Course: Battlefield Golf Course
Date: September 22, 2021
Time: 8:00 AM
Conditions: 70* & foggy, rain intermittent throughout the round.
WITB:
Ping G425 LST 9* (turned to 8*) with Diamana D+ 60X
Ping G400 Stretch 3W 13* (turned to 12.5*) with Diamana D+ 70X
Taylormade SIM Max 5W 18* with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5
Wilson Staff Utility 2i* with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 100 6.5 **NEW**
Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal 5-PW with KBS CTaper 130X + 3/4*; 2* Upright
Mizuno MP T20 50, 54, 58 Wedges with DG Tour Issue S400
Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7 36”
Headed out for the weekly Wednesday morning blitz and woke up to overcast, humid conditions. Was hoping the rain would hold off, and it did until the last couple holes (more on this later…stay tuned). There were 29 guys in the group so it was a long round that kind of killed any mojo or momentum we might have had, but so be it. I HATE SLOW GOLF, but slow golf is probably still better than no golf.
We were the 2nd team going off 18 so I’ll start with 18 and then work my way through 1 - 17. Hot start….here we go!
Hole #18
We were playing the white tees today in the blitz (no added benefits to playing the blues…still tryin to think through this. I play the blues 9/10 tikes but if its a competition and everyone is playing white, I feel like I should play whites….thoughts?) and they were topdressing their recently aerated greens. The wind was gusting from 10-35 MPH all day, sometimes with us sometimes against, and occasionally just across us. On this one, we had a little breeze behind and I pummeled this drive up the left side. It didn’t move an inch in either direction and disappeared behind the hills on the line I picked. I thought I’d be inside of 75 yards and have a little wedge in….got to the ball and it was pin-high in the greenside bunker. I’d flown it all the way up there and it hopped in. BIG DRIVE. 335 GPS said. Good start….I splashed my bunker shot out perfectly to 4 feet and tapped in for an opening birdie. Let’s go!
Score: -1 (-1)
Hole #1
This was ROUGH. We came off 18 and headed back to 1 and there were 3 groups still waiting to tee off. We waited forever, and from the time I tapped in on 18 and hit a drive on #1, 20 minutes had passed. Never good. The wind was dead into us, and I hit it out on the toe with a bit of an open face and landed on the hills off to the right. The ball was sitting up and I had a flyer lie. I hit a really good 5i but it took off really hot out of the rough and flew the corner of the green and into the crap on the left. It didn’t sneak it. I hit a tree about 20 feet up when it went in, so it was maybe a misclub, but I think the swirling wind played a role, and the rough definitely did. I took my drop, threw a wedge up onto the green, and 2-putted for bogey.
I made a good swing on that 2nd shot, but the strategy was no good. I didn’t think with the wind I had enough to get there and instead it just came out flaming hot and actually got a little help.
Score: +1 (E)
Hole #2
OK this is the hole where I need a ruling….do you play the “gallery rule?” or the Fall leaf rule? I hit this ball a ton off the tee up the left and both my playing partners immediately said ‘Great ball!’ I hit it just off the corner of the fairway bunker and it wasn’t moving in either direction, but when we got up there we couldn’t find it anywhere. We found another guy’s ball from my group whose line I took almost identically. If I’d been playing by myself or with good friends, I’d have instituted the “gallery rule.” The Gallery Rule says if there had been a gallery such as those at a PGA tour event someone would have spotted the ball and pointed it out. It was in that area, but we couldn’t find it. Because I don’t know these guys yet, I just didn’t push the issue and I took my drop. Just sucks because it was a killer drive. I hit a decent wedge, but it spun back off the green a little bit. Chipped it on and 2 putts for double. Bleh.
Score: +2 (+2)
Hole #3
Another annihilated drive here that left me inside of 50 yards. It was on the line I picked and it didn’t leave its line, so I was thrilled with the result. Unfortunately inside of 50 yards today didn’t mean much for me. Both my playing partner and I hit what we thought were great chips, but with the sand on the green, everything seemed to be running out forever. Usually it slows things down but this save was weird. Very course and a little chunky maybe from the rain overnight. Both chips ran through the back and we had to hit back from behind the green. I hit a GREAT chip with my 58* to a foot and tapped in for par. Should have been a birdie. First of many wasted birdie opportunities today.
Score: E (+2)
Hole #4
The wind was REALLY messing with me today. It was gusting up to 35mph and this was dead into us. I hit 9i about 155 usually, and this flag was 146 yds away, so I thought it could be perfect with the wind. Unfortunately, the wind didn’t actually hold up the ball, so I hit another long one on this hole. So I had a long pitch to a downsloping green with water under the green. I chipped it to the top of the slope on the fringe but it hung up. I popped it down to the hole and rolled in a 15 footer for bogey. Excited to get a Stableford point, but ticked because I hit a great iron shot off the tee, and the wind just didn’t do what I thought it might do.
Score: +1 (+3)
Hole #5
This drive may have only gone 285, but it was into a 25mph headwind and it never left its line. It was killed and on a great line. I had 71 to the flag and thought I hit the wedge perfectly, but it flew a little long (why isn’t the wind impacting these shots??) and rolled out to about 50 feet. I did not hit a great first putt. It hit the hole on the way by but was too hot and I had 8 feet coming back. The par putt lipped out and I tapped in for bogey. First of a few bogeys today from the absolute middle of the fairway. Nonsense!
Score: +1 (+4)
Hole #6
Least favorite hole on the course, but I hit a solid iron shot here. The wind was blowing and held this ball up a bit, landing just on the fringe. I hit a good PW bump and run to 6 feet and snuck the putt in the left side of the cup to make a par. Par there feels like birdie.
Score: E (+4)
Hole #7
If you want to see a perfect example of why I’m a 9.5 and not a 5.9, this is Exhibit A. I hit an absolute scud missile off the tee with my 5w. Wind helped it a bit because I launched it up in the air and it carried forever. I had less than 100 in with a wedge in hand, but I hated the shot. The green is a peninsula green and there’s nothing behind the green but blank space and water. I looked up too soon and chunked my wedge about 40 yards forward. As I got up to my next one, I didn’t take my time and hit my next one too quickly, trying to bump it into the hill and let it run out, but it died on the fringe, then I putted on and took 2 putts to get down.
I was in position A+++ from the fairway. I could not have hit a better tee shot, and I could not have botched the hole much worse from that point.
Score: +2 (+6)
Hole #8
I hit this ball really hard, but was aimed up the right and the wind was blowing across us about 25 MPH and it pushed it even more right than I intended. Nothin like being TWO fairways over….sheesh! But I had a good angle in despite the fact I couldn’t see where my shot landed. I hit a great 9i that hit the edge of the green and kicked down left of the green. I hit a great PW bump and run to 4 feet and tapped in for par. Not bad from hitting my approach from right of the 17th fairway.
Score: E (+6)
Hole #9
This ball was MELTED off the tee. It was into the wind a bit, but had it not been, it might have been my biggest drive of the day. It flew up the right side exactly where I wanted to go, and it landed pin-high about 35 yards right of the green. I hit a good pitch, leaving myself just 9 feet for birdie, but the putt missed on the lip and I tapped in for par. Another missed birdie opportunity after a great drive. From 9 feet, I have to get that birdie putt to drop because I know there will be a couple doubles per round and I need to offset them.
Score: E (+6)
Hole #10
This was a BIZARRE hole. We had to wait a little while again on this tee box, and again the wind was DEAD into us and across us at like 35 mph. I hit a high spinny one up the cart path on the right and it legitimately looked like it hit a wall of air about 240 yards out and it took a 90 degree turn right on the wind. Ridiculous. It wasn’t hit great, but it wasn’t hit that poorly. Well it carried it about 45 yards further right than it looked like it might, and I ended up in the fairway bunker on the FIRST HOLE haha! Oh man….I didn’t have a great lie or angle in, so I did my best to get a 9i out and it came out low and died on the hill. I hit what I thought was a perfect gap wedge from 122, but it also hit a wall of wind and dropped out of the sky traveling only 70 yards. The 58* I hit was from a downhill lie and I had to carry a bunker, so it was hot and rolled through the back. I putted down to 12 feet and rolled that in for a lovely double bogey….I deserved it because of the tee shot, but the wind played a MAJOR FACTOR.
Score: +2 (+8)
Hole #11
Wind was hard into us again….sensing a theme? It was a 2-3 club wind, so I took a 6i from 165 yards out and tried to hit a knockdown. It worked ok, but wasn’t hit flush and I ended up just short of the green. I was just happy to be on dry land with the wind blowing like it was, and I pitched it to 9 feet, and buried the par putt. Solid short game play here.
Score: E (+8)
Hole #12
Another perfect drive here. Right down the middle, into a slight wind, but a perfect shot shape to the perfect landing area. I had a short wedge in and actually hit a pretty good wedge to 12 feet. The problem is I was above the hole and on this green you absolutely want to be below the hole. My first putt hit the lip but ran by 6 feet, and I missed the comebacker for a nice little 3-putt bogey from 50 yards out in the middle of the fairway. Unacceptable.
Score: +1 (+9)
Hole #13
I hit a good PW here, but with another 25 mph wind straight across, I hoped it would cut some and it just did not. It stayed just left of the green and I hit a wedge that spun too much and checked up 14 feet from the cup. Was really hoping to get this much closer. First putt wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great and I tapped in for a bogey. The wind was REALLY making a big difference during the round and we couldn’t figure it out.
Score: +1 (+10)
Hole #14
Another great drive here right on my intended line into the wind. It plays uphill and this cut through the wind, so 281 is kind of misleading. It was just crushed and straight as an arrow. I hit a 5i into the wind that ended up about hole high in the little swale down to the right of the green, and popped a wedge onto the green to about 15 feet. The first putt was right at the cup, but bumped on the edge and kept going. I hit a 5 footer back uphill for par. Good hole, but would have loved birdie.
Score: E (+10)
Hole #15
OK this one REALLY got me fired up. Wind was swirling from helping to hurting to helping again. I drove the green here with 3w last week, so I teed it up here and let it fly. As soon as I hit it, everyone in the group goes “GREAT BALL!” because it was dead at the green on a great line and absolutely smoked…..but I hit it so good, and the wind must have been helping because it completely flew the green and into the hazard behind the green. I couldn’t have hit a better shot, and I hate the thought of laying up on this driveable par 4, so I guess I just have to live with the outcome. Watch said 283 to the middle and I just didn’t think I could get a 5w to the green, and 3w was the perfect club last time. Frustrating. Popped a wedge up short of the flag and took 2 putts to get down from 45. Blah.
Score: +1 (+11)
Hole #16
As soon as we stepped on this tee box, the storm rolled in and it started to rain. Lightly at first, and then picking up intensity. I know long is dead here, and the wind was behind us, so I hit PW to a flag that was 155 yards away. I flew it just behind the flag, but instead of hitting and stopping, it kicked forward and released onto the back fringe of the green. I think the sand probably had something to do with it, but PW going 180 yards isn’t how I drew it up. I hit a putt from the fringe that didn’t get there and took 2 putts to get home from 18 feet for a bogey.
Score: +1 (+12)
Hole #17
I hate to even include this hole, honestly At this point it was pouring and I HATE playing in the rain. I had on a rain jacket and a rain glove, but both were soaked and any time the grip feels wet to me, I just am absolutely worthless. I topped this drive into the long grass directly in front of me. This is a birdie hole and it was now a complete disaster. I took my drop and grabbed a 5w but the grip again was wet and I hit a weak topped shot about 100 yards forward just short of the fairway bunker….from bad to worse!
Believe it or not, the rain stopped at this point and by the time I hit my next shot, I was back with a normal glove and no rain gear, and hit a 5w up the left side, finishing just left of the green. Not great, but I was back in play at least. I pitched the shot to about 10 feet and rolled it in for bogey. That tee shot still ticks me off as I sit here writing this. Just stupid. Rain ALWAYS gets in my head. I just feel like I have no control over the club, even with rain gloves. Gotta figure it out. That should have been a birdie hole today.
Score: +1 (+13)
Total Score: 83 (+13)
Another fun round. Another Blitz where I hit my Stableford point total on the number. It had great potential today to be a low one.
THREE KEYS ANALYSIS
PENALTIES: Honestly, this feels a little misleading. I wasn’t hitting it all over the planet today. The wind played a big role, there was a phantom lost ball, and the 3w over the back on 15 isn’t something I can be mad about. That said, all of them cost me a couple strokes on the card. Still gotta grind these outta my rounds because they’re keeping me from going low.
2-CHIPS: This category is tough. There was really only 1 two-chip where I flubbed a chip. The other ones I just literally had no way to keep it on the green from where I was. The downhill lie over a bunker on 10 was no chance. It was either hit it hard or leave it in the sand, I picked hit it hard. I need to fix these though. The greens were just rolling really strangely today with the sand. Nothing seemed to check up or slow down like it usually does.
3-PUTTS: No excuses here. Just gotta be better with the first putt. I hit a couple bad lag putts today and it cost me. The greens seemed faster than I expected on some and I ran a couple of putts past the cup, and on a few of the more sloped greens, I HAVE TO be below the hole. Putting downhill on some of these is just torture.
Current Handicap: 9.5
83s won’t get me to an 8, I know that but did a lot of good things today. Just gotta keep grinding!!