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.