Avery Ranch nine holes review

Will Robins statement that golf is an emotional game hit me in spades Wednesday morning. Normally one would describe golf emotions as a roller coaster swooping up on the pars and birdies and hurtling down on four putts, pull-hooks, shanks, or top-dribbled 20 yard drives off the tee and turf. However, for Wednesday’s short round I emotionally hopped on a toboggan then sped down a steep slope with a black icy lake at the bottom. I’ll try not to regale you with the details throughout this round review.

I had intentions of some range practice Wednesday morning but the range was closed for maintenance and the day was beautiful so I decided on the spur of the moment to play a round. They had a tee time just 20 minutes away so I loaded the cart, shoed up, and sprayed sun screen as the sun was bright and I burn easy. No wind to speak of.

When I got there the starter had advanced the folks in my time slot, but since the next group hadn’t arrived, asked if I’d like to play alone and I agreed as next tee time was 30 minutes away. I decided to play the green (forward) tees again and stick to irons only again. After I teed off a more than acceptable 7-iron to the fairway, the group of four ahead of me waved me up. I already planned to hit an 8-iron to the green but rushed and pull-hooked the ball pin-high just inside the hazard left of green. Took the penalty drop, chipped on to 8 ft, where-upon they said, it’s a gimmie. I don’t do gimmies, but I rushed the putt, rushed it again, and again, and finally sank it. A hazard penalty and 4 putts gets a snowman on the first hole which is not the start I planned.

Generally, I was hitting good tee shots but topped or thinned many shots off the deck. Unfortunately I didn’t have my game golf to track the game so I’ll have to go by memory. The main general thought was by the time I skulled a bunker shot on hole 8, I was just hanging on emotionally. That ball flew the green into a hazard where I couldn’t find the ball in the tall grass. I played the rest of that hole in a non-focused emotional funk, just batting the ball towards the hole without a care until I sunk the putt with a quad bogey 7. It was then I decided to quit after nine holes because I just wasn’t having fun and couldn’t concentrate on the game.

It’s well understood that the brain remembers bad shots better than good shots. I seem to recall a lot of good tee shots and a sand save with an 8 ft putt on 5 was very satisfying. Somehow, I have a lot of good shots, which should show I could be capable of a good game, but every round I have bad shots that result in penalties and so many lost shots. Four blow up holes, but only one with a 4 (or 3) putt. The others were all the result of penalties or multiple bad shots. When I scored the personal best 92, I only had one blow-up in 18 holes. On this round Wednesday, I had 4 blow-ups in 9 holes and only two bogeys. I don’t understand why I’m not getting better.

Rather than try to relive the horror of that dismal game, I’ll just end a blog I’m embarrassed to even post.