Madness, sheer madness
This afternoon, I went to the Hank Haney Golf Ranch in Lewisville to practice and play nine. The weather was quite chilly but sunny, with only a slight breeze.
I warmed up hitting sand wedge shots, then worked my way through the bag, hitting a couple of balls with each club. When I got to the 6-iron, my swing started getting out of whack, so I got out the iPod and hit a few shots with Tour Tempo with the 8-iron. That got my swing back, mostly, but still couldn’t hit the longer clubs well. I finished up hitting pitching wedges, in anticipation of the first hole.
On the first hole, I hit the pitching wedge a bit thin and right; the ball ended up in the back fringe. I chipped short and two putt for bogey. On the second, I hit a 5-iron monster hook into (and nearly over) the range pond. I took a drop, pushed a 9-iron into the woods to the right of the hole. I punched out short of the hole, chipped over the green, chipped long, and nailed a 21 foot putt for triple.
On the third, hit a lob wedge to 21 ft and two putt for par. On the fourth, took another triple after hooking the ball into one of those ball-eating grass bushes, took an unplayable, hit a 6-iron nearly into the right hazard, then hit the ball thin over the green, chipped poorly and 2-putted. On the fifth, hit a sand wedge to 18 ft and two-putt for par.
On the sixth, hit a 7-iron to the right edge of the fairway, then hit a perfect layup sand wedge, but chunked a lob wedge just short of the green, chipped into the bunker, played out away from the hole and 3-putt for a lovely snowman. On the seventh, over-clubbed and hit a 6-iron well over the green. After numerous poor shots, carded triple. On the eighth, got out the driver and attempted to drive the green. Hit a very long drive, but pushed right and ran into the hazard beyond the bridge. Took a drop, went over the green with a sand wedge, hit a nice lob wedge to 10 ft and mis-read the putt and tapped in for bogey. On the ninth, over-clubbed again and hit an 8-iron over the green and down a steep bank. Hit a pretty good lob wedge to 12 ft and left the par putt just short and tapped in for bogey.
It’s madness that I play this game at all.