Picking a Practice Course

[Hatchman]

I am fully released medically and will work on the golf game at a course close by. I've looked at several and narrowed it down to a shorter neighborhood course five minutes away. However, it's not too long on the card but has undeveloped or uncut boxes back that are not used. I think I can get @ 400 additional yards. With 7 water features, narrow tree lined fairways, and adequate par 3 and 5's, I think it will work for one season. Comments welcome. P.S. They moved some of the boxes up not wanting golfers to over swing and hit into houses. 1. 381 - 4, can move back 95 2. 385 - 4, water left 3. 149 - 3 4. 359 - 4, 240 water carry, 180 to hole if lay up. 5. 130 - 3 6. 541 - 5, 360 water carry, 210 to hole if lay up. 7. 300 - 4, 225 water carry, 175 to hole if lay up. 8. 135 - 3, can move back to 45 9. 426 - 4, very narrow tiered green 10. 443 - 4/5, move back 35 11. 172 - 3, carry water to elevated green 12. 392 - 4, can move back 40 13. 318 - 4, dog leg right thru trees 14. 517 - 5, water left, can move back 30+ 15. 499 - 5, water carry 355, 200 to hole if lay up to tiered green 16. 218 - 3, can move back 30 17. 412 - 4, can move back 40 18. 394 - 4, can move back 20+ Here is a look at hole 13 dog leg I played yesterday and tried to drive the greegn through the tree gap but came up short with the low bullet to 43. Safe shot is to play out left @ 200 yards and wedge in.

[DrvFrShow]

Congrats on being fully released medically. My advice. Go slow. Play 9.

[Hatchman]

Congrats on being fully released medically. My advice. Go slow. Play 9.

Thank you. Will do, but it's like an appetizer. Show me the beef!

[Dave2512]

I don't know any course will do for me. When I practice on the course I drop balls in random spots. I can work on full swing stuff at the range so a lot of times I hit a drive, pick it up and drop 3 balls near the green and see if I can get up and down. When I first got back into golf in 2012 I spent a lot of time on par 3 courses and the driving range. Probably should do that again. I suck from 60 yards in.

[Hatchman]

I don't know any course will do for me. When I practice on the course I drop balls in random spots. I can work on full swing stuff at the range so a lot of times I hit a drive, pick it up and drop 3 balls near the green and see if I can get up and down. When I first got back into golf in 2012 I spent a lot of time on par 3 courses and the driving range. Probably should do that again. I suck from 60 yards in.

Well they are really good to me and have tried to get me to join for a while. The pro is easy to talk to and staff friendly. They gave me a little leeway with being disabled for a while. I remember things like that. So my plan is to practice/play there and competitive play at our Pete Dye and Tom Doak/Curtis Strange courses. Very challenging obviously. Done events out there already. At the Doak course and Dye course practice facilities are fantastic and the pros let me use them but the car drives are long. While I was on disability replacing joints, I spent hours on the chipping green. First light till noon. Gets to the point where you can hit up with one hand from 50 yards, moved to sand. Became a better than average scrambler using only a hybrid off the tee. Just throw it close was my mentality. Now with reading LSW I'm powering the ball better with my woods. Whole lot easier pulling wedges up to an 8i. Plus I'm not flag hunting as much, got that mentality on the pitching green where marshals would tease me. Today's pins were tucked on edges, so center green was best shot. Still got two birdies and putted for one eagle. :-(

[rob0225]

Well they are really good to me and have tried to get me to join for a while. The pro is easy to talk to and staff friendly. They gave me a little leeway with being disabled for a while. I remember things like that. So my plan is to practice/play there and competitive play at our Pete Dye and Tom Doak/Curtis Strange courses. Very challenging obviously. Done events out there already. At the Doak course and Dye course practice facilities are fantastic and the pros let me use them but the car drives are long. While I was on disability replacing joints, I spent hours on the chipping green. First light till noon. Gets to the point where you can hit up with one hand from 50 yards, moved to sand. Became a better than average scrambler using only a hybrid off the tee. Just throw it close was my mentality. Now with reading LSW I'm powering the ball better with my woods. Whole lot easier pulling wedges up to an 8i. Plus I'm not flag hunting as much, got that mentality on the pitching green where marshals would tease me. Today's pins were tucked on edges, so center green was best shot. Still got two birdies and putted for one eagle.

Is that an older winter picture?  Grass looks dormant or dead. :)

[Hatchman]

Is that an older winter picture?  Grass looks dormant or dead. :)

Yes. That was my old practice course during the winter disability period where I used the chipping/pitching and sand areas. Couldn't go at the ball because I had the whole left side replaced.

[Hatchman]

I practiced at an established muni course today in preps for a Senior Invitational I will compete in next week. Been over a year since I tried something and the leg was shot. If not, that's ok. I like the riverfront course, the pro, and the guests that play there where it will be hosted. Where I practiced today I stunk up the front at a muni but had a nice back. Liked the way I settled down a bit and managed holes except for the par 3 I gambled on and lost. Par 5 water carry left to sloped green second shot. Tee shot fairway, 2nd 5w out right, 3rd straight in to green from good wedge distance. Two put walk away, play another day. Should have thrown the par three shot out right instead of flag hunting to a bulkhead pin position.

[bm85]

Great looking course. Love those tall trees.

Not sure I could resist cutting through that dog leg either.

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[Hatchman]

Great looking course. Love those tall trees. Not sure I could resist cutting through that dog leg either. .

It's a real fun shot, but a high risk low reward. Very few drive it because of the trajectory needed to reach the green. Not many birdies either. I'd say I've witnessed 90% who don't but rattle the trees instead when they try winding up with a bogey if their lucky. The smaller trees on the left are behind the 12th green. If players are there it's can be comical at times. Everyone is heads up during tee offs. Teed balls and slices have made it there or over the green into the woods and your basically dead. Good round might be shot as I've said. Best just to play out left @ 210 or so unless you can thread a needle consistently. Really doesn't look that wide from the box back at the white tower in the background because of the angle from the box.