ahahh that last par5 you described would have been hilarious to watch...thats a big time seve

so psyched. Playing The Old Course at the Homestead tomorrow. driving out there at 8am.

unless I'm missing something

That's right. Bogey. It felt like a par though.

+1 73 at Waterview in Rowlett, TX

beautiful bent grass greens, so awesome to putt on smooth greens, as 95% of the courses i've been playing here are obv bermuda and the bermuda hasn't quite filled in yet

trip report from The Homestead, Old Course. writing it up while it's still fresh in my mind.

Virginia State Golf Association runs a promotion where a bunch of courses are available to members at $26/round, sometimes only once, sometimes unlimited, sometimes restricted. The Homestead usually costs $175 without any discounts, so this definitely is a steal, although you can only play it twice a year, January-April or November-December. This was the first REALLY nice weekend in VA, and I realized that unless I play it today, I probably won't get another chance at this price. So I decide to donk off work for the day and made the tee time for 10:08am today.

6:30am -- wake up. it's a 2 hour drive to the Homestead from where I live, so this is essential. I leave, grab a McD's breakfast with a large coffee and start on my own personal Highway 18.

8:00am -- I've been driving without cell coverage for about 30 minutes already, and getting kind of worried.
8:40am -- arrived at the resort and realized I don't know where to park. I drive around for 45 minutes until valets help me.
9:25am -- paid for my round and actually have half an hour for driving range and putting.

Driving range:

started with the SW. first one hit perfectly flush, 90 yards. second a bit thin, 85 yards. third flush again, 90 yards. feeling pretty good. worked through the bag, trying to figure out how my shots are shaping today, draws and fades. Looks like my draws are going pretty low today, but they really do turn. My fades are nice and high. Unfortunately, my longer irons are not getting as much distance today as usual. 6i draw barely bounces past 150. disappointing, but I make a mental note of how I am hitting today and proceed. I don't have a 3w in my bag right now (broken) and my driver felt pretty shaky on the range. I make another mental note.

10 minutes on the the most lush practice green I've ever seen. I drain the first 20 footer. Good omen? I think so. the rest of my putts are just kind of uneventful. I am in the process of cleaning up my putting stroke, but the practice green helps with speed and breaks. I've never played this course before.

10:08am -- I get paired up with a couple of semi-retired teachers. they give me the honors of going first (I hate that). we are all playing from the white tees.

Hole #1, par5. Top my tee shot with a 4 hybrid. it goes 75 yards into the long grass before the fairway. CRUD! I am now telling myself hard not to tilt. Second shot, I try to just get to the fairway with a 7i. result -- hook into left rough (I don't even know if I tried a draw there or why would I try to draw there). I can't find my ball. I am tilting, but I take a drop where my ball landed (in the rough), hit a perfect draw 7i back onto the fairway, and I am laying 4 (probably not according to the rules) 100 yards away from the green. hit my SW short, putt from the fairway, 3 putt, and I am thankful to just get the hell off of that hole.

Hole #2, par3. For some reason I was trying to fade the ball. I think shape of the green and position of flagstick made me do think of it, plus I was doing it pretty well on the range. The shot is beautiful. I walk up, it's on the left front fringe. Flag is in the back. doh! chip, 2putt.

Hole #3, par 5. I hit a nice low draw with the driver into the fairway. proceed with a 5h hook, overshoot with a SW (!), skull a chip, and 3 putt. 9. tilting pretty bad.

Hole #4, par 5. hook my driver, top a 6i, then hit a good 6i, then 8i onto the green, and 2 putt, for a 6. maybe life is not all bad.

Hole #5, par 3. same deal, shape of the green make me think that trying to fade is a good play here. I push the first one out of play and tee up another one. it fades, but falls short of the green into a bunker. two sand wedges out of the bunker, and 1 putt for a 6. FML.

Hole #6, par 4. good drive, fat 8i, sw, and I am on the fringes again. skulled chip, 2 putt, 6.

Hole #7, par 4. good drive, hit GW short, terrible chip, putt from fairway, 3 putt, 7. FML.

Hole #8, par 4. beautiful low 4h to about 115 yards, PW onto the green, 2 putt. 4!

Hole #9, par 3. 7i pushed right into a bunker, four strokes with the sand wedge, 1 putt. 6.

Taking a break, deside to just relax and take it easy.

Hole #10, par 4. hooked driver that still ends up in the fairway. topped 5h, SW pitch onto the green, 2 putts, bogey. tilting that i missed the up-and-down.

Hole #11, par 3. longest par 3. just absolutely skull a 5i and it goes 90 yards. hit the SW short of the front fringe. skilled chip, 3 putt, 6. FML.

Hole #12, par 5. good driver, topped 7i, pushed 7i, SW, putt from the fairway, 1 putt, 6.

Hole #13, par 5. best driver of the day, GREAT 6i, pulled GW that trickles down to 2 feet from the green. it's an awkward lie, I skull a chip, 2 putt, 6.

from then on I stopped taking notes. My short game sucks. I miss too many greens from 130 yards in. I skull WAY too many chips. I am not going to practice anything except for those and putting for the rest of April.

Positives: I am learning how to draw and fade VERY well. It's amazing how it all just clicked. range sessions are going very well.

I am learning to avoid fat shots. well, I am not avoiding them yet, but I know what causes them and if I concentrate on that, I don't hit it fat the second time. I need a drill to keep my right knee from collapsing on the downswing. This causes problems with irons from the fairway and driver off the tee.

overall, a beautiful day to play golf, and an awful score of 57-53=100 with 39 putts. Jeebus F-en Kringle.

Finally got to play my first round of the year today. Went out to http://irgolfclub.com/ which is about 15 min from me. A bit of a dog track, and they have a drainage problem, as the back 9 was mud, and it hasn't really rained much in a few days.

As for my play, my 7.9 handicap from the end of last season won't last long. I went back to front 47-41. Only 3 GIR's, and topped a bunch of shots, though I did keep the ball in play, and made a few putts. Gotta work on the swing tempo and I should be back to normal.

May head out again tomorrow somewhere else around here and take advantage of the weather.

Shot 53 on 9 holes (three triples, three double, three bogeys). Not a bad start to the season for a duffer like me.

Went to the range today and there was an ~12 year old kid to my left hitting balls Happy Gilmore style with his dad nowhere in site. Because of how it's curved there was no way he could hit me but he could have hit people further down.

As I'm getting ready to leave his dad has come back and the kid yells, "I'm doing Happy Gilmore, I'm doing Happy Gilmore" and I watch just in case he hits someone down the line. Instead he hits about a foot behind the ball and his club head snaps off and goes about 50 yards out into the range. I think the club may actually have broken into several pieces.

I start cracking up and the dad looks super pissed (at the kid mostly I assume). So I walk to my car and the kid walks towards me and happens to be the car next to me. He just gets in the back seat and sits there while his dad stays at the range with his other kid. It was awesome.

Went out again today, to Angels Crossing in Vicksburg, MI http://www.golfangelscrossing.com/. Was in good shape after that tough winter, and is a very playable layout. The greens though are HUGE, I think some are bigger than the lot my townhouse is on, and have a lot of undulation. After playing in the mud yesterday, this course played very hard and fast. Would recommend to anyone around here.

Brag: Shot 42-39, and my swing came around to form on the last 9. Played the last 6 even par; missed 2 birdie putts, and made another in that stretch. Only 1 double, on the first where I 3 putted, which was my only one all day. Pitched the ball well, and rolled in some putts, including about a 30 footer for the birdie.

Beat: Still only hit 7/18 greens, despite their mammoth size. Spraying my irons a bit, and the fairways woods were inconsistent. But seemed to play out of the thin-to-win swings that plagued me yesterday and at the start of the round today. Would love to see the course when soft, because I hit a couple shots pin high, only to have to pitch from over the back.

Variance: Ordered new woods from Callaway, the FT9 driver, new hybrid, etc. So lets see if that helps a bit going forward.

Managed to squeeze in nine this morning and man i suck after spending hours on the range figuring out why i was shanking the ball (yeha like literally shanking shot after shot )

Anyway felt good enough that i wasn't totally embarrassed to play and play the back nine at Statesville Country Clubin NC.

#10 Pretty easy lil par 4....straight down hill and downwind today. hit a nice little driver off the tee ended up with 80 yds left stuck my wedge in there to about 10 ft and managed to make it. SO off to a good start right....NO SHANKS at least.

#11 Par4 uphill into the wind. Dead block the driver right into some pine trees. 128-130 left hit a huge punch/cut 6 iron to the finge and chip to about 6 feet. miss my sidhill putt.
Nice little bogey. I forgot to mention that the greens there are starting to roll very nicely and fast so its importtant to stay on the correct side of the hole.

#12 176 yd par 3 hit a nice 7 iron to bakc of green ,2 putt. Great par....netx hole please!!

#13 Very short par 5 goofy dogleg to the riight with ob right and woods left. Its pretty tight but if you cna hit a bomb off the tee you can have anything from a 4 iron to a wedge left depending on the angle. anyway hit a big one down the pipe and left myself about 190ish in. There is a huge pond guarding right and long around the green and bunkers left....oh yeah did i mention there is a ginormous tree blocking the green too (options = over or around) I chose over hit the fancy fade 5 iron thinking please go in. Rhen the wind says nope and carries it right, hits the green two hops rolls down the first tier and into the drink. Sweet take my drop get up and down for a very gross par.

#14 slight dog leg right par 4 trees left and ob right. tightens about to about 8 yds wide where the driver would land so i go with 3 wd which usually leaves me 120 or so into the green. Manage to snap hook the 3 wd into the pines left. Find my ball under a nice big pine and decide i can hit the hero tiger woods hook from 140. Grab the 4 iron and then noticed the stump in front of me and the branches beyond that. sO i have to go over the stump but keep it under the trees and it should be no problem lol. line it up close my eyes give a nod to the gods (yes tin cup style) and boom were off.....run ball run. manage to get it just short of the green for the easy up and down par. YEAH

#15 long dogleg left par 5. Once again hit a big drive its reachable in two. Hit another great drive down the middle leave myself 248 in. decide to lay up because the wind is blowing pretty strong and dont feel good enough to hit a draw 3 wd into the wood. so lay up to 120 (so i can try one of the new wedges) chunk the wedge about 20 yds short and use the same club to get up and down for yet another dissapointing par!!!

#16 Long par 4 straight away with ob right and TONS of room left. SO what do i do??? Yeah thats right hit it into someones yard right!!!! Reload while im steaming like crazy and hit the next one where the first one should have been!!! 129 into the green hit wedge to about 15 ft and miss. Nice double sir!!!

#17 downhill par3 bunkers left, water right. 200yds or so. Hit the old 5 iron way fat and have 20yds left to the stick. chip up and damn near hole it for yet another missed green par. See a pattern yet??

#18 very tightly would dogleg right par 4 about 40yds up hill into the wind. Hit the hybrid dead right into the trees and once again decide on a hero slice. Like i had 160 in and hit a 4 iron about 220 slice. it definately went a long ways crooked but a long ways none-the-less. got it in the bunker right of the green and hit a nice bunker shot to 4 ft and donk missed th putt to bogey the last hole of the day.!!!

Managed a pretty nasty lil 39 out of all that mess and absolutely hate the way i am playing right now. Oh well guess its good for my handicap


Cheers guys

Jim

#15

68 - two man scramble. We're both about a 10 index. For us, this was pretty solid - no bogeys! I actually putted decently for once.

Had a tourney today after not having picked up a club since Dec 19. Went to the driving range yesterday and hit 15 balls just to make sure I didn't top it on 1.

Topped it on one...hit a 6 iron way short and right of the green, pitched it 20 ft past and made the putt for par.

Besides that and the 2 footer I missed for bird on 7 it went pretty okay.

74 - day two of 2 man scramble event. Tough conditions - cold, windy, moved back a set of tees. Nice to start on the #1 handicap hole, from the tips, into a howling 30 mph wind, 40 degree temps. You gotta love shotguns.

I really hate this game sometimes, don't think I made a putt longer than six inches all day and my lag putting was horrendous. One day after putting very well. I don't get it.

Today was also humbling. I'm not a long hitter by any stretch of the imagination, but I make solid contact - I was outdriven by 50-70+ yards all day. I hit two good shots and hit a 475 yard par five in two with driver, 3 wood. One of the guys we played with hit driver, gap wedge ... and the gap wedge was too much club.

Gatton Manor par 71 6026 yards
48/47 95
I was driving well my short game good by my own low standards but my approach shots were a bit scruffy throughout nine iron to hybrid five I hardly hit a good shot all round. I had about three instances of good luck where shots heading right hit a tree and bounced back into play which helps.

1st post here and its a big brag 2nd round of the year in crazy wind condition, at willow valley, in mount hope Ontario, I shot 3 over after 9 with a quadruple bogey on 6 we ended up not playing the other nine because of how cold and windy it was. high hopes this year!!!

Scored 86 my last round. Had 39 on the first 9, 3 above par. Not bad for a 17 handicap I'd say. Shame I started with a triple bogey.

Made 13 stableford points today.

High point of the day was a nice par on the longest par 5 (497m), 3 good shots had me close to the green, chipped a 7 iron 30 yards to about 4 feet and made the putt. I did snap hook the first tee shot into oblivion, so it was actually a 7, but still.

Except for that hole, my putter was colder than a well digger's arse.

Have changed my swing quite a bit this spring and today was one of those rounds where nothing much worked. But I am getting there. (I hope).

shot 83 at the hamlet in happaugue new york (par 72) over the weekend. i'm a 18 handicap and it was just the most perfect round of golf for me ever, there are seven water features on the course and i managed to avoid them all. i was deadly with my sandwedge from 80 and closer putting it within six feet of the pin 3 times. these are the weekends that make me love the sport, when i go out this weekend and shoot a 95 i'll remember why it's so frustrating.

i felt sick walking off the course on sunday aft....was shooting the round of my life with 3 holes left....par 72 course....67 shots for 15 holes so far...ive been playing golf around 11 months....16th hole is par 4 - 17th hole is par 4 and 18th is par 5....so i go onto to make a 6 - 8 - 5 on the last 3 holes....ended up with an 86 taking 2 shots of my previous best but it shuld have been so much better...easily culd have had 81 or better...and to make things worse i got burnt alive out on the course by the sun...sigh

Bali Hai Las Vegas

Front side 4 pars, 1 bogey, 2 doubles, 2 quads (Actually X's)

Back Side 5 pars, 4 bogeys, 1 double

90, which I consider a good round for me

49-42-91, 36 putts and only one 3-putt (a record low for me)

first round of the year and it was one of my best ever, i spent a lot of time over the winter swinging in my house attempting to fix my horrible swing and it looks like i may have done an alright job, still a long way to go but i'm very happy with the round...i struck the ball pretty well, hit one of my best shots ever on a 200 yard par 3 which was a 4-iron 3 feet past the hole and only lost one ball off the tee (and it was on a par 3) which is a record for me.

last year was the first summer where i played regularly (2 times a week) and i was shooting 100 +/-5 for most of it...this summer i want to get down into the 90s and maybe crack the 80s a few times so it looks like that may be a realistic goal

+3, 74 at Firewheel Bridges course, nice day, nice course, can't complain

I'm doing a hole by hole b/c I suck and deserve to be punished:

#1:
Not warmed up. Hit Driver on a 340 yard hole, not really a "smart" play but I am much more confident with my driver right now than my fairway woods/hybrid. I duck hook it into a bunker on another hole. I have 150 left (ugh) into the wind and try and hit a 7 iron over some trees. Hit it 8 inches fat and the ball literally goes almost straight right and about 20 yards into another bunker. Repeat process with 9 iron. Hit wedge from 60 yards too hard to 40 feet. Nice lag to a foot, tap in double. GOOD START.

#2:
Duck hook drive again, catches tree and is knocked into the fairway short. Have a 7 iron from 155. Hit it right at it, but drawing just a little and really low and thin. It catches a bunker. Easy sand shot, but I hit it too hard to about 12 feet. Push the putt, good speed, tap in bogey.

#3:
Hit a big high hook into the trees. Smart punch out to "102" with a hybrid. I hit my 100 yard gap wedge from 102 directly at the pin and well over the green. I putt from light rough way too hard, and miss the 10 footer coming back on the right side. Double.

#4:
6 iron on a par 3. Couldn't play any easier. I hook it so badly it comes up short, hits a tree, and is in a hazard. It is completely dry, but their are weird tree stump things tht make my shot unplayable. It is a yellow hazard, so I take 2 club lengths and drop (is this right?) I hit a very nice pitch shot to 10 feet and barely miss the putt. Double.

#5:
Into the wind with my 10 degree Driver. I hit it perfect, but the hole is 460 and the wind ate that crap up. So I had 225 in. I hit a 3 wood right at the pin but it carried a bit too far to 40 feet. I hit an awful putt that breaks way too much and is too hard. I leave the par putt on the edge of the hole. 3 putt bogey.

#6:
7 iron par 3. Couldn't play any easier again. I hit an okay shot that started at the pin, but hooked too much to 30 feet. I hit a bad putt and have a 6 foot downhill breaker for par, which I make in the center of the hole. PAR.

#7:
Pull drive about 10 yards, but it is in the fairway 135 left. I hit a 9 iron perfect and right at the pin but it goes over the green. I have a dirt lie and am on an extreme downhill. I putt it like it is a 6 foot putt from the "rough" 40 feet over the green. It is okay, but tenative and goes to 6 feet. Burn the edge again. Bad putt. Bogey.

#8:
Duck hook hybrid as usual. Take a drop from the cartpath. I still have a little tree root right in front of my ball and I have to hit it over a tree from 92 yards. I hit a gap wedge that clips the very top of the tree, but the ball still travels nicely and lands 12 feet from the hole. I drain putt center cut for a birdie. Still didn't hit the putt solid really, just all out of sorts with my putting.

#9:
Smashed drive into light rough on the right. Have 300 into a par 5. I try to layup with a 5 wood to 100 but just completely skulled it or something. Weirdest shot ever. The ball went like a line drive knuckle ball about head height with a 5 wood to 65 yards. (So I hit it 235...no way...) I semi blade the next shot and it runs through the really hard green. I duff the chip 5 feet. Then I chip the next one nicely to 6 feet. Burn the edge on the putt. Goddamn double. +10/ 45 on the front.

#10
Par 3, playing as easy as possible. My friend aced this with a 5 iron the other day. I am hitting 9 iron. I hook it like 30 yards. I have a pretty tough pitch and hit it just a bit thin, and it goes over the green and into the water. I drop, hit the same shot to 2 feet and tap in for double.

#11
Hit a nice drive, but it draws a little too much and i have to stand in a bunker and swing at my ball like a baseball bat, from 120 yards. I try this with a 9 iron and hit something awful b/c it rattled around the trees well left of me and came down. Chipped a 9 iron under the trees to 25 feet, crappy putt to a foot, bogey.

#12
Hit a very solid 5 wood to first cut on the left. Tried to hit a 3/4s pwedge and half bladed it. It had a little spin on it and it bounced just right and was 12 feet from the hole. Left putt in center of the hole. Tap in par.

#13
Hit a very solid drive that appeared to be drawing into the fairway. Found ball in trees. Knocked 4 iron right at the pin under all of the trees but it went motoring to the back of the green. Crappy putt from fringe to 15 feet short. Drain that for a par. Actually felt like a good putt.

#14
Hit what I thought was a nice drive. Hit a forced fade over the trees on the right to go for this par 5 in two. Found ball in trees. Hit recovery shot with hybrid almost too high...missed branches by inches. Also creeped up towards the OB that intrudes on the fairway. Great execution on my shot though. I have 115 in and try another 3/4 pwedge with the same result, to 40 feet. Hit a terrible putt to 10 feet, even though it was a very tough mini golf putt. Barely miss that one on the edge, putt felt bad again. 3 putt bogey.

#15:
Playing as easy as possible. Hit a pwedge towards center of the green. Drew a bit to get tight and spun towards the hole. I thought it was going in, but it was 8 feet short. Confident putt here finally hit well. Burned edge. Tap in par.

#16:
Smoked drive. Found it in rough 5 feet from water. Had 150 in. Had a weird lie and ball didn't go at all and ended up about 30 yards short in a bunker. Hit bunker shot to a foot and tapped in for par.

#17:
Smoked drive to 88 yards. Hit 58 degree a tad thin and hooked it a bit and it hit the green and bounded 30 yards over. Hit a nice pitch that landed a foot short of perfect and rolled back off the crowned green. Chipped that one to 6 feet and burned the edge on the putt. Double from 88 yards in the center of the fairway.

#18:
Smoked 5 wood to 120. Hit a really nice looking pwedge that held the stupidly shallow green and stayed on the fringe. Hit 35 foot putt awful and short to 6 feet. Left that one hanging on edge. Tap in bogey. +7 42 on the back.

Overall a nice little 87. I feel like I'm getting really pissed off. It seems as if all of my progression to a 2.1 handicap last summer has been completely shatted off the face of the planet.

59-55 - 114 with 42 putts and 1 GIR

I'm not usually that terrible, I promise. Usually more in the 100-105 range. Worst part is that my roommate played on of the worst rounds of his last 4 years too, but still beat me all 3 ways on our match play bets. And this was supposed to be my tuneup for a 4-man scramble event with the rest of the grad school class on Friday. FML.

Only plus side is that I got to cross another course off my Canongate membership list making me one closer to my goal started last fall to play all of the courses.

In order of number of times played
Braelinn - 100+ (grew up on 4th tee (now 13) of this course)
Planterra - 20+ (also in hometown)
Flat Creek - dozen or so (also in hometown)
Heron Bay - 1
Georgia National - 1
Whitewater - 1
Summergrove - 1

Of course, they've also added 6 courses since I started this challenge so I'm further behind than I started.