105!!! My highest 18 hole score since the start of the year. Nothing felt right, nothing flew right. Well ok, not everything was unbearably awful. My green side chipping was excellent and my putting was fair; but the driver and the irons were OFF today and when I say “OFF” I mean way off. I haven't lost so many balls or almost lost so many balls in months. In the practice session afterwards though I discovered a technique I've been wanting to use for a long time and will detail further down. What a way to start off my ambitious journey toward the 2009 US Open. If you haven't read it yet, check out the specifics of my quest for extraordinary golf on the “My Quest” page.

As I step outside my back door and see the 2 and a half foot deep snow drifts, I realize that my 2007 golf season is at an end. But what an eventful year it has been. I celebrated my first year anniversary of playing golf in March and also started an official golf handicap around the same time. I made my first eagle on a par 5 chip-in, and hit my first 300+ yard drive. I had the privilege of playing golf while on a family vacation in two other states, Michigan and South Carolina, and I broke 90 for the first time which I repeated again and again.

Not long after I first started golfing, I was told by more than one golfer not to feel too bad about shooting in the 100s, that many recreational golfers never or very rarely break 100. Well that did it, I was not going to stand by and let myself be the “average” golfer; I was determined to break 100 and more.