What'd You Shoot Today? (Golf BBV Thread)
I think this forum could use a BBV thread, so here it is.
Brag: Shot 80 today on my home course (par 72) - I'm a 12 hand
44-44-88. (Par 35-36-71). No birdies, 2 double bogeys. 69.6/123/6139.
A fun morning. Wind was up, pretty steady 20+ mph on a wide open course. Made for some interesting club selections. On a par 5 dead into it that is the easiest hole on the course I hit driver-driver-driver with the longest one (according to the cart GPS) traveling 169 yards.
Ball striking was fine, short game let me down. Didn't get up and down many times, if I chipped it close I usually missed the putt.
Did a society type day last week was a really good day overall. Few things on offer that day, Nearest to pins and long drives as well as a team and individual stuff for the overall.
My team played pretty good. 36 (Me) 35/35/31 We ended up winning the team. Come 2nd in the individual and also won a long drive contest, Which for me is very surprising if you asked anyone that knows me they would not put me in line to win a long drive contest. I've gained a bit of distance recently out of nowhere. Granted the weather is perfect right now for long hits but still I'm keeping up or even going past people I wouldn't normally be in front of.
This week for our weekly comp we decided to do a Florida Scramble (I think) Basically if you take someone's shot they cannot play the next shot. We did a slight alteration to it where if you were on the green you could all putt. It was a 3 ball and again I was hitting the driver so good and the other 2 guys were not very long off the tee so I didn't really hit many approach shots we didn't fair to well in that. We were +4 at one point but managed to get back to level. However, finished 2nd to last.
Today we did a normal 4 ball scramble (Had to have 3 drives each) and not to keep bigging myself up I could of hit every Par 4 and Par 5 drive which would of been 10 drives from me I think I ended up on 8 drives, not that my teams shots were bad I just had the driver on the string today and even my iron/wedges/putter were playing ball today. We shot -11 (It's a very easy course) and ended up taking home the money vs the 3 other teams who shot -8 -7 -6.
40 (par 36). No birdies, no double bogeys.
Wasn't able to get an earlier tee time so just played a late afternoon nine. Glad I did, weather was absolutely perfect.
Ball striking was above average, gave myself four grade A birdie attempts, of which I obviously made none. Putter has been ice cold lately.
Early Season (March - May)
Holes Played: 436
Score to Par: 426
Ave 18-Hole score: +17.6
Aces: 1
Eagles: 0
Birdies: 9
Pars: 124
Bogeys: 201
Doubles: 77
Others: 24
Handicap currently 12.9.
Goals are to finish season with a sub-10 handicap, and birdie every hole on my home course. Got 13/18 last year. Currently have 6/18, including 2 that I didn't get last year.
You gotta tell the ace story
96(46/50) Man oh man. I swung the club really well. Chipping was much better. My score wasn't good, but everything felt solid. I had a couple blow up holes where I just couldn't seem to get out of trouble.
My putter was the real story. It's killing me. My pace is decent but I'm just not lining it up properly. I feel like this is fixable but it's getting frustrating.
5/31/26
Cimarron Golf Club
Par 72 - 69.9/124 - 6401 yards
41/41 - 82
1 birdie, 1 double, too many bogeys. Didn't do anything especially well. Driver was shaky but I stayed out of trouble for the most part. Irons, mainly short irons, were bad. 6 of my bogeys came from 60-145 yards out and in good shape. Kept missing greens and hitting not great chips. I felt like I spent all day standing over 8' par putts. Made very few putts other than a 20' birdie putt on #15. Just one of those days where everything felt a little off.
42 (par 36). No birdies, 1 triple bogey.
One of my better Tuesday night rounds. Had an unfortunate encounter with a bunker - not even a challenging one but I screwed it up royally taking 3 to get out. Other than that didn't get up and down three times, in each case it wasn't easy so not a surprise.
93(48/45) Shaky start. First drive in the water. Overall swing felt good. Chipping getting better. The new putter is definitely an improvement. Today I was just off with the irons. Not horrible but I had quite a few really bad lies that knocked my score down. Pretty happy with the overall progress of my game even though my score might not reflect it.
Sequel! Long golf tourney story in spoiler:
Spoiler
So this past weekend was my league's Ryder Cup event. Players are divided into 2 teams, and then matches are set based on handicaps, Day 1 is 2 vs 2 best ball, Day 2 is singles.
When the pairings came out, I got the tough news that the player from my previous post (86, one eye, incredibly slow even in the cohort of one-eyed 86 year olds) was my 2 vs 2 teammate, amplified by the fact that everyone was playing the white tees (he usually plays up) and that we were going to be the final tee time of the tournament, meaning public players would be behind us and we would assuredly be holding them up, which is my least favorite thing in golf.
Despite the fact that it was going to be pretty hot, I elected to walk, both for the exercise component, but also thought it would help me stay focused when I needed, decompress when I needed, and play less "hurry up and wait."
I get to the tee about 10 minutes early, and decide a good first goal is just keep pace with group in front as well as possible. I get way less frazzled if there is nowhere for people to go. This is immediately thwarted by my partner not being at the box on time (he thought we were 10 minutes later) and then taking a full 4 minutes once he arrived to hit. The group in front of us was off the green by the time he hit, and the 1st is a long, tough par 4 that wraps around water. The good news is I had a chance to have a chat with the guys behind us and explain the situation, and also I absolutely piped a 3w right on the line I wanted while we were waiting and the guys behind us watched.
I hit a good approach to the fringe, great chip to a foot and make par to go 1up, and the 2nd hole is a par 3 and the group in front of us is still there so that's good! I make another par and they match, so still 1up.
The 3rd hole, everyone gets a pop except me. It's a tough hole, but fairly short and wind is mostly helping, but also blowing left and there is a penalty area all down the left and a big tree right. I decide I need to hit driver and try to be close to the green given they both pop and my partner almost surely won't be a help. The tree right scares me and I close the clubface and snipe it into the junk, then have to drop on hardpan. Hit a really good hybrid from it, but they make 5 net 4 so match square.
Next hole is a par 5 and my partner loses a ball and then takes eons to make his way through the hole. I make a 5 footer for par to halve the hole, but we are well behind again. Next hole is a par 3 and I miss left and have a tough chip. Somehow despite being the only walker I'm first to my ball, rush the chip and duff it, now 1dn.
We halve the 6th and 7th which is disappointing a bit given great tee shot for me on 6 and great tee shot and 3w second shot to the fringe of the uphill par 5 playing into the wind. On 8 tee, we get told by the marshal that we are way out of position (you don't say). Everyone but me pops again on 8, which is a long tough par 4. I hit a mediocre drive in the rough, then a great 7w onto the front of the green, but 3 putt from 50 feet and lose to a 5 net 4.
My partner is the only one with pop on 9, and he has a putt from 15 feet for a 5 net 4 to win the hole and leaves it 4 feet short, and I make the turn 2dn. 10 is a brutal par 5, my tee shot jussst catches a penalty area, but I make a very good 6 and win that hole. I hit a great drive on 11 but has a sidehill lie in the fairway and I hit a poor shot, but then a good pitch to 20 feet or so. Opp has a 10 footer for par. My partner has a 30 foot putt on my line, so I get a read. Or I would, except he wandered off into the woods to take a leak. My choices now are putt a very important putt without the read I should have or wait forever when we are already on the clock. I go ahead and two-putt, as does my opp. Partner putts literally 3 minutes later and takes 3 more minutes to 4 putt from there.
I win the next hole with a par, match is square with 6 to go. I hit a great 6 iron approach from the rough on the next and win with another par, then lose the next hole when I find a bunker. We tie the 15th, so we go to 16 all square. We haven't used my partner's ball once. My partner pops on 17, then everyone but me one last time on 18, so I really want to win the match before 18.
I smash my drive on the par 5 16th, then hit a perfect layup, and a very good wedge to 18 feet and two putt for a par which is good. 1up, 2 to play. I hit a good drive on 17 but pull it a bit, partner hits a good one for him also. I have a pretty poor lie in the rough but hit a perfect punchy 8 iron into the wind. So I thought as it lands on the back of the green and bounds over. Partner is just short of the green in 2. One opp is dead, one has about 40 feet for bird. I have a pretty tough lie and hit a mediocre chip to 30 feet. Partner chops it up. I nearly hole the par putt but just slides by and I tap in for bogey. Opp has 10 feet for par to tie the match. He hasn't made one all day, but buries this one, we go to 18 tied, everyone but me popping. 18 is extremely tough and long. I pipe a 3w right down the middle into perfect position. Opps are both in some trees, partner hits it 20 yards. Opps both punch out and have 100-120ish into the green, guarded on both sides by bunkers and water. I have 175ish in, and hit my 7w. Hit it great, but leave the face a touch open and the wind pushes it toward the right it lands and bounces 90 degrees right into the water. One opp finds the water also, another is 15 yards or so short of the green. I drop and hit a great 35 yard wedge to 4 feet. But opp chips up to 2 feet and makes it for a 5 net 4. I make my 4 footer for a 5 also.
Winning or even halving that match would have been probably my best golf achievement ever. 5:15 round, walking in the heat, trying to not stress about the pace etc, playing 1 on 2 while giving them both pops in best ball. Definitely proud for how I played, but man hurt to not have that accomplishment. I shot 86, opps 95 and 97, partner 126 (and that's with 9 stroke max). Organizer then said after that he was supposed to have been playing the green tees, which were 500 yards shorter. Ha.
In singles next day, we ended up in a 5-some with him in the group, took 5:25 without ever waiting, and got in trouble again. I didn't play as well, but smashed my opp (one of the same guys from this match) 4&3, so that was fun also.
Great tr.
What is "pop"?
It is a learned skill to play well in those kinds of conditions during a match so well done to play so competitively.
It is a learned skill to play well in those kinds of conditions during a match so well done to play so competitively.
Thank you! I have worked hard on my mental game over the past several years. I used to dread playing in front of people, and now it doesn't degrade my performance in the least. Same with tournaments, I can play generally the same level of golf that I normally play. My big weakness is still feeling like I'm holding up the course, I really dislike that. I'd MUCH rather wait myself than have people waiting on me.
That said, I was determined to be focused, to commit to shots, to commit to my routine, and other than the one chip I really felt I did that quite well.
being able to dial down the caring about certain things outside of my control let them remain existing as stupid is something i've been working on in my later life.
found a way to have it help almost everything except traffic
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.........
Well, I went overboard on deadlifts yesterday and got almost no sleep last night so I figured I was in for a bad round.
Surprisingly, I shot 42 on the front, and that was with a skull on 6 that cost me two strokes and a missed THREE FOOT BIRDIE PUTT!!! Ugh. Anyways, I was striking quite well.
I basically played bogey golf on the back until I hit a wall. Once my body gets tired, I'm toast. It's happened enough that I know it's when I'm physically tired. Anyways, finished up with quadruple, double, double for a 50.
I'm really disappointed in this. I had a good (for me) round going. Oh well.
However, there's some good in this. I am absolutely crushing driver straight down the middle consistently. And, other than a yip on that birdie attempt, I'm putting a lot better. There's hope.
being able to dial down the caring about certain things outside of my control and let them remain existing as stupid is something i've been working on in my later life.
found a way to have it help almost everything except traffic
today, the handicap was adjusted by what i did not shoot
still searching for successful ways to apply the quoted hello 'wisdom' aloe salve above.
Spoiler
some backstory:
signed out of work after a few busy weekends last nice weather friday to lob rocks at the closest public local range
successfully randomized a couple of repeatable swing feel tweaks associated with turning torso more on the way back and ending at the top with an exaggerated Cam Young pause like when the playground swing has a hiccup and gravity takes over with an effortless jerk at the end while simultaneously using ground force screws to efficiently untwist coiled torso muscles acting as a simple trebuche sling always controled by my navel while simultaneous maintaintng continuous ball coverage with my chest
near the end of the bucket i was striping the ball with every club, to the point i had to go back on saturday to try to ingrain it, which i did to great success, and it was still there when i went back to see if it was still there on sunday. and it was
i've been subjecting myself to golf swing torture with heavy doses of driving range hero syndrome for way too long to delusionally think i''ll soon be joining some senior tour, but this must be what hitting a ball feel like to them
have not been this excited to play in i don't know how long, and had a round scheduled this morning with a couple of friends.
went to a grass range yesterday afternoon to see if i was 'mat cheating', and after a bit of adjustment i had similar results. low penetrating draws when i wanted, high fades when i wanted, 3/4 shots...it all was working.
until with one of my last wedges i felt a shooting pain in my trail arm bicep right above the inside elbow. tried another half swing, felt it again, and walked away with a dozen balls left to spend some time on the pitchen green with no discomfort at all. went home, cycled through some 20 minute icing sessions and crossed my fingers.
woke up this morning before our 8am tee time, took a few soft air swings to see how it felt (like nothing was there), took a few full air swings (like nothing was there), and packed up for the course.
got a warm up bucket from the pro shop and decided not to pay for the round until i swung a club. as you may have guessed by now, it's a good thing i didn't.
first half swing PW was crisp as a granny smith
next half swing felt like i was hit by a pitch in the inner arm
shut it down and texted the group my unfortunate news.
pain only happens in certain spots when a club is involved. rest and wait is the only current plan
40-44-84. No birdies, 2 double bogeys. 68.6/125/5839
Was pretty happy through 7, made stupid bogeys when I couldn't get up and down from close on 8 and 9, really stupid double on 10. Nothing was really dialed in but also nothing was consistently terrible.
45-50-95. No birdies, assorted double and triple bogeys. 70.3/133/6101
Played like complete and utter ass. Hit a few good shots but mostly just sprayed the ball all over the place.
102(51/51) Equal opportunity day. Every club was equally bad. Not a single par. But I did miss eagle by less than a foot so 1 birdie.
Lots of wildlife, and deadlife. The first picture is a family of coyotes. The second was their dinner last night. That's a bobcat head. I'm really surprised the coyotes could take that down. They are tough and mean as hell. Outnumbered I guess.
6/7/26
Desert Springs
Par 72 - 69.3/119 - 6306 yards
43/37 - 80
1 birdie, 2 doubles. I actually hit the ball pretty good all day but I got a little unlucky on a couple wayward shots and they turned into the doubles. A pair of inexcusable 3-putts from inside 25' didn't help matters. This is the course I had mentioned before that has rock hard greens right now. It's so hard to get used to having to land a PW 7-10 yards short of the flag when on the other 3 courses I play regularly I can fire right at the flag with almost any iron. I hit a lot of greens but nothing was very close to the flag. The lone birdie was on #18, a par 5, where I was pin high and just off the green in 2.
102(51/51) Equal opportunity day. Every club was equally bad. Not a single par. But I did miss eagle by less than a foot so 1 birdie. Lots of wildlife, and deadlife. The first picture is a family of coyotes. The second was their dinner last night. That's a bobcat head. I'm really surprised the coyotes could take that down. They are tough and mean as hell. Outnumbered I guess.
frequently see coyote patrols at at least two local courses,
sometimes blessed with watching spring whelps decipher eating when the pups are weaned and hungry.
limited sample size suggests primary meat source appears to be a sort of unbreaded canadian goose nuggets caught while on layover during annual migration patterns, served with a side of poop dipping sauce
never seem to remember my score after those particular nature hikes, but always haunted by the elusive 'that which was not shot'.
46 (par 35). No birdies, 1 double, 1 quad
Being unable to pick up the ball in flight is most annoying. Leads to bad scores. As does missing lots of putts.
They are aerating greens on my home course, so played a country club course that allows non-members. It's a very nice course. The fairways are about like the fringe on my home course. Hard greens. I kept looking for a ball mark on the greens I hit but never found one. I asked a member that I played with and he confirmed there wouldn't be. Faster than I'm used to but that didn't make much of a difference, Actual sand in the bunkers.
Anyways, was playing pretty decent. Driver was never on point the whole day and I pulled a few irons because I keep closing the face. but was doing well. 44 on the front. Had three pars on the back and then I went quadruple, triple, triple. UGH! Ended up with 52 on the back for a 96.
Popped a drive up in the air short on 18 and had 220 to the hole. Smoked a 3 wood to within 15' of the pin. Then proceeded to 3 putt. Welp.
Most of my mistakes are things I keep doing and are so fixable. Not setting up my irons properly is hurting me and so easy to fix. I just have to be patient while I set up. Lining up putts properly is another thing I can fix. Costing me a lot of strokes.
