Goal To Shoot The Course Record

[Richie3Jack]

After I shot my low score at Eastwood (69, -3), I started to think that a good goal for myself was to shoot the course record there. The course record is 65, by Duffy Waldorf. I believe that the 'official course record' needs to be shot in tournament play. I'm pretty certain Waldorf did not shoot that in a tournament. I could live with an 'unofficial course record' and an 'official course record.'

I firmly believe this is possible for me to do. Not easy, but possible. I shot 69 in 60 degree weather in wet conditions, playing with a driver that's not fit for me, a 3-wood not fit for me, irons not fit for me, a wedge setup I probably won't play in a few months, and a putter that will be replaced by an Edel putter. Furthermore, my swing is still developing and I haven't taken an AimPoint clinic, yet.

Here's Eastwood's scorecard



So I need to go -8 in order to shoot the 'unofficial course record.'

I believe that will require going at least -3 on the four par-5's (#2, #6, #10 and #16). In all likelihood, the birdies will have to come on 2, 6 and 16. #10 is 630 yards long, uphill and doglegs about 90* off the tee and your really can't cut the corner. So it is legitimately 628 and probably plays longer than that. Perhaps when I get things sorted out I might be abe to reach 2 and 16 in two, although neither are an easy task because 2 doglegs hard and if you try to cut the corner...it's usually muddy over there and the ball can plug.

So, -3 on the par 5's.

I consider a potential birdie hole any time I can hit a 9-iron or less into the green.

I can have that consistently into #7, #13, #15. However, #13 is a badly designed golf hole because it's a completely blind shot into the green because of the brush gets in the way. I mean completely blind. Since it's the winter time, I can barely see the flag thru the brush. But in the summer time, you really just guess. Stupid hole really. Maybe one day I'll take a pic of the bullshit.

The holes that border me hitting a 9-iron or in (right now I'll hit 9 or less into them, but sometimes I can't) are #1, #10 and #18. #1 has a very narrow green which is a bit problematic. Plus, I have to usually hit a 3-wood and then hit a short iron in. #10 again is the 628 par-5. I've had everything from a 4-iron to a SW into this green, depending on the weather. #18 is a nice, quaint finishing hole. I had a 9-into it on Sunday, but it plays longer than it looks because the fairway is usually soft and does go uphill.

So I've gone over the following as *potential* birdie holes which I'll grade as the best potential birdie holes

#1 - C
#2 - A
#6 - A
#7 - A
#10 - C
#13 - C
#15 - B
#16 - A
#18 - C

That leaves 9 holes I haven't discussed:

#3 - 180 par-3 that I tend to struggle on. Small green.

#4 - Toughest hole on the course and not a favorite design of mine. Imperative to par this hole.

#5 - This may wind up being a potential birdie hole. Hit driver 8-iron into this hole the last few times I played it and with the improvements in equipment and such, this hole may eventually start playing like a driver and 9-iron.

#8 - 191 yard par-3. Green is bigger than #3.

#9 - Tough design. I can probably hit 9-iron in if I catch one. Tough hole to judge though.

#11 - 447 yard par-4. I try to just hit no worse than a 6-iron into it.

#12 - 213 yard par-3. Usually a 3 or 4-iron in, very small green.

#14 - 182 yar par-3. I struggle on this hole much more than I should ever struggle on it.

#17 - 431 yard par-4. Goes uphill a bit, so good drivers usually put me about 150 away. That's borderline 9-iron for me, but the green is very tough.

I'm guessing to shoot 64 I'd have to go and birdie:

1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 15, 16, 18





3JACK

[cwdlaw223]

I think you can do it if you have the pin locations beforehand and a very good map of the green with applicable zero lines. I shoot better in tournaments because I'm more focused and have better information regarding the pin locations. I suspect you're the same and the intensity of a round that counts narrows your focus.

[walther]

Good Luck Richie -- It'd be a great milestone on the way to quality for the US Am.

[cwdlaw223]

Anyone trying for the Mid Am this year? I hate thirty-six hole qualifiers past the age of thirty six!!!

[Richie3Jack]

Thanks guys.

1. Eastwood has a numbering system for their pin placements, going 1, 2 and 3. So if they say the pins are placed on #2, that means the 1st hole with have the pin in the middle of the green, 2nd hole will have the pin in back, 3rd hole will have pin in front....and then rinse and repeat.

I believe Eastwood is a difficult course to go low on because the par 5's are almost unreachable outside of #2. I don't think Dustin Johnson could reasonably reach #6 and there's no way he can reach #10 in two. He could technically reach #6, but the landing area is too small and it's too long of a 2nd shot. Maybe if there was a big wind behind him and he hit a dead perfect drive and he was feeling frisky....but it's really a lay up hole (kinda the reason why I don't like it...you have to lay up because the 2nd shot is not reasonable to go for in 2).

But the bigger reason why Eastwood is tough to go low is the greens are poorly designed and the wind up cutting the cups in very tough positions. The greens are slow to make it so you won't 3-jack everything, but it's still tough.

Anyway, I don't think I'll try for the Mid-Am this year. I'm a little too far away from where I want to be right now but I'm getting much better very rapidly. So the US Am qualifier is a possibility since it's later in the season. I will most likely play a couple of local events around here in Orlando.





3JACK

[cwdlaw223]

Isn't the Mid Am later than the US Am?

[Richie3Jack]

I thought qualifying was before.





3JACK

[styles]

thats a great target Richie, good luck with it.

Whats interesting is that before a game last year, my friend and I had a bet that whoever shot the most under par would buy the beers afterwards. During the day we both spoke later that all we were thinking was birdies, when under par we wanted to get more under par. In the end I won :-) I was 2 under at one stage but had a couple of bad holes near the end but I did end up winning the gross prize that day.

I'm going to look at my home course and try the same thing, its a change of mindset and I think it is a useful challenge.

If anyone is in Ireland this year, we have 3 mid-amateur comps that are great value.

PM me for details or go to GUI.com

[Richie3Jack]

Here's a pic of the dumb 13th hole. There's really not enough room for the driver. I've hit driver well here, right down the pipe and have almost gone in the water. If you look at the left part of the picture you will see those small trees and brush. That's where your drive goes typically. Then you hit your second shot over those trees/brush. But come summertime when the leaves are in bloom, you literally cannot see anything...the green or the pin or the bunker or the water hazard. It's just a blind guess. Egads.

[Richie3Jack]

I'm still aways away from shooting the course record. I shot 69 again with my dad and a friend of ours a few weeks ago. Last Sunday I shot 74.

The good news is that I think with my added power, paying more close attention to my statistical findings and my better putting...I'm 'scoring' a lot better now. I don't have to hit 15 greens in order to shoot under par. Hell, I only hit 9 on Sunday and shot 74. Of course, it's a bit of a double edged sword because I'm making more sure to not leave my misses in a bad place.

Still though, Eastwood has some troubling holes. Particularly holes 10-14.

#10 - birdie-able hole, but very long and requires a precise tee shot in order to get an approach with a wedge (611 yard par-5)

#11 - 450 yard par-4. Green is pretty open. I hit a hard drive on Sunday and had 150 into the green (300 yard drive).

#12 - This hole is tough because it's 205 yards and slightly uphill. I have to hit a 3-iron and if I hit it hard, it can land on the green. If I just miss it, then the bunker comes into play.

#13 - I need to figure out a way to play this hole with the blind approach shot.

#14 - a par-3 that I haven't really mastered

Part of the problem I've had is that when I start to put it all together with my game, the wind blows really hard and it's difficult to stick anything close.









3JACK