Man O' War

Your friendly Myrtle Beach Golf Director had a busy weekend of playing golf.

The morning after a couple ginger ales at our first golf reception of the fall (runs every Thursday through 11/20) at 2001 Nightclub and a phone call for a ride home, my life long golfing buddy, Brad and I battled the elements at Man O' War on an overcast and windy Friday morning. We teed off a little earlier then usual at 8:00 but even with the cart path only rule for the day, we still spun around in a shade over 3 hours.

I started off with an earlier morning triple bogey 8 on the 503 par 5 first and was cursing Linda's name for the final drink of the night before. After a missed green, bad chip and a rotten putt, I caught a little spark by making a 10 footer for bogey. Par at 3, birdie at 4 and pars at 5 and 6 had me really thinking that that triple on the 1st could cost me a round in the 30's. Then I stood on the tee box of a monster. The Par 5 8th is about 560 yards from the whites and were staring down about a 20 mph wind dead in our face. I don't know what happened, but I think I let the hole get in my head a little bit. I doubled the 8th and tripled the 9th to finish with a 44. Not bad with an 8 and 2 7's.

I am thinking I left my golf game back on the 7th after I blade a drives on the 10th and 11th, with the one on 11 leading to a drop and a double bogey.  I found it again for par at 12, but after a quad 9 on the 13th, I was ready to cancel my afternoon tee time. Same can be said for the drop leading to double bogey at the island green par 4 14th. I love hitting great tee shots and then shanking iron shots into short par 4's, don't you? I make par at the island green par 3 15th realize even with the bad holes, all I need is a birdie and a couple pars to keep my score in the 80's. Wouldn't you know it, I crush a drive on the 16th and knock one close, watch Brad hit a house with his second shot, and laugh when I make the birdie putt. I bogey the 17th and now I have to birdie 18 for that 89.

The 18th is a very nice hole, but it doesn't fit my fade. I hit a nice draw with the wind at my back and come just short of the bunker that protects the right side. Now I have a chance to get home in two which rarely happens. I catch a little too much of a 5 wood, but still get home. Looking back, I should have hit the hybrid 4, but I wanted to make sure I got to the green. Now I have a down hill 40 footer for eagle. In my haste, I forget to figure the wind now stronger in my face and leave the eagle putt about 5 feet short. I did step up and finish it birdie off for a hard earned 45 for a total of 89. A 9, an 8 and 2 7's and shoot and 89? I can live with that.

If you have a chance this fall, check out the course. They are going to overseed the course this fall, but will not go cart path only like most of the other courses. Since they will overseed the entire course (greens, fairways, rough and tee boxes), they can allow the carts to roam. The recent rain (thanks Hanna!) has all the ponds to their normal levels and makes the course visually intimidating. Just remember, it doesn't come into play as much as you think. When it does, just pretend it is blue rippling grass!!

Off to lunch!!

Chad