I did not plan on doing the first Going Low of the year today. After a good round yesterday at Links at Dardenne, I was eager to try to post another score today. However, the course was packed, so I was put with three guys who were playing up at the white tees and I decided to not make things more difficult and just play up with them. This was a good decision because the wind was nearly as bad, and on some holes worse, than it was this weekend at Acorns. We had sustained winds of around 25 mph and the gusts had to be well over 35. However, it was still a fun day.

The three guys I was playing with are all firefighters from different parts of the St. Louis Metro. They don’t play a ton, especially so far this year, so they were a little rusty, but were a joy to play with because they have the right attitude for golf. Play fast, drop another ball if you lose one, keep it moving, and don’t take things too seriously.

As for the goal of Going Low, it was way better than it should have been. My driving was a little more up and down than it has been, but St. Peters doesn’t punish that. I gave myself plenty of birdie chances and made four of them, which is definitely the most I have made in one round this year and possibly ever. Three of them were tap-ins. The one on 10 was a bomb over a ridge and down to the pin. I shot a 1-under 35 on the back when I finally figured out the wind to some degree and started getting up and down more. The 4-over on the front was a little disappointing but seemed inevitable after I made bogey on the first after two beautifully struck balls.

I hit a slight fade drive around the corner to the 200-yard marker. I pulled 4-iron for the slightly raised green and struck maybe the best one I ever have. It hit just past the flag in the front and rolled all the way off the back and down the slope. I hit a 60-degree kind of flop because I figured that meant the green was hard and fast, but it stopped dead with 20 ft of bendy downhill putt to manage. I hit past the hole trying to birdie chase and ended up three-putting.

Most of the other bogeys were putts just lipping out or barely missing in combination with having to get up and down because the wind just wouldn’t allow you to hit into greens from more than 100 yards. I literally hit 4-iron punch shots at half the Par 3’s.

I would like to thank TXG for their video about playing in the wind that they released this week. It should be required viewing for every golfer. The wind does counterintuitive things to the golf ball, and once you hear them it completely changes the way you think of playing in the wind.

Ultimately, the first Going Low was successful. I played under my course handicap in insane conditions. (Side note: giving a player of my caliber 8 shots on St. Peters from any forward tee is insanity. The course is sneaky hard in some spots from the tips, but from the white tees it’s way too easy for 8 shots.) I’m still focused on the Quest for Par which means playing the tips, but it’s definitely fun playing up and will definitely try to mix in one round every five or so.

The weather next week looks like we’re starting to get those spring showers, so I am going to try to fit in one more round this week– possibly Sunday because it might actually be shorts weather.

Hit it hard.

(unless it’s windy)

ScoreCard from Tim Kaiser on St. Peters Golf Course (St. Peters) – 18Birdies https://18birdies.com/s/AKgbX6b1HhA