It's late October, which means golf season will soon be over here in southern Ontari-ari-ari-o. Sure, die-hards that brave the autumn chill can often extend the season to mid December, but opportunities for quality rounds are disappearing quickly. I've played a lot of golf this year, so I wouldn't feel bad if the season ended tomorrow. Having said that, I will definitely continue to play as long as the weather permits a decent golfing experience.
Round 40 of the season was played at Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in Oakville, Ontario. It's a course I've played often - one I should be able to take advantage of. I played reasonably well on the front nine, averaging bogey for all but one of the holes. The first half of that stretch featured some sketchy drives off the tee, but a few inspired iron shots kept me in the hunt.
On the seventh hole, a 331-yard par-4 that bends to the right, I finally gained control of the driver. Taking dead aim at the trees on the right side of the fairway, I launched a perfect shot. The ball sailed over the trees, landing safely in the fairway on the other side, a mere 90 yards to the green. My approach shot was a little long, so I needed a chip and two putts to hole out for bogey.
On the eighth hole, a 373-yard par-4, I drove the ball straight but not very far. The ball came to rest in the middle of the fairway, but I still had 170 yards to the flag. Using my trusty 5-iron, I smacked a wonderful shot that ended up pin-high on the collar of the green. After a great putt and an easy tap-in, I collected my only par of the day.
The back nine was fairly consistent, but I collected a few more double-bogeys than I did on the front. Driving was once again spotty, but I often recovered well. One example was the eleventh hole, where my second shot was played from behind a small pine tree. Trees further off in the distance prevented me from taking dead aim at the green, but I picked a spot on the left side of the fairway and hit a perfect 3-wood. From there, a simple chip and two putts earned a bogey.
Everything came down to the last two holes, a 144-yard par-3 and a 371-yard par-4. Standing on the seventeenth tee, I knew I needed no worse than two over par on the remaining holes to finish with a total score below 100. The seventeenth hole can be dangerous for right-handed pull-hitters, because the entire left side is out of bounds. I played it safe, missing the green to the right. The ball stayed out of the bunkers on that side, so I was able to chip and two-putt for a bogey.
On the eighteenth tee, I hit perhaps my best drive of the day, right to the 150-yard stick in the middle of the fairway. I got a little nervous when my subsequent shot came up well short of the green. Luckily, the ball stopped in an area with no impediments, from which I chipped safely onto the green. Next, I faced a lengthy putt, but my goal was just to put it close. I did precisely that and then tapped in for the required bogey.
It was the eighth time I broke 100 this season, fulfilling a goal I set at the start of the year. Throw in the two times I scored an even 100 and the total number of good rounds played (at least by my standards) this year is ten, representing 25% of rounds played. Next year, that number should be at least 50%.
Score: 99
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
October 22, 2006
October 17, 2006
Tough Wind at Pheasant Run
With a freak snowstorm hitting areas as near as Fort Erie just a few days earlier, I was a little worried about the weather for my latest round of golf. The forecast called for a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, with the wind chill making it feel like -1 degrees. As it turned out, temperature was not a problem, but wind certainly was.
This was my first visit ever to Pheasant Run Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Pheasant Run features three 9-hole courses, allowing for some interesting combinations. I played the Highlands and Midlands courses, which meander through thick woods and feature some pretty elevation changes. The Southern Uplands course is a little more subdued, with gently rolling terrain and fewer tree-lined holes.
The Highlands course features three par-5 holes, including the first hole, which is arguably the toughest of the bunch. Thick woods line the entire fairway and wrap around parts of the green, making this hole tough even when the weather is perfect. Add some wind and a little chill and things get downright nasty. I had trouble with many of the par-5 holes, mostly because of the plentiful trees. To be completely honest, my ball striking also left something to be desired.
I struck the ball much better on the Midlands course, but was unable to adapt my short game to the windy conditions. Shots with the pitching or sand wedge seemed to carry much further than usual and it was difficult to concentrate while chipping and putting. I also lost a few balls in the fallen leaves, which artificially inflated my score. Under summer conditions, those balls would easily be found.
Despite my final score, it was a very enjoyable round. Pheasant Run is quite a nice course -- one I will definitely return to next season.
Score: 118
Par: 73
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
This was my first visit ever to Pheasant Run Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Pheasant Run features three 9-hole courses, allowing for some interesting combinations. I played the Highlands and Midlands courses, which meander through thick woods and feature some pretty elevation changes. The Southern Uplands course is a little more subdued, with gently rolling terrain and fewer tree-lined holes.
The Highlands course features three par-5 holes, including the first hole, which is arguably the toughest of the bunch. Thick woods line the entire fairway and wrap around parts of the green, making this hole tough even when the weather is perfect. Add some wind and a little chill and things get downright nasty. I had trouble with many of the par-5 holes, mostly because of the plentiful trees. To be completely honest, my ball striking also left something to be desired.
I struck the ball much better on the Midlands course, but was unable to adapt my short game to the windy conditions. Shots with the pitching or sand wedge seemed to carry much further than usual and it was difficult to concentrate while chipping and putting. I also lost a few balls in the fallen leaves, which artificially inflated my score. Under summer conditions, those balls would easily be found.
Despite my final score, it was a very enjoyable round. Pheasant Run is quite a nice course -- one I will definitely return to next season.
Score: 118
Par: 73
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
October 16, 2006
Sizzling at Shawneeki
After being harassed by a course marshal there last year, I thought twice about returning to Shawneeki Golf Club, located in Sharon, Ontario. Since I was recently invited to play there, and since the location had already been set, I decided to give the club a chance at redemption. This time, I'm happy to say that service was good, as was my game.
The round began with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I see-sawed back and forth between good shots and bad shots. On the first hole, a 300-yard par-4, a decent 3-wood off the tee was followed by a wedge shot that came up short and some horrible chip attempts. A strong putt was required to salvage double-bogey. On the subsequent hole, a 447-yard par-5, two mis-hits with the 3-wood were followed by a good hit and solid approach to the green. Poor tee shots on the next two holes were followed by spectacular drives.
Fortunately, I began to play more consistently on the fifth hole, which I managed to par in textbook fashion. This was one of three pars I put together before beginning the back nine. The other two came on the eighth and ninth holes. The eighth hole, a 482-yard par-5, was particularly satisfying. I hit a 3-iron off the tee, laying up in front of a pond that bisects the fairway. It was 3-iron again for my second shot, but my line was off and the ball drifted right of the fairway. My third shot was a wonderful mid-iron poke that settled flag high, just off the green. After a near-perfect chip shot, I had an easy tap-in for par.
The back nine was a joy to play, and I ran into trouble only on the eleventh hole, a 467-yard par-5 with a strong left dogleg. After the dogleg, the hole is wide open, but getting there requires a straight shot through a narrow fairway flanked on both sides by thick woods. I found the woods on the left, but also visited the woods on the right when a punch shot carried further than I expected. It all led to a triple-bogey, but my spirits were not dampened.
I went on to close the round out with two pars, followed by five consecutive bogeys. The first par was on the twelfth hole, a picturesque par-3 from an elevated tee box. The second par was on the thirteenth hole, a fun par-4 on the corner of the property that features water, out-of-bounds, a dogleg fairway, and an elevated green. The string of bogeys was a result of safe and controlled play. I hit only one fairway and reached only one green in regulation during that stretch, but I made crisp contact with every shot and closed things out with good chipping and putting for my fourth-best score ever.
Score: 93
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
The round began with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I see-sawed back and forth between good shots and bad shots. On the first hole, a 300-yard par-4, a decent 3-wood off the tee was followed by a wedge shot that came up short and some horrible chip attempts. A strong putt was required to salvage double-bogey. On the subsequent hole, a 447-yard par-5, two mis-hits with the 3-wood were followed by a good hit and solid approach to the green. Poor tee shots on the next two holes were followed by spectacular drives.
Fortunately, I began to play more consistently on the fifth hole, which I managed to par in textbook fashion. This was one of three pars I put together before beginning the back nine. The other two came on the eighth and ninth holes. The eighth hole, a 482-yard par-5, was particularly satisfying. I hit a 3-iron off the tee, laying up in front of a pond that bisects the fairway. It was 3-iron again for my second shot, but my line was off and the ball drifted right of the fairway. My third shot was a wonderful mid-iron poke that settled flag high, just off the green. After a near-perfect chip shot, I had an easy tap-in for par.
The back nine was a joy to play, and I ran into trouble only on the eleventh hole, a 467-yard par-5 with a strong left dogleg. After the dogleg, the hole is wide open, but getting there requires a straight shot through a narrow fairway flanked on both sides by thick woods. I found the woods on the left, but also visited the woods on the right when a punch shot carried further than I expected. It all led to a triple-bogey, but my spirits were not dampened.
I went on to close the round out with two pars, followed by five consecutive bogeys. The first par was on the twelfth hole, a picturesque par-3 from an elevated tee box. The second par was on the thirteenth hole, a fun par-4 on the corner of the property that features water, out-of-bounds, a dogleg fairway, and an elevated green. The string of bogeys was a result of safe and controlled play. I hit only one fairway and reached only one green in regulation during that stretch, but I made crisp contact with every shot and closed things out with good chipping and putting for my fourth-best score ever.
Score: 93
Par: 72
Putts: 33
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
October 15, 2006
Killer Greens at Tyandaga
With a couple of decent rounds under my belt, I was looking forward to playing at Tyandaga Municipal Golf Course, located in Burlington, Ontario. Tyandaga is not a particularly long course, measuring less than 5,800 yards from the back tees, but the hilly terrain and some tight fairways make it a formidable challenge.
I drove the ball poorly most of the day, hitting just three fairways. Two of those barely reached the fairway, as I struck ground before ball and was lucky to achieve any distance. When I managed good contact off the tee, I usually pulled the ball just left of target. On a few occasions, I pulled the ball severely into the woods or out of bounds.
My iron play was quite good, provided I was taking a full swing. I had good accuracy and distance with my low irons and found a fair number of greens with my pitching wedge. Chipping and putting was another story, as the Jeckyll & Hyde greens played tricks on my mind and wreaked havoc with my ego.
I three-putted nine of the holes played, racking up a total of 45 putts for the round. Sloping greens and a slick surface often conspired to inflate my scores. On numerous occasions, I tapped the ball ever so lightly only to watch it roll ten feet past the hole. When I made good putts, they either lipped out or stopped within a few inches. Absolutely nothing dropped.
I limped through the last two holes and was happy to get in the car and leave.
Score: 116
Par: 71
Putts: 45
Fairways: 3
Greens: 0
I drove the ball poorly most of the day, hitting just three fairways. Two of those barely reached the fairway, as I struck ground before ball and was lucky to achieve any distance. When I managed good contact off the tee, I usually pulled the ball just left of target. On a few occasions, I pulled the ball severely into the woods or out of bounds.
My iron play was quite good, provided I was taking a full swing. I had good accuracy and distance with my low irons and found a fair number of greens with my pitching wedge. Chipping and putting was another story, as the Jeckyll & Hyde greens played tricks on my mind and wreaked havoc with my ego.
I three-putted nine of the holes played, racking up a total of 45 putts for the round. Sloping greens and a slick surface often conspired to inflate my scores. On numerous occasions, I tapped the ball ever so lightly only to watch it roll ten feet past the hole. When I made good putts, they either lipped out or stopped within a few inches. Absolutely nothing dropped.
I limped through the last two holes and was happy to get in the car and leave.
Score: 116
Par: 71
Putts: 45
Fairways: 3
Greens: 0
October 09, 2006
Big Choke at Banty's Roost
After breaking out of a slump at The Highlands Golf Club, I felt confident going in to my next round at Banty's Roost Golf & Country Club. At the same time, I really had something to prove, since I let a sure sub-100 round turn into a 101 with a quadruple bogey on The Highlands' final hole. A similar collapse cost me a sub-100 round in the season opener, when a quintuple bogey on the final hole at Banty's Roost pushed my total score to 102.
The first seven holes were sheer magic, as I amassed a score that was merely five over par. In that stretch I hit just one fairway, but I was on the green in regulation three times, leading to three pars. Three bogeys and a double-bogey rounded out the run, the latter due to a couple of poorly hit 3-woods. Then the madness began.
On the eighth hole, a 348-yard par-4, my tee shot trickled into the woods right of the fairway. I was forced to take a drop and an accompanying penalty stroke. As my third shot bounced in front of the green, I thought I would escape relatively unharmed. Inexplicably however, the ball rolled on the green and continued rolling until it was two yards off the back. A poor chip shot didn't help matters, but what really killed me was the ensuing four-putt! This must have rattled me, because I found water on the next hole and missed an easy putt, ending with a triple-bogey.
I could have folded then and there, but I still had a good round going so I tried to regroup. The next five holes were once again magical. Playing with control and confidence, I strung together a par, three bogeys and a double-bogey, the latter courtesy of a short putt that did not drop. Then the stupidity began.
Three of the last four holes were disastrous. My tee shot on the first of these, a 189-yard par-3, was off the heel of the club and I found myself under a thick pine tree. It took a couple shots to emerge from this predicament and that bothered me. Poor chip shots ensued and I began to wonder if a sub-100 round could be salvaged. I actually started the next hole well, but an attempted chip shot from off the green found a lone tree trunk and a short putt was also missed.
On the tee at the last hole, a 548-yard par-5, I needed triple-bogey or better to shoot under 100. Easy, right? Well, not quite. I topped my second shot and that began a series of shots from terrible lies. One of these was with the ball well below my feet, while the others were with the ball well above. In the end, I earned a quadruple bogey and a total score of 100.
On the eighteenth green, one of my playing partners performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre on me, enabling me to walk off the course safely.
Score: 100
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
The first seven holes were sheer magic, as I amassed a score that was merely five over par. In that stretch I hit just one fairway, but I was on the green in regulation three times, leading to three pars. Three bogeys and a double-bogey rounded out the run, the latter due to a couple of poorly hit 3-woods. Then the madness began.
On the eighth hole, a 348-yard par-4, my tee shot trickled into the woods right of the fairway. I was forced to take a drop and an accompanying penalty stroke. As my third shot bounced in front of the green, I thought I would escape relatively unharmed. Inexplicably however, the ball rolled on the green and continued rolling until it was two yards off the back. A poor chip shot didn't help matters, but what really killed me was the ensuing four-putt! This must have rattled me, because I found water on the next hole and missed an easy putt, ending with a triple-bogey.
I could have folded then and there, but I still had a good round going so I tried to regroup. The next five holes were once again magical. Playing with control and confidence, I strung together a par, three bogeys and a double-bogey, the latter courtesy of a short putt that did not drop. Then the stupidity began.
Three of the last four holes were disastrous. My tee shot on the first of these, a 189-yard par-3, was off the heel of the club and I found myself under a thick pine tree. It took a couple shots to emerge from this predicament and that bothered me. Poor chip shots ensued and I began to wonder if a sub-100 round could be salvaged. I actually started the next hole well, but an attempted chip shot from off the green found a lone tree trunk and a short putt was also missed.
On the tee at the last hole, a 548-yard par-5, I needed triple-bogey or better to shoot under 100. Easy, right? Well, not quite. I topped my second shot and that began a series of shots from terrible lies. One of these was with the ball well below my feet, while the others were with the ball well above. In the end, I earned a quadruple bogey and a total score of 100.
On the eighteenth green, one of my playing partners performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre on me, enabling me to walk off the course safely.
Score: 100
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 5
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