[rchang72]

On Easter, I got the chance to play for the first time this year. Actually had gone to the range only one other time since November. Mostly dowels, chip into a net, putt on my carpet, chip/pitch a plastic ball in the backyard. Went to play at Blue Ash in Cincy (GREAT public/municipal course) at the insistence and instigation of my wife, who set me up to play with her parents. We had brunch at my house with her family and mine, thus we got to the course late and had to tee off without practice. But on the first tee, I knew what I wanted to do. Verified my grip, hinge action, swinging motion waggle through basic and acquired motions to extension. Stepped up and drove my ball into the fairway Next shot, longer than I normally hit my 6, with an unfamiliar draw, so left me off the green, back left. Chipped to 5 feet, drained the putt for a par First time I've ever parred that hole.

Wish the rest of the round went as well. Going out, felt like I drove the ball well, recovered from missed shots well, just missed some short putts. But on the back nine, the wheels fell off. Mostly all mental errors (three times instead of chipping laterally to the fairway, trying to thread punch shots between a couple trees and hitting the trees ) Final score 92 (at least 3 strokes better than my average, never broken 90) with a 44 out and 48 back.

Moral of story, could have broken 90 if I had been smarter on shot selection, like the trees. Or not trying to drive a green on a short par 4 and leaving myself in among the trees, where I then dented another trunk. (Greenpeace is after me for arbor abuse)

Second moral of the story: practice at home. I doubt that I could have hit the ball better with practice. And with family, work and other chores, there isn't much time left to play, let alone practice.