dcrewint said:
1) Maintain scratch (currently 1.2) - Once my team's season is over I'll have 2 months before I take 3.5 weeks.
Win an MGA event (1st time joining at my course. Been keeping a handicap around 2 years now if I remember correctly and a member for 6 years).
1.) I've been hovering in the +.3 - +.8 range for the past 2 months or so. And really like some of the swing tweaks I've latched onto.
2.) Played in a member-guest this Friday-Sunday at Augusta Pines as a guest. I played the course once before Friday. This was my first member-guest experience ever and it was such a phenomenal experience!
Friday was a practice round best ball which they used to qualify for their "Stampede"(I've heard it called Horse Race as well - a 10 team elimination side game) after Saturday's round is complete. We shot 3 under gross, which wasn't spectacular but got us in the Stampede. I was nails on the the first hole with my approach being the closest out of everyone playing from the furthest tees (older guys played from their respective markers). 2nd hole we squeaked through. 3rd hole everyone made pars and I wasn't able to get past the putt off, but enjoyed that extra experience.
Saturday was unreal! Scramble format and my partner and I lit the front nine up! Birdied the first 3, (On hole 2 I hit the back of the cup on the chip which nearly dropped in for eagle). We were 6 under after 8! My partner setup and missed all the putts for birdie (most of the time not by much) so due to his reads I drained 'em all! Only a couple were easy, while 3 of them came from big distance. We bogeyed 9, which was our only bogey all week (I halfway shanked the tee shot). Putters went cold for a bit after missing a back of the cup putt pop out on 10 from somewhere around 40-50 feet. Found 3 more birdies to wrap up Saturday at -8(64)I made those birdie putts too! 1 Behind the lead after Saturday, putting us in the "final pairing" for Sunday.
Sunday I stunk until I found the missing swing feel on 8. I made a couple pars, but my partner kept us in it when I wasn't playing the A player part. On 9 I had a stupid putt that I had to hit perpendicular to the hole from 20 feet, if it would have been a straight putt. I hit it uphill 15-20 feet and watched as it then fell down the slope. As much as I feel like I studied it well, it was such a hit-and-hope putt. It magically dropped in giving us our only birdie on the front, along with our 8 pars. We continued to ham and egg it. Made our 2nd birdie on 14. Then on 18 I had a putt for eagle and narrowly made it, leaving a small tester for birdie, which I converted. Not knowing at the time that it would put us in a 3-way tie for 1st gross in the 1st flight! Off to the playoff we went after a 45 minute waiting game. We all parred out on 1. I piped a clutch drive on the 2nd playoff hole after my partner went OB. My adrenaline was going, not nervous, but rather excited to be in that position. Unfortunately I hooked it into the creek while the the teaching pro(non-member, which I was glad to play against as it gave me a thermometer to measure myself against) got on in 2 and cozied his eagle putt to 2 inches to win it. We also came in 3rd net along with the tied for 1st Calcutta share.
There were some what-ifs, I'm sure for the other players as well. I never felt really nervous which was awesome and had such an amazing time. I'm sure that has to do with playing so well and making some money/gifts/clubhouse credit. However, I feel like a lot of it had to do with my partner as well as the experience in general. I know not everyone gets this type of experience, especially on their first time out, but it was one of the best golf experiences I've had! I know I set the bar high, possibly too high, but looking forward to next year's member guest!
