Six Birdies and Six More to Come!

     This is a rather lengthy post, but I must write that I scored my best round/lowest score ever two days ago.  I scored a 74!  I look forward to reminiscing as I write about it tonight.  I earned six additional birdies in that one round, three on the front and three on the back.  Before that, though, I scored six different birdies in two rounds.  Here are those descriptions...

Written on 7-11-12

    Thanks to you, my new Wishon irons, I have six new birdies to write about.  I played on Sunday and Monday this week, eighteen holes both days, and that’s when I earned them, three each day and all on the back nine. 
    I messed up by...

inviting too many people on Sunday. I saw our school’s new maintenance man, Cameron, in the Wal-Mart parking lot after I did the grocery shopping for this week.  He had heard that I played golf, and I had heard from our group during the tournament on Saturday that he was a golfer, too.  They mentioned some guy named Cameron who could hit it really far, but I didn’t know who they were talking about at the time.  I had forgotten his name, so I asked when I saw him.  When he said his name was Cameron, I put it all together, so I invited him to play.  I had already invited C.J. and Bruce, but C.J. said only that he might show up, and Bruce hadn’t called me back yet.  I really didn’t think Cameron would come play after not only just seeing me for the first time since school got out, but by just being invited that very day, but he said he would.
    Chris invited Ben Cox to play with us, so when Bruce texted to say he could meet us later, I texted back to let him know we already had a group of four.  I messed up, and I learned a lesson.  Do not invite players to join if there might not be room in a foursome.  Sorry, Bruce.  My bad.
    On to the birdies!

Hidden Valley-Hole #13-Birdie #14 of 2012
   
    It’s important to note that I had just scored a 7 on the par three #12 before playing this hole.  I mentioned to Chris after another one of my bad chips skittered across the green that I should go home.  Chris said I should stay, and I’m glad I did.
    I used my driver for the tee shot.  It looked good.  It headed for the green, and I thought it might be just off the green on the front.  It was farther back, though, and to the right of the green.  I had a pitch to a hole in the back left location.  I had been leaving these sorts of pitches short, so I really swung through on this one.  My ball ended up about ten feet away below the hole, and I made that putt.

Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #15 of 2012                    

    My drive was left and long.  It headed towards the trees on the left side of the fairway.  I heard the thwapping sound of leaves as my ball came down.  It ended up on the fairway about 155 yards away from the green.  I chose my 9-iron for my approach.  Less is usually better on this hole, and it was true this time as well.  My ball ended up hitting the green and stopping on its top tier, the rim of the bowl.  The putt was from about fifteen to twenty feet, and I had to be careful about not letting it roll into the bowl.  I put it within a makable range to finish with another birdie, two in a row.

Hidden Valley-Hole #18-Birdie #16 of 2012

    I slung my drive towards the trees.  I like aiming at them and hoping to either push or fade it towards the fairway, or pull it towards #3.  Either way, I am usually safe on this par five.  This drive went straight for the trees, though, not to the right or the left of them.
    When I found my ball, it was just off the cart path of hole #3.  The trees were mostly in my way.  My stance put my feet on the path, but I chose to play it where it was.    At first, I was thinking to pitch out to #3’s fairway, but I realized I had a chance to fade it up to the left side of the green.  I chose my 5-iron, and I did the whole fade set-up thing again.  It turned to the right a little bit.  It missed the trees.  When it was over, my ball was just short of the green on the left side in two shots, and the bonus was that the hole was on that side, too.  Cameron was there with me, so he tried the same approach just for fun after I was done.  His ball landed just about three feet away from mine, and we both agreed that that was a fun golf shot to play.
    My chip stopped just over a foot away.  With my final birdie here, I had shot a 40.  If I had just gotten a bogey on #12, I would have shot a 37 instead of a 40.  I was thrilled to have three birdies in one nine hole stretch.

Hidden Valley-Hole #10-Birdie #17 of 2012
  
    We noticed that the flag was up front on the upper tier this time.  It was good to see some different hole locations.  So, instead of my 9-iron, I chose my pitching wedge.  Good choice.  My ball landed on the green on that upper tier just to the left of the hole.  I have Cameron to thank for the read I received from his putt from just off the green.  His ball broke to the right much more than I thought it would, so when I putted I put my ball about a foot to the left.  I expect to make every putt, but this one surprised me a bit.  It curled to the right and fell in the hole.  Cool!  Bonus birdie on a hole that is tougher now that it’s a par three.

Hidden Valley-Hole #13-Birdie #18 of 2012 
          
    My drive this time was low and pulled, but it made it across the wash and stopped in a little area that I could still pitch out of.  It was on the green side of the wash, and it was not a super lie, but I put my wedge right on the back of the ball to pop it up and onto the green.  The putt was from about twelve feet, and I read it and rolled it correctly to get yet another birdie.

Hidden Valley-Hole #18-Birdie #19 of 2012               

    Okay, this is the last one.  I am super psyched to have six birdies in just two days.  I am really enjoying playing the back nine over there at Hidden Valley.  I want to start playing the front nine like this.
    For this last one, my ball ended up on the fairway for #3.  I aimed for the trees, and my ball flew out straight and high towards #3.  I was lined up more left than I thought, because it didn’t feel like I pulled it.  A couple from Vermont was just teeing off on #3 when I hit my tee shot.  I shouted the traditional “fore” warning, but I really didn’t need to; they weren’t down to the fairway yet.  As it turned out, all three of us, Chris, Cameron, and I, all played over to #3 that day. 
    My 6-iron was the right club for my approach to get the ball on the green.  The ball was above my feet, but the ball flight looked straight.  I did choke down on the club a wee bit.  My ball landed on the front of the green, but the pin was on the top in the middle, the same place it was when I played with Kyle.
    My putt moved to the left a tad, but it stopped just about two feet away, and I made sure to make that putt for my sixth birdie in two rounds.  Awesome!  This time, I did get a bogey earlier on #12, so my score ended up being another 39.  That’s twice I have recently scored a 39 on the back nine.  I want to keep this type of scoring going. 

    I just entered all of my scores since June, and they are looking good.  They are all 85 or lower, so I am quite encouraged about my scoring with my new clubs.  Can’t wait to get out there and play again.

Until next time...