Patapsco, a first!

Much as I wish I could say that I finally broke even at Patapsco, I can't.

What I can say is that I did achieve a first today: I played from the blue tees for the first time. For any course. I didn't do too badly either. One thing I noticed: on a number of the holes, the blue tees offered a better start than the reds. Fewer obstacles. At any rate, I don't remember much standing out, but here's the numbers:

1. Started this with a great drive that actually went farther than my average from the reds. Why? Fewer trees to deal with. Double bogey, 5
2. This one went to hell straight out of my hand. Quadruple bogey(!!!), 7 (ouch!)
3. Par(!), 4
4. Bad drive behind the bushes on the left. Triple bogey :(, 6
5. Par, 4
6. Bogey, 5
7. Par, 4
8. I love this hole! Behind a tree, 30' from the pin on my 2nd shot. Par, 4
9. Liking this one too when I don't mess it up! Par, 4
10. Easy peasy when it's in the A position. Par, 3
11. Birdie, as usual, 4
12. Still working on this one, Double Bogey, 5
13. Par, 4
14. Par, 4
15. Bogey, 4
16. Bogey, 5
17. Bogey, 5
18. Par, 4

All in all, not bad, if I say so myself. The first time I played Patapsco, I threw +16 from the reds. From the blues today I threw +14 (+10, +4) with 81 strokes (43, 38). Plenty of room for improvement, and I'm up for the challenge. I will beat this course, from the blues, some day. Hopefully this year!

A storm was coming in as I hit the back 9. Thunder sounded while putting 11. "Bring it on!" I yelled*, "You're not scarin' me off!" It continued rumbling on and off. On 17, I heard the first drops sprinkling the trees above me. Walking out of the woods to the 18th tee, I felt those few drops. A light sprinkle. I drove. As I was approaching my final shot on 18, I heard the rain hitting the trees and approaching fast. I scooped up the disc, putted it in (about 6'), grabbed it and headed into the woods. The storm was here and I was done.



* I do that sometimes when no one's looking.