Dance_Business
AARP Member :)
I just finished the Memphis Publinks tournament today. My second time & thoroughly enjoyed myself. No I did not post great rounds, but I played the best I could the last three days. It is supposed to be two days & a cut to low 70 & ties; however, rain washed away the first day & the final flight score I shot with it. The first partners were interesting & clearly better than I. One shot 74 in the final of the Senior Publinks last year, the other had never played these courses & shoots occasional high 70's. I have never broken 80...
The first round was at Audubon. A simple track with tiny greens that were faster than anyone had ever seen them. Since the three courses are all city owned, in a fiscally shaky city, none are like any course that THP takes us to. With temps around 100, the course was hard & fast. I played well from the tee box & putted well. My down fall was second shots, many of which led to third shots! After playing Highlands, Ledgestone & others with THP the last two weeks my swing has gotten steep. I have been striping shots from tender turf and Memphis does not have any tender turf! I hit many shots short with huge divots and equally huge frustration. With 4 holes remaining we got pummeled by a thunderstorm. After about 45 minutes of weather delay, we returned to finish up. I scored 90 in the dripping heat & felt okay with it. That was one of the highest scores of the day., but 7 shots better than the first round last year! Success. Then the rain returned, many could not finish; and the tournament was forced to wash out the first day's scores. The cut was dropped and all golfers would play the next two days! I call it a cut made!
The second round was at Galloway. Galloway is a really short course, only about 6000 yards from the tips. What it lacked in distance, the course made up for on the greens. After all most 3 inches of rain the day before, the greens were sooo slow! Coming from Audubon's Teflon coatings to these shag carpets killed me. I played well from tee to green. Long drives in the fairway, better second shots, chipping better than ever... Then the putting started. Four 3-putts and a FOUR putt. Only on the last 4 holes did I adjust well enough. An 87 was in the books and another shot at breaking 80 was down the drain. An interesting note: my partners never shared yardages or chatted like day one. On a par three I asked one if his GPS showed 210 to center and he bluffed me! He said it showed a few more than the plate(179yds) by the tee box! That's not how I roll!
I was excited to see the pairings pop up for Saturday's final round. I made the 5th flight! Next to last for some, but a success for me! Last year I missed the cut with a 189, my first two rounds this year were 177 & a 10 stroke improvement! Little did I know I was be asking for trouble. I did a bit of research on my fellow players. Most were easy to find in other tournaments & were good for high 60's to high 70's! How did I find myself in their flight?! No matter, all I can do is play my game in the moment. I have played Foxmeadows hundreds of times over the years, so I was comfortable starting off. I was last to go in our threesome. I watched two long bombs float down the first fairway, a par five. I stepped up & promptly top hooked my drive! I felt a bit like Jman at the THP Invitational in Elgin! The scramble began! Three shots later I had ten feet for an easy par.
The greens were the best of the three courses by far; not too fast, not too slow. I putted well today, though I did have two 3 putts. I drove the ball well, even hitting a few high shots over Oak trees. If you have seen me play, you know I do not normally hit driver higher than most punch a 3 iron! The Fox is the longest of the three courses, measuring 6545 from the tips. When I first started playing I thought no one could ever play this course from back there! I played well through the first 6 holes, including a tough 215yd par 3 that made me look good(par!). The 7th hole used to kill me. A par four that finishes off water guarding the last 90 yards. I hit 2hybrid to avoid rolling into the water like last year & flared it way right. I had about 175 to the green with a slight breeze at me. 5 iron was the call & I was wishing for an Altitude! I topped the shot into the water. Dropped at about the 110 mark & splashed again. Eventually holing out for a quad. My mind left me after that & I finished the front with doubles on 8 & 9.
I got off to a decent start on the back nine. Hitting a strong drive through trees down the left side. Just as on the first, 3 shots later I made a decent putt for par. Such an easy game! A birdie on a particularly easy par 4 & par on a tough par 3 and I was rolling right along! Then another blowup. A topped drive, two shots from a bunker that feigned sand, and 2 putts for triple. Finished with straight bogies and day dreams of a massage. 92 was not the best I can do at Foxmeadows, but it was the best I had today. My partners shot 83 & 87.
We were the first threesome out from our flight & it would take a while for me too see that I was dead last in my flight. Had I shot one shot worse the day before I'd have walked away with Callaway goodies from a 5th or 6th place. Which leads me to a conundrum. I like to win things & I could definitely see how someone could milk the system to find an easier flight. With the top 8 in each flight walking away with real prizes, the temptation is great! I'll play for score, I can always buy more clubs! Instead I walk away knowing I made it through three rounds of stroke play. I handled less than ideal course conditions, over zealous competitors, Memphis heat & humidity, and played to or better than my handicap all three days. 269 total.
Vegas can't get here soon enough!
The first round was at Audubon. A simple track with tiny greens that were faster than anyone had ever seen them. Since the three courses are all city owned, in a fiscally shaky city, none are like any course that THP takes us to. With temps around 100, the course was hard & fast. I played well from the tee box & putted well. My down fall was second shots, many of which led to third shots! After playing Highlands, Ledgestone & others with THP the last two weeks my swing has gotten steep. I have been striping shots from tender turf and Memphis does not have any tender turf! I hit many shots short with huge divots and equally huge frustration. With 4 holes remaining we got pummeled by a thunderstorm. After about 45 minutes of weather delay, we returned to finish up. I scored 90 in the dripping heat & felt okay with it. That was one of the highest scores of the day., but 7 shots better than the first round last year! Success. Then the rain returned, many could not finish; and the tournament was forced to wash out the first day's scores. The cut was dropped and all golfers would play the next two days! I call it a cut made!
The second round was at Galloway. Galloway is a really short course, only about 6000 yards from the tips. What it lacked in distance, the course made up for on the greens. After all most 3 inches of rain the day before, the greens were sooo slow! Coming from Audubon's Teflon coatings to these shag carpets killed me. I played well from tee to green. Long drives in the fairway, better second shots, chipping better than ever... Then the putting started. Four 3-putts and a FOUR putt. Only on the last 4 holes did I adjust well enough. An 87 was in the books and another shot at breaking 80 was down the drain. An interesting note: my partners never shared yardages or chatted like day one. On a par three I asked one if his GPS showed 210 to center and he bluffed me! He said it showed a few more than the plate(179yds) by the tee box! That's not how I roll!
I was excited to see the pairings pop up for Saturday's final round. I made the 5th flight! Next to last for some, but a success for me! Last year I missed the cut with a 189, my first two rounds this year were 177 & a 10 stroke improvement! Little did I know I was be asking for trouble. I did a bit of research on my fellow players. Most were easy to find in other tournaments & were good for high 60's to high 70's! How did I find myself in their flight?! No matter, all I can do is play my game in the moment. I have played Foxmeadows hundreds of times over the years, so I was comfortable starting off. I was last to go in our threesome. I watched two long bombs float down the first fairway, a par five. I stepped up & promptly top hooked my drive! I felt a bit like Jman at the THP Invitational in Elgin! The scramble began! Three shots later I had ten feet for an easy par.
The greens were the best of the three courses by far; not too fast, not too slow. I putted well today, though I did have two 3 putts. I drove the ball well, even hitting a few high shots over Oak trees. If you have seen me play, you know I do not normally hit driver higher than most punch a 3 iron! The Fox is the longest of the three courses, measuring 6545 from the tips. When I first started playing I thought no one could ever play this course from back there! I played well through the first 6 holes, including a tough 215yd par 3 that made me look good(par!). The 7th hole used to kill me. A par four that finishes off water guarding the last 90 yards. I hit 2hybrid to avoid rolling into the water like last year & flared it way right. I had about 175 to the green with a slight breeze at me. 5 iron was the call & I was wishing for an Altitude! I topped the shot into the water. Dropped at about the 110 mark & splashed again. Eventually holing out for a quad. My mind left me after that & I finished the front with doubles on 8 & 9.
I got off to a decent start on the back nine. Hitting a strong drive through trees down the left side. Just as on the first, 3 shots later I made a decent putt for par. Such an easy game! A birdie on a particularly easy par 4 & par on a tough par 3 and I was rolling right along! Then another blowup. A topped drive, two shots from a bunker that feigned sand, and 2 putts for triple. Finished with straight bogies and day dreams of a massage. 92 was not the best I can do at Foxmeadows, but it was the best I had today. My partners shot 83 & 87.
We were the first threesome out from our flight & it would take a while for me too see that I was dead last in my flight. Had I shot one shot worse the day before I'd have walked away with Callaway goodies from a 5th or 6th place. Which leads me to a conundrum. I like to win things & I could definitely see how someone could milk the system to find an easier flight. With the top 8 in each flight walking away with real prizes, the temptation is great! I'll play for score, I can always buy more clubs! Instead I walk away knowing I made it through three rounds of stroke play. I handled less than ideal course conditions, over zealous competitors, Memphis heat & humidity, and played to or better than my handicap all three days. 269 total.
Vegas can't get here soon enough!
Last edited:
