Best 9 hole round of my life, allowed by the best putting of my life. One of my best friends, Steve, was in town, and only had time to play 9 tonight.
1. Started off with an eagle 3 with a 6 footer. Great drive, nailed a mid iron to the green 6 feet from the pin . My buddy made a bogey 6, getting on in 4.
2. Hit a beautiful 3H tee shot to 50 yards from the hole. Hit my second shot to the back of the green, for about a 35 footer. 2 Putted for a great par. He bogeyed.
3. Drove in to 90 yards from the front of the green. 52* in to about 8 feet, which I again made for birdie, sitting at 3 under. He got his first par.
4. Uphill par 3, I judged the wind wrong, and drilled it into the front side fringe. Got up and down with a 4 footer for par. He got his par, on in regulation with a tough 2 putt.
5. 502 yard par 5. Driver-3H in. My hybrid went hard with a fairly low launch, caught a hard bounce, flew 3/4 of the green, rolled the restof the way fast over the hill behind the green. 52* wedge coming back, almost on the pin, 2 foot birdie. Almost shit myself. Steve rode the bogey train to its second stop for an ugly double with a 3 putt.
6. 420 yard up hill/down hill par 4. 2 in, 2 putted for Par. He bogey'd.
7. 115 yard Gap wedge to a dead stop 3 inches from its pitch mark (wet, soft greens, we had 4 days of torrential downpour), 6 feet from the hole. Birdie. He made a nice birdie as well, with a long side-hill crossways putt which was perfect on his part. One of the nicest putts I have ever seen.
8. 2 in for a 2 putt par. Good line on a long first putt, left it 3 feet short and made the easy par. He bogeyd
9. Drove the ravine to put the ball on the top of the hill, with a 60 yard shot in. I took out my 60* for the first time all day, and stuck it to 9 feet, making a beutiful right to left downhill putt fleaving it 2 inches short, for a sad, sad par.. Steve got another par.
31 on a par 36. He shot a 41. I am amazingly pumped about the round, though im still upset I left the putt on 9 short, which would have given me an absolutely amazing birdie to cap off an amazing round. But it was not to be. Steve was shocked. He hadnt played with me since he got me into the game 3 years ago, when he made me feel like a hack with his bogeys and pars. Now I beat him by ten strokes on our home course (he played there for years before I got into golf). Unfortunately, I had nowhere near enough daylight to play 18, which made me sad. But im extremely happy with myself for making every shot a smart and well struck shot, aside from maybe having hit a 4 iron instead of 3 hybrid, but then maybe i'd have got no bounce and left it short, giving me a tough chip instead of the easy quarter swing I had. But im asking for an eagle when I made birdie, so I should shut up.
Just that damn putt on 9. 2 more inches and I had the birdie and the 30, but it just wasn't to be. I should not complain. 31 over 9, on a Par71, 129 slope, is a great score./ But I cant help but wish I had finished it. I will tomorrow, before we play again. We are playing 18 then. What could have been.
