Andrew & I played 9 holes at Warnimont Park on Tuesday night. I also played 18 at Missing Links on Saturday - plus I hit a bucket before the round on Saturday, and another on Sunday morning. So I’d estimate that I’ve hit close to 300 balls in the last 5 days.

Saturday was miserable. I never got comfortable on the range, and it showed on the course. I hit a couple of good shots, but for the most part, it was a long day. I felt so bad about it that I woke up early on Sunday (after the night at Borrego’s) and went back to the driving range. That session went much better - I was hitting everything pretty well, and mostly straight. Mostly.

So, Tuesday was a pretty nice day, and I managed to convince Drew to play along with me - although I would have gone it alone if I had to. Completely different experience than Saturday. The first hole (actually, the 10th - we played the back 9) was about 165, down a pretty sizable hill. I hit a 6 iron, and dropped it on the front of the green. And then proceeded to 3-putt. On #11 - 134, uphill, I put one just off the green, but got it up-and-down for par. #12 was on the green again, but I 2-putt for another par. I’m pretty sure that I was up by one stroke on Andy at that point.

Then, I pulled my patented mid-round collapse. On #13, I put my drive into the next fairway, and duffed 2 chip attempts. On #14, I missed the green, and duffed another chip. 6 and 5 on those two holes. Meanwhile, Andy went par-par.

#15 is about 120, and there’s about 90 yards of water to carry before you reach the green. My tee shot landed within 10 feet of the pin, and I made a nice read on the putt - birdie!

I had a few birdie opportunities the rest of the way, but wasn’t able to sink any of them. I also had a few short chipshots that I mis-played, and left myself with long tries for par. I finished with a 35, which is my best score on that course. Andy finished the round with 6 striaght pars, and shot a 30. Or, as he called it “3-over”.

Assuming that I didn’t blow up on those 2 holes, and played a few shots better than I did, I think I could have been at 31. Of course, I also hit the ball better than I ever had. I historically had a tendency to put a huge hook on shots, which I think I’ve eliminated. I lost a little distance on the long irons, but the control is exponentially better.

Next time…