Yesterday, I decided just to play golf. I have practiced a fair bit this week and now it was time to put it to the test. I went to the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort for a quick nine holes with the intent of playing alone. Fortunately, I met up with Logan and we decided to play nine holes together. I was going to play the reds (2557 yards) but move back to the whites (3039 yards) to play with Logan. So we teed it up to see what would happen.
Moving back to the whites really tested my game. The extra 500 yards is really a bug bear for hickory sticks. My intent was to hit the ball well off the tee, ensure I had enough club for my second shot and to focus on hitting the green. I know this sounds like any other round, but with my hickories I really try to have a goal when practicing. I found that I was hitting more shots from 150ish yards than if I was playing from the reds. On a positive note, I did not have any doubles. I finished with a 43 (par 37) – 6 bogeys and 3 pars.
My efforts from previous practices paid off because I was able to select the correct club for the proper distance. The challenge I am having is that I pull the ball left. I am not sure if that is because I am trying to swing smoother and slower. Thus I am coming over the top a bit. I am not missing the green left by much, but I am missing the green. I will have to pay attention to this swing hitch on Monday.
The weather forecast is for rain on Tuesday. I have all the wet weather gear I need, so I am hoping I can swing the hickories as well in the wet as the dry. Likely, I will have to club up, but that will be a game day decision. Regardless, I will be prepared for whatever comes my way.
The last few posts I have talked about preparing for the 2024 Ontario Open Hickory Golf Championship. If you read closely, all my efforts can be applied to my modern game. There is nothing secret about my process because it is how, in my opinion, solid golf is played. You will notice that I figured out my club distances, practiced from the pin out and focused on course management. These are all the things I have espoused over the years.
On a side note, The Grateful Golfer reached another milestone of 200k views and 150k visitors already this Year. There is still three months to go before the end of the year so I suspect to have greater numbers by the end of December. Thank you to everyone, I am grateful for all your support.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!