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Glenn Spencer

The 85 Georgetown Factor
« on: February 04, 2006, 06:07:10 PM »
What holes do you think about all day when you show up and why do they intimidate you? Is it the green complex, the tee shot or the second? Is there a course that intimidates you and same questions? NCR used to intimidate the hell out of me before they cleared the trees, it is a much better course now, but not as visually intimidating at all.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2006, 06:34:54 PM »
CPC #16.  You start thinking about it when your alarm goes off in the morning, and don't stop until several days later.   :o
« Last Edit: February 04, 2006, 06:35:37 PM by Bill_McBride »

Glenn Spencer

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2006, 06:36:58 PM »
Bill,

I have never played and I don't suspect that I ever will, but I am still thinking about how I am going to play that shot.

Jordan Wall

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2006, 08:33:46 PM »
Kaplalua 18 for me

On Kapalua 18 I was thinking I would make bogey or worse, through I came out with a birdie.

I was thinking about that hole months before my trip...

was excited to play it but I knew exactly what I was gonna do on that hole 3 months before I played there!!

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2006, 09:23:57 PM »
Mine is a no brainer, though it is actually two holes rather than one.  And to compare the way they intimidated me to the 85 Hoyas doesn't really do them justice.  Imagine that you were held up at gunpoint on your way to work the very first day of a new job and you arrived to find out that the one doing the mugging is your new boss.  That's more like the intimidation I'm talking about.

I joined the men's club at Rolling Meadows in CT for most of the 5+ years I lived there.  #14 at this course is a short par 5.  The best I ever did was a 4, the worst I ever did was a 14, and I damn near made every score in between.  The hole has thick woods running down the left side.  Usually not a lost ball, but not fun to get out of either.  The right side was also wooded, but has out of bounds not too far in from the treeline.  #15 was a beast of a hole.  A long par 4 that had a subtle dogleg and also got the narrowest right where you wanted to hit your drive.  The green was tough to hold, and very sloped.  In 5 years playing fairly regularly at that course, I only made 2 pars on that hole and both times I was hitting a three wood approach (the hole wasn't that long, but I didn't always hit driver and I didn't always hit the tee shot well!)

I shot the best score of my life at that course - 76 - and I went 7, 7 on those two holes that day!  I used to try to plan a strategy for those two holes every time I went out.  They were always in my head.  I had a co-worker that knew about the effect they had on me, and he would get me thinking about them a few days before I'd play on the weekend.  He loved to hear the blow up stories on Monday.

I've played much harder holes in my life, but I've never been more intimidated by any.  I'd have taken 6 - 6 on those two holes before I started my round any week, and more often than not I'd have been doing better than when I actually played them.
 

Tom Jefferson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2006, 09:38:51 PM »
Mr. Jordan Wall;

If you think about #18 Kapalua for nine months prior, what holes are you thinking about, and possibly fearing, for your upcoming trip to Bandon?

I can tell you, that after playing these three courses as my home tracks, that the shot into #3 Pacific puts the fear of Shivas in me, as does the approach on #5 Bandon, and the drive on #4 at the Trails.

Tom
the pres

Glenn Spencer

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2006, 09:42:50 PM »
Tim,
That is fabulous stuff! It certainly sounds like they had your number. The co-worker part is downright hilarious! Hopefully, your new course is not having such a mental strain on you.

Glenn
« Last Edit: February 04, 2006, 09:44:07 PM by Glenn Spencer »

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2006, 09:43:25 PM »
At Bandon, nothing terrifies me more than the 1st tee shot at PD or the 5th tee and approach at BD (if the tees are back as they were the first time I played there.)


Tom Jefferson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2006, 09:46:24 PM »
Tim;

I agree with you regarding #1 PD....I have seldom felt comfortable with that starting hole.  Without wind, when it's a 3 wood (yes, real persimmon) and a wedge, that's one thing, but with the north wind howling, it's driver 4 iron or some such misery.

Tom
the pres

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2006, 09:46:37 PM »
Unfortunately, I'm just not getting out much in the new locale.  I've only played once in 5 months here, so nothing is in my head yet.  As much as those holes were in my head, I loved going out there and seeing what I could do against them.  I often pretended to be confident, though they knew I was full of it.  

I wish I still had some of the emails from my buddy that I could share with you.

Jordan Wall

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2006, 09:47:16 PM »
Tom,

I was thinking about it for three months, not nine ;)

Holes at Bandon I am thinking about would be #4 PD, #17 BT, and #16 BD.

Kapalua made me real nervous though...

Glenn Spencer

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2006, 09:51:15 PM »
Well, I guess I should throw my Patrick Ewing in at this point. Mostly, it consists of par 5s that I know I should birdie and then of course don't. I do have two though and they are at the same course. Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati. A Dick Wilson design that is a really good golf course. We played a state am there and numerous USGA qualifiers. They have two par 3s over water. #2 is downhill 224 and the water is short and left, left is my miss with a long club. The other is #11 235 over water and water left. I have never washed one at either hole, but I can't ever stop thinking about them. They are almost a reason to attempt to qualify somewhere else, even though the course is perfect for me otherwise. Also, the tee shot at Camargo's 2nd, just because it seems like it sets up the entire round if you put it in the fairway, but I have also doubled this short par 5 a couple of times.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2006, 01:53:13 AM by Glenn Spencer »

Tom Jefferson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2006, 09:54:34 PM »
Jordan.....
Obviously I am still learning to read!!!

The three holes you mention all have their distinctive challenges........4 at pac depending on the wind, 17 at the Trails, with so little room to miss, unless short, when you face a challenge with the false front and fallaway green surface.
16 at Bandon is a whole bunch of interest, regardless of the wind.  It's difficulty goes up when the cup is cut left, behind that little pot, and/or when the green is extra firm...tough to hold a pitch with the wind.

Tom
the pres

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2006, 09:55:35 PM »
The first time I played at PD, I took a 6-iron off the tee.  We were playing early in the morning and there wasn't much wind.  I have a bad habit of hitting duck hooks on the first hole when I go on big trips because I get too tentative.  I figured I could fix this issue by taking a mid-iron since the hole is pretty short.  I snap hooked that sucker dead right (I'm a lefty) into the powder dunes.  Four shots later my caddie threw the ball into the fairway (I was humilitated as I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time.)  I went on to "card" a 54 on the front nine (with a phony nine on #1.)  I played a legal 39 on the back nine which pepped me up a bit.  I played that hole twice more on that trip with no great shots of note.

Two years later, I returned to face my nemesis opening hole.  I played that hole 4 times.  Once, I hit my 3-wood through the fairway into the trash that sits in the middle of the fairway over the hill and I lost the ball.  Another time, I hit 3-wood and flubbed it about 15 feet.  I re-teed and carded a 91 (have yet to break 90 in six full rounds at PD) with a double bogey 6 on hole #1 after the re-tee penalty.

Now that I think about it, maybe I think too much.

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2006, 09:57:12 PM »
I'd also throw the approach at #6 PD into the mix as a nasty bugger if you are planning your mental game for that trip.

Glenn Spencer

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2006, 10:01:42 PM »
Tim,

How did #1 at Pacific Dunes miss your original list of holes that you fear? LOL  Just show up late next time, just in time for the second tee, Sorry I am late fellas, just give me a bogey on #1 OK?

Tom Jefferson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2006, 10:04:19 PM »
Tim;

Yeah.........#6 has a high pucker value.  I had 7 or something the first time I played it, and have recently gotten over it by adopting the strategy of putting from 60 or 70 yards!!

Maybe you could start your round at pac by starting on 2!
You know, life is short...why subject yourself to all that opening hole misery???

Tom
the pres

Mike_Cirba

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2006, 11:03:17 PM »
Tim Bert,

We have to get together and play.  

Let me know in advance if you plan to get back up to CT this year.


Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #18 on: February 04, 2006, 11:10:28 PM »
Mike,

I see my notes on the mental game have left you with an "I gotta see this!" attitude.

I'd love to get together for a round.  I've been up several times for work in the past couple months, but golf isn't really in season in that part of the country right now.  At this point I don't have any planned work trips for the spring, and I'm not sure how much notice I'll get when they come up, but I'll definitely let you know.

I'm going to be up there for a wedding in late July (I don't have my calendar in front of me, but it is the weekend around the 28th.)  I could definitely pencil some time that weekend.

Mike_Cirba

Re:The 85 Georgetown Factor
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2006, 11:16:11 PM »
Hey Tim,

I was just up there for all day meetings on Wed-Thurs this week.

While you're correct that it isn't the season, there isn't much snow on the ground and at this stage of winter, even the holes at Gillette Ridge looked pretty good at this point.

The project I'll be working on over the next 9 months should have me there quite a bit.  I'm a left-hander by the way, who can also shoot anywhere between 75 and 105, and could probably do it on back to back days.  ;)

I'll let you know my schedule, as well.

Mike

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