7.18.10 3Jack Round

[Richie3Jack]

Played at Eastwood GC today, still sort of licking my wounds from yesterday's round. However, I felt I got a lot of it straightened out and because of that, I think I made a breakthrough of sorts in realizing that when I lose power in my swing, it's likely the backswing's fault.

Anyway, I played with the Powerbilt H&B Grand Slam's today. I got the 5-iron and 7-iron swingweights measured as they did feel a bit heavy and the 5-iron measured in at D-4.25 and the 7-iron measured at D-2. Usually the sets I get all measure the same except for the Pitching Wedge. I'll probably hold off on the lead tape for now and get them all measured in a couple of weeks.

I also saw a mint condition '59 Corvette in the parking lot. So good I had to take a picture of it.



And here's the swing I was working with today.



It was windy, probably a 20 mph breeze going on. Course was in pretty good shape. I started off #10 today since the first tee was busy.

#10 - I figure this hole is more about precision of the tee, unless you are great at bombing a 3-wood. So I took a chance and hugged the left side. I then hit a decent titanium 3-wood to the left side. Big wind in my face and hit a pretty good 4-iron to 35 feet. First putt about 1 foot short and made par (E)

#11 - Big wind in our face and going to the left. I crush one for me, and the wind hooks it into the fairway bunker. This was noticeably longer off the tee than usual. Hit a 4-iron so-so out of the fairway bunker. Good pitch to 4-feet, but the putt was breaking a ton and I missed the par save (+1)

#12 - Mediocre swing with a 3-wood into the wind and it pretty much sliced right of the green. But, I was pin high with an easy up-n-down and did just that. Almost made the chip (+1)

#13 - Caught a driver a little on the toe, but found the middle of the fairway. Hit a pretty good 6-iron into a blind green to 15 feet and lipped out for birdie (+1)

#14 - Flushed a 3-iron into the wind to a tough pin and was about 20 feet away. Up a tier, but a good putt that just missed the birdie (+1)

#15 - Made good contact with the driver, but a big fade here on a dog leg left. Got away with it though and found the fairway to 155 yards. Hit an 8-iron to 20 feet and just missed the birdie again (+1)

#16 - Crushed a driver here. Then a good 3-wood followed up by a poor pitch...just didn't judge the distance. But I drained the 15 foot birdie putt (E)

#17 - Decent driver that just found the rough. There's fairway bunkers over by where I was at and the lie didn't look too promising. I then hit a 6-iron really well....too well. It flies the green and goes into the hazard. I drop and then hit a sky high flop shot to 8-feet and drain the bogey save (+1)

#18 - Decent driver down the middle. Flush a 7-iron to 8 feet and make the birdie (E)

#1 - I hit the 3-wood well here, but the wind was so strong it sliced the ball and a bad kick and almost went into the water, but with a dirt lie nonetheless. I hit a good 8-iron to 15 feet and then 2-putt from there (E)

#2 - Monster driver for me. Best driver I've ever had on this hole, although there was a fierce tailwind. I then hit a 3-wood into the greenside bunker and a decent sand shot for me to 8-feet. Hit the putt way too hard and made par (E)

#3 - Caught a 5-iron a little thin and it went to the back of the green. Great speed on the putt and made par (E)

#4 - Horrible first driver and thought I went O.B. on this stupid hole. I then hit a good driver, but the wind in our face meant I had to knock it around the trees. I couldn't find my first ball, so I hit the second one and it hit a tree and kicked O.B. I looked for that one and stumbled acorss the first one, about 10" from O.B. So I play that one and hit a shot thru a shoot of trees with an 8-iron. I then hit a nice LW pitch, but got a bad break on a kick and it went to 15 feet. I then drained the par putt. So what could've been a 9 turns into a 4. (E)

#5 - Murdered a driver for me. This was 40 yards longer than anything I hit with no wind and the wind was in our face and blowing to the right a bit. I then hit a 5-iron well, but the wind carried it over to the right quite a bit and I wound up on the fringe. I putted, so I consider it a GIR and put it two feet short, but knocked the par save in (E)

#6 - Big driver here followed by a solid 3-hybrid and flagged a SW to 6 feet and made the birdie (-1)

#7 - I never saw this driver, but felt like I hit it solid and it wound up being right down the middle, so I'm guessing it went straight. Hit a 6-iron to 30 feet and another good speed on the birdie putt, but just missed (-1)

#8 - Flushed a 4-iron, but the wind carried it left a bit and it hit the green and bounced off of it. Easy up and down and that's what I did (-1)

#9 - I aim for the #1 fairway here and I hit a pretty good driver in that fairway. But I had a 3-iron in and was up against a divot (go figure) and hit a horrid shot. But, I was in good shape. Awful pin position and I hit a 30 yard pitch just he way I wanted to and it lipped out. But with the pin position it went 8-feet bye. Didn't make a difference because I drained that putt as well.

Very happy with today's round. I came back from a rough Saturday and hit pretty much everything well and noticed major gains in power. Particularly on #2, #5, #6 and #16. And today the course was playing TOUGH so shooting under par is an accomplishment. I really liked the Powerbilts and will probably play them for the rest of this week. Putted AWESOME today. And pitched AWESOME today.

35-36=71 (-1)
10/14 fwy
12/18 GIR
28 putts
4/5 scramble
12/15 GTP





3JACK

[cloran]

3jack,

On #4... if you "lost" your first ball and continued to play with the 2nd shouldn't you have taken another drop after hitting your provisional OB? Once your 1st ball is deemed lost it is considerred out of play even if it is found again, correct?

I think if you had found your 1st ball before hitting the second shot with your provisional you'd be fine. Under your scenario you could have hit any number of shots with your provisional, found your tee shot, and started the hole over again.

I may have my rules mixed so, and I don't have a book handy so I apologise if I am incorrect.

[Richie3Jack]

I believe you are right. But since it was a casual round and I was playing by myself and had to look for the ball by myself, I'm not going to count it against me.

I can understand the rule because one could have the advantage of hitting an extra shot or two before finding their ball. Although it's once again the unfairness of the Tour golfer who has spotters for their ball while the regular golfer does not.





3JACK

[cloran]

I adree with you about the tour "perks." Everyone likes to crow about how difficult the courses are, but when I fly the green by 20 yards I have to play it from where it stops... Tiger hits the ball on the roof of the clubhouse and gets a free drop.

[Richie3Jack]

My favorite story is the time I went to the old BC Open and was following Chris DiMarco for a few holes and he asked for relief from casual water, which I thought was weird since it hadn't rained and it didn't look too wet. After he got the relief and hit his shot I walked over the spot and it was barely moist

And whenever they do lift, clean and place, it's usually ridiculous because nowhere else would they do that.





3JACK

[iteachgolf]

Jul 19, 2010 7:31:11 GMT -5 cloran said:

3jack,

On #4... if you "lost" your first ball and continued to play with the 2nd shouldn't you have taken another drop after hitting your provisional OB? Once your 1st ball is deemed lost it is considerred out of play even if it is found again, correct?

I think if you had found your 1st ball before hitting the second shot with your provisional you'd be fine. Under your scenario you could have hit any number of shots with your provisional, found your tee shot, and started the hole over again.

I may have my rules mixed so, and I don't have a book handy so I apologise if I am incorrect.

Actually you can play the provisional ball until you get to the first drive, so if the first drive was longer or even if he simply thought it was longer, he would be allowed to play his first ball.

[cloran]

You can play his provisional ball until it physically passes his first ball? Why doesn't that make sense to me?

Example: I'm on a par 5. I hit a drive which I believe went into a hazard. I tell my playing partners that I'm hitting a provisional. I top the provisional 50 yards, then chunk it, then hit a decent one that hits the fairway. I walk up the provisional, hit my next shot into the hazard... on my way towards the hazard to take a drop I pass my first ball.

I can now play my first ball as if nothing has happened? I don't believe that's correct.

And if it is correct then I have cost myself many strokes by not knowing the rules!!!!

[Richie3Jack]

What's weird is that my 2nd shot with the provisional hit a tree and went backwards. I never found it. So I honestly don't know if the 2nd shot with the provisional *wound up*past my first tee shot.





3JACK

[cloran]

If iteach is correct ( and he probably is... hey he's the teacher, lol ), here's a similar scenario:

Let's say you're on a par 3. You hit your tee shot into a hazard (or so you think). You tee up your next ball, and boom... in the hole it goes, nice par. As you walk up to the green you pass your first ball which is sitting in play close to the hazard, but not in it...

You have to play the original ball, correct?

[TeddyIrons]

No, from the information provided, you've played the 3rd ball off the tee because you didn't specify you were playing a provisional. If you don't say anything, then your actions in that case are indicating that you are taking an unplayable lie and playing 3 off the tee.

If instead you had declared a provisional, then yes you have to go and play the original ball.

One of the issues I have is with water hazards, including lateral water hazards. There are times you are almost certain the ball has gone in there, so you can take your drop from where it last crossed the hazard without playing a provisional. However, often when you get up there it's not cut & dried whether it's in the hazard or lost in some deep grass surrounding the hazard... that's a tough one to call because if you are not certain then you need to act as if it's a lost ball.

[iteachgolf]

Jul 20, 2010 7:01:56 GMT -5 Richie3Jack said:

What's weird is that my 2nd shot with the provisional hit a tree and went backwards. I never found it. So I honestly don't know if the 2nd shot with the provisional *wound up*past my first tee shot.





3JACK

It's not if the 2 shot wound up past it. Say I hit my first drive but not sure if it stayed in so I hit a provisional. I get to the provisional and have 145 yards in to the green and play that onto the green. If I find my first ball and it is 135 yards to the green than I can play that ball as it was in front of the provisional ball.

From the rule book:

b. When Provisional Ball Becomes Ball in Play

The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play

[iteachgolf]

You cannot play a provisional for a ball lost in a hazard btw

[cloran]

Thanks iteach. I didn't know the rule... and it's cost me more than a few times now that I think about it.