Alright folks, gather ’round, let’s talk about trying to nail that Cotton Fields Golf course everyone keeps bragging about. I went out there last Thursday aiming to actually beat my usual score, which ain’t much to write home about, honestly.
Getting Started & The Usual Mess
First thing, I grabbed my ancient driver – the one I found at a garage sale years back. Dusted it off like always. Showed up at the first tee box feeling kinda hopeful, only to slice that first shot so bad it nearly landed in the next county. Classic me. Ended up taking two strokes just to get past the damn water hazard they’ve got right at the start. Talk about a confidence killer right off the bat.
The 5 Things I Actually Tried This Time
After that disaster start, I decided enough was enough. Gotta get some progress, right? So here’s the five simple (I mean it!) steps I actually did different this round:
- Forced myself to line up slower. I mean, really stare at that ball before swinging. Instead of just whacking it like I usually do. Felt kinda silly at first, just standin’ there, but honestly? Helped. Didn’t fix everything, but the ball went mostly where I aimed more often.
- Started eyeballing distance like crazy. I’m talking “hold up the club, squint real hard” kinda eyeballing. Course guide said bunker was 150 yards? Tried to feel that in my swing, not just swing full power every dang time. Took way more club than I thought I needed on the par 3s.
- Hitting the damn fairway off the tee became priority number one. Ditched the driver after hole 3 and pulled out my old, reliable 3-wood. Lost distance? Sure. But spending less time digging balls outta the rough or worse? Huge mood saver. Found more fairways than I have all season. Still hooked a couple, mind you.
- Seriously stopped trying “hero shot” recoveries. Punch out sideways with a 7-iron? Yes. Every single time. Saved a boatload of strokes just taking my medicine when I ended up in jail. No more trying to thread needles between trees hoping for a miracle.
li>Putting… oh god, the putting. On the practice green beforehand, I picked ONE spot – about 3 feet uphill, kinda like hole 9 is always set up. Just hit 20 balls only to that spot. Didn’t mess with slopes or long putts. Just drilled that one feeling of hitting uphill solid. Gotta say, holed a couple actual putts later that felt kinda similar. Not consistent yet, but a glimpse!
The Ugly (And Slightly Less Ugly) Reality
Let’s be real – I’m terrible at keeping notes. By hole 14, I was sweating like crazy and my pencil broke. Tried etching my score into the cart steering wheel with my key. Don’t judge. Finished maybe three strokes better than my usual mess? Didn’t break any records, but I actually hit that 18th green in regulation! Two-putted for bogey, which is basically a win in my book. Biggest thing? Didn’t feel like throwing my bag in the lake once.
So yeah, those five things? Simple. Boring maybe. But actually doable without a coach breathing down your neck or buying some fancy new clubs. Will it work next time? Who knows. Maybe my kids will distract me on hole 1 again and it all goes down the toilet. That’s golf for ya. But for this one sweaty afternoon? Felt like I sorta, kinda, knew what I was doing.
