Shot my best "round" so far

[yenner]

This past Saturday morning I went with a few buddeis to Upper Lansdowne , a course I live near but had yet to play, for an early morning round of golf. I was running on 3 hours of sleep and a tee time of 7:10AM was appealing less to me now than ever before. We paid our fees, wiped the dew off our carts, loaded up, and headed out. To my surprise we weren't the only ones out there. Apparently there are individuals who like being up before Jesus himself and teeing off right before he turns on the lights.

We arrived at the first tee box and my buddies pulled out their , , and drivers and began to stretch and loosen up with a few practice swings. I proudly grabbed my new G-Force 10.5* driver and strode onto the box sporting fresh Adidas Beacon shoes I received and waterproofed the previous evening along with my shiny new white and black Tattoo Golf hat.

As the ranger prompted us, my uncle, we'll call him G.W. because that's his name, laced a nice shot about 260 yards straight down the pipe. Next a friend of ours, Jason, stepped up and crushed a shot about 280 just as straight. Steve then followed with a shot landing almost directly between the two. Now it was my turn. My time to show that with clubs made in this decade I would be able to hang with my friends with hcp's ranging from about 8-14 or so. I took a few for practice, set the fresh cleats in the glistening grass, reared back and WHOOSH! CRACK! Sent a towering shot about 250 yards! Once G.W. dropped me off on the next fairway over I was able to recover with my 3 wood and get back on our fairway.

To speed things up we finished the front nine with me shooting a 73. That's right, I said 73 on 9 holes. Horrible. In my defense I am using Ram clubs, Nitro balls, and this is my first year really playing. No excuses though. So we grab a gatorade at the clubhouse and headed out for the back 9. I'm none too thrilled with buying new clubs and paying to be up this early with very little sleep for me to suck just as much as ever.

The back nine allowed me to learn a few things. First, my swing at the tee box is not effective with a Ram G-Force driver as well as my previous driver. I started using the 3 wood off a low tee and getting much better results. Dead straight the whole back 9 with a few minor hiccups. Not as far, but straight. I also learned that using irons that weren't made in 1969 for my grandpa who is 4 inches shorter than I am (as I was previously) and using irons of decent length will allow me to actually get the ball in the air. Further more I learned what it means to be pin high laying 2 or 3 and what putting for bogey feels like. I went from a 73 on the front 9 to a 58 on the back. A new personal best! Man did it feel good. My previous best was only a 67 with the old clubs.

I am playing a scramble this Sunday at Foxfire Golf Club Players Course (lot's o' water, check the layout) and the follwing Sunday another 18 at Split Rock (named for this white rock split by a tree over years of growth). Foxfire will be a challenge for me, but it's a scramble so I'm confident. The 58 is just what I needed to feel good about my abilities to grow and improve as a player.

Cliffs Notes : Old clubs = 67 on 9, new clubs = 58 on 9. New best with players in my foursome that are far better. 7:10AM is for the birds, Jesus, and children on Christmas morning. Gonna lose many $0.33 balls at Foxfire this Sunday.

[Dub]

Keep rocking that 3 wood off the tee and irons that fit you.


Maybe swap out the Gatorade for Bud Light and have fun.

Just kidding about the beer.....or was I ? A little swing lube amoung friendsy can make the outings fun.

7:10am golf isn't my favorite, either!!!!!!!!

I prefer afternoon golf...but it just doesn't fit my schedule very often. Slept late today...up at 7:00am.....enjoy coffee and Sport Center while posting here on the laptop.....gonna tee off today at 11:15am and be home in time for my son to be out of school.

[yenner]

Keep rocking that 3 wood off the tee and irons that fit you.

I pondered leaving the driver home to resist temptation. :) We'll see.

Bud Light is ok. I prefer Coors Light. I was out with my uncle, our Pastor, and his friend though. While I'll have a beer every once in a great while I won't have one around certain people out of respect. Crown Hill with jsut G.W. awhile back is another story involving very little golf if ya catch my drift. :)

[sacm3bill]

Great story! Keep at it. I couldn't help notice though:

...a 58 on the back. A new personal best!

If 58 is your best 9 hole score, I don't see how your handicap could be 23.0. Not trying to bust your chops, just wanted to point out it may not be calculated correctly. (It's to your benefit not to have an incorrectly low handicap if you plan on playing any tournaments.)

[yenner]

Great story! Keep at it. I couldn't help notice though:

Not playing in any real tourneys anytime soon, trust me. :)

I had it at about 35.0. I should prolly change it back. To be honest, I'm not worried too much about my handicap and need to learn more about tracking it. I never even keep a score card after the round is over. I have just started using the Accel Golf app on my blackberry. Hopefully that will help.

[PaddyHarrington]

This past Saturday morning I went with a few buddeis to

Really enjoyed reading that,whatever about your golfing ability you certainly have a way with words..

Hang in there dude and enjoy your golf,me I just love playing be it bad or good I really don't take it too seriously and by the sounds of it either do you and personally I think thats the best outlook to have on golf and life.!

[yenner]

Really enjoyed reading that,whatever about your golfing ability you certainly have a way with words..

Thanks. My English Comp Prof. suggested I pursue a writing career. It would certainly free up time for golf. :)

I love the game. When we were out seeing the fog rise slowly off the murky waters that exist here in Ohio with the beams of sunlite radiating through, pure magic. At that moment I was on a tee box of a par 3. Shot an 8 on it, but didn't care. I was with friends, it was perfect weather, and I was having fun.

[Bluenoser67]

Thanks. My English Comp Prof. suggested I pursue a writing career. It would certainly free up time for golf. :)

Well said I find in golf there moments that I am totaly present, not worried about the past, or looking toward the future, but totally engulfed in the fullness of the moment and that usually has more to do with the connection with nature and good friends than anything else.

I play Competitive golf for my ego but I play buddy golf at 6:30am on a Saturday morning for my Soul and in the end the buddy golf is why I keep coming back to play.

[yenner]

Well said I find in golf there moments that I am totaly present, not worried about the past, or looking toward the future, but totally engulfed in the fullness of the moment and that usually has more to do with the connection with nature and good friends than anything else.

Yeah, I just can't seem to see the competiveness side of golf yet. Mainly because I'm playing against myself right now.

[Ty Haegs]

Congrats on the new low score! For your first year really playing I would say that your 58 on the back 9 is a quite an accomplishment.

[yenner]

Congrats on the new low score! For your first year really playing I would say that your 58 on the back 9 is a quite an accomplishment.

Thanks! I'm playing a scramble Sunday so I can't count that but the following week I'm playing again. Hopefully I can beat it!

[Ty Haegs]

Thanks! I'm playing a scramble Sunday so I can't count that but the following week I'm playing again. Hopefully I can beat it!

Well as I just said in a "Scramble" thread, try to keep count of how many times your team uses your shots... as you may realize that got a birdie or even an eagle on a hole yourself ;)

[yenner]

Good advice. I tend to get distracted with idle talk but after last weekend I'm sure I'll be a little more focused. Hopefully it will all pay off he following week.