Even though my health isn’t quite 100%, I decided to play a round of 18 today while I had the chance. Warm-ups at the range went well with my irons, but my driver and 3-wood were hooking and slicing more than going to the target. I couldn’t quite figure out why other than my swing plane getting too steep again and my hands trying to compensate.
Today I decided to upgrade to the blue tees (Championship Tees), which at this particular course have a rating/slope of 71.9/135. Until today I’ve been playing the whites, which are at 69.0/121.
I enjoyed playing from the blues, but it was certainly a more challenging game on this course. Playing from the whites was starting to get frustrating because it was becoming a drive-and-pitch kind of game for me. The distances were too short, so even on Par-5′s as long as I had an average or better drive (280 yds) I’d be going for the green in 2 with a 5-iron.
The most noticeable difference between the tees was probably the Par-3′s, primarily because I typically had to club-up 2 or 3 clubs more than what I would use from the whites. Par-3 distances from the whites on this course are 159, 125, 132, and 92, but from the blues they are 185, 145, 182, and 126, respectively.
The 132 to 182 jump really changed my game plan for that hole. From the whites I would use my PW, but from the blues, which today were set at 205 according to SkyCaddie, I had to use my 5-iron. (Had a great shot and distance that just missed the green to the right only to bounce off the slope and into the edge of the water.)
In any case, it was fun and challenging. I finished the day with an 86, which probably could have been much better if I properly concentrated at the start of the day. I was +7 after the first 5 holes and +11 after the first 9. But the back 9 went much better with a +3 to finish +14 overall for an 86. Not bad, considering the start and that I was playing from a more challenging tee location.
Putting was great: no 3-putts, three 1-putts, and a no-putt (technically it was on the fringe), for a total of 33 putts averaging 1.8 putts per hole.
Fairways and GIR were pretty bad though, which just reflects the struggles with my driver and 3-wood that started on the range as I warmed up. Fairway accuracy was 6 out of 14 (43%). GIR was 5/18 (22%).
Overall, I’m happy with my performance, but the mental game needs improvement. I started off poorly because I was rushing through everything – an amateur tendency I know I can control. My handicap index did drop to 10.5, undoubtedly because of the more difficult tees. I also have some pictures to analyze my swing, thanks to my other half riding with me and snapping shots throughout the round.
For the rest of the week I have the 9-hole Tuesday golf and 18-holes on Friday at one of the best courses in the local area. In between I’ll mix in some workouts and practice.