How'd you play?

[RoverRick]

Here is a picture of the 18th Green from the center of the fairway. Because the water is low it is not as good as when there will be water there, now it is sort of a mud flat leading up to it. It will be more intimidating when water is there but still you have to clear the rocks or it is in the hazard.

 

 

 

The flag was on the left corner today and that is a sucker pin location. There is only 10 yards between the front rocks there and the back rocks. You absolutely have to aim at the center of the greens and then putt to the flag. But it is so tough to not aim at the flag. There were lots of balls buried on either side of this area.

[revkev]

I've had 18's and 23's on either extreme Richard - that's why they are 18's and 23's. That 67 is pretty dog gone stout. I'm getting some strokes if ever you're here. I tend to stay in a mid range from 70-75 but that fits my game.

 

Not yesterday - our greens were just aerated which in effect takes away my strength - inside 100 - A 3 footer can become a 6 footer in a heartbeat when the greens are like that and it did time and time again for me. Still I was only 1 over going into 6 with 208 to the pin (par 5). I pulle 5 wood because the hole was playing down wind (that's the only way I get it there on a 480 yard hole - downwind the tees up a bit and suddently a 255 yard drive seems like 270.) Had a marginal lie in the fairway - they punched those too and the shot is all carry over some medium sized trees - I bailed right - no problem in the air because that leaves a handy pitch - however the beauty of living on a Penninsula is that sea breezes kick in sometime in the late afternoon - well sometime happened between the time that I pulled my club and my ball got airborn - couldn't feel it because of the trees, couldn't see the flag because of the trees, hit the first shot in those conditions and a ball that would have been pin hit right, ended up in a nasty bunker short and right - 55 yards, over another bunker, to a pin up on a tiny back shelf - bogey - it unraveled from there and I shot 79 -

 

I really need a new set of clubs - please vote for me!

[JBones]

I went and played with Kygolfer1980 (on here, James R in the contest) yesterday and I completely stunk it up. We are both playing in the Fendrich Amateur this weekend, so this was a practice round. I couldn't hit a wood or an iron; my driver was so pathetic, I was only hitting it about 240 and all over the place. My wedges were stout though, chipped one in for birdie and chipped several others very close. It was wet and the greens were rolling at about a 2, but thats no excuse for the way I struck the ball. Hopefully I was just getting a bad round out of the way, before the tourney starts.

[RoverRick]

I went for a practice round yesterday, but was still wore out from this weekend, I played over 150 holes in four days with near 20 mph winds and 100* temps. I went out yesterday just to get exercise and had no intent on working hard to score. Man, you can run up some big scores in a hurry on the new holes. Especially, the last three holes.

 

On 16, I hit 4 iron and 8 iron and two putted but I watched a guy make a lazy swing and sliced it 200 yards and 50 yards right and splash. Took a drop from 168, on a hole that according to SkyCaddie is 302 as the crow flies. Came up short on his approach shot and hit one of the beautiful boulders that line the green and bounced 50 feet up into the air before splashing back towards us. Then he hit on the green and 3 putted. Nice big snowman.

 

 

175 carry yards over water to a 210 yard par 3 on 17. I cleared the water, well, I skipped off the water and was on dry land but it counts the same. But you have to make a great hit to be dry, let alone have a putt at it. The other guy hit and never went over dry land after the front of the tee box. So he elected to hit over from the tee. Second shot (third stroke) came up short but got to move up and drop from 100 and got up and down for a 7.

 

Then comes the 18th hole. 210 forced carry on a par 4, 420 yards. You better aim well left because the fairway slopes towards the water and if you get in the rough you may not hold the green. Then if you hit 265 and safe and dry depending on which side of the fairway you are on, it is 148 to 168 to the island green. Which is huge and not a problem from the fairway, but is not good from the rough. On the rough right is not too bad because you are maybe a 9 iron or so. But from the rough left you can have a 4 iron or more. I cleared the water, but went right and had a very crappy lie in the hazard but dry. I elected to chip out because it was the lesser of evils. Had an 85 yard shot to the green, got on the green and two putted for a bogey, but my playing partner skipped off the water and reached land. Had 210 yards left with the last 30 over water. He also had a crappy lie and elected to hit 3 wood. And splashed. He then got to drop and hit 4, which sailed over the flag because he went for the flag and not the green. Ended up making another 8.

 

We had played neck and neck most of the day. I think I was up maybe two strokes going into the last 3 holes, so he had a 26 or so on the first 6 holes of the back 9 and a 23 on the last 3 holes and I had 13 strokes on the last 3 holes. WOW. Adds a whole new dimension to the game.

[revkev]

How are your greens holding RR? Every new set of paspasulm that I've ever played on was very hard to hold at first.

[RoverRick]

How are your greens holding RR? Every new set of paspasulm that I've ever played on was very hard to hold at first.

 

 

The greens are actually really soft on a lofted shot and if you can spin the ball they are awesome. They roll very true. However, if you do not or cannot spin the ball, coming out of the rough, then they will roll 30 or 40 feet past the hole. You have to play for the center of the greens and then make a putt. There is a lot of trouble around the greens. I mean a lot of trouble. Some of the moguls are hard to stand on, hitting from them is nearly impossible.

[RoverRick]

Played over & the club where they played the Champions Tour Players Chapionship(Blues: 73.9 R, 135 Sl, Par 71) this year with a buddy in a one day stag invitational...Had a pedestrian 73, though I unexpectedly(for me at least) won a long drive contest that they had on one of the holes...It was 291yds..Actually 4 guys put it past me, though they weren't in the fairway...One guy put it at 317yds, and he was only about 8-10" off of the fairway..He was bummin big time & I actually felt kinda bad for him, though not that bad..lol..

 

I won a Adams F12LS w/the Fubuki shaft..I'm probably not gonna keep it on it, though it does look good with the head...

 

Anyway, that's it..

 

Later...

 

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever...

 

Congratulations Richard.

 

I played in the Wednesday Night Scramble, I do not usually, becuase scramble mentality is not my normal game. Tonight it was a 10 hole scramble (all the new holes), I drove simply to be the short guy in the middle and let the bomber swing away. But I am the iron shot guy and the putter guy. On shots between 80 and 170 yards I got to within 10 feet of the hole 8 out of 10 times. And we made birdies and eagles on those. But twice for some reason I felt I had to kill the ball and overswung. Missed the green and no one else hit it either. We lost by one stroke. I get so mad at myself because by changing clubs and using the same swing I can hit the green everytime from 220 on in if I do not overswing, but I can not keep from doing that. It is so frustrating to do that and then can drop another ball and boom perfect shot. There is no reason to do that but I do. You do not get to use that second ball.

[RoverRick]

There was a 20 mph wind from the north today. The last three holes are totally different with a north wind. 16 if you hit a driver ther is good chance of going in the water or at least much closer than you want. 17 what can I say, 175 yard forced carry over water. 18 is another one with 200 yard forced carry. Then is the second shot on 18 and the green looks really small from 180 into a 20 mph wind. Both are intimidating as hell standing on the teebox. It is almost impossible to not tense up.

 

I had a dose of reality today. I played with the big boys. The ones that if I were to qualify I would be playing in the club championship. We went off in three groups. We played from the tips, and I was on the green putting when I heard some yelling. I then heard the ball hit, and watched it roll pin high 4 feet from the flag. Granted, the wind was behind him, but it was still a 375 yard drive right down the middle. I started the round with 15 pars, and double bogied the last three holes.

 

I would say out of the 15 that played today I scored well enough to be number 7. That was pretty good but in reality I would have to be awefully lucky to make it through one of these guys and inevitably I will have to make it through them all. I did not play my best but then neither did they.

 

I would also like to point out that holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6,7, 10, 15, 16, 17, & 18 played 60-80 yards different this week from last week. 20 mph winds from south than 20 from the north. Actually, Friday and Saturday. It is like two different courses.

[JBones]

Hit the ball great, scored horrible. Can somebody tell me why the pros get to play ball in hand and I have to play it down, when there's water on the course? We only got relief from casual water and embedded balls. I had to play a mud ball on about every hole and I had to play a few that were partially embedded. Add in a couple 3 putt bogies and a few bad breaks and it adds up to an 81. I only hit 7-8 greens and I know it would have been more, had I been able to clean my ball; there's nothing like flushing one right at the pin, only to have it shoot off to the left or right after its 3/4 of the way to the green.

[RoverRick]

Hit the ball great, scored horrible. Can somebody tell me why the pros get to play ball in hand and I have to play it down, when there's water on the course? We only got relief from casual water and embedded balls. I had to play a mud ball on about every hole and I had to play a few that were partially embedded. Add in a couple 3 putt bogies and a few bad breaks and it adds up to an 81. I only hit 7-8 greens and I know it would have been more, had I been able to clean my ball; there's nothing like flushing one right at the pin, only to have it shoot off to the left or right after its 3/4 of the way to the green.

 

 

We are currently playing ball in hand on all new holes. Anywhere on the new holes. On 9, I missed the island green but with the water low this time of year, it was on land, just 5 feet below the putting surface, but too close to flop. It was pointed out by my competition that I, under our local temperary rules, I could move that ball to grass, no closer to the hole. I backed up flopped it on the green and made the putt for par.

 

Then on 18, I had rolled right to the edge of the other island, the first island is like TPC Sawgrass with a wall, the second island slopes severly down to some boulders. My ball had rolled right to the edge, and was being held up by about 1/4" strip of grass that had escaped the mower. I could have moved it and would not have a story to tell, but I forgot. I hit the ball and I came flying out of there and sailed 30 yards in the air and went off the other side the green into the hazard on the other side. I got it up and down from there but made a 6 because I had already laid up. 440 yard par 4 into a 20 mph wind, with an island tee box and island green is not one I would go for in 2. But I did just redo some clubs so maybe I can go for it. I made a double bogey anyway playing safe.

 

Out of 15 of the better players at the club, there was probably no double digit handicappers in the groups, and there were 3 pars, 4 bogies, and the rest were double bogies. And that is playing ball in hand. Even in a hazard.

[Tyk]

77 today from the tips with aerated greens. Pretty happy about that. Thinking I'm going to have to step up and play the scratch bracket in our club championship this year. Not only is a 4 handicap to low to play in the handicap division, but I actually think I can do well if I play like I have been. Our course is tough from the tips, and most of our guys don't play back there often. I'm going to do my best to get ready!

[revkev]

I hear you on that ball in hand thing JBones - it is what it is - I hate those mud balls but you have to deal with them sometimes. The tour does what it does because it want's lower scores and it doesn't want two guys next to each other in the fairway one with a mud ball the other without one.

 

Our courses are all aerated right now which is fine - they'll be back to normal in a few weeks. Actually that, the threat of rain and the start of the football season had the club I have my clergy membership at empty so I went and tested bridgeston golf balls. It was delightful - There were only 3 other carts out - maybe 4 or 5 other guys on the course so I was able to do whatever I wanted - I "played" 14 holes or more accurately used 14 holes to test balls on - I hit at least 3 and sometimes 6 balls on each hole. It was an incredible live practice - very windy, wet so a great test of Bridgestone's offerings vs. my Nike One Tour D.

 

I will say that I found this edition of the RX balls to be far superior to the last. Ultimately I think I'll be going with the RX. To me it seems very much like the Penta TP3 which was the ball I was considering to replace the Nike for next season. I was at least as long with it and it actually spins more on full shots into the green - I'll have to hit the practice green tomorrow to double check that part of the game. I didn't hit many pitch shots today because I wasn't concerned with score. I did hit lots and lots of good shots but I hit lots of lots of shots so some of them should have been good.

 

Finally the most exciting part of the day was I was hitting the ball farther than I have since I got sick - I felt like I could really go after it with the driver - I probably hit 50 drivers during the course of the day and didn't run out of steam - I'd say I'm back to 100 percent.

[RoverRick]

I hear you on that ball in hand thing JBones - it is what it is - I hate those mud balls but you have to deal with them sometimes. The tour does what it does because it want's lower scores and it doesn't want two guys next to each other in the fairway one with a mud ball the other without one.

 

Our courses are all aerated right now which is fine - they'll be back to normal in a few weeks. Actually that, the threat of rain and the start of the football season had the club I have my clergy membership at empty so I went and tested bridgeston golf balls. It was delightful - There were only 3 other carts out - maybe 4 or 5 other guys on the course so I was able to do whatever I wanted - I "played" 14 holes or more accurately used 14 holes to test balls on - I hit at least 3 and sometimes 6 balls on each hole. It was an incredible live practice - very windy, wet so a great test of Bridgestone's offerings vs. my Nike One Tour D.

 

I will say that I found this edition of the RX balls to be far superior to the last. Ultimately I think I'll be going with the RX. To me it seems very much like the Penta TP3 which was the ball I was considering to replace the Nike for next season. I was at least as long with it and it actually spins more on full shots into the green - I'll have to hit the practice green tomorrow to double check that part of the game. I didn't hit many pitch shots today because I wasn't concerned with score. I did hit lots and lots of good shots but I hit lots of lots of shots so some of them should have been good.

 

Finally the most exciting part of the day was I was hitting the ball farther than I have since I got sick - I felt like I could really go after it with the driver - I probably hit 50 drivers during the course of the day and didn't run out of steam - I'd say I'm back to 100 percent.

 

 

I am glad to hear that you are feeling back to 100 %. That is much more important than the ball test. By the way, if you can come up to the Orlando area October 18 to 24 I will be there and hope to play golf some day. Probably the Monday or Tuesday.

[Tyk]

Believing that you can is 80% of the game...You're There...

 

 

Thanks R.P., I am going to give it my best. While I know I could win I really have no serious expectations that I will. The reality is that I would probably have to shoot 74-75 two days in a row to have a 50-50 shot. I know I could do that, but I also know that I can't expect that I will. I'm sure as hell gonna try though! I will be happy to place this year and will be somewhat disappointed if I don't. I think that is a reasonable goal and well within my abilities.

 

We have had huge ongoing debates over the years within our association about playing the ball up vs. down! I am a purist, and I just find it maddening! Of course I know the rules about casual water and plugged balls and have no issue there. Alot of our guys would prefer to noodle the ball everywhere! It was such a contentious issue that when I created our website I put it at www.playitdown.net! It has take a long time to put this argument to rest at our course.

[JBones]

We have had huge ongoing debates over the years within our association about playing the ball up vs. down! I am a purist, and I just find it maddening! Of course I know the rules about casual water and plugged balls and have no issue there. Alot of our guys would prefer to noodle the ball everywhere! It was such a contentious issue that when I created our website I put it at www.playitdown.net! It has take a long time to put this argument to rest at our course.

I'm all for playing it down and I know that everyone is playing under the same conditions, but for someone that hits the ball high, it sucks. I would have been an easy 4 strokes better, if I wouldn't have been playing from partially embedded balls.

[revkev]

Still trying to dig out of a hole work wise which is why I haven't been on as much as I had been - it's nuts - that happens from time to time.

 

I did get to play tuesday and shot one over 73 - played pretty well especially considering the course and weather conditions - greens are aerated and taking forever to heal (that's normal at my league course) and the entire course is wet so you get lots of mud balls - no lift clean and place - the only salvation is that there are any number of tire tracks from mowers so there is some relief on occasion. Throw in a 10 MPH wind gusting to between 15 and 20 and it was quite the day to be playing. Won some skins, a closest to the pin and got to explain MGS to several golfers while having a post round beer (or 2) - we'll see who pops up here.

 

Not playing at all this weekend - going to enjoy a couple of nights with my wife and no children - wedding anniversary.

[Tyk]

JBones, you don't have to play from an embedded lie. Rule 25-2. Unless you're in the rough, then you should have hit it better!

[JBones]

JBones, you don't have to play from an embedded lie. Rule 25-2. Unless you're in the rough, then you should have hit it better!

Local rule was that it had to be deemed "fully" embedded to get relief. I didn't have to "hack" any out, but they were still embedded enough to cause problems.

[RoverRick]

Well, last week-end I went 74, 71 and last night in the Moonlighters' swat, I had a 72, though I had a 32 on the back(-3)...I was on fire from 13-16, going birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie...

 

If I hadn't gone unconsious, it would have been my ugliest round of the year, no doubt..I had two doubles(1 OB) on the front to go with 2 birds...You'd think that I haven't figured out how to manaqe my misses...

 

Maybe I haven't...lol....

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever....

 

Anytime you have two or more doubles and shoot par you have a good round in my book. It is funny that you can have a horrible front nine and then go birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie and leave happy with a 72 because you turned it around.

 

But if on the front 9, like I did a few weeks ago, you go birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie and then blow up on the back nine and shoot 71, you feel like you just had the worst round ever. I had to keep telling myself I still broke par but I was thinking what could have been. Which was why I blew up on the back. I kept thinking I was going to get more birdies instead of focusing on this shot.

 

I love Vijay Singh's response when asked if he was thinking about playing on the Champion's Tour next year. "I am thinking about the next shot in this tournament." That is my new montra. I am thinking about the next shot.

[Tyk]

Wow, not often that a local rule is stricter than the rules of golf. Only time I've seen them alter rules regarding lies to is play the ball up when they shouldn't. Even as a purist I find that pretty hardcore! I kinda like it! "We don't care if your ball is on the alligator! Hit it or take a penalty, and hurry up about it!!"

[RoverRick]

Tonight, I considered writing a thread about my course strategy to repeat as President's flight champion of my club championship. Instead I think I will spend the evening learning how to play golf because I went today to practice that "winning stategy" and discovered there was a fatal flaw. You see, my strategy was predicated on the assumption that the person implementing it could actually hit the ball with somewhere near the center of the club.

 

Actually, I played 9 holes really well, but made stupid errors on 9 holes. Well, I either have 8 matches the next two weekends or I am done tomorrow after one.

Thankfully, I putted the daylights out of the ball.

[The Dansome]

 

But if on the front 9, like I did a few weeks ago, you go birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie........

 

 

Who are you people!! I had a birdie last round and I was stoked.....

[RoverRick]

Who are you people!! I had a birdie last round and I was stoked.....

 

I have never had 2 eagles on the same 9 holes before and only once two eagles in the same round. I had never had more than 5 birdies in the same round. I have only shot below 35 twice on 9 holes, and boom, I had all these great shots in a row and I thought I was going to rule the world. I thought I could kick Tiger's butt three times per day, and realitiy set in. (9 holes were closed for renovation) so I played the same 9 holes again and I bogied every one of them that I birdied and one that I eagled and double bogied the other eagle. Same holes, same tees, same hole locations totally different results.

 

Normally anything under par is awesome. I have only been under par 10 times. I guess this is why the odds of some one shooting 10 strokes under their handicap is 35,000 to 1. There I was 10 under my handicap and could not make a par.

 

 

I made one birdie today and was happy to get that.

[RoverRick]

20 min. Til tee off my flight in championship. Which player will show up today. Thursday even par. Friday 86.

[RookieBlue7]

Had 5 birdies today, shot 73. Killed the driver I cut down even further and hit my irons more solid than I have in a long time. So solid that several of the bogies I had were from hitting the ball solid and it carrying too far and missing the green.

[RoverRick]

The Very Best to ya. Kick some ass Longhorn style!

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

I assume you are meaning well but that is the equivalent of me making reference to you doing it Eagles style. But thanks anyway.

[finalist]

Looks like I hit my season best a few months ago. Every month I seem to be adding a stroke since having a bunch of under par rounds. Just one little thing is off and it's the difference between 2 under and 3 over.

75/78 in my club championship for a tied for third low gross. Nerves and a broken driver killed me!

[revkev]

Hope RR does well today! Big shout out to T who has his match play final tomorrow. I'm dying for the tournament part of our season to start. That's the good news/bad news of Florida - all of our fun stuff starts in October - there are tournaments to play in during the summer months - I missed a couple of them with the pneumonia - honestly they aren't always a lot of fun because it's so dog gone hot. The October stuff is a different matter. Think mid summer for most of you guys. Our club championships are always in late February, early March - of course all of you guys come down then and take home the hardware.

 

I'm playing Tuesday and Friday next week, same the following week and then I'm on Vacation leading into our city amateur championship - starting to gear up for all of that - I'll probably have some combo of old set/new set for that.

[RoverRick]

This is the year of the youngsters. We have 6 undefeated people left in the tournament, double elimination. I lost the first and won the second set. Of those undefeated, there is a 25 year old. Two 18 year olds, two 17 year olds and a 15 year old. I beat the 13 year old who had chipped in 3 times for birdie and only lost on the last hole. He went in the water 3 times while I hit a great drive but since I could tell anything less than 6 would win the match I thought I would be stupid to aim at the green. It was just 140 yards but decided to lay up and chip on and two putt for a five, and move on to the next match. It was sort of funny watching all these old guys who have been at the top for the last 20 years getting beat by these kids who grew up out there.

 

This happens every year to some extent but this year even there are a lot more of them and they are winning every bracket. The 25 year old is going for his 5th win in a row and 7th out of 8th year. The 15 year old and his 17 year old brother are set to square off sometime tomorrow. They played in a touranment last week and one shot 67-68 the other shot 68-67, momma and daddy are great golfers and grandpa was on the PGA Tour so it is a golf family.

 

 

By the way I sucked for several holes and played like a pro for several holes.

[Tyk]

Good playin' Rick! I wish we had your "young guy" problems. Our association is rather. . .um. . .let's say "mature".