Thoughts from Club C past weekend

cardoustie · July 28, 2020

So my second club had club champs over the last weekend. Champ flight was 3 rounds starting Friday aft. Index under 3.9 to be in it. I played bang on my cap 3 days in a row

I ended up 7th. The course was set up at 7100-7200, 74 rating. It tips at 7500 and we played some of those decks. The last day featured 45kmh guests, yikes, plus dirty pins.

I’m a 108mph guy - which was long enough - but adjusting to Fwy woods on some par 3’s and hitting 7i and 5h into holes I usually have a PW or SW into was an eye opener

here we go:

The gent that won is a plus 3. However, he was only 3 up going into round 3 and shot an incredible 72. Low guys can be taken down

Long bombers can be beaten if they are not razor straight like DeShampoo. I played with some guys that were 40 past me .. but beat them. Amazingly a 58 year old that is 30 yards shorter than me was 3rd, hitting into some par 4’s with a 3w for his second shot

Firm greens and wind are a recipe for carnage .. downwind is worse. From the rough, no chance. Hit fairways at all costs

Short game is critical. I was hitting 11 and 12 greens and shooting 5 and 6 and 7 over. Chip or flop to 10 feet and missing putts. 3 putting from 60 feet etc. Unlike my home track the greens are massive here without a ton of slope and I was over reading breaks. Work on putting. I’d have been right there with slightly better work greenside and stronger performance with the flat stick

Playing 3 rounds of grinding golf in 90 heat and humidity is a GRIND. Even riding. Get in top shape. I’m down 27lbs in last 20 months and still progressing. No sugar and limited carbs if that helps anyone

I turned an awful day into OK with an incredible back 9. Never give up. A round can turn on one shot. Day 2 my competitor was 5 over early and then rattled off an eagle and 2 birdies to get back in it. Then he made a triple late and then birdied the two following holes. Don’t panic, most everyone is also struggling and having bad holes

Last lesson, I guess as a near 53 year old I am now considered an old man. Both guys said to me on 18 on day 3 .. well the old man schooled us. WOW. Kick in the peanuts.

home club Club C is end of August, defending champ is 19. Hoping I put some lessons to use next month

Gsea · July 28, 2020

Thanks for sharing. Love the 50yr old taking 3rd. U think "old man" is a kick what till they start calling u sir lol.

jvincent · July 28, 2020

Ours is in three weeks. I'm nearing my best ever index and hopefully will keep in good form for CC weekend.

I'll be in the A-flight. The last time my index was in this range (mid 4's) I played in the Champ flight just to see how I would do. Of course I started spraying the ball the week before so it wasn't pretty but at least I finished unlike a lot of guys who WD'd after one or two bad rounds.

Hopefully we get some rain before then. The hot summer has turned our rough and areas around the greens into baked out hardpan which had been giving some nasty bounces.

Roody · July 28, 2020

"DeShampoo" - LOL

MtlJeff · July 28, 2020

Our club championship the past few years has typically been decided by whether or not the star juniors have the time to play in it LOL

The past few years we have had a kid who went D1 down south, another kid who was i believe the #2 ranked junior in Canada, and this year we have another nationally top ranked guy....

Too much to contend with.

A couple of years ago i played with #2 canada dude in the first round of our CC and shot like a 77 on our toughest track (75/140) and the kid shot like 70 and made it look easy. A couple of years before that the D1 kid won by like 10+ shots.

cardoustie · July 28, 2020

Yup, college guy day 2, his 20* hybrid was 285 off the tee, 9i from 170 into a 530 par 5 ...

Dan Drake · July 28, 2020

Uncle Cardy, happy to hear you played well! And I can tell you all from a management perspective that it is a tough decision whether or not to allow the juniors/semi-pro types to play in these. But, in my mind, you either are the best player at the Club, or you aren't, and that is what the CC is designed to determine.
FWIW to everyone, I've seen Cardy play in person and there is a ton to like about his game. He may say differently, but there just isn't a real hole in his game. Sure, we can all improve at everything, but dude is solid at all aspects. Also, we played on a longer golf course than the one he is describing AND it was windier the day we played it!!!@cardoustie, we're still on for your birthday round again next year (assuming everything is ok with COVID & whatnot), right?

jvincent · July 29, 2020

We have a few of the flat bellies at our club as well but when they can play they don't always bring the A game so we've had a couple of middle aged working stiffs win. Who all carry + indexes too.