It was another Duffer's Dream event, this time at Cambridge Golf Club, located in Cambridge, Ontario. The course is relatively easy, featuring flat terrain, straight fairways, and few hazards. Bunkering provides some challenge near the greens, while the fairways are lined with a spattering of trees. Out of bounds is in play on nearly half the holes, but the fairways are so generous that it should not be a problem. Five par-5 holes and five par-3 holes lend some variety.
Despite the easy nature of the course, I could not get into the groove. Mediocre chips and bad putting led to double-bogeys on holes three through five. Before that, I was doing OK with a pair of bogeys on the first two holes.
I exploded for a quadruple bogey on hole #6 after an errant tee shot. The ball came to rest right under a pine tree - the kind where the lowest branches touch the ground. I tried to punch the ball out to the fairway, but only made it about half way there. Still shooting from among the trees, I tried to cut a shot through an opening, but missed badly. I was once again under a pine tree and had to chip out sideways. My final approach to the green was decent, but off the green by a couple of yards. I then skulled a chip shot, before 2-putting to end the misery.
I made par on the seventh hole, a short par-3 measuring 134 yards, but followed up with a triple bogey on hole #8, a par-5 measuring 452 yards. I hit a decent drive, but was in the rough. Trying to drive the green from 210 yards out, I was unable to get the ball cleanly out of the long grass. Switching to a different club, I managed to get back in the fairway, but still a long way from the green. When my final approach landed in a greenside bunker, things got worse. I launched the ball to the other side of the green, requiring a chip and two putts to hole out. I bogeyed the ninth hole, which could have been par with better chipping and putting.
After some trouble on the tenth hole, the back nine was a little better than the front. I didn't realize the right side of the tenth fairway was bounded by the driving range - I hit my ball in that direction and it faded out of bounds. It all led to another triple-bogey. From that point on, I averaged bogey golf, with a bunch of bogeys and a couple of double-bogeys, offset by a couple of pars. The main problem continued to be suspect chipping and poor putting. I hit a couple poor drives as well, but they did not do as much damage as the putting did.
I am thirty games into the season and my handicap has not changed. It's disappointing.
Score: 101
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
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