12 - When you see a really good golfer, you don't have to feel guilty about imagining the two of you golfing together.

11 - If your regular golf partner isn't available, he/she won't object if you golf with someone else.

10 - Nobody will ever tell you that you will go blind if you golf by yourself.

9 - When dealing with a golf pro, you never have to wonder if they are really an undercover cop.

8 - You don't have to go to a sleazy shop in a seedy neighborhood to buy golf stuff.

7 - You can have a golf calendar on your wall at the office, tell golf jokes and invite coworkers to golf with you without getting sued for harassment.

6 - There is no such thing as a golf transmitted disease.

5 - If you want to watch golf on television, you don't have to subscribe to a premium cable channel.

4 - Nobody expects you to promise to golf with just one partner for the rest of your life.

3 - Nobody expects you to give up golfing if your partner loses interest in the game.

2 - You don't have to be a newlywed to plan a vacation primarily for the enjoyment of golf.

1 - Your golf partner will never say, "What? We just golfed last week! Is that all you ever think about?"

Yes it is me again! 

While playing with Google Earth today I started setting "Placemarks" at my golf course--Golf and Landclub Königstein.   I placed them on all the Men's Tee Boxes and on the Greens.

As I was in the process of posting them on Google Earth, I discovered that there is someone (am being PC here)who has listed over 3000 golf courses here in Europe.  I dropped him an email and offered to do all the placemarks on the courses I play this year, than have her/him place them on Google Earth.

But in the mean time....if you are interested in seeing how the course is laid out plus ALL the sand traps I land in, let me know and I will email you the Google Earth KMZ file so you may add it to your Google Earth.

Maybe I will have to change my name again!

Remember when I first joined 19th Hole, I was known as Ichabod. I had to change it because of all the messages asking me what an Ichabod is. (For those of you who do not know, it is the nickname for Washburn Univ. in Topeka, Kansas where I attended.)

So I had Jim change it for me to something I on every round I've played.

No longer! Today, I missed every sand trap! Matter of fact, I hit, bounced over the trap, hit the upper lip which propelled the ball within 4 feet of the pin! YES, the golf gods took pity upon me! On the downside....they failed to look at my playing partner!

For the time being, I think I will hold off on another name change. One round is not enough!

As I was playing on the web this evening and Google Earth, I came upon an interesting web site.  Now, you may know of this site already, but I find it amazing what we can do with technology.

So without further delay check out ..... http://www.eyespygolf.com/

FYI.....Ihave NOTHING to do with this site. I just found it and wanted to share it.  

---Thanks for your comments on my first blog! ---

Have you ever had a day (or a weekend for that matter) where you plan to do this, this and this. Than when the day is done, you did nothing at all! So was my past weekend. The only thing I did was have brunch with my family and Keoni's family on Sunday. Where did the whole weekend go and for that matter, what did I spend my money on?

The weather here in Germany is not in the norm! Norm for this time of the year is rainy, cold and than some more rain. Blame in on global warming if you like as we are enjoying a heat wave in the mid to upper 70°s, sun shine and dry greens. Plus a 4 day work week, what more can a man ask for? I know....a tee time for Saturday morning! Luck is with me as I have my tee time at 7:00am.

Wonder that will come-up this Saturday to mess my plans???

So PLEASE bear with me and it.

As you have read my bio, (you have read it, correct?) than you know that I live across the pond in Germany.   

Golf here is different than back in the USA.  Back home, anyone and everyone plays.  But that is not the case here.  In most European countries, golf is still a "social class" game.   If you are not part of that social structure, than the attitude is "What are you doing here?"  

NO! I am not part of that group, so forget that notion! 

So you ask, how is it that I play?  For some unknown reason to me, the USA military players are excepted.  In fact, at some courses that I have played at, they give the Americans a discount!    Go figure!  

So, I play with my GI friends, Keoni and DaveWells3149, both whom I invited to 19th Hole.  Plus, least I forget Brian J. (not a member AS OF YET-but I am working on it). 

I will TRY and give you the real "scoop" on Keoni and DW3149, as we play the courses of Germany!  Know this, those two are "one of a kind!"  

More later!