1st Round Under Par with new swing

A friend and I played a round at Bear Creek on the short course (Par 59, 5 - par 4's, 13 - par 3's) as golf in Arizona is expensive during the FBR Open and SuperBowl weekend. I'm not paying 5 times the rate just becase the snowbirds are here, cheapskate? Yep. It's a nice little course, and since par 3's have always been my nemesis, it's good practice. I birdied the last 2 holes to shoot a 2 under 57, which if nothing else, is just really cool to say. Geiberger? Duval? Only 59's. Maruyama? Only a 58. I'm clearly better than those guys. Who cares that I played half the yardage?! Ok, only kidding, I'm in a good mood though. Even though it's a short course, you still have to hit the shots. I started out with 11 straight pars before finally making a birdie on 12. I hit a lot of really good shots today, pretty happy with the swing progress. Here we go!

181 yard 1st hole, hit it fairly bad down into a swale short of the green, chip shot stopped quickly, made the 6 footer for par. Pulled it ot the far left side of the green on #2, pin was back left (of course). The putt broke well right, which I didn't see, made the 6 footer for par there as well. Hit a real good 4 iron on the 209 yard 3rd to 8 feet, and somehow missed it. Absolutely pured a 5 iron on the 4th right over the flag, solid 2 putt there. Pulled my 9 iron a bit on the 5th, but got a great bounce to about 8 feet, straight downhill. I must have been pretty scared because I hit the putt so timidly that I actually apologized to my buddy for how heartless that effort was.

Number 6 is a 75 yard par 3, and it's tricky. I literally don't think I've ever hit the green as it looks about 3 feet deep. My buddy gives me a yardage of 70, and I hit a beautiful Stan Utley inspired pitch shot, 25 feet past the hole, ugh. 2 putts down the hill for par, but a bummer nonetheless. Hit a toe hook on the first par 4, 357 yards. I had nearly the same shot here as the last hole, but hit it real high in the face of the wedge this time, and left it short. Dead spot too, the green is pretty elevated, pin right up front. I hit a perfect Stan Utley inspired chip to an inch for par. Toed an 8 iron on #8, 159 yards, but still got it almost to the hole, solid 2 putt for par. Number 9 is 300 yards even, and I absolutely ripped a driver about 220 yards. God what a lame swing, I was cursing myself pretty bad on that. Another similar pitch shot, but this came out really low, just bad execution. Hit a great chip shot just a few inches past for par.

Number 10 is another par 4, 353 yards, great tee shot, just a short little pitch to the green, left it short. I said to the guy I'm playing with "I really need to work on this pitch shot more". Putt from the fringe to a foot, good par. I hit my new Vokey SW on #11, only 81 yards, thought I hit it perfect, but it spun back down the hill about 25 feet away, good 2 putt for par though. For those keeping track, I've been 25 feet away on the 2 sub 100 yard par 3's. Yay wedge game.

I blocked my tee shot a bit on #12, 315 yard par 4, but it ended up kicking left, stopping just a few feet short of the green, and I nearly holed the putt from the fringe for eagle, but finally a birdie. Another well hit SW on the 103 yard par three 13th, but it landed and spun back to about 20 feet (Yay wedge game again), nearly made that putt too. I hit 6 iron on 14, 170 yards and toed it pretty bad. Pin was in back, and my ball landed nearly in the middle. I got a flash in my mind of "well don't three putt this" and what did I do? Man, the mind is a powerful influence isn't it? First bogey, I was really gunning for a bogey free round here. Swatted at a 9 iron on 15, 141 yards but playing a bit shorter, not short enough for my swing though. Another elevated green, pin right in front, hit the chip shot perfectly to about an inch for a solid par. Hit a blocked 5 iron at the 191 yard 16th, but it kicked off the hill and ended up just past pin high, 20 feet away. I hit the putt exactly like I wanted, but somehow it didn't break, tap in par. 2 holes left and we're even, a good spot, but I'm hitting it on line, fairly solid, and putting well, I don't want to be greedy, but we have goals here and not going for the throat of the golf course won't get it done.

286 yard par 4 17th, I ended up hitting a little cutter off the bunker, preparing myself for a chip and run as the pin is on the far left, but I get down there and see that I got a favorable bounce and actually ended up on the green. About 35 feet away, a bug flew right over my ball as I hit it which really screwed my attempt at it, however it worked out well. Ended up about hole high, 3 feet left of the hole, center cut for birdie from there. 18 is a 129 yard par 3, a good PW for me, but I swatted at this one too, just didn't get any compression on the ball. Result wise, ended up about 8 feet away, which I jarred for the closing birdie.

So all in all, contact is coming around, I'm hitting a few on the toe, but that is a direct result of me still wanting to attack the ball shallow instead of steep, which frankly won't happen overnight. When hit well, it's really well. My putting was pretty darn good as well again, as was my chipping. Pitch shots need a little more work obviously. Overall, the swing shape is great. I think I'm doing a good job of sticking to what Jeff and I are working on, and that is putting me in good position to be able to attack golf courses vs. defend my score. It's supposed to rain here tomorrow, so I'll probably just focus on working out unless we catch a break in the rain. I'm hoping for it as I'd love to go practice for a couple of hours tomorrow.