I haven't touched a club since the last round I posted. First... the weather hasn't played nice. Second... I'm battling some pretty bad joint issues in my shoulders and right wrist, so I haven't felt good swinging a club. I figured with the next stop on the Golfweek Amateur Tour in Charlotte coming up this Saturday, I should at least swing a club. My initial plan was to just go hit some balls at a driving range somewhere... but when I finished up my training event this morning, it had started to clear up and it was exceptionally warm... so I decided to hit up Tega Cay and play 9 holes.
Perhaps it wasn't the best of ideas. The rust was extremely evident, and I didn't swing the club pain-free until the last 2 holes. Anyway... below are all the gory details.
Hole #1 - Par 3 - 186 Yards
There was a decent breeze into my face, and the pin was all the way back... so I decided to take more club. I chunked my 4 iron all of about 60 yards and then I bladed my wedge well over the green. Another chunk, this time chipping with a wedge, left me short. I was finally able to tap it onto the green and needed 2 putts from 18 feet for a triple bogey.
Hole #2 - Par 5 - 448 Yards
I hate this hole. I don't think I've ever played it well. This time was no exception. I flat out topped my hybrid from the tee and it rolled out to about 35 yards. I was so worried about hurting my wrist that the next few shots were either thin or topped as well. My 6 iron from the rough in front of the tee was thin and sliced well right... luckily, it was around the dogleg. Still... I had no shot other than to lay up. I tried to punch a 6 iron under a tree, but again... I chickened out because of my wrist... so I topped it up the right side a little bit. My hybrid was topped and pulled across the fairway. I finally hit a shot that WASN'T thin... but I pushed it well right with my gap wedge onto the green. From there, 3 putts from 47 feet for another triple bogey.
Hole #3 - Par 4 - 428 Yards
My driver was sliced, badly. It hit the cart path and bounced up the hill... but the ball ended up rolling back down that hill into the fairway. Lucky break. Chunky, ugly 5 iron that rolled out down the left side into a bad lie. A thin wedge over the green and a chip onto the green were followed by ANOTHER three-putt... this time from 15 feet for my third consecutive triple bogey. I was getting discouraged...
Hole #4 - Par 4 - 376 Yards
... and then it got worse. This hole is in my head. There isn't enough room to hit anything far enough up for me to have a shot at the green because the tee shot would require a draw, which I can't hit purposely right now. This forces me to play to the right side of the fairway and hope I don't slice the ball or run through. Well... all that said, there is also a pond that requires MAYBE a 75 yard carry or so. It shouldn't even be an issue... but I tend to drop balls in there like it's a wishing well. Today, I made 3 wishes... topped shots that just dropped straight into the hazard. I finally got out to the right rough, then I hooked a hybrid into the trees. My wedge from there went long. My chip ran like it was in a marathon, all the way off the green. A putt from off the green to 9 feet and I made that for a solid 12. Not a triple bogey... a triple par.
Hole #5 - Par 4 - 310 Yards
Like I said on the last hole... I can't purposely hit a draw... but I can accidentally do it! I did that with a 4 iron off the tee here. It splattered into a muddy mess off the left side of the fairway. I dropped the ball into a normal lie, but the ball was well above my feet... so, naturally, my 7 iron was fat and short. Another bladed pitch shot over the green, and 3 shots from there JUST to get on the green. I tapped in from a foot for ANOTHER triple bogey.
Hole #6 - Par 4 - 312 Yards
Although I didn't hit a GOOD tee shot... I didn't hit a BAD tee shot here either. My 3 wood was tugged a little left, but it faded back into the fairway. It was short (only 223 yards)... but it was safe. I then decided to video my swing from the fairway with a wedge. I wish I didn't. I came down on TOP of the ball, drove it into the ground which then popped it up a few yards up the fairway. My next swing was a little heavy, but it found the green. That left me 47 feet for par... but I needed 3 putts and posted a double bogey. Successful sarcasm!
Hole #7 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
The wind was fairly strong behind me, and this plays downhill... so I took a 6 iron. It was an ugly slice, but it carried the lake and left me an uphill pitch from a lie in the leaves just outside of the hazard. It didn't get close to the green. My chip from the hill got on, but again... a three putt from 27 feet to get back on the triple bogey train.
Hole #8 - Par 3 - 149 Yards
I don't know what happened on this hole. I hit what I THOUGHT was a good tee shot with an 8 iron... but it just kept floating right. It hit the bank to the right of the green and funneled down below the green. The pin was in a bad spot... and my chip hit the green and rolled off. I then attempted to putt and leave the ball below the hole, but it got below the hole and just continued to run off the green. 2 chips got to within 7 feet of the pin, and then rolled back to my feet. I putted from there to about 4 feet and made that for a quadruple bogey. At least it wasn't a triple... right?
Hole #9 - Par 5 - 488 Yards
Another hole that requires a draw. My tee shot, which I TRIED to draw, started out at my target... and stayed there. It landed in the fairway bunker. I had a good lie and I was able to hit my 6 iron out to a decent spot in the fairway. I had about 130 to the green with the wind at my back... but I had a wet lie and my 9 iron just wasn't enough and I barely caught it fat, but it was fat enough to not get there. My chip ended up about 18 feet away and I needed 2 putts for a bogey. My best hole of the day was a bogey. That about sums it up.
Anyway... it was ugly, but I got some swings in. I'll try to get to the range on Friday at some point, and then I'll arrive early Saturday for some (much needed) practice time.
Round Stats
- Score - 65
- Penalty Strokes - 3
- Putts - 19
- Fairways - 2 of 6
- Greens in Regulation - 0 of 9
- Up and Downs - 0 of 2
- Sand Saves - 0 of 0
No comments:
Post a Comment