The Great Game of Golf

Golf is a game of grit, grace and gamesmanship. Whether you’re playing in a tournament or with your buddies at the local muni course, you hit good shots, grind over the bad ones- ending with a handshake on 18th green.

I played golf all four years of high school but never was elite or even that good. Playing hockey helped me develop a power fade, and it caused more damage than helped on the course. Rolling in putt after putt kept me relevant for both mine and the team’s sake.

Once I hung up the skates my focus turned to fixing the golf swing. Slowing my tempo down and attempting to stay on the same swing path both backswing and downswing. Everything seemed to click and I started striking the ball well and straight.

Everyone who plays golf knows once you figure one part of your game out something else drops off. In my case, it was my putting. One day, while messing around on the putting green, I changed my grip for fun and I never planned on implementing it. But I loved how comfortable the club felt in my hands so I brought it to the course.

With this change came a terrible surprise. Although it felt groovy in my hands, I lost control of the putter head. I couldn’t start a ball on line, I lost the touch of speed- nothing was working. Silly me kept this grip for 2/3 years before realizing I should go back to my old grip.

This brings us to Monday; my round at Barton Hills CC. I went back to my old grip the weekend before and had already seen a noticeable difference in my putting stroke. Everything came together to post a personal best round at one of my favorite courses to play.

Quick rundown of my round-

Hole 1 – Par 4 – 422 yards – Fairway Hit, 2 putt par from 20 feet.

Hole 2 – Par 5 – 529 yards – Drive into woods, drop and punch out to fairway. 5 iron from 218 to 3 feet, made the par putt. Huge momentum save to get par with a 200+ yard up and down.

Hole 3 – Par 4 – 441 yards – Fairway hit, 2 putt par from 35 feet.

Hole 4 – Par 4 – 343 yards – 2 putt par on downhill big slider from 30 feet.

Hole 5 – Par 3 – 160 yards – 2 putt par from 20 feet.

Hole 6 – Par 4 – 356 yards – Blew my 50 foot birdie putt about 15 feet by, big let down. But buried the comebacker right in the heart to save par and remain even par.

Hole 7 – Par 4 – 402 yards – First big opportunity missed. Fairway hit and stuck my approach to 5 feet. Missed the putt.

Hole 8 – Par 3 – 178 yards – Got it back here though. Rolled in an incredible downhill slider from 30 feet to get to red digits: -1 (furthest I have ever been into a round and under par.)

Hole 9 – Par 5 – 541 yards – Tough giveaway here. 90 yards out in two, and ended up bogeying.

Hole 10 – Par 5 – 470 yards – Fairway hit, uneventful, easy two putt par.

Hole 11 – Par 3 – 216 yards – 2 putt par from 40 feet.

Hole 12 – Par 4 – 338 yards – Hit such a bad tee shot it ended up being alright. 60 degree from 94 yards to 8 feet and rolled in the birdie. Once again, in red digits: -1

Hole 13 – Par 4 – 435 yards – Fairway hit, 2 putt par from 25 feet.

Hole 14 – Par 4 – 388 yards – Fairway hit, but gave it away right here. Couldn’t get up and down from the bunker.

Hole 15 – Par 4 – 401 yards – Another tee shot so bad it ended up being alright. However I flew the green and was in a bunker long. Hit the bunker shot to less than a foot and saved par.

Hole 16 – Par 3 – 186 yards – 2 putt par from 30 feet.

Hole 17 – Par 4 – 419 yards – Fairway hit. I hit an errant second shot and missed a 10 footer for par. Big let down going into the final hole.

Hole 18 – Par 4 – 398 yards – Fairway hit and gave myself a birdie putt to shoot even. I missed it but tapped in for another ho hum par.

TOTALS- +1 (72), 9/14 fairways, 13/18 greens, 32 putts.

Although I still had a lot of putts, I had no three putts, started the ball on the line I wanted, was burning edges all day and had good speed and made all the comebackers. This is easily the most complete round of golf I have ever played. It was a lot of fun and I hope this is a sign of things to come.

Pictures of Barton Hills underneath.