How'd you play?

[RoverRick]

Nice

 

I won't get you upset with me when we play.

 

We also will not be playing the course I play everyday either. I am going to be playing that course with the hopes of not embarrassing myself. Cheerful Jane (the wife) will also be playing with us. so I am pretty sure I will not be the worst golfer of the group.

[Richie3Jack]

Played Monday in the Florida State Mid-Am qualifier. I played in this last year and qualified with a 74 (+2) at Shingle Creek. This year it was held at Legacy Club @ Alaqua Lakes, a great course. I typically play well on Fazio designs and in the practice round I shot 69 (-3), so I was feeling pretty good about this round.

 

Until I shot 78 in the qualifier.

 

They started us off on #10, which is the harder nine of the two. The first 3 tee shots are tough because #10 and #11 are fairly tight. #12 is a par-3 and then #13 is a long par-4 which wasn't helped by the soft ground, high humidity and drop in temperature.

 

Anyway, I doubled #10 after my drive went up against the lip of the bunker. #11 I birdied after a poor drive. #12 I made par after what I thought was a good tee shot that wound up short of the green and a really good up and down. #13 I parred after another poor drive and a great up and down. I then doubled #14 after a terrible drive and should have never doubled it anyway. Where the momentum was kicked from under me was on #15 and #16.

 

On #15 I finally hit a good drive, right down the middle. I then smashed a beautiful 3-wood from a downhill lie over big tree....only for it to hit the lip of the bunker. 1-foot more carry and I'm probably up by the green with a good birdie look and maybe a chip-in shot at eagle. Instead I make bogey. Then I get up on #16, smash a driver down the fairway, hit a flush 9-iron to 10-feet....and 3-putt. Ugh.

 

I then bogeyed #17, #18 and then #1 at the turn. Another bad swing on #2 and I found the greenside bunker, but got a sandy. Then I hit the last 7 greens and shot -2 under on the last 7 holes with a 3-putt from 20 feet, missing the cut by 1.

 

It's a little frustrating because I'm a much better golfer than I was a year ago, but I still have a few too many 'demons' in my game. I do notice that when I'm in pressure situations, I have the tendency to stall my pivot and try to become all arms and hands on the downswing and that's when I start hitting hooks. I also need to get more time exclusively on faster greens leadng up to tournaments because the greens I play on are typically very slow on the stimp and then in the tournaments they are about an 11. So I wind up making a lot of good putts, but then missing a few 3-footers.

 

I'm not upset about it, it just kinda sucks because I shot 43 on the first nine then 35 on the back, with a 3-putt from 20 feet. Had I shot 77 and made it by the skin of my teeth and then had success at the state mid-am championship, it would have been a nice story to leave with.

 

Oh well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3JACK

[revkev]

We all have our comfort zone 3 jack and then we have that place which is just outside of it. I know both of those courses - that's pretty good golf under tournament pressure at either one - Sorry you missed out on qualifying. That would have been very nice.

[Richie3Jack]

Thanks for the kind words, revkev.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3JACK

[RoverRick]

40-43 Never hit a seriously bad shot and never hit a really good shot. Tomorrow is another day.

[Tyk]

Gah I've been struggling a bit lately. Feel like I'm striking the ball too well to be scoring like I have. I'm chalking it up to having been off the home course for alot of the month and might be burning out a bit. Only a week left until the club championship though, so I'm hoping I find my game at just the right time!

[Ice]

Shot 93 today... I need to play more on fast greens. I blow so many by the hole. Decided to join the course I played today next year, it's the best muni in Michigan. I'll have to throw a review up next time I play alone there so I can take plenty of pics.

[dru_]

Only had time for 9 this afternoon. Really starting to feel my swing. 6 of 9 gir. Struggling with the putter a bit still. Getting my pacing back but still have a tendency to compensate right.

 

43 on par 36, no lost balls, one sand trap.

 

Figure it will all go to hell after next week.... Switching to new irons. Having a set of Burner 2s built up. After spending an hour with a fitter, he pulled these out to try and bang for the buck, I loved them. Feel identical to the Rbz, a little more forgiving than the r11 which I really likes, but not 400 more liked.... They will be ready when I get back from Philly next week

[revkev]

Well "hell" started for me today dru but honestly it was more like purgatory with some real upside. In fact I made birdie on 1 after I hit my Mizuno 7 iron to 8 feet on 1 and rolled in the putt. Shot 38 off of my ball although I hit tons and tons and tons of iron shots from all over the place after playing that first shot - that was a very solid 38 by the way - Bardmoor was used for the JC Penny mixed tournament back in the 70's and 80's. I played many of the holes from the tips, a few of them up one set of tees so I played it pretty dog gone long - wanted to make sure I hit every club in the bag - it worked. No one else was on the course so on 9 I hit 6 into the green to a pin that was 168 - hit it past pin high on the green. moved up to 158 and hit 7 just short of the pin, to 145 and hit 8 a bit short (on the green, of the pin), hit 9 close to pin high from 130, wedge the same from 115, gap wedge pin high from 105, 55 pin high from 90 - pretty good gap spacing - I may have to strengthen the 8 iron a bit.

 

I'm a good half club longer with the middle irons - the plain JPX's - than I was with my old set, including the 5 iron vs. the 5 hybrid - I can hit the 5 iron - I just need to work with the clubs a bit - I also find that with the steel shaft I can control the ball flight far better than I can with my graphite shafted irons - these clubs were money in the bank into the wind.

 

When I got done the bag guy wiped them down and said, "These Mizunos sure look sweet. Not a scratch on them."

 

He got a nice tip.

[RoverRick]

A hole in one!!!! Almost, 146 yard par 3 and I hit an 8 iron. OK, to be honest, I swung an 8 iron. My divot was entirely inside the tee, which was not touched, and I caught the ball on the toe, it somehow made it off the tee box and somehow found the mowed part that is the fairway and somehow kept rolling, found the green caught the slope and missed the hole by less than an inch. This happened in slow motion. It was the worst swing of the day, if not week, and it was hilarious that it was rolling to the hole. I was yelling do not go in because I did not want to remember that my first hole in one should not even have left the box. I did say a prayer of thanks on the way to the box.

 

We met at 7:30 this morning in an attempt to beat the rain, but it was drizzling. There were only four groups the whole time we were there and no one close to us. We had a very light rain until the 18th hole. And I was the only one who finished that hole. Everyone else went in the water and I had put the ball 8 feet from the hole. I did not make the birdie putt, I just got it close enough and picked it up for a winning par. Bogey was worth $15 in carry overs so I did not want to be stupid.

 

I hit the ball really well today, but putting was a bit off. Wet greens are tough. Not to mention that on the first five holes the dust would fly when you hit the ball and on the last 5 holes the mud splashed and the middle 8 holes were in between.

[revkev]

This leads to a question. Does it count as an official hole in one if you don't complete the round?

 

Just wondering

 

Be thankful it didn't go in - could you imagine having to admit that this was your only hole in one? I love that my one son made hole in one when he was 10 - with his driver on a 145 yard hole - I believe 145 is a smooth gap wedge for him these days.

[revkev]

Like RP said only one more and didn't lose quite as much money. Just a small little meltdown in all phases of the game.

 

Two observations - I'm not totally comfortable with the new irons and it was a swirling wind around 10 MPH today - not the perfect conditions for new clubs - plus I have no confidence around the green what so ever. Predictable that's the biggest issue for me at this point.

 

I'll get it though - by the end of this week I'll have it under control.

[RoverRick]

We have a club Ryder Tournament. The "Director of Golf" and his assistant (who was the three time club champion until he lost last week to an 18 year old college freshman) each are team captains. You have to be signed up by Friday @3 and after 5 you can call and find out what team you are on, Red or Blue, and find out what when you play.

 

The Captains first decide who will play whom. Then pick partners, and then pick what team you are on in each match. I am not really sure how they do it or what order but you when you call or go by after 5 on Friday, they tell you your team color, who your partner is and who you are playing. You are supposed to wear your team colors.

 

The format is 9 hole fourball, and 9 hole alternating shot. Unlike the real Ryder Cup we do not alternate every tee shot. We alternate every shot. This means that you may conceed a putt or not conceed the putt based on who you want to tee off the next hole. If someone is having trouble with the driver, you may decide to give him a putt so that the bomber of the pair can not out drive you. The next day is 18- hole two man scramble.

 

I was on team red, however, because the rain, the tournament was cancelled so after 18 quick holes before, well during the rain, I have sat at home and watched every second of the Ryder Cup. I should have gone out today in hip waders.

[revkev]

I've played in that format - also played in another very interesting one where the top 20 handicaps played in a shoot out - 1 got paird with 20 and so on down the line - it was always a team in the middle that won but since it was putt everything out and true alternate shot you'd see guys (my team) intentionally miss a tap in so that the better player could tee off on the next hole.

 

Hey when it's a par 3 167 over water and you're talking about a 2 or an 11 - you take the 2 -right?

[Richie3Jack]

Shot a couple of 75's (+3) this weekend. One at Grande Pines, the other at Champions Gate. I've been working on stuff with my downswing and it's progressing. I got off to some slow starts in both rounds, but played the back nine's nicely.

 

Finally getting the hang of the belly putter. You really have to treat it almost identically as you would treat putting with a standard putter, the difference is the end of the putter that connects to the stomach serves as a guide for the hands.

 

This Saturday I'll be playing Eagle Creek.

 

 

 

 

3JACK

[RoverRick]

I went out to review my new 3 wood. 1 1/2 inches of rain this weekend, and now 19 mph wind today. I was one under going into 16 and finished off the round in true American Ryder Cup fashion with 3 bogies.

 

In my defense, 16 flag was just on the front, but I could not chance going into the water so I three putted from 80 feet. 17 and 18 were into the wind and I had three par putts in a row that lipped out. Oh yeah, they sanded the greens so 15-18 they sanded but had not run over it yet with the broom sled. The first 14 greens were fine.

[revkev]

I'm going to try and play Championsgate on Friday 3Jack - I just got the birthday round email from them - pretty excited - I'd be very please with 3 over on one of those courses.

 

Shot a 77 today - 75 yesterday actually thought it was a 76 and my buddy said no you didn't add right.

 

Not death with new irons but I'm not as confident with them yet as I was with the old ones. Tomorrow will be the first competitve round with them so we'll see - it's also been extremely windy the past two days - we played right by the Gulf and got caught up in the seabreeze this afternoon - 18 is a 548 par 5 - right into a 20 MPH wind on a wet course - too much hole for me. I hit two big shots just to get to the 150.

 

On a very interesting note I had forgotten that I gave my buddy one of my old Raptures to use in his Florida set - it's been hidden in his bag in my mudroom - I keep clubs here for three of my friends - At any rate I had it cut down to 44.25 inches. He's been killing it - I'm normally a tic longer than he is - he's been a tic longer than me - on 10 I said, "let me hit that thing." Bang - I was a tic longer than him again - It's going in my bag until I have my Taylor Made fitting and I'm going to insist on nothing longer than 44.5 inches. I feel very comfortable with that shorter shaft - very strait - nice high launch - very nice club.

[JBones]

My game is coming around again. I have been striping my irons the last couple of rounds, just a missed fairway here and there that is absolutely killing me (the last two rounds I've had four missed fairways that were up against trees and lead to doubles or triples). I've also had two eagles and six birdies in my last two rounds, so my scores haven't been that bad even with the doubles and triples. Yesterday, I stuffed two knockdown 9I's, both from about 135yds, and both finished inside 1'. I'm going to take my re-found confidence to the Donald Ross course at French Lick on the 15th, so we'll see how it goes; we've already decided to play the tips, which plays to a par 70 at about 7200yds, including three par 3's over 230. If I don't have my sh!t completely together, I'll put up a 90.

[revkev]

I'm sick to death of rain - tee'd off at 11:45 - according to the radar we should have had a three to three and a half hour window - but the wind shifted - got caught after hitting our tee balls on 5 - I was looking at an 8 footer for birdie but it was off to the shelter - by the time the rain stopped the cart GPS said, "course closed go the pro shop for a rain check."

 

I'll hit the range tomorrow - if there is an open range anywhere. I pulling all of my short iron shots - My playing partner, former college roomate here for a visit, and I were wondering if this might be because there is less offset on these clubs than on my old irons. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

[JBones]

Man, this game is humbling! LOL

And it's humbling from hole to hole. I went birdie, eagle the other day and came back double, bogey; flying high one minute, down in the dumps the next. I love it.

[GolfSpy WD]

I'm sick to death of rain - tee'd off at 11:45 - according to the radar we should have had a three to three and a half hour window - but the wind shifted - got caught after hitting our tee balls on 5 - I was looking at an 8 footer for birdie but it was off to the shelter - by the time the rain stopped the cart GPS said, "course closed go the pro shop for a rain check."

 

I'll hit the range tomorrow - if there is an open range anywhere. I pulling all of my short iron shots - My playing partner, former college roomate here for a visit, and I were wondering if this might be because there is less offset on these clubs than on my old irons. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

 

I hear you, we've gotten nothing but rain for over a week now. The golf season is coming to an end for us once the snow starts, so every rain day feels that much worse.

[RoverRick]

I had a never never round today. I never missed a fairway, never missed a green in regulation, never had a birdie putt less than 20 feet, never made a birdie putt, never had a par putt over 5 feet, never missed a par putt. Oh yeah, and never hit with the wind at my back. I hit fairways and greens and two putts for 17 holes. It was windy as usual, but seemed to shift around to the point where all my shots were cross winds or into the wind. Oh yeah, I just remembered that I did hit with the wind at my back to the island green. Of course, too short or too long or too far right or left is all equally bad. Just before I hit, I decided to change from a 9 iron to a wedge and ended up hole high 20 feet right. Lipped out the birdie.

 

Then on the 18th hole I hit the fairway but had 180 yards dead into the wind which had picked up by then, and decided to lay up. Then my chip seemed to catch the wind and roll forever to the fringe of the green on my third shot leaving me at least 60 feet. I decided to just make sure I could get the bogey and be happy with one over par rather than double bogey on the last hole. I putted it hoping to get it close and the ball fell in for par.

 

After trying to make 17 birdie putts in a row, and none of them going in, some lipped out and others stopped fractions of an inch from the hole and then boom, drop one that I was not even aiming at the hole, just a two foot circle. I thought I had missed it big time because it was four feet right of the hole 10 feet out and it looked like it slammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel, and barely rolled in the hole.

 

My competitor said, "How did you read that?" Of course, I acted like I planned it. I will take par every day. Eventhough it was almost a boring round.

[Aotearoa_Brad]

 

 

... it was almost a boring round.

 

I'll take that 'almost boring' round off you any day of the week Rick, you just let me know

[RookieBlue7]

Glad I'm feeling like crap, coughing and having sinus drainage. Otherwise, I'd have no excuse for how poorly I hit the ball today. At least I now have a poor excuse, and a poor excuse is better than none at all right?

[RoverRick]

I did not play well because Rookie felt like crap and had sinus drainage and a cough. He used it for an excuse yesterday so I thought I would try it today.

 

As I was walking out the door to go early and get warmed up, they delivered my driver shaft that I have been waiting for for two weeks. So Into a nearby phone booth and it is super club fitter, and I preped the tip, and added tape and epoxied the sleeve on and then went and installed the grip with the Pure Grip gun. 20 minutes later I am on the course but the driver is not ready to hit.

So I get to the first par 5 and check and the epoxy is dry but make a horrible swing. Same story at the next par 5. I do not use the driver again on the front 9. Then I hit a decent one. After playing with a regular flex for two weeks and changing to a x stiff shaft it was bit of a change.

 

After a couple of really poor attempts I remembered that it was an X stiff shaft so I started swinging hard and was rewarded with some really nice drives. It did not help my putting or chipping which was crap today. However, on the par 3 9th, with the island green, I was the last to hit, and was standing over the ball and I hear one guy say to the other one, "Rick absolutely owns this hole." Making reference to the fact that since it opened, I have made par or birdie every time I play it. So I hit and it ball is riding the wind, starts out over the water and tracking to the hole, and then he says, "told ya" and it hits the flag stick and drops down beside the hole, The edge of the cup was damaged.

 

The reason I am a 3 to 5 handicap is I shoot par one day and 85 the next day.

[TwoSolitudes]

What to see a crazy line?

 

FWIR= 80%

Average Putts= 2

Lost balls = 0

 

My score? 124

 

GIR= 0

Bunkers hit=14

 

Man I hate this game sometimes.

[revkev]

Too much info to digest but I'm saving Rookie's excuse for a rainy day. I'll bring Rick's putt out any time and if I ever hit it into 14 traps in a round I'm done. I was in 3 yesterday and it felt like 53.

[Will Par]

I pulling all of my short iron shots - My playing partner, former college roomate here for a visit, and I were wondering if this might be because there is less offset on these clubs than on my old irons. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Any time I put new wedges in the bag--or any new irons for that matter--I'm prone to hit them left of where I'm aiming until I have the lies adjusted two degrees flat. That always solves the problem for me. So if these are new irons, one possibility is the lie angle may be more upright than you are accustomed to playing.

[TwoSolitudes]

Dude, it's safe to say that in between your drive and your first putt is where you've got to concentrate. How'd ya do comin out of the traps? Do you keep those stats?

 

The Best

 

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

Funny thing was my goal this round was to keep the driver in play and not lose any balls. Mission accomplished! Sort of.

 

I have new irons which give me way more distance and that is throwing me off a bit. But in general it was just taking me two shots to get anything done from any hazard or rough lie. Sand was just brutal. Brought the ball forward about 3 feet every time then on my second shot I would have nice out. I would think I had it corrected and then do the same thing again on the next hole. I could not get anything out of the tall rough around the greens and I was pulling every shot under 100 yards- usually right back into a trap.

 

Now I usually am +\- 100, but 120 is way beyond where I have been playing. Hard to have your playing partners all say how great you drive the ball and still end up loosing 15 holes!

[revkev]

My lies are bent 2 degrees flat already Will P - It's the lack of offset - I compensated for that by closing the face - not good - it's fixed - well that part of it is fixed.

 

Played 12 at twighlight yesterday. I wanted to use the range but the range is closed and may remain closed for the entire week - it really is that wet and it's actually raining out right now. Good news is there is no more rain in the ten day forecast!

 

I'm almost there with the short iron part of my bag - the JPX 825 pros - the best thing about all of my new irons is how straight I hit them - well hit shots have just a hint and I do mean a hint of draw. I'm still not quite there with the JPX 825's that form the middle iron part of my set - I notice that I need to use my legs a lot more with the move to steel or seemingly I need to use my legs a lot more than I did with the graphite. I'm getting it though - I'd say another couple of weeks and I'll certainly "own" these irons.

 

The scor wedges are a week farther on down the learning curve line and they are like old friends now particularly out of traps - the 60 is esepcially easy to hit out of the trap - so different from the low bounce 60 that I had before and yet everybit as easy to open up and flop.