My buddy Marc and I played a round at Miami Beach Golf Club yesterday. It has become my home course. I live about twenty blocks away so it's very convenient. I usually only play here during the summers when the rates go down. It is a very nice, in high demand course, and the peak season rates reflect that fact.
The trade-off for getting a good rate is enduring the heat and humidity of summer in South Florida. The good thing, however, is that the course is wide open and I usually get to play two balls if I want to. I play little tournaments against myself. It keeps the round interesting and I get some good practice in.
Marc and I decided to play late in the afternoon. It was still hot but there was a layer of clouds that neutralized the suns brutal rays. We hit a few balls and headed out. I usually hit the putting green but it was getting late and we wanted to get the round in before sunset. I played pretty well. My ball striking has gotten a lot better. All I have been hitting in my practice sessions are my wedges. In doing so, my longer irons have gotten better as well. The drawback is that my driver is suffering. I only hit four of thirteen fairways. My misses weren't terrible, but after errant shots, I was forced to play for a bogey.
Lately I have been really hard on myself. I have gotten my handicap down to a 13.8 (it was at 20.7 a year ago) and I am shooting a lot more scores in the eighties. When I don't hit a good shot, I take it a little too hard. I want to hit it perfectly every time.
I take it especially hard on the putting green. The problem is that I don't hit a lot of greens in regulation which puts a lot of pressure on my putter to save pars. If I miss a putt, it's a bogey. If I run it by, I'm sweating out a double.
After the round I was looking over the scorecard and besides a few bad tee shots and a few missed putts it could have been a really good round. Possibly in the seventies. Since then I have been reminding myself that it's going to take time. Just keep practicing and results will follow.
The plan is to hit the practice greens at least twice a week. I have to get comfortable on the greens. I may not show it to my friends, but my mind is racing when I'm set over a putt. I have to establish a routine that keeps all those thoughts at bay.
Golf is a hard sport. Harder than any other sport in my opinion. It is impossible to conquer. The pros have been doing this since they could walk and they still look silly from time to time. I want it to happen now. I want to see the results immediately. I want to break eighty today, but...It's a process...It's a process...It's a process.
