Haven't touched a club in over 2 weeks, brought them to work today with the goal of hitting the range at lunch and then getting in a twilight round after work. Weather does not seem to be cooperating. Gonna still try for the range at lunch, but still a little jet lagged so not expecting good results.

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I am making a small play on Bill Haas at 50/1 this week at the WGC Bridgestone.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Getting out to play both Saturday and Sunday and really looking forward to it. Playing Willow Glen
on the Navy base tomorrow morning. My buddy that I am playing with said it is a pretty decent course
but was curious if anyone else had played it before. Sunday playing a course I've driven by dozens of times
but never played. Usually fun to play somewhere new.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

So far this is looking like a solid wager. I watched the replay coverage for about an hour last night on
Golf Channel and he was striking it well.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

What course on Sunday?

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

A course called Spring Valley CC. Just a little place in Salem, WI not too far from me. I think it is about
$20 to walk 18. Been trying to find good deals since I've been playing so much. I think next year I am going to
really have to consider a county membership instead of playing all over since it will likely make more financial
sense.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I was pleasantly surprised with Willow Glen. I didn't know what to expect from a golf course on the
Great Lakes training center property. I guess it was redone about 10 years ago and they added a lot of
mounding around the greens. Pretty challenging layout. The other course Spring Valley was nothing
special but $18 for 18 holes walking is about as cheap as you are going to find on a weekend. Overall
it was a good value for the money.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

After 3 weeks off while out of town, it was great to get back on the course this weekend. Played Saturday at Big Run, my first time there. $69 with a cart, not a bad deal. If they took better care of it it would be worth even more. As it is now, it should be around $50. Greens were way too soft, they told me later that they do that on purpose so people don't 4 putt all day since the greens are tiered. But, what's the point of having tiered greens if yiou're not going to have them run true?

But, other than that and some bare spots on the fairways the course is quite a nice layout. Very challenging because of the distance and some tiny greens. 6670 from the whites, but every hole was significantly uphill. I would say the course easily played at least 6900-7000 yards. I shot a 44-45 for an 89. Putted really bad, not a single one putt all day. That also means my chipping around the green was pretty bad since I never got up and down. But, I beat my two friends I was playing with in match play so I was happy with the free lunch in the clubhouse.

Next day I played with another friend at George Dunne. $70 for a 9:00 sunday tee time is not a bad deal. Always loved that course. At $55 there may not be a better deal in Chicago area, at $70 its still a solid course. double bogeyed 5 of the last 6 holes on the front to finish with a 47, but rebounded strong with a 41 on the back for a 88. Was down a hole in match play after 13, but won the next 4 and finished the final 5 holes one over to win the match 3 and 1.

Overall happy with the weekend, shook the rust off and didn't have a single blowup above a double bogey. Off the tee I'm doing quite well, the draw is working pretty good and when I miss it that means it goes straight or I pull it slightly and it goes left of the fairway, but usually not in too much trouble since I start it down the right side. Only lost a couple all weekend to the right which is a really bad miss for me with that shot and always spells trouble.

One month till my big golf vacation/tournament in wisconsin! Just booked my tee time at University Ridge for 9/6 at 8:10! $69 for an elite course like that is quite a deal, but because we booked so early we had to pay an extra $10 each, but they turn that into a $10 credit in the clubhouse when you get there so that's fine since we'll be buying some merch while we are there.

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Glad to hear you are back on the links.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Big Run is the toughest course I have ever played. Long, long, uphill, and has some length to it.


I played at Stony Creek in Oak Lawn on Thursday (shitty, short, hackers course) and shot 85, which is dreadful because par is 65. I 3 putted 14 greens. It was like I had never putted before in my life. I think I had 9 or 10 birdie putts so I was going pretty good tee to green (other than 2 holes), but the chipping and putting was just awful. Its been pretty disappointing to go from even 80 to what I've done the last 2 rounds. I don't expect to put up 35-45 every time I go out, but mid 80s should be the norm at this point, and at a short course like Stony there is no reason for me to have anything higher than about 77 or 78

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Glad to hear I wasn't the only one who thought Big Run was a tough course.

I see you play Coyote Run a lot and I see it on golfnow quite a bit. How is it? Worth the drive if I can get a deal?

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Its nice. Its not very long, and there are enough spots where you aren't fucked if you miss a fairway. That said there is enough water to cause problems and trouble can be found. Greens are usually fast. Very, very quick especially later on a warm day. I love it because other than a few spots here and there, its usually is awesome shape. Its kept up like a $50-60 course should be kept up.

I usually play the whites which some holes leaves me a wedge to the green, but others not so much. You can play the blues and still be fine, but if you do that a couple of the par 3's get real long. All but one of the par 3's requires a carry over water. 10 and 16 always play longer than they appear. 4 (is a par 4) and 17 are real eagle chances for long hitters. 15's entire fairway slopes to the water so if you go right off the tee you are dropping 2 and hitting 3 almost all the time.

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Weather looks beautiful this weekend so hope some of you guys have golf on the schedule. Taking a half day
today to get a jump on some work around the house. Plans to golf Saturday and Sunday, grill and watch
the PGA.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I'm playing at Bolingbrook this morning. The weather is glorious.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Got 18 in yesterday afternoon before rain came. I was terrible. If anyone sees my short game around let me know. I sure as shit don't have it anymore.

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Elections have consequences.

Awesome. Enjoy Chus.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Always the last thing to come around Mike. That can be really frustrating especially if you don't get a chance to
get out enough to fix it. Been having my own struggles with it this year, finally feel a little better about it and
it is August!

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

True. Just frustrating as hell after some good shots to put a wedge either short or sky the green like there is a force field over it.

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Elections have consequences.

I can totally relate. My last couple of rounds I've done similar things from 125 yds and in. I have one of those
satellite yardage things and it is relatively accurate but I have flown the green 3 times each one resulting in a
double bogey. Force field indeed.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Played Silver Lakes North course on Weds AM. Awful. Couldn't hit my driver, irons were ok but direction on them was terrible. Chipping and putting was the only thing that kept me under 100. Ended up with a 95. Really disappointing to be playing this poorly after having 3 rounds in a row in the mid 80s.

Playing tomorrow at 6am at Gleneagles White/Woodlands course. Hoping I can get back into the swing of things and break 90.

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Bad.

The highlight was a wind aided, 223 yard drive with a 5 iron.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

White course at Gleneagles this AM. Holes 1-10, bad-- with the exception of a birdie on a short par 4. I almost sunk my wedge shot on the fly, my mark was about 8" from the cup. Was sitting on the 11th tee with a 55. 47 on the front, snowman on the 10th. Then got things together. Single bogeys and 4 pars the rest of the way out for a 44 on the back. Without that dumbfuck 10th hole, I would have been back in the 80s so not great but better than the last few rounds.

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45-46-91 at Oak Meadows today. Played like crap, had at least one bad shot on every hole. Some mishits with the 3wood and fatted a gap wedge off the tee into a water hazard on a really easy 100 yard par 3. But, on the plus side, if I had played this bad earlier in the year it would've been a 96-105. So at least I've raised my floor in terms of where I'll score if I play my worst.

Course was ok, nothing special. Probably about a $35-40 value which is what I paid. Some of the greens were all chewed up and dead.

Going for a lesson tomorrow morning focused on bunker play (I am the worst greenside bunker player I have ever seen, no exaggeration) and then going to hit up Schaumburg at 3:27 for $35. Still spots available on golfnow if anyone wants to join me.

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45-42-87 at Schaumburg this afternoon in the rain. Greens were probably the fastest I've seen at a park district course. Overall, this course was in the best shape of any muni I've played. Too bad its only 6400 yards from the tips. But, for $35 on golfnow it was a steal.

Didn't play good overall, but it was tough sledding out there with the rain and some of the thickest rough I've seen on any course in Illinois this year.

Had two birdies and lipped out a 30 foot birdie putt as well. Lipped out at least 4 putts today.

Had probably the best hole I've ever played. 405 yard par 4. Wind at my back, perfect draw off the tee, landed perfectly on the downslope of a fairway hill and rolled out to 315 yards! Followed that up with a gap wedge from 90 yards that I stuck 4 feet from the cup. Sunk the putt for the birdie.

Been trying to do a lot of bump and run shots with the 8 iron and I think I'm going to give it up. Greenside I alway overdo them and send them way past the hole. Twice I put them off the green. Gonna stick with my 60 degree. I do well with it so not sure why I try to force myself to employ the bump and run so much lately.



This week should be fun. Going to play Ravinia Green, the country club I grew up across the street from. I terrorized that place for my entire childhood to the point where they had a file on me while I was in high school. Used to sneak out there and play every night, hide in the woods and run out and steal balls from members, pool hop in their pool at nights, spent every friday and saturday night till we were legal drinking out there before going out on the town, steal golf carts and take them for moonlight joyrides and much more. Gonna be fun going there as an adult and playing the course legitimately for the first time.

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Would this be in the running for the golf meetup Sept 1st?

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Got out twice this weekend and overall it was a pretty memorable experience. My parents are in town so I got out
with them both times. Saturday was Shepherds Crook in Zion. The pace of play was brutal and it was a 5 hour
round. Front nine I had it going actually hitting 8 greens and shot a one over 36, my bogey was a three putt.
The back nine the wheels came completely off. Doubled both par threes and the first par 5. Had two shanks
on holes and hooked one OB on another hole. On the last hole I made an adjustment with ball alignment and
let one rip 340 down the middle ( wind and hill aided). I had 190 left to the hole and hit a 6 iron 15 feet away pin high and missed the eagle. Ended up with an 81.

Yesterday my folks called and were able to get us out on the newer private course in Kenosha called Strawberry
Creek. What a treat this place is. I played it before it went private years ago, before they even had a clubhouse,
just a trailer in a parking lot. One of the finest manicured courses I have ever played. Just gorgeous. If you
ever head to Lake Geneva on Hwy 50 you will see it on the right side of the road a few miles west of the Brat
Stop. Fairways were like greens and the greens were really quick but true as could be.

Shot 40 - 37. I doubled a hole on the front after a perfect tee shot, chunking my wedge badly into a
fairway bunker and scraping a double bogey out of it. Highlight of the day and weekend was on #16.
I hit a really great drive and once I got over the hill noticed it had gone in the water, I read the scorecard
wrong and didn't realize the water hazard was there. I dropped from 105 yards out, hit a crisp SW. Hit the
green 8 feet past the pin and spun back into the hole for a birdie. I had been hitting my wedges close like
that for the past month so was fun to actually sink one. I hadn't done that in a while. If you ever get a
chance to play the course I would recommend it highly. I know Mac has talked about doing an outing there
in the past. The local Tilted Kilt is advertising a scramble there but not sure if they will pull it off. They are
asking $150 a head for golf and prizes and food which is a steal if you know what you are getting but might
be priced a little high for that crowd.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I think it would be a great choice. GPS in all the carts, very nice facilities, great restaurant and bar, driving range, course in pristine condition. And the price is pretty cheap. Also there are 27 holes in case we want to get adventurous. Only downside is the length of the course, but the fast greens, narrow fairways and tough rough make it sporty. Also its probably as centrally located as we're going to get considering where people are coming from.

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Got out yesterday at Fox Bend in Oswego, and it was a perfect day for golf. We had two foursomes, made up mainly of guys in our bowling league. This was probably the best round of golf that I have ever played. We played from the blue tees, which measured at 6495. I shot 50-42. Nothing worse than a 6. Nothing worse than a double bogey, and I only had two 3-putts, on the two toughest greens. I kept the driver in play, and I didn't lose a ball all day. Granted, there isn't a ton of trouble out there, but impressive nonetheless. I even hit the hybrid well, which is usually a difficult club for me to hit. I did take two balls out of play due to being scuffed up. One from a cart path, and one from a tree. I hit five GIR on the back nine.

This was my third round with my new irons, and I feel like I am getting dialed in, especially with the distance. I can't wait for Sept 1st (golfing for burritos).

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

42-41 83 this morning.

One of my top 3 rounds of my life. Started off double-double on the front and went on to par 5 of the next 7 holes to finish the front 9. Parred 4 holes on the back. Had 2 3 putts on the day and they both cost me pars. Holes 4 thru 11 were seven fours and a three. Hit every fairway but 3 and was just off the short grass on those. Also had a chip in for par. My last round was about a month ago and I put up a 100. Needless to say, this was unexpected.

Played Bittersweet yesterday, 49-46-95. Worst round since May and first time over 90 since June. Played horribly. The draw off the tee I've been using disappeared completely. On top of that, what a horrible course. Water on 15 holes and you can't use driver for most of them. Way too many forced layups. Hated the place.

Was supposed to play with a buddy today at Stonewall Orchard, but he bailed at the last minute. Went out on my own and they paired me up with a 3some. One guy was good, but the other two were hacks. Nice guys, but played really slow and were fucking around a lot. The course is amazing I must say. One of the better courses I've played in Illinois. And one of the toughest. The front 9 was brutal. I lost 5 balls in the first 6 holes. Couldn't draw teh ball at all. Played like crap and shot a 48 on the front. At the turn the guys I was with wanted to let a 2some through so we went to the clubhouse for a brat. I grabbed mine and went to the cart and drove to the next tee. The 2some was already through us and in the distance. I waited, waited...nothing, my guys still in the clubhouse. So I teed off and waited some more. 5 minutes go by and still no movement from the clubhouse. So I say fuck it and go out on my own and try and see if I can fly through the back. Playing by myself I really focussed. PLayed great, stopped trying to draw the ball and just aimed at the fairway. Shot a 39 on the back to finish with a 87.

Gotta get to the range this week and see if I can get the driver back to where it was a week ago.

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