SoSH Golf, 2022
- Thread starter Over Guapo Grande
- Start date
Apparently I left for the train right before all of this was happening yesterday:
https://golf.com/travel/north-berwick-scottish-open-golf-utopia/?amp=1
https://golf.com/travel/north-berwick-scottish-open-golf-utopia/?amp=1
Went out yesterday morning and shot a 79, first round in the 70's in many years. What is odd about it was I didn't have one birdie, 11 pars and 7 bogeys. I parred the first 9 holes, but it felt weird as I had no real birdie putts, I was either scrambling or my birdie putts were 20 plus feet and I was just trying to get them close for an easy par putt. Bogeyed 10 and 11, parred 12 & 13, then bogeyed 14-18.
I guess what really saved me is I avoided any doubles, I've been good for one or two doubles a round for a long time and that just kills your score.
I guess what really saved me is I avoided any doubles, I've been good for one or two doubles a round for a long time and that just kills your score.
Basically you explained how to play good golf. Avoid big numbers, play for par.
It's basically the double-digit handicapper's equivalent of Faldo's 18 pars in the final round at Muirfield in 1987.
Well, me playing for par isn't really the name of the game, but kind of. My goal is nothing worse than bogey. Try for par (so yeah, I guess that's what you mean), but be content with a bogey. If the drive gets me in trouble, barring a penalty of some sort, just try to advance the ball and get it on the green in one over regulation, and hope to no worse than two putt every green (which for me is sometimes very wishful thinking). When I do that, I usually shoot nothing worse than like 82. It's the big numbers that sink my score. Some rounds, multiple big numbers.
And birdies are a total bonus for me.
And birdies are a total bonus for me.
Lol, I suppose so. I just felt like I did't play very well for carding a 79. No real birdie attempts and I felt like my contact wasn't all that great and for some reason it worked out to a good score.
Some of my best rounds feel like they shouldn't have happened, but you don't need to hit the ball well to score well. It's a matter of managing misses and limiting mistakes.
I've had rounds where I have 6 birdies and shoot 80 (feast or famine). Those rounds are exciting, but good golf is boring golf. For example, I played with a buddy of mine recently who shot 69, but nobody knew it or noticed until the end because he was just kind of plodding along and it was easy to dismiss his round as it was happening.
Birdies are always bonuses, you should never play for birdies. If you're managing your game, they will just happen here and there.
@grsharky7 - your 79 sounds a lot like mine. 10 pars with 10 GIRS. Only one real "makeable" birdie putt, but I wasn't leaving myself in bad spots. The shot I was happiest with, I missed the green with. I was blocked from the pin by some branches, so rather than try to hit the hero shot over/under, I went left (pin was middle-right) . It should have been an easy up and down, but I hit a bad chip... but still, the worst I was going to make was a bogey once I took the trouble out of play.
Exactly, last summer I had round with 5 birdies andI still shot 83 because I loaded up on bogies, but it felt exciting because I was making birdies. Our high school golf coach always stressed middle of the green and two putts and we'll win more than we lose. He would get on guys who went after hard pins actually. One time in practice I drew in a 7 iron into a pin that was front left just over the water and I put it about 8 feet out. I went on to miss the birdie putt and tapped in for par. He came over and said nice shot, but I was super flirty with rolling it back into the creek, better to minimize the risk and go for the middle and I would've still had the same results.
High school golf generally is not a major priority for youth players these days, at least the ones trying to play at the next level. From a “winning that match” standpoint, that’s sound advice. IMO, however, from a “develop the golfer to best of the golfer’s abilities” standpoint, if a player has that drawn 7 iron shot in the bag, they should probably give it a go.
Said goodbye to Pines Course at International today. Pines was the original course on the property and when I was a kid and later a teenager in the 80s it was one of the most highly thought of courses in New England. I caddied there in junior high and high school and it was typical to see sports stars or celebs there. I caddied for Yaz, Ainge, and Clemens among others. It was impeccibly maintained, and from the tips an absolutely beast. From the Tigers tees I believe the course record was 77. Tom Watson played once and shot 78.
The course went through a long downhill phase. The family that lost the property to the current owners stop the level of maintenance that people were accustomed to. The buzz was lost, and people stopped coming. From 2005-2019 it was a shit show. The greens were terrible. The bunkers a joke with more rocks than sand. It was an unloved gem. When Escalante bought the club they really restored the course almost all the way to its former salad days. However, it was on life support. SOme of the greens never rolled the same way again after years of neglect. Coore and Crenshaw were hired and not a single hole in remaining the same save for 18 which will mostly remain in its current configuration.
The new course will certainly be spectacular. I don't think Coore and Crenshaw have ever produced a dud. But Ill miss 3 and 11 two fair but scoreable par 5s and 7 and 16 which were two really spectacular par 3s. On the other hand, it will be good to see holes 8 and 17 renovated as they were poor holes and the stupid 5th green will finally be put to rest.
Sad to see it look the way it did today. Turf eradication began three weeks ago on nine holes and I cant believe they let people on part of the course. Its going to remain a nine hole course for a few weeks until they need to start breaking down the other holes (and so the course doesnt look awful when the LIV tourney is here)
The course went through a long downhill phase. The family that lost the property to the current owners stop the level of maintenance that people were accustomed to. The buzz was lost, and people stopped coming. From 2005-2019 it was a shit show. The greens were terrible. The bunkers a joke with more rocks than sand. It was an unloved gem. When Escalante bought the club they really restored the course almost all the way to its former salad days. However, it was on life support. SOme of the greens never rolled the same way again after years of neglect. Coore and Crenshaw were hired and not a single hole in remaining the same save for 18 which will mostly remain in its current configuration.
The new course will certainly be spectacular. I don't think Coore and Crenshaw have ever produced a dud. But Ill miss 3 and 11 two fair but scoreable par 5s and 7 and 16 which were two really spectacular par 3s. On the other hand, it will be good to see holes 8 and 17 renovated as they were poor holes and the stupid 5th green will finally be put to rest.
Sad to see it look the way it did today. Turf eradication began three weeks ago on nine holes and I cant believe they let people on part of the course. Its going to remain a nine hole course for a few weeks until they need to start breaking down the other holes (and so the course doesnt look awful when the LIV tourney is here)
After last week's 79, I went out Sunday and parred the first. "Still in the groove!" I thought. I then went 6 over in the next 4, to bring me back to reality. I apparently then remembered which end of the club to hold, as I went 1 birdie/ 3 bogie / 9 pars the rest of the way in (for another 79),
Usually I will start hitting the ball ok, and then the switch goes off. This time, something "clicked" in my swing- I think mostly tempo.
Usually I will start hitting the ball ok, and then the switch goes off. This time, something "clicked" in my swing- I think mostly tempo.
Yeah this was 20 years ago, and needless to say I didn't have that shot in my bag, I just to lucky that day and he knew that. I still play that course fair regularly and they still love to put that pin in the same spot. I've gone after it a few times and more often than not it doesn't work out well!
Holy cow...without any expectations of success, I entered the Old Course ballot for Thursday (in two days' time) on a lark and actually got a tee time for 12:30 p.m. So that's something to look forward to! (Forecast is for relatively light winds of 10-15 mph out of the southeast.)
(Forecast is for relatively light winds of 10-15 mph out of the southeast.)
Rough life you've got going on over there. I'm expecting 6 birdies!Holy cow...without any expectations of success, I entered the Old Course ballot for Thursday (in two days' time) on a lark and actually got a tee time for 12:30 p.m. So that's something to look forward to!
FWIW, I entered the Old Course ballot as a twosome with a friend here in Dunbar who I knew was very unlikely to want to pay £270 to play the Old Course. (He would love to play it, but he can't afford that sort of price - his day job is working as the starter at Gullane #1.) I actually drove up to St. Andrews today not 100% sure I'd be allowed to play if I showed up by myself - but I needn't have worried about that. I wound up playing with a father and son from Los Angeles who started queueing up to get on the course at 9 p.m. last night - they slept on the concrete next to the starter's hut, Bethpage Black style - and a man from Las Vegas who had queued from 5 or 6 a.m. this morning with his wife, each hoping to get on as singles. (His wife teed off an hour after he did.) So I was definitely performing a public service by making an extra place available to the masses as I did.
The par-3 8th was the turning point of my round, really: as I turned back into the wind at the loop, the pin was tucked just beyond the Short Hole bunker, and from 140 yards I put a really nice swing on a 6-iron hit it to only six feet from the hole. (Hilariously, I went after one of my playing partners had hit driver 75 yards past the green, not realizing that we were playing a par 3! He hit another ball after we pointed out his mistake.) It was close enough that I could taste the birdie already...but, after a long wait for my playing partners to catch up with me, I somehow managed to both pull my putt and leave it fully a foot short of the hole. That was a hideous stroke, and I knew I'd wasted a golden opportunity. I then hit a very poor approach to the 9th and three-putted for bogey from 80 feet, chunked a sand wedge at the downwind 10th after a rather good drive to make another bogey, and at the par-3 11th - with the flag at the back of the green, I think about halfway between where it was on Friday and Sunday during the Open - I got aggressive and made a very good swing but took one club too many and found the gully over the back of the green, which was absolutely in jail. I got cute with my first putt from there and just failed to get to the top of the hill...and my ball rolled way back down the hill to leave me an even longer putt than I'd just had. I made double there, then after failing badly on a 20-foot birdie putt at the 12th, I really started to unravel, going double-double-bogey on the next three holes. I played 16 well and two-putted for par from the front of the green, then after drawing a terrible lie and stance after taking aggressive line up the right on the Road Hole (where the pin was at the very back of the green), I actually did pretty well to find the front of the green in three and two-putt from around 100 feet for bogey. But at the 18th, after again driving well I bladed a 7-iron all the way to the back edge and lipped out the 15-footer that I left myself for par. So I was out in 40 and back in 46 for 86. Yuck.
Although that's the worst round I've played in quite a while, it was still pretty awesome to be out there on the Old Course with most of the grandstands and camera towers still up - I've played the course around 30 times now, but that really was a unique experience. (There were a few distractions out on the course from workmen starting to disassemble stuff...but then, there are always distractions on the Old Course.) I'm almost certain that I'll never again get to play any other course so soon after it hosts a major championship, and although obviously I would have wanted to play better, I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to do this.
So...the wind was quite a bit stronger than forecast, and I'm not sure how this happened, but we seemed to have had a crosswind out of the right going out and were playing into the wind (or at least a quartering wind out of the left) on the way back. So it was noticeably tougher than I'd have wanted. We played from the back tees of the options available to us - just over 6,700 yards in total - and on the first I pushed a pretty bad approach to a front pin that actually bounced over the Swilcan Burn and left me a 40-footer for birdie; the three holes I've never birdied on the Old Course are #1, #2 and #17, and I've been putting pretty great of late, so I decided to attack the hole for birdie...and promptly hit it six feet past and missed the comebacker. Grrrr. (The greens were awesome, by the way - still as perfectly smooth and fast as I think they were for the Open.) At the 2nd, to a back left pin I pulled my approach into the deep bunker left of the green, but from not far from the steep lip I opened my clubface and splashed out perfectly, bouncing the ball down the hill to a foot from the hole to save par. (The sand in that bunker was soooo good as well, a perfect consistency that let you play a proper bunker shot without making it easy to nip the ball and get lots of spin.) I just missed about a 30-footer for birdie at the 3rd, then I started to get a little ragged, bogeying the 4th and 6th and failing to birdie the 5th despite laying up nicely atop the ridge between the Spectacle bunkers to leave me a sand wedge to attack the flag. And on the 7th, with the hole way on the right side of the green, I short-sided myself with my approach and had to putt up a steep bank, but I hit a beauty to tap-in range to stay at +3.
The par-3 8th was the turning point of my round, really: as I turned back into the wind at the loop, the pin was tucked just beyond the Short Hole bunker, and from 140 yards I put a really nice swing on a 6-iron hit it to only six feet from the hole. (Hilariously, I went after one of my playing partners had hit driver 75 yards past the green, not realizing that we were playing a par 3! He hit another ball after we pointed out his mistake.) It was close enough that I could taste the birdie already...but, after a long wait for my playing partners to catch up with me, I somehow managed to both pull my putt and leave it fully a foot short of the hole. That was a hideous stroke, and I knew I'd wasted a golden opportunity. I then hit a very poor approach to the 9th and three-putted for bogey from 80 feet, chunked a sand wedge at the downwind 10th after a rather good drive to make another bogey, and at the par-3 11th - with the flag at the back of the green, I think about halfway between where it was on Friday and Sunday during the Open - I got aggressive and made a very good swing but took one club too many and found the gully over the back of the green, which was absolutely in jail. I got cute with my first putt from there and just failed to get to the top of the hill...and my ball rolled way back down the hill to leave me an even longer putt than I'd just had. I made double there, then after failing badly on a 20-foot birdie putt at the 12th, I really started to unravel, going double-double-bogey on the next three holes. I played 16 well and two-putted for par from the front of the green, then after drawing a terrible lie and stance after taking aggressive line up the right on the Road Hole (where the pin was at the very back of the green), I actually did pretty well to find the front of the green in three and two-putt from around 100 feet for bogey. But at the 18th, after again driving well I bladed a 7-iron all the way to the back edge and lipped out the 15-footer that I left myself for par. So I was out in 40 and back in 46 for 86. Yuck.
Although that's the worst round I've played in quite a while, it was still pretty awesome to be out there on the Old Course with most of the grandstands and camera towers still up - I've played the course around 30 times now, but that really was a unique experience. (There were a few distractions out on the course from workmen starting to disassemble stuff...but then, there are always distractions on the Old Course.) I'm almost certain that I'll never again get to play any other course so soon after it hosts a major championship, and although obviously I would have wanted to play better, I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to do this.
Yeah typically only old people write in prose and chapters.Geez you look way younger than I thought you were!
Yes. Marlborough was a treat. The greens were hard and fast despite bring constantly watered down. I’d hate (love) to see them dry.
Pretty wild thing happened last night. As I'm teeing off on hole 7 for men's league I see a text in our friend group chat that one of the guys got a hole in one on 13 (scratch golfer first one surprisingly). We then get to hole 9 (par 3 over water) and my other buddy dunks it for a second hole in one in our friend group.
We got pretty drunk afterwards.
We got pretty drunk afterwards.
5 rounds in a row I've played a 9 in the 30s and a 9 in the mid -high 40s. I'm usually a champion of the 43-42-85 kinda round so this kinda haphazard performance is baffling.
That said it's basically all caused by an inconsistent driver, my iron play has been excellent, so I guess I need to figure out how to hit more fairways and not have runs of holes playing from the trees
That said it's basically all caused by an inconsistent driver, my iron play has been excellent, so I guess I need to figure out how to hit more fairways and not have runs of holes playing from the trees
I’ve been doing online lessons. It was good progress early, I can hit my irons well at the range/sim. Take it to the course and I can’t find the club face. Driver and short game in reasonable shape (1.9 putts per hole on a round I shot 100). Chunk and thin city on my irons.
Frustrating but have to keep at it.
Frustrating but have to keep at it.
I think you’re joking? But gross.
I’m in a weird spot where because if my handicap I really can’t win net and the top 4 or 5 golfers in our club are all between +1 and 1 so it’s difficult for me to win. Still, in match play anything can happen. I ended up as the 6th seed. No idea who the guy is who I’m playing but that adds to the fun.
I’m in a weird spot where because if my handicap I really can’t win net and the top 4 or 5 golfers in our club are all between +1 and 1 so it’s difficult for me to win. Still, in match play anything can happen. I ended up as the 6th seed. No idea who the guy is who I’m playing but that adds to the fun.
I wasn't joking at all, was genuinely curious. We have Champ flight (gross and from the tips) and men's flight (gross & net) from the men's tees and both flights are equally as challenging. There are 2-3 handicaps that choose to play men's flight because they don't have the length anymore to play the tips.
I have zero chance in the Champ flight, it's 3 days of stroke play and we have multiple +1 to +4 players. I do it every year anyway because why not. I finally got back below at 3 this past week, so at least I'm trending in the right direction.
On another note, I'm leaving next week for Missouri to play Top of the Rock, Ozark National, Payne's Valley, and Buffalo Ridge. Pretty excited.
Yeah that’s why I’m doing my championship division. I mean I finished as the 6 seed so obviously I’m in good company but I feel like I’m one of the best of the second tier. There’s 4 or 5 guys who can go low in the first tier that I’ll have to catch on a bad day. Still. Anything can happen.
I’m down to a 4.8 so I won’t be a push over but if the + handicaps start dropping 6 or 7 birdies it’ll be quick.
So jealous of you. Have you played these before? Wife and I are thinking of doing Payne's Valley plus maybe another for our anniversary
First time trip, pretty excited about it. It's going to be really hot though, only drawback. Will report back.
Not an epic Conig tale of golfing glory and woe, but I'll give it a go.
It took just over 52 years, but yesterday I finally broke 80. Shot 37-42, with the front being my best nine ever too. Best before was an 80, on same course, in my mid 20s.
Home course, about 6150 yds. Dry conditions have made the course play very links-y, so that helped add some distance to drives, but messed with approach shots, often requiring one to bounce it short onto the green. Course was also set up for club championship, which did not help -- lots of pins stuck in ornery places.
Played twosome with friend, with my 17 year old son and a couple of his friends in group behind us. Things were slow, as the two groups ahead were very slow, and there were multiple holes opened ahead of them. First drive into bunker, one I'd not been reaching all year, and was able to get on in three, with a slick 20 foot downhill putt for par, which meandered in for me. Watching my partner sink a long birdie putt from somewhat same direction helped the read. Bogeyed second, also a par 4. Then GIR'd 3, for a routine par on par 5. We get to 4, a par 3, and my son's group is on tee with us waiting before we hit, so we have them join us. I put tee shot into left bunker, and had about 25 yds to pin on back left. Hit as good a bunker shot as I've hit, with chance to get close on second bounce. Instead, it went in on fly on second bounce. My only birdie of the day.
Parred 5 (another good up and down from greenside bunker), and then 6, both par 4s. I had the jinxing thought of "Jeez, I'm even after six holes," but stayed in the moment and GIR'd 7 and 8 for pars, and was able to get on in three/two putt for bogey on 9.
As I'm walking to the back 9, I think to myself "get three pars, bogey the rest, and you've got this." And proceeded to do exactly that, but in somewhat stoopid fashion. Routine GIR par on 10, moderately difficult par 4. Block drive on easy par 4 11th into 10th hole rough, but have perfect angle to green in the one opening in the trees. Hit green, rolls off back, manage to get get the bogey. Hit stupid shot 1A on short par 5 - a three wood to try to reach green on second shot. Pull it left into woods, luckily find it in tall grass. Whack it out to front of green, and almost get up and down from there for par, but a bogey. 13 - par 3, hit it on fringe about 30 feet from pin. Three putt for bogey. 14 and 15, two hardest holes on back, I par with GIR. 16 (somewhat tough par 3) and 17 (easy par 4), I GIR three putt both for bogey.
I8 - long par 5, somewhat tight. Hit great drive, and pull out the three wood again for dumb shot 1B, tying to knock it as close as possible instead of just hitting 3h, which I hit more consistently and straight. Push slice it right into the fescue. Fuuuuuuuu....if it's gone, I'm done. Luckily, partner finds ball in fescue, and in relatively thin part. I can't go direct to green due to trees, but I fade most shots. Fescue is thin enough I think I can get club on it. About 155 downhill, and I hit it perfect with 5h, a clean, high shot with fade. Ends up center of green, 30 feet from hole. Which I again three putt for bogey. Horribly tight lag and 4-feet-for-par putting on back, after superb for me putting on front. But I nursed it home for the 79.
Some good luck, best tee to green ball striking in awhile, and some bad putting, but it came out in the wash.
The lovely new handicap system took this outlier score and dropped my index from 17.6 to 15.4, but well worth that future pain. I shot 92 day before, but planted seeds of figuring out a good swing during that round. Best round this year before was 87.
It took just over 52 years, but yesterday I finally broke 80. Shot 37-42, with the front being my best nine ever too. Best before was an 80, on same course, in my mid 20s.
Home course, about 6150 yds. Dry conditions have made the course play very links-y, so that helped add some distance to drives, but messed with approach shots, often requiring one to bounce it short onto the green. Course was also set up for club championship, which did not help -- lots of pins stuck in ornery places.
Played twosome with friend, with my 17 year old son and a couple of his friends in group behind us. Things were slow, as the two groups ahead were very slow, and there were multiple holes opened ahead of them. First drive into bunker, one I'd not been reaching all year, and was able to get on in three, with a slick 20 foot downhill putt for par, which meandered in for me. Watching my partner sink a long birdie putt from somewhat same direction helped the read. Bogeyed second, also a par 4. Then GIR'd 3, for a routine par on par 5. We get to 4, a par 3, and my son's group is on tee with us waiting before we hit, so we have them join us. I put tee shot into left bunker, and had about 25 yds to pin on back left. Hit as good a bunker shot as I've hit, with chance to get close on second bounce. Instead, it went in on fly on second bounce. My only birdie of the day.
Parred 5 (another good up and down from greenside bunker), and then 6, both par 4s. I had the jinxing thought of "Jeez, I'm even after six holes," but stayed in the moment and GIR'd 7 and 8 for pars, and was able to get on in three/two putt for bogey on 9.
As I'm walking to the back 9, I think to myself "get three pars, bogey the rest, and you've got this." And proceeded to do exactly that, but in somewhat stoopid fashion. Routine GIR par on 10, moderately difficult par 4. Block drive on easy par 4 11th into 10th hole rough, but have perfect angle to green in the one opening in the trees. Hit green, rolls off back, manage to get get the bogey. Hit stupid shot 1A on short par 5 - a three wood to try to reach green on second shot. Pull it left into woods, luckily find it in tall grass. Whack it out to front of green, and almost get up and down from there for par, but a bogey. 13 - par 3, hit it on fringe about 30 feet from pin. Three putt for bogey. 14 and 15, two hardest holes on back, I par with GIR. 16 (somewhat tough par 3) and 17 (easy par 4), I GIR three putt both for bogey.
I8 - long par 5, somewhat tight. Hit great drive, and pull out the three wood again for dumb shot 1B, tying to knock it as close as possible instead of just hitting 3h, which I hit more consistently and straight. Push slice it right into the fescue. Fuuuuuuuu....if it's gone, I'm done. Luckily, partner finds ball in fescue, and in relatively thin part. I can't go direct to green due to trees, but I fade most shots. Fescue is thin enough I think I can get club on it. About 155 downhill, and I hit it perfect with 5h, a clean, high shot with fade. Ends up center of green, 30 feet from hole. Which I again three putt for bogey. Horribly tight lag and 4-feet-for-par putting on back, after superb for me putting on front. But I nursed it home for the 79.
Some good luck, best tee to green ball striking in awhile, and some bad putting, but it came out in the wash.
The lovely new handicap system took this outlier score and dropped my index from 17.6 to 15.4, but well worth that future pain. I shot 92 day before, but planted seeds of figuring out a good swing during that round. Best round this year before was 87.
Yes - the Farms.
Thanks for the congrats all. I’m still in a bit of a pleasant bewilderment over it happening. Played back 9 yesterday, conditions having changed - softened - due to a decent amount of rain since Sunday. Shot 44 (3 doubles, 4 pars) which included three topped shots, and three sunk par putts from 6-10 feet. Never a dull
moment…
I had my best round of the year at Sunday River yesterday. Played the front side with my 16yo before his range picking shift. He wanted to play the black tees for our $10 match play match - mostly because its "baller" to play the blacks in front of folks on the practice green and the deck outside the bar. I usually don't like playing the blacks since it makes 3 of the par 3s over 200 yards and forces some tough carries for me.
Started off with just solid golf, hitting fairways and either on or close enough with second shots to have relatively easy up and downs. Converted all of them through the first seven holes - all pars and good enough to win the nine hole match on 7, 3&2. He pressed for the final two holes. Eight is 425 from the black tees and was playing into a solid wind. My son pulled his tee shot left and had to punch out a layup shot. I had 200 to the pin, 190 to cover the hazard in front. I pulled a 3 wood but reason (and my son's encouragement to make the match interesting) prevailed and I decided just to lay up. Tugged the lay up into the woods, punched out into the hazard, took a drop and went up and down for a smooth double. Ugh. The kiddo struggled even worse and carded a 7. On 9 we both played right of the bunkers which are an easy carry from the whites and blues, leaving ourselves 165 to the pin on an elevated green. His seven iron ended up on the fringe just short and left. My six iron went about 20 feet long. He lagged his up to less than a foot and I rolled in my downhill slider for a bird and 37 on the front.
On the back I went par, birdie, par, birdie (a chip-in) to start, putting me at -1 on my round - which is a ridiculous number for me that late in the round and playing from the tips. The inevitable "holy crap, I'm having a great round" thoughts led to a badly struck tee shot on the par three 14th into a waste area 40 yards short of the green. I did well to hit that one to about 15 feet but couldn't convert on the putt. 15 is a par five and I hit a decent drive and second shot but shoved my approach into a greenside bunker. Left my sand shot 12 feet short but slid the putt in for par. On 16 I left my tee shot short in another bunker but this time couldn't get the 12 foot par putt to drop. 17 is a brutal hole from the black tees - 496 yard par four that plays all uphill. No way I can get there in two. Hit my third to about 15 feet but lipped out the par putt. Hit a good drive on 18 and sat 155 out in the fairway. 18 has a lot of trouble around the green everywhere but short right. I kind of bailed out short and right, leaving myself a 60 foot chip which I hit up to 3 feet and made the putt, carding 74 for my round. That's my best round of the season by far.
I briefly mentioned this elsewhere but should also mention it here - my 19 year old heads to Pittsburgh next week for a round at Oakmont then heads to New Jersey for two rounds at Pine Valley. He's playing with his teammates from the golf club team from his college. This morning he was mentioning the betting lines they have under discussion. 7 guys ranging from +2.5 handicap to .5. The over/under for the low score from the group at Pine Valley currently under discussion is 77.5. I am so excited for him - that's a once in a lifetime opportunity to play two of the best courses while at the top of his game with a bunch of great players he really enjoys hanging out with.
Started off with just solid golf, hitting fairways and either on or close enough with second shots to have relatively easy up and downs. Converted all of them through the first seven holes - all pars and good enough to win the nine hole match on 7, 3&2. He pressed for the final two holes. Eight is 425 from the black tees and was playing into a solid wind. My son pulled his tee shot left and had to punch out a layup shot. I had 200 to the pin, 190 to cover the hazard in front. I pulled a 3 wood but reason (and my son's encouragement to make the match interesting) prevailed and I decided just to lay up. Tugged the lay up into the woods, punched out into the hazard, took a drop and went up and down for a smooth double. Ugh. The kiddo struggled even worse and carded a 7. On 9 we both played right of the bunkers which are an easy carry from the whites and blues, leaving ourselves 165 to the pin on an elevated green. His seven iron ended up on the fringe just short and left. My six iron went about 20 feet long. He lagged his up to less than a foot and I rolled in my downhill slider for a bird and 37 on the front.
On the back I went par, birdie, par, birdie (a chip-in) to start, putting me at -1 on my round - which is a ridiculous number for me that late in the round and playing from the tips. The inevitable "holy crap, I'm having a great round" thoughts led to a badly struck tee shot on the par three 14th into a waste area 40 yards short of the green. I did well to hit that one to about 15 feet but couldn't convert on the putt. 15 is a par five and I hit a decent drive and second shot but shoved my approach into a greenside bunker. Left my sand shot 12 feet short but slid the putt in for par. On 16 I left my tee shot short in another bunker but this time couldn't get the 12 foot par putt to drop. 17 is a brutal hole from the black tees - 496 yard par four that plays all uphill. No way I can get there in two. Hit my third to about 15 feet but lipped out the par putt. Hit a good drive on 18 and sat 155 out in the fairway. 18 has a lot of trouble around the green everywhere but short right. I kind of bailed out short and right, leaving myself a 60 foot chip which I hit up to 3 feet and made the putt, carding 74 for my round. That's my best round of the season by far.
I briefly mentioned this elsewhere but should also mention it here - my 19 year old heads to Pittsburgh next week for a round at Oakmont then heads to New Jersey for two rounds at Pine Valley. He's playing with his teammates from the golf club team from his college. This morning he was mentioning the betting lines they have under discussion. 7 guys ranging from +2.5 handicap to .5. The over/under for the low score from the group at Pine Valley currently under discussion is 77.5. I am so excited for him - that's a once in a lifetime opportunity to play two of the best courses while at the top of his game with a bunch of great players he really enjoys hanging out with.
That's a dream schedule, PFT. So awesome for him. And nice round yourself.
Remind me - what college does your older son go to for which is plays on the club golf team - I looked backaa? And how has the club golf experience been for him (besides as a means of access to these great courses)? I'd be curious on how busy the schedule is, if they travel to tourneys a lot, how much school support etc. I"m sure this varies, and larger schools with more resources are likely to have stronger club programs than a small D-III school.
Remind me - what college does your older son go to for which is plays on the club golf team - I looked backaa? And how has the club golf experience been for him (besides as a means of access to these great courses)? I'd be curious on how busy the schedule is, if they travel to tourneys a lot, how much school support etc. I"m sure this varies, and larger schools with more resources are likely to have stronger club programs than a small D-III school.
@Doug Beerabelli congrats! That is awesome!
I had my Member Guest at Farm Neck this past weekend. Last year my buddy and I had the goal of not finishing last. Fail - we finished last by one stroke. This year we finished 3rd out of 11 in our flight so we were happy happy. It was best ball of 2 on the net and we went 72/70, which is a little crazy considering the insane winds there yesterday. I have been shooting high 80's/low 90's there recently but went 99/97 over the weekend. Funny how golf is harder when there's something on the line...
I had my Member Guest at Farm Neck this past weekend. Last year my buddy and I had the goal of not finishing last. Fail - we finished last by one stroke. This year we finished 3rd out of 11 in our flight so we were happy happy. It was best ball of 2 on the net and we went 72/70, which is a little crazy considering the insane winds there yesterday. I have been shooting high 80's/low 90's there recently but went 99/97 over the weekend. Funny how golf is harder when there's something on the line...
He's at VATech. Huge school - his freshman class was 8,000 kids. They play a fall and a spring season. The cost is reasonable - $250 per semester. There are about 150 kids who are officially in the golf club, and they have to play a round each week as the qualifier for weekend tourneys. But it turns out its basically the same eight who qualify each week, and the same eight went to nationals together for the fall and spring semesters. One of those eight is currently abroad, which left seven for the Oakmont / Pine Valley boondoggle. They have a lot of tournament opportunities, I'd have to guess seven regular tournaments and then nationals for each of fall and spring. He plays in the ones he wants to play in and skips them sometimes if there are other things he wants to do on those weekends (there's sometimes a conflict with ski club activities, which may well win out depending on the tourney).
For a kid from a small town in Maine the golf club was a great way to get to know people at a huge school. He's more comfortable on a golf course than anywhere else and the other kids on the team are pretty much just like him. It's also pretty low-key, with no rules against drinking on the course and no time commitment for practice or workouts.
His buddy and co-captain of their high school team had a really bad experience with the club team at another big school, with kids who wanted just to play country music loud and win. It's definitely hit or miss and I'm really glad his experience has been so positive.
Thanks so much! My son is a HS senior next year, and he's looking into playing in college. He's looking at smaller schools that may not have a separate club team, but it's good to hear about the club golf experience if that becomes an option, or he decides to go to a school that he's not good enough to be on the team.
@Doug Beerabelli happy entry to the sub 80 club. I had a follow up 79 to my prior one, including a middle 9 of -1.
My nephew is going to be a senior in HS this year- he is a 5 (but struggles under pressure ), and wants to play in college - so I’d be interested in hearing how your search goes (the nephew is like a son to me, so I have emotional but not financial interest in this)
My nephew is going to be a senior in HS this year- he is a 5 (but struggles under pressure ), and wants to play in college - so I’d be interested in hearing how your search goes (the nephew is like a son to me, so I have emotional but not financial interest in this)