Two More Post-Surgery Birdies!

     I earned two more birdies when playing with Bruce, and they did help us in our challenge with the Bogey Man.  Here’s how they played out...

Hidden Valley-Hole #2-Birdie #8 of 2011 and Third Post-Surgery Birdie

    The hole was cut up close and more on the left side.  I used my 9-iron, and I typically aim over the left side of the bunker on the right.  If my ball flies true on that path, my ball will be on the green, and I should have no problems putting to wherever the flag is.  My ball landed on the green above the hole and to the right.  It moved slightly to the left and stopped just above the hole about two feet away.  Making the putt was all about finding the right line and putting it on that line since it was downhill.  I could have missed, but I didn’t.  I remembered the tip from Ernie Els about downhill putts and putting your putter into a lower gear like a truck.  I can hear my putter revving louder in that lower gear as it moves through the ball as I think about that now.  It works most of the time.

Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #9 of 2011 and Fourth Post-Surgery Birdie
   
    Bruce has talked about the alley to the left of the fairway the past few times we have played this hole.  He says that if the ball lands off the fairway between the trees over there, it will roll down a nice downhill "alley" that dumps your ball out on the fairway a good ten or fifteen yards farther than your drive might go if you acutally hit the fairway.  Well, that’s what I did with my drive, and it did end up well ahead.  Then I made one of the smoothest swings in a long time with my 5-iron to get my ball on the green.  It was so smooth, and the ball took off like a marble out of a slingshot.  I thought it might be too good, so good that my ball might be in the ditch.  When we walked up, one ball was down in the bowl, but still on the green, and one was off the green, but still on some of the grass just out of the ditch.  I thought mine was the one off the green, but it was Bruce’s.  The flag was up on the right side, and it was out of the bowl.  My first putt was a little strong, and my ball ended up about six to eight feet away, but I made that putt for a second birdie in this round, and this birdie also helped us with our Bogey Man game.

Until next time...