A recent article in ScoreGolf magazine describes how pro golfers keep a journal of their experiences on the golf course. The idea is to record examples of excellent play, to serve as a reminder of things that worked well and to boost confidence. I realized that my own journal often focuses on things that went wrong, which of course has exactly the opposite effect. So I am resolving to be at least a little more positive in my reviews, beginning with my latest round at Emerald Hills Golf Club.
Teeing off on the first hole of the Forest nine, I hit a perfect drive high and straight, coming to rest beside the 150-yard marker. It was especially satisfying since it came from the gold tees, which are the tips at Emerald Hills. There are also plenty of trees on this hole to gobble up wayward drives. They don't call it the Forest nine for nothing. I proceeded to mis-hit a few shots en route to a triple-bogey, but we're trying to be positive here, so enough of that.
The next good moment came on hole #5, a par-4 measuring 406 yards. I hit a cut shot off the tee, leaving the ball in the middle of the fairway. I didn't intend for it to be a cut shot, but that's how it worked out. I hit an approach with the 5-iron, but caught it a little fat and as a result came up short of the green. From there I hit a little bump and run shot with the pitching wedge, leaving a medium length putt for par, which I calmly drained. Pars are nice.
The shot of the day took place on hole #8, an intimidating par-5 lined by forest on both sides of the fairway from tee box to green. I hit 5-wood off the tee in an attempt to keep the ball out of the woods. It didn't work. Luckily, the area was staked red, so I got to drop a ball near point of entry after taking a penalty. My third shot now was a medium iron to advance the ball down the fairway. It worked well, but I was still left with 205 yards to the green, which was perched on a plateau about twelve to fifteen feet above the fairway. The shot of the day was a spectacular 5-wood that travelled dead straight, bounced near the top of the plateau and came to rest within five feet of the cup. Luckily, I made the putt to make the great approach shot pay off. It was a great par save.
After finishing the Forest nine, we proceeded to the Valley nine, which offers a very different experience. On holes one and two, I hit some less than perfect shots, but also came into the greens with some nice approaches. On hole #1 it was with a sand wedge, while on hole #2 it was with a 9-iron. I wish I had an equally good approach on hole #3, but that wasn't the case. After a solid drive, I had 170 yards to the flag. Anything left of the green is into a hillside covered in fescue. Anything right of the green is into a steep mound that pushes balls further right into a hazard. I hit the mound and had to take a penalty, but it was a fun hole to play, probably my favourite of the Valley nine.
On hole #6, I hit a perfect 3-wood off the elevated tee, leaving 80 yards to a severely elevated green. I hit a solid sand wedge approach and two-putted for another solid par. Pars are nice. Hole #7 is also one of my favourites on the Valley nine. This is a par-3 measuring 181 yards. Players must carry a fescue-covered valley to a diagonal green that plays longer to the right hand side. When we played, the flag was at the back of the green, tempting players to take the more aggressive line. I settled for an intermediate line, starting the ball about 20 feet left of the flag. I hit what seemed like a perfect 5-iron, landing on the green exactly where I was aiming. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold the green and spilled over the back into a well-placed bunker. The combination of visual intimidation, distance, and strategic bunkering are what make this a nice hole. I failed to get out of the bunker with a single shot and ended up with a double-bogey.
Overall, it was a nice outing and I had enough positive takeaways to carry to my next round. The elevated score was mostly a result of penalty strokes after balls found the dense woods. I had eight penalty strokes in total.
Score: 108
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
June 29, 2009
June 22, 2009
No Round This Weekend, Just Practice
I didn't have any rounds scheduled for this weekend, so I decided to do some much needed practice. I began by chipping abour four hundred balls from various positions around the chipping green. The dispersion of my shots was not bad and I mis-hit very few balls. The grass around the chipping green was fairly long, which meant that the ball was nicely propped up most of the time. I pressed some balls down into the grass to get the feel of shooting from a different lie. The chipping green was one of those shaggy affairs, so the benefits of this practice were limited. Still, it was good to spend some time on the short game.
Following the chipping practice, I headed over to the driving range, working my way from sand wedge to driver. I was focused primarily on taking the club away a few degrees to the inside, shortening and flattening my backswing, and swinging in rhythm. As I concentrated on flattening the backswing, I realized just how steep my backswing had become recently. I knew this was the case with longer clubs such as fairway woods and driver, but it became clear that I was doing it with all clubs, including the short wedges. Even as I flattened my swing plane, all of my shots were being pulled left of my target line, as a result of an outside-in swing path. In recent weeks, I was compensating for that by fading or cutting the ball at the same time. The ball would end up more or less where I wanted it to, but the flight path was not ideal. I continued to work on the swing plane and eventually began hitting some better balls. I got a lot of great work in with the irons, but spent less time on the fairway woods and driver than I had hoped.
To wrap up, I sent some time on the putting green, practicing short, medium and long range putts from different positions. My distance control was good. I lagged the more lengthy putts very near the hole, even if they didn't drop with great frequency. I tried to concentrate on a nice, aggressive follow through. Sometimes, I take a big backswing and then decelerate the putter, so I was training myself not to do that.
Hopefully, this work pays off at my next round later this week.
Following the chipping practice, I headed over to the driving range, working my way from sand wedge to driver. I was focused primarily on taking the club away a few degrees to the inside, shortening and flattening my backswing, and swinging in rhythm. As I concentrated on flattening the backswing, I realized just how steep my backswing had become recently. I knew this was the case with longer clubs such as fairway woods and driver, but it became clear that I was doing it with all clubs, including the short wedges. Even as I flattened my swing plane, all of my shots were being pulled left of my target line, as a result of an outside-in swing path. In recent weeks, I was compensating for that by fading or cutting the ball at the same time. The ball would end up more or less where I wanted it to, but the flight path was not ideal. I continued to work on the swing plane and eventually began hitting some better balls. I got a lot of great work in with the irons, but spent less time on the fairway woods and driver than I had hoped.
To wrap up, I sent some time on the putting green, practicing short, medium and long range putts from different positions. My distance control was good. I lagged the more lengthy putts very near the hole, even if they didn't drop with great frequency. I tried to concentrate on a nice, aggressive follow through. Sometimes, I take a big backswing and then decelerate the putter, so I was training myself not to do that.
Hopefully, this work pays off at my next round later this week.
June 19, 2009
Starting From Scratch After Crosswinds
My latest round of golf, played at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club, was easily my worst performance of an already poor season. I played fairly well through the first four holes, tallying a couple of bogeys and even a birdie on the par-5 second. It was the fifth hole, a par-3 featuring an island green, that ruined any hope of a good round. Playing my tee shot to the safer side of the green, my ball hit the embankment and bounced in the water. Playing my third shot from the drop zone, I duffed a chip, then skulled one over the green and into the water on the other side. After my second penalty stroke on the hole, I chipped safely on the green, only to 3-putt for an embarrassing score of 9. I hung in there for the remainder of the front nine, amassing a score of 54 at the turn. When I duffed my tee shot on hole #10, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. On hole #11, I stopped trying completely and didn't bother keeping score the rest of the way.
The only thing to do now is forget about it and start from scratch. My swing has deteriorated this year and I know I have to make improvements. The good news is that I have a fairly good sense of what the problem is. Basically, I have slipped back to my natural tendencies - the very things I have adjusted in the past with some success. Here are a few things I need to to examine as I rebuild my swing.
Alignment - I have been setting up with my feet, hips and shoulders aligned and parallel to the target line. No adjustments are necessary.
Ball position - I have been playing my iron shots with the ball pretty close to the centre of my stance. I play my fairway woods and driver with the ball closer to the front of my stance, a few inches inside the left foot. This is good. I just have to be careful that the ball doesn't get too far ahead when using the driver.
Posture - My feet are a comfortable distance apart and I have a good amount of flex in the knees. My spine angle is also pretty good. If anything, I might be dropping the head down a bit too much. Any adjustment here should be very minor.
Grip - I might be getting a little strong with the right hand, which is no good. I should make sure that the right hand is a little weaker. Also, I should check to make sure that I am not using too much grip pressure.
Takeaway - I think I might be taking the clubhead back almost in line with the target line, which is no good. Ideally, the clubhead goes back a few degrees on the inside. This promotes a flatter and more consistent swing plane.
Shoulder turn - I need to remind myself to make a nice shoulder turn. Early this season, I may have slipped back into using the arms too much. When I use the arms like that, the top of my backswing gets too steep.
Swing plane - My biggest flaw is the tendency to swing over the top or outside-in. Basically, my backswing gets really steep and off plane near the top. A good takeaway and shoulder turn help prevent that, but it also helps when I shorten the backswing.
Tempo - I need to swing in rhythm and I haven't been doing that this season. When my tempo is off, my swing gets off plane and it becomes more difficult to make good crisp contact with the ball. Recently, I have slowed the backswing too much. Smooth and easy is the key. I need to get back to that.
Weight shift - For some reason, I have recently fallen victim to the reverse pivot. I have no idea how this crept into my swing, but it has. I need to make sure that my weight is evenly balanced on the backswing and that is shifts naturally to the left side on the downswing.
Finally, I need to do all this without getting bogged down by too much thinking. The most important things for me are a good takeaway, with proper tempo and weight shift. If I can do that, I will keep my swing more on plane and hit better shots.
As for chipping and putting, I just need to practice more and get more confidence. In the last couple of years I have gotten away from playing these shots by feel. I think I should get back to that a bit more because I was fairly good at it.
The only thing to do now is forget about it and start from scratch. My swing has deteriorated this year and I know I have to make improvements. The good news is that I have a fairly good sense of what the problem is. Basically, I have slipped back to my natural tendencies - the very things I have adjusted in the past with some success. Here are a few things I need to to examine as I rebuild my swing.
Alignment - I have been setting up with my feet, hips and shoulders aligned and parallel to the target line. No adjustments are necessary.
Ball position - I have been playing my iron shots with the ball pretty close to the centre of my stance. I play my fairway woods and driver with the ball closer to the front of my stance, a few inches inside the left foot. This is good. I just have to be careful that the ball doesn't get too far ahead when using the driver.
Posture - My feet are a comfortable distance apart and I have a good amount of flex in the knees. My spine angle is also pretty good. If anything, I might be dropping the head down a bit too much. Any adjustment here should be very minor.
Grip - I might be getting a little strong with the right hand, which is no good. I should make sure that the right hand is a little weaker. Also, I should check to make sure that I am not using too much grip pressure.
Takeaway - I think I might be taking the clubhead back almost in line with the target line, which is no good. Ideally, the clubhead goes back a few degrees on the inside. This promotes a flatter and more consistent swing plane.
Shoulder turn - I need to remind myself to make a nice shoulder turn. Early this season, I may have slipped back into using the arms too much. When I use the arms like that, the top of my backswing gets too steep.
Swing plane - My biggest flaw is the tendency to swing over the top or outside-in. Basically, my backswing gets really steep and off plane near the top. A good takeaway and shoulder turn help prevent that, but it also helps when I shorten the backswing.
Tempo - I need to swing in rhythm and I haven't been doing that this season. When my tempo is off, my swing gets off plane and it becomes more difficult to make good crisp contact with the ball. Recently, I have slowed the backswing too much. Smooth and easy is the key. I need to get back to that.
Weight shift - For some reason, I have recently fallen victim to the reverse pivot. I have no idea how this crept into my swing, but it has. I need to make sure that my weight is evenly balanced on the backswing and that is shifts naturally to the left side on the downswing.
Finally, I need to do all this without getting bogged down by too much thinking. The most important things for me are a good takeaway, with proper tempo and weight shift. If I can do that, I will keep my swing more on plane and hit better shots.
As for chipping and putting, I just need to practice more and get more confidence. In the last couple of years I have gotten away from playing these shots by feel. I think I should get back to that a bit more because I was fairly good at it.
June 17, 2009
Good Recovery at Wooden Sticks
Following a couple of poor rounds, I headed out to Uxbridge for my first ever visit to Wooden Sticks Golf Club. Many of the holes at Wooden Sticks are inspired by famous holes at some of the world's best-known golf clubs, including Augusta, Sawgrass, Pine Valley, St. Andrews, and Carnoustie.
I double-bogeyed the first three holes, mixing good shots with bad ones. The second hole was particularly disappointing because I hit a perfect 5-wood off the tee to the middle of the fairway, followed by a straight shot with the sand wedge from about 80 yards away. The ball was all over the flag, but ended up a couple yards behind the green on a severe downslope. From that position, it was nearly impossible to chip it close. The third hole, inspired by #12 at Augusta, was also disappointing because I duffed my tee shot into the water.
The fourth hole, inspired by #13 at Augusta, was played very well. I hit a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway, followed by a half-swing with the 5-iron which took the ball to the left side of the fairway in front of a creek that protects the green. Next, I hit a very nice pitch shot about 40 yards, near the flag. I calmly drained the putt for birdie. The rest of the front nine was like the first three holes - a mix of good and bad shots. Except for a shot from a greenside bunker on hole #7, I played very well from the sand, which I haven't done for most of the season. My putting, which has also been a problem this year, was quite good.
On the tenth hole I began a bit of a hot streak. Hole #10 shares a fairway with #18, leaving ample room for golfers to be aggressive on their tee shots. Following a good drive, I hit the green from 140 yards out, setting up a two-putt par. On hole #11, inspired by the "postage stamp" eighth hole at Troon, I hit a very good tee shot, but came up a yard short of the green. After a poor chip, I two-putted for bogey. On holes #12 and #13, both inspired by Pine Valley, I collected two excellent pars. Both were set up by long approaches made with the 5-wood. On hole #14, inspired by the "Hogan's Alley" 6th hole at Carnoustie, a spectacular shot from a deep pot bunker allowed me to save bogey.
The streak ended on holes #15 and #16, a long par-4 and a par-5. Wind made me think too much about my drive on the fifteenth, leading to a weak slice and a lost ball. On the sixteenth, my second shot from a waste bunker lead to a series of problems. It should have been no problem at all as I had a great lie in the bunker and was hitting 7-iron. Nevertheless, I was a tad fat and that's all it took.
I managed a par on hole #17, based on the "island green" 17th hole at Sawgrass. I hit a strong tee shot to the left side of the green. From there, I hit a nice uphill putt to the centre of the cup, but the ball had a bit too much speed and popped out the other side. It was very nearly another birdie, so I felt good. Finally, I bogeyed #18 after making three putts from the super massive green.
Overall, I was happy with the way I fought on the back nine and felt like my score was satisfactory.
Score: 96
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
I double-bogeyed the first three holes, mixing good shots with bad ones. The second hole was particularly disappointing because I hit a perfect 5-wood off the tee to the middle of the fairway, followed by a straight shot with the sand wedge from about 80 yards away. The ball was all over the flag, but ended up a couple yards behind the green on a severe downslope. From that position, it was nearly impossible to chip it close. The third hole, inspired by #12 at Augusta, was also disappointing because I duffed my tee shot into the water.
The fourth hole, inspired by #13 at Augusta, was played very well. I hit a perfect drive to the middle of the fairway, followed by a half-swing with the 5-iron which took the ball to the left side of the fairway in front of a creek that protects the green. Next, I hit a very nice pitch shot about 40 yards, near the flag. I calmly drained the putt for birdie. The rest of the front nine was like the first three holes - a mix of good and bad shots. Except for a shot from a greenside bunker on hole #7, I played very well from the sand, which I haven't done for most of the season. My putting, which has also been a problem this year, was quite good.
On the tenth hole I began a bit of a hot streak. Hole #10 shares a fairway with #18, leaving ample room for golfers to be aggressive on their tee shots. Following a good drive, I hit the green from 140 yards out, setting up a two-putt par. On hole #11, inspired by the "postage stamp" eighth hole at Troon, I hit a very good tee shot, but came up a yard short of the green. After a poor chip, I two-putted for bogey. On holes #12 and #13, both inspired by Pine Valley, I collected two excellent pars. Both were set up by long approaches made with the 5-wood. On hole #14, inspired by the "Hogan's Alley" 6th hole at Carnoustie, a spectacular shot from a deep pot bunker allowed me to save bogey.
The streak ended on holes #15 and #16, a long par-4 and a par-5. Wind made me think too much about my drive on the fifteenth, leading to a weak slice and a lost ball. On the sixteenth, my second shot from a waste bunker lead to a series of problems. It should have been no problem at all as I had a great lie in the bunker and was hitting 7-iron. Nevertheless, I was a tad fat and that's all it took.
I managed a par on hole #17, based on the "island green" 17th hole at Sawgrass. I hit a strong tee shot to the left side of the green. From there, I hit a nice uphill putt to the centre of the cup, but the ball had a bit too much speed and popped out the other side. It was very nearly another birdie, so I felt good. Finally, I bogeyed #18 after making three putts from the super massive green.
Overall, I was happy with the way I fought on the back nine and felt like my score was satisfactory.
Score: 96
Par: 72
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
June 11, 2009
Putting the Wild in Wildfire
My third event on the GTA Amateur Tour took place at Wildfire Golf Club, a lovely Tom McBroom design in the Kawartha region. It was overcast and windy when I teed off in the late afternoon with the last group of the day.
I tallied six bogeys and a par on the front nine, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The driver never came out of my bag, as I opted for the 3-wood on the relatively short holes. On the second hole, I topped my tee shot. On the fourth hole, I hit my tee shot very thin. Fortunately, the ball skipped over a creek and carried well along the fairway. I hit some good tee shots as well, but it was a very mixed bag.
Similarly, my irons varied from spectacular to outright disgusting - even on the same hole! After a solid tee shot on hole #7, a par-5 measuring 486 yards, I completely messed up my second shot with a 7-iron. This left me with a 195-yard approach to the green, which I nailed with a fantastic 4-iron. Overall, there were far too many worm-burners resulting from my iron shots. They didn't hurt the score tremendously because the ball still advanced, but they were ugly. On a couple iron shots I opened the club face far too much, with predictable results.
Bunker play, chipping and putting were all good on the front nine.
On the back nine there were a couple moments of brilliance amidst a sea of errors. I birdied hole #11, a par-3 measuring 140 yards. After hitting the green in regulation, I sank a long putt from about 25 feet. On the next hole, a par-5, I hit two perfect shots to lay up in front of a pond guarding the green. From 135 yards out, I mis-hit the approach ever so slightly and the ball came down a yard short of crossing the water. I proceeded to hit two more balls into the water, catching the ball fat on both occasions.
After that disastrous hole, I felt I was still mentally in the game, but my scores tell another story. On one hole, I lost a ball in the woods after hitting a 7-iron with the club face way too open again. I duffed a 6-iron off the tee on a short par-4. I picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker, launching it out of bounds. I even pulled a drive left of the fairway into the woods. They were the kind of errors that involve penalty strokes, so my score got terribly inflated.
On hole #17, a par-3 measuring 142 yards, I hit my tee shot into a bunker guarding the left side of the green. With lots of green to work with, I hit a perfect sand shot, rolling the ball to about five feet from the cup. Finally, I made the straight uphill putt to save par.
Chipping and putting remained solid on the back nine.
Right now, my game is all over the place. It seems each round I fix one problem, only to have a new one emerge. My handicap is inching up instead of going down. It's frustrating to say the least. Patience, I guess. Patience.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
I tallied six bogeys and a par on the front nine, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The driver never came out of my bag, as I opted for the 3-wood on the relatively short holes. On the second hole, I topped my tee shot. On the fourth hole, I hit my tee shot very thin. Fortunately, the ball skipped over a creek and carried well along the fairway. I hit some good tee shots as well, but it was a very mixed bag.
Similarly, my irons varied from spectacular to outright disgusting - even on the same hole! After a solid tee shot on hole #7, a par-5 measuring 486 yards, I completely messed up my second shot with a 7-iron. This left me with a 195-yard approach to the green, which I nailed with a fantastic 4-iron. Overall, there were far too many worm-burners resulting from my iron shots. They didn't hurt the score tremendously because the ball still advanced, but they were ugly. On a couple iron shots I opened the club face far too much, with predictable results.
Bunker play, chipping and putting were all good on the front nine.
On the back nine there were a couple moments of brilliance amidst a sea of errors. I birdied hole #11, a par-3 measuring 140 yards. After hitting the green in regulation, I sank a long putt from about 25 feet. On the next hole, a par-5, I hit two perfect shots to lay up in front of a pond guarding the green. From 135 yards out, I mis-hit the approach ever so slightly and the ball came down a yard short of crossing the water. I proceeded to hit two more balls into the water, catching the ball fat on both occasions.
After that disastrous hole, I felt I was still mentally in the game, but my scores tell another story. On one hole, I lost a ball in the woods after hitting a 7-iron with the club face way too open again. I duffed a 6-iron off the tee on a short par-4. I picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker, launching it out of bounds. I even pulled a drive left of the fairway into the woods. They were the kind of errors that involve penalty strokes, so my score got terribly inflated.
On hole #17, a par-3 measuring 142 yards, I hit my tee shot into a bunker guarding the left side of the green. With lots of green to work with, I hit a perfect sand shot, rolling the ball to about five feet from the cup. Finally, I made the straight uphill putt to save par.
Chipping and putting remained solid on the back nine.
Right now, my game is all over the place. It seems each round I fix one problem, only to have a new one emerge. My handicap is inching up instead of going down. It's frustrating to say the least. Patience, I guess. Patience.
Score: 111
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
June 07, 2009
Setback at Kleinburg
With my last three rounds in the nineties (94, 98, 94) it looked like I was headed in the right direction. If those rounds represented two steps forward, then my last round at Kleinburg Golf Club was most definitely a step backward.
My tee shot on the frst hole of the Gold course was a sign of things to come. I realize now that I shifted my weight to the right foot (the classic reverse pivot), causing me to hit the ball very low on the clubface. The flaw led to a double-bogey on that hole, but it would lead to much worse on the next hole. Visual intimidation is plentiful on hole #2, especially from the blue tees which I was playing. Anyone watching might have thought I was psyched out by the gulley and trees immediately in front of the teeing ground. In fact, visual intimidation had nothing to do with my poor shots. I felt very comfortable. The problem was the reverse pivot, which crept into my swing for some reason. On two successive occasions, the flaw caused me to top the ball, sending it dribbling just a few yards into the junk ahead. It was only with my third attempt that I got the ball airborne.
On holes #3 through #8, I continued to make the same mistake but got away with it, putting together a string of bogeys and double-bogeys. On hole #9 I wasn't so lucky. The same move caused me to top the ball again, sending it into some trees just left of the tee box. I actually did well to record a triple-bogey from that position.
I finished the Gold nine with a score of 55. As it turns out, I still have the scorecard from my last visit to Kleinburg in 2007. That day, I shot 41 on the same course, albeit from the white tees. That's a difference of 14 strokes over just nine holes! It's remarkable to see how things can go so well on one day, and so terrible on another.
My 2007 visit to Kleinburg concluded by playing the White course, while this round ended by playing the Red course. On hole #1, I smoked a 3-wood off the tee, leaving just 30 yards to the green. My pitch shot was pretty good, leaving an uphill putt for birdie. I put a good stroke on the putt, but it caught a damaged patch of grass and actually veered to the right. I was extremely upset. The greens at Kleinburg were in absolutely terrible shape, but this was beyond anything I've seen before. I had a hard time clearing my mind for my next putt and missed it as a result. Instead of birdie, I walked away with bogey. A pair of bogeys on the next two holes was easier to take, as I had less than perfect approaches to the greens.
On hole #4, the reverse pivot reared its ugly head again, sending my tee shot left into some trees just ahead of the tee. The ball was lost in the fescue and I was forced to re-tee. When I reached the green, my second putt skimmed the edge of the cup and that upset me again. It's bad enough that I had to hit my third shot from the tee - the last thing I needed was more bad luck on a makeable putt. This put me in a poor mental state and I played the next two holes in a rather undisciplined fashion. It's not surprising then, that I recorded a quadruple and a triple-bogey.
Oh hole #7, I hit a good drive long and in the centre of the fairway. From 85 yards out, I judged the stroke perfectly, landing the ball flag-high, left of the cup. I took my time and nailed the 13-footer for only my second birdie of the season. I followed this up with a textbook par on the next hole, a 166-yard par-3. I closed out the round with a solid bogey. The last three holes helped ease some of the anguish I was feeling.
Overall, I can't sugar-coat anything here. This was a terrible round. I don't know why the reverse pivot surfaced, but I have to eliminate it at my next round, which will be a GTA Amateur Tour event.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
My tee shot on the frst hole of the Gold course was a sign of things to come. I realize now that I shifted my weight to the right foot (the classic reverse pivot), causing me to hit the ball very low on the clubface. The flaw led to a double-bogey on that hole, but it would lead to much worse on the next hole. Visual intimidation is plentiful on hole #2, especially from the blue tees which I was playing. Anyone watching might have thought I was psyched out by the gulley and trees immediately in front of the teeing ground. In fact, visual intimidation had nothing to do with my poor shots. I felt very comfortable. The problem was the reverse pivot, which crept into my swing for some reason. On two successive occasions, the flaw caused me to top the ball, sending it dribbling just a few yards into the junk ahead. It was only with my third attempt that I got the ball airborne.
On holes #3 through #8, I continued to make the same mistake but got away with it, putting together a string of bogeys and double-bogeys. On hole #9 I wasn't so lucky. The same move caused me to top the ball again, sending it into some trees just left of the tee box. I actually did well to record a triple-bogey from that position.
I finished the Gold nine with a score of 55. As it turns out, I still have the scorecard from my last visit to Kleinburg in 2007. That day, I shot 41 on the same course, albeit from the white tees. That's a difference of 14 strokes over just nine holes! It's remarkable to see how things can go so well on one day, and so terrible on another.
My 2007 visit to Kleinburg concluded by playing the White course, while this round ended by playing the Red course. On hole #1, I smoked a 3-wood off the tee, leaving just 30 yards to the green. My pitch shot was pretty good, leaving an uphill putt for birdie. I put a good stroke on the putt, but it caught a damaged patch of grass and actually veered to the right. I was extremely upset. The greens at Kleinburg were in absolutely terrible shape, but this was beyond anything I've seen before. I had a hard time clearing my mind for my next putt and missed it as a result. Instead of birdie, I walked away with bogey. A pair of bogeys on the next two holes was easier to take, as I had less than perfect approaches to the greens.
On hole #4, the reverse pivot reared its ugly head again, sending my tee shot left into some trees just ahead of the tee. The ball was lost in the fescue and I was forced to re-tee. When I reached the green, my second putt skimmed the edge of the cup and that upset me again. It's bad enough that I had to hit my third shot from the tee - the last thing I needed was more bad luck on a makeable putt. This put me in a poor mental state and I played the next two holes in a rather undisciplined fashion. It's not surprising then, that I recorded a quadruple and a triple-bogey.
Oh hole #7, I hit a good drive long and in the centre of the fairway. From 85 yards out, I judged the stroke perfectly, landing the ball flag-high, left of the cup. I took my time and nailed the 13-footer for only my second birdie of the season. I followed this up with a textbook par on the next hole, a 166-yard par-3. I closed out the round with a solid bogey. The last three holes helped ease some of the anguish I was feeling.
Overall, I can't sugar-coat anything here. This was a terrible round. I don't know why the reverse pivot surfaced, but I have to eliminate it at my next round, which will be a GTA Amateur Tour event.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 40
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Solid at Deepwoods Opener
I began my defence of the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship with the opening round of the 2009 season at Copetown Woods Golf Club. Strong wind made it tough for most competitors, but I was in a good zone and pulled out a solid result.
Playing the back nine first, I wasted a perfect drive on hole #10 when my second shot on the par-5 from only 165 yards out was hit fat. The ball came up well short of the green in a large waste bunker. Of course, it was also nestled behind a shrub within the bunker, forcing me to chip out sideways. After a double bogey on #10, I made par on the next two holes. Both were textbook plays, as I hit the greens in regulation and 2-putted to finish. On hole #14 I hit a nice drive, which was good enough to win the longest drive competition. There are much longer hitters on the Deepwoods Tour, but I'm sure the wind made it tough on them. I got near the green with my second shot, but ended up beneath a pine tree, which led to a double-bogey.
Hole #16, the third par-5 on the back nine at Copetown, was notable as I registered an impressive par. I hit the fairway, advanced the ball to the 100-yard marker, then hit the green and made a couple of putts. Easy stuff. The only terrible hole on the back nine was #17, a par-3 measuring 137 yards and rated the easiest hole on the course. I mis-hit my wedge off the tee, sending the ball to a bunker on the left side. It took a couple of swipes to get the ball out, followed by three putts for a triple-bogey.
Playing the front nine, I scrambled well to save par on hole #1, a par-5 stretching 439 yards. I pulled my drive left, then played the next two shots hugging the trees along that side. A chip and a putt finished it up. On hole #2, my drive came to rest about a foot into the long fescue. It didn't appear very thick, but the long grass wraps around the clubhead and shaft, making it tough to get out. A triple bogey was the result. On hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 139 yards, I missed a par putt from within 3 feet. The wind was incredibly strong and I found it impacted my putting more than anything else.
Some bad luck on hole #6 produced another triple-bogey. After duffing my tee shot and advancing the ball with two more strokes, I was 50 yards away from the green, near the tee area of hole #5. I hit a sand wedge shot that went high in the air, hitting an overhanging electrical wire before coming to rest on the lower tier of the large green. I opted to replay the shot, figuring I could stick the ball on the top tier of the green near the flag. Sure enough, I mis-hit the replayed shot and came up well short of the green. Following that episode, I made par on the next two holes. Pars are very boring to describe, but extremely satisfying to make.
Overall, I was happy with my score, especially given the terrible weather conditions. I actually shot the same score as I did last year at Copetown Woods. This year my handicap is lower, so it didn't produce as many points according to the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. Still, it was good enough for seventh place. A cluster of players directly ahead of me means that third place is just two points away. It's a long season and I am still in the hunt.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Playing the back nine first, I wasted a perfect drive on hole #10 when my second shot on the par-5 from only 165 yards out was hit fat. The ball came up well short of the green in a large waste bunker. Of course, it was also nestled behind a shrub within the bunker, forcing me to chip out sideways. After a double bogey on #10, I made par on the next two holes. Both were textbook plays, as I hit the greens in regulation and 2-putted to finish. On hole #14 I hit a nice drive, which was good enough to win the longest drive competition. There are much longer hitters on the Deepwoods Tour, but I'm sure the wind made it tough on them. I got near the green with my second shot, but ended up beneath a pine tree, which led to a double-bogey.
Hole #16, the third par-5 on the back nine at Copetown, was notable as I registered an impressive par. I hit the fairway, advanced the ball to the 100-yard marker, then hit the green and made a couple of putts. Easy stuff. The only terrible hole on the back nine was #17, a par-3 measuring 137 yards and rated the easiest hole on the course. I mis-hit my wedge off the tee, sending the ball to a bunker on the left side. It took a couple of swipes to get the ball out, followed by three putts for a triple-bogey.
Playing the front nine, I scrambled well to save par on hole #1, a par-5 stretching 439 yards. I pulled my drive left, then played the next two shots hugging the trees along that side. A chip and a putt finished it up. On hole #2, my drive came to rest about a foot into the long fescue. It didn't appear very thick, but the long grass wraps around the clubhead and shaft, making it tough to get out. A triple bogey was the result. On hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 139 yards, I missed a par putt from within 3 feet. The wind was incredibly strong and I found it impacted my putting more than anything else.
Some bad luck on hole #6 produced another triple-bogey. After duffing my tee shot and advancing the ball with two more strokes, I was 50 yards away from the green, near the tee area of hole #5. I hit a sand wedge shot that went high in the air, hitting an overhanging electrical wire before coming to rest on the lower tier of the large green. I opted to replay the shot, figuring I could stick the ball on the top tier of the green near the flag. Sure enough, I mis-hit the replayed shot and came up well short of the green. Following that episode, I made par on the next two holes. Pars are very boring to describe, but extremely satisfying to make.
Overall, I was happy with my score, especially given the terrible weather conditions. I actually shot the same score as I did last year at Copetown Woods. This year my handicap is lower, so it didn't produce as many points according to the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. Still, it was good enough for seventh place. A cluster of players directly ahead of me means that third place is just two points away. It's a long season and I am still in the hunt.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
June 05, 2009
More Progress at Silver Lakes
A day after having a decent round at Lowville, I headed out to Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club. It was only my second ever visit to the club, the first coming near the end of the 2007 season. I recalled that many of the holes cut through thick forest, so accuracy would be critical.
I played well on the front nine, registering a score of 45 at the turn. On a couple of occasions when I made a bad shot, the forest literally spit my ball back toward the fairway. Golf is primarily a game of skill, but luck comes into play every now and then. Most of the time it's of the bad variety, but sometimes it's good. The key is to capitalize on luck when it's in your favour. I did precisely that on the front nine, hitting four greens in regulation, which translated into four pars. I played very conservatively and felt that I managed my game very well. I used the driver very sparingly, relying on the 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee on most occasions. When I was in a tough position, I took my medicine and simply put the ball back in play.
On the back nine, I started to falter a little bit as my luck turned from good to bad. On hole #11 for instance, a par-3 measuring 158 yards, I made a decent tee shot, but the ball hit a cambered cart path which directed it out of bounds. That hole seemed to take the wind out of my sails and a few mis-hits followed throughout the rest of the round. I still made plenty of good shots, just less consistently than I had over the first nine holes. The back nine produced only one par, which came on hole #14, a par-5 which is the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. My drive was not especially long, but safely in the fairway. The key was a fabulous second shot, a monster with the 3-wood. From 125 yards away, I stuck the ball flag-high, on the low side of the hole. It was a great birdie opportunity, but I just missed and had to settle for par.
Overall, I was satisfied that I broke 100 at Silver Lakes. Over the full round, I collected just one penalty stroke, which was a key stat. The only aspect of the game I was unhappy with was my putting. Just as with the previous round, I had way too many putts. This is definitely something I have to work on.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 43
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
I played well on the front nine, registering a score of 45 at the turn. On a couple of occasions when I made a bad shot, the forest literally spit my ball back toward the fairway. Golf is primarily a game of skill, but luck comes into play every now and then. Most of the time it's of the bad variety, but sometimes it's good. The key is to capitalize on luck when it's in your favour. I did precisely that on the front nine, hitting four greens in regulation, which translated into four pars. I played very conservatively and felt that I managed my game very well. I used the driver very sparingly, relying on the 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee on most occasions. When I was in a tough position, I took my medicine and simply put the ball back in play.
On the back nine, I started to falter a little bit as my luck turned from good to bad. On hole #11 for instance, a par-3 measuring 158 yards, I made a decent tee shot, but the ball hit a cambered cart path which directed it out of bounds. That hole seemed to take the wind out of my sails and a few mis-hits followed throughout the rest of the round. I still made plenty of good shots, just less consistently than I had over the first nine holes. The back nine produced only one par, which came on hole #14, a par-5 which is the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. My drive was not especially long, but safely in the fairway. The key was a fabulous second shot, a monster with the 3-wood. From 125 yards away, I stuck the ball flag-high, on the low side of the hole. It was a great birdie opportunity, but I just missed and had to settle for par.
Overall, I was satisfied that I broke 100 at Silver Lakes. Over the full round, I collected just one penalty stroke, which was a key stat. The only aspect of the game I was unhappy with was my putting. Just as with the previous round, I had way too many putts. This is definitely something I have to work on.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 43
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
June 04, 2009
Signs of Progress at Lowville
Six rounds of golf in 2009 and I still have not broken 100. That's pretty alarming, considering that I began 2008 shooting 100 or better in eight of my first nine rounds. In the first round of 2009, I had no distance control with my irons and my chipping was bad. By the second round, I solved the distance problem, but chipping was still bad, as was sand play. These problems persisted in the third round and I also struggled with putting. In the fourth round, I greatly improved my chipping, but I was no match for some slick greens, so my putting numbers were still bad. In the fifth round, my putting was better, but I had a heck of a time getting out of bunkers. In the sixth round, inconsistency crept into my iron play. Looking at the whole season, the bulk of my problems have been with the short game. The greatest problem has been sand play, followed by putting and then chipping.
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
I headed out to Lowville Golf Club to see what the next round would bring. Things started well with a par on the first hole, a par-5 measuring 480 yards. As is usually the case with pars, there is not much to tell. I hit three trouble-free shots to reach the green, then made a solid lag putt and a tap-in. I double-bogeyed the second hole, but the real trouble came on hole #3 and hole #4. Measuring 181 yards, the third hole is a fairly non-descript par-3. My tee shot was pin-high in a bunker left of the green. Well, it took me four shots to get out of the bunker and three putts to hole out. My sand play has been bad all year, but not that bad! On the fourth hole, another par-5, I pulled my second shot and it bounced about a yard out of bounds, leading to a triple-bogey.
I'm glad to say that I scored no worse than double-bogey for the remainder of the round. In fact, there were only two double bogeys in the rest of the round, thanks to some 3-putts, along with eight bogeys and four pars. I was hitting a decent number of fairways, but I was also hitting an unusually high number of greens, including five straight beginning on hole #6. It seemed I was always going at the green with the gap wedge in hand, resulting in a high, soft approach shot. These successful approach shots gave me confidence on each subsequent attempt. Every part of the game was suddenly working, except for putting. A pair of 3-putts spoiled certain pars on hole #6 and hole #7. Two bogeys were the result. I did make three consecutive pars beginning with hole #8, which felt good. However, three more 3-putts would take some of the shine off the back nine.
On hole #16, a par-5 measuring 489 yards, I hit my best drive of the day, leaving just 149 yards to the centre of the green. The drive was good, but I don't think it was 340 yards, so the tees must have been playing up that day. With thoughts of eagle on my mind, I pulled my approach shot near a hazard left of the green. It took two chips to get on and two putts to hole out for bogey. A squandered eagle chance is always disappointing.
Overall, I was happy with all aspects of my game, except for sand play and putting. Since my approach shots were excellent, poor sand play did not hurt my score too much. However, thee is no denying that putting cost me the chance of breaking 90.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 42
Fairways: 5
Greens: 8
June 03, 2009
Back to St. Andrew's Valley?
A day after playing the Legends course at Lionhead, I played my first ever round at St. Andrew's Valley - or so I thought.
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Things went terribly wrong from the opening tee shot. I made excellent contact with the 5-wood, but pulled the ball toward a lone tree on the left side of the fairway. The ball was lost and I collected the first of many penalty strokes on the day. On the second hole, I duffed an iron shot off the tee and promptly followed it up with a shot into a water hazard. Four of the first six holes resulted in triple-bogey or worse. The only relief came in the form of a pair of par-3 holes - the 153-yard fourth hole and the 179-yard sixth. In both cases, I hit the green with a good tee shot, followed by two putts for par. I closed out the front nine with a bogey and a pair of double-bogeys. I deserved a better result on hole #9, a par-5 that bends around a creek and then forces players to carry the ball directly over it. I made good decisions, but simply failed to execute my tee shot.
On the back nine, I had better results, with the exception of hole #14 and hole #18. My 3-wood off the tee on #14 drifted a tiny bit right, taking the first bounce off the cart path, which directed the ball into a water hazard. From that point onward, I actually played the hole very well. My second shot on #18 came up short of the green, landing in some thick fescue near the margin of another water hazard. It took a couple of hacks to get the ball out, which led to a triple-bogey. Apart from those two holes, I was reasonably satisfied with my game on the back nine. Sure, there were a couple of 3-putts and a few wayward shots, but there were some very good shots mixed in with the bad. It appears I am as inconsistent as I ever have been, but my good shots now are better than they ever have been.
The unusual thing about the round was my walk up the 18th fairway. As I approached my ball following my tee shot, the green came into view, neatly tucked beside a pond with the clubhouse perched in behind. At that moment, I realized I had in fact played the course once before. Nothing about the previous seventeen holes had jogged my memory. I guess the course is just not a memorable one. No offense.
Score: 104
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
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