During the same round I got that eagle, I also earned two birdies.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-New Hole #11-Birdie #6 of 2017
When we were finished playing the front nine, I was ahead of C.J. by only one stroke, 43 to 44, so he was still winning. He gets four strokes on me for every 18 holes. In order for me to beat him, I need to outpace him by five strokes or more. This back nine really made the difference, and this birdie, the first one of two, helped to set the pace.
I mentioned it earlier, but I have an opportunity to score well during this new small stretch of three short par fours if I am driving the ball really well. This drive topped the two best drives on the front nine, the ones on #3 and #8. It was a high draw that rode the wind a bit as it headed toward the right side of the green. My ball ended up even with the flag, which was in the front middle position this time, but my ball ended up stopping on the collar on the left side. I aimed my putter high and left of the hole, and my ball curved gently down, heading right at the hole. It almost went in, just lipping the bottom side and stopping less than a foot away on the other side. The remaining putt was easy.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-New Hole #15-Birdie #7 of 2017
This hole used to be #17, so it’s been an adjustment for me to not think we have only one hole to go after playing this hole. We really have three more holes to go after this hole now. The tees have been in the farther back position consistently, too, just like on hole #3. I think Randy is working hard to have more longer par fours than ever before to make the course more challenging. I chose to drive the green anyway.
I never saw it. C.J. did, though, and he said it flew right over the middle of the cottonwood, so he was sure it was going to be in a great position. He was right. My ball ended up just off the green near the front, and the pin was on there front part of the green, too. Just like on hole #11, I only needed to putt to get my ball on the green and close to the hole. The distance to the green and the distance from the edge of the green to the hole were about the same, so I had to putt through a fair amount of rough, but it wasn’t so rough. The course is still brown and dry in places. My putt ended up three feet short of the hole, but I made that short putt to get another birdie on the back nine.
With those two birdies and the one eagle, I gained four strokes on C.J., and I ended up beating him by five strokes at the conclusion of the round with the game we had chosen. I shot a 79 to his 88. With our handicaps, that came to a 65 to his 70. It felt wonderful to get some birdies and an eagle after this round. This new layout has fewer opportunities, as I’ve mentioned before, with hole #1 and the new hole #9 being converted to par fours. I hope I can keep this up for the rest of the summer. The new par is 70, so I was +9 for my round. Not bad, and definitely better!
Until next time…
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