Chris: Another thing you may want to consider, given it's something I just learned recently, is how the green shapes up in relation to any kind of a hill it might be on. I posted about it here a couple of weeks ago, but I played a course in New Salem, ND that is on the side of the hill. All of the putts broke away from the hill with the great big cow on it despite the fact that they all looked like they should break towards the cow. Setting up the course like that was pure genius, and it was also purely deliberate.

I've started to watch for that on all of my putts. When one breaks the opposite way I'm expecting, I'm convinced that it's an optical illusion that is created by the way the green is placed on the hill at least 90% of the time. Sure, there is grain and even wind to take into consideration as well. But I've found that even on the putts that look like they should break but don't, the problem usually lies in the fact that the grounds around the green make the green look like it's sloped when it isn't.

Due to this dynamic, I think it might be prudent for me to learn how to properly plum bob. My cousin, who plays the course in New Salem regularly, has it down to a tee, and he's a putting machine. Too bad he can't hit any other clubs:)

I birdied my first two holes tonight. I just missed the first green and chipped it in, and then I hit a wonderful drive on the second hole followed by an approach that was pin high about five feet to the left of the pin. I just missed green number three, and I got a horrible bounce into a tree. I used my putter to get it out from under the tree, chipped next to the hole and sunk the bogey putt.

And then the skies opened up on hole four. The wind started gusting up to 40 mph, and the rain started beating down hard. There was no rain in the forecast, but tell that to the clouds. I blew up that hole something fierce. Two penalty strokes and a bunch of shanks and duffs later, I walked off with a 12.

I feel like Player telling the story, but there it is. My final score on the round was 46 with a 41 ESC. The rain stopped on hole six after I had put my tee shot underneath another tree and used my putter again to get it free.

Bryan K wrote:

The rain stopped on hole six after I had put my tee shot underneath another tree and used my putter again to get it free.

Have you considered carrying a 2nd putter, so that you don't damage the one you use on the greens?

mjaber wrote:

Bryan K wrote: The rain stopped on hole six after I had put my tee shot underneath another tree and used my putter again to get it free. Have you considered carrying a 2nd putter, so that you don't damage the one you use on the greens?

Hmm....I probably would if I had the space for it.

But I don't ever take a full swing with the putter. When I use my putter, I always use my putting stroke. Even that can be tough when you are encased inside of an evergreen tree.

Working down at the beach, snuck out for a quick 18 at Indian Wells which is one of the courses I played last year at the World Am. Just wanted to see it in another light and in case I'm playing it again this year...

An odd 89 out there. Hitting pull-hook esp off the tee. Eventually played it to find some fairways. Four balls in the water, two were layups after poor tee shots which ran long... gotta hate when that happens...

left work early

41/40

Hot a FACK

4 doubles

12 Bud Reds.

85. A co worker took me to one of his spots.

Had a pretty special shot in there today - after my 5W tee shot was pulled into a fairway bunker up in the corner against the lip close. All I could do was pitch it out inside the 150y marker. Then hit an excellent PW from 128y which dove straight down on the flag, landed about 4 feet behind the hole, checked and spun backwards into the hole for a birdie!

Normally if I hit the green will tend to bounce forward, maybe hop and stop sometimes, but don't recall one spinning backwards before, that was fun!

The greens were surprisingly quick and hard to read the breaks, maybe about 6 extra shots in there due to putting.

sweet shot. i've yet to hole out from the fairway on the fly.

We had our little Club Championship this weekend. I was paired with some pals and looking forward to a fun time. They cut the greens tight and were rolling hard. This bothered some of the players, but I was more upset with my terrible ball striking off the tee. It amazes me how things can change so quickly with the swing and ball striking results.

Sunny yesterday but today we had solid rain. We started off in it but they called play for about and hour and half due to it getting heavy and some thunder. While we waited it out, the TV's in the clubhouse were on one of the movie stations which by coincidence had Caddyshack on and yes, it was the scene with Carl and the Preacher "I don't think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for a while"... guys were shouting out quotes at the TV...

We went out and finished the first nine in the steady rain and puddles all over the course. The sun poked out on the back nine but I still used the rain gloves bc all my grips were soaked. Everything soaked.

91 day one on par 73, 90 day two on par 71.

107 today ... Horrible round. Part of the issue was that we were playing from tees that totaled 6200+ yards, which is too long for me. I've played the course once more than a year ago, and was talked into the longer tees both times because the next tees down play at less than 5800 yards. The extra yardage, however, led me to push to go longer, which doesn't work since my fairway woods aren't reliable clubs for me. Honestly, though,i might have been able to pull off a more acceptable (for me) score, except that I had significant short game troubles. I don't remember 3-putting so many times in one round. The 3-putts were facilitated by not seeming to be able to dial in my pitching wedge. The last time I played that club was laser sighted, but today I couldn't get closer than 30 feet on a chip. Also, obviously, I wasn't lag putting well.

So, in short ... Bad on long game, bad on short game ... Frustrating as hell.

Bully Pulpit Golf Course on Saturday. The most awesome track I have ever played.

I shot a 96. I couldn't hit an iron to save my life. But I did hit a pretty awesome PW shot off the tee on the picturesque number 15, the course's signature hole. I missed the birdie putt.

88 yesterday in the blistering heat. Balls do travel a long way which is nice - got a couple of drives that traveled almost 300 yards. It's the 38 putts that killed a great score

Will play 9 holes next Friday with a pro, lookin' forward to how he plays and comments the course!

An even 100 yesterday. Some flashes of brilliance, usually follow by fits of stupidity or depression, I can't decide which yet. The "Bermuda Triangle", 14, 15, 16 on the course is notorious and tore me a new one.

But I enjoyed being out playing golf with my mate.

Shot a good round of 80 yesterday at Marine Park which is important because it follows up rounds of 90 and 91. Those last rounds put me in a funk, they got me down about my game which put kind of a black cloud over my whole existence. Sad but true. It seems that my sense of well-being is affected by the state of my game which is probably not healthy. On the other hand a big incentive to improve my handicap.

Recently I had a conversation with a friend Dr. T who has become a regular playing partner lately. We talked about making a little extra cash on the golf course by offering bets to the random people, suckers if you will that we meet on the course.

Yesterday we played with two buddies, young guys in their 20s. They must've been worked in finance, that slight whiff of pointless arrogance about em. Nothing major just typical of guys that age, especially around here. Precisely the kind of situation we talked about earlier--preying upon people whose ego won't let them decline a bet, even if overmatched. So after watching them hack it around for nine holes I brought up the idea to the doctor and after the both of us hemming and hawing about it for a few minutes we finally decided to just do it. Ten bucks for nine holes of 2 on 2 best ball.

I didn't even finish my sentence, one of them was so quick to accept the bet. Funny since this guy was by far the worst player in the group, had no cash and already had been leaning on his buddy to buy beers and stuff. He even suggested a bigger bet, which I like a dweeb declined. Becoming a cold hearted hustler, it will be a gradual process I guess.

With the game now on I started to play well. Even though we are considerably better golfers than our opponents I got a little nervous on the tenth hole when they managed to pour in a long birdie putt on top of my long birdie putt. But I felt confident teaming with Dr. T whose game I respect and I felt between the two of us we could put together a best ball score around if not under par on any given day, so it allowed me to play relaxed.

I ended up shooting +2 on the back; it wasn't even a close match. Still it felt good collecting the bill. I wondered why I haven't done this more often. Folks there is free money out there--we just have to learn how to seize the opportunities.

legitimatebeef wrote:

Shot a good round of 80 yesterday at Marine Park which is important because it follows up rounds of 90 and 91. Those last rounds put me in a funk, they got me down about my game which put kind of a black cloud over my whole existence. Sad but true. It seems that my sense of well-being is affected by the state of my game which is probably not healthy.

Good God ... I hear you and I feel you. It pisses off my wife. She doesn't understand the drive to improve at a chosen activity or sport.