How'd you play?

[Beakbryce]

On 3/22/2023 at 10:47 AM, funkyjudge said:

I hope to match you in shooting your age fairly soon! I missed it by three strokes two weeks ago (it would be two strokes away if I shot the same score later this week when I turn 74).

Did I read it correctly that you shot 70 in matching or beating your age?  The only time I have broken 70 were in two rounds on shorter courses (one was a par-69 18-hole course and I was only 42 years old at the time), and when I shot my 67 several years ago the course had four temporary tees and one temporary green, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway … and I think I was only 65 or 66 at the time.

The only way that I have shot my age was when I shot 32 and 34 on two consecutive Monday night rounds in my 9-hole league.

Let us know when you shoot 74. I will have another Drambuie!

Ya, 70. Turned 70 last year. This on a course that is a par 71 where I have shot 69 but those scores were several years ago. I have been struggling with my irons. I have a hitting mat on my back patio and have been out everyday just smoothing out my swing. No ball, just kinda knowing what feels good. Finally started working. Shot 72 today after starting 3 over over the first 5 holes. When it gets a little warmer, going to move back a tee!

I live in the Phoenix area and started play today at 45 degrees. Looking ahead on the 10 day and ten days from now the hi will be 91. No spring, just winter then summer here. Always play from longer tees in the summer.

[Beakbryce]

On 3/22/2023 at 1:20 PM, cksurfdude said:

CONGRATS! and CHEERS!! on achieving that latest golf milestone .. on top of all those other great ones you have

..now just think how much easier it's going to be to do this next year...

Wow! For sure, you are so right. I definitely am not going down the rabbit hole with, ok, goal now is to break my age by one stroke. My only goal from now on is just to swing hard and go find it. Cheers.

[richk9holes]

Another low 80s round where a couple bad holes kept me from the break 80 goal. Overall happy with how I played. 41-42 for 83 w/ 37 putts. 

Cranbury GC after rain is a great venue. The pro shop attendant described it as "a potato field" for drainage and I have to say walking after 4-5 hours light rain I kept my feet dry, only accumulated water was on cart paths. I had a cart reserved, but chose the hand cart. Cart path only riding would have been more walking in the end.

Double on par 5 9th from a 4w flub putting me behind trees I could have gone over. I like to see young folks take to the game, but the girl's intermediate or JV high school team I had as a gallery didn't help in that scenario or the tee shot on the hole they previously let me play through. Muscles Mcflubski had to layup the 3rd shot and AW into wind wasn't close enough to avoid 3 putting.

Blowup on 17 due to 4w into wind coming up 20 yards short of target in a trap, sub par wedge play around the green sealed the triple bogey in spite of a good lag from 18ft. 10-16 I played at +2 gross, not too bad.

Edited March 23 by richk9holes
Added photos

[Jim Shaw]

a lot tougher day today on the greens, the superintendent put a skiff of sand on the greens on wednesday so they couldnt cut them today but they rolled them, it made the speeds a little inconsistent... having said that my new lower body move was not as accurate today so luckily I get to play again on saturday to work on it....

[Javs]

Today was a warm day, but the wind was a blowing. It was between 19 and 25 mph. Needless to say it was a different game. However, on the front I had three birdies and three bogeys for a nice even par 36. The back nine was more consistent with only one bogey offset by one birdie. Hit the ball very well and probably could have gotten more out of the round. At the end of the day, I was still pleased. The real blessing was my  thirteen handicap partner shot 79! So, today we won the money! Thank goodness for a partner that shoots his career round!

Edited March 24 by Javs

[Nate Wagner]

Got to play a fun round at east Potomac with a good friend. It's cherry blossom season in Washington DC and this course is right in the thick of the cherry blossom mania. It was great to get away from the crowds on the sidewalks and walk 18 while admiring the blossoms, Washington monument, and Jefferson memorial. I barely broke 90 so it was a pretty average day for me... lots of bogies with a couple of doubles and 5 pars. I'll take it for this early in the season. 

[Nate Wagner]

17 hours ago, richk9holes said:

Another low 80s round where a couple bad holes kept me from the break 80 goal. Overall happy with how I played. 41-42 for 83 w/ 37 putts. 

Cranbury GC after rain is a great venue. The pro shop attendant described it as "a potato field" for drainage and I have to say walking after 4-5 hours light rain I kept my feet dry, only accumulated water was on cart paths. I had a cart reserved, but chose the hand cart. Cart path only riding would have been more walking in the end.

Double on par 5 9th from a 4w flub putting me behind trees I could have gone over. I like to see young folks take to the game, but the girl's intermediate or JV high school team I had as a gallery didn't help in that scenario or the tee shot on the hole they previously let me play through. Muscles Mcflubski had to layup the 3rd shot and AW into wind wasn't close enough to avoid 3 putting.

Blowup on 17 due to 4w into wind coming up 20 yards short of target in a trap, sub par wedge play around the green sealed the triple bogey in spite of a good lag from 18ft. 10-16 I played at +2 gross, not too bad.

How much wind were you playing in?

[richk9holes]

1 minute ago, Nate Wagner said:

How much wind were you playing in?

When I started it was 10-12 mph but through the middle of the round the gusts were getting to a club, club+ 1/2. 

Just based on it making my eyes water walking up that fairway to the sand trap the gust that held up the 4w may have been as much as 20 mph. 17° is a little too much loft for a shot like that. I ditched my 3w a while back.

Might have been the time to hit driver off the deck because that hole is pretty wide open past the sand trap.

[Merlin1313]

30 minutes ago, Nate Wagner said:

Got to play a fun round at east Potomac with a good friend. It's cherry blossom season in Washington DC and this course is right in the thick of the cherry blossom mania. It was great to get away from the crowds on the sidewalks and walk 18 while admiring the blossoms, Washington monument, and Jefferson memorial. I barely broke 90 so it was a pretty average day for me... lots of bogies with a couple of doubles and 5 pars. I'll take it for this early in the season. 

I always loved that time of year. You ever get to play River Bend in Great Falls or Westwood in Vienna?

[Nate Wagner]

9 minutes ago, Merlin1313 said:

I always loved that time of year. You ever get to play River Bend in Great Falls or Westwood in Vienna?

I just played Westwood late last year, really enjoyed it. I'll have to look into River Bend!

[funkyjudge]

17 hours ago, Beakbryce said:

Let us know when you shoot 74. I will have another Drambuie!

Ya, 70. Turned 70 last year. This on a course that is a par 71 where I have shot 69 but those scores were several years ago. I have been struggling with my irons. I have a hitting mat on my back patio and have been out everyday just smoothing out my swing. No ball, just kinda knowing what feels good. Finally started working. Shot 72 today after starting 3 over over the first 5 holes. When it gets a little warmer, going to move back a tee!

I live in the Phoenix area and started play today at 45 degrees. Looking ahead on the 10 day and ten days from now the hi will be 91. No spring, just winter then summer here. Always play from longer tees in the summer.

We have been fairly lucky recently, with morning temperatures in the upper 30s to very low 40s and afternoon highs in the low-mid 50s. However, we’ve had more than a few days where the temperature never reached 45* with strong winds that made it feel like 30*, and also a couple where the daytime highs broke 60*..

Regardless of the temperatures, my winter golf tour plays every Thursday (with a couple of two-day events that add a Wednesday round), rain or shine. We did have sleet and freezing rain for one event that was called after most participants completed 10 or 11 holes. This was at a really high-level private club and the course is giving everyone who played that day a free 18-hole round of golf in April.  There’s only three more tour events this year, and I get to defend my 2022 victory at one of the toughest tracks next Thursday. I have already finished top-4 in three events this season (the senior division field varies from about 48 to 56 golfers each week), and I have five top-10s, so I am qualified for the Tour Championship on April 20 (prize money, skins payouts and closest-to-pin prizes are multiplied about 4x for this event).

The only reason that I play on this winter tour (and in two indoor winter leagues on golf simulators) is to keep my swing and my body in shape for the three leagues in which I play from early April to late October/early November.

[Nate Wagner]

31 minutes ago, richk9holes said:

When I started it was 10-12 mph but through the middle of the round the gusts were getting to a club, club+ 1/2. 

Just based on it making my eyes water walking up that fairway to the sand trap the gust that held up the 4w may have been as much as 20 mph. 17° is a little too much loft for a shot like that. I ditched my 3w a while back.

Might have been the time to hit driver off the deck because that hole is pretty wide open past the sand trap.

So much of my practice right now is in trying to keep the ball low with all my clubs through the bag... I launch it high, which is great in light wind conditions, but even a 15-20 mph wind is about 3 clubs of difference for me

[funkyjudge]

18 hours ago, richk9holes said:

Another low 80s round where a couple bad holes kept me from the break 80 goal. Overall happy with how I played. 41-42 for 83 w/ 37 putts. 

Cranbury GC after rain is a great venue. The pro shop attendant described it as "a potato field" for drainage and I have to say walking after 4-5 hours light rain I kept my feet dry, only accumulated water was on cart paths. I had a cart reserved, but chose the hand cart. Cart path only riding would have been more walking in the end.

Double on par 5 9th from a 4w flub putting me behind trees I could have gone over. I like to see young folks take to the game, but the girl's intermediate or JV high school team I had as a gallery didn't help in that scenario or the tee shot on the hole they previously let me play through. Muscles Mcflubski had to layup the 3rd shot and AW into wind wasn't close enough to avoid 3 putting.

Blowup on 17 due to 4w into wind coming up 20 yards short of target in a trap, sub par wedge play around the green sealed the triple bogey in spite of a good lag from 18ft. 10-16 I played at +2 gross, not too bad.

I’m not a big fan of Cranbury, although I have played that course dozens of times. They joined the NJ Senior Men’s Golf League a couple years ago, but I try not to get selected to play there if I can avoid it.

[richk9holes]

@funkyjudge I think that's a fair assessment. My recent travels NW brought me to a bunch of places I'd rank Mercer Oaks, Mountain View, Hanover GC  Cream Ridge GC, Concordia GC all above Cranbury. It ranks ahead of Gambler Ridge, Cruz Farm and Spring Meadow for me.

The selection was almost totally based on $14 with discounts and previously noting the course drains well after rain.

[richk9holes]

One thing I hated last time, not as bad this time at Cranbury, garbage on the course. 4 or 5 garbage cans turned over and litter in the fairways. How many groups drove past it before I turned the cans over at twilight time?

[funkyjudge]

7 minutes ago, richk9holes said:

@funkyjudge I think that's a fair assessment. My recent travels NW brought me to a bunch of places I'd rank Mercer Oaks, Mountain View, Hanover GC  Cream Ridge GC, Concordia GC all above Cranbury. It ranks ahead of Gambler Ridge, Cruz Farm and Spring Meadow for me.

The selection was almost totally based on $14 with discounts and previously noting the course drains well after rain.

Nothing at all wrong with taking the bargain selection, particularly in less-than-ideal late winter/early spring conditions!

I am probably more than a bit spoiled by some of the fantastic courses that we get to play on the winter golf tour (Rumson CC, Metuchen CC, Shackamaxon CC, the Forsgate Banks Course, etc). You mentioned Concordia in your post; that course is actually among my least favorite courses that we play on the tour.

[Merlin1313]

1 hour ago, Nate Wagner said:

I just played Westwood late last year, really enjoyed it. I'll have to look into River Bend!

Back in the day(WAY back) Ernie Garlem was the pro there and his wife ran the pro shop- my dad used to work with him as an assistant. I remember(vaguely) the original club house at River Bend was a trailer(my dad was the Pro there) and I hit my first balls at the driving range there- it's come a LONG way since then

[Rickp]

Bacon Boyz Friday 60*, light breeze & sunny.  1st shot I drowned a brand new ProV1x or maybe it was suicide but it’s gone.  That was the high point of the round.  
I did hit the PXG driver pretty well twice and 7wood couple times but that was it.  Always Monday!!!

[Merlin1313]

2 hours ago, Rickp said:

Bacon Boyz Friday 60*, light breeze & sunny.  1st shot I drowned a brand new ProV1x or maybe it was suicide but it’s gone.  That was the high point of the round.  
I did hit the PXG driver pretty well twice and 7wood couple times but that was it.  Always Monday!!!

It OBVIOUSLY lost(or didn't ever have) the will to play- and you're better off for it

[Rickp]

46 minutes ago, Merlin1313 said:

It OBVIOUSLY lost(or didn't ever have) the will to play- and you're better off for it

Agree, once they get an attitude you can’t get it back.