July 31 - Round 20

Course - Links at Ferry Point

Playing partners - Dan, David (Dan's son), Jay

Let's discuss the course before the standard chronicle of the round.

The Links at Ferry Point (note, there was not one ferry to be seen) is the latest Trump course, sitting on the Bronx side of the Whitestone Bridge.  Although it is considered an "inner city" course, there is no mass transit to get there.  So, you'll need to pony up either for an Uber ride, or drive yourself and pay a toll - this is a small cost compared to the hefty greens fees.

The course (from the White tees) is not that long.  A bit over 6,000 yards.  A really nice Links layout, with bunkers in all the right (WRONG) places.  Fairways were wide in areas, and uncomfortably narrow in others.  The greens were fast, but not so as to be unfair.
And, there's not one tree on the course.  So, on this hot day, there was no relief from the hot sun.
The course is maintained well, and was in excellent condition.  The fescue was not that long, so finding wayward balls was pretty easy.
The views were mostly nice.  The views under the Whitestone Bridge were pretty beautiful.  And, the views of the course were quite pretty.
But, I'm used to more rural courses where you don't see apartment buildings 20 feet from where you are teeing it up.

The conditions were HOT, but there was a constant breeze that kept us from overheating.

My Pros for the course:

• Views
• Location (we had a 30 minute drive from Merrick)
• Course conditions
• Practice area

My Cons for the course:

• Views (apartment buildings)
• Location (tolls to get there and back)
• Greens fees

Dan and I arrived about 45 minutes prior to our tee time of 8:40 am.  We were met with smiles by the staff who unloaded our bags and pointed to the temporary clubhouse.  The permanent clubhouse is a few years away from development.  

There was a power outage at the club, but leave it to Trump to have generators to power the computers and credit card machines (not the kitchen or a/c, though). 

The greens fees were a whopping $250.  

As a non- resident of NYC, I paid $215 greens fee for a weekend rate (Friday is a weekend day?) and $35 for a cart (that's $35 per person). 

NYC residents get to save $46!!!

The practice facility is amazing.  A nice grass range (NO MATS!), and a short game area that includes separate chipping and putting greens.  

Dan enjoyed the facility so much, he neglected to pick up his Alien sand wedge - so some lucky golfer got a door prize.  

After a brief warmup, we drove up to the first tee.  As it was going to be a hot day, I had brought a small cooler with ice and water - to which we added a few bottles of free water provided by the course (you have to get something for that whopping fee).

My tee shot pulled off the fairway into the rolling fescue covered moguls on the left side of the fairway.  Luckily, it landed in a flat area and I was able to hit an 8 iron to 70 yards out.  I pitched on to 6 feet and nailed the par putt.
Great scramble for my first par. This hole was rated the 2nd handicap hole, but didn't seem all that difficult.
My biggest issue on the front 9 was the par 3 8th hole.  I pulled my tee shot into the left greenside bunker. The ball was a about a foot from the far side of the trap, so I had a very uncomfortable lie.  One foot in, one foot out, and bent over - WAY OVER!  My goal was to get out in one and NOT fall, or pull a muscle.  Although I did get out (and didn't get hurt), I was not on the green, and wound up with a double bogey.
I finished the front nine with a 43.  More than acceptable.
My playing partners, didn't fare as well.  The "boys" both shot a 47, and Dan a 51.

During our front nine, we never waited for the group in front of us, and the single person behind us played multiple balls to keep himself occupied.  The 10 minute separation of groups was great!  I'm used to 7 or 8 minutes. 

As we teed of on 10, the temperatures rose.  Jay was the quick thinker, as he reloaded our cooler with the "Free Trump Water".  This obviously went well with the golf gods, as he birdied the 11th hole (part 3) with a nice putt from in front of the green. (He also birdied the 15th hole, the #1 handicap hole).
My back 9 was not as good as the front 9.  A few double bogeys and a lost ball on the #1 handicap hole when my drive was lost to the right and neither me nor David could locate it.

My shot of the day came on the par 3 17th hole.  Playing just over 150 yards uphill, I pulled my 6 iron left and wound up with a nice little pot bunker between me and the green, with my ball sitting in a collection area below the bunker.  I played a soft flop shot just over the bunker, and let the ball trickle down to the hole - within 4 feet.  Sinking that putt was GREAT!!

The 18th hole looked like it would be sweet.

However, the wind was flowing right to left, which pushed my drive into a nicely placed fairway bunker.  I hit out with a short 7 iron to about 180 out.
Jay and David had great drives and were both somewhere around 200 yards out.  
Jay went for the green in 2, and David latest up (YOU NEED BALLS TO PLAYBGOLF, David).

Two different approaches to their pars.
Nice way for them to end the round.

I hit a nice 7 wood (over clubbing by 1) and still came up short  A good chip left me 4 feet from the pin, and (SHITTTT) I missed the putt.  Ending with a 46 back nine, and an 89 overall.

Jay had a really nice back nine of 43, and ended with a 90.

As for David and Dan?  They were playing a match that came down the the last hole.  Dan cracked under pressure with a double bogey, and lost the match to his son.
Congrats to David!!!

As for the overall impressions of my round.  The only club that I had any issues with was my driver.  Luckily for this course, you often tee off with a wood or long iron, as the holes can be short, or you might want to take bunkers out of play.

So, If I can work out my issues with the big boy, I can finish the last half of my golf season with a flourish.

Let's see what I can do!

Until tomorrow,

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 26 - Round 19

Eisenhower Park - Red

Playing Partner - Lloyd

I know in yesterday's blog that I said I was playing Eisenhower Blue today, but I was lucky.  I woke at around 5:30am (Yes kids, when you get to this age - you just wake up at dawn!).  Went online to see if any RED tee times were available (We had a 8:12 on Blue).

Lo and behold, there was a foursome available at 8:05.  I grabbed two slots under my wife's id.

After Lloyd and I checked in (and I cancelled my Blue tee times), we went to the range - where I hit no more than 15 balls.  Just loosening up.

The weather was great again.  Although there were some initial clouds that looked like rain, it had cleared up by tee time and it was WONDERFUL!!!

The first hole was an uneventful par.  My only problem was hitting my pitching wedge too far, to the back of the green, and the pin was in the front.

The second hole played as the Par 3, which I 3 putted for a 4.  It's a two level green, and the pin was on the HIGH side.  Of course, my shot landed on the LOW side.  Thus - 4 putts.

I made a mess of the 3rd for a double bogey, and came to the 4th hole.
The tee was back, so you'd need a really solid drive to get to the dogleg and have a view to the green.
My drive was awesome, but the draw pulled into the last tree on the left.

As we approached the tree, somehow my ball was on the FAR side of the tree!! WTF?

I had to chip out laterally from the green, and wound up with a double bogey.
At this point, I finally "felt" my swing.  Made some nice shots, especially my 2nd shot on the 9th.
The 9th hole is a roughly 320 yard straight par 4.  I stuck my wedge to 4 feet above the hole.
Of course, my birdie attempt drifted right and I settled for a par.
A respectable 43 on the front.

The 10th hole is a monster, where you need 2 really solid shots.  My drive was nice, but my 4 wood pulled a bit, and I settled for a bogey.
The 11th hole is a 350 yard par 4, with the drive needing to fit between two trees.  I faded my drive and that left me 120 yards to the middle of the green.
Once again, I stuck my wedge 4 feet above the hole.
And, once again I missed that freak'n birdie putt!!!

Argh!!!

The round progressed nicely until the 16th.  The Par 3, playing 157 yards (by my Garmin).  It was into a stiff wind, so I chose my 5 hybrid - and pulled the shot into the left green-side bunker.
As I looked over my shot, I saw that the green flowed away from me and down towards the hole. I knew all I needed to do was land the sand shot just outside the bunker, and it would roll down towards the hole and give me a short put for par.
My bunker shot was perfect, and my ball slowly made it's way down to the pin.
AND WENT IN!!!

YES!!  A Sandy/Birdie!!!!  Nothing makes you feel better than holing out from a bunker.

I finished the round with 2 bogeys, and a 42 back - 85 overall.

As opposed to Saturday, I didn't feel I left any strokes on the course.  I played nice and level, and kept my head in the game.

I mean - could I have (or SHOULD I have) rolled those two birdie putts in?  Yes.
But, I can't be upset.as I had 31 putts.

I finally feel that my game is coming together.  Drives, woods, irons, chips, etc.

Did I fuck up some shots?  Sure - but I'm not so hard on myself that I don't allow myself a mistake here and there.  (If I was that good, my handicap would be single digits).  My biggest mistake was leaving my cigar lighter in my pushcart (we drove today) so I couldn't light up my "semi legal" cigar!!

As for Lloyd - he played a nice round, and never got out of his game - until the last 4 holes.  He was exhausted.  Whereas I started my round off with a bagel and coffee, a mid-round banana, and then had a 24 ounce water (with FRS added) - Lloyd didn't have anything.  He got a soda and some pretzels at the turn, but (in my opinion), that's not nearly enough to fuel the engine for a 4 1/2 hour round.  I told him that he AT LEAST needs to drink more water during his round.

I have a lot of golf coming up in the next 3-4 weeks.  I'm playing this Friday at Trump's Ferry Point.  I hear it's supposed to be very windy.
Then Saturday in my regular game.
I have 2 outings the the coming weeks, too.

Life is good.

So, until next week

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 25 - Round 18

Eisenhower Park - Blue

Playing Partners - Marty and Pete

A great day for golf.  Sun is out, humidity is low, and no wind to speak of.

This was Marty's first round of the year.

Our tee time was 9:08.  After playing a nice round on Friday, I assumed  that today's round would be excellent!!

It was So-So.

Sometimes So-So bad, and sometimes So-So good.

For his first time out, Marty hit the ball pretty good.  His swing was smooth and he was making good contact.
Pete on the other hand was having issues.  Something was up with his eyes, where he had headaches and vertigo.  He was trying to tough it out - sometimes closing one eye, or the other.  But - he had to give up after 11 holes.  I gave him the number of an ophthalmologist so he could get checked out.  I'll have to call him Sunday to see how he's doing.

My round?  Well, the front nine was un-remarkable.  My drives were a bit off, but my irons and woods made up for that.  I was basically playing bogey golf, and ended the front nine with a 44.

The back nine started off great. A really nice drive, and a par.  Walked off that green feeling great!.

The 11th hole is a par 5 dogleg left, that has a fairway bunker at 100 yards out in the center of the fairway.  A really pretty hole.
Normally, I lay up on my 2nd shot to just outside that fairway bunker at hit a pitching wedge or 9 iron to the green.
Today, my drive was AWESOME!  I was in the middle of the fairway 230 yards out.  So, I did something I NEVER EVER do - I played outside my game and tried to fly that bunker and lay up to 60 yards.  Then it would be a chip and a putt for a birdie.
My 4-hybrid was crisp, and flew great..
and caught the lip of the bunker.

Crapola!

You know that feeling when you walk up to your ball and realize you fucked up?  Well, that's how I felt.

So, one moment I'm "seeing" a birdie in my mind, and the next I wind up with a double bogie.  This sat on my mind for the remainder of the day.
I don't mind making physical errors, after all - I'm not a pro.
But, those mental fuck-ups piss me off to NO END!!!

So, I limped my way in.  One par in the next 7 holes, and the rest single and double bogies.  

I finished with a 47 back 9, and 91 overall.  And a feeling that I left so many good shots out on the course today.

The other thing to note is the course - they really do not take care of it well.  If you see the photo of the bunker above, you'll notice that it's over grown, and not edged well.  Although the fairways are in pretty good shape, many of the greens still show signs of damage from the winter.
It's a shame.

So, my lesson learned today is - "Stay within your game".  Know your limits and play your game.
That's probably the best advice I can give anyone.
Don't get thoughts of grandeur.  If I had followed my own advice, I would have finished with a MOST an 89.  Maybe less.

So, I'll be playing tomorrow - Eisenhower Blue again.
3 rounds in a row - life is good.

Until tomorrow

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 24th - Round 17

Merrick Road Park Golf Course (9 holes)

Playing partner - Lloyd

I don't know of any of you are members of the USGA, but it's a great organization that promotes golf. I had just received an update from their feed that July 29th is "Play 9" day.

In light of that, I decided that 9 holes was in order.  I asked Lloyd to meet me at Merrick Road Park Golf course at 6:30am.

For those of you unfamiliar with this course, you're missing a little gem on the south shore of Long Island.  The course is right up against the bay, so it has beautiful views.

It is nestled just west of the southernmost homes in Merrick, and just under the Norman J. Levy Preserve, formerly known as Merrick Mountain, and formerly known as the Merrick Dump!

The course has had it's ups, and downs.  But, it's a nice little venue for a "quick" 9.  Note, that a round can be EXCEEDINGLY slow, as many seniors (and I mean octogenarians) play.  They have a great deal for residents of the Town of Hempstead for SENIORS - $7.75 for a round.
As I am NOT a senior, I payed a whopping $15.50!!!  Still a great deal.

Lloyd and I met at the course at 6:30 (there are no reservations).  We teed of at 7am. (the 7th group)
No warmups, which, if you've been reading my blog, means my tempo is off and I'm tight.

So, my drive was a bit right, my 2nd shot (a 4 hybrid) also a bit right, and my wedge ran all the way to the back of the green.  So, I started with a bogey.

The Par 3 2nd hole played 135 yards from the whites.  I pulled my 9 iron left, and the lob wedge ran over the green into the rough.  On in 3 about 4 feet above the hole.
Turns out, the 2nd green was much faster than the first, and my ball shot by the hole and I was now 6 feet away.
Took a triple.

The greens have always been the poor point of the golf course. They were never maintained well - until now. I hear that a new greens-keeper has been hired, and it showed.  I'll assume the disparity in the speed of the greens was due to the early time, and some were not mowed yet.

The 3rd hole is by far the prettiest.  Skirting along the south shore and Merrick Bay, with the green sitting just under the preserve.  It really is a beautiful sight.

Today, the 4th hole was my favorite.  A nice drive left me 190 out.  With the wind at my back I hit a great 4 hybrid to 3 fee above the pin, and sunk the put for a birdie.

I do need to thank Lloyd for his help, as his chip left him outside my ball.  I had judged the putt to slide an inch to the right, and would have putted at the left outside edge.
Lloyd's putt barely broke at all, so I kept my ball aimed INSIDE the cup, and made the birdie!!!
Many thanks, Lloyd.

The other low point of the course has been the bunkers.  They have historically been hard packed dirt.  But, the grounds crew has them maintained well, and with sand.
This helped me with my two "Sandy" pars in the round.

We finished our nine holes in 2 hours flat.  A pretty incredible feat for a public course on Long Island.  I ended with a 42, ending with a Sandy/Par on the 9th.
Lloyd, who last shot a 45 (last Thursday) on this course was not as lucky, adding 10 strokes to that score for this week's outing.

So, I got to play 9 holes with a buddy, and got to work by 10:30am.  How great is that.

And, tomorrow I get to play again!!!

GOTTA LOVE THIS GAME!!!

So, until tomorrow

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 18 - Round 16

Eisenhower Park - White

Playing partners - Rich, Pete, Freddie

OK - I've been bad and didn't pen this until Wednesday (We played Saturday).  But, in my defense, there was a lot going on.

Besides going to the Yankees on Sunday, I was intensely keeping track of "The Open Championship" (The British Open to you novices).

Before I continue on about my round, first I'll give my commentary on the weekend (and Monday) happenings in The Open golf.

Just like many Super Bowls, some Major tournaments are a disappointment.  Many players do not rise to the occasion, and fold quickly.  And, many times it turns into a 1 horse race (or, perhaps 2).
Bottom line - the hype doesn't usually match the play.

This Open had everything you wanted in a Major.
The emotion on Saturday when Tom Watson made his farewell in his last appearance.  An overall fan favorite, and a 5 time Open winner.  To see him end his round with his son caddying, would bring a tear to anyone's eye.
But, the golf was amazing.  Even given the fact that weather wreaked havoc with the schedule.  I was actually glad that Sunday's final round was pushed to Monday.  That meant I was able to follow the round (if not watch it), as Sunday I was in Yankee Stadium.

I'll just say this - there was excitement, disappointment, tears, and (in the end) and champion that deserved it.  I was disappointed that Mr. Spieth didn't get into the playoff.  I was genuinely sad as I watched the interview with Mr. Day, who showed his emotions after losing the tournament.  He's now got a new fan.
And. my congrats to Zach on his winning.


As for my round - it was no less exciting than the Open.  Not because of the caliber of golf, but  because of the weather.
The report called for scattered Thundershowers.

Scattered my ass!!!

By the time we hit our 2nd ball on the first hole, there was a light drizzle.
At the 2nd hole, it was a constant light rain.
By the 4th hole it was a light downpour, with high winds and thunder.
The 5th turned worse - more thunder, and now lightening.  Not bolts, but the sky was lit.

For those reading this that do not understand the danger of lightening to golfers, let me expand a bit.
Lightening usually hits the highest target in the area it is in.  If there's a tree in a meadow, it will hit that tree.
If there is a golfer standing in an open fairway, it will hit him.

In the days of Metal Spikes on golf shoes, many times you would read about a golfer who was electrocuted (or shocked) when lightening hit the ground nearby, and shot up through the golfer's shoes.  (this is no longer a problem now with "soft spikes")

Still, it's not a good idea to huddle under a tree to escape the rain.

We did this anyway.


But, only for a bit.  I had pulled out my iPhone and brought up the weather map (I JUST LOVE TECHNOLOGY).  I estimated 20 minutes until it cleared - so we pushed on in the rain, thunder, and lightening.
My mind quickly roamed back to the "Caddyshack" scene when the priest gets hit by lightening

The group in front of us was huddled at the halfway house at the 8th tee (they were obviously much brighter than us)- we passed them.

The front 9 ended with the weather letting up, and my shooting an acceptable 47 (given the weather conditions).
But, the back nine was much better - both in weather and golf.
The rain ended by the 11th hole, and that's when my game came back (mostly).

I parred 11-14.  13 was a bit ridiculous, as my drive was way right, and I laid up to 60 yards, figuring I'd pitch and putt for a par.  But, I chunked the pitch, and still sat 10 yards off the putting surface.
Choosing a 9 iron to chip, I landed it right where I wanted, and the ball rolled into the cup.

After I parred the 14th (par 3), several playing partners (not to be named) reminded me that I was on a roll.
Note - there is a reason that baseball players NEVER tell a pitcher that he's throwing a no-hitter.  It FUCKS UP YOUR GAME!!

15 - Triple bogey!!  Ugh!  (Thanks guys!)
I staggered the rest of the way, finishing with a 44 on the back, and an overall 91 - not too bad for a round where 9 holes were in the pouring rain.

My playing partners had a nice outing.  Fun, if not score-wise. Rich actually had a club fly out of his hands at the 8th hole.  (I think the club went further than the ball).
And Freddie, who has not been a good golfer, was hitting nice, solid shots.
We all had a great time, despite the weather.

So - what do I take a way from this round?

1 - I need more gloves.  I carried 3, and two became SOAKED after 4 holes.  (notice the 4 gloves hanging from the cart.

2 - Don't play with lightening.  I read that that a girl in Suffolk was hit by lightening that day!

I'm hoping to play mid week, this week.  Maybe an early 9-holes with a buddy.  But, it's that time of year when I start playing twice/three times a week.

So, until next week -
Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 11 - Round 15

Eisenhower Park - Red

Playing partners- Rich, Pete, Evan 

It took me 5 days to get around to writing this, so I'm relying on these slowly-dieing brain cells!

We played with Evan, Rich's son in law.  Evan is a pleasure to play with.  Not many golfers get up to the ball, and just swing. Evan takes no practice swings, and doesn't get upset when he hits a bad shot.   

We teed off later than normal (9:40 tee time), as I completely forgot to reserve the time the prior week.  As Rich and Evan were riding together, my partner was Pete.   As it was expected to be hot and humid, we drove (rather not than walked).  Despite the late tee time, we were able to play in 5 hours - fairly normal. 

The pre-round warmup was stressful, as Nassau County used their brilliance to book three events in the park that day.  So, the Park was mobbed, and the parking in the lot was a bitch.  I drove to the driving range to hit a few balls - and left my car there. I carried my clubs across the road and met Pete at the first hole!

First hole - I hate starting off with a BAD score. HATE HATE HATE.

So the double bogey didn't sit well with me, to say the least.

The second hole, playing the par 3, was much better.  The hole is 160 yards, and the flag was blue - meaning at the back of the green.  My 5 hybrid was perfect and landed at the back of the green.

The problem was, the blue pin was in the middle of the green.   Two putts and I had a par.  

The hole of note was the 4th hole - which had been playing with a temporary green - until today.  The green was in good condition, yet I double bogeyed the hole.  

The front nine was pretty mundane.  I had issues off the tee, but my irons and short game kept saving my ass. Pars and Double Bogyes.  I headed into 10 shooting a 45 on the front.  A bit disappointing, but not horrible.

The back 9 was pretty much like the front.  Frustrating drives, and recovery shots. My best hole was the 13th hole - 200 yard par 3.  Always a bitch.

My 4-wood was sweet, landing me in the center of the green - about 15 feet from the pin.  I missed the birdie, and walked away with a par.  Always satisfying on this hole. 

The 18th hole was typical of the day.

My drive was way right.  My 4 hybrid left me 60 yards out.  I miss hit my wedge and sat 10 yards from the green. 

After almost holing out my chip, I walked away with a bogey 5 - ending with a 44 back 9 - 

Scoring 89 for the round.  

Not bad for a so-so round. 

So, last week my practice session at the range consisted of ONLY my wedges - and (for the most part) it showed. My short game was good.

My driver should have been left at home!

This week, I'll be sure to take the driver to the range and work on that timing!  

We have a 8:28 tee time on Saturday. 

Hopefully, I'll not snap my driver over my knee!

So, stay tuned.

Until next week,

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 5 - Round 14

Eisenhower Park - Blue

Playing partners - Rich, Dave, Brad

Sometimes I have to be reminded that I'm 58 years old.  Sometimes, that reminder comes from my own body.  

I played my third round in four days today. And, to think I tried to get out on Friday!

I drove with Rich today.  Dave and Brad are Rich's sons in law, and we let the kids drive together.
As I've stated before, I prefer to walk. But, I was grateful that I decided to take the cart today.

Both Dave and Brad are novice golfers.  Both are athletic, but need a bit of instruction on both technique and etiquette.  Rich and I were more than happy to oblige, and they were more than happy to listen.

The weather was great.  Mid-80's and sunny. Not too humid.  

My mindset today was to continue where I left off yesterday - tempo, tempo, tempo.

We played the same course as yesterday.  Being that I neglected to review the course yesterday, I will here.  

The Blue course is the easiest of the 3 Eisenhower courses.  It's the least popular and also the worst maintained. (and thus, the easiest to get a tee time on)

More than a few of the greens still showed the effects of the bad winter.  Some were in HORRIBLE shape.  In a few cases we allowed a player to move his ball to an area outside a bad area (no closer to the hole, of course). 

The fairways were in good shape, but the bunkers were mostly horrible. 

Some were just dirt. 

Some had nice sand, but the grass was growing into the bunker.  

But, it's more than playable.  And, it has character.  Each hole is different, and makes you think about your shot.

Now to my game.  

I shot a respectable 87 today.

87 today vs an 84 yesterday.  If you asked me what was the difference, I'd say my short approach shots.  Today I was very inconsistent.  

Also - I got tired.  Around the 13th hole, I felt the effects of the heat and several days of golf.

And, I was unprepared. I normally carry a few power chews, and bars - as well as some extra water.  

Today I didn't have any of that.

On the front nine, I shot a non-spectacular 44.  My chipping saved me on more than one occasion.

The exhaustion started to hit me on the back 9.  

  

On the first par thee of the back 9, I hit a beautiful 9 iron which looked as if it was inches from the cup. 

As we pulled up, we saw it was a 4 footer. 

There's something about these shots where the juxtaposition fakes you out.  To the point where I missed the birdie putt - leaving it short.  ON A FOUR FOOT PUTT!!!  

Ugh!

After that, I started to feel the heat and exhaustion.  For the next two holes I was pushing myself.  I couldn't imagine what would have happened if I had walked! And, my back stiffened up a bit.
Not a lot, but just enough so that it said "DOPE - YOU'RE 58 - TAKE A REST".
(This is also why I prefer to walk - it tends to loosen my back muscles).

During these holes, I messed up some chips, putts, and even a drive.  But, I gathered my wits about me, and just kept saying "tempo" "tempo".

I was also trying to help Dave play better. Dave's swing is good, but he doesn't transfer his weight to his forward leg on his downswing and follow through.  So what would happen is he would slice the ball.  I had him put his feet closer together and it seemed to help.  

Another comparison to yesterday's round - today's round was 5 hours. A full hour longer than yesterday's round.  

Doubly ugh!

Which was probably why I felt so exhausted.

So, what will I work on in the 5 days until my next round?

1 - chipping.  I need to get more consistent on the short game around the green.
2 - woods.  I hit some nice 4 and 7 woods today, but I want to ensure that I am consistent with these clubs.
3 - supplies.  I'll be sure to pick up some power bars, and also get some more fluids to carry.

I'll hit the range one morning before work.  I find that if I don't hit a ball for 5-6 days, I won't maintain my level of play.

And, of course - I'll continue my workout regimen.

So, the Independence Day weekend comes to an end.  Three rounds of golf, and some major improvement.

So, until next week

Keep it in the Short Hairs

July 4 - Round 13

Eisenhower Park - Blue Course

Playing partners - Rich and Lloyd

Let me start off by restating the purpose of this blog.  Good score or bad - this is an attempt to pick apart the details of my game in order to improve.  So, if I shoot well, or poor, the basic precept is the same.  What can I do to improve?  

And, hopefully along the way, you can see the same flaws in your game - and aside from commiserating with me (and possibly giggling a bit too), you can improve your game.

With that, I'll state right now that today's game was a good round.   In more ways than score.

I shot an 83 - damn good by my standards.

The weather was great golfing weather.  There was an overcast, and the temps were in the low 70's.  A light breeze that kept you cool but didn't interfere with the ball flight. 

And, the course was relatively empty.

We did not see another golfer until the 9th hole - and didn't have to wait at all, until the 10th hole.

My guess is that all the "golf widows" put their foot down regarding playing on BBQ days.

The key today was TEMPO.  At the range, all I worked on was tempo.  For those that don't read GOLF magazine, or any of the thousand other journals regarding golf - the tempo of a golf swing is supposed to be like 3 clicks on a metronome. 

Click-Click - is the backswing

Click - swing

1, 2 - 3

That was my only swing thought today.

The few times I rushed, got lazy, or just forgot - I screwed up the shot.

The front 9 I shot a 40.  Damn good.  

Tempo was mostly good.  

My problem shots (again, with a score of 40 I'm nitpicking) can be counted easily.  

An approach on the 2nd hole was pushed way right.  No tempo, stiff wrists.  

Double bogey.

The next hole, a par 3 - same club, pushed right (bogey).

However, the next hole - a par 4, I had the same club (5 hybrid) to hit into an elevated green.  

Damned if I didn't birdie it.  I guess I had enough practice with that club!

Of course, the next hole is a par 5 dogleg left.  Figured I'd play it safe and hit a wood to the dogleg. 

Pushed my 4-wood way right.

At this point, the decision to recover by using that 4-wood was not a great idea.

The end result was another double bogey.

But, I finished with three pars for a nice score of 40.

At the 10th, I prepared my setup for my tee shot.

Everyone should have a singular setup routine for their shots.  It focuses your mind, and gets your body ready for the shot.

My driver routine is to face the fairway with the ball in front of me, envision the shot, and take a slow/deliberate practice swing.  Then move to the ball and make my shot.

My practice swing at 10 had a high follow through - meaning the ball would slice.  But, I was antsy to hit, as this was the first hole we waited on - so I didn't take a second practice swing to fix it.

End result - slice.

Double bogey, due to just being too lazy to take a good practice swing.

The next hole is a long bending par 5.  My drive was awesome - left me 230 from the green.  

There is a fairway bunker at around 100 yards out (130 from me).

Normally, I lay up to the bunker and hit a wedge in.

Today, my head thought was "use this drive to birdie the hole". 

DOPE!

I hit my 4 hybrid perfect, figuring it would carry that trap.

Wrong.  It caught the lip.   

Result- Double bogey.

The round after that was uneventful. Pars and bogeys- my regular game.

As we putted on 18, we felt the beginnings of a drizzle. Perfect timing.

So, I ended with a nice score and some thoughts - comparing today's play with the last two rounds.

A - TEMPO.  Keep my tempo and I'll score well.

B - Dont think you can make an exceptional shot when the risk outweighs the reward

C - Follow your routine - it is there for a reason so don't rush through it.

D - work on my woods. 

The great thing about holiday weekends is being able to play a lot of golf.  Two rounds so close together let me work though my shit.

I'm playing again tomorrow, and looking forward to a good round.

Until then - 

Keep it on the Short Hairs

July 2 - Round 12

Eisenhower Red

Playing partners - Dan, Rich, Pete

I returned to the scene of last weeks crime - Eisenhower Red.  If your call, I shot 100 and was miserable.  

I left my office at noon to play a 12:44 tee time.  Working across the street from Eisenhower has its perks.  

I had checked in for the round before work, so I met the guys at the range.  

I had about 25 balls, and started to loosen up.  I hit a few wedges and then started to shank my shots. So bad that Dan, who finished his warmup, said he couldn't watch me anymore - and left.  

Welł, the shanks pretty much stayed during the warmup - except for the driver. 

So, a bit nervous, I headed to the first tee.

We teed off just before 1pm.  It was a humid 85 degrees.  

My tee shot was a big looping hook, into the trees.  I decided to take a breakfast ball (despite the fact that it was lunchtime) and proceeded to hit a bigger and loopier hook even further.  

Oh Lordie - this was going to be a long round. 

Well, I chipped out and merely bogied the hole.  Normally I'd be upset, but after last week, I was fine with a 6. 

The second hole was, again, the par 4.  I hit a nice 4 hybrid off the tee, but pushed a choked down wedge/70 yarder and wound up with a 5.

So, I felt a bit better that I was playing bogey golf.  

Hole 3 - the par five dogleg right.  I hit a whopping drive right to the dogleg.  My hybrid faded to the tree line.  I looked for the ball quite a bit and finally found it under some trees about 60 yards out.  This time my choked down sand wedge was perfect, leaving me 4 feet above the hole. 

Of course I missed the birdie putt, and happily settled for a par.

The 4th hole still had a temp green.  This still screws with my head, and, took a double bogie.   

I'll save you the blow by blow of the round.  

But I do need to give some accolades to Dan.  During the front 9, Dan was awesome.   Not a long hitter, Dan was crushing his drives - and straight.  He shot a 42 front, and said "wait till the back 9".  It seemed a self fulfilling prophesy, as he shot a 50.  Still, a nice round.

I finished with a 94.  And that with another horrible 18th hole.  This time, my nemesis was the green side bunker.  It was basically a patch of solidified mud.  After the first shot, I should have just chipped out.

But, I turned into Roy McAvoy from Tin Cup.  Determined to get out with a "sand shot", I was out in 4.

Just shoot me.

So what did I learn?   

Not much.  I played bad for what I consider my "standard" game.  Still had problems with the driver, and pushed a few irons.  

The analysis of my game, for those that don't play with me is this:

I consider myself a bogey golfer.  If I bogey a hole, I'm ok with that.  

Here and there, I par a hole (maybe even a birdie), and so my scores get down into the 80's.  

I usually NEVER double bogey, and NEVER TRIPLE or worse.  So, these past 2 weeks have been a trip back to reality.  I still attribute it to not swinging a club for 4 weeks. 

Next extended vacation, I'm hitting some balls where ever I go!

My next round is Saturday - weather permitting.

Until then,

Keep it it the Short Hairs