October 12, 2013

A 1:30pm start at Charleston South this past Saturday was the right time.  A threesome was just ahead of me.  At first the plan was catch them and join, but I noticed they were playing whites.  This is at least mildly disruptive to them and me.  I took my time, and with absolutely no one behind me, I actually hung back and never caught them.  They had carts, and moved at more than a reasonable clip, so, since I was walking as usual, it was smooth.  I still played in just under four hours.

Charleston South 10-12-13  16th tee

The best part of the day was clearly the weather.  I did, in the middle of some flubs, wonder why I played.  I realized that I keep coming out here, shooting 100, and that I'm not feeling what I hope I'm going to be feeling when I leave for the links.  So why?

It was another horrible round, broken up by six bogeys, and four pars (bogeys are good in my world!).  I had a bit of luck with pulled drives in the heavy rough on the second hole and the 12th hole, and managed bogeys on what looked like lost drives.

The absolute highlights were the 4th hole, the 7th, and 9th on the front.  On the back, it was 11, 12, and that's about it, aside from some great individual shots.

4th hole, about 100 out

The fourth hole is a Par 4, 432 yards up hill.  I hit a good drive into a stiff wind, and it went only about 220 before the late slice dragged it down.  It stayed on the fairway by about a foot.  The second shot was an eight iron from over 200 out, laying up.  This faded right also and landed right at the spot above, although it's up a little further than the picture, closer to the white birch.  Here was one of the shots of the day, a smooth pitching wedge from the first cut rough.  I usually hit this 120 with a full swing, but the wind was blowing right in my face.  Hit a clean, high, far shot that landed right here:

4th green

I missed that putt, even though it was a good effort and had a chance, but 5 is good on this hole, the 2nd handicap, or 2nd most difficult according to the association.  The threesome ahead of me had a little trouble replacing the pin here but it didn't hurt my game.

My drive on the 5th, a Par 4 379 was ideal.  I hit a liner, 14 feet above the ground, still rising when it reached the fairway bunker, carrying over and landing center of the fairway, 130 out.  I had three or four drives this fine today, but this was a good one.

5th hole

Not easy to see above but the fairway bunker is just to the right of the cart path way out, and I cleared that and drifted to the center.  (click the pic and bunker is obvious).
Things turned ugly off that great drive though.  The second shot nine iron was way short, and in the bunker.  The bunker shot was a flub that made it out but only by about three feet, when I was five feet from the green, and the pin was another thirty away.  This left me looking at a fourth shot, par, from the fringe, and though a little chip with the 7-iron is a favorite of mine, I muffed it here, or crushed it actually, rolling it past the stick by inches, but right off the other side of the green.  Five back on, and a two putt for seven, off a perfect drive that was 130 out.  arrrggh!!!  There is something where, my back swing is smooth, the pace, the stance, every thing's right,  but right at the point of contact, when the club is about to hit the ball, my nerves go 'bajoink!" and something goes wrong, and the golf gods just won't let me have the fun; the clean shot that is so easy to achieve when you take it nice and easy...

This ugliness continued to the 6th hole, a Par 5 505 yarder.  Blah, 7.  The next, the easiest on the course, is a short Par 4 317 yards.  There is absolutely no chance of me driving this hole, so I hit a four iron off the tee and it lands fairway, 100-something out.  Here I am using a favorite, the pitching wedge, confidently now after the 4th hole, and even with a ton of wind, it is safe on the green, a good twenty-five feet away.  I make a halfway decent downhill putt that drifts about four feet past the hole.  I am very scared hitting this next putt for par because it will be miserable to miss, but I get over the fear, and nail the putt for par.  

The 9th hole at Charleston South is a Par 3 158 yarder that has massive fescue if you dribble it left, which I've done plenty of times.  But here, I step up with an eight iron, though I usually use a seven, since the tees are a bit further up than usual, maybe 148 out.  But when I stand on the tee and address the ball, I feel the wind, and grab the seven after all.

 9th tee, 158 yards (or less)

You can barely see the pin on the left side of the picture, as the hole is a deceiving up hill.  If you miss left of the green it is a gully.  But I really tag my 7, best shot ever at this hole, setting up the birdie putt below:

Birdie Putt!  9th green

You can kind of see how it falls off into the abyss to the left, but I stayed up, on the green by less than a foot.  But the birdie putt was maybe ten feet, and I was happy--until I missed it.  It was a nice pace and line, but it missed, and I tapped in for par.

I managed to par the 11th for the third consecutive time playing Charleston South, hitting a the wedge well and landing twenty feet above the pin.  This birdie putt was right on pace, but drifted left and gave me a three or four footer for par, which I made.  Sweet!

11th hole, 115 yards, looking back toward the tee box

The 12th had the previously mentioned lucky find of a drive that went far, but landed in the tall grass.  The hole is a partially blind drive, with woods far left, then fescue, then rough.  I carried left--I knew I wasn't in the woods, but I had a good long search and found it partially buried, but playable.  I managed to spank an 8 iron that left me 140 out, in the center, and then another eight iron onto the green.  I two putt for bogey.  After a nightmare 13th, I hit an awesome drive on the short 14th, that left me about 100 out, but the 'bajoinks' took over.  Second awesome drive on a par 4, sitting fairway with an easy wedge or nine, second 7.  Arrggh doesn't cover it.

I hit a three balls into the pond on the difficult 15th (1 handicap by them), before hitting a perfect drive on this Par 4 407 that dog-legs left (daring you to carry the pond).  The good news is, I think I know where to aim this now, and to clarify, I always knew where to aim, but was still trying to cheat left, because I've missed right and it leaves you well over 200 out.  This drive, which I thought was further right than I wanted to be, was not too far right.  It was 175 out, and I hit a fine 5 iron here, that was twenty yards too far to the right of the fairway, but playable.  I chipped up with a pitching wedge, a difficult way onto a raised green from where I was, and hit a fine touch shot here, that landed twelve feet past the stick, on the green.  This truly was one of the better shots of the day, considering the lie, and even though it was short.  Of course, this is how the golf gods work--I hit three in the water off the tee box on the most difficult hole, so the score is irrelevant, and then I put the ball twelve feet away on three natural shots--which tells you I could do it...someday.  Anyway, being twelve feet away for a pretend par, I knew I would make this twelve foot putt.  I was supremely confident and sure, and you what?  I nailed it, bam, right in the hole.  Four strokes!  But was it a par?  Noooooo.

The sky on the sixteenth, that you see in the first picture above, was on my side.  It was almost a soothing 18 holes.  I almost enjoyed it--I did enjoy it, even though the score was shot.  Walking 18 at Charleston South in October, with those grey skies and 70 degrees, I can look past the score, if but for a moment.  My best round ever at Charleston South is still easily achievable.

10th, 10/14/12, a year ago.  I managed to avoid those bunkers, but not the 6.

August 29, 2013

The question of why anyone would bother to play the game if he consistently shoots around 100 was answered, finally.  Actually it has been answered quite a few times across the years, but this summer has been terrible, scoring wise.  And the answer is simple:  One day, I may be scouted by a PGA professional and asked to join the tour.  What?  Ok, not serious.  The real answer is that every once in a while I pull nine holes out of the sky (it's been a while since it was a whole round) like the one I did yesterday.

For the first time I played a twilight round at Charleston North, starting at around 3:15pm.  I joined up with three young dudes, probably around 17, and they were playing from the whites.  I hate to be all uppity, but I play from the golds because I just can't play from the blues with my game.  I need to continue to play the golds because in the absence of regular golfing partners, I play against myself, specifically against previous rounds on the same course.  Not quite as fun as the good ole days with Tony, Joe, and Larry, or the occasional round with Leo and co, but it will have to do.  It's that, or don't play, or don't keep score, which I am vehemently opposed to.  Since I play so infrequently, I insist on playing 18 and keeping score.  That is the game of golf, 18 holes, number of strokes.  It's pretty simple, and I cringe when people are out there not playing by PGA rules (which I of course break from time to time).

Twilight round:  Charleston North.  This is the 16th hole.

So the young'uns tee off from the whites, and since I barely caught the three of them on the first tee, I tee'd off last.  I hit a brilliant drive, right down the center of the fairway.  Nothing like beating the nerves of the first drive among strangers, and this was sweet.  Once that hurdle is overcome, the rest of the hole becomes easier, as I know it is only two easy swings, (a five iron, then a wedge) for the Par 5 491 yard hole.  In fact, I putt for birdie several times, and this was the first.  Missed it, but made Par.

On the second hole, a Par 4 400 yarder, I hit a scary drive, a liner way to the left, that I feared was in the fescue.  But it wasn't, it was in the rough, and a good nine iron later, I was putting for birdie again (see below).

To the left of the spot on my cell phone camera, and slightly above, you can barely make out

my birdie putt.

I missed that birdy putt, but made the par, two in a row now, which is tremendous for me.  But I wasn't done. 

 Aesthetic purposed only (these trees are to the right of the 3rd tee box)

 On the third hole, a Par 4, 398 yarder, I hit a good drive toward the bunker on the right, but it stayed fairway.  My second shot was a four iron, as I was a good 185 away, but I hit a lousy shot that ended up just below the tree to the right of the green.

This photo is not 8/29, but sometime in March 2013.  That is the same tree though (it doesn't move).

From here I made a great chip shot, landing a few feet from the pin, and tapped in for par.  This was my third par of the day (the first three holes) which is basically phenomenal in my world.  I was thinking it would be a good round.  

It was a good round, but not great.  I was a great nine though.  I managed only one other par, the Par 3 8th, but stayed away from the 7's and 8's (I saved those for the back nine). 

This pond, between 3 and 4, was photographed as 'proof of life', or 'proof of golfing', at the request

of wifey, at the beach with the girls.

I didn't manage to putt for Par several times as well, not always successful.  Below is the Par 4 7th, 368 yards.  This is a short hole, but treacherous, with fairway bunkers galore, a roll-off hill to the left, and a jungle of fescue to the right.  I actually dribbled the tee shot (oh, the shame) but recovered with a four iron to this location:

Made a good chip here (note the 100 yard marker) but it was my 3rd shot.  Missed the par putt, made bogey.

 On the eight, I hit a nice nine iron (Par 3 135) and missed the 18 foot birdie putt, but tapped in for par.

Archive footage of the Par 3 8th, 135. 

The back nine began ok, with bogey, par, bogey, but then quickly deteriorated into the a collection of lucky 7's.  I hit a drive that I lost in the sun on 10, and the three boys all agreed it was woods, but I found it and recovered with a seven iron, though I missed the green.  I chipped on and two putt for bogey.

10th hole.  I came from the left.

My play on 11 was textbook, a drive down the center, a six iron, still center, and a wedge that was too long.  I putt for birdie from the fringe, but it was a good 30 feet.  I got it close, and made the par.

Again, archive, April 2013, but this is the 11th green.

The rest of the round one bogey, and the balance was forgettable.  After a promising 44 on the front, I shot a 51 on the back.  While 95 is better than I have come to expect, it could have been so much more.

I do love the quiet of an evening round.  Charleston North 14th tee.

March 27, 2013

Winter golf can be brutal.  Southerners and West Coasters have their share of 50 and even 40 degree days, but in March in the Northeast, this means a sunny day you think is warm, but stiff, blustery breezes blow from the Northwest, loaded with the last stretches of Arctic air.  You have to dress the part with lots of layers and winter golf gloves (which were out of stock at the local big box, leaving me with a thumb-view on the right hand, and a left palm on the other--holy, that is).  The 'Vanbro Champs' jacket is still shamelessly going 13 years later, as a wind blocking shell.

I squeezed in two horrible rounds during my first vacation days of 2013.  I played Wednesday 3/27, and Friday 3/29 (also known as the 'Pontias Pilate Open').  It was in the high 40's, mostly sunny, and as I noted earlier, a blustery 2 club wind.  On 3/27, I had the pleasure of playing by myself, 18 holes in almost 3 1/2 hours.  I managed only two pars, but putt for par several times. 

Things started mostly ugly, but began to turn on the Par 4 3rd, a 420 yard hole that has crippling fescue in season, but was still mostly bare now.  I hit it left, but safe, in the first 'cut' of rough.  I wish I could report that it was my play that turned, but it was the golf gods.

I was way left of the fairway playing four (that's a drive and two flubs), hitting from a place that would be buried in tall grass and ticks in a few months, when I hit a screaming nine iron from about 130 out.  It was screaming right, but luckily I had skillfully played it off that tall tree you see to the right of the green, otherwise it may have stopped somewhere near that rain shelter you can partially see all the way at the edge of the picture.  But I hit just the right spot on the tree.  The ball rebounded onto the green, about 25 or 30 feet from the pin.  Thank you, golf gods.  A two putt six was a victory at this point.
The next picture below was best hole of the day.  It is the Par 5 4th hole, 498 from the blues (I always play from the golds, but they were situated right next to the blues on this Wednesday.  There is a great pond to the left, so if you hit anything to the shortstop or left fielder, you are swimming.  I aim for the center of the fairway, but hit a medium low line drive just inside the shortstop.  I walk out hoping I am safe, and I am better than safe.  If I was a good golfer that knew how to put a ball where he wanted, I would have hit it where I did.  I was on the fairway among some damaging bunkers but not in them.  My second shot was a safe 8 iron (never a thought of trying to carry the second pond 212 yards to go for the green).  My third was a wedge that landed short of my target (the green) leaving me looking at the fourth shot you see here:

Love those power lines.  They have recently knocked down a lot of trees at Charleston Springs North course.  That didn't help the wind, or it did help the wind, but didn't help me.  Anyway, that fourth shot was a pitching wedge which I chipped on to the right of the pin, about ten feet away.  It was a fairly straight, slightly downhill putt for par, which I made, and I rejoiced.  Anyone happening to watch would have seen me do a little jig, pysched for my first par of the year.

I then proceeded to deposit no less than five balls in the pond that makes the Par 3 5th, 203 yards so much fun.  These shots didn't count, of course, because I just became possessed/obsessed with using my 3 wood, and hooked every single shot I took with it.  The club is usually kept in my bag as a hat rack for a reason.  It is pretty typical that I follow a par with a bunch of flubs.  Only lotto can change this, as having a day job pretty much cancels any hope of getting through this at 43 years young.

My next par was the easy Par 3 8th, even if the golds were in the blue tee box, 160 out.  I hit a fine 8 iron, and made the green, still a good 15 or 20 feet for birdie, which I missed, but made the Par.  There is a picture somewhere on this blog of the Charleston North 8th hole.  This hole lost more trees than any other I can tell, and whatever picture I have here surely has more trees than are there now.  It is a windy spot in March.

The rest of the round had only small successes, assuming you consider ball-hawking when there is no one around a sign of success, which I do.  I putt for par a few times, the most exciting coming on the Par 5 15th, a 569 yard marathon, which I started with an awful tee shot, but followed with two nice long irons that left me 40 yards out.  I chipped on and was putting for par, as you see here:

I missed that putt, but made the bogey six.

 Another 3 1/2 hours of precious experience under blue skies and chilly winds, this round was largely forgettable.  The highlights included the two pars (which lead me to believe I can one day make 18 of them) and the blessing from the golf gods (shots off trees that land on greens are signs you should keep playing, if you didn't know). 

And keep playing I did indeed.  On Friday the 29th, Good Friday (not good golf Friday, apparently) I played a round with Alex Klein, a man I met that day, who remarkably mentioned two auto body shops on Staten Island he did business with (there must be 100 of them).  One of the ones he mentioned is the only one I know well, Mola Collision, owned by Dominic, a good friend of my father's.  That is pretty remarkable, another sign of the small world we live in.  However, it was the only miracle on this Friday.

I putt for Par on the difficult 2nd, but missed.

 My only par was again the Par 5 4th hole.  This time I was more traditional, putting for birdie from ten feet.  The ball stopped right on the lip.  I remember a joule is some form of measure of energy, I don't remember what it is, but I needed more joules (half a turn of a golf ball worth) to make birdie, but when you are me, you take the par with a smile.

This is my final iron on 18.  Less than 100 out, you can barely see the pin, back left (click to embiggen).  I landed on the back fringe and three putt.

You may notice there is no mention of a final score on either day.  That's very perceptive of you!