Written on 11-28-15.
Thanksgiving is over. Our 25th anniversary is also over. We ended up getting fillable lamps for our living room as our anniversary gifts to each other, so no pearl earrings this time. Maybe Christmas? The lamps are beautiful. We filled one with dark chocolate-colored wood chips, leftovers from our landscaping from Mother’s Day. They look great in there. In the other one, the smaller of the two, we added colorful rocks, pottery shards, and some other knick-knack gems with pewter-like figures glued on top that the children bought years ago on our trips to Lake Powell. It also looks fantastic, and they both add a level of coziness to our living room that we have never had before.
C.J. and I played yesterday, and I earned another birdie. I should have had three, but my short game and putting were not “up to par” to make that happen. I was ready to take on the Bogey Man again, but C.J. preferred...
the new greens in regulation game instead. I barely beat him after thirteen holes, 12 to 10. The difference was the two holes I got up and down for pars on #17 and #2.
On #17, my tee shot struck one of the cottonwoods on the left side of the cart path, knocking it back the way it had just come and leaving a long approach of about 170 yards. My 6-iron got my ball just short of the green and to the right side. From there, my 9-iron chip shot popped my ball up in the air and landed it on the green where it rolled to the left of the hole around four feet away. It was a tricky downhill putt, but I got it for my one point.
On #2, we were both in the bunker to the right of the green. The flagstick was close to that bunker, so it was a another tricky putt to get the right distance, but my ball stopped two feet below the hole, and C.J. left his short. C.J. missed by an inch below the hole, but I made my putt, and those two holes ended up being the difference in our match.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #46 of 2015
I really should have had two more birdies in this round. On #18, I was just off the green, and I should have put more speed on my putt to get my ball on the green, but I babied it just to make sure I would get my green in regulation points. I ended up getting a bogey after that. Ugh. On #1, I was on in two, but I triple-putted from there, just barely leaving that first putt up on the ridge above the hole. A few more rotations, and my ball would have rolled down closer to the hole.
For this birdie, my drive was shy of the 150 yard marker, so I chose my 7-iron instead of my 8-iron for the approach this time. My ball did manage to get on the green, but it didn’t roll down into the bowl. Instead, I had a putt of 15 feet from the right side that I just needed to trickle into the bowl. I managed to get the speed right, and my ball rolled into the bowl, turned right and headed towards the hole like it was supposed to. It stopped less than two feet away. C.J.’s ball was a few inches closer than mine, so he had to move his mark over two putter club heads towards the ditch to clear the path for my putt. He and I both made out putts for birdie after that.
Until next time…
Written on 12-6-15.
I am sitting on my bed. Pika is begging me for some attention, but the laptop and the TV are winning it right now. I’m also watching the Hero World Challenge. Bubba is leading by five on a Sunday, and since this is one of Tiger’s tournaments, Tiger is sitting and commentating. He is unable to play due to his injuries.
It’s a birdie festival. Justin Rose set the course record when I first tuned in at 62. I have two new birdies to report. I played with Bruce and C.J. yesterday, but I didn’t earn any in those nine holes. The day before, C.J. and I played match play, but it wasn’t until after he left and I played on alone that I earned those birdies.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #47 of 2015
I had just played one of my best front nine rounds. Despite a double on #6 and a bogey on #7, I only scored pars, so I ended with a 40. I was playing well and with confidence, and I didn’t want to stop. I had beaten C.J. after hole #11, but he wanted to keep it going on #12, so he took only the clubs he needed to play that hole. I gave him a pop on that hole, and when we both earned bogeys, he ended up squaring the match at the end.
So, I walked on alone after our match to finish the back nine. The weather was overcast, but warm, around 53 degrees, and I was feeling no pain; I couldn’t stop. I was only +1 through the “witches,” so I wanted to see how low I could go with a full eighteen holes.
I chose to drive it, a choice I make every time I play this hole now. No need to lay up when I can drive it over the wash as consistently as I do. A while ago, C.J. and I had talked about how my ball tends to go to the “bail-out” area to the right and short of the green fairly consistently, so why not aim to the left some more and make the green the “bail-out” area. So, that’s what I did. I aimed to the left by picking out a bush or a tree beyond the green that made my aim a good 20 yards or so to the left, and my ball sailed right toward the green.
I took a picture of it when I got there to send to C.J. It was just off the green on the left side, and it was past the hole, so I had to putt back to the front of the green. My ball rolled past the hole and stopped four feet below leaving me an uphill and mostly straight putt. I waited until I finished with an actual birdie before I sent the picture. I didn’t want to send the picture and then have to explain that I fell short of making what should have been an easy birdie. I’ve driven this green before to only disappoint myself with a three-putt par.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #48 of 2015
On the front nine, I had hit six greens in regulation, and that directly correlated with my better scoring. On the back, I wanted to keep that going. I was doing well in that regard, but on #15, even though I had hit the green in regulation, I ended up triple-putting for a bogey. Part of the reason was the trampled area around the hole. These pin locations have been the same since the beginning of November or maybe longer.
My greens in regulation progress really stalled on #16 and #17, and I ended up damaging my score greatly by not finishing strong; I had two double bogeys in a row. Thankfully, I turned it around with a final birdie.
I aimed for #3’s fairway, but I missed. My ball ended up in the swale between the cart path and the fairway on #3. I went back and forth between my 8-iron or my 7-iron before I settled on the 8-iron, thinking it would be easier to get up and in from below the hole than above. After my ball left my club’s face, I thought it would land on the green, but it surprised me by dropping well short. I had a pitch from below the green. This hole location (for the month) was on the left side towards the back. I chose why pitching wedge for my chip shot, and it worked well. My ball stopped behind the hole just six feet away. I aimed for the left side, knowing it would move to the right, and it worked.
Yesterday, I was in nearly the same spot, so I chose my 7-iron. This was a rare case where hitting the green, however, did not work out better. I ended up using three putts for a par, but it was enough to beat Bruce’s bogey and end the match C.J. and I had with him at even.
Thanksgiving is over. Our 25th anniversary is also over. We ended up getting fillable lamps for our living room as our anniversary gifts to each other, so no pearl earrings this time. Maybe Christmas? The lamps are beautiful. We filled one with dark chocolate-colored wood chips, leftovers from our landscaping from Mother’s Day. They look great in there. In the other one, the smaller of the two, we added colorful rocks, pottery shards, and some other knick-knack gems with pewter-like figures glued on top that the children bought years ago on our trips to Lake Powell. It also looks fantastic, and they both add a level of coziness to our living room that we have never had before.
C.J. and I played yesterday, and I earned another birdie. I should have had three, but my short game and putting were not “up to par” to make that happen. I was ready to take on the Bogey Man again, but C.J. preferred...
the new greens in regulation game instead. I barely beat him after thirteen holes, 12 to 10. The difference was the two holes I got up and down for pars on #17 and #2.
On #17, my tee shot struck one of the cottonwoods on the left side of the cart path, knocking it back the way it had just come and leaving a long approach of about 170 yards. My 6-iron got my ball just short of the green and to the right side. From there, my 9-iron chip shot popped my ball up in the air and landed it on the green where it rolled to the left of the hole around four feet away. It was a tricky downhill putt, but I got it for my one point.
On #2, we were both in the bunker to the right of the green. The flagstick was close to that bunker, so it was a another tricky putt to get the right distance, but my ball stopped two feet below the hole, and C.J. left his short. C.J. missed by an inch below the hole, but I made my putt, and those two holes ended up being the difference in our match.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #46 of 2015
I really should have had two more birdies in this round. On #18, I was just off the green, and I should have put more speed on my putt to get my ball on the green, but I babied it just to make sure I would get my green in regulation points. I ended up getting a bogey after that. Ugh. On #1, I was on in two, but I triple-putted from there, just barely leaving that first putt up on the ridge above the hole. A few more rotations, and my ball would have rolled down closer to the hole.
For this birdie, my drive was shy of the 150 yard marker, so I chose my 7-iron instead of my 8-iron for the approach this time. My ball did manage to get on the green, but it didn’t roll down into the bowl. Instead, I had a putt of 15 feet from the right side that I just needed to trickle into the bowl. I managed to get the speed right, and my ball rolled into the bowl, turned right and headed towards the hole like it was supposed to. It stopped less than two feet away. C.J.’s ball was a few inches closer than mine, so he had to move his mark over two putter club heads towards the ditch to clear the path for my putt. He and I both made out putts for birdie after that.
Until next time…
Written on 12-6-15.
I am sitting on my bed. Pika is begging me for some attention, but the laptop and the TV are winning it right now. I’m also watching the Hero World Challenge. Bubba is leading by five on a Sunday, and since this is one of Tiger’s tournaments, Tiger is sitting and commentating. He is unable to play due to his injuries.
It’s a birdie festival. Justin Rose set the course record when I first tuned in at 62. I have two new birdies to report. I played with Bruce and C.J. yesterday, but I didn’t earn any in those nine holes. The day before, C.J. and I played match play, but it wasn’t until after he left and I played on alone that I earned those birdies.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #47 of 2015
I had just played one of my best front nine rounds. Despite a double on #6 and a bogey on #7, I only scored pars, so I ended with a 40. I was playing well and with confidence, and I didn’t want to stop. I had beaten C.J. after hole #11, but he wanted to keep it going on #12, so he took only the clubs he needed to play that hole. I gave him a pop on that hole, and when we both earned bogeys, he ended up squaring the match at the end.
So, I walked on alone after our match to finish the back nine. The weather was overcast, but warm, around 53 degrees, and I was feeling no pain; I couldn’t stop. I was only +1 through the “witches,” so I wanted to see how low I could go with a full eighteen holes.
I chose to drive it, a choice I make every time I play this hole now. No need to lay up when I can drive it over the wash as consistently as I do. A while ago, C.J. and I had talked about how my ball tends to go to the “bail-out” area to the right and short of the green fairly consistently, so why not aim to the left some more and make the green the “bail-out” area. So, that’s what I did. I aimed to the left by picking out a bush or a tree beyond the green that made my aim a good 20 yards or so to the left, and my ball sailed right toward the green.
I took a picture of it when I got there to send to C.J. It was just off the green on the left side, and it was past the hole, so I had to putt back to the front of the green. My ball rolled past the hole and stopped four feet below leaving me an uphill and mostly straight putt. I waited until I finished with an actual birdie before I sent the picture. I didn’t want to send the picture and then have to explain that I fell short of making what should have been an easy birdie. I’ve driven this green before to only disappoint myself with a three-putt par.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #48 of 2015
On the front nine, I had hit six greens in regulation, and that directly correlated with my better scoring. On the back, I wanted to keep that going. I was doing well in that regard, but on #15, even though I had hit the green in regulation, I ended up triple-putting for a bogey. Part of the reason was the trampled area around the hole. These pin locations have been the same since the beginning of November or maybe longer.
My greens in regulation progress really stalled on #16 and #17, and I ended up damaging my score greatly by not finishing strong; I had two double bogeys in a row. Thankfully, I turned it around with a final birdie.
I aimed for #3’s fairway, but I missed. My ball ended up in the swale between the cart path and the fairway on #3. I went back and forth between my 8-iron or my 7-iron before I settled on the 8-iron, thinking it would be easier to get up and in from below the hole than above. After my ball left my club’s face, I thought it would land on the green, but it surprised me by dropping well short. I had a pitch from below the green. This hole location (for the month) was on the left side towards the back. I chose why pitching wedge for my chip shot, and it worked well. My ball stopped behind the hole just six feet away. I aimed for the left side, knowing it would move to the right, and it worked.
Yesterday, I was in nearly the same spot, so I chose my 7-iron. This was a rare case where hitting the green, however, did not work out better. I ended up using three putts for a par, but it was enough to beat Bruce’s bogey and end the match C.J. and I had with him at even.
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