The Josey Life

Water all down the left on the opening par 5, so the plan was simple: aim right and take the trouble out of play.

The drive stayed in the right rough, followed by a controlled 7-iron layup and an easy gap wedge to 15 feet. The birdie putt slipped low, but par was secure.

On the 140-yard par 3, a 9-iron cleared the bunker and finished on the left fringe. One clean chip later, it was another tap-in.

Back-to-back pars. Smart start. Let’s keep rolling.

Two Holes. Two Tough Spots. Two Pars.

Tried to cut the corner on the dogleg left and came up just short. After a low punch around the trees, the lob wedge gave us a 15-foot chance to save par. Center cup.
Next hole, 159-yard par 3. The 8-iron flew the flag and reached the back of the green. The birdie putt missed its line, but the four-footer coming back was good.
Back-to-back pars. Sometimes the scorecard never tells the whole story.

The Smart Miss That Saved Par

147 yards. Trouble right, so the play was an 8-iron draw toward the safe side. The ball finished hole-high on the fringe, followed by a sand-wedge chip and a confident six-footer for par. Smart target. Solid recovery. On to the next.

Two over through two, Josey Golf needed a steady hole. A perfect drive, smart 8-iron layup, and Pelz lob wedge left a 34-foot birdie putt. It missed by inches, but the tap-in par started the turnaround toward a 4-over finish.

The first drive was the worst shot of the day. The last shot on the hole changed everything.

An 18-foot par save on No. 1 helped start an even-par 36 at Cypress Creek.

Birdie, Scramble, Bogey: The Back Nine Roller Coaster

How I Protected a One-Under Par Round

Par 3. 100-degree heat. Front-left pin with a downhill green. A 9-iron from 144 yards leaked just left, leaving a delicate chip. One soft sand wedge later, the ball rolled to two feet. Tap-in par. Sometimes the scorecard is saved around the green.

The Smart Play Beat the Heat - Not the Driver.

Heat. Bunkers. No driver. Just smart golf.

A 5-wood, a blind approach, and a clutch five-footer turned a tough par into a win.

Ugly Swing. Better Scores.

Driver was not worth the risk here.

Tight par four. Trouble left and right. Nine wood kept it in play, and a great flop shot saved par.

Ugly Swing. Better Scores.