How'd you play?

[Byrnzee]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... I lived in Naperville for 40 years and drove up there a couple times every season. Such a great course when it opened and there were just a couple homes. Changing every year but still a great track. 

Lots of great courses near Naperville. I live in the city so it's always a hike to play anywhere decent. Did you have a favorite course in the area when you lived here?

[Shapotomous]

We got in 9 before the rain chased us off.  Decent tee balls again hitting 6/7 fairways.  I had issues with direction on approach shots, consistently missing left.  I could feel the heel catching and turning the face over slightly.  Being a slow learner it took 4 mishits before raising my hands at address a little to fix it.  Ended up with 3 bogies and 6 pars.

[chisag]

44 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

Lots of great courses near Naperville. I live in the city so it's always a hike to play anywhere decent. Did you have a favorite course in the area when you lived here?

 

... All things considered by far my favorite was Prairie Bluff in Crest Hill. Great staff, nice layout that is challenging but still friendly, always in really good shape, keeps a pace of play with rangers and a really good price. No homes so just you and the course. 

[revkev]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:04 PM, chisag said:

 

... Oh that's really cute Rick. Two weeks?!?  We have not had a single drop of rain in 6 months. 

Yes but we live in a tropical climate.  It’s very scary to be down a foot of rain for the year in mid August. We always end up close to normal. The H word is certain to be on the horizon at this point. 

[StrokerAce]

Not sure if I should be pleased or not? 
Played a tough course for the first time with some blind shots and tricky greens. (Crosswinds, Plymouth MA)
13 bogies/5 pars - not a lot of mistakes but definitely left a lot out there. Had trouble holding some greens and figuring out where to hit the fairway.

A couple of par 4 tee shots:
   

A par 3 and a tricky approach - a lot of undulations and changes in elevation.
I think I'd do better my second time here.

   

[chisag]

8 hours ago, revkev said:

Yes but we live in a tropical climate.  It’s very scary to be down a foot of rain for the year in mid August. We always end up close to normal. The H word is certain to be on the horizon at this point. 

 

... It just be crazy everywhere. My last two Mays in Chicago were the wettest in history and didn't get to play much to start the season, and when I did they weren't able to cut the rough so 1" off the fairway was a lost ball. On the plus side it was insanely green and lush. Different story in the desert of course but the average rainfall in the Monsoon season is around 2" from July - September. Lots depends on the water at this time of year and again we have had ZERO rainfall. I read posts about cancelled rounds and other problems from too much rain and as much as I have empathy, I can't help but think I wish we had that problem. Of course flooding and hurricanes are a completely different subject. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Morning nine today. Tried to play the Caley more and was a mixed bag. Will follow up there in the testing thread. Had my best putting nine of the year. No three putts, 2 1 putts including a 20' par on 9. Made some really dumb mistakes. On number three i tried to punch the Caley on to the green and then didnt go well. Should have punched out with a wedge. Then on 5, tried to hit a six at the green when in reality should have aimed away from some trees and just get the ball in play. Also somehow lost a ball on 8. It went up the right side, hit some trees but the area is somewhat open. Looked for 8 mins and then dropped as there was a group behind me pushing me.

Also got some videos of my two GIRs as I was taking video requested by my coach for potential lie angle issues  

number 2

 

 

number 7

 

 

[fixyurdivot]

10 hours ago, revkev said:

Yes but we live in a tropical climate.  It’s very scary to be down a foot of rain for the year in mid August. We always end up close to normal. The H word is certain to be on the horizon at this point. 

With an official hurricane season that spans 6 months, the odds are high.  The tenured locals here are saying the monsoon season seems to have shifted a month or so from decades past.  When we were in MT, the long time ranchers said their season has shifted a month or so as well. 

Hopefully we both get the needed percipitation without damaging storms.

[Paul Hedrick]

Today was an absolutely beautiful day on the course. A few clouds, just enough breeze to make the temperature not too horrible.  I was playing solo today, and a couple of foursomes in front of me let me play through. I have found that with the onslaught of new golfers, golf etiquette is not always followed, so I was very appreciative.  For me, if I have to wait a long time between shots, it tends to screw up my game and tempo.  Today, I just played, and enjoyed myself very much.

[MaxEntropy]

Well, the streak of stellar (or at least very good) short game and putting ended today. Still didn't play bad, thanks to driver and irons being better than normal. Ended up with a +6, 41 in some steady rain that lasted about 5 holes. I missed a 4-footer for bogey and a 3-footer for birdie that had been nearly automatic. I think the rain kind of freaked me out - I had no confidence in speed (with chips too) and did not commit to the shots. Shooting 1 over my handicap on a day like today and knowing I left meat on the bone is at least encouraging.

[JerryB]

Owen was busy today (Madden) so I walked the back nine at River Heights by myself today.  Started out rough with a triple and a double on the two par threes.  Had a birdie look on 12 that I didn't convert, then a double on 13 where I topped my driver, then topped my 3 wood as well.  After that I settled down, going bogey bogey par par bogey to finish.  

It was pointed out to me over the weekend that I've started setting up with my rear leg back again with my longer clubs.  Once I got that situated and my body alignment matched my club alignment again, I was hitting pretty well, those two tops notwithstanding.  My chipping was mostly back online, as were my irons.  I two-putted on every hole, but also missed probably five putts within five feet.

On the whole it was a pretty satisfying round in which I felt good overall but also have a clear idea on where I'm struggling.

[Rick Bouchard]

League play tonight was somewhat of a test on my muscle strain in my back right ribcage area. It really is getting on my nerves. I've only got a few more weeks left in our league so I'll just plug along. I'm going to sit out all other tournaments coming up, plus a 4 day Myrtle Beach trip in September. I shot 42 with an ob on my second hole, took an 8, par 5. Driver was all over the place, this is my most reliable part too! I did manage to win my match though, so we'll see what happens next week. 

[Shapotomous]

9 hole league night was disappointing as my short game deserted me on two holes turning what should have been a par and birdie into two bogeys.  Tee ball was good and approaches were mostly good.  Chip shots were awful and below average putting resulted in a 39.

[maccardi]

Finally got out over the past weekend up in Western, NY region. One of the most underrated courses I have had the chance to play was Stafford Country Club, in Batavia, NY, roughly 40 min from Rochester. The greens were some of the best rolling greens I’ve played in a while, and the firmness was off the charts. If you find yourself in the Rochester/Buffalo area and are looking for a hidden gem, look no further than Stafford Country Club. 

[revkev]

18 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... It just be crazy everywhere. My last two Mays in Chicago were the wettest in history and didn't get to play much to start the season, and when I did they weren't able to cut the rough so 1" off the fairway was a lost ball. On the plus side it was insanely green and lush. Different story in the desert of course but the average rainfall in the Monsoon season is around 2" from July - September. Lots depends on the water at this time of year and again we have had ZERO rainfall. I read posts about cancelled rounds and other problems from too much rain and as much as I have empathy, I can't help but think I wish we had that problem. Of course flooding and hurricanes are a completely different subject. 

I feel you my friend. It’s just been one bizarre year for much of the country, weather wise.

 

Our first day without a heat advisory in a long time today.  We have high rain chances the next few days. Finally 

[KC Golf]

Driver was again behaving properly, managed a few 280+ drives which was great but then with a par 5 reachable geeen the second shot with a long iron or hybrid was not great.  Into the hazard,, hit it too far right or left.  Just a circus side show.  

Kind of disappointing since when I wasn’t driving it well my hybrid was just money.  

Club championships on the horizon, could be brutal if I can’t turn this around.  Hoping for the best.

[Sluggo42]

First game in a week due to vacationing, and the score reflected that. Not horrid, but not good. Had some good moments, but very meh...

[CLenahan]

Shot a 93 on our championship course. They have started work for the Champions Tour tournament happening in less than a month, so pins were tough and greens were fast and hard. All things considered, I’m pretty happy with that score.






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[BobBC78]

Played 18 with a buddy this morning at North Kingstown GC; steady drizzle for the first 9-holes after which nothing fell from the sky, but everything remained pretty wet. Although I shot an 89, which is definitely not one of my best scores, I was pleased with the round in general. My score included 2 triples, one the result of hitting my tee shot into a water hazard on a Par-3 and the second do to making several poor shots and club decisions on a Par-5 on the back. Otherwise I was 13-over for the remaining 16 holes. I was really pleased with my short game in general and putting in particular as I took only 27 putts; my all time low. Distance control was really good, as were my reads, so the work I've been doing on my putting, including changing to a "cack-handed" grip, is showing some fruit.

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Played like crap in leagues tonight. Other team was two guys short, so we went out as a twosome with nothing to play for. Couldn't get my head in it. Hit a few good shots but never really got it going. Would've liked the competitive aspect.

[ParFore74x]

Had a night & day round this afternoon with a 47/40, 87. Front 9 was a nightmare with 5 doubles. Tee shots were decent but the rest was questionable. Told myself that I need to reset for the back and sure enough things came together for a PR over 9 holes of 40. I can pick apart every bad shot that I had on the front and cannot really think of anything that I could have truly done differently on the back. Still happy with the round overall, keeping myself in the 80s more than I expected this year. 

[fixyurdivot]

Mens League 2 man scramble today at Granite Falls South.  My drives and approach shots were ardiendo.  We had 9 legit birdie putts but we only made one... and it was from just off the green and the furthest away .  We both like... 

[JerryB]

Owen and I played the front nine at River Heights today.  I started out by popping up my drive into the fairway on 18.  From about 200 out I put my 7 wood on the green, then hit a twenty foot putt for a birdie!

Downhill from there.  A three putt on two for a double bogey and several mishits for a double on three.  Just bogeys the rest of the way, save for some bunker trouble and a double on seven. 

Once again mostly decent tee to green and some average to shaky putting after the first hole.  Shot +10 today and beat Owen who was struggling a bit.

[Byrnzee]

I had the privilege of playing 36 holes yesterday at Bowes Creek Country Club in Elgin, IL. They have a "member for a day" deal where you can play unlimited golf with cart included and have full access to the practice facilities. I shot 87-85 on an absolutely perfect day. High 70s, sunny and a light breeze.

I was striking the ball fairly well all day. Unfortunately I had a few blow-up holes in each round that resulted in some higher scores than I would've liked. I'm sure many of you have heard this before, but what makes a good golfer isn't the number of birdies you can have in a round. It's the number of double bogeys and worse than you can avoid. 87 in the morning with 5 doubles and 85 in the afternoon with 4 doubles. If I can eliminate those mistakes, I can start scoring in the high 70s/low 80s, which is a goal of mine.

Another thing that people don't talk about enough is course management. Some of those blow-up holes could've been avoided by taking less club and putting myself in smarter positions. You don't have to hit driver off every tee box. The 11th hole for example gave me trouble in both rounds. It's a very tight fairway that doglegs to the right. If you hit it left or long straight you can end up in the woods. It's a fairly short hole too (only 365 or so). I've learned a long iron off the tee would've saved me a lot of strokes - something to remember for next time.

Overall I'm happy with both of those rounds and the way my game is trending. Trying to take advantage of the nice weather while I can and hopefully keep playing well while avoiding those big mistakes. 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, Byrnzee said:

Another thing that people don't talk about enough is course management. Some of those blow-up holes could've been avoided by taking less club and putting myself in smarter positions. You don't have to hit driver off every tee box. The 11th hole for example gave me trouble in both rounds. It's a very tight fairway that doglegs to the right. If you hit it left or long straight you can end up in the woods. It's a fairly short hole too (only 365 or so). I've learned a long iron off the tee would've saved me a lot of strokes - something to remember for next time.

 

... Oh I think plenty talk about it, it's just that few listen.   Every single shot is an entity all its own. There is no such thing as "making up for a bad shot" anymore than there is "capitalizing on a good shot". There is only the shot you have right now and what is the best way to play it. 

... I am always amazed at how many times I hear "If I can get up and down I can save my bogie" or "If I can bogie the last 5 holes I can break 85" and the absolute worst of all "If I can par these last 2 holes I will shoot my lowest round ever". You might as well say "If I pick the right numbers I can win the Lotto". Cliches are cliches for a reason and the only way to play this game well is to execute the shot you have right now. Then do it again with the next shot. 

 

 

 

[Byrnzee]

14 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Oh I think plenty talk about it, it's just that few listen.   Every single shot is an entity all its own. There is no such thing as "making up for a bad shot" anymore than there is "capitalizing on a good shot". There is only the shot you have right now and what is the best way to play it. 

... I am always amazed at how many times I hear "If I can get up and down I can save my bogie" or "If I can bogie the last 5 holes I can break 85" and the absolute worst of all "If I can par these last 2 holes I will shoot my lowest round ever". You might as well say "If I pick the right numbers I can win the Lotto". Cliches are cliches for a reason and the only way to play this game well is to execute the shot you have right now. Then do it again with the next shot. 

 

 

 

Very well said! Being present for each shot is something I've been trying to do more and more and my game improves.

[Dweed]

The day before we received 1.8 inches of rain on top of already saturated ground. Yesterday was a beautiful day. Sunny mild wind mid 70's. They were only allowing walkers out. Teed off at 1PM and wished I had brought my waders. Lots of standing water in fairways. Frustrating to watch a decent drive splash down in the middle of the fairway. Wasn't my best striking day but chipping and putting saved the day. Finished slogging around 9 holes and looked like a wet spotted owl. Didn't hit any water penalties but plenty of water shots. All in all was a good day. Still managed to shoot 37 so I was happy all things considered.

[fixyurdivot]

Bookend 37/37 at Desert Springs which is B2B 74's at this course.  We played individual net today; the first time I've ever played this format with the Thursday group. I took 1st place, netting $10 .  

A couple of guys in our foursome didn't hear the change in game before we headed out and thought we were playing team, one net.  It wasn't until we got to #16 that they realized this... one then said "hell, if I knew that I would't have rooted for those close putts" .

[Duffer_E]

Very happy and very frustrated...2 weeks ago I traveled to (northern) France (Brittany) on vacation. I played two rounds of golf at Saint-Samson GC in Pleumeur-Bodou. I did not bring my clubs (shipping them was way too expensive, and the puddle jumper airline from London would have charged me even more for the golf clubs as additional baggage. So instead, I rented a "demi-serie" (half-series) which sounds exactly like what it is: a bag of 6-7 clubs. I ended up with a (Ladies Flex) driver, a 3h, 3i, 5i, 7i, PW, SW and an Odyssey White Hot 2-ball putter. Of all the clubs, the SW was the closest to what I game at home. The rest was...well, in France, golf isn't quite the game it is in the US, so the clubs were not in the best condition.

The weather all week was gray and drizzling/misting. So the course was a little bit wet, and since I didn't have my bag, I didn't have, for example, a towel to dry off grips or club heads before taking a shot. Also, we played with the old, found balls that my playing buddies had gathered as they played over the past year.

The first round I played, I would say was about the average I had been playing at home with my clubs (fitted, fresh balls, etc.) -- I shot 103, which is, yet isn't surprising, I suppose. I'm not playing with my clubs, so I'm not expecting fireworks. But I also wasn't expecting to shoot my average either -- I fully expected to hit 5-10 shots more than normal, since I don't have "my" clubs, and I don't know lofts, and distances, etc. All I can do is hope, pray and swing away.

Then, the frustrating part -- I played again 3 days later, and I shot 95! The same setup - except this time, I declined the driver for a 3w I found in another of the rental bags they had.  Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have had such a good round. At the same time, if I can shoot in the mid-90s with, as I like to put it (tongue-in-cheek), "a sad sack" of random clubs, why did I spend all this money on club fittings and custom clubs?!?!?! (lol). 

PS - Interesting fact: in France you are supposed to be "licensed" before being allowed on the golf course. What that entails is taking a course to learn the rules of golf (not how to properly swing a golf club), and taking a test to verify you know the rules. It wasn't like there was a starter checking licenses before we teed off, but still an interesting bit of trivia...

[Sluggo42]

4 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Oh I think plenty talk about it, it's just that few listen.   Every single shot is an entity all its own. There is no such thing as "making up for a bad shot" anymore than there is "capitalizing on a good shot". There is only the shot you have right now and what is the best way to play it. 

... I am always amazed at how many times I hear "If I can get up and down I can save my bogie" or "If I can bogie the last 5 holes I can break 85" and the absolute worst of all "If I can par these last 2 holes I will shoot my lowest round ever". You might as well say "If I pick the right numbers I can win the Lotto". Cliches are cliches for a reason and the only way to play this game well is to execute the shot you have right now. Then do it again with the next shot. 

 

 

 

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