May 5th, 2011
JaLaBar:
I think my best score on a 9 hole round by itself was a 32 or 33, but I have shot a 29, 30, and 31 on Kiawah's back 9 during 18 hole rounds. The first was a 63 I shot, maybe as an amateur, that went 34-29. The second was a 65 I shot recently, that went 35-30. And just today I shot a 66 that went 35-31.
Then today I had a round on Bethpage turn to #%%. I was -7 going into... #15. On the back 9 at that point I was -5 through 5. Then... double bogey on 15, composure lost with a bogey on 16. I managed to finish par-birdie -5, but a fantastic back 9 gobbled up by BPB #15.
Funny to read that. I had been here about a month. It took about another month before I dropped a 29 on the front 9 of SA in a CC tourney, probably around my 250th game. It took another month before I shot my second independent 9 hole sub-30, the round that leveled me to Legend I shot a 28 front 9 at BPB. My best as a Legend thus far is a 28 at Congressional back 9, my third (and last thus far) sub-30... a disappointing 28, if that is possible. I birdied the first 8 holes (10-17), then hit my drive on 18 left and short into the wind. With the choice to play for the pin and a possible -9 26 or a potential splash, or the center of the green and an almost certain 27, I went for the center but pushed it and left myself 45'. Hit that too strong and missed the comeback and my near-certain 27 was a 28.
My best 9 holes in any forum came on the back 9 of my best 18 ever. I shot a lackadaisical 31 on the front 9 of the RSG qualifier, almost restarted but decided to finish it out, then dropped a 27 on the back 9 for a 58 which sadly missed qualifying by a stroke. I have since shot a 59 at SA and at Kiawah (but that was the Ketel), but have yet to go below 60 for 18 as a Legend.
The Ketel was my best score in relation to par, but I count the SA -13 as my best in relation to par. My best independent 9 holes is -7 at SA, Congressional, and BPB.