Crikey it was hot playing today!
I warmed up a bit ( it was already 26 degrees at 8-30) before playing and managed not to muck up the first two holes like last time.
My tee shots were adequate in that i had a clear second shot until #4, where I pulled my 3 wood shot slightly left and hit a tree. I got an unfavorable bounce left deeper into trouble. I bumped it out with my hybrid.
The tee shot on #5 my Driver gave me a shot that was long and straight at the pin. Wow in fact it went well past 200m and kept running out the back and over the elevated tee bank. I should have used the 3 wood! I broke out the 3Ci 65 lob wedge and put the ball back just below the pin. That thing is magic on down hill pitch/chip shots.
For the next few holes my tee shots worked well, until #9 where my attempted fade went straight , not left and then faded into the trees of the dog leg right course. I still managed a shot over the trees, but managed to duff a chip shot with my one length GW (hit it fat)
So first nine I scored 47. It was getting bloody hot by now, even in usually cool Portland.
On review my chipping was off distance ( short) and direction wise( left) leaving me with long first putts. The Rife putter was working fairly well, but a few Maxwell Smart outcomes. "Missed it by that much."
Then we started the back nine. I have had trouble staying in bounds on the 11th before, but today #10 got me. I pulled mt 3 wood tee shot towards the dam bank. It ended up under a short shrubby tree. I had a shot through the low hanging foliage, so I tried a low 5 iron draw punch shot. It went too far and too far left into more rough 100 m further up. Then I shanked my GW shot over to the right. Bugger! Then my simple bump out behind another tree with a hybrid hit a stick and stopped dead 10 m ahead. !!!!!bother. Then my SW shot landed poorly on the green bank and rolled away from the hole. Result 8 shots ( par 4). The rest of the back 9 was free from major disasters, even on the longer par 5 holes ( par 1, bogey1). Score 49; so 96 off the stick minus 21 daily handicap =75 nett. 34 points.
Review:
Tee shots mostly good with length and accuracy with being in play.
Fairway shots good outcomes mainly with hybrids 18/22 degrees
Iron shots fairly accurate distance wise , but still going a bit left of target ( could be the off set in the F7 one length/ or maybe I didn't allow for the 20 kph wind enough)
Short game: I am leaving my chips too short when I use the SW at less than full length shots (63m).
I am thinking that I need to be more aware of the distance 9-3 swing goes and , say my 8-4 swing goes and try using that idea. I have a laser range finder now after all. Other than that, perhaps I should try using my GW and PW more from further out to get a bit more run on the green. I am not that bad in judging close to the green chips length. I worked on the rule of 12 idea and got that to be useful. It is mainly when I have to chip from say 20-30 m out from the green that I am struggling. Ideas? How times change. When I started 2 years ago, I was happy to hit the green anywhere!
Putting: see comments re; Max Smart above. Almost, but no cigar.
I have Mr. Short Game's 14 day practice schedule to lose 5 strokes and I plan to start on that this week, baby sitting duties allowing that is. All those of you who think your children are off your hands when they leave home, think again. They come back and they leave their children!
Up side of today is we played with a bloke who is just starting to play again off 3. What a beautiful ball striker! He has played since his teens. His hips are shot, but he still can play well. BTW our course is in pristine condition and should stay that way until winter. Portland is a great place for a long weekend, rugged coastal scenery , great walks in the forests and coastal areas and good eating/ fresh fish off the trawlers. it is just past over crowded over rated Pt Fairy.