Shot a good game, but bad greens robbed me of sub-90

[B-Con]

I went out and walked 18 yesterday (in 102*+ with humidity) and shot my best game ever. I finally shed the old slicing and chunking of my irons. I only had one fat shot all day and one power fade, the rest were straight (well, a lot of pulls, but it's a definite improvement).

Anyway, I had the best day irons and driving of my life. Unfortunately, the greens were in terrible condition. The greens on this course are usually good, but apparently they were dying off. They were half sand and had huge aeration holes in them. Putting was a complete joke. Not only were the greens much slower than normal, but the ball was bouncing and skipping around even on short putts.

In the end I posted a 91, my best score to date. The biggest problems in my play had were judging distance on pitches (sent the ball over the green a couple times) and a consistent pull on all my irons. Considering what my problems were a couple months ago, I'm encouraged that I've finally exhibited some progress. I think I could've shaved 5 strokes off my score simply by hitting greens I was within range up, rather than sending them over the back with my GW or missing left with my short irons.

So although I could've broken 90 by playing better I felt cheated by playing on terrible greens. Every time I put the ball on the green (and I hesitate to even use the word "green") I had to clean sand off of it before putting, and I would watch the ball bob about on the green on the way to the hole. Since I was playing single I had a gap between me and the group behind me so if I had a putt that looked terribly influenced by the bad surface, I'd hole out and re-do the putt for fun. On one hole I had a 3 foot putt on a flat surface, the type of putt I almost always make. I watched the ball skip about and end up right. Disgusted, I tapped in and re-tried. Same thing, but left. Shocked, I tried again, it went right. I tried 4 times and I couldn't make the putt. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry. (Inside, I did a bit of both.) As I walked off the course I was happy with my game, but mad that I didn't do better.

So, still looking to break 90, which looks very doable. And I still need to get my swing on camera. There is much work left to be done this year.

[sean_miller]

I tried 4 times and I couldn't make the putt. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry. (Inside, I did a bit of both.)

Just laugh it off. A round will happen (sooner than later hopefully) where you'll be dropping putts that should probably have stayed out. That's golf.

[B-Con]

Just laugh it off. A round will happen (sooner than later hopefully) where you'll be dropping putts that should probably have stayed out. That's golf.

The thing is that it was the green, not me. My putting wasn't my best, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. The greens simply made any putt over 6 feet a crap shoot, and a couple of the 3-footers as well. Hence I felt kind of miffed.

[allin]

The thing is that it was the green, not me. My putting wasn't my best, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. The greens simply made any putt over 6 feet a crap shoot, and a couple of the 3-footers as well. Hence I felt kind of miffed.

Your getting locked in to the artificail measure of par as the measure of your round. In bad conditions at the St Andrews pros may say I played well even though they shot 75. On a perfect day the same pro is not happy with a 68. If you played well for the conditions under which you played put that in your memory bank, use it to build confidence for the future.