DGS49
Diamond Member
I've been golfing for 25 years (started when I was 50), and I did something last week that I've never done before: I and my wife did a three-day golf "package" at a course I'd never played before. The course was Scottish Heights, in Brockport, PA. It is a very hilly course with a lot of relatively high elevations that had spectacular views - actually that was the best part of the experience. I can only imagine how spectacular it will be in the Fall.
In any event, I've never played the same course three days in a row. The package included "unlimited" golf, and we saw some groups of men who were doing 36 holes per day, but we just did 18 for our three days.
I had in my mind the semi-realistic thought that I might do better each day, as I got to know the "secrets" of the course - what to avoid, what to attack, and so on. The course has some unavoidable difficulties as all courses do. This course had what golfers sometimes refer to as "turtle-back" greens, where the center of the green is relatively elevated, and it falls off on all sides. So if you can't "stick" the ball when it lands, it will almost always roll off the back or a side. I had dozens of putts and shot chips from "just off" the green, in 3" grass. Also, there was a lot of elevation change, with fairways sloping steeply uphill and steeply downhill.
Parenthetically, the Geezer (gold) tees were often so far ahead of the Men's tees (white) that it was almost embarrassing to hit from them. There were several Par 4's that were only 200 yards or a little over that, but steeply uphill, which is no picnic.
In any event, to the extent that I took it seriously, I totally embarrassed myself, golf wise. My first nine holes (38) was by far my best nine holes of the week, and I found myself making the exact-same mistakes on holes, three days in a row!
For example, there was a relatively long Par 4 with a fairly sharp dogleg left. The dogleg was at about my max driver distance, but I have a "secret weapon" for such holes. If I tee the ball up a little further forward than normal, my ball tends to hook (draw) at the end. It was perfect for this hole. On day one, I teed it up forward, hit the ball perfectly straight and long, and into a conspicuous bush right at the dogleg and lost my ball. On day two, I assumed that I had not executed that shot properly (for me) and did it again. Lost my ball in the same bush. On day three, totally convinced that I could hit that shot but had fcuked it up previously, I did it again...and lost my ball AGAIN in the same bush!
Golf is a humbling game. There was literally no part of my game that improved over those three days. I have difficulty on uphill lies, and I never figured out that magic formula despite hitting probably 30 irons from uphill lies...none of them actually good shots. And I confirmed yet again that I am one of those golfers who allows frustration to carry forward from one shot to the next - not a good trait for a golfer.
FWIW, the cost was $250 per person, all inclusive. The only things we paid for were alcoholic drinks and desserts at dinner.
In any event, I've never played the same course three days in a row. The package included "unlimited" golf, and we saw some groups of men who were doing 36 holes per day, but we just did 18 for our three days.
I had in my mind the semi-realistic thought that I might do better each day, as I got to know the "secrets" of the course - what to avoid, what to attack, and so on. The course has some unavoidable difficulties as all courses do. This course had what golfers sometimes refer to as "turtle-back" greens, where the center of the green is relatively elevated, and it falls off on all sides. So if you can't "stick" the ball when it lands, it will almost always roll off the back or a side. I had dozens of putts and shot chips from "just off" the green, in 3" grass. Also, there was a lot of elevation change, with fairways sloping steeply uphill and steeply downhill.
Parenthetically, the Geezer (gold) tees were often so far ahead of the Men's tees (white) that it was almost embarrassing to hit from them. There were several Par 4's that were only 200 yards or a little over that, but steeply uphill, which is no picnic.
In any event, to the extent that I took it seriously, I totally embarrassed myself, golf wise. My first nine holes (38) was by far my best nine holes of the week, and I found myself making the exact-same mistakes on holes, three days in a row!
For example, there was a relatively long Par 4 with a fairly sharp dogleg left. The dogleg was at about my max driver distance, but I have a "secret weapon" for such holes. If I tee the ball up a little further forward than normal, my ball tends to hook (draw) at the end. It was perfect for this hole. On day one, I teed it up forward, hit the ball perfectly straight and long, and into a conspicuous bush right at the dogleg and lost my ball. On day two, I assumed that I had not executed that shot properly (for me) and did it again. Lost my ball in the same bush. On day three, totally convinced that I could hit that shot but had fcuked it up previously, I did it again...and lost my ball AGAIN in the same bush!
Golf is a humbling game. There was literally no part of my game that improved over those three days. I have difficulty on uphill lies, and I never figured out that magic formula despite hitting probably 30 irons from uphill lies...none of them actually good shots. And I confirmed yet again that I am one of those golfers who allows frustration to carry forward from one shot to the next - not a good trait for a golfer.
FWIW, the cost was $250 per person, all inclusive. The only things we paid for were alcoholic drinks and desserts at dinner.
