Posted by Dexter Francois
| Posted in
chip shots,
Golf Course Reviews,
Golf Courses,
My Rounds,
pitch shots,
putting,
Swing Mechanics
| Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2012
I finally got to one of the courses I have been wanting to play since I moved to Phoenix in Aguila Golf Course. Not because it is famous or well known, but rather because one of my Stracka buddies, Pete-HEFF-L has been trying to get me to play it for a while now. Ironically, I didn't play it with him and I am a little hesitant to let him know that I did without him.
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.
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Hey Dexter,
I'm jealous of your weather ha ha, the UK is pretty cold and frosty at the moment so the golf is interesting and fun. Reading your latest post was like describing my golf recently, good short game ( especially chipping ) but just tending to miss too many fairways predominately on the right. I found at my last range session I was over swinging with the driver so I eased up on my backswing turn and started getting much more accurate/longer drives. My average carry is between 250 and 270 so if I can keep that ball on the short stuff I feel as though my scoring will drop dramatically.
I took part in my clubs winter league on Sat and I've posted the results and a round recap on my blog....check out the conditions ha ha. http://golfjourney11anddown.blogspot.com
Lee.
Looks like we have a similar type game. The one thing I hate is cold weather, so I might have missed that last tournament of yours;-)
I am blessed to be living where I am. It gives me a chance to work on my game year around. I don't have to feel rushed like some of my East Coast friends who only have a 3 month season. I probably don't have the pressure they have to improve since within that 3 month period because I have plenty of time to work at it.
Wait...you've NEVER walked 18-holes before?
Unbelievable isn't it??? I've walked 9 hole courses before but never a full 18. When I lived in Miami, none of the courses we played really allowed walking. There were a few, but my buddies were all about riding in carts.
Here in Phoenix, walking is rarely allowed and that's mainly because of the makeup of the courses. For example, when we play at Arizona Grand Spa and Golf Resort, the front 9 "could" be walked but the back 9 winds throughout the mountains.
At The Phoenician, you would have to walk a half a mile between some holes. It would be quite a workout and a very long day.
Since writing this post, I have walked Aguila two more times, so I have some walking experience under my belt now. I like walking but it's just not an option on most of the courses I play out here in the desert.
I cant believe you have never walked a full course before this one. And it sounds like a bad one to walk, especially with long distances between hole and the Phoenix heat. I think walking the course helps me to concentrate and feel it, and not rush so much in between shots. However, I don't like carrying my bag so I either bring a push cart or hang my bag on someone else's cart, if someone is with me. You should try that next time and see if it helps any! Great pics too
So you walked your first 18 and did it carrying your clubs without a push cart? Wow. I'm walking my first 18 this coming Saturday and will def. be using a push cart. I'm not in the greatest shape so I'm anxious to see how it goes. I'm really excited about it.
This always seemed to improve my game a bit, really changed my swing a lot http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.ca/2012/04/few-helpful-golf-swing-tips.html
I'm trying to get back into playing golf after a long hiatus (6 years). I've been searching out blogs on Golf to get myself motivated to go out and start playing again, because my fear of sucking is really stopping me from going out to the course (spending way too much time at the range). I guess its also not hard to believe you haven't walked a full 18 before because the heat in Phoenix is at times unbearable. I would imagine walking in the Arizona heat with your clubs on your back could be result in heat stroke for some. I started thinking about golfing again after watching Bubba Watson win the Masters and reading this article about his equipment and how he won:
http://www.promocodepal.com/blog/mastering-your-golf-skills-with-the-right-equipment
Your posts have motivated me as well because they radiate your passion for the game. Keep em coming.
Cheers,
Adam
I'm trying to get back into playing golf after a long hiatus (6 years). I've been searching out blogs on Golf to get myself motivated to go out and start playing again, because my fear of sucking is really stopping me from going out to the course (spending way too much time at the range). I guess its also not hard to believe you haven't walked a full 18 before because the heat in Phoenix is at times unbearable. I would imagine walking in the Arizona heat with your clubs on your back could be result in heat stroke for some. I started thinking about golfing again after watching Bubba Watson win the Masters and reading this article about his equipment and how he won:
Improving Your Golf Skills
Your posts have motivated me as well because they radiate your passion for the game. Keep em coming.
Cheers,
Adam
This discuss help to improving me to golfing. Thanks to share ideas.
@Daniel. It was a tough walk and a few of the holes are a bit spread apart, but it wasn't too bad. I am buying a cart though. Carrying the bag does weigh on the shoulders which affected my swing later in the round. I have walked a few more times and will continue to do so in the future.
@JHeb1973. It's been a while but how did your walk go. I think the pushcart is the way to go. Definitely saves a little energy. Hope the game is progressing nicely.
@Jake Jarvis. Well so far I have avoided heat strokes. Lots of water and Gatorade during the summer time. Don't worry about "sucking" on the course. It's not like it's an easy game, but the fun for me is trying to get better. It can be frustrating at times, but when I begin to see the results, it makes it all worth it. Keep at it and thanks for visiting.
@Golf clubs for beginners - Thanks for stopping by. Glad you like it. Sharing ideas help us all improve.
Thanks for sharing this blog.It is very nice and informative.
Hi Dexter,
Love your blog. I run a similar kind of deal for Los Angeles - www.richiesworldofgolf.com.
I am fortunate to have a bunch of courses in my area. Once I have exhausted all new courses, I will venture to AZ and NV. I will remember to reference your blog for anything AZ related.
Richie