In this excerpt from January of 2001, I recall how I played two holes at Pinon Hills, #5 and #8. They were not birdie holes, but I was writing about anything that was helping me gain confidence in this difficult game back then. I notice that I was still using more exclamation marks than I do now. Everything was so exciting back then!
I remember that trial club 7-iron vividly. How sad. I just sold it in our recent summer garage sale with the rest of the set. I remember how that was the club that flew...
into our ceiling one sleepy, Saturday afternoon when I was taking full practice swings with sweaty hands in our living room. Thankfully it did not hit my napping wife. The patch is still visible where I attempted to fix it with a "texture kit" from Aztec Hardware. Ah, good times.
I also remember writing an unsolicited, positive club review to Thomas Golf about that 7-iron. What a nerd. For some reason, they did not publish it.
Tomorrow, I get to play with Bruce, Bruce's son, and C.J. in the golf team's fundraiser tournament. It will be a Vegas type scramble again, like it always is. Of course, I will be writing about anything that stands out from this upcoming round. I also have three new birdies to write about, and all of them occurred when I was playing with C.J.
Pinon Hills-Hole 5
This is the hole I’ve written about before where your second shot needs to go over a small canyon. I teed off with my 4-iron, and got it on the fairway by aiming actually far left. It didn’t go very far, but far enough to go for it with my second shot. I had my 7-iron trial club from Thomas Golf, and decided it was the club to get me over. The pin position was in a sucker spot, back right on a smaller section of the green behind a big bunker on the right side. I did what I had done at Civitan. I aimed at the pin (using the alignment technology) remembering to pause my left shoulder and flip my wrists violently. If I hit it straight, I’d be close to the pin. If the flipping of the wrists caused it to go left a little, I’d still be on the green. I ended up hitting it straight! It landed on the green and the ball rolled toward the hole. I was left with approximately ten feet for a birdie opportunity. Today, I played with a 73 year old named Fred (not his real name) and an eighteen year old from Aztec High School, Chris (last name). Chris had chipped up onto the green behind my ball, so I got to watch his putt first. It helped, but I missed under the hole by about four inches. I wasn’t upset, though, because I had stuck to my routine, and had given it a good run. I had earned par on a very difficult hole for the second time.
Pinon Hills-Hole 8
I’ll start by saying I got a bogey, but I did hit another great sand save! I sliced my drive with my new T-Zoid, mishit my second shot dribbling it maybe one hundred yards, even when I had an uphill lie, something I should be used to after practicing all those uphill shots. I nailed my third shot to about ninety yards short of the green. I had a straight shot up to the flag from ninety yards out. I probably should have used my sand wedge, but I don’t really feel comfortable with it on full swings yet. I used my pitching wedge instead. I hit it cleanly, but pulled it badly. I told Frank as I got back into his heated private cart (I was thankful to ride with him. It was rather cold.) that a shot like that is what separates pros from amateurs. He agreed. He said most pros aren’t satisfied from 100 yards and in if they don’t end up 8 feet from the hole or less. I was below the hole and some 30 or 40 feet away, and in the bunker. I thought to myself that I was very capable of doing this. I thought a full swing would get it out and close. I was right! I hit one of my best bunker shots ever, better than the one on Hole #7 that I wrote about last time. I got many compliments from Chris, Fred, and another fellow who had joined us named Derick (not his real name either). They were all very impressed. I guess I was too. It was a very professional shot! I ended up five feet away and nailed the putt for a bogey. Of course, a pro would have hit a better drive probably, and a pro would also have hit a better shot from ninety yards out, but I am amazed at how my confidence is growing in many facets of this game.
I remember that trial club 7-iron vividly. How sad. I just sold it in our recent summer garage sale with the rest of the set. I remember how that was the club that flew...
into our ceiling one sleepy, Saturday afternoon when I was taking full practice swings with sweaty hands in our living room. Thankfully it did not hit my napping wife. The patch is still visible where I attempted to fix it with a "texture kit" from Aztec Hardware. Ah, good times.
I also remember writing an unsolicited, positive club review to Thomas Golf about that 7-iron. What a nerd. For some reason, they did not publish it.
Tomorrow, I get to play with Bruce, Bruce's son, and C.J. in the golf team's fundraiser tournament. It will be a Vegas type scramble again, like it always is. Of course, I will be writing about anything that stands out from this upcoming round. I also have three new birdies to write about, and all of them occurred when I was playing with C.J.
Pinon Hills-Hole 5
This is the hole I’ve written about before where your second shot needs to go over a small canyon. I teed off with my 4-iron, and got it on the fairway by aiming actually far left. It didn’t go very far, but far enough to go for it with my second shot. I had my 7-iron trial club from Thomas Golf, and decided it was the club to get me over. The pin position was in a sucker spot, back right on a smaller section of the green behind a big bunker on the right side. I did what I had done at Civitan. I aimed at the pin (using the alignment technology) remembering to pause my left shoulder and flip my wrists violently. If I hit it straight, I’d be close to the pin. If the flipping of the wrists caused it to go left a little, I’d still be on the green. I ended up hitting it straight! It landed on the green and the ball rolled toward the hole. I was left with approximately ten feet for a birdie opportunity. Today, I played with a 73 year old named Fred (not his real name) and an eighteen year old from Aztec High School, Chris (last name). Chris had chipped up onto the green behind my ball, so I got to watch his putt first. It helped, but I missed under the hole by about four inches. I wasn’t upset, though, because I had stuck to my routine, and had given it a good run. I had earned par on a very difficult hole for the second time.
Pinon Hills-Hole 8
I’ll start by saying I got a bogey, but I did hit another great sand save! I sliced my drive with my new T-Zoid, mishit my second shot dribbling it maybe one hundred yards, even when I had an uphill lie, something I should be used to after practicing all those uphill shots. I nailed my third shot to about ninety yards short of the green. I had a straight shot up to the flag from ninety yards out. I probably should have used my sand wedge, but I don’t really feel comfortable with it on full swings yet. I used my pitching wedge instead. I hit it cleanly, but pulled it badly. I told Frank as I got back into his heated private cart (I was thankful to ride with him. It was rather cold.) that a shot like that is what separates pros from amateurs. He agreed. He said most pros aren’t satisfied from 100 yards and in if they don’t end up 8 feet from the hole or less. I was below the hole and some 30 or 40 feet away, and in the bunker. I thought to myself that I was very capable of doing this. I thought a full swing would get it out and close. I was right! I hit one of my best bunker shots ever, better than the one on Hole #7 that I wrote about last time. I got many compliments from Chris, Fred, and another fellow who had joined us named Derick (not his real name either). They were all very impressed. I guess I was too. It was a very professional shot! I ended up five feet away and nailed the putt for a bogey. Of course, a pro would have hit a better drive probably, and a pro would also have hit a better shot from ninety yards out, but I am amazed at how my confidence is growing in many facets of this game.
No comments:
Post a Comment