How I Got Here
Imagine a cloudless sky overlooking an elevated tee box that leads to a wide open par 5 split by running water.
That’s how I got back to playing 18 holes again.
Normally, Cousin Robert comes to town and we get worked up over when we’ll play golf. Circumstances caused this to be a 1-round visit for our golfing together.
The last time he hit town and we played together, we got to witness some stunning swinging from Mark Teran in our foursome at Cottonwood.
We took on Mission Trails Golf Course in La Mesa, California. It’s a course with a variety of terrains. The front 9 is hilly while the back 9 flattens out and runs along Lake Murray for a portion of its course. This par 71 course is picturesque with green fairways and sand trap-guarded greens. It remains a go-to course for many golfers in the San Diego area.
How it Went for Me
Truthfully, the scorecard only tells part of the story.
I entered play with a nagging shoulder injury that had me stuck with limited motion on my right side. About 90% of my chips and pitches had me leaning into my left side trying to overcompensate for the injury. Truly, it only effected about 3 holes the entire round.
What Worked:
- Tee shots were hitting the fairways most of the time (higher than normal)
- Putts produced precision, not perfection
- Some key recovery shots got me in position to have a shot at saving par or at least keeping scores reasonable
What Still Needs Work:
- Approach shots with mid irons from 125 yards and further
- Par 3 hole accuracy
Where to from Here?
I’m playing again with a cousin from the other side of the family on the other side of the country within a week. I think I’m going to squeeze in a short 9-hole session a few days this week before taking off for Florida.
In the meantime, like I said, I have to hit the range for some swings at 125 to 175 yards on the range. I used to be able to depend on my 7 iron up to about 150 yards, but over the years my range of motion has dipped a little bit. With my shoulder back to normal, I need to see where my mid iron game stands.
Until the next time, take care of yourself and hang loose. But most of all just keep swinging.
MyBreaking90 