3-23-12
We are on our second leg of our flights out to Long Beach. The first stop was in Salt Lake City. It’s nice how things work out. We are going to Long Beach for James, but we will get to see Garylee and Darrell. What a bonus! As soon as we land, we’ll get my golf clubs, our rental car, and then head out to our hotel. After that, James will register for his event and then we’ll head to the hospital. Can’t wait to see Garylee.
Next on my writing to do list were the two recent birdies I had earned, but in my last round before this trip I added three more! Here they are in chronological order...
Next on my writing to do list were the two recent birdies I had earned, but in my last round before this trip I added three more! Here they are in chronological order...
Hidden Valley-Hole #1-Birdie #3 of 2012
I used my new driver off the tee. We still allow mulligans (first tee shots only), and I thought I might need it. My first drive came out low and left. Typical. The other one shot out high and right, so I thought that would be the one I would end up using. When I got to the first one, though, it was long and just fine. It was under a tree, but I had plenty of room to complete my full swing, which I did with my 7-iron. That swing put my ball even with the hole, but way over on the right side and off the green. I used my sand wedge to pitch across the green, and my ball ended up about ten feet right of the hole. I made that putt for my birdie.
Hidden Valley-Hole #17-Birdie #4 of 2012
Hidden Valley-Hole #17-Birdie #4 of 2012
After recently driving #13, I thought why not give it a go for #17. It’s something Bruce does consistently if the conditions are right. So, I pulled out my driver, and I gave it a go.
3-25-12
It worked. This was the best drive I have ever had on this hole. I noticed it nicked some of the tree limbs on the closest cottonwood on the way over. Then I saw it roll over the hill just before the green. I thought it would be off the green, maybe just short of it, but it was on. I used up two putts, and the first one was a little tricky. I put that one close enough, though, to confidently make the next one. It’s not often I birdie this very difficult hole. I remember a very long putt from the front of the green to the back that I made for a different birdie once before.
Hidden Valley-Hole #9-Birdie #5 of 2012
I came late, so Bruce and C.J. had already teed off on #1. I saw them walking up close to the green when B dropped me off. I decided to go enter some of my scores from the winter and let them play holes #1 through #3 while I did that and got warmed up.
Bruce picked the game this time. It was the one Eric came up with where it is extremely difficult to earn a point. A player has to hit the green, the fairway, and get a par to get just one point. He added that low score with handicaps was the “other” game we would be playing. Bruce won the point game 4 to 2 to 2. I was playing well enough to not only get a good score, but also to possibly win the other game, the handicap one, so I went on to play #1 through #3 when we finished #18.
I used my driver on #9. It’s been successful there lately, so I am going to keep using it; this was another nice drive. It shot over the cottonwoods on the corner and landed on the fairway with a clear shot at the green... sort of. I would have to play a fade.
I recently saw another video of Payne Stewart on youtube.com. He was teaching different shot shapes by only adjusting his set-up. I did my best to play a fade with my usual swing, which is what he was teaching. I chose 7-iron, and it did fade! It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get it around the trees and heading towards the green. My ball landed short, but it was close enough to putt up onto the green, so I did. My ball rolled to even with the hole, but it trickled over to the left side. I made that putt for my first of three birdies in this round.
Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #6 of 2012
My drive went left and long off the tee. Bruce seemed more impressed with my drive than I was. The only reason it went so far was because of the downhill slope it ended up on when it got over to hole #7. Bruce wondered how long it was, and he and C.J. figured it was around 350 yards or so, but I was way left. It was on the right side of the fairway on #7. I chose my 7-iron for my approach. It ended up right next to the green on the right side. I got up and in with two putts from off the green after that. I will continue to do my best to birdie this hole over and over again for the rest of my playing career.
Hidden Valley-Hole #1-Birdie #7 of 2012
This was the last of my three birdies in this round, and they all did, of course, help my score. I ended up shooting a 42, 42 for an 84. The front nine was the best nine since I had two birdies and was only five over on nine holes.
This drive was the one I always envision when I dream of teeing off on #1. Okay, maybe it was a bit shorter than what I dream of, but it was still beautiful. It was up the left side and very close to the tree. I was near the 150 yard marker. I chose 8-iron, but I did not account for the wind. A gusty wind must have been blowing over the hills up there because my ball was well struck, but it hung up in the air for longer than usual and then it got shoved back rudely. It looked like it was going to be great, but it ended up being terrible. My ball landed on the slope of the hill on my side and rolled back across the cart path. I had a good lie, and C.J. was over there with me, too. I thought the first ball I saw was mine, but it turned out to be his.
The next shot was the best one on this hole for me. I used my sand wedge and made a pitch that sent my ball over the hill and the tree. Bruce was up there and he gave me a thumbs-up. I wondered if it was on the green, and he said, “Five feet.”
I thought he meant five feet off the green, but it turned out to be five feet away from the hole. The putt was straight, and I made a nice straight putt to finish. It’s great to have three birdies in one round. I don’t know if I’ve done that before.
When it was all over, I had won the handicap game with my low score. I had tied C.J. in the points game with my birdie on #1. And, I had two opportunities that I blew to tie the points game with Bruce on #2 and #3, among some other opportunities earlier in the round. These last ones really stood out, though, because I had made a plan in my mind to tie him. On #2, I hit the green, but I triple-putted, and on #3 I hit the fairway, but missed the green by a few feet. Then I triple-putted from just off the green for a second bogey in a row anyway.
For the handicap game, Bruce shot an incredible 78. With his 8 handicap, that was a 70. C.J. shot an uncharacteristic 95 (higher for him than usual). With a 20 handicap or a 22 that would be a 75 or a 73. My 84, with my 15 handicap translated to a 69, barely edging out Bruce. Phew! Thank you, birdies!
3-25-12
It worked. This was the best drive I have ever had on this hole. I noticed it nicked some of the tree limbs on the closest cottonwood on the way over. Then I saw it roll over the hill just before the green. I thought it would be off the green, maybe just short of it, but it was on. I used up two putts, and the first one was a little tricky. I put that one close enough, though, to confidently make the next one. It’s not often I birdie this very difficult hole. I remember a very long putt from the front of the green to the back that I made for a different birdie once before.
Hidden Valley-Hole #9-Birdie #5 of 2012
I came late, so Bruce and C.J. had already teed off on #1. I saw them walking up close to the green when B dropped me off. I decided to go enter some of my scores from the winter and let them play holes #1 through #3 while I did that and got warmed up.
Bruce picked the game this time. It was the one Eric came up with where it is extremely difficult to earn a point. A player has to hit the green, the fairway, and get a par to get just one point. He added that low score with handicaps was the “other” game we would be playing. Bruce won the point game 4 to 2 to 2. I was playing well enough to not only get a good score, but also to possibly win the other game, the handicap one, so I went on to play #1 through #3 when we finished #18.
I used my driver on #9. It’s been successful there lately, so I am going to keep using it; this was another nice drive. It shot over the cottonwoods on the corner and landed on the fairway with a clear shot at the green... sort of. I would have to play a fade.
I recently saw another video of Payne Stewart on youtube.com. He was teaching different shot shapes by only adjusting his set-up. I did my best to play a fade with my usual swing, which is what he was teaching. I chose 7-iron, and it did fade! It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get it around the trees and heading towards the green. My ball landed short, but it was close enough to putt up onto the green, so I did. My ball rolled to even with the hole, but it trickled over to the left side. I made that putt for my first of three birdies in this round.
Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #6 of 2012
My drive went left and long off the tee. Bruce seemed more impressed with my drive than I was. The only reason it went so far was because of the downhill slope it ended up on when it got over to hole #7. Bruce wondered how long it was, and he and C.J. figured it was around 350 yards or so, but I was way left. It was on the right side of the fairway on #7. I chose my 7-iron for my approach. It ended up right next to the green on the right side. I got up and in with two putts from off the green after that. I will continue to do my best to birdie this hole over and over again for the rest of my playing career.
Hidden Valley-Hole #1-Birdie #7 of 2012
This was the last of my three birdies in this round, and they all did, of course, help my score. I ended up shooting a 42, 42 for an 84. The front nine was the best nine since I had two birdies and was only five over on nine holes.
This drive was the one I always envision when I dream of teeing off on #1. Okay, maybe it was a bit shorter than what I dream of, but it was still beautiful. It was up the left side and very close to the tree. I was near the 150 yard marker. I chose 8-iron, but I did not account for the wind. A gusty wind must have been blowing over the hills up there because my ball was well struck, but it hung up in the air for longer than usual and then it got shoved back rudely. It looked like it was going to be great, but it ended up being terrible. My ball landed on the slope of the hill on my side and rolled back across the cart path. I had a good lie, and C.J. was over there with me, too. I thought the first ball I saw was mine, but it turned out to be his.
The next shot was the best one on this hole for me. I used my sand wedge and made a pitch that sent my ball over the hill and the tree. Bruce was up there and he gave me a thumbs-up. I wondered if it was on the green, and he said, “Five feet.”
I thought he meant five feet off the green, but it turned out to be five feet away from the hole. The putt was straight, and I made a nice straight putt to finish. It’s great to have three birdies in one round. I don’t know if I’ve done that before.
When it was all over, I had won the handicap game with my low score. I had tied C.J. in the points game with my birdie on #1. And, I had two opportunities that I blew to tie the points game with Bruce on #2 and #3, among some other opportunities earlier in the round. These last ones really stood out, though, because I had made a plan in my mind to tie him. On #2, I hit the green, but I triple-putted, and on #3 I hit the fairway, but missed the green by a few feet. Then I triple-putted from just off the green for a second bogey in a row anyway.
For the handicap game, Bruce shot an incredible 78. With his 8 handicap, that was a 70. C.J. shot an uncharacteristic 95 (higher for him than usual). With a 20 handicap or a 22 that would be a 75 or a 73. My 84, with my 15 handicap translated to a 69, barely edging out Bruce. Phew! Thank you, birdies!
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