2018 summer support group

[DougE]

Said I was going to take a day or two off, and I did. But, it didn't help. Nothing is working. Confidence is eroding. Started yesterday's round birdie/birdie. Thought things might be better. Nope. Ended with an 87. Ouch! Just not comfortable out there right now. The worse it gets, the worse it gets. I know it's still in there....somewhere.

What's worse, my old foursome (3 plus me) is coming for a 3-day golf visit next Friday. Only 8 days away. They are all between 11 and 18 handicappers. I am afraid I will be playing at their level instead of the level I was playing up until recently. That's really gonna be ego-busting if I can't find the problem in the meantime. Such a mental game.

[legitimatebeef]

Heat advisory weekend. Weather is going to suck.

[DougE]

That might keep the crowds down. You might want to play. If you can handle 35* temps, then you can do 95*. Go late afternoon. Best time to get through nine or 18 quickly. (Also the hottest part of the day, but sacrifices must sometimes be made.)

[MattF]

I'm off at 6.48 on Sunday morning, hopefully first one out.

[legitimatebeef]

I appreciate Doug's gung-ho spirit, but I have been burned. This is not like winter unfortunately. Cold weather weeds out almost everyone. Hot weather only seems to put out of commission the most decrepit of the decrepit, the elderliest of the elderly. Those who might literally keel over and die from the heat. It does not seem to stifle the younger douche crowd. If anything it just promotes more shitty beer consumption.

[DougE]

Different here, I guess. I just looked at tee time availability for the rest of today at WM. Over the next 6 hours, until 7:30 pm, it's pretty much wide open. As of this moment, there are only 7 tee times which have 2 or more people scheduled, out of 36 potential tee times. This is not typical on a regular 80 degree/low humidity Friday. But, at 90+ and humid, many just stay home.

NYC golf must really suck.

[srogers13]

I am wondering how much of the fall off at your course may have to do with the holiday week coming up?

[GBOGEY]

Maybe what the Beef needs is a summer challenge - how much lower can you shoot than the temperature. Beat the temp by 20 degrees today - it was 97 and the feels like was 104. Welcome to the South I guess. Interesting thing for all my complaints about Southern golf grasses, the ball seems to go a lot farther when its dry. Maybe it's just the heat and humidity.

[jasonfish11]

Oh man, it was so hot out this morning (at 8am) that I was sweating like crazy. All I was doing was chipping.

[DougE]

Rough week out there, between the heat wave and my deep golf slump. Did not really enjoy my time on the course. Have not been playing true rounds the last 4 or 5 times out, but more just hitting shots trying to figure out what is wrong, while trying to enjoy those with whom I'm playing. My blond and beautiful female doctor-friend helped make the 4th bearable. She rode with me and shot a 108, so......at least I beat SOMEBODY that day. Barely.

Even my trusty short game has been affected in this horrendous slump. I have bladed flops, thinned chips, and even chili dipped one. I never do that. I have topped a few 3Ws too. My confidence is way down right now. I've gotten yippy as a result. However, I went out and played nine holes with two or three balls last night, by myself, and actually did everything pretty well. So I know it is more of a mind thing than a swing thing. I was freed up playing solo and I am sure that made a big difference.

Today, my Connecticut posse shows up for three days of golf and razzing of each other. So, I expect I will press too hard to play to my handicap, adding pressure to a game that is already on the edge. Is there any other sport that requires this much mental fortitude?

The heat wave is supposed to end tonight. I'm hoping it helps end my slump as well.

[legitimatebeef]

Hang in there kitty. I too am having a tough time. Not so much with my golf technique (not like you ) but just dealing with the climate in general. Hit balls yesterday and after three crummy little swings began to drip sweat. Standing in a puddle of my own secretions by the end, t-shirt saturated and downright heavy. It might be moister than I've ever seen it here. It's how I imagine southeast Asia in typhoon season.

[DougE]

I don't know if the slump is over because one good round does not mean much. But, today, my boys from CT arrived and I proceeded to play like I know I can. Shot a 76 from the blue tees. 2 of them played the white tees. None of them broke 90. If nothing else, I no longer feel I have to prove to them I have some real game. 3 birdies, no doubles. Pheeeew!

[sjduffers]

Well done Doug! We knew we could count on you.

Today i tried walking in 95F weather and after a false start (where they squeezed me as a single between foursomes, the front one being so slow that I managed to walk by them along the second hole and get back to the pro shop before they got even remotely close to the green), I quit my round after 13 holes as I was getting close to hit the proverbial wall, being in that heat for 4 hours already, including the false start. I still got 12,000 steps so it wasn't all for naught...

[legitimatebeef]

Today is like, perfect mild, dry summer weather. Still pissing me off. Yeah it's a nice day and all that shit but I just don't like the unpredictability.

[bkuehn1952]

Shot a 76 from the blue tees.

Slump over

If you shoot poorly again, it is a new slump.

[jfurr]

Slump 'em if you got 'em

[legitimatebeef]

Playing Bethpage BLACK tomorrow 1:42.

[Duke of Hazards]

Have fun!

[legitimatebeef]

To think, I will be playing golf today at the site of Tiger's 15th or 16th major championship victory. Humbling.

Tee time moved up to 1:24.

[bkuehn1952]

Let's see ... tee off at 1:24pm. Add 5.5 hours and LB will be done at 7:00pm EDT Train back to NYC, Uber, subway, walk ... home at 9:00!! Can't wait for the write up.

Who thinks he breaks 80? 90? 100?
# of pars + birdies = ??

I think he breaks 100 and has 5 pars and a birdie to go along with all the other scores.

[DougE]

92. No birdies. 4 penalties. Swing worked. Course just tough.

[jasonfish11]

94 with a 1 or 2 wild drives and some clutch putts

[legitimatebeef]

moisture reigns supreme

[jev]

Played a new course yesterday called "The Links Valley". This course is a "reversible 9-hole course" that you can play clockwise and anti-clockwise, really weird and confusing at times. It was fun though albeit a little too hot to comfortably continue after the 9th for the second half. We'll go back there one day to play it in reverse order .

[legitimatebeef]

Humidity has now reached tragicomic level. For the last month, every day has been humider than the last. That means that anytime you see me, it's on the humidest day of my life.