Colorado Open

In case you're wondering, it's true...the golf ball really does fly noticeably further at higher altitude! It was fun adjusting my club decisions based on the ball flying 10% further in the mile-high city last week. Though I'd visited Denver, CO before to go snowboarding on nearby mountains, that was my first experience playing and carrying my bag at that kind of altitude. I enjoyed the course, which was an interesting modern design with trees in the middle of some fairways and speedy slopes in the greens. Coming directly from a great ball striking performance in California, my play at Green Valley Ranch displayed much of the same characteristics. I hit the ball very well and made good decisions, but did not adjust well enough for the speed of the greens. Along with my focus on short game, I am also making a conscious effort to play more patiently. The more patient I am on the golf course, the quicker I detach from emotions that follow after good or bad shots, and the less I focus on results while playing which thereby helps me stay in the moment. I'm glad to be back in the South now to practice all that I've learned recently and to keep working on my process.

Brooke

 Nice view of the Rockies behind the Par 3, #13, at Green Valley Ranch golf course

An interesting feature of the course was how the designer placed trees in front of greens in the fairway. Not a problem on the Par 5, 2nd hole, here if you lay up to 100 yards.

 Another unique view from the fairway into a Par 4 green. Strategy is key as you have to lay up off the tee to 130-150 yards from the green.

 These strange contraptions were seen around course in random places and are apparently to trap any kind of biting fly.

What to do when waiting on a tee box for 20 minutes in a practice round... get to know the ginormous local bull frogs! And no, that is not my ball in the water.

I wonder if Colorado knows anything about frog-giggin'...

Shhh, don't tell the flight attendant I didn't turn my camera phone off before landing. If you've never flown into the Denver airport before, check out the picture below of the roof. It represents the mountain range, and the rings around some of the peaks signify the mountains in CO that reach above 14,000 feet.

 

Neat view of a dam (looks like a giant stair case to the lower right of the lake) while flying over Nevada.