New Personal Best at Greensmere Premiere today

[mjf]

I played another round this afternoon with jvincent at Greensmere (Premiere - back tees) and I've gotta say I think this one is more memorable than last week's at Manderley. I ended up with a 68 (-4!). This is a new personal best for me and beats my old mark by 3 strokes! Woo Hoo!


If you're interested, here's the round summary:

#1 - Solid drive to left fairway. 146 yards to a front pin into the breeze. Hit a decent 8-iron that I thought going to be pin high but it came up a few yards short of the green. No worries though, I chipped it in for birdie. I think John's getting a little sick of watching me chip in. -1

#2 - Good drive but pushed slightly into right rough. 9-iron off a slight sidehill/downhill to ~15 feet. Left the putt just short in the jaws. -1

#3 - ~165 yards. Hit a slightly fat 6-iron that I thought would come up short but it bounced through the rough. 2-putt from ~25 feet. -1

#4 - Smoked a drive then smoked a 5-wood to ~25 yards short of the front flag. Really good chip to tap-in range for another birdie. -2

#5 - Solid, but pushed drive to ~115 yards in the right rough. 52* wedge onto the green ~30 feet long and right of the flag. Draino! Birdie. -3

#6 - Decent but again pushed drive to right rough. Somewhat squirrelly 5-wood to ~40 yards short left in the rough. Chipped to ~5 feet and made the putt for bird. -4

#7 - ~165 yards again. Thinking a bit too much about being at -4. Hit a thin/pushy shot short right of the green in the rough. Good chip shot but about
5-feet short. I hit a good putt but too firmly and it doesn't take the break. Bogey. -3

#8 - Nailed a drive down the center of the fairway. 9-iron from ~130 into the wind to about 15 feet. 2-putt for par.

#9 - Another good drive in the fairway. ~105 left to the pin. I forced my 56* wedge pin high but on the right fringe. Putted on-line but just shy again. -3

#10 - Not quite liking the look of the hole from the back tee so I elect to hit 5-wood and hit it a little low and hooky... but fine in the left rough. ~130 left
to the back-ish left flag. Not wanting to go long I try to kill a 52* wedge and half skull it. Fortunately, it has a tonne of spin on it and stops ~8 feet from the cup. 2-putt for par. -3

#11 - Pound a drive down the left side of the fairway. ~135 left downhill/downwind and off a downslope. I hit a 52* wedge a hair fat but it ends up ~7 feet from the hole and I make the putt for birdie. -4

#12 - 146 yards WAY downhill and downwind. PW to 25-30 feet from the flag. 2-putt. -4

#13 - Pull my drive a bit and end up in the peninsula of trees but I have a shot through a gap to the green. Hit a low 7-iron about 120 yards to ~18 feet.
2-putt for par. -4

#14 - 155 yards par 3. 8-iron slightly thin to ~20 feet below and left of the hole. 2-putt for par. -4

#15 - Even from the black tees, this tee shot doesn't suit my eyes. From the BACK tees... much less so. I hit a good drive but too far left and it ends up in the left trees. Low 7-iron chip back into the fairway ~90 yards from the flag. Fattish/toey 56* short right of green. Decent chip to ~5 feet short and hole the putt. Bogey. -3

#16 - I have a bad history with the trees on the left here so I hit a solid drive into the right rough ~260 yards from the flag. Decent-ish 5-wood to about 40 yards short right of the pin. Chip to 3 feet. Birdie. -4

#17 - Usually play from the black tees where the tractor/tree aren't an issue. Unfortunately, not the case from the back tees as I drive right into the mound. Doh! I do have a shot at the green though. I hit another low 7-iron that hits the green but leaves me with a 50+-footer. I hit that about 8 feet long and, although I hit a good come-backer, it hopped off a ball mark and came up just shy. -3

#18 - Smash a drive right down the pipe. Fanned my 5-wood 2nd shot ~45 yards short right of the green and end up on a downslope of a mound. Get lucky with
my chip shot that bounces through the rough to about 4 feet. Sink the putt right in the middle of the cup! Birdie! -4!!!!



Essentially all pins were at the front of the greens today. I'm not sure if this makes things easier or harder... It probably shortens the course by ~180 yards, but a lot of the shots become more difficult because you have so much less green to work with.

In the past, I likely would have started playing ultra-conservative about half-way through the back nine to maintain a good score, but I decided to keep the foot on the accelerator and was rewarded with birdies on 2 of the last 3 holes. I'll have to remember this the next time I'm in this situation... if I ever GET in this situation again.


Final stats:

Strokes = 68
Putts = 27
Fairways = 6
Greens = 14
Birdies = 7

Why, why WHY does the season have to be almost over??? At least I've got one more round planned for this Sunday.

[jvincent]

Yeah, it is getting tiring watching you chip in.

I thought my 76 was OK but I got smoked.

[mjf]

Doh! I just came back to edit my post to include your 76. Good shooting yourself.

[gbower]

Nice round!!!! Always good to get a PB.

[kekchose12]

Way to go mjf! You should think of hiring john as your caddy for next year's citizen

[Gropper]

Sweet round!!! Love reading the play by play. I would love an under par round. So close this year butnim sure it will happen next year!!

Great job!

[nokids]

Premier owned again.

[Wilster]

Nice shootin Michael , helluva way to finish the season !

[mjf]

Premier owned again.

A month ago, 7 birdies over those 18 holes might have meant some cash in our pockets.

[orangeTANG]

I've played Premiere a few times this past weekend and I found some of the short putts hard to make. The cups haven't been moved in a while and I find the last 6-12" around the hole has started to absorb water causing it to be slightly raised. A few straight putts of mine had a tendency to turn 90* 3" from the hole if I didn't have enough speed.

Congrats, great score!

[John]

I sense a hint of jealousy from Pablo!

[nokids]

No way, Mike's my boi....!!!

[jeffc]

I had a personal best today, but it wasn't score related. Played Greensmere in 2:20. never played 18 holes that fast ever.

[Big Johnny69]

A few weeks ago I walked my course. Played 18 and was back sitting in the car in 1:59. Previous best walking was 2:15 when a buddy of mine played a few years ago.

[Gropper]

Sweet round!!! Love reading the play by play. I would love an under par round. So close this year butnim sure it will happen next year!!

Great job!

And just as i say this, I went out today and shot a 1 under 71 at Canadian. 4 bogies 3 birdies and an eagle!!

[mjf]

Congrats! Windy today... well done.

[BC MIST]

I played another round this afternoon with jvincent at Greensmere (Premiere - back tees) and I've gotta say I think this one is more memorable than last week's at Manderley. I ended up with a 68 (-4!). This is a new personal best for me and beats my old mark by 3 strokes! Woo Hoo!

Essentially all pins were at the front of the greens today. I'm not sure if this makes things easier or harder... It probably shortens the course by ~180 yards, but a lot of the shots become more difficult because you have so much less green to work with.

Congratulations on a great round.

The pins are all up front for obvious reasons but from experience, I have always found that front pins are much more difficult than those farther back because if you hit the green, putts are usually down hill and if you are short of the green, there is very little green to work with. Plus, the preventive chemicals sprayed on the greens are absorbed by the plant so the greens no longer get cut and are slower than normal, and as the ground has been frozen a few times, and surfaced thawed with golfers walking on them, there have become a little spongy in spots. Still very good for this time of year but less than ideal, making your great round even more meaningful.