Gold Mountain - Olympic Course - muni's rule part 2

Gold Mountain played host to the 2006 U.S Amateur Public Links Championship. It's a 36 hole complex. It has a nice size club house - and the beer and food are "great". Service is outstanding and both courses are amazing (Olympic and Cascade courses). In the summer I recommend playing 36 holes. Bring your camera - don't forget it at the house.

The front side: We played the Olympic course from the gold tees. Out of the gate is a huge 466 yard par 4. The course is amazing. Check out the web site the views of the Olympic mountain range are amazing. The layout of the course is amazing. It's called a true shot makers course. I took to many shots and never really managed to make "the shots". Tree lined, well bunkered, tough greens.

My playing partners OR partners in crime: Jefferson and Bryn - both characters, we laughed so hard on the way over on the ferry ride my stomach was sore - Note to self: Must "plan" to do crunches more often.

The back side: The course is in great to good shape. The greens are pretty difficult - they have plenty of break to them which makes the greens sneaky tricky. The fairways are in nice shape. This course plays well in the winter and rain. #12 is a 251 yard par 3. Huh? A 251 yard par 3, unheard of... it's down hill and plays about 220. I hit the green and had a 40 foot putt up and down a hill snaking to the left. It took me 3 putts - the "hog" let me down.

Overall thoughts on my play: I suck. Or, I sucked. How could the "Hog" let me down I'll never "care" to know. When your driver, approach shots and putter let you down - it's a bad golf day. All said and done, I had a great time. I such a great time - we scheduled a tee time for next Sunday on the same course. How to fu_k up a long drive? Chapter xxx, it happened on #6, a par 5 that starts up hill then finishes down playing 528 yards from the gold tees. I had 190 yards to the pin, down hill lie to a down hill green. I don't hit 338 yard shots everyday - so I was pretty proud of myself. Until I hit the next shot. In order to get the club on the ball I had to play the ball way back in my stance. I had eagle thoughts... that flew by with one swing of the club (5 iron). I pushed my 2nd shot far right pin high behind a tree - 30 yards away from the green. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...

Overall thoughts on the course: Go out of your way to play both courses == You must experience this golf complex - it's amazing - repeat as often as you like :).

West Seattle Golf Course - muni's rule part 1

West Seattle is one of the three amigo's OR Seattle muni golf courses - comprised of West Seattle, Jefferson Park and Jackson Park. Interestingly, each has it's own 'pro' story - Jefferson has Freddy Couples. Jackson has - I forgot (do you know?) and West Seattle has Rich Beam.

The Front Side: Wow, looking out from the first tee box you instantly see the "white sand" in the fairway bunkers. It looks very pleasing to the eye. And, I didn't hit into the trap, so that's cool. In the past two years I've purposely NOT played West Seattle because I "thought" it was a goat track. I couldn't of been more wrong. Even with the weather we've had (Snow, rain and more rain) the course was in great shape. I butchered the front side... Like Fonzie, I can't say it... you'll have to look at the score card.

West Seattle has an old style course feel to it. Which to me means it has contoured tree lined fairways, big rough, fairway bunkers (sand traps) and bunkers lining small poster stamp greens. Just enough and equal dogleg right and left to force the player to use course management and hit shaped "shots" to score. It just has that "old style" feeling. Examples of old style which I've played are Pinehurst #2, Pine Needles, Firestone Country Club - South and North, Longview WA Country Club.

The Back Side: Time to hunker down. Dam, the views of Seattle are nice from the backside. I didn't get a picture because I left my camera in the car. It was raining - we we're walking, that's my excuse. I'll have to get back here soon and take pictures and redeem myself on the front side.

My Playing Partner: Jefferson Fletcher, we've been playing golf together since the late 90's. Jefferson got game. He's gone from a hack (I used to call him the fletch'a-magic-5000 - slice and dice baby) to a low digit handicapper - He is consistent and has a great short game... and that's what I hate about him. My short game comes and goes and mostly doesn't show up at all.

New equipment: Speaking of buying a short game - I purchased a belly putter at my favorite golf store - Puetz Golf in Bellevue, WA. I talked about purchasing a belly putter in my last post. I did it. I found the "Hog" model number 1003B. The "Hog" trade-in-value isn't all that compared to a few big name brand putters I have hanging around the house.

Overall thoughts on the course: It's a must play and you can walk it. Great value. Bring your camera.
Overall thoughts on my play:
How to fu_k up a long drive: It didn't materialize this time out - most of my mistakes we're on my approach shots and around the green. I had difficulties on the front side (I changed putters at the turn) and turned it around on the backside. I rolled the "Hog" - new belly putter pretty well for it's first time out. It instantly helped me feel confident in my putting stroke and release to the hole. I felt I sank a few putts where I won't have - I shot 83 = (47/36). We played the black tees at 6725 yards.