Trainwreck..

It's sometimes an enigma for me to come up with an appropriate title for my post..but it was easy today..and there were ALOT others that could fit the bill..but a "trainwreck" sends just the right visual imagery to everyone.

It was a glorious morning out in Temecula and I the first one there out of our group. We played at Temeku Hills Golf and C.C. The course seemed to have numerous elevation changes and overall a course that contoured through the hillside. The greens were fast and uber-undulating. It was rather chilly so I went to the snack shop and got large coffee and decided to hit some practice balls before our round. I usually try to hit some to get warmed up..standard operating procedure right..?

So I get to the range and it's a grass range, not mats, which I prefer. I spilled the bucket onto the grass. I took a few warm-up swings and then took out my 7 iron and hit the first practice ball. It was absolutely perfect. Good contact, good compression..not much more I can say really. It was a laser straight at the 150 yard marker and landed perfect. I replicated this swing for the next 10 balls then all of a sudden..shank..then another shank..then another SHANK..SHANK!..SSHANK!!

If it wasn't a shank, and the man upstairs know how much I hate saying this word, it was a low slice..I felt like my legs were cut from underneath me. I decided to try another club, my sandwedge, same thing. I felt everyone at the range grimacing with me on every fatal shot.

I went back to the pro shop to get another bucket token and loaded up another bucket. Threw the balls down on the grass and shank..followed by more shanks. By now my buddies showed up and we were off to the 1st tee. I told a friend of mine what just transpired at the range. He too was having major problems and sympthasized with my naseous disgust.

The first hole is rather short and narrow and best to hit a long iron or a fairway wood to layup for the next shot. My buddy went first and hit the ugliest and truest shank I've ever seen. He wasn't perplexed..he knew this was coming. I went next and prefaced my shot, to everyone, by saying I was in trouble too. I went with my hybrid, 21 deg., and hit a perfect shot down the middle..what the ?!?

Everyone was saying "Sure..yeah..problems..what problems?!?"

I knew I was in trouble..I tried to stay positive..it didn't work. On numerous holes I was trying to just chip and started to shank those. I basically ended up punch chipping all my shots just trying to get through the round. To make a long story short I shot a 60..on the front..but a 46 on the back. Here's to a long and hopefully forgettable day.