Hold onto your balls!

93

Crooked Creek was amazing! It's like a roller coaster course. Beautiful holes, amazing elevations on the back 9 especially. Just wonderful. Hit every drive except one on the fairway. Putted like shit, didn't even sink one long putt which so far I've been able to do at least once per round this year. Chipped like shit, ruined many really good chances to devour a hole with a stupid little 15 foot divot/shank. Enough with the negativity already! I am now consistently driving 300 yards which is really cool, have a lot more to work on, but it has been really "on" the last few rounds. Have been back on forth on trying different power, forms, draws, etc. but it really boils down to hitting the bejesus out of it works best for me. My woods were solid as a rock along with my brand new shiny M4 Cleveland Mashie hybrid I bought this week on sale for 60% off! Have been waiting a year for a hybrid and the wait was worth it because the thing is the perfect addition to my arsenal. I am finally not needing a club for the first time. Now what should I obsess about buying?

Golf with my Dad!

42

My parents flew in for a visit this weekend and my dad and I hit Falls Village on Cinco De Mayo. We didn't get a full round due to the heavvvvy rain we received , but were able to get in the the front 9 plus a few. Had pretty great day out there, was driving straight and long for the most part and even drove 2 solid 300 yarders on flat holes so they were legitimate bombs! Missed my eagle put on 7 but tapped in for my first birdie of the season. I erased all of my scores from last year since I am a very shitty golfer still and my handicap average this season is much higher than the scores from last spring. As of right now I am shooting 17.5 (FUUYUCK!) but am seeing improvement every week and still feel the world of single digits is very reachable with some nice rounds thrown in the mix. Even if not I really could care less because I am having so much fun "working" on my goal this season.

I'm BAAAaaaaaack!

Well, the sickness is out of hibernation and back with the warm weather! Too bad my game was reset from not playing all these months, so it's been a challenge getting back into some semblance of the form I ended in last summer before coming out of weekday retirement back into the full-time working world. Hope never dies though and the game is creeping back into acceptable standards. Been playing with Tony at every course possible in the area other than Wildwood since we kind of burned ourselves out on that one. He very kindly took pity on my broke-ass and let me have his old woods for very little since he has bought some awesome brand new Callaways and because I can just afford to play about once a week. Thanks again Tony! Well, I'll spare any details of the game for now, finally posted some of the embarrassment online again. Looking forward to working back into form and it's finally starting to click again. We made to decision to play only the longest tees at every course to add to the challenge but it's been pretty okay since we have the distance. Goal for season is single digit handicap. Plus, any day of golf is just another reminder just how lucky I am, besides every day I spend with my wonderful wife. Life is good.

Man it's been a while!

86
Had a great time finally get back out there, the weather and vacation has been a deterrent, can't believe I haven't played for almost a month. I was so excited and nervous to play it felt like a year since I'd hit. I hit well, some pars and birdies, was getting really exhausted after the front 9 but held it together pretty well on the back. It felt nice after the break, mentally clear and it showed in my putting which other than a couple that I gave away, was stellar and confident, just the way I like it. I started with almost a 25' putt to hold par on 1 and had a great time throughout, even dropping a couple birdies. Still wishing I could keep dropping my score by playing a lot, it has been torture feeling like I was just on the cusp of really breaking through into single-digit handicap territory, but oh well, life is a helluva lot better with decent income. Plus, I am realizing this is very much like disc golf in the sense that once you have the shots down, they stay and the game really only depends on the mental side of things. Might get a chance to go melt tomorrow for at least 9, but not going to push it as I have quickly lost the prime shape I had been in before moving into the cushy, air-conditioned desk job I find myself in. According to my boss I am a "glutton for punishment" for walking and carrying my bag in this heat as most people would have to be paid to do it. I say it's absolutely worth it and can't wait to get back out there!

The Crossings in Virginia

85
Visited Cheryl's dad and sister this weekend so I went and played the Crossings right by his house in Glen Allen. WOW. Just a beautiful, very, very well maintained course. The carts had real-time GPS tracking and specific pin locations on a huge 15" flat-screen hanging from the roof. Running water (not as many stations though as I would have liked in this heat) and their greens were just superb and fluffy. I played like ass the front nine, got my shit together and hit a 40 on the back nine. I was consistently over-playing the greens and finally realized they just were not going to break as much as I thought and finally starting sinking some long putts, most notably a 20' for birdie. Purely mental issues on the front, just very excited and nervous to play a new course. All in all, not a terrible showing and I wish I had that course in my backyard, but good old Wildwood is rated about the same, just much bumpier speedy greens. At least I now get to treat myself to playing the Crossings a couple times a year.

Keeping it up without practice

83
Not too bad, had a lot of one-putts (5) and then nothing but 2s except for a very nasty 4 (ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!?) on 17. In my mind, I played a 78 today despite a couple of ridiculous shots (my 1' push on 9 as I was walking off the hole, stupid, just stupid but it counts). So that's it, still playing very well, conistent, controlled golf. Have to get down though, almost there.

Standing in the Way of Control

So, had to get a real job, wasn't cutting it making 200 per week for the 6 night shifts I have been working at Mellow Mushroom so I broke down and got a day job again as a cad tech/land surveyor. It's work, same old same old. It has cut into my golf game significantly in days played, but so far my control is there even though I am only playing once, maybe twice, a week now. I shot a 40 on nine and an 84 as well last week which isn't as bad as I had feared and actual have made some breakthroughs as well, so going well, just not as much. I really wish I could do just this but we have just can't swing it getting by on so little. Our new apartment (FUCK YEAH) rocks, and is 1000 feet away from the course. Boo and Yeah. Anyway, my new job is 2 minutes away as well, so there ya go, can't really complain about that (still work though, damn! I still complained!). Going to miss feeling retired, it wasn't long enough and I want it back. I am also signed up and finally becoming a divemaster this summer which is something I've been wanting to do and can't afford to put it off any longer so hell yeah and honky tonks. Clound 9 baby, cloud 9.