How'd you play?

[jbern]

Went out for 9 holes with a friend. The course was pretty sparse, and we were in a bit of a hurry, so we decided to play relaxed and quick. Basically, that means that we don't take practice swings and if we lose a ball, we bring it out to the fairway where we think it crossed. Thankfully, I had one of my better ball striking days of the year and played with a single TM Tour Response the whole round! 

Ended up shooting +2, 37 with 3 bogeys, 5 pars and 1 birdie. 

The round highlight was on the hole that I birdied, the par 3 5th hole, but the highlight did not come from me! My playing partner pulled his tee shot into the left greenside bunker. He hit a dandy of a of a sandy and holed the chip! He had never chipped in from the sand prior to that shot and we went nuts! My birdie was much more traditional... I hit my 7i about 5 yards right of my target and it got a nice bounce and roll out to about 6 feet right of the hole. Then I hit a beautiful end-over-end putt into the center of the cup!

Stats for the round below:

FWs: 2/6, 33%
Playable Drives: 5/6, 83%
GIRs: 2/9, 22%
Putts: 12
Up & Downs: 4/7, 57%

[Bizekidz007]

On 9/5/2024 at 12:05 PM, TheBirdieMasterLOL said:

62 is insane.

It was one of those days that I made every putt I stood over. 

[TheBirdieMasterLOL]

7 minutes ago, Bizekidz007 said:

It was one of those days that I made every putt I stood over. 

Those days are so much fun lol

[Boris119]

Played to day with soreness from a pulled hip flexor. Maybe I should play with this pain all the time shot a 78 and that was with quadruple bogey.

[Jim Shaw]

So so close today…

11 putts on the front side for 6 birdies and 1 bogey -31 strokes

15 putts on the back side -38

for a grand total of 69… had a dirty rotten stinking double bogey on 17… curses!!

oh well way more positive than negatively and my 1st round in the 60’s since end of May…

love this game lol

[Josh Parker]

17 minutes ago, Jim Shaw said:

So so close today…

11 putts on the front side for 6 birdies and 1 bogey -31 strokes

15 putts on the back side -38

for a grand total of 69… had a dirty rotten stinking double bogey on 17… curses!!

oh well way more positive than negatively and my 1st round in the 60’s since end of May…

love this game lol

Awesome round!

[William P]

20 minutes ago, Jim Shaw said:

So so close today…

11 putts on the front side for 6 birdies and 1 bogey -31 strokes

15 putts on the back side -38

for a grand total of 69… had a dirty rotten stinking double bogey on 17… curses!!

oh well way more positive than negatively and my 1st round in the 60’s since end of May…

love this game lol

Great round!

[Overspark07]

I’m a day late but yesterday was a long one. Joined my dad for his annual day trip to rural IL for 36 holes. He’s been doing it for 25 years and so blessed to be able to have started in it for quite a few.

Driver was significantly less squirrelly throughout the day, which was a welcome change, though the distance is down. Actually, distance is down on everything which is a little discouraging but setting that aside. Only lost one ball and one of those where everyone saw it land and thought it was good but just couldn’t find.

Struggled to find the bottom on the irons in the first round, but worked through it on the range between rounds. Really just focused on tempo. Chipping and putting was pretty strong all day. Overall, a really fun day!

[Jim Shaw]

36 minutes ago, William P said:

Great round!

thanks William...

36 minutes ago, William P said:

Great round!

 

[Jim Shaw]

40 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Awesome round!

Thanks Josh, just think how low I could go with your PXG's and the light shaft and @Cfhandyman's LAB putter... lol...

[Josh Parker]

1 minute ago, Jim Shaw said:

Thanks Josh, just think how low I could go with your PXG's and the light shaft and @Cfhandyman's LAB putter... lol...

I'll come caddy for ya if we are talking those kind of low numbers. Haha

[Jim Shaw]

Just now, Josh Parker said:

I'll come caddy for ya if we are talking those kind of low numbers. Haha

Yeah add that to your busy schedule buddy...

[Josh Parker]

Just now, Jim Shaw said:

Yeah add that to your busy schedule buddy...

Haha.

[Off Map Oscar]

Had a pretty good round at a new to me course. Enjoyed it immensely to the point we re rounded for another 9. The last 2 holes were in complete darkness but still managed to find my ball. If you're ever in utah recommend this course. Very well maintained and laid out. 

 

 

 

Edited September 7 by Off Map Oscar

[JB2334]

It's been a couple weeks since I posted here, but I have played 3 times in the last week - all with my son, who came up from FL. We had a goal of 4 rounds in 4 different states, but we only managed to get in 3 due to weather and scheduling constraints. Still, it was a great week playing some of the best golf Appalachia has to offer.

Round #1: Clear Creek Golf Club - Bristol, VA

So I've lived about an 8 iron from the VA state line for over a year now, yet I had never played in VA until this round. There are some seriously amazing courses in Southwest VA, but many of them are private.

I've been interested in getting on at Clear Creek because it's only 15 minutes from my house and they offer a membership for only $900/year. You still have to pay a $20 cart fee if you're riding, but the cost is low enough that I wouldn't feel like I need to play there exclusively to justify the cost. Clear Creek has a driving range and a big, well maintained practice green.

I've gotten a lot of mixed reviews from people I've played with in regard to Clear Creek - some say it's nice, but tough; others have said it's not a great track. The front 9 has a fairly standard layout that finishes with a beautiful peninsula green at the par 3 8th hole and a great risk/reward par 5 9th hole. The back 9 is much tighter and quirkier as it runs up and back down a mountain.

My son hadn't played in a few weeks and didn't have time to warm up before we played, so we played like a two-man scramble. I was striking my irons solid as usual, but was oddly pulling them left, but I FINALLY fixed my issue with driver off the tee. It's amazing what a difference a simple change in hand positioning at address makes.

As far as the course goes, it is definitely a tough track that requires you to use every club in your bag and make precision shots. If quirky mountain layouts aren't your thing, Clear Creek probably isn't for you...however, I feel like some of the negative takes I got from other players was due to the course's difficulty. I think my only complaint was inconsistency of the greens - they were all in great shape and well-maintained, but one would be soft and slow and the next would be firm and fast - something that was more of an issue because it was my first time playing there.

Overall, I'm sold. Hopefully I earn a bonus this year, because it will pay for my membership at Clear Creek Golf Club.

Round #2: Elizabethton Golf Club - Elizabethton, TN

Elizabethton is a really good course, and is a beast from the tips - which is why I don't play from them. The course hosts the East TN Amateur every year, and it is in great shape. I played a very mediocre round with only one birdie and far too many bogies. In keeping with my normal round, I had a rough front 9 (44) and a decent back 9 (40) for an 84. If could get up and down and make putts, I'd almost be decent...but I don't do those things.

Round #3: Olde Beau Golf Club - Roaring Gap, NC

This course was worth every minute of getting up at 5:00 am and driving two hours. The entire course is built up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Really wide fairways, but don't miss them - because your ball is probably gone unless you get a 'member's bounce' out down the hill and back into the fairway.

The greens are really firm and super fast, and it took a while to get dialed in...and there were several greens that punish you for going long - in the form of your ball going off the mountain into an abyss a few thousand feet below - I kept envisioning some old man way down in a holler, selling a quarterly truckload of ProV1s to LostGolfBalls.com or something.

I struck the ball pretty well, but a mix of thick rough with a lot of uphill or sidehill chips into those really firm, fast greens led to a front 9 score of 45. I cleaned it up on the back 9 and hit 6 of 9 greens and avoided 3 putts, leading to a 38. I was ecstatic with an 83 on a really great course I'd never played before. I will definitely be back.

[Rob Person]

 

@Off Map Oscar great round!!

@JB2334. Looks like an epic time! 

 

There is something about that NC fairway turf that is so hard to hit out of for me. You almost have to have a clean pick to get the ball to do what you want. Any bit of extra shallow and you tear out a divot that rivals digging for a well!   

[Darryl Konter]

So after about two months of disappointing play, I finally had a good practice session and was able to take it out to the course.  Shot a 77 Thursday with two birdies and ten pars.  I've been on a high ever since and can't wait until my next round!

[jbern]

1 hour ago, Rob Person said:

 

@Off Map Oscar great round!!

@JB2334. Looks like an epic time! 

 

There is something about that NC fairway turf that is so hard to hit out of for me. You almost have to have a clean pick to get the ball to do what you want. Any bit of extra shallow and you tear out a divot that rivals digging for a well!   

From what I remember, you have quite a bit of experience digging for wells!

I’ve never played in NC, but I have family that lives outside of Charlotte, so I’m hoping to maybe play there when I visit them next spring! 

[Rob Person]

18 minutes ago, Darryl Konter said:

So after about two months of disappointing play, I finally had a good practice session and was able to take it out to the course.  Shot a 77 Thursday with two birdies and ten pars.  I've been on a high ever since and can't wait until my next round!

Wtg!!!  Ride that high!

[Ole Miss Rebel]

I was on my way home from work and thought maybe I could get in a round. No, the only opening was a back 9 spot. Still had to wait for the group in front of me to move ahead. They were very slow, I finally got going, driver off the first tee, Wow! Sweet, 8 iron shot dropped in between the bunker and the green, nice bump & roll shot onto the green. Six-foot putt, par! Did I say SLOW! I played okay, good and some bad, one more par for a 45. I did not complain because I was fitted in as a walk-up but really a four group in front of me took over 12 minutes on every green! They were not waiting on anyone, the pair in front of them were cooking! I should have asked to play around; I would have skipped a hole to keep things moving!  

[TJ Hall]

Shot an 82 today, but it felt much worse than that…was fighting it most of the day.  Back out there again tomorrow…hopefully it goes better.

Edited September 7 by TJ Hall

[Rearviewmirror]

27 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

Shot an 82 today, but it felt much worse than that…was fighting it most of the day.  Back out there again tomorrow…hopefully it goes better.

Ironically I shot an 83 today and it's one of my proudest rounds!

I believe that's my first ever double bogey free round, which feels like a pretty solid achievement. Driving was definitely not on today, but managed to keep it on the course (no penalty strokes for the entire round) and get the short game firing for the back nine. It was a very slow start, but also a good reminder that you can still almost break 80 with 7 consecutive bogeys to start a round! 

It could have been one shot lower, as I was leaning in to tap in a two putt that was 3 inches short of the cup and whiffed on it - turning a 2 putt into a three putt. But that's golf, and I meant to make a stroke at the ball when I swung.

I felt especially good as this is a narrow course, with tight tree lined fairways and also 2-3 clubs of wind mostly into. Four three putts, so I definitely left a few shots out there and a couple died just short of the hole, but I'm mostly proud of scoring well when I didn't have my A-game today. 

I had been feeling kind of burned out and so hadn't done anything golf related for a week. It worked!

[Cfhandyman]

20 hours ago, Jim Shaw said:

Thanks Josh, just think how low I could go with your PXG's and the light shaft and @Cfhandyman's LAB putter... lol...

lol.  Sounds like a demo is in order.  

21 hours ago, Jim Shaw said:

So so close today…

11 putts on the front side for 6 birdies and 1 bogey -31 strokes

15 putts on the back side -38

for a grand total of 69… had a dirty rotten stinking double bogey on 17… curses!!

oh well way more positive than negatively and my 1st round in the 60’s since end of May…

love this game lol

Jim, Fabulous round and well done.

[TJ Hall]

10 minutes ago, Rearviewmirror said:

Ironically I shot an 83 today and it's one of my proudest rounds!

I believe that's my first ever double bogey free round, which feels like a pretty solid achievement. Driving was definitely not on today, but managed to keep it on the course (no penalty strokes for the entire round) and get the short game firing for the back nine. It was a very slow start, but also a good reminder that you can still almost break 80 with 7 consecutive bogeys to start a round! 

It could have been one shot lower, as I was leaning in to tap in a two putt that was 3 inches short of the cup and whiffed on it - turning a 2 putt into a three putt. But that's golf, and I meant to make a stroke at the ball when I swung.

I felt especially good as this is a narrow course, with tight tree lined fairways and also 2-3 clubs of wind mostly into. Four three putts, so I definitely left a few shots out there and a couple died just short of the hole, but I'm mostly proud of scoring well when I didn't have my A-game today. 

I had been feeling kind of burned out and so hadn't done anything golf related for a week. It worked!

I’ve missed those tap ins before…pretty tough.  But, it’s part of the game!

Struggled off the tee which made for some tough shots, then just compounded some things resulting in some doubles.  The rough thing is I felt pretty good with my swing going into the round.

[sirchunksalot]

I played 18 today at a course I haven't played in a couple of years and it's one that brings back lots of memories, Falcon Pointe in Cleveland TN. It was in really good shape compared to what it used to be and the greens were almost pristine. 

I played pretty well with the exception of a couple of holes where I absolutely shot myself in the foot. Mostly the par 3's and 5's. Averaged about 5.2 on the par 3 holes and 8 on the par 5 ones. 

I shot 51/59 110. I'm a little bummed about this, it's a fairly gettable course I just had way too many penalties. I don't know how many balls I lost, but I feel like I need to buy more after today. 

The most notable disaster was in the 17th the courses signature hole. 

 

Hit two balls OB left. One was a crap strike and the other was munched. Here's as a video of a local station talking about the hole. 

It wasn't all bad, I was out with a friend enjoying what was a perfect day. It was mid 70's although the wind was whipping. 

My driving was decent, I was especially proud of almost driving the green on 12 which is a 271 yard par four playing downhill and the adjusted yardage was 254. I hit my drive just left of the green, chipped on and two putted for par. 

My chipping was on point today, I probably had the best day in that part of my game in a long time. My shot of the day came on 15. I lost my first tee ball, hit another into a different zip code two fairways over, hit 3 wood and ended up under some trees about 60 yards out, my next shot ended up short and near a grass bunker in some deep rough with not a lot of green to work with. I hit a beautiful, high 58 degree to 7 feet.

I drained the putt. That flop was the highlight of my day. 

I'm planning on playing more on this course since I've neglected it for a while. 

 

 

 

[Cizzle52]

Played a scramble with my Wife today. She saved us off the tee like usual. Also bagged a 200 yard drive which is a record for her. 

We finished +5 with a 77. Vibes were great all around. 

[TJ Hall]

29 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I played 18 today at a course I haven't played in a couple of years and it's one that brings back lots of memories, Falcon Pointe in Cleveland TN. It was in really good shape compared to what it used to be and the greens were almost pristine. 

I played pretty well with the exception of a couple of holes where I absolutely shot myself in the foot. Mostly the par 3's and 5's. Averaged about 5.2 on the par 3 holes and 8 on the par 5 ones. 

I shot 51/59 110. I'm a little bummed about this, it's a fairly gettable course I just had way too many penalties. I don't know how many balls I lost, but I feel like I need to buy more after today. 

The most notable disaster was in the 17th the courses signature hole. 

 

Hit two balls OB left. One was a crap strike and the other was munched. Here's as a video of a local station talking about the hole. 

It wasn't all bad, I was out with a friend enjoying what was a perfect day. It was mid 70's although the wind was whipping. 

My driving was decent, I was especially proud of almost driving the green on 12 which is a 271 yard par four playing downhill and the adjusted yardage was 254. I hit my drive just left of the green, chipped on and two putted for par. 

My chipping was on point today, I probably had the best day in that part of my game in a long time. My shot of the day came on 15. I lost my first tee ball, hit another into a different zip code two fairways over, hit 3 wood and ended up under some trees about 60 yards out, my next shot ended up short and near a grass bunker in some deep rough with not a lot of green to work with. I hit a beautiful, high 58 degree to 7 feet.

I drained the putt. That flop was the highlight of my day. 

I'm planning on playing more on this course since I've neglected it for a while. 

 

 

 

That looks like a very narrow tee shot…wow!

[sirchunksalot]

5 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

That looks like a very narrow tee shot…wow!

Measuring on Google maps it's anywhere from 27-30 yards wide in the 220 yard landing zone. I've lost a lot of balls on this hole. 

[TJ Hall]

5 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Measuring on Google maps it's anywhere from 27-30 yards wide in the 220 yard landing zone. I've lost a lot of balls on this hole. 

I’d be right there with you!

[Off Map Oscar]

6 hours ago, Rob Person said:

 

@Off Map Oscar great round!!

@JB2334. Looks like an epic time! 

 

There is something about that NC fairway turf that is so hard to hit out of for me. You almost have to have a clean pick to get the ball to do what you want. Any bit of extra shallow and you tear out a divot that rivals digging for a well!   

Gracious mi amigo just swung another 83 at an all new course. 38 on the back 9 and I know exactly which two shots took me over par. I can smell that even thru 9. It's always just out of reach.