That was my idea of a perfect scoring day:  overcast, calm and a little cool to start.  My only quibble was that they micro-aerated and topdressed some of the greens.  I know it's good for the course, but I just wish they'd told us.  Even on the best of days it can take me a while to figure out the putting part.  This week (with a lesson my mind) I never did.

But before I get to the lesson there were some great rounds in The Memorial.  Tom Gramolini is running the tournament with a spreadsheet assist from son, Brian.  Saturday's results were shared by email and the leaders repeated below.  Full results here.    

Now back to me.  Whoo Whoo.  Did I have fun.  Like a kid in a candy store. There is nothing like a new toy to put a smile on your face.  And I had a new swing to play with.  So I smiled a lot.  I actually hit the center of the club.  A Lot.  I can't overstate how good that felt.  On the other hand - change is a bear.  Every swing felt like someone else's.  Every move felt awkward.  And every hit that worked was a surprise.  For a tally of the results, it's back to the Menu of Misery that I took to Chris Caulfield:

Open Faced Slice:   0.  No balls in the trees.  No two fairway skyballs soaring for parts unknown.  Probably the first round ever where nothing off the tee missed right!  In fact I hit eleven fairways - only done better than that once.  Zagat rating:  Total Success.

Active Hands Chip:  0.  It felt so good to have a new, soft release that I pulled out my sand wedge around the greens.  I haven't seen her in years - for fear of smacking the ball with her thick, heavy bottom.  What a happy reunion.  Zagat rating:  Better than ice cream.

Thinly Bladed Wedge: Never a worry.  Short game distance control inside 100 yds was amazing.  55 yds or 58?  I need to know.  Zagat rating:  hard to say - I've never been able to do that before - are 27 points too many?  

Downside:  Shanks for asking.  No really, shanks.  Hosel rockets.  I'm supposed to stand closer to the ball - overdid it a couple times.  Luckily chunked so badly that they only went 30 yards.  So it wasn't all Per Se and Momufuku.

Still.  What fun.  Seeing the ball fly straight; looking up from contact to see a great shot and think "Did I really do that?"  I wanna do it again.  And you will too - right after your time with Chris Caulfield - call (914) 231-3461.

For those who fell this was too personal a posting - my apologies; it probably was.  But be forewarned - I have a birthday coming and have asked for "Every Shot Counts" by Mark Broadie, the Columbia Business School professor who is credited with using statistics and golf analytics to come up with the strokes gained metric.  Lots of impersonal, number ridden web musings ahead.

Sadly - next week's BBQ was cancelled due to lack of turnout.  I say we should still show up for a drink or two.  I'm always up for a beer on the patio.