First day back on the course after emergency room visit Tuesday night for bacterial infection. Been struggling all week with medication side effects. Felt I was feeling better enough to play this morning, but things started to go south after first round on meds. Forced myself to go to club and hit some balls. After seeing most of the pain from the infection had subsided, decided to try playing some holes. Was quite uncomfortable for the first 5 or 6 holes, but was hitting the ball very convincingly. Played the blue tees, and again, it made no difference. Actually today, I played the first few holes with two balls, parring 10, 11, and 12 with both balls. (Started on back.)Only counted the first ball for stats, though marked it as a practice round since I played alone.
My biggest problem today other than feeling affected negatively by the meds and some sharp twinges where the infection was located, was that I was overdrawing many drives and was long on too many occasions with my iron approaches. Had three different 6 iron shots that all travels further than 175 yards. That USED TO BE my 160 yard iron. Even hitting my wedges longer.
Today:
1. Driver 245 yrds (gps measured), then 9 iron 20 yards long to back of green with a front pin. Had 128 to pin, hit approach about 145.
2nd: Over-cooked big draw drive put me in left bunker, 100 out. Caught far lip, which saved me from going into hazard. Very good distance off tee though.
3rd: Good drive, but one of only two which went straight without drawing. Since I played it to draw and it didn't, it ended up rightside of fairway too far to go for green in two.
5th: Other drive that didn't draw. Ended up in right rough among a scattering of trees. Was able to get ball moved well enough from there to allow me to reach in reg on third shot with 50*W.
On 6th, playing about 165 to pin. Hit 6i about 180 to back fringe. Another iron longer than expected.
9th: Nice drive drew much less than anticipated and got caught in right fairway bunker, near front lip. Had to use a lofted iron to get out and was only able to move ball 140 down the fwy. Approach from there was 175 to pin. Normally would have tried a 5i, but the way I have been hitting irons lately I felt a good 6i would get me to front leaving me an uphill putt. I hit it sweet, OVER the green on one bounce, about 185 yards. A freakin' 6i!
Par 5 13th: Hit good drive up the hill about 220. Caught left fwy bunker, but was lucky enough to bounce out and into fairway. Would have been a much longer drive otherwise. Then hit awesome 3W which measured about 220. Had about a 60 yard gap wedge to the pin. Got a bit too much and sent it one bounce and over into bunker.
14: 240 yard draw into left fairway bunker on fly.
15: 175 yards to pin. 6 iron long again, to about 185.
16: Par 4 playing about 420 from blues today. Long draw drive left me 150 out. 7 iron long and off back.
17: Par 3 playing about 185. Went with 6i again. Hit it pin high on the fly into the left bunker.
The overwhelming problem I had today was being too long with my irons. I have to start trusting these new distances. They seem to be sticking.
All irons and wedges seem to be 10-15 yards longer than last month, before implementing the new swing moves. The new driver is really showing good results on distance.
I actually felt comfortable playing the longer tees today, even though I'm not feeling even close to 100% physically yet.
