Played TPC Scottsdale today

[ricar1610]

I had the chance to play the TPC Scottsdale today with all the tourney stuff still up.

 

I played as a single and was teamed up with a father/son and father-in-law. Great people and a fun round.

 

Shot 82 from the tournament tees - I was there Sunday so I played about where they did - the tees were not marked so just went with the plaque number. Long enough :)

 

I made 3 doubles (all from taking 2 to get out of bunkers) - after hitting the fairway.

 

HIt 12/14 fairways. 1 birdie on 11 - the hardest hole - go figure. 3 putted twice.

 

Yes, I also bogeyed 16 and the maintenance guys were booing - it was awesome!

 

I was also on the fringe putting for eagle on 13 (595 yards) and made par - stellar...

 

We had a great Forecaddie - Mike - who really took care of us - raked bunkers (mostly after me) - gave advice - read putts, etc.

 

All in all a great experience. The conditions were pristine. The greens had a nice pace to them...not overly fast. I can see why the tour guys go really low there. It is by no means easy, but as good as they are, the conditions are just too perfect for them to struggle.

 

Yes, it was 75* today.

 

I would do it again in a heartbeat...

 

BTW - on # 9 I hit my drive 277 - had 200 left - so I am hitting 4 hybrid - in comparison to Mickelson one day hit his drive 358. That is the difference...81 yards past me...

 

Funny - I thought of the threads on Golfwrx about turning pro - what handicap you have to be etc.

 

So, I think I can make it - if I just practice 2 more times per week and work on my bunker game - then maybe get fit for a driver that will get me - well 81 yards more then I will be ready to make a run at it...sorry, had to incorporate some humor and hyperbole...

 

What I learned today is that Tour pros are in a class that I cannot even define. I am a 1.7 hc and shot 82 - was it my best round - no. Did I play terrible? Far from it. What I also learned is that I can play like a Tour pro for 3, 4, maybe 5 hole stretches. I parred 10, birdied 11, parred 12, had an eagle try at 13, then double at 14...it's those 2-3 blow up holes that get me - and not making enough birdies. I missed 3 birdie putts of about 10 feet. You can't miss those on tour. I would be an average of 10-15 strokes worse PER ROUND than Mickelson (or 22 after his 60) - and that is without crowds, TV, and playing so my family can eat. Crazy...

 

So I think I will keep my teaching job and play golf as much as I can...

 

After today, I am not sure I would want to play golf for a living...it's just too dang hard...

[castellar]

Wow sounds like a great experience. On TV the fairways and greens look so big and welcoming but your pictures..... not so much.
I wasn't aware that they opened the courses up to the public before tearing all that stuff down. Anyways thanks for sharing! I'm extremely envious right now.

[Hookasaurus Rex]

Good stuff!

[diabolo]

Great read, OP! thanks a lot .

[KYMAR]

Wow, nice! What a great round. Love that you appreciated the booing maintenance guys, I am sure they were looking for you to birdie and go gangnam style ala James Hahn and you give them a 4? BOOOOOOOOO!!!!! lol, what a cool part of the story.

82 is a pretty solid indeed! Did you sit down with a beverage of choice and go over your card and think ''how the hell did that guy do that in [i]twenty-two [/i]fewer strokes? HOW?''

Happy for and jealous of you for that round. [size=4] [/size]

[subrosa]

Love the #16 story. Did you and your partners run to the green in a caddyesq race?

[ricar1610]

[quote name='KYMAR' timestamp='1360132941' post='6371577']
Wow, nice! What a great round. Love that you appreciated the booing maintenance guys, I am sure they were looking for you to birdie and go gangnam style ala James Hahn and you give them a 4? BOOOOOOOOO!!!!! lol, what a cool part of the story.

82 is a pretty solid indeed! Did you sit down with a beverage of choice and go over your card and think ''how the hell did that guy do that in [i]twenty-two [/i]fewer strokes? HOW?''

Happy for and jealous of you for that round.
[/quote]

Funny you say that because at the turn I was at 42 (+7) - I thought wow...Phil finished in 18 more strokes and I have 9 to play
It truly is amazing how good they are. My round really put that into perspective. And I don't think it is just one phase of the game. 80 yards longer off the tee - waaaay more accurate with irons and they don't miss inside 10 feet. It really is just a level of talent and hard work that just needs to be admired and that's that. It actually made me feel better about my game and that I need to have better (not lower) expectations - I never had crazy pro aspirations, but just more realistic.

I really did play like a pro on 10-13. I went par, birdie, par (hit is to 12 feet) and then almost made it in 2 at 13 - so -1 and could have been better. So a 4 hole stretch of pure enjoyment. They play like that for all 18 - man that must be fun...

BTW - I booed myself for bogeying 16 - only real disappointment on the day.

[ricar1610]

[quote name='subrosa' timestamp='1360133501' post='6371603']
Love the #16 story. Did you and your partners run to the green in a caddyesq race?
[/quote]

Funny - we mentioned that to our Forecaddie, but he was a lot younger and in much better shape! After seeing it up close I see why the one caddy ate it hard - it's tricky through there - lots of cactus, etc.

[ricar1610]

[quote name='castellar' timestamp='1360123320' post='6371017']
Wow sounds like a great experience. On TV the fairways and greens look so big and welcoming but your pictures..... not so much.
I wasn't aware that they opened the courses up to the public before tearing all that stuff down. Anyways thanks for sharing! I'm extremely envious right now.
[/quote]

I was also unaware that it opened so soon until this weekend - and they discounted it from $299 to $179. There was a lot of noise and commotion but only on a few holes

I was there Sunday and saw a sign that talked about playing the course starting Tuesday and it said to enter the code WMPO - so I did and it came up at $179 - sweet deal IMO. It was worth it.

[NickPhillips]

I am highly jealous.

[prsgtrman]

wow great story. love the booing as well. im looking to play there may 8th before i attend martin chuck's golf academy.

[xabia]

Great read man, thanks for putting this up for us!

[Gmachine]

how closed-in/claustrophobic did you feel on 16? can only imagine what tour pros feel like with 15,000 fans staring/screaming at them.

[2Alpha]

Awesome, I am booked to play it on February 20th. Can't wait.

[theboypinoy]

Nice write up. It's crazy to think how good the tour pros are.

[ricar1610]

[quote name='Gmachine' timestamp='1360630101' post='6409943']
how closed-in/claustrophobic did you feel on 16? can only imagine what tour pros feel like with 15,000 fans staring/screaming at them.
[/quote]

It is very different with the stands up. I was there SUnday for the final round it was crazy. I can't imagine walking through the tunnel into that. It makes an otherwise benign shot into something more challenging. We had 151 to the pin from the tourney tees. I still came up short and the false front is decent enough to kick the ball back 5-7 yards.

[Crowboy]

Nice! Played the week before the Tourney last year. What a blast!

[Jamboy72]

Great adventure and nice round! Thanks for sharing...

[Josh L.]

Very cool. Pretty jealous.