Coyote Ridge with Thomas

Played Coyote Ridge in Carrollton for the first time with Thomas last week and it was BRUTAL.  It was super super hot and very humid.  The temperature was lower than our round at Sugar Tree, but the humidity made it feel so much worse.  Especially because I was wearing pants.  Huge mistake.  That being said, the round was a mess.  I started off strong with two good pars, but it quickly collapsed after that.  The clubhouse by the way is AMAZING.  The course overall was really great too.  If I ever get my life on the level to where I can afford a membership to a golf club I think Coyote Ridge will be at the top of my list of choices.

Alignment is what killed me all day.  Every time I set up to the ball I just didn't feel confident that I was swinging down the right path.  Every time I set up my shot, stood over it, and looked I would make an adjustment and second-guess myself before my swing.  I was spraying it all over the course and missed fairways equally left and right.  I watched a video from Chris Ryan about alignment and completely reworked my whole pre-shot routine.

I ended up with a dishonest 105.  Probably closer to 115 considering all the mulligans I gave myself out of frustration.  I was drained, BUT, I still had a really good time.  Coyote Ridge was BEAUTIFUL, and totally lives up to its name.  On a par 3 a huge coyote snuck onto the green and passed between my ball and the hole.  It was terrifying.  I picked up and gave myself a two putt because I was about 12 feet away.

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New pre-shot routine: 

• Stand behind the ball and imagine a line from the ball to the target.
• Address the ball with my club only and very carefully aim the club face at an intermediate target on that imaginary line.  (IMPORTANT: keep stance and body open to the target while carefully aiming the club face)
• Keep the club face in place and set your feet up around the golf club.  Focus on not adjusting the club face anymore.  (Think: "Trust the line. Commit to the line.)
• While in a good golf setup turn your head to glance at the target so that you're looking at it from a tilted perspective.  DO NOT raise your head so that your eyes are parallel to the ground.  This will skew your perception of your aim.
• Initiate back swing and commit to the line.