Post by Richie3Jack on Jul 2, 2012 8:37:29 GMT -5
Course: MetroWest GC
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Stimp: 8
Got to play MetroWest. It was hot, but for the most part that slightly bearable hot that you get in the first half of the summer in the FLA. I found out my tee time for the State Am qualifier, 7:57 starting on #10. The course is not in very good condition, which is a little surprising given the amount of rain. It appears that they are letting the grass grow around the course to deal with the heat and the dry conditions before all of the rainfall. That actually made the course play harder.
#1: Busted a driver nicely down the middle, about 300 yards. I’ve decided that yes, I should hit driver on this hole. If I hit it hard, I should clear the left bunker and it’s a pretty poor tee shot to have to deal with the trees on the right. I then hit a LW to 3-feet and made the birdie (-1)
#2: Caught one a little low on the face and towards the heel and it cut into the fairway bunker. I need to play this tee shot more to the left. I then hit a 6-iron well left of the green. Tried to flop on, but went over the green. Chipped to 4-feet and missed the bogey putt (+1)
#3 – Hit a good 5-iron to the front fringe. I was playing with my KBS Tour shafts because my Wishon Stepless irons are getting their lie angles bent. I think there’s a noticeable difference because the wind held this 5-iron up and probably lost about 10 yards. Anyway, chip and a putt for par (+1)
#4 – Finally, a good drive on this hole. Although it was into the wind. I think if the wind is with us and I hit a good drive on this hole, I can go over the hazard like my friend did a couple of months ago. But if not, I need to aim well to the left at the left bunker. It leaves a much wider angle into the green. I hit a 3-wood over there and then a PW that went short, Chip and a putt for par (+1)
#5 – Figure out this drive as well as I blasted it over the bunker. Hit a decent SW to 18 feet and canned the birdie (E)
#6 – I think I need to hug the left bunker a little more because chances are I will make it past that bunker. Instead I had a little push-cut and wound up in the right rough and further away from the hole. This left me with a slightly difficult uphill lie and I hit a decent 5-iron into the wind, but it wound up short. Good pitch to 4-feet and canned the par save (E)
#7 – Ugly heel shot into the fairway bunker. Hit a nice shot out, then a 9-iron that went over the green. Another good chip and a putt for par (E)
#8 – Flushed an 8-iron to 25 feet. Thought I had the read, but missed the 2nd break the other way and made par (E)
#9 – I see what my one friend meant by the trees on the right blocking the approach shot. I hit my best struck driver of the day here and pushed it a bit and had those stupid trees behind me. I’ll have to play the course again and try the same shot with a 3-wood off the tee. The next shot was makeable, but I just didn’t have the cajones to try it and I hit the trees and went into the water. Dropped, flopped a SW to 15 feet and 2-putted for double (+2)
#10 – Another crappy drive on this hole well to the right. Pretty good hybrid out of a tough lie. Then a good 5-iron onto the green. 2-putted nicely from 40 feet. (+2)
#11 – Toe hooked a driver, but wound up in between the traps. Still a bad lie from the grass growing so long. Hit a SW onto the green to 20 feet and just missed the birdie (+2)
#12 – Ugly hit. At this point I was losing my swing due to working on some things, getting tired from the heat and a 3-some that was holding up the entire course because they simply didn’t know how to play golf. When I become Ruler of the Earth, these people are forced to go to the range and learn the etiquette of the game before they step out onto a course.
Anyway, I then struck another ugly approach, but found the green and had another nice 2-putt from about 50-feet. (+2)
#13 – Another ugly strike in the fairway. Tried to go for a left cut flag, but my swing wasn’t on cue and I missed well left. Hit a really nice flop, one of my better ones this entire year, to 3-feet. But, I missed the putt as it broke about 3-inches. (+3)
#14 – Finally hit a better than awful drive on this hole. Although I was still seeking the left fairway bunkers. I think I have to tee up on the right side of this tee because when I do, I don’t position myself out to the right and it cuts down the path from going too far inside-to-out. I then hit a driver off the deck, but cut it. I was pin high though. Then a pitch to 7-feet and canned the birdie putt (+2)
#15 – I estimate that 71 (-1) at the qualifier should get me into the state am. So I was mentally preparing myself as if I was +2 with 4 holes to play. The pin was cut in back and I really hit a shot with a 5-iron that is about the best one could reasonably hope for on this his. It rolled to the fringe. I made a good putt at it and just missed (+2)
#16 – with the same mentality, I hit another ugly strike with the driver, but find the fairway. This time I have an 8-iron and I pushed it, but it lands on the green and goes off the green. A good chip to 2-feet and make a par (+2)
#17 – we decided to play this hole up because I don’t think the qualifier they will have the tees all the way back to 230 yards. Anyway, I stripe another one here with a 4-iron that I push a little. It lands on the green and goes over. Now I have an incredibly difficult lie. I could only get it to 20-feet, although I did make the 20-footer for par (+2)
#18 – I will say that as I am starting to turn the corner with my swing, I can really bomb it at times. I hit this one about 290 yards, into a ¼ wind and it landed in the rough. Just killed it. I then pulled my PW from a fairly difficult lie into the greenside bunker. Then a pretty decent blast to 6-feet, but I just missed the par save (+3)
THOUGHTS: Mentally, I regressed a little bit. While I like the design of MetroWest and the staff is very friendly, this place is filled with distractions. Whether it be cars, ambulances, kids crossing the course, slow play, people who have to yell on the course, etc.
Still, I can’t let that stuff affect my focus and composure on the course. I also just flat out struggled with the swing. I’ll have to work on that over the week. Still, I see a nice amount of progress. My putting is starting to come around more and more as well as the short game. The day before I played at North Shore with my dad and I struck the driver well enough to shoot 65 at MetroWest.
I think I need to really start focusing a little more on hitting greens at MetroWest and stop going for flags as often as I have been. There’s birdie holes out there and I think outside of holes #1 thru #6, the greens are not all that difficult. I will probably go play there next Sunday.
38-37=75 (+3)
9/14 FWY
8/18 GIR
27 PUTTS
5 impeded shots
3JACK
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Stimp: 8
Got to play MetroWest. It was hot, but for the most part that slightly bearable hot that you get in the first half of the summer in the FLA. I found out my tee time for the State Am qualifier, 7:57 starting on #10. The course is not in very good condition, which is a little surprising given the amount of rain. It appears that they are letting the grass grow around the course to deal with the heat and the dry conditions before all of the rainfall. That actually made the course play harder.
#1: Busted a driver nicely down the middle, about 300 yards. I’ve decided that yes, I should hit driver on this hole. If I hit it hard, I should clear the left bunker and it’s a pretty poor tee shot to have to deal with the trees on the right. I then hit a LW to 3-feet and made the birdie (-1)
#2: Caught one a little low on the face and towards the heel and it cut into the fairway bunker. I need to play this tee shot more to the left. I then hit a 6-iron well left of the green. Tried to flop on, but went over the green. Chipped to 4-feet and missed the bogey putt (+1)
#3 – Hit a good 5-iron to the front fringe. I was playing with my KBS Tour shafts because my Wishon Stepless irons are getting their lie angles bent. I think there’s a noticeable difference because the wind held this 5-iron up and probably lost about 10 yards. Anyway, chip and a putt for par (+1)
#4 – Finally, a good drive on this hole. Although it was into the wind. I think if the wind is with us and I hit a good drive on this hole, I can go over the hazard like my friend did a couple of months ago. But if not, I need to aim well to the left at the left bunker. It leaves a much wider angle into the green. I hit a 3-wood over there and then a PW that went short, Chip and a putt for par (+1)
#5 – Figure out this drive as well as I blasted it over the bunker. Hit a decent SW to 18 feet and canned the birdie (E)
#6 – I think I need to hug the left bunker a little more because chances are I will make it past that bunker. Instead I had a little push-cut and wound up in the right rough and further away from the hole. This left me with a slightly difficult uphill lie and I hit a decent 5-iron into the wind, but it wound up short. Good pitch to 4-feet and canned the par save (E)
#7 – Ugly heel shot into the fairway bunker. Hit a nice shot out, then a 9-iron that went over the green. Another good chip and a putt for par (E)
#8 – Flushed an 8-iron to 25 feet. Thought I had the read, but missed the 2nd break the other way and made par (E)
#9 – I see what my one friend meant by the trees on the right blocking the approach shot. I hit my best struck driver of the day here and pushed it a bit and had those stupid trees behind me. I’ll have to play the course again and try the same shot with a 3-wood off the tee. The next shot was makeable, but I just didn’t have the cajones to try it and I hit the trees and went into the water. Dropped, flopped a SW to 15 feet and 2-putted for double (+2)
#10 – Another crappy drive on this hole well to the right. Pretty good hybrid out of a tough lie. Then a good 5-iron onto the green. 2-putted nicely from 40 feet. (+2)
#11 – Toe hooked a driver, but wound up in between the traps. Still a bad lie from the grass growing so long. Hit a SW onto the green to 20 feet and just missed the birdie (+2)
#12 – Ugly hit. At this point I was losing my swing due to working on some things, getting tired from the heat and a 3-some that was holding up the entire course because they simply didn’t know how to play golf. When I become Ruler of the Earth, these people are forced to go to the range and learn the etiquette of the game before they step out onto a course.
Anyway, I then struck another ugly approach, but found the green and had another nice 2-putt from about 50-feet. (+2)
#13 – Another ugly strike in the fairway. Tried to go for a left cut flag, but my swing wasn’t on cue and I missed well left. Hit a really nice flop, one of my better ones this entire year, to 3-feet. But, I missed the putt as it broke about 3-inches. (+3)
#14 – Finally hit a better than awful drive on this hole. Although I was still seeking the left fairway bunkers. I think I have to tee up on the right side of this tee because when I do, I don’t position myself out to the right and it cuts down the path from going too far inside-to-out. I then hit a driver off the deck, but cut it. I was pin high though. Then a pitch to 7-feet and canned the birdie putt (+2)
#15 – I estimate that 71 (-1) at the qualifier should get me into the state am. So I was mentally preparing myself as if I was +2 with 4 holes to play. The pin was cut in back and I really hit a shot with a 5-iron that is about the best one could reasonably hope for on this his. It rolled to the fringe. I made a good putt at it and just missed (+2)
#16 – with the same mentality, I hit another ugly strike with the driver, but find the fairway. This time I have an 8-iron and I pushed it, but it lands on the green and goes off the green. A good chip to 2-feet and make a par (+2)
#17 – we decided to play this hole up because I don’t think the qualifier they will have the tees all the way back to 230 yards. Anyway, I stripe another one here with a 4-iron that I push a little. It lands on the green and goes over. Now I have an incredibly difficult lie. I could only get it to 20-feet, although I did make the 20-footer for par (+2)
#18 – I will say that as I am starting to turn the corner with my swing, I can really bomb it at times. I hit this one about 290 yards, into a ¼ wind and it landed in the rough. Just killed it. I then pulled my PW from a fairly difficult lie into the greenside bunker. Then a pretty decent blast to 6-feet, but I just missed the par save (+3)
THOUGHTS: Mentally, I regressed a little bit. While I like the design of MetroWest and the staff is very friendly, this place is filled with distractions. Whether it be cars, ambulances, kids crossing the course, slow play, people who have to yell on the course, etc.
Still, I can’t let that stuff affect my focus and composure on the course. I also just flat out struggled with the swing. I’ll have to work on that over the week. Still, I see a nice amount of progress. My putting is starting to come around more and more as well as the short game. The day before I played at North Shore with my dad and I struck the driver well enough to shoot 65 at MetroWest.
I think I need to really start focusing a little more on hitting greens at MetroWest and stop going for flags as often as I have been. There’s birdie holes out there and I think outside of holes #1 thru #6, the greens are not all that difficult. I will probably go play there next Sunday.
38-37=75 (+3)
9/14 FWY
8/18 GIR
27 PUTTS
5 impeded shots
3JACK