My Sunday round went okay with a 12-over par 84 (click the link to see the scorecard). It’s considered above my average score, according to oobgolf, but it’s not where I want to be.
In fact, if it wasn’t for the double bogey on Hole 2 or the triple bogey on Hole 3, it would have been a pretty decent day, especially since even with bogeys on those holes I would have been at 81, and if I played those holes like usual it could have been even less.
True to form, I started the round out slow. For some reason I had trouble concentrating and relaxing those first four holes. Then my tee shots were all over the place, and I was playing out of trouble most of the time on the front 9. Once I got past the first few holes I started playing pretty well – relatively, anyway.
My short game continues to be an issue. I just need to practice more to get the feel for it. I’m getting much better results since I started practicing more, but instead of getting within 3 feet of the hole like I want, I’m chipping to within about 6 to 8 feet of the hole. Which leads me to putting…
Putting is an issue. While I am keeping my putting average below 2, that statistic doesn’t show the number of 4 to 8 foot putts I’ve missed and should have/need to make. I can count 6 extra putts this round alone from missed putts in the 4 to 8 foot range (that’s a 78 with better putting).
I’m noticing that for the most part I’m putting it straight, but I’m misreading greens way too much. I account for too much break or not enough on the longer putts, and I can’t seem to find the right balance.
I think what I’ll do is practice straight putts at home for technique, but I’ll practice breaking putts only at the course. I’ve come across a number of drills and games for practicing breaking putts, so I’ll start trying them and see if I get any improvement.
Possibly the most frustrating time of the round was at the end, which might be why I felt worse about the round than my score indicated.
While I had a par on Hole 17, I was in perfect position to be on the green in 2 strokes by cutting the corner of the dogleg left. I had a great 300 yard drive down the fairway that set me up about 165 yards from the middle of the green, which is perfect yardage for my 7-iron. My 7-iron is my most consistent iron – until I’m trying to get on the green in 2 on a par 5. I ended up pushing the ball to the right and down a hill, setting me up for a long chip and 2-putt to finish the hole with par.
Hole 18 was similar. Great 280 yard drive that cut the dogleg right to land in the middle of the fairway with a clear view of the green at about 175 yards to the pin. With a gusty wind at my back, I decided to hit my 7-iron, thinking the wind will carry it at most to the back of the green. Of course, I was wrong about the wind, and to make it worse I pulled the ball to the left, past the green from the wind, and down another hill. I had a decent chip back onto the green for the 3rd shot, but my lack of concentration there as the round ended left me with a 3-putt bogey. I wasn’t happy about that ending, especially after my play on the previous 8 holes.
So, I played better overall, but I had a few moments that hurt. I think overall the bad moments are less often than they used to be, but they’re painful.
Tuesday golf is next. I may try to play one more round Friday or Saturday before I head to St. Augustine for the PGA Tour Academy. I can’t express how much I’m looking forward to learning more, especially since everything I know about playing golf at this point is entirely self-taught. While I’m proud of that, I know it’s also preventing me from getting better.