Finally got back to Candler Park early Saturday morning. Cloudy and had a tiny bit of refreshing misty drizzle on the 5th and 6th holes. Teed off in the dark at 6:45 am. Hit several decent shots.
1. Hit two good 6 irons off the tee. Low and faded left, but good distance. Then I hit the light up ball all the way up to the green. Not sure I’ve ever done that before. Hit a second ball not as well, but then chipped that ball onto the green. Two putt for a “par”.
2. Hit another good “long” 6 iron that stayed right, and bounced down a hill. Mulligan not as good, but playable. Decent chip to the fringe. Poor lag putts. Put me down for a five.
3. Hit two good 8 irons onto the green. Never hit two straight onto the green before. Two putt for par.
4. Hit three poor tee shots. My chips were better, even though two rolled off the back of the green. Finally popped a nice lob onto the green. Hit several good lag putts close. “Double”.
5. On the 5th tee I always put away my light up balls - too much of a change to loose them left or right. It was after 7 am but still not very light. Hit what felt like was a good high 6 iron. Didn’t see it but eventually heard it plop down up near the green before. Poked a mulligan way right up onto the street - just in front of a lady walking her dog. Had to say sorry. Didn’t find that ball but did find my first ball up on the fringe, for sure a good shot. Can’t remember if I was able to 2 putt or not.
6. Still trying to figure out how to hit a driver. My first drive felt good, but I wasn’t sure where it went. Second try faded right. Pulled my third try into the brush to the left. Then from the fairway I topped three 5 irons. Did hit two decent chips. Lag putts weren’t great, but I did sink the “bogey” putt.
7. Hit driver three more times, with the exact same results as the previous hole. Hit several passable 5 irons up the hill. Results weren’t good but better than the previous hole. First chip was low, and rolled off the back of the green. Mulligan was much better, but was just short of the green. Two long lag putts weren’t great. Then hit three more 20 footers: the first broke left, the second stayed right, and the third fell into the cup. “Double”.
As I climbed the hill to the 8th tee I realized a golfer was catching up to me, hitting his approach shot on seven. I hit a pretty good drive. Thought it went straight but found it way right. Hit a great pitch onto the green. Then I sank the 15 footer - a rare three shot birdie.
9. Hit driver again. Since my drives usually slice right, I aimed left on this road hole. My first drive was low and exactly where I aimed. Lost my mulligan in the trees to right. Found my first ball under a tree, and poked two good low 5 irons under the trees, toward the green before. My second try rolled onto the green, a great shot. My lag putt stopped inches from the cup. A nice finishing bogey. I don’t think I’ve ever parred this long uphill par three 9th hole. Finished at 8:19 am.
Sunday: played golf before church. Teed off at 6:43 am.
1. Played two light up balls. Didn’t hit a single good shot.
2. Hit a 6 iron off the tee. One of my light up balls went out when I hit it. Never found it. Did find two regular balls. Spent extra time on the green practicing putting.
3. Pulled my tee shot left but short. Decent chip to the fringe. Hit two of 3 of the lag putts well. “Bogey”.
4. Decent 6 iron off tee faded left. Chipped 3 balls onto the green, but none close. Good lags. Bogey.
5. When I was putting away my last light up ball I may have found another one in my bag. Pulled a 6 iron off the tee toward the woods but a tree knocked it down. Hit a nice mulligan to the fringe. Good lag putts. “Par”.
6. Hit a good long drive that hit off the faraway oak tree. Also two drives that weren’t as good. Hit a good 5 iron that rolled off the left side of the green. Also two extra 5 irons that weren’t as good. Chipped from the fairway, two just short but one onto the green. “Bogey”.
7. The three drives that I hit were all decent. One might’ve been the longest drive I’d ever hit on that hole, to the top of the hill. Hit two decent fairway shots. One chip rolled off the back of the green, but my mulligan was better. Two putt for a “bogey”.
8. Hit three drives, all decent, including the longest ever on this hole. The new elevated tee box way over to the left of the fairway certainly is suited to my game. But I hit two chips too short, and a third that rolled off the back of the green. Decent chip. Bogey?
9. Hit two poor drives up the right side of the fairway, then a nice long low drive that rolled most of the way up the hill. One of my best ever tee shots on this hole. Chipped two of my three attempts onto the green. Sank the 20 footer, for my first ever closing “par”.
After the slow start, it turned out to be a pretty good round. Finished at 8:16 am. Stopped by RaceTrac for a drink, and made it home by nine. Brownies and ice cream for breakfast, and strolled into Sunday School at 10:04, well before the 10:15 start time.
Aren’t you glad I don’t play 18 holes?
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