Alright, so I finally did it this year. I went ahead and signed up for the Austin City Championship. Been meaning to give it a go for a while, just never got around to it or maybe chickened out, who knows. Anyway, got online, filled out the form, paid the entry fee. Done.
Leading up to it, I tried to get some practice in. You know how it is, life gets busy. But I made an effort. Spent a good bit of time on the driving range, mostly trying to get the driver somewhat straight. Hit the putting green a lot too. That’s usually where my scores go sideways. I even managed to play a practice round out at the course, Roy Kizer I think it was, just to remind myself where the trouble spots were. Good thing I did, remembered a couple of tricky greens.
First Day Jitters
Woke up Saturday morning, way too early. Had those butterflies, you know? The kind you get before something you’re maybe not totally prepared for. Got to the course, checked in, saw my name on the pairings sheet. Grabbed a scorecard and a coffee. Went to the range to warm up. Didn’t feel amazing, but didn’t feel terrible either. Just kinda tight. Met the guys I was playing with on the first tee. Seemed like good dudes. We all wished each other luck.
The first few holes were rough. Nerves definitely got me. Think I started bogey, double bogey, or something like that. Just couldn’t get comfortable. Told myself to just relax and play golf. It kinda worked. Settled down on the back nine. Hit a few solid irons, actually got one close. Made a nice long putt for a birdie on 14, that felt really good. The course was playing tough. Greens were faster than I remembered from the practice round. Finished the day, signed the card. Wasn’t a pretty score, but I didn’t completely fall apart, so I took that as a small win.
Day Two – Trying to Hang In
Felt a bit better going into Sunday. Less nervous, more just focused on trying to put a decent number up. Same routine – get there, check in, little warm-up. Different group today. Weather was hotter, definitely felt the heat kicking in towards the end of the round. My goal was just consistency. Avoid the blow-up holes.
It was a grind. Had some good moments, had some bad ones. That’s just golf, isn’t it? Here’s a quick rundown of the memorable bits:
- The Good: Stuck an approach shot on a par 3 to about 5 feet. Actually made the putt for birdie. Felt like a pro for about two minutes.
- The Bad: Hit a perfect drive on a par 5, feeling great. Then proceeded to chunk the second shot about 30 yards. Just awful.
- The Ugly: Lost a ball on a hole where I thought I hit a decent shot. Took a penalty drop. That always stings.
Pace of play wasn’t too bad, which was nice. You see some really good players out there in these things. Guys who hit it pure and putt lights out. It’s humbling, but also kind of cool to watch.
Finished up on 18, shook hands with the guys. Went to the scoring area, turned in my scorecard. My final score wasn’t anything to write home about. Didn’t sniff the leaderboard, not even close. But honestly, that wasn’t the main goal. I just wanted to get out there, compete a little, and see how my game held up under some pressure.
Overall? Glad I did it. It was challenging, definitely pushed me. It’s a different feeling playing tournament golf compared to just hacking it around with your buddies. Met some new people, played a decent course under tournament conditions. Yeah, it was a good experience. Might just have to sign up again next year and see if I can do a little better.
