Played first round with this one a few days ago and everything went great. Played my home course (Rivercut) mid-hi 30s overcast and not too windy. I was the only person out there most of the day as it cart path only due to a soaked course, so I walked it with my push cart. My intent was to hit GAPR MID off the tee on both short tight par 4s that I typically use 3W or hybrid, and also for my second shots on both par 5s on the front nine. Didn't quite go as planned, but in many respects it went better. In pics to follow GAPR shot = TEAL, 3W 'just to see' results = RED, and my preferred target areas circled in GREEN.
My first MID opportunity came as scripted off the tee on hole #4, 323 yard dog leg left. Best to favor right side of fairway due to huge trees guarding left half of green.
GAPR provided me a nice 209 yard (GPS'd) baby draw to left center. Left a nice 9 iron into a pin on very back left that I tugged a bit and had knocked down by a branch just short of left trap = bogey. FWIW, after teeing off with GAPR I also tried my 3W 'just to see' and drew it too far left, down near river and blocked completely by trees.
I had next intended to hit GAPR for my second shot on the par 5 5th and 7th holes but neither happened. I pushed my drive too far right on #5 and had a tree to go over so hit a safe 7 iron back to the fairway there. Then I hammered too good a drive on #7 and had a legitimate play for the green in two so I opted to hit 3W instead. Good hit but over cooked draw missed left.
Next came the tee shot on the 295 yard par 4 16th, as planned. Because of how the green sits and the false fronts/sides and shaved collection areas/hazards it's best to hit your tee ball up onto a flat looking straight up the throat of the green. There is a ridge running diagonally across the fairway right to left to get past to reach the flat.
A straight tee shot down fairway right with GAPR hit the ridge and just couldn't climb it, curling left and ultimately rolling backwards a couple yards at the end. I still got 206 from it and had a nice easy wedge in. Thought I made the 15 footer but think again = par. My 'just to see' 3W almost hooked OOB.
I got an unplanned opportunity on the next hole, the downhill 219 yard par 3 17th. The pin was all the way back left and my slope laser gave me 233 pin, plays like 219. I hit a SWEET baby draw GAPR that carried the knob with the pot bunker on the right and landed somewhere near the right edge (knob blocks view) and curled around left heading right toward the pin. It stopped 6-7 feet short. My GPS watch measured shot at 229. I also got a pic of my ball as I walked down off the knob toward the green to putt. I missed the putt (ughh) = par.
Normally I won't attempt the shot I played on the next hole but new club, and I was hitting it so well, so I went for it. The par 5 18th is a 506 yard dog leg left with trouble all down the left. A creek bisects the fairway about 135 out. I drew an OK tee shot into the middle of the fairway but not long enough to think about going for the green. Also the lie there is hanging with the ball quite a bit above your feet. From there my usual decision is either to lay short of the bisecting creek or carry about 325 yards past it where there is a wider landing zone than when trying to eat up more yardage. So I should've played an easy 7 iron here just to carry the creek and leave about 100 in. But instead I hit a nice lowish 197 yard bullet with GAPR into the narrow area of the fairway and had just 38 left to a front pin. So-so wedge shot went 9 feet past and I missed the birdie = par. FWIW I've drawn too many balls into the pond trying to get close to this green in the past with hybrid or 3W so I'm probably not going to play it this way most times but at least I know it's available.
