ffrog
Amateur Golfer
Posts: 247
TGCT Name: Dave Richards
Tour: Challenge Circuit
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Post by ffrog on Aug 11, 2019 15:24:19 GMT -5
This will probably jinx it, but - looks like my form has turned around. Scored -10 in round 4 last week to help clear a demotion mark, and have just opened up with a -12 this week. I was worrying I might get demoted out of CC-B before the end of the season, but now hopefully I can stay up...
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Post by up mup kupen nup on Aug 11, 2019 15:45:56 GMT -5
Same score, different composition: -9 -6 -14 -8 for me.
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 12, 2019 6:52:16 GMT -5
After the week of forced inactivity, yesterday I checked the course. I'm happy cause this time the course works almost flawlessly, on my PC. Is perfect, there is just a tree placed in front of my tee box on the first short par 4 (I don't remember the number of the hole, right now) that force me to use a HUGE draw or fade to reach the fairway..is a bit a shame cause a hole good for an easy birdie, with this tree became a hole in which a birdie must be really deserved..but it could be a lot, a lot worst so I'm sincerely happy and I can't wait to start! After a first fast look, I can say this course is another great selection by our schedulers. Nice looking course, good number of risk&reward holes, smart design in almost every hole to offer always an interesting challenge..really little to complain about, I think. Scored -11, but after 9 holes I scored 7 birdies and a stupid three putt bogeys caused by awful concentration. In the second nine I could play better. Playing in the proper way the first round's conditions offers the chance to obtain some great score. You must just deserve it. We will see. Is sad that the season is almost ended. I can't wait for the restart. Good luck and good golf to anyone, guys
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Post by stoneysooner on Aug 12, 2019 9:06:31 GMT -5
Just wanted to stop in and say thank you to the Challenge Circuit schedulers and players for their efforts in going around Horseshoe Bay! I spent a lot of time working on this course, and I am very proud that it ended up being chosen for this event. Please feel free to leave any feedback on either side of the fence. As a designer, I am always trying to improve and all feedback helps. Best of luck to all, and enjoy your rounds on Horseshoe Bay!
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 12, 2019 9:58:56 GMT -5
Just wanted to stop in and say thank you to the Challenge Circuit schedulers and players for their efforts in going around Horseshoe Bay! I spent a lot of time working on this course, and I am very proud that it ended up being chosen for this event. Please feel free to leave any feedback on either side of the fence. As a designer, I am always trying to improve and all feedback helps. Best of luck to all, and enjoy your rounds on Horseshoe Bay! No, mate. Thank YOU, cause your work and effort allow to us to spend some hour of fun. And this would be true even if your course should be no good for someone's taste..as it is true for any other designer's work. I just checked in a fast way your course, not spending time looking around me while I played, but it looks a great course. I'll be more precise after a serious practice round, if you could be interested in some opinion. In every case, thank you
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 12, 2019 12:51:11 GMT -5
Ok. "serious" practice round played. Another -11, but this is not important. And my first feeling was correct, for me. Is a great course. Nice looking and smart built. It runs clean and smooth and, if you do everything in the right way, your shots are always prized in some way. Or, at least, they are never penalized. You have what you deserve everytime. As a pro club player, I find it extremely interesting even cause, with the first round conditions, 3 of the par 5s are not reachable and the 4th requires a risk that I could take only if that potential eagle could make some difference for a win. The bunkers around the fairway in these holes are devilishly placed exactly to take those calls in which you look for a slight fast downswing with not enough control. The 4 par 3s are really interesting too and offers also a good variety in distances. The 4th, with pro clubs and these conditions, It offers the best challenge for me. You can use a 5 iron with a lot of spin, or you can risk a 6 iron pushed to the limit. Is a risk, but if it works you can stop your ball in a great place (just to miss the putt from 2 meters. True story. 👀) But what I liked the most are the stretch of long par 4 in the second nine holes, perfect to test your long irons and hybrids. But again, even with these distances, a good shot is never penalized. Final mention for the two short par 4. Is quite interesting to note how the first of them (hole 3, if I remember well, the one in which I have the tree in front of my tee), is indicated as the hole 9, in the shot index. This means that after all is not so easy. I can't shot straight to the green in every case cause the tree, but I have some serious doubt I would ever try even if I could, cause it seems exactly one of those holes in which the chance to reach the green with the tee shot is just an illusion, created exactly to give you some serious pain in the a$$. Maybe the second with different conditions is reachable for pro club players, we'll see. But now it requires simply to be no greedy, looking for the best possible distance for a good birdie's chance. There's nothing more to say..i think this is really a great course..and I'm sure I'll enjoy a lot my journey here. Enjoy it you too!
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Post by stoneysooner on Aug 12, 2019 13:16:56 GMT -5
Ezzino,
Really appreciate the comments. Your look and take on the course = my vision of the design. Unfortunate on the tree in front of the 3rd tee. That seems odd, as it shouldn't be there. On a side note, I designed the course with the master club set in mind, but really the pro set will cause you to take fewer risks and possibly give you a chance at a better score.
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 12, 2019 13:33:21 GMT -5
Ezzino, Really appreciate the comments. Your look and take on the course = my vision of the design. Unfortunate on the tree in front of the 3rd tee. That seems odd, as it shouldn't be there. On a side note, I designed the course with the master club set in mind, but really the pro set will cause you to take fewer risks and possibly give you a chance at a better score. It would be a disgrace, on my point of view, if designers should create courses having in mind only pro clubs. As a pro club players, I have already a lot of advantages. There is nothing wrong if I must deal with increased distances and roll more on my ball. We can't have it all, is simply this. And some increased difficulty can only help me to improve and work on my weak points. But so said, I can assure that even with pro clubs the course stays not only absolutely fair, but a joy to play. Never a difficulty which I can deal with. You did a great job and you can be proud of it.
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 13, 2019 5:15:00 GMT -5
First round in archive. -12. Normally I should be really happy of this, if not ecstatic, but..i missed 4 putts not only from a shameful distance, but they were also 4 putts with minimal slopes. I should simply hit straight that stupid stick. But the unnatural heat of these days makes actually absolutely impossible to avoid to play from the start with the hand and the controller completely sweaty. No matter if I play at night or at dawn. And for some reason, putting is much more difficult than play from tee to green. Maybe is my grab position on putts that don't help. Bah..stop these stupid complaints. It stays a great round. 100% FIR and GIR, 7.8 meters in proximity (that with no reachable par 5 is quite impressive) and...well. 24 putts. Anyway..the most absurd thing is that some hour before, I played my best golf ever, on the same course.. on a practice round. -17. All birdies but the 3rd hole (slight slow swing from the tee with the tree while I was trying a super draw to reach the fairway, ball in rough and then green missed). 15 of these birdies consecutive. 18 putts. Something never seen I was so stunned that I saved the screen (something I never do, even for the sporadic aces I can score). I'll save it for the black days. Or for my future grandsons "do you know? Your grandpa..." 👀 Ok ok. I shut the f&@k up. A bit seriously...About this course, after 4 played rounds, I can see that I'm absolutely in love with it. And I know why. Is not for the great scores..but cause it reminds me always a bit more courses like the Champion course at PGA National...that is probably my ideal type of course. It has just some elevation change more, but it plays smooth and gentle...at least with these conditions. I'm happy and curious to see how it will be with high wind in second round, cause I'm waiting for some bite. (And I know that I'll pay those stupid 4 putts) Anyway..we'll see. Good week of golf to anyone as always. See ya. Edit : Ah! As a totally secondary note, I really love the way the crowds is placed around the course. Really immersive
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 14, 2019 10:39:59 GMT -5
Impressive. I'm practicing at Horseshoe Bay before the second round..and now a coffee&cigarette break before to end the last three holes. Normally when the wind blows stronger I'm not too many concerned. Staying focused and with a bit of luck don't change so much playing a course. But with this wind (and with the exception of the par 5 hole 13), from the hole 9 to the hole 15 now we have a stretch of hole really challenging, at least using pro clubs. 4 long par 4 and a par 3 short BUT with a pin position absolutely bastard. And, as a bonus, the hole 14 is not so long, but the combo wind direction/fairway bunker/fairway slope makes the choice of the driver from the tee a savage risk. What a fantastic challenge! This course it sounds always better to me. Really. I don't know what will be my score this time, but is exciting to know that it will be required my best golf to score well, more than usual. I'll do my best to survive But, again, what a great work!
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Post by SkyBlueBen on Aug 14, 2019 13:29:08 GMT -5
Playing CC-Am standard golf in CC-B is a right old struggle. Very poor effort this week (-18). Not sure how I've survived these last few weeks but going into this week with no reddies ensures no demotion. Not sure what the TGCT head honcho's have in mind for next season but hopefully it's something that will suit all. Don't think I did myself any favours by entering the promo events and scamming promotions because all it's done is landed me in a place where I'll never be competitive. Kinda miss CC-E. More my level.
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Post by cephyn on Aug 14, 2019 13:34:08 GMT -5
I'm of the opinion that promo events were a terrible idea.
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Post by SkyBlueBen on Aug 14, 2019 13:40:59 GMT -5
I'm of the opinion that promo events were a terrible idea. Not everyone competes so you end up getting promoted over far better players just by taking part. Can't say I didn't enjoy the promotions but there are players far more deserving of being in CC-B than me. That's being realistic.
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Post by cephyn on Aug 14, 2019 13:43:19 GMT -5
I'm of the opinion that promo events were a terrible idea. Not everyone competes so you end up getting promoted over far better players just by taking part. Can't say I didn't enjoy the promotions but there are players far more deserving of being in CC-B than me. That's being realistic. Yeah. Nearly everyone I know who jumped up via promo event really struggled. Some even quit the tours because it was so discouraging.
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Post by ezzinomilonga on Aug 14, 2019 13:52:04 GMT -5
I'm of the opinion that promo events were a terrible idea. You know..i was thinking about promo events exactly today. I was forced to quit the only promo event I could play this season (I'm here by the end of April) cause the course suffered the usual glitch that affects some course I play on my PC..and, while until some week ago I was extremely sad for this missed chance, now I see that maybe has been a blessing for me to be forced to stay in cc-c..being forced to improve week by week to be promoted..and now..well, i don't know, but I'm not so sure that I would play a promo event if I could. Probably I could be competitive even in a better flight. But I like this challenge to be promoted as a consequence of the hard work i do weekly. My only regret is that the season is already ended But i understand that for someone a promo event is a great chance to be in the flight he feel to deserve. But is also true that often ambition is greater than talent (cit.), so a great promotion could also don't work exactly as expected. I have also to say that, after the last promo event, the various cc flights seems to be a bit more leveled. Probably, considering how many people can join the tour in the middle of the season, a pair of those events are an useful thing. But..well..i'm simply happy to be where I'm, at the moment.
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