It was fairly mild at tee time with partly sunny skies and a slight breeze facing us as we headed down the first hole. The first hole is a short par 4 at 350 yards and Pete hit 3 wood and was about 140 yards out and he ended up short on his approach shot as it trickled in the sand trap. Pete bogeyed. I hooked a 5 wood into the tree line and chipped out and then hit a gap wedge just short and chipped on and missed the putt as I double bogeyed. Not the way we wanted to start.

As we went to the second tee we could see a foursome approaching the green and we knew we would catch them in no time and we were hoping we would be able to go thru them and play at our own pace. We both parred two, three and four. As we came to the 5th tee box we were waved ahead by the group in front. We usually have a tendency to rush when players wave us through, I guess we rush just so we don’t hold them up. Well we rushed this time and I double bogied and Pete parred. The 6th is a par 5 and I bogeyed it and double bogeyed the toughest hole on the course the par 4 7th. Short game messed me up here. I parred 8 and 9 and finished with a respectable 43 while Pete shot 40.

We made the turn and you can see Pete’s swing here on number ten. It is not his normal swing as his tee shot was skyed and pushed to the right deep into the woods. We both messed this hole up pretty good as it is only a 365 yard par 4 and a little tight as it funnels downhill towards the hole. No driver is needed.

The 11th is a great little par 3 and from the blues it plays 183 yards from an elevated tee box and you have to carry a nice little swampy area with a tricky green.

We both parred this tricky par three and off to the twelth hole we go.

The twelth is a par 5 straight out with a few large bunkers running down the left side of the fairway and trees to the right, you need to be accurate to make 4 or 5. I missed a 6 footer for birdie as I just didn’t read the green correctly.

The thirteenth was a par for me as Pete’s drive went left and it took us the maximum 5 minutes to find his ball as it ended up about 50 yards further than either of us ever thought it would be. His ball was in a clump of loose grass and he came up short and then chipped on the green short and ended up with a bogey. Could have been a lot worse.

The 15th has been redone as the approach shot used to be a blind shot to the green and now they have pushed the green back by about 30-40 yards and is elevated so you can now see the green from the fairway. My drive was about 155 yards out and my 7 iron hit the green and rolled up to within feet a nice little left to right putt made for our first birdie of the round. The birdie brought me to two over par on the back side.

The 16th was redesigned as well as your tee shot needs to fade to the right and that will leave you a much straighter second shot to the green. This par 5 is reachable in two as Pete showed me how it was done. I parred and Pete’s eagle putt just missed the mark as he birdied. We both parred 17 and headed to 18.

On 18 the tee markers were about 2 feet from the back of the tee box I ended up about a 135 yards out and went in with a nine iron and I made my one major mistake as I lifted my head on my approach shot and went deep into the back of the green I ended up bogeying 18 and finished with a nice 82. I was real happy considering I hadn’t played in a month. Pete shot 83. First time I have beaten him in a while. I told you Pete is recovering from 3 broken ribs and wrist surgery but I didn’t tell you he is also blind in on eye. Pete is an exceptional athlete and is very competetive. A real man’s man.

If you get a chance and you want a challenge play Atkinson Resort and Country Club.

Hampstead is one hour north of Boston, MA and 30 minutes south of Manchester, NH.

We are also 30 minutes to Hampton Beach. Take a drive along the coastal route of 1A all the way to Portsmouth, NH where you will find this a great seacoast town with lots of shopping and dining. A can’t miss day trip.

Sales have been extremely slow as inventories have risen over the summer months and have just recently receded a little.

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

New Hampshire Real Estate with Jay McGillicuddy

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Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH Real Estate

603-548-7685

I started off Saturday with a decent front nine of 40 only 5 over par. The weather turned nasty and it rained a few holes but we all were playing in the same conditions.

The back nine I didn’t fare as well as I shot a 45 just too many bogeys. It was raw and nasty out there. My short game was lacking this year and I am sure that led to an increase in my scores.

Well next year will be different and I will practice more and my game will improve.

Just remember to stay healthy and exercise at least an hour a day.

Our league is in it’s final 2 weeks and our team will finish next to last this half. Oh well, there is always next year.

My league average this year with little to no practice and only playing 9 holes a week with only playing 4 rounds of 18 holes is 42 on the front and 41 on the back. That is awful, for me anyway.

Interestingly enough last year with a ton of practice and a lot of golfing I averaged 41.83 for the front and 41.33 on the back. That is weird…. I guess I am very consistent.

2005 I was 41 on the front and 39.11 on the back.

2004 I was 41.25 on the front and 40.22 on the back.

2003 I was 40.22 on the front and 40.89 on the back. Looks like I had some trouble on the back nine.

This year has been my worst year scoring in the last 4 years.

The course is short from the white markers where we play in our league and low irons are a must as an errant wood will surely handcuff you in the woods.

I was able to salvage a decent round that day as I birdied the par 5 18th. I had a good drive into the wind and then a real good 3 wood to within a few feet of the green then my chip shot was left about 5 feet below the hole.  My match had a fantastic drive and second shot to within 3 feet and he missed the eagle putt, bummer. I ended up winning the match and getting 4 points for our team.

This year as in the past few years I have taken my motorhome out to  the golf course to spend the night so I can be fresh and ready to go first thing in the morning. The one complaint I have is that the workers at the course arrive at about 4:30 AM and they drive their tractors right by the motorhome and it wakes us up. I think next year I’ll park fyrtheraway or try to find a more quiet spot.

This year I haven’t played or practiced near enough as I have in past years. A lot has to do with Real Estate sales being slow and cutting back on spending. My game has suffered but not as bad as I thought it could be. Golf being such a mental game requires me to look at my game a little differently than when I used to practice a lot. I need to focus more on the fundamentals of the game and to think more than I used to.

I wrote a review about Campbell’s Scottish Highlands front nine and also the back nine.

We both had decent tee shots on 2 and I crushed a 5 wood from 251 out and landed about 10 yards short of the green. Number two is a short par 5 reachable in two. Stevie’s approach was excellent as he was a few yards behind me. He chippped up to about 10 feet from the hole and I chipped to within gimmie range. Stevie drained his putt and we both walked away with a birdie.

The third hole is not my favorite here on the front nine. It is a downhill shot with the wind blowing left to right and the yardage is 185 yards  with trouble way right and just off the green on the left. I played a 6 iron and came up short and putted from just off the green and another gimmie from Steve. Steve struggled on this hole as he went long left and dubbed his chip shot. He ended up with a double bogey.

We both bogeyed the fourth and fifth hole. I had a chance to win 5 but I choked on my third shot as I came up way short and Steve had gone over the green on his third shot. I left my fourth shot above the hole and I let it slide by and missed my par putt.

On 6 Steve handcuffed himself and I left myself with 175 yds. and my approach was just short and I chipped to within 5 feet. I ended up with par and Steve bogeyed. We both parred the par three 7th as we went to 8, I was one over and my beer bet with Bob Trottier found me one down as he was heading to the 6th tee box.

The eighth hole I pushed my drive to the right of the green and short sided myself and Steve’s drive landed in the bunker short of the green. Steve buried his sand shot and then made it out and made a good putt and he tapped in for 5. My drive landed in a divot and I had a sand trap in front of me so I knew I had a delicate shot. I used my sand wedge and the ball went clear across the other side of the green. I choked by three putting.

As we went to nine I won holes 3 and 2 and I was up by 4 strokes. I had a real good drive and I was about 130 out and played a nine iron and I put it about 12 feet below the hole. Steve had a nice drive and came up short and he had a nice chip shot and he made par. We kidded about giving each other par putts but I did make mine and we finished on a good note.

I shot a 2 over par 38 and Steve ended up with a 42.

The pictures are of the Balsams Grand Resort golf course in Dixville Notch, NH 4 hours north of Hampstead, NH