I’ve been practicing quite a bit (mainly chipping and putting) over the past week, but unfortunately I’ve only gotten to play once, which was today. For the most part, I’m very pleased with how it worked out. Here’s the scorecard:

     PAR: 4-4-3-5-4-4-3-4-5—36

SCORE: 4-4-3-6-4-5-4-5-5—40

As I mentioned on What’d You Shoot Today, conditions got tough starting on hole 4. We had at least a one-club wind, maybe two. I think I handled it well under those conditions (started on hole 4, played +4 for the last six holes). Lost a few shots, which will be explained below, but fairly happy with the round. I could’ve honestly shot 38 or even lower today, if not for all these little mistakes I made:

Hole 4: After two shots, I was about 95 yards out, just in the rough, with a good angle to attack the pin. I flew 25 feet over it with a gap wedge and then three-putted for a disappointing bogey. I feel like despite being a mid handicapper, I should be making par at worst from 100 yards (assuming it’s my second shot on a par 4 or third shot on a par 5).

Hole 6: Basically the same as above, except I was ten yards closer to the green. I top-pulled a wedge on the second shot (which I never do) and then hit a chip to 15 feet that was, to me, mediocre at best. The worst part is the pin was smack in the middle of the green.

Hole 8: Another poor chip, this time to just 25 feet, resulting in another bogey.

Hole 9: With the strong wind with me on this short par 5, I hit my two best shots of the day: a 3W to the middle of the fairway, then a textbook 6I to the middle of the green, about 20 feet from the pin. I then three-putted. That’s definitely in my top five most disappointing moments in golf: hitting a green under regulation, then making par.

Thing is, that’s the third time I’ve done it on that hole. I’ve hit the green in two four times on that hole (twice this year), and three times I’ve walked off with a par.

Short game is better, but still not where I want it to be. However, ballstriking, especially with irons, has remained the best and most consistent part of my game. I’m gonna practice tomorrow and Sunday, mainly because it’s near impossible to make a tee time on weekends now, and play two or three days next week. I feel that my game is trending in the right direction, but I just need everything to click.