Back on the Course

After a strenuous few weeks I was finally able to get back on the golf course relaxed and ready to enjoy golf again. It couldn't have come at a better time.

The last few weeks I've had so much going on. Last weekend was my bachelor party in Montreal. I did get one round in but I was so hungover from the night before it was pretty much a waste of time. I shot an 80 on an easy track my friend is a member at. This weekend I was moving to a new house on friday and saturday, but was lucky enough to have a lot of good people helping me move friday and saturday so I was able to get out sunday to the course. Beauty of my move is I am now less then a 5 minute walk to the golf club. It was awesome getting up making a coffee and walking 2 blocks to the course.

On to the golf.

As i've mentioned in past years our club has a match play tournament that lasts for the whole summer, the Langly Cup. This years got off to a late start but I played my first match yesterday. This wasn't the best time to play but was my only available date before the first round had to be played by. I will be in Greece for my honeymoon when that day comes and to busy otherwise to play any time. So we played yesterday, 5 days after the greens have been punched. Awful putting surface, but still semi playable. Oh well, it's still fair we both had to deal with it.

So I was lucky enough to draw one of the hottest players in our groups this year and a rookie sensation on the mens tour Brad B. He's a great golfer, very solid, controlled, and seems to always play well. I knew I was in for a tough one, and it turned out to be just that.

The front nine I was on fire. I was hitting everything I wanted to and just felt amazing. I would go down 1 on the 3rd hole after making a very poor 3 putt for bogey. Halved the 4th hole and then I turned it on. From 175 out on the 5th i hit a perfect 7 iron down wind to about 4 feet drained the putt for birde and I'm even. On 6 I made a routine par to brads bogey, 2 up. He got in a little trouble after going in the trap near the green. 7 we halved with pretty easy pars. 8 i was getting the one stroke I had for the round. I would end up making a routine par for birdie, brad just missed his birdie putt, I'm 3 up. On the 9th we both made bogey, I missed about a 7 footer for par which I should have made.

On to the back.

10th we both make par. On 11 I hit a nice hybrid down the middle, on in 2 and 10 feet away. I would 3 putt to Brads par and give one back. On 12 I over hit the green to the left, poor chip, and miss the putt for par, give another one back. I'm 1 up. 13 I go into full tilt after blasting my tee shot into the large trees on the left, of course. Got myself to the front of the green with a bout 18 feet for par, but couldn't make it and I'm back to even. I re-focus with the help of cal telling me to calm down. 14 Brad over hits and goes in a bunker to the left. I hit a great 7 iron to about 15 feet. Brad gets up and in for a par. I hit a great putt but left it 1 inch short and half the hole. On 15 brad would go in the water on his second shot and then got in some trouble right of the green, I made an easy par and I'm back to 1 up. 16 we both hit mediocre drives. I attempt an easy layup but push the ball left and lose it in the long stuff and just give Brad the hole. Back to even.

This is where it got good. Brad's up first on the 220 yrd par 3 17th. He comes up short of the green with the pin in the middle. I step up and make a super clutch shot to about 8 feet for birdie. Brad chipped up and left himself with about 7 feet for par. I'm up, I put a decent stroke on the ball but come up an inch short (see "Inches" post to realize my frustration with this) and take my par. Brad would go on to just barely miss his par putt, I'm up 1.

18 was going to be a good one. I'm awful off the tee on 18 with my fade usually ending up on the highway out of bounds. I swing very safely and hit this awful looking hook that barely misses the trees on te left and stops about 160 in the middle of the fairway. Brad easily goes down the middle ad is the same distance. He's up first. I'm sure he's thinking I got to make birdie. He takes the very aggressive line to the back left pin over the bunkers and hits it perfectly to about 15 feet giving himself a chance. I know I got to make par and make him make his putt. I take a little extra club and get it on the front of the green with about 25 feet, all I need to do is 2 putt. I'm up first. Thinking in my head just get it up near the hole lag it up no problem. I take my putt, and it's awful. I leave myself about 12 feet for par. I'm sure at this point Cal and Andy are thinking in their head what a pussy. So i'm left to watch Brad take his birdie putt. Fortunatly he missed it but he's in for par and I got a big putt. I line up my putt and think to myself just get this to the hole. If you miss it short I'm quiting the game. I line up the putt, take a practice swing and step up to attempt the putt. I put it right online to go in but as it makes it way to the hole I realize I didn't give it enough. Oh shit it's not getting there. The ball gets up to the hole basically stops on the edge and then somehow I got one extra half rotation and the ball drops in the hole for a par.

WOW. what a match it was. I probably didn't do it justice in the post but it was a great one. We'd both shoot 78 on a tough wet course and I was happy to take down a great golfer. I felt great playing this match. No nerves, even on the last putt, and just kept plugging a way even when I gave up those 3 strokes. Very happy with my play. Looking forward to next round.

So thats it for now. I'll be playing 2 rounds next weekend. Then marriage, and a 3 week holiday, and back just in time to get ready for club championships. Lets hope 3 weeks relaxing on a beech doesn't kill my game.

Inches

This past weekend of golf didn't turn out how it should have.

Saturday was a good day on the course. I was able to make it around the track for my best score of the year so far, 75. Nothing interesting to talk about in regards to this round, it was a very boring 75. Made a good bogey on number 10 (started on the back) after hitting my tee shot out of bounds. From there I made 1 par after another and 1 birdie on the par 3 14th to shoot 37 on the front. The back was no different. I made a lot of pars and 2 bogeys. Swing was feeling great and I was ready for the next leg of the Niagara Mens tour on sunday.

I have to admit, I was a little to anxious to play this round. My home course, coming off my best finish in the previous event, and I played great the day before. Had all the confidence in the world. To bad it wasn't meant to be. I'd start off by hitting a perfect tee shot down the middle on 1 to about 120 yards. For some reason I hit the completely wrong club and fonud myself in the green side bunker. After a poor sand shot and a decent chip I left myself with 3 feet for bogey. I'd end up 3 putting from hear for a 7 and some shaky knees. Luckily, I had about 20 mins to wait on the second tee to forget about it, and I did. I'd end up making a par on the second and a bogey on the third. I settled from hear on out. On the 4th I hit a gorgous 6 iron to 5 feet (I'd end up winning closest to the hole) but missed the easy birdie putt. No worries, I'm just trying to make pars right now. I'd go on to par 5, 6, 7, bogey 8, and made a nice par on 9. However, I was still really frustrated. All day I was leaving birdie putts and par putts about an inch from the hole. In total I left 9 putts or chips 1 to 2 inchs away from the cup for birdie or par. I expressed my frustration of this many times.

So the back nine. I'd start off the 10th sure I'm going to make bogey, but got a little loose around the green and made a bogey. I'm pissed. I used wrong club again on the 11th and found myself in the bunker but left myself a very makable par putt, of course lipped out. 12, I hit another gorgous 5 iron to about 3 feet and actually made the putt for birdie. 13 I struggled off the tee as usual, but almost still made a great par, lipping out from about 12 feet. 14, after going in bunker off the tee, I would lip out a 8 footer for par. 15 I was determined for a birdie. I was on the fringe about 25 feet away for birdie, convinced myself I was chipping this one in. Perfect chip, of course, stoped 1 inch short on the fastest green St. Catharines has been in a long time. 16, I'm making birdie. With a nice approach shot from 100 yards, I left 6 feet from just above the hole and to the right. Any one who has played at St. Catharines would swear this putt is going o break hard left. I read the putt straight but couldn't believe it so i aimed 2 inches right of the hole, I was wrong, ball stopped 2 inches right of the hole, still shocked this was straight. 17, after a solid chip to 4 feet, I lipped out the par putt. 18 I actually found the fairway, hit a nice 7 iron just through the green but followed up with a phenominal chip with a 4 foot par putt, lipped it out. I then proceded to let everyone know that was watching how that was happening all day to me.

I'd end up 41, 41, for an 82. Was ok with it considering i had a triple to start, but I still should have been better. I should have easily been 80, and honestly, I think I could have been 78 if it wasn't for about 6 inches in total of the span of 6800 yards.

Oh well. Atleast I'm showing signs of playing well in tournaments. Not sure how I will fair the rest of the season, I'm about to go on a 1.5 month layoff due to getting married and honeymoons. I guess we'll see.

Golf was awful this weekend

Coming off a very high note early in the season, I completely sucked this weekend. So this will be a short post.

Saturday I was feeling ok early in the round with my swing. I finished up the front 9 with a 39. The back wasn't so good. I ended up shooting a 44 with a lot of bad strokes to shoot 83. Was very unhappy with that considering my play from a week before. Highlight of the day was my second shot on the 13th hole. My nemesis tee shot gave me something I've never seen before. THis hole kills me. I either fade it way right and out of bounds or I compensate to much and hit 1 of the 100 trees of the left hand side. Today was no different. I hit a tree at the end of the tee blocks square on and ended up bouncing backwards towards the tee deck. Except it went a little right and ended up beside the 12th green. I hit my second shot from the same distance as my first. Awful.

Sunday was even worse. I got off to a a bod morning right from the start. Woke up late, didn't get to hit any balls. Forgot my golf shoes. And was tired as hell. The first 2 holes I scrambled for 2 great pars and then the wheels started to fall off. A few bogey's and few double bogeys and I found myself at 43 after the first 9. The wind was ridiculous yesterday so I can put a little blame on that, but my swing was even more ridiculous. The back 9 was even worse. I'd make a bogey on 10, par 11 and 12 and then it went way downhill. I'd walk off the hole on 13, hit the trees up the left and lost it. Made a bogey on 14. 15 was awful. I drove it way left over by the 13th green, hit something to 210 out on 15 and then blasted the ball over the 4th hole and on the the highway, walk off again. 16, walked off the hole after the tee shot went in the long grass. 17 i would finish with a bogey. 18, went left for a change, pitched out over the trees, made a double. So i think i shot something like 90 on this awful sunday morning.

So back the drawing board, again. Just like every year. Have to get something together for this weekends tour event. Guess I'll be at the club practicing this week.

Popped my cherry

It's early monday morning and I could hardly sleep thinking about getting this post out. This past weekend was my best weekend for golf for the season. So heres the quick recap.

Saturday I woke up early to get to the range before my 7:30 tee time. Didn't go crazy on the range but got warmed up at least. I thougt it would help my game but after starting 3 over on the first 2 holes I thought it may have been a waste. Then something clicked in my swing. I stood a little more upright, slowed the swing way down, and actually started seeing some results. All of a sudden i was hitting lasers at the pins. No fade, nothing, just straight percise shots. I couldn't believe it, one good swing after another. Felt great. After starting 3 over on the first 2, I started parring every hole. I would par 4 and 5, bogey 6, and then didn't see another bogey till the 17th hole. Ended up shooting a 78, breaking 80 for the first time this year, and felt great heading into the second event for the Niagara Mens tour.

Sunday I woke early to have breakfast with Sarah in preparation for the tour event at Grand Niagara. I've played there many times over the last few years. Course it pretty wide open. I'd say the majority of difficulty in the course is the greens and the green side bunkers. Lots of crazy undulation on the greens, multpile tiers, and very large. They look quick but were actually pretty slow. Seemed like everyone thought that yesterday.

Anyways, I started off better then I could ask for. I hit a gorgeous drive down the middle to about 159 yards, then proceeded to hit a 8 iron to 2 inches for a tap in birdie. No better feeling for me to start. With my nerves in check for now, I would go on to actually continue playing well. I would par the next hole, find a little trouble on the 3rd to make bogey. Not to interested in breaking the whole round down. I kept things in check on the front and was able to card a 39 after a solid par on the 9th. I'm feeling great right now. Playing my best golf on tour in 3 years and ready for the back.

10th hole is a little scary for some with water all the way up the left hand side. Luckly I don't hit left due to permanent fade. I would find myself a little to far right, but made a great shot to the back of the green and a 2 putt for par. I bogey the 11th after a poor putt for birdie up to the second tier left me 6 feet short, and then i would leave that one short. All day long. The greens were so slow and I just refused to adjust. I left a lot of birdies on the course if I had just got the ball to the hole.

The 12th hole is a very tough par 3. With the pin tucked way in the back right corner I would hit an awful 4 iron short and right of the green, and thankfully the huge green side bunker. Made a great flop shot to about 10 feet and drained the putt for par. After this the wheels fell off a litte. I would make 3 bogeys in a row from here. The first sucked cause I only made bogey due to a rushed second putt from a foot for par. Second was poor club choice on a short par 3, although I almost made a nice putt for par. And the third was on a longer par 5 that I was sure I was going to birdie. I made another mistake here by stepping on the tee and changing what I was doing for the previous 14 holes. I swung a way with the driver instead of smoothing it up the middle, went for the big cut over the corner of the dog leg and found myself in the bunker.

I was able to compose myself for the last 3 holes. Althought I limped in due to nerves, I was able to par the last 3 to shoot a 40 on the back and 79 for the round. First off, I was very happy to have broken 80 for the first time on tour in 3 years. Felt like a victory to me, it's been my minimum goal for every tourny. I was close to the first group, so I posted my score and decided to have a beer and see how I finish. A few groups come in, scores were high, I'm sitting in the top 10. Can't leave now, so i stick around a little longer. Long story short, all the groups come in, 1 guy in the last group (tour champ every year) comes in with a 76, pushing me to 10th overall. My first ever top 10 in a tour event. Amazing for me. I don't believe I've even finsihed in the top 30 in the past. So i've popped my cherry, I broke 80 and I got a top 10. I'm sure Cal would be happy here since he doesn't believe in setting goals, but not me. Next goal, top 5. And of course, my usual goal of actually qualifiying for the next year is still in place. This should help, but I'll need to continue playing well for that to happen.

Not So Good

I played 2 rounds of 18 this past long weekend and 2 rounds of nine (friday and sunday). All rounds sucked big time except for the friday 9.

My game feels like it's in shambles. Cal made the perfect statement of my game yesterday. Standing on the 4th tee he said "Harry, you're looking good today, all set up for a good 7 or 8 holes. That exactly what happened. Played to a 2 over first 8 and then unraveled on the 9th taking a double bogey. Ended up totally blowing the back 9 to shot an 85.

4, i mean 5 handicapers shouldn't be shouldn't be shooting 85's. Guess that's why my handicapp has gone up from a 4 to a 5 and probably approaching 6 with the way I'm playing.

Just can't stay consistent. Driver is on and off all round. My chipping has been pretty good for the most part. Putting is inconsistent, and my irons are leaving a lot to be desired.

Hopefully I can pull it all together for this weekends tour event.

I guess we will see.

No Golf

This past weekend I was asked to skip golf for the weekend to spend time with my family in Windsor for Mothers day. Not a problem, especially for my great mom. Happy Mother's day.

So unfortunately, there is no new post here at S, E, and Smack, but you can take a look over at Menu Maniac for a special guest post by yours truly.

Here's the website so you can check it out -

http://menumaniac.blogspot.com/
http://menumaniac.blogspot.com/
http://menumaniac.blogspot.com/


One day i will figure out how to link in a blog.

Actually probably not, I don't care enough.

Stupid Trees on the Golf Course.

This past sunday was the Niagara Men's Tour spring qualifier. I've played on this tour 2 years now with little success other then qualifing last year.

This year I was determined to qualify again and improve my play in events to hopefully qualify for the following season by actually finishing in the top 35 for the season.

For the past few years Penninsula Lakes in fonthill Ont has been the first tour event and qualifier. I've been playing this course for many years with success outside of the tournaments. Not sure what it is, but the course feels good to me and I'm always confident of my abilities on that course. This sunday was no diffierent.

I started out on the toughest hole on the golf course and my nemisis for many years. Hole 1 on the quarry course is a longer par 4 with a large lake up the whole right side of the hole. Things on the right aren't usually a problem for me since I hit a natural fade, but for some reason I always seem to find that water on this hole. Regardless of this, I decide I'm going to just step up, aim to the middle of the water, and hit as good a driver as possible. This is when I knew my round was going to be different. i ended up hitting a perfect drive that soared over the edge of the water landing about 130 yards away in the best possible spot for this hole. I would hit a great PW to about 3 feet of the cup and drain the putt for birdie. Still haven't made a par on this hole, but I'm off and feeling great.

I would go on to par the next hole. However on the third I would hit a great drive, followed by a short iron to about 10 feet. I then proceded to 4 whack the green for a double. Was pissed, but held my composure with thoughts of only being 1 over. I would go on to par the next 4 holes with solid iron shots into the greens and good putts. It wasn't till the 8th hole that I felt some heat.

Up to this point I was feeling great. I honestly was having one of those days were you know your going to shoot a great score. I got ahead of myself, might be something to consider for future tournys. Off the 8th tee I hit a perfect deep drive. Chosing to layup from about 230 yards, i attempt to hit a soft 7 iron but swung way to lazy and ended up shanking it about 70 yards to the right. No problem still an easy PW into the green. However I would over swing this cause I should have used a 9 iron and found myself green side righ undre an evergreen. I would get under there and try to punch it out but missed and hit the ball about 2 feet forward. Stepped up again and hit it about 1 foot forward, still under the tree. The next one would get out but I was still about 20 feet from the pin and still chipping. Hit an awful chip, missed a 10 footer, and tapped in for a 9. I'm devestated.

From here, I was just playing to qualify. At first I thought I had a good chance to finish well and earn some good points for the season.

Starting on the 10th I made a nice par, follwed by a bogey on the toughest par 3 on the course. Stayed on track from here. Made another good par on the easy par 5 after hitting my drive right and behind a tree. Iwould chip out from there to 225. Down wind I hit a nice 5 iron to about 15 feet from the pin but just off the green. Bogey on the next hole, then par on Matts nemisis par 3. would find some trouble on the tough 15th green after a poor chip and make bogey.

16 is a decent par 5. However i actually went left on the drive and found myself on a steep hill with no view of the hole. I just swung a way and actually recovered to about 150 yards from the green. I ended up pushing my approach shot to the right but left with an easy chip. My nerves got the best of me and I stubbed it leaving myself about 15 feet for par. Missed it and took another bogey.

17 I hit a nice shot into the short but tough par 3 to give myself about 12 feet for birdie. The ball hit a divot I didn't fix on the way to the hole and came up short even though it was online. Happy to walk off with a par. So i'm sitting 10 over (Par 71) on the 18th and thinking I'm on the cut line right now. Need a birdie or par on 18 to make sure I make it.

My drive was a little right and found a bunker. I hit a nice 6 iron out of it to about 90 yards from the pin with an easy gap wedge shot to secure my spot on the tour. I was hitting great approach shots all day (except 8) but ended up shanking the ball about 15 yards straight right. From here I usedmy 60 degree wedge and gave myself about 15 feet for par. I would hit an awful putt about 4 feet past the hole, missed the come back putt and made a double to shoot 83. Super pissed right now cause I know I just blew making the cut.

Fortunatly, I got lucky. 83 was right on the cut line and I had made the tour. PLus I tied Matt and beat Cal (shot 84). BUt that sucks. I was supposed to shoot much better and felt I could have done much better. But oh well. I made the tour and i live to fight another day. Cal even made it after the commitee decided to include the guys who shot 84. So thats cool we are all on te tour this year. I would be cool if we get to play with each other at some point, but it usually doesn't work out like that.

I'm looking forward to the tour this year. All the courses on tour are ones I'm very familiar with and none of them are dog tracks like Riverview we played last year or sawmill or what ever other shit courses they pick. Next event is Grand Niagara, I like that course, and should play well. Then St. Catharines (home course), Lockness links (again, I like this course, played a lot and well there) and Whirlpool Golf course. I worked here for 4 years during university and love that course, I know it as well as I know St. Catharines and have a lot of confidence playing there. I think it's going to be good season.