Got to the course a little early to hit the range, like I always do. Warming up loosens up the body — helps more at my age. The range session was solid, though I’ve learned not to read too much into it. I’ve had great range sessions and then played terrible, and bad range sessions that turned into great rounds. It’s really just about loosening up, not a predictor.
We played the back nine, which was the front — they flipped the nines this year. I actually like this 9 better, for whatever reason.
Hole 1 (now #10): Pushed my tee shot left again — seems to happen to me on this hole every time, maybe bad line of the tee box or just a habit. Ended up under a tree, hit a decent low shot onto the green, and made bogey.
Next hole, a short par 5: Nice drive, pushed my second shot right, but got my third on the green and two-putted for par.
Hole 12: Drove it right into the trees in the middle of the fairway — not great. Got a lucky kick the left of the trees, which gave me a shot at the green. Pushed it right into the sand, ball was below my feet on that one. It took two shots to get out, and made a double bogey — my only one of the day.
Par 3, #13: Took a mulligan after my first tee shot went into the junk. Hit my 6-iron and pushed it right, but it felt good off the club. Found it in the rough, chipped up close, and made bogey.
Short par 4: Good drive, really nice approach that stuck close, then two-putted for par.
Long par 5 (now #15): Another weird push right off the tee — I think I’m falling backward in my swing when that happens. Decent second shot, got my third shot up near the green, hit a nice chip, but two-putt bogey (those greens get tricky depending on pin position).
Hole 16 (hardest on the course, uphill dogleg left): Decent drive, so-so second shot, good chip onto the green, two-putted for bogey.
Hole 17, par 3: Really nice shot with my 8 iron that stuck right on the green — but I was in the fringe and didn’t putt well, so I gave a shot back there.
Hole 18 (old 18 — they left it unchanged, water on the right): Good drive, second shot pushed slightly and I was worried about the water, but cleared the water and landed on the green. Another good up and down with my 8-iron, which seems to be my favorite club right now.
Overall: Shot 44. Could’ve been better, but I made good contact throughout — felt like I was hitting my irons well. Driver was a little funky, kind of a knuckleball flight, but it still found the fairway most of the time. Decent round overall.
