Earlier this week I posted a blog that reviewed one of the finest 9 hole rounds that I have ever played and now it is time to review one of the worst 9 hole rounds that I have played in many years.
Subbing in yet another league at Webster East, I three putted the first hole, after taking relief from a creek, for a solid triple bogie "snow-man". Ok, stuff happens, I did not hit a single good shot all the way from tee to green so I deserved what I got.
On the par 3 second hole I hit a loopy hook and ended up behind a huge tree with no shot at the pin. So, I chipped a 7 iron over a sandtrap and onto the green. I felt pretty good about executing that difficult shot. Well, three putts later I carded a double bogie. Nice choke job.
The next hole is one of the most difficult par 4's around. It demands a tee shot in the fairway and of course I missed left and ended up with a crappy lie in the rough some 200 yards out. Since the lie sucked I opted to lay up for fear of dumping it into the pond in front of the green. A good decision as I then knocked a solid 7 iron onto the green some 20+ feet from the pin. Cool, an easy five on a tough par four. Nope. I three putted yet again for another double. Remarkably I was still sane after three putting the first three holes.
On the par five 4th hole I hammered my tee shot but missed the fairway by inches. No biggie. I had a decent enough lie and blasted a 3 wood to about 60 yards from the green. My pitching wedge from that spot ended up some 25+ feet beyond the green so I had a tough downhill birdie putt which I left short and then missed my 4 footer for par, another 3 putt!!
On #5 I hit a big drive and left my wedge just short, but not in a bad spot. I used a putter to roll it to about 5 ft and calmly missed my par putt. Another three-jam if you count the one from the fringe.
On #6 I told my buddies that I was going to try to drive the green and let out a loud grunt as I hoisted my drive. It was too windy to drive the green but I ended up with about 65 yards to the green. I then knocked a wedge on the green and 3 putted yet again (do you see a pattern here?)
#7 is another hole that can be driven, but was into the wind. I killed my drive dead center to about 50 yards from the green. I over hit another wedge well beyond the pin and of course three putted one more time.
As we approached the 8th hole, a par three, I realized that I had 3 putted every hole so far. The wind was blowing pretty hard from right to left so I took dead aim at a target on the right edge thinking that the wind would blow it to the middle of the green. I laced my 7 iron directly at my target and the wind did not move it an inch. It landed on the right fringe and spun left and back to the front of the green. If the wind had pushed it, I think that it would have been pretty tight. Anyhow...guess what happened next? Why, I three jammed again. Eight straight three putts. This was crazy.
The last hole is a great finishing hole and of course I missed the fairway and the green and then chipped to about 15 ft. One last try at that elusive two putt. Hey, it was even a makable one. I somehow managed to roll it to about a foot and after plumb-bobbing the remaining 12 inches to make sure I had the break properly determined I deftly tapped in for a bogie. The one and only two putt in the entire 9 hole round.
My playing partners wanted to give me that last one-footer, but I said that I am going to make that stinking putt if it killed me. I gathered my thoughts and mustered all of my golf experience and sank that last putt with skill and determination. This putting exhibition lead to the worst nine hole score that I have had an many years -- 49. Ouch.
Yes, I am playing again tonight...
Friday, May 19, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Fun? On the golf course?
Yes, it can be done!
On Mother's Day my wife and I played her favorite course at Victor Hills, the East Course.
I ageed that since it was her day I would play from the ladies tees and leave my woods in the bag. I also agreed that when she hit driver off the tee I would hit 3 iron and no matter what she hit from there on in to the green, I would match clubs with her. This meant that her 6 iron from 120 yards would be a 6 iron (normally a 160+ yard club) for me as well, and so forth.
What great fun we had! I had to manufacture shots on just about every hole: 4 iron from 110 (normally a 175+ plus club), up a steep hill (I hit it 3 feet from the cup and made birdie), 8 iron from 80 yards up a hill, etc.
I accepted my fate and made the round a lesson in love and worked on hitting odd shots from odd places with odd clubs. A good practice session for any golfer. For the most part it worked well. I did manage to have a triple bogie on a par four where I yanked my 3 iron dead left into oblivion and a couple of doubles when I hit very poor chipshots.
In the end I had shot an 80 to her 105. My round was actually three shots more that I had the day before from the blue tees on the same course. More importantly, my wife and I had a great time, laughing at and with each other as we made our way around the course. When all was said and done, I won our handicapped match ended and then we kissed an went home for dinner.
As hard as I try to have fun on the course it is difficult for me as my obsession takes over and I get all serious, but this day was for my wife and I did indeed have a great deal of fun.
PS: don't tell her, but I tried really hard to play well under the rules of the day.
On Mother's Day my wife and I played her favorite course at Victor Hills, the East Course.
I ageed that since it was her day I would play from the ladies tees and leave my woods in the bag. I also agreed that when she hit driver off the tee I would hit 3 iron and no matter what she hit from there on in to the green, I would match clubs with her. This meant that her 6 iron from 120 yards would be a 6 iron (normally a 160+ yard club) for me as well, and so forth.
What great fun we had! I had to manufacture shots on just about every hole: 4 iron from 110 (normally a 175+ plus club), up a steep hill (I hit it 3 feet from the cup and made birdie), 8 iron from 80 yards up a hill, etc.
I accepted my fate and made the round a lesson in love and worked on hitting odd shots from odd places with odd clubs. A good practice session for any golfer. For the most part it worked well. I did manage to have a triple bogie on a par four where I yanked my 3 iron dead left into oblivion and a couple of doubles when I hit very poor chipshots.
In the end I had shot an 80 to her 105. My round was actually three shots more that I had the day before from the blue tees on the same course. More importantly, my wife and I had a great time, laughing at and with each other as we made our way around the course. When all was said and done, I won our handicapped match ended and then we kissed an went home for dinner.
As hard as I try to have fun on the course it is difficult for me as my obsession takes over and I get all serious, but this day was for my wife and I did indeed have a great deal of fun.
PS: don't tell her, but I tried really hard to play well under the rules of the day.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
One of those nights...
Last night my wife and I subbed in a league at Shadow Pines. This is a couples thing and many of the people are tennis friends of ours. Shadow Pines is not the easiest course around and I have to bring my A game in order to play well. Last night I had the A game working until the final hole...one of the toughest par 3's around.
I will now bore you all with the details:
- I narrowly missed birdie on the first hole
- birdied #2
- lipped out for birdie on #3
- rolled an improbable putt from off green from about 50 feet right in the center of the cup for
another birdie on #4
- lipped out again for birdie on the fifth hole
- slipped up a bit and three putted for bogie on #6 (still one under par however)
- parred the 7th
- hit an eight iron from about 145 yards to within 6 inches of the cup for another birdie to get back to -2.
Now for the painful part and why most of us don't play golf on TV.
The 9th is probably one of the hardest par 3's in the area. Its up hill so the 165 yards to the pin and last night played like 180...at least. There is a pond right in front of the tee and some pretty nasty sand traps at the green. No problem. I am swinging well and feel confident and comfortable as I carefully chose my weapon.
Moments later, after pulling my shot way left of the green, between two bunkers, on the wrong side of the green, I had to somehow chip over a mound and get that evil ball to stop on a cool, damp green somewhere near a pin that is cut just about 10 feet from the edge of the green. No problem. My chip missed being a very good one by about 2 feet as it landed just a bit too far beyond my intended landing zone. As it rolled and rolled across the green and on to the fringe on the far side of the green I began to think "just make four, just make four".
Well, I didn't. After I tapped in for a double bogie I kicked myself for finishing like that and then smiled because I had played 8 magnificent holes that night and for one fleeting moment in time I felt like one of those guys on TV whom we watch stick shot after shot close to the hole and roll them in the hole like nobody's business.
And probably the best part about it was that Joanie and I were playing golf together, it was beautiful.
Gotta go now, I have a tee time...thanks for listening.
I will now bore you all with the details:
- I narrowly missed birdie on the first hole
- birdied #2
- lipped out for birdie on #3
- rolled an improbable putt from off green from about 50 feet right in the center of the cup for
another birdie on #4
- lipped out again for birdie on the fifth hole
- slipped up a bit and three putted for bogie on #6 (still one under par however)
- parred the 7th
- hit an eight iron from about 145 yards to within 6 inches of the cup for another birdie to get back to -2.
Now for the painful part and why most of us don't play golf on TV.
The 9th is probably one of the hardest par 3's in the area. Its up hill so the 165 yards to the pin and last night played like 180...at least. There is a pond right in front of the tee and some pretty nasty sand traps at the green. No problem. I am swinging well and feel confident and comfortable as I carefully chose my weapon.
Moments later, after pulling my shot way left of the green, between two bunkers, on the wrong side of the green, I had to somehow chip over a mound and get that evil ball to stop on a cool, damp green somewhere near a pin that is cut just about 10 feet from the edge of the green. No problem. My chip missed being a very good one by about 2 feet as it landed just a bit too far beyond my intended landing zone. As it rolled and rolled across the green and on to the fringe on the far side of the green I began to think "just make four, just make four".
Well, I didn't. After I tapped in for a double bogie I kicked myself for finishing like that and then smiled because I had played 8 magnificent holes that night and for one fleeting moment in time I felt like one of those guys on TV whom we watch stick shot after shot close to the hole and roll them in the hole like nobody's business.
And probably the best part about it was that Joanie and I were playing golf together, it was beautiful.
Gotta go now, I have a tee time...thanks for listening.
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