Can I Break Par at Florida’s Hardest Golf Course?
Today I’m playing my home course, Trump International. In my opinion, it’s the hardest golf course in all of Florida. I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty fast. Every hole demands your absolute best and it doesn’t give much back. Believe me, I’m grinding. I challenge myself with a goal of breaking hard. Let’s get into it cuz I want to be great so bad. You guys have no idea. cut back. Ah, sit. That might have split the two traps, but uh we’ll see. That’s if that’s in between the two traps, that’s not that bad of a spot. All right, so we’re off and running. I I’ve already I’m already at it. I said to my videographer, I like I can’t believe that ball didn’t cut back because when you have these headwinds, even if you got sid spin, if the ball’s moving in a certain direction, like if it’s a pull or a push, the ball will always keep sliding that way. So, it’s just I don’t know, guys. Like, I’m a high-speed guy. I grew up in Maryland where there’s not a lot of wind and you kind of just throw the ball high hitting off of bent grass. you can be pretty aggressive and it’s this just it grinds my gears everything about Florida golf and that’s why I’m down here because I need to be able to play this golf at a good level down here if I want to play golf at a high level anywhere. So this really is more anything mental test for me to see how patient I can stay and to just try to stay positive and just keep playing. So that’s my goal. Okay, so I’m going to play 48°ree wedge here. I think that downhill grade is going to have it shoot out pretty hot, which should be with this wind held up pretty good. And I think I aim at that trap in the distance and that wind will bring it back. So that’s kind of my goal. Anything around the green here is really good. See if we can pull it off. All right. So, this should be a pretty straight putt here. I’m going to play it right center. Just keep it simple stroke here. That was a very unexpected four after like this court this hole playing into the wind. It’s a birdie making a four here. Okay, on the hole two pretty straight away par four playing back downwind. I normally hit like a three iron here into the flats on the left side of those traps, but I’m going to rip driver here because it is a tailwind. I think I can get pretty close to the green. We’re teed up a little bit in front of these T markers just so my my guy can have a little more room with um the shot. So, it’s like a yard forward. But yeah, I’m going rip it with driver. Should be all right. There was um just a little ride of the flag. We’ll see. Those bunkers can get really weird. So, it just really depends on where that ball landed, but we shouldn’t be too far away from the hole. Maybe like we’ll almost certainly be within like 50 yards of the hole. Okay, so that was a pretty good T- shot um up the right side. Probably in one of the probably in the either second to last or last trap. Felt good. Was good swing. Again, really focusing on my mental game more than anything at the moment because that is that’s what needs to be worked on the most. I have a tournament in a couple days and I know my mental game will naturally get better as I play more and compete more. So, that’s also something I’m keeping in mind. It’s so weird, guys. Like, you almost you get to a point where you’re afraid to play golf cuz you’re afraid of the impending negative emotions associated with anger and frustration. It’s so weird. It’s weird to kind of tell it to you guys like that. But, that is kind of what I what I’m dealing with right now. But, um I think we’re handling it okay. And you just got to make this decision outside of yourself that before you go into it, you’re gonna choose to have a good attitude and play good in your own mind if nothing else. So, okay. So, we got a shot up this steep lip trap. It’s tough shot. So, we’re just going to try to explode it out. One of the biggest things I’m trying to do is before I hit the shot, I’m trying to get into a place of acceptance either way. Um, good or bad. So, that’s really what I’m working on right now. I think that should be good. I didn’t quite get it as spinny as I wanted it to be, but we’ll see how that landed on the green. Okay, so that was a really great shot. I mean, this green actually runs away this way. It might not look like it from your angle, but believe it or not, it’s downhill running this way. So, this was a fantastic shot. We got about 12 15 feet for birdie. So, see if we can roll it in. That would have gone by about 8 ft, but I’ll take it. That was a really great three. What’s crazy about this course, they’ve somehow found a way to make it go fast both ways. So that’s that way. Here’s this way. It literally rolls away on both sides. So, what that’s called, guys, is a crown. So, if you think of uh like a crown on a king’s head, these greens, what they’re doing is they’re sloped like this. So, think of it like this pin is right here. And so, they put that pin right there. So, everything runs away from the hole. And that’s what makes this these green complexes so tough, but yet so subtle. All right, so we’re on to the third hole. I like to play one iron here right at the left edge of that tree line. Bit of a headwind. If I hit a really good T- shot, we could try to go for it. But you guys will see it in a minute. It’s just such a narrow landing area for going for the green and two. And that’s a signature of this course is like even on par fives, going for it in two, it’s a nervy shot. Like you can turn a birdie hole into a bogey hole like that even if you hit a great drive on these par fives. So we’ll deal with that when we get there. But for right now, right up the right edge of that fairway with the one iron. Cut. Cut. Yeah, that’s just crazy, man. It fell two feet two yards left and that’s going to be the difference between being able to go for it or not. And that’s what’s so infuriating hitting into these headwinds on these holes. You have like a 15 yard window to throw it into to give yourself a chance to be aggressive on the hole. That was a great T- shot, but I’m going to be blocked out. Here’s the crazy thing. Not only am I going to be blocked out from going for the green, I’m going to be blocked out from laying up. I might That’s being a little dramatic. probably have a good chance to lay it up successfully to 100 yards, but I’m going to have to hit a hook or slice around that tree. So, all right. So, I got 208 here. Obviously, can’t go very vertical with this. Laying up, it’s not the worst idea, but I also do feel like I have a decent shot at getting around the green here. Just the tough part is this headwind. It’s just going to be tough to slice it through all that. So, I’m going to aim at those three palm trees there. Getting in those traps behind him is a good shot. So, we’re going to give it a go here. Keep turning. Keep turning. It’s really good. I cannot believe I didn’t turn more. This is one of the freakiest greens on the entire course. It doesn’t look like it, but this green is scary. And this is the hidden genius of this course. If you don’t go down here, guaranteed you’re going to see this as an uphill chip and you’re going to blast it into the fringe long. And this is why tour pros are always stalking the green everywhere because they’re trying to find the low point and the high point and then use that as a guide from which they can build off the slopes and what’s happening. So, I’m probably right now three feet under where my golf ball is on just the other side of the green. But you really can’t see it from up there. Man, that’s not even a bad shot. It’s just there’s a crown that’s about four feet short of that hole. If you get it over that, it rolls to the pin. But I was about two feet short of it. be able to sneak it in there. Okay, so pretty good start on the fourth hole. Bit of a dog leg left par four again right into the fan. I’m going to aim at the two there’s there’s a couple little tall trees in the back right center of the fairway really here. It’s just you want to hit stay on top of the golf ball cuz the tough part about this hole is just it’s a very brutal headwind and that ball will really get eaten up by it. So, you just got to really stay on top of your your uh spin axis and just get it in the fairway. Just need to fall a fraction left or hold its line at least. That should be fine. Anything left of those palm trees is fine. and just expand on why I feel so uncomfortable. I’ll be honest with you guys, like I’ve been going through a lot mentally with my game and I’ve had a lot of extreme ups and downs and what I’m really battling is not letting it become do too big a part of my identity. So that’s like that’s what I’m really fighting is I need to get to a place where whether I play good or bad, it doesn’t really affect how how dinner tastes when I get home, you know? So that’s really my biggest battle right now is that and I think a lot of the struggle with playing good golf is you need to be in a good spot mentally in general where like you don’t feel pressure to play good because you’re happy either way. I feel like that’s when your best golf comes out and that’s really what I’m trying to get to cuz I want to be great so bad. You guys have no idea. And so like if I’m playing good everything’s great. If I’m playing bad everything’s terrible. So like I got to learning to adjust that mindset makes you frees you up so much more to hit effortless shots. So, that’s really what I’m working on. Okay, so good shot here. Got 122 left. Wind is This is so tough to figure out always, but I do believe it’s in off the right. I got a 40°ree wedge in my hand. I’m going to saw it off a little bit. Play it to the left side of this green. It should funnel back a little bit. And yeah, we’ll see if we can flight one down nicely. This is again a shot I struggle with a ton. These these lower flight of wedges into the wind. And I be honest with you guys, I feel incredibly uncomfortable right now and just with what but this is why I know it’s good for my game because this is how you get better is by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. So, it’s actually not a bad spot. I just I just do not like the look of this green with the water on the right. So, I’m missing a good spot there. That’s the uh food and beverage attendant. Cuts down on labor costs. As I said, really not a bad shot at all. This is really not bad. Um just these greens are just tiny. So, it’s going to be a quick one here, but we do have uh it’s not a long fly. So, if we land on that fringe, I do think it’ll roll out nicely to the pen. Dang. Sit. I’ll take it. All right. Well, that was a good four there. Really thought for a second that might go in. So, I know I’m scoring good, but believe me, I’m grinding. So, I’m going to go with the sixiron and try to hold it off against this wind. And I’m going to aim at the left side of this green. Anything on dry ground is fine. I mean, truly, I really I really mean that. Holy smokes. Look at that wind. Take it. Keep going. Jeez. I’m going to go with a little bump and run here. If this was a foot closer, I would putt it. But there’s just a little bit of a kind of up and down slope here that I just don’t quite have a good feel for. So, this is a really tough chip because the pin is once again. So, we talked about those crowns. If you look closely, you can see that pin is about five or six feet on the other end of that crown. So, what that means is anything that’s a little short that doesn’t make it to that crown is going to stop quickly. And anything that’s a little too firm and makes it over that crown is going to roll way past the pin. So, it takes my margin of air from this to about that. Come on. Go, go. That was about a foot away from being almost in the hole. So, I’m pretty sure, pretty confident it’s going to move left to right. We got a really quick putt here. I’m play ball out. Just kind of let it slide right into the cup. Should be a fairly uniform breaking putt here. I’m working hard, guys. Okay, so we’re going to give this a go. So, I’m going to have to hit this three on pretty hard. I do think the wind has started to die down a little bit. So, if I flight this thing down and knock off the spin, I do think we’ll get there, but I’m going to play it out left because the wind is going to push it to the right quite significantly. So, we’re gonna aim just outside just to the right of that rock outcropping there and let this ball kind of move to the right with that wind, man. Look at it fight that wind. That’s fine. That’s a good place to put it. Just don’t want to get cute. This can turn into a bogey hole very fast if you do. Okay. And for those of you guys curious in like how I decide whether to go for something or not, if I’m filming like I am now, I am more likely to be aggressive cuz obviously I’m doing it for the content. But like if I’m in a tournament, I have a very systematic approach and I’ll tell you guys exactly what it is. It’s called Decade Golf. Shout out Scott Faucet. I talk with him quite a bit and I’m still learning the system, but is a mathematical system. depending upon your skill level, you’ll have an ice cream cone of misses that you know the standard miss pattern. And so you can actually set your target up to accommodate as much of that miss pattern as possible while hitting the furthest shot you can. That’s kind of how I what I do. And I’m still learning the ins and outs of it. Just look it up. It’s called Decade Golf. I think you guys will really get a lot from it. Okay, so we got 47 yards left. I’ve been working on the shot a ton because this is the best place to work on it right now. These are the toughest conditions you can have. And when I mean by conditions, I don’t mean winter. I mean how tight this grass is. So instead of taking a more lofted like 60 degree and trying to play all the way on the green, I have 47 yards. I’m gonna take a 52. I’m going to open the blade up to give it some bounce and I’m going to go toewe down so that I minimize the chance of this club digging. It’s still going to be a really hard shot, but this gives me the best chance of clean contact. did just get up there. It’s all in all not too bad. I caught that a bit heavy, but again, tow down, I got away with it. And it’s not 10. It’s not 5t away, but it’s, you know, something else to note here that as someone who is not a Florida native, I have had to learn. So, look right here. You can see this grain. Notice how it changes color right about here. So from your perspective looking this way, the bright grain, the bright colored grass, the grass is growing that way and the darker color grass is growing this way. So what that means is in my putt, since my putt’s going this way, the grass is growing against it. So this putt’s going to be a little slower than I anticipate. What’s really just it’s a good example, grain tends to change with directions, directional slope changes. So down grain is typically downhill. Up grain is typically uphill. The grain change is about a foot short of that hole. Again on a crown. It’s the hidden tricks of this course. So I actually think that was a really good putt. That would have only gone by about 2 feet. But you guys could probably see how it’s kind of like hopping up and down on that grass a little bit. And that’s because that ball is rolling this way and the grass is growing this way. So, it’s kind of hitting that grass and skipping up a little bit, but great putt. Solid play so far. I really can’t complain. Um, it’s just tough, guys. Like, this course is just so unbelievably difficult. And I actually think filming this and it’s weird. Like, if I’m playing it by myself, I’m obviously not really going through the motions. I’m just kind of hitting shots. But sitting here and explaining to you guys my thought process, actually helping me read these putts and kind of figure this course out. It’s kind of fascinating how by taking that time to talk to you guys about what I’m going what going through my head and my thoughts, it’s funny enough and ironically actually forcing me to learn as well from what my from what I’m saying. So, it’s really interesting how being a little more deliberate makes it easier to play well. So, something kind of fascinating. All right, so we’re on a hole seven. Got wind off the right. I’m gonna start it at this pin and I’m gonna work it off that pin and try to put it on the left center of this green. And I’m pulling a nine iron and just hammering it so that I can have a full swing. Anything on the left side of this green is a good spot. All right, we’ll see if it’s the number. That’s the exact line you want. I cannot believe I got it to stop there. That is going to be an unbelievable putt. Okay, I was just telling my cameraman this. That was a really good shot, but when you have trouble on one side and a sucker pin like that, a lot of people say aim for the center of the green. That is a great target. But what I like to do is I will aim on the edge of the trouble and play a guaranteed shot shape away from it because it gives me that much more room to work with if I know it’s going to move in a certain direction. So, just something to keep in mind. Um, something I found really helpful when I deal with shots like that. The tough part is going to be So, it’s going to get fast in stages. It’s going to be like this. It’s going to be like that and then it’s going to really take off close to the hole. So, I really have to What’s tough about that is you can’t just then just tap it because the first half is kind of like this. It’s a little downhill, but it’s not super fast. And then it kind of goes like that. So, you got to be really precise with your speed here. So, Look at that thing go. Look at that thing move. That’s just really didn’t even hit it that far past the pin. Yeah, it’s probably slide a little bit a little bit this way. Just a firm putt on take it a half a ball outside the right edge. Firm. And that went dead straight. All right, so we’re on hole eight. We’re actually playing behind the tips. So this is a five. This is the 501 yard T- box for the par4. So dog leg right. I’m going be aiming driver at these traps and just kind of letting that wind pull it to the right a bit and just send it. Keep slicing. I saw it land. It’s fine. It’s actually on one of the tea boxes on the other hole. It’s from the 500 yard TE’s. We got 67 yards left. So, see the difference in the lie here. This is a stiffer but more buoyant form of Bermuda. Cut a little differently. So, you can literally see it’s like you could the ball is just sitting up on this root system so much better. So, I’m actually going to be able to play a 60 degree here. And as I say this, I very well gonna end up chunking it because I’m now saying, “Hey, I can hit this shot in all likelihood. I have a better chance of clipping this because I got a little bit of buoyancy under this golf ball. Little bit of sponge.” So, I have a little bit more wiggle room with my low point. Okay. So, the flag is just left of this. It’s it’s the left center of that tree being blocked out by this palm frrons. It’s a 67 yard shot. Want to carry this about 60 yards. Oh yeah. Sit. That was a great shot. I had a I didn’t talk about this, but that green is running away. I didn’t quite get the spin on it I wanted, but I flew the exact number. It’s It’s about a 15 footer, so I carried it right here. It was about a 63 yard carry about three yards off my target, which is acceptable. still rolled all the way through the green. But this is tough, guys. Like it’s you got kind of got to accept that when you play out here. So, I got to do a few things here. I have to first account for and Trump this club is very notorious for this. Again, these TPS. So, downhill downhill. What does that do? You fly it here, it stops and rolls back. You fly it here, it skips and runs forward. So, for my purposes, I have a little bit of that runoff still to account for. and then it’s going to come back. So, the first part of the putt is always going to break less cuz the ball has more speed as it’s traveling. So, I need to play this to slide a little bit left, but not a lot cuz the ball will rolled through that brake pretty good. And then what we’d be left with is just a steady left to right slide or so. I’m going to give it a cup out. Play it a little quick. It is approaching 630. So, we do have to keep that in mind. The greens are still getting they’re quick, but they are getting a little slower. So, Good. A little bit of a gust of wind came up. I don’t know if that would have made the difference, but at 2:00 that would have definitely gone in. All right, so we’re on hole nine. That was a good putt there. just not quite firm enough. But we’re hitting a three iron here right at the American flag, which gives us a little more room on both sides. You can hit a one iron here. If you hit a one iron, it’s got a little right to left action. You get nervous when it starts landing on that left side of that fairway because it just funnels it right to the water. It’s fine, but that was hit so bad. Just caught that off the toe. It’s a bit of a nervy swing. I just That water always messes with my head, but that’s all right. Going to hedge here with the five iron. If I block it right, it has a fighting chance to stay short of the stuff on the right. This will be a tough shot, but we’re going to give it a rip. Got a bit of a tailwind, so I have a good chance of funneling up into that green. Get up. Go. had a lot of spin on it. I don’t know. It’s gonna be really close. God, that wind’s shifted from a tail to a cross. The second I hit it, too. Well, guys, this has been honestly a grind. I didn’t expect it to turn into this, but it’s been great practice for me to really try to manage my emotions. So, it’s been a lot of fun. I’m exhausted, though. Like, I’ve been here since I’ve been here for probably 12 hours, so it’s tough, but uh does look like I’m a fraction short. Not a bad spot. Still have a chance to chip in. So, see it. It’s that’s that. So just no roll up. You’re not going to get anything running up to these greens. It’s just that’s one of the hidden tricks of this course. I got a slightly tight lie. So got to keep that in check. Remember what I said earlier, tow down vertical shaft plane. What I mean by vertical shaft plane is this. Keep that thing up here. Watch this thing roll past this hole. It’s just unbelievable how much that thing rolls when it stops going fast. It’s going to be one of those putts where I don’t know exactly how this is breaking, but I got to commit to a line. I I would not be like this on literally any other course. So, like the standard of golf I’m playing right now, if I was playing at my home club, which hosts local qualifiers, it’s a hard course. I would have this would be a putt for a 30, not a 33 or 34, whatever we’re at right now. Like that’s and that’s why I’m annoyed because it’s it’s not a slight in the club. This club is doing it what it’s supposed to do, which is beat you up. It’s just frustrating when you hit it this good. You’re playing this good and you’re not shooting like mid60s. I’m going to put this right center. I think it’s going to be pretty standard. I’m going to say if anything it’s going to be a fraction downhill, but I’m not going to worry too much about speed. I think it’s a fairly standard speed. Another beautiful putt that is not rewarded. That is very frustrating. I I hit a good putt, just didn’t go in. Um that’s going to happen especially at this course. So, we’re making the turn now. We have about two hours of daylight left. So, we’ll see if we get it in. I’m not I’m not playing slow, but I am playing deliberate. I’m playing this like I’d be playing a tournament where I’m really trying to talk through everything. We’ll see. But regardless, I’m playing good. I’m happy I’m playing. I can’t complain at all. It’s just, as I told you guys earlier, it’s just tough to not get frustrated because, you know, you can play so much better. So, all right. So, I got a one iron here. Playing in it about 20 yards left of that electric box. It’s a tough T- shot. Got a bit of a headwind off the left. So, I think just carry about 280, 290. Just trying to put it in that fairway. Give myself a chance to attack. I mis hit it, so that might save me. Yeah, we’re fine. Okay, so T-shot actually worked out pretty good. Got 144 left. Wind is off the left. I think it’s just a straight side, straight crosswind. Got a 52 degree wedge in hand. Going to play to left center of this green. The ball’s going to want to fall to the right. And the green will kind of funnel it that way, too. And this this green’s kind of like this. So, it’s going to take a pretty hard hop. So, we definitely want something coming in with some spin. Keep moving. Right. Come on, help me out. I think that got back onto the putting surface. Should have probably about a 30footer. If I got a little help from that wind, it should have slid back. But with the wind moving that way, just in just enough of a hanging line to make you think about it, that that water can really come into play fast because that water is really close to that front edge of the green. And you guys know if you if you squeeze it out to the right, you lose distance. So even if it’s a miss 15 10 15 ft right if you lose seven or eight yards that thing can end up in the water like that. Okay. So just miss the green here. Got about a 30ft chip shot. Green’s going to it’s going to be a really straight chip. Maybe move right to left a little bit. This is the flattest green on the course. So really here it’s just don’t complicate it. Keep a simple shot simple. Same thing toe down vertical swing plane. I want to carry this about two yards onto the green and just turn it into a putt. I got a 56 degree in hand here. That’s just That’s crazy, man. This one’s going to be tough. I mean, this is I’m going to play this left center, but this putt is not going to move much from what I can tell. Just got to commit to a line and roll it. Pushed it. That was disgusting. All right, so on hole 11, we got 177. Wind is helping a fraction off the left, so I’m going to go with this the pitching wedge here. And uh just started just left of the pin. Wind should hold off a draw here and just put it a little left of that hole. Fall back. And it’s on the back center of the green about a 25 footer. All right, so we got about 30 ft here as usual. I’m not really sure what this is going to do. I actually think it’s going to be fairly straight. It’s right on his crown. Looks like be a little quick. So getting this down in two would be just fine. I might look like an idiot though once this putt starts rolling and I see which way this is breaking. Or I might look like a genius. Just kidding. It’s a three. All right. So, we’re on hole 12. 630 yard par five. You just got to throw a three iron into that tiny little gap there. Okay. So, I got 320 left. It’s a bit of a jumper here. I’m going to play a three iron just left of this green. Try to chase it up. Just see if we can get green side just a little left of the green. Fall right. Of course, that’s going to drag it left. See if it stays short of that trap. Tra that trap’s pretty far back there. I caught it a little little juicy. So, we’ll see. Okay, so we’re in a fun spot here. We got about a 50-yard explosion shot. The best thing you can do here is take a lower lofted wedge. I got a 52°ree. I’m going to open it up and just play it as a very long explosion shot. But this is an extremely difficult shot. All right. So, just a tough bunker shot there. And try to fly this under that fringe and just let it slide a little bit to the right. Sit. Look at that roll. All right. So on hole 13 is going to be playing into the wind off the right just a little bit. Pretty straight away. I’m going to be playing at the right edge of this fairway. See if I can get it to fall a little bit left. But again, just another really tough hole. 480 into the wind. That was absolutely melted. Let’s turn this into a birdie hole. It’s the best T- shot I’ve hit all day. All right, it’s been a while since I’ve checked in, but this is just tough, guys. I’m just I’m hanging in there psychologically playing pretty good, but I’m drained. So, this has been tough, but we just ripped another drive. See if we can keep playing good. 98. Yeah, I’m going to go with the sandwich. Play this back at 105. Ball will come back if it lands past the pin. turn over. I think that that turned out pretty good. Can’t complain about I think the wind helped out a little bit there. Have about probably 12 or 15 feet left for birdie. All right, so it’s going to be a fast putt. Sliding right to left. Got to be very mindful of speed here. Just going to have this I’m playing this at least a couple feet out. Just going to try to have this spill in from the right side. I guess y’all’s left side. Fours are good on this hole, though. Would have been nice to get a three on that. All right, there’s a couple trees out in the distance. Some palm trees. There’s a twin palm trees. You’re going to aim at that at a three iron. Should move a little off the left of this wind. It’s perfect. See that ball get some carry. Get onto that far plateau. I think it’s dead. So, one hole on this side. That’s tailwind with this prevailing wind. Okay. So, a good T- shot here. Got 126 pins in the back. It’s playing uphill. Gotta play this probably 135. So, I’m gonna take a sandwich, hit a pretty full shot here so I can I can um offset that elevated green and still have it come in pretty steep. And it’s all going to want to move to my right. So, aiming a little bit left of this pin is not a bad spot. All right. See if it’s the number. I think that could be pretty good. See how much that spun towards the hole. Landed soft, which is what I wanted to see. I think it’s going to want to slide a little bit left to right this way. Going to put it left edge. So, if I roll it at that spot, if it goes dead straight, it should still catch the cup. And it could slide as much as three inches left to right and still go in. So that was a perfect putt. It’s good three. All right. So on hole 15, par five, going to be hitting one iron right at that mogul on that back corner of the fairway. Just put it left. Everything should kind of move back towards the right. Yep, that should hold its line. I think it should stay short of that hill, that pocket, too. Yeah, it’s all you’re trying to do. Probably going to lay up, but we’ll see. Yeah, that was a really solid birdie back there. Playing solid. Um, just trying to really manage my emotions. As I said at the beginning of the round, it’s just tough, you know, like the more you work at this game, the more you start to really want to be good at it. And it’s just a game that beats you up. And, you know, there’s days you think you’re Tiger Woods and there’s days you think you don’t even belong on a golf course. Like, it’s crazy. And uh what I I’m really trying to get to a place where I I zoom out and see the macro view of this instead of, you know, living and dying on every shot every day. You just can’t do that. You’re never going to have fun. So, I’m really trying to approach it like that. I know the vast majority of the work is coming from the mental side. So, all right. So, we got 252 left of the pin. Wind is straight off the left. It’s a small area out there. That creek is pretty small as well. It’s a tough decision whether or not to go for it or not, but I think I’m going to go ahead and give it a rip. I do think this wind will hold off a hook a little bit and keep me in play if I do that. I’m going to aim right at the pin and just play a bit of a draw. It’s fine. Just a really long layup. That’s the primary reason I went for it because that creek is really small. If you hit it in it, you hit it in it. But like you got a bit of a bail out, right? Okay, we got 51 yards left here. Running away from us a little bit. We want to fly this about 45. I’m going to open the blade of this 60 and get try to get a little spin on this. 10 15 feet past this hole is is not a bad spot. So, it’s totally fine because really everything runs away. So that’s not a bad shot. I caught it a little skinny. Could have gotten a little closer, but could have been far worse. All right, so ran it by a little bit, but as I said, a 15footer is not bad. Pretty much straight sidehill. This is going to want to slide left to right pretty good. So I’m going to put this about two or three feet outside the left edge. Wow, very much over read that. All right, five. Moving on hole 16. All right, on hole 16. Once again, another hole. You can’t really see much of the hole, but I’m going start at that leftmost palm tree with a bit of a draw of the three iron. Lead leave us probably about 120 left. So, that’s the plan. Wind’s going to pull it a bit, but that should be okay. So, a solid T- shot. Probably be just in the left rough. Man, it’s it’s the first time I’ve played all 18 from the tips here in a while. And I know why I don’t do it much. And frankly, not many people do. It’s just it’s so exhausting. It’s great to have here because if you want to do it, you can. I mean, I I would put the tips here up against any course in the world. And I’ll go a step further. I I would put this as like if you took all the US Open setups. I would put this as like say the last 20 US Open setups, maybe a slightly easier than average setup at the US Open, but it would absolutely be right at home. And that’s of course factoring in assuming the the standard 15 to 20 mph winds. I I think if you had 72 holes of metal play here, you wouldn’t see many guys getting to the red on the PJ tour. It’s just that hard. Okay, so not a bad T- shot here. Just a little bit in the left rough. Got 115 left. Pins on the right side. Wind off the right. I I think it’s hurting a fraction. So I got to keep that in mind. I’m going to take a 52 here. Flight it down a little bit. Bring it in from the right. This ball should land pretty soft. So we’ve got a chance to hit this ball pretty close if we execute. Well, keep coming. Oh my gosh. Come on. Give me a break. 20 foot chip here. I want to fly just onto that green. Again, vertical swing plane, tow down. I’m going to take a 56 cuz this is a little bit of a tight lie. Just try to pop it literally a foot onto this green. Just need it to chew a little bit when it lands. Exactly that. Like that. Get in. Get in. Get in. Get in. Get in. It’s another good four. All right, so on hole 17, 28 yard par three pins in the back right. Take an eight iron. We’re going to get a little help off the left with this wind, but it also is getting late, so the ball’s going shorter, so I think they’re going to cancel out. I’m going to be aiming at the little dip in those two trees and just in the center of the green. Just want to put this thing in the center of the green. It’s all you’re trying to do here. Come on, wind. Pull back. That is holding its line unbelievably well. All right, guys. I’m not going to lie. I’m pretty pissed because I hit a really good shot and it just got punished. Landed on this down slope, went in the water, so it took a drop. I don’t really want to talk about I mean it see if we can get up and down. Watch this one go right. Oh god, that was a bogey on a par three where I hit three great shots. All right. Well, tough four. I really hit three good shots there. But just a quick side note, difficulty of course is measured in slope and this is a 155. So m 155 is the maximum slope. The way these T’s work, the slope gets about four or five points harder which each T- box and the tips is at least six or seven higher than the second the furthest back T- box and it goes like this. So the blues are the third furthest up. The blues slope is like 147. In fact, let me check it. I don’t know if you guys can see it, but if you look, if you look right here, you can see the slope numbers. 149, 153, and then 155. This is probably a slope of a legitimate slope of about 159 or 60. But it’s so difficult. It literally is too high for it to be measured properly because you can only get up to 155 slope. So, just gives you guys kind of an idea. All right, so we made it on to 18. I know we’re close to even, but I’ve been just trying to forget about the score and just play because I’ve been grinding my butt off. It’s been a fight, but I’ve been playing. This has been good so far. So, going to aim at that farthest right palm tree with a little bit of a draw. The wind’s going to pull it. It’s into us off the right. So, that’s what I’m going to do. Just send it with the driver. Should be good. Look like a good line. Wind gusted up a little bit, but I hit that fairly low. I can’t quite see where it went, but the starting line looked good and it felt like I had a solid square head. So, we’ll see. All right, so I was driving up the last hole. This has been a tough day. Uh, didn’t know what I was getting myself into. It was turned into a pretty cool little video. Um, really happy with how I’ve been playing. Feel like I’ve battled this course pretty well. Just been tough, but you know, it’s this is how you get better. You got to grind it out. Battle the course till the end. That’s what we’re trying to do. So, I can only put so much speed on it because I’m going to be playing a hook which is going to be moving hard and it’s going to be moving fast. So, I have to try to put a ton of sid spin on this shot without adding much speed and catch it cleanly against a hanging line. We’re going to try it. I’m going to start this at the right edge of that green and just hook it as hard as I can back towards that pin. Got a 52 degree in hand. This is all imagination here. And that rolls the back. There’s a crown about halfway between me and the pin. It’s all about getting it right over that and just letting it trickle. So, I got a 52 degree wedge. Same thing, vertical swing plane, toe down. Really just trying to stay shoulder to shoulder. Roll it. Flight us about three two three yards on the green. Just let it run out. It’s going to move right to left pretty good, too. So, that’s exactly where I wanted to land it. And is it going to keep going to stop it? There is unbelievable. Okay, so we got about seven or eight feet left here for par. Pretty quick putt. It’s move right to left, but I think there’s going to be a shelf starting about a foot or two out from the hole where it kind of holds the putt up a little bit. So, I think it’s going to be breaking right to left and then level off a little bit. So, caught the left edge. It did straighten out. So, but I saw that the last second. But, uh, that was brutal. I mean, this is this is the hardest golf course in Florida as far as I’m concerned. Um, at least right now, cuz everything’s, as I said, everything’s firming up, browning out a little bit because it’s about to head into the offseason. So, it’s a beautiful course and I love playing here in the sense that it’s an incredible challenge and it’s an awesome place to practice and train. It’s making me a great golfer. So, yeah, this was an absolute battle. Yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed that. Thanks for putting up with my temper tantrums and maybe I hope you guys enjoyed that sneak peek inside my mind and kind of how what I’m dealing with as I try to get more and more serious about competitive golf. But, I have a feeling I’m going to be like a mixture of Tyrell Hatton and Spencer 11 if I’m being honest. So, that’s what you guys can expect. So, yeah. Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, please be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel. See you guys later. Peace out.
I took on one of the toughest golf courses in Florida — Trump International in West Palm Beach — with one goal: break par.
This place is no joke. Fast greens, tight fairways, and brutal rough made every shot a challenge. I wanted to test my game under pressure and see if I could put together a full round on a course this demanding.
Think I pulled it off? Stick around to the end and find out.
More epic golf content is coming soon — make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.
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42 Comments
Nice homie 👍🏻 take a random fan and turn em into a long driver
Say hello to the Don
Fire video, bro!
Haven't watched your videos in a while partly because the quality used to make them a hard watch. This is a hugeeee improvement with camera and sound quality and editing just everything! Nice work!
😀
Yes definitely
Maybe have the same conversations while playing in tournaments with your caddie to simulate the working through the shots as you were doing on the video.
Great playing and accomplished your goal. A thing I discovered a while ago is to combine FOCUS and INTENSITY to counter outcome based thinking. I think of it like aspects of a laser where your bring the focus of the laser to a very specific point and then you increase the power of the laser (add energy). These two things together bring a sense of both immediacy and timelessness to your mental routine and thus help block out outcome based thinking..
Focus is total commitment to the task and intensity is being willing to "die on the hill" of the task. You can abandon to these two things when you realize that they always give you the best chance of success and then anything else is up to chance or things you can't change in the moment. I have been able to produce some amazing results under pressure using this.
Interestingly, a while after I came to this conclusion I heard Tiger being asked about do or die situations and being able to respond. Amazingly he said that it would be down to increasing FOCUS and INTENSITY. Enough said. Cheers.
I think Kyle worries too much about the tough parts of a golf course and it gets in his head too much. If I had the tools that Kyle had, I would never be scared of any golf course.
Kyle the quality of your videos have improved so much dude. Also watching a ball striker of your caliber talk about struggling with the your game and the mental aspect is really eye opening. 99% of of golfers on earth would kill to be able to hit it like you and yet you have to fight and claw like the rest of us. It's really puts golf in perspective. Good luck in your upcoming Tourney.
You seem more chill and happy this round 🙂
Come to the south for real golf that north shit don’t fly down here
Really enjoyed the lesson. Did not quite understand the comments on tips and different slopes for each one.
Kyle went low. It’s gonna be a good week
Imagine if that course had actual rough, it would be a monster 😮
Been watching your videos for three years and have to say it is UNREAL how much you've improved. I cannot fathom how hard this has been not to mention the sacrifices. I think most people would agree that you deserve everything you're earning and more.
Thanks for your content and encouraging vibes 🔥🔥🔥
I can see your game improving over the past several months👍🏻
Good job, wow
Kyle, I know your margins for golf are a lot smaller than most other players, but I feel you should cut yourself a lot more slack. You have achieved a lot in the game already and watching you play is fun. You have what it takes to go far in the game.
Ugly golf course (just like its owner), where the rough areas are pure mud. I would paint those parts in orange, just like the face of your pathetic president, just to have a visual warning and try to avoid them 😂😂😂
IT'S ME AGAIN ¿`_ !!! You're at the first tee and the MISCONCEPTION OF THE GOLF SWING happens once again and I stopped the video. When are you going to reach out to me? I've held off on revealing what this is because I haven't found the right person because I'm afraid they won't understand. If you spent a short time with me and I explain the misconception of the golf swing— 50s would be commonplace for you as well as all other professional golfers that are privy to this information This will change golf from this point on. Ask yourself this one question: does everyone, and I mean everyone, fall victim to the double cross? What if you stood at the first tee, never having to practice, and expect a soft fade for a draw and it would happen EVERY time!? Due to one word being misconstrued since golf was first introduced, everyone has fallen victim to the double Cross. So Kyle, I have left comments many times over the years and you have not reached out to me. DO IT THIS TIME ¿`_
Kyle, I was expecting you to post under par at your round at Oakmont, but definitely can see you have changed for good your short game (Chipping and putting).
I wish I could hit the ball like you do. Like someone said, pick a fan and make that person a long driver!
I would happily sign up for it
You by chance got any Cobra LTDx LS 5.5 sitting around that you might want to sell? Love your channel man. See if you can do a speed session with, The Donald
Great video. To shoot under par on a course like that is unbelievably good. I don’t think I’d be able to finish a single hole with 500 yard par 4s 😂😂😂
Where's my reply!? If you or Bryson knew what I know and kept it a secret you would win every tournament you ever entered. This is no joke! I'd be willing to share it with both of you but it would have to be a hush hush situation. This is no scam ¿`_
Dude you're on fire! -3 striking it solid and making big putts!
And, again on the 3rd. Kyle stands there scratching his head and wondering why it happens. It's due the MISCONCEPTION¿`_
Embassy lakes
Is it me or does the course look like shit
less microphone breath would be nice
Great round. You live and die by every shot. You have an emotional reaction every single time something happens on the course. Bad bounce, ball stops half an inch short of a crown, ball holds its line because of the wind, etc. I cannot imagine the emotional rollercoaster you go through in the 4 hours you're on the course. I think that's what makes Scottie so great aside from his natural ability. I never see him get too high or low on the course. He just plods his way along.
If I could just hit my clubs 1/2 the distance you hit all yours I would be playing good golf lol great video
If he cut his hair it’d be over with.
Just remember, most golfers (myself included) would give anything to be able to hit it like u do. Work off of confidence and the world is your oyster. Best of luck, I will be cheering for u at every point
I totally understand using your ability to hit amazing drives by swinging 100%, but what is the benefit of putting that same effort into a pitching wedge rather than controlling a 9iron?
Fear of playing golf… wish more people would talk about that. Thanks.
Chill Berk > Pissed Berk
I enjoy that you're taking a step back now and then mid-round to set reasonable expectations on shots. Golf is hard. Pros miss shots constantly. You're doing a service for amateurs by keeping perspective like that. 👏 👏
Beautiful course, great round.
Hello kyle love the vid as I'm a keen golfer and did make it semi pro b4 I did my back in and b4 covid. I've played in florida b4 and it's great looking. BTW what driver fo u use
if any youtuber cheats on his score its this guy
Stick to long drive bro
Over analyzing