Encanterra - Set Up to Go Low!

I was really excited about playing golf this weekend. We played Encanterra, a Trilogy Country Club, which is a Shea Homes Trilogy golf course located in Queen Creek, Arizona. My friend and fellow Phoenix Suns Charities board member won a year's membership in the Club during our silent auction in October. This was his first time playing the course at his new country club.

Queen Creek is about an hour's drive southeast of central Phoenix in Pinal County. Queen Creek was another one of the anticipated growth areas for residential development following the transportation corridors and the "drive to qualify" mantra of first-time homebuyers and production homebuilders. Every national homebuilder and the large local homebuilders bought property to develop for residential projects in the area. Driving down the road to the golf course, I passed a number of subdivisions in which I worked on the acquisition, entitlement and infrastructure development. After the buying frenzy in 2005 through 2007, sales in these subdivisions fell off the end of the table and foreclosures accelerated. In recent months there has been some improvement in the market, but home prices are probably still down about 40% to 50% from 2007 highs and there are a number of homeowners that may never recoup the cost of their homes and do not meet the federal criteria for refinancing because the homes are so underwater.

Trilogy is Shea Homes' branded active adult community. Active adult communities are age-restricted communities for individuals 55 years and older. The project is highly amenitized, including a golf course and recreational facilities. Shea Homes is in the process of building a 60,000 square foot clubhouse right behind the 18th green that will include a fully equipped golf shop, an athletic club, indoor and outdoor pools, spa, two restaurants, ballroom and indoor/outdoor event spaces, business center, private lounges and a full service concierge.

The golf course is set up for playability. The fairways are extremely wide and there is little or no out-of-bounds unless you hit the ball into the private backyards. The houses are generally pretty far back from the fairways. Many of the greens are elevated so if you miss the green the ball rolls into the collection area and there are some difficult up-and-downs. The greens are relatively large, but depending on the flag locations the greens can be somewhat difficult. The course was overseeded about a month ago and it was in great shape except that the greens were still slow and hard. We played from the burgundy tees, which are 6,734 yards with a course rating of 71.9 and a slope rating of 125. I thought that this course was set up for me to go low!

I started out really strong. My first drive (no mulligan) was straight down the middle and my approach shot stopped within five feet of the pin. From there it was downhill. I missed the putt and settled for a par. On No. 2 my drive was down the middle again and I was on the green in regulation and 3-putted for a bogey. Even though I had given away two strokes on the first two holes I was still feeling pretty good about myself. The next hole was a long par-5 that I bogeyed with a one putt and I made a two-putt bogey on the par-3 4th hole. Then the wheels came off! I got the hooks (again!). See Albert Einstein quote from "Rules of Golf - Ball Lost or Out of Bounds" I was 10 over par for the next 5 holes for a 49 on the front. I three-putted three holes, consistently leaving my first putt 8 to 10 feet short. I was using the short backswing and follow-through approach from my recent golf lesson instead of my normal long fluid Ben Crenshaw-like putting stroke. I guess I have more work to do on the putting stroke!

About halfway through the back nine still hooking the ball, Chad Feldheimer, my golf guru, advised me to change to a neutral grip, i.e., both thumbs pointed directly down the shaft of the club. Generally, when I do this I start hitting big balloon slices but today I hit the ball relatively straight and in the fairway. On No. 18, which is a short par-5, I was on the green in regulation, but far away from the hole and I made a nice second putt for par to end the round with a 46 on the back and a 95 for the day.

My SO told me that golf is 90% mental and I added 50% physical. She is correct. She said that I need to find that "happy place" in my mind and do some deep breathing when the wheels fall off. The "happy place" in my mind used to be on the golf course! Now what?