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Pebble Beach - The Sequel

5150

5150

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I thought last year’s round at Pebble (see thread - https://www.thehackersparadise.com/...873-Playing-Pebble-Beach-This-Week!-WHOO-HOO!) was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but apparently it’s a twice-in-a-lifetime deal. I’ll be there again in late June for a round a Pebble and one at Spyglass.

Last year was amazing and I can’t wait to give it another shot. Hopefully they’ll trim the rough after the US Open, haha.

I’m also hopeful that I’ll be less nervous this time around and beat my score of 95 from last year. I’m putting in a ton of extra work to get my game in shape, study the course and go with with a plan to break 90 this time.

My putter failed me last year. Could NOT get the speed dialed in and shot several putts well past the hole. I need to find a fast practice green and work hard on lag putts over the next several weeks here.

As as with last year I’ll post here about prep leading up to the round and then report live from Monterey...
 
Sounds like a blast. What length did you play it at?
 
That's awesome. I hope I get to play it once someday.
 
If you have a wooden floor, that will give you practice at putting on speedy greens. Otherwise, good luck, it's a beautiful area.
 
olperfesser said:
If you have a wooden floor, that will give you practice at putting on speedy greens. Otherwise, good luck, it's a beautiful area.
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Does laminate count? Ha
 
I remember reading about your trip last year as I was getting ready to go myself. Great that you can go back so soon, sure wish I could.

You absolutely hope they cut down the rough after the US Open, I was there the week before the US Amateur, and while that's not Open rough, my caddie said it was considerably deeper than normal, and was very penalizing. The greens are likely to be in great shape too, I had short game/putting success by getting a good caddie and trusting his reads!

Looking forward to following your journey again this year.
 
pebble...bandon.....those are my two bucket list. one day....one day.

for now i live thru all you THPers that make it happen!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Good on you Tony, ya lucky duck. I'm sure you'll have another amazing time regardless what you shoot. Huge thank you for sharing it all with us again. I'm very much looking forward to following all of it!
 
OldeDude said:
I remember reading about your trip last year as I was getting ready to go myself. Great that you can go back so soon, sure wish I could.

You absolutely hope they cut down the rough after the US Open, I was there the week before the US Amateur, and while that's not Open rough, my caddie said it was considerably deeper than normal, and was very penalizing. The greens are likely to be in great shape too, I had short game/putting success by getting a good caddie and trusting his reads!

Looking forward to following your journey again this year.
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How was your trip? What was your favorite hole?
 
Daddio said:
Good on you Tony, ya lucky duck. I'm sure you'll have another amazing time regardless what you shoot. Huge thank you for sharing it all with us again. I'm very much looking forward to following all of it!
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Lucky indeed! We need to get the STL THP crew back together. Been awhile.
 
5150 said:
Lucky indeed! We need to get the STL THP crew back together. Been awhile.
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Yes we do, some very good golf up there and a THP get together is way overdue. I'm driving up that way on Thur for a long weekend golf gathering that my son in law set up over at Rend Lake Resort. If I didn't have to be back down here for a tourney on Monday maybe we could've teed it up.
 
5150 said:
How was your trip? What was your favorite hole?
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My day at Pebble was incredible! Here's the thread I started after the trip: https://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php/108637-Pebble-Beach-Checked-Off-the-Bucket-List

Favorite hole had to be #8. Such an iconic hole, some of the greatest to ever play the game have described it as one of the best in the world, and of course having played it well makes it even more memorable. I can conjure up the memory of that second shot, the the ball flying across the cove and landing in front of the green, any time, and it always puts a smile on my face.

What was your favorite?
 
OldeDude said:
My day at Pebble was incredible! Here's the thread I started after the trip: https://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php/108637-Pebble-Beach-Checked-Off-the-Bucket-List

Favorite hole had to be #8. Such an iconic hole, some of the greatest to ever play the game have described it as one of the best in the world, and of course having played it well makes it even more memorable. I can conjure up the memory of that second shot, the the ball flying across the cove and landing in front of the green, any time, and it always puts a smile on my face.

What was your favorite?
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Well, I chipped in from the bunker for birdie on 4, so that sticks out, but - like you said, #8 was awesome.

I hit hybrid off the tee and had about 210 left in. Hit another hybrid over the cove that hit the green and juuuust rolled off of the back. I can confirm for you that you do NOT want to be long on 8 green (I bogeyed) but seeing that ball in the air over the cove is a memory I won’t forget.
 
Played PB (Spyglass & SB as well) back in December right after they started narrowing the fairways and lengthening the rough for the US Open. Unfortunately for me, the greens got top-dressed at PB the day before my round: to say they were fast was an understatement. Had 44 putts - turned what could have been a beautiful 78 in to a 91. Almost had my first ace on 17 then proceeded to 3-putt. Should have tossed my putter in the water after that. Oh well, birdied #2 and generally hit some great shots all day. Staying in a suite looking right at the 18th green made it more awesome. Will be back again for sure.
 
Nice! I gotta get back up there. I didn't play Spanish Bay on my trip - just PB and Spyglass. So clearly I have an excuse. :)
 
aenemated said:
Nice! I gotta get back up there. I didn't play Spanish Bay on my trip - just PB and Spyglass. So clearly I have an excuse. :)
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I enjoyed Spanish Bay last year. Give it a try if you get back out there.
 
Headed to the range after work to get some pre-Pebble workouts in... goals for today:

1) Hit a bucket of nothing but shots inside 100y. Need to dial in wedge distances.

2) Phil Mickelson's 3 footer putting drill... Phil says he doesn't quit until he makes 100 in a row from 3 feet in a circle around the cup... I think I'll start with 20 =)
 
Not the most productive session yesterday. Was fighting off a slice. Will go back today to fix it.

Also need to get the putting drill in today. The green was full when I was there yesterday.
 
Good range session today. League tomorrow. It’s a 9 hole league, so my goal is <40.
 
Making progress... short game is progressing well; starting to dial in my wedge distances. Putting is coming around too. Gotta keep grinding. It's t-minus 5 weeks until Pebble.
 
How did you do as to bunkers last time? With the small greens, I was in several, so an area I'd concentrate some practice on before going again. The problem for me is that most of the courses I usually play have terrible bunkers, so practice is hard to come by when you're going to a course that actually has nice sandy bunkers. I did pretty well in the morning, when the sand was a bit wet and heavier, once things dried out though I was a bit out of my element, and the bunker game went downhill.
 
OldeDude said:
How did you do as to bunkers last time? With the small greens, I was in several, so an area I'd concentrate some practice on before going again. The problem for me is that most of the courses I usually play have terrible bunkers, so practice is hard to come by when you're going to a course that actually has nice sandy bunkers. I did pretty well in the morning, when the sand was a bit wet and heavier, once things dried out though I was a bit out of my element, and the bunker game went downhill.
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I was only in 3 bunkers... greenside at 4 (chipped in for birdie!), fairway bunker on 18 and greenside on 18. I didn't mind the sand. Preferred it over the rough, actually.
 
5150 said:
I was only in 3 bunkers... greenside at 4 (chipped in for birdie!), fairway bunker on 18 and greenside on 18. I didn't mind the sand. Preferred it over the rough, actually.
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Let's see if I can remember this right, bunkers I was in at Pebble:

  • #1 greenside (left)
  • #2 greenside (right)
  • #3 fairway (right)
  • #3 greenside (left)
  • #6 fairway (left)
  • #12 greenside (front)
  • #16 greenside (front)
  • #17 greenside (front)

The two fairway bunkers I was in were a couple of my best fairway bunker shots ever. My greenside bunker shots on 1, 2, and 3, were pretty good (up and down on 1 & 2, up and 2-putt on 3), but my bunker play on the back nine kind of sucked.

I envy you being able to go back so soon, and I'm looking forward to hearing all about it, and seeing some good pics.
 
So we’re about a month out from the trip and my game is in Jekyll and Hyde mode.

Shot 37 on my home 9 hole course last Friday, and 48 on the same course 4 days later, haha.

Feeling good, though. The driver is starting to pop back out to 260-270 again after a period where I was leaving the thing in the car more often than not.

I got rid of my hybrids and picked up a 3i and 4i that I really dig, but that left me with a significant gap between 3i and driver (215 to 250ish), so I got a used Ping G 3w. I’m thinking of that club especially for my favorite hole at Pebble: #8, where driver is too much and the second shot has to carry the cove.

Way too many 3 putts last year. I need to find a fast practice green and commit to hitting it a few times a week.
 
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