Better GIRs = More Birdies...

I recently completed my fourteenth one-month membership at Green Caye. Here are the results (click to enlarge):


Here are the long-term per-loop statistics (click to enlarge):



While fourteen loops per month is just under the running average of sixteen, I made some slight improvement in GIRs and Birdies which I suppose is expected at this stage in my golf development. I’m starting to get a little more of a birdie-hunting attitude when I play on the par-three course.

The big disappointment is a somewhat dramatic increase in three-putts. We just added “snakes” to our skins game in an effort to reduce the number of three-putts. Unfortunately, at least for the moment, it seems to be having the opposite affect. Our last skins game had three players and we three-putted ten times over eighteen holes. I managed two of those three-putts and they were both in the second loop where I began to worry about it since the “snake bite” was getting to the point where it would sting a bit. It got to the point where if my tee shot was a bit off line or short, I would actually hope to miss the green so I wouldn’t have to worry about a long lag putt.

My biggest problem continues to be looking up. I seem to fall into these slumps where not matter how hard I try, I yank my head up before I hit the ball. This problem has been killing me in regulation play. It’s compounded by my wanting to hit driver (recently reshafted) and leaving myself 90 – 110 yard shots into the green. I can’t decide if I should hit a light gap wedge or a hard sand wedge. This has been a departure from my game plan of trying to leave a specific distance for the approach shot and it makes two things quickly apparent:

1. I need to work more with my wedges
2. Game plans work

I played two new courses, Longwood GC north of Houston, and Mallard Cove in Lake Charles, La. Both very nice courses, shot over 100 on both. I need to nail some low scores or my handicap will jump up accordingly.

I’m working on the low trajectory high-spin shot that should hop and stop. This is a neat shot and you feel great when you can execute it. I’m having difficulty controlling distance though and this shot needs to find the green.

I just signed up for my fifteenth month at Green Caye because there is construction going on near Beacon Lakes and they are only playing the front nine (I prefer the more difficult back nine). Also, one of my non-golfing friends has taken up golfing. He seems to be a natural putter so once he finds his swing I expect him to improve rapidly.

The weather is getting more tolerable and I’m looking forward to returning to standard time because there are fewer golfers out there playing under the lights.

Enjoying the cooler temps,
-Greg