Snowing in Houston...

I've been golfing... and golfing... The pics you see in this post are of Glenbrook Golf Course. Glenbrook is a Houston Municipal course affectionately known as "The Ditch Course". You can see slightly larger images if you click on them. The person in the photos is a friend and neighbor, Hi (pronounced "Hee").

I first met Hi at San Jac. We exchanged numbers and planned to play again at Bayou. Some construction in the area prevented Hi from making the tee time and left me a little irritated. Hi calls a few weeks later wanting to play and I had a tee time for four, but two had dropped out. Again we were playing at Bayou so I sent him specific driving directions. He decided it would be best if we just meet up and he would follow me down there. I gave him my cell phone number and advised him that I would be leaving at 9:00.

Well, as I had feared, I had not heard from him by 8:55. I loaded up and just as I was reaching for the door to my truck, the cell phone rings. The time is 8:59. Normally, and initially, I was not too happy with the late call, but when I told him where I was, he said he could be there in one minute. Well, it turns out that he lives about six houses down from me on the other side of the block. Small world? I guess so!!

I played Saturday last weekend at Bayou (with Hi) with high hopes of breaking 90. I started great with par-par and then went triple-triple. I finished the front with bogey-bogey-par-bogey-bogey for a 46. I managed to bogey #6 without losing a ball. Maybe I've conquered my nemesis hole for good. Time will tell. I fell apart on the back on a couple of holes. The first was the par 3 13th. It was 4 clubs into the wind. I hooked a high flying 4i that missed wwwaaayyy left. Poor pitching put me in the bunker, and I record seven strokes on this hole. The final nail in the coffin was a triple on the par 5 15th after nearly reaching the green in two. I ended with 52 on the back for a 98 round.

I played Glenbrook Tuesday. I started out on fire there as well. The first is a 266 yard par 4 that is about a 190 yard carry over the bayou. I drove to within 15 yards, chipped to 6 inches and tapped in my career 4th birdie. I had made 42 strokes before the par 5 9th and hit to an unplayable lie off of the fairway. I laid up for the shot back across the bayou and failed to reach the other side. I carded a 10 on that hole. I played horribly on the back with two 9s. The game was not without record-breaking play though as I managed another birdie on the par 4 17th (366 yds) where my second shot landed four feet from the pin. The record is two birdies in one round!!! Too bad they were overpowered by three snowmen. I applied ESC and shook my head at the three snowmen on my scorecard - Snowing in Houston. In the end and with ESC, I scored 101 at Glenbrook (105 raw score).

I'm still having a hard time snapping my head up to see the ball. I decided that range time is a little worthless because after four large buckets, I can usually work out any problems, but it does not seem to carry over to the course. So, I've signed up for a month walking at the nine-hole par 3 Green Caye Golf Course.

I will work on hitting softer and straighter.
I will work on my short game.
I will work on my putting.
I'll do it mostly at night during the week after I put my kids to bed.

Oh yeah, I will KEEP MY HEAD DOWN!!!!

No golf for me this weekend. I'll try to sneak in a weekday round next week. Ten days left before my first tournament.

I will KEEP MY HEAD DOWN!
I will KEEP MY HEAD DOWN!!
I will KEEP MY HEAD DOWN!!!

-Greg