It’s done. It’s over. The 8 year quest to break 100 in golf has been completed. I’m elated. Recap below followed by shot-by-shot recap below
Gourlay texted me yesterday saying it would be a great afternoon for Melrose. I agreed. Let’s get started!
I bogey’d 1 and birdie the short par 5 second. I was EVEN after two holes. I might shoot a 70 today.
I played well on the front except the 9th hole where my 3rd shot from 80 yards out went 45 degrees to the right into some shrubs. After an 8 on that hole I finished the front with a 46. Breaking 100 was possible. Gourlay was close behind with a 50.
We both started off the back with pars. Sub 90? Sub 80?
Everything was running smooth, mostly bogeys and doubles until 17, the 160 yard par 3. At this point I was at an 84. Gourlay made a comment a hole earlier “oh you’ll definitely break 100” which I scolded him for.
17 has little wiggle room. I hit it OB left off the tee. No big deal. I dropped and somehow skulled my next shot right into a BIG bunker. One shot, rolled back. Second shot, rolled back. Third shot, picked it clean into another bunker. What’s happening. I got a 9 on the hole.
Gourlay had a nice bogey and we were in a dead heat, 93 a piece, going into 18, a beautiful par 4.
I hit my best shot of the day to open the hole, a 3 wood straight blast that went about 235 (downhill) and rested in the rough just in front of the bunker. Gourlay hit a good drive then put his second on the green from 120 out. I sprayed my second 50 yards… With 50 yards to go, I cleared a bunker in front of the green by inches. Thank god. We can still do this.
The first putt was a little short. No prob. 6 feet left. Second putt misses by an inch and rolls about 2-3 feet past… Omg. Am I going to blow this. I sink the putt, arms raised, high five Gourlay, we did it.
Props to Gourlay for parring the last hole and shooting a 97.
I took two lessons the past month and went to the range probably six times. It’s finally seeming to pay off. I know Melrose isn’t the hardest course but I don’t care. We’re playing again tomorrow at Westwood with Dale and Vince. Breaking 90???
Hole by Hole Recap
Hole 1 – Straight drive. Nice 9 iron lay up due to a tree blocking. Pitching wedge on the green. Two putt. Bogey.
Hole 2 – Great hybrid straight down the hill. Nice 6 iron up to the edge of the fairway. A wedge to the green. ONE PUTT. Birdie.
Hole 3 – 8 iron not quite to the green. Sprayed one hard right. Putt off the rough to the green. Two putt. Double bogey.
Hole 4 – 8 iron HARD right. OB. Re-tee landed on the fringe. Three putt which involved a miss from about two feet. TRIPLE bogey.
Hole 5 – Great 6 iron lay up to the fairway. Beautiful pitching wedge up the hill to the green. Horrible birdie putt that I left 7 feet short but GREAT par putt. Par.
Hole 6 – Great hybrid off the tee. Horrible 8 iron that ended up on a tree. Miracle tree shot to the rough. Good chip. Two putt. Double bogey.
Hole 7 – Great 3 wood off the tee. Nice 9 iron just short and right of the green. Nice chip onto the green. JUST missed a par putt. Bogey.
Hole 8 – HARD left hybrid off the tee that hit a tree and only went 80 yards. Great pitching wedge save landing on the green. Two putt. Bogey.
Hole 9 – Decent hybrid off the tee. Good 7 iron punch out. HORRIBLE wedge shot from 80 out that went in the shrubs. Chunk that stayed in the shrubs. Punched out. Chip on the green. Two putt. QUAD bogey.
Hole 10 – Beautiful hybrid off the tee. A wedge that was left off the green. Great chip to within a few feet. One putt. Par
Hole 11 – Tried the driver, BAD idea, barely hit it, left in the tall grass. 8 iron punch out. Well struck 6 iron to the right of the green. Good chip on. Two putt. Double bogey.
Hole 12 – Hybrid right into a tree. Amazing 6 iron punch out that was 80 from the green. Awesome A wedge that was 8 feet from the hole. JUST missed a par putt. Bogey.
Hole 13 – Nice 3 wood 215 out. 8 iron just short of the green. Nice chip onto the green. JUST missed a par putt. Bogey.
Hole 14 – Great hybrid dead straight. Seven iron lay up because of a tree. Bad chip still in the rough. Three putt. Double bogey.
Hole 15 – Decent 3 wood off the tee. AMAZING 195 yard hybrid dead straight (second best shot of the day). Botched pitching wedge that was short and slight right into a bunker. Bad bunker shot. Good bunker shot. Two putt. Double bogey.
Hole 16 – Great 3 wood off the tee. Beauty 6 iron that ended on the back of the green. Decent first putt. JUST missed a par putt. Bogey.
Hole 17 – OB left tee shot. Skulled drop into the bunker. Bunker. Bunker. Bunker to bunker. Putt out of bunker. Two putt. Sextuple Bogey.
Hole 18 – Best shot of the day 3 wood. Sprayed an A wedge. Barely cleared a bunker A wedge. Three putt. Double bogey.
99!
Hold on! Unless Melrose has a “local rule”, the ONLY option after out of bounds is to re-tee, hitting 3. It appears you chose to place the ball near where it went out of bounds. I suggest you call Melrose and see if they have the local rule. This is the first year that a drop is even an option. This new rule is NOT a player option but a course option. I’ve never asked at other courses, but HVCC does NOT permit a drop.
I’m going to ban you from commenting on my posts.
Left on 17 isn’t OB, so you’re fine dropping.
In that case, you may be even worse off. You don’t have the “local rule” option. If you did not find your ball, the ONLY option is to re-tee. If you found the ball, you have 3 options. 1. Re-tee. 2. Drop within 2 clubs lengths, no closer to the hole. 3. Go straight back in line with the pin as far as you like. All hitting 3. So, if you dropped within 2 club lengths of your FOUND ball, you’re good. Are you still at 99?