First Round in Over a Month

[Fairway_CY]

So - I get to play maybe 8 to 10 times a year. Sad, I know. My last round was on May 23rd. It was ugly and did nothing for my confidence. So - on Thursday, July 3rd... I got to head out to my favorite course in the area and play an early round.

I got paired up with 2 guys who had a lot of fun and made my round enjoyable, so I'm not going to complain. Instead, I'll share the details of my round.

I hadn't hit a ball since May 23rd. No range time... nothing. I got to the course late, so I didn't get to hit the range there either. The first contact I made with a ball since May 23rd was my tee shot on the 1st hole. I pulled my driver (probably not the best idea off a long layoff)... and I striped it down the middle. Not long, but a perfectly straight shot that landed where I aimed. From there, my normal game returned. I lost 6 balls on the course... which is a low number for me on this course. I ended the front 9 with a 52... which is my best score on the front 9 of this course. It could have been better, but I took an ugly 8 on a short par 4 midway through the front. Lost the drive to the right with my 3 wood and it went OB. Next shot ended up down in the same area, but it was in play. Then I flubbed a 6 iron short of the green, chipped on and then 3 putted.

As I got towards the midway point of the round, things started looking good. 8th hole I hit a great drive, put the ball short of the green, chipped on and 2 putted for bogey. 9th hole, another perfect drive... 7 iron to the middle of the green, and 2 putt for par. 10th hole, yet another perfect drive... 6 iron up to the green, but just off the left side, from there, I putted on... and took 2 more putts for a bogey. That's a pretty good stretch for me.

The 11th hole, things got ugly again. It's a short par 4 with water bordering the right side. The drive to the 150 is only about 180 yards or so. I almost always hit 3 wood there and leave myself between 80 and 110 yards. Not this time... I sliced it over the 150 and into the water. I then reteed and hit an ugly shot that left me about 145 to the green. I had the wind behind me, so I took my 8 iron and left it out right. I thought it went into the hazard, but when I got up there, it was sitting just short of the hazard. An ugly chip and a 2 putt later, and I had a 7 on a hole which should NEVER be worse than a 5.

I parred the 12 hole, a par 3 carrying over an old elephant barn used by Barnum & Bailey's Circus long ago. The 13th hole is a long carry over water unless you aim left, but then you leave yourself a long 2nd shot. I chose the long 2nd shot route, but I didn't put it in the water. I left myself about 220 to the green... and, I'm not good with my 3 wood from tight lies, but I tried it anyway. It ended up right of the green, which left me about a 40 yard shot up a hill over a bunker to a short-sided pin. My sandwedge landed in the bunker... I flopped it out of there and 3 putted for an 8.

Next hole is a driveable par 4, maybe 275 yards, but way downhill. My 3 wood ended up pin high, but up on a hill to the right of the green. The stance was ugly and I messed up the pitch shot, right into the bunker. I punched it out of there and 3 putted (again) for a 6.

On the following hole, a lone par 5, I lost my drive to the right. I had to retee, and it went right again, but in play. I lobbed a 4-hybrid down the fairway and then hit my 9 iron onto the green. From there, I 2 putted for a 7. At this point, the round had gone really quickly. I had played 15 holes and didn't realize it was only about 2 hours and 30 minutes in.

16th hole is a par 3, 185 yards, all carry over water. My 4-hybrid was hit a bit fat, but I thought it cleared... I didn't see a splash, but I didn't see the ball either. So - I hit a provisional. It was perfect... ended up about 10 feet to the right of the hole, pin high. I got to the green and couldn't locate to original, so I 2 putted and ended up with a 5.

17 is another carry over water on the drive. I hit a decent shot, just to the left of the fairway. Pin was in the back-right of the green. I hit my 8 iron just to the right of the green, and I putted from there... and it rolled back off the green. I then took 2 more putts from that spot and ended up with a 5.

Typically, 18 is my best hole. Easy drive to a big fairway... a 5 iron to an elevated green and then a few putts is the typical play for me. All day, I hadn't hit an ugly drive... at least not ugly, bounce the driver off the turf and top the ball 25 yards ugly. Well... on the 18th... that shot showed up. I then tried to hack my 4-hybrid out of the rough, and the ball ricocheted off a rock and OB. I dropped back where I was, hacked the ball out and then hit my 3-hybrid pin high, but up on a hill. Another bad stance and I ended up short of the green. Chipped on and 2 putted for a 9. Way to end my round.

52-55 = 107 - 30 (Net 77)

Best score I've had at that course so far, so I'm happy with it. And, like I said... the guys I got paired with weren't better than me... we all played to about the same level... we had fun and got the round finished in just over 3 hours. We teed off at 6:40 am and ended by 9:50.

Glad there is a Hackers portion to this forum, or I'd have nowhere else to post.

CY