I got there a few minutes later than last time and that proved to be a huge mistake. In front of me was a slow solo woman hitting about 50 yards at a whack, who was behind a solo guy hitting about 150 yards a whack, who was behind a guy with his kid taking 15 minutes per hole, who were behind a fourseom who hit 150 yards...but was waiting for the foursome ahead of them to clear greens 300 yards away, and that foursome was slow also.
Translation; it took about 1:35 to play the front. And the scores showed it:
I was aiming left on my 7-wood drive planning to fade into the fairway or slice to the right. I absolutetly blistered it, long and left. Thought I saw it, headed down fairway...lost ball. No clue where. Drop for two. Short-hopped the pitch. On in 4 but long putt. Past the hole. Close to the hole. In for a 7. Ouch.
And I STILL had to wait for 2 people to tee off on the next hole and they did not want to become a 3-some. A short par 3, 178 yards. Tried the rescue wood. Blasted it left, out of bounds. Laying three off the tee. Back to the 4 iron, a decent shot but short. Chip, 2-putt, double par. Not a good start...
249 yard hole, my driver CAN reach, but I went with the 7 wood for control and was just right of the fairway about 30 yards short of the green. Sadly, I was still short of the green after a poor chip and barely on the green after my 3rd shot. Only a nice lag and longish (for me) putt "saved" the bogey...
The 196 yard hole is awkward. Too short for my 7 wood, I cannot hit the 3-iron, and I hit the rescue wood about 50 yards. Then the hole got worse...it was a par three where I was on in 3, in in 5.
At this point the guy and his kid waved me through. I hit a 9 iron, we were playing well forward for 125 yard distance. I was short and right, fast-chipped well past the hole, fast-putted and missed. A 5 on a three.
The next hole always gives me problems. A patch of trees stops my left to right ball movement and the right side is trees and/or out of bounds. I crushed my 7 wood. Unfortunately, I line-drived it...and it hit the first copse of trees on the left. I hurried through as the guy and his kid were then waiting so played it as a lost ball, dropped, landed a 6 iron short from 160 yards out, barely made it on the green with another bad chip, 2 putted for another 6.
The par 5 I was waiting...waiting...guy ahead of me hit into the 4-some when they were at the 150 mark. I took my 7-wood and...was about 150 yards out, wide right. However, my next shot was beautiful, flying over trees and the pond, landing about 20 yards right of the green. I flew a sand wedge over the sand trap and 2-putted for my first par.
Next hole I joined up with the single guy (woman had gone to play first few holes again because of the pace. I lasered a 260 yard drive just left of the fairway...then left my chip 10 yards short. On a 284 yard hole. My next chip left a 10' putt which I duly missed by 3' and took another bogey.
On 9 I went short but right, into the 1st fairway. From 100 yards out I thought I was inside 100 (bad advice from a guy who joined our group for this hole) and tried a gap wedge which was short. Decent pitch, missed putt, another 5. For a 49 on the front. Awful
But there was only one guy ahead of me, I decided to play the back. It went faster, about an hour.
Long drive, right side of fairway, short on the chip, on in 3, 2-putt. Bogey, much better than the opening triple.
Next hole my 4 iron was pin high just off green to right. Decent chip, 5' putt, par. Well, that is better.
Nice drive right side of fairway, bad chip...this is sounding familial...on in 3, 2-putt for bogey.
Then disaster. I hit my rescue wood short. Then I shanked a shot. After 2 I am still 65 yards out. At least that is perfect distance for my sand wedge. Unless I hit a line drive 40 yards past the green into a house. Penalty drop. Bad chip. Bad chip. I am laying 6 and an inch onto the green...it took a great lag and a putt lipping in to pull a snowman.
I then landed my 9 iron on the upper level of the two tier green but make a nice sidehill downhill lag and putt in for par. Then I try my driver on my devil hole. I hit the last tree on the right, modify an 8 iron from 65 yards, 2-putt from a few inchies onto the green for second straight par.
My driver is 250 yards but left under trees. My rescue wood keeps it low, but I miss my chip. On in 4, 2-putt for bogey.
Another nice straight drive, this time I chip short, then chip close and 1-putt for par.
Last hole I blister my driver. Unfortunately I am still aiming left and fly over the houses. Re-tee, blast it long and right. Chip onto green, 2-putt for a double. Finish the back with a 44. Better than the front for sure!
Showing posts with label 2015 King City 299. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015 King City 299. Show all posts
Tuesday
Wednesday
King City 3/11/15 EAGLE
Nearly the perfect crime. Left work about 3:35, stopped for a healthy dinner of Taco Bell on the way and was teeing off at 3:58. Nobody in front or behind me so i could play at my own pace.
I wisely kept the driver in the bag, put my 7w about 200 yards out...but wide right, behind trees. Punch out into the fairway. From 110 out I put my gap wedge past the green. Pitched back up and on, 2 putt. A 6 to start, not so good.
Next hole is a 178 yard par 3 that always gives me trouble. I hit my 4 iron, something I seldom ever do. Nice, straight, and about 8 yards short. Pitch, putt, par. Nice!
Third hole I pulled out the 7 wood and put it about 220 yards down the fairway but wide right, not horribly so. I bump and ran my 8 iron to the left side of the green, 2-putt...back to back pars. I am happy, feel like I am playing well.
They had moved the tee box on the next hole up and to the right, so a 143 yard hole with trees slightly overhanging the box but not really. Except my ball flight started out right, clubbed the tree and my tee shot was about 20 yards. I then put a 9 iron well left of the green, a pedestrian pitch and a 2 putt. So much for playing well, that was a 5.
Then my toughest hole on this course. Trees overhang the left side so I cannot use my typical ball flight pattern and the right side is tight so even a fade puts you in trouble. Still, I have confidence in my 7 wood.
Misplaced, apparently because I sliced badly and actually lost the ball. Retee hit the trees to my left. I had to punch out into the fairway again and was laying 4 while over 200 yards from the green. Then I blasted past the green, had to pitch back and only a lengthy putt "saved" a 7. Playing well indeed. If by playing well I mean swinging the club like a monkey having convulsions.
At least the next hole is a soft one. 352 yard par 5, easily reachable in 2 for me. I pull out the driver for the first time on the day. I aim slightly left planning to hit it straight which will be well down the fairway, if it fades I am in the center of the fairway and even a slice might only be in the rough to the right.
Or I could yank it left over the first row of houses...and do the same with my second shot. I am now laying 5 off the tee. Only a fantastic second (6th) shot putting me close let me scramble and save the snowman. A round that looked promising after three holes and decent after four now looks awful.
Next hole is a 284 yard par 4. I considered what I had done with my driver, straightened my stance...and blasted a 260 yard drive right down the middle. The little yellow thing is my drive.
I then hit a beautiful chip shot to about 4' from the cup and rolled it in for a birdie.
Any round involving 3 par or better holes is good. Any round involving a birdie is great. I am not a good enough golfer to prefer score over the occasional birdie.
So now I am feeling great. I have had a great round. 9th hole, 292 yards and I blasted the driver, landing maybe 10 yards from the green. If that 280 yard drive is not the longest, most accurate I have ever had it is certainly in the conversation.
Aw yeah, golf. The game where if you are having a bad round, just wait for the last two holes and it will give you something to keep you coming back.
So from about 10 yards off, I initially just wanted to get it on the green. Then I thought, why waste such a great drive? I want to get this close. I lined my bump carefully, stuck it, and...
That is my second ever eagle.
Ah yeah, it was a great nine holes, a legit 43. Okay, so it is par 34 which means that is bogey golf. But it is legit bogey golf...no mulligans, counting every shot, re-teeing lost drives. Plus, I played it in an hour, there is nobody else on the course, I have unlimited golf...I am going to play 18.
This time my 7 wood is true, middle of the fairway though short...about 180 yards. From 180 out I try my gap wedge and drop the ball front left of the green. A nice easy 2-putt. The back starts off with a par.
Back to the 178. I decide to try my 3 iron since I was just short on the front. For the first time all day I go right...and about 80- yards, Another lost ball (it is in somebodys back yard I think).
Re-tee...straight down the middle. About 50 yards. The 3-iron is not good...My 8-iron actually gets me on the green in 4, which considering where I was after 3 is not good, but a 2-putt means I doubled par. Not a good hole.
My 7 wood I hit a worm burner to about 125 yards. Out comes the 9 iron...which I blade so badly the ball ricochets through the sand trap at the back of the green and checks up in the grass on the back lip. Out of the sand at least. I bump and run across the sand trap with my 8 iron, not trusting the sand wedge flop shot. That leaves me a long putt which I lag well and finish in 5. Could have been much worse than a bogey.
My rescue wedge puts me pin high left of the green on the 196 yard hole. Better choice than the 3 iron, clearly. I mis-hit the first chip, second one gets me a makeable but tough putt which I miss. A 4. I am okay with a bogey.
Back to the hole that caught me last time, the tight right side needing to get in the air. I club down to the 9 iron, tee up on the extreme left of the box and try to shape my shot to a fade. Believe it or not...I succeed and land about 20 ' past the flag on the green. It did what I tried, looked great, as did my lag to get close and easy finish for a par.
Now for the toughest hole. 7 wood I strike well and true, it is fading but beyond the last trees. From the tee box I figure I hit about a 230 yard drive with it and am ecstatic.
Until I get to the ball and it is at the 150 yard marker...a hundred yards short of where I thought it was. I was so sure I had seen it land beyond the furthest tree and it was 5 trees back. Then I hit my 8 iron about 170 yards, had to pitch back onto the green and another 2-putt for bogey. Oops.
This time on the par 5 I pulled out my 7 wood. No more driver. I figured a 200 yard drive would put me about the 150 marker. I hit my second shot from the center of the fairway about 2 yards inside the 150 yard marker. My towering 8 iron landed on the green on the far right. On in 2. Nice. I then left the first putt about 10 feet short and the 2nd putt about 6 feet short. That was not exemplary. Still, I made the par. Much better than the snowman the first time around.
Emboldened, I whipped out the driver. About 250 yards this time but it definitely had a fade and was on the far right. Pitch, 2-putt, par. I now have 4 pars on the back, 6 pars, a birdie and an eagle with one to go.
Juiced up, I slice the driver for the first time all day. It is about 50 yards from the green but in the first fairway. I try a soft sand wedge but take a huge divot. Another soft sand wedge leaves me short right. An 8-iron puts me about a foot from the cup and I finish with a bogey, giving me a 41 on the back.
That gives me an 84 for the round. Par is 68. That means I played 2 shots better than bogey golf. You will never hear me complain about that.
Even better, only about 5 holes had light rain, I played it in 2 hours and was home by 6:15. What a wonderful day. Oh, and an 84 is my lowest score my 4 strokes ever. Admittedly this was a softer course...but I am happy.
34 of 299
I wisely kept the driver in the bag, put my 7w about 200 yards out...but wide right, behind trees. Punch out into the fairway. From 110 out I put my gap wedge past the green. Pitched back up and on, 2 putt. A 6 to start, not so good.
Next hole is a 178 yard par 3 that always gives me trouble. I hit my 4 iron, something I seldom ever do. Nice, straight, and about 8 yards short. Pitch, putt, par. Nice!
Third hole I pulled out the 7 wood and put it about 220 yards down the fairway but wide right, not horribly so. I bump and ran my 8 iron to the left side of the green, 2-putt...back to back pars. I am happy, feel like I am playing well.
They had moved the tee box on the next hole up and to the right, so a 143 yard hole with trees slightly overhanging the box but not really. Except my ball flight started out right, clubbed the tree and my tee shot was about 20 yards. I then put a 9 iron well left of the green, a pedestrian pitch and a 2 putt. So much for playing well, that was a 5.
Then my toughest hole on this course. Trees overhang the left side so I cannot use my typical ball flight pattern and the right side is tight so even a fade puts you in trouble. Still, I have confidence in my 7 wood.
Misplaced, apparently because I sliced badly and actually lost the ball. Retee hit the trees to my left. I had to punch out into the fairway again and was laying 4 while over 200 yards from the green. Then I blasted past the green, had to pitch back and only a lengthy putt "saved" a 7. Playing well indeed. If by playing well I mean swinging the club like a monkey having convulsions.
At least the next hole is a soft one. 352 yard par 5, easily reachable in 2 for me. I pull out the driver for the first time on the day. I aim slightly left planning to hit it straight which will be well down the fairway, if it fades I am in the center of the fairway and even a slice might only be in the rough to the right.
Or I could yank it left over the first row of houses...and do the same with my second shot. I am now laying 5 off the tee. Only a fantastic second (6th) shot putting me close let me scramble and save the snowman. A round that looked promising after three holes and decent after four now looks awful.
Next hole is a 284 yard par 4. I considered what I had done with my driver, straightened my stance...and blasted a 260 yard drive right down the middle. The little yellow thing is my drive.
I then hit a beautiful chip shot to about 4' from the cup and rolled it in for a birdie.
Any round involving 3 par or better holes is good. Any round involving a birdie is great. I am not a good enough golfer to prefer score over the occasional birdie.
So now I am feeling great. I have had a great round. 9th hole, 292 yards and I blasted the driver, landing maybe 10 yards from the green. If that 280 yard drive is not the longest, most accurate I have ever had it is certainly in the conversation.
Aw yeah, golf. The game where if you are having a bad round, just wait for the last two holes and it will give you something to keep you coming back.
So from about 10 yards off, I initially just wanted to get it on the green. Then I thought, why waste such a great drive? I want to get this close. I lined my bump carefully, stuck it, and...
That is my second ever eagle.
Ah yeah, it was a great nine holes, a legit 43. Okay, so it is par 34 which means that is bogey golf. But it is legit bogey golf...no mulligans, counting every shot, re-teeing lost drives. Plus, I played it in an hour, there is nobody else on the course, I have unlimited golf...I am going to play 18.
This time my 7 wood is true, middle of the fairway though short...about 180 yards. From 180 out I try my gap wedge and drop the ball front left of the green. A nice easy 2-putt. The back starts off with a par.
Back to the 178. I decide to try my 3 iron since I was just short on the front. For the first time all day I go right...and about 80- yards, Another lost ball (it is in somebodys back yard I think).
Re-tee...straight down the middle. About 50 yards. The 3-iron is not good...My 8-iron actually gets me on the green in 4, which considering where I was after 3 is not good, but a 2-putt means I doubled par. Not a good hole.
My 7 wood I hit a worm burner to about 125 yards. Out comes the 9 iron...which I blade so badly the ball ricochets through the sand trap at the back of the green and checks up in the grass on the back lip. Out of the sand at least. I bump and run across the sand trap with my 8 iron, not trusting the sand wedge flop shot. That leaves me a long putt which I lag well and finish in 5. Could have been much worse than a bogey.
My rescue wedge puts me pin high left of the green on the 196 yard hole. Better choice than the 3 iron, clearly. I mis-hit the first chip, second one gets me a makeable but tough putt which I miss. A 4. I am okay with a bogey.
Back to the hole that caught me last time, the tight right side needing to get in the air. I club down to the 9 iron, tee up on the extreme left of the box and try to shape my shot to a fade. Believe it or not...I succeed and land about 20 ' past the flag on the green. It did what I tried, looked great, as did my lag to get close and easy finish for a par.
Now for the toughest hole. 7 wood I strike well and true, it is fading but beyond the last trees. From the tee box I figure I hit about a 230 yard drive with it and am ecstatic.
Until I get to the ball and it is at the 150 yard marker...a hundred yards short of where I thought it was. I was so sure I had seen it land beyond the furthest tree and it was 5 trees back. Then I hit my 8 iron about 170 yards, had to pitch back onto the green and another 2-putt for bogey. Oops.
This time on the par 5 I pulled out my 7 wood. No more driver. I figured a 200 yard drive would put me about the 150 marker. I hit my second shot from the center of the fairway about 2 yards inside the 150 yard marker. My towering 8 iron landed on the green on the far right. On in 2. Nice. I then left the first putt about 10 feet short and the 2nd putt about 6 feet short. That was not exemplary. Still, I made the par. Much better than the snowman the first time around.
Emboldened, I whipped out the driver. About 250 yards this time but it definitely had a fade and was on the far right. Pitch, 2-putt, par. I now have 4 pars on the back, 6 pars, a birdie and an eagle with one to go.
Juiced up, I slice the driver for the first time all day. It is about 50 yards from the green but in the first fairway. I try a soft sand wedge but take a huge divot. Another soft sand wedge leaves me short right. An 8-iron puts me about a foot from the cup and I finish with a bogey, giving me a 41 on the back.
That gives me an 84 for the round. Par is 68. That means I played 2 shots better than bogey golf. You will never hear me complain about that.
Even better, only about 5 holes had light rain, I played it in 2 hours and was home by 6:15. What a wonderful day. Oh, and an 84 is my lowest score my 4 strokes ever. Admittedly this was a softer course...but I am happy.
34 of 299
Monday
King City
So last Saturday John and I took on Jim and Dave at Skamania, taking them down 87-91, our second or third win in the last couple years...Dave and Jim have been dominating us. Well, I am continuing to try to get back to the weight I was at in 2011 and found that golf is a good help in that.
Having an awesome wife, she okayed me to get the season pass at King City. I did not go for the year-long pass, just took March to October. Went out today with Dave for the first round.
First hole I wisely used the 7 wood, leaving the driver in the bag. I put a fade on it and was right side of fairway about 60 yards off the green. Somehow I put the pitch onto the green.
We were the third group off after they opened the course after plugging and sanding the greens. Horrid putting conditions. Then again, I am a horrible putter...3-putt for a bogey.
Hole 2 is a 178 yarder. I tried the 4 iron, which I have not hit in years...and was 10 yards short. Pitch, 2 putt. Better.
Third hole is a 249 yarder. 7 iron put me about 20 yards off the green, I landed my bump and run about 20 feet from the hole and 2 putted for a par.
196 yard par three. I was short and right with my rescue wedge. But I hit about an 8 foot putt for my second par.
167 yard par 3. Wide left this time, about a 12' sidehill putt goes in by about one rotation. 3rd consecutive par. Nice!
The next hole gives me issues. Really tall ttrees overhang the left side and there is no room to the right. I wisely pulled my 7 wood. I can get it over the trees if I fade but not slice. I sliced but thought I saw the ball check up okay. Nope, it rolled under some trees. I dropped back about the 120 yard marker and, instead of grabbing the right club, I ramped up a gap wedge. It is a 90 yard club and I landed about 20 yards short. Bad chip left me 30 feet from the cup but I somehow managed a 2-putt for the double bogey.
352 yard par 5. I played for a fade...and hit my driver straight as an arrow, over a house. Mulligan. (We take 1 mulligan per 9.) Blasted it more towards the fairway. Lost sight of the ball flight. Found a Nike Vapor well short of where I thought it had been. Two holes later figured out it was wrong ball...
From 160 yards out I landed in the sand. That is correct...by using the driver instead of the 7 wood I lost about 30 yards. And cost myself a stroke for the drop...
Bad work out of the sand, still in the rough. Weak putt...and then jarred a 20' to "save" double bogey (snowman without the mulligan).
284 yarder, my driver straight again but I was playing for the fade. Ended up unplayable lie, drop, short with sand wedge, bad chip, 1 putt, and it was a bomb, for a 5.
Final hole, a 292 yarder. Uncorked a nice 240 yard down the middle, 50 yards from green, my sand wedge is a 45 yard club. I flew the green...took a nice, relaxed, easy swing and crushed about a 65 yarder. Oops. Put my third one on the green but still a long putt. Rolled it past the hole 6'...then drained that for a 5.
Totaled a 41 without the mulligan, 43 with it. Not bad. Course is a par 43, and, while a soft course, I will take bogey golf every time. Good time.
Round 1, 10 down, 289 to go.
Having an awesome wife, she okayed me to get the season pass at King City. I did not go for the year-long pass, just took March to October. Went out today with Dave for the first round.
First hole I wisely used the 7 wood, leaving the driver in the bag. I put a fade on it and was right side of fairway about 60 yards off the green. Somehow I put the pitch onto the green.
We were the third group off after they opened the course after plugging and sanding the greens. Horrid putting conditions. Then again, I am a horrible putter...3-putt for a bogey.
Hole 2 is a 178 yarder. I tried the 4 iron, which I have not hit in years...and was 10 yards short. Pitch, 2 putt. Better.
Third hole is a 249 yarder. 7 iron put me about 20 yards off the green, I landed my bump and run about 20 feet from the hole and 2 putted for a par.
196 yard par three. I was short and right with my rescue wedge. But I hit about an 8 foot putt for my second par.
167 yard par 3. Wide left this time, about a 12' sidehill putt goes in by about one rotation. 3rd consecutive par. Nice!
The next hole gives me issues. Really tall ttrees overhang the left side and there is no room to the right. I wisely pulled my 7 wood. I can get it over the trees if I fade but not slice. I sliced but thought I saw the ball check up okay. Nope, it rolled under some trees. I dropped back about the 120 yard marker and, instead of grabbing the right club, I ramped up a gap wedge. It is a 90 yard club and I landed about 20 yards short. Bad chip left me 30 feet from the cup but I somehow managed a 2-putt for the double bogey.
352 yard par 5. I played for a fade...and hit my driver straight as an arrow, over a house. Mulligan. (We take 1 mulligan per 9.) Blasted it more towards the fairway. Lost sight of the ball flight. Found a Nike Vapor well short of where I thought it had been. Two holes later figured out it was wrong ball...
From 160 yards out I landed in the sand. That is correct...by using the driver instead of the 7 wood I lost about 30 yards. And cost myself a stroke for the drop...
Bad work out of the sand, still in the rough. Weak putt...and then jarred a 20' to "save" double bogey (snowman without the mulligan).
284 yarder, my driver straight again but I was playing for the fade. Ended up unplayable lie, drop, short with sand wedge, bad chip, 1 putt, and it was a bomb, for a 5.
Final hole, a 292 yarder. Uncorked a nice 240 yard down the middle, 50 yards from green, my sand wedge is a 45 yard club. I flew the green...took a nice, relaxed, easy swing and crushed about a 65 yarder. Oops. Put my third one on the green but still a long putt. Rolled it past the hole 6'...then drained that for a 5.
Totaled a 41 without the mulligan, 43 with it. Not bad. Course is a par 43, and, while a soft course, I will take bogey golf every time. Good time.
Round 1, 10 down, 289 to go.
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