Since my handicap index has started to creep back up after reaching a low of 11.5 at the beginning of June, I have decided to start analyzing my scoring to figure out (hopefully) where I am losing the most strokes. This round today was about average for what I have been scoring during the past three and half months.

The front nine took 44 strokes with 18 putts, 5 fairways hit, and 3 greens in regulation. The back nine started off with a disappointing quintuple bogey on the par five 10th hole which was reduced to a double bogey due to ESC (Equitable Score Control). This brought my strokes (using ESC) to 45 on the back with 16 putts, 4 fairways hit, and 1 green in regulation

Overall, I hit 64% (9 out of 14) of the fairways, 22% (4) of the greens in regulation, and averaged 1.88 (34 total) putts per hole. Water hazards or Out-of-Bounds affected my ball on 28% (5) of the holes. My ESC score was 89 which equates to 13.6 over scratch from the blue tees at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

If I had avoided the water hazards and O.B.s, I could have saved at least 5 strokes and possibly more. All of these were due to mis-hitting the ball, and not because of taking any unnecessary risks. This would have left me with an 84 which would be tied with my two lowest rounds ever. My focus for the next couple weeks will be to learn how to swing more consistently and effectively so that I do not take more than one penalty per round.

Saturday, I played two rounds and shot 95 and 96. It was the most unusual day. I felt relaxed and "in the zone" but somehow I managed to land the ball in more hazards, traps and OB than I've managed to get into in any 3 rounds in my recollection.

Thank goodness there's always another day to make up for the frustrating and bewildering ones. Sunday did not start out promising however. I got out to the course about 2PM and it wasn't very busy so I got right out after warming up on the range for about 10 minutes. I opened with two double bogeys, but number 3 is a short par 3, so I was hoping for a little redemption. On the green off the tee, but a long ways away and then I 3 putted. By the time I finished the front 9, I had 5 double bogeys, 3 bogeys and only one par. Grrrr, I was on track to match Saturday's scores, or worse.

Progress continues. Since I started breaking 90 again late in February, I've only had one 18 hole round that was not under 90. Saturday, March 8th, I was privileged to get my first hole-in-one and have a witness too. (I've been paranoid that since I play alone alot that my first ace would be witnessed only by me.)

It was on a fairly short par 3, about 130 yards, #3 at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, KS. The wind was blowing briskly left to right on this hole so I decided that it would be better to hit a low 8 iron rather than trying to float a wedge in the wind. The ball landed on the fringe and started rolling towards the flag. From where the ball landed to the hole was 60-70 feet and at least two breaks. I stopped watching the ball after it had rolled about half the distance, not thinking that it had a chance, but my playing partner, Bob Walker, kept watching. I was a little surprised when he said, "Matt, I think it went in." I looked on the green and sure enough, my ball was nowhere to be seen, and when we got to the flag, there it was, in the bottom of the cup.

While it was nowhere near as exciting as a hole-in-one, the next day I had another first. Multiple birdies in one round. On March 9th I recorded 2 birdies in one round and my lowest score on this particular course, an 86. I have a feeling that I am going to see alot more birdies this year as my putting improves.

Just a short update here. After about 4 months of mediocre scoring, I am finally breaking 90 again. I broke 90 many times in the second half of 2007, but for the past several months, I've been lucky to shoot an occasional 95. Needless to say, this was somewhat discouraging and causing doubt to creep in to my mind as to my ability to complete my quest in the 15 month timeframe.

Yesterday and today, I was privileged to play 18 holes both days and came away with scores of 87 and 88. I am crediting this change to discoveries I mentioned in my previous post with my setup and stance as well as trying to swing more freely and relaxed. I'm also quite pleased to have recorded no more than 2 putts per hole for 36 holes now; which is quite a milestone for me since I do not recall ever having a single 18 hole round where I did not 3-putt at least once.