Shake Up of Top 10 Courses Played

Top 10 Courses Played

Torrey Pines (South Course), La Jolla, CA
Makai Golf Club, Princeville, HI
Steele Canyon (Canyon/Ranch), Jamul, Ca
Gray’s Crossings, Truckee,CA
Torrey Pines (North Course), La Jolla, CA
North Ridge Country Club, Fair Oaks, CA
Alta Sierra Country Club, Grass Valley, CA
Sunset Whitney Country Club, Rocklin, CA
Granite Bay Golf Club, Roseville, CA
The Ridge, Auburn, CA
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Outside Looking in:

Encinitas Ranch Golf Course, Encinitas, CA
Morgan Creek Golf Club, Roseville, CA
Wildhorse Golf Club, Davis, CA
Chula Vista Golf Course, Bonita, CA
Balboa Golf Course, San Diego, CA

Alta Sierra Country Club

Well the Sunset Whitney Tour has come to an end. Tyler and I played at Alta Sierra Country Club in Grass Valley yesterday for the championship.It was a match play format:

after 3 holes I was up 2
after 6 holes I was up 3
after 9 holes I was up 2
after 12 holes I was up 4
after 15 holes I won 6 and 4

Wohoo! Back-to-back Champion of the Sunset Whitney Tour! I shot an 88 with 34 putts. Going from really fast greens to not-so-fast greens can cause big problems.

Now about the course... I like to think of Alta Sierra as a mini version of Augusta National. Definitely a hidden gem outside of Sacramento. Lots of doglegs surrounded by pine trees and redwoods. Almost all of the holes had some type of elevation change. The greens weren't as fast as Augusta, but they rolled true. I would really like to play this course again sometime.

Gray's Crossing

I LOVE MOUNTAIN GOLF!! Wow! The ball just flies and flies!! The course was in perfect shape. The greens were so true and rolled so beautifully. Man, the greens were fast! Maybe the fastest I've ever played. The ball actually picked up speed going uphill. Unfortunately I didn't bring my A or even my B game, I think I brought my C- game. I shot a 93 with 36 putts. The course differently tamed the putter. I have to give a shoutout to Scott for taking us up there and putting up with us for the day.

In the 80's Again

I finally got to play on Monday after being sick for a week. I played at Sunset Whitney after work. I wasn't really expecting much from the round, so boy was I surprised! I ended up shooting an 85 with 27 putts. The putter is still on fire. I had 8 one putts on the front nine. Then I got in a little funk on the back and bogeyed the last 5 holes. Nonetheless, I was happy with my play.

Thursday I get to go play Gray's Crossing in Truckee near Lake Tahoe with my boss. I've heard nothing but good things about this course. Then Friday I'll be playing the Sunset Whitney Tour Championship match against Tyler at Alta Sierra Country Club. Lots going on this week!

New Handicap Index

Woohoo!! I just got my updated Handicap index today and all I can say is that my hard work is starting to payoff. I'm currently at 9.3!

Sunset Whitney Tour

Last Friday I played in one of our work tournament semifinals matches. It was me vs. Alan and Tyler vs. Larry. We got to play at North Ridge Country Club - this is a hidden gem in Sacramento county. I've placed this course in my top 10 played. I was up 3 after 9 and Tyler was up 1 after 9. Tyler and I won our matches on the 14th hole. I'll be playing Tyler sometime next week for the championship at Sunset Whitney.

I won't be playing anymore this week. I was lucky enough to catch my wife's cold. Thanks sweetie! =(

What a Weekend

A lot of golf was played this weekend since Danelle was out of town. I played all three days, including a rematch with Ron on Monday.

Friday:
I played with a couple of members at Sunset Whitney. I played okay, shot 88 with 29 putts. The putter keeps getting better since the fitting. Still had a couple of OB's. =( I played a couple of holes with the Stack and Tilt swing. I lost a lot of yards with this swing but was fairly more accurate. After the round I decided to go back to my regular swing and keep building on it.

Saturday:
I played with Doug and a couple of his buddies. Doug and I had a small wager on the round: loser buys lunch. I was hoping to play well against Doug to help me prepare for Ron on Monday. Good thing it was the day before the match, cause I got my butt kicked. I shot an 88 and lost by 8. I couldn't do anything right. The only highlight I had was on hole 8 with a chip-in par. Other than that I try not to remember the round. After the round Doug and I went to the clubhouse where I bought him his lunch. While sitting there having lunch, Keith showed up and was about to play. I told him I was really struggling with the swing so he said we could go to the range and have a look. We spent about 15 minutes working on my swing. Right away he noticed that my swing was too quick and I was leaning towards the ball during my backswing, putting too much weight on my toes and causing me to cut across the ball. After the range I decided to play 9 holes with Keith, during which I played much better and felt more confident about my match with Ron the next day.

Sunday:
The big day! Ron had beat me the first time by 3 shots, so I was looking to redeem myself this time. I got right to the good stuff. At the turn I was down by 2. After the 13th hole I was down by 3. Ron birdied 14 while I parred it, putting me down 4 with 4 holes left to play. My tee shot ended up in the left rough about 135 from the hole. My second shot came about 4 inches away from the hole, tap-in birdie. Ron's second shot ended up in the bunker and finished the hole with a bogey. I was then down 2 with 3 to play. On the next hole Ron landed in the bunker while I landed just short of the bunker. I was first to play my shot, I was about 15 yards from the pin. I hit my chip shot and it kept rolling and rolling and rolling, and FELL IN THE HOLE for a birdie! Ron had trouble getting out of the bunker and ended up taking a 5, putting me up by 1. Standing on 17 tee box I told myself I was not going left, which is where the OB is. What did I do? I hit the ugliest tee shot to the right. It was horrible. Ron hit this beautiful tee shot right down the middle. Ron made par while I settled for a bogey. We were all square going into the 18th hole. Ron put his tee shot in the fairway while mine was in the right rough about 3 yards away from the water hazard. Ron was first to play, and hit this amazing approach shot right over the pin, about 11 feet away from it. My approach shot landed short of the green. I had to get up and down to even have a chance to put the pressure on Ron. I hit my chip shot about 3 1/2 feet short of the hole. Ron hit his putt, leaving it short, probably still with about 5 feet left. Then he hit his next putt 3 feet past the hole, basically giving me the win! I ended up winning by 2!! I shot an 85 with 25 putts. The putter is on fire, folks! Ever since I got the putter fitted its been lights out. With my win against Ron it means another name gets crossed off my list.

Video of New Swing

This swing got me an 84 today! I had 29 putts with the newly fitted putter. Still trying to shorten the swing. One thing I see that I don't like is my head movement. I think if I can limit it, that might help with my over-swinging.

New Swing and Putter Fitting

I was on the range all weekend doing drills. Lots of video this weekend of the golf swing. I have a list of things I'm changing in my swing. I will no longer be going with Hank Haney's swing theories. I'm now leaning toward a Stack and Tilt swing. Things are coming along slowly, but I can already see and feel a difference.

Thing I'm working on:

1. Steeper shoulder turn
2. In to out swing
3. Squat on the down swing then hips go up and around

I will post some video of the new swing tomorrow.

I got my putter back on Sunday. Woohoo! Man, what a difference. Best $36 I've spent in awhile. I would recommend a putter fitting to everyone, especially since we use the putter on every hole. I can't wait to play a whole round with the putter and see how I do. The ball rolls off the putter face so smooth. =)

Putter Talk

I went shopping for a putter last night at Golf Galaxy. I spent a little more than an hour trying out new putters. I even took my putter in to see how much they would give me for trade-in. I was looking at getting the Taylormade Rossa Sebring. I was in the process of getting fitted for the new putter when it crossed my mind that maybe my putter isn't fitted to me correctly. I found out that the putter was an inch too long and that the toe was sitting too high. While hitting some putts, the club maker noticed the putter head and shaft were loose, causing the putter not to be aligned correctly. I left my putter there to be worked on and won't get it back until Sunday. So instead of spending over $100 I only spent $36. I really love my two ball putter and don't think I can ever get rid of it. Hopefully this fitting will bring my putting stroke back to normal and I'll be sinking putts again.

My Match with Doug

It was a battle of the blue shirts today. So after 3 holes, I'm down 3. After 6 holes, I'm down 1. After 9 holes, we're even. We ended up shooting 44 on the front. Once again while playing Doug I hit it OB on 12 off the tee and took an 8! I really don't like this hole! So Doug is up by 1 after 12. I was able to get it back to even after 15. After a poorly played 16th and a par on 17 I was down 1 heading to the 18th tee. My tee shot was about 7 yards from the fairway with a good lie. Doug was about 15 yards behind me a little further left of the fairway. I'm feeling like I have a chance to at least tie. Then Doug hit the shot of the round leaving himself a 10 foot putt for birdie. My second shot ended up flying the green, which resulted in a bogey. Doug made his birdie putt, slamming the door shut on my hopes and dreams of beating him. Doug shot a 89, while I shot a pathetic 92 with 32 putts. I never felt comfortable with my swing. I was really disappointed with the putter once again. I might have to go shopping for a new putter this week. I've decided to work on my swing for the next week. I will not be playing at all next week. I'll be spending all my time at the range doing drills and honing my swing. I will be posting a lot of video of my swing changes in the coming week. I'm hoping to play against Ron in early September and hopefully will get a rematch with Doug in late September.

My Match With Mike

The match that everyone at work has been waiting for finally happened. I knew my match with Mike was going to be close. Every time Mike hasn't played in a while he always does really well. Once again he started off HOT! He took the first hole with a par, then on the second hole he stuck a 200 yard shot within 10 feet of the hole! I got up and down to tie the hole, and took the 3rd hole with a par. We tied the 4th hole. Then I took the next two holes, putting me up by 2 with 3 to play. Mike took the 7th hole with a bogey, I got a bad bounce and went OB. I had a chance to end it on 8 with a 4 foot putt and pulled the putt. I don't think I'll be using the Claw against Doug tomorrow. So Mike and I head to the 9th hole, a par 3, 110 yards over water to a shallow green. Mike ended up hitting his tee shot into the pond, leaving me a golden opportunity to win the match. My tee shot ended up just off the green and that was enough to win the hole and the match. After my match I went to the putting green to figure out which putting stroke I'm going to use in my match against Doug. I spent about 25 minutes trying to get a feel for my putting stroke. I'm leaving a lot of putts short, especially on lag putts. I'm just hoping that my putter shows up tomorrow against Doug. I hit the ball well today and feel my game is right where I need it to be for tomorrow. I think if I have less than 30 putts I will win tomorrow. I guess I better sleep with my putter tonight and let Danelle have the couch (good thing she's so understanding). =)


Doug, just so you know, we'll be taking another photo tomorrow. =)

Practice 9 Holes with Doug

Today I was able to catch Doug on the back 9. I guess you could say we were spying on each other. I have a feeling that the match is going to come down to the last hole again on Wednesday. We both played about the same, a couple of pars here and a few bogeys there. I feel good about my swing going into my match. After playing, I went to the putting green for about 20 minutes. My putting stroke is so bad right now, I'm thinking about going to the Claw. I hit about 20 putts with the Claw and think I might play with it tomorrow. I picked a good time to change putting strokes with my matches this week.

Tomorrow I finally get to play the match with Mike my boss in our work tournament. I'm hoping to continue to successfully defend my title.

Video of Swing

I really don't like how long the swing is, but it works for now.


Thanks to my wife for coming to the range and video taping. =)

My Round at Morgan Creek

I got to play Morgan Creek Golf Club in Roseville for the first time yesterday with Bud. It's a very nice course and it made my Top 10 Courses Played list. I didn't hit one snap hook durning the round, instead I was fighting a slice and a faulty putter. I have no idea where the hook went! I shot an 88 with 36 putts. Really? 36 putts!? I think I had four or five 3-putts. I even had an eagle attempt, which was about 20 feet, and I 3-putted for par. I was so mad because I can't even remember the last time I had an eagle putt. I had a lot of looks at par but just couldn't make a putt to save my life.

Hopefully the putter will be ready for my match with Doug. We now have an official date for our rematch: next Wednesday, August 25. I plan to start preparing this weekend, Monday and Tuesday. I'll be posting video of my swing tomorrow. I'm dragging Danelle to the range with me and having her videotape the swing (hehehe).

Hook it Good

I started my round on the second hole today so I could play with Gran, who's a member at the course. My first tee shot of the day was a snap hook OB. Then off the 4th tee box, snapped one OB again. Wait, I'm not done yet...5th hole snap hooked another one. I was pretty much done after that tee shot.

So I finished playing 9 with Gran and we decided to play the whisky run, which is holes 10, 11, 17 and 18. We decided to play for a gatorade, and I was a little thirsty at the time too. Gran is a very good player...all you need to know is that his handicap is lower than mine. No snap hook on 10 and we both ended up paring the hole. Then after the biggest slice in my life, which is a result of fearing to go left, I managed to get a bogey and so did Gran.

Something crazy happened on 17. I hit a smokin' drive right down the middle with a little less than 150 yards. Why can't I do that all the time? Gran hit his tee ball to the right and got stuck behind a tree. I made par and Gran took a bogey. So I'm up one with one to play. I know we can all guess what happened with my tee shot on 18. FORE left toward the home owners!! I hit another one OB! The door is WIDE open for Gran! He goes off to the right on his tee shot and has a bad lie for his next shot. So I hit my 3 shot off the tee and hit this nice high draw just off the fairway. I stick my next shot on the green about 25 feet from the hole and Gran gets to the green in four with about a 15 foot putt, leaving us to a putt off. Good thing for my new putting stroke, which lead me to victory! After our little match we went to the clubhouse where I collected my ice cold red gatorade.

Another Round in the 80's

Yesterday I had a really good round at Sunset Whitney going until the 12th hole. I had just played 11 holes and was only +5. Then the shot I've been fighting the most happened. I snap hooked my tee shot OB on 12 and ended up taking an 8. I finished my round with an 85 and 27 putts. The putter was so much better. I changed my putting stroke before the round and it really payed off out there. I decided to shorten my back stroke with the putter and really make sure I hit through the ball. I even had a 15 foot birdie on the 7th. Man it finally felt good to make a birdie after 3 rounds. I hit the ball really well on the front and okay on the back. I'm really excited that I didn't have to go and buy a new putter, and I think Danelle is too! =)

I've been talking with Doug this week and I think we're going to try and play our rematch this month, either on the 25th or 27th. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

A Practice Round at Sunset Whitney

I was at it again today playing at Sunset Whitney. I played with Keith and his buddy Steve. Once again I hit the ball well, just didn't score. The putter couldn't find the cup if it was right next to it, but it did save itself with its clutch performance on the last 3 holes. I challenged Keith on the last 3 holes for a gatorade, best score won. What do you know, my putter actually came up big! I made a 15 footer on the first hole and then made a 4 footer for a tie on the last hole. After we finished Keith still bought me a gatorade. The one shot I am fighting is a snap hook every once in awhile off the tee. Not sure what's happening there.

I'm going to try and play a new course this week along with playing at Sunset Whitney. Hopefully my putter will improve and I can shoot a good score this week.

My Round at The Ridge

My round at the Ridge was fun! I didn't score well but hit the ball really well; I can't remember the last time I hit that well for the whole round. The Ridge is a nice test for any golfer. It's definitely a target golf course and if you miss the green you're asking for trouble. Lots of valleys and hills around the green, really easy to get a bad bounce. I was hitting the ball so pure I was hitting it over the green. I can't even remember how many greens I flew, I was shocked every time. Usually I'm short if anything. However, I was hitting so well that my putter forgot how to make putts. I ended up with a 93 and 36 putts. I was really happy with my play, just not my scoring. I guess that's golf. I would definitely recommend playing The Ridge if you ever get the chance to. My putter is in the dog house as of now, and if things don't turn around soon it may be time for a change. I still need to get video of my swing, so I'll try this week. The Ridge has made it into my Top 10 Courses Played list, number 4.

The Last Two Days

My game has been struggling the last two days. It always starts off the same. The first 3 or 4 hole are really good, then a double bogey happens and it's downhill from there. So after nine holes today I went to the range and hit balls for hour and a half in the baking sun, and still didn't quite get it figured out. After the range I saw Keith, and he wanted to play a couple of holes since we haven't played since I returned from Kauai. I snap-hooked three straight tee shots out of bounds. The next hole did the same thing but it stayed in bounds. I ended up bogeying the hole and was done for the day. Woohoo!!

I will be playing The Ridge in Auburn, CA on Saturday. It has a rating and slope of 73/137. The course is 6700 yards. Hopefully I'll have some kind of golf swing when I play.

My Top 10 Courses Played

FAVORITE GOLF COURSES PLAYED

1.Torrey Pines (South Course), La Jolla, CA
2.Makai Golf Club, Princeville, HI
3.Steele Canyon (Canyon/Ranch), Jamul, Ca
4.Granite Bay Golf Club, Roseville, CA
5.Sunset Whitney Country Club, Rocklin, CA
6.Encinitas Ranch Golf Course, Encinitas, CA
7.Torrey Pines (North Course), La Jolla, CA
8.Wildhorse Golf Club, Davis, CA
9.Balboa Golf Course, San Diego, CA
10.Chula Vista Golf Course, Bonita, CA

My Round at the Makai in Kauai

The Honeymoon is over and now I can get back to playing golf! I got to play the Makai in Princeville on the island of Kauai. The course was AMAZING! It could be best course I've ever played besides Torrey Pines South course. I played the Blue tees and shot a 87 with 31 putts. I could've had a really good round but shot myself in the foot on the first 6 holes. I was + 9 after those 6 holes! =( I think I was so happy to be playing in Kauai, that I forgot how to swing the club. Then I had a birdie on the 7th hole which is a par 3, 173 yards over the ocean into the wind. The tee shot ended up about 6 feet from the cup. The shot definitely ranks in my top 3 best ever! I finished the front +11. The back 9 was a totally different story. I birdied number 10 which was also the hole in front of the house we were staying at. I finished the back +4. I also hit my best fairway bunker shot on 17, I was out 190 yards and had to carry the the water in front of the green to a narrow green. =)

I definitely enjoyed my golf experience on Kauai and would totally recommend this golf course to every golfer out there. I would like to thank my wife for letting me play golf on our honeymoon. I now know I married the right woman!!

Pictures from the Makai in Kauai

Some pictures from my round in Kauai.

Golf Travel Bag

The golf clubs are safely in and ready to go to Kauai.

Ready for Kauai

I finally made it out to the course yesterday after being sick for a week. I played 4 holes with a couple of members. Felt a little bad cause my game was a little rusty. After playing I went to the range to work off some more of the rust before I play in Kauai. I hit range balls for 20 minutes and decided I was ready for Kauai! There will be lots of photos and video to post when I get back. I'll be playing the Makai in Princeville. Thank you Walter!

Sent from my AMAZING iPhone

Under the Weather

Well nothing can slow me down faster than a head cold and a honeymoon in Kauai right around the corner. I haven't made it out to the course since last Friday. Now I'm hoping to at least play once before I go to Kauai. I'm a little bummed I haven't had the chance to go to the course and videotape my swing. I'm really excited about the changes. =D

A Little Behind with the Blog

This week has just passed me by. I've only posted once and have been on the course 4 times, so this could be a long post.

Wednesday - I played with Keith and it wasn't very good. I've never lost so many balls while keeping them in play. The putter was not cooperating at all. It's amazing how one round it's there, and the next it's not even close. After I got home I went on the Hank Haney forum and did some research about my swing troubles. I came across a post that I think might help with the swing.

Thursday - I spent about an hour on the range making some changes to the swing. Things seem to be a little better, just trying to get used to the feeling of the changes.

Friday - I was only able to practice for 30 minutes and it was the best practice session I've had since starting this blog!! I was hitting little baby draws and contact was really good. I'm so excited! =D I'm going to play on Sunday and give the new swing a go at the 70's. I'm going to go to the range tomorrow and videotape the swing. When I post the swing tomorrow I will point out the swing changes compared to the last video I posted.

Back in Action

I'm now a happily married man!

My first day back at the course wasn't to bad. The first six holes I was +4 with a 50 foot birdie bomb! Then I got sloppy. Hopefully it was just a little rust. I'm trying to get swing just right before I goto Kauai for the honeymoon. I'll be posting a some video of my swing later this week.

New Ball Marker

I knew my wedding ring would come in handy on the golf course! =)

A Round with Dan & Jake

My round today with Dan and Jake was fun! We played at Santa Anita golf course in Arcadia. Man was it HOT today! I shot an 82 with 30 putts. I had a 38 on the front and 44 on the back. There's just something about the back nine that trips me up from shooting in the 70's. The putter was ON today! Good thing I decided to bring it. The clubs I used worked well. A little more offset than I'm used to. The driver was a little sporatic. I'm now officially in the family since I won. I defintely look forward to playing with Dan again.

We'll this is it, my last blog as a free man. Good thing I know the warden! =)

I so happy to be marrying my best friend on Saturday! I love you Danelle!

golf course!

e borrowing some clubs from Dan but I did bring my putter. I couldn't fit my clubs in the car because of all the wedding stuff. :( and :) Well off to the

Today is my last round of golf before I get married on Saturday. I'm playing with my future father-in-law Dan and Danelle's sister boyfriend Jake. I'll b

Golf Game a No Show

I had another bad round yesterday. Everything was good until the 5th hole and on. I was +2, then I bogeyed the next 7 holes follow by a double bogey, then bogeyed the next 4 followed with another double, and to finish it off, bogeyed the 18th. I'm too frustrated to write anymore! I think it will be nice to have a break from golf. Maybe this wedding is a blessing in disguise. =)

Any Direction but Straight

Yesterday's round with Keith was brutal. I had 3 pars, 1 triple bogey and the rest were bogeys. The ball went everywhere but straight during the round, but I hit the ball really solid at least. I don't understand how that can happen. Keith noticed that I'm having trouble getting to my left side on the downswing. In Hank's book he talks about hip bump to get to the left side, so I'm going to try and work on that today at the range. Looks like it's going to be hard to get to single digits for my handicap. With only 7 days left before the big day I need to shoot something low on Sunday. I feel like the swing is getting close but next week I'm not going to play or practice much with the wedding on Saturday. Good thing I'm marrying the most amazing woman in the world! So I guess I can manage to take a break from golf to get married. =)

Getting There

I played with Doug this afternoon for about 10 holes. I was plus 5 for the 10 holes, and had a par attempt on every hole. The ball was always in play which was good. I still have about a 2-5 yard fade for most shots. After playing with Doug I went back to the range and was trying to straighten out the ball flight. I did okay on the range, even got a couple of them to draw and hook. For the most part the ball flight was straight. The drill I was given to try from the forum did help, just need to practice them. Side note: Craig came came over to tell me about his 74 today after playing his round. What a showoff! =) I guess I'm going to have to do the same with my 79 tomorrow!!

Tomorrow I'm playing 18 with Keith.

Working on the New Swing

I was back at it with Hank today at the range and things are slowly coming together. I'm already hitting it more solid, but still have a 2-5 yard fade. After hitting balls on the range I decided to try it out on the course. I got to play with Granville today. I've played with him before, he's a really good player. It's funny because he had heard about the blog and asked me about it this morning. I played okay, first par came on the 4th hole. After that: par, bogey with an ob off the tee, bogey, par, and par. I felt good about the last 6 holes. I really like the new putter grip too! I only played 9 holes with Granville and went back to the range to hit about 20 more balls, working on shortening my swing. I'm going to do the same thing tomorrow and hit the range and play 9. I plan on playing with Keith on Friday and trying out the new swing for 18 holes.

I posted my swing on Hank Haney's forum and one of the instructors commented on some things to work on. I looking forward to working on them tomorrow.

Video of Swing

The swing is a little long I know. At about the 6 second mark is where I want the swing to end. I hit an 8 iron with a 2-3 yard fade with solid contact. I'm looking forward to getting back out there on the range and seeing what I can do with this swing.

Lots of Changes Ahead

Well after my match with Ron yesterday, I decided to go to Golf Galaxy and look around. During my visit I bought a few items to help me with my game. One of the things I bought was Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing. I'm going back to Hank's swing theories after my golf game crumbled against Ron. I now have Hank's book, dvd, and he also has a website with tips for more help with the swing. The other little item I got from Golf Galaxy was a new grip for my putter. It's a Super Stroke Slim. I've tried them in the store and really like how it fits in my hand.

I went home and started reading the book right away so I could start practicing on it today. I have video of the old swing versus the new swing to post today! Will post later tonight.

Ron and Me

Here's a picture of me and Ron during our match.

Match with Ron

I picked a good day to have a bad round against Ron, but I still had a chance on the last hole to tie. I couldn't get anything going today. I didn't have my first par till the 11th hole and didn't make a putt over 3 feet till the 14th hole. I hit two balls O.B. early in the round, which led to triple bogies on each hole. I guess it's just one of those rounds when I need to let go and focus on the big picture ahead.


Ron-92
Brent-93


My match with Doug on the 9th has been postponed since Doug's back still isn't feeling great. We're going to play sometime after the wedding.

Ron is up 4 after 9

Heading to the first w/ Ron. Game on!

Another Good Round

My round yesterday with Keith was good. I shot an 85, with 41 on the front and 44 on the backside. I had 6 birdie attempts in the round, but only made one of them. I've now made a birdie in 5 straight rounds and the birdie chances keep improving each rounds. The putter just keeps failing me late in the round. Maybe a little time on the putting green will do the trick. I'm going to need every stroke to beat Ron on Monday.

I went to the range today to work on some drills. After working on the swing I decided to play the first four holes. Needless to say they didn't go so well. So I'll be heading back to the range tomorrow to work things out before the big match on Monday.

Don't forget to vote on the new poll, which ends on Monday.

Almost

I really thought this was the day for breaking 80. I just had a feeling it was going to happen today. I shot 39 on the front with a birdie on 4. The back was going good till the 15th hole. After an incredible sand save on 14, I was feeling like breaking 80 was possible. The putter was on today till the last five holes, and those last five holes were when I needed the putter the most. So the 15th hole was where the party started to end on breaking 80. I bombed the drive right down the fairway and had 75 yards left, only to hit my approach shot 60 yards and leave myself a 40 foot putt which I putted off the green. I ended up getting a bogey and never recovered after that. I had bogies the rest of the way into the club house. I finished up with a 44 on the back. Final score was 83 with 29 putts. Keith said that my game has gotten much better in the last past 3 weeks. I guess all that practicing is paying off.

Handicap update: My handicap has dropped to 10.7 from 11.4! Sweet

A Good Round

I played 9 holes with the guys from work today. I was striking the ball really well! I had a par putt attempt on every hole. I ended up shooting a 39 with 15 putts. I'm trying to add some new shots to my golf game. I'm working on a stinger off the tee and a punch shot into the greens. I used the punch shot about 3 times in the round and only missed one green. I'm still working on the stinger, I haven't used it on the course yet. Maybe I'll try tomorrow in my round with Keith. I'm also going to videotape my swing tomorrow so everyone will be able to see my improvements.

Doug and I are now tentatively set to have our rematch on July 9th.

9 Holes and Range

Breaking News: I will officially play Ron on July 5!!

Woo!! Another triple digit day!! I did a little practice on the range before heading out today. I was hitting it well on the range, that's never been a problem. The problem is taking it to the course. I only played 9 holes today; it was rocky to say the least. Just a bunch of small mistakes that add up to extra strokes. =( After playing, I went - where else - the range!! After a little adjusting, things seem to be better. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to try them out. I was beat from the heat. Just as I was getting ready to leave Keith showed up. We're going to try and play Wednesday. Tomorrow is my final round with the guys at work before our big tournament start. We have a work related golf league and I'm the defending champ from last year. Next month are our playoffs for our league. After tomorrow it will all be about preparing for Ron next week.

Good luck Ron!

Practice round with Doug

I was finally able to make it back to the course yesterday. I hadn't touched a club in 3 days which is a lomg time for me. Doug and I were finally able to play together since our showdown. It was just a practice round since both of us were just getting back into playing. I wasn't too rusty. The putter was off but 100 yards an in was good. I even had a chip-in birdie. I shot 42 on the front and 47 on the back. The heat might of been a factor too, it was only 102. I think by the 14 hole all I was thinking about was swimming in one of the ponds on the golf course. I'm trying to setup a rematch with Doug before the wedding. Which reminds me that the wedding is only 19 days away!!

Round with Keith

My round with Keith yesterday was up and down. I shot 43 on the front 9 and 44 on the back 9. I drained a 30 foot birdie putt on hole 9 and then the putter failed me on the back 9. =( I had par putts on every hole on the back and only made two of them. The game feels solid which is a great feeling. I'm just waiting for the putter to come alive. Looks like I need to spend a little extra time on the putting green. That will have to wait till next week, because the rest of this week will be spent in Las Vegas celebrating my bachelor party!! No thoughts of golf till Monday! Who will survive the longest without the other...me, or golf?

Don't forget to vote on the poll

Humbled

I got my butt kicked today!! I'm so mentally beat right now. I was feeling really good about how I was hitting the ball going into today. Let me start by saying out of 90 shots today only 3 were good. Two of the shots got me a birdie on a par three. The other one was a chip-in out of the bunker for par. It hit the stick and fell right in. My first ever chip-in from the bunker. My iron shot off the tee on the par three was my only solid shot all day. I couldn't get anything going, the putter, wedges, driver, and irons were hit so poorly it was just funny after awhile. Golf is the most humbling sport in the world. So after playing the round I headed over to the range with the little energy and pride I had left and began hitting range balls. Spent about 30 minutes on the range and was hitting pretty well and think I might have found the cause for my bad round. Now I just need to take my game from the range to the course an everything will be fine.

I'm supposed to play with Keith tomorrow so I guess we'll see what happens.

Hittin' the Ball Well

I didn't play with Doug on Sunday, I ended up going to the range and practicing for about an hour. I was hitting really well on the range after a couple of small changes to the swing. Now I'm probably hitting the ball the best since I've started this blog! I was thinking about playing after hitting it so well on the range, but I wanted to watch the final round of the U.S. OPEN. So I told myself I'd play tomorrow and see how the new swing changes hold up.

Well tomorrow became today, and it was BOOMIN! Doug was finally able to play, so after work I joined him on the 9th hole. I was hitting the ball really well. Had a couple of problems off the tee but I figured out what I was doing wrong. I had a birdie on 14 which is probably the hardest green to hit. The putter was working today as well. I had a couple of monster drives too! I can't wait to play a full round tomorrow and see what I score. This could be the round I break 80!


I hope everyone on the list is ready for a challenge next time we play! =)

Tyler and Me

Here's a picture of Tyler and me on the driving range after our match.

36 Holes

I played 36 holes with Keith today. Thats the most I've ever played in one day!! I was only planning on playing 18 but it was just too nice of a day not to play 36. I didn't keep score today since I was working with Keith on my game. Though on the second 18, I did have 8 pars in a row! No birdies today, I had a lot of par putt saves. The putter was good all day. Thanks Keith! I had fun today.

Might play with Doug tomorrow if his back is feeling better. If not, I might just hit the range and putting green. Next week I plan on trying to play twice before my BIG trip to Vegas for my bachelor party!

Match with Tyler

Tyler and I finally got together and played our match. The front 9 was back and forth, each of us having a good hole then a bad hole. Somehow I ended being ahead by 3 after 9. The putter was so shaky but the rest of the short game was good. So 45 for me and 48 for Tyler on the front. After hole 14 my lead was up to 6. Then Tyler birdie 15 with me making a par. At that point I was up 5 with 3 to play.On the next hole I picked up another stroke after Tyler put his second shot in the water. My lead was back up to 6 with 2 to play. Tyler made a long par putt on 17, to take my lead down to 5 with only 1 hole left. On the 18th tee box I told myself to just keep it in play. My tee shot was just fine and I ended up beating beating Tyler by 5 stroke. Tyler shot a 45 and I shot 43 on the back. I had 35 putts but my chipping game was huge today. Gotta thank Keith for working with me on that. I just need to trust the putter and put the ball in the hole.

Tyler-93
Brent-88

Tyler is officially off the list, now who's next? =)

I'm up 3 after 9 holes.

Heading to the first tee now with Tyler! Game on!

Good Practice Session

I played 18 holes with Kent yesterday. I played okay, a lot of scrambling. I think all the practice on my short game is starting to pay off. I was burning the edge of the cup with every putt. I was in the greenside bunkers 5 times and made sandies on 4 of them! I'm really excited about the way my short game is coming around. Soon I'll be posting a round in the 70's.

No practice today, but I do have news on the next match. It will be against Tyler tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting back out there and competing.

Good luck tomorrow Tyler!

Handicap Goes Down

I woke up this morning and my handicap was down to an 11.4!! Sweet!! I played 9 holes today. I was a little rusty on the first hole, and hit the same tree with my first three shots of the round. After that hole I played well and even had a chip-in birdie. I'm really feeling good about my game after today. After the round I spent a little time on the putting green. I was about to leave and Keith showed up...just the guy I been waiting for. I finally got to try his drills for the short game. Just a little practice and I should be shaving strokes right off my scorecard.

In other news, I spoke with Tyler and we have a tentative date for our match. We're shooting for this Friday.

Its Hot Out There

Wow, its pretty hot out there!! I didn't get to play with Keith or Larry. Maybe I can hook up with Keith tomorrow to try his new drills. So instead of playing I worked on some putting and chipping for about an hour an a half. I really feel that I'm going to be shooting in the high 70's soon. I have 32 days left before the wedding (hopefully this doesn't hinder my golf game)!!!!! =) So that leaves me 31 days to get to single digit on my handicap. Which leads me to my new poll question, Will I have a single digit handicap before the wedding? So make sure you vote.


I also need to catch up with Doug and Tyler this week sometime, so we can talk matches.

Recharged

Well after not picking up a club all weekend, I'm looking forward to getting back on the course and I'm sure Danelle is ready to get rid of me for awhile (gotta love couples time). :) I'm supposed to play with Keith and Larry tomorrow. Keith has some new drills for me to try, which I'm really looking forward to. I'm going to concentrate on my short game, and I'm feeling some low scores this week!! =)

Doug and Me

Here's a picture of Doug and me on the first tee of our match.

Match Canceled

Tyler and I weren't able to play today, so hopefully we can reschedule soon. Instead I decided to practice my putting and also work on a drill on the range. I spent 2 hours practicing altogether, most of it on putting. It felt really good getting back out there after yesterday's letdown. I told Doug I wanted a rematch and he said we'll play again soon. We both agreed we would play better next time. Doug said his soda was good...at least we know I can deliver on an ice cold soda. I also talked to Ron today and we're going to try and officially play next month.

Well the rest of the week looks quiet. Just a little practice on Friday and take the weekend off and spend time with my FAVORITE person in the whole wide world, Danelle! =) I bet she can hardly wait!

Match with Tyler is a NO GO for now!

Match with Doug

I'll get right to the 18th hole where it pretty much all went down.

We're all tied up, and Doug hits his tee shot in the fairway. I hit this pop-up tee ball to the right (worst drive of the day). Now I'm hitting from a hook lie and need to hit a cut to get around a tree to reach the green. What do I do? I hit it straight into the tree, make it through, and end up rolling into the pond next to the green. Doug hits his second shot to the right of the green. So now I'm hitting 4 over the pond. I make it over and run it 6 feet by the hole. Doug chunks his chip shot and is about 12 feet short. So if Doug makes his putt, he wins. He misses by a foot. Now all I have to do is make my 6 foot putt downhill and we play extra holes (side note: I had 34 putts...one putt too many). I missed the putt and Doug made his one footer!! I hope Doug enjoyed the ice cold drink I bought him after the round.

Final score: Doug 91, Brent 92


I've got to put this behind me and get ready for Tyler tomorrow.

All that time practicing and shot a 51 on the back. I have something in my throat. Choke! Choke!

What a waste of time!

18 tee- all square

2 holes left ALL SQUARED UP

I'm up 4 after 9

Doug showed up! Off to the first tee we go!

Ready for Tomorrow

I've done all I can to get ready for Doug tomorrow. I had a really good practice session today, probably my best yet. I spent 20 minutes on putting and chipping, then 15 on the range. After that I went and played the first four holes. I hit every shot solid and ended up shooting +1 for the 4 holes. I feel good about my game going into tomorrow. We've put a little wager on the match...the loser has to buy sodas. Now all I need is a good night sleep with my clubs! =) Danelle might have to sleep on the couch tonight. Good thing she is so understanding.


Good luck tomorrow Doug.

Bad Practice Round

Yesterday was not my day to do anything right on the course. The only hole I did anything on was 18, that's where I hit my 3 best shots of the day and ended up with a birdie! Other that I was all over the place. Hopefully I got the bad round out of the way before I play Doug tomorrow. I played with Keith and he said, "everything looks good just trust it." My plan for today is to switch back and forth between the range, putting, and chipping. Then play 3 or 4 holes. After that go home and relax an wait for tomorrow to come.

Remember to vote on the matches if you haven't already.

A Round with Ron

I think it's starting to come together out there on the course. I played very good yesterday with the exception of 4 three putts. I ended up having a total of 31 putts. I shot an 84 with one birdie. Had a 42 on each nine. I hit the driver reallllly well!! Just couldn't get the putter to put the ball in the hole quicker. Hopefully a little time on the putting green will fix that by Wednesday.

Ron didn't play his best yesterday. He missed in all the wrong places and didn't get very many favorable bounces. I think we all know what that's like. Even though it wasn't an official match I did come out on top. Hopefully we'll get out there again soon and play officially.

9 Holes Today

Well I thought I was going to play with Tyler today. He couldn't make it, so I ended up playing with my buddy Keith. We played 9 holes and after we finished I went to the range. I played good for the 9 holes, hit some really good shots. The par 3's killed me today, double bogeyed 2 out of 3. The putter wasn't very sharp on those holes. I ended up shooting a 43 for the nine. I'm almost there with my game, it just needs to come altogether at one time. I guess that's why we play this game.

I'm finally looking forward to playing with Ron tomorrow. Should be a lot of fun.

Getting Ready for Next Week

The weekend is here and I've got 4 days before the first match. I've got a lot of golf planned for these 4 days. I'm playing Saturday with Tyler, just a practice round. Then Sunday with Ron who is also on the List but it's not an official round. Ron and I have been trying to play together for about a year now. Something always happens when we try to setup a tee time. As for Monday and Tuesday I will play 18 on Monday and play a few holes on Tuesday, but really concentrating on the short game that day. That's a lot of golf!

Don't forget to vote on the polls!!!!

A Round with Craig

I played with Craig from work yesterday. Craig is a very good player; his handicap is a 3. He's also on my list of players to beat. I did however win our small wager on the last hole. Whoever won the hole got an Ice Cold Cup of Water. It was the most refreshing cup of water I ever had!! =) Thanks Craig! I didn't play bad OR good, so after we played I went to the range to practice, and worked with Walter a little bit on the swing. Things are ... ummmmmmm ... bumpy. I'm feeling like I'm really having to grind on the golf course just to shoot in the 90's. This is not what I want going into my matches next week. So hopefully something will click this week, or it could be a butt whipping for me next week.

Game On x 2

Next week it all begins! Doug and I have set a date to officially play on June 9. Then I officially play Tyler the next day. Should make for an exciting week of golf. My golf game will definitely be tested by these two players. I figure I'll practice on the range more than I play, so I don't wear myself out. Just playing one round this week and practicing the rest, and maybe play a couple of holes the days I practice. Then next week, play on Monday and hit the range on Tuesday with a lot of short game practice.
GAME ON!!!

I've posted a couple of new polls so please stop by and vote!!

Handicap has been Established

I now have a handicap!! 12.2 is my index. I now have a starting point to work with. I feel my swing is really coming along since the changes by Walter. My goal right now is to get to single digits before the wedding in July.

Here's a summary of my golf game in May:

Played 9 times.....Avg score 90.56.....Avg putts per round 33.56

High Score 97, Low was 87
High Putts 39, Low was 31

June is going to be a lot better!! =)

The Round that got Away

People, people, people...what a round of golf today! Another good warm-up session on the range. I played with Tyler and a couple other friends today. I shot a 39 on the front, with a 20 foot birdie putt bomb!! I was feeling really good going into the back 9. Then 10,11,12, and 13 happened....BOGEY, QUAD BOGEY, DOUBLE BOGEY, BOGEY!!!!! AAAHHHHHH... I could feel the round slipping away. Just couldn't stay away from trouble off the tee on those holes. I ended up shooting a 48 on the back. I had 33 putts today with all 2 putts on the back nine. I hit the ball really well on the back, just some unlucky bounces on these holes. I'm starting to feel like the golf game is coming around. There's definitely a 79 out there somewhere for me to shoot.

A couple of side notes today: Tyler didn't play as well as he did yesterday and it got me thinking that for my List matches we should play 2 rounds and take the total score to determine the winner. We'll see what happens when Doug and I set up or match next week.

Doug sent me an email telling me he shot an 81 yesterday! I happened to see him before I played today and he also didn't play as well, so there's another case for the 2 round format. We're supposed to get together next week and setup the "official" match. I'll see if he likes the 2 round idea.

Practice Round with Tyler

I played with Tyler today at Sunset Whitney...UNOFFICIAL match. He hadn't played for about a month, but I think he's been secretly playing since his name was added to the List. We ended up only playing 11 holes. We played the front nine, 10, and 18. Tyler had me by 6 strokes after 9 holes. I struggled all day to hit the ball solidly on the course after having my best session on the range before playing. =(
Tyler played well for not playing in awhile. He's definitely next on the List after Doug, but right now I need to concentrate on getting ready for Doug next month. Back to the range tomorrow.

Dad and the Range

My dad made it to town! After he and his girlfriend settled in we went to the range and all hit range balls for about an hour. My dad got to meet Doug and Tyler while we were there! It was funny hearing all of them talking about the blog.

Gonna try and play with Tyler today. It's not an OFFICIAL match...just a friendly practice round for now.

This Weekend

I have a very special guest coming up this weekend from San Diego... my dad!! I'm hoping we get to play a little golf while he's here. We won't be playing our official match because he's not bringing his clubs, so I'll have to beat him next time and cross his name off the List.

Hopefully with the 3 day weekend I can also get some time in on the range too.

I will be OFFICIALLY posting my Handicap next week!! WOOHOO!!!

Practicing in the Rain

I managed to get to the range today and work with Walter for a little bit. Then the rain started coming down! So I hit balls for 15 minutes in the rain and went home. I hit the ball okay. Walter was having me try a new drill, so hopefully the rain will stop tomorrow so I can continue working on it.

Doug was also working with Walter today. Which student will win in June?? (I think I might know) =)

Here We Go Again

Ha ha ha ha....... back to the 90's, and I don't mean the year. I shot a 92 with 32 putts and two SNOWMEN! Really?? The back nine kicked my butt today. I shot a 50 on the back, and that's where the snowmen live too!! The driver was not cooperating today, very erratic off the tee. Need to talk to Walter about it and also having trouble hanging back on my right side. Back to the range maybe tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

I played with Doug today and I think we got ourselves a match in June. Doug is on my list of players to beat along the way to becoming a scratch player. I asked him when he "officially" wanted to play to make sure his golf game would be ready, and he responded, "Don't worry, you'll get your butt kicked before the wedding." =) I just got my motivation!! So the plan is to play sometime in the first couple of weeks in June. Game on!!

Driving range + 9 holes

Danelle was nice enough to let me out of the house today. =) So I thought I would go to the course and practice. I'm really starting to hit the ball really solid. It's getting scary!! =O Played the front nine +6! No blow-up hole, just silly reasons for bogeys. Hopefully I'll be able to play 18 tomorrow.

Back in Business

I'm getting closer to posting my Handicap - just 3 more rounds needed! Today at Sunset Whitney I shot a 44 on the front and 44 on the back, equaling 88 for the round, with 31 putts. The putter is really getting close to being there! Everything was going good till the 6th hole. Gosh I hate that hole - the last 4 times I've played it I've taken an 8. To make it worse, it's an easy par 5 with a wide open fairway to hit. After that hole, things started unraveling quickly. I went from +3 to +6, then bogeyed the next 3 holes to finish +9 on the front. The back was okay, but the putter cooled down. I had only one 1 putt on the back 9. I need to get back on the range and keep practicing the drill Walter gave me. Hopefully I'll be able to get on the range next week with all the rain they're forecasting. I miss the So Cal weather.

Two More Make The List

Two more names have been added to The List!! Drum roll please! (silence - sorry, I don't have a drum set).....Doug and Ron! =) That brings the list to 8 now. I hope they're practicing, cause I'll be ready!

Went to the driving range after work for 2 hours. Just hitting 3/4 9 iron shots like the head pro wanted me to do. Ball striking is really improving! Can't wait to play tomorrow! =)

Wild Horse and More

Today I played Wild Horse with my boss. Turns out it was a two man best ball and we played it as a scramble. =/ So I won't be able to count it toward my Handicap. Played okay today, started a little shaky, but then calmed down. My boss played really good for not playing for 3 months. The time I'm putting in on the short game is starting to payoff!! Yessssss!

So here's the "and more" part: since I've been spending more time on the range, the head pro has gotten to see my game more. He told me that he wanted to help me with my swing. =) So after we got back from playing today I decided to go and see if he was there, which he was, and said he had time to help me out. We spent about 30-45 minutes working on my swing. He said he didn't want me playing golf for a week, and gave me a drill to work on. I was thinking in my head that there was no way I could go without playing for a week! While I was practicing the drill, my buddy Doug was next to me also getting help on his swing. The range was about to close, and Doug asked me if I wanted to play a couple of holes... I gladly accepted! =) Guess I was right. And it's a good thing I played! I had a birdie the first hole with the longest drive of my LIFE!! Right down the MIDDLE!! We played four holes and ended up shooting +1. Definitely looking forward to tomorrow and practicing the drill some more on the range.

Hopefully I'll be ready to play 18 on Friday.

The List

If you're on this LIST I'm coming for you!! =)

My Dad
Jon
Freddie
Tyler
Craig
Larry


Good luck gentlemen!!

Good practice session today

Played 9 holes today at Sunset Whitney, then practiced chipping and putting, and hit some more golf balls. Feeling good about tomorrow's round at Wild Horse in Davis.

Another round in the 90's

My golf game seems to be like a broken record. I just keep shooting in the 90's. So here's the breakdown of the round: I shot 90 with 35 putts. Lots of lag putts today. I played the back nine first today and shot 50 and 40 on the front. On the front I was +1 with 4 holes to play and a really good chance to shoot in the 80's. Then went +4 on the last 4 holes!! AAAHHHHH!!! The back nine was a mess! I don't even want to talk about it. The par 5's have been kicking my butt lately - lots of Double Bogeys and Triple Bogeys. The second shoot is killing me on the par 5's. I really feel that the putter is going to be coming around soon.

My next round will be on Wednesday with my boss, so that should be fun. Hopefully this will be the round with the 80 on the score card.

I have a new poll up on the blog, so please vote. Remember anyone can vote, even if you're not a member.

Sneaking in a round a Sunset Whitney today

Well after a crazy long work week, I'm deciding to play at Sunset Whitney today. I'm really really hoping for a round in the 80's. Need to get back to the playing instead of over analyzing.

Sunset Whitney

I'm thinking about changing this journey to breaking 90! Today I shot 91 and had 31 putts. The putter is starting to warm up. I'm trying to be a little more aggressive with the putter and it seems to be working. The shanks seem to be gone...phew! I plan to hit the range for the rest of the week and really practice my short game. I will break 90 next week!! Positive thinking.

Shout out to Freddie cause it's his birthday. Happy Birthday Freddie!!

Finally got to range yesterday, did pretty well with wedges. Then went out and played the first 3 holes. Things were going well till I started shanking again. Then they go away and I hit some really good shots. So it'll we be interesting to see how today goes. Hoping for something in the 80's.

Sorry to report that Jon won't be going forward in his quest to play in the US OPEN. He just didn't play like he wanted to play but he's definitely looking forward to trying for other events!

Well first day back in sacramento and it raining! I really wanted to practice my short game today. I guess I a trip to golf galaxy will have to do for today. =) Still waiting to hear from Jon on his quest for the 2010 US OPEN. Hopefully it's going good!

Brookside round

Nothing like a 5 1/2 hour round of golf! I shot a 90 with 37 putts and had four 3 putts. I think I'm in a funk with the putter. Definitely will be practicing next week before I play at Sunset Whitney on Wednesday. I got to play with my buddie Jon again, and I figured since Jon is a scratch golfer I would pick his brain on the golf swing. He explained it in the simplest way I've ever heard. I got to try his theory for about 11 holes. It worked pretty good too! I had 5 straight pars with birdie putts on all of them, then BLEW UP on 18! So I'm really looking forward to getting back on the course and testing the swing out again.

Baby steps forward.....I think

Well today was a wierd round. I started with two pars and it was downhill from there. I was shanking out of nowhere, but they're gone now! Was shanking for about 6 holes on the front 9. Then amazing got a BIRDIE and no more shanks for the rest of the round. Front 9-44 Back 9-48 with 32 putts! The putting stroke was much better thanks to my anonymous tipper. Hopefully this number will continue to lower as my confidence improves. Definitely will be working on the short game when I get back to Roseville this weekend.
I was really hoping to give my dad a better fight but I guess that will have to wait until next time. Hopefully I can build off this round and post a good score tomorrow.

Don't forget to vote on the new poll for tomorrow's round.

New poll

Well I've added a new poll. I figured that since I've been having problems with my putter, I should a do a poll on it. Choose wisely!

Going backward

Well I feel bad for the people who voted yes on the poll. I shot a 97! I just couldn't get anything going! I didn't get a par till the 9th hole. Too many putts...39! Just a crappy round altogether. Freddie played really well and shot a 79. Jon ended up shooting a 78. Some good did come out of this outing...Jon said that my swing looked much better and that my setup was perfect. I was stoked that he could tell. Hopefully my golf game will return on Friday so I can give my dad a good fight!

Half way down to San Diego! More news to make this week even bigger! Another golfing great will be joining me to play on Wednesday! My buddie Freddie who will be trying to go pro after school is done. Last couple of times we've played they've been really close ,so I'm forward to our round! Also don't forget to vote on the new poll I posted!

Big week ahead!!

This is going to be a BIG week of golf!! I get to play with two of the best players I know. First I get to play with my buddy Jon on Wednesday, who is attempting to qualify for the 2010 U.S. OPEN. Then I get to play with my dad on Friday, who will be attempting to qualify for the Senior Tour next year. This week will definitely give me a good feeling for where I stand with my golf game. I'll be playing at Encinitas Ranch on Wednesday and Temecula Creek Inn on Friday. Might even play with Jon again on Saturday. So a lot of golf this week. =)

Not the start I wanted

The round is complete!! Drum role please.......... 88. I started off pretty good. Par, Double Bogey, chip in Birdie, Par. So I was +1 for the first 4 holes, right around where I wanted to be. Then the WIND really started playing a factor. I ended up shooting a 43 on the front and 45 on the back with a total of 33 putts. The putter was COLD today!! The wind was just whirling in every direction and I didn't even get any lucky bounces. I really felt like my score could have been 79-81 if not for the wind, but you gotta take what the course gives ya. I did beat the guy I was playing with, so that was one good thing that came out of the round.

Quick notes from the round

*Struck the ball well
*Need to work on 100 yds and in
*Had 4 balls in the hazard (because of the wind)
*Need to get the putter going

Journey begins today

About 2 hours away from the first tee!! The weather is going to be sunny with wind 15-20 mph. I feel that if I can stay at even par or better after the first 4 holes, it will give me a good chance to be aggressive through the rest of the round.

Thanks to all that voted in the poll.

Here's to a great round!!

This Sunday......

This Sunday will be the first OFFICIAL round counting towards my Handicap. I'll be playing my home course, Sunset Whitney Country Club. I hoping this will give me a advantage. =)

USGA Handicap

I just bought a USGA handicap. So now all I need to do is start playing golf and entering the score into the system!! YAY!!

How we got here...... Part 2

It wasn't till last Friday (4-23-10)..... Had one of the worst front nine's ever. Shot a 53 with 3 OB's and never had a look at par and the front nine is the easier of the two nines. After stopping for some M&M's and drink, I told myself this can't get any worse and should just take out my frustration on this next tee shot. Some how I found the fairway and ended up making par!! Amazing, I know that what your thinking right? Still feeling crappy about the front nine and with the tee shot waiting for me on 11, I wasn't prepared for what came next! Boom! One of the sweetest shots I've ever hit!! It had finally clicked!! Ended up making par on 11 and par on 12,13,15, and 17. I shot 40 on the back. Only 3 over on the back! WOW!!

So here we are present day (4-28-10). After I shot that 40 on the back I came home and started putting this blog together.

How we got here...... Part 1

How about a little more insight to why I'm doing this? I've never had a handicap while playing golf. My normal score can be anywhere from 80-95 with my lowest score ever being a 76 at Mission Trails in San Diego about 2 1/2 years ago.

Over the last year I've been really wanting to change my swing. So I bought the Hank Haney Full swing DVD (March-09). I started watching and taking notes and watching and taking more notes....etc. Of course, like all golfer hoping to see results right away. I got worse! So I stopped and was somewhere between my old swing and new swing.(August-09) Hitting all kinds of shots, fat, thin, pull hooks, banana slices, and even worse SHANKS!! Every now again I would go back and watch the DVD and think maybe I was missing something but I wasn't. So now what?(February-10) My golf game was so unpredictable I wouldn't even play on courses with houses. Was too afraid of hitting a house and breaking a window. It wasn't till two months later........