Good afternoon.

Didn't have time to post good morning this morning before going to a breakfast meeting, then golf.
Interesting day on the golf course. Warming up, I couldn't hit the ball well at all on the driving range, made the comment "I'll probably break par today". Yeah, right. Well...
1. Par 4. Decent drive, 125 yards to hole from the right rough. 9 iron, hit OK but not great, hits 10 ft. to the right of the pin, checks up and then follows the slope of the green to 6" left of the pin. Tap in birdie! Nice way to start.
2. Par 5. Nice drive, 205 to the middle of the green. 5 wood to the left green-side trap. On in 3 and 2 putts for par, making a 5 footer.
3. Par 3. Nice 4 iron to 10' in front of the pin. Putt just misses, tap in par. Could have been 2 under...
4. Par 4. Nice drive, 135 to the pin. 8 iron to 10", tap in birdie!
5. Par 4, dogleg right. Drive to left side corner of the fairway, 8 iron to the green, 30' to the hole. Putt breaks about 5 feet, lips out on the low side, 10" tap in for par. I thought the putt was in for birdie. Darn.
6. Par 3. 6 iron to 15' behind the pin, routine 2 putt par. I've been on all 6 greens in regulation to this point!
7. Par 5, dogleg left. Drive (with 5 wood) to corner, 5 iron (layup) to 100 yards, PW (that's Pitching Wedge, not Post Whore!

) to 1 foot short of the green. First green I've missed in regulation, but still putted for birdie, made the 3 foot come-backer for par. And in case you weren't keeping track, I'm 2 under par!
8. Par 4, dogleg left, similar to the 7th hole, but shorter once you're around the corner. 5 wood to middle of corner, 9 iron to green, 15' behind the pin. Nice first putt lag downhill with a 4' break, 1 foot tap in par.
9. Par 4, a short 311 yards. 5 wood off the tee to 100 yards out. PW to about 8" for another tap in birdie.
6 pars, 3 birdies, 3 under par, 33! First time I've ever played 9 holes without a bogey! Even when I shot a 31 on the same nine back in 1991, I had 6 birdies and 1 bogey, so this was very satisfying.
Needless to say, #10 brought the first bogey, followed by par, bogey, bogey, bogey, par, triple bogey, bogey, which brings us to the 18th hole.
18. Par 5. Drive down the right side, hits tree tops and drops short of the normal landing area by more than 100 yards, leaving me 310 to the green. Laid up with a 5 iron, leaving 135 yards from the left rough. 9 iron to 4'. Made the putt for birdie!
33 + 43 = 76. My second round under 80 this year (the other was a 79 back in April). Been shooting upper 80s or worse since then, so this was a very nice surprise. Just sorry my regular playing partners were all out of town on vacation and didn't get to witness the front 9 ;) .
I should also note that today is the first time I've hit my 5 wood for the tee shots noted above. Usually use a 1-iron or 2-iron on those holes, but tried the 5 wood just to be different and then stuck with it!
We're talking about going to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner, since we have a coupon I got via email.
All in all a very nice start to the holiday weekend! And, oh, yeah, I went to the pool for an hour after golf, and gas is down to $2.29 and falling! But our tanks are both full from yesterday. Wish I could buy a few hundred gallons at tomorrow's price ($1.99 anyone? Probably!) and let them "store them" for me to use later when the price goes back up, which we all know they will.
