It was a chilly day at Concord Country Club. A light wind made the 48 degree temperature feel more like freezing. Winter hat, mittens in between shots, and multiple layers were the days dress code. Thankfully, the New Hampshire Golf Association* knew well enough to move the tees up to compensate!
The event was a Chicago-style points quota event so birdies were the only goal. Make birdies: make points. Both NET and GROSS divisions were instituted so that players of all skill levels could compete. Being a 3 handicap, I had no chance at the NET. USGA handicaps don’t exactly level the playing field…
Oddly enough, despite the inability to make a full swing, it was the best performance I’ve had all year with the driver. High, tight draws. Where I faltered was with chipping and putting. Two 3-putts, and four ‘botched’ up & down attempts left a bit to be desired on the scorecard.
Being able to play alongside my son was an even bigger treat. Although he didn’t have his best, he kept grinding and tried to make birdies all the way to the end. He has a long way to go in the mental game department (don’t we all?) but I’m confident he’ll make good progress on that this off-season.
Perhaps it was the lack of expectations. Perhaps it was the mental-game work instituted over the last couple of months. Perhaps, it was just a good day. Regardless, the golf gods were kind, and finishing T-2 was a sweet end to a very up and down season.
*Kudos to the NHGA for all the work they do to support golf in the Granite State!