FredVegasDGC
Double Eagle Member
Since returning to playing DG I have really gotten in to it. It has become so much more fun. Especially meeting & getting to play with so many members here on this forum. Many that have played with me know I'm usually the shortest drive in the group, my upshots are ok and every now & then I can hit a long putt.
I had never joined the PDGA because back in the day you didn't have to be a member to play in a tourney without a $10 penalty fee. (it's not the money buy the principle. But that's another post)
But I did join the PDGA and entered the Loriella Challenge AM event in the Advanced Master. (I'm 48). My first tourney since the '94 Tennessee States.
The opening round was a normal round at Loriella, white tees (short) to normal pin placements. I didn't do too bad I hit all the holes that I can birdie (3 of them) but a couple of holes I normally par I double bogeyed for a 63 (+9). I have mistake free under par rounds but few & far between. Nine over seems to be my average lately. Even though it wasn't my greatest round the group I was with couldn't have been better. We actually had a blast and since they weren't in my group I was giving them some home course tips.
So, after the first round I was in last place in the Advanced Masters by 1 stroke, I was just a few strokes behind about 5 players. So I was optimistic about making my goal of not being last.
Here's where the slap comes in to play.
The second round was from the pro tees to the long pins. Tees that I never played from. I knew this was the format but since I wrenched my foot last week in Myrtle Beach I figured it was better to stay off it. Besides how much could one or two rounds last week really help my game. My goal was to finish at 90 or lower. It was a complete disaster of a round started out on #10 over the pond which I laid up my tee shot short to cross the pond but my up shot hits the one tiny branch and straight in to the water for a circle 5. It gets better. On 13 I slip on the muddy tee pad and my throw doesn't even make to the short tee and I'm in a jail house of trees. I just underhand pitch out and take my medicine but errant throw after errant throw and just for good measure a roll in to the pond again for a nice circle 8. The rest of the round wasn't too bad I did miss a birdie putt and made 2 pars. I did make my goal of finishing under 90. I blazed in with an 89. It could have been a respectable 80 if it weren't for the water.
So I finished last with a score of 152 (+32). To top that of the 76 total players only 2 had a higher score than me and one had dropped after the first round. One kid in the Rec group shot a 155. Granted the intermediate & rec played from the white tees for the second round so I probably would have done better.
To be honest after 13 I was considering dropping out. I was bummed, my foot was starting to hurt and I was double digits over after 3 holes with 15 more punishments to come. But to my credit I just went quiet. (I did gripe a little but to myself mostly) I didn't want to gripe and ruin the round for anyone else. Besides they were fairly positive and after a few more holes of bogey golf I was getting settled.
To the point of this ramble...
I have never thought of myself as even an average DG'er. I always was at the bottom of the scoreboard. No matter how much I practice or played I could only get so good at this game. I am playing better now than I did 10 years ago. But I love playing and I had come to the conclusion a long time ago that this was as good as I'll probably get. This experience just rammed that point home. I had no business playing from the pro tees.
So my career in Advanced Masters lasted one tourney. I guess I'll have to get comfortable as a middle of the pack Intermediate player.
But who knows in a year & a half I'll be a Grand Master and try it all over again.
I had never joined the PDGA because back in the day you didn't have to be a member to play in a tourney without a $10 penalty fee. (it's not the money buy the principle. But that's another post)
But I did join the PDGA and entered the Loriella Challenge AM event in the Advanced Master. (I'm 48). My first tourney since the '94 Tennessee States.
The opening round was a normal round at Loriella, white tees (short) to normal pin placements. I didn't do too bad I hit all the holes that I can birdie (3 of them) but a couple of holes I normally par I double bogeyed for a 63 (+9). I have mistake free under par rounds but few & far between. Nine over seems to be my average lately. Even though it wasn't my greatest round the group I was with couldn't have been better. We actually had a blast and since they weren't in my group I was giving them some home course tips.
So, after the first round I was in last place in the Advanced Masters by 1 stroke, I was just a few strokes behind about 5 players. So I was optimistic about making my goal of not being last.
Here's where the slap comes in to play.
The second round was from the pro tees to the long pins. Tees that I never played from. I knew this was the format but since I wrenched my foot last week in Myrtle Beach I figured it was better to stay off it. Besides how much could one or two rounds last week really help my game. My goal was to finish at 90 or lower. It was a complete disaster of a round started out on #10 over the pond which I laid up my tee shot short to cross the pond but my up shot hits the one tiny branch and straight in to the water for a circle 5. It gets better. On 13 I slip on the muddy tee pad and my throw doesn't even make to the short tee and I'm in a jail house of trees. I just underhand pitch out and take my medicine but errant throw after errant throw and just for good measure a roll in to the pond again for a nice circle 8. The rest of the round wasn't too bad I did miss a birdie putt and made 2 pars. I did make my goal of finishing under 90. I blazed in with an 89. It could have been a respectable 80 if it weren't for the water.
So I finished last with a score of 152 (+32). To top that of the 76 total players only 2 had a higher score than me and one had dropped after the first round. One kid in the Rec group shot a 155. Granted the intermediate & rec played from the white tees for the second round so I probably would have done better.
To be honest after 13 I was considering dropping out. I was bummed, my foot was starting to hurt and I was double digits over after 3 holes with 15 more punishments to come. But to my credit I just went quiet. (I did gripe a little but to myself mostly) I didn't want to gripe and ruin the round for anyone else. Besides they were fairly positive and after a few more holes of bogey golf I was getting settled.
To the point of this ramble...
I have never thought of myself as even an average DG'er. I always was at the bottom of the scoreboard. No matter how much I practice or played I could only get so good at this game. I am playing better now than I did 10 years ago. But I love playing and I had come to the conclusion a long time ago that this was as good as I'll probably get. This experience just rammed that point home. I had no business playing from the pro tees.
So my career in Advanced Masters lasted one tourney. I guess I'll have to get comfortable as a middle of the pack Intermediate player.
But who knows in a year & a half I'll be a Grand Master and try it all over again.
