2021 TST Birdie Challenge

[ChetlovesMer]

6 minutes ago, TourSpoon said:

I couldn't even talk for 15 minutes I was so pissed! I even made a 30 footer and chipped in, but the Challenge must go on and you must hole out for it to count! I really didn't want to report it, all the heartbreak and all. Back to it! 

Consider it a learning experience. I'm sure you'll get it.

[Never3putt]

Starting the challenge with the 5 holes that I recently birdied in the last 2 weeks.  Challenging myself to get all 18 in by years end!

[SG11118]

Down to five holes - 2, 5, 11, 13, 18

2 and 11 are the toughest holes on the course.  Two weeks ago had a birdie putt from the fringe on 2 that I left overhanging the hole.  I gave it the full 10 seconds, but it wouldn't fall.  Last week had a chip from the front fringe on 11 that caught a lot of hole and spun out.  Hoping to get more opportunities on these two, but will be tough.

5 is a dogleg 420 yd par 4, but should be manageable to get a birdie sometime this year on days when pin is on the right side.

13 plays at 360 from the whites and 400 from the blues, but should be do-able when the pin is towards the front.

18 is a short gimmicky par 4 with a green that has more slope on it than any other green I've ever played, and the pin can only be placed in a small section of the back of the green where the slope is only 3-4%.  There is a deep collection area behind the green that is an automatic bogey or worse.  If you hit a shot with too much spin or that doesn't at least make it to the middle of the green, you are sure to spin or roll back onto the front fringe where bogey is a more common score than par.  The safe play is to take a little off an extra club and get it to at least the middle-back of the green and try to make a long uphill birdie putt - or at least a somewhat easy 2 putt par.  I think I will get this one, but may need a little luck on my side.

[bkuehn1952]

Time for a little trash talkin' with my buddy @sjduffers.  It appears  I have nosed ahead of my California rival in the "Away Composite".  You know Philippe, I let you have that huge lead early in the season merely to allow complacency to set in.  There are just too many distractions in California: surfing, movie stars, geysers, Sequoia trees, sunshine, vineyards.  All we have here in the Mitten are snow, crab grass and GOLF.  Yes, I expect to wrap up another victory very shortly.  I have a couple cream puff courses on my radar to fill out my dance card.

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by bkuehn1952

[sjduffers]

6 hours ago, bkuehn1952 said:

Time for a little trash talkin' with my buddy @sjduffers.  It appears  I have nosed ahead of my California rival in the "Away Composite".  You know Philippe, I let you have that huge lead early in the season merely to allow complacency to set in.  There are just too many distractions in California: surfing, movie stars, geysers, Sequoia trees, sunshine, vineyards.  All we have here in the Mitten are snow, crab grass and GOLF.  Yes, I expect to wrap up another victory very shortly.  I have a couple cream puff courses on my radar to fill out my dance card.

 

Ah! Ah!  Brian, oh, Brian!  In you idyllic portrayal of California you forgot to mention the lack of water, the huge fires, the smoky skies, etc... Yet, golf courses have been really busy, with golf being a COVID-blessed activity. Of course the rates have really increased a lot, nearly all the incentives removed, yet at times it's difficult or very difficult to make a tee time. Supply and demand...

Anyway, back to our beloved challenge. out of the goodness of my heart, I'll let you win the Away Composite one (I am not playing much away these days anyway) as I have already completed the home course challenge with a ringer score of -19 (yes, there was an eagle in there too!). So, there is that. 

Good luck with the remainder of the challenge and it's good to have you back playing. Take care, buddy!

[StuM]

Did ok this week and got Par on #14, 15 & 16.  I am running out of time and still need #2, #6, #9, #13, #17 & #18.  With only three weeks of league play remaining I will have 2 chances at the front nine and 1 more chance on the back nine.  I need some good rounds.

I just took a look at the 2020 spreadsheet and I got 12 of 18 last year.  I have a shot at besting that this year.

[bkuehn1952]

4 hours ago, sjduffers said:

... I have already completed the home course challenge with a ringer score of -19 (yes, there was an eagle in there too!). So, there is that. 

Nicely done, you sandbagger!

 

 

[billchao]

Finally got some birdies on my "home" course today, #6 and #18. This was only the 5th time I've played there all year, so it's not really a home course anymore. I might just combine them together into the away composite and see if I can complete that 18 by the end of the year.

On #6 I pulled my hybrid left - so far left that I was worried about staying in bounds, but my ball ended up safe by a few yards and far enough left that the two trees on that side of the hole weren't even in play. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said the area for that perfect set of conditions was about the size of a car. A guy in my group also pulled his tee shot and he ended up a few yards behind me with the trees blocking him out and forcing him to try to hit a high cut with a wedge, so I got pretty lucky there. I had about 100 yards to a back left hole and hit it pin high to the center of the green, made the 20' right to left breaking putt for birdie. I gave a little fist pump for that one.

On #18 I hit a perfect drive that started down the middle of the fairway and drew around the dogleg (and the stupid tree I don't hit high enough to just go over). I've been hitting a fade off the tee for a while but after revisiting my priority piece over the week, I found I was drawing the ball again, so I just trusted it and it worked out. Had about 220 left to the green, both uphill and blind, with the ball above my feet. I choked down on my 2H to adjust for the lie and hit it just left of the flagpole that marks the center of the green. Got up to the green and saw that my ball had landed on the back and just rolled off into the fringe, about 45' from the hole. Gave that eagle attempt a pretty good run though it turned away at the end so it didn't really have a chance of holing but made a 2' putt for birdie.

[StuM]

Got out for a late afternoon 9 and was able to par #6 tonight.  The par was a little unexpected.  #6 is a dog-leg right and I put my drive well right of the fairway in the trees.  I could not get the ball up in the air but could see a line through the trees towards the green but could not see the flag.  Fortunately I played that hole many times and knew the general direction I needed to go.  I used my 3H to punch a low shot and made it past multiple trees.  I thought I was going to be in the greenside bunker but when I got to the green I was @ 1 foot onto the green a little left of the bunker for my only GIR of the round.  I was able to 2-putt for par from @ 30 feet.  Per Game Golf the 3H went 161 yards which is not bad for a less than full swing.

[mashienib]

Finally finished!  Took me 52 rounds to birdie #3.  I think I birdied it in the first round last year!

[Never3putt]

Picked up a birdie on #14 yesterday.  Short par 4, protected by a large oak tree on the right side that will block your approach.  I hit my drive center left side of the fairway with 75 yards to the pin. Hit a 3/4 sand wedge into the front edge and it trickled toward the hole to come within 4 feet from the pin.  Made the putt for the bird.

[Never3putt]

Wasn't pleased with my round today, but the one birdie that I made was one not previously checked off...so there's that!

[billchao]

Played in an outing yesterday at Royce Brook Golf Club (East) and birdied #7, which was the second hole we played. It was a scramble, but we played all my shots so I'm counting this one.

[Darkfrog]

Added two new birdies today from an otherwise awful round.

#2, par-4: Hit 7-iron off the tee, perfect line cutting the dogleg off and leaving about 160 slightly uphill to the green. Approach was a smooth 8-iron, that stopped maybe 10 feet past the hole, and 35 feet left. Rolled in the long putt with about 6 feet of break.

#14, par-4: At this point in the round I had thrown strategy out the window and was hitting driver off every tee (this hole is usually hybrid/LW). Hit my drive well left into an adjacent fairway. Then hit approach with a partial GW through a small opening in the trees and it stopped about 3 feet from the hole for an easy tap-in birdie.

[StuM]

Got Par on #15 & #17 yesterday so that is one more checked off (already had #15).  Problem is I still need #13 and #18 on the back nine and it is very unlikely I will play that back nine again this year.  Also need #2 & #9 on the front nine and next week will likely be the last time I golf them.  Good news is I already have done better than last year when I only got par on 12 of the 18 holes.  I am at 14 of 18 now and have a chance to knock off two more next week.  

[ChetlovesMer]

Played yesterday. 

Had the best drive I can remember on number 11. A 376 yard par 4 I still need to get a birdie on. The flag was in the center of the green. No wind. 

Used my gap wedge hit the ball on it's forehead and knocked it about 10 feet off the ground all the way passed the green into a penalty area behind the green. "God Bless America!" I shouted. Made double bogie 6. 

I still need 5 more birdies to complete the challenge. 2 of them (Number 11 and Number 6) should be "gettable". Been a while now since I've been able to check one off the list. 

[Never3putt]

After a horrendous front 9 (shooting +3 over my 18 hole course handicap), I got it going on the back with a 37 that included 2 birdies on holes that I had not previously recorded since beginning this challenge.  #15 hole is a shortish par 4, Driver in the fairway, wedge 9 feet to the right of the pin, and a one putt.  #18 I hit a decent drive again in the fairway, then hit a 9 iron pin high to the right for a 3 foot putt to close the day with an 81.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Never3putt

[bkuehn1952]

Getting the last couple on the composite 18 has been tough.  I have actually birdied the first hole of several rounds but we were starting on #10 or it was a shotgun start and the first hole was something like #8.  So I still have #1 and #5 to check off.  Maybe next week!