jc@bg
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- Sep 10, 2004
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Yesterday was one to remember, since the high was 43F, no mowing for the past month, and I had my best round of the year.
Never expected it, but things just fell into place. Put together another new driver last week, and it might be "the one." 12 degree Bang-o-Matic with Prolaunch 55 shaft at 46". First hole is shortish par 5: good drive, solid 5-wood, lob wedge to 6 feet, draino. Parred the second after a decent drive, 3 iron to the back of the green (uphill and into a 15 mph wind, at 38*F), and a just-missed 24-footer. Then had my first birdie in 3 months at the 565-yd. third hole: driver, 2 iron, and 6 iron directly over the top of a mature hickory tree (and over 2 lakes) to 8 feet, then draino. Fairways and greens the rest of the front side, marred only by a 3 putt from 50 feet (uphill and shaggy) on the 5th, but saved by great chips from short of the green on the 8th and 9th.
Got behind a slower group on the back nine and kind of lost my tempo, but scraped it around till I left approach shots and chips short on two consecutive, long par 4s into the wind, making me 1 over par. On the 17th, a par 5 uphill and directly into a cold NE wind, put my drive in a fairway bunker on the corner, then had to wait 10 mins while the group in front dug balls out of the creek. Medium sized tree 30 feet in front of me, directly in line with the green, and a creek about 150 out. Hit a low draw around the tree with a 7-iron from hard-packed (wet) sand, stopping 20 feet short of the creek on a downslope. Waited another 5 minutes for the group ahead to finish, then swept a low draw with a 2-iron under the wind from 175 out, just bumping up a steep slope and onto the front of the green. With wet turf, cold, wind, a downslope lie, and a long delay, probably my best shot of the year. Left the birdie putt just short, but made a routine par on the finishing hole and was more than happy to card a 73. Had the fast pace of the front nine been possible on the back...? I've never shot under par on that course, and to do so in December? THAT would have been memorable, but I'm still pleased.
Never expected it, but things just fell into place. Put together another new driver last week, and it might be "the one." 12 degree Bang-o-Matic with Prolaunch 55 shaft at 46". First hole is shortish par 5: good drive, solid 5-wood, lob wedge to 6 feet, draino. Parred the second after a decent drive, 3 iron to the back of the green (uphill and into a 15 mph wind, at 38*F), and a just-missed 24-footer. Then had my first birdie in 3 months at the 565-yd. third hole: driver, 2 iron, and 6 iron directly over the top of a mature hickory tree (and over 2 lakes) to 8 feet, then draino. Fairways and greens the rest of the front side, marred only by a 3 putt from 50 feet (uphill and shaggy) on the 5th, but saved by great chips from short of the green on the 8th and 9th.
Got behind a slower group on the back nine and kind of lost my tempo, but scraped it around till I left approach shots and chips short on two consecutive, long par 4s into the wind, making me 1 over par. On the 17th, a par 5 uphill and directly into a cold NE wind, put my drive in a fairway bunker on the corner, then had to wait 10 mins while the group in front dug balls out of the creek. Medium sized tree 30 feet in front of me, directly in line with the green, and a creek about 150 out. Hit a low draw around the tree with a 7-iron from hard-packed (wet) sand, stopping 20 feet short of the creek on a downslope. Waited another 5 minutes for the group ahead to finish, then swept a low draw with a 2-iron under the wind from 175 out, just bumping up a steep slope and onto the front of the green. With wet turf, cold, wind, a downslope lie, and a long delay, probably my best shot of the year. Left the birdie putt just short, but made a routine par on the finishing hole and was more than happy to card a 73. Had the fast pace of the front nine been possible on the back...? I've never shot under par on that course, and to do so in December? THAT would have been memorable, but I'm still pleased.
