I’ve been writing less on the blog as my life has gotten busier and my working from home has decreased. I used to be able to write up each round but the commute that’s been added back into my life has eaten up my free time.
Since my last writing on March 17th, I’ve played quite a bit: 5 lessons and 24 rounds. I’ve flirted with breaking 100 on a championship course 3 times and made 2 birdies at oceanside muni en route to another 95. I managed a 3 birdie round in April. I also scored a record 3 different courses: 69 +15 at the par 54 welk oaks course, an 81 +19 at the Welk Fountains course, and a 66 on the par 56 at emerald isle.
As I told a friend recently: I’ve added a lot of green to my spreadsheet.
That Emerald Isle round was pretty special. I played before work in about an hour and a half, walking. I shot +10, with 1 birdie, 7 pars, 9 bogies, and 1 double. I hit 13 greens in regulation – and had 40 putts. I was pretty jazzed (but clearly not jazzed enough to write it up).
Which brings me to yesterday. I had a lesson on Wednesday where I realized and repaired another crutch in my swing that produces bad results (I have a bad habit of straightening my right leg in my back swing, which makes it hard to get back to the ball during the swing). I also read Bob Rotella’s Golf is not a game of perfect and was anxious to implement it for my round at Emerald Isle on 12/29.
Auspiciously, I was going with my mom (who’d taken the lesson with me on Wednesday) and my daughters and also my dad (who would play golf except he has a bad back). Inauspiciously, we were going to Emerald Isle at 1pm on a Friday, which apparently is when the VERY SLOW incompetents play.
My three birdie round was another 1pm round before a commitment at 4pm on Saturday. I finished 13 holes behind someone who was late to their tee time – as in walking up from the parking lot at their tee time.
This happened again yesterday. There was a twosome in front of us on the first tee who teed off and then turned around to see their playing partners show up. They promptly duffed both tee shots with their rental clubs and I knew this was going to be a slow one.
We played from the furthest up tees to benefit my mom, who is still learning. But she hit a great tee shot on hole 1, just short of the green.
The first 7 holes were slow but … fine. My kids were a joy and showed my parents the ropes of the golf course. They both played the first two holes, which was really fun and unexpected.
I managed to par the first two holes, really just focusing on my target with my swing and focusing on “I’m going to make it” when I putted. Nearly chipped in for eagle on hole 2 and had a 50 foot putt to 2 feet on hole 1.
Hole 3 was when the waiting really began. I thinned a gap wedge short of the green on hole 3, but chipped up excellently to about 5 feet. Unfortunately, it was a 5 footer downhill, so I ended up three putting because I just missed the pace to sink the downhill putt. I shook it off, mentally: it was a tough putt, I committed to making it, and I just plain missed. Nearly made the bogey putt back uphill for an easy tap in.
Back on track with an easy par on hole 4 and an even easier par on hole 5: I had a 9 footer for birdie and I just plain missed it. I wasn’t focused and wasn’t thinking I’m going to make it – but I was thinking I’m going to make it on the 3 foot return putt. Good recovery.
Hole 6 I hit my 56 degree which I thought had enough juice to make the green – it did not. I tried a bob rotella chipping technique (aiming at the hole instead of a spot on the green) and realized that for my 12 years of playing golf, I have always chipped to a spot on the green. The end result was I nearly dunked the chip – but I didn’t dunk it.
I tried to recover but missed my putt. A bogey after my first real mistake – but again, I was trying something new.
Hole 7 was when my kids left with my dad and when we asked to play through. I should have insisted and didn’t. The more competent golfers of the incompetent golfers in front of us cheerfully offered for us to play through – but mentioned that they were playing up on the people in front of them.
Again, I should have insisted.
I topped my 4 hybrid off the tee but then dropped by 56 degree 10 feet left of the hole – you better believe I was thinking “I will make it.”
I flat-out missed the putt. Not sure what I was thinking but … to add insult to injury: i missed the comebacker.
Hole 8 I aimed small and missed close to the spot I was aiming at – but my updated swing path meant I was drawing it. That meant I hit the left side of the berm and the ball rolled away from the green instead of on it.
This time, I committed to a spot on the green and hit it perfectly. The ball rolled to 3 feet which I made for an up and down par. That was four over par on 8 holes, which I realize now and pointedly did not track after.
Hole 9 can be a doozie, with a really slippery green. I chunked my pitching wedge over the water and then had a beautiful pitch onto the green from the water hazard. It was an 8 foot uphill putt that I just missed the line for a par. I was pretty confident with the 2 footer downhill into the hole. I just tapped it
And the ball missed right of the hole and ran back down the hill to 8 feet.
Frustrated but trying my best to laugh, I lined it up again: this time I was going to make it.
I missed the same spot. This time, learning my lesson and aloud bemoaning my four putt. I putted a little left this time — and the ball missed left of the hole.
I did this two more times before I made it – for an 8 putt 10.
Oof.
That led to three more three putts on the next three holes. They were pretty long putts on all three holes – but my confidence was ruined. My lag putts were fine (well, except on 12 when i just barely got up the hill) but I had a 6, a 4, and a 5.
On hole 13, I hit a great shot but ended up short of the pin by quite a bit. Unfortunately, the way the ball bounced, I thought I had run toward the hole – and was going off the green.
I was on the green, 30 feet away. I had a good lag putt (again) and then lazily missed the 4 footer – which rolled down to the fringe. Putted up and long, missed again, and then finally did it again to make a 6 putt.
At this point, the wind was blowing in and my mom didn’t have a sweater. I was getting annoyed by the slow play in front of us and by my 14 putt on two holes.
On 14, my mom shanked it again, I thinned my ball into the right side of the green. I had a good chip, but missed the 5 footer I left myself. But a decent bogey.
At this point, we went past the three, snails pace foursomes in front of us to hole 18.
Hole 18 I hit my 56 to 15 feet and had a great lag putt to lead to an easy par. Thank goodness.
That’s a 29 (!) on the back 9 – but without playing 3 holes.
So that’s a 69 +22 with 44 putts on 8 GIRs 🙁
I’ll say that’s a putting nadir.
Honestly, I was playing really well up until I collapsed – duh. So I am both encouraged and discouraged. Encouraged that I hit so many greens and … discouraged that I had almost 3 putts per hole.
- Tee shot on 1
- Lag putt on 1
- Par!
- Tee shot on 2
- Chip on 2
- Lag putt on 2
- Par putt
- Chip shot on 3
- Par putt on 3 (confidence!)
- Tee shot on 4
- Lag putt on 4
- Par putt on 4
- Tee shot on 5
- Par finish on 5
- Tee shot on 6
- Lag putt on 6
- Approach shot on 7
- Chip shot on 8
- Up and down for par on 8
- Pitch from the hazard on 9
- Lag putt on 9
- Finishing putt on 9
- Second chip on 10
- Tee shot on 11
- Lag putt on 11
- Tee shot on 13
- Chip shot on 14
- Tee shot on 18
- Lag putt on 18
- Tap in for par
Earnest Words 
Leave a comment