I hate it when they aerate the greens at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands golf course. It will surely add at least two to three shots per round until the holes close up. The greens are so bumpy and putts heading for the hole can veer off within a blink of an eye. The worst part is not so much the aeration but the golfers who do not fix their ball marks. This really irks me as it ruins the greens and I think a lot of beginners or some experienced golfers just don’t care.Our league is in it’s final 2 weeks and our team will finish next to last this half. Oh well, there is always next year.
My league average this year with little to no practice and only playing 9 holes a week with only playing 4 rounds of 18 holes is 42 on the front and 41 on the back. That is awful, for me anyway.
Interestingly enough last year with a ton of practice and a lot of golfing I averaged 41.83 for the front and 41.33 on the back. That is weird…. I guess I am very consistent.
2005 I was 41 on the front and 39.11 on the back.
2004 I was 41.25 on the front and 40.22 on the back.
2003 I was 40.22 on the front and 40.89 on the back. Looks like I had some trouble on the back nine.
This year has been my worst year scoring in the last 4 years.
Playing once a week really can hurt your golf game. I found this year that playing only once has my short game in a tizzy. I have found that my chipping has really suffered. I have to really dig deep to concentrate on what I am doing. I have found that a lot of my fairway approach shots have been let’s say less than stellar. I noticed that I have a tendency to lift my head a little and skull a few approach shots. Lack of practicing for sure.
The course is short from the white markers where we play in our league and low irons are a must as an errant wood will surely handcuff you in the woods.
I was able to salvage a decent round that day as I birdied the par 5 18th. I had a good drive into the wind and then a real good 3 wood to within a few feet of the green then my chip shot was left about 5 feet below the hole. My match had a fantastic drive and second shot to within 3 feet and he missed the eagle putt, bummer. I ended up winning the match and getting 4 points for our team.
Yesterday was a nice warm hot and humid golf day. I was playing a good golfer named Steve King. When you play Stevie you need to be very careful and not make a mistake or you will be sorry. We were first to tee off and we both pulled our tee shots a little left. Stevie was left of the cart path and his approach shot was short and he chipped up and two putted for bogey. I was a hundred yards out and went in with a gap wedge and two putted for par.
We both had decent tee shots on 2 and I crushed a 5 wood from 251 out and landed about 10 yards short of the green. Number two is a short par 5 reachable in two. Stevie’s approach was excellent as he was a few yards behind me. He chippped up to about 10 feet from the hole and I chipped to within gimmie range. Stevie drained his putt and we both walked away with a birdie.
The third hole is not my favorite here on the front nine. It is a downhill shot with the wind blowing left to right and the yardage is 185 yards with trouble way right and just off the green on the left. I played a 6 iron and came up short and putted from just off the green and another gimmie from Steve. Steve struggled on this hole as he went long left and dubbed his chip shot. He ended up with a double bogey.
We both bogeyed the fourth and fifth hole. I had a chance to win 5 but I choked on my third shot as I came up way short and Steve had gone over the green on his third shot. I left my fourth shot above the hole and I let it slide by and missed my par putt.
On 6 Steve handcuffed himself and I left myself with 175 yds. and my approach was just short and I chipped to within 5 feet. I ended up with par and Steve bogeyed. We both parred the par three 7th as we went to 8, I was one over and my beer bet with Bob Trottier found me one down as he was heading to the 6th tee box.
The eighth hole I pushed my drive to the right of the green and short sided myself and Steve’s drive landed in the bunker short of the green. Steve buried his sand shot and then made it out and made a good putt and he tapped in for 5. My drive landed in a divot and I had a sand trap in front of me so I knew I had a delicate shot. I used my sand wedge and the ball went clear across the other side of the green. I choked by three putting.
As we went to nine I won holes 3 and 2 and I was up by 4 strokes. I had a real good drive and I was about 130 out and played a nine iron and I put it about 12 feet below the hole. Steve had a nice drive and came up short and he had a nice chip shot and he made par. We kidded about giving each other par putts but I did make mine and we finished on a good note.
I shot a 2 over par 38 and Steve ended up with a 42.
Our golf league starts the first Wednesday of April. We play at Campbell’s Scottish Highland G.C. in Salem, New Hampshire. This year we were snowed out and then the next week was fairly decent. It was warm and sunny until around 6:30 pm, when the clouds rolled in and the sun was setting.
The next week we cancelled due to rain and cold. Of course, the 4th week was raining and we ended up playing anyways. This week we will see how the weather fares. Let’s hope it is decent, forecast is for rain in the morning and clearing up late afternoon. We usually tee off around 4:30 pm and we will be playing the backnine this week.
