A Perfect Practice Place

Bethlehem Golf Club Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 2325/2581 - 4906
Par: 34/34 - 68
Rating: 63.3, Slope: 109
Score: 46/44 = 90
Date: August 4, 2018

While visiting family in the Easton, Pa., on Saturday, I had a chance to play 18 holes at Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course. The nine-hole Executive Course, along with the 18-hole Monocacy Course and Driving Range, comprises the City of Bethlehem's wonderful public golfing complex along Illicks Mill Road.

Bethlehem Golf Club Executive Course Scorecard

I have played the challenging 18-hole Monocacy Course, which used to play 6,679 yards from the white tees in the past, but on this occasion I opted for the nine-hole course instead. I like the shorter course because it offers a great opportunity to work on your game while getting in a round at the same time. For only $19--the non-resident rate--I could play as many holes as I would have liked and I have played 27 at the EC in the past. Also, there are no carts on the Executive Course, which meant I walked a round for the second time this season.

First Hole from the Tee Box

Due to severe rain storms late last week, the course was very soft, making it play a bit longer, and puddles could be found around the course, although none affected play. On this Saturday, they only had one set of tee markers, so the nine holes played the same both times around. The one thing I didn't like was there are no yardage markers in the fairway, so approach shot distances are strictly by feel. I often under-clubbed during my round, but this also gave me the opportunity to practice my short game on almost every hole. I also used my 4-wood and hybrids off of most of the tees on the Par 4s.

The iconic Bethlehem Steel Building looms a short distance away

I was a bit disappointed with my play on the front nine. I had some good holes and a couple of very bad holes. I did make two pars, but I wasn't happy with my 46. The back nine was better, but my score was almost identical with a 44. I was happy in the fact that as I approached my closing three holes--16 (Par 4), 17 (Par 3) and 18 (Par 4)--I pretended I needed to shoot no worse than two-over-par to score a 90. I parred 17 and bogeyed 16 and 18 to shoot 90!

More photos of the Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course:

The downhill Par 4 4th Hole

The Par 3 8th Hole, which plays uphill

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Home, Not So Sweet, Home

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa.
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 64.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/44 = 94
Date: May 30, 2018

On Wednesday, the Muni Golfer returned to his roots for a round at Juniata Golf Club, the Philadelphia-owned course along the banks of the Tacony Creek, where I learned to play golf. Although the course is officially owned by the city, it is successfully operated by the non-profit Juniata Golf Foundation.

Juniata Scorecard

Under gray skies, humid temperatures and the threat of showers, I teed it up at Juniata for the first time in nearly two years, and only the second time since 2012. The foundation has done a lot of landscaping and other improvements over the last decade or so, and they are noticeable as you play the course. However, and I will attribute some of the this to the very wet spring we have experienced, the grass was thick from the tee boxes to the greens. In fact, Juniata's greens were some of the slowest I have ever played on. On one green, I hit my putt so hard that on any other course it would have rolled past the hole and six feet off the green, but in this case, I cam up six feet short of the hole. When I missed a fairway, which was too frequently, my optic yellow golf ball was often difficult to find.

Conditions aside, I did not play very well. I was using this round as an opportunity to try a new Wilson Staff F5 Driver and Ping G20 4-Wood. Although the Driver has a regular flex shaft, it felt a bit stiff and I left numerous tee shots out to the right and short. This left me with long second shots from the gnarly rough, which meant long pitch shots to the green for my third shot. Coupled with the very slow greens and it added up to multiple double- and triple-bogeys.

After the Sixth Hole, where I pulled my tee shot just into the left rough and couldn't find the ball, I was very frustrated. But I gave my self a lecture about grinding out the round. I recovered a bit and made my first birdie of the season at the short, but challenging Seventh Hole. I shot a very uncharacteristic 50 on the front nine. I played slightly better on the back nine, making pars at the Thirteenth and Fourteenth holes, but still shot 44 on the easier of the Juniata's two nines. This gave me a disappointing score of 94 for the round.

For now, I will go back to my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver while I work with the F5 at the practice range to see if it has a place in my bag. My search for a reliable fairway wood that I get hit consistently off the tee also continues. Up next is an old Golfsmith XPC Plus 3-wood, which has 16 degrees of loft. I am hoping that it pairs well with my WS D200 7-Wood.

Because of the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, Friday is going to be a practice day at the range as opposed to a playing day on the course.

A Nearly Washed Out Weekend

Practice Range
Mad Golfer Golf Club
114 E. Street Road
Southampton, Pa.
215/357-1622

This past Friday was set for the first individual round of the year. A 10:30 tee time awaited my cousin and I at The Fairways Golf Club. But the meteorologists were all calling for heavy downpours throughout that day. Even the course called Thursday with a warning to call and make sure they would be open before traveling there. So I did the natural thing and canceled Thursday while we spoke on the phone. My instincts were confirmed Thursday night when my cousin called to say he didn't want to play Friday due to the predicted weather. So what happened Friday? Nothing! Some light sprinkles in the morning, but the main showers stayed to our south. The day was mostly overcast but dry.

Frustrated that an opportunity to play golf had slipped away, I decided I would attempt to play at least nine holes at The Fairways on Sunday afternoon. The skies appeared clear enough, so I readied my carry bag and headed off to the course. And naturally, I drove about a quarter-mile when the heavens opened up! I had to pull off the road for about 10 minutes waiting for the rain to ease up. As I again began driving to the course, the gray skies gave intermittent showers, so I decided to head for the Mad Golfer for some practice. At least there I would be undercover and able to hit some golf balls.

The rain disappeared as practice began

I purchased a jumbo bucket and took up a spot on the range, laying out my alignment stick and warming up by stretching and hitting 12 balls with my lob wedge. And what happened? That's right; the clouds disappeared, sun came out, and it was a beautiful afternoon. Oh well. At least I was hitting golf balls.

The practice gave me the opportunity to test out the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Driver I had put back in my bag. I had adjusted the loft to 11.5-degrees and wanted to see how it played. After hitting 24 balls, I adjusted the loft back to its original 10.5-degrees and hit 24 more shots. I hit some good shots straight down the range, but I also hit an alarming number with a giant fade to the right. The session convinced me to put my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver back in the bag.

The 1st blister of the season

Next, I hit my FG Tour F5 4-wood, both off the tee and off the turf. I picked up this club last season, but was unable to really use it due to the heart surgery. Today demonstrated to me that I need some more practice with the club, but I think it will be a good addition to the bag.

I followed the 4-wood with my FG Tour F5 3-hybrid, another club I have not had much of a chance to work with yet. I picked up this club to replace my 7-wood on shorted courses, giving me some flexibility in my arsenal. Again, I need to work with more, more I again, think this will be a good addition. I finished my practice with my V4 Utility 4 iron, hitting six shots off the tee and six off the mat.

While the weather didn't entirely keep me from hitting golf balls this weekend, it did cause me alter plans, and in both cases, unnecessarily. My practice with my long game was beneficial and hopefully, the weather will allow for more play and less practice in the coming weeks.

Beating the Weather

Practice Range
Mad Golfer Golf Club
114 E. Street Road
Southampton, Pa.
215/357-1622

Yesterday's forecast called for severe weather to begin rolling through the region in the late afternoon. Because of commitments, Mrs. Muni Golfer had the car until the late afternoon. As the clouds were turning the skies gray and the temperature was beginning to drop, I knew I would not have enough time to get in even nine holes. But I did feel optimistic that I could at least get in a bit of practice, so I headed out to the Mad Golfer to use the practice range.

The skies were gray

Based on my play in last week's golf outing, I felt I needed some work on my fairway woods and long irons/hybrids, so I made that area the focus of my practice. I purchased a large bucket of range balls and found an empty stall at what was a surprisingly crowded range.

Swing Sock

After putting down my alignment stick, I used my weighted Swing Sock on my 7 iron to loosen up, then hit 10 lob wedges, followed by 10 8 irons to warm up. I am still trying to decide between carrying a 4 hybrid and a 4 utility iron. So I hit 10 balls with my Wilson Staff V4 Utility 4 iron and my Callaway Heavenwood 4 hybrid. I hit balls much better with the 4 utility than I did the hybrid. The result is the V4 will be going in my bag for the next round.

Wilson Staff V4 Utility Iron

Next up, I hit 10 balls with my Callaway X Hot 7 wood, then 5 balls with my Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 4 wood. I made solid contact with the 4 wood, and okay contact with the 7 wood. I still need to practice with both, but they will remain in my bag for now.

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815

I finished off my practice by hitting 15 balls with my Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Driver. I purchased this driver nearly two years ago when Sports Authority was going out of business and played about seven rounds with it during the 2016 season. For some reason, I went back to my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver, but I am putting the Callaway back in the bag. At the range yesterday, I hit the ball solidly and with a good trajectory. An adjustable driver, I had it set at 10.5-degrees loft and a neutral setting. Last night I increased the loft to 11.5 degrees, still in the neutral setting, so I will need another session at the range this week to see how that works, but I expect to play my next round with this driver in the bag.

The rain came, but practice was not a washout

As the skies continued to darken during my practice, I knew I was in a bit of a race against the weather. As I was hitting my last three balls with the driver, the rain began. Fortunately, I was undercover and during a brief letup, I was able to get myself and my clubs in the car. Practice was complete and the weather was beaten.

A Fairways Fade

The Fairways Golf Club
Warrington, Pa.
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 43/57 = 100
Date: September 25, 2015

Hoping to put my wretched play at the The Rookery South two weeks prior behind me, I teed it up at The Fairways Golf Club, looking to get my game back to track. But a giant fade off the first tee was the opening sign that things weren't about to get much better. If that wasn't enough of an ominous sign, my 7-iron approach to the green hit something--I suspect a rake in the right side bunker--and bounced back into the water fronting the green. That meant an opening 7. I did manage to regroup and make a par at the Second Hole, but a triple-bogey 6 at the short par 3 Third Hole confirmed this round wasn't going to be a good one.

The Fairways Scorecard

Although I managed to shoot a 43 on the opening nine holes, the same I shot my last round at The Fairways when I shot an 81, this score had a weird feel to it. I triple-bogeyed two of the four par 3s on the outward nine, as well as the opening hole. I did manage a birdie at the 327-yard Par 4 Fifth Hole when I hit 4-wood off the tee, then hung my approach shot out to right and into the greenside bunker. From the sand I splashed my ball onto the green, where dead into the cup! It is the first birdie I ever made on a hole-out from the sand!

A triple-bogey at the Third Hole

I took the 43 to the back nine, still wondering if I was going to be able to post a good score despite my erratic play. That was answered with a topped tee shot at the Tenth, where it took three shots to get out of a bunker. An opening 8 on the outward nine. In all, my shots found bunkers on 8 of the 18 holes during my round. Another 8 at the Thirteenth. Another triple-bogey at the Fifteenth where it took three shots to escape a bunker. And a 10 at the Eighteenth brought me home in 57, for a total of 100.

A holed shot from the right bunker for birdie!

My short game was very poor and cost me many, many shots. And getting off the tee was a problem. Several weeks ago, because I was hooking a lot of my tee shots, I put ome lead tape on the toe of my driver. That seemed to help for awhile, but the last two rounds it has caused me to hit a bad fade of slice. That fade off the tee led to my fade on the back nine. I can remove the tape and hopefully, I can remove the errors that have plagued me for the last two rounds.

Roughed Up at The Rookery

The Rookery South
Milton, Del
Yards: 2886/3253 – 6139
Par: 35/36 = 71
Rating: 68.6, Slope: 123
Score: 53/54 = 107
Date: September 11, 2015

It has been a few years since Mrs. Muni Golfer and I have taken a Labor Day week vacation at the Delaware shore, but we got away for five days. I was hoping for two rounds, but unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. I did manage to tee it up at The Rookery South last Friday, but the course was soggy and didn't help my rusty game.

The Rookery South Scorecard

I knew it was going to be a long afternoon when my opening tee shot went way right into the Eighth fairway. For there I hacked it up towards the green and when my second putt finally found the bottom of the cup, I had an opening 10. I had trouble off the tee most of the day--I hit four balls in the water--and consistently put myself into difficulty with the thick, wet rough. My iron game was a struggle and I was tentative with my chipping and pitching all day. The fact that there was little roll didn't help either.

The Eighth Green where I made birdie

I had three highlights for my round:

   * At the 362-par, par 4 Eighth Hole I hit it into the right rough and from a side-hill lie, gouged a 6-iron onto the green about 10 feet from the hole. I made the putt for a birdie.

   * At the 155-yard par 3 Ninth Hole, I hit my tee shot to the front of the green, chipped to two feet and made par.

  * At the monster, 566-yard par 5 Eighteenth Hole, I found the fairway with my driver, laid up with my 4-wood, then hit a 7-iron to about 15 feet. My birdie putt was just wide of the hole and I tapped in for a par.

The Ninth Hole where I made par

Overall, I shot a 107; a disappointing score considering I shot an 87 at The Rookery in July 2014 and a 92 with borrowed clubs in September 2013. As we now enter the fall season, the rounds are coming further apart, so it may be difficult to regroup.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

And the Streak Goes On...

The Fairways Golf Club
Warrington, Pa.
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 43/38 = 81
Date: August 23, 2015

Taking last weekend off after two consecutive rounds in the 80s the previous two weeks, I was anxious to see if I could keep the momentum going on Sunday. Playing my third consecutive round at The Fairways Golf Club, I teed off at 1 p.m.; teamed by the starter with a retired couple, John and Rosemary.

The Fairways Scorecard

After splitting the fairway with my opening drive, I hit a fat 7-iron that came up just short of the pond fronting the first green. I pitched over the pond into the right rough and chipped on, then made my putt for a 5. I had parred the First Hole the previous two rounds, but I was happy with the bogey as I headed to the Second Hole. After pulling my tee shot left behind a tree, I shanked a chip across the fairway, then ditched my next shot into the bunker which led to a 7. I was not hitting my irons particularly well, but I was putting well and managing to get the ball into the hole without too much damage. I made par 4s at the short Sixth Hole and the difficult Eighth, and a it was only a four-putt at the Ninth Hole that prevented me from shooting lower than a 43. Not as good as the 40 I posted the previous round, but a good score for the way I was hitting my irons. I could feel my game improving and my confidence building.

A par at the Sixth Hole got my round started

I opened the back nine by hitting my Wilson Staff Fybrid RS straight down the middle and had just a short sand wedge into the green. I two-putted for my third par of the day. At the Eleventh Hole, I again found the middle of the dogleg right and then hit an 8-iron to right side of green, where I sank the downhill putt for birdie! An 8-iron at the Twelfth Hole found the left bunker, but I blasted out to a foot for a tap-in par. I pulled my 4-wood left off the Thirteenth tee and then came up woefully short with my 53-degree wedge. I chipped on and two-putted for a bogey. Another 8-iron off the tee at the Par 3 Fourteenth found the left rough, but I chipped on a two-putted for another bogey. Through five holes on teh back nine, I was a mere one over par. At the Par 3 Fifteenth, I again found the green, and my 15-foot birdie putt just lipped out. My only real hiccup on the back came at the 323-yard Sixteenth Hole, where I pushed my tee shot right and out-of-bounds. My second tee shot found the left side of the fairway, but I went long to the back of the green with my gap wedge and three-putted for a triple-bogey 7. That put me at 4-over through seven holes. I hit a long drive at the Seventeenth, and my approach from the right side of the fairway found the rough left of the green. I chipped on and made my seventh par of the round. I again pulled my drive left at the home hole, then found the right bunker with my 7-iron approach. I blasted out and two-putted to finish the closing nine with a 5-over-par 38 and a total of 81 for the round.

A bad tee shot at the 16th led to a triple-bogey

The back nine was some of the best golf I had played this year, and had it not been for the errant tee shot at the Sixteenth and the four-putt at the Ninth, I believe I might have shot in the 70s. I am feeling very confident with my game right now. The move back to the Wilson Staff clubs has really given me a significant boost. While I did hit my irons somewhat poorly to start the round, my iron game got better and better as the round progressed. I look forward to continuing this streak of good golf as the summer starts to fade and the fall slowly inches forward.

Welcome Back Mr. Wilson!

I have made some changes to the arsenal of clubs in my golf bag over the past few weeks. These changes have coincided with two of the better rounds I've played this year. After making a switch to TaylorMade/Adams Golf equipment earlier this season, I have decided to go back to the Wilson Staff clubs I have used with success the past few years. These clubs are mainly the driver and irons, and I've added in a Fybrid--a cross between a fairway wood and a hybrid--as well.

Although Wilson Staff doesn't get the love and respect it deserves, mainly because it only has five players on its PGA Tour staff, the company makes golf clubs as good or better than the major equipment manufacturers that over-populate the Tours. But Wilson Staff does have a rich history in the game. Their irons have won more majors that any other brand. Wilson Staff clubs have been used by some of the game's all-time greats, including Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Cary Middlecoff, Billy Casper, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer, John Daly and Vijay Singh.

So here is what I currently carry in my golf bag:

Driver: Wilson Staff Smooth. 10.5 degrees. This driver was introduced in 2007/8. While it is one of the oldest club's in my bag, it remains one of the best drivers I have ever hit.

Wilson Staff Smooth Driver

4-Wood: Callaway X2 Hot. 17 degrees. I have carried a 4-wood for several years now. Research has shown that most amateurs get more distance from hitting a higher lofted 4-wood that a traditional 15 degree 3-wood. It is also easier to hit off the fairway.

Callaway X2 Hot 4-wood

Hybrid: Wilson Staff Fybrid. 19.5 degrees. A cross between a fairway wood and hybrid, Wilson's research has shown that the Fybrid's loft and length (41-in.) makes it easier to hit from the fairway that a traditional 2-iron, 3-iron, or 7-wood.

Wilson Staff Fybrid

Irons: Wilson Staff Ci7s, 4-iron through Gap Wedge. These irons were also introduced in 2008 and have mostly been in bag since 2010. A cavity-back iron, they give me better control, but also the distance I need. I may swap out the 4-iron for a Wilson Staff 4-hybrid.

Wilson Staff Ci7s

Wedges: Solus 4.1, 53 degrees and Solus 420, 56 degrees. These wedges have a cavity-back design, allowing for better forgiveness and helping to get the ball in the air. The crescent cut on the sole of the club allows you to open the clubface to hit from a variety of conditions. These are the best wedges I have ever played.

Solus 4.1 Wedge

Putter: Odyssey XG #9, 34-in., with a WinnPro X 1.32 over-sized grip. The putter is a toe-weighted, heel-shafted, flanged blade with a soft white insert.

Odyssey XG #9 Putter

I hope this arsenal, which includes 10 Wilson Staff clubs, will continue to produce the consistent golf I've played over the past few weeks. In any case, I plan to stick with Wilson Staff for the forseeable future.

Give It A Rest

After teeing it up for seven consecutive weekends, I decided to give my

body a rest. Despite consecutive good rounds the previous two weeks, the forecasts called for soaring temperatures and humidity, so I figured it was a good time for a physical and mental break.

Although I didn't play any golf this past weekend, I did add a new Wilson Staff Fybrid RS to my bag. The Fybrid--which is 41-in. in length, has a loft of 19.5 degrees and comes with a UST Mamiya VTS Proforce shaft--is meant to be a bridge between fairway woods and hybrids that replace longer irons, replacing the 2-hybrid, 2-iron and 7-wood in the bag. In my

Wilson Staff Fybrid

case, it will be the bridge between my Callaway X2 Hot 4-wood and my Wilson Staff Ci7 4-iron. Wilson claims that their studies have indicated that the Fybrids' loft and length are optimal for hitting long shots from the fairway.

I purchased the Fybrid new online from BudgetGolf.com for $9.97. At that price, I couldn't afford not to take a flyer on the club. It cost nearly as much for shipping as it did for the club. I already have a Wilson Staff Fybrid RS 4-hybrid, which was in my bag the two previous seasons. Depending on how well the 19.5-degree Fybrid performs, I may replace my 4-iron with the 4-hybrid. I hope to test the club out at the practice range later this week before taking it to the course next weekend.

Beginning of a Streak?

The Fairways Golf Club
Warrington, Pa.
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 40/44 = 84
Date: August 8, 2015

After finally snapping my run of awful golf the previous Saturday at The Fairways Golf Club, I decided I should return there this past Saturday to see if I juts had a lucky round or if my golf game was beginning to show signs of life. I only made one slight change to the clubs I had carried the previous round, swapping out my Adams Tight Lies fairway wood for a Callaway X2 Hot 4-wood. The weather was absolutely gorgeous--upper 80s with a slight breeze--as I prepared to tee off late in the afternoon.

The Fairways Scorecard

Hitting my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver off the first tee, I found the right side of the fairway and had only an 8-iron into the hole. Although I just missed the green to the left, I was able to two-putt for an opening par, just like I had the previous round! Because I had been hooking a lot of my shots with the driver, I had decided to put some lead tape on the toe of the club to see if that might help the problem and seemed to be effective at the First Hole. At the Second Hole, I over-hit my driver and hit a low fade that missed the fairway badly to the right. However I managed to recover, but a miss-hit chip led to a double-bogey. Another par at the short Par 3 Third Hole was followed by a bogey at the Par 3 Fourth Hole. Standing on the tee at the long, 372-yard Par 4 Fifth Hole, I was tempted to hit the 4-wood after the driver produced the slice at the Second. But I told myself to have confidence, so I pulled the driver and striped a beautiful shot right down the fairway. Even though I made a 6 on teh hole, I was proud at how I had performed off the tee. A three-putt bogey followed a poor tee shot at the Sixth Hole, and another three-putt led to a double-bogey at the Seventh. But I redeemed myself at the 355-yard Eighth Hole. Seeing the tees had been moved up 10 yards, I hit 4-wood off the tee and found the center of the fairway. I had an 8-iron into the green, which you cannot see from the fairway. I hit it to eight feet and sunk the putt for a birdie! Another three-putt bogey at the Ninth Hole gave me a 40 for the opening nine holes, one stroke lower than the previous week.

Some lead tape on the toe has helped my driving

Although I was playing well from tee-to-green, my putting was not as consistent as it had been recently. I was missing too many short putts. I could easily have shot a 38 or 39 on the front nine if I could had made a couple of short putts. This would continue on the back nine. In addition, I took two shots to escape bunkers on three different holes. But I was hitting it much better off the tee, especially with my driver. For the round, I hit 9 of 11 fairways off the tee; probably my best effort of the year. I basically played bogey golf on the back nine, except for two holes--Fifteen and Seventeen--where my bunker play did me in. I shot 44 on the back--four strokes better than the previous week--and 84 for the round. That was five shots lower than the 89 I had shot previously.

A Wilson Staff Fybrid will soon audition in my golf bag

Based on my last two rounds at The Fairways, it feels like my game is rebounding from the horrible six-weeks stretch I had earlier in June and July. I hit the driver much better and my iron shots much crisper. It is easier to play this game from the short grass of the fairway than the long rough off it. Although I will not get a chance to practice this week, my confidence level is up and I am looking forward to teeing it up this coming weekend.

Finally! At The Fairways

The Fairways Golf Club
Warrington, Pa.
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 41/48 = 89
Date: August 1, 2015

It has been six long weeks of frustration. Poor tee shots, fat iron shots, chunked or skulled chips and inconsistent putting. Six weeks in which I manged only 11 pars in 90 holes played. In which I lost nearly two dozen golfs. But that all ended Saturday at The Fairways Golf Club. In shooting an 89, I played my best round since shooting an 86 at The Fairways on June 19. It was only the fourth time I managed to break 100 in the 10 rounds I've played year.

The Fairways Scorecard

The turnaround began earlier in the week, when I decided to go back to the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver that I had played most of last year. I also returned to my Wilson Staff Ci7 irons. I kept the Adams Tight Lies 4-wood that I been carrying, as well as the Solus wedges and Odyssey XG9 putter. I rounded out my bag by adding my 20-degree Elevon Tour 3 hybrid back in the bag, along the Ci7 4-iron in place of the Alpha Rx 4 hybrid.

Wilson Staff Smooth Driver is back in the back

Armed with the new configuration of 14 clubs in my bag, I hit the first tee at The Fairways. My opening drive naturally went a bit left, but from the rough, I managed to hit a low short iron shot that rolled to the back of the green. I two-putted and had a par at the First Hole! Was this just an aberration or a sign of things to some? I quickly found out at the Second Hole. I again hot my tee shot into the left rough, but my 7-iron approach shot found the green. Although I three-putted for a bogey, I had played well two holes in a row. Even though I went bogey and double-bogey over the next two holes, I was playing more consistently. At the Fifth Hole, 372-yard par 4, I hit the fairway off the tee, found the green with my approach, and two-putted for another par! My tee shot at the Sixth Hole was pushed to the right and came up just short of the creek that crosses the course. That shot would have found water in the past few weeks, but it stayed dry, although I did make a double-bogey 6 when I three-putted. I made three consecutive bogeys from there, but finished the front nine in 41. It is one of the lowest nine hole scores I've shot this year.

The Fifth Hole where I made par

The back nine was not quite as clean as the opening nine holes, but I still played better golf. I made a par at the 139-yard Twelfth Hole after just missing a 15-foot putt for birdie. I also made three straight double bogeys at holes 14-16, and an 8 at the 374-yard par 4 Seventeenth Hole when I took three shots to get out of the right bunker. But I recovered at the Eighteenth to make a nice 5 after hooking my tee shot left. The back nine 48 wasn't great, but it was much better than the way I had been playing.

I just missed a birdie at the Twelfth Hole

Overall, I hit it better off the tee on Saturday, and on those occasions when I didn't, I didn't compound my error by making three or four bad shots in row afterwards. Except for a few instances, I hit my irons much better, as well as my chips and pitches around the green. And my putting was consistent. I will take a lot of confidence from this round and I look forward to continuing the improvement during my next round this coming weekend.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Wilted at Walnut Lane

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa.
Yards: 2173/2098 - 4271
Par: 31/31 - 62
Rating: 59.9, Slope: 91
Score: 53/45 = 98
Date: July 18, 2015

Hoping to reverse my current golfing fortunes, and armed with 10 new additions to my golf bag, I teed it up at Walnut Lane Golf Club. Tucked into the Wissahickon Valley, which is part of the Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, Walnut is owned by the city, but operated by a non-profit entity. Designed by legendary designer Alex Findlay and opened in 1940, it is a short course, but challenging through its tight, tree-lined fairways, hills and valleys, and unique Par 3s.

Walnut Lane Scorecard

Saturday's weather was extremely hot and humid, one of the hottest of the summer so far. Still, as I stood on the first tee, I had a good feeling a about my round. That lasted all of one hole. After a benign bogey at the short Par 4 First Hole, I hooked my tee shot at the Par 3 Second Hole. Unable to find my ball, I took a drop and made a 7. At the Third Hole, another short Par 4 that doglegs left, I hit three consecutive tee shots left; the first two out-of-bounds.That led to an 11. Three lost balls in two holes. All season I have been searching for my customary draw, or right-to-left shot. On Saturday, my shot was right-to-Fore, Left! At the long, downhill 218-yard Par 3 Fourth Hole, I hit the ball over the green and it naturally cam to rest on top of a pile of sticks. That led to a double-bogey 5, but considering the way the previous two holes had gone, I wasn't too disappointed. The Fifth Hole is a 184-yard Par 3 that doglegs left over a deep valley. After pulling my tee shot left--notice the theme here--I hit chipped over a waste are onto the green and two-putted for a bogey. At the Sixth Hole, I hit my tee shot fat, which led to a triple bogey 6. At the Seventh Hole, a downhill, 357-yard Par 4, I hit my Driver left, then pulled my 4-hybrid left and out-of bounds. Fourth lost day in seven holes! I dropped and hit it again to the back of the green, then two-putted for a 6 instead of a par. At the short Par 3 Eighth Hole, I found the green off the tee and two-putted for my first par and second decenty hole of the day. A double-bogey 6 ended the front nine with 53.

The Eleventh Tee looking down from the green

At this point, I was drenched in sweat and my legs were beginning to feel the effects of the heat and the hills. But I was determined to try and turn things around on the back nine. At the Tenth, I skyed by tee shot left and very short, which led to a 7. The Eleventh Hole is  tight, up-hill Par 3, where I hooked my tee shot for another lost ball and made a 5. The twelfth is a dogleg left that plays over a ravine off the tee. I hit a draw off the tee and made a 5. At the Thirteenth Hole, a short 125-yard Par 3, I sat for about 10 minutes and made a bottle of nuun energy drink. Of course, when I did resume, I hit my tee shot left and made a 4. At the Fourteenth Hole, a 147-yard Par 3, I uncharacteristically pushed my tee shot short a right, then chunked my pitch shot. Needed to hit my third shot between two bunkers, I lobbed it up and onto to the green, where it tracked all the way to cup and dropped it for a par!!!! Buoyed by this, I was determined to grind out the round and break 100! A decent tee shot at the 340-yard dogleg right Fifteenth Hole left me with a 8-iron into the green, but I came short, took two shots to chip on and made a 6. I made bogeys and the back-to-back Par 3 Sixteenth and Seventeenth Holes. Standing on the tee at the 360-yard Par 4 Eighteenth Hole, I went back and forth between hitting my Driver or 4-Wood. I choose Driver and hit it left for my sixth lost ball of the day. I hit my third shot just short of the green, then took four more shots for a 7 and a back nine 45. But I had grinded it out and I had broken 100! No small feat for me lately.

The chip shot I holed at the Fourteenth

Other than my putting, don't quit attitude and somehow breaking 100, there is very little positive I take away from this round. My tee shots were horrible, my irons were poor and most of my short game was weak. I definitely need to get to the practice range this week to try and find an answer so I can begin to turn this season around before it is too late.

A Change for (Hopefully) the Better

There is a saying in golf that goes, "It's not the arrows, it's the Indian." That means that it's not the golf clubs' fault when a golfer is playing poorly, it the fault of the player, himself. And while much of that rings true during this slump I am experiencing, I still feel it's time to shake up my golf bag and the mix of clubs I carry.

TaylorMade Aero Burner Driver

So over the six days, I have examined the clubs in my golf bag and made a few changes. Some clubs have remained, while the majority have been replaced--at least for now. So here is new composition of the 14 clubs currently in my golf bag:
Driver: I am sticking with the TaylorMade Aero Burner that has been in my bag since the end of May. Even though I have wildly inconsistent with it--even shortening by a half-inch to gain better control--I feel confident that will soon begin to yield better results for me off the tee.

4-Wood: I have upgraded the Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood that was in my bag with a newer Adams Tight Lies 4-Wood I purchased at Golf Galaxy last Saturday. The Tight Lies is one

Adams Tight Lies

degree stronger, but both are the same length. I used it in my round last Saturday at The Fairways Golf Club and was impressed with the results. I expect to be as good off the turf as it is off the tee.

Hybrids: I have replaced my steel-shafted 3- and 4-hybrids with new TaylorMade Jetspeed hybrids. I purchased the new hybrids last night from Golf Galaxy, which had them on sale for about 40 percent of their original retail price. Combined with an e-mail coupon that I received and I got them for practically cost. These new Jetspeed hybrids have a Matrix graphite shaft and match my old hybrids almost exactly, except the new 3-hybrid is one

TaylorMade Jetspeed Hybrid

degree stronger. It will play as a 5-Wood/2-iron in my bag, while the 4-

hybrid replaces my 4-iron.

Irons: I have replaced my Wilson Staff Ci7 irons, 5-through Gap Wedge, with an old set of TaylorMade 200 irons, also 5 through Gap Wedge. The 200s, which came out around 2002, are a cavity back iron that looks and feels more like a blade iron. I have had very good success with them in the past and I hope they will instill some needed success in my current game.

Wedges: I am sticking with the Solus 53- and 56-degree gap and

TaylorMade 200 Irons

sand wedges that have been the bag for several years. These wedges are the best I have ever played. They are extremely versatile and I like the fact that they are more of a cavity back than a blade, which helps with forgiveness.

Putter: I have played a great deal with a Snake Eyes MCS2 putter through most of this year, but I have been horrible on short putts all

Odyssey XG9 Putter

year long. My last two rounds, however, I have played with an Odyssey XG9 putter and I have been much better on both my long and
short putts. It has a WinnPro X over-sized grip, which has helped my with my feel. This putter is staying in the bag.

So there you have it. Only four of the 14 clubs in my bag last week have survived. Ten new clubs have entered the bag and will comprise my arsenal when I tee up this weekend and the forseebale future. I will keep you apprised of now they work out.

A Slow Byrne

John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa.
Yards: 2273/2658 - 4931
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 116
Score: 50/52 = 102
Date: July 5, 2015

Hoping to change the declining fortunes of my golf game, I played a round at one the Philadelphia-owned courses, John F. Byrne Golf Club in the Northeast. Originally built as Holmesburg Country Club, Byrne winds through a valley with the Torresdale creek coming into play on no less than ten holes, including the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth.

John F. Byrne Scorecard

Hoping to switch up my luck, I put an old 3-wood (TaylorMade Burner), my Callaway X-Hot 7-wood, Wilson Staff RS 4-Hybrid and Odyssey XG #9 putter into the bag. Unfortunately, other than my putting, which improved greatly from my previous rounds, nothing much changed in my game.

The tee shot at the First Hole

Although I pulled my opening tee shot left, I still had a shot at the green, but came up short on my approach and made double bogey. I redeemed myself at the Par 3 Second Hole, where I missed the green right, but chipped on and two-putted for a 4. At the Par 4 Fourth Hole, where you have hit your tee shot over the creek through an opening in the treeline, I managed to find the green in two, but missed short putt--one the few short putts I missed during the round--and made a 5. Unfortunately, that was sandwiched by a 7 and 6 on two of the easiest Par 4s on the course: the Third and Fifth Holes. I made bogeys and the Par 3 Sixth and Eight Holes and double bogeyed the easy 242-yard Par 4 Seventh Hole, before making a disastrous 8 at the Ninth Hole. It added up to a Front Nine 50.

The tight drive at the Fourth Hole

Again, my tee shots were a major cause of my poor play. I hit several tee shots off the heel of the club, putting in a poor position. My second shots were often not much better and my chipping was tentative at best. No excuses, but we had an extremely slow three-some in front of me and my playing partner, 84-year-old Bob, who more than held his own off the tee. The threesome became a five-some at the Tenth Hole, and the prospects for a quicker Back Nine looked grim.

The tee shot at the Tenth Hole

After finding the fairway with my 3-wood off the Tenth, I made a 5, At the Eleventh, the five-some mercifully allowed Bob and I to play through. I made a double bogey after coming up short on the uphill Par 3, then took two shots to chip on. At the Par 5 Twelfth Hole, I began a three-hole stretch that started to give me some hope. I hit driver off the tee and found the left side of the fairway, just in the rough. But my 7-wood went right and hit a tree. I punched out to just inside 100 yards, then wedged on and two-putted for a good bogey 6. I made my only par of the day at the very short, 89-yard Thirteenth (lucky for me) by hitting into the middle of the green and two-putting. At the long, 219-yard Par 3 Fourteenth Hole, I hit my tee shot right of the green, in the Twelfth fairway. I pitched on and two-putted for a 4 on a fairly difficult hole. It was the last decent hole I played. It took my 29 shots to play the last four holes. My legs were gone in the humid weather and I limped in with a Back Nine 52 and disappointing total of 102.

The Par 3 Eleventh Hole

As I stated earlier, my putting was much improved using the Odyssey XG #9. I missed only one short putt, which has been my achilles so far this season. Those missed short putts have turned numerous pars into bogeys, bogeys into double bogeys and even doubles into triples. But that wasn't the case at Byrne. I am however, really struggling off the tee, whether it be the driver, fairway wood, hybrid or iron, but especially with the driver. After the round, I removed some lead tape I had put on the bottom of my TaylorMade Aero Burner Driver and I hope that might help with the problem. I also think I need to use the driver less off the tee in favor of my Adams Golf 4-wood--which is now back in the bag--until I get more consistent. Perhaps a session at the practice range is in order.

Photos by The Muni Golfer