The dead of winter.

It is March 2nd, and golf is still a LONG time away:

(the view from the end of my driveway)

September!

Looks like golf is starting to take a back seat to "back to school". I've played sporadically over the last few weeks, posting average scores in the high 80s, low 90s, but I just haven't been able to get back into shape since spraining my wrist, so it looks as though breaking 80 might have to wait another year, unless I get in a lucky round over the fall. I'm hoping to get out once or twice a week once things settle down and school begins in earnest.

I do, however, have a tee time with a good friend from Calgary on Friday. We are meeting halfway near Red Deer to play Wolf Creek, one of Alberta's finest courses.

Hopefully we can also clear out of our current weather funk - it's been cold and wet for the past week. Here is what our little guy on our thermometer suggested we wear the other morning


(outside temperature in the lower right - translates to about 47 F). Don't worry, it is going up to 22C on Friday, and we are usually offered good golfing temperatures well into the end of October, so there is still a good two months left (crossing fingers).

Yes, I'm still playing

After a week of conducting both a 40 voice youth choir and a 30 voice adult choir at a week long choir camp with 5 1/2 hours of rehearsing a day, I'm now back on the course again. (I will blog about that experience soon on my home blog) My wrist is still not 100%. I've been to the chiropractor, who confirmed it was a mild sprain, and explained that it is an injury that can take up to 6 months before it is completely healed. I went and purchased a tensor bandage for the wrist and some athletic tape. I played an 18 hole par-3 round on Monday shooting 68 on the par 54 (the greens were all the size of postage stamps, so only one GIR and no birdies), and then played a full 18 at Coloniale yesterday.

I had some good holes, and some horrid holes. quite a few pars and bogeys, but also a quad, and two triples. The side effect of the wrapped wrist seems to cause my irons to move hard to the left. Not so much a draw, but a hook. The driver, however, is straighter, or even draws slightly, with the bandage on! Final score was a miserable 96 though.

Painting the fence today, and then back on the course tomorrow AM. Will hopefully be able to post full-stats again soon, once I feel that I am playing without the effect of this injury.

Injury update

I played my first round this morning since injuring my wrist. It was a bit sore at times, especially out of the rough. I played with about 75% of my swing strength, and took some relief from shots that I thought might aggravate my wrist.

I had a few good shots, one birdie, but a whole lot of crappy holes, including a quad and triple. the tentative swing cause a lot of pulls and tops - which I had eliminated from my game.

Tomorrow, I'll go back to playing by the rules and keeping legit score.

Injury

I've been forced to take a few days off due to a strained wrist injury, which I managed to do somehow playing last Sunday afternoon. Whether it was trying a tough shot out of deep rough, or falling in a ravine trying to retrieve my clubs after my speed-cart ran away from me (we won't go into the details of that story), we'll never know! It was too bad too - I shot a 4-over 39 on the front nine of a course I've never played (2 doubles and 7 pars), the back nine wasn't going as well. I don't have the scorecard, but I figure I shot around 87 or so.

The wrist is much better today - but I think I will wait it out one more day before hitting the links again. After this week, I have to take another full week off the game as I am working at a summer music camp. There aren't a whole lot of golf rounds left for me before the start of the teaching and conducting year!

July 29th Round

My 33rd round of the season - pretty good for late July! Not too bad of a round, a bit of a slower pace this morning, and hot, and those darn Mosquitoes! My spray says "good for 8 hours" but should say "Good for 2 holes" I was reapplying the stuff every 30 minutes! I should take a photo of them when they are really bad, it is unbelievable at times.

Anyhow, on with the stats:

Round Totals:
Gross Score: 87 (42/45)
Net Score: 75

Stats:
Putts: 29
3 putts: 2

Birdies: 1
Pars: 6
Bogeys: 7
Doubles: 3
Others : 1 (a triple at the last)
Penalties: 2

Fairways hit: 5/14 (35%)
Greens in regulation: 4/18 (22%)

Not a bad round - Front nine marred by 3 doubles, but the one birdie helps. 18th hole was pretty disastrous. From the tee to the sand, then forward to the next sand, then long, up and 3 putts for triple. Otherwise, good consistent balls striking - long off the tee (although, not always straight, just 5 fairways hit). Back at it tomorrow AM!

Juy 27th Round(s)

Great day for Golf - so I played a lot of it. I was out on the course by 8 AM, and it was 5:30 PM by the time I finished, and 45 holes (2 full rounds, and then 9 more holes)

I'll only blog about the first round, because once you start playing the 30th hole, it's really hard to focus. So the rest of the day quickly went downhill.

The first round was a 3 hour round, +22 by the end of the round. Mosquitoes still very much a problem, but I'm armed with spray! No wind to speak of.

The stats:

Round Totals:
Gross Score: 81 (38/43)
Net Score: 66

Stats:
Putts: 27
3 putts: 1

Birdies: 1
Pars: 8
Bogeys: 8
Doubles: 1
Others : 0
Penalties: 1

Fairways hit: 6/14 (42%)
Greens in regulation: 6/18 (33%)

Highlights - going out in 38! I was actually sitting at -1 after 5 holes, before I went Bogey/double Bogey. No doubles on the back, just 2 pars and 7 boges. I missed a few puts on the back nine, but can't complain about 27 puts total.

Lowlights - none to speak of. Great round - career best. I can smell that 79!

The other rounds of the day weren't spectacular, but I was really starting to feel the fatigue - and the heat (ended up in the high 20s by the end of the day). So, on the nine hole round, I shot 45, and on the second 18, I shot 93 (46/47)

I'm trying to decide if I am going to play today - it is 7:10, and my tee time is 8:09. My feet are sore (I have plantar Fasciitis, which is controlled through orthotics, but no orthotic was going get through 45 holes of golf, so them dogs are barking!)

I told my wife there was only a 30% chance I'd play this morning, when realistically It is probably closer to 60% chance. Hmmm....

By the way - Index fell again, down to 11.9 and playing a 14 handicap now from the blues at Coloniale.