The 70's are lurking... (post 193)

Provisional There will be no dibs on the Triad. I'll go to the grave with it. I putted too well for too long to let it go. I know better. Sorry.

Got out today for a round at the course on Tinker AFB. I've played it once before and came in at 91 back then with alot of bogies, 2 doubles, and a quad. Today, however, was a different story.

I joined a threesome that consisted of an older couple with what I can only assume was their regular playing partner. All three were likely in their mid-late 70's and very nice and laid back. They welcomed me when I asked to join them and we were off to the races.

I took pars on the first two holes, an U&D on 1 and a GiR on the par3 2nd. The third wasn't all that great to me. I pushed my 3wd off the tee and didn't have a really great shot at the green. I wasn't too far off the fairway, but I had a tree to contend with and just could get it on. A chip and two putts for a "routine" bogey.

The par5 4th started off with a drive a little in the left rough. A nice 4i hybrid up to the 100 yard marker and a GW to the front fringe put me in position for my next par. I pulled my 3wd on the 5th tee and ended up with a shot that I probably shouldn't have taken. Luckily, it bounced out of the tree on my 2nd shot and back to the fairway. I just missed the green with my 3rd and then a chip and two putts left me with a double.

I walked to #6 knowing that this hole was a set up for me. It's a short, dogleg left par 4 that simply requires 200y off the tee and in the fairway. Tailor made for my 19° Hypersteel. I stepped up, put it in the fairway, then left my GW about 30' long. Two putts and a par it was. Seven is a shortish par5 that requires about a 240 yard carry off the tee or a lay up to about 200y again. I put a 4i hybrid in the fairway, but left it on the left side and blocked by a tree. I pulled the Hypersteel and hit what was about 5' from being a perfect shot. Unfortunately, it caught a limb and dropped only about 20 yards in front of where I stood. A 4i punched up just inside 100y and a pitch to the fringe left me with a makeable putt from the fringe. Burned the edge and walked away with bogey. Two routine pars (with a 9i from the FW bunker on 9) left me with 40 for the front nine and I was feeling good.

We moved on to the 10th and the 3 ol' timers when in the clubhouse. I stepped up to the 10th tee and hit my best drive of the day... quite possibly one of the best drives I've ever hit. I carried this thing around 240 over a tree that had to be almost 100' tall. If I had to guess I'd say it was about 270 carry because my measurement on Google Earth shows total distance around 290ish. I stuff my GW to about 6' and burned the edge for another par. Two more pars on 11 and 12 had me at 4 over through 12 holes.

I hit my 4i hybrid into a decent breeze and hooked it almost out of bounds on the par 3 13th. After a tough pitch that I left on the fringe and a bad club selection for the ensuing pitch, I walked off with a double. The following hole, I topped my 3wd off the tee and ironically hit one of the five fairways I hit all day... just barely making it to the fairway some 250 yards out on a 300ish yard par 4. A smooth 6i and a wedge to the green left me with a bogey after 2 putts. Two pars the 15th and 16th put me at 7 over through 16 holes. After my 8 that I took last time on 16, I was delighted to walk away with my U&D for par there.

Whether from fatigue or just my lack of attention, I pushed my Hypersteel way right on the 17th tee. I hit the gree, but managed to 3 putt for the first time on the day from about 60'. The 18th didn't fair too well for me either. I hit the worst shot of the day from my driver, a hook into a tree about 100y out from the tee. It's a fairly long par 5 so I wasn't too worried. I was still hoping I could get home in par for an even 80. Unfortunately, my 2nd hit the tree in front of me (I pushed it a bit offline) and dropped out just below the tree. A punched 4i or Hypersteel (I can't remember which now) left me with about 215 to the green with a little left to right wind and a smidge in my face. I put the best swing I could on it and left it just off the front of the green... dead online with the flag. If the wind hadn't been there, I likely would've made it. Anyway, I hit a little bump and run with the 4i and just ran it by the hole. Two putts for a third double on the day left me with an 82.

No need to change the title of the thread just yet... but it won't be long.

rsvman Thanks. Yeah, the three doubles hurt, but not as much as that three putt on 17. Those really get my knickers in a bunch.

Here's the scorecard for the day.

For the record, I missed the following fairways by:
#1 - 2-3 yards
#3 - 5-10 yards
#4 - 10 yards (aimed to cut corner on dogleg right, but ended up on left side. Huge miss, but not too penal)
#5 - 5 yards
#9 - couple yards (fairway bunker at the outside of the dogleg... carried about 235ish into a good wind)
#12 - 10 yards (hit a solid 3wd and thought I carried a tree at the corner, but the wind must've knocked it down into the tree)
#16 - 2-3 yards
#17 - 5 yards (huge push, but the wind pushed it back toward the fairway and I must've gotten a bounce off a tree)
#18 - 10 yards (worst tee shot of the day, pull hook)

All that to say, I'm not missing my fairways by much. I just need to think about my lines a little more. I wish I had that drive on 10 on video. Quite possibly one of the best drives I've ever hit in my life. Perfectly executed according to the picture in my mind prior to the shot.

Provisional and big smile?

Yeah. It'd be much bigger if I could get rid of those doubles and the 3 putt, but I'm happy with an 82.

The first double was just a bad call clubwise. Should have just punched something out toward the green (4i or Hypersteel), but figured I'd be able to knock an 8i down underneath the limbs. Caught the ball on the hanging branches and it bounced out in the fairway and backward a little.

The 2nd was a very bad swing with a 4i that I just got lucky when it did not go out of bounds.

The 3rd was created on the tee box with the worst drive of the day.

All in all, only a handful (or less) of really bad shots on the day. For the most part, I putted well. I was all around the hole with my first putts, too, on the ones I two putted.

It'll happen. Just gotta keep at it. I made a change on the range on Thursday. I widened my stance about a 1/2 width of my foot or maybe a full width. I think it has quieted my hips down and seems to be helping my tee shots. I'll give it some time, but I honestly think it's gonna be good.

Shot that 82 today on a par 70 course that I'd never seen. Left some really long putts that resulted in some three putts. Loat one ball that led to a double. Hit a nice approach into same par 5... from 111 to <1'.

All in all, not too bad. I reached two par 5's in 2 strokes. One was kinda short, 484y, but way uphill for 2nd shot.

Provisional 3wd didn't come out of the bag for either any of the par 5's. The first was driver, 4i and the 2nd was driver (316 into the wind after a couple cart path bounces) and then a 5wd (19° Hypersteel) from 211. Left myself about 45' downhill for that 2nd one.

Well, this thread is about 2 months old now so I think I'll revive it. Had as good a chance as I've had this year, probably, to break 80 today and couldn't come through.

Put up another 82. This time with 2 doubles and 8 bogies. I hit 10 GIR which is most likely a PR for this year, and quite possibly forever for me.

http://www.golfpadgps.com/round/RH48F87B

My putting let me down today. I had 38 of them with three 3 putts. I only got U&D once in 8 tries. The bright side of the round is that I didn't lose a single ball or have any penalty strokes.