Summerfield 8/14/19

Well, last night I laid out my plan. How did it go?

　

Hole 1 we were joined by a guy who for whatever reason rubbed me the wrong way. He was friendly enough and all just…off. Anyhow, hole 1 Jim uses hybrid, nice down the center. I have my 6i in hand, he comments on nobody using driver. Dave does, blasts it into the tree guarding left side of fairway and gets a members bounce right into the fairway. This guy goes left of that tree and into tree line.

 I put my 6i 198 down right side of fairway, almost exactly where I had a couple days ago. Good shape, 145ish to flag from good lie.

I proceed to perform a maneuver that will plague me intermittently for the entire round, taking a massive divot, starting before the ball, and hitting it 90 yards, well short of the green. A decent chip gives me a look at it, I miss high and start with a disappointing bogey. I was perfectly set up and an abominable short iron swing cost me a full stroke.

Second hole, last time I left a 7i short. I determine to hit to center of green even though flag is at the front. Also, although I did not hit the overhanging branches with a 7i last round, it is in my head, a 6i has a lower trajectory and the extra distance. 6i it is. I absolutely crush it, unfortunately with a pull and a draw on the pull…this one has across the street written all over it until it smacks a tree and drops under it, same one Dave found a way to get on from last round.

 I have a narrow window to right edge of green, I don’t really want to hit the tree and odds of saving par are so close to nil it is the same thing as. I punch an 8i for the fringe, planning to try to chip close and bogey. I hit it well, on the fringe pin high. Fantastic putt from there leaves me 1’ tap in for the bogey.

Third hole, 263 to the tree, I just want to put a 5i about 200-210 in the middle. I hit it not perfect, push it a little bit but am very pleased, leaving myself I think 144 to the flag on a little hill just right of the fairway…it would be on a lot of fairways.

 I need to get over the tree but I believe in my 9i. I make a really nice swing, a hair right of where I wanted…instead of center of green I am right third but very happy. I lose sight as it comes down, am not sure if it is in the sand short of green or on the green just over it. Takes a little while as the guys chunk their way to get there…and we never find mine.

Only thing I can think is it hit the hill backside of the green and bounded off somewhere bizarre. It was a really good looking and feeling shot that we never found. I dropped and made a tough chip with my 9i that I hit perfect, hitting rough at crest of hill, softening it to roll to 2’ for the easy tap in.

4^th hole, remembering my draw 3w that was awesome, I try the same but pop it up and only get 195 out of it.

 Still, I am 140 to a flag I like the location of. 9i in hand…and I push it 40 yards right and only get 124 out of it.

Now I have a delicate over the sand to a short side green shot. 60 degree I hit beautifully, rolling to maybe 8’, just miss the putt and have another bogey.

5^th hole, not feeling my 3w, I pull the 5i wanting to leave maybe a 9i in. I hit it a bit thin, a line drive that rolls a hair farther than I want but still very good, center of fairway looking over water, 86 yards to the flag, maybe 65 to clear the water.

 I try a strong ¾ SW and dunk it halfway into the pond.

 Drop about 75 from flag and put it front edge of green.

 Another "almost make it" putt leaving tap in. For a double. Not loving how I am playing and the score. I mean, I am putting myself in position to score and then stinking up the joint.

Hole 6 has the slight dogleg right but I am not in the mood to play with the sand. Grab I think a 6i, hit it with slight pull, left center fairway. 9i is pin high right edge of green. I am pin high but 2’ above hole as again little to no break. Still, I have a reasonable par.

Hole 7, flag is at 140 on lower tier. Last time my 9i was on top tier but right at break. I elect to hit that rather than a PW. It is a bit of a push but nothing awful…pin high, a few feet inside right edge of green. Flag is in left third. Fantastic read and putt is 1" from the birdie. Easy, easy par. We are rolling now.

Hole 8, a soft par 4. Last time a beautiful 5i and fantastic chip left me a very short birdie putt. With that in mind, I step up to my 5i…and chunk it about a 100 yards.

The good part about it is it leaves me 164 from pin, an easy 8i.

This I manage to push right about 20 yards of the green.

Now I have to get over a hill under a tree branch and stop it short side green. Which I do…I put the ball off my left foot make a great swing with the PW chip, it bounces in rough…and still rolls all the way past the hole. Another near miss/easy tap. Another bogey.

Hole 9, last time I had the phone showing 134 and went full swing PW, blasting over the green. This time I shot the flag, 116 I think. Perfect as I anticipate a ¾ PW going 117.

I hit it well it is almost right at the flag…ends up coming down at 124 and slightly right of flag but a really nice shot. Surprising nobody, I once again miss by a foot and have the easy tap in.

Overall a…41? Hard to say. On hole 3 there had been people behind us so I could not do the walk of shame, I took the "local rule" 2-shot penalty and the chip gave me a six.

Potentially that should be a max score 7 for ESC purposes but it only hurts me if I am accidentally a shot low if the 2 stroke drop does not apply. And I did not go to fairway, I actually dropped in more penal location but then hit a great shot. I am out of tournament play for the foreseeable, potentially for the year so I don’t really care. For our group game it was a 5, for my golfpad a six and for h-cap it does not matter.

Anyhow, for the day I felt like I played poorly but the score was not hideous. A couple bad swings, a couple good ones and it was fun.

　

Planning Summerfield

We are playing Summerfield. It is a pretty soft course, looks like a 116 slope, 2300ish yards. 6 par 4s, 3 par 3s, par 33 course. I have played it several times of course. I am looking to play a stress free round that ends up within a couple shots of par.

　

Hole 1 is 321 yards, functionally a slight dogleg left.

There is a tall tree guarding the bend, anything left of that is houses and white staked. You can miss right about as far as you want and the further down ou go the more you can miss right, although the more right you go A) the longer you make the hole and b) you can leave yourself a tricky shot over the trees and sand to a short-sided green. Ideally, the tee shot would be a slight draw starting center of fairway and moving left. This opens the green.

My plan is to take a 6i. It should get past the corner leaving an easy pw, 9i or 8i in. Since there is no range and warm-up, I will not know what swing I have until I have hit a couple but it is likely to be a fade. With a 6i I am not going far enough right to get trouble, if I do draw it will be perfect and my most likely result will be something in the fairway with anywhere from 140-180 in depending on how I hit it. From there a short iron or wedge favoring left side of green, easy 2-tap for par.

Hole 2 is 181 yards of nasty.

A road runs left giving you not a lot of room to miss, houses line the right and the resulting playing area, including fairway and trees that overhang the tee box, is pretty narrow. Those trees are a problem for my ball flight as a tee shot can easily hit them.

The green slants severely back to front so arguably short is better than long and I love my 7i but this might be a good time to grab a 6i, use its lower trajectory and see if I can hit a really good lag.

Hole 3 is a short 317 yard par 4 with a 2-tier green.

Easy hole…except the fairway narrows at about 260 yards out with trees left and right overhanging the fairway. We perfect driver leaves and easy birdie opportunity but less than perfect brings potential big numbers into play and there are houses both left and right so you don’t want to get too wild.

I will likely bang a 5i out there just trying for left center of fairway to be between the overhanging branches with a short to full PW in hand, and if it is on upper tier I will go a club longer.

Hole 4 is another that calls for a draw. 355 yards, guarded front by sand, this one is a sharper left dogleg than #1 but also guarded by a tall tree, houses all down the left and again you can miss as far right as you want, but doing so gives you tree lines and sand between you and the green.

 I am liking a 3w with an attempt at a draw swing here, if it works it sets me up for an easy GIR, if I hit it straight I can count on my towering wedge stopping on the green and I am not getting too far right so no worries.

Hole 5 is a short, 246 yard par 4.

It is driveable, but requires clearing the close water, the far water, and landing on a short side green with sand long. So…no.

This is probably a good 7i hole to easily clear the close water, stay well short of the second water and have a short iron in.

Last time out I blasted my 3W and was set up perfectly, green high out to the right and I bladed the ensuing wedge over the green. If I am swinging well, that might be the play, start it just right of the water and let it fly. Just this time I will not botch the wedge.

Hole 6 is the longest hole, 332 with a bend to the right.

There is sand and trees right at the bend. Miss right and you are likely ob and hit a house. Miss the fairway long…house if too long, in trees if just past the fairway. The play here seems to be a 190ish shot that stays center, with a miss left better than a miss right as a miss right in fairway can leave tree issues or having to hit over the bunker.

The plan is a 6i starting middle of fairway followed by either a 9i or an 8i depending on how well I hit it.

Hole 7 is a 2-tier par 3, 144 to center. I am hitting 9i regardless of what tier it is on.

Hole 8 is a gentle left-turning 278 yard hole guarded by trees and houses left, by houses far right.

It is downhill. The plan here is just a 5i down the left center of fairway, let the slope give it a few extra yards for an easy on in two.

Hole 9 is a par 3 over water, about 130 yards but plays shorter. Nothing fancy, just a pw planning to be on the green and 2-putt.