Much needed confidence builder

[MellowYellow]

I know i'm not a celebrity on here or anything but some of you may have read a thread I posted a while back where I crushed my 28 handicap by 10 shooting a 90, then a few days later shot an 87, since then it had been low 90s so still great and the handicap kept coming down.

Yesterday I went and had an early tee time, I had to leave my house at 6:30 so I could get there an hour early and get a lot of time to warm up since I've noticed if i dont im REALLY slow starting and usually get an 8 or 7 on the first 2 holes. Only problem was, there was a wreck blocking ALL 4 lanes of the freeway, I end up getting to the course 2 minutes before my tee time. Long story short, I shank the HELL out of 3 shots on the first hole (a par 5) and get a sweet 10 to start with and although I had a string of 3 decent holes I ended up shooting a STAGGERING 110. I actually NEVER lost my temper surprisingly but I actually think it was the first time I didnt really enjoy myself while golfing. I didnt let it get to me, but at about the 15th or 16th hole I realized I really couldnt think of ONE good shot that got me excited.. just a bad day and my confidence was totally shot.

So... today I decide to go back to my home course and tee off, it's pretty dry I end up getting about 60 yards from the green, hit a nice smooth chip that hits the front of the green and rolls RIGHT AT IT. The guy with me starts yelling, this could be good... this could be REAL GOOD!! It ends up breaking at the last second and stops about 3 inches from the hole, just beyond, it had the speed, just broke at the last minute. INCHES from my first ever Eagle (i was actually kind of glad because I KNOW my regular buddies that I golf with wouldnt have believed me) So for the first time in my gofling career I'm actually UNDER par at a point during the day, I par the next and now am still 1 under after 2 holes.

I end up with 43 at the turn which ties my best ever for 9, and unfortunately am only able to get 2 holes in after the turn becuase it was late and some tournament was backing up the place like crazy so I left, but MAN, I feel SO much better, I was TOTALLY bummed, and managed to bounce back right where I was before... PHEW.. Man this can be an emotional game :D

[sacm3bill]

Right on, Mellow! That's cool. I share your personal best of 43 for 9, but my best for 18 is still 90. Also started out birdie-par once, but had several blowups later. Keep at it dude.

[m11]

-1 is always a great thing to see on your scorecard. good luck with your game...before you know it...you'll be -1 at the end of the round.

[gogolfing]

Good work; it is such a game between the ears, so keep those positive vibes flowing!

[joshtpa]

Its stories like these that make me love the game even more.

[BigDaddy_Sean]

way to go :)

[mellojoe]

Awesome. You can have a bad day, but then you can have a great day. Almost an Eagle. That's tremendous!

[kafka01]

Early tee times - ugh.... last i had to get up at 5:30 to get my routine in before i started playing - but i always have a hard time playing that early - my inner clock just isnt used to it. But at least i got my normal routine in - if you hurry to the tee box cold - whatever you shoot - forget it - you wont be able to score low - like 99% of the time. Golf is about tempo&rhytm; and rushing to the tee box and then find your normal tempo just wont work.

Personally i never could find confidence from only 9 holes or almost shots - another 9 holes is a long stretch where alot can happen - i often end up going to the back 9 2-3 over just ending the next 9 10 over or vica versa. Golf is a sick sick game and wont give you a break til you hole out at 18...

[sacm3bill]

Right on, Mellow! That's cool. I share your personal best of 43 for 9, but my best for 18 is still 90...

Update: Broke 90 today for the first time with an 89. Woo hoo! Was in a slump for a while where I was having a hard time even breaking 100, so this was a confidence builder for me.