Atkinson Resort and Country Club, Atkinson, NH

Today I played the Atkinson Resort and Country Club in Atkinson, NH. This is a pretty tough course from the white markers playing 6088 yards with a course rating of 70.2 and a slope of 133. I played with my golfing buddy Pete who aced the par 3 8th hole earlier this year to finally join the Acemaker club. Congrats to Pete. Pete is coming off of 3 broken ribs and wrist surgery from a basketball accident last year. We were supposed to play back in July but his ribs kept us from playing together. Then our businesses kept us the rest of the year from playing together too. Today we finally were able to play 18.

Golf season coming to an end

Well we are more than halfway through October and the golf season will end pretty soon.

Walking Land While Trying to Sell Real Estate

Sometimes walking a large track of land can lead to great opportunities while selling Real Estate. Today I was able to play golf and walk a large tract of land in Somersworth, NH at The Oaks Golf Link’s which is the sister golf course to Candia Woods Golf Course in Candia, NH. I played Candia Woods September 15th in the final field day for my Wilderness Golf League which started on April 4th and ended September 12th.

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.

Wilderness Golf League Nearing the Final Weeks

I hate it when they aerate the greens at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands golf course. It will surely add at least two to three shots per round until the holes close up. The greens are so bumpy and putts heading for the hole can veer off within a blink of an eye. The worst part is not so much the aeration but the golfers who do not fix their ball marks. This really irks me as it ruins the greens and I think a lot of beginners or some experienced golfers just don’t care.

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.

Golfing Once a Week Sucks!!

Playing once a week really can hurt your golf game. I found this year that playing only once has my short game in a tizzy. I have found that my chipping has really suffered. I have to really dig deep to concentrate on what I am doing. I have found that a lot of my fairway approach shots have been let’s say less than stellar. I noticed that I have a tendency to lift my head a little and skull a few approach shots. Lack of practicing for sure.

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.

The Longest Day Tournament

The Friday following the Summer Solstice we usually have a few foursomes that go out to Brettwood Country Club in Keene, New Hampshire and play 54 holes of golf. We have been doing this for many years and it can be very tiring.

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.

Campbell’s Scotish Highlands Review (Front and Back Nine) Salem, New Hampshire 03079

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

Wilderness Golf League at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands in Salem, NH

Yesterday was a nice warm hot and humid golf day. I was playing a good golfer named Steve King. When you play Stevie you need to be very careful and not make a mistake or you will be sorry. We were first to tee off and we both pulled our tee shots a little left. Stevie was left of the cart path and his approach shot was short and he chipped up and two putted for bogey. I was a hundred yards out and went in with a gap wedge and two putted for par.

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

Golf Season Underway

Our golf league starts the first Wednesday of April. This year we were snowed out and then the next week was fairly decent. It was warm and sunny until around 6:30 pm, when the clouds rolled in and the sun was setting.

The next week we cancelled due to rain and cold. Of course, the 4th week was raining and we ended up playing anyways. This week we will see how the weather fares. Let’s hope it is decent, forecast is for rain in the morning and clearing up late afternoon. We usually tee off around 4:30 pm and we will be playing the backnine this week.