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

[bortass]

6 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

Seems to me the line is the left tree. That gives you equal distance from the path and bunker to account for either miss. Playing left edge of the green with a fade working toward the pin. A slight fade is a great shot. If you hit a dead straight shot you will still be in a fantastic position, and a slight left miss gives you a chance to get up and down. Left of the green on grass should be no worse than bogey which is a nice score on a par 3. Of course it will still be possible to find the bunker with a bad push or slice, but at that point you deserve it and we can not aim so left that we risk OB. 

 

Really important to setup for your shot here as well. The green and red lines are the same shot shape from different sides of the tee box. If you are hitting fades on this hole, align yourself to the far right of the tee box if you are not already doing so. Just moving 6 feet really opens the hole up. And I might experiment on the range hitting this tee shot with more club. You used 9 iron and seemed to hit the distance perfect. But the elevated tee box is going to give you extra stopping power. Can you choke down on an 8 iron and take a nice 3/4 swing to take 10 yards off it and just focus on contact? You may find it easier to hit a flighted shot that doesnt spin as much and stays online better. 

 

 Many thanks for this, I appreciate it!

 

I can start aiming for the left tree and see what happens. I almost always tee it up on the right side on almost every tee shot because of my right miss. I won't say I always do since I'm not positive I do. On this hole I'll make sure to do it every time.

 

The 9i is a stock club from the forward tees and my 8i is my stock club from the whites. The tees don't vary distance much on this hole and I'd rather be short than miss long since the green slopes back to front some. Both should reach center thanks to the elevation help. 

 

I don't hit many flighted shots outside of my partial wedges. I should probably start to practice them on the range since I have used a partial swing with irons before with mixed results. Sometimes it's great and other times it's not, lol. It's something I should explore more.

[Exactice808]

3 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

 

Yeah, one of those shots that I learned as a teen was the low punch. Depending how low, I might even go 5i and it barely leaves the ground, but typically it'll be a 7i. Ball back in the stance, face closed, play for some draw because your path is going to be in-out with that ball position, and the goal is just to advance the ball with not much more than a wormburner. If it never gets more than 15 feet in the air, that's no problem. That's the intent.

 

It's usually naturally limited for distance because it's not a full takeaway--which also makes it a good shot if your stance/backswing are limited by other branches/etc. And it's limited by distance because it's just a little low runner--it'll never go the distance I expect my 5i-7i to travel, although I can often advance the ball a good 100y or so with this shot with little difficulty. 

 

I spent a lot of time hacking out of trees as a teen, so I had LOTS of opportunity to practice!

 

(I would say I haven't changed much since then re: where my tee shots go, but the courses have changed. Most courses I play aren't as wooded in CA as they were growing up in IL.)

 

@betarhoalhadelta  @bortass  SUPER light bulb moment I had with the scratch as I mentioned in my thread.

 

 

Dont do anything to change our swing, just swing normally but aim appropriately,  My Driver sucked for years so I have spent Many years in jail/trees.  For years I "thought" I was a master at manipulating flight..... (I lied to myself, I am not, I know how but rarely truly execute).

 

heavy winds had me want to manipulate my flight, hit it high, hit it low, hit a cut, hit a draw.  Friend said STOP.  Just hit it how you normally do every day, if the wind is from the left, aim MORE left, if its from the right aim more right, DONT try to mess around with your stance or your swing, or do this or do that, STOP messing around.

 

Same with a punch from the tree.  Dont try to get cocky and deloft a club place in the back of the stance hit down etc etc.  just grab that 5 or 4iron due to the loft *edit* heck a putter, driver or 3wood for really low loft), place it in your normal stance, swing smooth and move on. (We know how to do it, but why complicate it and run that risk)

 

I am sharing this now as reading through your threads and also your response to my thread really made me smile. realizing that I have gone through what you both have gone through.  Once I stopped complicating golf it really did get easier and the scores got lower.  Now that I have a repeatable and trust worthy game its just navigating better.

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Exactice808

[bortass]

Yesterday's round was rough. Shot an even 100 from the whites. It was definitely frustrating out there because of my driver. My driver was very solid. I was hitting the ball good distances and in play without any wild shots. That changed when I hit push fades on 17 and 18 into the right trees but that was the first time my driver cost me anything.

 

The frustration was other aspects of my game were completely off and I couldn't capitalize. Here are a couple examples.

 

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. Drive is a 240 yard draw into the right rough. My lie is fine and level. it's 140 to center with a left pin and I hit my 7i. I hit a terrible push fade that misses the right side of the green by move than 25 yards. Not only that my ball stops in a small bush that's next to the steps down to the green, so I have to drop. On a downslope and my SW chip/pitch goes 21 yards and doesn't reach the green. I'm in the rough and have too much to traverse to use my putter(in my mind) and catch it thin and send it 36 yards and into the left rough. I then hit a 10 yard chip with my putter to a foot and card a triple bogey, 7.

 

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. Drive is a great draw that ends up going 271 yards into the fairway on the left side and sets me up roughly 70 yards from center. It's a partial SW shot and I left the face wide open and hit a low push that travels 92 yards and misses the right side of the green by 15 yards or so. My ball is now in the rough on a downslope and my SW chip doesn't reach the green after traveling 16 yards. I chip with my putter, 14 yards, and am still 8 feet short. I two putt for a double, 6.

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. Drive is a 225 yard high draw down the right side and into the right rough through the fairway. Left flag and it's a partial PW, so around 90 - 100 yards. I leave the face wide open and it's a low worm burner fade that had no chance to be even close to the green but it didn't matter because it hit a  small stump that was less than a foot above ground and bounced backwards into a hazard. The ball was likely in the hazard regardless of stump. Drop and come away with a double bogey, 6 after missing my bogey putt that was inside 2 feet...

 

Oh #8, the par 3 that my aim was discussed on. I took an X. I aimed for the left tree with my 8i and hit a push fade way to the right and never found the ball.... I just gave myself a 2 stroke penalty in Arccos and said I two putted the green. Arccos doesn't handle not finishing a hole

 

@betarhoalphadeltamentioned foul balls and this round was full of them.

 

I misses two puts in the 12 - 18 inch range on the day, which was just icing on the cake. I left chips short of the green or hit then thin.

 

I don't normally break down my strokes gained but I think it highlights things well. This are all compared to a 12 HCP which is my long term goal, at least a 12 can break 85, lol....

 

Approach SG was -9.6 which is my normal sad approach game. I was -3.1 from 50-100 yards, -3.9 100-150, -2.1 from 150-200, and -0.4 from 200+. The bold part says it all. I have been averaging -0.2 for my last 10 rounds in that range...

 

Shortgame SG was -1.1. No sand shots so it's all chipping and pitching inside 50 yards. I was +2.3 in the 0-25 yard band and -4.4 in the 25-50 band.

 

Putting SG was -3.7. I was -1.5 in the 0-10 foot range.

 

End of the day I managed a couple pars on the front and a couple on the back. I just couldn't do anything well except hit my driver. I have a feeling I need think about my practice time. I have to fix the open face in my takeaway and could probably work to shore up my short game. I just don't feel good chipping unless it's a putter. Pitching was bad yesterday but I normally feel fine with those.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 4

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 6

triple+: 4

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 218 yards

Longest drive: 271 yards

Fairways: 7/14

GIR: 3/18

Avg Approach: 128 yards

Up & down: 3/15

Putts: 35(assuming 2 putts on the hole I picked up on)

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -15.4 strokes

driving: -1.1

Approach: -9.6

Short game: -1.1

Putting: -3.7

[SNIPERBBB]

Just one thing you may want to keep in mind when you're aiming more left to compensate for a fade, make your your club and body alignments are matching as the tendency is only one or the other is correct which makes the fade even worse

[bortass]

Got out for 24 holes this weekend. Here's the Saturday 18 from the white tees. Weather was good, sunny and in the upper 70s/low 80s by the time we finished.

 

1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. My drive was a mid-height push down the right side, 224 yards, and it ended up under a stand of trees. The ball is on pinestraw and I have to go between a few trunks and keep it pretty low as well. I play the ball a bit back in my stance with my 5i and use an armsy halfswing.

 

I used to be very good at this shot because my home course in Maine had stands of trees like this between fairways. It's not a shot I use much anymore since there are only a few places where you can be in/under trees, and not have it be OOB or a hazard. Also almost all the wooded areas are full of undergrowth.

 

Contact is quite good and it's a low bullet draw at the green, 154 yards, and I'm just short and on the left side. The green is above me since I'm in the area with the manhole drain and the hole is front left. I chip with my SW, 14 yards, and leave it short and in the fringe. Sweet... I chip with my putter to 4 feet and make the bogey putt, 5.

 

Bogey is fine on this hole but I'm bummed by the chip.

 

2 – par 3, 142 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The holde is on the left an a hair towards the back. I aim a bit left with my 8i and hit a big pull draw directly into the hazard that runs down the left side of the hole... Contact was solid and it opens up on the left by the green, so I went looking there but no dice. So I walked back to where it went it and dropped, about 79 yards off the tee.

 

Blah. I hit a nice pitch with my SW, 59 yards, to get on the green and 24 feet short and left of the hole. I get my bogey putt to 3 feet and proceed to miss... Triple bogey, 6.

 

Now I'm not feeling so hot, lol. I had been playing semi-decent when I've gotten out for 9 recently and I just completely hosed this hole out of the gate. So much for double bogey+ avoidance, lol.

 

3 – par 5, 458 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I nut my drive, or that how it felt. A nice midheight draw, 242 yards, and into the fairway. I have a great angle with my 4w and hit a low pull fade that is on a line that's well left of the green and headed for the left hazard. I see my ball land on a mound on the left side and roll left. I find it in the rough on that mound, and the 4w shot went 190. I'm slightly above the green by a few feet and the flag is middle right, roughly 50 yards from where I am. I pitch with my SW and contact is good and it's a nice looking shot that lands near the flag, probably a bit past it, and rolls 46 feet past the hole.

 

I'm on the green and have a GIR!

 

I hit my birdie putt and it either doesn't break or my speed is off. Sorry, I can't recall and I leave it 7 feet from the hole. I'm not happy with this at all since i'm thinking 2 putt par and this isn't gonna be easy. I hit the putt and it drops! Par, 5.

 

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 nuke my drive and it's a mid height draw down the middle, 242 yards... I'm in the fairway towards the left side and the hole is front left, right behind a bunker. It's less than 50 yards and I hit a pitch with my SW. nother great looking shot that comes out nice and high and I see it carry the bunker. I can't see the ball land because of the back lip of the bunker though. It was a 45 yard shot and my ball is 6 feet past the hole and a tough to the right! An awesome shot based on my skill level. I burn the top lip with my birdie putt but it doesn't drop. Par, 4.

 

I'm feeling fairly good about the round again since I just played very solidly the last two holes.

 

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. My drive is a bit of a push draw onto the right hand slope, 237 yards. I'm on a flat area in the rough. I don't want to deal with the trees that are on the line to try to get on in 3 and decide to just punch a 7i to the left of the trees and back in the fairway past the corner.

 

I top the ball and it goes down the hill, hits the cart path, bounces into the stream, we hear a loud clunk and my ball pops back out of the stream and a foot outside the hazard.... Real lucky there. The ball only went 57 yards and I don't have a shot at the green. I'm barely past the corner and the green is 200+ yards with hazard down the entire right side and a small stream short of the green on the left side. Goal is to get on in 4, so I hit a punchy 9i down the fairway to the left side, 126 yards. The flag is left side and situated about halfway back. I am just inside the `100 yard marker and hit a partial PW. Contact is good but it's a high pull that goes 90 yards and lands short of the green. I'm in the rough and the green is above the ball by probably 5-6 feet. Chipping is an issue, so I abandon my SW and use my 7i with a putting stroke. I don't hit it quite hard enough but it goes 11 yards and gets on the green and 12 feet short of the hole. Not great but at least I'm putting. I'm more bummed about the messed up 7i and the PW pull. I hit my putt fairly firm and it hits the flagstick and drops for bogey, 6.

 

Well I got the score I was playing for once I hit my drive onto the right side but I had to work at it because of the mishits. I really got lucky here.

 

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. It's just a tiny bit humid and my hands are barely damp. I noticed it on #5 and on this tee shot. Something doesn't feel right and my swing is just garbage. I wish I had video to figure out what I did but it didn't feel right at all. I leave the face of the driver wide open and it's a very high push fade heading for the right houses and OOB. I hit a provisional and hit a low pull hook into the left trees.... I put on a rain glove before going to find my first tee shot.

 

I'm just gonna take an X if my first ball isn't in play. I find it in bounds on a flat area, 190 off the tee. I have to just chip back into the fairway because I'm too far behind the trees to risk going through them and towards the hole.

 

 

I hit a little power chip with my 5i and it goes 54 yards and into the fairway. The hole is back right and Arccos has it being a bit more that 150 to center. I hit my 5i and it's a failrly solid push down the right side with no chance of being on the green.... 156 yard shot and I'm in the rough on the right side near the back of the green. It's maybe 10-12 yards to the putting surface.

 

The green slopes away from me, so I know I won't get it close. I use the 7i and a putting stroke and leave it short of the green. I use my putter to chip and the ball goes 23 feet past the hole... I hit my first putt to a foot and have my second blowup hole, triple bogey, 7.

 

What bothers me the most is the two chips.

 

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 hit a great looking high draw that lands in the fairway and I see bounce forward. It's a 244 yard shot and I'm in the middle. The hole is middle left, behind the bunker. It's about 100 yards and I hit a partial PW. This time my shot is a touch thin. It's a low draw that carries the bunker. I can't see what happens because that section of the green isn't visible based on topography. I get to the green and my ball is in the back right fringe, 112 yard shot. Oops...

 

I chip with my putter and it doesn't break at all or my aim was very bad. The ball ends up 13 feet high and short of the hole. My par putt misses and rolls 4 feet long... Crap. I sink the bogey putt though, 5.

 

Not gonna lie, logically bogey is perfectly fine and what I am playing for, but I fell like I just wasted a great drive, lol.

 

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 back right and I keep missing this green to the right and it's been killing me. I aim left with my 8i and hit a high push fade into the right bunker... I just can't seem to escape this miss on this hole.

 

My ball is in mud, so I drop it in a different section of the bunker. There's no lip and I decide to chip out with my 7i. The ball goes about 3 yards and barely gets out of the bunker. I chip with my putter and it's too hard. I'm now 11 feet past the hole... My bogey putt misses and I have less than 6 inches for my double bogey, 5.

 

That hurt.

 

9 – par 4, 357 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I wish I knew what I did with my drive on this hole. I make contact and it's a perfect mid height draw down the right side, 270 yards. This is a flat hole and no tailwind. Things are firm because of the lack of rain the last week though. The hole is back right and on the upper tier. Long is bad, so I hit a partial AW. It's a high draw that lands on the green more towards the middle, 84 yard shot. I'm 24 feet below and left of the cup and putting up the tier. I hit it too firm/low and miss the hole and 5 feet to the right of the cup. My par putt goes 2 feet long... I'm thinking 4 putt double but I sink the bogey putt.

 

This hole is like #1. Bogey is a solid score but like on #7 it feels like a wasted drive...

 

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 never see my tee shot but it felt like it went way right. I can't find the ball and I drop in the right rough , 203 yards off the tee. My first terrible drive of the day... The green is in range but there are trees on the right side to deal with because the fairway narrows and then the green opens up. Essentially the right side of the green is behind these trees from where I am.

 

So I chip a 5i, 110 yards, down the fairway to the left side. I have a pitch to an elevated green and hit it thin... My ball land son the green but I'm gonna be long... Sure enough a 71 yard shot and i'm in the back rough. I chip with my 7i and the ball lands on the green and rolls at the hole, catches the slope and trickles 21 feet past the hole... I hit my first putt to a foot and have a triple bogey, 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 hit my normal 7w and it's a bit off. Contact is okay and it's a very high draw, 168 yards, into the middle of the fairway near the 150 marker. It's a back flag, so I hit my 5i. Contact is good but it's a push that misses the green to the right. 168 yard shot and I'm in the right rough near the back of the green. The green is elevated and I'm chipping over a hump that's next to the putting surface, so it slopes away from me. I use the 7i again and it's a 23 yard chip that's 12 feet past the hole. I'm pleased with this result because I wasn't expecting to get this ball close. I miss the par putt and have a two footer which I make. Bogey, 5.

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. My drive is a pull draw into the left trees and we see my ball rolls out and into the fairway, 145 yards. I don't have a great angle but still go for it with my 5i. Contact is solid and it's a low draw but just a touch right, so I'm likely in the bunker. Sure enough I'm in the bunker, 134 yards from prior spot. I leave the ball in the bunker with my first shot. Try again and I launch it over the green onto the back hill. I just pick up and mark an X. I write down a double bogey, 6.

 

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 front right. It's 120 to center and I go with my normal 9i on this hole. I hit a high draw, I think off the toe, and it goes 115 yards and lands on the left front of the green. I'm 30 feet left of the hole and front right is the low point of this green, so I'm putting downslope. I hit my putt and watch it miss low and roll 6 feet below the hole...Well crap. I hit the par putt and it drops, 3.

 

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. Another terrible driver swing. It's a very high push fade headed towards the right houses... I don't bother with a provisional. I'll just drop down there and add a 2 stroke penalty. I actually find my ball in the fairway, 206 yards off the tee,I'm on a downslope and hit my 4w a bit thin but it rolls 157 yards down the fairway. I'm 160ish from the front left of the green but don't like my odds since there's water down the entire right side and the fairway gets narrow at the green. I punch a 5i, 157 yards, and it's in a bunker. There's no lip and I chip with my 7i. I leave it in the bunker.. I try again and get it on the green but 48 feet short of the hole. I hit my first putt and it goes 5 feet long... I hit the next one and it misses and goes a couple feet long... A three putt triple bogey, 8.

 

15 – par 4, 264 yards, straight, #16 HCP. Elevated tee shot to a fairway that is always soft and 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 catch my drive a touch thin and it's a low draw, 192 yards, in the left rough just short of the first fairway bunker that guards against people trying to drive the green. It's a partial SW and I make good contact. 72 yard shot that's near the back middle of the green and 20 feet left of the hole which is back right. I miss the birdie putt and have 3 feet for par, which I miss... Bogey, 5.

 

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 back middle. I hit my usual 7i trying to hit the center and it's a high, slight push, fade that lands on the right side of the green and rolls into the fringe. I hit a 19 yards chip with my putter to 6 feet. I barely miss and have a 1 footer for bogey, 4.

 

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. My drive is a high draw down the right side, 269 yards, and in the fairway on the right. This would have been the drive of the day if not for #9.

 

The hole is way left and we watch the group in front of us putt. Two guys are near the hole and we watch as they miss, the ball goeas a bit long as in a foot or so and then it rolls back down the green even further than they started. It looked like one missed a 3 footer and had 6 feet for the next putt. They put the hole directly on a fairly steep slope.

 

I'm about 70ish yards from the center and hit a partial SW. I catch it a bit fat and it only goes 65 yards and short of the green. I chip with my 7i to 6 feet. I hit the par putt and it goes about a foot past the hole , comes to a halt, and then slowly trickles back and it stops 6 feet below the hole.. I hit the next one to the right of the hole, hoping it'll rolls back in and instead it stops 6 inches out. I quickly get up there and tap in for a double bogey, 6.

 

I blame this on the grounds crew. We had 7 guys in our larger group and no one did better than double because it was always a 3 putt.

 

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... My drive is a bit of a pull draw that catches the cart path and keeps on going. It's a 253 yard drive and my ball is on the left side of the cart path. I have to take relief to the left which means the ball is a bit below my feet. A couple feet more right and i''d have been on level ground.

 

Oh well.

 

I decide to punch a 6i across the stream and it's great contact. A low draw that clears the stream and rolls down the fairway, 164 yard shot. The hole is near the middle on the lower tier. I hit a partial SW and it's a high pull, 79 yards, into the back fringe... I now have to chip down the tier... I use my putter and it goes 20 feet long and gets stopped by the collar formed by the fringe. I putt to 3 feet and miss 2 feet long.. Triple bogey, 7.

 

A 99 with 40 putts(assuming a 2 putt on #12 when I took an X). This was an odd round because of how I shot the 99. I did very good, for me, with my driver. My approach game was slightly better than normal. Short game and putting were horrible...

 

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 3

bogeys: 7

double bogeys: 4

triple+: 4

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 220 yards

Longest drive: 270 yards

Fairways: 8/14

GIR: 5/18

Avg Approach: 116 yards

Up & down: 1/13

Putts: 40

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -14.2 strokes

driving: -0.5

Approach: -4.9

Short game: -4.1

Putting: -4.8

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by bortass

[bortass]

I managed 6 holes last night. Something came up and I had to bail after #6. I played the forward tees which has been my normal thing with my 'practice' rounds. I am still learning some things here and there from it but the big thing is less pressure. I get some shorter clubs in on some holes.

 

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. My drive is a thin pull, 192 yards, into the left rough. The flag is middle right and I have 175-180ish to center. I go with my 7w and hit a low pull hook well left of the green. I then hit a decent 46 yard pitch with my SW to 13 feet. Not bad! My par putt is a bit firm and luckily it hits the flagstick and drops, 4.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The hole is towards the left today and I'm having flashbacks to yesterday with the tee shot directly into the left hazard... I aim for the middle with my 9i and slightly mishit it. It's a high draw that lands in the rough short of the green and between the two front bunkers. I hit a 15 yard chip with my putter to 2 feet and miss the putt... Bogey, 4.

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. My drive is a bit of a pull draw, 221 yards, into the left rough between the fairway bunkers that mark the outside of the corner. I have a good lie and it's not deep rough, so I feel fine with my 4w which I top... the ball rolls 113 yards down the fairway though. The hole is on the left side and it's 140ish, so I hit my 7i. Another low pull draw that ends up on the cart path near the green. I take relief and chip with my 7i and it's short of the green. So I chip with my putter to 4 feet and two putt for a double bogey, 7.

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. My drive is a low pull, 205 yards, into the left rough. The hole is front right and an 80ish yard shot should do the trick. I do have to carry a bunker though. I hit a partial AW and it comes out pretty low and lands on the green. I can't see what happens because of the topography but it was a 105 yard shot into the back right fringe...I'm about 17 yards from the hole and the green slopes down towards it. I chip with my putter and it's looking real good and the ball stops a foot from the hole. It's an almost tap-in par, 4.

 

5- par 5, 439 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 use my 5i from the forward tees and it's thin... A low line drive draw down the right side that gets some cart path assist. A great result, 191 yards, and in the fairway near the corner. I can hit my 4w now to try to setup a short approach. I top it, 145 yards, down the fairway. The hole is on the right side and on the lower tier. It's around 90 yards or so and I hit a partial PW. Contact is heavy, which is good, because the ball lands on the back of the green and rolls into the rough, just short of the back bunker. 105 yard shot... I'm having trouble with my wedge trajectories and distances today. I chip with my putter and have to go down the tier. It's actaully not too bad and I leave myself 12 feet past and right of the hole. I miss the par putt but have a foot to go. So a bogey, 6.

 

6 – par 4, 290 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. My drive is thin and a low pull. 219 yards down the fairway on the left side. The hole is front right and almost 60 yards from me. I pitch with my SW and hit it pretty good. It's a high shot that lands on the green and ends up behind the hole. My birdie putt dies a foot from the hole, par, 4.

 

A +4, 29, for 6 holes with a double. I wasn't hitting it great but I kept it in play and my short game and putting was a bit better than it was Saturday. The forward tees only really helped on #6 where my so so drive got real close. The tees are forward a fair bit on #5 as well but that really means I hit a 5i to a spot around where my driver would normally go.

 

Kind of bummed I had to quit after #6 but something came up. I can't seem to play decently on Saturdays but I'm drawing hope from what happens in my practice rounds from the forward tees. I have been playing those fairly solidly lately, at least that's been how I've felt about them recently.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 3

bogeys: 2

double bogeys: 1

triple+: 0

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 205 yards

Longest drive: 221 yards

Fairways: 2/5

GIR: 1/6

Avg Approach: 110 yards

Up & down: 1/4

Putts: 10

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -0.7 strokes

driving: +0.1

Approach: -1.3

Short game: +1.2

Putting: -0.7

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Your Saturday round sounds a lot like mine (starting at my 8th hole, anyway)--making good shots off the tee but then doing nothing with them. That's frustrating. 

 

Good work last night, even if you couldn't finish the nine. +4 through 6 is a good start to a round!

[bortass]

13 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Your Saturday round sounds a lot like mine (starting at my 8th hole, anyway)--making good shots off the tee but then doing nothing with them. That's frustrating. 

 

Good work last night, even if you couldn't finish the nine. +4 through 6 is a good start to a round!

Yeah, I saw the same parallel when I read your round recap. It's made more frustrating by the fact that the goofed shot is an easier one. I expect more erratic results with my 4w off the deck but I expect a good result from a partial wedge shot. But that's where post round reality fits in, I'm a 24 for many reasons. I can't dwell on all the missed opportunities but I can say I drove the ball well.

 

Speaking of driver, I saw another parallel with your round. You talked about being smooth with your driver and having good results. I am finding that my driver swing seems smoother and what I'm trying to do in my takeaway seems a bit easier with it. I just feel like I swing it better than other clubs but it's probably just the fact the high tee helps negate low point issues. Anyhow, I think that if you can keep working on that smooth driver swing, it'll work it's way into the rest of your bag over time.

 

I'm hoping a similar thing will happen when I'm on the course. The much improved scores I've seen in some of my practice rounds will eventually pop up when I'm playing my normal 18. One reason my index isn't moving much is I can only post my Saturday 18. All my other rounds are solo, so those lower 9 hole scores aren't on my card. I really think the USGA screwed that rule up in 2016 and I'll just leave it at that since this isn't the rules sub forum.

[bortass]

Got out for a late evening 9 from the forward tees. We had thunderstorm overnight, so the course was a bit softer than it was on Saturday. It's sunny(setting) and in the 70s. No real wind at all. Great conditions really. I have not been going to the range. My swing work has just been slow motion takeaways in my office. I think it's starting to trickle into my swing on the course but can't say for sure. It feels like it is but I have no idea when I'll be on the range again and able to grab some video. Next week would be the soonest and I'm not sure I want to see my swing right now, lol.

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. I hit a thin pull with my driver, 195 yards, into the left rough. It's a middle back flag and about 190 to center. I decide to hit my 4w and nuke it. Okay maybe I didn't nuke it but I think I hit it correctly. It's a high draw, to the right, that carries the front right bunker and lands on the green. My aim was off but it was a great looking shot. Problem is there's no ball to be seen anywhere. I carried it 180 yards to clear that bunker and my ball must have run off the back of the green and into the hazard across the cart path. So I drop behind the green and hit a meh chip with my 7i that's 24 feet short of the hole. My first putt gets to a foot, so I “save” a double bogey, 6.

 

I'm not thrilled with this but it's okay. I consider this a par 5 hole and I had a penalty because I struck the ball well.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The flag is back left and I just use my normal 9i. I aim for the middle and it's a high draw just right of the green. The ball lands on the right slope that leads up to the green and rolls down it. I'm in the right rough and have to chip to a putting surface that's above me. I have plenty of room and nothing needs to be carried so I use the 7i putting stroke chip. I make good contact and the ball gets on the green. It's a bit too fast and luckily hits the flagstick, stopping 6 feet past the hole. I miss the par putt and have about a foot left for bogey, 4.

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I have started to aim more right on this hole because I have been hitting mostly draws with the driver. I have also been hitting it into the left rough through the corner quite a bit on this hole. Today, I hit a great draw right down my line, 235 yards, and I'm in the middle of the fairway. It's about 210 or so to center with a left pin. I use my 4w and again it's a great looking high draw to the right and heading for bunkers. My ball is just short of the bunker, 187 yard shot, and now I have a short pitch to get on in GIR. I take my SW and do my normal setup, routine, and swing. I catch the leading edge in the turf and it opens the face wide. It's a high shot well right of my target that lands on the green and rolls to near the back right edge. It's a GIR and I'm 39 feet from the hole.

 

I don't know what's going through my head. I'm putting down slope and I leave it 12 feet short...I leave my par putt 2 feet short but make the bogey putt, 6.

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. I catch my drive thin but it's a low draw that runs down the fairway, 212 yards. It's about 70 yards or so to the green and I have to carry a bunker. I hit a partial SW and it comes out low and carries the bunker. It's an 85 yard shot and I find my ball 33 feet past the hole on the back right of the green. Another GIR at least. I'm putting down slope again and this time I hit it 5 feet past the hole... I miss the par putt, low and 2 feet long. I do sink the bogey putt though, 5.

 

5- par 5, 439 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 tee off with the usual 5i. I hit a great high draw a bit right. It lands on the slope on the right and rolls back down into the fairway. 161 yard shot and I lost a fair bit of distance by hitting that slope. I'm in the fairway though with a good line to clear the corner with my 4w. I'm feeling good after the 4w shots on #1 and #3. I top this one and it's a line drive into the right hazard, lol. My drop is 52 yards closer to the hole and that's the only positive thing to say about it. I just want a fairly safe shot to try to hit the green with my 4^th swing. I punch my 5i down the fairway, 136 yards. The ball is in the left rough and a little below my feet. The hole is front left and it's 100 yards to center. I decide to hit a partial PW and contact is good. The ball lands on the green and rolls to the left. It's a 104 yard shot and I'm 12 feet from the hole. I hit the putt firm and it drops, saving my bogey, 6.

 

Not gonna lie, I am thrilled with a bogey after mishitting my second shot and having to take a drop.

 

6 – par 4, 290 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. The forward tees are a big advantage on this hole, they make it almost 80 yards shorter. Some guy that already teed off waves me through. It's a high draw but to the right, 215 yards, and I'm in the right trees. I find my ball and it's on a bunch of leaves but I have a clear shot at the green and no branches to deal with. It's a left flag and about 90 to center. I hit a good looking partial AW that lands on the green and rolls a bit closer to the hole. Another GIR! I'm 27 feet short and putting upslope with right to left break. I hit the birdie putt and it's low. It finishes 3 feet directly below the hole. I make the par putt, 4.

 

7 – par 4, 346 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 hit a good looking baby fade down the middle right side of the fairway, 243 yards. The hole is back right and I hit a partial AW in. I catch it slightly fat but it's still a mid height draw that lands on the green, 86 yards.I'm 26 feet below the hole and hit the birdie putt. It's tracking pretty good and stops about 6 inches short of the middle of the cup, lol. Tap-in par, 4.

 

8 – par 3, 140 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. I use my normal 9i and aim a bit left, or so I thought. Contact sounds real good and it's a very high baby draw to the right of the green and it lands in the bunker.... Good looking shot, 143 yards, bad line. I chip out of the bunker with my 7i. I'm still in the rough and chip with my putter and I hit it 3 feet past the hole. Well it's a 2 putt, double bogey, 5.

 

9 – par 4, 300 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. Another hole where the forward tees are an advantage since they are almost 60 yards shorter than the whites. I use my 5i and contact sounds good but I never see the ball. I find it in #1, which is to the right. 161 yard shot and I have no shot at the green. I can chip sideways into #9 or try to hit a low runner through a few trees in the distance to try and set up a much shorter third shot into the green that would take the pond out of play.

 

My round isn't great, so I'm not trying to protect a score. So I take the second option and hit a low partial 5i punch to try to get through the trees. Contact is okay and the ball is a touch more right that I'd like. It comes to a rest under a treebut I have a clear shot to the green now. I hit a strong chip with my 7i, 58 yards, that ends up on the back left of the green. The hole is back right and I'm 44 feet long.

 

Ready for a laugh?

 

This green slopes back to front and has a tier. It's gonna break left to right. I'm thinking the greens are like they are on a Saturday morning after they have been mown. I hit my putt, expecting it to trickle down to the right at the end. It barely breaks and my speed was good but now I'm 10 feet above the hole.... I'm putting straight downslope and hit it a touch too hard. I miss and the ball reaches the tier and slowly rolls down it ending up 19 feet below the hole. My third putt is 6 feet short and it's a 5 putt quad, 8. LOL.

 

A great way to end... Shot a 48 with two penalties and the only actual blowup being a 5 putt... This is an odd round for me because I was sitting at 40 after #8, so playing bogey golf with the two penalties. I can't complain about bogey golf since that's better than what I normally do when I'm playing 18. That 5 putt was an abomination though. Can't believe I used that word on a golf forum, lol. So logically I'm happy with the round even with a major embarrassment at the very end. I probably should put a bag over my head like Browns fans used too...

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 2

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 203 yards

Longest drive: 243 yards

Fairways: 4/7

GIR: 4/9

Avg Approach: 111 yards

Up & down: 0/5

Putts: 20

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -6.6 strokes

driving: +0.1

Approach: -2.6

Short game: -0.1

Putting: -4.0

[betarhoalphadelta]

Good round! I mean, yeah... Finishing the round with a 5-putt? You just gotta laugh that one off. It throws off your score but with a 5-putt you had only 20 putts in 18 holes, which means that a 2-putt would have left you at 17, or <2 per hole. Even a three-putt from 44 feet would be unsurprising and you'd have gotten out with 18 putts and a score of one over bogey golf. 

 

Seems like overall you did a good job handling adversity (2 penalties, including what must have been frustrating to have one on a great shot), saving bogeys, making almost 50% GIR, etc. A lot of positive things to take away from this one. 

[bortass]

1 hour ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Good round! I mean, yeah... Finishing the round with a 5-putt? You just gotta laugh that one off. It throws off your score but with a 5-putt you had only 20 putts in 18 holes, which means that a 2-putt would have left you at 17, or <2 per hole. Even a three-putt from 44 feet would be unsurprising and you'd have gotten out with 18 putts and a score of one over bogey golf. 

 

Seems like overall you did a good job handling adversity (2 penalties, including what must have been frustrating to have one on a great shot), saving bogeys, making almost 50% GIR, etc. A lot of positive things to take away from this one. 

I agree completely. I was kinda laughing to myself as I walked of #9 with that 5 putt. There's really no other reaction to have for it. A number of positives though and that's what's important. I'm glad I'm not getting frustrated about what happened, so I think I'm getting better with the mental side of things.

 

You playing this weekend?

[scooterhd2]

Lol. I've had a 5 putt before. We were trying to play 36 holes on the Oregon coast. This was back when I was lucky to break 100. We played Gearhart Links first and then Astoria Country Club. Gearhart was a decent outing. The weather turned at Astoria. Winds got insane, the sprinkle turned into rain. And I admit I dont fit it with this group that plays in any weather. I'm a fair weather golfer and its why I moved to Arizona. Anyway, I'm not playing great. This course has an odd layout. Has crazy side slopes and I'm just hacking my way around this place. When I do hit a good shot the wind is taking it to another place.

 

Anyway, somewhere near the finish, I believe it was 16, I finally hit a drive to a nice level spot. I hit a beautiful iron on approach that towers and balloons in the wind. One of those shots that is moving backwards after the apex, but it lands 8 feet from the pin and rolls back down the severe back to front slope to 20 feet or so. Finally a birdie putt, but its straight uphill and the wind is blowing right at me. The type of wind where it hard just to get setup and stay balanced. So I hit this putt about halfway there and it trickles back down the slope right back to my feet. You gotta be kidding me. What a weak effort. I'm fuming a bit. Trying to cast it off as disbelief. I decide there's no way this next putt is going to be short, so I blast it. The line is beautiful. The speed is not half bad actually. The ball rides the right lip of the cup, swirls around the back, pops back out the front and has the audacity to slowly roll back down the hill to my feet. The emotions are too much. I thought for a second it was the greatest par save of my life, but just like that, pure misery. I've putted twice and the ball is probably two inches further from the hole then where I started. The group is awkwardly holding back laughter. And I'm just done. This course, this rain, this wind, all these damn hills. I've seen it. I got my moneys worth. I'm drenched, I'm cold, I need a beer, and then 6 more. I putt it back up the hill. It goes 6 feet passed. There's no way I am missing the next putt long and running it back down the hill. If that happens I'm throwing my putter in the lake. So I purposefully try to leave it a few inches short. And I did just that. Tap in 7 triple bogey when I couldnt of hit a better driver or iron. And then I just walked back to the clubhouse. See ya. Walk of 5 putt and I'm done. Bartender!

[bortass]

@scooterhd2LOL. Good story, at least you have that. Mine was just a serious brain cramp in perfectly fine conditions. Sometimes it just happens that way. Rub of the green is real...

[betarhoalphadelta]

2 hours ago, bortass said:

 

You playing this weekend?

 

You kiddin' me?! It's Mother's Day weekend! 😂

 

Actually I'm hoping to get out to the range (and maybe putting green, relevant to this discussion lol) with my son this weekend, but not actual golf. We're going to have the kids straight through from May 20 until the day after Memorial Day, so I'm hoping to get him out for multiple range sessions and then a full 18 at Oso during that stretch. 

 

@scooterhd2 I know the feeling! I had a round maybe 2 months ago where I was on a shortish par 4. If you can drive over a fairway bunker at about 220, you catch a downslope and get a ton of roll. I smashed a drive perfectly, got the roll, and was left with a ~60 yard pitch. I hit it good distance but a bit right, landing on the green maybe 25 feet from the cup. This green is severely back-to-front slope in that area, and I four-putted for a double. That whole round seemed to be a constant parade of "how can I screw up great drives today???" 

[SNIPERBBB]

Had a four putt once en route to a 69. Par 3 15th...tee ball ends up front middle to a back left pin. 30ft putt. Putt is uphill except the last 2ft. Last 2ft is downhill that drops off pretty quickly. Leave first putt 6ft because I didn't want to blast it past the hole. 2nd putt is 4ft passed then miss that putt for a tap-in. Birded last two holes coming in.

[TheDeanAbides]

I feel the putting pain. I went through ten years of not being able to see lines because of my health condition. It’s heartbreaking to shoot 80 over and over again because you can’t hole a putt over 3 feet. 

[bortass]

I realized something about my putting last week.  I was thinking of posting my 10 round averages from Arccos compared to the set from 1/11/21. I dropped three sets of stats into a spreadsheet for easier comparison. The 5/1 stats were taken before that glorious 5 putt. What I noticed was a specific area of putting, 0-10 feet. Numbers are at the bottom of the post.

 

It's bad compared to other areas of putting. I have written about missing putts in that 3 foot range quite a bit and at times it's turned into a boogeyman when I've been standing over a putt. "Crap, why did I leave it at 3 feet?". Well it's nothing new. It's just something that's been flying under my radar because based on stats driving and my approach game were worse. Well driving and putting have flip flopped. Putting is now my second worse area.

 

It's time to really try to do something about it. My guess an improvement here will be worth a couple strokes per 18 because I don't think I'm even 50/50 at that range. I already know of one drill that I'll use. It's where you place a driveway marker an inch or so in front of the hole and putt over it. It forces you to not die the ball in which is my main problem. I'm sure I'll find some other good drills too.

 

 

 

Prior 10 Round date	01/11/21	01/03/22	05/01/22
Putting SG compared to 12 HCP	-3.9	-4.2	-3.3
First putt 0-10 feet SG:	-2.1	-2.3	-2.1
First putt 10-25 feet SG:	-1.1	-1.3	-0.5
First putt 25-50 feet SG:	-0.8	-0.5	-0.7
First putt 50+ feet SG:	0.1	-0.1	-0.1
One putts:	15.0%	17.7%	21.7%
Two putts:	65.0%	55.5%	52.8%
Three+:	20.0%	26.1%	22.2%
Putts per hole:	2	2.1	1.9
Putts per GIR:	2.3	2.2	2.2

[SNIPERBBB]

One thing on putting, especially on short putts, is knowing how to be firmer on putts and when to be and when not to be. The shorter the putt, the more firm you can be because even if you miss, you wont have a hard putt coming back. Obviously a few exceptions  like quick, downhill putts you might need to be more defensive.

 

When I say knowing how to hit firmer putts, its definitely something you need to practice. You just dont go out on the course, find a short putt and decide to hit it firm when you are a die putter. There's tendencies to pull putts when you hit them firmer than your normal pace. Conversely, when you get defensive on a putt, the tendency is to push the putt.

[bortass]

I made it to the range Friday afternoon. It was very windy and all I did was practice chipping with my PW using the technique @bladehuntermentioned in the short game shot thread. I liked the results so I used it a few times during my Saturday 18. I expect it will help as I practice it more but I liked the early results I got.  I also messed around with the putter punch that @SNIPERBBBtalked about in that same thread. It's not something I plan to use but I was curious about it. I feel like I could hit it if needed but hopefully that day doesn't come, lol.

 

My main focus was putting though. I did the drill with putting over a driveway marker and also mixed in random short putts w/o the marker. Overall it went well.

 

Saturday was overcast and in the high 50s when we teed off. Wind was fairly steady 11+ MPH with higher gusts that threated to blow hats off. My warm up on the range was so so, nothing great and I spent a decent amount of time on the practice green hitting short putts. Overall, noting stellar but it was decent.

 

1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. There's a tailwind on this hole and my drive is a nice mid height draw, 258 yards, down the middle of the fairway. The hole is towards the middle and it's 140-150ish. Long is bad and I decide to hit a 7i in. It's a high push fade that is well right of my target and has no chance to land on the green. My ball lands near the right side in the bunker that guards the front right of the green. It was a 133 yard shot and the only good news is I'm not short sided. I make it out of the bunker and on the green in one but i'm 24 feet short and right of the hole. My par putt stops 3 feet short... Not the distance I want. The practice pays off and I sink the bogey putt, 5.

 

2 – par 3, 142 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The hole is near the front and kind of between the two front bunkers. It's 130ish to center and I go with my 8i instead of trying to be cute and hit a 9i close but risk the bunkers. This time it's a high push draw that's going to miss the green to the right, 136 yard shot. I'm in the rough with plenty of green that slopes away from me to the hole. The green's elevated a bit and I decide to chip with my PW using the method Bladehunter mentioned in the short game shot thread. Contact is good and the ball lands on the face of the slope near the green and hops up and on. I can't see the actual hole but the ball is tracking at the flag. No idea how close I came to it but my ball is 5 feet past the hole on a 24 yard chip. That's a great result for me. My aim is a little off and my par putt stops inside 3 inches to the right aka low side of the hole. So close but it's an easy bogey, 4.

 

3 – par 5, 458 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I haven't been losing the ball to the right with my driver, so I've started to get more aggressive with my line on this hole. Still have a tailwind and I hit another mid height draw down my line, 257 yards and into the fairway towards the left side since I hit through the corner. I'm now about 212 yards from center! It's extremely rare for me to get this close with my tee shot. The hole is towards the middle. I wait for the green to clear because I can possibly get a ball on with my 4w. Contact is okay but off the toe. It's a push draw towards the right side of the green. There's a ridge that juts out on the right side about 100 yards short of the green, so I can't see what happens with my ball. I find it in the rightmost front bunker, 189 yard shot. I now have a sand shot for a GIR. There's plenty of green and I get out of the bunker in one and on. It was an 18 yard sand shot and I'm 22 feet short of the hole. I'm more than happy with the result. I hit my birdie putt and it's looking pretty good and stops somewhere a foot from the hole. I just can't recall if I was short or long. It's a tap in par though, 5.

 

I'm feeling pretty good through the first three holes. Nothing great but I'm playing solidly.

 

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 don't recall wind direction but I doubt it mattered much. I catch my drive a bit thin and it's a low draw down the middle, 239 yards. The hole is front left, right behind a bunker and I'm inside 60 yards to center. I hit my normal pitch with the SW and it's a bit of a high pull that goes 57 yards and lands on the green. Two GIR in a row! I'm 26 feet above the hole and I'm putting downslope with a left to right break. The birdie putt is a bit too low and the ball stops 3 feet below the hole. The speed was okay if I had aimed higher. I'm now going up slope and I hit it firm and it drops for par, 4.

 

Still feeling confident.

 

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. My drive is a low draw, 232 yards, down the left side of the fairway. I was worried the ball was going to keep running and end up in a stream over there. I have a great angle past the corner and hit my 4w. It's a very solid shot that goes 202 yards and ends up in the left side of the fairway. The hole is near the middle on the lower tier and it's about 70 yards. The wind is gusting into our faces. I decide to stick with a partial SW and make pretty good contact. It's a high draw a bit left of the flag. The wind helps the ball balloon and drop onto the green. Another GIR and this time I'm 10 feet to the left of the hole. I miss the birdie putt but have about 18 inches or so which I make for par, 5.

 

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. Not sure about the wind on this hole but my drive is not good. It's a high push fade towards the right houses. We see it land and I think it hits a tree trunk on the bounce. My ball kicks left and rolls down into the fairway, 188 yards total. I got lucky.... It's 200 or so yards to center and I hit my 4w which I blade but it rolls 145 yards down the fairway. It's a middle flag that's 39 yards away. I have to carry the edge of a bunker, so I can't see the putting surface where the hole is. I hit my normal pitch shot with the SW and it's a nice high shot at the flag. I hear the guys that can see my ball telling it to go in the hole, lol. I get up there and my ball is a foot or less to the left of the hole. A tap-in par, 4.

 

Well I'm +2 through 6 which is extremely good for me and it's something that I'm think about some.

 

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. Wind is at us and I hit a very solid draw, 237 yards, down the left side into the fairway. The hole is back middle and it's 120ish back there I think. I hit my 9i since the wind should keep me from going long. It's a horrible push onto the right slope about 30 yards right of the green.... I just completely FUBARed the shot. Now I'm in the rough on a down slope above the green. I have to hack down on the back of the ball. I think I aimed towards the flag and not directly at the closest part of the green. I hack into the ball with my SW and it comes out good but is a bit right, so it lands in the fringe/rough right next to the green and rolls to the right a little, staying in the rough. Nerves/mental state is getting to me now. I'm chipping with my putter and I decelerate into the ball and leave it 13 feet short.

 

Crap, I'm melting down...

 

I get the bogey putt to 2 feet and manage to come away with a double bogey, 6.

 

I'm a bit disappointed as I leave the green. I know the oods are i'm gonna have a bad hole at some point but I didn't think it would be from making a complete mess of a 9i shot from the fairway after a great drive.

 

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 flag is near the front and this has been a tough hole for me the last few months. I seem to always miss right and that leads to a bogey at best with a double being the likely outcome. I can hit a full 9i or see if I can hit a punch with my 8i on instead. The punch shot is fairly straight when I hit them on the range and that's what I go with. It's a low draw at the right side of the green and I get on. 142 yard shot and I'm about pin high and 19 feet to the right of the hole. The birdie putt stopsinside 6 inches. A tap in par, 3.

 

Well at least I didn't let the previous hole snowball on me.

 

9 – par 4, 357 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I'm thinking about my great drive on this hole last week and snap hook it into trees on the left... I find my ball, 168 yards off the tee, under some trees. It's on bare dirt and I have a shot out at an angle that will advance the ball towards the right side of the fairway but I have to keep it under 4 feet to avoid branches at the drip line. I think I'm under a willow or something similar. I use my 5i and make good contact and the ball scoots out from the trees and goes 76 yards into the fairway near the right edge. I'm about 150 from center and it's a back left hole. Wind is in our faces, so I decide to aim for center with my 5i. I top it well right of my line and it rolls 91 yards down the fairway... Well a partial SW should do the trick and I hit it too low... It's a lowish draw that lands and rolls into the back left rough.

 

So now I'm above the green in the rough and the hole is cut within 3 feet of the tier's down slope. I chip with my putter and the ball stops 3 feet short of the hole... A 3 footer for double bogey and I barely miss and watch as my ball slowly rolls down the tier and 33 feet past the hole.... I whack my next putt to 2 feet and come away with a quad, 8.

 

Well that was a kick to my confidence. I had been playing great, messed up on #7 and just blew up.

 

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 stay with my driver and it's a high push fade into the right trees, 205 yards. I hack it out sideways with my 7i. I have a shot at the left side of the green with my 8i and completely mishit it. I don't recall what it does but the ball goes about 28 yards and stays right, so I'm now blocked out from the green. I chip with my 7i to setup a pitch on. It's a blind shot and I don't know where the hole is. I pitch on with my SW, 34 feet short of the hole. I get my first putt to 3 feet and then miss again. End up with another quad, 8.

 

I'm a bit rattled now.

 

11 – par 4, 329 yards, 90* dogleg left, #12 HCP. Fairway eventually slopes down to a stream short of the green, forced carry. I tee off my my normal 7w and it's a high draw, 204 yards, into the fairway on the right side. The hole is front right and about 120 yards. The green is below me and I hit my 9i aiming for center. Contact is good and it's a high shot that goes 119 yards and lands on the green, 26 feet left of the hole. I'm about pin high and hit my birdie putt too low. It's rough 2.5 feet for par and I make it, 4.

 

That's better...

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. My drive is a high push fade into the right trees. I hear it hit something and I find it in the fairway 154 yards off the tee. Got real lucky to say the least. It's 150+ to an elevated green with a bunker that covers most of the front. That bunker is a big no go area for me. So I take my 5i and hit a low punch up the left side, 136 yards, and just short of the green. I chip with my PW and the ball rolls 11 feet long. I get the par putt to a foot and come away with a bogey, 5.

 

Confidence is coming back with the last two holes being decent.

 

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 towards the back and the tees are back some. It's about 136 yards and slightly uphill to the back bunker, so I decide to hit my 8i. It's a high draw that lands on the green to the left of the hole. We can't see what the ball does but I'm 12 feet left of the cup when I get up to the green. I'm putting downslope and I miss and it stops 2 feet past the hole. I make the par putt, 3.

 

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. Wind is behind us and I hit a high pull that lands in the left rough and the slopes kick it to the right and I watch as it crosses the cart path and heads into the fairway, 266 yards. I'm 280ish out on a slight downslope. I go with 4w since I've been hitting it decent and aim down the left side. I catch it fat and t=it's a real low weak fade 139 yards down the fairway. It's 130ish or so to the hole and I have a level lie in the fairway. I swing my 8i and leave the face wide open. It's a low running slice into the pond.... I drop and hit a partial SW into the back right bunker. I chip out with my PW and sent it through the green but it doesn't quite reach the pond. A chip with the putter to a foot and I have a triple bogey, 8.

 

A great drive wasted and I found a way to add a third snowman to the card....

 

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 a bit right of the green and hit a solid draw that lands to the right and rolls to the left between the bunkers. 231 yard shot and I have a chip with nothing but grass between me and the green. I use my PW and hit it too firm. It's a 37 yard chip into the rough behind the hole... I chip with my putter to 3 feet and make the par putt, 4.

 

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 tees are back a bit and I think we're going into the wind. I hit my 6i and it's a high push that lands on the green to the right of the hole. I'm on and 32 feet to the right. I get the birdie putt to a foot and come away with a 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. We're going into the wind and my drive is a very solid draw, 223 yards, into the fairway on the right. The hole is front left near the tier. I have 130ish and hit my 8i. It's a high shot onto the green, 124 yards. I'm 26 feet below the hole and want to get the birdie putt there. I'm putting up the tier and hit it firm. I miss and go 4 feet long... There';s a fairly decent slope to this green, so I tap my ball and it misses and rolls 3 feet long... I miss again and have a 4 putt double bogey, 6.

 

In hindsight, I should have just tried to get the birdie putt to stop below the hole. It's dicey putting above the hole on this green if you aren't inside a couple feet.

 

I'm bummed about messing up a good drive and approach.

 

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... My drive is a pull draw into the left slope and it doesn't come down it. 196 yard shot and I'm in pretty decent rough. I hack it back down into the fairway with my 5i, 57 yards. I can't reach the green from here, so I'm going to go down the left side. It's over 200 yards to the fairway bunker that's at the end of the fairway. So I feel good about hitting my 4w across the stream. It's off the toe and a high push fade that's heading for the pond way right of my line. The ball lands in the fairway/rough and I watch it roll in... I retrieve my ball and drop 154 yards from the prior spot. I hit a partial SW to 4 feet and two putt from a double bogey, 7.

 

This was an awesome round IMO. A 44/48 92. It's a 91 in GHIN since I was over NDB on #10. It dropped my index by 0.9 strokes! I played 12 of the 18 holes at +3. I was +11 on three holes, my 3 snowmen, with three doubles added in. I got a bit nervous on #7 and hit a great tee shot. I was feeling real good and then hit a terrible 9i shot and I let the pressure get to me. I just fell apart on #9 and #10 but righted the ship after that until the comedy of errors on #14 after a  great drive.

 

This wasn't one of my best rounds ever but it's probably the best 18 hole round since I started playing again even though I have a few rounds of 89 that last couple of years. The 9 pars is an Arccos personal best, so I know it's the first time I've done that since returning. Yes, I am not thrilled about the 8s and how I managed two of the double bogeys but it's outweighed by the good stuff that happened.  I really think the changes I'm working on are starting to pay off. The putting was not good in aggregate because of what happened on #9 and #17.  I think the practice helped me though and I felt better when I had those 3 foot putts. 

 

My plan is to keep working on my takeaway at home, and work on short putts and that chipping technique when I make it to the range.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 9

bogeys: 3

double bogeys: 3

triple+: 3

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 220 yards

Longest drive: 266 yards

Fairways: 9/14

GIR: 8/18

Avg Approach: 107 yards

Up & down: 3/10

Putts: 37

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -7.3 strokes

driving: +0.1

Approach: -4.2

Short game: +1.5

Putting: -4.7(lol)

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Great round! 

 

I think you could benefit from mentally trying to think of your blow up holes differently... You had a great round going, and 2 quads in a row didn't "derail" it. You still shot a respectable 48 on the back. You followed up two quads with a par/bogey/par stretch. Just before those two, you thought a double on 7 was going to derail your round but then you made par on 8... 

 

Blow up holes are going to happen. They're going to happen randomly. Even having two in a row is random. 

 

As your skill and consistently increases, they'll happen less often, but don't let them mentally affect you. Hell, Tiger made a 10 at the 12th hole at Augusta in the 2020 Masters. It occasionally happens even to the best. He then played the final 6 holes of the round at -5. 

 

[bortass]

1 hour ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Great round! 

 

I think you could benefit from mentally trying to think of your blow up holes differently... You had a great round going, and 2 quads in a row didn't "derail" it. You still shot a respectable 48 on the back. You followed up two quads with a par/bogey/par stretch. Just before those two, you thought a double on 7 was going to derail your round but then you made par on 8... 

 

Blow up holes are going to happen. They're going to happen randomly. Even having two in a row is random. 

 

As your skill and consistently increases, they'll happen less often, but don't let them mentally affect you. Hell, Tiger made a 10 at the 12th hole at Augusta in the 2020 Masters. It occasionally happens even to the best. He then played the final 6 holes of the round at -5. 

 

Thanks! It's a great round and I'm real happy about what happened. I played extremely well for 2/3 of the round and that's pretty big.

 

The mental side will come around when it's not uncharted territory. I said melt down after #7 because of the circumstances and how it happened. I knew I was +2 after 6 which is extremely good for me. I also know there's a bad hole waiting to happen at some point. Granted it's not a 100% given but the odds are it'll happen. So I'm a bit nervous on the 7th tee and hit a great drive. I then really bone what should have been a pretty straight forward shot.  I compound my error and get a double bogey. I know that there was a time when this would have led to me losing control of the round.

 

#9 was unforeseen. I can't remember the last time I hooked a ball like that and I almost never do it on this hole. For whatever reason I just couldn't get out of my own way. I did the same thing on #10 but it included second guessing driver off the tee. I had two bad drives on the front 9 but the other 5 were all very good to great. So I thought I'd be okay. Then I hit the push fade miss into the trees.

 

It's just a question of getting used to playing well enough times where it doesn't become something that stands out. 

 

The first time I broke 90 I had an 8. Never thought I'd almost break 90 with three of them on my card, lol.

[bortass]

I got out for a few holes last night. As usual when I head out by myself, no warm up. My first swing of the day is my drive on #1. It was a late start and I had to wait on one of the pros giving a couple of people a playing lesson, so I stopped after 6. It was the forward tees, since I like playing those in my practice rounds. Things have been dry, so fairways are firm and I don't recall any real wind. To be honest I'm a little "scared" (in a good way) by some of what I saw out there.

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. First swing is an awesome looking mid height draw down the middle, 266 yards (this is a fairly flat hole) into the fairway. This set me up around 110 from center! Well my partial PW shots have been going further the last couple of months, so I go with that. I make contact and it's a high shot that carries the bunker and lands on the green. It's a 113 yard shot and the ball is near the back of the green, 14 feet past the hole... I misread the break/speed and my birdie putt stops pin high a foot out on the high side. Tap in par, 4.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. I don't bother to look at my GPS. I just hit 9i from the forward tees. I have the ball a touch more forward than normal. Contact is off the toe and it's a very high draw at the flag, 130 yards, onto the green and 15 feet past the hole... I don't expect to hit my 120 club, 130 when it's a high draw and almost all carry... My birdie putt misses and I'm 2.5 feet below the hole and make the par putt, 3.

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I have been cutting the corner with my drives on this hole lately. The teal tees are about 3 yards in front of the whites. I hit a great, high fade, around the corner 238 yards. My ball is almost dead center in the fairway and it's about 200 yards to center. This is where I caught the pro and two guys. They are on the green and I have to hang out a while for them to clear since my 4w might get close. 

 

There's a guy behind me and I walk into the left rough while waiting so he can see I'm still in the fairway. So he's sitting on the teebox and the guys finally clear the green. I walk back to my ball and hear a ball land out where I had been standing. It's a good 30 yards or so, so it's not like he came that close to hitting me.

 

Well I take my 4w and make great contact. it's a high draw that lands on the green and rolls off the left side near the back, 205 yards.  So I carried at least 190 and that's normally what I expect for total distance, regardless, I'm about 4- 5 feet off the left side of the green near the back in 2 on a par 5... My putter chip is lack luster and ends up 9 feet high and it leads to a par, 5.

 

The pro and guys are still teeing off as I get to the tee box. One of them tops it about 50 yards and pro has him hit another one. They drive off, so I'm not playing through. I figure the guy behind me will catch up but no. I see him on the 3rd green, so he can tell I'm waiting. It's a decent little wait and he doesn't get to the teebox until I've already waited in the fairway abd about to hit my second shot. So I end up feeling like I need to rush, lol. 

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. My drive is thin and a draw into the left rough, 233 yards. I have 60 yards or so to the hole which is near the front of the green. I am waiting on the guys in front and they finally turn around and head back to the clubhouse. I decide to hit the completely wrong shot. Instead of taking some off a partial SW I try to pitch the ball on. I cut across it some and I land in a bunker. Turns into a triple bogey, 7.

 

I don't really care though. It was just the wrong shot and then I was rushing since there's someone waiting in the fairway on me.... I feel good heading to #5.

 

5- par 5, 439 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 use 5i off this tee and it's a nice mid height draw that hits the slope to the right of the cart path and rolls across it and into the fairway, 183 yards. I'm in great position. I hit 4w and I aimed a bit too far left. It's a great high draw like on #3 into the face of the left slope, which killed the distance, 191 yards. I have ball below my feet and on a side slope. I try a partial AW, catch it real fat and roll the ball into the stream that fronts the green, lol. I drop and pitch the ball 44 yards, to 12 feet past the hole. 2 putt double.

 

Again, I'm not worried about this. I'm rushing because of losing light as well as because of the guy behind me, lol. 

 

#6 ends up with another double. Aim was off with my driver and I put it in the right trees, fairly straight shot though. I'm through the green in 3 and chip + 2 putts to get the double. Pretty much all I was doing was hitting the ball so I could go home since the road I use is between #6 and 7. I had already packed it in before even teeing off.

 

My driver is working quite well lately and those 4w shots were extremely good for me. I've been close to #3 in two but that's always been short. I have never landed a ball on the green with my second shot. The toed 9i on #2 was a great looking shot that went a bit further than expected. I also played even par for the first three holes and didn't feel nervous. My first two shots on #5 were also real good. 

 

I'm 'scared' because I feel confidence building on the course. I'm not used to playing and not having some sort of fear or worry about a certain mishit or thinking about what I did wrong after most shots. It's an odd feeling. 

 

Saturday will be interesting because we're playing the sister course with all of the water. It's 5400 yards from the whites nice and short. There are some holes where driver won't work because of either having to be short of water or the risk of hitting through doglegs. I'm looking forward to it though.

[TheDeanAbides]

29 minutes ago, bortass said:

I got out for a few holes last night. As usual when I head out by myself, no warm up. My first swing of the day is my drive on #1. It was a late start and I had to wait on one of the pros giving a couple of people a playing lesson, so I stopped after 6. It was the forward tees, since I like playing those in my practice rounds. Things have been dry, so fairways are firm and I don't recall any real wind. To be honest I'm a little "scared" (in a good way) by some of what I saw out there.

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. First swing is an awesome looking mid height draw down the middle, 266 yards (this is a fairly flat hole) into the fairway. This set me up around 110 from center! Well my partial PW shots have been going further the last couple of months, so I go with that. I make contact and it's a high shot that carries the bunker and lands on the green. It's a 113 yard shot and the ball is near the back of the green, 14 feet past the hole... I misread the break/speed and my birdie putt stops pin high a foot out on the high side. Tap in par, 4.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. I don't bother to look at my GPS. I just hit 9i from the forward tees. I have the ball a touch more forward than normal. Contact is off the toe and it's a very high draw at the flag, 130 yards, onto the green and 15 feet past the hole... I don't expect to hit my 120 club, 130 when it's a high draw and almost all carry... My birdie putt misses and I'm 2.5 feet below the hole and make the par putt, 3.

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I have been cutting the corner with my drives on this hole lately. The teal tees are about 3 yards in front of the whites. I hit a great, high fade, around the corner 238 yards. My ball is almost dead center in the fairway and it's about 200 yards to center. This is where I caught the pro and two guys. They are on the green and I have to hang out a while for them to clear since my 4w might get close. 

 

There's a guy behind me and I walk into the left rough while waiting so he can see I'm still in the fairway. So he's sitting on the teebox and the guys finally clear the green. I walk back to my ball and hear a ball land out where I had been standing. It's a good 30 yards or so, so it's not like he came that close to hitting me.

 

Well I take my 4w and make great contact. it's a high draw that lands on the green and rolls off the left side near the back, 205 yards.  So I carried at least 190 and that's normally what I expect for total distance, regardless, I'm about 4- 5 feet off the left side of the green near the back in 2 on a par 5... My putter chip is lack luster and ends up 9 feet high and it leads to a par, 5.

 

The pro and guys are still teeing off as I get to the tee box. One of them tops it about 50 yards and pro has him hit another one. They drive off, so I'm not playing through. I figure the guy behind me will catch up but no. I see him on the 3rd green, so he can tell I'm waiting. It's a decent little wait and he doesn't get to the teebox until I've already waited in the fairway abd about to hit my second shot. So I end up feeling like I need to rush, lol. 

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. My drive is thin and a draw into the left rough, 233 yards. I have 60 yards or so to the hole which is near the front of the green. I am waiting on the guys in front and they finally turn around and head back to the clubhouse. I decide to hit the completely wrong shot. Instead of taking some off a partial SW I try to pitch the ball on. I cut across it some and I land in a bunker. Turns into a triple bogey, 7.

 

I don't really care though. It was just the wrong shot and then I was rushing since there's someone waiting in the fairway on me.... I feel good heading to #5.

 

5- par 5, 439 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 use 5i off this tee and it's a nice mid height draw that hits the slope to the right of the cart path and rolls across it and into the fairway, 183 yards. I'm in great position. I hit 4w and I aimed a bit too far left. It's a great high draw like on #3 into the face of the left slope, which killed the distance, 191 yards. I have ball below my feet and on a side slope. I try a partial AW, catch it real fat and roll the ball into the stream that fronts the green, lol. I drop and pitch the ball 44 yards, to 12 feet past the hole. 2 putt double.

 

Again, I'm not worried about this. I'm rushing because of losing light as well as because of the guy behind me, lol. 

 

#6 ends up with another double. Aim was off with my driver and I put it in the right trees, fairly straight shot though. I'm through the green in 3 and chip + 2 putts to get the double. Pretty much all I was doing was hitting the ball so I could go home since the road I use is between #6 and 7. I had already packed it in before even teeing off.

 

My driver is working quite well lately and those 4w shots were extremely good for me. I've been close to #3 in two but that's always been short. I have never landed a ball on the green with my second shot. The toed 9i on #2 was a great looking shot that went a bit further than expected. I also played even par for the first three holes and didn't feel nervous. My first two shots on #5 were also real good. 

 

I'm 'scared' because I feel confidence building on the course. I'm not used to playing and not having some sort of fear or worry about a certain mishit or thinking about what I did wrong after most shots. It's an odd feeling. 

 

Saturday will be interesting because we're playing the sister course with all of the water. It's 5400 yards from the whites nice and short. There are some holes where driver won't work because of either having to be short of water or the risk of hitting through doglegs. I'm looking forward to it though.

Well done. Remember that fear and excitement often feel similar. 🙂

[bortass]

57 minutes ago, TheDeanAbides said:

Well done. Remember that fear and excitement often feel similar. 🙂

Thanks! It's just a very odd feeling for me. I'm sure I felt like this many years ago when I did play under 90 golf but that was almost a decade ago.

 

Fun fact the 10 year anniversary of me breaking 90 is in about 14 days, lol. Guess I'm getting old... (Is it a fun fact if you say fun fact? Why do I feel like the answer is no?)

 

Some things feel surreal to me. I know they aren't but uncharted territory is interesting. Driver is my best full swing club and historically it's been one of my worst. I've been improving without working on the range. Just slow motion backswings in the house and it's working it's way into things on the course. I'm seeing some of the potential I thought I had actually appear on the course. That's a biggie. It's painful to sit here and type about wanting to shoot under 85 when most scores are in the 97-105 range for the last few years. No crystal ball, so maybe this will be a fluke, but I'm thinking that it's not. So watch me go shoot a 110 Saturday 🤪🤣

 

[TheDeanAbides]

What you’re hopefully discovering is that if you get on plane early in the swing and don’t screw up the transition the game becomes much easier. 
 

Was that a fun fact? 🤓

[bortass]

On 5/12/2022 at 3:51 PM, TheDeanAbides said:

What you’re hopefully discovering is that if you get on plane early in the swing and don’t screw up the transition the game becomes much easier. 
 

Was that a fun fact? 🤓

Yup! lol.

Got out for a quick 9. I played the teal(forward tees) No warmup which is normal for me. Overcast conditions in the low 70s and no real wind. A pretty nice day out actually.

 

Numbers in () is the difference between the teals and the whites, so #1 is 29 yards shorter from the teal tees. Most holes are just slightly shorter. There is a 4 stroke difference between the whites in teals for course handicap.

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards (-29), straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. I mishit my driver and it's a very thin push fade that barely gets airborn. The ball rolls 165 yards down the fairway and stops in the right rough. I'm 212 or so from center, the hole is on the right side behind a bunker, and there are tree branches in the mix for any shot going either to the middle or right sides. So I decide to just punch a 5i down the fairway to setup a third shot on. I have the same type of mishit with my 5i and the ball rolls 129 yards and ends up in the right rough. It's 90ish yards which is a partial AW. Contact is decent but it's a pull that goes 114 yards and ends up in the back left rough. The hole is back right, so I have plenty of green to deal with. I chip with my putter to 3 feet and sink the bogey putt, 5.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards (-9), #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. It's a front middle flag. I go with my 9i which is what I always hit from these tees. It's a high push, 113 yards, that ends up in the right rough. I chip with my PW but don't hit it hard enough. The ball hits the face of the slope the green is on and just dies at the top. So I chip with my putter to 2 feet and sink the bogey putt, 4.

 

Well this “ugly” so far. Completely different than the other night where I was even through 3, lol. Reality is bogey golf is fine. It still leads to a 90 which is a decent score and I'm telling myself this

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards (-6), dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I take my more aggressive line to cut some of the corner and hit a great looking mid height fade around it, 235 yards, and into the fairway just a bit right of center. I can't see where the hole is because of the spine of the hill on the right side, so I know it's over there someplace. It's about 212 to center and I hit my 4w. I am having flashbacks of my 4w shot that landed on the green from the other night. Turns out it's just a dream and I hit a real low pull draw well left, and short, of the green. It's a 185 yard shot and the hole is all the way on the right side. I now have an angle that covers almost the entire green, so I don't have to worry about a little short. It's 60ish yards to the hole, so I take some off my partial SW. It's a good shot that lands short and to the right of the hole, rolls into the right fringe and then back down onto the green. A 66 yard shot and I'm 12 feet long. I hit my birdie putt 3 feet past the hole and it's a 3 putt bogey, 6.

 

Now I am sad. I was thinking par all the way...

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards (-10), straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. My drive is a bit thin, so a low draw, 234 yards down the fairway. I 'm near the left side and it's a middle right flag, about 58 yards from me. I decide to hit a pitch with my SW and make great contact. A high shot that carries the bunker and lands on the green. I can't see what the ball does because of the back lip of the bunker though. I get to the green and it's a 58 yard shot to about 8 inches... I make the birdie putt, 3.

 

That's better!

 

5- par 5, 439 yards (-62), 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 use my typical 5i and it's a bad push fade all the way into the rough on the upper slope, 152 yard shot. It's a bunh of clover and wispy grass that's up to a foot long. I'm lucky though and my ball is in a pretty thin area. I can get a club on it no problem. The ball is above my feet a bit and I can't get aggressive with my shot because of trees if my ball is to the right. I can hit a shot back into the fairway past the corner and try to reach the green in 4. I hit a partial punch with my 7i and it's a nice shot that clears the corner. It goes 138 yards and ends up in the fairway on the left side. I'm about 155 from center and waiting on a twosome. I decide that I can go for it with my 5i. The ball is a touch below my feet and I hit a bad push fade into the edge of the hazard short and well right of the green... I can't find my ball even though I heard it rattle around in a tree. So I drop. I have a clear shot at the green and the hole is 55ish yards away. My pitch was great on the prior hole, so lets do it again!

 

Well I don't give it enough gass and I'm short of the green. I chip with my PW (24 yards) to 21 feet past the hole. I get the double bogey putt to 2 feet and have a triple bogey, 8.

 

Ouch! I figure I dropped 2 strokes by going for it with my 5i in 3. I could have just hit a little runner to get anyplace from 40 – 70 yards out and had a simple pitch on in 4... A good lesson to learn.

 

6 – par 4, 290 yards (-77), 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. Forward tees are a big advantage on this hole. I hit a towering push fade into the right trees... I hear it rattle around, so at least I didn't hit a house... I hit a provisional and it's a pull draw into the left trees...

 

I decide I'm done if I don't find one of my balls since it's a natural place for me to get back to the house from. Well I find the first ball barely in bounds, a 161 yard drive roughly. I punch a low 5i about 82 yards back into the middle of the fairway. The hole is on the left, behind a bunker. It's 70ish to center, so I hit a partial SW. It's good contact and my ball clears the bunker and lands on the green. I get up there and I'm 6 feet past the hole. I miss the par putt low and have a two footer, which I make, for bogey, 5.

 

7 – par 4, 346 yards (-5), 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 hit a near perfect drive, it's a high fade down the left side, 270 yards, into the fairway on the left. The hole is front right and barely behind a bunker that guards the left side because of my angle. It's 70ish yards and a partial SW. I blade it way right for some reason, about 103 yards. I'm behind the green and to the right in rough on a down slope. I chip with my PW to 3 feet! I make the putt!!! Par, 4.

 

8 – par 3, 140 yards (-20), 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 teal tees are back a bit today, so I decide to hit an 8i that I'd use from the whites. I also hit a knockdown like I did Saturday. It comes out great and is a lowish draw down the right side. The ball lands on the green and rolls at the hole. I see it stop short, so no HIO but I'm fairly close.
 

As I'm heading back to my cart, something non golf related come sup that I have to deal with.

 

My ball is 5 feet short and right of the hole. An awesome teeshot. I two putt for par...., 3.

 

I blame the distraction on getting me out of sorts but I can miss a 5 footer any time, so it's not really a place I can say I should have had a birdie.

 

9 – par 4, 300 yards (-57), straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I tee off with my normal 5i and nuke a high draw down the left side, 199 yards, and almost into the pond.... I'm in the fairway, maybe 5 yards to the right of the pond, and just inside 100 yards out. It's a middle front flag a bit to the left. I hit a partial AW and it's a nice high shot that lands on the green to the right of the hole. The slopes feed it towards the hole but I'm still 12 feet to the right. My birdie putt is a bit low and I have a 6 inch tap-in for par, 4.

 

So I just shot a 42 with a triple bogey 8 on the card.... Yes, the shorter tees helped but my game was a bit off today. I was not hitting drives great like I did the other night. I can honestly say I left some shots out there and that's not normal for me if we're talking about a 42. I figure I lost 2 strokes on #5 because of the 5i approach instead of laying up. I also three putted from 12 feet on #3... Of course I hit some great wedge shots to keep me in it. I also hit a great 8i on #8, birdie would have been nice there, but a 5 footer is not high odds for me.

 

I just gotta keep plugging away. Things seem to be starting to sort themselves out. I'm excited but really need to work on my composure some. I felt out of sorts with my "struggles" on #1 and 2 and then that triple on#5  being followed by a horrible tee shot AND provisional. 

 

birdies: 1

pars: 3

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 1

triple+: 0

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 202 yards

Longest drive: 270 yards

Fairways: 4/7

GIR: 4/9

Avg Approach: 104 yards

Up & down: 2/4

Putts: 15

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -0.5 strokes

driving: -0.2

Approach: -0.4

Short game: +1.5

Putting: -1.4

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Nice 9! Always nice to come away +6 through 9. 

[TheDeanAbides]

Again, well done! Some great play in there.

[bortass]

@betarhoalphadelta @TheDeanAbides Thanks guys! I appreciate it.

 

I don't want to put the cart before the horse but the swing feedback I got from @TheDeanAbides, @SNIPERBBB, and @Valtiel seems to be what I needed to hear to get a better understanding of things with my backswing. Still plenty of work to do but there's a marked improvement on the course. Just need to keep plugging away and things will unfold in a positive manner.

[TheDeanAbides]

9 hours ago, bortass said:

@betarhoalphadelta @TheDeanAbides Thanks guys! I appreciate it.

 

I don't want to put the cart before the horse but the swing feedback I got from @TheDeanAbides, @SNIPERBBB, and @Valtiel seems to be what I needed to hear to get a better understanding of things with my backswing. Still plenty of work to do but there's a marked improvement on the course. Just need to keep plugging away and things will unfold in a positive manner.

People hugely underestimate the power of making the correct moves before hitting balls. Did you know that the Korean golf program has students train their pivot for ages without ever giving them a club. They train the body to make the correct moves, and when they finally start hitting balls they’re miles ahead of the curve.