Some old scorecards...

So I was digging through a closet in my back bedroom this morning looking for a DSL modem and I found a couple old scorecards. Its funny when these things just appear. Two of them were from my first couple Arizona outings, and the third was 3 or 4 rounds ago. Here's a little peek...

The oldest one was from Apache Wells (www.apachewellsgolfclub.com) I shot a 71 going out with 26 putts and 67 coming back with 22 putts. A little better on the back 9, but we're still looking at a 138. Not anybody's best round. This course is actually easier going out (34) than coming back (37) so I guess I should consider it some kind of moral victory, but the whole course is only 6038 yards and its fairly straight. We played another round there the next month where I shot a little better.

The second oldest is from Kokopelli Golf Club (www.americangolf.com) and I shot a 144. Yikes. I remember that day. It was horrible. Everything I hit went immediately to the right. I lost a lot of balls that day out of bounds. I shot a 74 going out and a 70 coming in. This was probably 6 to 8 weeks after the previous scorecard. This course is about 6228 yards. A little longer, but still not especially long. I remember that it was a nice course though. I would definitely play there again.

The third scorecard is newer - from early this year, like January or so. I hit a then personal best of 108. It was Apache Wells again, like the first card. I hit 57 on the way out with 21 putts, and 51 on the way in with 19 putts. It was a very good day. For someone that's NEVER shot a birdie (I missed one by an inch on my last round), I did have 3 pars. That's pretty good for me. I had more 1 putts that I normally have and my drives stayed mostly in play.

So the story of these cards is this: The first and third cards are the same course about a year apart. I went from a 138 to a 108. That's a reduction of 21.5%. If in the next year I can affect a similar reduction in my handicap, I'll be hitting 85. That would be OUTSTANDING. I will happily take HALF that and hit a 96.

I think I might play tomorrow AND Sunday. That will kick butt. I can't wait!!

Joe