I took some time off work and headed out for a rare weekday round at Tangle Creek Golf Club, located in Barrie, Ontario.
The course was nice and so was the weather, but my round was pure garbage. Frankly, it's not even worth commenting on.
Score: 121
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
August 31, 2006
August 29, 2006
Finishing Strong at Glen Cedars
Fresh off some time at the practice green and driving range, I ventured out to Glen Cedars Golf Club, a charming course located in Claremont, Ontario. The course lies just outside Toronto, but it feels like a distant country retreat. Even the occasional train running alongside the eighteenth fairway is not enough to spoil the course's relaxed atmosphere.
The weather was overcast, but I managed to play the round with nary a hint of rain. Heat and humidity produced rather muggy conditions, but there was no wind to speak of. All of this suited me just fine, as I put together a very satisfying final score of 91, my third-lowest ever!
I shot 50 on the front nine holes, primarily via bogeys and double-bogeys. There was a triple-bogey on the fifth hole, a 128-yard par-3, which I made up for with a nice par on the second hole, a 323-yard par-4. On this dogleg right, golfers must drive the ball between 220 and 260 yards, in order to leave a good angle to the green. My drive was well placed and a subsequent 9-iron landed safely on the dance floor. Two putts later, par was the result.
The real story happened on the back nine holes, where I shot 41 thanks to a trio of birdies. On the tenth hole, a 460-yard par-5, I hit a decent drive just left of the fairway. Unfortunately, my second shot crossed the fairway entirely, landing under a tree on the right side of the fairway. My next shot was probably the best of the day. 100 yards away from the hole, I needed to thread a shot through a narrow opening between a bunker on the left and a cluster of trees on the right. I could not take an aerial route because of the tree I was underneath. With a half-swing, I punched a 3-iron through the gap and the ball settled about eight feet from the hole. After a terrific putt, I walked away with a birdie in hand.
The next birdie occurred on the fifteenth hole, a 310-yard par-4. This is a dogleg left, with golfers teeing off from a severely elevated tee box surrounded by woods. An easy 5-iron put me safely in the fairway, 130 yards away from the hole. Unfortunately, my second shot drifted right and settled about fifteen feet from the edge of the green. Next, I made a beautiful chip shot, landing the ball on the edge of the green and rolling it directly into the cup!
The third and final birdie came on the eighteenth hole, a 464-yard par-5. My tee shot was straight, but it popped into the air and travelled a mere 150 yards. A fabulous second shot got me back on track, when I struck a 3-wood solidly. I was left with 90 yards to the flag, which was located at the front of the green. I put the ball to within eight feet, then proceeded to hole out with a single putt.
I could get used to this.
Score: 91
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
The weather was overcast, but I managed to play the round with nary a hint of rain. Heat and humidity produced rather muggy conditions, but there was no wind to speak of. All of this suited me just fine, as I put together a very satisfying final score of 91, my third-lowest ever!
I shot 50 on the front nine holes, primarily via bogeys and double-bogeys. There was a triple-bogey on the fifth hole, a 128-yard par-3, which I made up for with a nice par on the second hole, a 323-yard par-4. On this dogleg right, golfers must drive the ball between 220 and 260 yards, in order to leave a good angle to the green. My drive was well placed and a subsequent 9-iron landed safely on the dance floor. Two putts later, par was the result.
The real story happened on the back nine holes, where I shot 41 thanks to a trio of birdies. On the tenth hole, a 460-yard par-5, I hit a decent drive just left of the fairway. Unfortunately, my second shot crossed the fairway entirely, landing under a tree on the right side of the fairway. My next shot was probably the best of the day. 100 yards away from the hole, I needed to thread a shot through a narrow opening between a bunker on the left and a cluster of trees on the right. I could not take an aerial route because of the tree I was underneath. With a half-swing, I punched a 3-iron through the gap and the ball settled about eight feet from the hole. After a terrific putt, I walked away with a birdie in hand.
The next birdie occurred on the fifteenth hole, a 310-yard par-4. This is a dogleg left, with golfers teeing off from a severely elevated tee box surrounded by woods. An easy 5-iron put me safely in the fairway, 130 yards away from the hole. Unfortunately, my second shot drifted right and settled about fifteen feet from the edge of the green. Next, I made a beautiful chip shot, landing the ball on the edge of the green and rolling it directly into the cup!
The third and final birdie came on the eighteenth hole, a 464-yard par-5. My tee shot was straight, but it popped into the air and travelled a mere 150 yards. A fabulous second shot got me back on track, when I struck a 3-wood solidly. I was left with 90 yards to the flag, which was located at the front of the green. I put the ball to within eight feet, then proceeded to hole out with a single putt.
I could get used to this.
Score: 91
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 5
August 28, 2006
Practice Never Hurts
I had such a hard time with the driver last time out, that I resolved to visit the driving range specifically to work on hitting that club. Bloomington Downs has a large driving range, along with a couple of chipping and puting areas, so that's where I went on Saturday morning.
Before working with the driver, I spent about an hour chipping balls onto the practice green at the north end of the property. One bucket at a time, I picked a spot near the green from which to chip. When the bucket was empty, I gathered the balls and repeated the drill from a different spot. I probably hit three hundred chip shots by the time I was done.
Next, I found a spot on the range itself and began limbering up by hitting a few irons. I worked my way through an 8-iron, 6-iron, and 4-iron, hitting about a dozen balls with each club. I experimented with my setup, leaving less space between my hands and my body. This seemed to keep my arms more relaxed and the results were quite good.
I continued with that setup when I switched over to the driver. I also concentrated on dropping the right shoulder slightly to encourage hitting the ball on the upward part of the swing. The combination of these two adjustments seemed to work. I hit about fifty balls this way, in order to burn the swing into my muscle memory.
With the driver problems seemingly fixed, I spent the remainder of my time putting balls on the practice green. Overall, it was time well spent.
Before working with the driver, I spent about an hour chipping balls onto the practice green at the north end of the property. One bucket at a time, I picked a spot near the green from which to chip. When the bucket was empty, I gathered the balls and repeated the drill from a different spot. I probably hit three hundred chip shots by the time I was done.
Next, I found a spot on the range itself and began limbering up by hitting a few irons. I worked my way through an 8-iron, 6-iron, and 4-iron, hitting about a dozen balls with each club. I experimented with my setup, leaving less space between my hands and my body. This seemed to keep my arms more relaxed and the results were quite good.
I continued with that setup when I switched over to the driver. I also concentrated on dropping the right shoulder slightly to encourage hitting the ball on the upward part of the swing. The combination of these two adjustments seemed to work. I hit about fifty balls this way, in order to burn the swing into my muscle memory.
With the driver problems seemingly fixed, I spent the remainder of my time putting balls on the practice green. Overall, it was time well spent.
August 25, 2006
Highs and Lows at Carlisle
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. These, of course, are the famous words Charles Dickens used at the beginning of his novel, A Tale of Two Cities. He was talking about conditions in London and Paris in the year 1775, but his words accurately describe the condition of my golf game in 2006. This was most apparent at Carlisle Golf & Country Club, the site of my most recent outing.
It was the best of times over the first four holes, where I registered a bogey, followed by a par, a birdie and another par. Aside from a poor second shot, which led to the bogey on the first hole, this stretch of golf was refreshingly error-free. On the third hole, a 310-yard par-4, my 4-iron off the tee landed safely in the fairway. This was followed by a picture-perfect 8-iron, which left a simple 2-foot putt for the rare birdie.
It was the worst of times over the remaining holes, particularly the fifth through the ninth, where I shot nineteen over par. The worst of these was the sixth hole, a 472-yard par-5. After launching two consecutive drives out of bounds into a farmer's field that hugs the left side of the fairway, I lost another ball in the woods on the right. My fourth shot from the tee also veered toward the woods, but fortunately I managed to find the ball. The rest of the hole was problem-free, but the damage was already done. I finished seven over par for that hole alone!
For the remainder of the round, I felt lost with the driver in my hands. On a few occasions, I opted to use a 4-iron off the tee and the results were better. When I went back to the driver, as I did on the final two holes, I promptly placed my tee shots into the water. Terrible driving was undoubtedly the story of the day.
Score: 108
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
It was the best of times over the first four holes, where I registered a bogey, followed by a par, a birdie and another par. Aside from a poor second shot, which led to the bogey on the first hole, this stretch of golf was refreshingly error-free. On the third hole, a 310-yard par-4, my 4-iron off the tee landed safely in the fairway. This was followed by a picture-perfect 8-iron, which left a simple 2-foot putt for the rare birdie.
It was the worst of times over the remaining holes, particularly the fifth through the ninth, where I shot nineteen over par. The worst of these was the sixth hole, a 472-yard par-5. After launching two consecutive drives out of bounds into a farmer's field that hugs the left side of the fairway, I lost another ball in the woods on the right. My fourth shot from the tee also veered toward the woods, but fortunately I managed to find the ball. The rest of the hole was problem-free, but the damage was already done. I finished seven over par for that hole alone!
For the remainder of the round, I felt lost with the driver in my hands. On a few occasions, I opted to use a 4-iron off the tee and the results were better. When I went back to the driver, as I did on the final two holes, I promptly placed my tee shots into the water. Terrible driving was undoubtedly the story of the day.
Score: 108
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
August 16, 2006
Kedron Dells a Real Nemesis
For some reason, Oshawa's Kedron Dells Golf Club has been a nemesis of mine over the last couple of years. No matter what I do, it seems I always walk off the eighteenth green with a disappointing score. Sometimes I fail to drive the ball adequately, while other times I struggle with chipping or putting. At times, the trees cause severe difficulty, while other times water is the problem.
Anxious to reverse this trend, I returned to Kedron Dells recently for the third time this year. After my previous visit, which produced a score of 107, I felt like I was on the verge of figuring the course out. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Five double-bogeys and four bogeys on the front nine were respectable, but horrible play on the tenth hole precipitated a collapse from which I could not recover. The final result was another score of 107.
When things went bad, it usually started with an errant or mised tee shot. A perfect example occurred on the twelfth hole, a 197-yard par-3. I teed off with a 3-wood, but topped the ball, which dribbled into the trees just left of the tee box. From there, I proceeded to hit the ball to the base of two more trees. After four shots, I was finally in the fairway, just short of the green. A chip and two putts later, I was shaking my head in disbelief at a quadruple-bogey.
There were moments of brilliance however, even amidst the collapse on the back nine. On the thirteenth hole, a 419-yard par-4, I hit a nice drive to the middle of the fairway and a fantastic 3-wood to just in front of the green. After a nice chip shot and a single putt, I holed out with a par. On the eighteenth hole, a 143-yard par-3, I hit a 6-iron flag-high to the back of the long green. I nailed the remaining 5-foot putt for birdie, only my fifth of the season.
Believe it or not, this was my best putting round of the season! I read the greens well and my putting weight was accurate all day, producing a mere 30 putts for the round.
Score: 107
Par: 71
Putts: 30
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Anxious to reverse this trend, I returned to Kedron Dells recently for the third time this year. After my previous visit, which produced a score of 107, I felt like I was on the verge of figuring the course out. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Five double-bogeys and four bogeys on the front nine were respectable, but horrible play on the tenth hole precipitated a collapse from which I could not recover. The final result was another score of 107.
When things went bad, it usually started with an errant or mised tee shot. A perfect example occurred on the twelfth hole, a 197-yard par-3. I teed off with a 3-wood, but topped the ball, which dribbled into the trees just left of the tee box. From there, I proceeded to hit the ball to the base of two more trees. After four shots, I was finally in the fairway, just short of the green. A chip and two putts later, I was shaking my head in disbelief at a quadruple-bogey.
There were moments of brilliance however, even amidst the collapse on the back nine. On the thirteenth hole, a 419-yard par-4, I hit a nice drive to the middle of the fairway and a fantastic 3-wood to just in front of the green. After a nice chip shot and a single putt, I holed out with a par. On the eighteenth hole, a 143-yard par-3, I hit a 6-iron flag-high to the back of the long green. I nailed the remaining 5-foot putt for birdie, only my fifth of the season.
Believe it or not, this was my best putting round of the season! I read the greens well and my putting weight was accurate all day, producing a mere 30 putts for the round.
Score: 107
Par: 71
Putts: 30
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
August 14, 2006
Mediocre Results at Lowville
Golf rounds continue to pile up quickly, most recently with a trip to Lowville Golf Club, located in Burlington, Ontario. The terrain of this 18-hole course is dominated by the Niagara Escarpment, making for interesting elevation changes and some pretty vistas. In autumn, when the leaves change colour, I am told it is quite a treat.
The course is somewhat unusual in that it includes five par-5 holes and five par-3 holes. Three of each appear on the front nine, creating a refreshing sense of diversity. Varying hole lengths demand that golfers hit all the clubs in their bags. From the tees alone, golfers might use anything from a pitching wedge to a driver.
Were it not for bad tee shots on a couple of par-3 holes, I would have had a very solid front nine. One of those tee shots, coming off a 4-iron, ended up lost in the fescue. The other, coming off a pitching wedge, landed deep in a bunker. The quadruple-bogey and triple-bogey that ensued, effectively ruined the other seven holes, for which I averaged bogey.
I still had a chance to break 100 if I came up with some good play on the back nine, but two more troubling holes pushed my total score to 103. As I stated earlier this year, anything over 100 has to be considered a failure. My only solace is the fact that I continued to putt the ball very well, limiting myself to 33 putts. That makes four consecutive rounds of strong play on the greens.
If only I could reach those greens economically...
Score: 103
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
The course is somewhat unusual in that it includes five par-5 holes and five par-3 holes. Three of each appear on the front nine, creating a refreshing sense of diversity. Varying hole lengths demand that golfers hit all the clubs in their bags. From the tees alone, golfers might use anything from a pitching wedge to a driver.
Were it not for bad tee shots on a couple of par-3 holes, I would have had a very solid front nine. One of those tee shots, coming off a 4-iron, ended up lost in the fescue. The other, coming off a pitching wedge, landed deep in a bunker. The quadruple-bogey and triple-bogey that ensued, effectively ruined the other seven holes, for which I averaged bogey.
I still had a chance to break 100 if I came up with some good play on the back nine, but two more troubling holes pushed my total score to 103. As I stated earlier this year, anything over 100 has to be considered a failure. My only solace is the fact that I continued to putt the ball very well, limiting myself to 33 putts. That makes four consecutive rounds of strong play on the greens.
If only I could reach those greens economically...
Score: 103
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
August 13, 2006
Private Affair at Carrying Place
After The Great Golf Weekend, I managed to stay off the links for two days before returning for a much anticipated round at Carrying Place Golf and Country Club. Carrying Place is a private club located in Kettleby, Ontario, just a stone's throw away from Cardinal Golf Club, where I had an encouraging round earlier this year. My opportunity to indulge in the rarefied air of a private club came thanks to a work buddy that happens to be a member.
We played the back nine first, followed by the front nine. The first two holes felt a little rushed, but things got better when we allowed a twosome behind us to play through. From that point on, I played a rather steady game, shooting bogeys and double-bogeys with a few pars sprinkled here and there.
I enjoyed some success on par-3 holes, including the 122-yard thirteenth, and the 150-yard sixteenth. In both cases, an accurate short iron off the tee got me to the green in regulation. The only par-3 hole I played poorly was the 190-yard fifth. To be successful, players must carry almost the entire distance over water. Though my tee shot cleared the water, it hit a steep embankment and rolled back into some reeds by the water's edge. I was forced to take a penalty stroke en route to a double-bogey.
For the third round in a row, my putting was very consistent. A single 3-putt was the only blemish on my putting score, which totalled 33 after eighteen holes. Chipping in from off the green on the first hole also helped the cause. Unfortunately, my driver was not working as well as my putter. I hit only two fairways on the day, but that might be misleading, since some of the misses landed just feet from the fairway's edge and presented no problems on subsequent shots.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable round with a decent sub-100 result.
Score: 98
Par: 70
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
We played the back nine first, followed by the front nine. The first two holes felt a little rushed, but things got better when we allowed a twosome behind us to play through. From that point on, I played a rather steady game, shooting bogeys and double-bogeys with a few pars sprinkled here and there.
I enjoyed some success on par-3 holes, including the 122-yard thirteenth, and the 150-yard sixteenth. In both cases, an accurate short iron off the tee got me to the green in regulation. The only par-3 hole I played poorly was the 190-yard fifth. To be successful, players must carry almost the entire distance over water. Though my tee shot cleared the water, it hit a steep embankment and rolled back into some reeds by the water's edge. I was forced to take a penalty stroke en route to a double-bogey.
For the third round in a row, my putting was very consistent. A single 3-putt was the only blemish on my putting score, which totalled 33 after eighteen holes. Chipping in from off the green on the first hole also helped the cause. Unfortunately, my driver was not working as well as my putter. I hit only two fairways on the day, but that might be misleading, since some of the misses landed just feet from the fairway's edge and presented no problems on subsequent shots.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable round with a decent sub-100 result.
Score: 98
Par: 70
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
August 12, 2006
Great Golf Weekend - Part Three
Following a round at the familiar grounds of Hornby Glen came one at the unfamiliar territory of Century Pines Golf Club, located in Troy, Ontario. Though I enjoy playing new courses, it is always with some trepidation, since lack of course knowledge is a dictinct disadvantage. I felt some of that on the first tee, but it was balanced by a healthy dose of confidence, arising from a personal best set the day before.
Things got off to a shaky start with a trio of double-bogeys. On two of those holes, an inaccurate drive off the tee was the main culprit. In both cases, it took a sideways chip shot to find myself clear of trees and back in the fairway. Those two drives were also a sign of things to come, as I struggled with the driver for most of the round. An unwelcome slice has apparently crept back into my game.
Two holes on the front nine were particularly gruesome. One of these was the fourth hole, a 318-yard par-4 with woods on both sides of the fairway and a giant tree smack in the middle of it. 185 yards away from the green, I bent a lovely ball around the big tree with a 3-wood. Too bad it was my fourth shot, thanks to a couple of duffs and a penalty stroke. On the sixth hole, a 370-yard par-4, an errant approach shot and some poor chipping produced a quadruple-bogey.
Two more bad holes on the back nine sealed my fate. On the twelfth hole, a 312-yard par-4, a sliced drive found the trees and I never recovered. Triple-bogey was the result. On the course's signature sixteenth hole, a 343-yard par-4, a poor drive put me behind the eight-ball once again. This time however, I pulled the ball left of target and into the practice range. From left of the fairway, it is extremely difficult to see, never mind hit, the tiny green. After some close encounters with the nearby trees, I walked off with a quintuple-bogey.
Not all was bad. I had a good day putting, limiting my total to 34.
Score: 109
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Things got off to a shaky start with a trio of double-bogeys. On two of those holes, an inaccurate drive off the tee was the main culprit. In both cases, it took a sideways chip shot to find myself clear of trees and back in the fairway. Those two drives were also a sign of things to come, as I struggled with the driver for most of the round. An unwelcome slice has apparently crept back into my game.
Two holes on the front nine were particularly gruesome. One of these was the fourth hole, a 318-yard par-4 with woods on both sides of the fairway and a giant tree smack in the middle of it. 185 yards away from the green, I bent a lovely ball around the big tree with a 3-wood. Too bad it was my fourth shot, thanks to a couple of duffs and a penalty stroke. On the sixth hole, a 370-yard par-4, an errant approach shot and some poor chipping produced a quadruple-bogey.
Two more bad holes on the back nine sealed my fate. On the twelfth hole, a 312-yard par-4, a sliced drive found the trees and I never recovered. Triple-bogey was the result. On the course's signature sixteenth hole, a 343-yard par-4, a poor drive put me behind the eight-ball once again. This time however, I pulled the ball left of target and into the practice range. From left of the fairway, it is extremely difficult to see, never mind hit, the tiny green. After some close encounters with the nearby trees, I walked off with a quintuple-bogey.
Not all was bad. I had a good day putting, limiting my total to 34.
Score: 109
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
August 09, 2006
Great Golf Weekend - Part Two
Round 23 was another return visit to a golf course, this time the familiar grounds of Hornby Glen Golf Course, where I played my second round of the season back in April. Looking back at my post for that early round, it appears woeful putting was largely responsible for a score of 103. Putting was once again a key factor, but this time it was very good and it led to a score of 88, a new personal best!
I had 32 putts for the entire round and did not three-putt any of the holes. One of the major reasons for this was my chipping. I did not skull a single chip shot, nor did I flub any. On every chip shot, I struck the ball cleanly, landing safely on the green. I wasn't right beside the pin on every occasion, but I was always close enough to hole out easily with no more than two putts. Excellent control of my putting distance also helped.
The rest of my game was not spectacular, but it was consistent. I only reached two greens in regulation, a 160-yard par-3 and a 385-yard par-4. The latter was the eighth hole, which is ranked most difficult according to the handicap index. After a 200-yard drive stopped midway up a sloped fairway, I hit a beautiful 3-wood right on to the green. The birdie putt missed, but it was one of seven pars made on the day. Generally speaking, the driver and irons were working well.
Above all, I was in the right frame of mind from start to finish. It is amazing what can happen when you feel relaxed and have some confidence.
Score: 88
Par: 72
Putts: 32
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
I had 32 putts for the entire round and did not three-putt any of the holes. One of the major reasons for this was my chipping. I did not skull a single chip shot, nor did I flub any. On every chip shot, I struck the ball cleanly, landing safely on the green. I wasn't right beside the pin on every occasion, but I was always close enough to hole out easily with no more than two putts. Excellent control of my putting distance also helped.
The rest of my game was not spectacular, but it was consistent. I only reached two greens in regulation, a 160-yard par-3 and a 385-yard par-4. The latter was the eighth hole, which is ranked most difficult according to the handicap index. After a 200-yard drive stopped midway up a sloped fairway, I hit a beautiful 3-wood right on to the green. The birdie putt missed, but it was one of seven pars made on the day. Generally speaking, the driver and irons were working well.
Above all, I was in the right frame of mind from start to finish. It is amazing what can happen when you feel relaxed and have some confidence.
Score: 88
Par: 72
Putts: 32
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
August 08, 2006
Great Golf Weekend - Part One
The long weekend is over and what a weekend it was for golf! Three rounds played brings my total for the season to twenty-four. At this pace, I may reach or surpass forty rounds by the time November rolls around and the season is all but done.
Round 22 was played on Saturday at Grey Silo Golf Course, the site of a visit earlier this year. Getting to the course proved to be problematic, as I was delayed first by road closures related to Toronto's Caribana parade, then by a couple of accidents on Highway 401. The second, involving an overturned tractor trailer, looked especially nasty.
Perhaps the prolonged trip affected my game, as I got off to a very poor start. The first five holes included three lost balls, a triple-bogey, quadruple-bogey, and quintuple-bogey. The "quint" came on the very first hole, thanks to some comedic chipping and putting that would make The Three Stooges proud.
It is impossible to produce a good score with that kind of start, so I really tried to focus on each individual hole thereafter. For the most part, I had decent results. From the tenth hole onward, I did not miss a single fairway with my tee shots. Hitting eight consecutive fairways brought my total in that category to nine for the day.
The only real blemish on the last two-thirds of the round came on the sixteenth hole, a 159-yard par-3, guarded on the right by water. After my tee shot went for a swim, I began another chipping and putting Stoogefest that ended with another quintuple-bogey.
Score: 106
Par: 71
Putts: 40
Fairways: 9
Greens: 3
Round 22 was played on Saturday at Grey Silo Golf Course, the site of a visit earlier this year. Getting to the course proved to be problematic, as I was delayed first by road closures related to Toronto's Caribana parade, then by a couple of accidents on Highway 401. The second, involving an overturned tractor trailer, looked especially nasty.
Perhaps the prolonged trip affected my game, as I got off to a very poor start. The first five holes included three lost balls, a triple-bogey, quadruple-bogey, and quintuple-bogey. The "quint" came on the very first hole, thanks to some comedic chipping and putting that would make The Three Stooges proud.
It is impossible to produce a good score with that kind of start, so I really tried to focus on each individual hole thereafter. For the most part, I had decent results. From the tenth hole onward, I did not miss a single fairway with my tee shots. Hitting eight consecutive fairways brought my total in that category to nine for the day.
The only real blemish on the last two-thirds of the round came on the sixteenth hole, a 159-yard par-3, guarded on the right by water. After my tee shot went for a swim, I began another chipping and putting Stoogefest that ended with another quintuple-bogey.
Score: 106
Par: 71
Putts: 40
Fairways: 9
Greens: 3
August 07, 2006
Coming Up Dry at Indian Wells
On the heels of a soggy round at Guelph Lakes, I ventured out to play at Indian Wells Golf Club, located at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment in Burlington, Ontario. Once again, weather was a factor, but this time conditions were dry and hot. I know these are the dog days of summer, but this day was a real pooch!
As hot as it was, my driver was even hotter. I hit a blistering ten of fourteen fairways, shattering the season's previous high of seven. I narrowed my stance ever so slightly and lightened my grip just a smidge, in order to prevent over-swinging. Lately, I had been putting a little extra mustard on my drives and the results were not so good.
With so many fairways hit, you might figure that I also hit my fair share of greens in regulation. Well, if that's what you think, you don't really know me or my golf game. You see, I hit a grand total of zero greens in regulation. It was as though all of my approach shots were repelled by some invisible force surrounding the greens.
To make matters worse, my chipping and putting were atrocious. Not a single chip shot landed in the vicinity of the pin. Some were short, others were long. By the end of the day, I had amassed 43 putts, tying my worst putting round of the season. In one stretch of eight holes, I managed seven three-putts.
During that stretch, I also allowed frustration to creep into my game. For the most part, I've managed to keep my emotions in check this year, even through some really horrible rounds. The good news is that I regained my composure over the last five holes. The last thing a golfer wants is for that negative energy to carry over into the next round.
Score: 107
Par: 71
Putts: 43
Fairways: 10
Greens: 0
As hot as it was, my driver was even hotter. I hit a blistering ten of fourteen fairways, shattering the season's previous high of seven. I narrowed my stance ever so slightly and lightened my grip just a smidge, in order to prevent over-swinging. Lately, I had been putting a little extra mustard on my drives and the results were not so good.
With so many fairways hit, you might figure that I also hit my fair share of greens in regulation. Well, if that's what you think, you don't really know me or my golf game. You see, I hit a grand total of zero greens in regulation. It was as though all of my approach shots were repelled by some invisible force surrounding the greens.
To make matters worse, my chipping and putting were atrocious. Not a single chip shot landed in the vicinity of the pin. Some were short, others were long. By the end of the day, I had amassed 43 putts, tying my worst putting round of the season. In one stretch of eight holes, I managed seven three-putts.
During that stretch, I also allowed frustration to creep into my game. For the most part, I've managed to keep my emotions in check this year, even through some really horrible rounds. The good news is that I regained my composure over the last five holes. The last thing a golfer wants is for that negative energy to carry over into the next round.
Score: 107
Par: 71
Putts: 43
Fairways: 10
Greens: 0
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