Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
07/26/2010 - San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS AND STATS: Course Architect: Keith Foster (1992-94). Year Opened: 1994. Location: San Antonio, Texas. Slope: 128. Rating: 72.4. Par: 71. Yardage: 6,740.
Hole-by-Hole:
1 - Par 4 388 Yds 10 - Par 4 474 Yds
2 - Par 4 453 Yds 11 - Par 4 370 Yds
3 - Par 3 168 Yds 12 - Par 3 205 Yds
4 - Par 4 325 Yds 13 - Par 4 362 Yds
5 - Par 5 544 Yds 14 - Par 4 442 Yds
6 - Par 4 383 Yds 15 - Par 5 528 Yds
7 - Par 4 399 Yds 16 - Par 3 242 Yds
8 - Par 8 158 Yds 17 - Par 4 386 Yds
9 - Par 4 349 Yds 18 - Par 5 564 Yds
Par 35 3,167 Yds Par 36 3,573 Yds
Awards Won: Four stars by Golf Digest - Best Places to Play (2007-10), Ranked 13th by GolfWeek - Best Courses by State [Texas] (2010), Top 100 Women Friendly Courses in US - Golf for Women (1998-99).
Course Record: 64 (PGA Tour player, J.L. Lewis)
Website: www.quarrygolf.com.
HISTORY: Operating as a limestone quarry pit and cement plant for almost 100 years, The Quarry Golf Club emerged from the ideas of well-known San Antonio golf enthusiast Jack Parker. It's the typical success story. "You'll never build a golf course out of that pit," the skeptics bellowed.
Less than 10 years after the plant closed, Keith Foster was brought in to carve out a golf course. Foster, who previously worked with the Arthur Hills design group, went out on his own just a short time before starting his work on The Quarry in 1992.
Known for his renovation and restoration work at Baltimore Country Club at Five Farms, Colonial Country Club and Southern Hills, one of Foster's first original designs was The Quarry, which features a links-style front nine, with many water hazards and a back-nine chiseled inside the old abandoned 86-acre rock quarry.
Rated as a must-play by many, The Quarry has been ranked as one of the top courses in the state of Texas since its inception.
REVIEW: The opening hole at The Quarry is a downhill, dogleg-right par four of just 388 yards. The key here is hitting the fairway, as the landing area runs out, so three-metal or long iron might be the play. The green sits well below your feet, so adjust your approach accordingly. Water guards the entire right side of the putting surface, leaving little room for error. Bail out left and you'll end up in a much-used bunker. Hey, it's better than losing a ball.
Sitting alongside the train tracks, the second is one of the longest par fours on the course, stretching 453 yards. The fairway is very accessible, as long as you bypass the 45-yard bunker down the right. A medium- to long-iron awaits to the longest green on the front nine. Chipping areas surround most of the putting surface. Avoid missing long and left and you'll survive the hole they call "Rails."
The third hole is the first par three on the course and it's a beauty. From the back markers it's just 168 yards, but water covers the left side and the green slopes toward the trouble. To make matters worse, the wind blows from the right, so you'll need to be spot on. A word of caution: a pair of bunkers guard the right and they're quite nasty.
Talk about risk-reward, the fourth is just that. A short par four of only 325 yards, it certainly is possible. The risk is water down the entire right side from tee to green. The reward, of course, is reaching the putting surface and having a shot at eagle. For most normal players, an iron or fairway metal off the tee to a very wide fairway will leave just a wedge to a long and narrow putting surface. The two-tiered green can be tricky, especially when the pin is back-right.
As its name indicates, the fifth is a "Watery Grave." A dogleg-left par five, your opening tee shot must be placed onto a peninsula-of-sorts fairway that is mostly surrounded by water. Your second shot, to the bridge-ajoined fairway, should be relatively stress-free as the landing area is bunker-free, but raised. For those who go for the green in two, the fairway tightens as you get closer to the wide, but narrow, putting surface. Two bunkers front the elevated promised land to even the score. A back-right pin can make this easy hole a real bear.
One of eight par fours under 400 yards long, the sixth is a straightaway hole that features a 60-yard bunker down the left side of the fairway. Shape your tee shot at the church steeple and you'll be left with a short-iron to a green that slopes from right to left. Two bunkers guard the putting surface, but this is a definite birdie hole.
A fairly benign hole, the seventh is a relatively straight par four, with just one bunker down the right side. The key here is the approach shot to a minuscule green that's just 27 paces deep. No sand guarding it, but any shot short will kick left away from the putting surface.
Another glorious par three, the eighth is only 158 yards, but water and wind can and will dictate your play. The shot towards the wide and undulating green is a complete carry over water and sand. Being greedy here will only hurt in the long run, so play to the middle of the green and who knows, maybe the flat stick will save you. If the pin is back and to the right, play a second ball for fun and go for it.
The closing hole on the outward nine is a gem of a par four. Stretching just 349 yards from the tips, you'll need to bust a drive to clear the ditch that splits the fairway in two. Although it's just a 200-yard carry, it plays uphill from tee to green, so give it a rip. Favor the right side, as the landing area tilts hard to the left. Just a wedge will remain to a highly- elevated putting surface that's just 27 paces long and very narrow. The two- tiered green slopes hard from back to front, so try and stay below the hole and, by the way, avoid the left greenside bunker. Other than that, piece of cake.
The course really starts to heat up when you reach the Quarry nine. No. 10 is the longest par four on the course at 474 yards. Not only that, it plays uphill, so make sure you add a club or two. The fairway is quite generous and filled with rolling contours throughout. Miss right of the cart path and you'll have little chance of finding your ball. Your approach to the elevated green is quite deceiving, so make sure you take enough stick. Chipping areas front and right can make for a difficult up and down.
In contrast, the 11th plays downhill towards the green and is just 370 yards in length. The left fairway bunker sees plenty of action, as most players bail out due to the sharp fall off on the right. Yours truly can attest to that. A big drive can set up a simple short-iron to a green that runs from left to right with a ridge separating the front and back. A pin position in the back and right will bring more chipping areas into play.
The third sensational par three on the course, the 12th, stretches 205 yards from the tips and is all carry over marsh and water to the green. A nice draw from right to left is the play here, as it takes the water out of play, but be careful, as the green slopes towards sand and water left. The putting surface is minimal at just 29 paces with plenty of contour. Any play short will roll back down away from the green. Aptly named "Alcatraz," you'll need to escape with par.
Water continues to be the dominant trait on the back nine as you reach the 13th. This sharp dogleg-left hole features a full carry over the lake that covers the entire left side of the hole. Although these holes sit down in the quarry, the wind really affects No. 13 in particular. A sweeping draw fits the eye from the tee, as this will set up a simple wedge to the smallest green on the course at just 24 paces in depth. Fronted by a deep bunker, a back-left pin will only be partially in view, so trust your game and go for it.
The most difficult hole on the back nine is the long par four 14th. Named "Stacks" for its aiming point, this brute is 442 yards in length and plays gently uphill. Limestone outcroppings dot the rough, but the fairway is wide and accommodating. Even with a big tee ball, you'll have a medium- to long- iron to the elevated green. Putts move sharply on this small and undulating putting surface, so play enough break or a three-putt could be in the cards.
A really good chance of getting a stroke back comes in the form of the par- five 15th. Just 528 yards, the tee shot plays downhill towards the generous fairway. Although it tightens at the 300-yard mark, most players should have plenty of room. Give it a lash from the fairway if you have the stones, but you'll need to avoid the bunker that fronts the green. Not a bad spot to be in if you have a quality sand game. Just 25 paces in depth, the putting surface is wide but shallow, so your approach must be spot on. Now's the time to make birdie, since the final three holes yield very few.
Sixteen is the most difficult of the four par threes at The Quarry. It's a robust 242 yards from the tips and uphill all the way. When was the last time you hit driver on a par three? Can you say never? Well, there's a first time for everything. The elevated green sits atop a hill, with all putts breaking toward the tee box. Not a good combination, especially if you miss short.
One of the prettiest, yet intimidating holes on the course, No. 17 is called "Reload." For a golfer, that's not a word you want to hear, but it happens quite often. Yes, if you must ask, I hit two. With the quarry wall to your right, you tee off from the highest point on the course, with a panoramic view of the entire quarry. From the back tee, it plays as a dogleg-left with what seems like a sliver of fairway in the distance. The landing area does run out at the 300-yard mark, so three-metal is probably the smart play, as the cart path splits the fairway. A short-iron should remain to the longest green on the course and one of the most slick. With the flag back-left, you'll need an extra club or two and be careful to avoid the bunker duo on the left.
Although not the most difficult hole on the course, the 18th requires strategy, not something usually associated with a par five. The reason is because the downhill fairway tightens dramatically at the 280-yard mark, not to mention the rock wall boundary on the right and rough and rocks left. Your second shot is played uphill to a landing area that sits 100 yards from the elevated green. Remember to adjust accordingly to attack the pin. The putting surface is long with several levels, so take enough club for the back-left pin.
FINAL WORD: Located just minutes from the airport and downtown San Antonio, The Quarry Golf Club is a blast (no pun intended) to play.
The front nine is virtually devoid of trees and it winds around several water hazards. Starting with the opening hole, they come into play on five of the outward nine.
When The Quarry was originally built there was very little, if any, housing or commercial areas. Now, of course, it's a different story, as a strip mall runs down the left side of the first hole, taking away a little bit of the ambience.
Although the front nine plays quite shorter than the back, it's still a test, specifically when the wind is up and you need to hit your approach over water, like on the first and third holes.
Pick the right set of tee markers, because when you reach the back nine, you'll be hard-pressed to match your front-nine score.
The inward holes at The Quarry are really the most interesting, especially Nos. 12 and 13 and 16 through 18. Despite being under 400 yards, the 17th not only is quite deceiving, but one of the most difficult holes on the course. No wonder it earned its current moniker.
There are several vital statistics that make The Quarry a required visit.
First of all, the rates are reasonable, from a low of $25 after 5 p.m. to a high of $79 on the weekend. It's not often that a top layout features such affordable prices.
Secondly, the challenge of the golf course is very appealing, and not just from the back tees. Forced carries over water and ravines, uphill marches towards greens, strategic choices off the tee, The Quarry has it all.
The amenities are complete and the staff is very knowledgeable. PGA golf professional Sean Etheredge leads the entourage of helpful staff. A native of the San Antonio area, Sean has spent over six years at The Quarry overseeing all aspects of the operation. In addition, former PGA and Champions Tour player Jim Barker is the Director of Instruction. Barker has received many accolades, including being named one of the top teachers in the country by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine in 2001.
Affordable, challenging, unique and a great experience -- what more could a golfer ask for?
Foster claims on his website that his aim is "to produce timeless and enduring work" and he certainly delivered on those intentions at The Quarry Golf Club.
Aces, pars or bogeys, send your thoughts to psokol@sportsnetwork.com.
<< Dolphins sign DT Stanley
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins added some depth to the
defensive line position on Monday by agreeing to terms with veteran tackle
Montavious Stanley.
Details of the contract were not disclosed.
Stanley, a five
<< Report: Titans file lawsuit against Kiffin, USC
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans have reportedly filed a
lawsuit against the University of Southern California and head coach Lane
Kiffin in the wake of the hiring flap surrounding Kennedy Pola.
On Saturday, USC
<< Ravens rookie Kindle to miss camp due to head injury
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio
Kindle will miss all of training camp after suffering injuries to his head
when he apparently fell down two flights of stairs at a private residence in
Austin,
<< Hawks ink free agent Josh Powell
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks bolstered their forward
position on Monday by signing free agent forward/center Josh Powell.
Per club policy, terms of the contract were not announced.
"I look forward to joining a f
Orioles' Wigginton has suspension reduced, drops appeal >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baltimore Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton had
his three-game suspension reduced by one game, Major League Baseball announced
on Monday.
Wigginton, who agreed to drop his appeal, was originally slapped with
Angels option Bell, call up Kohn >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have optioned
right-hander Trevor Bell to Triple-A Salt Lake and purchased the contract of
pitcher Michael Kohn to take his place on the roster.
Bell started Sunday's game
Mets' C Barajas disabled, INF Hessman recalled >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets have placed catcher Rod
Barajas on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 25, with a strained
left oblique.
The veteran receiver was injured in the sixth inning of Saturday'
Coyotes re-sign winger Picard >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed left wing
Alexandre Picard to a one-year contract.
As per team policy, no terms of the deal were announced.
Picard was acquired by the Coyotes from Columbus on March 3 bu
American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting