Signs of Life for the Old Hack

This winter has . . . . sucked! Cold, snow, rain and high winds have put a kibosh on our “normal” doable Delmarva winter golf season. Cripple Creek has been closed since the big storm in January and when it re-opened last week, it was cart path only.

On Saturday, we played with Rob, Councilman, and Don in a 6-6-6- match where we rotated partners in three 6-hole matches. Your Hack wasn’t much of a partner for any of the boys - 6 shanks and a multitude of 3-putts - which basically left them alone in each match. At least each one got to experience the ugliness first hand. The matches were over after #16 and I was down $30. Needing redemption, I challenged them to play the last 2 holes for skins for my $30 deficit - but with no strokes. Normally each of them would get a stroke on #17 & #18, but they agreed since they really had nothing lose as each of them was up $10.

Don led off and left his drive out to the right and into the water . . . 1 down. He was followed by Rob who decided to hit the identical drive . . . 2 down. Councilman hit a nice shot to the middle of the fairway, but too far back to get his 2nd shot down the fairway far enough to reach the par 5 green in regulation. I was sitting about 120 out in 2 and hit a 9-iron to about 15 feet. The par won the skin and your Hack was halfway back. #18 is a lengthy par 4 (431 yards from the White tees) into the wind. Fortunately, I hit the fairway and faded a 3-wood onto the front half of the green. The boys couldn’t get there in regulation and each of their shots to the green left long putts for par. . . . which they each missed. My regulation 2-putt par was good enough once again and took the skin. Your Hack broke even for the day.

Do I feel guilty about the “no strokes” condition on the 2=hole Skins game? Absolutely not :-)

The weather over the past weekend was tough once again. Luckily, I was able to spend a couple of hours in the Foreland Club simulator in Ocean View playing Oakmont with Kevin P., Andy Z, and Bill M. (all guys who play in the BMW Cup team matches for Cripple Creek). Your Hack had a blast with these guys, but got his head bashed in by the Oakmont course. Tough track for sure.

Wednesday the weather turned. Although the skies were still cloudy, the temperature got into the 50’s and the wind was fairly calm. Golf was back in play and we tee’d off at 11:40AM. The Sheriff made an 18 hole appearance for the first time in months and Scott D. (my mortgage broker buddy from back in the day) came down from Rehoboth to join us. Don B. rounded out the foursome.

The game was $20 skins with your Hack playing as a 7 and the rest as 12 handicaps. Because Scott and I can’t play without a wager, we agreed to a $10 Nassau where he’d get 6 shots.

Sitting 25 feet below the pin on #1, I was thinking a 2-putt par would win the first skin right out of the gate because nobody else was on the green. Over-confidence must be a bad thing as the first putt ran 4-5 feet past the hole and the par putt was pushed right of the hole. A 3-putt start - awesome :-(

Scott and the Sheriff looked to halve #2 with pars until your “3-putt Hack” poured in a 20 footer from the collar for birdie and the first skin of the day. It also put Scott 2-down and opened up a press.

The short (85 yard from temporary tee) #3 saw Scott hit his wedge to kick-in distance, while I was about 10 feet above the hole. With the Sheriff and Don in for pars, it was Scott’s birdie taking the skin - until it didn’t. Somehow, my putt for a 2 dropped and I’d 1-putted two holes in a row and cut the skin.

The balance of the front nine was calm from a Skins perspective. Although I added a 3rd birdie on the 8th hole (a 3-hybrid from under the tree on the left to about 5 feet), Scott and Don both made par, net birdie. The match with Scott was getting ugly as he was 4 down, 2 down and even after #8. He made an great par on #9 putting from the extreme left fringe to a right pin. He was getting a stroke in our match and the net 3 beat my par to turn around the last press. Your Hack won the back and a press, while Scott won the 2nd press. The 3-putt on #1 and a double bogey (shanked chip) on #5 left me at even par standing on the 10th tee.

Hack - Shot 35 with 3 birdies, a double and a bogey (1 Skin)

Scott - Shot 41 with 1 birdie and 4 pars (0 Skins)

Don - Shot 42 with 3 pars (0 Skins)

Sheriff - Shot 43 with 3 pars (0 Skins)

The Sheriff got off to a hot start on the front, landing a shot from the right fairway bunker about 10 feet from the pin and making the birdie putt. Everyone else made par and he had himself a Skin and some confidence in his ball striking. He then proceeded to par the next 6 straight holes. Scott’s game also made a temporary appearance with one bogey on #13 and the rest pars through #16. Don played the same stretch - through #16, at 3 over, hitting almost every fairway and carding nothing worse than a bogey. Your Hack made pars on #10 through #12 and hit a wedge to 1 foot on #13 for a birdie and my 2nd Skin of the day.

#14 is still playing to a temporary pin in the fairway and is an automatic par 4 in most matches. I chipped in with a wedge for a “real” 4 to keep my score going. As I indicated, the boys were playing well through this stretch, but I had gotten Scott to 2 down on the back.

On the 15th tee, someone(?) started thinking about finally shooting his age (71). I was 1-under the modified par of 70 (given the status of #14 with the temp. tee) and only needed to go 2-over on the last 4 holes to shoot 71. Obviously, not the right mindset, as we 3-putted #15 and #16 for bogeys (ugly) and dumped an iron in the water fronting #17 (really ugly) for a double bogey! The fellas were cutting each other’s potential skins on these holes and Scott carded an unfortunate 9 on #17 to go 1 down on the back after he’d evened the match through #16.

After the 3-hole blowup, your Hack finally woke back up on 18 and made par again hitting the green with a 3-wood from about 225 yards. No one else made better than double bogey, so even with the strokes, I came out with another Skin.

Hack - Shot 38 (73 total) with 4 birdies, 2 doubles and a 3 bogeys (3 Skins)

Scott - Shot 46 (87 total ) with 1 birdie, 10 pars, and a 9 (0 Skins)

Don - Shot 41 (83 total) with 7 pars and 2 doubles (0 Skins)

Sheriff - Shot 43 (83 total) with 1 birdie, 9 pars and 3 doubles (1 Skin)

All in all, it was a good day for your Hack making 4 birdies and winning a little cash for the pocket. Generally, the driver was good - hitting 9/14 fairways (64%) and approach play was great - hitting 15/18 greens (83%). Physically, I’m feeling good and the swing feels OK. The reduced distance is finally somewhat offset by both acceptance of the longer approaches and hitting more club into the greens. Putting and the mental game remain as the key issues. The three 3-putts were all within 20-25 feet from the pin which is not really acceptable. The greens are rolling very well considering it’s February and we’ve had a tough winter. Mentally, shanks on chips and short irons has a somewhat permanent place in my brain. Only one shank yesterday, but it was on a chip directly in front of the 5th green that left me in the rough behind, above and to the right of the green - double bogey. More time with chipping and putting practice are a given.

For anyone that thinks I didn’t give the fellas enough shots, remember that my course handicap in GHIN is a 9 and I played yesterday as a 7. I think the fellas just need to play better, but your Hack’s cap will be cut to a 5 in the next match, both in fairness and for the challenge. See you then.

In the meantime, keep it in the short grass.