What did you shoot today?

GBOGEY
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by GBOGEY »

Due to weekend rain and a family vacation, played my first 18 yesterday in three weeks which is a long time for me. Great front nine, 38/+2, but on the back hit three unbelievably bad shots to lead to three DBs, finished 81/+9. Ugly feeling. Unfortunately having minor surgery today that will keep me from swinging for two weeks, so it might be ugly next time I play.
bkuehn1952.2
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by bkuehn1952.2 »

I am sure the surgery will go well and you will be back to shooting great scores.

I ventured out on a Saturday against my better judgment. Wow, was it slow. We were following several foursomes. I think it was some sort of get together and they did a very nice job of moving along at a 5 1/2 hour pace. Despite literally waiting 5+ minutes on each shot, other than on the green, I managed a 38 on the front nine. After my tee shot on #11, I could not see anyone on holes 15-17. I had to be home by 4pm and clearly that was not going to happen if I tried to play all 18. I told the guys that I had joined that I was jumping to #15 and took off. It turned out there was a group teeing off on #15 but no one on #16, 17, 18, so I played the final three holes and headed home.

I am really at a loss as to how public golf is ever going to solve the "pace of play" issue. Watching the foursome in front for 11 holes and almost 4 hours, I could see small things they did not do to move along a little quicker. Ultimately, they were just poor players who hit into the woods, hit shots 50 yards, 4-putted, etc... Even if they did everything "right", their lack of talent was going to result in a 5 hour round. And even if they coud play in 4 hours, the four groups in front were just as slow so they woud all need to transform themselves into competent players.

My only answer is to play really early during the week and hope I don't get stuck behind a foursome with the attitude of "We are on a proper 4 hour 30 minute pace so NO ONE is allowed to pass us."
GBOGEY
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by GBOGEY »

bkuehn1952.2 wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2024 9:32 am I am really at a loss as to how public golf is ever going to solve the "pace of play" issue. Watching the foursome in front for 11 holes and almost 4 hours, I could see small things they did not do to move along a little quicker. Ultimately, they were just poor players who hit into the woods, hit shots 50 yards, 4-putted, etc... Even if they did everything "right", their lack of talent was going to result in a 5 hour round. And even if they coud play in 4 hours, the four groups in front were just as slow so they woud all need to transform themselves into competent players.
Which is why it was an absolute requirement that when we moved to SC, it was to a place with a private club that I wanted to join. I just couldn't handle the long public rounds for the next 20 years.

On a different note, I entered my first real competition in four years this week. I'm going to play in both the club's gross and net match play. I've never played an official match play event, just with some weekend buddies, so I thought it would be a nice change. I have no chance in the gross - there are two or three scratch golfers, but I should be among the second tier of golfers so maybe I can advance a few rounds.

As to the net, who knows. I'm one of the stronger golfers entered. One thing that has occurred to me is that due to our windy conditions, better golfers don't have the advantage they usually do. We have a lot of older mid-high handicaps who hit the ball straight, short and low, so the big winds don't bother them like they do me. Had my first round yesterday. One reason I wanted to play in the net was to see what it was like playing a real match where I'm giving 5-10 strokes and see how I do. Of course, my first round was against a similar handicap and since he was playing the senior tees I actually got two strokes.

It was a very interesting match. I hadn't competed in so long I was quite nervous. My opponent was older, incredibly straight and reasonably long off the tee, with a long putter. I could tell he was going to be deadly with it. First hole after three mediocre shots, he drains a 15 footer to save par. So I drained a 12 footer to halve the hole. I finally steadied and was up +3 after 8 holes and was feeling good because I typically play the next three holes quite well. Well he won all three of those holes to tie me up, partly with great play and partly with my bad play. I then got it together and he faltered twice and by 15 I was up +2, only to have him hit his approach to three feet on 16, so now +1.

17 was interesting - I missed the green with what I thought was a well struck ball impacted by the wind. He hit it, but was at least 50 feet from the hole. I thought my chip was quite easy but didn't hit it well and went 10 feet by. He hit his worst lag of the day. My 10 footer looked good ... until it lipped out. His 7 footer looked good ... until it lipped out.

18 we both missed the green on directly opposite sides of the hole. I lamented to myself on the way up 18 about the chip on 17 and how I really hadn't had a good chip all day and that's the best part of my game. So I hit a lofted chip from 12 feet off the green and you could hear the other players groan thinking that I had blown it because it was flying almost all the way to the hole, but then it landed and stopped stiff, two feet from the hole. I opponent messed up from there so I won 2 and 0. Didn't play great, left a few too many shots out there, but shot 80 which is my average and won so overall pleased.
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MattF
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by MattF »

Congratulations @GBOGEY
GBOGEY
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by GBOGEY »

From the "you can't make this up" file:

Saturday I totally laid an egg. Fought back to take a 1-up lead after 11 - should have been up more - only to have three totally unforced DB's in a row, lost 2 and 1. Totally bad swing day, fourth straight round without a birdie and spent the day in a lot of sand. Lots of putts burning edges, would love to blame nerves but I think it was just poor play.

Sunday first hole right into the bunker, just like previous day. Except this sand shot holed out for birdie. Second hole wedge clears the bunker by a yard and rolls to 15 feet, except this put goes in for birdie #2. Went on to shoot 76 with three birdies and no DB's in very windy conditions. Not sure how to describe the two day experience.
bkuehn1952.2
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by bkuehn1952.2 »

Thanks for the recap of Day 1. I found myself nodding at your descriptions of your feelings and adventures. Very similar to what I went through at our Match Play event.

Did the competition take place over a couple weekends? You won Match 1 and lost Match 2? Or were there more matches in between? Are you going to do it again next year? One thing I learned playing "Net" was you do NOT want a low handicap index. :D
GBOGEY
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by GBOGEY »

Yes, the tournament is taking place over several weekends. Won the first, lost the second. I should have been among the low handicap players but obviously didn't play like it. I think my mind just wandered a few times. Definitely want to do it again next year. Also looking to change my Saturday golf group - I like the guys I play with personally, but I'l like to play with some players closer to my level and several of the groups here do a low stakes competition each week. I think I need that to hone my game.

I'm also playing in our gross match play tournament to help fill out the field. I should be favored in the first round as my opponent is two-three shots higher handicap. If I win, my second match will be against one of the near scratch players in the field. Needless to say, I hope to win this weekend and learn from the experience week two.
bkuehn1952.2
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by bkuehn1952.2 »

Back from a 16 day trip to Europe. Hadn't touched a club or hit a ball in 19 days. Shot a 75 at my home course (5,805 yards 68.4/121). Conditions were perfect for scoring and I can really play from these short tees. We are out-of-season for handicap posting but that would have been a 6.2 differential. I am happy tonight and won't think about what happens in January.
legitimatebeef
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by legitimatebeef »

bkuehn1952.2 wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2024 2:06 pm Back from a 16 day trip to Europe. Hadn't touched a club or hit a ball in 19 days. Shot a 75 at my home course (5,805 yards 68.4/121). Conditions were perfect for scoring and I can really play from these short tees. We are out-of-season for handicap posting but that would have been a 6.2 differential. I am happy tonight and won't think about what happens in January.
Nice! Are you a fan of Rick Steves by any chance?
bkuehn1952.2
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Re: What did you shoot today?

Post by bkuehn1952.2 »

legitimatebeef wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2024 2:11 pm Nice! Are you a fan of Rick Steves by any chance?
Absolutely. As part of our trip, we did a one week Rick Steves Tour of Barcelona and Madrid/Toledo. It was our 4th Rick Steves trip. His company does a superb job of selecting family run hotels and has a great lineup of tour guides. The only drawback for people under 65 is that the tour participants, like me & my spouse, tend to be 65+. My guess is out of our recent group, only 1-2 were under 65.

I also find that people using Rick Steves tend to be more tolerant and nice. Maybe because we watch PBS and not Fox. ;)
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