The Smashing of Records...

Best round at Green Caye

So, my cycle continues: Play Green Caye for a month, play regulation courses the next month. My month at Green Caye is still good for another week, but yesterday they were having their monthly tournament so I decided to play San Jacinto and see if I could beat my previous best score of 81. Why didn't I play in the tournament? Well, this month it's two-person teams playing alternate shot. After asking nearly everyone I knew, I could not find a partner.

That really hurts because my game is hot! I just shot an EVEN PAR ROUND down there after taking a bogey on number one. I followed an opening bogey with three greenies that became routine pars. I hit a sweet 7i 175 on #5 to two feet for a tap in birdie. I missed the green right on #8 but swept a 7i up to the cup for a tap in par. I needed another birdie because #9 is 216 yards and I don't par it too often. On the other hand, I have been scoring great on #7 lately, making several birdies there. That would not be the case today though. I stuck the shot and left a 10-foot uphill putt. I winced as I left the putt 2 feet short, but I made the par. Then disaster struck - I shanked a PW on #8. I'm in the rough and 75 yards out; I hack it out with a sand wedge and make the green... then drop a 15 footer. I'm even par looking a pin 216 yards away.

This entire cycle here at Green Caye, I have been concentrating on my long irons. I have been hitting my 4i on #9 and generally making it to the front on the green. Of course my goal this month has been to get the greenie on #9 with the 4i. I have also been working with the 3i (took the 5W out of the bag) on the range. These are the clubs that I have been hitting nice consistent little draws with using the method I described in my last post.

So, it's decision time: 3i or 4i? I've never hit the 3i on the course before and while I know a good shot will get me there, I decided to stick with the 4i. I made several practice swings, and let it rip. The ball flew perfectly toward the right side of the green and then as if it spotted the pin, started drawing left. Hitting the fringe one foot short of the green, the ball rolled fifteen feet right toward the pin. The putt was 20-25 feet and a timid strike left it 5 feet short. The second putt dropped and new records were set.

1. Got a greenie on #9 at Green Caye with a 4i (213 yards)
2. Smashed previous record of 29 with an EVEN PAR ROUND

New Records at San Jac

Without a partner for the tournament at Green Caye, I decided I would give it my best effort to break 80 at San Jac. I don't know how I will ever get comfortable playing in tournaments. I tossed and turned all night because I was anxious. I knew I had enough game to break 80 at San Jac, but trying to meet a specific goal seems to be a good recipe for humble pie.

Anywhoo...

Things began poorly when I tried a gentle draw down the right side. I pulled the shot into the rough on the left but my second found the green. I then went bogey, par, bogey, bogey, TRIPLE, par, par, par for a 42 on the front.

The back nine really came together:

10. Fairway, green, par
11. Missed the fairway hit the green, par
12. Par 3, got the green, par
13. Missed the fairway hit the green, par
14. Fairway, missed the green, 2-putt bogey
15. Fairway, missed the green, up and down par

This is where it gets good. Short par four dogleg right. My drive is off the fairway long at the turn. I'm directly behind a tree, but I punch a 3i onto the green. Sink a 25-foot putt for birdie.

Next is a short par 5. I layup on the second to 80 yards. Easy SW to two feet, easy birdie.

18. 175 yard par 3. 7i finds the green, par

So I come in on the back nine at -1 which gives me my new record of 77.

3. Best round: 77 at San Jac
4. Best nine: -35 at San Jac

If that isn't cool enough, I also saw my first hole-in-one. One of the guys I was playing with hit a PW on #3 and it hit the green, and hopped in the hole!! He went on to shoot his course record of 96. We had some good MOJO along for the ride for that round.

Since I was playing so well, I played another round an shot 84 which consisted of similar great play minus the two birdies and plus two triples. I lost one ball over the course of two rounds. I feel like I can play golf.

From on top of the world - thanks for reading,

-Greg