King City Multiple Rounds

Been a while since I have updated. Back on Friday the 27th I was put in a fourseom with 3 Koreans. One of them, Jimmy, he and I hit it off really well and have golfed together a couple times since. Nice guy, similar abilities at that point. More on that later.

THey like to play from the blues. Now, on the one hand, King City is a short course. There are houses on both sides. They have three sets of tees; the short reds, the moderate whites and the long blues. There is not a huge difference: 131 yards on the whites. But it is a difference, and I usually play the whites with John, Jim and Dave so I try to stick with those. These guys wanted to play the blues.

It started well. Long, left center fairway, 9-iron from 125, 2-putt, par. This would be my last par for the front. I then went bogey, double (with a penalty/retee for OB), bogey the rest of the way for a 43. I am happy with that. I hit 2 fairways (1 after going ob), one GIR, 3 1-putts and 6 2-putts. I am happy with playing that level.

Just Jimmy and I played the back, which is really replaying the same nine. Fairway, GIR, 3-putt...what? Oops. Oh well, bogey is acceptable.

Then another 3-putt for a double.  Then a drive OB and a triple. Then 3 to get on a par3, taking a 5. Then on the next par 3 I go GIR, 2-putt for par. Just my second par of the day.Also my last.

Double with another drive OB, double (with a 1-putt...meaning 6 to get on for a short par 5), FIR followed by bogey, bogey.

A 48 on the back. 5 shots worse. Still, for the round 43-49-91. I am good there. 23 over par for 18 holes playing the blues for the first time.

I hit 4 fairways and 3 greens in regulation. I had 4 1-putts, 2 3-putts, and 34 putts total.
I had 4 penalties.

Saturday Jimmy and I had 8 am tee time. The front took forever, then we got space and played again in less than half the time.

I used my 7 wood. And I cranked out a 220 yard shot left -side, fairway. Then from 60 yards out it took me 2 more shots to get on and 3 putts to get in. After that beautiful shot, a double?

Followed by yanking it left, taking 2 more to get on...my par shot barely reached the green on a par 3. Poor chipping again. Another double.

Talk about a rugged start. After 5 holes you have played 2 par 4 and 3 par 3s. I had taken 26 shotsinstead of 17. Almost double bogey golf. Even worse? That was without the "benefit" of a penalty. I then went bogey-par (WITH a penalty, helped by 1-putt), Par, double for a 46.

1 penalty. 3 fairways, 1 GIR. That right there is a problem. 17 putts. The 2 3-putts are a problem, the 3 1-putts much better.

The back was...interesting. Par. Penalty, Quadruple. Double with a 1-putt and penalty. Bogey, bogey, then FIR, chip-in for par. Yes, after hitting the fairway it went pitch over green, chip over green, chip in for par. I would finish with 4 consecutive fairways, a GIR in the middle, and went bogey-bogey-double bogey for another 46.

2 penalty strokes, 4 FIR, 1 GIR, 15 putts, 1 chip-in, 46-46/92.


A real problem has developed where I am actually driving it a little better, routinely landing between 110 and 60 yards from the green...and then taking 2, 3, even 4 shots to get on the green. I also am having more 3-putts. I seriously should have broken 90 on this round. Easily.


FIR. Chunk chip. Chunk chip. 3-putt. Should have been playing for par but my short game just disappeared. Then I yanked my tee shot ob left on the par 3. I was laying 4 when I reached the green and 3-putted. My first over double par score in forever. I came back with a nice drive, FIR. Then took 3 chips from less than 60 yards out to get on the green. A double.

bogey, bogey, double, bogey, double, tee shot OB and a triple. I shot a 52. Or exactly double bogey golf. With zero par or better. In fact, I only had 3 bogeys. This was a simply horrific round.

Shot a 52. With 3 FIR, 3 penalties, 1 GIR, 21 putts. Ugly. But I had still been golfing.

I had free time, the Goose had okayed the purchase of a golf bag now, fitted clubs next month. I headed off to Redtail to price the package. Over the next 3 hours Stuart basically gave me a lesson.

I have taught myself an incorrect takeaway that promotes a slice. I have also been aligning myself inproperly based on my understanding the feet were supposed to aim left of the target. I have also been opening my clubface, promoting a slice. Oh, and my grips were too small, clubs too short, with wrong loft and lie. And graphite is wrong shaft for a swing as fast as mine. In otherwords, the only thing I have been doing right is having fun.

Here is the problem. I have been golfing on a course that has houses left and right. The consequences for a bad swing are a lost ball and potential damage to property. So I have been swinging free and easy and controlled.

On a driving range, the consequence for a bad shot is having to bend over and put another ball on the mat. Possibly being mocked, though less likely since most people are just whacking away with no thought for what is happening next to them.

So he puts me on the swing monitor and I am happily unleashing, putting 89-95 mph swings together with 7-irons. But on the course my swing is much shorter.

I loved the feel of the graphite shaft hitting the ball but I liked the result of the steel shaft. Admittedly off a mat, but the ball was carrying 190 yards. Uhm...there are times I do not hit my DRIVER 190 right now. Sure, there is the occasional 280 or 250 yarder, but realistically it is a 190 yard club.

Anyway, I upgraded to Winn Grips, went with 5-9 irons, 3 wedges, a 4 hybrid. The 4 Hybrid was consistently hitting 220. I loved the feel of it. I also got a nice ba to carry, hoping to burn more calories by walking instead of pulling. Yeah, it is a weight loss gimmick. I don't care. I am happy.