That’s more like it. I did a Going Low on Monday at Bear Creek, but I ended up playing just one tee up and shooting basically the same score I normally shoot from the Tips. Today, I played from the Whites and shot one of the better rounds of my life and the best round since I have been doing this blog.

It was an absolutely beautiful day yet again, and we are still playing under Corona rules obviously with the cups raised at Bear Creek Golf Club. However, my putting was so good today I don’t think a single “made” putt wasn’t going in on a normal hole. I was burying everything dead center. The few times I did miss it was either a slight misread or slight push. Just 26 putts on a recently aerated green again today. This new Huntington Beach putter has been lights out.

My main problem today was distance control with irons. I was pretty much right on line, which is normally my problem. However, I was long a lot today. This might be because I was getting fliers with fuller rough or I’m still adjusting to the warmer weather or even I was just finally flushing the ball more. It might also be the sand on the greens not allowing the ball to get friction and stop as quickly because I only flew one green. Most hit near the back and rolled off. As a result, I only hit 6 greens. Three of those resulted in birdies. My other birdie came on a chip-in on a beautiful little chip from the back of the 6th green running down to the hole.

I had a few garbage bogeys that if I had cleaned up I would have shot below par. I lost a ball because I mashed a 300-yard drive on the second hole and it bounced into the creek that I thought was safely deep enough. I chunked a pitch from just pin high right of green on the 8th to get on in regulation. I rolled off the back of the 10th green with another 50-yard pitch after possibly the greatest 300+-yard drive of my life short of the greenside bunker. I followed that up with a sand-to-sand third shot from the greenside bunker long and right of the pin on 11 to the one short and left.

After bogeying the first three holes on the back, I was able to dial in and rattle off back-to-back birdies thanks to massive drives with easy pitches onto the green. I hit five of the last six greens and got up and down from the sand in a driving wind on 18 that knocked a beautifully struck 9-iron (two-clubs up) out of the sky and into the massive and deep greenside bunker.

Going Low is a blast when I’m playing well. It’s awesome stepping up to every tee thinking, “I’m going to make birdie.” That fact I was still two-over today even though I played close to as well as I can play with a few unlucky bounces and my usual couple of mishits has me slightly concerned about the Quest for Par. If I can’t break par from closer tees, how the hell am I going to break it from the Tips?

I think I am going to play up at Links at Dardenne next time because that is the course I am closest to breaking par from the Tips. If I can shoot under par, it might give me some clues as to what I need to do cross that threshold from 500 cumulative yards further. I’m not sure if shaving 5 to 6 shots (or more depending on the course) one time is a good goal in one year. From the Going Low tees, it’s only 3 at St. Peters and 2 at Bear Creek. Maybe that is more realistic. If I play well and still don’t break par from the White tees at Links at Dardenne, some more doubt might creep in.

The Governor of Missouri finally relented today and announced a “Stay at home” order starting Monday. He did carve out outdoor recreation as a reason you can still leave like a lot of places. The weather is supposed to get downright summer-like next week, so I’m planning on playing golf if the courses stay open. The act of golf itself I still see as safe, and we have enough courses shutting down for financial reasons around the country I am willing to give them my money as long as possible if they have to survive without revenue for awhile. I also just am super addicted and want to keep playing. If they decide to close the course for the workers’ safety, I get it. I think we should get rid of carts before they shutter completely if the worry is about golfers spreading it to each other. As the numbers continue to rise in St. Charles County, I might stop using a cart and walk even if carts are still allowed.

I guess we shall see if amateur golf is going on a hiatus or not on Monday.