Sometimes the putts just don’t fall. That was an excellent round with just a few mistakes. If I had gotten some birdie putts to drop, I could have gotten this challenge done today. It was a bit windy which accounted for a couple of the bogeys, but I generally handled it pretty well. I am so close, but not close enough to break my new course handicap.

I did everything well today. I matched my most greens hit this year with 10 and hit nearly 70 percent of fairways and kept the ball in play with even the ones I missed.

However, it was three greens I did miss that were the difference. On the par 4 6th, I hit a great drive down to the bottom of the hill. I had a knockdown pitching wedge to the back pin with a right to left wind. I accidentally drew it and the wind did the rest and threw it down the hill. If I just make sure I miss right, I make an easy par.

On 10, I was in position to get to the green in 2 on the par 5 after another great drive. However, the 3-wood did not cut and flew the dogleg right fairway and left me with an unplayable lie in the tall grass. I had to settle for another bogey.

The final mistake was the biggest catastrophe. I was only 1-over on the back heading into the long par 4 16th with a back pin placement. I pulled my drive trying to kill it, but it ended up okay in the left rough. I took 7-iron to reach the back tier. I put a great swing on it, but caught a flier and bounced off the green and left myself short-sided. I was too fine with my first 60-degree and had to chip again and ended up two-putting for double-bogey.

That’s 3 or 4 shots that were complete mental mistakes because I didn’t take the safer shot and then made a physical mistake.

My other 2-3 shots could have been wiped out with a birdie or two, but I just couldn’t make one today. I was just high, just low, or just short countless times today. I hit good putts, but was either slightly misread or slightly pushed or pulled a bunch. I was automatic from 6 ft and in which is all you can really ask, but things would have been different if I could have gotten a few putts to fall in the 10-20 ft. range.

Hopefully, I can make some more birdies tomorrow during another day of summer weather at Beat Creek for another Going Low.

Side note: I wrote this blog on my phone while drinking beer along the Mississippi River in Northeast St. Charles County. Today was a brief glimpse of summer as we climbed over 80 degrees. It’s such a bummer Corona took bars from us because this was the perfect day to go over to my favorite bar, the Grafton Oyster Bar right on the Mississippi.