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.