#golfrounds

My Scorecard:

Round Statistics:

My Scorecard:

Round Statistics:

My Scorecard

Round Statistics

Gabriel at hole #3 tee. 

I get to the 5th tee with a Par and a Bogey, but nothing to write home about. An after a nice drive to the middle of the fairway I managed to score a 10 (yucks!) by hitting the ball O.B. and then into the creek guarding the green. 

Hole #5 - Par 5. Above (my) average drive to start + 9 shots for a 10.

Things turn on a different direction after another long drive at the 7th hole, the first green in regulation and a sour 3-putt to walk out with a bogey. Another bogey at the 8th and a beautiful 2nd shot at the short 9th hole for a birdie! Even with a shaky start, the front nine ends up with a 50.

Hole #9 - Par 4. Second shot with a 8-iron for this 1 foot putt for birdie.

A little cloudy and windy but still a good day for golf.

Gabriel calculating his chip attempt at the 10th green.

Hernan putting at the redesigned 17th hole.

Playing the new tees at the 18th hole. They used to be at the other side of the water hazard.

I played the back nine almost flawlessly (considering my 9 bogey target), with 2 pars and 6 bogeys, 3 one-putts and even holing the 15th from outside the green. What a beautiful game when things start to get together! What changed? Still focusing on what is working out lately, getting the right hand into play (fighting my lefty-ness), with more loose hands and trying to feel the club coming from in to out.

Suddenly a 90 round seems to be closer than expected, but you never know and La Reserva is shorter than other courses we play. We'll if I can keep a consistent game in the future.

My Scorecard:

Round Statistics:

2 shots and I'm close to the green for approach and putt. But the story of poor short game repeats and I end up in the bunker. Worst recovery and I'm leaving with an 8. Hmm.

A similar story repeats at the 11th and 12th hole.

Hole #12 - Par 4. A somehow lucky shot. My tee shot stopped just before going into the water. Still a horrible lie to try to cross the water.

Better tee shots than usual and disastrous short game. Same as last week. But I'm in good spirit to try to play a hole at a time.

Hole #16 - Par 5. Gabriel teeing off. It was a great driver for me too but I sent the 2nd shot OB. 

Hole #16 - Par 5. Hernan for a tap in. 

Hole #16 - Par 5. Bunkers were in good condition, even some people seem to forget to rack them (plus some animal tracks)

Still, a 3 putted 4 holes, something very unusual and sour. Specially when I was in the green putting for par. I did very little for the Match but still we are 1 Down. And it's 60 for the first nine. 

Delay at the 1st hole tee allowed me to visit the putting green. And my quick assessment is I'm not trusting my green readings and I'm trying to correct them once I'm facing the putt. That's not my usual routine. Pick a line, trust it, and just deal with speed and distance. Not direction.

And the tune up worked. No 3 putts for the following 9 holes.

Hole #2 - Par 5. An interesting right dogleg. More strategy than distance.

Hole #2 - Par 5. Hernan saved by the wood wall.

The Match was still 1-Up for Hernan and Marcelo when we played the next Par 3 (Hole #3). Green in Regulation and a 5 meter putt for birdie. Followed by a Par at #5, another Par 3 and we are Up in the game for 2. Great recovery!

#6 is a Par 5 that is playing short. The tee was moved up about 100 yards and since I was next to the green in 2 I assumed it was a Par 4.

Pitch and 2 putts and I declare a Bogey, but when I was about to enter the score in the phone I notice it was a Par 5! Meaning, another Green in Regulation and 2 consecutive Pars.

I finished the back 9 with a 46. An amazing come back from the previous 60 to save a 'decent' 106 for the round. And better off, the true possibility to score lower numbers and to play one hole at a time even after a not promising start. 

PS: Thank you Hernan for the refreshing beers. We end up winning the Match by 1 thanks to Gabriel's final Par. 

My Scorecard:

Round Statistics:

I was able to work on my swing on Saturday at the driving range. Specially in getting a better rhythm and an in-to-out swing path. I made good progress analysing my swing videos so I get to the course with some new confidence.

There are very few groups playing, and I was lined up with Eduardo and Diana, a 50-something couple with grown up kids, so they are free from the festivity.

Eduardo is a handicap 23. I soon realise that is product of playing short, but mostly straight. It was refreshing to be the one hitting the longest from tee for a change! At the same time, it might have help to keep my tempo down.

Hole #3 - Par 4. My second shot disappeared into a pine tree. And there it was. About 1 meter and a half above the ground. 

It was at the 4th hole that the bogeys began. Hole #4 was a par 3 that was later changed to a 90 degree dogleg. A driver to the middle of the fairway just short of the right bend. A 7-iron above a tree and I'm short of the green for approach & 2 putts. Bogey. I give credit to Saturday's practice for this one. I manly hit the 7-iron at the range. 

Hole #6 - Par 4. A row of 3 holes with OB to the right.

Two more bogeys at the 6th and 7th hole and I'm +3 for the tournament. I believe It's more fun when you are able to stay in the game trying to beat Par (with the handicap, of course, that's why we have it). And Par, also means a 102 round, which will be very welcome after my latest scorecards.

Hole #8 - Par 4. After a very conservative 2nd shot, I was left with this approach shot to the green.

Once again, practice payed, a solid touch for approach and I have a 3 meter putt for par. 

And it's one of those moments of golf, when you line up the ball and YOU KNOW is the perfect line, is going to go in, you can feel it. There's nothing in the universe that is able to stop that ball to sink in. And it sure does go in. Par.

Shortly, an unlucky shot at the 9th Par 3 crawled back into the water. The golf gods are gone, but I still managed to finish the first 9 with a 53.

Hole #11 - Par 4. Several bunkers ward the 11th green. I was able to visit 7 of them, but came out of all in one shot. 

Number 12th is a Par 5 that slightly bends to the right. I don't have good memories of this hole and today it looks is not going to be the exception. After coming out of the different trees I'm on 5 on the green. But the putt is not easy. A downhill with a pronounced break. I nearly stand facing the hole. But is one of those fun ones, and I touched it to let it roll. And it goes... stops at the rim of the hole for half a second.......and it falls right in! Another bogey on a difficult (for me) hole and on Par for the day.

Beautiful sunny day. Please Spring time, don't go away!

Hole #16 - Par 3.  Diana at the tee box. 

Unfortunately, I started to fill tired (a side effect from the 150 practice balls?) and couldn't manage to maintain the bogeys coming for the last to holes. Two balls found the water at the 18th for a 9 and another 53 to close the scorecard with a 106. That's also a 76 (+4) for the tournament. Since there was few players, I might have won... who knows.

Very nice and modern club house at PGC. They even have a service to store (and shine) your shoes!

For the most part, a good day. I hooked many shots, but besides 3 or 4 shots I made better contact with the ball. I think I'm making progress. Next Sunday we are going to a new course (Everlinks), we'll see what's the story there.

My Scorecard:

Round Statistics: