Outdrive or Outscore?, Birdie 24, and a Qwest Update

     Since we were done with that game, I did something a little different on the next hole by trying to drive the green.  I smacked a high push/fade that flew over the cottonwoods and ended up in the bunker next to the green.  It was not where I was aiming, but it was beautiful.  I had a long bunker shot to start and my full swing caused a bad contact that skittered my ball over to the right, landing it right back in the bunker again.  Then I made a much better contact giving my ball a ride on the sand.  Little clumps of sand fell on the green in a small shower and my ball was pretty close, about six feet away.  I made that putt for a funky, funny par that tricked my fellow players into thinking I had made a bogey when we discussed honors on the last teeing ground.

     I had a nice score on the back again with a 42, but Bruce was phenomenal, shooting a 36, just one stroke over par.  He had four bogeys and two birdies, and he played a fantastic round, a round I am envious of.  Later in the round, on hole #7, I said I would rather not outdrive Bruce; I would rather outscore him.  Outdriving anybody is fun, but who cares if I am unable to score well from 150 yards and in.  That’s where the men are separated from the boys (so to speak) in golf.

   On the front nine (which was our back nine), we changed the game to net stroke play with Terry and I taking on Bruce and C.J. again.  I started well with another birdie for this year’s birdie count.

Hidden Valley-Hole #1-Birdie #24 of 2010

   I had a swell drive that ended up on the fairway on the left side of the tree, right where I like it.  I remember discussing the flag position with Bruce since he had played the day before.  I thought the flag was on the back right side, so I was thinking 7-iron, but Bruce told me it was up front, so I switched to an 8.  Good thing I did.  My ball ended up just to the right of the front of the green, and I was able to putt for eagle from there. It broke from right to left, and I did get it to the hole.  My birdie putt was from less than three feet, breaking to the right this time, and I made it. 

   I wish I could write that I continued my good play from there, but I didn’t.  I was the reason our team lost.  Bruce played well.  C.J. played okay.  Terry did his part, but I ended up shooting a 47, and when it was all added up we lost by two strokes.  Terry’s and my combined score was a 91, which translated into a 73 with our handicaps.  Bruce and C.J. shot an 85 together, which turned into a 71.  If I had shot my usual 44 or better, we would have won.  It was a great day for Bruce and C.J.  They won both games on both nines, and my first casual round with Terry ended in two defeats for both of us.  Bummer! 

   Bruce had another great round, shooting a 38 on the front for an incredible 74, just two over for the entire round.  He had six pars, one birdie, and two bogeys on the front nine.  Awesome!  That’s what I want to do.  I hope that playing with Bruce will cause his game to transform mine with some sort of proximity magic, or osmosis, or something.  I bet C.J. feels the same way.  I predict a Club Championship with his name all over it some day.

   Really quickly I want to add that Qwest thing in here since I said I would.  I e-mailed the Steph who e-mailed me, and I gave her the information she requested.  She replied with this…

Hello Pat, thank you for emailing me,

I would hope at this point that your service is working however, if not or you need additional help with it, please let me know.

Thank you

   And that’s it.  So, if I have any problems I know who to get a hold of, but we are happy with our new service now.  The speed is faster; it was just slow getting here.

   Next time I write, I will add two more birdies from my round today.  It felt like the last round of this season, and as far as my seasonal membership goes (and Bruce’s too), it really was my last round.  I’ll also show how I was able to prevail this time.  It was just the three of us.  I didn’t call Terry, but I wish I had.  Maybe next time I will.

            I’d also like to add that I have shared e-mails with Richard Malangone.  He has a golf blog that is very similar to mine.  It’s the only one in the “blogosphere” that I have found that has the same kind of idea: to keep a detailed journal/log of how one person’s golf game is progressing.