November 29, 2010 - Buenaventura Golf Course, Ventura, California

At long last we have come back to our "home" course, Buenaventura in lovely Ventura, California.  Buenaventura Golf Course  It's where I started playing again and where I broke 100.  I've missed playing here, although it's been lots of fun playing on other courses too.

The very interesting sculpture at the Buenaventura entrance.

I was worried about the weather - it's been very cold and windy, but by the time we ate our tuna sandwiches at home, it had warmed up for us and our 12:21 tee time.  

Stan on the first tee.

The first two holes were great for me, I bogeyed them both, and I felt that I was on my way to a great game.  Stan didn't do as well, but he is usually a slow start on a course and does better later on the front nine.  The third hole wasn't so good.  We both hit right into the trees and just couldn't recover.  I hit a 9 and Stan an 8.  The 4th hole was a series of blips and limps along to the green.  The scores were the same as the third hole; not a very good sign.  By then, Stan was ready to go home, but we persevered and "stayed the course."  

I am usually the Queen of the Threes at Buenaventura.  I have birdied the 11th hole a couple of times and made par on other threes at the course.  I just didn't have the touch on the front nine today and shot 5 on both par threes.  Very, very disappointing.

Last week we had a short game lesson at River Ridge with Joe.  He gave us very good pointers on how to chip low and then roll or chip high and have it stay put.  He also gave us a short putting lesson.  I was looking forward (with a bit of anxiety) to testing how well I'd learned what he had taught me.  I had a real chance to try it on the 9th hole.  I made a low chip from atop a small hill.  It hit the green and seemed to be going straight.  It wavered a little and straightened itself out, seeming to go right to the hole.  I was cautiously hopeful that it would go into the cup, and I was jumping up and down just a little bit in anticipation.  Well, the impossible happened.  The chip shot went right into the cup, and I bogeyed that hole!  Stan let out a whoop - he was so excited for me!!!  It wasn't the only time that I was able to use my new chipping skills.  There were several more opportunities, and the ball actually went where I wanted it to go.  My putting was better today, too!  Fantastic!!!  Thanks Joe!!

Even though I had a good score on some of the holes on the front nine, I didn't do better than bogey and wasn't happy with my play.  It was very disappointing to have two good holes at the beginning and then to have two 9s and an 8.  My drives were not great, I chunked and topped a few fairway shots and just didn't like how I was playing.  Stan played slightly better than me, and he was more consistent.   


Somehow I was able to make a change on the back nine.  I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I felt something click on the 10th and 11th holes.  I was keeping my legs bent and driving the ball, watching it leave the tee and/or the ground and following through.  The "woosh" as the club traveled along the grass and smacked the ball was something I could feel happening, and every stroke, every fairway shot, every pitch and chip was going just right.  

I had some problems with the 12th, 13th and 15th holes, but otherwise, I was doing well.  I made par on two of the remaining par threes (the Queen of the Threes was back!), and bogeyed the 11th and 18th. 

Stan had beautiful, beautiful drives on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes.  The 16th hole for him was a mixed bag, though.  His fairway shots were bad, then good, then bad.  We wound up with the same scores on these three holes; double bogey 6 on the 16th, made a 3 par on the 17th and bogeyed the 18th with a 6.  


I actually felt like I was starting to manage the course for the first time.  On the 18th hole in particular, I had a great drive and first fairway shot.  On my second fairway shot, I decided to use my 5 iron in some long grass because I was pretty sure I could dig it out with that club.  Unfortunately I needed a longer club to go a greater distance, but I didn't have one, so I made the safe choice and aimed to the left to avoid water and sand on the right.  Wouldn't you know it, the ball actually went where I wanted it to go!  Amazing!  I then had a chip shot.  I took a look at the hills around the green and the green itself to see where I wanted to hit the ball.  I used my 9 iron so that I could hit it fairly low and have it roll on the green toward the pin.  And, incredibly enough, the shot went to the spot and at the speed I intended it to go.  I was so excited by this!  It was a very fulfilling end to an up-and-down game.

My score was 110 and Stan's was 105.  When you consider that I had two penalty strokes and no longer go by the double-par rule and count every stroke, it was a pretty good day.  Stan lost 5 balls and had 5 penalty strokes. 

We are playing Buenaventura again on Wednesday, this time with Mike and Bill.  I hope to do better, as always.