Well, I’ve lost the touch I’ve had most of the summer.  For six rounds in the first half of the month I’m averaging 87.5, an increase of more than two strokes over August and September scores.  If I take out the single round of 78 it’s even worse: 89.4 average. Very disappointing was the round of Oct. 14 when after two birdies led to a 40 on the front nine at Mt. Si, I collapsed to a 46 on the back to finish with 86.

Since shooting a 76 on Sept. 15 I haven’t pushed close to 80 again, until today. After a very shaky 93 on Wednesday I needed to get back out and today was a lovely morning with almost no one else on the M. Si course. Starting off with two, one-putt pars felt great but then I messed a four-footer for par on #3. Then it was par-bogey-par-par-par-par for holes 4 through 9 to finish the front with a 38. Then bogey, par on #10 and #11.  So my head was filled with visions of an easy sub 80 round.  However, double bogeys on # 12 and #13 meant I needed to par out the rest of the way to shoot 79.  After an easy par on #14 I cooked a nine iron well past the green on #15 and was looking at an ugly lob wedge to a green that slopes dramatically to the front.  Predictably the wedge shot trickled slowly to the front edge nearly 60 below the hole.  Miracle of miracles I made the longest putt of my life to save par. Following a tap-in par on #16 I made a 13 foot putt for par on #17. The round ended with a birdie chip in from some 15 feet off the green on #18 for an impressive 78.

The second half of September was another stretch of solid golf. I averaged 84.0 over ten rounds, just a fraction over the 83.5 average for the first three weeks of August.

After I shot 76 back on August 11 I wondered when I’d ever break 80 again. Over the last five weeks my game has been inconsistent (what’s new?) with an average score of just over 87. My two rounds in Texas were just so-so and a non-scoring practice round yesterday was nondescript. I was pleasantly surprised to start off with a birdie today but had no inkling that I would record three more birdies and go to the 14th tee at even par. My one-under par 35 on the front nine was the first time I’ve played a sub-par nine holes. The inconsistent play of the past couple of weeks is reflected in today Handicap Index update: I’m back up to 13.8.