Round Reflections: The story of how my score swung nine strokes in two weeks

I've had the fortune of playing two weeks in a row and we're overdue for a recap. The original summer plan was to play only every other week to keep costs down (childcare makes a weekly round that much more expensive). But since I'm pregnant now (!), I'm kind of in a rush to golf more, as I don't know if I will wake up one day and just not feel it possible anymore. Pregnancy is like that. So make hay while the sun shines, so to speak.

So last week, fresh off our vacation from the mountains and two weeks from the previous round, and feeling bummed about the way I putted with a suddenly not-broken-but-not-100% putter, I had the BEST ROUND I've had all summer. I felt amazing. I swung with ease and scrambled well, and despite my putting debacle I had only one or two putts per hole. If not for a penalty stroke on the last hole (I lost the tee shot in some native grass, it was a beautiful hit but I was clearly aimed there), it would have been a round of almost all pars and only a few bogeys. I shot only seven over for the day with that triple on the last hole.

The weekly challenge last week was Odds Or Evens. After the round, a member of the clubhouse staff would draw from a hat whether the scores would be calculated from the odd number or even number holes. I waited anxiously all weekend to find out what the result would be, all the while praying they would be evens since I had so many pars on even holes. They drew odds. Of course I only bogeyed and tripled the odds! So that was a bummer. I am SO happy with the way I played though.

Well this past week, things just weren't clicking so consistently. The challenge this time was to play from the back tees. No big deal for me, honestly, as this is a small par three course. I usually take all my woods from the bag to keep things light. I was excited for this challenge, but it turned into a bit of a roller coaster that I'm still mulling over.

I got a par on the first hole (the first time I've ever pared it), and thought, today I will be unstoppable.

I got a bogey on the next hole and thought, well that's to be expected playing from the longer tees.

I took a penalty on the third for a tee shot that went OB. No biggie, I thought. Just keep swimming.

Fourth hole comes along and I crush the drive a little over 200 yards to reach the left edge of the green. It felt and sounded amazing. There was even a longest drive competition that I'm 99% sure I won (they haven't posted it on the site yet). Here I go I think, time for a chip-in!

Then I duffed the chip, and three putt for a double. Drive for show putt for dough, they say. Oh well, I thought, move on and do better, lots of golf to be had.

Fifth hole I think to hit the driver again, but I didn't get comfortable; I topped the shot. Then I over shot the green to the back bunker. Then I got extremely winded climbing up the hill to the green carrying a heavier-than-usual bag with a slightly-more-pregnant-than-previous-week belly. The sand shot shanked right but at least got to the green. Then I SIX PUTT, for a whopping nine.

Slow down and breathe, I thought. Bring that heart rate down. Move on.

Hit the next green but three putted when my second lips around the hole. Still an improvement, I thought, and moved on.

Hit the following green with the most beautiful draw my 3-wood has ever touched, and sink the par putt. Back at it, I think.

Hole 8 was played forward for pace of play reasons since the shot carries water. It was hot but a clear day and things felt like they were flying farther than usual because of the heat, so I went for it with my pitching wedge. It flew right on line. C'mon, I thought, be good! It cleared the water, hit the fringe, took a spin backwards, and trickled down the rocks into the water.

Then I shank my next shot from the drop zone into the water. Finally on the green in 5, I two putt for a seven.

Almost done, I thought, keep your head in it.

A honest bogey on the ninth let me walk off the course on a slightly higher note. Tired and wet from that awkward line of sweat I should now be expecting to only get worse every week between my sports bra and baby bump that is visible through my polo, I welcomed the AC of the clubhouse to add up my nightmare of a 44.

I really didn't play so terribly that I'm feeling bad about it, I am just worried that unless I can repeat the first of these two rounds for the rest of the month, that this one round will edge my handicap out of the A flight. I want to stay there so I can be eligible for the league championship, even though I haven't won any weeks yet so it's not like it's within grasp yet . And I'm also nervous that if I got winded so easily this week, it's only going to get worse from here as the bump continues to grow. They have push carts I can rent but I'm not sure that will be better, and if it does come to it this fall I might be able to argue for use of the motorized carts (this course is walking only with exception of physical handicaps). But I love walking and carrying my clubs.

Oh well. One week, one day, one round, one hole, one shot at a time.

For anyone interested, I'm due in December so I'm just into my second trimester. This is my second kid and this pregnancy has so far been MUCH easier than my first; I'm so thankful for that because it's made golfing easier. I don't intend this to be a pregnancy blog, but since it's a blog about being a mom golfer, and I'm golfing regularly while also growing weekly, it won't be ignored completely. I'd love to hear from any other women who golfed through their pregnancies and what they experienced!

Round Reflections: Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot

Ok, so maybe today wasn't really a WTF kind of day. It wasn't great, and it might hurt my position as an A flight golfer in the league, but it could have gone much, much worse. Still, it did suck a little.

So Tuesday when I played, I three-putted a whopping seven of nine holes. Determined not to do that again, I spent every night this week using my Accelerator Pro putting mat and Balls of Steel weighted balls. It felt like I did some solid work and I was getting pumped to play. I was NOT going to be a bad putter today. I knew my swing felt good and my short game was solid enough that as long as I guarded against any double bogeys or worse with good putts, then today would be a good day score wise. And it was a net score day, so my handicap (12 currently), would be applied on top of what I felt confident would be a solid, sub-40 number.

Driving to the course I told myself to be confident, to trust the putts, and to keep my stroke solid. To stay in the present, not worry about score, and keep my primary focus on two putts or less per hole.

I had intended a short putting warm up, but was told that my ENTIRE 9 o'clock group was a no-show so I needed to play with the 8:50 group. This is fine and usually happens, but it did  rush me a little bit. So, of course I three putt the first hole. No biggie. I got some fight in me and wasn't going to let it get me down.

Then I somehow managed to bust my putter on the second hole. I putt with an Odyssey Tank Two Ball putter, and there is a little weight screwed into the bottom on the back to serve as a counter balance to your stroke. I really like the heavier club head, as I feel like I can keep my stroke in line as I putt. Well, today, the screw holding in the little weight fell out, and the weight came right out with it. Not sure if I will be able to get it fixed, as it will need to be checked for some damage.

The putter essentially still worked fine, but it did not have the same feel as I had practiced all week. And so even if I was chipping well, or by the time I was finally hitting greens (I hit three in a row at one point and feel pretty great about that), many of the par putts and at least two birdie putts turned into bogeys or doubles.

But I was still fighting and wanted to finish as strong as possible. Then on the ninth, I picked the perfect club but swung a little too far outward, reaching a side bunker that I've not yet experienced in previous rounds. This bunker had some thick sand and rocks, and the rain from the previous night made it heavy. Sand does not intimidate me and I usually play well from greenside bunkers (just learn some good fundamentals and swing easy!) but you wouldn't know that from the three swings it took for me to get out of it today.

So all in all, a season-high 43. After handicap it should be a 31, or +4. Not enough to win the flight for sure, and possibly a detriment to my handicap. They are calculated every month and I won't get another round in before July.

It will probably take me a day or two to think of what I learned from today. It was just a few mistakes here and there that cost me several strokes. I'll find some way to be positive, but it doesn't yet feel that way.

And a final gripe: one of the women I played with kept saying things like "well, now you have an excuse!" She said it right after I realized my putter was broken, "well, now you have an excuse to putt bad!" And she said it after talking about her vacation the previous week, "I hiked a mountain last week, so I have an excuse to play poorly today." She also said it to the handicapped woman we played with (I'm pretty sure she has rheumatoid arthritis and so she used a motorized cart special for those with disabilities - but, she was a tremendous putter and beat me by 3 strokes today) after she mentioned something about her health that week, "Well if that's the case, then you have an excuse!" It just was really off-putting and got under my skin at a certain point.

I was about to tee off on the 6th with her negative words rattling around in my head. That's when I remembered a concept from my absolute favorite coaches at  Vision 54 : the Think Box and the Play Box. Pre-shot, you can be in the Think Box, and have thoughts floating around your head because you need to make decisions about your shot. The decision I needed to make in this instance was actually not about my swing, and instead was to stop being bothered by her words and to let it be. Then, I stepped up to the ball (or into the Play Box, as they would say), and with no thoughts in my head, swung away, hitting my first of three greens in a row.

Seriously, check out Vision 54 if you want to become a happier golfer. They have some amazing mental game concepts that are easy to implement and can transform your game.

Round Reflections: Rules Rule

After a little golf and blog hiatus for a fun trip to NYC (recap coming soon!), I was back at it today. Hot and sticky but not unbearable, it was nice to enjoy a morning outdoors. I learned they gave me a 12 handicap based on my first three scores. Not too thrilled to be in double digits, but the plus side is that I made the cut for the A Flight, so at least now all I have to do is whittle down my handicap and not worry about climbing flights. They're recalculated monthly. 

The higher handicap would be advantageous today, however, as this rusty swing put me all over God's green earth, as well as in some bodies of water.  But it wasn't the worst day yet, and I scored 13-over. So the net will work out for me and I'm anxious to get the score report. 

My group today was very fun and friendly. They were definitely the youngest I've been paired with even though I'm still quite in a different stage of my life, so to speak. I'm not quite young enough to be their daughter, but I could have been their daughter's baby sitter. It's been a strange dynamic most weeks but this week it didn't seem to be so awkward.

What is awkward, however, is the weird local rules for this league. For the most part I understand some of the modifications from a practicality standpoint. For instance, one hole has a tricky tee shot that often puts players OB on the left (I was there today, in fact), and for pace of play purposes they allow a drop two club lengths from the stake line, like you would a hazard (normally in an OB situation you play your next shot from the same place as your last with a one stroke penalty). My gripe is that because the local  rules are not applied universally, I feel that every time we need to discuss a ruling, whomever in the group who is the most veteran in the league seems to just make rules up on the fly. Or, as was another case today, the veteran member seemed to make up her own definition of hazard areas in an area of tall natural grass that wasn't marked in any way as a hazard,  and incorrectly advised the other player how she should drop. Every week I have played with at least one novice player and it irks me to think they are learning the rules wrong. I debate myself with how much of a stickler I want to be, especially since I am new to the local rules of this particular league. Today we weren't even to the second green and this was already an issue, so I decided I just needed to let it go today and have a good time. And once I relaxed, I did! Can't wait to be out there again in two weeks.

I would love to hear some golf rule horror stories if anyone has them.

Round Reflections: Four Club Follow-up

So yesterday I explained how I chose my four clubs for today's challenge.  I chose my 6-iron, 8-iron, 60-degree wedge, and putter.

This tournament challenge was a tough one. I'm happy with the clubs I chose, but honestly I did miss having more wedges and a few more irons in the bag. Interestingly, it wasn't the longer holes I had issue with (I played those very well), it was the shorter ones. With longer holes I swung easy because I was mentally prepared for the fact that I would most likely be short. Short holes, however, really get under my skin. It's tough to make a full swing with a high loft wedge, but I find it equally hard to grip down or make a half swing with an 8-iron to try to keep it short. So with only an 8-iron and 60-degree wedge, I was between clubs often today. This is a problem I seem to have every week, however. Especially the first tee, playing only 105 yards to the middle. I have yet to hit that green. And the 8th is a short hole with water to the right playing only 95 yards to the middle. Today I hit the 60-degree, my shortest club in the bag, and I was still behind the green, as I have been every time!

This isn't to say that I am a big muscle or anything. It's true I am in better shape than I have been in a long while (considering my pregnancy and long recovery), but I think today the weather may have helped things along. It was warm and not at all humid or breezy, which made the ball fly a little farther. The two greens I hit, one with a 6-iron and one with an 8, I did not expect to as in past rounds I've had to club up to get there. It actually was a delightful morning and I loved being outside; I may have even started my lovely sock tan again.

I also felt rushed, but an excited to play kind of rush. It took me a few holes to settle myself in and stay focused on the present. With the four club challenge I fortunately found myself distracted from doing any math today (even when I hit two back-to-back pars and thought I would be turning things around from the back to back triple bogeys I started with). Once I was not so rushed I really felt like I stayed in the moment well today. And so it was a fun surprise after to see that my score was only one shot worse than when I played two weeks ago. Considering the constraints on this week's play I felt pretty good about that.

I can still putt better and chip better next round. In particular, I want to figure out how to practice chipping indoors more effectively, maybe even with real balls. I find that because I get so used to chipping with the whiffle balls, when I actually play with the real golf ball it comes off the face very hot. I've also been lazy about practicing full swings lately (well, in my defense it's been raining a lot so putting is easier to do during nap time) and I want to get back to doing more of that so that I can hit more greens! Putting is hugely important but GIR is key to low scores, and I want the lowest I can get.

Off again next week for a fun me-and-hubby only trip, so I have some time to work!

How I Prep for a Four-Club Challenge

This week's league play challenge is to use only four clubs for the whole round. I love these types of challenges. I sometimes had my team do this, and it was always very interesting while providing fun variety. 

Having only four (including putter!) really forces one to learn to trust their decisions. You can't be between clubs if you only have one club to choose! You also learn to get creative with the clubs you bring. There is a popular belief in the artistic world that placing constraints can actually unlock creative potential.  If you've ever watched a pro golfer who seems to play like an artist (I'm thinking about that recovery shot Bubba Watson made at Augusta in 2012 from behind the trees that boomeranged all the way around to the green - magic), they learned over years and years of experimenting with these types of constraints. It's great for growth as a player. And since it's more than just one club, you get to be a little more practical than Kevin Costner. 

Choosing the four clubs takes some thought. You definitely don't want to just wing it, and you can just go back home to get the rest of your bag if you regret your choices. 

I first think about the type of course I'm playing. Is it short? Long? Narrow? Open? The course I play each Friday is an executive course so all par threes. Makes it easy to eliminate woods and driver. On days it plays long I sometimes reach for a 7-wood on a few holes, but I am actually more accurate with irons even if I don't reach the green, and I should actually play that way more often anyway. So I won't fret about not having my long clubs. I'll select an iron for tee shots that will reach some of the holes but leave me short on the longer ones. 

Since it's a par 3 course, two-thirds of my score should be putts following the rules of GIR. So putter is staying in the bag. I also love sometimes chipping with the putter and so it can serve a little more than just on the green. 

Next I think about the types of lies I've experienced in normal play around the green. Usually they are pretty tight, and there are lots of little hills around some of the greens. So I'm going to keep my 60-degree wedge for all pitches and lobs to the hole. 

The fourth club I'm still debating with myself. I've taken full swings from the tee with my pitching wedge so I might use that, but since I can also use an 8- or 9-iron around the green I might use the opportunity to round out my bag with something that can fill some awkward distances I might encounter depending on where they put the tees. This is the only one I'll let my gut decide come morning. 

So my four are: 6-iron, 60-degree, putter, and either 8-iron or PW. 

Otherwise, a sunny day is predicted after almost two straight weeks of chilly rain. I'm very much looking forward to that. I'll be back after the round to reflect on the experience!

Round Reflections: Getting There! And Six Tips For Playing in the Rain

I only three putted once today, and  it showed in my score! Six stroke improvement, even in the rainy conditions today (my hands were getting pruny!). I hit two greens officially, but I was barely off the green two other times out of the nine holes, so I'm feeling pretty good about how that's coming along, too. And I had some amazing wedge play, especially one lob shot on a tough downhill slope on the eighth with a 60-degree wedge. It had a lovely backward spin, bounced lightly three times, and stopped 5 feet from the hole. Perfecto. 

I switched back from my old(er)-school Ping blade putter to my Odyssey Two-Ball putter and I'm very happy with how that felt today. I thought I had better feel with the Ping in terms of knowing whether I hit it square, but the weight of the Two-Ball helps me feel like I can accelerate through the stroke better, which helped on longer putts today.

There was a 90% chance of rain today, and fortunately the nastier stuff on the radar didn't come our way. But it did rain a constant flow of heavy drops which was a challenge.

If you prepare, playing in the rain can actually be fun. Here are some of my tips for playing in the rain:

1. If you haven't yet, invest in the highest quality golf rain gear you can afford. A suit (pants and jacket) is preferred in my opinion but at minimum a jacket is a must.  I wore my Nike Storm-FIT suit and stayed completely dry. Golf rain jackets are designed to accommodate your swing rather than constrict it, and the fabrics do the job. Try several on at a golf retailer to see what you like and consider it a 5-10 year investment!

2. Towels, towels, towels. I like to use the super-absorbent kind that are sold for detailing cars. Assume that you might need a fresh towel every 3-5 holes depending on the rain. Keep the fresh towels in a gallon zip-lock bag in your bag so they don't get wet before you need them.

3. Keep your grips dry! This is what the towels are good for, obviously. It might feel tedious, but it's SO important. Have a towel when you select the club, keep it handy through your pre-shot routine, and wipe it down once more after. Wet grips slip in your hands during your swing which can open or shut the club face at impact. (I heard my dad's voice over and over today telling me to "keep your grips dry." He was always loading my bag with more towels before high school tournaments!)

4. Fresh gloves at the ready. Again, to prevent the club from slipping. Keep these in a zip lock or protective case (some brands are sold with plastic sleeves to store them in) as well. An errant shot on the fifth hole due to a wet glove forced me to scramble from the trees 50 yards from the green today (resulting in a bogey) but as soon as I put on the new glove I was good to go.

5.  Fresh socks, again in a zip lock bag, to change at the turn. Dry feet are happy feet, and happy feet play good golf.  I didn't actually need to do this today as it was only nine holes, but any time I plan to walk 18 in the rain I do. 

6.  Have fun! In my case, a day golfing in the rain beats a morning inside changing diapers. Of course, don't play in lightning or severe rain (even if the Good Lord would never disrupt the best game of your life). But part of the joy of golf is connecting to nature in any of her conditions, something which I only am really realizing now that I'm playing for fun again.

Next week, I hope to be back at it but I'm going to have to find a sitter since my neighbor will be out of town. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to find someone!

Round Reflections: A long way to go

Well, round one of my first time in a ladies league is in the books. I had such lofty hopes for how it would go – I dreamed that I would be the obvious contender for League Champion, a stylish newcomer hitting every green and sinking putt after putt. My, oh my, did I get a helping of humble pie. I loved everything about my morning, but my game just needs some improvement. And because I trust all of you not to tease me too much, I'll be open about my score.  In my first competitive round in four years, having played maybe 10 times total between then and now, and after recovering from the journey of birth, I shot a fabulous 23-over par. Eek.

I learned from the teachers at Vision 54 that the best way to analyze one’s round is to ask yourself three questions: “What went good? What could go better? How do you do that?” They call it “Good/Better/How.” At first the list of things that can get better might be longer than the things that went well, but if you make a conscious effort to track it over time you might find that your list of good things gets longer and longer. It also helps to make a positive light on even the most frustrating parts of a round and frame things in ways that feel more actionable.

Good:

I took care of all the tiny things well before this morning so that I could make it as easy as possible to simply wake up, get myself and the baby dressed, make breakfast, walk the dog, and take the kiddo to my neighbor’s house since she is graciously babysitting for me this summer so I can play. Several days ago I set aside my entire outfit for today down to my socks and underwear. Yesterday, I cleaned out my bag of extraneous items and repacked only the things I needed. I’m glad I took these meticulous steps, because the ease of my morning helped me get into a good mental and emotional state to play.

I also did not let bad shots get me down today. I felt like I was in a good place in terms of wanting good golf to happen but not “needing” it to happen. I allowed myself to be disappointed but I did not get super worked up about anything, which helped me keep my focus on the next shot. Some rounds feel like a roller coaster but today just felt pretty even keel.

Better/How:

I missed quite a few short putts today for tap ins – to be exact, I three-putted five times. I could have saved 5 strokes simply by not missing within 3-6 feet! I knew my lag putts might be an issue, but since I have a putting tool at home, I felt more confident than this at short ones. (How I’ll improve: I’ll work more with my weighted ball and putting mat to make sure my form is in shape)

My wedge game could also use improvement. This course is not too tough, but man were the pins in tight places! Somehow I seemed to find all the tight lies. This illustrated to me that I desperately need to get myself a sand wedge and lob wedge for these tough situations.

Let’s pause for a moment, because you’re likely wondering if you read that last statement correctly. Yes: I, someone who coached a college team and who myself wants to play as competitively as possible, do not have a sand wedge.  I know excuses are like assholes, but here’s mine (excuse): I was not fit for one when I got my set many years ago (long story), and because the frequency of my rounds decreased so drastically, I just never got around to replacing it. I’m actually pretty good with my pitching wedge out of the sand if you can believe it, but I also work to avoid sand at all costs. However it’s impossible to think that a pitching wedge can work for the tight lies I’ll encounter this summer on this course. I also know my scoring can improve drastically simply by playing the right clubs. (How I’ll improve: I’ll invest in some new wedges – maybe even a completely new set of clubs if I’m lucky. I’ll also practice the shots I think I’ll need from tough lies).

 Also, I felt that my swing was very fast today. I even whiffed a drive because I swung too hard. Classic hacker mistake! (Since momma didn’t raise no hacker, I’ll work on tempo and control so that I don’t lose strokes being a muscle head.)

Lastly, I wish I had asked the starter if the groups were on schedule. I arrived in time to putt and chip for a few minutes before I was set to tee off, but then incorrectly assumed that all was on schedule. By the time I had learned that they were so far off pace, I had waited by the tee in the morning chill for 30 or more minutes. At that point I only had 10 minutes left which wasn’t enough time to even wait in line to buy a bucket to hit. I ended up making nice conversation with other players, but I wish I was more warmed up (To avoid this mistake next time, I’ll definitely make sure to ask!)

I loved everything about today though, even in light of my errors. While my score wasn’t great, at least I have two more rounds before my handicap is set to improve my chances of getting in the best flight for my abilities. I am also so thankful for a number of things today: that the weather was ah-mazing, that my playing partners were so nice, that my pre-baby golf clothes fit, that we budgeted some money for me to get to play this year, and most of all, that my friend and neighbor offered to watch the kiddo so I could play. All in all, a great start to the season.