1757 - The Importance of Practice...
Seventh Golf Week AM Tour Tournament of the year. The tour stop: 1757.
Part of me was excited because I play this course often and I know the layout (aka, the water). But when the AM Tour decided that we had to play a mixture of the Black and Blue tees... I knew we were in for some punishment. Suffice to say, I felt more black and blue after the round.
Before the Hole by Hole, blow by blow recap, I knew I would be in for a rough time when I showed up exactly 10 minutes before my tee time and by the time I checked in and put on my shoes, I had time to swing exactly two 7-Irons (both flush by the way) before my group got called to the tee box. But somehow I thought I'd be okay because I played another tournament that Thursday at Worthington Manor. Boy was I mistaken.
Hole 1: Par 4, 451 Yards - Setting the Tone
In actuality the hole only played roughly 405 yards. But that wouldn't have mattered. The last few times I hit my driver, I was hitting a nice soft fade. So I aim for the left of the fairway and low and behold, duck hook into the tall grass... Took a drop, then put a hybrid into the right water... Took one more drop, didn't carry the creek to the green. Long story short, lost an entire sleeve of balls on one hole. Damage: 7 (+3 Overall). The only silver lining, out of my group, the best score was a 6...
Hole 2: Par 4: 371 Yards - Sand or Water? How about Two Sands?
Played just about its distance. Expecting another duck hook, I aim for the middle of the fairway but mindful of the water on the left. But the fade I was expecting on Hole 1 materialized here and I put it in one of the fairway bunkers. I hit an okay shot out of the bunker only to put it into the greenside bunker. I managed to get out of the bunker only to make it to the fringe. Chipped to 1 foot. Damage: 5 (+4)
Hole 3: Par 3: 160 Yards - Good Miss.
Played this hole from the blue tees. Otherwise it was a painful 200 yards from the blacks. Hit a less than optimal 6-iron but made it to the dance floor. Two putts later, good par. Damage: 3 (+4)
Hole 4: Par 4: 346 Yards - Better Miss
Never played from the back tee boxes. It really does change the perspective considering you have to land a tee shot over the water but short of the bunkers. My snap hook reappeared but lucked out and the ball settles in the light rough just behind the sand traps. I pull out a 7-iron which treated me well in my first two practice hits of the day. No dice as I pull it way left but short of the sand trap. Two chips and a putt later... Damage: 5 (+5)
Hole 5: Par 4: 410 yards - First Fairway!
Monster of a hole with water on the right and out of bounds on the left. Considering I had yet to hit a fairway all day, I was less than confident. But somehow mustered up a good swing and hit the fairway. My only issue then was the approach also had water on the right and a hazard on the left. I decided to go safe but ended up short. Couldn't get up and down. Damage: 5 (+6)
Hole 6: Par 4: 378 yards - A tale of Bombers and Assholes.
Nice 90 degree double carry par 4. Now, 1757 is less than 5 miles from Dulles Airport, so we're used to hearing and seeing large planes about to land. When it is our turn to tee off, we hear a plane but when we look up, It's the B-2 Bomber. That's right, huge black flying wing... We all go crazy. Tried to run back to my cart to get my phone to take a picture but alas, not fast enough... Back to the hole. My duck hook reappears and I hit the ball into the hazard. I then hit a decent layup but it rolls slightly into the rough.
Now in the periphery, there is a maintenance person watering the green while my group and me are fooling around on the fairway. He then waves us forward to make our approach shots. Mine falls short of target. As we approach the green, the maintenance person doesn't stop watering the green. One of the folks in my group asks the maintenance person to stop watering for 5 minutes so we can finish the hole. The maintenance asshole (note) states, "I'm sorry to interrupt your little hobby but I'm trying to have a golf course here tomorrow." Suffice to say that not one of the members of our group were happy...
Optics Note: The maintenance person is a young white male, the members of my group are three middle aged black males and one Filipino woman... Don't want to call a spade a spade but...
We all then insist the maintenance person to stop watering the green while we shoot to the tune of, "My hobby pays your salary. Five minutes and we'll all be done." The maintenance person cuts the water off, slams the hose down like a petulant child and storms off in his golf cart.
Back to the hole. I chipped to about 15 feet and magically sunk the putt. Damage: 6 (+8)
Hole 7: Par 3: 190 Yards - I hate Par 3's
A bit of sweet mercy that we didn't have to play the back tees and all of its 241 yards of glory...
Before we could tee off our favorite maintenance asshole comes back and starts watering the previous green for about 2-3 minutes, slams the hose again, and gets in his cart and proceeds to drive behind us with his iPhone camera out and starts taping us as he drives away. Not Cool. At this point one person in our group calls the manager, while I call and leave a message with Billy Casper Golf. I was not having this go unpunished.
So back to the action. Tee shot with my trusty 4 hybrid goes left (Shocker). But I was able to find it. Unfortunately I couldn't get a full club on it and it ends up in the bunker. Long story short, I end up with a triple. Damage: 6 (+11)
Hole 8: Par 4: 385 Yards - So much for "Don't Go Left"
Wasn't going to risk hitting a driver with so much to lose on the left side of this fairway. I hit a dynamite 4-Wood but hugged the left side of the fairway so I was blocked by the huge tree that blocks the left side of the green from high pitch shots. Sure enough, the pin was tucked left. I set up to hit a good 8-iron right to left, unfortunately it stayed right but I ended up on the fringe. Hit a dynamite putt to 1 foot from the fringe and tapped in. Damage 4 (+11)
Hole 9: Par 5: 511 Yards - Where Eagles Dare
Didn't have to play the tips here which set up a possible eagle try, provided I could hit the ball well and in a playable lie (aka, not in the woods to the left or the water on the right). Alas CAPT Hook prevailed again and I hit the ball into the woods. By some measure of luck, I did find the ball and it was semi-playable. Alas I managed to advance the ball around 30 yards, which left me 260 yards from the green (Green Light?). Unabashed, I still whip out my 4-Wood and crush the ball to roughly 25 yards (Angry Hit?) from the green. Sadly the pitch was sorely lacking and left myself with a 50 foot double breaking putt. After three tries I finally finish the front nine. Damage: 7 (+13)
Hole 10: Par 5: 561 Yards - At least the Front Nine is over!
After posting a +13 on the front nine, most golfers would just mail it in and go for birdies. While typically I'm not most golfers, this seemed like a great strategy to try to recoup my tournament entry fees... Then again, I was only 4 strokes off the lead...
I managed to hit an awesome drive to the middle of the fairway (by aiming way right). My layup shot left much to be desired as I put it into the thick rough. I try to power out the ball using a 9-iron but the rough proved to be of US Open quality and I managed to get halfway to the green. I hit a great pitch to around 10 feet but it was a treacherous downhill putt. Three putts later, I'm in the hole. Damage: 7 (+15).
Hole 11: Par 4, 387 Yards - Tweet!
Hit another awesome drive to the middle of the fairway using the same technique (aim right). I hit a thin 6-iron from 158 yards that deposits itself 10 feet below the hole. Drained the putt. (BIRDIE). Damage: 3 (+14)
Hole 12: Par 4, 308 Yards - Tweet Tweet!
Just far enough for me not to go for it and too much pain on the left for me to pull out my driver. I end up hitting my 4-Wood just short of the trap and 87 yards out. Hit an awesome 54 degree wedge to 5 feet. Drained the putt (BACK TO BACK BIRDS!). Damage: 3 (+13)
Hole 13: Par 4, 456 Yards - Are you sure this isn't a Par 5?
Not a misprint, 456 Yards. Into the wind. I hit an okay drive onto the fairway. Not saying much considering the fairway huge. The only issue is I was still 230 yards away from the green and with a creek at the 200 yard mark... I wisely decide to lay up but hesitate too much and chunk it to about 150 yards. Put a thin 8-iron on it and put it on the back of the green. Sadly it was a front pin. But two good putts later, I was in for the bogey. Damage 5 (+14)
Hole 14: Par 3, 180 Yards - Jake the Snake!
One of those situations where you're late in the round and you've figured out your rhythm and identified just how well you hit the ball. Well, from 180 yards, I was definitely feeling 5 Hybrid. If I put an average hit on the ball, I might have well been pin high and putting for birdie. Sadly I flushed the ball and set it sailing over the pin, over the green, and into the thick brush behind the green. This would not have been a big issue until one of my playing partners discovered a snake... All bets off. Took the drop, and had a bit of an issue getting up and down. Damage: 6 (+17)
Hole 15: Par 5, 584 Yards. - Choking Down isn't always a good idea.
Actually hit the ball right, glad I wasn't aimed too far right. Hit a decent layup shot but got bit by the wet ground around the drain and it plugged, costing me about 20 yards. I then had to make my approach from 180 yards. Didn't hit an optimal shot and left the ball about 10 yards short of the green. Didn't get up and down. Damage: 6 (+18)
Hole 16: Par 3, 181 Yards. - 180 is the magic number.
Judging from the last two holes where I was magically 180 yards out both times. I figured I would choke down on my 5 Hybrid. Unfortunately I didn't get great contact and left it short. I made a great chip to within 4 feet but pushed the putt. Damage: 4 (+19). Side note, ran over another snake in the golf cart traversing to Hole 17...
Hole 17: Par 4, 405 Yards. - Hell's Half Acre off the tee.
Having never played from this set of tees, I never realized how intimidating this tee shot actually was. You could barely see the fairway from the tee box and all you could see was Hell's half acre of tall grass, marsh, and water. I hit my driver to the right again (no more hooks!!) and make it over the hazard by about 10 feet. I put an awesome 4 Hybrid on the ball and land on the green about 20 feet from the pin. Sadly in my ardor to get the birdie, I crushed the ball 10 feet past the pin and didn't make the comeback. Damage: 5 (+20)
Hole 18: Par 3, 165 Yards. - This is why I didn't get Married Here..
Simple par 3 that's nothing but water. The most exciting part of this hole was the fact that one of my playing partners was tied for the lead while standing on the tee box. All he needed was par to win. He yanked his tee shot too far left and it went out of bounds, hitting the practice green. Net result for him, a double bogey, second place, and an apology. Why the apology? There just happened to be a wedding taking place in the clubhouse. And the Bride and Groom were taking pictures at, you guessed it, the practice green. Luckily the bride and groom weren't hit by the errant tee shot. Wouldn't have been a good way to begin a marriage. Especially for the groom, who will more than likely not be able to play golf ever again.
Me on the other hand, hit a very thin 6-iron into the wind and ended up 8.5 feet from the cup (the closest to the pin until an hour later). And yes, I drained the putt. Damage: 2 (+19).
The Really Great: 2 In-flight Skins and 2 Super Skins for a total of $110 of side action money
The Great: 3 Birdies on the Back 9.
The Good: The bride and groom were spared from that errant tee shot
The Bad: Four 3-Putts
The Ugly: Losing 5 balls. Including 3 on the first hole alone.
The Really Ugly: That Maintenance Asshole.
So a quite memorable round in many ways good and bad. But couldn't help but to believe that if I would have shown up to the course 30 minutes before my tee time, I might have been able to squeeze out an 85 or better. Or at least figured out how to not duck hook my drives.
Until next time! Back to the Gym, Back to the Range, Train Smart, and Play Hard.
AND GET TO THE COURSE ON TIME!
NEXT STOP: Stonewall
Part of me was excited because I play this course often and I know the layout (aka, the water). But when the AM Tour decided that we had to play a mixture of the Black and Blue tees... I knew we were in for some punishment. Suffice to say, I felt more black and blue after the round.
Before the Hole by Hole, blow by blow recap, I knew I would be in for a rough time when I showed up exactly 10 minutes before my tee time and by the time I checked in and put on my shoes, I had time to swing exactly two 7-Irons (both flush by the way) before my group got called to the tee box. But somehow I thought I'd be okay because I played another tournament that Thursday at Worthington Manor. Boy was I mistaken.
Hole 1: Par 4, 451 Yards - Setting the Tone
In actuality the hole only played roughly 405 yards. But that wouldn't have mattered. The last few times I hit my driver, I was hitting a nice soft fade. So I aim for the left of the fairway and low and behold, duck hook into the tall grass... Took a drop, then put a hybrid into the right water... Took one more drop, didn't carry the creek to the green. Long story short, lost an entire sleeve of balls on one hole. Damage: 7 (+3 Overall). The only silver lining, out of my group, the best score was a 6...
Hole 2: Par 4: 371 Yards - Sand or Water? How about Two Sands?
Played just about its distance. Expecting another duck hook, I aim for the middle of the fairway but mindful of the water on the left. But the fade I was expecting on Hole 1 materialized here and I put it in one of the fairway bunkers. I hit an okay shot out of the bunker only to put it into the greenside bunker. I managed to get out of the bunker only to make it to the fringe. Chipped to 1 foot. Damage: 5 (+4)
Hole 3: Par 3: 160 Yards - Good Miss.
Played this hole from the blue tees. Otherwise it was a painful 200 yards from the blacks. Hit a less than optimal 6-iron but made it to the dance floor. Two putts later, good par. Damage: 3 (+4)
Hole 4: Par 4: 346 Yards - Better Miss
Never played from the back tee boxes. It really does change the perspective considering you have to land a tee shot over the water but short of the bunkers. My snap hook reappeared but lucked out and the ball settles in the light rough just behind the sand traps. I pull out a 7-iron which treated me well in my first two practice hits of the day. No dice as I pull it way left but short of the sand trap. Two chips and a putt later... Damage: 5 (+5)
Hole 5: Par 4: 410 yards - First Fairway!
Monster of a hole with water on the right and out of bounds on the left. Considering I had yet to hit a fairway all day, I was less than confident. But somehow mustered up a good swing and hit the fairway. My only issue then was the approach also had water on the right and a hazard on the left. I decided to go safe but ended up short. Couldn't get up and down. Damage: 5 (+6)
Hole 6: Par 4: 378 yards - A tale of Bombers and Assholes.
Nice 90 degree double carry par 4. Now, 1757 is less than 5 miles from Dulles Airport, so we're used to hearing and seeing large planes about to land. When it is our turn to tee off, we hear a plane but when we look up, It's the B-2 Bomber. That's right, huge black flying wing... We all go crazy. Tried to run back to my cart to get my phone to take a picture but alas, not fast enough... Back to the hole. My duck hook reappears and I hit the ball into the hazard. I then hit a decent layup but it rolls slightly into the rough.
Now in the periphery, there is a maintenance person watering the green while my group and me are fooling around on the fairway. He then waves us forward to make our approach shots. Mine falls short of target. As we approach the green, the maintenance person doesn't stop watering the green. One of the folks in my group asks the maintenance person to stop watering for 5 minutes so we can finish the hole. The maintenance asshole (note) states, "I'm sorry to interrupt your little hobby but I'm trying to have a golf course here tomorrow." Suffice to say that not one of the members of our group were happy...
Optics Note: The maintenance person is a young white male, the members of my group are three middle aged black males and one Filipino woman... Don't want to call a spade a spade but...
We all then insist the maintenance person to stop watering the green while we shoot to the tune of, "My hobby pays your salary. Five minutes and we'll all be done." The maintenance person cuts the water off, slams the hose down like a petulant child and storms off in his golf cart.
Back to the hole. I chipped to about 15 feet and magically sunk the putt. Damage: 6 (+8)
Hole 7: Par 3: 190 Yards - I hate Par 3's
A bit of sweet mercy that we didn't have to play the back tees and all of its 241 yards of glory...
Before we could tee off our favorite maintenance asshole comes back and starts watering the previous green for about 2-3 minutes, slams the hose again, and gets in his cart and proceeds to drive behind us with his iPhone camera out and starts taping us as he drives away. Not Cool. At this point one person in our group calls the manager, while I call and leave a message with Billy Casper Golf. I was not having this go unpunished.
So back to the action. Tee shot with my trusty 4 hybrid goes left (Shocker). But I was able to find it. Unfortunately I couldn't get a full club on it and it ends up in the bunker. Long story short, I end up with a triple. Damage: 6 (+11)
Hole 8: Par 4: 385 Yards - So much for "Don't Go Left"
Wasn't going to risk hitting a driver with so much to lose on the left side of this fairway. I hit a dynamite 4-Wood but hugged the left side of the fairway so I was blocked by the huge tree that blocks the left side of the green from high pitch shots. Sure enough, the pin was tucked left. I set up to hit a good 8-iron right to left, unfortunately it stayed right but I ended up on the fringe. Hit a dynamite putt to 1 foot from the fringe and tapped in. Damage 4 (+11)
Hole 9: Par 5: 511 Yards - Where Eagles Dare
Didn't have to play the tips here which set up a possible eagle try, provided I could hit the ball well and in a playable lie (aka, not in the woods to the left or the water on the right). Alas CAPT Hook prevailed again and I hit the ball into the woods. By some measure of luck, I did find the ball and it was semi-playable. Alas I managed to advance the ball around 30 yards, which left me 260 yards from the green (Green Light?). Unabashed, I still whip out my 4-Wood and crush the ball to roughly 25 yards (Angry Hit?) from the green. Sadly the pitch was sorely lacking and left myself with a 50 foot double breaking putt. After three tries I finally finish the front nine. Damage: 7 (+13)
Hole 10: Par 5: 561 Yards - At least the Front Nine is over!
After posting a +13 on the front nine, most golfers would just mail it in and go for birdies. While typically I'm not most golfers, this seemed like a great strategy to try to recoup my tournament entry fees... Then again, I was only 4 strokes off the lead...
I managed to hit an awesome drive to the middle of the fairway (by aiming way right). My layup shot left much to be desired as I put it into the thick rough. I try to power out the ball using a 9-iron but the rough proved to be of US Open quality and I managed to get halfway to the green. I hit a great pitch to around 10 feet but it was a treacherous downhill putt. Three putts later, I'm in the hole. Damage: 7 (+15).
Hole 11: Par 4, 387 Yards - Tweet!
Hit another awesome drive to the middle of the fairway using the same technique (aim right). I hit a thin 6-iron from 158 yards that deposits itself 10 feet below the hole. Drained the putt. (BIRDIE). Damage: 3 (+14)
Hole 12: Par 4, 308 Yards - Tweet Tweet!
Just far enough for me not to go for it and too much pain on the left for me to pull out my driver. I end up hitting my 4-Wood just short of the trap and 87 yards out. Hit an awesome 54 degree wedge to 5 feet. Drained the putt (BACK TO BACK BIRDS!). Damage: 3 (+13)
Hole 13: Par 4, 456 Yards - Are you sure this isn't a Par 5?
Not a misprint, 456 Yards. Into the wind. I hit an okay drive onto the fairway. Not saying much considering the fairway huge. The only issue is I was still 230 yards away from the green and with a creek at the 200 yard mark... I wisely decide to lay up but hesitate too much and chunk it to about 150 yards. Put a thin 8-iron on it and put it on the back of the green. Sadly it was a front pin. But two good putts later, I was in for the bogey. Damage 5 (+14)
Hole 14: Par 3, 180 Yards - Jake the Snake!
One of those situations where you're late in the round and you've figured out your rhythm and identified just how well you hit the ball. Well, from 180 yards, I was definitely feeling 5 Hybrid. If I put an average hit on the ball, I might have well been pin high and putting for birdie. Sadly I flushed the ball and set it sailing over the pin, over the green, and into the thick brush behind the green. This would not have been a big issue until one of my playing partners discovered a snake... All bets off. Took the drop, and had a bit of an issue getting up and down. Damage: 6 (+17)
Hole 15: Par 5, 584 Yards. - Choking Down isn't always a good idea.
Actually hit the ball right, glad I wasn't aimed too far right. Hit a decent layup shot but got bit by the wet ground around the drain and it plugged, costing me about 20 yards. I then had to make my approach from 180 yards. Didn't hit an optimal shot and left the ball about 10 yards short of the green. Didn't get up and down. Damage: 6 (+18)
Hole 16: Par 3, 181 Yards. - 180 is the magic number.
Judging from the last two holes where I was magically 180 yards out both times. I figured I would choke down on my 5 Hybrid. Unfortunately I didn't get great contact and left it short. I made a great chip to within 4 feet but pushed the putt. Damage: 4 (+19). Side note, ran over another snake in the golf cart traversing to Hole 17...
Hole 17: Par 4, 405 Yards. - Hell's Half Acre off the tee.
Having never played from this set of tees, I never realized how intimidating this tee shot actually was. You could barely see the fairway from the tee box and all you could see was Hell's half acre of tall grass, marsh, and water. I hit my driver to the right again (no more hooks!!) and make it over the hazard by about 10 feet. I put an awesome 4 Hybrid on the ball and land on the green about 20 feet from the pin. Sadly in my ardor to get the birdie, I crushed the ball 10 feet past the pin and didn't make the comeback. Damage: 5 (+20)
Hole 18: Par 3, 165 Yards. - This is why I didn't get Married Here..
Simple par 3 that's nothing but water. The most exciting part of this hole was the fact that one of my playing partners was tied for the lead while standing on the tee box. All he needed was par to win. He yanked his tee shot too far left and it went out of bounds, hitting the practice green. Net result for him, a double bogey, second place, and an apology. Why the apology? There just happened to be a wedding taking place in the clubhouse. And the Bride and Groom were taking pictures at, you guessed it, the practice green. Luckily the bride and groom weren't hit by the errant tee shot. Wouldn't have been a good way to begin a marriage. Especially for the groom, who will more than likely not be able to play golf ever again.
Me on the other hand, hit a very thin 6-iron into the wind and ended up 8.5 feet from the cup (the closest to the pin until an hour later). And yes, I drained the putt. Damage: 2 (+19).
The Really Great: 2 In-flight Skins and 2 Super Skins for a total of $110 of side action money
The Great: 3 Birdies on the Back 9.
The Good: The bride and groom were spared from that errant tee shot
The Bad: Four 3-Putts
The Ugly: Losing 5 balls. Including 3 on the first hole alone.
The Really Ugly: That Maintenance Asshole.
So a quite memorable round in many ways good and bad. But couldn't help but to believe that if I would have shown up to the course 30 minutes before my tee time, I might have been able to squeeze out an 85 or better. Or at least figured out how to not duck hook my drives.
Until next time! Back to the Gym, Back to the Range, Train Smart, and Play Hard.
AND GET TO THE COURSE ON TIME!
NEXT STOP: Stonewall
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