Golf Tips & Quips

As I said in my last post, none of my regular golfing buddies could make it so I went out solo. As always I am paired with interesting people and this round was no different. I had the good fortune of playing with a family originally from Denver Colorado. I met John first and he introduced me to his wife Vickie and their son Brandon.

They were pleasure to be with on the course. They cracked jokes the entire time which took off a lot of the pressure that is sometimes felt when playing with strangers. They all played really well. John, while never hitting a driver off the tee, was an ace with his 3-wood. Straight as an arrow. Vickie stayed in the fairways. I think she hit all but three. And when Brandon got a hold of one, he sent his ball booming down the fairway.

I played pretty well, posting an 82 despite hitting only 3 of 14 fairways. Most of my misses were to the right. I wasn't really slicing it, but it made some of my approach shots into the green a bit more difficult than they needed to be. I'll be working on remedying this problem. Fortunately, my short game was on point.

Most of the nine pars that I recorded were due to great chipping around the greens. When I missed a green in regulation, I was able to chip it to within gimme range. It was a warm day, so I didn't have the same problems I have when starting early in the morning. If I had made a few more putts, it would have been a record breaking round for me. Not worried. That will come as I play more.

So back to the title of this post. I always book my tee times with Golfnow.com and Aguila is one of the few courses that allows golfers to walk the course. So it was either pay $51 to ride or pay $29 to walk. Always looking for a deal, I decided to walk it just to see how I would fair.

Many of the courses in Phoenix, or at least the ones that I have played, wind in and out of the mountains and walking them would be a chore. The drive between some holes can be nearly half a mile and then there are the elevation changes. It would take up to six hours to play some of these courses if one decided to walk them.

I consider myself to be in pretty good condition but I definitely felt it after the round. Let's just say, I slept really well last night. I have a new found respect for the pros that walk courses day in and day out. Granted, they have caddies carrying their clubs, but to do it for four rounds and with extreme pressure, I understand why they are flanked with a support team which includes personal trainers and nutritionist.

Aguila Golf Course is definitely recommended if you visit the Phoenix area. The staff was very friendly and I soon discovered that this may be a good place to practice. They have a driving range, chipping and pitching area, along with several putting greens. This course also has a par 3 nine hole course, which I'm told really tests your short game.

Aguila certainly gets a thumbs up from me. Pete-HEFF-L was telling the truth when he said it is a great place to play. Now that I have my first walking 18 under my belt, I'm looking forward to my next. It certainly is good exercise and I actually felt at one with the course. I had time to take in the scenery between shots which actually calmed me down after a poor effort.

Two days off in a row next week will hopefully yield two rounds in a row. Until then I may have to pay a visit to Aguila before or after work for a little practice. One thing is for sure. I'll be looking into a good push cart so that I don't have to carry my bag during my next walking round. Maybe that will keep my shoulders loose and help my putting;-) Have a great round and always hit your target.

Now that the pros are back and playing, it's time for me to get back on the course on a regular basis. Or as regular as my schedule will allow for. I was able to play two rounds last week and I was definitely a little rusty. Golf is a sport that requires that you play with some consistency if you want to get better. Because I had not played for about a month, the first few holes of each round were a bit of an adventure.

My buddy J.B. and I played at San Marcos Golf Club for my first round back. To be honest, my poor play on the front nine was due to the fact that I couldn't feel my hands. At the start of the round it was about 48 degrees and breezy. It wasn't until the 10th hole that I could actually feel my fingers. I shot a 47 on the front and a 40 on the back for a total of 87.

Despite not being able to feel my hands, I drove the ball really well, hitting five of seven fairways for the front. Where I had trouble, was around the greens. I consider my self to be a "feel" player and when my hands are frozen, chipping and pitching becomes very difficult. I sculled a few. Hit a few fat. It was very frustrating. Once it began to warm up, my touch returned and my short game immediately improved.

The second round was played at Camelback Golf Club(The Padre Course). This was my first time playing this course. I have visited Camelback before, but played the Indian Bend Course. The Doctor had played it the week before, and thought that I would enjoy it. While the Indian Bend Course is mostly flat, the Padre Course, has fairways with more undulation, which made for many uneven lies on approach shots.

Case in point. I came to the the short par 4, 16th and hit a great drive. I was left with only 65 yards into the green for my second. The only thing was that I had a down hill lie and there was a bunker guarding the pin which was on the front of the green. I proceeded to hit my worse shot of the round, hitting it fat, and advancing the ball about 30 yards. I turned a potential birdie hole into a double bogey. Ouch!

Despite this, I managed an 84. Not my best, but it was a step in the right direction. I plan on playing tomorrow. None of my regular golf buddies can play, so I'm going solo. Since it is peak season in Arizona, I know I won't be alone. I like getting out there and meeting new people on the course. For the most part, the golfers I'm paired with, are interesting and diverse. It will be a late morning start so I know I will be properly thawed out before starting. Hopefully this will allow me to get off to fast start. Have a great round and always hit your target.