Golf, Labor Day Weekend, 2013

I played at my home course Saturday morning. Orchard Valley in Aurora, IL. http://www.orchardvalleygolf.com This was a farewell to golf for August, 2013.

We kicked in September golf the following day. Sunday afternoon I went back with one of my favorite playing partners, 11YO Cody. 

We played the front nine as a scramble, just the two of us. Here is Cody standing over our only birdie putt of the day. He missed it, alas, and then putted my ball and missed that too. We got a par on this hole, though.

Cody driving on the par-4 6th hole that we parred.

Cody standing on the 8th tee, a long par 5 with an elevated green at the end. 

That's it for now.

John Needham

Aurora, IL

September 2, 2013

The Family That Golfs Together...

...has balls!

ha

But seriously, the four of us went galfing this past Sunday. We played from the forward tees, as a four-person scramble. We had a blast.

Earlier that day I played the same course, our local public course, Orchard Valley in Aurora.

I started on the back 9 around 550AM. This is the signature par-3 12th hole.

As you can see, I had a birdie putt on this 12th hole. I made par. 

The approch to #13, a par-4. You have to lay up to here, then you have about 220 yards, over water. Alas, I hit into the pond and had to take a drop. 

This is the look back up #13 from behind the green.

Here is the par-5 16th. Hit your drive left, over water, and then it is a 90-degree dogleg right to the green. I left my drive too far right, wound up in the water and had to take a drop.

The par-3 17th. I got a par here.

I had a birdie chip, missed, and tapped in for par.

I played the front-9 after I finished the back-9. This is the par-4 3rd gole, drive over water. 

This is the par-4 9th, a monster hole, straight, no water, but LONG. 470 yards. I got a bogey here and considered myself lucky.

So that was my Sunday: 18 holes, alone, in the AM. Nine holes with my family in the evening. Lawn mowing and pool-hanging in between. It was a great Sunday.

John P. Needham

Tuesday, July 16, 2014

Aurora, IL 

Four Birdie Putts Today

I played golf at Orchard Valley GC in Aurora today. Third round of the year; I played well tee-to-green, and had four birdie putts today. Since that is rare indeed, and since I had my phone at hand, I took a picture of each putt.

I played those four holes in even par. I was way OVER par otherwise. 

It was a good day of golf, all things being equal.