Trying for 49... Again

The weather around here has been unbelievably rainy. It rained for most of last week and half of this week. Yesterday was it was finally sunny, but I figured the courses around here could use the day to dry out. It's supposed to start raining again this afternoon and once it does it may not stop until July (That's not a joke, either. The 10-day forecast calls for rain everyday). Plus, Verizon was being screwy and my cable was on the fritz so I couldn't watch the US Open. I figured if I couldn't watch golf than I had better play some golf while I can. After debating Willowdale or Lost Brook, I went with Willowdale, cause the fact that I still haven't scored below a 50 there continues to bother the hell out of me.

As I was heading down the road the course is on, there didn't appear to be anyone else playing, which I was happy about. I was in a race against the rain and I just wanted to play a quick nine. With no one in my way I could get that done faster... or so I thought. As I was pulling in a threesome was on the first tee. I went in, paid, got my clubs and the assorted other things I needed all set (extra ball, marker, tees, scorecard - I hate having to pause to get this stuff later), only to find the threesome still on the tee. This wasn't a good sign. They took forever to get going because they needed to figure out what to do with their jackets... and their coffee... and who goes first. I almost started with #7, but instead just waited it out.

#1 After a long pause to give the group ahead of me time to get off the hole completely, my initial drive was high... and short. Also, to the right and off the fairway. I'm going to blame the long wait for that one. I pulled out my rescue club and fired towards the hole, watching helplessly as my shot faded to the left and under a tree. I figured I was clear of any low-hanging branches, but on my next shot I heard the familiar sound that a golf ball makes when it hits leaves. I lost the ball on contact, but figured it couldn't have gone too far if it hit a branch. Turns out I had way too much club as, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my ball land over the green. Any visions of a bogey that I had in my head quickly vanished as my pitch shot went over and across the green to the other side. Another chip got me on the dance floor, when I noticed my other problem: sand on the putting surface. This is what happens when you play golf on weekday mornings. It's a low-traffic time, so while you get the course almost to yourself, you also have to deal with the grounds crew doing maintenance to the course. The sand slowed my putt to a crawl and I two-putted for a 7. My quest was not off to a great start.

#5 After carding sixes on holes 2, 3 and 4 I came to a hole I repeatedly have trouble with. I was not helped by the fact that the tee boxes had been moved back so the hole was playing even longer. Before you had 30 yards of fairway and 50 yards of pond to contend with. Now it was playing more like 50 yards to the pond. That's a lot of distance to carry for someone who doesn't get the ball in the air, like myself. I hit a laser off the tee and it looked as if it wouldn't have enough distance, as my ball came down at the back of the pond, but it hit a rock. It then took a hard left turn, went into some trees, off a branch and squirted back about 5 more yards. Playing from just off the #6 fairway I couldn't fire my way through the forest and ended up landing just at the edge of the fairway, next to some bushes. This prevented me from really being able to follow through on my next swing, so I landed right in the middle of the fairway, but not much closer to the hole. I topped my first chip attempt, but my second was perfect, landing 5 feet in front of the flag and rolling to within 8 inches. I tapped in for another 6, but at least this one felt like a victory.

After yet another 6 on hole #6, I needed to finished the last three holes in 12 to hit my goal of 49. I was able to get a 4 on the short, 88 yard #7 but the longer finishing holes would be a little tougher.

#8 I finally... FINALLY hit a good drive off the tee. Really, my best of the day and it still wasn't all that good. It hooked at the end to leave me 10 yards off to right of the green. My pitch would have been perfect if it had been straight. I would have landed it just where I wanted it, but instead I was about 8 feet left of the hole and in the first cut. With a 4 a real possibility I didn't risk chipping it and instead putted through 4 feet of the first cut and to within 18 inches of the cup. I tapped in to take my four, which was all I wanted. Sitting on a 45 I need one more four to complete my goal which hadn't seemed possible just a couple holes ago.

#9 I got too under my tee shot and it only went about 80 yards to the right. But, I had a clean look at the green from 100 yards. Here's where not spending enough time at the range hurt. I went with an 8 iron when I should have gone with a 9. My ball landed on the back of the green, but didn't stick, bounced off and into the rough. This would be a tough up and down. I chipped onto the fringe, but had 2 feet just to get onto the green, where I had another 20 feet to the hole. I would have to be damn lucky to get my 49 now. I tried putting through it but the longer cut and wet greens slowed me down to the point I was 5 feet short. I was just happy I sank the ensuing putt and able to card a 5.

Final Score: 50
Self Analysis: Again, I missed my goal by one stroke, but since that wasn't really in doubt after my third shot on #9, I can't be too upset about it. I'm getting to the point where I'm cutting down on my miss hits and hiccup shots. Also, my putting was solid today, as I never had to more than two-putt. My approach shots were the issue today, as I can't seem to get consistent enough contact to figure out which club to use at certain distances. The club selection process is pretty much a guess for me right now.

Driving Range Shenanigans

The whole point of the driving range is that it's a place where you can work on things. It's the time when a new golfer can work on their swing and use some serious swings experimenting with grip and mechanics until they feel like their swing is working just right. And, once that swing feels right, they can keep at it until the swing becomes natural enough that they will repeat it all the time. After all, inconsistency is the mark of someone new to the sport. At least, that's what can happen if you don't go to the range with me and my friends, when the only thing you're going to learn are new ways to make fun of each other.

Yesterday I got a call from Josh and we met up with each other at McGolf in Dedham to hit a couple of buckets of balls. I actually made some solid contact with my driver and don't hate it today nearly as much as I did Friday. Also, I was hitting my hybrid well, which almost never happens. Of course my 3 wood, which is usually old reliable, was the club I couldn't get consistent contact with. It's always something. I'm still finding that my biggest problem is that I hit every club the exact same length. I could pull driver, I could pull 9 iron - it's going the same damn distance. Honestly, next time I play I think I'm going to bring my 7 iron, a pitching wedge and a putter and that'll be it. My results will be the same and at least my back will thank me for not having to carry so many clubs. Also, I'm still getting under the ball too much in some instances, as I hit what would be perfect pitching shots... with my driver.

But, as is often the case, the real fun of the driving range was people watching. As you can imagine, on a picture-perfect Saturday in Massachusetts, the range was packed. Strangely enough, the only place we could find bays next to each other was under the covered bays. The guy next to Josh was a serious hitter. As we were off to one side, we were practically aiming at the mini-golf course. This guy was launching shots into the netting, which had to be 200+ yards away. And not bouncing into the netting - hitting high into the nets. We all get it, chief - you're a big hitter. Maybe you should switch to an iron before you kill someone. There were also the requisite number of men who had dragged their girlfriends along; most of whom looked liked they would rather get waxed below the belt than hit a bucket of golf balls. Lots of kids, too, which speaks well to the growth of golf in the future, as long as those parents don't try and force the game on their kids. But man or woman, young or old, we all had one thing that brought us together - we all tried really hard to hit the truck that was going along collecting the balls. Nothing turns people into idiots faster than the opportunity to hit a car with a golf ball and there be no repercussions.

The real interesting character was the guy who started hitting the bay that Josh was using when Josh went to buy a second bucket. I told him the bay was taken, but he pretended not to hear me. I wasn't sure of etiquette in this situation, but I hate it when people pretend they can't hear me when I know they can. And since I already had a weapon in my hand, many options flashed in my brain. Instead I opted to let Josh take my bay and I waited until the guy on the other side of me finished his last 15 shots. I'm a peacemaker that way.