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Golf Round Review

2023 Opening Round

By Scott Messner

Our winter wasn’t bitterly cold, and we didn’t get a massive amount of snow. The problem is it doesn’t want to leave.

So, this past Saturday, I did the logical thing and traveled one and a half hours south. I met my son, and we enjoyed playing 18 holes together at Pine Valley Golf Course in Marathon, Wisconsin. Below is a picture I snapped of the picturesque par 3 17th hole. I need to return in the summer or fall to get the full beauty of this course.

During spring in northern Wisconsin, if you hope to enjoy any activity outdoors, you need to be willing to survive the elements if needed. Saturday was one of those days. The temperature was 39 degrees Fahrenheit with on and off again light rain showers turning to steady light rain on the finishing four holes. The weather was not a surprise as it had been forecasted all week, we were prepared and enjoyed the round.

Even with all the rain, carts were still allowed on the course, but we decided to walk. Saturday, we walked for the sole reason of staying warmer. We’ve previously talked about the benefits of walking.

I didn’t record any stats. This season I’m switching over to tracking strokes gained instead of traditional stats. Not having an app or system to track strokes gained for me is going to make it a manual process for the time being. I also want to tie my strokes gained into better course management. The best place to do that is on my home course. I plan to play a lot of rounds at St Germain Golf Club this season, so I’m going to only tracks stats there.

I set almost no expectations for this round. Why do high handicap or beginner golfers put so much pressure on themselves? This was my first outside golf in over six months and the weather was closing in on the worst I would play in. I wanted to shoot close to ninety but would have been happy with anything under a hundred.

There was a lot of good things to take away from this round. I played the whole round with one ball and didn’t have any penalty strokes. The easiest way for high handicap golfers to lower their scores is to get the penalty strokes per round as near zero as possible. I only mishit a few shots. My swing felt good, and contact was good on most of my shots.

Birdie looks were few. My distance control wasn’t the best, but the rain and cold weather played a factor, forcing me to club up on many shots. Missing the fairway off the tee on many holes either forced me to do a recovery shot or gave me a poor angle into the green.

Putting has been the weak spot of my game for a while now. I worked this past winter on putting stance and it feels pretty good on the course. With their early season condition and the weather, the greens were slow on Saturday. I struggled a lot with distance control. Improving my distance control is my highest priority when I can get out on a practice green.

Every year at this time, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for the new golf season.

In Genesis, God tells Noah he will not send another flood. Every new season, every new day, is a new beginning.

Genesis 8:22
22
 “While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” 

I was happy with my round on Saturday, even with shooting a 99. I was happy spending time with my son.

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Golf Round Review

Bye Bye Blow Up Holes

By Shooting 90

July 17th 2018 Golf Round Review

I titled one of my earlier golf round reviews “Blow Up Holes”. It’s hard to recover from a 9 on a hole. As your game progresses, your definition of what a blow up hole is changes. For my game at the moment, I feel I can recover from a few double bogies and still post a final score I’m happy with. I currently consider a triple bogey to be a blow up hole, a score which will be more difficult to recover from.

I had a few streaks going over the last few founds. My penalty stoke free streak came to an end this round at 21 holes. But even with penalty strokes on back to back holes this round, I was still able to salvage double bogey on each, post my season best front nine score of 44, and run my current streak of holes since my last triple bogey to 27.

Although I hit a few poor tee shots, incurred two penalty strokes (one related to a poor tee shot and one not), and three putted the last hole, I was still able to avoid any blow up holes and piece together a good round of 44.

Putting needs to continue to be my area of focus. Only one putted a green once and missed a three footer for birdie on the first hole. As Rickie Fowler said during the Scottish Open last week, slow greens reward good putting. Slow greens will also penalize poor putting in my opinion. My putting is still less than stellar and the greens at Pinewood are slow this year.

I continued my great driving of late with one right down the middle on the first hole. I had 250 yards left, so instead of hitting a 3 wood 20 yards short of the green, a shot which has a lot of risk and little reward, I hit a 7 iron and laid up to 100 yards. I then hit my gap wedge to three feet from the hole. It would have been great to start off the night with a birdie, but my short putting woes continued and I missed the putt and had to settle for par.

My run of great drives came to an end as I pull hooked my driver left into the woods off the 2nd tee. In a stoke of remarkable luck, it bounced back out and actually advanced up the left rough a few yards. When you get a break in golf, you need to take advantage of it. I had a great lie but 200 yards left to the green. The 2nd hole is extremely uphill and we were into the wind, so I wasn’t sure even my 3 wood would get there but a gave it a shot. I hit a great shot that almost made it, stopping 5 yards short of the green. I chipped on and left my first putt 3-4 feet short. They are leaving the greens longer so they don’t burnout with the lack of rain, but it does make them slow. I made the second putt for a bogey.

I hit my gap wedge a little long and left off the 3rd tee. The tee shot on this little hole plays a lot harder than it looks. I was able to pitch on and two putt for a bogey.

I made a course management mistake on the 4th hole. I have hit 4 iron off the tee all year long, but for the second time this year I failed to clear the mud on the backside of the first pond. I had to take a drop. I hit a 5 iron that rolled off the back of the green. I chipped on and two putted for a double bogey. It’s hard to overcome penalty strokes. This was my first penalty stroke in 22 holes. I’m going to have to hit 7 wood from the 4th tee from now on.

I hooked another driver off the 5th tee but it stayed in play, ending up on a slope in the left rough. I was 121 yards out with the ball very much below my feet. As these shots will many times go right, I aimed left but unfortunately my shot stayed left, 5 yards too far left and into the woods. I had to take an unplayable and pitched on for my 4th shot. I two putted for another double bogey. Two holes in a row with a penalty stroke! The saving grace was that I recovered on each hole to avoid the blow up hole.

I hit my usually 4 iron for my tee shot on the 6th hole. It was right side of the fairway, which is not ideal but it was OK. I had 128 yards left up the hill. I clubbed up to a 7 iron and hit a great shot over the trees on the right side, just a bit too much club, and a half yard off the back of the green. I putted on and drained a 4 footer for par, a nice recovery after two double bogeys in a row.

I haven’t found the green on the 7th hole in my previous attempts this year, but this time I hit a great 4 iron to within 15 feet of the hole. It was straight downhill to the hole and I was worried about running it way past. So I of course left my birdie 3 feet short but was able to make the next for two pars in a row.

I hit the fairway with my driver off the 8th tee and had 125 yards left. I hit a nice 9 iron but didn’t quite get all of it and was a yard short of the green. I putted on and then two putted for a bogey.

I hit my driver slightly right again which left me 170 yards to the hole. I made decent contact with a 4 iron to right of the green. I didn’t hit a good pitch. It was on the green but 20 feet from the hole. I three putted, my only one of the night, for a double bogey. Last week I was able to break my curse on the 18th hole by getting a par, but I still haven’t been able to solve the riddle on the 9th hole, where I haven’t scored better than double bogey all year.

My scores have been trending down throughout the season. I’m still hitting a few errant shots, but we all with do that. Overall my ball striking is getting a lot more consistent, and when I do make a bad shot I am able to minimize the damage.

I still feel if I can improve my short game, especially my putting, even a small amount I can see my scores progress even lower.

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Golf Round Review

Some Good Golf Followed by a Collapse

By Shooting 90

June 12th 2018 Golf Round Review

I stated my goals for golf league at the beginning of the season. I want to break 40 on both the front and back nines at Pinewood Country Club. Doing that will be tough on each nine, but will be toughest on the par 37 back nine. I haven’t been close yet this year until this round. Backed by my first birdie of the year, I was two over after six holes, only to have an epic collapse on the last three holes.

I still managed to post my best score or the year, a nine over 46, although this round was a major disappointment.  I take solace in the fact that I had a great round going and know I can repeat that.

The first two times I’ve played the 10th hole this year I have drove it left. Left is jail and no good. I’m happy to report I didn’t go left this round. I went right, too far right but somehow my ball ended up in the right hand side of the fairway. Members bounce. Had to have hit a tree and came out. I took advantage of the break and laid up with a nice 4 iron to about 135 yards out. I couldn’t have reached the green in two and had predetermined before teeing off that I would play three shots to the green. Course management is big. I hit a nice 8 iron for my third shot that wound up just off the left fringe of the green.I used my putter and lagged it nicely within 3 feet of the hole. I missed the less than 3 foot par putt and had to settle for bogey. I really need to work on my putts of 3 feet and less. I need to get to making 90% of these.

I hit a nice drive on 11 up the right hand side of the fairway which gave me a great line into the green on the dog leg left. I had about 85 yards left and bladed my 3rd quarter swing gap wedge over the green. I was fortunate that it checked up before the woods. I hit a nice pitch to within 4-5 feet of the cup and made my par putt.

The 218 yd par 3 12th has always been a challenge for me. Let’s be truthful. It’s a challenge for almost every golfer. I didn’t lose my focus on the tee and hit one of my best 3 woods of the year, slightly right of the green but catching the bank and bouncing left just a few inches off the fringe. I putted a bit too firm on and ran the ball about 6 feet past the hole. I missed the putt coming back and had to settle for a bogey. Still, I was 2 over after three and happy with my start.

I pulled my driver slightly into the left rough, which isn’t the worst place to be. I hit a 5 iron from 165 yards out, again playing the bank right of the green nicely, getting a great bounce left onto the green and settling 7 feet away from the hole. I drained the putt for my first birdie of the year in league play!

My play off the tee on the 14th hole all year has been 6 iron and that was what I played this round. I found the fairway and played a great 8 iron from 133 yards out that ended up pin high about 15 feet left of the pin at the back of the green. I was thinking two birdies in a row at this point. My putt was right on line, all I had to do was hit it, which I didn’t. I left it about 3 and a half feet short. My par putt lipped out and I went from possibly two birdies in a row to a three putt bogey.

I hit my driver down the left side and flirted with the two large pines on the left side of the fairway. Fortunately my ball made it through and I had about 160 yards into the green. The second shot is uphill so I clubbed up one club and hit a 5 iron to just off the back fringe. I had a good lie on short grass just off the green so I used my putter again (always putt when you can). It was downhill and I misjudged the speed, knocking it 7 feet past the hole. I was able to make the 7 footer for par. While my putting has been a weak spot for me this year (and previous years), I missed a few short putts already, I was very happy I made a few 5-10 foot putts this round. I was also very happy with my round thus far, 2 over after six holes!

I made solid contact with my driver but pushed it just slightly right, but right enough to catch the corner of the woods. The woods get to be pretty thick with ground cover by this time of year, so while I searched for my ball I was unable to find it. I had to drop and hit a gap wedge for my 3rd shot which ended up a few feet short of the green. I putted on but not close enough to get up and down, and I ended up taking a double bogey on the hole.

I didn’t let the double bogey get me down and I hit a decent driver up the right side in the rough. I only had about 160 left but I didn’t have the best lie so I clubbed up to a 4 iron. I hit a decent shot which found the fairway about 30 yards short of the green. I got a few breaks this round, but none bigger than my next shot. I bladed my gap wedge and hit the marker for the hole event on one hop. The ball went slightly right and died fairly quickly, leaving me only about 12 feet for par. If I didn’t hit the hole event marker I would have been way off the back of the green. I certainly didn’t take advantage of the huge break though. The green is deceivingly downhill from right to left, and I knocked my par putt 6 feet past and missed the return putt. Another three putt and another double bogey.

I had yet to keep a drive in play far enough to the fairway this year on the 18th hole. I pulled both my drives left in the woods during my previous two rounds. Sadly I did about the same thing this time. I did get the ball just about to the beginning of the fairway before it crossed the line into the woods. Golf is so mental this hole is in my head like you won’t believe. I need to be able to finish strong so I need to play this hole much better. I did recover very nicely with a 4 iron for my third shot which left me about 100 yards to go, a perfect gap wedge for me. I bladed the gap wedge over the green. What is that like the 3rd bladed wedge this round? I used a gap wedge to pitch it on and didn’t fly the ball fall enough and it was short. I’m going to start pitching with 8,9, and PW to use less loft and get more roll out. I left my first putt way short and took too more to get in. Another 3 putt and this time a triple bogey.

I choked really big time this round. I was 2 over after six only to finish double bogey double bogey triple bogey for a 9 over 46. Low point control on my short irons and wedges along with short putting is killing my rounds.

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Golf Round Review

You Reap What You Sow

By Shooting 90

May 29th 2018 Golf Round Review

“You reap what you sow.”

We’ve probably all heard this phrase. It simply means you get out of life what you put in. The principle applies to everything, including golf.

I haven’t worked on my game the last few weeks and it’s starting to bite me.

This scorecard is like the film you throw out and don’t watch after a football game. No pars, no greens, four penalty strokes, and only one fairway. I can still find a few positives. I didn’t make any putts but I also didn’t have any three putts. I also could have posted my fourth consecutive 49 with a par at the 18th, not that 49 is a good score, but it’s sub 50 and better than the final score of 52 that I posted. I felt like I golfed terrible, so having a legitimate chance at breaking 50 at the last hole feels like this is the worst I could shoot.

So I believe I mentioned this previously, but you can’t go left with the driver off the 10th tee, especially with a draw. My drive kicks hard left off the bank off the left side of the fairway and was gone forever. I dropped a ball, hit a 4 iron up the right side for my third, then a 7 iron to just left of the green. I chipped another 7 iron to about six inches of the cup. I tapped in for a bogey  6. Could have been much worse.

I hit my driver in the left rough on the 11th hole. I was blocked out from hitting the green so I hit my approach to in front of the green, chipped on, and two putted for a bogey.

I hit a 3 wood left off the 12th tee which went left and ended up in the base of a bush. I then chunked my next pitch and bladed my one after that. Cannot be doing that. Just not acceptable. Finally got on in five and two putted for a 7. My round was done, but you can’t give up. You have to grind and keep your score respectable.

On the 13th hole, I drove another driver left. Left is the correct miss on this hole so I got away with it. I then hit a 4 iron right about 20 yards from the green. I chipped on and two putted for a bogey. I stopped the hemorrhaging for now.

I hit my usual 6 iron off the tee on the 14th. I missed the line just by a bit and ended up in the right rough. Wasn’t a huge miss but enough of one to block me out from hitting the green in two. I laid up with an 8 iron to 20 yards in front of the green. I bladed another pitch. After finally getting on in four I two putted for a double bogey.

The 15th, 16th, and 17th holes all saw drivers go left and a bogey score. I wasn’t able to reach the greens on 15 and 17 because I had to hit 4 iron out of the rough. I’m starting to think I could use a hybrid. On 16 I chunked another wedge.

I’ve historically had a tough time finishing strong on the 18th hole. Last time playing the back I pulled a driver left into the woods. I did that one better this round. After pulling my driver left again, I dropped and hit a 4 iron right into the woods. I was able to still get on in six strokes but two putted for a triple bogey 8.

There are two areas of my game I need to fix fairly quickly. I pulled every driver left tonight and missed my low point on several wedges. I need to find more fairways. This will allow me to hit more greens and take pressure off of my wedge shots which I’m struggling with.