MD/DC/VA Golfers - Twelve Monkeys Mental Divergence

[Kent01putt]

On 12/22/2020 at 11:08 PM, aiyyer said:

About time to start best of 2020..

Best Round 

Best Course 
Best Hole

Best Golf shot

Best Golf purchase 

 

Best Round--Granite Links in Boston in May  shoot 74 on a course I had never seen before. Built on the landfill from the Big Dig material. Not really walkable but possible if your young and in good shape.

Best Course-- Chambers Bay  Possibly the prettiest course I have ever been on. Perfect weather day 5 to 10 mph winds with clear skies. From the 1st, 9th and 13th tee's you could see the entire golf course and Puget Sound.

Best Golf Shot-- #13 at The Thislte in MB. Par 4 and holed a 4 iron from 172. Had to hard draw the ball around a tree which is not my thing. If it when straight it was in the water.

Best Golf Hole--#18 at Chambers Bay. Really wanted to par this hole and told the caddie the same. Hit driver, 3 Hyd short of the bunker in the middle of the fairway and then flushed a 7 iron. The ball landed on the green and sucked back to the very front of the green. Caddie told me to hit it 18 to 20 ft right of the hole and up onto the bank 10 ft above the hole. (I was looking at 4 ft of break LOL) It ended up 2 1/2 feet from the hole from 120 ft away. The 2 1/2 footer had 4 inches of break but I made the par.

Best Purchase-- there were none really but was looking all year for a new set of irons. 

 

[Obee]

On 12/23/2020 at 4:56 AM, FAbb said:

Hey guys, thought I'd chime in here. Hope everyone is doing well. 🙂

 

Best Round: 8-under 64 in the final round of our club Championship at Victoria Club (par 72, 6,600. 71.3/132). Tied my low round ever and was a new low competitive round for me. Went into the final round after a 69 and 68, 6 strokes(!) back of the leader, a guy who had won 10 of the last 11 club championships and is always between +1 and +4 every month, all year.

 

I shot 4-under 31 on the front, but was still 4 back. But after making a 12-footer on 17 to get to 7-under, I was just one back with one to play, a 545 yard par 5 with water fronting the green. I drove it down the middle and then laid up to 80 yards. The defending champ piped a drive 310 and had 235 to a front-left pin and ... he striped a 3-wood into the middle of the green and that was all she wrote. I would have to hole my LW and the best I could do was 10 feet. All he had to do was 2-putt a simple putt from 30 feet. He went first and lagged it up to 6-inches and marked. I made my 10-footer for an 8-under 64, the lowest round shot by three strokes in the 100+ year history of the club ... and he tapped in his birdie and I lost by one.

 

Still, without question was the best round of not just the year, but my life, all things considered. At 53 and with a balky back, to shoot my lowest competitive round ever was pretty darn cool. I'll never forget that day, for sure.

 

Best Course: Pacific Trails, followed closely by Bandon Dunes. Bandon is just ... crazy good. Can't wait to go back. And to be able to experience the courses with Jeff? I couldn't have asked for a better time.

 

Best Hole: Probably 17 at Bandon Dunes or virtually any hole at Pacific Trails -- I just loved the place.

 

Best Purchase: My Alphard Club Booster v2 (hasn't arrived yet, but I hope it's going to be the best purchase!): https://alphardgolf.com/

 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!

 

 

[TheCityGame]

On 12/25/2020 at 3:49 PM, Obee said:

 

 

There is no Pacific Trails!

 

Pac Dunes 17 is that par 3 that DC hit one to an inch, I think. 

 

I can't remember Bandon Trails 17. I think it was a "narrow-ish" par 4. 

 

What did you think of Old Mac, Obee? 

[Obee]

Just now, TheCityGame said:

There is no Pacific Trails!

 

Pac Dunes 17 is that par 3 that DC hit one to an inch, I think. 

 

I can't remember Bandon Trails 17. I think it was a "narrow-ish" par 4. 

 

What did you think of Old Mac, Obee? 

Bandon Trails. My bad. 
 

and Bandon Dunes 17 is fave hole. 

[TheCityGame]

2 minutes ago, Obee said:

Bandon Trails. My bad. 
 

and Bandon Dunes 17 is fave hole. 

Ah, cool. 

 

I'm a sucka for the ocean, so Bandon Trails wasn't as far up, but man it's got some great holes. I also played it really late in my trip and was tired and not hitting it well and not getting along with my caddie. I'm looking forward to playing it with better vibes in 2021. 

 

I don't know if anyone else is like me, but as I find myself thinking about Bandon more lately, my mind goes back to Old Mac 7 so much. It was the first course I played there, and so, climbing up to that green was the first exposure I had to the ocean, and I remember that being a nervy shot up to an invisible green, and I hit a good one, so I have good memories from that hole/course. But, it's not much of a hole outside of being the first time you get near the water on Old Mac. 

[dcmidnight]

Trails 17 is a cool little par 3, tee shot over a bunch of bushes/scrub with a false front and big bunker front right.

 

Trails was not my favorite overall but IMO it has some of the best views on property just bc of the elevation changes. 

[baddomes]

I thought the tee shot on #3 Trails was one of the coolest of the trip.  No ocean, but it's the first one on that course where you're playing entirely in the trees, and it's a wide hole with multiple gnarly looking centerline bunkers.  

 

Being surrounded by 100ft pines is a really unique setting 

 

Also they keep you from getting beat up by the wind for 4 hours

 

[ceejay81]

Best Round - Playing with Christian at the UMD Hive Fourball event.  On the front from the golds, I birdied both par 3's en route to a 37 gross/29 net. Four bogeys, three pars, and two birds.  I don't think I had shot anything under 42 before in my life. Then I shot 45 on the back for an 82 and my best round ever.  I tripled the 13th which took me out of the running for a score in the 70's.  We even brought home the W as Christian held the team up on the back 9 in some clutch spots.  

 

Best Course - It's a toss up between PH #2, #4, and Tobacco Road back in late Feb.  I've played them before and will keep playing them because they are great.  Didn't do any legit traveling golf trips outside of the Pinehurst trip.  RNK was fine, but I'm in no rush to go back.

Best Hole - the 3rd at Worthington is my b****.  Any year. 

 

Best Golf shot - At UMD in my career round, I hit a terrible tee shot on the first par 3 - 4th hole.  I was just short of the bunker on the front right.  I hit a blind 60* flop over the bunk that rolled in for a 2.  Mat P was the only one up on the green who saw it and relayed the news.  That jump started the team.  A close second is hitting it to a few inches on the 12th at Woodmore.  I scared the hole a bunch this year on par 3's, but this was my closest.  

 

Best Golf purchase - perfect practice putting mat.  I'm still awful at putting but I'm more confident in my misses now.  In all seriousness, this has truly helped me and I feel I can hit the line I'm looking at more often than before.  

 

Edit: Favorite round - coming back out of Covid, I played at Woodmore with HBD.  We basically played a course nobody had been on for a couple of months.  The greens were super fast and smooth, tee boxes were perfect, and the fairways were money.  We got to use the slopes on the greens the way they were intended to be used.  It was the first and last time the greens played that fast/smooth and the course was that nice.  Only took a couple weeks to go back to the same schitty conditions we usually have.    

Edited December 28, 2020 by ceejay81

[endlesswinterco]

If anyone has a spot open on Saturday AM, let me know, wife let me out to play. 

[GooseHook]

It's been quite fun watching the BST purchases go on their fantastic voyage. I'm now @ 16 days for a driver head from OK, and had a shaft from CT end up in Jacksonville, FL. 

[TheCityGame]

18 minutes ago, GooseHook said:

It's been quite fun watching the BST purchases go on their fantastic voyage. I'm now @ 16 days for a driver head from OK, and had a shaft from CT end up in Jacksonville, FL. 

wife shipped a lot of packages around Xmas. 

 

Everything she sent to surrounding counties in Maryland never got scanned until it was in Florida. 

 

Other stuff never got scanned until it was at its destination. Other stuff got scanned properly. It was a cluster hump. 

 

She had to send out email to everyone so people could give their loved ones at least a note that said, "your loved one purchased a piece of handmade jewelery for you. Due to delays in the USPS etc etc etc."

 

There was one lady who was being a pill about it and eventually TheCityDame just called her. 

 

We're also waiting on things, but I'm not in a hurry. 

[ScottHutch2]

3 minutes ago, TheCityGame said:

wife shipped a lot of packages around Xmas. 

 

Everything she sent to surrounding counties in Maryland never got scanned until it was in Florida. 

 

Other stuff never got scanned until it was at its destination. Other stuff got scanned properly. It was a cluster hump. 

 

She had to send out email to everyone so people could give their loved ones at least a note that said, "your loved one purchased a piece of handmade jewelery for you. Due to delays in the USPS etc etc etc."

 

There was one lady who was being a pill about it and eventually TheCityDame just called her. 

 

We're also waiting on things, but I'm not in a hurry. 

Same thing happened to me, sent a putter to Dad back home in Chicago on Dec. 8th... it didn't get scanned in until the 26th in Florida? Had me worried for quite a bit.

[dcmidnight]

Definitely a cluster right now waiting on golf stuff to get here but with this weather, thankfully its no huge rush. I had one half of an iron set shipped FedEx that got here the next day. Second half was backordered, hoping it ships this week since I just saw the charge pop up. If thats the case, I'm hopeful of getting some simulator time in maybe starting next week. Been off for three weeks now, its been torture.

[FAbb]

I think it's been 2+ weeks since I played, but I can't recall.  The course just re-opened this past Sunday.  I'm gonna walk some holes after work today.  Totally looking forward to just being outside walking around.

[TheCityGame]

2 minutes ago, FAbb said:

I think it's been 2+ weeks since I played, but I can't recall.  The course just re-opened this past Sunday.  I'm gonna walk some holes after work today.  Totally looking forward to just being outside walking around.

walk some holes? 

 

MF'er. We have 4. We're playing a match. 

 

I played Sunday Monday Tuesday. 

 

yesterday I was just going to hit some balls, or work on wedges, because the weather sucked, but then I got to the course and because the weather sucked, there was no one on the course and I just can't resist an empty course, no matter what. I played 1 2 3 4 half of 7 10 13 16 17 18.  Good loop. 

[FAbb]

Yes, a winter deathmatch for the ages.  City and TVJ are mentoring me in the art of the grind.  I failed them greatly today, by referring to it as "walking some holes"

[TheCityGame]

We're playing one day like 3 weeks ago and have some bull-crud game of 'threes" going and we're kinda taking it to Fabb. I've just made a good up and down and TVJ made a putt and Fabb screwed up a putt and Fabb starts saying that we have the ability to hold a grudge against him like we're Michael Jordan because he's been watching "The Last Dance". 

 

But, the group at the club is like that. It's always a game. It's about getting the ball in the hole. Whether it's a buck a side or 25 a side. 

 

Anyway. . .y'all saw this thread about CG2, right? 

 

 

[FAbb]

I think I took 20+ putts in that 8 hole stretch, and got wiped up and down the floor.  City compared me being out there hitting it well and getting shellacked to somebody losing a game of 1-on-1 in basketball and going home thinking, "hey I shot the ball well today!"

 

That's some bummer news about CG2.  I hope he gets well.

[ceejay81]

I haven't swung a club in about 3 weeks either.  But I am getting out at Woodmore tomorrow with the fellas for one last hurrah around the course.  Then it's back to the public golf life for me. 

[SullGolf]

The Grint sent me a recap of my year and it was slightly depressing.  I normally play ~25 rounds a year and got only 17 in this year.  That's closer to average than I expected, but is a bit misleading.  When I'm playing 25 rounds I'm usually logging at least as many range sessions.  I think I only went to the range one time this year.  I probably only warmed up and hit balls in about 10 of those 17 rounds.  That probably amounts to about 2-3000 less balls hit this year compared to the norm.  No wonder I stink this year.

Edited December 30, 2020 by SullGolf

[FAbb]

Walking some holes, AKA a 3-hour, 18-hole deathmatch report:  I stunk, badly.  To say my putting and chipping were garbage would be an understatement.  Thankfully, I had Tumor to lug me around, to at least keep it close with City and PQ.

 

The good - I think I've found some clutch pieces to keep my wispy frame warm in cold weather.  I bought a pair of lined guide pro pants from Eddie Bauer.  They're incredibly warm, and comfortable.  The other piece is a heated vest, that runs on a rechargeable power bank.  I tend to run cold, so I couldn't believe how comfortable I was out there yesterday.

 

No real equipment testing updates at this point.  I did not hit the ball particularly well yesterday.  I'm still very happy with the performance of the U500 3-iron thus far.  The jury is very much still out on the G410 LST w/Ventus Blue.  It feels heavy, and more laborsome to swing, which is weird.  It also really resists going left, which is actually something I don't like.

[Sterling_247]

Best Round:

69 from tips at Tobacco Rd with 7 birdies and an eagle...and a triple involving a couple of shots from the pond on a par 3

Honorable mention: First 6 holes of Pinehurst #2 (-2 with an eagle). Best putting round of my life for an 81.

 

Best Course: Pinehurst #2

Best Hole:

Tie between 3 holes (combination of the hole itself and how i played it)

Going par, eagle on 4 and 5 of #2

 

Eagle on #1 of Tobacco Rd (playing as our 18th)

 

Best Golf shot:

Hybrid on hole 5 of Pinehurst #2 from 230 to 20ft and then knocking the putt in for the eagle (on video)

 

3 wood from 250 on TR #1 to 15ft and making the eagle putt to end the Pinehurst trip

 

Best Golf purchase:

Pinehurst trip 

[Terphack]

Happy New Year everybody!

[FAbb]

Way to beat probowler to the punch, terp. 

[Terphack]

8 hours ago, Terphack said:

Happy New Year everybody!

 

6 hours ago, FAbb said:

Way to beat probowler to the punch, terp. 

That was originally a CG2 thing. Hopefully he gets a chuckle out of it.

[ScottHutch2]

Happy new year everyone. Anybody have experience with Golftec in Ellicott City? Got a $125 referral credit from a friend back home that I will use here. It pays for a "swing evaluation" after which they recommend packages/lesson plans. Was wondering if anybody here has done has experience with this specific location and if they could share?

 

thanks!

[dagoose383]

Okay so now it’s the New Year, time for this post...

 

What are your goals for 2021 and how are you going to/what are you going to do achieve them?

 

For me the main goal is to finish the year as a legit single digit handicap and to shoot 75 or less at Chesapeake Hills at least once. I also want to win a Hive event (net division) and I want to finish in the top 3 for my division in the Southern Maryland Amateur. 
 

To achieve them I bought an annual pass at Chesapeake Hills so I can play at a discount rate (walk for free), which should give me a lot more on course reps. I have a regular Sunday group lined up and a couple of walking partners once the time changes. I’m working out at least 4 days a week to hopefully gain a little bit of driver distance and better overall fitness so that I don’t fade late in rounds. I’m reading the Bob Rotella books since the mental game has always been my downfall. I plan on having a lot more late afternoon “practice loops” to work on specific things and will probably throw a couple lessons in the mix as well. 
 

First round of the year was a smooth 82 that felt like it could have been a 79, so things are looking good. 

[FAbb]

I'd like to break my high water mark for rounds posted to handicap in a season, set at ~40 rounds back in 2019.  I joined a club at the end of 2020, which I feel will help with this immensely.

 

I feel like anything else I'd like to do will come as a result of sustained reps. 

 

I was really looking forward to playing some tournaments in 2020, but that didn't pan out.  Signing up for tournaments will make me want to play more so that I feel prepared, and feeling prepared will make me sign up for more things.

 

I had a lot of time off from golf, planned and unplanned, from which I still feel like I'm trying to dig my game out of.  2019 felt like a step forward for my golf game, whereas 2020 was a regression, save for a couple bright spots early on.  I feel like it's just a matter of consistent reps to recover and drive my game forward.

 

Another thing I need to be mindful of, in terms of allocating golf time, is making time for the practice green.  During the 2019 season, I visited the practice green at least once a week, for pretty much the entire handicap season.  It's no surprise that it was a good putting year for me.  This year, I made very few visits to the practice green, and my feel for speed and line of putts has suffered noticeably.

[dcmidnight]

The first half of 2020 was fantastic for my game, huge step forward. Three tournament wins, shot even par with 5 birdies, had never played better. Rotator cuff started feeling banged up in the fall, probably should have rested instead of pushing through with two golf trips. Hopefully it is at least 90% recovered in the next 6-8 weeks and I can get back at it. But at this rate, I would say its 50-50.

 

I started back on a really good exercise routine a few weeks ago. Back at it with the spin classes and yoga along with 10-15 minutes of stretches/foam roll/PT every day. The PT includes a lot of very light weight work as well which I normally ignore in the offseason. I am going to see where its at in 6 weeks or so.

 

I'm thankful that this has all happened in December and January. When my car is covered in ice in the morning, its not really a day I'm going to be pushing to be outside as it is, so, I'm glad I can take the indoor time now.

 

My specific, quantifiable goals are to shoot even par again and qualify for the Championship flight of CC in July. I played in a lot of league matches and tournaments last year and it helped me a ton, so I'll be doing the same this year. My other goal would be to improve my bunker play. I really lost my way at some point. I had high hopes of doing that in the fall but things got in the way.

 

 

 

 

[TheCityGame]

this goal is sort of dumb on the surface. if someone else wrote it, I'd go, "no, that's dumb. Tell me something actionable."

 

But, hear me out. 

 

My goal this year is to "go low". 

 

Like, that's all that is on my mind. I'm not trying to hit it further, or hit more greens, or chip it closer, or make more putts. I'm just setting an intention (as we say in yoga) to "go low". 

 

A part of my game that got a lot better last year was wedges from inside 120 and I almost feel like it was the last glaring hole. It was an obvious shortcoming that any outside observer would have noticed; now it's time to start cashing in on the sweat equity. 

 

I will go through ups and downs with every aspect of my game. I'm not going to make any sort of physical golfing-ability improvement right now. I've had enough years straight of fine tuning the game, and now it's time to work on a new mentality. I don't know if this will pay dividends. But, I'm not going to spend another season thinking I need to increase my percentages from 8-12 feet, or hit it 8 yards further. I'm going out to try to shoot under par. I'll still practice. Don't get me wrong. But, I'm going to stop blaming those things I'm practicing for being the reason I'm not going lower. 

 

I don't know how it will manifest itself on the course. But, for instance, if I have a good round going, I don't want to "protect" the low round. I don't want to keep a 20 footer "close" because I'm worried about the 3 putt or play away from a pin when I'm hitting it well. I had too many rounds last year when I had 4+ birdies and stacked them with 5/6 bogeys. I don't know if that's a golfing ability thing, or a mentality thing, but it seems like a person making 4 birdies in a round shouldn't be making 5 bogeys. 

 

So, that's it.