Goal this year...75 or better...

kinda a long post...

I made a goal for this year, put it on paper and carried it with me every day, shoot a 75 or better. My previous best was a +6 (78 & 77) and that was on 2 occasions, once last year and the other about 4 years ago. I've shot even par for 9 holes and -1 for 9 holes one time, but I was never able to string two good 9s together.

My last three rounds (after incorporating some SnT into my swing) were 78, 80, and 81, so I was knocking on the door, playing some pretty good golf. The 78 was with a bogey on the last hole where I had gone for the green in 2 (535 yd hole, 245 for 2nd shot). If I pulled it off and made eagle I would reach my goal, but I missed it bad and ended up with a bogey instead.

Living in the NW, we are running out of good golf weather and the courses are also starting to aerate their greens, so what little good weather we get for the next month will be on bumpy / sandy greens. One of my favorite courses however (Tri-Mountain in Ridgefield, WA), where I shot the 78, aerated their greens the week after I played there, so they are back to almost perfect condition.

The conditions were great, mid-60s, no wind, I was playing with a good friend and we went off as a twosome. The group ahead was a foursome and the one behind was a foursome. This was perfect, I could take time reading putts, knowing we would easily keep up with the group ahead and be ahead of pace of the group behind us.

Well, the day didn't start off to good, fairway bunker off the first tee leads to bogey and a bad tee shot on the 2nd hole leads to bogey. However, I still felt good about my swing and my range session was good. The 3rd hole is a 395yd par 4 that always plays longer and is the #3 handicap hole (although alot of folks that play there think it's the toughest). I nail my drive exactly where I want to hit it and have 145yds left. It's on a downhill lie (which I had a bit of trouble with last time I played here). I swing easy with an 8 iron and leave myself an 8ft birdie putt straight up the hill. I nail it dead center. Routine par on the next couple of holes.

The 7th is a reachable par 5, but I fade my drive a bit too much and I layup to about 80 yds. Pin is way in the back and I catch my sand wedge a bit fat and leave it just off the front of the green about 80ft away up a 2-tier green. My first putt is basically online but goes 15ft past the hole, but on the right level of the green. I drain that putt to stay at +1 for 7 holes. I hit a great drive on the 8th and put my approach to 4 feet. I make the downhill putt to go to even. The 9th is another reachable par 5 with water to the front and right of the green. OB is left of the fairway and I fade my drive left into a bunker between the 9th and 1st fairways (the same one I was in on the 1st hole). I hit a good 8-iron out of the bunker to a blind landing area, 95yds out. The pin is right and anything short at the pin will bounce right and into the water. I hit my approach pin high, 20ft left of the hole. My birdie putt (to go 1 under) is a bit aggressive and misses the hole by an inch on the high side but goes 6 feet by. I hit my par putt just where I wanted to, but it hit a bump and bounces left and I tap in for bogey.

I know I'm playing well though, I think I'll just make birdie on the back 9 somewhere. Routine pars on 10, 11, and 12 (I hit 13/18 greens on the day). Par 5 13th is reachable in 2 (481yds) with water on the left and long and a deadly pot bunker just long and right of the green. I hit a 270yd drive and have 210 to the green, pin in the back. I wait for the green to clear and hit my hybrid right at the flag and it rolls 12ft past. I want to make the downhill eagle putt real bad, but I could also run it by 8ft easily if I get too aggressive. I cozy the putt and get a tap-in birdie. Back to even for the day through 13 holes. The 14th hole is a dogleg left with water all along the left. I fade my drive a little too much (guarding against a pull into the water) and end up in a fairway bunker. I catch too much sand on my 2nd shot and end up 50yds short of the hole. I play a decent half-wedge to about 8ft. I barely miss the par putt, so now I'm back to +1.

I hit a good pitching wedge on the par 3 15th and make an easy two-putt par. Hit my drive straight (instead of the fade I wanted) on the dogleg right par 4 16th. I'm over a little hill in the rough and have a few trees in my way, but I'm far enough back they shouldn't be a problem. I hit what feels like a good 8 iron from 145yds, but it comes up a bit short and is just off the green, 50ft short of the hole. This is actually my first chip of the day, the other greens I missed were 50yd pitches. I chip it nicely but it didn't run out as much as I thought it would and comes up 8ft short. I knock in the par saver though to stay at +1 with 2 holes to play.

Par 3 17th is over water, I hit an OK shot to the front right of the green, but pin is middle back. I'm 50ft away and the putt breaks about 10ft right to left up the hill. My putt almost has to go through the fringe to get close. I hit a good putt up the hill to about 4ft. I make the little downhill 4-footer to save par and go to the 18th.

The 18th is a 532yd par 5 with water on the left that really isn't in play. I've only birdied it once and never been on in 2. I nail my best drive of the day, 295 yds up the right hand side. I have just under 240yds to the green, right at the edge of my 'go-zone'. However, I can't shake the last 3-wood I hit here 3 weeks ago and the 3-wood I hit last week at a different course going for the green that both led to bogies. I'm +1, so I have a shot or two to play with to shoot a 75, but I'm thinking I want birdie to shoot PAR. I choose to lay-up, figuring that gives me my best chance at birdie. I hit my 7-iron to about 65yds, a bit farther than I wanted. Now, I have a touchy half-wedge. The pin is in the front, very accessible. I nip my wedge perfectly and it bites and stops 8ft short of the pin. I hit my birdie putt just how I want but it breaks an inch or two more than I think and it misses to the left. I tap in for a par and shoot my best score ever, a +1 73.

Well, I'm a little bummed that I missed out on a chance at par, but I figure now I have a goal for next year. Thanks to the advice and postings on this forum, PAR or better...here I come.

I said it was 'kinda long'

I should have just read it - well done and well written.

Thanks!