Bewildering round today

[Soup Fan]

Played 9 this morning. One would think that 14 putts for 9 holes would translate to a low score, but I somehow managed to post a +23 (59) that included 2 tens, 2 eights and 9 lost balls. I was spraying it all over the place off of the tee box and my approaches were not particularly stellar, either. Just awful contact all day, which is largely due to the fact (I hope) that I had not swung a club in over a week. Earlier in the month I was playing at least 9 holes a week and tempering that with 2-3 trips to the range. Then we flat ran out of money and I had to put swinging the old sticks by the wayside until today.

Post-round, I started to ponder what the problem was and it all started between my ears. I just wasn't thinking my shots through and I deviated from my pre-shot routine.

Somehow, amazingly enough, though, this did not translate to the putting green where I was dead on. 14 putts through 9 holes is a personal best for me. 4 holes with only 1 putt and the rest were 2s - at a place with fast, tricky greens. At least I have something to hang my hat on.

I'll post pics later tonight when I get them off my phone.

[rudygu]

I know what you mean. I've played the same course 3 times in 3 weeks with scores of 83, 93, and 78 in that order. When I shot the 93 I actually felt like I was making better contact than when I shot the 78. But I had several lost balls and took 36 putts. Then yesterday I shot the 78 (first time I ever broke 80) with the same number of greens hit (4) but no lost balls. I was a lot closer to the green on my misses and chipped it much closer to the hole - only took 25 putts with 11 one-putts.

Do you keep track of your 1st putt distance? I bet the average distance was shorter than normal for you, thus you made more of them. With 2 8's and 2 10's you were probably pretty close to the green when you chipped on. Either way, 14 putts on 9 holes is really good.

[Soup Fan]

Unfortunately I have not started keeping track of first putt distance because I am really really really bad at judging distances. Once I can think of a reliable way to judge distances (recommendations????), I will find a place to cram that onto my scorecard, too.

Offhand, I would say my average first putt was in the 10 foot range, with most of them longer than short. I had a 2 instances of putting from the fringe/rough where I put it within a few feet though, so those just look like short one putts.

[Big_M]

Unfortunately I have not started keeping track of first putt distance because I am really really really bad at judging distances. Once I can think of a reliable way to judge distances (recommendations????)

I know that one of my regular steps is 3 feet or 1 yard... so if I putt and I was ten steps from the hole... 30 feet.... if I was 4 1/2 steps 13-14 feet, etc.

[Soup Fan]

This is the par 3 8th hole. It was my best hole of the day. Hit my PW into the wind, stopped it on a dime and 2 putted for a tap-in par.

[pittpanther]

Played 9 this morning. One would think that 14 putts for 9 holes would translate to a low score, but I somehow managed to post a +23 (59) that included 2 tens, 2 eights and 9 lost balls. I was spraying it all over the place off of the tee box and my approaches were not particularly stellar, either.

Glad to hear your putting went well.

My opinion - if you consider yourself a high-handicapper (as your sig says), then forget the driver. Drive with your 3 or even 5 woods. You'll lose distance, but gain control due to the shorter shaft. Practice with your driver on the range. Until you can hit a consistent 50% or greater of your practice drives reasonably straight and true, do not bring it to the course. As you discovered, lost balls in the woods kill your score. Also, did you drop any balls into the water, because you couldn't carry a pond at 175 yards? Again, I'm convinced the best thing to do is to lay up in front of the lake with a mid-iron drive, and then use an iron to get over the water. Two strokes, and you're beyond the water, instead of three (drive plus penalty for lost ball, plus recovery shot). 9 lost balls equals 18 wasted strokes (assuming you gave yourself the penalty) shots. Us high handicappers have to do whatever we can NOT to lose balls - even if it means a hit to the ego by not trying to hit huge drives. And finally, it's no fun always being in the woods, or losing an entire box of balls. Part of why you play is to have fun, and fun to me means staying out of the woods, not spending my time searching for lost balls, and not throwing money away by dropping balls in the water.

[Soup Fan]

None of my lost balls were because I was trying to carry hazards that I coudn't carry. They were either slices into lateral hazards (twice off the tee on 9) or bad contact that couldn't clear a hazard right in front of me (once on 9).

This was the second round I had taken my driver to the course with me all year and it was beacuse I was hitting the thing like a champ at the range and in my last round. I had eliminated my slice completely and was anxious to get it out on big course where distance off the tee makes a difference. I need to continue hitting a bucket at the range at least once a week until every club is routine for me, I think.

I am still confused about how I putt so damn well.