Already up for my first round of the year, can't fall back asleep...

[BSpel55]

I figured this would've been a great blog entry but I don't have those priviledges yet so I'll put it here.

Ya its true, 5:40 and I'm sitting in the kitchen of my fiancee's grandma's condo looking out at the beach. I've taken my driver, 6, and wedge out of my bag and have been messing around with them since I woke up. Tee time is 8:22. First round of the year, feels weird. I guess because I'm playing in Florida this year and not the wet courses of Cleveland, OH, where the issue of "does snow in a sand trap count as loose impediment or unintended standing water" comes up frequently for the first 3 months of the season. New clubs, new goals.

This year I plan to count every stroke. My dad usually gives a mulligan per 18 but I usually adhere to a looser interpretation. I want to keep a more rigid count so that my index will be a true measure and won't include random estimations because I wasn't paying attention.

I want to end the year with an index of 17 or less. This would mean I consistently shoot in the 80s instead of the 90s as I do now. It feels like it should be easy, because I get it. For the longest time I couldn't wrap my head around what I was supposed to be doing, what the club needed to be doing, etc. The problem with good golf is you can't really ease into it. I played basketball my whole life, through college even (20 ppg as a freshman but I digress), and that's a sport that can be eased into. You work on layups, get the follow-through down, then take a step back, rinse, repeat until you can shoot 3's. Golf you can't just focus on the last quarter swing and work backwards. You have to start in the post, run off a screen, and shoot a 3 with a hand in your face right from the get-go. Sure it gets easier, but until you understand originally what your hips, weight, wrists, arms, head, shoulders, and feet are all supposed to be doing and when, you're just guessing. It all clicked for me when someone posted in one of my topics how the hips should look during backswing and follow-through.

I want to have fun with it. I could never play 18 before. I'd get too pissed off. I said before I shoot in the mid 90's. That usually consists of 42-44 on the front, 50+ on the back. I just want to relax. Hopefully today there won't be a group behind us for awhile so while I will play my first one always, if I want to hit/putt a couple extra for practice, I can. Plus it will give my fiancee and I time to just chill out (She's like a 15 handicap, I hate that).

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm gonna get some doughnuts and watch some hulu while I wait for the rest of the world to wake up. I'll be sure to post how it goes in here after the round :)

[goob3r]

Good luck! I was the same way a couple months ago coming back from a finger injury. Remember, just have fun.

[muzz]

Lucky Dog!!
I wish I was in FLA and getting ready to play my 1st Rd of the year!

Enjoy yourself, and don't look around when you hear someone yell FORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE!!

[Lefty-Golfer]

I figured this would've been a great blog entry but I don't have those priviledges yet so I'll put it here.

i don't know what the slope of your course is but i doubt a 17 index is the 90's. My index is 12.4 and all of the counters are in the 80's with couple being in the mid 80's...if you average an 89 the index will most likely be lower then a 17 more like a 14 or 13.5.

[Wet Doggg]

Good luck and have fun...especially the first round of the year. Snow is starting to leave pretty quickly here. Should be hitting off grass in a month or a little sooner.

[jlh1508]

Good luck and have fun...especially the first round of the year. Snow is starting to leave pretty quickly here. Should be hitting off grass in a month or a little sooner.

yeah, I am in the Lansing area and I am hoping to be out by April 1st

[BSpel55]

Well, ended up with a 102 and 41 putts. Clearly my green-reading skills are not what they should be. My irons were incredible though, saved me from a lot of danger that I got into with my driver. I felt awkward off the tee because I had 2" added to my driver which led to me needing to change my posture, and because I was sir putts-a-lot I felt awkward on the green. All in all an enjoyable experience. I didn't need my gloves and I didn't have the back pain I used to have before I got my clubs extended. Here was my score breakdown

8's - 1
7's - 4
6's - 4
5's - 5
4's - 4

Playing 9 today at 2:30, hopefully I'll shoot in the 40's.

[Jameshooper]

Well, ended up with a 102.

Don't feel bad, it was your first round of the year. Be glad to be out playing and enjoy yourself. Rome was not built in a day....getting better is a lot of work.