Continued to work on smoother rhythm with driver and saw good results again. On 3rd, I should not have gone for the green in two, but had a good drive which left me 175 uphill to the pin. I knew it would play a lot longer, but after striking the ball well on 1 and 2, felt confident I could get it there. Hit it pretty well and was sure I made it over the crap, but it disappeared as it landed, evidently not quite reaching over. Dropped for 3, pitched up for 4, and 2-putted for double. Got in trouble off the tee on 4th with pull draw way left into the cabbage, but hit it solidly. Actually hit driver from the cabbage on my 2nd shot---as the ball was perched up---and put it in the right greenside bunker. Long bunker shot didn't reach green, but chipped to 1 foot for a tap in bogey.
Got in trouble again on 7th after a good drive that was a little left of the fairway bunkers sitting on the steep sidehill. Only had 100 yards to pin from there, but the lie was at chest height. Knew it would go way left and planned for it, but it went further left than anticipated, hit the steep hill left of the green and bounced hard left into the hazard. Another penalty, pitch and 2-putt for 2nd double.
Approach on 9th was awesome. After a fairly short drive, a decent 3W 2nd shot, I could not see the pin from the ball position due to the big tree directly in line with it. Was on the left in rough and had 151 to the pin, a touch uphill. Hit a perfect 7i draw, around the tree to a few inches from the hole, but with no spin out of the rough, it bounced 12' to back of green. Shot of the day. 2-putt par.
Worst shot of the day was on 12th after a pretty good drive that must have hit the cart path and bounced further than expected, leaving me on the steep downhill just before the valley of crap. Had only 168 to a back pin, but with a very difficult downhill lie, with a pin way back uphill. Pulled out a 6i. Probably needed more due to the downhill lie but wanted as much loft as possible. I knew I needed to put the ball way back in my stance, align my shoulders with the steep slope and swing down the hill. Even so, it came out very low and did not reach the green. No surprise. Hung on for a bogey.
Onpar 5 13th, had a 50* wedge approach to 7 feet, but missed the birdie putt. Then on the 14th had the same distance approach, pulled out the 50* again, hit the same shot, felt like I hit it good and came up 20 yards short. Not sure what happened there. Chipitch and 2-putt for bogey.
On 17th, playing 187, hit 5 iron to play it safe. Just short of green, chip to 2 feet and saved par. Good driver/3W/9i on uphill 18th for GIR par.
Left a few out there. Only 1 3-putt, on 16th.
