My goal for the 2006 golf season was to score less than 100 on a more consistent basis. I did it twice in 2004 and four times in 2005, so I figured I was heading in the right direction. Doubling my number of sub-100 rounds from the previous year did not seem unreasonable.
After fourteen consecutive rounds resulting in a score of 100 or more, it was beginning to look like that goal was unachievable. A fantastic round at BraeBen Golf Course, located in Mississauga, Ontario has changed all that. Not only did I break 100, I also compiled my best score ever -- a very satisfying 95.
Prior to that, my best score ever was a 96 at Kleinburg Golf Club, located in Kleinburg, Ontario. I remember it well because I shot 51 on the front nine, followed by nine consecutive bogeys on the back. As far as consistency goes, it remains one of my best stretches.
So, what accounted for my success at BraeBen? If I really knew, I would probably have a lot more sub-100 rounds under my belt, but here are some theories. For the first time ever, I played a course entirely by myself. In addition, from the first tee to the 18th green, I did not encounter any groups, either ahead or behind me. Perhaps the absence of pressure, however slight, enabled me to play relaxed golf. Or, maybe I played well because I moved along entirely at my own pace. The fact is, I never stood around waiting for others to shoot, and I never felt rushed. Think about it.
Before I finish, I should mention a disclaimer of sorts. My round at BraeBen was played from the white tees, which measure a mere 5501 yards. From the gold tees, the course measures 6003 yards, which is comparable to the courses I typically play. I opted to play from the white tees because this was my first ever visit to BraeBen and because of the stiff winds that prevail on this links-style course, which was built on the site of a former landfill. If I go back to BraeBen, I will play from the gold, to find out how much of a difference the extra 500 yards really make.
Score: 95
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
June 28, 2006
June 27, 2006
Promise at Peninsula Lakes
Round Two of the 2006 Deepwoods Golf Association Tour was held last weekend at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, located in Fenwick, right in the heart of Ontario's Niagara region. Round One at Copetown Woods was a debacle, so I was very anxious to turn things around. Coming off an encouraging round at Bushwood, I was in the right frame of mind to do so.
Prior to the round, I spent some time on the driving range loosening up. Based on the way I was hitting my irons, there was reason for concern. I was hitting too many shots "fat" and I could tell from my divots that my swing was following an outside-in path. I tried to make adjustments, then switched to my driver, which seemed to be working well.
It's a good thing I got the bad shots out of my system on the range. Out on the course, I had virtually none of the same problems. That's not to say that all my iron shots were perfect. The frequency of errors however, was reduced. Meanwhile, my driver shots remained solid.
What really helped me on the day was my short game. By far, this was my best chipping and putting round of the year. The two really go hand-in-hand, as good chip shots can really make putting a whole lot easier. With my chips stopping consistently in the vicinity of the hole, I managed to limit total putts to 34, including four one-putts. When my first putt missed, I was usually inches away from the hole for an easy tap-in.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Prior to the round, I spent some time on the driving range loosening up. Based on the way I was hitting my irons, there was reason for concern. I was hitting too many shots "fat" and I could tell from my divots that my swing was following an outside-in path. I tried to make adjustments, then switched to my driver, which seemed to be working well.
It's a good thing I got the bad shots out of my system on the range. Out on the course, I had virtually none of the same problems. That's not to say that all my iron shots were perfect. The frequency of errors however, was reduced. Meanwhile, my driver shots remained solid.
What really helped me on the day was my short game. By far, this was my best chipping and putting round of the year. The two really go hand-in-hand, as good chip shots can really make putting a whole lot easier. With my chips stopping consistently in the vicinity of the hole, I managed to limit total putts to 34, including four one-putts. When my first putt missed, I was usually inches away from the hole for an easy tap-in.
Score: 102
Par: 71
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
June 19, 2006
Signs of Hope at Bushwood
Of the dozen rounds of golf I've played so far this year, four were at courses I had never visited before. Not surprisingly, those courses accounted for some of my worst performances. A return to familiar territory was in order, so I headed out to Bushwood Golf Club, located in Markham, Ontario.
My final score was 107, which is better than some of my recent scores, but far from where I want to be at this stage in my development. Despite the score, I walked off the 18th green feeling pretty good about the round. Mixed in with the usual mistakes were a lot of positive things to build on.
For one thing, I regained control of my driver, hitting seven of fifteen fairways. I rattled off two great ones on the second and third holes. My approach shot on the second hole was a tad long, and that on the third a tad short. In both cases, the result was bogey, as I required a chip and two putts to hole out.
On the fourth hole, my driver failed me, but I made up for it with some pretty iron play. After topping the ball on my first shot, I hit a perfect 7-iron to the middle of the fairway, followed by a pitching wedge that landed safely beyond a bunker, right on the green. Two putts later, I had saved bogey.
It was a similar situation on the tenth hole. After a scary tee shot that pulled and hooked to the other side of kingdom come, I hit the same combination of 7-iron and pitching wedge, ending up pin-high, just off the green. A chip and a putt later, I was glad to salvage double-bogey.
Holes eleven and twelve were particularly fun and featured some great shots. Having popped my tee shot on eleven straight into the air, I faced a difficlut second shot. My target was a very narrow patch of fairway flanked by a pond on the left and out of bounds on the right. My 5-wood served me well, producing exactly the desired result. From there it was a chip and two putts to once again score bogey.
The twelfth hole was the only one that produced a par. It came after a laser-like drive to the center of the fairway and a pitching wedge that landed within ten feet of the hole. My birdie putt missed by inches, so I had to settle for a tap-in par.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
My final score was 107, which is better than some of my recent scores, but far from where I want to be at this stage in my development. Despite the score, I walked off the 18th green feeling pretty good about the round. Mixed in with the usual mistakes were a lot of positive things to build on.
For one thing, I regained control of my driver, hitting seven of fifteen fairways. I rattled off two great ones on the second and third holes. My approach shot on the second hole was a tad long, and that on the third a tad short. In both cases, the result was bogey, as I required a chip and two putts to hole out.
On the fourth hole, my driver failed me, but I made up for it with some pretty iron play. After topping the ball on my first shot, I hit a perfect 7-iron to the middle of the fairway, followed by a pitching wedge that landed safely beyond a bunker, right on the green. Two putts later, I had saved bogey.
It was a similar situation on the tenth hole. After a scary tee shot that pulled and hooked to the other side of kingdom come, I hit the same combination of 7-iron and pitching wedge, ending up pin-high, just off the green. A chip and a putt later, I was glad to salvage double-bogey.
Holes eleven and twelve were particularly fun and featured some great shots. Having popped my tee shot on eleven straight into the air, I faced a difficlut second shot. My target was a very narrow patch of fairway flanked by a pond on the left and out of bounds on the right. My 5-wood served me well, producing exactly the desired result. From there it was a chip and two putts to once again score bogey.
The twelfth hole was the only one that produced a par. It came after a laser-like drive to the center of the fairway and a pitching wedge that landed within ten feet of the hole. My birdie putt missed by inches, so I had to settle for a tap-in par.
Score: 107
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
June 18, 2006
Taming Mystic's Hydra
In Greek mythology, the Hydra was a multi-headed monster that lived in the swamps near the ancient city of Lerna. In the second of his twelve labours, Heracles set out to kill the Hydra, which was easier said than done. Each time he severed one of the Hydra's heads, two would quickly grow in its place.
At Mystic Golf Club, located in Ancaster, Ontario, Hydra is the name given to the men's front set of tees. At 6,096 yards, playing from these tees is a respectable challenge. Golfers feeling particularly Herculean can try their luck from the Dragon tees (6,713 yards) or the Griffin tees (7365 yards), which demand accuracy as well as distance.
I played from the Hydra tees on Saturday and as it turned out, the name was very appropriate. Time after time, a single stroke turned into two on my scorecard, due to the addition of penalties. It happened fifteen times over eighteen holes, which pretty much sums up my round.
Most of those penalties occurred when I failed to carry the ball over brush-covered ravines. Course architect Tom Pearson either loves forced carries, or the property simply lends itself to them. Almost every hole features a forced carry or two, which easily intimidate the weekend hack.
It's a shame, because I spent about 45 minutes on the driving range prior to the round and hit some wonderful balls. I guess I need to work on the mental part of the game, as well as the mechanical.
Score: 119
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 1
Greens: 3
At Mystic Golf Club, located in Ancaster, Ontario, Hydra is the name given to the men's front set of tees. At 6,096 yards, playing from these tees is a respectable challenge. Golfers feeling particularly Herculean can try their luck from the Dragon tees (6,713 yards) or the Griffin tees (7365 yards), which demand accuracy as well as distance.
I played from the Hydra tees on Saturday and as it turned out, the name was very appropriate. Time after time, a single stroke turned into two on my scorecard, due to the addition of penalties. It happened fifteen times over eighteen holes, which pretty much sums up my round.
Most of those penalties occurred when I failed to carry the ball over brush-covered ravines. Course architect Tom Pearson either loves forced carries, or the property simply lends itself to them. Almost every hole features a forced carry or two, which easily intimidate the weekend hack.
It's a shame, because I spent about 45 minutes on the driving range prior to the round and hit some wonderful balls. I guess I need to work on the mental part of the game, as well as the mechanical.
Score: 119
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 1
Greens: 3
June 11, 2006
Par-3 Fun at Saw-Whet
It's a good thing I delayed my latest round of golf by one day. There was a chill in the air on Saturday and the wind was brisk at 35 km/hr, with gusts exceeding 55 km/hr. Twenty-four hours later, it was much warmer and the fierce wind had subsided.
Thankful that the weather became more favourable, I set out for an early morning round at Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in Oakville, Ontario. Saw-Whet is a nice course for beginners and bogey golfers, owing to its generous fairways, sparse hazzards and generally flat terrain. On this occasion, it was also in fine condition.
On the front nine, my putting was nothing to write home about. A four-putt on the first hole spoiled a good drive and approach shot that came to rest on the fringe at the back of the green. On the ninth hole, I completed the bookend with another ghastly four-putt. Pin placements contributed to my putting adventures, with most holes cut at the very front or very back of the green.
Aside from a couple of meltdowns on the par-5 ninth and tenth holes, I actually played respectable golf for most of the round. Most encouraging of all, was my play on par-3 holes, which produced two pars and two bogeys. The best of these was the 160-yard 15th, which plays across a pond by the entrance to the course. I hit a lovely shot into the wind that landed pin-high, ten feet from the hole. My birdie putt just missed, leaving an easy tap-in for par.
Score: 110
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Thankful that the weather became more favourable, I set out for an early morning round at Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in Oakville, Ontario. Saw-Whet is a nice course for beginners and bogey golfers, owing to its generous fairways, sparse hazzards and generally flat terrain. On this occasion, it was also in fine condition.
On the front nine, my putting was nothing to write home about. A four-putt on the first hole spoiled a good drive and approach shot that came to rest on the fringe at the back of the green. On the ninth hole, I completed the bookend with another ghastly four-putt. Pin placements contributed to my putting adventures, with most holes cut at the very front or very back of the green.
Aside from a couple of meltdowns on the par-5 ninth and tenth holes, I actually played respectable golf for most of the round. Most encouraging of all, was my play on par-3 holes, which produced two pars and two bogeys. The best of these was the 160-yard 15th, which plays across a pond by the entrance to the course. I hit a lovely shot into the wind that landed pin-high, ten feet from the hole. My birdie putt just missed, leaving an easy tap-in for par.
Score: 110
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
June 09, 2006
Contrasts at Kedron Dells
A few days after my visit to the driving range, it was time to see if the practice would pay off, so I gathered my clubs and ventured out to Kedron Dells Golf Club, located in Oshawa, Ontario.
Kedron Dells is a study in contrasts. The front nine is long, but fairly wide open; the back nine is comparatively short, but demands greater precision. The contrast provides an enjoyable challenge, whether you're a bogey golfer or low handicapper.
Things started out fairly well on the first hole, which at 572 yards, is the longest on the course. My drive landed just left of the fairway, but my second shot landed right back in the heart of the good grass. I topped my third shot, so I required a fourth to get near the green. From there it was a chip and two putts for a double bogey. That's not great, but I've fared much worse on this hole when I've gotten into the trees on either side of the fairway.
That's exactly what happened on the sixth hole, a 493-yard par-5. My tee shot found the trees on the left side of the fairway and it took two chips just to get the ball back in the fairway. My fourth shot carried well, but this time found the trees on the right side of the fairway. It took a low punch shot just to get back in the open, en route to a quadruple bogey. Ouch!
Penalty strokes cost me dearly throughout the round. I lost a total of six balls, including four on the back nine. However, there were a few encouraging moments. I hit a beautiful drive on the 16th hole, leaving 120 yards to the green on my second shot. Though I faltered on the approach and then on a less-than-stellar pitch shot, I made up for it with a 40-foot putt for par. Sweet!
I also played the 17th hole, a 526-yard par-5, as well as I ever have. After two shots across the steeply banked fairway, I was merely 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, that placed the ball on a steep downhill lie, which made it difficult to get the loft needed to clear a creek crossing in front of the green. My attempt to punch a 5-wood into the hill on the other side of the creek failed, but just barely. The error cost me a penalty stroke, but I was still happy to finish with a double bogey.
Score: 118
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
Kedron Dells is a study in contrasts. The front nine is long, but fairly wide open; the back nine is comparatively short, but demands greater precision. The contrast provides an enjoyable challenge, whether you're a bogey golfer or low handicapper.
Things started out fairly well on the first hole, which at 572 yards, is the longest on the course. My drive landed just left of the fairway, but my second shot landed right back in the heart of the good grass. I topped my third shot, so I required a fourth to get near the green. From there it was a chip and two putts for a double bogey. That's not great, but I've fared much worse on this hole when I've gotten into the trees on either side of the fairway.
That's exactly what happened on the sixth hole, a 493-yard par-5. My tee shot found the trees on the left side of the fairway and it took two chips just to get the ball back in the fairway. My fourth shot carried well, but this time found the trees on the right side of the fairway. It took a low punch shot just to get back in the open, en route to a quadruple bogey. Ouch!
Penalty strokes cost me dearly throughout the round. I lost a total of six balls, including four on the back nine. However, there were a few encouraging moments. I hit a beautiful drive on the 16th hole, leaving 120 yards to the green on my second shot. Though I faltered on the approach and then on a less-than-stellar pitch shot, I made up for it with a 40-foot putt for par. Sweet!
I also played the 17th hole, a 526-yard par-5, as well as I ever have. After two shots across the steeply banked fairway, I was merely 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, that placed the ball on a steep downhill lie, which made it difficult to get the loft needed to clear a creek crossing in front of the green. My attempt to punch a 5-wood into the hill on the other side of the creek failed, but just barely. The error cost me a penalty stroke, but I was still happy to finish with a double bogey.
Score: 118
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 0
June 03, 2006
The Practice Tee Beckons
Here we are, two months into the 2006 golf season, and I have yet to post anything about my trips to the driving range. If I'm trying to inch closer to the elusive score of par, as the name of this blog suggests, you would think my practice trips deserve as much attention as rounds played, or perhaps even more. After all, the range is where you eliminate bad habits and develop good ones.
It's not that I've neglected to chronicle my experience at the driving range this season. The fact is, I haven't even been to the range, except for a pre-round warm-up when I played at Bloomington Downs. Incidentally, that was my best round of the season so far, which goes to show that time spent on the range really does pay dividends.
Two consecutive rounds of 124 reminded me that I should visit the driving range, so on Thursday evening I ventured out to The Practice Tee, a grass range located in Mississauga, Ontario.
I took up position alongside my fellow hacks and began with a pitching wedge. After about ten shots, a look at my divots revealed an interesting pattern. Not only were the divots deep, they were all angled toward the left. For a right-handed player such as myself, that means my swing was starting outside and moving inside at impact. No wonder the bulk of my missed shots in previous rounds were "fat" (i.e. where the clubhead strikes the ground before the ball).
The funny thing is, my practice swings were completely different. Looking down after each practice swing, I would see a very light divot, perfectly aligned with the target line. For some reason, I was not replicating this swing when a ball was introduced. I spent the rest of the evening trying to think of real shots as just another practice swing, which seemed to help.
Besides the pitching wedge, I worked on the same things with a 7-iron and 4-iron. When the sun went down and the mosquitoes came out, I hit a few balls with the 5-wood, then called it quits.
Bring on the next round!
It's not that I've neglected to chronicle my experience at the driving range this season. The fact is, I haven't even been to the range, except for a pre-round warm-up when I played at Bloomington Downs. Incidentally, that was my best round of the season so far, which goes to show that time spent on the range really does pay dividends.
Two consecutive rounds of 124 reminded me that I should visit the driving range, so on Thursday evening I ventured out to The Practice Tee, a grass range located in Mississauga, Ontario.
I took up position alongside my fellow hacks and began with a pitching wedge. After about ten shots, a look at my divots revealed an interesting pattern. Not only were the divots deep, they were all angled toward the left. For a right-handed player such as myself, that means my swing was starting outside and moving inside at impact. No wonder the bulk of my missed shots in previous rounds were "fat" (i.e. where the clubhead strikes the ground before the ball).
The funny thing is, my practice swings were completely different. Looking down after each practice swing, I would see a very light divot, perfectly aligned with the target line. For some reason, I was not replicating this swing when a ball was introduced. I spent the rest of the evening trying to think of real shots as just another practice swing, which seemed to help.
Besides the pitching wedge, I worked on the same things with a 7-iron and 4-iron. When the sun went down and the mosquitoes came out, I hit a few balls with the 5-wood, then called it quits.
Bring on the next round!
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