Monday Morning

Played a round at Legends this morning before work today.  Going to be a hot and humid day.  Course had some people on it but not that many.  I ended up waiting on the mower guy who was waiting on a two-some ahead of me.

Turned in a 34 with a birdie and a par.  The tee shot continues to be an issue because of my right foot little toe.  I can't put the weight back on it and transfer it properly.  I end up with shorty shots.  I was about even between short left and short right.  Which is really OK as I work on my LW and chipping.  I had one three putt.  I just putted short and close.  Missed a couple by being close.  Close is better than being 4 feet off. 

Longest club I had for this round was the 7i.  I hit that anywhere between 135 and 169.  Did I have an epiphany on hole 6? Maybe.  I lined my tee shot up with the left side of the green and hit it exactly where I was aiming.  I think the tee box oval faces a bit right which may explain some of why I frequently end up shooting the ball to the right of the green.

Friday round

Played 9 at Legends before work today.  Fairly busy course.  There were a couple people ahead of me and a few behind me but no traffic jams.  Took slightly longer as I hit some extra shots.

Turned in a 34 with just under 2 putts per hole.  Tee shots weren't great but I was able to chip myself out of trouble.

On hole 1 I had a 4 with a flubbed 9i tee shot and a 1 putt.  The LW shot wasn't the best but the chip shot got really close to the pin.  I birdied hole 2 with a nice 7i shot and a 1 putt.  Hole three I flubbed the 9i shot but the LW shot was ok so flubbing the first putt really hurt.  Hole 4 had a nice 7w and a good second shot.  Hole 5 was an odd shot that skipped across the pond and over the green.  Hole 5 I flubbed the 5i shot left and had a decent LW shot and a decent chip for a 1 putt.  Hole 7 had a great 7w shot and a great 5i shot onto the green and then a 3 putt.  Hole 8 was a GW shot onto the green and a 3 putt.  Hole 9 was a good 9i shot with a blown birdie putt.

bonus session

No wife and kids are at VBS.  Went to Stone Creek to hit a bucket.  Pretty crowded.  Got a bay next to one guy but open behind me.  One big group getting a lesson together - kids mostly.  Looked like they were having fun.

Hit the GW and the 9i and then the 7i and 5i finishing the last 10 with the 5W.  The shots had some good distance and straightishness.  Less kick to the right or left that I usually see at Legends.  Much more interesting driving range visually than the other one.  Nothing really to complain about.

Pulled a couple clubs out of the trunk and put them in the garage.  My toe hurts now after hitting the LW around the yard waiting for VBS to finish.  I should go get the kids now.

even more hot on the range

Probably 5 degrees warmer than the day before.  They were watering the golf school side across from me.  Only one other persoon was on the range.  Hit a medium bucket.  The GW and the 9i worked fairly well.  I did hit some with the 7im, hy, and SW.  I played a little bit with tring to get the ball to draw or fade but there was no observable difference.  I am still intrigued by the ball landing and kicking left or right.  About 80% of the time it kicks right.  For my range session I aimed at the various flags slightly to the left in anticipation of the ball kicking right when hitting the ground.  For fun I worked the SW out of some divots instead of fluffy (crunchy) grass.

not a good round

Not a good round before work today at Legends.  Turned in a 42 with only one par.  I had only 4 shots to write home about.  The toe is still hurting but is feeling better.  I'm still chunking the tee shots.

On hole 2 I hit a lowish 7i 150 yards to the left of the pin.  It it the green and rolled around to the right.  I blew it with a 3 putt. 

On hole 4 I hit a nice 4H shot (24*) out 187.  It worked so well I hit two other shots just for fun.  One was nearly the same and the third was off the back of the green into the field behind the rough.  Too bad it took me two more shots to get on the green and 3 putt.

On hole 5 I had a nice tee shot that went and stopped pretty much where I wanted it. Too bad that was my second practice shot.  When I played the first ball it took me two more shots to get on the green.  I did have a nice long putt down slope that went in for a 1 putt.

The rest was poo. 

hot on the range

Hit a medium bucket on the driving range at lunch today.  Started off visiting the proshop to pay for the bucket instead of fighting with the card reader on the range and maybe or not having it read my card.  The kid from golf camp two years ago waited on me.  He remembered my boys and even knew that one of them did camp again this year.  The ball machine was out of balls so back to the proshop I drove only to be told that the workers had just gone down to stock the machine.  Finally got my medium bucket.  They were setting up for some event with a shot analyzer setup of some kind.  The whole course was closed for some golf thingy.  Not much interested in my money but I finally got to hit my golf balls.

I flubbed the first bunck of GW shots, squirting them off to the right.  Got a few to work.  Switched to my 9i and finally grooved a swing that worked.  That took some deliberate care and attention.  I would like to get the confident swing back before my season ends when the boys go back to school.  I will still be able to hit the driving range but all driving range and no golf is less than fun.  Though I do have a lot to work on.

When I left the range I had a nice fade.  Most of the time when the ball landed it kicked to the right a few feet (maybe even 10?).  Do I count on the ball kicking to the right?   I wonder if I am ready to try to fade or draw the ball on demand?  I just want to hit the ball fairly straight and fairly far.

tough round

Played a round at Legends today before work.  One or two people were there ahead of me and one person was a few holes behind.  Nice day with a warm breeze.

Turned in a 39 with only 2 pars (last two holes).  GW-PW-5i got the workout as usual.  Putting was pretty good with two one-putts.  Those happened because chipping was pretty good.  Unfortunately the tee shot was bad on all holes forcing me to chip on for the second or third shot and then to 1-2-3 putt, equalling 39. 

My main problem off the tee was hitting it fat.  I would chunk the club into the turf before the ball and then the ball sending the ball not very far and the sod a bit further.  If I was lucky the second shot was only a chip onto the green.  Or maybe the third shot was only a chip onto the green.  I think the problem continues to me the bruised or broken toe on my right foot.  I did get some practice chipping though I clearly have no clue as to which club to chip with.  When do I need the SW-GW-PW-9i-etc to chip?  If I don't need much height but I do need distance vs needing some height but not much distance vs rolling uphill or rolling down hill?

I am not convinced that I need a LW.  I am more likely to blade it or have the ball squirt out to the right.  More of a liability than a good thing.  I will banish the Eidolon wedge to the bag in the garage.  It is a steel shaft anyway- I would want a graphite.  Maybe I will practice pulling a steel shaft with this one and get a graphite shaft with a similar weight and profile as the one in my other wedges.

Interestingly, no one opened Legends just before 8 when I left.  I thought the summer hours were at 7 AM.  It was bring your daughter to the range week 9-15th and there was a dad and daughter waiting.  I have some fears for the course.