Welp, I was probably due for a round like that. That was the first time I shot over 78 at Links at Dardenne since January 9th and just the second time I have shot in the 80’s this month. The other round was at the very difficult Crescent Farms, and I shot net even-par with my course handicap, so really this is my worst round by far of April.

The funny thing was I actually was pretty good today. I had one of my best ball-striking days of the year, especially with my irons. A round like today proves limiting the damage and missing smart is just as important as the good shots. I stood on the 8th tee at even par and by the time I walked off the 10th green I was six over.

On the par 5 8th and 10th, I made terrible “over-the-top” swings and pulled the ball way left. On the 8th, it was fine because of the space, but on the 10th I was dead and had to re-tee. On the 8th, my problem was a thin pitching wedge into the green that rolled off the back and down into a tough spot. On 10, I compounded the error of the bad first drive by slightly blocking my 3-wood after a monster second drive and losing my second ball of the hole for my first triple in I don’t know how long.

My wedge play really let me down. On the 9th, I hit a great drive and a great 8-iron in, but I saw it take a big hop off the firm green and roll down to possibly the worst spot on the golf course. I then played ping pong with a couple chips to opposite sides of the very long and skinny green. I also messed up easy birdie holes thanks to bad bunker shots on the par 5 15th and 18th. I plopped the latter in the pond behind the pin. On the short par 4 12th, I left a 75-yard 54-degree halfway to the hole and in a bunker, you should never be in.

Days like today are weird because your game feels so much better than what is on the scorecard. Besides the three terrible out-to-in swings I drove the ball very well today. I was pounding the ball out over the 300-yard mark. On the long par 4 16th, I absolutely smoked a ball over 320 yards with very little rollout and made that hole look easy with a routine par. My irons were good. The worst shots of the day with my irons missed being perfect by just a couple of yards. I played the par 5’s at 6-over which is absolutely atrocious. If I just score even on those, I shoot my course handicap and I still wouldn’t be that happy with even on those holes because they are so reachable.

I guess you just shrug off today and move forward. If I hit the ball like that on Monday, I think I have a shot at breaking par. The only thing that was truly bad today was my wedge play. I only had one up-and-down which is the fewest for me since March 23 and only the third time this year I have had that few. I might work on that a bit this weekend. The grass behind my house is the same kind and length as the rough at many of the courses around here, including the rough I struggled with around the greens today. Time to get to work.