So how durable is that golf ball Rd 2

Mikey is back on the course! After a two week hiatus tending to baseball games that were postponed all season, which in turn postponed my golf…ugh! Mikey made it back out last night for some modified scramble in league. This is a format in which your group tees off, you select the best drive and then play your own ball the rest of the way through the hole. Mikey got hit hard last night! This format promotes the bomb and gouge style of play prevalent on tour these days…and Mikey performed admirably.

Round 2-6/29/11

Conditions last night were a little tough for our “home” course. Wind was up, probably in the 20mph range and the greens were faster than normal in preparation for the city amateur. Just the way I like them!
On #1 I hit Mikey about 225 straight into the wind…I tried to keep him down a bit and managed to do that but pulled him a bit left into the rough. From about 140, I hit a little punched 7 iron under the wind to the back of the green pin high about 30 feet..two putts later and easy 4. Mikey did both things I tried to do..good job kid!

#3  Again a par three playing about 155  and tonight playing downwind..a little unusual for this hole. I led off and didn’t want to be short so I hit a pretty normal 7 iron about 10 feet past the hole and 20 feet right…good shot but not our best so we used another location from which I 2 putted from. I did notice on my tee ball that wind sort of knocked Mikey down a bit…that was actually good…not sure what that means but it worked out.

#5  Five is a short par 4 that is pretty tight. This hole typically kicks my butt…I can never seem to find the fairway…so I decided to hit driver. Miraculously I found the right side of the fairway about 50 yards out. Problem is, we have a big trap directly between us and the hole and only maybe 20 feet of green…which slopes downhill away from us.It’s a very tough “finesse” shot, so decided to play it anyway…we’re not too smart under these formats. Anyway, Mikey needs to get up quick, come down soft and spin to hold the green. You need to hit this shot perfectly for it to work and I did somehow. Mikey stopped about 8 feet dead right of the hole…distance was perfect. The 62* wedge helps immensely but you need a ball that spins and Mikey does ) Too bad I missed the putt.

#7  You need to hit a good drive here…I sorta did, but I caught the trees on the left and the ball dropped straight down about 185 out. My illustrious partners proceeded to fill up the woods with their shots so Mikey was our guy at that point. Pin was back, long is dead, wind was helping a bit from the left. I pulled 5 iron and caught him a little on the thinnish side. Mikey flew straight and true right the stick but came up short on the front of the green. I had probably in excess of 80′ uphill and hit a completely pathetic 1st putt. I left myself about 15 short…idiot! My partners all missed the green and we’re now trying to get up and down and it was becoming apparently clear that I was going to have to make this 2nd putt. We all stroke on this hole, the #1 hanidcap hole but they were all looking at bogey or worse. I had to make this par putt for net birdie. I spent some extra time finding the line and aligning Mikey up with the One Black label and arrows…just make a good stroke, trust it and be firm..whats’ the worst that can happen-I miss and we record net par. Golf is funny..sometime you just know you’re going to make a putt or a shot…I knew Mikey was going in and he did. He held his line like a champ and gave me a smile as he plowed into the hole.

#8  Par 5 into the wind and I hit Mikey down the right side..not necessarily the ideal spot but we played from there anyway-the green is also on the right. I had about 200 to cover the two front bunkers…212 hole and 228 to the back-according to Kurt’s Skycaddie.Long is not such a bad play here as you putt uphill back to the hole. I pulled 3 wood and hit a perfect little fade along the treeline that landed in the middle of the green and ran off the back. An indifferent chip off a downhill lie left me an 8 footer for birdie that didn;t mean anything after my partner bob carded net eagle…so I just walked up, hit it it and pulled him out of the cup

#9  I have to admit some trepidation on this hole…I hit the worst drive of the night and the last few weeks…dead pull hook into the tall trees on the left between 9 and #1. It’s pretty open in there so no big deal….until I couldn’t find Mikey. I actually started to feel bad..I thought I had maybe lost him…I felt like Tom Hanks in Castaway…”oh Mikey how did I do this to you- I’m so sorry” Then Bob pointed out a ball about 20 yards ahead of me…I simply didn’t give him enough credit for going so far. Balls normally don’t roll that far in the woods/rough. Good boy Mikey. Another routine lip out for birdie, an easy par and we’re done.

For the record, 34 strokes/15 putts. Mikey has a few new scuffs..he’s not appearing to be a as scuff resistant as maybe some other balls I’ve played..but I also have new wedges this year and they get a lot of use at this course. His distance control and trajectory seem fine – I’m able to hit shots with him which is good. All in all I played really well with Mikey by my side. My old buddy Johnny told me to never fall in love with your golf ball cause they’ll always break your heart…right now I’m just treating him like a series of one night stands…two down and 8 more to go.

See you next week,

Jack and Mikey

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