yea...had several greens in reg...birdie putt turns into 3-putt bogeys.

also cant chip 4 [censored], practicing that 2morrow

bonds,

This isn't dissing your round at all (and I'm not sure why I keep trying to post in this thread full of parallel conversations but whatever), but don't you agree that there's a huge mental difference between 39 and 40? Or 79 and 80? Or I suppose for the higher handicapped folks 99 and 100? Just the number it starts with is huge, like a 79 shares a "7" with 70 so it's like they're closer together than the 79 is to the 80.

I know growing up I always felt pretty decent about a 39 during golf matches, but a 40 made me sad.

Hell ya. When I shoot 39, I'm like meh. But when I shoot 40 I think I played like dogpoop.

Played my local course today, but w/o my driver. I had my 3 hybrid, then 5 iron through 9, PW and putter.

Had 4 putts on the first hole, ugly, and then I took mulligans on back to back holes (4, 5) off the tee. (So the whole score is tainted). But I was able to hit my 5 iron decently straight off the tee, or the 3 hybrid on the longer holes, and played some nice iron shots. It felt good to use only irons, this course only has one hole >500, and the other par 5's are dogleggy so it is not a big deal to just use an iron off the tee.

Shot 93 with a double asterisk, woulda been my best score at this location. I putted well, only 3 holes w/ > 2 putts....1, 2, and 18.

Tuk:

In a lot of cases, yes, but not so much in this case:

1. Tuesday night golf league. 2 hour and 45 minute round. I hate slow play enough that I generally don't care too much.
1a. Started with the usual no warmup double bogey.
2. This nine is a par 35.
3. Had a 10' birdie putt on #9 stop one revolution short.
4. There was a cold beer with my name on it waiting inside.
5. I've played like [censored] for about a month now. Anything close to my handicap feels like victory.
6. Won the match 2 up & by 4 shots.

So it was a good day.

I think the 40 barrier is more relevant when you're playing 18 holes. Maybe it's different when you're a good player.

90. Arrrrrrgh. Blew up on #6 and couldn't get refocused.

I really hate this [censored] game some days.

[censored]. I was just hitting balls in my backyard (we have a net), and my driver shaft snapped under the grip.. so pissed.

Its an old TM R540XD, and I think the 5 year warranty is still good on it, so I'll be @ Golfsmith tomorrow turning it in, wish me luck...

I played Ridgewood (NJ) on Thursday. Tillinghast, 1929. Site of Sr. PGA a few years ago.

An anecdote the member told me -- they recently turned down hosting the Ryder Cup. The membership didn't want to deal with the inconvenience of losing the course for a month and the driving range for 4 months (staging area). The PGA also insisted that if they take the Ryder Cup they had to take the PGA. I guess to build up the course's pedigree.

NJ Golf tangent: I played here about a mont ago. Great course if you know a member.

Where else in NJ do you usu play? I play the Crystal Springers courses mostly, but wouldn't mind some suggestions.

I finally have a contribution to this thread

Played Perdue Oasis on Friday from the gold tees (6373 yards). It's relatively new (less than 5 years old) and a beautiful course. Pristine greens, fairways, and bunkers. Only $49 (with cart cause my friend had some deal on cart w/ green fee)

It's my first round of the year, and I've only played 5 rounds in the last 4 years. 10 years ago I was a 10 handicapper, but haven't played more than 5 rounds a year since. Me and a friend (the other 2 ditched out cause they're pussies) went out for a round before a night of hijinx was to ensue. So this meant many a drink on the course. Before the round started I would have been extremely happy shooting 90. The other guy had only golfed one time prior this year, and I presumed that he was a bogey golfer.

We hit the range (free warmup balls) for a bit and of course I hossle-shank my first 7-iron. But then I'm mint with the rest of my irons somehow. Of course hitting the driver was terrible, and I sprayed it all over the place.

Then, since the course was dead (I have no clue why - a beautiful 23C day on Friday afternoon) we decided to play the 2 hole practice course (after picking up tons of beer first of course). Definitely a good start to the day - par then pulled a drive to the right and didn't feel like scouring the rough for a crap ball when there were ~40 geese fighting each other.

Sit on the first tee, and we just get behind this hack foursome. [censored]! So we tee off and are right down the middle. They let us play through immediately. Spectacular!

So with no one in front of us we pace our way through the course. I'm hitting the ball great, and my partner is getting himself out of trouble very nicely. After a 2-putt birdie by me, and a 40 foot putt birdie by him where he fist pumps and runs around the green screaming (lol) we're both 3 over after 8. Half-cut, I'm like "[censored] a bogey and we break 40 on the front!", and proceed to hammer a drive down the right side of the fairway. He then fades his left, leaving a pond in between him and the hole. Of course he splashes it and takes triple. His out card had 2 triples, a bogey, and a birdie, with the rest pars. My supposedly spectacular drive rolls into some mystery bunker leaving me 150 to the centre. 8 iron baby! of course it's way too good, right at the pin, and a club and a half long. So I chip, 3-jack, and shoot 40. 4 bogeys, a double, and 4 pars. Bittersweet.

We get more drinks and hit the back. We both par after nice saves, setting the stage for the rest of the back. Bla bla bla I take double on 12 after my 3 wood second shot into a par 5 hits a sprinkler and bounces straight right - into the lip of a bunker 30 yards out. Having to hit it out sideways, I proceed to chip and 3-putt again for double. Sick swing. Now I have to par out for 79 (not that I expect that anyways). So I 3-putt once more coming in, and am 9 over going into 18 - taking no mulligans and putting everything out (which is so tough - people with gimmies probably shoot 2 strokes lower than they should). My partner is 10 over, with 1 mulligan taken on 15. I need birdie to shoot 80, and eagle for 79! [censored] would this be sick - I'd be so drunk!

I hammer another drive while my partner starts making a mess of this hole going to the right. He takes the cart and I take the 15 degree orlimar trimetal and a 4-iron. I decide to metal-it-up. I hit a decent-feeling shot, but completely lost it in the setting sun. Unfortunately my partner was busy looking for his ball, so he provided no help. It felt like I lost it left, which was safe but provided a difficult up and down for birdie. Being safe, I hit a provisional to about 45 feet - it's always easier the second time, isn't it?

So he meets me by where my ball was projected to be, but we can't find it. The abundance of goose feathers and coors/smirnoff ice is making this task difficult. We end up not finding the ball [censored] :LKNSER:LN#$;sdnklfs so instead of having an up and down for 80 I have a 45 footer for par and 81. Well I'm so pissed off that I end up making it somehow, and my friend takes triple (again) for 85. I'm extremely happy with the 81 (par 72), but I'd have liked a chance at 80. Oh well - still spectacular! I should really quit golf now, as I could golf another 100 rounds and not do this again...

p.s. to me, golf is a verb

Well today I played Mountain Ridge. It's been a pretty good week.

Ordinarily I play River Vale. It's a Donald Ross design, maintained in pretty good shape, can get a decent tee time, but it's about $100. I've played Architects a few times, but it's an hour away from where I am. I've played Emerson several times this season (in Bergen County), which is semi-private. Not a very interesting course, but again it's in good shape and good tee times are available.

Another course I've played that I like is Mine Brook in Hackettstown. It is very short (5800 from the middle tees) but it is built on the side of a mountain, has a lot of character (most of the holes anyway), and if it hasn't poured it's usually in good shape. And the people there are great.

I always found Crystal Springs itself to be a ******ed course, and I haven't played it in years. But I have played Ballyowen and Wild Turkey, which are better designs in my opinion. I hate the way they run the courses up there though, particularly the ultra-aggressive rangers, and with the price approaching $150 I don't make that long trip up too often these days.

I played NJ National a long time ago, when it first opened. I didn't really like it and never went back. Didn't know that it had gone private.

played alling memorial in new haven, ct on friday after not picking up a club for over 1.5 weeks and shot my best round of the year 74 (par 72). i was putting pretty well though i missed a few birdie putts within 6-8ft, but was getting myself in really good position to have no stress pars. was an awesome round for me.

then just played this afternoon at lyman orchards jones course and shot 82. was pretty dissapointed bc my swing felt almost identical to what i was doing on friday, yet i couldn't keep the ball in the fairway. it was a struggle to get around in 82 even, had to make a lot of up and downs to save pars and bogeys. gonna hit the range this week and try to get my swing back on track

Played in mixed scramble this weekend with Cora.
Struggled all day Saturday, missing greens and putts. Shot 72 and we were 9 shots back and in 12th place.
Yesterday was sweet. Started birdie, birdie, birdie.
Holed a 4 iron from 210 on the par 5 seventh for double eagle and shot 61!
Finished 1 shot back and tied for second. Fun day!

HOLY CRAP

Good story grando.

And holy crap jtrout! That is amazing...

Ya, I've heard its more of a gimmick course than anything else and I haven't play it and don't plan to.

Really? Why didn't you like it? I thought it was very nice, very well kept, and challenging with thick rough and huge quick greens.

Played this private Nicklaus course in the twin cities for a work outing.

bearpath

Course is nice but not mind-blowing. Houses along it are amazing though. I made a mockery of the game of golf but had a few really nice holes and crushed a few drives so it was fun. Also I didn't have to go to work and the beverage cart was complimentary - that may have contributed to both my high score and my enjoyment.

Lost Dunes over two days, once from tips at 7k, once from whites at 6,400. 60-58-118 and 51-54-105. Unbelievable course, I'm in love.

Organized a golf weekend with 14 guys for this past weekend. From Thursday 7am to Sunday 9pm, total of 12 hours sleep! Waaaaay too much!!!

Friday AM, Okemo white tees - 83
Friday PM, Okemo green tees - 87
Saturday, Rutland blue tees - 89
Sunday, Green Mountain National blue tees - 82

Handicap lowered to 10.5. Come On Single Digits!!!!!!!!

What'd you guys do other than play golf? There's not a ton going on in Rutland.

-McGee

Is that the 9 hole course in S. Michigan?
If so, I played that in '98 and it was a true gem.
Makes me want to go to Oregon...

We got to the house (on Killington) at about 7pm Thursday night. Went out for some wings, then just played poker and drank beer until 2am.
Our first time at Okemo was 9am, second was 2:30. Didn't get back to the house until around 8. Ordered a half dozen pizzas, and played cards as late as we could. Only a few of us made it to 3am.
Played Rutland on Saturday at 1pm. Gave most of the guys plenty of recovery time. I woke at the first smell of bacon and coffee.
Some guys went out boozin Saturday night (Outback on K'ton rd), some stayed in for more poker.
Teed off at GMN on Sunday at 10am.

Cool. I'd like to get back to play Green Mountain National some day.

Hope you guys had good weather.

-McGee

http://www.lostdunes.com/

18 holes, #63 on Golf Digest's "America's Greatest Courses" list, for whatever that's worth.

I was in the first of our group tee times on Saturday. As we were walking off 18 they blew the horn.
A storm hit us so fast, the 4 behind us didn't even have time to putt out their approach shots.

Tornado warning & 70 mph winds. We saw 3 trees split & drop. Bar turned to cash only as the power went out. Wind emptied one of the greenside bunkers on 18, sick sick sick.
Was gone within 30 minutes, beautiful weather after it passed.

One detour on 4 due to downed tree across the road, 2 housed with trees on them, just an insane half hour.
Honestly can say one of the top 3 storms I've ever seen. Good thing we had time to get into the bar!