Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to anyone reading/following this thing. I've gotten quite a bit of work in over the last couple of weeks, despite the crappy weather. I got out on Christmas Day for a while and hit balls and worked on putting & chipping. Today I got out and shot a respectable 69 in a pretty good wind. Lately it seems that at least once in every round I knock something in there rediculously close to the pin. Today's shot of the day was a punch 7 iron into the breeze. It hit 6 feet behind the pin and backed up to within 8 inches.

There is a set of blades from about 2 years ago that caught my eye a couple if weeks ago. I found a set of used ones here in town for $400, which seems steep for what's probably going to be nothing more than an experiment. I bought a set off of ebay today for $155...much better. They already have s4oo TT shafts in them, which is slightly stiffer than stiff. I used this shaft in my irons in college with some success. I can't wait to get these things on the course.

I also added another wedge to the bag. I put in another black pearl Cleveland...this one a 60 degree with only 4 degrees of bounce. I LOVE THIS WEDGE!!! I've carried L wedges for years but rarely found one that I really liked. I think it's the bounce that's making it easier for me. I took out a Black Pearl 58 degree, which had way too much bounce at 12 degrees. This new wedge is probably going to be in my bag for a very long time.

Blackjack...21 in a row

The weather has been less than cooperative these last few days, so I've spent much more time on the range and practice green than I have on the course. I've gotten into sort of a routine when I practice putting. I typically won't leave the practice green until I've made at least 100 putts, and I added another ritual to my practice this week. I find a nice flat spot on the green and set up about 8 to 10 feet from the hole. This is the last thing I do before quitting for the day, and I make myself sink 21 putts in a row from the same spot before I'll let myself leave the green. The first dozen or so go by pretty easily, but the closer you get to 21 the more you start thinking about not screwing up and having to start over...especially when it's freezing cold out there.

The 2009 schedules for the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour are out now, so I can start to plan where I'm going to try and qualify when. I can't tell you how much I want to make a field early on in the year and make a cut. I know I can do this, but a little validation in the form of a pay check would be nice as well.

Cold and windy

I seem to be having a hard time remembering to post here. I intended for this to be a nearly daily blog, but so far its been sporadic at best. The past couple of weeks have gone well. Im still pounding a couple thousand balls a week on the driving range and getting in 5-6 rounds of golf.

Ive played pretty well the past couple of weeks...a couple of 67's and 68's. I had a couple of days where I shot 1 or 2 over as well, but the wind was up over 20 mph and it was pretty cold out there.

When I play I usually am able to hit quite a few practice shots while I'm out there. The other day I hit wedge from 138 and wasn't real happy with it. It was off line about 15 feet to the right and I hit it well past the hole, I thought. So I hit another one. This one went long as well, but was right over the stick. The shot was pretty much blind, though. When I got up to the green I noticed the ball I had in play was pin high and 15 feet right. It had sucked back a good 20 feet from where it hit. I could't see the other ball. Then I saw the pitch mark on the back of the green. The ball backed up into the hole. In the same round I stuck a wedge about 10 inches away from a hundred yards out and left a ball four inches from an ace on a 180 yard par 3.

I've about decided to not play the Hooters tour ranking school in January and concentrate on trying to Monday Qualify for Nationwide events. For that matter, I can Monday Q my way into Hooters events as well. I really feel like I can make some cuts if I can just get myself into a few events. We'll see.

I hit a ton of balls the last 2 days. I'm taking the next 2 days off to take Abby to Texas to see some family. I'm about to order a new driver as well. Im anxious to see how it performs.

A rainy week

I've only gotten 2 rounds in this week, because of the weather we had here on Tues/Wed. It's nice to take a day off once in a while, but I'd rather not. I still have a lot of work to do before spring, and it will be here before I know it. Only 1 bogey this week in 36 holes, with 10 birdies and I've hit 2 more flag sticks since my last post.The greens are still in pretty rough shape. I missed a lot of 8-10 foot birdie tries during the last 2 rounds or I'd be way lower than -9. Most of my birdies this week have come from approach shots that got within 3 feet of the hole, and a few are 2 putt birdies on par 5's.

More sporadic rain tomorrow. I'll probably cover up and go play all 18 in the rain just for the practice. Looks like I'm going to have great weather for about 9 days after tomorrow. I've been blessed with some amazing weather these past couple of months. I get a little run down, but there'll be plenty of rainy days later in the winter to rest up on.

Grinding it out

It's been a few days since I last posted. Things are pretty much going the same, except that I have been neglecting my time in the gym a little. I'll be back in there tomorrow. I have a couple more weight loss goals in mind for the next couple of months, but it's going to take a bit more of an effort to get there.

From a health standpoint things are going great. I went to the doctor this week for some allergy relief, and learned that my blood pressure was 117/75 on no meds! A year ago it was so high that I was put on medication for it. I quit taking the meds back in the summer, thinking that losing all the weight had probably helped. Boy did it. About a year ago my bp was like 144/95.

I think I've hit 3 more flag sticks since I last posted, which brings my total for the last 6 weeks or so to, well, more than I've ever hit in my life. I'm still playing a lot of golf and getting in some extra practice on the course, but I'm also still pounding a few thousand range balls each week. It's getting colder and a bit windier, but it seems to keep some of the folks off of the course (and out of my way) so I'm all for it. I'll play in any weather, as long as there's not any lightning. You want to see a big ol' boy move quickly just watch what happens once I see a flash. I'm GONE!

Anyway, the swing seems to be holding up nicely. I'm a little sore (tendonitis in left elbow) from hitting all the balls, but even that doesn't bother me much once I'm good and warmed up. Like I said, I slipped a bit on the diet/excercise program for a week or so, but I'll be back on it in the morning and I'm going to push harder than ever through the end of the year. By the time the holiday's are over I should be very close to if not at my target weight.

For any of you who enjoy playing in the off season/colder months I have to tell you to go out and buy some Under Armour...like TODAY. Their "Coldgear" is nothing short of amazing. Skin tight, but still allows great mobility and it is unbelievably warm. Pretty pricey at $50 for a mock neck, but damn worth the price if you ask me.

Back on course

I finally got back out there today after having to take several days off. I'm still not sure how I hurt my foot, but I stayed off of it, kept it taped and elevated and It finally started feeling better.

I had to keep from yanking my driver dead left today, but still played pretty well. 2 under on greens that were just punched and sanded...hard to make many putts. I hit another flagstick today. I've noticed that my standards have gotten quite a bit higher lately, without me really noticing. I find myself getting irritated for blowing a shot. Example...today I hit a wedge in and was just disgusted by where I left it. I don't get angry on the course, but it was one of those shots where you just think...weak effort, that sucked. Then I get up to the green and I realize that I'm 12 feet from the hole. I'm just expecting more from my game, and that's good.

Today it was cold and a little windy. I hit a fading 4 iron into a par 3 from about 212 out. Again, I was unhappy with the shot, so I dropped a ball and hit it again. The first ball was only about 15 feet from the hole...not really that bad in the cold and wind. The second try at it slammed to a stop 3 feet from the hole. My point in this being that if I hit 2 fading 4 irons into a cold wind and the worst is 15 feet away, I'm starting to play pretty well. I drained that 15 footer as well.

Not a very productive week

I seems like it's been forever since I've gotten a complete round in. They have been working on the greens this week, that is, punching then sanding so I haven't been on the course a lot. I played 9 holes on Tuesday and shot 3 under. I hit a flag stick from about 163 yards out, then 2 holes later hit another stick from 148 yards out. The second one actually hit about 4 feet behind the hole and rattled the stick from behind when it sucked back. That one nearly dropped in for a deuce, which would have been my 3rd on a par 4 in about 10 days.

So with the greens all screwed up I opted for hitting a ton of balls this week. I would guess that I hit well over 2000 balls this week, and have the aches and soreness to prove it. I've also managed to pull or strain something in my foot. It's pretty painful so I may be off of it for a few days, which I'm not at all happy about because the weather is going to be amazing for about the next 9 days.

Practice is going well

I've gotten really bad about not posting here as often as I had intended. I've hit a ton of balls in the last two weeks...really focusing on yardages and distance controll. I've spent a lot of time with the wedges, really trying to get where I can dial in the perfect shot from anywhere inside about 130. It's going pretty well, actually.

Last week in a practice session I did something I've never done. I holed out for a 2 on #17 (par four), barely missed an eagle put on # 18 and made birdie, then continued playing and knocked in a 5 foot eagle putt on the par 5 1st hole. Eagle/birdie/eagle, and it was nearly 3 eagles in a row.

I'm trying to start figuring out where I'm going to play in the spring. The Adams Pro Golf Tour has a winter series in Houston, so I may try to play in at least 1 event in December. Then the regular seasons start in the spring. There is a NGA/Hooters ranking school in Houston in January, which I'll probably play in. That might guarantee me a few starts on the Hooters Tour next year. The Adams Pro Golf Tour is basically a pay to play type of thing, so I'm sure I'll try that a time or two as well. Then there are Monday qualifyers for Nationwide Tour events, which I plan to try a few of as well.

I'm also starting to write letters for some of the very early season stuff begging for a sponsor's exemption. I'm hoping that my story is intriguing enough that a couple of them might let me in. All it takes really is one good opportunity, then playing well in that opportunity. One good thing, one exemption into a field can follow another if you're playing well enough.

I really want to make the cut in a nationwide tour event early in the year it I can. It would be big in terms of confidence, plus I do need to make a little money now and then too! The Hooters Tour seems like a good place to try and break in...they are 72 hole events that are put on just like the regular tour stops. Practice rounds, pro ams, shootouts...everything.

Anyway, now comes the tedious part of writing letters and begging for sponsorships in the evenings, and practicing all day during the day time. Not that I'm complaining, of course, but I sure wish I had someone else to do the boring stuff for me. I'd much rather go practice.

Another week of practice

I didn't get as much done this week as I would normally like to, but there was a senior minitour event at my home course that had things tied up all week. I spent the first part of the week in Texas letting Abby visit her grandparents on Jenn's side.

I shot 4 under Wednesday, and 5 under on Thurs. Friday I couldn't get onto the course. Today I shot a sneezing, sniffling, coughing voice gone head splitting 77. I had all kinds of trouble out there today, but at least I birdied the last hole.

The shot making was just not there today. Thursday I put a shot to within 2 feet from about 113 yards out, and another slammed to a stop 4 inches from the hole from about 145 away. Today I was hitting greens, but 50 feet away from the hole. Just never got things going. I went back tonight and hit balls, then puted & chipped for a couple of hours. Primarily working out of high rough around the greens. I love being the last one off of the course at night.

This cold has really leveled me. I'm about to fall asleep sitting here and it's only 9pm. Going to turn in early tonight and get back at it tomorrow after church.

Friday, September 19th...This Week

My second week of playing golf full time has been another good one. I have hit a ton of range balls this week...probably in the range of 800 - 1000 if I had to guess. The putter faltered a little bit this week, but seemed to be pretty solid yesterday morning during my morning practice.

Wednesday was fun. I drove over to Memphis to play golf with a friend of mine. Her name is Devinn and she is an ICU nurse at the hospital where my wife passed away a few months ago. In fact, that's how we met and became friends through Facebook. She was a very calm, kind presence for me during what has to have been the most difficult six weeks of my life.

I enjoyed playing over there, although the bermuda greens gave me all kind of fits. I also worked out extremely hard the night before at the gym. I really didn't play very well, and she probably thinks that I'm about to become the golf world's equivilant of a starving artist. I had a good time, though it was a little strange. Not sure if it was a date of some sort, just two friends playing golf together, or what. She's a very sweet girl and I could get along well with her, but she's only 23, and I have a hard time reading her. Don't even really know how interested she is. Anyway, this blog is about my golf, not my feeble attempts at dating, so enough about that.

There are a lot of tournaments at Sage Meadows this next week or so, and I'm having to alter my schedule to practice around them. I'm going to end up hitting a lot more balls during this stretch, which is great for conditioning anyway. It also means I'll get more time on the practice green, and that never hurt anybody either. I may also play in Little Rock a time or two to get onto the course the tournament will be on in a few weeks.

I'm taking Abby to Texas to see her grandparents (my former in-laws) for a couple of days. Don't know where I'll practice down there yet. Another solid week, though. About three and a half more until my first tournament as a professional golfer. I can't wait.

Monday, September 15

Today was absolutely beautiful. High temp of about 75, very light wind and almost no clouds. It doesn't get much better than that for me. Today I got a lot of things done on and around the course. I shot 68 today, which I would normally be happy with...it's just that my only bogey of the day came on the par 5 18th hole. The only thing I hate worse than bogeying the final hole is making a bogey on a par 5. To do both at the same time makes me want to vomit. I played aggressively all day...but on the last hole I was thinking about making par and saving the bogey free round. I let up, and it bit me in the ass. At least it was now and not later on. A reminder, I guess, to keep the hammer down for all 18 holes.

I'm not sure exactlt how ofteb bogey free rounds occur in a professional event. I'm sure somebody probably has one almost every day. I would assume that they're only about as rare as home runs in major league baseball. Some have more than others, but every day somewhere somebody's going to hit a dinger.

I've been working on a new shot this week. I ordered a 5-wood with an extremely stiff shaft (unusual for a 5 wood, I know) a while back. I almost NEVER hit it left because of that shaft. One less side of the golf course to worry about with that club. Anyway, I've been working on a shot from about 210 - 225 yards with it. I can hit it about 260 full out, so to hit the shorted version I choke way down on the club and basically swing it like a seven iron. The result is a low, penetrating ball flight that stops on a dime. It's one hell of a handy shot to have in the bag if you need it. I hit it a number of times out on the course today and never missed a green with it.

The putting and chiping are progressing nicely. I had a long chip in for birdie on a 197 yard par 3 today. I'm also beginning to get the distance dialed in with shots under 135 yards. There are so many variables to consider. It seems like every day now a couple of my birdies come from shots that slam to a stop about a foot from the hole.

After the round today I spent the usual time on the putting green and then worked on fading drivers and that 5 wood shot on the range for a while. I'll probably get in 27 holes tomorrow, working around the greens some while I play. Wednesday I'm off to play with my friend in Memphis!

What was left of Hurricane Ike tossed me around today.

I got a round in today, which I really didn't think was going to be possible. It actually turned out to be a beautiful day, other than the wind. The pieces of Ike came through early in the morning and actaully caused some damage all the way up here. The course was littered with branches and debris, not to mention about a dozen trees were blown over.

I played with dad today, which can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. The wind stayed over 20 mph most of the day. This course has some serious bermuda rough on it. Add some wind to that and you can have a long day, which I did. I eventually shot 3 over, but was 2 under after 6. I bogeyed the next 4 holes, then tacked on one more later for good measure. Conditions were tough, and 3 over would not really have been that bad today, but it brought my stroke average for the week up to about 70, which pisses me off.

Week two of the "golf" years begins tomorrow. It's going to take me a month or so to adjust to playing as much as I am. I was tight and a little sore today, which actually had more to do with my 3 over than the wind did, although if you can blame a bad round on a hurricane, you should definitely do it!

Friday - Saturday

Friday was a light day. The course was closed for a tournament all day long. Late in the evening I grabbed a cart, took Abby with me and went out to practice on a few things on the course. Hit a lot of shots, but also started out eagle/par/birdie/birdie. Four holes...4 under! Too bad it was getting dark.

Saturday I went to Little Rock for my nephews dress rehearsal of a birthday party. He turned six months old, which is as good an excuse as any to eat cake and ice cream, i guess. After we drove back I took Abby to a college footbal game here. The remnants of hurricane Ike will be in town tomorrow. The course will be closed but I'll probably get onto the range to hit some balls in the rain for a while. As long as there is no lightning, that is. One flash or distant rumble and I get the heck out.

I had a bold hit the ground a couple hundred feet in front of me whan I was playing junior golf as a kid. Scared the hell out of me and I've been running for cover ever since!

Hard to concentrate today...mishap on the course

I normally keep score when I 'm practicing. Occasionally I'll just go out with the intent on working one particular thing...might tee off every hole with a 3 iron, just to change things up. I don't usually track pars and birdies on these days. But even on a normal day when I'm keeping score I will hit a lot of extra shots, particularly around the green, out of sand traps, from thick rough, etc. Today was that kind of day.

I was 2 under after 3 holes when I teed off on #4. I put a 3 wood in play, then grabbed a driver to bang a couple of practice shots. It's a good hole for me to practice fading the ball on, because the hole moves gradually from left to right. I hit one particularly hard, but it got away from me out into the street. When I got over the hill I was horrified to learn that I had hit a young man in the head. He was on a mower mowing the common ground. The company he workes for had been hired to maintain the common area around the main entrance to the property. It must have been a bit of a glancing blow. The knot on his head was big, but a direct hit from a ball moving that hard could have been very bad. I received a call a few minutes ago from his father, letting me know that the CAT scan of his head was normal. He's really going to hurt for a few days, but no actual damage, thank God.

Over the years I've been hit a dozen times or so, but never that hard and never on the head. I've always actually been terrified of taking a ball to the face or head. I can't imagine how bad the guy hurts this afternoon. I tried not to let it rattle me, and for the most part I was able to put it out of my mind. Seems cold, I know, but you have to be able to focus, and re-focus if something distracts you. The putter was a bit off today and I only shot 2 under, which leaves me at a total of 14 under over the last 4 days. All things considered I am very pleased.

Next Wednesday I'm going to play golf in Memphis with a friend of mine. I've never played with her before, but she's a pretty good athlete and I imagine she's decent. She was one of Jennifer's ICU nurses in Memphis, so I got to know her pretty well, although the circumstances around our meeting was pretty stressful. I just have to be careful not to step in her line, or bother her. She's a 3rd degree black belt and I'm quite certain she could kick my butt without much trouble. At least I'll have a nurse handy that day in case I pop somebody else in the noggin!

Day 3

Another pretty solid day out there today. I shot 2 under again, which brings my 3 day total to 12 under par. I've spent several hours on the putting green this week, and it's paying huge dividends for me. A lot more mid-range putts are falling in, and even a couple of long range bombs have dropped in the last two days.

I've been working with that 52 degree wedge again, and I lile the loft a lot. It's a good 3/4 swing...nice and crisply struck to get the ball about 100 yards or so. It's going to be much easier to dial in the distances between 90 and 115 yards with this new wedge. More tomorrow!

John

Days 1 and 2

Yesterday was the first day of my "practice" or whatever you want to call it. I played pretty well, falling back a shot or two toward the end of the round to shoot a 2 under par 70. Today, however, things got going well and continued. I rolled in a 12 foot eagle putt on the last hole today to card an 8 under par 64. It ties my lowest round ever.

A few years ago in Shreveport I shot a total of 14 under par over a 4 day period. I'm curious to see how low I can get this week's total with two more days. 10 under after 2 rounds is a pretty solid beginning.

I'm really having a good time out there. I love to practice. I put the iPod on and practiced putting for a couple of hours after my round today. I also hit about a hundred shots with a 52 degree wedge trying to dial into the distance a bit. It's a loft I've not carried before, but I can se how it would be handy to have in the bag. . I like the club, but it's about to be on the list of non-conforming clubs because of the groove design. I also don't like that these "zip" grooves chew the hell out of the golf ball. At $45 a dozen, I can't afford to take a ball out of play after hitting one full wedge shot with it.

I'll tee it up again tomorrow and see what happens.

Worth the risk

I quit my job on September 8th, 2008 to be able to spend more time with my daughter and train. My daughter is 4 years old, and we live with my parents in Arkansas. After my wife passed away this summer we moved in with mom & dad so that I could have help with Abby Lynn. I was working as a manager for Dillard's Department Store and the hours do not fit in well with being a single parent.

I have managed to put myself into a financial situation where I can take some time off. I spend the work day on the golf course, sharpening my skills, then pick up my daughter from day care so that I can spend more time with her. I also work out at a local wellness center 3 or 4 days a week.

I'm taking a pretty big chance. I've walked away from a job where I made good money to pursue something with no guaranteed income. The potential, however, is huge. I don't need to be reminded of what an amazing opportunity I have right now. A little money coming in, almost none going out, and time to focus and take my shot. For years I have watched friends or college competitors take their stab at playing for a living. A couple made it. Most did not. But I have also had to watch as a few of them just didn't want to work hard enough to get there when they were given the opportunity. I have a friend from Texas who was an amazing player. She had tons of financial support from people in her home town. I was so jealous for years because of the opportunity she had to take time off and play. I was frustrated to watch her fail. Not because she wasn't good enough, but because she would rather party and drink beer all night, then try and compete in the morning. I watched her throwing away an opportunity I would have loved to have had. Now that I have my own, I will not waste it.

Not sure yet when I'll start playing tournaments...I'm still out of shape. I'm playing very well but I'm not ready to walk 18 holes every day yet. My body would give out. Hopefully in another month or two I'll have gotten into better condition. There is a tournament in October that I have my eye on. Not a big purse...first place only pays about $10,000. But it's a 54 hole event and I don't think there is a cut. I can play 3 good days of competition in a row which will be good for me, even if I'm not in the money at the end of the week.