My Road to Improvement - swing video 3/15/24

[Myherobobhope]

Glad you are still grinding… some good overall progress, just hasn’t resulted in the score you want… I think it’s partially just a matter of getting enough rounds in. 
 

hopefully you can get more reps in this summer! Keep working.

[SNIPERBBB]

@bortass how likely are you to hit a draw on this hole? Without forcing it?  Forcing it is a bad idea if its not your natural shape. A fade starting it down the left treeline is a good play if you want to get aggressive with a long club that can clear the bunkers. Draw is nice here only if its reliable. 

 

Short play of the bunkers is the nice, easy play.

 

Whichever route you choose needs to be dependable. You've gotta hit something that you can hit 9/10 or better reliably.

[bortass]

 

17 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

Glad you are still grinding… some good overall progress, just hasn’t resulted in the score you want… I think it’s partially just a matter of getting enough rounds in. 
 

hopefully you can get more reps in this summer! Keep working.

The scores aren't there but I am seeing good things, even with some bad numbers. I haven't done the write up for Saturday but it's not pretty. That said there were some real good confidence boosters in the round. I feel good about my recent progress. I'm really liking the new irons even if they get me in trouble and the PXG driver is money. I don't recall ever driving it as well as I have been with it. I think the fitter nailed the combo and I'm just getting better with it over time. I won't be a long bomber but I feel like I can at least hold my own and if I catch one, it's gone....(in a good way)

 

 

On 6/10/2021 at 11:49 PM, berndgeurts said:

2 choices from the tee:

A. Hit it 180 yards in front of the bunkers to the fat part of the fairway.160 yard shot into the green

B. Bomb a driver past the bunkers in front of the stream.

 

A is the smart and safe option.

I would play i5 and then i7/i8, but that's for me and my distances

A is the option I used Saturday and makes the most sense to me.

 

16 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

@bortass how likely are you to hit a draw on this hole? Without forcing it?  Forcing it is a bad idea if its not your natural shape. A fade starting it down the left treeline is a good play if you want to get aggressive with a long club that can clear the bunkers. Draw is nice here only if its reliable. 

 

Short play of the bunkers is the nice, easy play.

 

Whichever route you choose needs to be dependable. You've gotta hit something that you can hit 9/10 or better reliably.

I am unlikely to hit a draw since a fade is my most common shot unless I hit it pure, those are always a draw. I do know how to force an iron left though. I had to do it quite a bit when I worked on lessons in the past. I'd only feel good with trying a partial swing though. I am not sure why but I have not been able to commit to trying it on this hole yet. I just hit my normal tee shot which is likely to be a push or slight fade. 

 

 

[jkumpire]

Hi Bort!

 

Good to read you are still at it and improving!!

 

One or two quick thoughts after looking at your last couple of rounds.

 

1. It seems you get into more trouble after a bad shot, as if you can't get the last shot out of your mind and that compounds the problem. Maybe you can improve by learning to forget the last shot and concentrate on the next shot. Since you can't change yesterday change today! Find a way to flush away the last shot if it's bad, and remember the great shot forever.

 

2. Bob Rotella has a maxim, 'have a conservative plan and a cocky and aggressive swing'. The aggressive swing comes from the positive attitude a conservative plans gives you (i.e. I can play this shot because I know I can do it and I planned to do it). Plan to find places where you want to hit shots so you can hit your next shot and know you will succeed! If it occasionally means you challenge a tough pin or play over water, fine; you planned for it, and you have a shot that takes the trouble out of play. That means you have a great chance of success. 

 

Keep having fun!   

[BigTerp1524]

1 hour ago, bortass said:

That said there were some real good confidence boosters in the round. I feel good about my recent progress.

I think the above is an important takeaway for guys like us. Even if the score looks horrible, seeing progress throughout the round is very encouraging and leads to continued work and practice to further said progress. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

1 hour ago, BigTerp1524 said:

I think the above is an important takeaway for guys like us. Even if the score looks horrible, seeing progress throughout the round is very encouraging and leads to continued work and practice to further said progress. 

Exactly. I know I can put up a big number on basically any hole on a golf course. A couple of those blow up the number on the scorecard quickly too... But then it's not like I also can't hit good shots, and string enough of them in a row to put together some pars. 

 

It's rare that I have a round that I can't take any positives away... I've only had one of those in recent memory where there was literally no positive. 

[bortass]

 

It's been raining some most days last week, afternoon showers and Tstorms. I did practice putting and chipping some more Friday Saturday's round was cart path only. Things are soft out there but not too bad. My warm up went well on the range and I got some more short putting in.

 

1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. I hit a decent fade down the right side, 225 with driver. I',m in the fairway and near the clump of trees on the right side. The flag is in the middle of the green, so they are not a big worry. I catch my 5i a bit thin and it's a push that travels 150 yards and ends up in the front right bunker. Not the end of the world. I pick the ball clean and send it over the green though... I chip on with my SW to 21 feet, kinda sad and two putt for a double bogey, 6.

 

Not the start I wanted but this is a bogey hole for me, so a double isn't the end of the world.

 

2 – par 3, 142 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The flag is front right and I use my 7i. I hit it off the toe and heavy. It's a high shot at the hole but lands in the front bunker, 116 yards. This time I hit a decent sand shot to 9 feet. My par putt is a touch low and I'm left with 6 inches for bogey, 4.

 

3 – par 5, 458 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I hit a push fade into the left trees. Can't find it, so I drop 161 yards off the tee and add 2 penalty strokes. Gotta start hitting provisionals... I use my 5i to get back into position and hit a nice shot, 149 yards, down the right side. The hole is to the right and I have a blind shot because of there is a spur of the hill on the right side. I don't recall the yardage but I hit my 8i. It's a great looking shot, nice and high, that starts a bit left and travels 133 yards. I get to the green and I'm back left and 27 feet from the hole. I hit the bogey putt to 2 feet and come away with a double bogey 7. Good to know I can par this hole with a 160 yard tee shot.

 

4 – par 4, 293 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. This is a par hole for me since it's short and I can drive it close to 50 yards out at times. I swing my driver and it's a thin slice, never more than 4 feet off the ground into the right trees.... I should have hit a provisional but I don't. No sign of the ball and I drop 149 yards off the tee and add another 2 penalty strokes. I'm in the right rough. The hole is back left and long is bad. I'm actually slightly above the green and hit my 8i. It's another good looking shot that goes 142 yards. I'm 28 feet below the hole. I hit my putt and leave it 7 feet short, holy crap. I three putt for a triple bogey, 7.

 

Well this is not going well at all.

 

5- par 5, 501 yards, dogleg right, #5 HCP, hazard down the left side. There's a slope on the right side which makes the fairway narrow in the landing spot. A stream runs down the right side from the corner to near the green. I stay with driver and hit a push fade 198 yards up onto the shelf that's to the right of the fairway. Pretty much the same area I was last week but I see my ball stay out of the bushes. My lie is okay and I feel good about hitting a 5i over the stream and past the corner to the left side of the fairway. I catch it thin and it's a worm burner that goes into the hazard.

 

Well, another drop. I only advanced the ball 90 yards and hit my 5i again. It's a weak shot that goes 123 yards but I'm in play and have an approach shot now. The hole is back right on the upper tier, so I don't want to be long. I hit a partial SW 75 yards and on the green, 15 feet below the hole. I don't recall exactly what happens but the bogey putt misses and I sink a 4 footer for double bogey, 7.

 

This round is in shambles but I'm okay mentally. I don't know why. The bad holes and shots bugged me but aren't leading to frustration. It's kinda nice actually.

 

6 – par 4, 367 yards, slight dogleg left, #7 HCP. Medium width landing area with a bunker on the left. Houses are on the right and there's a sharp slope into the left trees if you end up too far into the left rough. I hit a slight pull for a change with the driver. It ends up in the left fairway bunker, 193 yards. This could have been real bad but it's not. The sand is firm and no lip to worry about. I decide to hit my 5i out. Contact is good and it's a mid height shot that's going for the right trees/houses and OOB. What the heck? I look and that's exactly where I was aiming. The ball luckily hits a tree and drops and rolls into the fairway. Dodged a bullet there. I hit a partial AW and it's a nice high shot that goes 85 yards and lands near the middle of the green, 8 feet left of the hole. A great shot. I miss the par putt and tap in from about 6 inches for bogey, 5.

 

7 – par 4, 351 yards, slight dogleg right, #11 HCP, elevated tee shot to a wide open fairway that slopes down right to left all the way to about the 100 yard marker. Bunkers on the left marking the corner and a slope on the right. I aim left as usual and hit a push fade with driver. It's not a bad shot and it hits the right slope and gets kicked left. It's only a 208 yard shot but I'm in the fairway on the right edge and am closer to the hole which is back right. I'm above the green with ball above my feet. I make good contact with my 7i and it starts a touch left. It's a 144 yard shot that winds up in the back left bunker. There's no sand to really work with thanks to the rain packing everything down. I hit my sand shot and it comes out nicely and stops 6 feet from the hole. I sink the par putt this time! 4.

 

I finally have a well played hole and it feels good.

 

8 – par 3, 160 yards, elevated tee shot, #13 HCP, bunker on the right side of the green. Slope to the right of this hole that is weed whacked. So it's long stuff and wild. Balls can get lost here. The hole is on the left side near the middle of the green. I figure I'll hit my 7i. I blade the ball 174 yards into the back rough, lol. For perspective I chip with my putter and it goes about 26 yards and stops 7 feet out. I got it hole high but didn't take enough break into account. The par putt misses and is another tap in from 6 inches or so, bogey, 4.

 

9 – par 4, 357 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I hit an okay draw, 213 yards, down the middle. The hole is front right and I am close to the 150 marker. I have to carry a bit of the pond but I feel good about it. I use my 5i and hit a hit shot, 156 yards, to the left side of the green. A bit of a push I think. I'm 55 feet left of the hole. I'm on the correct tier but have a mound to putt up and over to get tot he hole. I'm also putting along the tier which breaks left to right. I hit my putt and it's too low. It stops about 6 feet below the hole. So my distance was pretty good, just the line was off. I hit my par putt and it drops, 4!

 

This has been a bogey hole for me the entire time I've been playing this course. I now have pars the last 2 weeks on one of the hardest holes. I can't be stupid but this is a confidence builder in what has been a lackluster round so far.

 

10 – par 4, 342 yards, dogleg left, #10 HCP hole. Elevated tee shot to a lower fairway. Green is elevated with a bunker front right. Hole from hell... I hit driver and it's a push fade, 208 yards, that lands and stops short of the right trees. I'm 160ish out on a bare lie. The hole is middle front and I'm not blocked by the trees, though I have to skirt them to got at the hole. I aim a bit left with my 5i and top it to the right...I'm kinda pissed at myself now because it's likely in the trees. I get to where my ball likely went in and I see a ball closer to the green. It's mine somehow. I have about 50 yards or so and had broght my AW with me thinking I'd be dropping further back. I also am under over hanging limbs, so the ball has to stay low. A little punchy shot to the elevated green is what I decide on. My contact is good and the ball carries the lip of the slope. Sure enough, I'm off the back, 72 yard shot. The hole is on the lower tier. I use my putter though some rough and the ball stops on the edge of the tier and doesn't keep going. Crap, I'm 27 feet above the hole and hit my next one to 6 feet. So a three putt, triple bogey 7.

 

Found a way to screw this hole up again. I think the strategy of drive roff the tee is a good one. My second shot may need more thought if I'm that far right though. Short game is what really let me down though.

 

11 – par 4, 329 yards, 90* dogleg left, #12 HCP. Fairway eventually slopes down to a stream short of the green, forced carry. Hole from hell #2, lol. I stay with my 5i and I aim for the bunkers as has been suggested. I hit a slight push, 173 yards, into the fairway on the right. The hole is middle front and I'm 160ish from center. I'm elevated and decide to go for it with my 5i.

 

Any guesses on what happens?

 

Contact is solid and it's a mid height draw that lands on the back of the green, maybe 3 yards from the edge, and bounces over and off, 192 yards....

 

I'd say 'well crap' but I cannot complain about a solid shot. My ball is in the rough next to the cart path and I decide to not take relief since I'd have to drop on the other side of the path. The back of the green is above me and slopes to the front. I use the standard UTB chip with my SW and blade it 53 yards into the stream.... Yup, I chipped in this time. I drop and use my putter to chip to 9 feet. The double bogey putt stops 3 inches out. Triple bogey, 7.

 

Short game issues again. I should have just done a bump and run still chip with an iron or even the 5h. I need to start thinking more about my options and not just decide do I use my putter or not to chip.

 

Outside of that I am very happy with the first two shots. I think I can go for it in two unless I am too far right off the tee. Kind of like #9, can't be stupid but I really don't need to be passive everytime and give away legit chances at making a par. I also don't expect to hit a 190 yard 5i often, lol.

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. I don't know how I manage it but I hit a very high draw with my driver that just dropped from the sky. It flew like a high iron, 210 yards, pretty much all carry down the left side. I'm in the fairway and past the corner, so a good place to be. The hole is left front and 90ish yards. I hit a partial PW and it's a thin pull that hits the left slope and kicks to the right. My ball is in the rough short of the green, 83 yard shot. I chip with my putter to 2 feet and sink the par putt, 4.

 

13 – par 3, 123 yards, #18 HCP, green is elevated with bunkers short right and left and long left. Tiered green as well. The hole is middle back on the upper tier. 8i should do the trick. I swing and it's heavy. It's a high weak shot that goes 103 yards into the front left bunker. I look down and my divot starts maybe an inch behind the tee and inside it, so that the divot goes past the tee but never touched it. There's a mark on my 8i way by the toe. I don't recall chunking a shot and having the divot extend past the tee w/o actually touching/moving said tee before. I guess I'm talented...

 

So the tee shot is still a head scratcher to me but whatever. I use my SW and swing too hard and send it 37 yards into the back bunker. There's no lip, so I putt out of it. Arccos doesn't have an option of using a putter from the sand, so it counts as a chip and not a sand shot. I get it to 8 feet and two putt for a smooth double bogey, 5.

 

14 – par 4, 543, straight hole, #4 HCP. Elevated teeshot to wide open fairway. Fairway slopes down left to right, water on the right closer to the green and fronting the entire green. My tee shot makes me forget the previous hole. It's a very solid fade drive down the left side, 248 yards, into the fairway. I have a good lie and decide to hit my new 5h again, like I did last week. This time I get the ball airborne and it's a fade that goes 192 yards just to the right of middle of the fairway. Another solid result with that club. The hole is back right near the pond. There's a tail wind I think and I'm close to the 100 yard marker. An easy PW and I'm on in 3. I blade it to the right, aka straight push, and it's in the pond... LOL.

 

It is what it is. I drop and hit a partial SW 64 yards onto the green. I'm 33 feet out and get my putt to a couple of feet and have a 2 putt, double bogey, 7.

 

I'm real happy with my first two and last two strokes. Too bad I messed up the easiest shot that wasn't a putt.

 

15 – par 4, 264 yards, straight, #16 HCP. Elevated tee shot to a fairway that is always soft abd cart path only year round. Fairway bunkers on left side in line with the green. Bunker surround this green except for the left side. I have almost driven this green the last three rounds.

 

The group in front is already gone, so I don't have to wait and then dub it. I don't know why I tend to mishit the shots when I'm waiting for the group in front to clear but I do. Somethign about standing there knowing a solid shot can reach and I don't want to even roll a ball near the group in front. So I wait and top it 50 yards or something equally dumb.

 

Anyhow that's not the case and I actually aim a bit more at the green this time. I hit a solid shot that's tracking for the right edge of the green. It lands in the rough past the last fairway bunker and the green, 221 yards. I'm inside 50 yards and the hole is front left. This is going to be a touch shot. I use my SW and go by feel. It's a nice looking shot that lands on the green and heads for the hole stopping 3 feet to the left of it, 32 yard shot. I sink the birdie putt, 3!

 

The short putting practice and being firm really helped IMO.

 

16 – par 3, 147 yards, #8 HCP. Elevated green with a forced stream carry. Bunkers short right and long left and middle. Tiered green with a strong back left to front right slope. The hole is middle front, and 140ish. I decide to hit my 6i. Contact is very good and it's a mid height draw. I watch the ball sail over the green and land in the rough on the slope behind the green. 173 yard shot, almost all carry. I looked at my 6i and there's a nice circle on the sweet spot!

 

Well, I'm in a bad place now. Deep Bermuda rough, ball sitting down, on a steep downslope, to a green below me with a tier that runs away from me. It's going to be a hack down with the SW kinda shot. I make the swing but use too much force. The ball flies out, lands on the green, and rolls into the front bunker. I catch it thin with my SW and the ball goes 24 yards, aka 32 feet past the hole and back up the slope. My first putt ends up 7 feet out and it's a three putt, triple bogey, 6.

 

The end result is terrible but I don't blame the tee shot. I don't plan on hitting it near the sweet spot and having the ball go 20+ yards longer than expected...

 

17 – par 4, 363 yards, dogleg left, #6 HCP. Fairly open fairway with bunkers on the right at the corner. Green has a tier and heavily slopes left to right, can putt off this green... Bunkers short of the green as well. I hit a high fade, 227, into the fairway on the right side. The hole is front right and the entire green complex slopes pretty hard to the right. I aim for the left side of the green and hit my 8i. It's a bit of a pull that lands in the left rough and takes the slope into the front left bunker, 120 yards. It takes me 2 to get out and I'm now 21 feet below the hole. Bogey putt comes up 5 feet short but I sink the next for double bogey, 6.

 

18 – par 5, 504 yards, straightish, #2 HCP. There is a stream carry on either the second or third shot. There is also a pond fronting the green... It's another solid drive down the left side, 228 yards. I'm in the fairway and feel like I can cross the stream instead of laying up like I almost always do. I hit a high shot with my 5i, 152 yards, and clear the stream. The hole is middle back on the upper tier, I'd prefer to putt from below it, if I miss. I use my 9i and hit a high fade, 108 yards, to the front of the green,. I'm 31 feet below the hole shich is fine. Right? It's a steep tier to climb though and my first putt reaches the top, stops, and rolls back down even further away... I repeat the process and same result. Don't get up top and ball rolls even further than I started. It's a 5 putt triple bogey, 8.

 

48/53 101. Some struggles out there but I came away feeling good about aspects of the round. I had a few good holes and overall my irons were pretty decent for a change. Sure they cost me still but I am seeing some positives. I think I can be more aggressive, within reason of course. Holes 10 and 11 didn't pan out well but I think I have the right idea for both.

 

My driving was off early on and I had some real FUBARs with short game and putting. Can't do good putting with a 5 putt but I now know that I need to whack the ball to that upper tier in the future at all costs.

 

Greens are being punched today and tomorrow, so no point in putting practice for a week or two. Gonna work on chipping and full swing.

 

birdies: 1

pars: 3

bogeys: 3

double bogeys: 6

triple+: 5

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 204

Longest drive: 248

Fairways: 8/14

GIR: 3/18

Avg Approach: 120

Up & down: 2/13

Putts: 39, lol

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -16.2 strokes

driving: -4.7, love those OOB shots

Approach: -4.6, one of the better days with my irons

Short game: -2.5, really struggled on a number of hole.

Putting: -4.5, a 5 putt will kill this stat.

Edited June 14, 2021 by bortass

[bortass]

4 hours ago, jkumpire said:

Hi Bort!

 

Good to read you are still at it and improving!!

 

One or two quick thoughts after looking at your last couple of rounds.

 

1. It seems you get into more trouble after a bad shot, as if you can't get the last shot out of your mind and that compounds the problem. Maybe you can improve by learning to forget the last shot and concentrate on the next shot. Since you can't change yesterday change today! Find a way to flush away the last shot if it's bad, and remember the great shot forever.

 

2. Bob Rotella has a maxim, 'have a conservative plan and a cocky and aggressive swing'. The aggressive swing comes from the positive attitude a conservative plans gives you (i.e. I can play this shot because I know I can do it and I planned to do it). Plan to find places where you want to hit shots so you can hit your next shot and know you will succeed! If it occasionally means you challenge a tough pin or play over water, fine; you planned for it, and you have a shot that takes the trouble out of play. That means you have a great chance of success. 

 

Keep having fun!   

Hey there, it's been a while! I'm back at it after quitting back in 2013. How are things with you?

 

I think some of the bad shot after a bad shot is timing related. I know it happens near greens where a bad short game shot probably means I'm still away and it's mine turn still aka USGA, U Suck, Go Again. I don't have the same amount of time between shots to decompress and process what happened enough to move on. I may get there eventually though. You likely recall my struggles with letting bad holes ruin a round, I'm getting past that one so there may be hope yet, lol.

 

3 hours ago, BigTerp1524 said:

I think the above is an important takeaway for guys like us. Even if the score looks horrible, seeing progress throughout the round is very encouraging and leads to continued work and practice to further said progress. 

 

1 hour ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Exactly. I know I can put up a big number on basically any hole on a golf course. A couple of those blow up the number on the scorecard quickly too... But then it's not like I also can't hit good shots, and string enough of them in a row to put together some pars. 

 

It's rare that I have a round that I can't take any positives away... I've only had one of those in recent memory where there was literally no positive. 

 

Exactly! The trick is remembering and reminding myself this. If I solely went by scores, I'd have quit posting here long ago. So the context I need to put everything in is that I'm trying to improve and shot a score I have done once in my life. I see flashes of a game at times but nothing coming together all at once.

 

It's like @Myherobobhopementioned earlier about getting enough rounds in. My goal when I came back was at least 27 holes a week. I can't recall the last time I was able to get out for 9. Actually playing is a big help IMO. What I learn on the course isn't what I can learn from the range. Like realizing I can try 150 yard shots over water and not have it take a miracle. So I'll keep plugging away and trying to improve where I can. 

 

Plus I feel like I may actually drive a green at some point. I've been flirting with it on a few holes and while very unlikely, it'd be cool to say I actually did it once. Kinda like that mishit eagle last year. Never expected to ever get one and don't expect to see it happen again but it was so awesome, lol.

[bortass]

Greens were punched over the prior two days. It was low 80s and pretty dry out. The course was empty, so I played a quick 18 in 2.5 hours. I was surprised it was that fast since I didn't rush and had to do some searching at times. No warmup, just got to 1 and starting swinging. Also my TM SW finally came it. It has the wrong size grip, regular, instead of midsize but midsize is on back order and I'd be waiting until October for the club otherwise. The pro shop will fix it once grips are available in the future. It was nice to finally have all my clubs!

 

 

1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. I hit a pull with driver down the left side, 231 yards, into the left rough. I'm not off the fairway by much, maybe a yard or two. The flag is near the middle of the green and I'm about 170ish out. Normally I'd be hitting my 7w but I have not been using my woods at all lately. I probably won't make it but I decide on my 5i. It's a bladed push short of the front bunker which is on the right of the green, 139 yards. Decent lie and I mishits my chip into the bunker. I use my new SW. I leave it square and don't swing too hard. The ball pops out of the bunker and lands in the fringe, rolling out to about 5 feet. I have no idea what the greens are gonna be like with all of the holes and sand. I hit my putt and it drops, bogey, 5.

 

2 – par 3, 142 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The hole is front middle and I decide on my 7i. It's a high draw that I see land on the green to the left of the hole. 135 yard shot and I'm 14 feet left and a bit past the hole. I hit the birdie putt and miss low, I think. I have a 2 footer for par which I make, 3.

 

A good start!

 

3 – par 5, 458 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I hit another pull with my driver, 234 yards, and watch my ball land in the left rough between the two fairway bunkers. I get to my ball and it's about 6 inches short of the bunker. So my ball is sitting on sand and grass. I have to stand in the bunker as well. The ball is above my feet and I don't want to get too bold. I punch my 5i and contact is good. The ball is a low draw that hits the slope on the right side and kicks left back into the fairway, 158 yards. I'm in the fairway and the hole is back left. I decide on a partial AW. I chunk it and it's a high shot that only goes 58 yards and lands short of the green.

 

I remember my short game woes from last week and decide to chip with my 5h since there's nothing in my way. A bump and run. I setup and top it short of the green. Teach me to try this w/o practice. I use my putter and chip it 6 feet short of the cup. I hit the bogey putt and it stops, literally, on the lip of the hole. No idea if it would have gone in w/o sand filled holes but regardless, it's a 2 putt double bogey, 7.

 

4 – par 4, 293 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. I hit a thin pull into the left rough, 185 yards. The hole is near the front and I decide on a PW shot. I hit a bladed push, 88 yards, and short of the green. I'm in the rough between the two bunkers and I try my first chip with the new SW. I blade it to the back of the green... I'm 69 feet past the hole now and the par putt comes up 15 feet short. 3 putt, double bogey, 6.

 

Those last two holes hurt....

 

5- par 5, 501 yards, dogleg right, #5 HCP, hazard down the left side. There's a slope on the right side which makes the fairway narrow in the landing spot. A stream runs down the right side from the corner to near the green. I hit a thin pull with driver, 171 yards, onto the side of the right slope. The ball is on an up slope, in the rough, and above my feet. I don't like this, so I decide to chip into the fairway with my 9i. Contact is good and I advance it 78 yards to the fairway on the left by the corner.

 

I have a good angle now. I decide to hit 5h. It's a top that goes 111 yards into the fairway on the right... Sigh. I'm 160ish out and the hole is on the left. I feel good with going for it with my 5i. I hit a bladed push and it bounces into the stream well right nof my target line. Crap. I drop 68 yards from the prior spot and hit a partial AW. Contact is good and it's a high shot that goes 89 yards and lands on the green, 21 feet to the left of the hole. My first putt isn't good and I leave myself with a 6 footer. Another 3 putt, quad, 9.

 

Stick a fork in me....

 

6 – par 4, 367 yards, slight dogleg left, #7 HCP. Medium width landing area with a bunker on the left. Houses are on the right and there's a sharp slope into the left trees if you end up too far into the left rough. I aim down the middle of the fairway and crank a great looking draw. It lands in the fairway and kicks forward, 251 yards. The hole is front right and I go with my 9i. It's another bladed push that misses well right of target, 111 yards. I'm in the rough and use my new SW for a UTB chip. I make good contact and the ball stops 4 feet past the hole. I hit my par putt and miss high and a foot long. Crap. Tap in bogey, 5.

 

Kinda bummed about the missed up and down but I'll take a bogey after the mess from the last three holes.

 

7 – par 4, 351 yards, slight dogleg right, #11 HCP, elevated tee shot to a wide open fairway that slopes down right to left all the way to about the 100 yard marker. Bunkers on the left marking the corner and a slope on the right. I aim left, as normal, and hit a thin pull, 210 yards, into the left fairway bunker. I'm not confident with these and don't want to get too aggressive. I'm 5i out but use my 6i instead since I expect a low shot. I swing the 6i and it's good contact. The ball comes out low and rolls out, 136 yards, into the rough just short of the green. I use my SW to chip and make good contact but my aim is off. The ball lands on the green and rolls out about 9 feet left of the hole thanks to the break. I hit my par putt and it drops, 4.

 

8 – par 3, 160 yards, elevated tee shot, #13 HCP, bunker on the right side of the green. Slope to the right of this hole that is weed whacked. So it's long stuff and wild. Balls can get lost here. The hole is front right and I go with 8i. It's a high draw at the right bunker. The wind helps knock my ball down and it lands in the rough short of the bunker, 135 yards. I don't know why but I pace it off and I'm 6 yards right of the hole. My ball has mud on it that I can't remove. I chip with my putter and watch the ball roll with the chunk of mud on it. It stops a foot out. Tap in par, 3.

 

Okay, I'm golfing again and playing decently.

 

9 – par 4, 357 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I hit a very strong mid height draw down the middle. The ball lands in the fairway and rolls out some, 238 yards. The hole is back left and I'd rather be short than long. I hit my 7i and it's a low shot that lands near the back left of the green and rolls off, 143 yards. My ball is on a mound that's just off the back left. I chip with my putter and it's too hard.... I watch the ball roll 11 feet past the hole. Crap. I hit the par putt and I'm left with a 1 foot putt for bogey, 5.

 

10 – par 4, 342 yards, dogleg left, #10 HCP hole. Elevated tee shot to a lower fairway. Green is elevated with a bunker front right. I top my driver 78 yards into the thick rough fronting the tees at the bottom of the slope. I decide to punch my 7i and make good contact. It's a low draw that goes down the middle of the fairway and it curls left with the slope. It's a 150 yard shot thanks to the slope and I'm on the left side of the fairway. The hole is middle back and it's a 9i. I hit another thin push, 108 yards, into the right fringe near the back of the green. I chip with my putter and it doesn't break as expected. I'm 14 feet above the hole now and my first putt misses. I have 18 inches for a double bogey, 6.

 

Sigh, this hole is my nemesis but a 6 is better than a 7.

 

11 – par 4, 329 yards, 90* dogleg left, #12 HCP. Fairway eventually slopes down to a stream short of the green, forced carry. I aim at the left most fairway bunker that's at the corner on the right side. I hit my 5i and it's a low push that goes 142 yards down the right side. Not good at all. I don't even bother to look how far from the green I am. I am laying up. I chip with my 9i, 91 yards, to the edge of the slope that leads down to the stream. The flag is front right and I decide on a PW shot which should reach middle. Contact is good and it's a high shot that goes over the flag and lands in the right rough. I use my putter to chip and get it to a foot. A tap in, bogey, 5.

 

Not a great start but I didn't compound my errors.

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. I hit driver and it's a low draw down the left edge and past the corner. It goes 214 yards and I'm in the middle of the fairway. The hole is near the middle and I hit a partial PW. Contact is good and I see the ball land on the elevated green. It's a 93 yard shot and I'm 14 feet right of the hole. I hit my birdie putt and it ends up a foot out. Another tap in for par, 4.

 

13 – par 3, 123 yards, #18 HCP, green is elevated with bunkers short right and left and long left. Tiered green as well. The hole is middle back and it's 8i range. I aim left of the flag since the green slopes left to right. I hit a high push, 128 yards, onto the back tier on the right. I'm almost hole high and 30 feet right of it. The birdie putt goes about 2.5 feet long and I sink the par putt, 3.

 

Okay, back to good golf!

 

14 – par 4, 543, straight hole, #4 HCP. Elevated tee shot to wide open fairway. Fairway slopes down left to right, water on the right closer to the green and fronting the entire green. I aim down the left side and hit a terrible push fade towards the houses on the right. I hear my ball hit a tree but have no idea where it may be. I hit a provisional and it's another push fade towards the right houses. This ball stays a bit more left and I find it in the right rough, 227 yards off the tee. No sign of the first ball, so there's another 2 strokes. I punch a 5i, 146 yards, across the fairway onto the left slope. I'm in the rough with the ball below my feet. I don't feel frisky and punch my 5i down the left side. It gets some cart path helps and travels 178 yards and into the first green side bunker on the left. I'm timid with my sand shot and get it out of the bunker but short of the green. I chip with my putter to 5 feet and two putt for an awesome quad, 9.

 

LOL.

 

15 – par 4, 264 yards, straight, #16 HCP. Elevated tee shot to a fairway that is always soft abd cart path only year round. Fairway bunkers on left side in line with the green. Bunker surround this green except for the left side. I aim for the right side of the green since I've been coming close to driving it. I setup and feel like I'm really reaching with my driver. I swing away and it's a nice looking slice into the right trees. I hit a provisional with a better setup and it's a nice little draw that lands in the fairway bunker that's just short of the green. I go searching in the trees and find my ball and it's still in play. I use my 7i and a hacking motion to advance the ball 44 yards and into the right rough. The hole is on the left and I hit a partial SW. Contact is good and my ball lands near the hole and rolls into fringe on the left, past the flag. I chip with my putter to 6 inches. Tap in bogey, 5.

 

The tee shot hurt but I was able to play smart and limit the damage at least.

 

16 – par 3, 147 yards, #8 HCP. Elevated green with a forced stream carry. Bunkers short right and long left and middle. Tiered green with a strong back left to front right slope. The hole is middle right and I aim at a buch behind the green and a tough left of the hole. I use my 7i and it's a high draw down my target line, 136 yards, and I'm on the green, 9 feet past and to the left of the hole. My birdie putt misses and I have a tap in from a foot for par, 3.

 

 

17 – par 4, 363 yards, dogleg left, #6 HCP. Fairly open fairway with bunkers on the right at the corner. Green has a tier and heavily slopes left to right, can putt off this green... Bunkers short of the green as well. I aim down the middle with driver and hit a push fade into the first fairway bunker on the right, 208 yards. Well nothing fancy again. I take my 5i since there's no lip and hit a partial shot. It comes out a decent height and goes 110 yards and into the fairway short of the green. I'm very happy with this result. The hole is front right and around 50 yards. I am inside my stock partial SW, so this will be another 'feel' shot with it. I make contact and it's a high shot that goes 50 yards and lands on the green, 4 feet left of the cup. I make the par putt, 4.

 

18 – par 5, 504 yards, straightish, #2 HCP. There is a stream carry on either the second or third shot. There is also a pond fronting the green... I hit a decent fade down the left side, 212 yards, into the middle of the fairway. I decide to cross the stream with my next shot and settle on my 5h to try to get as much distance as possible. Well that plan doesn't work. I top the ball aka smash it into the turf and it rolls about 50 yards. I'm short of the stream still and just hit a nice 5i, 162 yards, across. I'm in the fairway to the left of the green and the pond is out of play unless I really push the ball. I hit a partial SW and it's a high shot that goes 64 yards and stops 24 feet past the hole. I'm on the same tier though and hit the par putt. I miss high and 4 feet long. Crap. The bogey putt drops, yay! 6.

 

I get off the course and Arccos says I have a 93. I don't believe it because of my bad holes. I see it has me with 3 putts on 18 and I fix that and compare it's scorecard with my paper one. A 47/45 for 92 with two 9s on the card. My game was not on to say the least. I had issues everyplace but I just played the best I could and came out with a much better score than I expected after that string of bad holes on the front. I was really surprised when I saw the score at the end. Not pulling anyone's chain because I just write down the number and move on. I never total the score as I go or at the turn.

 

My biggest takeaway is if I just play golf and don't let bad thoughts derail things, good stuff can happen. A 92 is a pretty good score for me on my home course. Pretty sure it'll be one of my best rounds there. My 89s seem to come on the sister course, not that there are many of those, maybe 3?

 

birdies: 0

pars: 7

bogeys: 6

double bogeys: 3

triple+: 2

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 199

Longest drive: 251

Fairways: 5/14

GIR: 4/18

Avg Approach: 108

Up & down: 6/13

Putts: 32

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -7.6 strokes

driving: -3.7, had some real issues here

Approach: -5.0, not great but still better than average.

Short game: +2.0, even with my miscues, my short game was pretty solid.

Putting: -0.9, not bad for punched greens.

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by bortass
Added missing stroke on 1

[betarhoalphadelta]

Did you get #1 right? I only count four strokes...

 

Either way, good round! 

[bortass]

24 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Did you get #1 right? I only count four strokes...

 

Either way, good round! 

I missed the chip I messed up into the bunker, lol. I blocked it out so we’ll I left it out of the write up....

[betarhoalphadelta]

Makes sense... I was kinda wondering how big that bunker must be if you were 170 out and hit into it with a 139 yard shot.

[bortass]

Nothing good or interesting to report. Two weeks ago we played the sister course with all the water and got rained out after 8. I was sitting at 43 when we called it. Started with a bogey on #1 after pulling my second shot into a hazard and had a quad on the second hole followed by a triple on #7.  I did manage 3 pars but not pretty for what I did play.

 

I didn't have a chance to play or hit the range at all last week.

 

Saturday was on the same course and I shot a smooth 52/50 102. Had a 9 on #1, which is a par 5, without a single penalty stroke... Solid drive into the fairway, topped 5i about 50 yards, followed by a topped 7i that went 45. 6i was a low push that missed well right and I bladed my chip 66 yards through the green and further from the hole than I started.  I just couldn't hit my irons for most of the early round and ended up taking an X on number 4. 6 penalties off the tee killed me or at least couldn't save my iron issue. Only had 4 pars, 4 bogeys, everything else was double+ with 5 triple+. Just one of those days when my swing didn't feel right at all. 

 

My plan is to hit the range sometime this week and hopefully get in a round before the weekend.

 

Have a good one!

[betarhoalphadelta]

Good luck! As you saw, not too long ago I carded a 121 and felt like I'd forgotten entirely how to hit a golf ball.

 

I suspect it was the point at which my brain & body FINALLY started to integrate what I learned in my lesson with Monte on the course, rather than on the range, and it was just an adjustment period where I couldn't manage to make either the old swing or the new swing happen. But once I got through that, I started hitting the ball better overall. 

 

I'd say keep working on what you were working on in your lesson on the range, and trust that it'll come together on the course eventually. 

[Myherobobhope]

I still haven’t broken 80 this season… very frustrating… hoping this week is the week!

 

keep grinding… it’s about all you can do!

[BigTerp1524]

Keep at it man!! I missed your description of your round from a week or two ago somehow. But it seemed to be a pretty solid round. Your success with still have some triple+'s on the card is encouraging for me. 

On 6/16/2021 at 5:31 PM, bortass said:

My biggest takeaway is if I just play golf and don't let bad thoughts derail things, good stuff can happen.

I REALLY need to heed the advice above. We discussed this plenty, but I think it's really what's keeping me from finally getting into the 90's.  

[MattC555]

I really try and remember that its just a game, and I'm out there to have fun.  I have a low round this year of 78 on a course that has a rating of 74.1 and somehow managed a 96 on a course that has a rating of 70.9 🤦‍♂️  Managed to have fun both days.  Sometimes I'm reminded of Finding Nemo, but instead of "Just keep swimming" its 'Just keep swinging'.   Good stuff will happen eventually, and the beer is always cold.  🍻

[berndgeurts]

1 hour ago, MattC555 said:

I really try and remember that its just a game, and I'm out there to have fun.  I have a low round this year of 78 on a course that has a rating of 74.1 and somehow managed a 96 on a course that has a rating of 70.9 🤦‍♂️  Managed to have fun both days.  Sometimes I'm reminded of Finding Nemo, but instead of "Just keep swimming" its 'Just keep swinging'.   Good stuff will happen eventually, and the beer is always cold.  🍻

Sooooo recognizable, now the Just keep swimming is stuck in my head.

Played one of my best 9 holes today. 2 bogeys and 1 birdie, wooooo. 

[bortass]

19 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

I still haven’t broken 80 this season… very frustrating… hoping this week is the week!

 

keep grinding… it’s about all you can do!

 I hope every week is this week but if I'm honest/realistic, my scores are too erratic. How are the clubs treating ya?

 

 

9 hours ago, BigTerp1524 said:

Keep at it man!! I missed your description of your round from a week or two ago somehow. But it seemed to be a pretty solid round. Your success with still have some triple+'s on the card is encouraging for me. 

I REALLY need to heed the advice above. We discussed this plenty, but I think it's really what's keeping me from finally getting into the 90's.  

Yeah, a triple isn't the end of the world when you're trying to break 90 or 100. Sure it makes it a bit harder but it's possible to survive as long as you don't have a string of them. Like I mentioned in your thread, it doesn't take stellar golf to break those scoring goals. It's really limiting the errors and trying to be around bogey golf. 

 

5 hours ago, MattC555 said:

I really try and remember that its just a game, and I'm out there to have fun.  I have a low round this year of 78 on a course that has a rating of 74.1 and somehow managed a 96 on a course that has a rating of 70.9 🤦‍♂️  Managed to have fun both days.  Sometimes I'm reminded of Finding Nemo, but instead of "Just keep swimming" its 'Just keep swinging'.   Good stuff will happen eventually, and the beer is always cold.  🍻

If only it was as easy for me to learn as it is to talk about it now. It does make it more enjoyable when I just play golf and let the score be what the score will be. It takes rationalization or maybe even a little deception for me to be able to have a bad shot/hole and not let it snowball. The killer for me is when it's what I did last weekend and had a string of horrid mishits. Topping multiple irons in a row which is a major swing failure to me is hard to deal with, lol. Just gotta move on and not do anything radical.

 

4 hours ago, berndgeurts said:

Sooooo recognizable, now the Just keep swimming is stuck in my head.

Played one of my best 9 holes today. 2 bogeys and 1 birdie, wooooo. 

Congrats! Your NTC work is paying off!

[Myherobobhope]

Clubs are good… finally got a lesson and my coach cleaned up my swing path… just haven’t gotten the reps I need in to build the confidence… honestly, I don’t have my usual golf drive right now… not sure what’s going on. Hopefully playing tomorrow, so we will see how it goes.

[betarhoalphadelta]

6 hours ago, bortass said:

 

 

Yeah, a triple isn't the end of the world when you're trying to break 90 or 100. Sure it makes it a bit harder but it's possible to survive as long as you don't have a string of them. Like I mentioned in your thread, it doesn't take stellar golf to break those scoring goals. It's really limiting the errors and trying to be around bogey golf. 

Exactly. I shot a 95 a couple of weeks ago on a regulation course with a 9 (quintuple bogey) on the card.

 

That was on hole 6. If I had spiraled mentally from there it could have gone real bad.

[bcski]

OP, what yardage are you playing the courses at?  It sounds like you should be playing about 6,300 yard courses.  

 

Selection of the proper tee will actually improve your mental state and your game overall.

 

Once you are consistently shooting 80-82 from 6,300 yds them move back and challenge yourself to shoot 86 and keep working on your game.  Play Less - Practice More.

 

Keep at it!!!!!!!!!!!

[bortass]

5 hours ago, Par Be A Joke said:

OP, what yardage are you playing the courses at?  It sounds like you should be playing about 6,300 yard courses.  

 

Selection of the proper tee will actually improve your mental state and your game overall.

 

Once you are consistently shooting 80-82 from 6,300 yds them move back and challenge yourself to shoot 86 and keep working on your game.  Play Less - Practice More.

 

Keep at it!!!!!!!!!!!

I am playing between 5500 and 6000 yards. These courses are more difficult than the 6300 yard course I played in Maine.

 

So I feel good about my tee selection. It’s just the misfires now since I am getting the ball out there far enough off the tee these days.

[bortass]

Had a quick range session Wednesday that went well and played 18 yesterday. It was the sister course with all the water that I played last week and shot the 102 on. This group does a shotgun start and I started the round on #15. They were rolling the greens and #16 was only half rolled when we got there. So the putting surfaces were not consistent.

 

15 – par 4, 274 yards, straight, #17 HCP. Entire hole slopes down to this green. The area fronting the green is always very soft. I hit a pull with my driver, 214 down the right side. The hole is middle front and about 60 yards. I hit a partial SW and mess up. I hit it low and it goes 70 yards and through the green. I chip with my putter and it's not good, staying 27 feet short. The greens have been rolled and I hit my putt and it goes 8 feet past the hole. 3 putt, double bogey, 6.

 

16 – par 3, 112 yards, #13 HCP. Forced carry over a small creek. The elevation of this hole is like a U with the tee and green being the top points. The guys is only done with rolling half of this green.... The hole is back left and I hit a push with my 9i, 118 yards, into the back fringe. I hit a 12 yard chip with my putter to 7 feet and miss the putt. Tap in bogey, 4.

 

A bit better.

 

17 – par 5, 467 yards, mostly straight, #5 HCP. Forced carry over junk off the tee to the fairway which is about 150 yards away. The lake is down the entire right side of this fairway and the green is offset to the right, so the approach in is almost always crossing water. Tee shot is an issue because driver can reach the lake with a push of about 205-210 yards. There are a couple trees that will knock balls down into the junk on the left side, so you are forced to hit at an angle that makes the lake and issue off the tee. Last week I used driver off the tee and put it in the lake. Today I hit my 4w. It's a pull into the tree on the left but it doesn't hit anything real solid. I find it, 147 yards off the tee, in the left rough. I have a good lie and aim down the left side of the fairway. I hit a nice little fade with my 4w, 189 yards, into the middle. The hole is middleish and I hit my 8i. I leave the face wide open and hit a weak shot more that 45* right of my target line with more curve to the right and it drops in the lake, no where near the green. Sigh..... This is a What the hell kinda moment for me. I drop where it went in and hit a partial SW, 83 yards, and 25 feet past the hole. I get the first putt to 3 feet and walk away with a double bogey, 7.

 

18 – par 4, 360 yards, straight, #3 HCP. Lake down the entire right side and the fairway narrows but I'm not sure exactly where distance wise off the tee. I aim down the left side with driver and mishit a high weakish draw that only goes 175 yards. I'm to far out to go for it. A 4w risks the lake if I hit anything right. So I punch my 5i 142 yards down the fairway. It was a slight mishit. I hit a partial SW and it's a high shot that lands in a back bunker, 70 yards. I hit my sand shot and it comes out nicely, total distance about 20 yards, and it stops 2 feet from the hole. A great shot and I sink the bogey putt, 5.

 

 

1 – par 5, 444 yards, dogleg left, #10 HCP. I hit a low pull with my driver, 179 yards, through the trees that line the fairway off the tee on the left. It's a level lie on grass but I'm blocked by the thick stand of trees that's between me and the green. I can punch out at an angle between very mature pines which is what I do. You can drive carts under and through this section of trees, so it's not a super risky shot. I punch out with my 5i and contact is good. The ball gets through the trees w/o incident and I end up on the slope that's on the right side of this fairway at the corner, 119 yard shot. I'm 140-150ish out and go with my 6i. The ball is well above my feet and I chunk it 31 yards... The hole is back left and GPS says 130ish back there. So I hit my 8i. It's an okay push fade to the back right of the green. I'm 42 feet from the hole and hit the putt way too hard. It misses low and stops 18 feet past and below the hole.... It's a 3 putt double bogey, 7.

 

So much for a good start on the front. That said I remind myself that I had a 9 on this hole last week. Double isn't the end of the world.

 

2 – par 4, 328 yards, #14 HCP, dogleg left and forced carry over a small creek/drainage channel. This green is elevated. I hit another low pull, this time with my 5h. The ball goes into an area that has a small drainage ditch in it. We find my ball but I have no shot at the green. There's a small ornamental type tree blocking a shot in the direction of the green. To the left of it is a bunch of smaller trees, so the shot at the green is completely blocked. From where I am standing I cannot see the green at all. I use my 8i and chip it, 61 yards, into the middle of the fairway. The hole is towards the middle and I'm close to the 100 yard marker. I hit PW and it's a high shot to the back left of the green, 116 yards. I'm 26 feet from the hole and get the par putt inside 3 feet. I sink the bogey putt, 5.

 

Last week I had a similar tee shot shot and ended up with an 8.... So all in all I am okay with things or at least I can accept it and not get frustrated.

 

3 – par 4, 356 yards, straight, #2 HCP, forced carry over a stream short of the green. I hit decide to aim more right sicne I am going left off the tee. I hit driver and it's a mid height draw down the left edge and it ends up in the left trees, 197 yards. Another hole is on the left side of this one, so it's open under the trees. Again, I'm in a situation where I have no good shot at the green. I could try to hook a low punch but decide against it. I can hit a chip layup to get into the fairway and advance myself closer to the hole. I go with that plan and chip with my PW, 69 yards, into the fairway. The hole is front right and I settle on a partial PW. Contact is good and it's a high shot that goes over the left side of the green, 103 yards. I hit a 25 yard chip with my putter to 8 feet. The bogey putt misses and is 1.5 feet long. So a double bogey, 6.

 

4 – par 4, 319 yards, straight, #8 HCP, elevated green with a tier in it. I hit a decent draw with driver, 215, into the middle of the fairway. The flag is back left on the upper tier. I am inside 100 yards and hit a partial PW. It's a good looking shot but it is to the right. A 93 yard shot that is towards the back on the right side. I'm 51 feet from the hole and have to put up/across a pretty steep slope. I hit the putt and my speed was actually pretty good but I aimed too low. I end up 5 feet below the hole and catch the lip with the par putt but it doesn't drop. Bogey, 5.

 

5- par 3, 138 yards, #16 HCP, elevated tee shot with a forced carry off the tee over and overgrown area with a small stream in it. Hole is front left and about 120ish. I hit my 9i, 120 yards, and it's a high draw that lands in the left rough, just off the green and almost pin high. I use my putter to chip it 13 yards to 2 feet and sink the par putt, 3.

 

My first par only took 9 holes.

 

6 – par 4, 318 yards, slight dogleg left, #12 HCP, entire hole slopes up away from the tees. I aim middle right with my driver and it's another pull, 202 yards, into the fairway bunker on the left. I'm 100ish out and grab my 9i. I choke down a bit and try to just hit the ball with an armsy swing. I make contact and it goes 86 yards and misses well right.I chip with my SW about 23 yards to 25 feet. I blow the par putt 6 feet past the hole. Three putt double bogey, 6.

 

7 – par 5, 414 yards, dogleg right, #6 HCP. Slightly elevated tee shot to a fairway that slopes away from the tee box to the lake, roughly 205 yards to the water. Hazard left off the tees and houses right as well. Fairway on the other side of the lake runs 90* right. Lake is on the entire right side and it's a clear shot to the green or any part of the fairway from the tee box side of the fairway. So the first forced lake carry of the day. I decide on the 5H off the tee. I top it into the brush right in front of the tee box maybe 10 yards... I retee and hit a high pull into the left trees.... I card an X. I'd be laying 5 after my next shot, so it's not worth it. For handicap purposes I pretend I never played this hole and enter a 6 which is net par for me. For Arccos, I add some shots and 2 putts, and it comes out to a 9. If I put in nothing Arccos will think I holed out with my tee shot, lol, or it'll get confused on the next hole.

 

8 – par 3, 126 yards, #18 HCP, green is elevated and a forced carry off the tee. Flag is back and I hit my 7i. It's a high shot to the back right of the green, 137 yards. I'm 21'2 from the hole. This is a closeup hole and this group uses a tape measure. The guy with the current closest was 20'10, so I missed out by 4-5 inches. Just wanted to mention why I have an exact number for my putt. I hit the putt and it drops , birdie, 2.

 

9 – par 4, 306 yards, dogleg right, #4 HCP. Forced lake carry off the tee to a fairway that runs 90* right. Water down the entire right side of this hole once you get across. I aim for my usual tree on thre far side and hit a great looking draw with my driver. My ball carries the fairway and lands near the cart path on the far side and continues into the trees. I find my ball, 227 yard shot, but I don't have a shot at the green. I mishit a 5i chip and it only goes 46 yards and stays in the trees. I hit a low chip/pitch with my 9i to stay under the limbs and it goes 44 yards into the fairway just short of the green. I hit a 26 yard chip with my putter to 6 feet. The bogey putt stops 2 inches short. Double bogey, 6.

 

10 – par 4, 250 yards, dogleg right, #7 HCP hole. Straight off the tee with lake down the entire right side. The green is across the lake with a forced carry all the way to the green. I decide to punch my 5i off the tee and it's a low draw that goes 185 yards thanks to run out. A guy with me says I should I should just tee off with that club, lol. The hole is front right and about a partial AW. I make contact and it's a high pull that goes 107 yards and lands on the back left of the green. I'm 59 feet from the hole and I hit my putt. The line is pretty good. The ball just misses the high edge and stops 3 inches directly behind the hole. Tap in par, 4.

 

11 – par 4, 260 yards, straight, #15 HCP. Short par 4 the green is on the left side and houses on the right of a fairly wide fairway. I hit a pull with my driver and it goes into the stand of trees on the left side, 156 yards. It's open between the trees but I have to go between a couple of them and keep it low. I punch a 7i, 107 yards, onto the back right of the green. The hole is more left front and I'm 47 feet long. I hit my putt and it doesn't turn, so I'm 5 feet to the right of the hole now. Three putt, bogey, 5.

 

12 – par 5, 477 yards, straight, #1 HCP. Drainage ditch about 200 yards off the tee. It's playable in there but you may have a bad lie. Approach shot is a forced carry over a marshy area of the lake short of the green. I hit an okay 4w and it's a low draw, 172 yards down the left side. I chunk my 5i, 138 yards, ontop of a slope to the left of the fairway. I have a level lie, a tail wind, and I'm elevated above the green. It's 170ish and I feel good with my 5i. I make good contact and it's a draw that ends up just off the back, 180 yard shot. I chip with my putter, 11 yards, to 2 feet and sink the par putt, 5.

 

13 – par 3, 154 yards, #17 HCP, green is elevated with bunkers short right and tiered green. The hole is front left and playing 150ish with wind in our face. I hit my 5i and it's a very solid high push that goes 178 yards over the back right of the green, lol. I chip with my putter, 29 yards, to 4 feet and miss the par putt, lol. Bogey, 4.

 

14 – par 4, 349, straight hole, #9 HCP. The approach to the green is from an elevated fairway. I hit a high puish fade with my driver 215 yards past the trees on the right side. I have a good lie and clear shot with my 7i. I chunk it and it's a push. The ball hits some small trees 70 yards in front of me on the right and drops. There's a stone filled ditch marked with a red stake and that's where my ball is. I take my drop. I'm under ssmall trees and have to keep it low. I punch my SW 60 yards and it comes out but doesn't reach the green. I chip with the putter about 15 yards to 12 feet and two putt fro a triple bogey, 7.

 

A 49/46 with the made up shots on #7 for a 95. Not a great round but at least the driver is going left. Last week on this course I was hitting push fades with it... All I can say is I didn't play great but didn't fall off the deep end. My putter is what cost me strokes. Well, my putting did, not the putter itself lol. I'm the one that hit the ball too hard on rolled greens or misread the break at times.

 

birdies: 1

pars: 4

bogeys: 5

double bogeys: 6

triple+: 2

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 176 yards, lol. Not a good day off the tee.

Longest drive: 227

Fairways: 3/14

GIR: 4/18

Avg Approach: 107 yards

Up & down: 3/10

Putts: 36

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -12.3

driving: -9.1, #7 just killed this stat

Approach: -4.7, not bad

Short game: +3.4, the close chips and the great sand shot helped

Putting: -1.9, some real screw ups here but the birdie putt and the better long putts helped off set the brain farts.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

That's a good round for @BigTerp1524 to read. 

 

It was one of those rounds that you can't point to like you were playing particularly well, but by avoiding blow ups you managed 95. Only one truly bad hole.

 

I think the aspiration for most of us at this point is bogey golf. Obviously that's a stepping stone for you to breaking 85, but finishing a round at +18 means your good balanced your bad. For 16 holes, you played bogey golf. Your 6 doubles are exactly balanced by 4 pars and a bird. 

 

A triple and a quint suck, but if you got around in 95 they clearly didn't "ruin" the round. 

[bortass]

1 hour ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

That's a good round for @BigTerp1524 to read. 

 

It was one of those rounds that you can't point to like you were playing particularly well, but by avoiding blow ups you managed 95. Only one truly bad hole.

 

I think the aspiration for most of us at this point is bogey golf. Obviously that's a stepping stone for you to breaking 85, but finishing a round at +18 means your good balanced your bad. For 16 holes, you played bogey golf. Your 6 doubles are exactly balanced by 4 pars and a bird. 

 

A triple and a quint suck, but if you got around in 95 they clearly didn't "ruin" the round. 

So very true. It’s all about perspective and being realistic with one’s current skills and abilities. I might as well quit if I expect I should play like a scratch player. What’s bad for them is actually good for us.

 

Tried 18 on the home course today but got rained out after 7. Was sitting at 38 but I rushed the last hole in the rain before calling it.

 

My nerves were messed up starting on #1 for some reason. I rushed when I didn’t need to and my putting suffered. Had a 3 putt from 6 feet when I missed the 18 inch tap in…..

 

Driver was solid and so were my irons though. Hopefully they will be tomorrow, lol.

[BigTerp1524]

2 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

That's a good round for @BigTerp1524 to read. 

 

It was one of those rounds that you can't point to like you were playing particularly well, but by avoiding blow ups you managed 95. Only one truly bad hole.

 

I think the aspiration for most of us at this point is bogey golf. Obviously that's a stepping stone for you to breaking 85, but finishing a round at +18 means your good balanced your bad. For 16 holes, you played bogey golf. Your 6 doubles are exactly balanced by 4 pars and a bird. 

 

A triple and a quint suck, but if you got around in 95 they clearly didn't "ruin" the round. 

 

39 minutes ago, bortass said:

So very true. It’s all about perspective and being realistic with one’s current skills and abilities. I might as well quit if I expect I should play like a scratch player. What’s bad for them is actually good for us.

 

That was indeed a good read. I find myself reading rounds like this and being surprised by the final score. Like @betarhoalphadelta said, you played bogey golf for 16 holes and only had 1 legit blowup hole. You kept it together well when some things went astray and kept making good shots and decisions. Hard thing to do for a lot of us!!

 

Agreed with both of you guys here. Bogey golf is my long term goal. I'm realizing a handful of doubles is perfectly acceptable for guys like me, and even a triple here or there isn't a round killer. The key seems to be focusing on making bogey. Pars and the occasionally birdie will come. But focusing on bogey and limiting the triples+ blowups will go a LONG way. Had a par 4 the other day with an abbreviated fairway that ended about 280 yards which forced me to play my 4h. I topped it 126 yards leaving me 250 to the green and around 200ish to clear the junk at the end of the fairway. Old me would've pulled my 4i or 4h and swung for the fences to get as close to the green as possible. Instead I played 7i and laid up perfectly to the end of the fairway. Left me with 90 yards to the green. I pulled my 54* into the tress to the left and ended up with a double. The point though is, my mentality after topping my 4h off the tee was to salvage bogey, not try to "make up" for the previous mistake. Very doable with par even possible if I didn't pull my wedge shot it into the trees, LOL!! So taking it a step further and understanding that a bad shot is not a hole killer (similar to a blowup hole not being a round killer) is another good place to be mentally. 

 

We all need to realize our current abilities and play to them, not try to exceed them. I feel like that, more than anything, helps minimize or even eliminate the blowup holes. @bortass did a fine job of that his past round. I've got a ways to go with the mental part of this, but I'm realizing it more and more that understanding the limitations of your game and not trying to exceed them while also realizing your strengths and playing to them is where it's at.   

[bortass]

@BigTerp1524 Great post. It’s not easy but  you’ll get there. It’ll really start to click as you experience it as well.

 

I think your double bogey story is a great example. You played within yourself and gave yourself a realistic shot at bogey and maybe par if you get the wedge close. It didn’t happen but that’s okay. Your thought process was the correct one for long term success. You shifted the odds into your favor but it didn’t pan out. That doesn’t mean it was a bad play though.

 

I am surprised with some of my scores at times too. I’ll know I played okay with some issues on a few holes and I’m in the mid 90s.

[bortass]

We’ll what a mess. 49 on the front, couldn’t get it going. Bogeyed 10, my hole from hell, and took Xs on 3 of the next 4 holes.

 

First par was on 15 and I parred 17 and18 which are hard holes. Here’s 18 which I normally play as a par 6 by laying up short of the stream.

 

Driver went south after #3 until I decided to swing hard on 15 and it turned around. I am hoping to schedule a set of lessons soon….

 

Have a great 4th!

Edited July 4, 2021 by bortass
Added 18

[bortass]

Swinging harder seems to help. Went out for 9 today and every drive was a draw and one pull. Averaged 227 with a long of 258 and a low of 169 which was a pull into the left trees.

 

The round itself was okay. 48 with an 8 and 9 on the par 5s. I got a par on each hole after the blow ups which helped.
 

I have a lesson scheduled Wednesday morning. I’m getting a lesson package and it includes a 9 hole playing lesson. My neighbor likes the results he’s seen with this pro. So I’ll give it a shot. At least now I will have a reason to have some regular lessons with the same person.