Going Pro Golf Blog

It has been 16 days since I last played golf and I have the shakes!  It is time to get out and swing the sticks.  I am going to book a round either tomorrow or Wednesday.  I also have my first lesson with Jon this Friday (It has been a month since we last worked together) and I will try to get at least one more round in this weekend.  The potential to golf this week is the only thing keeping me going. Also, I hurt my ankle playing soccer this weekend.  I usually play twice a week in a mens league.  My first thought when I hit the ground was weather I was going to be able to golf this week…how awesome is that?  The ankle is pretty bruised but I think I can tape it up and swing the club. 

It has been 16 days since I last played golf and I have the shakes!  It is time to get out and swing the sticks.  I am going to book a round either tomorrow or Wednesday.  I also have my first lesson with Jon this Friday (It has been a month since we last worked together) and I will try to get at least one more round in this weekend.  The potential to golf this week is the only thing keeping me going. Also, I hurt my ankle playing soccer this weekend.  I usually play twice a week in a mens league.  My first thought when I hit the ground was weather I was going to be able to golf this week…how awesome is that?  The ankle is pretty bruised but I think I can tape it up and swing the club. 

Call it ironic but last week I wrote that I was about to take a week off from golf but then changed my mind.  Well I didn’t get in my morning round of golf because something came up, then I went away for the weekend and wasn’t able to golf.  This week I had my lesson with Jon cancelled and wasn’t able to squeeze in a round.  Now to make things even worse, I am busy this entire upcoming weekend and can’t golf once again.  That leaves me with Monday or Tuesday of next week to squeeze in a round because I am off to Saskatoon (don’t ask) on business from Wednesday-Saturday.  I did manage to get out to the range but this really sucks!

I was strongly considering taking a week off but I just can’t do it.  I am heading away tomorrow afternoon for a weekend of sun and beers with my friends.  We aren’t leaving until 2pm so I am going to squeeze in a quick 18 bright and earlier at Cardinal! This game is like crack!

Isn’t golf an amazing game?  Just when one part of your game feels so good…it can just go south in a hurry?   After my horrible putting display last weekend, I am really rattled.  I just don’t want to even see a putter.  I am heading away this weekend (it is a Canadian long weekend) and wasn’t going to bring the clubs…but I just got a call and found out we aren’t leaving until later Friday so I may sneak in 18 Friday morning.  I just hope I can shake my putting troubles. Isn’t it also funny how sometimes things just click?  Granted it is easier for things to fall apart but sometimes on a given day, you can just swing with your eyes closed the the results are outstanding.  Those days are few and far between but it really gets you thinking about how weird this game can be!

I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out more than once this past week but I managed to get out 3 times in 4 days which was fantastic.  Tuesday afternoon I received a call from Rob, the GM over at Maples of Ballantrae informing me that he had a 5:15 tee time available Wednesday evening.  I made my way out there with a buddy and somehow we managed to get in all 18 holes before it got too dark.  The speed of play at Maples is usually pretty good and today was no exception.  There was one group of yahoos who were behind us and I am not sure they have ever played golf before.  They were playing from the back tees and never hit a shot anywhere near a fairway or green. On this day I was driving the ball well but still doffing a few fairway shots.  Not sure what is going on in my head but during my downswing, I have started blinking a lot which takes my concentration off the ball and results in me topping it.  I also noticed my putting was a little off (which was a bad sign of things to come). In all I shot a 50 on the front but managed to fix things up with a 43 on the back including another birdie on a Par 5. Friday I am working when I get a call in the morning that a buddy and his 2 friends are looking for a 4th to join then at Eagles Nest.  It is no secret that I love this course so I bear down and start working my butt off so I can meet them for the 3:15 tee time.  I didn’t have shorts with me…even though I wrote that you should always keep spare golf clothes in the car.  So I went to 5 different stores looking for good but cheap shorts.  Turns out stores are already busting out their fall lines.  What the f*ck is that?  I ended up buying a $70 pair at Golftown (cheapest they had).  Anyway, the round was good and I had a great time.  Managed to get out with a 96 which included multiple 3 putts and many short misses.  The putting game is really going south Saturday is more of a fun day out.  8 of us head out to Carlisle for a round of golf, jokes and good times. That being said, we also want to shoot well because after round drinks are on the line.  The driver was going straight all day, not long but around 220-230 which was enough to give me chances to make some GIR.  I shot a 51 on the front but closed with a nice 43 on the back including another birdie on a Par 5…I am starting to like these Par 5s.  Now for the problem…my putting KILLED me.    I had 5 3-putts.  I missed everything from 5-7ft and even missed a 2footer.  The guys in my group were really letting me have it and making me putt out 1footers just to get to me…and it worked…I wasn’t even sure I would sink those.  I couldn’t believe how bad I was and how uncomfortable I felt.  I need to spend some time working on this.  The bright side is that I could have shaved at least 5 strokes with some good putts which would have put me sub 90.  I need a drink!

A few weeks back while at Maples of Ballantrae, I came 12 inches from my first Eagle.  On a par 5 from about 100 yards out, I stiffed a wedge that almost went in for an eagle.  I tapped in a birdie which I was very proud of.  Well, somehow I managed to up that this past weekend.
I was out at an executive course on Saturday.  It wasn’t exactly an executive since it measured 5,000 yards but it was well shy of a full course.  We only managed to get in 9 holes before the skies opened up on us but in those 9 holes I managed my first ever Eagle!
As you all know, I have been struggling with my driver all season…well struggling might be an extreme understatement…but the last week I seem it have figured it out at the range.  I was anxious to try out my new found knowledge at the course.  The 4^{th hole was a Par 5 so I busted out the driver.  The hole played 450 yards and was fairly straight.  I didn’t catch all of the driver but still bounced the ball down the middle about 230 yards.  Based on my previous inability to drive the ball, I was ecstatic. 
I had a very nice lie and no trouble around the green so I decided to take out my 5 wood and see what I could do.  I caught the ball very cleaned and it sailed directly at the pin, landed a few feet shy of the green and rolled up near the pin.  From where I was, I knew it was a good shot and I had an Eagle putt but I had no idea how close I was.  Once again, I was ecstatic. 
As we drove closer and closer to the green, the ball seemed to be getting closer and closer to the pin.  I eventually hopped out of the cart only to see my ball nestled 12 inches from the pin, a nice tap in Eagle!  I have been walking around with a smile on my face for 2 days now.  I guess this means next week I will be walking away with an Albatross.
I’ll keep you posted}