One Step Forward, Three Putts Back

There are rounds where your golf stats fall apart — and rounds where your golf self somehow stays intact anyway. July 13 at Fox Creek was one of those days. I logged 51 putts (yes, really) and shot a 106. But even in the middle of some serious golf putting struggles, I walked off the course feeling surprisingly okay.

Part of that was having a genuinely good golf partner. Tony was encouraging, easy to talk to, and didn’t take either of our putting issues too seriously — which helped, because he wasn’t exactly draining them either. We talked a lot about what we liked and struggled with in our games, swapped a few technique thoughts, and kept the conversation rolling between shots. At one point, I asked why his tee shots were leaking right and he just said, “Yeah, I know what it is. I’ll work it out in a few holes.” I respected the confidence.

It was also the first round I’ve ever had a drink on the course. They were out of Twisted Teas, so I grabbed a couple of Sun Cruisers and spaced them out after the turn — nothing wild, but enough to make the round feel less like a league match and more like something else. I still took hydration seriously, especially in the heat, and waited until Hole 6 to crack the first one.

There was a little bit of friendly scoring back and forth — he had the early lead, then I got a few strokes back after some clean GIRs — but once the back nine hit, my putting completely unraveled. Some of it was nerves, some of it was misreads, and a lot of it was just long first putts that left me scrambling from 6–8 feet. I did have a couple of beautiful lag putts that rolled to inside a foot, and Tony offered them as gimmes — but I still counted them as strokes. I’m not in the habit of padding a score to feel better about it.

The truth is, I’ve been playing a lot of golf lately — different greens, different speeds — and while that’s going to help in the long run, there are growing pains. I’m also trying to trust what I learned in my recent putting class, even when it hasn’t fully clicked yet. I’m not leaving everything short anymore, which is progress. But it’s going to take time to put it all together. This round was a good reminder of that.

Putting Problems (And a Few Promising Signs)

Let’s not sugarcoat it: 51 putts is painful. It’s the number that lingers after the round and overshadows a lot of the good. But within the frustration, there’s also some forward motion.

First, the good: I’m no longer consistently leaving putts short. That’s been a longtime habit — tentative strokes that never had a chance. This round, I was rolling past the hole more often, which tells me I’m at least giving myself a shot. I even had a couple gorgeous lag putts — 30 to 40 footers that tracked beautifully and stopped within a foot. Those were the moments that reminded me the stroke is there, at least sometimes.

But the misses piled up quickly. I burned so many edges. I lipped out short ones. And on a handful of holes, I found myself putting from 6–8 feet after a decent first putt… only to need two more. That’s where the frustration truly set in — I wasn’t capitalizing when I had a chance to stop the bleeding.

The mechanics feel a bit lost right now: I’m not sure if it’s alignment, tempo, or just second-guessing my read. Most likely it’s all of the above.

Next move: I’m booking a putting lesson. I need someone else’s eyes on what I’m doing — and a plan for how to rebuild this part of my game.

And here’s the kicker: if I had simply two-putted every hole, I would’ve walked off the course with a 91. That’s a 15-stroke swing — and a clear sign that the fastest path to breaking 90 might just be through the flat stick.

Fairways & Feel-Good Drives

This was a driver-only round off the tee — no 5-wood safety shots, no conservative club selection (aside from the par 3s). Just me, my current gamer, and full swings. And to be honest? It mostly delivered. I hit 8 of 13 fairways, which ties or exceeds my season average and felt like real progress.

The changes I’ve been working on — especially alignment and grip — are starting to stick. I wasn’t second-guessing aim points as much, and I committed to my setup without rushing. Even the misses were manageable. The 189-yard bomb on Hole 12 was the highlight: flushed, centered, confident.

That said, I’m still looking forward to testing out my new driver, which is on its way. My current Max Fast has been a solid learning tool, but I’m hoping the incoming upgrade gives me more stability and helps with dispersion. I’ve earned the confidence to swing free — now I’m chasing the tools to support that trust.

Greens in Regulation & Short Game

Even with the putting struggles, I managed to hit 5 greens in regulation — all of them the result of smart tee shots and controlled approach play. My wedge distances weren’t perfect, but I’m starting to trust the shapes and commit to the targets.

The short game had a few highlights too. I had 11 chip attempts, and I converted 4 of them into up-and-downs. Just as importantly, I had 4 first chip successes — meaning I left myself a reasonable next putt. That stat continues to be a reliable measure of how well I’m planning and executing under pressure.

Penalty Watch

Just one penalty this round — a blocked drive that ran out of room. That’s a win, especially when I’m swinging driver on every hole. It shows that my pre-shot routine is keeping me grounded, and my alignment work is paying off.

Takeaways & Targets

• Putting is priority #1. I’m booking a lesson and building a short-putt routine into my daily practice. If I had just two-putted every hole, I would’ve shot a 91. That’s not a hypothetical — that’s a clear roadmap.
• Tee shots are becoming a strength. Full-driver commitment paid off. I hit 8 fairways, and even my misses were playable. With a new driver on the way, I’m optimistic about tightening dispersion even more.
• Approach shots are trending in the right direction. Five GIRs in a round where I didn’t feel sharp says a lot about the base I’m building.
• Short game still saves strokes. Four up-and-downs and four first chip successes gave me chances to recover, even when the putter let me down.
• Mental focus held steady. I didn’t spiral after bad holes. I stayed engaged. That matters just as much as mechanics.