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I did it Merion. I finally beat you.

• BigInigoMontoya 208 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 5:41 AM

  gmaster007:

  last time I enjoyed a 69 like that,
  there was no golf involved :P 

  ROFL.  Thread over, gmaster007 is our winner.  Goodnight, and be sure to tip your waitresses.

  neilecramer:

  Merion has my number lately.

  Welcome to the club, partner.  We've got jackets made.  Thursday night I entered the Michelin Challenge again, and got off to a nice start.  Birds at 1 and 2 to start -2 under. I don't care what course I'm playing, anytime I start with 2 straight birdies it is 'OMG someone call CNN newsworthy.' I was stoked, to say the least.  I made par on 3 and 4, and after a 2 putt for par on 5, I really started to get excited.  But once again, number 6 completely $%^&*-slapped me with its usual $%^& punch.  With a long iron approach to this green, its damn difficult for me to get it inside of 30 feet even.  Most of the courses in this game I feel I can normally 2 putt for par from any distance 40 feet or below.  Most of the time.  But number 6 at Merion is a huge exception to that rule.  I had a 70+ footer for birdie, which I was able to stop inside of 4 feet.  And after my par putt lipped out, I had an 8 footer just so save a damn bogey.  And naturally I missed that one too, giving me another *#%@ing 4 putt for a *** damn double bogey.  And I continued to fall apart on 7,8,and 9, finishing bogey-bogey-double to close out the front at 4 over.  Started the back 9 ok with a Bird at 10, but a bogey at 18 and 1 more bogey on the hole with the creek (I forget which) left me with a 5 over 75.

  The thing about Merion is that  overall, its not that difficult of a course in my opinion.  There are several birdie holes on both the front and back 9, as long as you can put your drive in the fairway.  But 5, 6, and 15 - and to a lesser extent, 3 and 17 - are all so damn difficult (IMHO) that unless you have a tap in for par, you will be dropping a stroke, if not more than 1.  Finding the rough is almost a guaranteed bogey as well, as I can't recall a single hole with 20/30 rough.  Seems like its at minimum 40/50. Once I hit level 79 and unlock the RocketBladez I will reclaim my dignity from this course - I'm determined to do it, no matter what - but for now I just have to be content with my round of my life 69.   

   

• JayO92 172 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 5:57 AM

  BigInigoMontoya:

  But number 6 at Merion is a huge exception to that rule.  I had a 70+ footer for birdie, which I was able to stop inside of 4 feet.  And after my par putt lipped out, I had an 8 footer just so save a damn bogey.  And naturally I missed that one too, giving me another *#%@ing 4 putt for a *** damn double bogey.

  Let me get this straight.  You tried to hit a 4 foot putt with 12 feet of power?

  Why?

• ScottHope 10,445 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 6:08 AM

  BigInigoMontoya:

  And my newest gripe about Merion is the 18th hole.  Even with a 275 yard driver, I can just barely reach the fairway when teeing from the Master tees

  Do you drive with full backspin?  More carry, less roll out.

   

• CerinoDevoti 3,232 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 7:17 AM

  JayO92:

  BigInigoMontoya:

  But number 6 at Merion is a huge exception to that rule.  I had a 70+ footer for birdie, which I was able to stop inside of 4 feet.  And after my par putt lipped out, I had an 8 footer just so save a damn bogey.  And naturally I missed that one too, giving me another *#%@ing 4 putt for a *** damn double bogey.

  Let me get this straight.  You tried to hit a 4 foot putt with 12 feet of power?

  Why?

  It's very easy to end up 8 foot away from a missed putt of the correct feet of power  on the 6th hole. The hard downslope starts right at the hole so if it slides past...there she goes.

• xtabent 2,281 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 3:21 PM

  Congrats on mate,happy that xmas in July has helped a worthy golfer.

   

• mantis0014 8,946 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 7:18 PM

  This is a real 'Feel Good Post'  .....  Something that should be done more often, I think

  Congrats M8....  many more great scores to come, I'm Sure

  Well Done

     Roger

• neilecramer 106 Posts

  Fri, Aug 30 2013 7:56 PM

  CerinoDevoti:

  JayO92:

  Let me get this straight.  You tried to hit a 4 foot putt with 12 feet of power?

  Why?

   

  It's very easy to end up 8 foot away from a missed putt of the correct feet of power  on the 6th hole. The hard downslope starts right at the hole so if it slides past...there she goes.

  Exactly. If you're putting from pin high on 6, regardless of putt length, you can expect a semicircle putt that wont really stop unless it hits the hole. If the balls lips out on the high side, 8 feet away is as good as you can hope for.

  @BigInigo: check out the "Merion New Pins" tourney - 5 and 6 are now birdie holes! Okay...that was a stretch, but they do play a lot easier.

   

• BigInigoMontoya 208 Posts

  Sun, Sep 1 2013 6:05 AM

  ScottHope:

  BigInigoMontoya:

  And my newest gripe about Merion is the 18th hole.  Even with a 275 yard driver, I can just barely reach the fairway when teeing from the Master tees

  Do you drive with full backspin?  More carry, less roll out. 

  The past few times I played Merion, I actually have been driving with full back spin, even if I have to hit into a headwind.  That must have been my problem before, thinking I would need to use full top spin to overcome the wind.  This hole is still a beast for me though, because even when I hit 3wood on approach without spin at all I can't seem to reach the green in two.  Level 81 and the G20 3wood can't get here soon enough LoL.

  CerinoDevoti:

  It's very easy to end up 8 foot away from a missed putt of the correct feet of power  on the 6th hole. The hard downslope starts right at the hole so if it slides past...there she goes.

  Exactly.  Unless I am inside of 3 feet and I have just a tap in putt, I always use the putting formula to help  gauge  my distance.  Some of these holes on Merion though -- particularly the downhill putts -- if you miss even with the correct power then you are still left with a 5 to 6 footer coming back for Par.

  neilecramer:

  @BigInigo: check out the "Merion New Pins" tourney - 5 and 6 are now birdie holes! Okay...that was a stretch, but they do play a lot easier.

  I actually have played this tourney a few times this weekend.  So far my best effort has been 6 Pars, 2 Bogeys, and 1 Bird on the front, and 4 Pars, 3 Bogeys, and Back to Back Birds -- including a 54 foot sidewinder -- on the back to finish at 2 over 72.  Two of those bogeys were 3 putts on 10 (WTF!!!!!) and 17 (Downhill 20+ footer, I misread the break and thus my aim was way off, natch).  If I would have just eliminated those two bogeys, it would have been an even par round. Putting on 5 is now much easier, although it is now a mid to long iron into an elevated green, and my Fischer Price starter irons can't seem to hold the green on approach.  Just the other day I missed long on 5, my pitch on hit the stick, and still rolled 11 bloody feet past the hole, leaving me with a two putt bogey.  And 6 in theory should be much easier, but the hole is cut just a few paces in front of a down hill ridge, and if you don't carry the ridge then you roll off the green.  I always think I have enough club to carry it, but so far I haven't been able to do so, and its a tough up and down (for me) with this pin location.   

   

• 1,417 Posts

  Sun, Sep 1 2013 6:03 PM

  Glad to see they found another ridiculous pin position on #5 ,though... lol...

• MBaggese 15,367 Posts

  Sun, Sep 1 2013 11:13 PM

  neilecramer:

  Exactly. If you're putting from pin high on 6, regardless of putt length, you can expect a semicircle putt that wont really stop unless it hits the hole. If the balls lips out on the high side, 8 feet away is as good as you can hope for.

   

  The key to that putt if you are long...is find your line and speed and hit late...this will keep the ball very near the hole, and not have a long putt to save par.

   

  The approach should be tried up high and well left of the hole..result will be trickling down past below the hole with 7-15 feet for an uphill bird putt...note:/...the dots lie to you, it's near a straight in putt...just whack the heck out of it:)