The Redneck Ramblers take advantage of the January special at St Johns Golf & CC … $34. St Johns has returned to outstanding condition having recovered from the damaging drought conditions of summer. It’s great that this fine course has returned to one of the outstanding venues in the area.
A few chips and a few putts and it’s off to the first tee. The Outcast will be off in the last group with Chicken Noodle and Mr. Z. He makes a solid pass at the ball and finds the fairway just a gap wedge away. A GIR and routine two putt will have The Outcast starting the day with a par.
The par five second will not be as rewarding. The Outcast’s drive fails to draw back to the fairway and slides down the steep slope to the lake. A fairway metal follows the same fate … a watery grave at the edge of the green. A wedge and a couple of putts has The Outcast sulking off the green.
The Outcast will have a GIR at three and then tempted by a twelve foot putt hammers it by the hole. He’ll make the come back putt but his knees are bruised from knocking together as he stood over the putt.
The Outcast will grind his way around the front side and make the turn even against his points. Mr Z is plus one and Chicken Noodle is even.
The Outcast will start the back nine slowly … bogey and double bogey. Then the par train arrives and The Outcast climbs aboard. He gets of the train at fifteen with a three putt bogey and then triple bogeys the par five sixteenth in much the same fashion as the second. Outcast, you may want to rethink your strategy of how to play par fives. The days of blasting a drive and bombing a fairway metal and having a chip or putt for eagle are long gone. New strategy … keep the ball in play and hope for a reasonable attempt at birdie.
The back nine takes its toll on the threesome. Mr Z and The Outcast finish at minus one and Chicken Noodle is minus three. The Padre will be the winner for the second week in a row; The Mason is a close second. The Outcast will manage to win a couple of skins to keep the day from being a total lose.
The Outcast heads home to contemplate par five strategy before Saturdays round.
