Mid 60's, partly cloudy with an increasing wind; the round started with it at about 10 mph and finished at 15-20 mph.
Greens were very firm and very quick. Fairways firm and one got a very good roll when one hit the fairway.
Having played and walked 18 earlier I decided to ride and play up a tee. Good decision. This course is not long but there are all kinds of places to get into trouble. Many forced carries, especially on the par 3 holes.
I don't know what got into me this afternoon. I think the short distances allowed me to relax and swing easy off the tee. My irons were like laser beams most of the time when typically my ball striking is a weak point. Chipping was spot on. Probably the biggest difference was on the green. First, I didn't have a putt over 20 feet. Plus the greens were so quick I couldn't help but be aggressive. Anything I hit was going to get to the hole so I just tried to get the line and make a smooth (but gentle) stroke. The string of holes from #4 to #10 was pretty ridiculous. I even missed the easiest putt - a 4-footer for birdie on #7.
As I stood on the 18th tee, I didn't know that a par would get me 69. I had intentionally not added up my score and just wrote down whatever I had shot for the hole. The 18th tee shot goes through a tunnel of trees. One can't see the fairway except for a tiny sliver through the tunnel. I should have driven up to see what the hole looked like. At any rate, I was concerned about the tee shot and most likely failed to concentrate on the task at hand - hitting the ball squarely. I almost topped the tee shot, and it just carried the cross hazard about 100 yards off the tee. At that point I was in damage control mode. Hit a 3-wood to the fairway. Then laid up to 100 yards as the green is surrounded by trouble. Hit an approach wedge well but failed to account for the depth of the green so I was in a grass bunker short. Lousy chip/pitch and 2 putts later I was in with a double bogey "7".
I figured I was about 73 or 74. I was really surprised when it added up to even par 71. A moment of serene happiness and then into the "what if's" like all true golfers.
bkuehn1952 says:Thanks, I felt like the Reverend in Caddyshack when the putt went in on #10 for my 5th birdie (without the lightning, of course).
9/23/12
bkuehn1952 says: