A round of golf, analyzed (again)

Today was pretty good. I played with Ric and a couple of chainsmokers (one guy and one girl), who were so lazy they used a cart and so irresponsible they kept dropping lit butts. But the round went splendidly, in nice, breezy conditions.

Hole 1: I open with a blast off the tee - about 220 yards. That's good for me lately, I've been having some problems getting my drives off well. But it tailed some at the end, and I have a poor lie on the right edge of the rough, with no clear shot at the green. So i punch it out onto the fairway, and leave my wedge short of the green. Uh-oh. The chip from heavy rough is to the edge of the green with a sand wedge, but then I get a good break - my first putt goes 25+ feet right to the cup edge for a tap-in double bogey 6.

Hole 2: The brutal 246-yard par 3. But not today. I hit my drive to about 5 yards off the green, chip on, and an easy 2-putt later, I have a bogey 4 - always a good result here (if you've seen this hole, you know why).

Hole 3: This is where I got the idea that things were breaking my way. My tee shot was a little scuffed, but I still got 150-odd yards out of it and a favorable lie in the right rough. I followed up with the Tight Lies, and dropped it just right of the green. Short chip and another two-putt, and I have my second bogey in a row. After 3 holes, I've shot 15.

Hole 4: The big par 5. And I shorten it with a bomb off the tee - probably about 280 yards. Right down the left edge, with just a smidge of fade that leaves me on a great lie in mid-fairway. I follow up with a shot using the good old Tight Lies, and my golfing companions think it's gone way right. I had a good bead on my target, though, and it worked out just like I planned - left in the middle of the fairway about 30 yards out from the hole. I make a minor mistake, though, and push the wedge to the right. But I still get up and down with a chip and a two-putt - my third bogey in a row!

Hole 5: A little uglier. Great tee shot again - about 230 yards. My next shot, though, is a little too high and pushed a little too far right, and my chip from there gets no traction and rolls through the green. I wind up with a double-bogey 6.

Hole 6: More like it. Great tee shot cutting the corner and leaving me about 180 yards to the green (the hole is 400 yards as the crow flies, but plays longer because of the dogleg left). I hit the follow-up a little too high up and only roll it about 100 of those yards, but then I stick my wedge right on the green, about pin-high and 10 feet away left. Two putts later, and I'm back in the world of bogeys with a 5.

Hole 7: Luck. Pure luck. My tee shot is way right, and I hit a provisional that's just as bad. But I find the ball, and trying to hit a safe shot out I wind up knocking a worm-burning 4-iron right to greenside. And wind up with another bogey.

Hole 8: OK, here I just sucked. I hit a bad 7-iron of fthe tee that only went about 110 yards. And the hole is 130. The wedge is just short, too. Then I putt from the fringe and it looks good, but breaks badly and downhill. I recovered by 2-putting in, but I have another double bogey for a 5.

Hole 9: Now, we're talking. My drive is a 275-yard bomb right down the middle. I stick the wedge on the green about 15 feet left of the pin, and leave the birdie putt just a few inches away. Easy finishing par, and a final score of 46 - my best round ever at Olde Salem Greens. With my 47 2 weeks ago, it's a nice little run I have going on right now.

If I only knew how I was doing it, I might get even better...