Day 1 with new rangefinder - why did I wait so long?

[sean_miller]

I had a surprise opportunity to get in a round today - a gap in the weather and some pointless plans (i.e. non-golf related) got re-scheduled so I had a chance to use my new rangefinder (picked up a Bushnell TOUR V2V last night - last year's model, so it's orange - whatever) with pinseeker.

It took so much of the guesswork out. Why I waited so long to get one? Who knows. Using it on almost every shot outside ~ 25 yards, the goal on the front nine was to use the longest club that would not put me through the fairway, to pick a target on the green, and to trust the shot. On the par 5 fourth, where I always play too cautious off the tee, the rangefinder confirmed I had a 220 to 280 yard window - so a smooth 5-wood it was. I usually go with a 2 or 3 iron and have to walk on it.

So, here's what happened. This is hole-by-hole, so bail out is on your upper left. I played from the blacks. 6771 yards, rating of 72.4 and a 134 slope. A good variety of tee shots.

1.) 3 -wood, rangefinder said 60 yards to the pin. Missed a 6 footer - barely. Par.
2.) Bomb, pin high in 2, couldn't get up and down. Par.
3.) Bomb #2, pin-high left. Burned the edge. Bogey.
4.) Solid. Par.
5.) Long Birdie putt - no dice. Par.
6.) Played through a twosome I'd waited on since #2. They were nice though. Oh, yeah. 3-putt. Bogey.
7.) Played through a 3-some. Played to the wrong side of the biggest green on the course - Bogey.
8.) Ball in the creek. Up and down. Gotta get off this bogey train.
9.) Great drive on the uphill 9th. Smooth 9-iron to 20 feet. Drainage. Birdie.

Out in 39 , with "only one" 3-putt. Some missed opportunities, but 6 strokes better than the first time out.

Back nine. Stopped tracking all my stats, but stuck with fairways, greens, and putts.

One birdie, 3 pars, and 5 bogeys. Not stellar, but okay.

In with a 40 . Played through a group on 11, put a 3-wood through the fairway, and was then rushed the rest of 11 and 12 to create a gap. I came so close to blowing it (if you can call a 40 on the easier 9, not blowing it). I cut the corner on the par 5 18th and 6-iron in. I hit a 45* shot into the trees (kind of a thinned off the heel power fade - almost off the hosel). I had an opening and punched it up near the green. Up and down for par was very satisfying.

See below for my 9s. Still a work in progress, but I felt much more at ease on the greens - no matter what the # of putts says. I didn't add up the front 9 until after 18. I thought I'd done better, but sort of let things get away

[sean_miller]

PS. On the wedge front, I went 9iron, 52* vokey, 56*, 60* (no PW). I was thinking about using my 50* Ram Tom Watson or my 52* MP. I may prefer the oilcan vokey just for the variety - all the other ones are chrome finish.

Even though I was using the vokey from 125 to 80, on #9 I hit a smooth 9 iron from 118 to a slightly uphill pin. That controlled approach was more satisfying than the birdie putt - almost.

Edit: 36 putts. Down from 39 in round one and 38 in round two. I had 2 or 3 that should have dropped and 2 that fell into the cup via the side door, so 36 is how I putted. Based on another guy's blog, I'm Trying to get it down to < 33. I can do that.