Bushwood is a course I have played often enough that it should really be a candidate for a sub-90 round. I didn't help things by arriving at the course with absolutely no time to spare before teeing off. Someone please tell me why I am always the last person to know when the Don Valley Parkway is being closed. Why?
With no time to warm up, I stepped up to the first tee with some trepidation. Sure enough, I pulled my drive into the opposite fairway. I duffed a 3-wood, then hit a nice one for my third shot, but it failed to hold the green. My chip shot was on the green, but far from the hole. I finished things off by 3-putting for a triple-bogey. You have to work hard for an 89 when you start a round like that.
I made some terrible approach and pitch shots on the third hole, before settling down on hole #4. Measuring 278 yards from the blue tees, this is a tantalizing par-4. I usually play a mid-iron off the tee, but decided to blast it with the driver this time. The ball travelled to the left rough, about 40 yards in front of the green. I hit a sand wedge over a large bunker and landed safely on the green. I made a nice lag putt and an easy tap-in for par.
On hole #5 I pulled my drive again. More distubing than that was the fact that I completely mis-hit a couple of irons trying to advance the ball. All season long, my iron play has been the bright spot, so this was a bad turn of events. Luckily, I recuperated on hole #6, a par-4 measuring a scant 322 yards. I blasted a decent drive, even though it landed in the left rough. From about 90 yards away, I hit a pitching wedge to the back fringe. I made a nice lag putt and another easy tap-in for par.
Hole #7, a par-4 measuring a more challenging 392 yards, was like an instant replay. Good distance on the drive, but pulled a bit, coming to rest in the left rough. Next, an 8-iron struck well, leaving the ball on the green, flag high. This was followed by a good lag putt and tap-in for par. I love it when a plan comes together like this.
A trio of bogeys was the result on holes eight through ten. Then, for some reason, I decided to get stupid. Hole #11 is a modest par-4 measuring just 320 yards. I don't know why, but this hole always gives me trouble. The trouble usually comes off the tee, which I play with a mid iron. All I want to do is hit the ball straight, about 170 yards. The straight part is the part that never seems to happen here.
On this occasion, I pulled the ball strongly, and it stopped about three feet into some very long weeds. It took two shots to barely get the ball out of the weeds. Now, the green was obstructed by a cluster of trees, so I opted to place the ball well right of the green. That would have been a good strategy if I was able to pitch the ball from that location onto the green. Unfortunately, my pitch shot was short. I needed a chip and two putts to close out the hole and record a quadruple-bogey.
The stupidity continued on hole #12, another short par-4. Unlike the previous hole, this is one where I usually have lots of success. Unfortunately, I blasted my drive way left of target, somewhere near the 13th tee box. I spent way too long looking for the ball, considering that the group ahead of us must have clearly seen it and could have told me where it was. The next two shots were just plain ugly. The first was one with the pitching wedge, where I must have completely decelerated the club. The ball went only three quarters of the distance I was aiming for. The next was a skulled chip shot that crossed the green and landed in a creek. Can you say penalty stroke? Anyway, this ended up being another quadruple-bogey on an easy par-4.
Now for some good news, which came in the form of a birdie on hole #14. This is a par-5 measuring 497 yards. I smoked my drive low and long. It ended left of target in the opposite fairway, but let's not get too critical. Next, I drilled a monster 3-wood back in the direction of the fairway. Because it travelled so far, it actually crossed the fairway, stopping about two yards into the rough. From 130 yards out, I hit a pure 9-iron right in the direction of the flag, which was at the back of the large green. Finally, I lined up the 8-foot put and drained it. Woohoo! Only my second birdie of the season.
The rest of the round was prety uneventful. I survived some iffy shots on hole #16 and managed a par on hole #18 to finish with a 97, which I would call average.
So, the sub-90 round remains elusive.
Score: 97
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 1
Greens: 6
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