Golf Tour 2007
Thursday, Dec. 13 -- This was either the last round of the tour or the next to last, depending on what the weather is like tomorrow as we head north, and I am reminded of the old phrase, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The golf courses change, the weather changes, the conditions change, the equipment changes, even one's basic skill level changes, but one thing stays the same. It is still the same person gripping the golf club, and the same person's psyche trying to deal with what goes on during the course of a round. And so despite all the changes, there is still a lot that stays the same -- there are moments of brilliance and there are moments of ineptitude, there are highs and there are lows, there are meltdowns and there are recoveries.
All this is probably not so bad, for imagine a round entirely filled with ineptitude, meltdowns, and mental lows. It would not be long before one quit the game. And if all was brilliance, would it be boring, like those places where the weather is always perfect? One thinks one could easily get accustomed to it, but I wonder.
Executive summary -- brilliance and ineptitude, what else could one hope for!
We played at a fairly unexciting course called the Pointe, just northwest of Nags Head, just back on the mainland. Totally flat except where they had hollowed out ponds or built up mounds. But certainly not unpleasant to play. Fairly forgiving, especially compared to yesterday at Nags Head, but also enough hazards to certainly keep your attention. Played from the back tees, Gold, 6,343, par 71, 70.1/126, although on a couple of holes the tees were up about 60 yards and that certainly helped.
One thing of note -- the greens were very good and very fast. None of the big slopes that you see in places, but a lot of lesser slopes which, combined with the speed, made long putts especially tricky. I tried a few putts on the putting green, and my first few short ones were very tentative. I decided that the only chance of making any was to be more aggressive, pick a line and hit the ball, don't just try to cozy it up close.
1. Par 5, 528. Pushed drive, but just stayed out of fairway bunker, good 5 iron, pretty good 9 iron to 40'. First putt was 5' short, canned the second one.
2. Par 4, 429. Another pushed drive, this one worse, hit one of the scattered pines and kicked into the next fairway (as opposed to being lost). 8 iron back over the tress, really nice soft sand wedge to 7', made putt.
3. Par 3, 197. Excellent 5 wood 30' past pin, 2 putts.
4. Par 4, 347. Good drive, perfect 8 iron to back pin to 4', made putt, birdie!
5. Par 4, 339. Pulled drive a little, landed at end of bunker, just hopped out. Perfect wedge to 10', 2 putts.
6. Par 4, 390 (454 on the card from a way back tee not being used). Perfect drive, 6 iron from 160 to the front left corner of green, on purpose (there was a pond right side of green), 3 putts from 50, totally mishit first one.
7. Par 3, 145. Very solid 7 iron, too solid, a couple yards over. Hit chip well, but ran 9' past pin, made putt back uphill. So still even par after 7 holes.
8. Par 5, 459. Dogleg right, corner at about 200, tough driving hole for me. Perfect drive, right side, straight, by the time it stopped just in play on the left side. Ok 7 iron lay-up. And then the ineptitude started. And it seemed to take so little to do a full meltdown on my game. Soft 9 iron, fat. chip to 9', missed the putt. Not happy about missing an easy par.
9. Par 4, 361. Hooked drive, caught corner of fairway bunker, no good stance, 8 iron still 50 yards short. Lob wedge still on front fringe. Putt from 50' misread, 4' right, but made putt to salvage a bogey. 38 for the front side, but my confidence was slipping.
10. Par 5, 537. Pushed drive badly, just cleared pond I wasn't even trying to clear, but only because water was low. Bad lie in a hole, chopped it forward about 50 yards. Hooked 7 iron over a couple of trees, now tree trouble on the left side. Sand wedge not quite long enough, plugged in the left bunker, total mental meltdown underway, but excellent sand shot to 15', 2 putts for a double.
11. Par 3, 160, narrow. Very good 6 iron to 20', 2 putts. Thought that might get me back going again.
12. Par 4, 348. Drive high and right, in some bushes. Not much of a swing. First try moved ball about 5', second about 10 yards and out into rough. Hooked 7 iron almost out of play but not quite. Good pitch, 2 putts from 15', triple.
13. Par 4, 372. Excellent drive, just wide of the bunkers on the corner of the dogleg. Hung 9 iron right, into bunker. Excellent sand shot, real smooth, to 4', made putt. Up and down, mentally.
14. Par 3, 152, front pin. Good 8 iron about 5 yards short of green. Chip too strong, 2 putts from 25'.
15. Par 4, 353, dogleg right. Hooked drive a little, no trouble, but still 160 to green. 5 iron a ways right, good pitch to 9' but missed putt. Still feeling like I have no swing.
16. Par 4, 377. Drive way right but not in trouble. 5 iron hooked, lucky to stay in play. Ok pitch to 14', made putt, certainly a par not deserved.
17. Par 3, 144. Ok 7 iron, a little right but on green. First putt from 50', not good, but made next one from 5'.
18. Par 5, 556 (back tee not used was 619). Solid drive, hooked a little. Solid 5 wood, hooked a little. Solid wedge, hooked a little but on green. First putt from 40' was 4' long, but just curled that in to finish in a good mood. 42 for the back side (par 35), 80 for the round. Only 4 fairways, 8 greens, but 10 pars and a birdie. And made a lot of putts!
And I think it is time to recheck my alignment and swing plane, since alternating between right and left is a sign that something is off. Though I suspect what is off is between the ears. As usual!
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The Pointe, Powells Point, NC
