200th Post

Was a last-minute add as a sponsor-payer in a golf tournament. Free golf, free food...what's not to love?

Well...the format, for one thing.

I do not like best ball golfing. I like to play my own shots. I do not like some of the choices made by teams and do not like having other people rely on me.

When I am playing my own ball beginning to end, it does not adversely affect anyone else if I chunk a shot, but if everyone else has already hit and we need a good shot...even though we are equally responsible, because I have the last opportunity, I feel like I let them down if I do not perform well.

And that is not fair because I am what I am...a mid-to-high handicap golfer who is wildly inconsistent.

And I also like to measure myself by seeing how I score against the course.

But...free golf with people I like.

Unfortunately, the two other guys from my company massively built up my skills to the 4th member of our group (and his to me). So I felt pressure to play not my game but better than my game.

Sure enough, first hole I over swung, slice madly and hit a very poor shot. And our group makes a poor decision...

See, each person had to play 2 drives at some point in the round. But instead of being patient, we decided to take a vastly inferior drive to "get it out of the way" for one of our shorter hitters. And we ended up bogeying the hole.

Next hole was a par 3 and I hit short and right. We had an easy chip, but to get another "weaker drive" out of the way...we chose a much tougher shot. Bogey.

At this point, I was feeling pretty low. I was not playing my game. If playing for myself, I would have twice done a bump and run with my 8-iron. But the "correct" club was a gap wedge the first time and a sand wedge the second. I tried those instead.

It is not a shot I normally attempt and it showed. Both were horrible shots.

So having been built up to the sky, I am playing miserably. So I decided to stop playing the "correct" club and start playing my game. I also knew both the myth of my skill and Mr. T's were busted, so the pressure was off. It was going to be a typical 4-over par day.

The next hole was the long drive hole. I finally relaxed...and promptly cranked out a stunning, slightly better than 300 yard drive dead center fairway. At that moment, with 5 groups having gone through before us, it was the longest fairway drive by about 50 yards.

So for the first time ever at one of these scramble tournaments, I got my name on one of the contests.

I then blasted my 7 wood onto the fringe of the green and rolled a 45ish foot putt to about 4 feet from the cup. We birdied the hole.

And went on to birdie the next 6 holes after that as Mr. T and I took turns blasting massive drives and having all four of us take turns contributing some fantastic chips and long putts.

Somewhere along the line was a KP hole and I scored that, too.*

I felt good. Mr. T is one of the longest hitters on the course, and I was within yards of him...sometimes a bit behind, sometimes a bit ahead, and always a bit to the right.

We stopped at the turn to refresh....and my game melted down.

I lost all my rhythm. Instead of a fade, now I had a slice. Instead of nice, controlled chips I was hitting worm burners, sky balls, slices...it was ugly.

Finally I unleashed a massive drive that I played for my slice...and it went straight as an arrow. Bad shot...and I was on the verge of being frustrated because when my game deserted, we went from birdie after birdie to pars and bogeys. The other guys were playing as well as they had started...so the stroke per hole was directly attributable to me not carrying my weight.

Included in there was a Par 5 that we bogeyed.

So we had a long, maybe 225 yard shot to the green. First two guys hit miserably. I stepped up...super tense, not feeling it. Started to step away and suddenly it felt right again. They said, "Just walk around for a second," I replied, "No, I got this" and planted a gorgeous shot that trickled to about 8' from the cup. Boom, back on track.

Now my par 3s were on the green, my drives were back to fading instead of slicing, my irons were going where I intended and we were back to pars and birdies.
On our next to last hole, it was an "elimination hole". Whoever had already hit a shot could not hit another one had until we used one shot from each player.

Mr. T had gone deadly with irons, so we agreed to shoot for his preferred ranges and not use his drive.

Sure enough, first two guys uncork their shortest drives of the day which meant my short-but-accurate 7 Wood went back in the bag and out came my long-but-streaky driver.

Feeling pressure, I over-swung and took a good 50 yards off because of it. Still dead center fairway...but leaving a 195 yard second shot.

Mr. T then crushed one 80 yards past mine. His best drive of the day...and he had some monsters.

So...do we take 3 shots at it from our second best iron players from 115 feet...or one shot from 195?

We went the 3. No problem, a soft 9 iron would allow me to put some touch on it...or hack wildly and fly 20 yards right of the green.

Only to watch Mr. Consistency, aka New Grandpa go even further right putting our weakest pressure player on the spot...and he came through with a shot that left us 40 feet from the cup but putting.

Now only Gramps and I had shots left.

I putted first to give him the line. Too hard.

He then got about 8' from the cup.

Now the very situation I feared had risen. I do not putt for the cup...I lag putt, trying to ensure I never do worse than a 2-putt.

All day long, I had very seldom actually tried to sink putts but instead just tried to give the line to the better putters. Fortunately, I had sunk a couple including about a 25 footer that ranks in the top 5 putts I have ever made. But I had shanked every putt in the 6-8' range. Not even close.

And now the score for the hole came down to me and 1 putt with the fate of our team riding on it. We knew we were at or near the top of the leader board...a missed putt could cost us the tournament.

I hate that situation.

I mean, I love it if say...I am golfing with Kyla and Al and it determines which of us wins.

I hate it if 3 people are depending on me to score for them.

But somehow, someway, against the advice of a better putter, I picked my own line...and rolled it in for par.

Final hole; My drive was gorgeous, Mr. T's slightly better. My chip was good, but Gramps was better. We were on in 3 but a long, long way from the cup. I putted to show them the line...and the ball stopped one rotation from going in.

Then everyone else fell about 3 - 6' short of the hole, meaning we closed with a par.

Turns out we were in a 3 way tie for 1st at 7 under.

You read that right...a group I played with finished 7 under par.

So the tie-breaker was Par 5 scores...and that stretch where I was playing poorly and we bogeyed dropped us all the way to third.

My long drive was beaten out by less than a yard.

* And the KP? turns out there was a MENS KP...and a Womens. Care to guess which one I would have been KP on? (Hint: NOT the correct one). Good thing that wasn't embarrassing.


Overall, it was probably the most fun I have had playing best ball format. Great group of guys, a couple of us playing over our heads.

I actually felt like I could compete with one of the better golfers I have ever played with.

And I enjoyed every hole....even when I was scuffling.

Beacon Rock, Dec 6, 2008

Golfnow had a great price, the sun was out, the Goose wanted to study, I wanted to golf...so off I went.

Hole one has a slight right bend, trees along the right, open to the left.  I slapped it about 250 yards, ended up curving around the trees and along the right-center of the fairway. A nice chip, 2 putt, PAR. Nice start.

Hole 2 has a bend left at about the 125 from green mark, a 285 yard hole. About a 240 yard drive left me about 60 yards off the green after I faded right. I hit the front of the fringe and 3 putted for bogey. 

Hole 3 is a 150 yard straight par 3. Well, except the trees that overhang both sides. So keep it low and go straight or, like me, ramp up an 8 iron, get under it, and end up about 10 yards short. My chip left some work to be done, 2-putt, bogey.

Hole 4 is a Par 5, 391 yards so not especially long. I lost sight of my first shot, was pretty sure it was along the right side, maybe just into the sparse trees. Never found it. Technically, I should have re-teed. Instead, I backed off to about the 200 yard marker and dropped in the rough. Not officially correct, definitely Drew correct. 7 wood was a few yards short of the green. Chip was weak, 2 putt. I counted the drop for a 6, bogey.

Hole 5 There is water, but no way to tell how far away. Well, there is one way...shorten your swing and put your drive into it. Re-tee, crushed it. It is a 467 yard hole and I was about 135 off the green, well over the water. An 8-iron got me close, 1 putt PAR even after the penalty!

Hole 6Par 4, 316 yards, water down the right side, trees close on the left. I was right of the water. About 100 yards, took a gap wedge, landed short, chipped on, 2 putt, bogey.

Hole 7, par 4, 345, trees left, trees, water and houses right. Sliced a bit, but still had a clean look at the elevated green. Did not want to be short, added a club, skulled it, over green to the back fringe. Chip was wimpy (notice a trend?), 2 putt, bogey.

Hole 8, 134 yard par 3. My pitching wedge is my 135 yard club. Yet I left it short. My chip barely got on the green, 2 putt, bogey. 

Hole 9 starts tight but opens up, a 333 yard par 4. However, if you go right on the tee shot, a large oak overhangs the right side of the green. I crushed the drive about 250 yards, shanked my chip over the tree, then barely chipped onto the green, 2 putt. 

43 for the front, I was pretty happy with that. I thought I was playing poorly; my drive was all over the place, my chipping was short, short, short, short...but averaging 2 putts per hole covers a lot of errors.

The back plays slightly different as they change I think 3 tee boxes. Hole 10, though, is just playing hole 1 again.

This time I sliced and ended up where I was worried about hitting a tree on my back swing, even though about 20 practice swings showed I had lots of room. I actually whiffed on the ball I was worrying so much about hitting the tree. I did not count the stroke since I did not hit the ball, don't know the "official" rules and was playing Weasel golf. Then I shanked the shot right of the green. A short chip left me a make able putt which I left short. Bogey.

Hole 11 Par 4 I was worried about my driver, you don't want to go too far, so I pulled out my beloved 7 wood. And promptly chunked it about 130 yards and right, leaving myself a 160 yard shot. For some inexplicable reason, I whipped out my 8 iron instead of my 5 or 6. In a shock to, well, nobody, that left me short. Tired of landing short, I chipped over the green for variety. Back onto the green, 2 putt, a 6. My first big number. 

Hole 12, the 150 yard par 3. I aired it out, thought it was great, but ended up about 6 yards short. Nice chip for a change, about a 5' putt for PAR.

Hole 13 This time they changed the tee box, making in a 338 yard hole and the hardest on the course. I clipped it, pulling a ground ball left about 80 yards. I declared a Mulligan. I re teed. Well into the trees. Ironically, could not find the 80 yard grounder, but the tree one I found. Sand Wedge back onto the fairway...except short, so in the rough. Chip to fringe, putt from fringe, then 1 putt. Bogey.

Hole 14 A 501 yard par 5. I crushed my drive, clearing the water. Then I hit my 7 wood, pin high but right. Chipped on to about 6'. Missed the birdie, got the PAR.

Hole 15 7 Wood, slightly teed. Went too far right and short. 160 yards out, pulled out my 5 iron. Splash in the lake I thought was past the hole. Drop. Aimed left, waited for wind to die, which was pretty strong by now, 5 iron aimed left...thought it was water again. Upset, pulled my 8 iron, powered it up, landed about 4' short on the fringe. Went to see if I could recover either ball. The first one was gone, but did find my second. Chip was nice, putt lipped out, so a 2 putt a 7. Another big number. Ouch.

Hole 16 The tee box was moved back, making it a 425 yard par 5. With the wind, I teed lower and crushed the drive. Unfortunately, I was playing it to slice so I powdered a tree. It bounced left into a marshy area. No problem, line of sight to the elevated green, 7 wood distance. And my 7 wood I hit so bad my divot ended up 45 degrees left of my line of sight, the shot went about 40 yards. Now 85 yards out. Gap wedge. BAM! Smack into a tree, bounced onto fairway about 45 yards away. Now, that means I SHOULD use my Sand Wedge, but I don't trust it. 8 iron, hit to the right fringe. Used putter, got close, 1 putt, saved a bogey. This hole could easily have been a big, big number, maybe even double digits but I kept my head, didn't get upset, and made something out of nothing. And had I aimed slightly right, missed those trees, I would have had a great shot at an Eagle because that drive was as hard hit as any I hit all day. See hole 18 for why that matters.

Hole 17 133 or 134 yards. The wind scared me. Teed my 8 Iron low to the ground. Moved the ball forward. Aimed about 20 yards right of the green. Skied the ball. Almost hit the 9th/18th hole tee box about 40 yards left of the green. Spectacular chip, about a 6' putt that rolled in. PAR.

Hole 18 I CRUSHED my drive. 284 yards. I walked it off. I then managed to watch my modified 8 iron roll over the green. And weakly chip. And my par putt lipped...hung...and rolled out. Bogey.

44 for the back. Not bad. 

An 87. I am ecstatic with that. A course I have never played before, Rated 67.4 with a slope of 107 (as if I know what those mean...)

Glendoverr, 10/25

Kyle and I had been wanting to golf together for a while, so off we headed to Glendoveer. 18 holes, walking. My goal for the day was to break 100, something I have never done for 18.

First hole is a short, 275 yard par 4 with an elevated green, sand short and right. I had a nice 240 yard drive, pitched on, 2 putt for par. Good start. Kyle went way right with his drive and struggled, finally taking a snowman. Ouch.

The second hole is also short, about 242 yards with sand in front and to both sides of the green. I had maybe a 200 yard drive, another pitch, 2 putts, par. Kyle also scored a par on this hole, which was cool. 

3 is a tight fairway with some fairway bunkers and to a dropped green that has blind areas in front. I went right unfortunately far, had a great approach, 2 putt, par. Kyle also scored a par.

#4 is a 154 yard par 3 that is just short and straight. We both chunked our tee shots, it took 2 to get on, 2 putts apiece, a couple of bogeys. At this point I am pumped. 1 over after 4 holes is great for me.

#5 is where it gets tough. Both sides have trees that make the fairway tight. It is only 268 yards, but you cannot stray too far. Well, Kyle pulled out his 3-wood and said, "I am going to bounce it off that tree and be in the fairway." And promptly hit the very tree he pointed at and bounced back into the fairway. So I pulled my shot left, it would have been great except there was exactly one branch I could hit...and I did which knocked 40 yards off my drive. I was still in the fairway. Pitch, putt, putt. Par, Kyle not so good.

Hole #6 is a 357 yard par 4 that is again very tight. I had a complete meltdown. Poor drive, weak second shot, I think 5 to get on and a 3 putt. Suddenly my great round had a snowman. Poor Kyle did little better, scoring a 7.

Hole #7 is 335 yards and even tighter. I sliced and was behind some trees, but had a bead on the left side of the green. I punched out onto the green, 2 putt, par.

Hole #8 is 346 yards with a soft bend left. I yanked my drive badly left into the trees, punched out, hit the green from there and 2 putted to save a bogey.

Hole #9 is a 424 yard par 5 with the green guarded both sides by sand. Again I pulled left. My second shot I played my 7 wood and blasted it, a great shot that gave me a good look at the green. Unfortunately, my chip was short so I had to chip again, then 2 putted for a bogey to close the front out with a 43, including 5 pars, 3 bogeys, and the one quadruple bogey. 

I am pretty proud of that 43 as Glendoveer is a tough course for me and by hole 7 I was starting to feel fatigue as evidenced by my driver deserting me.

Meanwhile, Kyle shot a mighty fine 48 with 3 pars (including hole 9), 3 bogeys, a double, a triple, and a quadruple bogey.

#10 is only 265 with fairway sand right where you want to land. Before we could tee off, 2 guys asked if they could join us. We wanted to say no but couldn't. I do not play well with others. *sigh* I sliced, punched back into the fairway, chipped close, chipped to about 2 feet and 1-putted for a bogey. Kyle also bogeyed. 

#11 is a 372 yard par 4 with sand guarding both front sides of the green. Again Kyle and I both took bogeys. 

#12 is a 112 yard par 3 with water in front of the green. I hit just short of the green and it rolled back towards the pond but stayed just above the ater. Unfortunately, it was in front of a clump of grass and I had no footing. I decided to give a pretty good pop to the grass and overshot the green, which was tough because it is a pretty large green. A good chip left me about a 5' putt which I drained for a bogey. 

#13 is a 308 yard par 4 closely guarded by trees on both sides with sand in front of the green. My drive was not good...right and behind the trees. I tried to punch under the trees and over the sand...but hit the tree and bounced back into the sand. The sand for a different hole...well, I chipped out of the sand to about 5' from the cup and one-putt for par. 

#14 is a 340 yard down hill with trees both sides. I ripped my drive but far right. I still had a clear look at the green from about 136 yards out. But I shanked my 8 iron and ended up in some trees right of the green with a tiny window to the green which lay downhill with some rough ground between me and it and a sharp drop that made part of it blind. So I took a short swing with my 8 iron and landed about 2' from the cup and tapped in for par.

#15 is a457 yard slight left bend par 5. I scrabbled back from going way right to somehow reach the green in 3 and 2 putt for another par. I was on fire for me.

The next hole, #16 is only 383 yards but still a par 5.  I pulled my drive left. It was a ground ball we though went maybe fifty yards. Turned out to be about 150, crushed a 7 wood from a sidehill uphill lie to a blind fairway, 136 yards and was looking at an uphill shot with sand traps flanking both sides of the green.  8 Iron left me with a 10' downhill putt which skittered a good 6' past the hole. I managed to hit that to save par.

#17 climbs sharply, playing as 341 par 4 uphill. I hammed a 280 yard drive down the middle. Pulled out my gap wedge for the first time all day. Perfect choice, it landed pin high...but bounced way up the hill. I was maybe 15' from the cup and tried to hit a 3 foot putt. Ended up 10' below the cup it was that steep and that fast. My come back putt died on the lip and I went from a birdie attempt to a bogey. Aggh!

#18 is a 144 yard par 3 with sand in front on both sides and a warning; don't go above the flag as this one is badly slanted to the front. I promptly shanked my 8 iron about 5' above the pin and 30 yards right of the green, easily one of my 3 or 4 worst shots of the day. I had sand between me and the green and electrical wires in the way. Boo! Sand Wedge...straight into the sand. Blasted out of the sand to the far side of the oversize green. My putt coming back I aimed about 10' above the hole, laying about 25' to the side. And my putt HIT the hole! but rolled about 6' below it. I yipped that and finished with a 6. 

Still, with no big numbers on the back, I was only one shot worse, a 44. I had 3 pars, 5 bogeys, and the triple. So I shot bogey golf on the back which I am ecstatic about.

For the day I shot an 87. To be honest, there was one putt I joked around with and missed so I took 1 mulligan on the front. Other than that, completely legit score. An EIGHT-SEVEN!

I am pretty jacked about that. Kyle also played well, shooting a 45 on the back, or 2 shots better than the front to finish with a 93. For two hackers, that is outstanding. On 8 holes, or almost half, I had pars. I cannot tell you how happy I am with my round.

West Killarney

Went to West Killarney with 3 guys from work. John likes best ball and likes to win. Bill, by his own admission, is not very good. Dave and I shot about even last week. I don't care too much about winning, particularly best ball format, which I don't care too much for, so I said, "Me and Bill will make a team." This made John happy as he looked forward to an easy win.

First hole is a dog leg left. About a 180 yard drive gets you to the corner, 200 yards puts you behind a tree so you really need to be accurate. John hit a gorgeous drive, Bill faded right, Dave chunked badly, and I whipped out my 7 wood. And topped it, maybe 140 yards. Terrible...but Bill was behind a tree so we played mine. We went back and forth...took us 4 shots to get on the green and then we 2 putted. Played 3 of Bill's shots and 3 of mine. Dave and John took a 5 so we were down one. 

Hole 2 is another "target golf" thing...maybe 160 yards to get past a tree, 190 yards means you might be out of bounds. Short right is trees and canyon. Both Dave and John hit gorgeous, near perfect drives. Bill had a playable drive but to the green blind. I mis-hit my 5 iron, it never got higher than knee level and sliced...fortunately, that meant it was a perfect shot. Unfortunately, I then topped my 9 iron and it went maybe 5 yards? Brutal. Fortunately, Bill put us close to the green. We then both chipped over the green. Our chip back on was okay, we 2 putted. Again, 3 of my shots, 3 of Bill's, Dave and John again had a 5 so we were down 2 after 2. About right.

Hole 3 is a 95 yard par 3. Bill chunked it way short and right. I took a half swing with my 8 iron. However, I crushed it. We thought it was OB so we played Bill's. I then blasted my ball to who knows where. When we went to play his second we found my first. So we played that. I managed to get mine on the green. We played one of my putts and one of his. Dave & John also had a 4.

Next hole is a long par 4 that is tree lined on both sides. Bill hammered out a nice drive as did John. I tried my driver but was still using the new uni-height tees. Sky-ball slice. Brutal. 7 wood went nowhere, Bill had a nice hit if a bit right. We played my chip to the green and his putts. Another bogey, as did Dave & John. 

At this point I was extremely frustrated. I was trying to play relaxed, smart golf. I was underswinging, going with soft swings, and so forth. And I was chunk-chunk-chunking my shots. I took a ball I had found and baseballed it into the woods with my putter, went over and sat at the next tee bench.

The next hole is  the first par 5, about 475 yards. Bill hit a short shot, John hit a long one, Dave hit short, and as I got ready to swing, Bill said, "Drew is ready to unleash a legendary drive...of F-bombs."  I tried my driver with a normal tee. And CRUSHED it. It was about a 270 yard drive and right center of the fairway. I then blasted my 7 wood pin high. They reached the front fring in 3 and we were still farther then them after 2. Then John chipped to about 6" from the cup. I chipped to about 8', we 2 putted. We played 5 of my shots and got the par. Unfortunately, John's chip meant we were still down 2. 

The next hole is a 360 yard par 4 with trees tight to the fairway on both sides. John hammered a nice drive, Bill and Dave both sliced short and bad, and then I stepped up. I had to avoid the tree that inhibits a skied driver on the right so I aimed left. Again I absolutely crushed it. It blasted loose a small branch  and still landed dead center in the fairway 90 yards from the green. Bill chipped short and left, I chipped pin high and right. We took mine, I rolled onto the green and close, we 1 putted for a par. Unfortunately, John rolled in about a 20' putt. Again the stroke we thought we were going to get back was ripped from us.

Next hole was a 135 yard par 3. John landed on the green. Bill went OB past the green. Dave landed on the green. I always struggle on this hole, but this time I hit the deep left corner of the green. Both Bill and I got close with our putts but mine was slightly closer and I holed it for the par. So did Dave & John.  3 straight pars for both partnerships.

Hole 8 is a short par 5, about 475 yards. It makes up for the length by having trees even tighter to both sides of the fairway. Bill hit very short, Dave was off in the woods to the right and John hammered a nice drive into the center of the fairway. So again I demolished my drive, long and straight. We were laying about 160 yards off the green. Over a 300 yard drive and center of the fairway!  Unfortunately, both Bill and I went right but I was about pin high so we took mine. I chipped onto the green and their third shot was long. They chipped on and were laying 4. They 2 putted. I had about a 7' putt with a left bend for the birdie that would tie us. John actually laid his putter in front of the hole. When the antics were over I put the putt on the lip; 1 more rotation and it would have fallen. So I tapped it for my 4th consecutive par, all of which were exclusively my shots. I was playing awesome.

We were now only down 1 with 1 hole to go, a very tough dogleg left par 4. Bill went first. He sliced badly and hit a tree about 40 yards down and right. John stepped up and hit a great drive that looked like it made the corner and was a great, great shot. I pulled out a 3 iron, trying to get past the corner without driving the road as I usually do here. Instead I shanked it shorter than Bill's and further right. Horrible. John and Dave were counting up how many strokes they would pick up. So then Bill overdrove the fairway and went OB against the road. I decided to try my 7W over the trees, over the water, over hole 5 to the green. Instead I caught mud and a branch, hit a low overhanging branch with the ball, and ended up about 40 yards from the green...short of the pond...behind trees. Sadly...that was better than Bill's shot. I ripped out my sand wedge, took a stout swing, the ball flew over the trees and pond and landed on the green about 6' from the cup. It was an outstanding shot. Dave hit a tree and ended up further from the green. John sliced behind a tree. For whatever reason they took Johns even with no view of the flag. Neither of them reached the green. Then they both chipped to the far back side of the green. They were laying 3, so were we. Their next putt barely got closer than ours. If we made our putt we would win outright. We both missed by inches so we took a 5. John yipped so it came down to Dave...who hit the lip and it rolled in for the tie.

Still, Bill and I should have gotten KILLED. We played only 12 of Bills shots. We shot a 43, 7 over. So I actually played really well once we got past the 4th hole. I played the next 4 holes alone and then we matched well on 9. 

I ended up having a good time despite the rough first 4 holes. A good finish to the year.

Three Rivers Golf Course

I knew Dave's wife was at a lace convention and the Goose was studying so he and I headed off to Longview. Unfortunately, there was a slight flaw in the directions I got from Googlemaps...namely, they said to take an exit that...well...doesn't exist. So we did the tour de Longview and ended up driving the length of the town. Like 3 times. So I was a bit frustrated by the time we got there.

Fortunately, there were very, very few people at the course. We basically paid and walked up to the tee. It is a long par 5 where the tee shot needs to be blasted to get up the hill to a blind fairway. Since Dave was taking his new clubs for the maiden tour I had him rip first.

He promptly sliced approximately 100 yards right of the fairway into some trees well short of the top of the hill. Now, I had just purchased some new tees. I habitually tee the ball too low. I also prefer to tee off with my 7 wood with which I do not use a tee. However, recently I read a couple books that pointed out doing this was a disadvantage to myself and even some of the best ball-strikers in history teed up every change they could because it was an easier shot. Taking this to heart, I decided to tee up every drive. I also bought tees that are universal in height...when you use them, you will always tee up the same height, it is impossible to do otherwise. And it is significantly higher than I have ever teed up before.

So I promptly made Dave's drive look spectacular; I might have hit it on the hosel, my hit was that bad. It was shorter than Dave's and further right.

My second shot, I decided to play "smart golf" and just hit it back onto the fairway so I could then use my beloved Fairway wood. Unfortunately, I did not hit it quite hard enough and left myself in the rough. And it was rough. My beloved 7 wood turned in my hands and I pulled it well left. And now had to contend with tree branches behind and above me. So I botched that shot. Well, Dave ended the hole with a snowman...and I snuck into double figures! Ouch. I had not put a 10 on the scorecard in years. Not an auspicious beginning.

Hole 2 is a par 4 with a slight bend left. Dave hammered his drive. Unfortunately, he had lined up so far left to compensate for his drive that he went way left...directly into trees. I crushed my drive (for me). 248 yards, just right of the fairway. My second shot landed on the right side of the green. A nice lag putt left me a 6' which I thought was in but left about 2" from the hole. I took a 5, not bad, but I wanted that par! Meanwhile, Dave had taken an adventure and took a snowman so I actually had a 1 stroke lead...

Next up was a par 3. I shanked my 8 iron. Not a good sign as that is typically one of my 2 best clubs. I rely so heavily on my 8 iron and 7 wood that those 2 clubs need regripped...but no other club is even worn yet. When it deserts me I am in trouble.

Instead of wisely chipping with my 8 I decided to hit my sand wedge. I have been experimenting with it lately and like the flop shot. Unfortunately, I chunked it past the green. Now a chip from a sidehill lie with the ball under my feet barely reached the green. A quick 3 putt and my 6 to Dave's 4 meant he was back up 1.

The next hole I absolutely crushed my drive. Unfortunately, I had elected to play for the fade I often hit and by so aligning, was aimed about 4 - 5' left of the fairway about 200 yards out. Well...I went further than 200 yards, never faded or sliced, and landed behind a tree. A quick punch onto the fairway, an 8 iron to about 20' from the cup, and I missed the putt but about 6".

A bit later we both sliced our drives. I ended up in a fairway bunker. I used my 7 wood, picked it clean, and almost drove the green. Unfortunately, the word "almost" is the operative word. I was short, blocked by a tree. I punched out...and over the green. Another 6. The big numbers were piling up. Of course, Dave took a snowman, so I was back up 1...

We went back and forth until at one point he was up one. The hole is a sharp dog-leg right to an elevated and blind. Neither of us had any idea how far to the bend. I decided to unleash the driver and my overswing would cause a slice. This would, in theory, carry my somewhat up the hill. Unfortunately, I skied the ball. It probably went 250 yards. Of course, 242 of those yards were up in the air...it did not even get to the ladies tees. I crushed my 7 wood but aimed poorly. Had I aimed better it would have been a great shot. As it was, it was about as far from a great shot as you could get. Once more I was blocked by a tree. I could punch it right of the hole, but out of bounds loomed. Or I could go OVER the tree...so out came the sand wedge. Took a good, hard swing, got over the tree, but left myself needing to fly a sand trap. Another sand wedge...except I skulled it. It bounced off the fence marking out of bounds. An 8 iron, my backswing hit the fence. Another snowman. It was UGLY.

By the final hole we had traded the lead 3 or 4 times and were tied. I promptly pulled my drive left. I hit a provisional and this time I just dropped a ball and ripped my 7 wood like I used to. It was a great drive, slightly left side of the fairway (which is what I wanted since it was a dogleg left hole) with an easy 160 yards to an open green. Found my first ball and it was about a foot out of bounds per the local rules so I took my second shot and was laying 3. Dave promptly chunked his second shot into the pond. So now we were both laying 3. I pulled out my 5 iron. Earlier on a 160 yard par 3 I had landed on the green with a 3/4 swing with it. So this time I went full swing. Yep, pulled it left. Dave landed on the green but it skittered into the sand. I overshot the green, he got on. A weak chip, a 2 putt...to his 3 putt. We tied.

For the day I rang up the highest 9 hole score I have had in probably 6 years, a 58. Only twice all day did I hit the green in regulation and both times left putts on the lip of the cup. It was horrific.

But it was also fun. Good time. And if I were smart and went back to teeing off with my 7 Wood I would easily be back in the 40s. We will see if I get smart. Don't count on it.

Lake Oswego Golf Course

Since I have only played "best ball" this year, I wanted to get in at least one round that was just me seeing what I could do. So I header over to the Stafford Road course for a quick 9. It is a short par 3 course. Happily, I did not get paired with anyone. Of course, in some ways that is bad; I tend to play too fast. If I slowed down I would play better more often than not.

First hole is maybe 136 yards. Went with the 8 iron. Usually I don't tee up on par 3s, but some recent reading has led me to believe that is a mistake that makes the game more difficult so tee it I did. And promptly hit a worm burner. Pulled it left but pin high. My chip was almost awesome as it rattled the flag pretty good and left me about a 6' putt which I promptly missed. Oh, well, an opening 4 ain't bad. If I can bogey most holes and maybe par a couple I will be happy.

Second hole is a slightly elevated tee box and maybe 119. Tried my 9 iron. Hit it short. Decent ship, but a horrific 3 putt. gave me a 5.

Third hole is 175 yards, slight left bend to a slightly elevated green. 5 iron. Started good but tailed at the end. I was on the green, though. But it was probably a 25' putt, nothing I really had a chance at. I rolled the ball about 5' past the cup and made that for a par. Sweet!

About this time I caught up to a threesome who was behind a foursome of high school girls who were playing slow so it gave me time to kick back and relax. It was a 119 yard tee from the top of the hill. I wanted to air it out so the ball would sit. I figured a teed up Gap wedge would be perfect. I will never know because I skulled it badly. Line-drived that sucker. It flew right over the green about 40 yards the other side and rolled behind a tree so I could not even see the flag. Grr. I punched out and managed to land on the right side of the green, leaving maybe a 15' putt which I promptly botched. Another 2-putt.

Hole 5 goes slightly uphill and is maybe 135. I thought a pitching wedge was right; I hit it 135, the hill was slight, and since I fly it essentially the entire distance, that is a good selection, right? Eh. 20 yards short (!) and slightly right. Decided to try a flop shot since at this point the green was somewhat elevated. And hit it maybe 10'. Brutal. Chip, putt, putt, putt a SIX! ouch.

Next hole is 119, sharp downhill. 9 iron. First time all day I hit almost exactly the shot I attempted. Nice, high arch, landed just left of the pin, looked like it rolled real close to the hole, left me about a 5' putt. It is the first shot I have ever hit where I thought I had a chance at a hole in one, I was pretty excited when the ball was rolling. Missed the birdie putt but got my par.

That was about it for good golf. Closed out with a 5 and then hole 9 was brutal. 175 yards uphill. Yanked my 5 iron right, tree, landed behind it. Punched out into the fairway. Chunked my chip maybe 6 yards. Awful. My next one wasn't much better. So 4 to get on and then a 3 putt. A SEVEN to finish off. 12 over the last 2 holes. I finished with a 43...

Overall I guess for not having played my own game tee to green at all this year and only once last year, that is not terrible. Not good, certainly...but not unbelievably bad. I definitely need to get my putting back. A couple 3 putts, and an unbelievable 4 putt were the difference between an acceptable (by my standards) round and a bad one. And 22% of the time I still got par. So I can definitely get my game back if I get to playing regularly.

THe Goose's inaugral round

So lately the Goose has expressed some interest in learning how to golf. A week or two ago a few of us...okay, 12...went to a kind of "joke" course where I showed her the basics of a golf swing.

When I say joke course...the fairways are harder to hit out of than the deep rough on real golf courses. The rule is to "sweep the green when you are finished putting" because the "greens" are...well...sand.

Still, she learned the basics of the swing and how to hit the ball. So we went to a short Par 3. As in 1113 total yards for 18 holes. REAL short. The longest hole was 82 yards. But that is okay...she does not hit it real far yet.
I, on the other hand, do. I played the entire course never needing a club longer than a soft gap wedge and most of it was my sand wedge, a club I will hit anywhere from about 50 yards on in. I was mostly trying to put a new shot in my bag, a flop shot.
As you can see, even by the second hole her swing is still a bit stiff. We are working on that. The first hole was about what you would expect. 64 yards, straight, sand to the left. I was on in one, 2 putted for a par. She reached in 3 and 3 putted.
Her putting instruction was not extensive: "You have played mini-golf, right?"

"Yeah."

"Just do the same thing here. Don't worry about reading greens or anything like that, just roll the ball to the hole." I have to admit, for her being a new golfer...that actually worked pretty well. For an executive course it had some interesting greens, including one that had better than a foot of left to right break on maybe a 10 foot putt. That I did not expect...

Anyhow, the second hole was more of the same. I reached in one, 2 putted for par, she reached in 3 and 3-putted.

On the third hole, I reached in 2 and 1-putted while she reached in 2 and 3 putted.

And so it went; she had 5 6s, 2 7s, an 8 and a 5 going out, I had 6 3s, a 4, 5, and 6. Yes, on hole 8 I really struggled.

I tried to flop a pitching wedge. It did not go well...and proving sometimes I don't learn from my errors, I tried a flop shot with my sand wedge. So it took me three to get on the green. And I was at the wrong end. I wimped on my first putt, leaving an 8 - 10 footer...and here is where the break came. So I 3 putted. Meanwhile, the Goose was on in 3, then 3 putted...so it took her all of 8 holes into her golfing career to match my score on a hole.

Anyhow, I shot a 33 going out to her 57.

On hole 10 she actually accomplished another first. She overdrove a 56 yard green. She discovered she did not need to be afraid of taking a full swing. She still ended up taking a 6, but now she knew she had more power than she had thought.

Hole 11 was a 54 yarder. Her drive landed on the green. She 2 putted for her first par! (and the second time her score equaled mine...)

I am still super proud of that, even though it was a short course; getting up and down in 3 on your first time on a course, even a short course, is something I find impressive.

As golfers will, she promptly regressed and took a 7, but still...

Hole 14 was my only birdie of the day as I was on in one and drained a nice little 10 footer that broke right to left. It was a pretty good read on that hole.

She also impressed on the 17th hole. She hit into a sand trap and, given the choice of hitting out of the sand or me tossing the ball out of the sand for her to hit, she hit out of the sand. And did pretty well, I might add.

She improved 7 shots on the back 9, touching up a 57 while I stayed the same at 33 coming in.

I am super excited she has taken up the game. I am also excited she is showing so much improvement so quickly.

Summerfield

Played some best ball. Dave and I against John and Jim.

Last time we played I teamed with John. He is not a particularly long hitter but he is accurate. He often struggles to chip when a hazard is in front of him such as a sand trap or water but otherwise he will get you on the green in 2 - 3 shots on par 4s.

Dave is similar to me. He will typically fade or slice his drive but plays for it and hits a lot of fairways. His chips are generally accurate and his putts are very solid. He is probably a bogey golfer or so, maybe 1 or 2 shots worse over 9 holes.

I am getting my game back, but for now I have very little control over my driver, my mid-irons are shaky, but my chipping is pretty good.

I have not played with Jim for years but he tends to have titanic drives but then breaks down in the short game.

So Jim would provide the drives, John the mid-range game and they would split putting duties. Dave and I would split it all, we are very similar golfers.

My first shot was just humiliating. I almost completely whiffed and dribbled the ball about 10 yards. They insisted I re hit and this time I put it about 200 yards down the fairway, though it did fade to the right. My iron shot went left and Dave floated to the green, we played one of his putts and one of mine to par the hole. Meanwhile, Jim had a titanic drive but pulled it left. John was short but in the fairway. They hit the green and 2 putted.

2nd hole is a par 3. John hit short but center of fairway, Dave pulled it into the trees though it was bending back into play. Jim over drove the green and almost into the street. All I had to do was drop in on the green and we would pick up a shot or 2. My shot started good but then sliced like a mother and we ended up playing Dave's shot. I hit a nice punch shot that gave us a make able putt. Somehow we both missed and bogeyed, as did the Double Js.

Third hole, my drive was long but further right. If we were not playing best ball I would have liked it but Dave was almost center of fairway though slightly behind a tree. Dave hit the fringe a bit short, so I decided to try a miracle shot and go over the tree. Unfortunately I way over drove the green. I made up for it by flopping a shot about 3 feet from the pin, Dave putted in for par.

At this point I was feeling a bit bad. We had played 5 of my shots...out of 12. I was only 1 off the pace but did not feel like I was holding up my end.

Starting on hole 4 that changed. I blasted my drive long and on the right side of the fairway. We were about 135 yards from the hole with an uphill hit over a sand trap. I pulled my shot into the OTHER sand trap and Dave skulled his shot. So we would play from the sand. And when we got there the ball was totally plugged....buried. And we had to go the long way across a big green. Dave suggested I move it but I wanted to try the shot. So I blasted the ball...and it was AWESOME. Just like you are supposed to, I kicked up sand onto the green, the ball exploded out onto the green to about 6 feet from the hole. My putt was terrible...but Dave hit it to save par and we picked up a stroke. It worked great...he had a poor drive, mid-iron and chip but saved us with a great putt. I had a poor middle iron and putt...but they worked.

Hole 5 goes over one water hole and then a wide fairway that has water in front of the hole, sand to the side and behind. I demolished the ball, long and to the right side of the fairway. John was medium distance and dead center in the fairway while Woody (Jim) just destroyed his ball. We later found it and had it been straight he might have driven the green. Well, from 115 yards out Dave launched his ball over the green. With water in front...what to do. I sort of did a modified pitching wedge...and it was GORGEOUS, landing about 8 feet from the cup. My birdie put missed by about 6" and Dave was about the same. We parred the hole

Hole 6 is a long par 4 with a slight dogleg right. Again I unleashed and for the first time in any one's memory, someone out drove Jim...I drove it maybe 250, landing inside 30 yards. A nice sand wedge shot gave us a make able birdie putt...and we THREE PUTTED. Awful putting display. Mine was so bad it was embarrassing. Drive, chip, good. Putt? I suck.

Hole 7 is a short par 3, I think 118 yards. For the first time all day I ripped out my 9 iron. Unfortunately., the sun was right in my eyes. I could not even see the green. I decided to "trust my club" but pulled it left. Dave then hit a great shot that gave us another 6 - 8' birdie put. Yeah, we missed it. That was all Dave's hole, though.

Hole 8 we ended up on the green in 2 thanks to another fine drive I had and good chip but a 4 putt...yes, I said 4...put us 3 over par.

The 9th hole is a par 3 over water to an uphill green. Dave and I both landed on the green. Again my putt was just embarrassing...way off line, way off distance. Dave had a nice putt to get us close and we parred again to finish 3 over, 3 or 4 shots ahead of Jim and John.

Overall I would say my drives were probably about a B for me, my mid irons maybe a C, my short chips a solid B or even an A, and my putting an F. Fortunately, Dave picked me up when I was struggling and vice versa. We meshed well, it was a fun day.

Chenowith

Was asked to be a replacement in a charity golf tournament. Have only gone once this year and that was with a foursome where we had 2 teams each playing best ball. Fair enough, just don't expect much from me.

First hole we play has a sign, "217 yards to end of fairway". No problem, I rip out my beloved 7 Wood and promptly overdrive the end of it, which I could not see at the time because it was a drop away area. Anyhow, we played that one and my second shot as well, which I put a ways out there. In fact, on that hole we played 3 of my shots so I was feeling good.

We played par golf for the first 3 holes, then a bogey when none of us could hit the green on a par 5. That would prove to be a trend.

It was on our 8th hole it all went wrong. By then I was already starting to feel fatigue. We put together 4 pathetic drives. The BEST of the 4 was maybe a 150 yard "blast" that landed in a fairway bunker. Out of the bunker, 3 of us hit about 30 yards each and one guy somehow cranked it up to about pin high...but on a downhill lie looking over a sand trap to a green that fell away from us. We just shook our heads...this was a shot none of us was capable.

I laughed. "Don't worry, I got this. I am going to hit a sand wedge flop shot that will bring rain, land about 3 feet the other side of the cup and back up to it." We all laughed because....well...I can't do any of that.

First off, I can't hit the sand wedge at all. Horrible club for me. I have no clue what yardage I hit, when I do pull it out I typically skull shots, and I can't hit a flop or put back spin on it.

So I promptly hit a shot that went about 100 yards straight up in the air, floated over, landed a little beyond the stick and backed up to about 4 feet from the cup to give us an easy par save. It was AWESOME. And unbelievable. That is NOT a shot I have in my bag.

Well, Dave was collecting the other balls and rolled one towards Jason...and it dropped. But we putted from mine. Easy put. Straight line, no break, make able distance. Oh, not make able for us...we all 4 yipped and bogeyed the hole.

It was a melt-down after that. My 7 Wood, which I NEVER struggle with suddenly I could not swing. I hit 40 yard drives with it where the divot out-flew the ball, sliced my driver like nobodies business...and everyone else was struggling too. We mixed pars and bogeys about equally.

On one hole I again over drove the fairway because I did not realize there was a chasm beyond the fairway. Jim was at the end of the fairway. Jim, Jason and Dave promptly all hit into that chasm which meant my chip into the sand trap short of the green was the best shot. "No problem," I said, "I have a sand wedge." We all laughed because we had seen my sand shot earlier. Except this time I hit it perfect, had the flying sand like you are supposed to and rolled it about 3 feet from the cup.

The next hole we took our one mulligan. It was a 136 yard par 3 that my beloved 8 iron...far and away my 2nd best club and one that I used to hit about 165 yards...was a good 20 yards short. Jim re-hit his drive and it ended up on the fringe about pin high. I rolled a bump and run to about 6" from the cup, Jim was about 10", Jason missed by a couple feet...and Dave holed out for a (cheap) birdie.

Next hole I broke out my driver for no apparent reason and crushed it (for me these days) about 260 yards. Unfortunately, that put us about 135 yards from the hole on an uphill side hill lie to a blind green with a tree overhanging it.

"No problem," I said, "I am going to blast my pitching wedge over the tree about 8" from the cup." We all laughed since I had hit my 9 iron short on a 120 yard shot a few holes previously. Clearly a Pitching Wedge was not going to carry 135 yards uphill. So I blasted the pitching wedge, it flew over the tree, we all lost sight of it. After everyone else hit, we rolled up the hill, my ball was pin high about a foot off the green in the fringe. Great shot.

That was about it for the great shots for me for the day.

We ended with a 7 over 79 for the day, not bad for 3 duffers and a guy who had not played in 6 years. We hit 2 illegitimate shots all day: we brought my first drive somewhat back from the OB per the "official" rules which was kind of cheesy and we took the mulligan. Otherwise it was totally legit.

I played surprisingly well even without having good control over my 7 wood or 8 iron...which are typically the 2 clubs I hit 80% of my shots with. I definitely felt like I held up my end. We used at least a half dozen of my drives, 8 or 10 chips, 5 or 6 puts...so I would say overall about 20 - 25 of my shots were used so I was right there with Dave and Jim. Jason had not played in about 6 years and we ended up using maybe 5 of his shots.

And we had fun so that was good. Good experience, glad I went.

West Killarney, 7/6

I had not golfed for a couple of years. For some random reason, Phillip, Bob (Tracy's Dad), Gabe and I randomly decided to go. Then it turned out Gabe was just wanting to walk along and take pictures. Okay, fair enough. Here we go, let's have some fun.



First hole Phillip launches his tee shot, beautiful, Bob puts his dead center in the fairway, and then it was my first time to hit a ball in a LONG time. I pulled out my trusty 7 wood. No tee for me. I checked my grip, slid my right foot forward slightly, nice easy backswing, smooth swing, and crushed it, blowing past the fairway by a good 40 yards. Too much club. Unbelievable. And it put me behind a pair of towering trees. I knew I was going to swing softly, had no way of judging distance so pulled my pitching wedge. Again, soft, smooth swing...and blasted over the trees, over the green, almost into the canyon. Wow, good power on my shots today! Well, now I was behind a fence. I grabbed my beloved 8 iron and punched it onto the green from whence I 2 putted for a bogey. Not bad...2 tough shots and I save a bogey. I was not displeased at all.



hole 2: this one is a sharp dogleg right that drops away. It is not wise to try to cut off the dogleg because your ball stays in the canyon so my plan was to hit a soft shot maybe 190 yards, chip and putt. I pulled out my 5 iron on the theory that I had lost 40 yards off each club. Apparently my 140 yard pitch taught me nothing...even worse, I sliced liked a madman. Of course, in this case the combination of too much club and poor directional control landed me in the fairway about 30 yards off the green. A modified 8 iron left me a reasonable birdie putt which I missed but still saved par. 2 holes in and I had a par!



Hole 3: real short par 3, nothing tricky except dropping off the cliff. I hit a real light 8 iron because I trust it more than my gap wedge, which would have been the correct club distance wise. Sadly, I faded my shot and was in the rough pin-high to the right of the green. Pitch, putt, putt, bogey.



Hole 4: Long, straight hole with trees on both sides. I concentrated on not over swinging...just a soft, smooth swing. Well, when you let the club do the work amazing things happen...such as a long, straight drive. 8 iron pin high, left of the pin, 2 putt, par.



Hole 5; Longer, this one is a par 5 that goes over water about 100 yards off the green. I decided since I was swinging so well to get some extra distance so I ramped up my swing. I am an idiot. I pulled it...long, high, and left which landed me in some trees. Fortunately, I had a clean shot to the green but the water made me nervous so I ramped up my swing again, still using my 7 wood. Somehow, this 23 degree club which often brings rain I could not get off the ground and hit a worm burner maybe 100 yards. Terrible stroke. I went back to a light, easy swing and over drove the green with my third shot. A pitch, a couple putts and I had another bogey.



Hole 6: Tight fairways, medium length par 4. Nice, smooth, light swing equals nice distance, nice location. 8 iron to the dance floor, regulation number of putts, par. I am not aware of it at the time but I am having a very strong round. I tend to remember stuff like the poor drive, bad 2nd shot, and off-line 3rd shot from the previous hole and forget I saved a bogey. So my bad shots dominate my mind when there are actually relatively few of them and are plenty of good ones.

Hole 7: Short par 3 with valley between tee and hole. Seriously, that valley should not come in play. A short pitching wedge puts you over it...so like a moron I went with a modified 8 iron because I really, really like the 8 iron. Sadly I shank like a smurf and am about half-way to the hole, off to the left on a slope. My pitch is not too good as I hit almost the back of the green and it is a huge green. A nasty 3 putt and I have a double bogey on an easy, easy hole. Oops.

Hole 8: This is a tough, tough hole. It is long, straight, and narrow. The woods are deep, the rough long. If you get off the fairway you are in trouble. Well, another smooth, light swing produced a BOOMING drive. Here is how good it was; after teeing off legitimately with my 7 wood I broke out my driver just for fun to see if I could hit it. Everything was awesome; my swing was maybe a bit too compact but it was still light and smooth, the ball came off cleanly and it was a beautiful drive, straight, long...and about 40 yards shorter than my 7 wood. My second shot over drove the green. My chip was short of the cup and I 2 putted...I was thinking bogey but no, the hole was a par 5. I had yet another par!

Hole 9: This has a relatively lengthy drive to a dogleg left. You need to make the corner or you have to shoot for the green blind. On the other hand, cut the corner too tight and you are in the trees and if you go long you hit the street. Well, I faded again and instead of laying tight to the corner I left myself a solid 220 yards to the hole or so. My second shot I scuffed the grass and left myself maybe 160 yards. I pulled the gap wedge and overshot the green. "Here is my melt-down hole" I announced. Then I proceeded to 2 putt to pull of a bogey and a 42, tied for the 2nd best score i have ever had.


This round showed all that is right about my game when I am playing well. My good shots leave me easy second shots, my putting was on, never worse than a 2 putt, and even my poor shots were overcomable with no outrageous scores (both Phillip and Bob had double digit scores on certain holes). I was relaxed, just enjoying the walk and the time with friends. It was a great deal of fun and makes me willing to play again. I just need to remember not to try too hard, overswing, and get out of my element.