Written on 4-29-03.
Hello, stranger. Lots to write, so lets get going. First of all, my play in Virginia was pretty good. At Herndon, I had some impressive drives. On holes #7 and #9, I hit the greens in regulation and double-putted each time. On hole #12, I hit a huge drive with my driver that ended up on the wrong fairway. From there, though, I hit a great approach onto the green where I two-putted again. On hole #13, I made a nice sand save only to three-putt for a double bogey. Finally, on hole #17, a par five, I hit…
Continued on 6-18-03.
...a drive that got stuck in the mud so deep that we almost didn’t find it. I got a free drop and cleaned my ball only to pull my second shot badly toward a small creek on the left. I got another free drop from there because of the mud again. This was a theme that continued on all of the golf courses we played during this spring break-mud, mud, mud, and free drops here, there, and everywhere. I backed this one all the way over next to the adjoining fairway. I hit a great shot from there that landed right on the green and was left with a really slight downhill putt for a birdie, but I actually left it short! I ended up shooting...
45, 46 for a total 91 to Guy’s 99. I played the other par five #15 really well on the back nine here as well. I hit a big 3-wood drive that gave me the choice of going for it with my 5-wood or laying up. I chose to go for it, but it ended up short and to the right. From there, I hit a great miss onto the green, and in regulation to boot, which I ended up ruining by putting three times for a bogey.PineCrest Golf Course
Written on 5-10-03 in the new pop-up camper. I am in our new camper/pop-up, which we are sharing with Dale and the Edgertons. B is napping right next to me. The Edgertons are napping on the other side. All four children are quietly playing Sequence at the table. Life is good still! It’s Mother’s Day weekend. I like camping when it’s like this; it gives me time to journal. I have my new pen/pencil. See, I can write in red pen. And I can write in black pen, too! Cool, huh? I just read a little from my newest Golf Digest. I like the pen, so I am going to stick with it. It is smoother and I don’t have to constantly click out new pencil lead. We are going to get a journal for the camper, too.
In Golf Digest, they did an article on the pros’ “go-to” shots. Nick Price has a “slider”. Charles Howell III has a “slinger”, and Len Mattiace has a “chop-chop”. What’s my go-to shot? I would say right now that it’s the “toe-up, toe-up” shot. I’ve used it a lot if it’s windy, or if I want to just punch a shot that rolls up on a green that has no hazards in the front.
Guy and I played at Pinecrest in Virginia on the second day. It was a good round for me, my best when I was out there. I shot a 42 on a par 35 course. My goal is to get on every g.i.r. or just one above, and to double-putt every green helped again. That, and my new routine to help improve my focus and focus on smaller targets really helped too. Anyway, Guy birdied the short par 4 #2 with a drive, a chip, and a putt. His drive rolled up a hill and back down near the green. His chip put him in “gimme” range. My birdie came on a par five that really should be a par four. It was on hole #4. I hit a nice 3-wood on the right side of the fairway, near the cart path. I took a free drop where it wasn't so muddy. It was still pretty muddy, though. From there, it was on the green and two putts, one long, and one short for what I think should have been a par. Because this hole was so short and because I counted a birdie at Dave and Buster’s a long time ago, I am not counting this one.
I played a tough par five extremely well on this course, too. We played with a retiree named Don who plays this course often. He told me where to hit on the first two shots to set up my uphill approach over water. I hit them pretty much right where he told me to. My third shot had to be played off the mud, though. I remember that there was no place to really drop where there wasn’t any mud. I also remember I used my 6-iron and the impact caused some mud to shoot right at my face and hat! I hit into a trap near the hole on that shot, and it took me three more shots for a bogey I was very proud of.
My swing thought for this trip was “impact bag”. Maybe I should call it “mud splattering impact” instead, though. It was a very effective swing thought to have. I hit some powerful, yet effortless shots with it. I haven’t been able to do a full swing for a while, but I will keep using it when I am able to full-swing again.
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