The ladies tees...

[gol4pro]

I'm going to try something this week. My club championship is the next 2 weekends (sat/sun, sat/sun). During my practice rounds this next week, I'm going to play from the ladies tees, and see if it helps my mental game and ball striking.

So far, I have very good results.

Round 1 of club championship-- 1 under through 3, and proceeded to miss a 4 footer for birdie on 4. Turned in 35, then my left wrist started hurting. Hacked the ball around the back 9 (1 fairway and 3 GIR), made a couple up and downs, shot 39 for a total of 74. On the whole, one of the worst ball striking roudns I've had this year.

Position; T-5 and 4 shots off the lead.

Post round practice-- Played 2 balls for 18 holes each from the ladies tees and shot 63 and 62 respectively. In spite of not making anything, I hit the ball extremely well and was pretty pleased on the whole. I'm already feeling more confident going into tomorrow.

[RickA]

Playing from the ladies tees is a great idea. Helps break any mental barriers you (I definetely) have about going low.

[Evan]

I played one hole from the ladies tees a couple years ago. I was playing the course I worked at late at night and cut through some holes to avoid members on the course, which put me at the ladies tees on a par 5. These were actually not even the ladies tees, they were the "9 hole ladies tees". There's a creek you have to drive it over and I guess there are women bad enough that the 80 yard carry from the real ladies tees is too much, so these are like 20 yards from the water. I decided to play from there instead of walking back to the blues since I was just messing around anyway.

The hole is 535 from the back tees with two fairway bunkers, one on the right about 155-165 yards out and one on the left 120-130 yards out. It's a pretty straightforward hole usually, drive it in the fairway and I usually have 250-260 in, then lay up away from the bunkers depending on where I am since the green is well protected and not worth taking a shot at with a 3 wood. So I tee off from the ladies tee, not really knowing how far it is, and I push it a little bit. It's going at the right bunker but I can't tell where it lands since it's getting dark out. I spent a few minutes looking for the ball but don't see it anywhere. I drop one somewhere around 180 and hit it on the green. While I'm walking up I see a ball in the first cut on the right side, 40 yards past the right bunker. There's my ball, 120 from the hole. I couldn't believe how much easier it was. How the hell is that even a par 5??

[gol4pro]

Round 2 synopsis-- After being 4 back, I knew today was moving day. I felt like I had a great practice session last night, and came to the course mentally ready to play some awesome golf. I parred my first 6, and was very excited that my wrist wasnt hurting today. On 7, I dropped a 35 footer for birdie, and stuck a sand wedge on 8 to get to 2 under. I hit a pitching wedge to 3 feet on 9, but missed the putt to turn in 33.

The back started out rocky. I hit what I thought was a good drive on 10, only to discover my ball in the middle of the trees. I punched out onto the front edge of the green, and lipped out the birdie putt. Another errant drive on 11 lead to a bogie. I played steady until 15, where I converted a 10 footer to get back to 2 under. I made a good up and down on 16, dropped a 50 footer on 17 for birdie, and made a 10 footer for birdie on 18.

Position; 74 + 67 = 141 (-1) in solo 1st 3 shots clear of 2nd.

Rounds 3 and 4 are next weekend.

[ntnBO]

Are you saying that after your first tournament round you went back on the course to practice? If so, that's a blatant violation of The Rules of Golf, practicing on the course during the course of a tournament, and is an immediate DQ.

HOWEVER, in many club championships it's not uncommon for players to play an emergency nine/eighteen after a competitive round. So while what you did was an tremendous infraction, it's almost always overlooked and/or allowed in a country club atmosphere like yours. I say this not for punishment in your club championship, but more for future consideration. Just be aware that in a more official event, you'd be gone in a heartbeat.

Good luck this weekend, at this rate you'll finish with a 53 on Sunday!

BO

[sippin_criss]

I'm having some scoring issues so I'm doing a similar thing, I'm not gonna move back until I get down to a +3.

[duvvard]

[ QUOTE ]
There's my ball, 120 from the hole. I couldn't believe how much easier it was. How the hell is that even a par 5??

[/ QUOTE ]

This is is pretty standard on a par 5 at my course from the tips, 510 yards, downhill until the 100 yard markers, and downwind 90% of the time. We are in a drought in MN so it's rock hard so that helps too.

It does follow the hardest hole on the course tho, a 440 yard uphill 4 to a usually blind pin so I just call them both par 4.5's.