Insane!!!

So the Thursday evening I played a round of golf with some friends of mine. We hit up this course which is by far the best buy for the buck in town, at $14 to walk 18 holes. Many courses here don't allow you to walk, which is a crying shame. Even out of shape, I prefer to walk. It was an interesting round to say the least. Golf is about the most unpredictable game I know of. We were playing this points game based on handicaps, where you get +1 point for a triple or worse, 0 points for a double bogey, +1 point for a bogey, +2 points for a par, +4 points for a birdie, and +6 points for an eagle. You subtract your handicap from 36 to see how many points you start with. If you're an 18 handicap for example and got 18 bogeys, you would finish with 0 points. I have only played a handful of times in the last 6 months, so I did not expect too much, especially walking. On the range, I literally hit 0 solid iron shots, every iron was pure awful. And by awful I mean a bladed shot. It was prety frustrating. I talked to the guys and we agreed that I would start with +16 instead of +18 and if I hit some solid irons in the first few holes (by solid I mean in the air and near the green) then I'd bump it back up to +18. So the starting points were: John +31; Elkins +26; Byers +18; me +16 (maybe +18). Now if I am playing regularly, I am about a 10 handicap anymore, since I don't have time to practice, but with such limited time playing, I knew there would be some errant tee shots, leading to lost balls. Lost balls quickly add to your score.


We start on the back 9, and I proceed to start off horrifibly. I bogey the first hole after losing my tee shot. Thankfully it was stroke and distance, so I did not have to retee and getting a 5 was fairly routine, given how far I hit the tee shot and that it was barely off line. Then next hole was a crushed drive and then I hit my wedge from 80 yards thin, and walked away with another bogey. On the short par 4 12th, I tried to drive the green and hit another errant tee shot that lead to stroke and distance and I walked away with a double bogey. Finally, on the 13th hole, I not only took a fall and cut up my leg when some rocks slipped away from me near the cart path, but I lost yet another tee shot leading to another double bogey. So I sat at +6 through 4 and in a bad mind frame. At that point I decided to just exhale and suck it up and just enjoy the day. I Wasn't going to let a poor round of golf ruin a nice day with some friends. Normally poor rounds don't affect me like this start did, but I just can't tolerate not keeping the ball in play, it is very frustrating.


Then, the change occured and the comeback I made was maybe the most remarkable I have ever made in my life. After being +6 through 4 holes, I proceeded to hit 10 of the next 14 greens in regulation and never lost a ball again. I made an adjustment and trusted my swing that day and it paid off big time. I only made 2 bogeys the rest of the round along with no doubles, and I also made 4 birdies. So having played literally about 5 times or so in the last 6 months and starting out so hirribly, I played the final 14 holes at 2-under par, and finished with +4 76! I couldn't believe it and neither could my friends. I mean, people get into grooves, but you don't usually see such an amazing run of 14 holes, especially after a rotten start, like what I did. All parts of my game came together. I hit solid tee shots, I hit good irons, and I got up and down on 3 of the 4 greens I missed. On one of my bogeys, I actually hit a very good shot, but the yardage was off by 15 yards. I went first, so fml. Everyone else adjusted and agreed the yardage was way off. My putting was pretty amazing as well, with only 1 3-putt in that span and that was off of a lag from 35 feet to 2 feet, and the second putt did a 360 and stayed out. It happens. I also missed a birdie on the par 5 18th that I had from about 5 feet or so. I hit it exactly where I wanted to hit it, the putt just fooled me in that it did not break like I thought it would. I don't mind misreads for some reason, but I despise when I pull or push a putt.


Here is the scorecard:

I was suppose dot go to Knoxville this weekend, but I feel pretty terrible at the moment, so I turned around and came back home. Kinda disappointing, I was going to visit some friends I have not seen in some time and also go see Mastodon and Between the Buried and Me tonight for free. Would have been a sick show for sure.