A Rare Golfing Accomplishment

I achieved something yesterday that I don't recall ever doing before (or even seeing from someone who plays at a level similar to mine - low to mid single digit handicap). The first 3 shots that I hit on a par 4 were all struck about as well as I can hit them, there were no 'fluke' events, and I double bogeyed the hole. I am astonished at my own abilities

It was a relatively difficult par 4 that is severely uphill and playing around 410 yards. I hit a very good drive that carried about 220 yards (good for me on a cool day into an uphill fairway) and got about 1 ball length of roll. I had 190 uphill yards to a very rear pin and it seemed like a perfect 5W (which is a comfortable 195 carry club for me on flat land). "Too much club" never crossed my mind and I was all over the pin, but the ball ended 7 yards over the green. The ballmark was 1 yard in front of the pin.

I now had a very tough little chip shot with 7 yards of tight fringe to the green, 4 yards straight up the 'false back' of the green, and 3 yards straight down to the pin. The only choices were to putt it, hit a true bump/run with a 5i or something, or a SW onto the putting surface and let it trickle up/over the top. I chose the latter and left the ball about 3' short of the pin (would never have occurred to me that you could actually leave it short if you cleared the crest of the green).

Well, those are the 3 shots that were about as good as I can hit them. The putt was so fast that the ball just HAD TO go left - wrong. It barely touched the right edge of the cup (outside edge was my line) and rolled 4' past the cup (must have taken 20 seconds to go 7'). And the bogey putt was a 'still mad at the last one' poor stroke - so there ya' go.

dave

I think that any honest golfer can say "Been there, done that". I was in the middle of the fairway, right next to the 100 yard plaque for my 3rd to a par 5 yesterday.... hit a beautiful wedge just a hair right of the pin... bounced right into a downhill like in the rough. Played what I thought was a nice chip... hit the fringe and stopped dead just 4 inches onto the green (with the downhill lie and down slope on the green I figured there was no way to stop the ball short of the hole). I then took 3 putts from there to negotiate that last 15 feet... made a 7. A 3 putt from 15 feet after going around the front 9 in just 12 putts.

That one got to me and I double bogied the next par 4 as well.... finished 38-42.... should have been 38-40 at worst. A good round that could have been so much better... and to add insult to injury it snowed 4" overnight, so no more golf for the next few days at least.

Ya gotta love this game.

cubdog

I look forward to the day when I can say that kind of play is rare. Earlier this week it was a driver to right off the green on a short par 4, chip on, four putt. Double bogey, been there done that. When I get the the point where I am amazed to double a par 4, I will be overall pretty satisfied with my game!

Its worse when it ruins a round! Flash back two months: I was standing on 10 (par 5) after finishing the front at -2 (34). I thought I would play the par 5 smart and keep the good round rolling. I hit 3 wood down right side of fairway (1). Then a nice 6 iron to the middle of the of fairway about 105 out (2). Perfect gap wedge - I thought.

I walk up and my ball laid in a horrible divot. I swear someone was hitting with a shovel. I didn't know what to do and decided to hit a punch PW - which I pulled left (3). The ball hit the back/left of the green and kicked about 15 yards deep into the woods. I bumped it into hill of the green but it rolled through the green (4). I hit a long chip leaving me 15-20 feet (5). I lagged a bogey put to about 5 feet (6). I pushed the five footer (7) and tapped in (8).

I hate this game

I have something similar...

About a year-and-a-half ago I was playing a small muni in NoVa outside DC with a good buddy of mine. There was a 330-ish yard par 4 that was level out to about 250 and then severely downhill. I smash a drive, carry the hill and lose sight of it. We get down there and I can't find my ball, assuming I kicked right and came up ~50 yards short. Turns out I had driven over the back left edge of the green. Almost perfect with a back-left pin placement. From under twenty feet I proceeded to chunk two chips in a row and two putt for a bogey.

It's frustrating, and that hole ruined not only the rest of that round, but all of the second round we played that afternoon.

I can't possibly state all of the times I've done this before. I'd much rather have a 15 foot uphill putt than a four foot hard-downhill putt.

the course that i grew up playing has some of the most unfair greens i have EVER beheld. anywhere. ever. the 10th green is the worst, and slopes the whole way. there is not one single level spot on the entire green. if the pin is at the bottom, it's not really so bad, but if the pin is at the top and you either fall short at the bottom or overshoot the green, you're boned. if you're at the bottom and try to putt up and don't give it enough, the ball will turn around and roll right back down to you, sometimes even rolling behind where it originally was. if you're at the top and give it even an inch too much, it'll roll clear down to the bottom (and 9 times out of 10, off the green completely by three or four feet). that green is my personal nemesis. the few times i've managed to get a birdie out of that hole have been momentous occasions.

Today, 362 yard par 4, on the green in regulation, carded a 7.

Don't ask.

It's a funny, sad little game. I have had days where I hit those kind of shots that are just perfect and can't score worth a damn. However, it seems to even out because there are also those days when everything bad seems to turn good. Those are the days when you hole bunker shots or mishit a putt badly only to watch it go in on a line you never expected.

Rare accomplishment? Consistent mistakes like that are the reason I'm a 23 handicapper! :laugh: