ARRRGGGHHH!!!

[Bravo]

On our course - the front is generally considered to be the harder side - although it has three par 5's and we have only one Par 5 on the back. The front is generally "straighter and wider" where you can let out the shaft, but it starts with five pretty hard holes. My overall goal on the front is to play the first five holes in 3-4 over par and then par in on the easy ones (6-9). I am always happy to finish the front at 3 over or less and it usually means I am going to have a good round.

Yesterday, I finish the front +3...I am thinking OK now - lets stay steady on the back and see what happens. I shoot +8 on the backside....could hardly buy a par.

This morning, I shoot +2 on the front, including a chip-in birdie on 4. I also had a great fairway bunker shot of 155 yards onto the 3rd which led to a sandy par.

So - we tee off on the back and I am thinking - "we're not going to have a repeat of yesterday...just take it a hole at a time...stay in the moment..."

I shot +7 on the back!!!

Shit I hate this game...It was just the same, bogey after bogey...I had a double on 12 when I Snaphooked my 3 wood into the McGillicudy's backyard...

My only saving grace on the back was a nice birdie on 17 - short dogleg right par 5...

Yesterday, I hit 4 fairways and shot 83.
Today, I hit 5 fairways and shot 81.

And the thing that is really frustrating is I am really trying hard not to "overdo it" on the tee shots. "Swing easy...get good rhythim"...and I am still spraying them like a Otto the Orkin Man...

If I only had a tee game...

[Loop]

Hot dogs and beer at the turn. Makes you swing joyfully easy.

[obagain]

You are setting yourself up for failure. You play the tough front side and mentally, you let down because it is the easy side.

Try starting on number 10 a couple of times and you might break thru the, "I can score because this is easy" part of the course.
If they will not let you, break it down to 3 hole sections. After each section, think about what you did in that section before going to the next.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by obagain

You are setting yourself up for failure. You play the tough front side and mentally, you let down because it is the easy side.

Try starting on number 10 a couple of times and you might break thru the, "I can score because this is easy" part of the course.
If they will not let you, break it down to 3 hole sections. After each section, think about what you did in that section before going to the next.

Well as you can imagine - I can play well on either side...last Summer I had several rounds in which I shot +4/5 on the front and shot even/level on the back...We tee off where the starter tells us to and since we play very early, it is almost always on #1.

I do like your suggestion about the 3 hole sections though. That is the first time I have heard about that one and it makes sense breaking it down into smaller (hopefully more manageable) parts.

I'll give this a go next time...

[Robert]

Same thing happened to me the other day Bravo. Shot 3 over on the front and 12 over on the back..... A cool 86.

[VtDivot]

Originally Posted by Bravo

Well as you can imagine - I can play well on either side...last Summer I had several rounds in which I shot +4/5 on the front and shot even/level on the back...We tee off where the starter tells us to and since we play very early, it is almost always on #1.

I do like your suggestion about the 3 hole sections though. That is the first time I have heard about that one and it makes sense breaking it down into smaller (hopefully more manageable) parts.

I'll give this a go next time...

I always play 6 three hole mini games. It really helps you concentrate on the present, not the past, or what may lie ahead. I pal of mine called me to caddy for him in round two of the VT amateur last year (he shot an opening 85) We looked at his swing, made one basic change and employed the 3 hole strategy on day 2 and he shot a 74. Still ended up missing the cut tho