Post by gmbtempe on May 23, 2010 22:03:56 GMT -5
Caught a super cool late May day in Phx but man it was brutally windy, 20-30 with gusts all day. Walked on to the muni Ken McDonald for 8 bucks!
I have made some swing changes but have not had much chance to practice them but I might have found something, more testing needed. Here is the round.
#1 350 yard par 4 - push down the right side with a driver, rough and slight tree trouble. Hit a sand wedge from 80 that faded perfectly with the wind and lipped out, left 4 for birdie and I sunk it! -1
#2 420 yard par 4 - smoke drive down left side about 280 into the wind with a little help at the end from the path. I had 145 into the wind but a flier lie and decided to nuke a 9 which I did but the wind took it left onto the fringe. I had about 60 feet right back into the wind it was howling and I went with the putter. That was a mistake as I came up 10 feet shot and missed the putt, so much for the good start. E
#3 500 yard par 5 - smoked driver right back into the wind, got a little path and ended up only 210 out, frankly I was shocked how far I hit it. I started thinking the wind was more helping than hurting so I went with 6 from 210 and came up 30 yards short with a solid strike, so the wind was hurting. I pitched to 10 feet but missed the putt. E
#4 170 yard par 3 with crosswind left, hit a thin 7 but right at it, came up about 7 yards short and had a birdie pitch. I left it 4 short somehow but sank it for par. E
#5 400 yard par 4 right back into the wind, this hole always kills me with OB left but I took it down the right side but it ballooned a bit into the wind and I had about 160 left. I nailed a punch 6 right at it but it ended up on the fringe. I learned my lesson from 2 and chipped to a foot for par. E
#6 210 yard par 3 with a serious cross wind hurting, I just wanted to punch my 4 because my hybrid would get into the air and really smoked it about 200 yards. Two putts for easy par. E
#7 380 yard par 4 - ok drive that that the cross wind pushed to right rough, from 120 I hit an easy pitching wedge that landed just short and ran up to 12 feet, this was a very good shot. Jarred it for birdie. -1
#8 520 yard par 5 way down wind so I just punched a 4 about 240 as there is a lake at 270. Was still to far to go for it so layed up with a 7 that went 200 yards
and almost into a pond. From 90 just hit a smooth SW to 15 feet and then just drained it center of the cup. -2
#9 440 dogleg hard left, with wind just super hard left to right. You have to start it over the OB if you want to hit the fairway, time to hit a golf shot. Perfect drive to 175. 7 iron with slightly helping wind and I hit it 30. First putt 4 short but perfect putt for par. -2, 34..........never done that before.
#10 365 par 4 right back into the wind, OB left and right. I hit a 4 iron just to make sure I was in play, smoked a 5 iron low but it went left and got my first bad break, just a horrible lie down wind pitch that the best I could do was 7 feet and I missed. bogey. -1
#11 540 yard par 5 into 20 mph wind. smoked a drive 240 and hit 3 wood solid to 120. My first weak shot of the day, did not commit to the punch 9 iron and left it short with a hard up and down, missed a 5 footer for par. ehh bogey but this hole was tough today. E
#12 400 yard par 4 downwind big time, smoked it 350 or so, pitched it to 10 feet which was a good shot with the wind, just lipped the putt. E
#13 510 yard par 5 crosswind with water in play. This is where it was tough mentally and I wanted to make sure I made good decisions, water was definitely in play with a driver. I punched a 4 iron, then another 4 iron to 120 and hit an ok gap wedge crosswind helping and just missed the putt. E
#14 185 par 3 helping crosswind, I decided to go 7 as short was better than long, hit a great 7 iron to middle of green and two putted which was fine, not a whole to attack. E
#15 370 par 4 back into the wind, smoked a drive about 250 and had some tree issues as it went into the right rough, hit a good PW that nipped a branch and had 40 feet that I ran 5 by but made a good come backer. E
#16 380 yard par 4, normally a tough hole for me but the wind was helping the push OB that is in play, I skied it though in a weak quit swing, from 160 back into the wind punched a 6 iron but it did not turn over and I was right of the green with a down wind pitch short sided, best I could do was about 8 feet and missed the putt....ahh the mental part is soo hard. +1
#17 190 yard par 3 with water right, and wind just howling 30, its actually picked up. As Mickelson said after the masters, just time to hit a golf shot. I punched a 4 straight as an arrow and had about 40 feet, great shot. I almost jarred it, tap in 3. +1
#18 390 yard par 4 straight down wind. I know a good tee shot will give me a shot to pin hunt for a E round. I hit a great 4 iron into the middle of the fairway. Had 9 iron from 165 down cross wind but water was left of the pin so I was conservative and just played a draw but left it 30 feet right. Birdie putt was a foot short, tap in +1 for 73!!
So that was my best round ever, by two shots. With the wind involved it was probably a couple shots better than that compared to my previous best. It was also totally legit, no gimmies, putted everything out. I really found something based on one of Richie's blog posts and reading a new (but old book). I want to test it some more but I think I found how to get into the right position at P6.
Sorry for the long write up but rounds like this don't come around often.
I have made some swing changes but have not had much chance to practice them but I might have found something, more testing needed. Here is the round.
#1 350 yard par 4 - push down the right side with a driver, rough and slight tree trouble. Hit a sand wedge from 80 that faded perfectly with the wind and lipped out, left 4 for birdie and I sunk it! -1
#2 420 yard par 4 - smoke drive down left side about 280 into the wind with a little help at the end from the path. I had 145 into the wind but a flier lie and decided to nuke a 9 which I did but the wind took it left onto the fringe. I had about 60 feet right back into the wind it was howling and I went with the putter. That was a mistake as I came up 10 feet shot and missed the putt, so much for the good start. E
#3 500 yard par 5 - smoked driver right back into the wind, got a little path and ended up only 210 out, frankly I was shocked how far I hit it. I started thinking the wind was more helping than hurting so I went with 6 from 210 and came up 30 yards short with a solid strike, so the wind was hurting. I pitched to 10 feet but missed the putt. E
#4 170 yard par 3 with crosswind left, hit a thin 7 but right at it, came up about 7 yards short and had a birdie pitch. I left it 4 short somehow but sank it for par. E
#5 400 yard par 4 right back into the wind, this hole always kills me with OB left but I took it down the right side but it ballooned a bit into the wind and I had about 160 left. I nailed a punch 6 right at it but it ended up on the fringe. I learned my lesson from 2 and chipped to a foot for par. E
#6 210 yard par 3 with a serious cross wind hurting, I just wanted to punch my 4 because my hybrid would get into the air and really smoked it about 200 yards. Two putts for easy par. E
#7 380 yard par 4 - ok drive that that the cross wind pushed to right rough, from 120 I hit an easy pitching wedge that landed just short and ran up to 12 feet, this was a very good shot. Jarred it for birdie. -1
#8 520 yard par 5 way down wind so I just punched a 4 about 240 as there is a lake at 270. Was still to far to go for it so layed up with a 7 that went 200 yards
and almost into a pond. From 90 just hit a smooth SW to 15 feet and then just drained it center of the cup. -2#9 440 dogleg hard left, with wind just super hard left to right. You have to start it over the OB if you want to hit the fairway, time to hit a golf shot. Perfect drive to 175. 7 iron with slightly helping wind and I hit it 30. First putt 4 short but perfect putt for par. -2, 34..........never done that before.
#10 365 par 4 right back into the wind, OB left and right. I hit a 4 iron just to make sure I was in play, smoked a 5 iron low but it went left and got my first bad break, just a horrible lie down wind pitch that the best I could do was 7 feet and I missed. bogey. -1
#11 540 yard par 5 into 20 mph wind. smoked a drive 240 and hit 3 wood solid to 120. My first weak shot of the day, did not commit to the punch 9 iron and left it short with a hard up and down, missed a 5 footer for par. ehh bogey but this hole was tough today. E
#12 400 yard par 4 downwind big time, smoked it 350 or so, pitched it to 10 feet which was a good shot with the wind, just lipped the putt. E
#13 510 yard par 5 crosswind with water in play. This is where it was tough mentally and I wanted to make sure I made good decisions, water was definitely in play with a driver. I punched a 4 iron, then another 4 iron to 120 and hit an ok gap wedge crosswind helping and just missed the putt. E
#14 185 par 3 helping crosswind, I decided to go 7 as short was better than long, hit a great 7 iron to middle of green and two putted which was fine, not a whole to attack. E
#15 370 par 4 back into the wind, smoked a drive about 250 and had some tree issues as it went into the right rough, hit a good PW that nipped a branch and had 40 feet that I ran 5 by but made a good come backer. E
#16 380 yard par 4, normally a tough hole for me but the wind was helping the push OB that is in play, I skied it though in a weak quit swing, from 160 back into the wind punched a 6 iron but it did not turn over and I was right of the green with a down wind pitch short sided, best I could do was about 8 feet and missed the putt....ahh the mental part is soo hard. +1
#17 190 yard par 3 with water right, and wind just howling 30, its actually picked up. As Mickelson said after the masters, just time to hit a golf shot. I punched a 4 straight as an arrow and had about 40 feet, great shot. I almost jarred it, tap in 3. +1
#18 390 yard par 4 straight down wind. I know a good tee shot will give me a shot to pin hunt for a E round. I hit a great 4 iron into the middle of the fairway. Had 9 iron from 165 down cross wind but water was left of the pin so I was conservative and just played a draw but left it 30 feet right. Birdie putt was a foot short, tap in +1 for 73!!
So that was my best round ever, by two shots. With the wind involved it was probably a couple shots better than that compared to my previous best. It was also totally legit, no gimmies, putted everything out. I really found something based on one of Richie's blog posts and reading a new (but old book). I want to test it some more but I think I found how to get into the right position at P6.
Sorry for the long write up but rounds like this don't come around often.
