Originally Posted by JohnFromMaine (Post 1115675)

I've played off and on since I was a kid but have never played as good as I have over the past two years. My handicap is now 23.8 but was down to 22.4 last year. My best par 36 championship 9 hole round is 40, 18 hole round is 87 and my best executive par 28 round is 30.



I play 5 plus months in The Villages and 6 plus months in Maine where I only play championship courses.



I've played all 3 courses at Mallory, Havana, Bonifay and Evans plus a couple other 9's. I like Havana best but all are interesting and challenging. I'm a great believer in the rule of thumb; play from the tee where you can reach the green in regulation, so I play from the whites. I've played all of the executives, except Briarwood, and do have some favorites. Yankee Clipper, Truman, Bogart & Bacall, Palmetto, and Tarpon Boil. On the exec's I play the gold tees as I just want to have fun while working on my fairway and short games. I've noticed that some of the older exec's are flatter and the newer ones more challenging. However, they all provide a good game. My rough schedule is two exec 9's and one championship 9 a week but sometime play more often.



No matter who you are and what level your game is at, play to have fun, get some exercise, enjoy the company of your fellow players, the course, and the weather. Forget the bad shots, Lord knows we all have 'em, and remember to good ones which we all have as well. The good shots not only keep you coming back but prove that you can do it.



Overall, The Villages does a great job maintaining our courses so I, for one, try my best to respect that and sand my divots, rake sand traps, and properly repair ball marks, often more then mine, on greens. We are very lucky to have found such a great place in The Villages.

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 1115677)

From one DownEaster to another, well done. Have you ever played Norway Country Club in Norway ME or the ocean course at the Samoset Inn?