Lol, I had a massive hook pull at a course up in Santa Rosa, CA a couple months back that had to have smacked the side of a house that lined the rough beyond the fairway. Pretty sure there was a loud thud. My brother hit a similar shot, but I upped the ante with some serious heat! I'd feel pretty uncomfortable doing some gardening in houses that line fairways.

Speaking of errant shots, this girl at the mini 9-hole course I play nearly hit me in the head with some kind of a horrible push mishit. I could hear the ball wiz by my head.

i've only been hit once and it was on a course where two fairways get kinda close to each other. I was on hole 2 in right rough and friend on hole one drove into his rightrough. the ball bounced once before it hit me which took away so much of the speed and i barely felt it.

also, i despise courses with holes on top of each other.

Got in 9 at Sydney Marovitz (9-hole course in Chicago right on the lakefront) on Monday.

+2 38... With 3 birdies.

I'm starting to feel like I'm so freaking close with my swing right now. I got lessons for the first time in 10 years last year despite being around a 6-7 handicap. I had a super weak grip and was just "picking" the ball. It meant that I had almost no lag, had a super small margin for error on iron shots, but I knew how to get it around.

It took about 75 rounds last year, 20 of which I had zero clue where the ball was going, and a ton of range balls and frustration to get the swing closer to correct. I got close a few times at the end of last year and finally figured out something huge with my swing sequencing. I always thought that you had to keep transitioning weight forward even post impact. I've finally learned to separate in my mind that it's 1. Backswing, slight shift of the hips back and rotate the hips a bit. 2. Transition - Hands don't move a ton, just kinda hang out near the top of the backswing, but hips shift forward (but don't turn) and 3. Turn the hips through impact and end up on the front foot.

I went to the range Sunday and for the first time I felt like an actual proper golf swing. Compared to how I've swung the club for my entire life, the impact point felt late, which means I'm actually getting lag on it. I was carrying a 5 iron into the wind like 200-205 dead straight, I was making flush contact on like 80-90% of my swings, and I could take that swing to every other club in the bag and feel like I'm making the same contact.

Unfortunately I'm unlocking this golf swing during a summer where I'm back employed and having my first kid in June, so nowhere near as much time for golf, but it does feel good to feel like I'm getting close to having an actual proper golf swing.

Holes 1 and 4 run parallel at my local course. The greens are separated by bunkers and a cart path. I was lining up my putt with my back to hole 4 when I heard FORE. I could tell he was yelling directly at me from far away. I covered my head and bent over. There was a moment of silence and then the ball hit my left thumb that was by my side holding my putter. It ricochet off my thumb and must have landed directly on top of my ball because when I looked, my ball had been replaced by the strangers ball, while my ball had moved about 15 feet back towards the origin of the errant shot and stopped on the fringe.

It didnt hurt, but I'm always amazed at such unlikely events. It was almost serendipitous.

Been really active past few days. Walked 18 on Monday. Lifted weights Tuesday. Walked 18 yesterday. Gonna keep it going today with more weights.

Didnt score well past few rounds. But ive been hitting some pretty good individual shots. Yesterday I made combined 10 pars and bogeys. Only one birdie so far on the year and that was 7 iron chip in on a par 5. Many many 3+ putts for bogey or worse.

So not much to brag about, but I'm getting off the tee better than ever. Driver is coming along nicely. Draw is still somewhat out of control but at least its curving in the right direction. 2 iron off tee is flying high and far. Gotta work on short irons more and fit in some short game stuff.

Variance: I hit 5 wood kinda chunky trying to get over the stream in front of a green. Pulled it to the left and came up short. I yelled at it to hit the bridge. Ding off the bridge and it bounced back to the right and stopped just off the front of the green.

Rough day at monthly stag yesterday: 41-46 = 87

Took a lesson a couple of weeks ago and having a hard time hitting it consistent. When I hit it well I'm hitting them better than I have in years; I had some really, really good shots with my 6-8 irons that I haven't seen in a while. Purity, distance, and location felt like wedge shots. But then I had really bad shots, weird misses I don't recognize. My overall game was actually better than my score, but I got in the bunker on two holes, and that added 5 strokes at least. One I was too close to a lip and hit it, uh, a couple times. But I'm just really bad with bunker shots. I know I just need to practice.

A little disappointed in the shape of the course, which is generally in great condition. They punched everything and sanded a few weeks ago, but we didn't get the rain the Sup anticipated, so it's taking its time.

Played with two guys who were both in the category of "my lease favorite type of player to play with": the really bad player who gives advice and comments on every shot. One of the guys has only been at the club a couple of months, yet every ****ing green as I'm looking at my putts he'd say something instructive about the way the green plays. One hole I had a tricky 1.5 foot slider, and he's all "just hit the back of the cup." Dude, you haven't made a single putt all day that wasn't a tap in. Other guy just couldn't help himself, and every other person's putt he'd comment right off the face: "gotta hit it harder than that," or "that's not going to break enough." Half the time he was wrong, but it's hilarious from this guy specifically because he's never hit a straight putt in his life. At least three times he'd read a putt one way and miss it the other and ***** about it. No dude, your read was actually right, you just randomly loop and swing your putter so you have no idea where it's going to go.

End rant.

Golf vacation day one

42-38-80. 5 birdies, several double bogeys

I’ll have to track down the card. It’s been a long time since I have made that many birdies in a round. Had three in a row and four in five holes. Good times.

Day 2. Still haven’t seen a card. I think I shot 81 this morning, only one birdie but no big numbers since I stayed out of the bunkers. Made 3 birdies on the bonus nine but closed with an ugly quad.

Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by tracking down and not finding a card?

Haven't touched a golf club in 20 months. Have bad L5-S1 issues that make golf a risky proposition.

Went to the range, goal was to just regain a feel of swing/contact in any form

Hit some rock solid irons. My miss was a straight push. Driver was all over the map. On the putting green I had some great touch chipping and lag putting. Felt great - like riding a bike.

If I wake up and my back isn't destroyed that would be a great sign. I'll hit the range a few more times and go from there.

Assuming he means the actual scorecard from the round? As in he's going more by memory than by looking at the card.

47-43 90 par 72

Iron play is all over the place. Just a lack of consistent contact. I feel like after 10 years of playing I'm still playing golf swing, with a million thoughts in my head at takeaway. Frustrating because I've had some range sessions where I'm swinging free and easy with perfect contact and a tight draw... but it falls apart on the course. This game!

Correct. I haven’t been keeping the score and the person that is has pocketed the card before I could remember to look. I’m sure I’ll get a chance when it’s time to settle the bets.

How many rounds per week do you play on average?

Been a struggle since I came back.

80, 92, 85, 40 for 9 holes. Then go out today and start birdie, birdie, par (miss 10 footer), birdie. Went 35-41-76. The into the wind stretch was a bear today. Starting to think that I have the ability to play again. Still haven't hit driver. See what tomorrow brings.

Usually just once a week. I played again today which is unusual to get out twice in a week (shot an 89 today so one shot better than yesterday). But I hit the irons much better, was trying to just swing all-out and not think about mechanics, and it seemed to help as my contact was good most of the day. Putting was very bad today, really could have been in the low 80s with a decent putting day.

Nice round

39. 1 birdie, no doubles. Morning round was rained out.

40-39 79 (+9 on par 70)

Hit 10/12 fairways, 8 greens and took 36 putts. One double, 8 bogies and a birdie. Birdied the last hole, which always feels great. First nine was calm but the wind picked up on the 2nd nine. First handicap round of the season - was awesome to get out. Tee and long game surprising solid - need to putt way better

46-45 91 (+5 net on par 71).

first round since early January, but have been to the range several times recently and thought the swing was in a decent place. striping the ball during warm up but left anything good on the range.
4 fairways (two w/less than driver on short holes), ONE green (although a handful just off), 30 putts (six 1 putts). ONE par, 9 bogies, 6 doubles (all 2 putts).

last hole is a 515 yard par 5. pop up driver, flair 3w into the rough and i'm still 215 out. i don't want to lay up left so i choose to try to cover the large greenside pond. turns out to be my single GIR and end up three feet from the hole for my single birdie. stupid ****in' game we play, innit?

Look - it wasn't pretty. Not gonna lie.

I'll try it again in a few days if I'm lucky. I'm a 6'7 195lb person with spinal issues, it's not ideal for golf.

Yesterday 41-43-84 par 72. But I don't want to talk about yesterday. I want to talk about today.

35-35-70 par 70. 1 eagle, 2 birdies, 4 bogeys. Decided to play a late afternoon round at the course 2 miles up the road. It's a pretty low level course but after 3:00 it was $19 so whatever. I was 2 over through 8, then eagled 9. Short par 4 that was 280 to the front flag, playing downwind. Hit a great drive that ended up 20 feet behind the pin and I made the putt coming back down the hill. One of the houses by the green had a group of 8-10 people hanging out in the backyard and they made some noise for me. Was a lot of fun. 2 bogeys and 2 birdies on the back, including a 20' putt from just off the green for birdie on 18 for the even par round. Best driving day I've had in ages.

Do you have sciatic pain?

42-43-85 yesterday. 1 birdie, 3 double bogeys. 70.5/133/6200 yards.

Driver excellent, didn't miss a fairway. Hybrids mostly on point. Putting not as sharp, chipping awful, laid the sod (if there were sod, it's zoysia grass on clay afaik) over a couple irons leading to doubles.

Variation in types of people ive played with took a sharp turn toward the more pleasant end of the spectrum. Played with 2 guys on Wednesday that were both decent golfers and very pleasant and courteous. Then Friday I took an adventure. I had to drive from Massachusetts south Shore to the central part of the state to visit friends. So I took backroads for an hour in that direction. Stopped at dunks and googled golf courses. Found one 4 miles away. 20 bucks for 9. Told me to see starter. Starter wasnt there. A woman approached with golf bag and she says I guess its just us. Introductions and small talk ensued. Away we went. I made a couple pars and some bogeys , but the woman was incredibly friendly. Not very good at golf, but she did manage to hit driver over the 100 yards of waste area on 8. It was definitely a top 5 single serving golf partner.

I play as a single a lot and it's always a lottery. Golf is funny that way in that you end up randomly spending 4+ hours with a total stranger. Have been paired with a few miserable a-holes but overall the vast majority have been nice people.