TourSpoon

The 16th hole fell today marking my completion of the 18 hole challenge in 36 rounds of golf at my home course. A par 3 with a red pin, water short left, played 157 into the wind. I went up to the tee thinking "Just hit a solid shot" because its been such a tough hole always playing into the wind. Today it was a solid 7 iron that never left the stick and landed within 18 inches for an easy tap in. I was thinking about the challenge on the tee and I am so glad I finally hit a golf shot as a response.

Just had a club event and played 5 nine hole matches. Shot 39-36-37-35-40. Just a really good weekend of golf even though the last 9 was a struggle to swing the club the last 5 holes. The highlight was a turkey to cap off a match for a tie.

This weekend I knocked off #10...a short 375 yard par 4....hit a hooky 4 wood that found the sand left leaving 165 into the wind. I hit 6 iron to 2 feet and tapped it in. All I have left is a par 3 that has been tricky this year.

That seems to be how this goes....struggle one year to knock off that one hole only to slay it out of the gate the following year. I did knock off the #1 hole yesterday which is a 436 yard dogleg left to an elevated green. Playing downwind on a baked out fairway, I only had 160 left to a front pin. Made a 20 footer that broke 2 feet to leave me with only 2 holes left.

Lately, I feel that sometimes I stand over the ball a little too long and I twitch my shoulders like a spaz. I have been playing really well, but feel that I need to get set and go. There is always something to improve on.

Things are moving quickly this season and I just knocked off the hardest hole on the back nine. I have the number 1 handicap hole still on the list and two others. Since early retirement, this playing 3 times a week is working out pretty well!

My home course has some confounding greens, so much so, I bought a green reading book to make note of these subtle differences. But I just played an away match and here is what I did to read the greens. 1. Observe the putting structure as you approach. This allows you to see the overall green with perspective against a horizon, land features, etc. You can do that imagine where the water runs off if that helps you visualize. As you get closer look at the pin and then around the pin to see if there is any obvious elevation changes. You should be able to see any obvious mounds and humps without taking any time away from the game. 2. Use your feet. You can do this as you approach the green, pull the pins, put down your wedges if you were chipping, wiping you ball, and waiting your turn to play (as opposed to starting a process when its your turn to play which is really too late for everyone's sake). 3. Pay attention to others chipping and putting and try to determine the low point from the ball movement. You need to be engaged and learn from others. Remember that uphill putts break less, downhill putts break more. 4. Read putts from the low side. If the putt is R to L stand read from the left side (low side) and look at the slope for which side is higher. Many times I will look at playing partners to see whose feet appear higher. Again, it gives you perspective. I avoid looking from the high side and only look from the low side because the optics are better looking up then looking at something running away from you. If you can figure out the low side, you can figure out downhills. 5. Work on 3 footers and 6 footers along with speed control. Making these little ones takes the pressure of trying to be perfect.

Happy New Year Trappers! This will be my fourth challenge and I missed it by one hole in 2022 and 2023 (only to birdie the one I needed within a month of the new challenge). Last year I completed the challenge by August and got the monkey off my back! I ended up with 18 birdies with 3 holes being eagles for a -21 total. For 2024, I actually knocked off the harder holes earlier in the year so that I wasn't thinking about the challenge as much as I was thinking about playing golf. Against better thinking I checked in to the forum to join again for this year. So far this year I have played 5 rounds and have 7 birdies. Let's see what we can get done for 2025!

Ok, I have completed the challenge and have eagles on 3/4 of par 5s. Today though brought something different as I had the Turkey by having consecutive birdies on 2, 3, and 4. I actually lipped out on 5 so 4 was in reach. Anyway, I think that's a first for me!

I believe that if this did anything, it certainly blew the lid off what came before it. Bryson getting an unlikely big fish and then picking up hundreds of thousands in new subscribers in days sent a message to the golf content creators that he can play this game too. It was Bryson's "Hold my Beer" You Tube creator moment.

I think the same way and that since he joined LIV he wanted to control more of what the audience sees by getting out in front of his image problem he had on the PGA Tour. Either that and/or he has a great publicist because he has changed people's opinion on him through his content. Everyone can think what they want about Bryson, but the YouTube subscribers certainly had their vote count when he picked up about 250K in a few days. He must be doing something right.

I have to admit that I was pretty impressed with the golf being played by BD and DT. While I thought that DT's putting stroke makes Will Z look like Ben C, he actually putted decently. I do think that as a 78 year old, he's got a solid game that he backed up on camera. Bryson was smart by making this a charity event for the Wounded Warrior project and keeping it strictly about golf.

It's funny because the USGA through the FSGA definitely had a formula for what they wanted to see. They were very careful to set up a very fair test. They didn't tip it out, and they actually moved a few holes up from the black tees because they didn't like how a tree was blocking out one side of the fairway or that every par 3 was over 195. There was a mixture of easier and harder pin locations and the greens were cut to their specs. In the end, I think they accomplished their goal of identifying the best golfers that particular day. Finally, I would highly recommend attendance at one of these events. It was very spectator friendly where you could get really close to some really good guys and see them work their way around the course. There are no ropes, its quiet, and there are no hordes of crowds to navigate. I think Charlie Woods, who had a security detail, had between 15-30 people hanging around but others like Kutchar and LeMieux, really flew under the radar.

I am a little late on the posting of this topic, but with the big event almost here I thought it would be interesting to explore. In late April, we hosted a local qualifier and the FSGA came out on behalf of the USGA on 2 occasions to scout tees and pin positions (they had notes from the last one 6 years ago). The course ended up playing just under 7000 and they did bump down some of the par 3s to play at 210, 205, 185, and 170 (they can all be from 195-230). They wanted the greens fast, but not US Open fast (I think they wanted 10.8 to low 11s). The FSGA guys picked the pin placements and made sure it was a good balance for a very great test of golf. The medalist was -3, three were -1 and even par got you into a playoff. How do you think your course would hold up to pros showing up to show off their skills to go to the next stage? Here is a video highlighting one person's experience followed by a few photos of Tiger scoping out the course with Charlie during his practice round. All in all, it was a great day and I felt that the course held its own as only 4 golfers (out of 80) broke par.

This is critically important! It's easy to get lazy and start guessing. Just start over and get it right.

I thought I was done with this for the year, however at #2 (par 5) I hit a really good driver leaving a lake carry of 180 to the flag. I pulled it left just off the green and chipped across the green for an eagle 3!

So I just bought another Titleist Players 4 and realized that my previous bag was a 4+ (which I think is now the 5). The Players 4 is tight and will only be used for travel. The extra room of the 4+ really made it a better bag.

Henry played golf with Grant Horvat and the DOD King at Palm Beach Atlantic College and appears on some of their You Tube channels when they are in Palm Beach. His family owns a condo style executive course in Lake Worth and he is a legit plus handicap. It just goes to show you that tournament golf is a different deal altogether. I met him at the practice round and he really is a nice guy. I guess my point was to just highlight my home club and have you guys see that it's a serious track. Anyway, I am glad that I did the challenge. I always ran out of time to get it done and I feel like I actually accomplished one of my goals that I set for this year. Once I birdied it today, I told my foursome that I was tracking birdies on the site's spreadsheet and that I finally can get #5 out of my head!

Today, #5 par 3 playing 175 with a little help, I hit 6 iron to the fringe. With a front pin I hit an uphill/sidehill putt that entered the low side of the cup for birdie. The Challenge is complete! This is the first year I actually made it! When you get down to a couple of holes it is so hard not to think about it. Through today, I have birdied all 18 and have eagled 2 par 5s. All scores were from the blue tees (72.1/135). Scorecard - The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club Scorecard Championship Course Scorecard 9-2023 Scorecard Yellow Course Click for printable Yellow Course Scorecard For those interested, we had a US Open Qualifier this year and even par got you into a play-off (Medalist was -3, a couple at -1 and then 6 at E and the other 65 or so golfers at over par). Henry Grillo did a You Tube Video of his experience which highlighted the experience.

My goals this year are really not much different than last year. I am a little late but here they are: 1. Ball speed consistently 150+ 2. Handicap to 3 3. Scrambling at 50% or better 4. Compete in events Coming off an injury and then rehabbing the speed training had to be put on the back burner. Ball speed last week was averaging 147 so close but not quite there. My handicap at my club when I joined was 4.2, went up to 6 and is currently at 3.9 from the Men's tees. I did hang out with 2 ex Korn Ferry guys at my club and got some great short game help really controlling low point. Scrambling is just over 40% and climbing. It is something I am really working on. I have been competing more and made the qualifier for our club championship (last place qualified by shooting 81 with a quadruple bogey on the 6th hole). I went to 18 against a former club champ and lost 1 down on 18. I got skunked at the Member Guest championship flight but won the championship flight in our Member Member (got knocked out in finals). The progress is there, and now that I retired and am consulting on my own, I do have more time to practice and play.

Alright Trappers, the last 2 weeks I have been making progress. It started with 15 in which I hit 8 iron from 132 (knock down into wind) to 3 feet. That only leaves the difficult #5 left to birdie. But as fate would have it I busted a drive on 17 and had 235 downwind. I hit 3H and being dry it hit the back side of the last hill and rolled onto the green (par 5). I made a 30 footer for eagle. The following week on the par 5 12, I chipped in for eagle. I still have #5 that is lingering and then I can be done with the challenge. Funny as it wasn't so difficult last year, but this year, not so much. I keep getting close and making stress free pars, so I am sure it's a matter of time!

I got another one today....Number 17. Par 5 that has water left and right on the layup. I smacked a drive down the left side and got a little lazy on the layup and fanned my 6 iron. With 112 to a crowned green I got it to 3 feet and birdie! Only 5 and 15 is left for this year!

Ok, it's been a while, but I finally got the 18th hole! It was the only one left over from last year and it took 14 months, but I got it today. It is a slight dogleg right, plays 425 up to an elevated green into the prevailing wind. Playing slightly up, I hit driver and had about 160 into the green. Hit 6 iron to 4 feet and with a straight uphill putt made it center cut! Now I can stop thinking about that hole! All I have left this year is 5, 15, and 17. Let's Go!

1. Good company - luckily I have a lot of people to play golf with and its not that hard to find. But nothing is worse than playing with bad company. 2. Pace of play - This can really get me if its too slow. I don't necessarily rush, but an average 4some at my club can play their matches in 3:45-4:00. Occasionally we do 3somes in 3:30 or less, but the 4 hour mark makes for the pace not to be an issue especially at a resort course. 3. Conditions - I like decent greens. I can accept some other places being unkept, but the greens really can make or break it for me.