Cool. High 40s-Low 50s. Sunny. Light wind. Started on the 4th hole today to avoid a couple foursomes.
Course still in great condition. Fairways and some tees were aerated today, but unless the ball was in an aeration hole, I played it as it laid. Winter rules, out of season, so rolled ball out of aeration holes which only happened once or twice. They were quite large. With the course in this good condition it is really hard to swallow that the GHIN season ended 3 weeks ago. Another good score on good conditions that I can't enter. Of course, the real high rough has been cut down for the winter and I must admit the tees were up for the most part today. But, I didn't go into any of the high rough today, and when the tees were up too far, I played from the blues.
It was nice to hit shorter iron approaches than normal with the tees up so much. On 11th, I had a 30 yard pitch to the pin for my second shot. Unfortunately, it checked up and didn't quite get over the ridge on the green, from which I expected it to run down to the hole. Instead, I had a 30 foot putt that ended up going well past the pin. 3 putt. Damn. 3 putted a couple other GIRs as well. But also made a bunch of up and downs to equal things out. Best up and down on 12th. Hit 4W off tee and had 150 left to pin. Fatted a 6 iron and came up woefully short ending up on a steep incline 45 yards from the pin. Put a 60 degree wedge high into the air and landed it next to the pin.
Finally parred the 3rd, my last hole of the day. Had about 170 to the pin for the approach. Thought I needed extra to get there as it was uphill and into the wind. Had a nice lie in the fairway with the ball slightly above my feet. Set up with a 3 hybrid, but standing over the ball was not convinced it was enough with the wind. Stopped, went back to the bag and pulled 4W. Got all of it and landed it on the green. It rolled back and onto the fringe leaving me an uphill putt about 35 feet. Had good speed with the first putt, leaving it pin high, but 3' left of the hole. Now I had a 3' slider to make par. Wanted it bad to finally make first par on this hole in about 10 or 12 tries. Stroked it perfectly, dead center. Great way to finish.
A nice December day to play golf.
