The second round started at 12PM on Saturday after a late night of drinks by the fire, followed by stiff morning caesars and a few beers before the round. Surprisingly, my game held up on the day, shooting one stroke better than the day prior. The highlight of the round, and weekend, came when I hit a 7-iron within 2 inches of the 165 yard 11th hole. I hit the downhill green 20 feet left of the pin, and with my natural fade, the ball spun right to settle just a few inches behind the hole, so from our vantage point on the tee deck, it looked like it was heading in the cup. Our group went nuts which felt amazing, but I was mostly happy just to contribute in the Texas Scramble format.
Putting: my putting was once again difficult, though as verified by much better golfers than myself, the greens were extremely hilly, and some of the pin placements were more than challenging. I once again was plagued by missing short putts that I would normally take a ‘gimmie’ on in regular play.
Chipping: my chipping was a strength in my game once again, hitting several flop shots within a few feet of the pin, and having a few bump and runs that gave myself a chance to one-putt.
Short irons (SW to 8): while not quite as close the day prior, I was again hitting my short irons (8 & 9) into the greens as opposed to my long irons, and I was fairly happy with the results. While I wasn’t getting on in regulation with the regularity I’d like, I again avoided shanks and blades for the most part, an even more impressive considering my blood alcohol level towards the end of the round.
Long irons (5 to 7): I didn’t have to pull my 5-iron as often as usual, however I did tend to hit off the toe during the round, a trend that plagued me in my last round at Marlwood, and something that I’ll continue to monitor and practice at the range. With my previous set, my 5-iron was one of my most consistent clubs, so I feel it’s only a matter of time until I learn my new one.
Driver: due to the Texas Scramble format, I once again pulled driver regularly, and once again was impressed by the results. While I was likely less than 50% on my drives, the ones I did get in play generally went 250 yards into the right side of the fairway, avoiding the dreaded slice that caused me to retire the driver lass season. As mentioned in my earlier post, once I eliminate the bad misses on my irons, I will begin working on my driving.
Overall I was happy with my play, especially considering the number of beers consumed during the round. Realistically, after I almost holed out on 11, pretty much anything could have happened and I would consider it a successful round. I can’t wait until I can begin making great shots consistently, as it felt great to have the foursome discussing one of your shots for a few holes.
Breaking Ninety 