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[Fairway_CY]

I played a full 18 at my home course last Friday.  A front side 43 was offset by a back side 39 that included a pair of doubles.  The 82 (+10) was really very good for me considering I had a trio of doubles in the round.  

Yesterday, I got out for 9 more in the Wednesday evening dogfight at the course.  I started on the 4th hole.  Details are below.

Hole #4 - Par 4 - 331 Yards

My opening tee shot wasn't hit solidly, but it ran out enough that it left me a little wedge to a front pin position.  I tugged it slightly and needed 2 putts from 27 feet for a par.

Hole #5 - Par 4 - 389 Yards

A solid drive on this hole left me about 150 yards to a back hole location.  I decided on a smooth 7 iron instead of trying smash an 8 iron because it was slightly uphill.  The distance was correct, but I pushed the ball to the right (which would become a theme) and it landed in a greenside bunker.  I tried to get cute and the ball barely got out.  I putted from the fringe to about 4 feet and made that for a bogey.

Hole #6 - Par 3 - 179 Yards

The hole was playing 163 yards, which should be a solid 7 iron.  Again, I started it right and watched it drift right.  It bounced off a hill and into the greenside trap.  I hit a nice little shot from there to about 4 feet but pulled the putt badly and tapped in for a bogey.

Hole #7 - Par 5 - 486 Yards

My drive was okay, but nothing special.  It was on the left side which feeds to the left anyway, so I ended up in the rough.  I had about 220 yards to go, but not a great lie.  I just wanted to hack a hybrid out and hopefully get it up somewhere near the green.  I got steep, the club got grabbed by the rough and I hit a high, floating pull that ended up in the left rough.  I had a pretty good angle to the hole and about 70 yards to go.  Unfortunately, I took a smooth swing and the ball hit the top of the club face.  It nipped a tree branch and knocked it into a bunker.  I played a really, really solid shot from about 25 yards or so away that landed softly and finished about 6 feet away.  I made that putt for par.

Hole #8 - Par 4 - 397 Yards

Probably the best drive I hit all evening.  I was left with 129 yards in a perfect lie in the fairway.  As had been the issue up to that point, I hit a weak fade that was entirely too far right.  It hit a tree and kicked right.  A fluffy lie and a poor swing resulted in another ball in the bunker.  I blasted out and the ball spun off the green to the fringe.  I putted from there to about 5 feet... then missed the double bogey putt and settled for a triple.  That was my first triple in 25 days.  I used to resign myself to at least a few per round, but I don't like taking them anymore.  They hurt and they stick with me.  

Hole #9 - Par 4 - 342 Yards

I decided to try and play safe to avoid the fairway bunkers up the right side... so I hit a 4 iron.  I hit a complete push slice that actually found the fairway bunker on the 8th hole.  I hit a very solid 4 iron from that spot up and over the trees.  The ball found the front of the green, but the false front sent it back into the fairway.  My pitch from there didn't grab quick enough and I ended up off on the fringe.  My putt from there settled to a foot and I tapped in for a bogey.

Hole #1 - Par 4 - 355 Yards

A good drive just got caught up in the left rough.  I was left with about 116 yards to the pin.  I finally hit a shot on line but it was a little short.  My putt from 22 feet ran a good 3-4 feet past and then I babied the par attempt, watched it miss right and settled for bogey.

Hole #2 - Par 3 - 165 Yards

This one was playing 160 on the number.  I hit a smooth 7 iron because I had a helping wind.  The ball landed about 20 feet short of the hole, released and finished 14 feet away.  The birdie putt was always right, so I tapped in for a par.

Hole #3 - Par 5 - 504 Yards

This one was easily playing 30 yards longer.  They had moved the tees back pretty deep onto the box.  My drive was decent but had a little fade on it that took off some distance.  I hit a nice 3 wood up the left side that caught the edge of the rough.  I was left with about 80 yards to the flag.  My wedge was tugged a bit and finished 40 feet left of the hole.  A horrible birdie attempt was way short and right.  I missed the par attempt and tapped in for a bogey to finish the round.

The triple on the 8th hole hurt.  It took a lot out of me and I just didn't grind over the last few holes like I normally would have.  I missed a bunch of putts that I should have made (or at least come closer to making) over the last 4 holes.  All-in-all is was a pretty ugly round... but it's still better than I was playing 6 months ago, so I'm happy.

CY

[bkuehn1952]

Earlier you mentioned not being sure if sharing yardage info was within the Rules as well as if the fellow competitor stating that hitting driver would go through the dogleg was acceptable. For future reference, you may share yardage. That is considered public knowledge and may be shared. Do not share what club you hit as that would generally be considered giving advice. Same with offering an opinion as to whether a driver will go through the fairway. You may also share knowledge of common features: "there is a pond over the hill" or "the fairway tilts to the right." Don't say, however, "Hit up the left side as the fairway tilts to the right." That would be advice. Stating facts that one could reasonably discover is generally okay. When one strays into opinion, there will be trouble with the Rules.

Edited July 27, 2017 by bkuehn1952

[Fairway_CY]

47 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

Earlier you mentioned not being sure if sharing yardage info was within the Rules as well as if the fellow competitor stating that hitting driver would go through the dogleg was acceptable. For future reference, you may share yardage. That is considered public knowledge and may be shared. Do not share what club you hit as that would generally be considered giving advice. Same with offering an opinion as to whether a driver will go through the fairway. You may also share knowledge of common features: "there is a pond over the hill" or "the fairway tilts to the right." Don't say, however, "Hit up the left side as the fairway tilts to the right." That would be advice. Stating facts that one could reasonably discover is generally okay. When one strays into opinion, there will be trouble with the Rules.

Thanks man!  I thought that was the case but I never was very clear on it.  I appreciate the heads up.

CY

[bkuehn1952]

5 minutes ago, Fairway_CY said:

Thanks man!  I thought that was the case but I never was very clear on it.  I appreciate the heads up.

CY

And thanks back to you.  I enjoy hearing about other "golf challenged" tournament players. We may not be good but we compete!

[Fairway_CY]

I played twice over the weekend with completely different results.  Both times, I played at my home course.  The time of day was practically the same.  The only difference in conditions was the wind direction switched.  On Friday, the first hole played down wind.  On Saturday, the first hole played directly into the wind.

Friday, I opened with a par then went bogey - double - bogey - bogey - bogey.  I managed to make a par on the 7th hole, stuffed an 8 iron to 6 feet from the rough on the 8th hole for a birdie and then made a nice 10 foot putt for par on the 9th hole.  I posted a 41 on the front side.  

The back, I opened with a birdie after bombing a 4 iron into the fairway and then nearly holing out a wedge from 114 yards.  I then went double - double on the next 2 holes before closing par - par - par - par - bogey - par.  The lone bogey in the last 6 holes was the result of a three-putt.  I posted a 40 on the back.  

The 41 - 40 = 81 tied my career best and is the 5th time I've shot that score over the last 16 months.  When I reported the score to GHIN, it dropped my trending index to a 9.7 which meant that if I didn't play again until Tuesday, I'd have an official single digit index for the first time in my life.  

Well... that didn't happen.  I had invited one of my golfing buddies and his family to our club for a day so he and I could play golf while the kids went swimming and the ladies caught up.  

Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day.  It was a nice mid-80's temperature with a bit of a breeze.  The wind had changed directions overnight so... everything was downwind the day before played into the wind on Saturday.  Since it was only a 7-10 MPH breeze, it wasn't a huge difference, but enough that it made certain holes much longer.  

I struggled mightily on the front side.  I began with a horrific pattern of double - bogey - double - bogey - double - bogey.  Standing on the 7th tee, I was already +9.  Nothing was necessarily wrong with my swing... I just wasn't starting the ball on the right line.  Add the fact that I three-putted 3 of the first 6 greens, and... well... it wasn't good.  I made a birdie on the 7th hole... bogey on the 8th... and then saved a par from the bunker to the left of the 9th green.  The 45 on the front was the highest 9 hole score I had posted in over 5 weeks.  It was going to take a really good close to keep myself as a single digit index.  

Things on the back didn't go a whole lot better.  I missed 4 putts from 8 feet or less on the back.  The most painful was an 8 footer for birdie after hitting a nice approach on the 14th green.  I left it short an in the heart.  I was on my way to another 45 before a favorable ruling.  On the 18th hole, I tugged my tee shot a little and it settled into a little hole in the rough.  I made poor contact from there and the ball ran into a bunker that left me about 45 yards to the flag.  

Behind our green is the 19th hole which features floor to ceiling tinted windows overlooking the 18th green.  You can't see in... but everybody can see out.  With the pin the back, it means those windows are only about 7-10 yards from the flag stick and it can get in your head knowing you could bounce one off the glass.  In the 48 previous times I had played that hole, I avoided that fate.  I guess it was bound to happen... but I caught one cleaner than I thought I would out of the bunker and watched as it bounced once in the rough behind the green and then hit the glass.  I'd never been there and didn't know what the ruling was.  Instead of attempting the shot again (because I really didn't want to bounce a second one off the window)... I picked my ball up.  I was going to drop and play a shot, but then I was told by one of the assistant pros at the course that it wasn't out of bounds and that I could drop in the painted drop area with no penalty.  My pitch from there rolled well beyond the hole and left me 22 feet.  At that point, it didn't much matter.  I lined it up and, of course, I drained it.  

That bogey meant I shot a 43 instead of another 45.  The 45 - 43 = 88 was my worst score in over a month, but... looking back and realizing that I played really poorly but still managed to break 90 is a testament to how far my game has come.  

My favorite part was when we entered the 19th hole after putting our clubs away and I was greeted with some high-fives for draining the putt after kissing the glass.  

I've grown to love the club and especially the view from the 19th hole.  It's nice to pass some time inside there having a few drinks, watching some golf on TV and watching others finish up their rounds on the green right next to us.  

Anyway... that's the story of my weekend.  My 88 kept me from officially calling myself a single-digit index, but... I'm close.  Real close.  It'll happen soon.

CY

[Fairway_CY]

Another Wednesday... another 9 hole 'dogfight' at the club.  

Hole #2 - Par 3 - 165 Yards

The pin was up front so the hole was playing 159 yards.  I stepped out of the car and onto the course, so... I had no warmup time.  My 7 iron from the tee was on line but came up short and on the front of the green.  I was left with a 19 footer which I banged past the hole about 5 feet.  I made that coming back for par.  

Hole #3 - Par 5 - 504 Yards

My tee shot was low, but straight.  It didn't run out there very far and left me a long way to go.  I absolutely cold topped my 3 wood and it bounced forward about 40 yards.  My next swing with the 3 wood saw it finish out of bounds to the right.  I dropped and took the same swing and this time I found the green.  From 48 feet, I never got close and three-putted for a triple.  Ouch.

Hole #4 - Par 4 - 331 Yards

This is ordinarily a 4 iron hole but I felt like I needed to make up for the last hole.  I pushed my drive to the right and into some trees.  I had a small opening to fade the ball under and around a pair of trees and then hopefully run it up onto the green.  I did that, but the ball was hot and ran over the back leaving me a touch pitch.  I managed to pull it off, though, and left myself 3 feet which I made for par.

Hole #5 - Par 4 - 389 Yards

The tees were WAY back and the hole was playing in the 415 yard range.  My tee shot was okay but not very long.  I was left with about 176 yards slightly up a slope to the flag.  I hit a solid 5 iron that faded towards the target and settled on the green.  From 22 feet, I left it a foot shy of the cup and tapped in for par.

Hole #6 - Par 3 - 179 Yards

I believe this one was playing 172 yards.  I wanted to cut a 6 iron into the front right pin location.  I started it a little further left than I wanted, but it did cut back to the center of the green.  My birdie attempt from 27 feet hit something about 3 feet in front of me and popped straight up.  I was left with a slick 4 footer for par, which I converted.

Hole #7 - Par 5 - 486 Yards

My tee shot was a little right but took a good kick to the left and I believe rode the path a bit.  I was only 211 out from a back pin, so I hit a solid 4 iron that looked like it hopped hard.  When we got up there, the ball was on the front of the green, but a long way away.  From 76 feet, I left my eagle attempt WAY short but managed to sink the 15 footer for birdie.

Hole #8 - Par 4 - 397 Yards

My drive was solid but faded off into the rough just a bit.  I was left with 129 yards to the stick.  I caught a 9 iron a little heavy but it found the green and left me 17 feet for birdie.  Another putt left just short and in the heart, but I tapped in for a simple par.

Hole #9 - Par 4 - 342 Yards

Another pushed tee shot with my driver.  I was up the right side with some trees between my ball and the hole... plus the ball was well above my feet.  I had 126 yards in, but it was uphill and the ball was sitting up in that rough.  I should have switched to an 8 iron, but I stuck with the 9 iron and the ball came up short and in the trap.  I hit a decent shot out but it caught a ridge, ran towards the false front and then 25 yards off the green.  I chipped long and missed a 15 footer for bogey, so I took a double.

Hole #1 - Par 4 - 355 Yards

I hit an okay tee shot here that found the fairway.  I was left with 114 yards to a back pin location.  I choked down on a pitching wedge and got it up there to about 18 feet.  I blasted the birdie putt beyond the hole and then was left with a tricky, curling 4 footer for par... but I managed to make it.

6 pars... 1 birdie... 1 double... 1 triple... 

The 40 was good enough for 14 Stableford points and a +2 score.  My partner posted a -1 and we finished 1 stroke from a playoff for 3rd and 4th place.

Oh well.  It could have been special if not for the 3rd and 9th holes, but... I'll take a 40.

CY