Week 3 - League

1 of the players in my league has Driver as his last name. Thats a good golf name. He's also lefthanded, like Phil Mickleson. So the doglegs present a different challenge for him then most players. His fades are my pulls. I guess they have more choice of equipment then they used too, but if someone I knew wanted to start playing golf and was a lefty, I would tell 'em to play righty. For one, taking lessons is easier because you can more easily imitate the pro. (Unless he's lefty as well!) Also, a lot more equipment choices. And when you're just starting something, your muscle memory can learn better then if you've been doing it for a while and then switch hands later.

So the round was played on the back nine this week, and I bogeyed 3 straight holes before parring the par-3 13th after just clearing the green on my drive and using the Texas wedge to lag it close. I hit my next drive OB next to a house, and took a DB. I parred 15, a par-5, again needing 4 to get on, then popped up a 3wood on the long par 4 and DBed it. After just missing a par putt on 17, I creamed a 3-wood on 18 to 140, and stuck a 7iron to 15 feet, and finished with a nice par, for a 44, with 15 putts, 3 FH, and 1 GIR, the last hole. Shot of the day - the drive on 18 with the 3 wood. I had only 2 awful chips; 1 scooted in and out of a bunker, 1 I hit behind after 2 great shots on 15, and it shanked off right of the green. Getting better, but need more chipping practice.

Improvement League

On Mondays last season I started playing in a 9-hole league at Deer Creek in University Park called the Improvement League. Launched just last season, it uses a special scorecard to track clubs used, fairways and greens hit, and whether or not one was over, short, left or right of those targets.

http://deercreekgolfcourse.com/improvement%20league.htm
We also had our swings videoed on a DVD so we could study them, which was real neat, and had 2 clinics, one was a full-swing lesson, and the other was a putting lesson.
Of my 15 birdies last year, 7 were in this league.
This season the league started on May 4, and I played last week and had a 48. We were real lucky with the weather last year; hopefully that will continue.

Tuckaway

Round 4 was played at Tuckaway on May 7, a sort of flat course out in Steger. Some of the greens are hilly enough so if the pin is in a certain position, the ball will roll off the green if landing in the wrong place. Also the greens are sand-based, which doesnt allow for them to hold shots well. I played the back 9 first, and took a snowman on 10, mainly due to poor chipping. After 3 straight bogies, I played 2-9 because of slow play ahead of me. I had 4 6's in a row befor DBing the Par3 6th, then I took 6 shots to reach 7. On 8, I hit a 3iron 10ft., then left the birdie putt short. After 9, I went to the car to get my raincoat and umbrella because it was raining. I then parred 1, then went back to 14, a hole I have eagled (yeah,EAGLED) twice, in 2004 and 2007. Amazing. Its a short par-5 that plays sorta downhill, so 2 good shots and you're dancing. That was my last par till 18, with another GIR and 2 putts. I was 4 over from 15-17. I also just beat the hard rain, as it really came down as I was leaving the last green. So my scores were 50-48-98. My actual 9-hole breakdown was 52-46. I had 34 putts, so most of the damage was again, chipping and pitching. I hit 5 fairways and chipped in for par on 14 as my shot of the day. Most telling stat: only 3 GIR. I need to get that figure up to 8 or 9. I also had no birdies, ending my little streak of a birdie a round at 3. Had 4 pars; need to double that. At least I got it in.