Welcome to The Sand Trap!

Day 476 Took time to work on the 3w off of the turf.  Nice solid distances (180 yards on average), good dispersion, and loft.  As I had not done this as a single focus in a long, long, time, I was happy, but it will not be untilI have done this again that I will know if it were not just dumb luck!

Yep, -0.084 strokes T2G. And 14.176 putting.

Not focusing on the task at hand. Every noise, movement breaks my concentration. Trying to play faster than my brain can imagine what the shot requires. Not lining up my putts properly to save time. Trying to play in under 4 hours with 3 other 30 handicappers.

My ex/my son's mother took up golf and on her first hole ever had a 15.  The next hole she played was a par 3.  She dribbled her tee shot about 10 feet, then knocked her next shot into the hole for a birdie 2!   I witnessed it.   As a kid it took me about 4 years to get my first birdie, it took her about 15 minutes!.  Next hole she had a 16.  And so on and so on.  She made a good pass at the ball but within a few months she gave up the game.

A familiar scenario for me: Hit a nice drive on a tight par 4 down the middle. All down the left side is water and on the other side of the water is the street. Unfortunately it’s a neighborhood street where people sometimes park. One particularly  unfortunate person parked his lovely 5 series BMW there. I proceeded to hit one of my famous shanks for my approach shot. That cringing sound of a rear window spiderweb shattering can really brighten your day. I made the shame walk over and glad he was home..we had a laugh about it and he had insurance and was real cool about it.    The funny thing was he was a golfer and says, ‘ damn...how did you manage to hook your approach that severely?’ I said with almost a look of deep sadness and shame, ‘ well..I’m left handed.’ I could see him imagining the shot and realizing I had hit the unmentionable shot. He mercifully replied, ‘ oh...yeah..ok.’ And that was that. I showed @billchao the spot where this atrocity occurred when we played together. I think he always kept to my right after that.