It’s a typical late July monsoon-y kind of night here in the Valley of the Sun. It’s still very warm for this time of night – at 11 PM it’s still 95 – and there is a hot, dusty wind blowing, clattering and tinkling the wind chimes out back. Here are some cool links for such a warm night:

Check these amazing colour photos from England during the German blitz in WWII. Amazing.

With a shark tale like this, damned well you’re going to need a bigger boat!

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same? It’s the California Gold Rush all over again! (Hat tip: Drudge)

What’s wrong with this picture? The media is all in a twitter over Michele Bachmann’s migraines, but no seems to care that Barack has yet to relase his own medical record history. (Not to mention his college transcripts or practically anything else about his past, for that matter…)

…and while I’m at it, this is abosolutely true, and you can pin the blame squarely on Barack Obama. No President in history has worked so hard to drive a wedge between the rich and poor, Democrats and Republicans, whites and minorities, “blue” states and “red” states, and Washington and the rest of the country. But I’m thinking that was his plan to begin with.

I don’t care if dude made a hole-in-one or not, there’s no excuse for slow play. Even with our foursome on Goodboys Sunday whacking it all over the place in 90-degree heat, we still finished up in a little over four hours.

The late, great Boston DJ Bill Marlowe often mentioned the lack of the above qualities when lamenting the times he came to live in during his later years. Today’s post is nothing more than a testimony to the same; can you imagine this same kind of thing happening these days? And ain’t that a great picture?

They don’t make ’em like that anymore. Enjoy!

For the Goodboys it’s back to the usual norm of work, paying the bills, and all that stuff that goes with reality. A few thoughts left over from the weekend:

I don’t know what the area in South Boston by the World Trade Center used to look like, but it’s really been transformed into a trendy gathering place for urbanites and suburbanites alike. Lots of nice restaurants and bars, lots of young people, lots of pretty girls to make the Goodboys feel really old. It’s a bit expensive to be sure, but it is one happening place.

The toll-talkers on the Mass Pike are surly and unfriendly. How hard would it be to make Massachusetts a more friendly place by smiling and saying things like – oh, I don’t know – “good morning”, or (gasp!) “thank you”. Typical public sector employees without any incentive to do a good job – another reason why the whole Massachusetts Turnpike Authority should be dissolved and replaced by a private employer.

Where else but in America can you get a group of Goodboys and a large Japanese family celebrating a birthday party at an Italian restaurant in the same room laughing and clapping while a certain Goodboys not to be named pays off his humiliation bets by quacking “Happy Birthday” and clucking “Yankee Doodle Dandy”?

It’s easy to shoot lights out the first day of a Goodboys Invitational; far harder to keep it up over a three-day event.

Feel-good story of the weekend has to be Darren Clarke winning The Open Championship. It was great to see Phil Mickelson put on a charge on Sunday, though. As usual, the weather made for as compelling viewing as the golfing did.

One of the best parts of Goodboys weekend is sitting in the clubhouse grill over a cold beer watching The Open on TV while golfers pass through to and from their rounds. It’s the total golf experience, really, and a lot of fun. At least for me, I enjoy all the sights and sounds of the whole experience, and it creates some nice memories from years past even when your own golf play doesn’t.

Don’t worry, there will be a new picture of the 2011 champions posted on the site as soon as I can get the Blogs-About folks to assist me with it.

CANTON, MA (Reuters) – “That was the biggest blow-up in Goodboys history!” So began Ron “Cubby” Myerow’s press conference with the assembled media following the final round of the Goodboys Invitational. Myerow and Tony “2 Times” Proctor had entered the day with a nine-stroke lead over the team of Mike “Vegas” Clark and Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis but quickly saw that lead evaporate with some unfortunate and erratic play on the first few holes, thus allowing Vegas and TFG to take control, and ultimately command, of their match at Brookmeadow Country Club, resulting in Andrusaitis’ fourth Goodboys championship and Vegas’ third.

In their post-round press conference, both TFG and Vegas were both gracious and audacious in their comments, quick to congratulate 2010 winners Steve “Killer” Kowalski and Pat “Doggy Duval” McLaughlin for their tenure as Goodboys Nation Exec-Comm and their efforts in coordinating the 2011 even, but pointing out that, in TFG’s words, “there are changes in the wind.” Neither TFG nor Vegas would elaborate on those comments, saying that it was far too early to go into any details, but it seems obvious that with the lowest team winning with a score of +14 over their number, adjustments can and will be made for the 2012 event.

More details about this weekend’s 2011 Goodboys weekend will be forthcoming. For now, here are the final 54-hole standings following Sunday’s round:

1. Mike “Vegas” Clark and Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis (+14)
2. Tony “2 Times” Proctor / Ron “Cubby” Myerow (+23)
Steve “Killer” Kowalski / Pat “Doggy Duval” Mclaughlin (+23)
Mark “Skipper” Bornemann / Scott “Gilligan” Tripp (+23)
5. Kevin “Goose” Dwyer / Paul “Possum” Shepter (+34)
6. Steve “Deuce” Doucette / Doug “The Great White Shank” Richard (+41)

WAYLAND, MA (AP) – The team of Ron “Cubby” Myerow and Tony “2 Times” Proctor continued their impressive Goodboys Invitational weekend play with solid rounds that launched them to a commanding nine-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, Massacusetts. “I can’t speak for my partner, but I know that Jack Nicklaus would be proud of the way I putted the greens today”, Myerow said.

Given the torturous greens at Sandy Burr and the increasing humidity, few players were able to make a significant move on what is commonly known as “moving day” at The Goodboys. As a result, the team of Mike “Vegas” Clark and Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis are the only team within range going into Sunday’s final round. The current 36-hole standings following Saturday’s round are:

1. Tony “2 Times” Proctor / Ron “Cubby” Myerow (+1)
2. Mike “Vegas” Clark and Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis (+10)
3. Steve “Killer” Kowalski / Pat “Doggy Duval” Mclaughlin (+11)
4. Mark “Skipper” Bornemann / Scott “Gilligan” Tripp (+12)
5. Kevin “Goose” Dwyer / Paul “Possum” Shepter (+18)
6. Steve “Deuce” Doucette / Doug “The Great White Shank” Richard (+21)

LYNNFIELD, MA (AP) – It wasn’t enough that Ron “Cubby” Myerow won the most money in the Goodboys $5 Skins game bet, his play with partner Tony “2 Times” Proctor launched them to the top of the leaderboard after day 1 of the 2011 Goodboys Invitational. “I was just trying to keep my nerves under control and figured out a way to nail the par 3s really good. I’m pretty psyched”, Myerow said after a round that saw him and Proctor go -8 against their number at Lynnfield’s Sagamore Spring Golf Club.

Defending champions Steve “Killer” Kowalski and Pat “Doggy Duval” McLaughlin didn’t fare quite as well during their round, struggling throughout and finding themselves near the bottom of the leaderboard at a whopping +15 against their number.

Mike “Vegas” Clark and partner Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis both played well, shooting a combined -7 against their number to take second place after the first day.

Perhaps most surprisingly during the day was the play of Doug “The Great White Shank” Richard, who shot a 50-44 for an all-time best Goodboys round of 94, beating his previous best by four strokes. “I struggled a bit with my short game on the front nine, but my tee game was really solid throughout. Being in the fairways on most holes really helped.”, said Richard following his round. Unfortunately, partner Steve “Deuce” Doucette’s play wasn’t nearly as sharp, leaving the team in the middle of the pack.

Saturday is moving day at the Goodboys, and with a generous course (Sandy Burr in Wayland) expected and continued warm and dry conditions, the opportunities for all teams to improve on their Friday play will be plenty.

The current standings following Friday’s round are:

1. Tony “2 Times” Proctor / Ron “Cubby” Myerow (-8)
2. Mike “Vegas” Clark and Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis (-7)
3. Steve “Deuce” Doucette / Doug “The Great White Shank” Richard (+7)
4. Kevin “Goose” Dwyer / Paul “Possum” Shepter (+13)
5. Steve “Killer” Kowalski / Pat “Doggy Duval” Mclaughlin (+15)
6. Mark “Skipper” Bornemann / Scott “Gilligan” Tripp (+17)

I’m off to metro-Boston, baby, to meet the rest of the Goodboys and experience everything a Goodboys Invitational weekend brings.

Stay tuned at this very location for daily updates and interviews.

Good evening, I’m Kelly Tilghman here on Golf Channel’s special preview of the 2011 Goodboys Invitational. For this year’s tournament the Goodboys are going metrosexual – oops, I mean Metro-West – Boston’s Metro-West, that is, situating their headquarters in the swanky Seaport Hotel located on Boston’s waterfront near the World Trade Center while they play at three suburban Boston locations for the first time in Goodboys history. Joining me once again to preview all the drama and excitement sure to come is none other than my colleague, 6-time majors winner Sir Nick Faldo. Nick, the Goodboys Invitational turns 21 this year, and we have a couple of Goodboys making their very first appearance: Mark “Skipper” Bornemann and Scott “Gilligan” Tripp. Initial thoughts?

Sir Nick: Well they’re certainly going to find out for themselves what the pressure-cooker of a Goodboys weekend is like, and they’ll be doing it under fire in on-the-job training, so to speak. A Goodboys Invitational is tough under any circumstances, but to do it for your first time, and as a team together, that’s going to be a real eye-opening experience for them, I can tell you that.

KT: I’m surprised the Goodboys didn’t offer an invite to you when they knew they had an opening.

NF: Well, they did and I decided to gracefully decline their invitation after hearing some potential nicknames Ben “The Funny Guy” Andrusaitis had already come up with for me.

KT: I guess those nicknames are not suitable for TV?

NF: Er, you might say that, Kelly. It all starts with having a name like Nick. It doesn’t take too much imagination to think of some words that rhyme with that, does it?

KT (blushing): I guess not. When we come back, we’ll talk about the courses and the pairings. Keep us tuned right here.

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KT: Welcome back to Golf Channel’s special preview of the 21st annual Goodboys Invitational. This year, Sir Nick, the ‘Boys won’t be playing on Cape Cod, and they won’t be playing up and around the Portsmouth, New Hampshire seacoast. They’ll be playing a bunch of courses outside of Boston they’ve played before – Sagamore Spring in Lynnfield, Sandy Burr in Wayland, and Brookmeadow, down on the South Shore in Canton. You’ve played all these courses before, what do they hold in store for the Goodboys, Sir Nick?

NF: Well, I certainly think the flat terrain and openess of these courses – as opposed to, say, a tough course like The Ledges was the last two years – really brings the entire field into play. I mean, consider last year: even though you had six teams there were really only five teams with any chance of winning. No one, and I mean no one – including me – gave Doug “The Great White Shank” Richard and Ron “Cubby” Myerow any chance, given the difficulty of The Ledges. Their games simply don’t hold up well for that kind of course. And with The Ledges comprising half of a 36-hole tournament, they were really out of it before the weekend even got started. This year, the courses are more open, the teams are better balanced, and anyone, really, has a chance to win. I think it’s going to be a very interesting and competitive weekend.

KT: Of the three courses, which one will poses the toughest challenge, in your opinion?

NF: Well, Kelly, I’d have to say Brookmeadow in Canton, if only because it will be Goodboys Sunday and you’ve got the majority of the players having to negotiate their way around a course they’ve never played before. When you’re immersed in the bone-crushing pressure of a Goodboys final round, you’re looking for any familiarity you can find. And that’s something these guys are not accustomed to seeing.

KT: But wasn’t that the case last year when Goodboys Sunday was played at The Links at Outlook in South Berwick, Maine? None of the Goodboys had played there before, right?

NF: Ummm…

KT: Gotcha! I finally gotcha! You sonofabitch! Yes!!!!

NF: $#@&!

KT: (composing herself) Golf Channel’s special presentation of the “2011 Goodboys Invitational Preview” will be back after this commercial break…

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KT: Welcome back to Golf Channel’s “2011 Goodboys Invitational Preview”. I’m Kelly Tilghman along with Sir Nick Faldo. So, Sir Nick, let me get your sense about the pairings in this year’s Goodboys Invitational, shall we? Who are the favorites, the dark horses, and the also-rans?

NF: It would be easy to discount the rookie team of Skipper and Gilligan, but who can forget Mark “Rambro” Ambrosano and Steve “Deuce” Doucette winning the 2005 Goodboys in their first year, so you can’t count anyone out. Again, the openess of the courses is going to bring the whole field in, so I can’t say there’s a favorite at this point in time.

KT: Surely you must have at least a sentimental favorite…

NF: I do, and I’m sure everyone out there is hoping that this is the year that Kevin “Goose” Dwyer, with the help of his partner Paul “Possum” Shepter, finally captures that first Goodboys Invitational championship. He’d no longer be known as…

NF and KT (together): BEST GOODBOY NEVER TO HAVE WON A GOODBOYS INVITATIONAL.

NF: …and don’t call me Shirley.

KT: I’m intrigued by the teaming of Tony “2 Times” Proctor with “Cubby” Myerow. I mean, they’re getting 38 – I repeat, 38! – strokes a day. Wouldn’t you think they have a chance?

NF: The key there is Cubby. If he shoots a 105, even a 108, and 2 Times keeps his head they could really be a factor. And these are not tough courses, so if Cubby can even chip and putt a little bit, it could be a great story come Sunday night.

KT: Mike “Vegas” Clark and “The Funny Guy”.

NF: The openness of these courses is going to make it very difficult for these guys to have a bad round. It’s going to be a real shootout out there, and I expect the entire field to play at least to their number, perhaps go a little lower. Therefore, if you’re going to push me, I have to say they’re the favorites. Everyone’s getting strokes off them, but Vegas and TFG shooting a stroke or two below their numbers – something that is entirely possible – that will just make it tougher for everyone else to overtake them.

KT: Defending champs Steve “Killer” Kowalski and Pat “Doggy Duval” McLaughlin.

NF: We have a saying across the pond from Lord Nelson’s days: “Stick a fork in them, they’re done like dinner”. When all is said and done, there will still be no repeat champions in Goodboys history.

KT: Here’s a team I like: Steve “Deuce” Doucette and “The Great White Shank” Richard.

NF: Deuce is a very steady player who will be a calming influence on The Great White Shank. No less than Gary McCord reports TGWS is hitting the ball better than he ever has – he’s even playing a cut, for gawdsakes – but he’s also going off at his lowest number yet at a Goodboys – 99 – so that will be a factor and make it hard for him to go low. I think they’ll play well, I don’t expect them to be there at the end.

KT: In just a moment we’ll be back with our predictions as to how each of these teams will finish in this year’s Goodboys Invitational. Who’ll be hot and who’ll be not? Stay tuned…

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KT: Welcome back to this Golf Channel special presentation. OK, Sir Nick Faldo, it’s the moment of truth. Your picks for this year’s Goodboys Invitational, one through six:

NF: Kelly, I’m going with:

1. “Vegas” and “The Funny Guy”, followed by:
2. “Goose” / “Possum”,
3. “2 Times” / “Cubby”,
4. “Skipper” / “Gilligan”,
5. “Deuce” / “The Great White Shank”
6. “Killer” / “Doggy Duval” at the bottom.

KT: Me, I’m going with:

1. “Goose” / “Possum”,
2. “Skipper” / “Gilligan”,
3. “Vegas” / “The Funny Guy”,
4. “2 Times” / “Cubby”,
5. “Deuce” / “The Great White Shank”,
6. “Killer” / “Doggy Duval”

NF: At least we’re in agreement who finishes last. I think it will be a great tournament, and I personally can’t wait for it to start.

KT: Well that ends our Golf Channel special presentation of the “2011 Goodboys Invitational Preview”. A big ‘thank you’ to Sir Nick for joining me. Have a great night. And as the saying goes, Boys, keep it long and straight!

[Ed. Note: The final round of this coming weekend’s Goodboys Invitational will be played at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, Mass. Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee previews the course and offers his own thoughts as to what the Goodboys can expect as the tournament comes down to its final day and its typical exciting finish.]

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Hi, I’m Brandel Chamblee with the last in my series of Goodboys Nation weblog previews of this coming weekend’s 21st annual Goodboys Invitational. The third and final day of this year’s event will find the Goodboys at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts. If you’re looking for a golf course setup that will provide thrills and plenty of opportunities for all the Goodboy teams to make a final push, it would be at the recently-upgraded Brookmeadow. Here’s the overview from Golflink.com:

The 18-hole “Brookmeadow” course at the Brookmeadow Country Club facility in Canton, Massachusetts features 6,637 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 71.7 and it has a slope rating of 123 on Bent grass. Designed by Frank Simoni, the Brookmeadow golf course opened in 1966.

Brookmeadow is one of the more popular public tracts on the South Shore. This narrow course has many trees lining its fairways, and any Goodboy team attempting to overtake the leaders on the final day will need to keep the ball in play. The greens at Brookmeadow are medium-sized and firm, so any weakness in a Goodboy’s short game will be quickly revealed. Bunkers are strategically located around the greens, and water comes into play on half the course’s holes.

There is a good mix of holes at Brookmeadow, everything from from tight doglegs to wide open fairways. If you’re looking for a course with a lot of risk/reward opportunities that virtually guarantee an exciting Goodboys Invitational finish, you’d be hard-pressed to do a whole lot better than Brookmeadow Country Club.

[Ed. Note: The second round of this coming weekend’s Goodboys Invitational will be played at Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Mass. Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee previews the course and offers his own thoughts as to what the Goodboys can expect from the course affectionately known as “The Burr”.]

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Hi, I’m Brandel Chamblee with the second in a series of Goodboys Nation weblog previews of this coming weekend’s 21st annual Goodboys Invitational. The second leg of this year’s three-day event will find the Goodboys at historic Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Massachusetts. Saturday is moving day at the Goodboys, and Sandy Burr is a perfect (if not lush, if you know what I mean) locale where even the highest handicapper can make their move and set their team up for an exciting Sunday finale. As the course’s official website proclaims:

Sandy Burr Country Club, established in 1922, is conveniently located 16 miles west of Boston. This privately-owned 18 hole championship golf course was designed by Donald Ross. the renowned golf course architect. It is 6,550 yards in length from the blues, punctuated by sand traps and three water hazards.

There are a number of holes at “The Burr” that the Goodboys are going to have to pay attention to. Hole #6 requires you to play your tee shot just to the left of the blue spruce. If you aim at at the willow (as I did) you’ll end up in the trees; go too far right of the spruce and you might catch the swamp. On hole #8, if you try and cut too much off the corner you’re in the marsh. Long hitters will want to avoid hitting driver on hole #9 – something around 180-190 yards should be fine. On holes #11 and #12, the Goodboys will be able to let ‘er rip off the tee. On hole#15 the aggressive play is to hit over the edge of the willow on the right or try to fade a ball. Most Goodboys will use a 3-wood and not challenge the narrow opening of the fairway from the tee.

Overall, as with Friday’s initial round at Sagamore Spring, every Goodboy is going to be challenged to beat their stroke number on such a generous and forgiving tract. Any Goodboy who went low on Friday ought to really be able to put the “pedal to the metal” at Sandy Burr. Would it be nice for Exec-Comm to have found a more challenging destination for the Goodboys to sink their teeth into? Perhaps. But I look for a shootout with any number of teams battling for the privilege of playing in the final foursome at Brookmeadow in Canton on Goodboys Sunday.