Well fellow LBG'ers, I managed to qualify for this years Texas State Amateur and will be heading to Whispering Pines tomorrow for my practice round. I understand this was a good year to qualify as WP has developed a reputation as one of the top courses in Texas.... and as most of you know it's a big state. Not sure I'd have gotten in if it weren't for the last 3 years of studying "the book" with the help of Homer and a few thousand members of this site.
Well fellow LBG'ers, I managed to qualify for this years Texas State Amateur and will be heading to Whispering Pines tomorrow for my practice round. I understand this was a good year to qualify as WP has developed a reputation as one of the top courses in Texas.... and as most of you know it's a big state. Not sure I'd have gotten in if it weren't for the last 3 years of studying "the book" with the help of Homer and a few thousand members of this site.
Hope to represent my TGM brethren well.
CG
I'm sure you will, CG. I wish you luck and perfect alignments!
When and where?
No guarantees as I'm booked solid for the week, but I would be honored to carry the bag.
I'm cheap and good with dowels.
It's what I do.
Bagger,
You da man! Whispering Pines is in Trinity (somewhere between Huntsville and Crockett). Starts Thursday. Fortunately the TGA and the club are letting us use speedcarts. The thought of carrying my own bag wasn't too appealing (and the forecast is for "hot") so I probably would have solicited a caddy had they not allowed the speedcart.
Well.... the state am finished a couple of days too early for me. The field started with 144 and they cut to the low 54 and ties after day 2. I shot 78-77 to miss the cut by 3 (t-64).
I'll throw out a few highlights of the week:
- I managed to get lost near Trinity on the way and arrived just in time to make my 2:20 pm practice round on Wednesday. I hit about 20 balls and headed over to the first tee. Got paired with a couple of good young players, one who finished T-6th last year. I probably lost 5 balls during the 15 holes we managed to get in. This course can be a monster, and you better be driving it well (it's rated 76.3/143 from the tips). They had it all the way back on over half the holes and it was playing at 7330 yards. An absolutely beautiful course carved out of the piney woods and marshy areas of that piece of land. Wasn't real happy with the way I was hitting it, but chalked it up to a 4 hour drive and 1st time on the course. I remember walking by the somewhat crowded putting green at the turn and thinking I had arrived at an AJGA event! Man these dudes are young!!!!!
- Day 1 and I'm paired with one of UT's very good players. The other is an excellent golfer from the Houston area. If anyone is familiar with Houston's "Medalist Series".... this guy has the "Red headcover". Had a decent range session but I was more than a little nervous on the 1st tee. Probably a good sign.... it's amazing how you never seem to get over that. Hit a good drive on 1 and was off and running. I gave myself a few good chances and managed to get it to 2 under through 8, only to double-bogey the 18th hole (our 9th), one of the 3 holes I hadn't seen in the practice round. Mis-hit a couple of shots early on the back, and misjudged a couple of others. We got put on the clock on our 16th hole and I stumbled in with 3 bogeys for 78.
- Day 2 and I'm paired with the youngest player in the field (a 15 year old) - a really good player, and another excellent golfer (more my age) who I'd played with before. I got off to a slower start this day but figured something out on the 4th hole that got me going. I had made a couple of bogeys thru 4 and then hit what I thought was a perfect tee shot on 6 that got caught up in some wind that I couldn't feel on the box and 3-hopped into a hazard after which I 3-putted for double bogey. Another 3-putt from 20 feet on 9 (after 2 good shots) and I know I have to get it going on the back. I get to 17 at 5 over and am certain I need 2 birdies to have a chance at the cut. As we walk over the bridge to the back tee a rules official drives up and informs us that "The line today is up the right center. We've got a large water moccasin sunning herself by the fairway bunker on the left and she doesn't want to move, so if you hit it up that side please let us know so we can escort you over there". As one of my playing partners said "man, isn't this course hard enough already???!!" I manage to hit 3 solid shots and make a 4 footer for birdie. Stepped up on 18 and hit 2 more good ones to 12 feet, but couldn't get the birdie putt to go down.
All in all it was a great experience. Learned a little more about myself (and my tournament tendencies) and was privileged to get to play one of the finest courses in the south. Congratulations to the winner, Charlie Holland (another UT golfer) - the only player in the field to be under par for the entire tournament at minus 3.
CG
Last edited by cometgolfer : 06-12-2007 at 07:06 PM.
Not sure I'd have gotten in if it weren't for the last 3 years of studying "the book" with the help of Homer and a few thousand members of this site. 
!!!
As one of my playing partners said "man, isn't this course hard enough already???!!" I manage to hit 3 solid shots and make a 4 footer for birdie. Stepped up on 18 and hit 2 more good ones to 12 feet, but couldn't get the birdie putt to go down.
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