A Tale of Two Rounds: Dinah Shore and Stadium Course

[Ben]

Hello TST,

I've got a tale to share that would be best served in the eyes of golfers here.

This past weekend my fiance and I set up a couples getaway for the ages. She set up the place to stay, a 3BDR vacation home her clients own on Palm Valley CC. And I set up the golf, Mission Hills Dinah Shore on Saturday and PGA West Stadium Course on Sunday. 

I had played with Player A in the past and blew him away, for days all he could talk about was how sharp my game was. Naturally Player B was expecting greatness. Long story short, Player B beat me straight up, birdieing the 18th at Dinah Shore no less to do so... Nobody said as much, but it was clear I hadn't lived up to the hype. 

And then, Day 2. An 11:15 tee time on the Stadium Course at PGA West. I'll add, with only weeks before the PGA Tour will be playing this very course, grandstands and sponsors tents and tournament tees were getting their final touches. 

When Player B doubled the first toy par, I felt a little relief, when he was 5 over after three, to my 1 over, after a three putt, beating him was no longer on my mind.

Fast forward to the end of the round, I two-putted for a 70, he putted out for an 89. I not only saved faced by beating him [hardely], watching me play was the only thing they could talk about. They'd never seem anyone play like that before, let alone on the same golf course that kicked their asses. A course about to host a PGA Tour event. 

While beating, rather destroying, my playing partners is always fun, the best part of the round, beyond redeeming my poor play from the previous day, was holding myself together down the stretch. (I'll post a picture of our card to shed more light).

Hole 14. I was -1 and after hitting a 3wood off the tee, was in the middle of the fairway with 147y to the pin. The green complex is hidden, but I could at least see the pin, and checking the GPS on the cart, it looked like a big enough green. I hit a solid 9iron, solid, but a total pull job, which ended up short-sided in a bunker, about 20ft below the putting surface. Bogey put me back to even par. What's more, having played Stadium Course (one of my favorite course) a number of times before, I knew 15, 16, 17 and 18 are a challenge to say the least.

Again, refer to the scorecard. 

After missing the green with my approach on 15, my first thought was, "gah dangit!!! I've worked hard and played great all day, now I'm going to leak-oil in and finish over par... FFFFF!!!"

I used my 58* and chipped my ball to gimme range. 

16 is a par 5 with a bunker that runs the left side of the tee shot landing area. More infamously, near the green is protecting on the left by a bunker about 40" below the putting surface. Remember this hole when you watch on TV. Driver, 3iron, 58* wedge from 44y I rolled in my 8' birdie putt. 

The joy of pulling a par out of my ass on 15, then a solid birdie on 16 was quickly vanished stepping up to the tee on 17. 

Known as Alcatraz, an island green par3. After taking a ton of pictures, we decided to play from the tips, where the grandstand was being installed. 168y, downhill, jagged rocks everywhere. A feeling ran through my being, I not only knew 7 iron was the club, but that I was gonna hole it. I didn't ace it, but I did hit that 7 iron to about 18', then went on to make the putt... 

After bogeying the short par4 14th, parring the challenging 15th, then going back to back birdies on 16, 17, here comes 18. Not the time to let my guard down. 

18 is a par 4. 405yards of a slight dogleg left with water running the entire left side from tee to green. I don't hit a draw, but I wasn't expecting my drive to fan out quite so far right. I had 191 to a back pin with a sizeable mound right in front of my ball. There is room right, but also a cart path and the grandstands and OB. if I fan this shot as far right as I did my driver... Before the thought of death right I hit the shot. Of all the great shots I hit and made putts all the day, I would say this was the best. The shot left my club and never flirted with the water left, nor grandstands right. An absolute laser that ended up pin high and about 15" left. My birdie putt didn't even sniff the cup, I even left myself a downhill, left to right 3'er for par, which I made. 

If you've read this far, thanks. The point of the story is to reflect on the old "one shot at a time" cliche. Instead of dwelling on the imminent danger after bogeying an easy hole, I put my concerns in check and not only survived the last four holes, but thrived on them. 

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Ben
Grammar

[iacas]

I read that far! Do I get a sticker? 🙂 

Good to hear from you again. I still enjoy the Hogan photo in my office.

[dagolfer18]

Holy cow! At that course, a 70 is huge! I’m gonna assume you played the blue tees. Was the course playing as hard as it was during the event itself?

Edited January 9, 2020 by dagolfer18

[Ben]

On 1/8/2020 at 5:21 PM, iacas said:

I read that far! Do I get a sticker? 🙂 

Good to hear from you again. I still enjoy the Hogan photo in my office.

Gold Star for you! Thanks for reading. 

It wasn't long after I started reading as a hobby, when I tapped my inner creative writter. I can't put my finger on exactly why or how, but I get some subconscious kick or release from writing.  I have a tendency to go on and on, but i do my best to keep my stories a fun read. 

 

Man, I haven't thought about those hogan prints I bought in forever. Glad someone still has a copy. 

On 1/8/2020 at 5:27 PM, dagolfer18 said:

Holy cow! At that course, a 70 is huge! I’m gonna assume you played the blue tees. Was the course playing as hard as it was during the event itself?

You called it. I was playing with two buddies. One an 8 and the other a 16, then we got paired with a single. We all decided on playing the Blues. 

 

Was the course playing hard? The course always plays hard. The green on hole 1 is a mind-F!! Tiny, moundy, thankfully it was the smallest and most undulating on the course. 

 

As you may know the PGA Tour is playing there in a few weeks. The stands and bleachers a tee stations were mostly all in place.

As far as the tees they were set up at a range of locations. A fair Percentage of which were shorter then the standard blue tees we played. 

Afterthe round we all agreed that my -2 would have left me maybe middle of the pack. We'll see how it holds up when they actually play. 

Nevertheless, Stadium has always been one of my favorite courses and I was super stoked with my round. 

[Shindig]

Fantastic writing.  Congrats on the rounds and welcome back to TST!  

[Ben]

Hi Shinding!

19 hours ago, Shindig said:

Fantastic writing.  Congrats on the rounds and welcome back to TST!  

Hi Shindig!