Maybe, just maybe...

The run of positive, good scores continued on the 4th of July. Dave and I played Ravenwood. I took him out for a round as a retirement gift and as a small payback for the many years of his/Jeremiah's paying for tournament golf for me.

After doubling the first hole and bogeying that damn water-lined 3rd hole (dropped yet another tee-shot in the drink there) I reeled it in and shot a respectable 41 on the front which included a kick-in birdie on the par five 6th hole and a really stupid bogey on #9.

We grabbed a dog and a beer at the turn and off we went on the back. I once again bogeyed the par five 12th hole after blowing a 7-iron over the green, the rough and the cart path behind the green. That approach shot kills me. It is such a deceiving distance. You just cannot see the putting surface from the fairway.

The wind grabbed my approach shot on the 13th and I managed to chip close and par that one. I stiffed a 9 iron on the par three 14th over the water and rolled in the 2 footer for another birdie. The 15th is a tough driving hole for me since my natural ball flight is left to right and there is a line of Titliest-swallowing trees to the left, just off the tee box. I kept it in play but down the left side of the hole. My wedge home just missed the putting surface and I chipped close for a nice par.

The uphill 16th was right into the wind but after popping my second shot to about 30 ft, I curled one in for a birdie! The cute beer chick gave me a round of applause as she waited just behind the green and saw me sink the putt.

My tee-shot on the par three 17 th dribbled into the water and after taking a drop, I canned my bogie putt from the fringe.

I pretty much butchered the 18th after hitting my drive into the fairway bunker on the right. One day I will realize that I have to hit 3 wood off that tee to take the bunkers out of play. I narrowly missed dumping my bunker shot into a creek and then missed the green from about 135 yards. I chipped to about 6 feet and proceded to wimp out on my par putt and made bogey. I had not missed anything inside 6 feet all day so that miss was troublesome.

In the end, I shot one over 37 on the back for a pretty fine 78. I made a lot of good chip shots, putted well and carded 3 birdies. The greens were slower than usual and I did not find the fairways to be in very good shape, but Ravenwood is a pretty good test for any golfer. The greens are well guarded and fairly small.