After stringing together a series of solid rounds over the past month, I finally managed to break the 90 barrier. Playing The Hoot at Osprey Valley for the second consecutive day, I had plenty of confidence to start the round.
Following a bogey on the opening hole, I took a triple bogey on hole #2, which would be one of my worst holes of the round. My tee shot landed in a waste bunker on the left side of the fairway and I was left with a terrible lie. All I could do was punch the ball back in the fairway to the 100-yard marker. Unfortunately my approach landed short of the green and after chipping on, I took three putts to hole out.
I made up some of those lost strokes with two consecutive pars on holes #3 and #4. A rare chip and single putt saved par on the par-4 third, while a nice tee shot set up the textbook par on the par-3 fourth. A beautiful tee shot from an elevated teeing ground was wasted on hole #5, when I duffed my second shot with a mid-iron. The subsequent approach came to rest on the fringe, but I had a lot of green between myself and the pin. Three putts and double-bogey was a reasonable finish from that position.
The last four holes on the front nine were played very well and as a result, I collected two pars and two bogeys. On hole #6, a par-5 measuring 440 yards, I drove the ball 250 yards to the left edge of the fairway. The day before, I drove the ball to virtually the same place, but some trees near the fairway blocked me from going for the green in two. This time, I had an opening, so I hit 4-iron with visions of an eagle putt dancing in my head. As it turned out, the ball came up five yards short of the green. I chipped on and two-putt for par.
Bogey was the result on hole #7, which was good considering I took a triple-bogey on the same hole a day earlier. Experience paid off as I approached the hole very conservatively. Aggressive play is only recommended on this hole if you are hitting your targets very consistently. Trees and fescue pinch the front of this elevated green and putts from above the hole are very treacherous. On the par-3 eighth hole, another good tee shot produced the textbook par. On the par-4 ninth hole, my approach came up short of the green, setting up a rather non-descript bogey.
A pair of bogeys started things off on the back nine, the second of those resulting from a disappointing three-putt. I played hole #11 more conservatively than I did the day before, since I got burned trying to reach the green in two. I suppose the srtategy paid off, but I really should have made par there.
Hole #12, a short par-4 measuring 330 yards from the white tees, was my best hole of the day. The fairway wraps around a large pond that borders the entire right side. Distance from the tee directly to the green is somewhat less than 330 yards, tempting players to hit driver into the green. It is a classic risk / reward hole, since the straight line to the green forces players to carry the ball about 200 yards directly over the water. I was feeling good, so I went for it. The shot came off exactly as I envisioned, landing in the fairway running up to the green, and stopping in the centre of the green, about 20 feet from the pin. What a great feeling! Not wanting to leave the eagle putt short, I blew past the hole by about five feet. The bridie putt was no gimmie, but I managed to make it.
Hole #13, a short par-5 at 464 yards, gave me trouble for the second day in a row. The type of trouble was completely different though. This time, I cut the corner on my drive a little too much, losing my ball somewhere left of the fairway. Shooting my third from the tee, I hit the middle of the fairway. From that position, I would normally take two shots to follow the fairway around the large pond that fronts the green. Feeling like I needed to make up for the lost ball and penalty stroke however, I decided to carry the water and go for glory. My 5-iron came up about five yards short, so the result was another penalty stroke. I ended up taking a triple-bogey.
Hole #16, a par-4 with water flanking the right side of the fairway from tee to green, also tripped me up for the second day in a row. I had just come off a bogey and a par on holes #14 and #15 respectively, so I was feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, I hit a very tentative 3-wood off the tee, just as I did the day before. This time, my ball popped up high and dribbled right into the water hazard. Standing on the tee, it appears as though there is trouble left of the fairway in the form of clustered trees. However, as I walked toward the green, I realized that there is a lot of room past the trees. Next time I play the hole, I will play to miss left of the fairway, instead of right.
Hole #17, one of the prettiest at The Hoot with a tee shot over water and its green nestled near a lovely waterfall, resulted in a solid par. This was followed by a regrettable double-bogey on hole #18. I hit a fantastic drive 275 yards to the middle of the fairway. A bit of a downslope helped me get a few more yards than I usually do on my drives. From 80 yards away, I hit my approach a little thin, sending the ball just behind the green. I then skulled my chip, blowing the ball past the hole to the opposite side of the green. And then I three-putt! Can you believe it?
If that mistake had put my score into the nineties, I would have been pretty upset. As it was, I didn't mind so much.
Score: 89
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 9
Greens: 6
July 21, 2009
July 20, 2009
Finally Visit Osprey Valley
After hearing people rave about it for years, I finally played at Osprey Valley. Playing Hoot, which is a wasteland style course, I had an absolutely wonderful time. I now understand why people enjoy the course so much. A few holes are very receptive to driver off the tee, while others make you think twice if you're not hitting the big stick straight.
There's plenty of water, especially on the back nine, but it's laid out to provide great variety. On some holes, water must be carried off the tee, while on others, it flanks the side of the fairway. On others still, water must be carried to reach the green, or it is tucked to the side of the green, forcing a careful approach.
The other main impediment throughout the course are dramatic waste bunkers, which give the course much of its character. As with water, waste bunkers are used to provide a variety of experiences. Some holes force you to carry the waste bunker off the tee, while others feature a gnarly waste bunker near the green. Fescue abounds near the edges of the waste bunkers, giving the course a rugged look.
Some of the holes cut through a spruce forest, which looks spectacular. The fairways roll gently throughout the course. The greens are nicely sized and fair.
This was the first round of a 2-day tournament on the GTA Amateur Tour. I was satisifed to shoot 90, equalling my best score of the season so far, but the truth is I tacked on a couple of unnecessary strokes, mostly with the putter. After splashing out of a greenside waste bunker brilliantly on hole #3, I missed a par putt from within three feet. On holes #4 and #13, I hit downhill putts too firmly, blowing the ball well past the cup. On a couple of other occasions, I picked a good putting line, but came up short of the hole. With better putting, this round could have been in the mid 80's.
Hole #11, a par-5 measuring 430 yards from the white tees, made me shake my head in disappointment. I hit a perfect drive, 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. With 170 yards to the flag, I felt I could get on in two quite easily. Unfortunately, my approach shot drifted slightly right, hitting a cluster of trees near the green. I was able to find my ball under a tree at the edge of the cluster. I made a difficult out to get the ball in the open, just short of the green. Then I messed up a chip shot, leaving the ball on the fringe at the front of the green. I made a couple of decent putts, but burned the edge of the cup on the second, resulting in a dreaded double-bogey. After my drive, I was thinking possible eagle, so it was quite disappointing. Such is the game.
Score: 90
Par: 72
Putts: 38
Fairways: 11
Greens: 6
There's plenty of water, especially on the back nine, but it's laid out to provide great variety. On some holes, water must be carried off the tee, while on others, it flanks the side of the fairway. On others still, water must be carried to reach the green, or it is tucked to the side of the green, forcing a careful approach.
The other main impediment throughout the course are dramatic waste bunkers, which give the course much of its character. As with water, waste bunkers are used to provide a variety of experiences. Some holes force you to carry the waste bunker off the tee, while others feature a gnarly waste bunker near the green. Fescue abounds near the edges of the waste bunkers, giving the course a rugged look.
Some of the holes cut through a spruce forest, which looks spectacular. The fairways roll gently throughout the course. The greens are nicely sized and fair.
This was the first round of a 2-day tournament on the GTA Amateur Tour. I was satisifed to shoot 90, equalling my best score of the season so far, but the truth is I tacked on a couple of unnecessary strokes, mostly with the putter. After splashing out of a greenside waste bunker brilliantly on hole #3, I missed a par putt from within three feet. On holes #4 and #13, I hit downhill putts too firmly, blowing the ball well past the cup. On a couple of other occasions, I picked a good putting line, but came up short of the hole. With better putting, this round could have been in the mid 80's.
Hole #11, a par-5 measuring 430 yards from the white tees, made me shake my head in disappointment. I hit a perfect drive, 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. With 170 yards to the flag, I felt I could get on in two quite easily. Unfortunately, my approach shot drifted slightly right, hitting a cluster of trees near the green. I was able to find my ball under a tree at the edge of the cluster. I made a difficult out to get the ball in the open, just short of the green. Then I messed up a chip shot, leaving the ball on the fringe at the front of the green. I made a couple of decent putts, but burned the edge of the cup on the second, resulting in a dreaded double-bogey. After my drive, I was thinking possible eagle, so it was quite disappointing. Such is the game.
Score: 90
Par: 72
Putts: 38
Fairways: 11
Greens: 6
July 19, 2009
Finding Some Consistency
After twenty rounds at twenty different golf courses, I finally paid a return visit to one of them this season. A week after shooting a solid 90 on the Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge, I returned to fire a respectable 92.
Teeing off on the back nine first, I started the round with two consecutive pars. On both holes, I hit the fairway, hit the green, then 2-putted. It all seemed so simple and I was feeling good. Unfortunately, I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #12, which brought me back to reality. It seemed as though I exaggerated my forearm turn, sending a low dribbler to the left less than 100 yards. It was a mistake I made a couple more times during the round, including two holes later on #14. This time, I ended up beneath a spruce tree, which cost me a couple of strokes.
Through the first nine holes, I hit a number of really good wedges and high iron shots. A couple of these were struck after not-so-good shots, when I was just trying to advance the ball down the fairway. In the past, I may have tried to hit 3-wood or 5-wood in those situations, but I relaize now it's simply not worth it. I am more likely to make an error with those long clubs, so it's better to hit a couple of controlled shots instead. Some of those shots were struck so pure, it felt effortless. When the ball pops off the club face like that it's a great feeling.
Even though I was playing fairly well, I still had a score of 48 at the turn, thanks to one very bad hole. I had to turn it around on the back nine in order to salvage a good round. I made par on hole #1, but had to settle for double-bogey on #2 after my tee shot came to rest directly behind a tree trunk right of the fairway. I struck a beautiful shot off the tee on hole #3, a par-3 measuring 139 yards, but the wind fooled me. I added two extra clubs because of a gusting headwind. The gusts must have stopped just as I took my swing and my ball bounced off the back of the green. From thick fescue, I hit a nice wedge to the front of the green, but messed up some putts en route to a triple-bogey.
Luckily, four pars would ensue on the remaining six holes. The key was great iron shots like the ones I already described. When you can hit a green from 100-160 yards out, it makes such a huge difference. Each of the four pars came after hitting the green in regulation with a solid approach shot. Chipping was satisfactory on the day, as was putting. I would really like to improve these aspects of the game, as I feel I can gain three to six strokes almost every round. That would go a long way toward breaking the 90 barrier.
Score: 92
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 7
Teeing off on the back nine first, I started the round with two consecutive pars. On both holes, I hit the fairway, hit the green, then 2-putted. It all seemed so simple and I was feeling good. Unfortunately, I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #12, which brought me back to reality. It seemed as though I exaggerated my forearm turn, sending a low dribbler to the left less than 100 yards. It was a mistake I made a couple more times during the round, including two holes later on #14. This time, I ended up beneath a spruce tree, which cost me a couple of strokes.
Through the first nine holes, I hit a number of really good wedges and high iron shots. A couple of these were struck after not-so-good shots, when I was just trying to advance the ball down the fairway. In the past, I may have tried to hit 3-wood or 5-wood in those situations, but I relaize now it's simply not worth it. I am more likely to make an error with those long clubs, so it's better to hit a couple of controlled shots instead. Some of those shots were struck so pure, it felt effortless. When the ball pops off the club face like that it's a great feeling.
Even though I was playing fairly well, I still had a score of 48 at the turn, thanks to one very bad hole. I had to turn it around on the back nine in order to salvage a good round. I made par on hole #1, but had to settle for double-bogey on #2 after my tee shot came to rest directly behind a tree trunk right of the fairway. I struck a beautiful shot off the tee on hole #3, a par-3 measuring 139 yards, but the wind fooled me. I added two extra clubs because of a gusting headwind. The gusts must have stopped just as I took my swing and my ball bounced off the back of the green. From thick fescue, I hit a nice wedge to the front of the green, but messed up some putts en route to a triple-bogey.
Luckily, four pars would ensue on the remaining six holes. The key was great iron shots like the ones I already described. When you can hit a green from 100-160 yards out, it makes such a huge difference. Each of the four pars came after hitting the green in regulation with a solid approach shot. Chipping was satisfactory on the day, as was putting. I would really like to improve these aspects of the game, as I feel I can gain three to six strokes almost every round. That would go a long way toward breaking the 90 barrier.
Score: 92
Par: 72
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 7
July 14, 2009
Grand Niagara
I played in a GTA Amateur Tour event today at Grand Niagara. If not for a couple of silly plays, this would have been quite a good scoring round.
The first trouble surfaced on hole #4, a par-5 measuring 550 yards. Two good shots left me on the right side of the fairway with only 135 yards left to the flag. From that position, the approach is all carry over water. I hit a 9-iron to be sure I would carry the wet stuff. A 9-iron for me usually travels 140 yards. I struck the shot perfectly, but it carried to the back of the green. I thought it was just behind the green, but when I walked up I discovered that the ball had bounced out of bounds. There is a cart path there, which is where carts loop around. Once the ball hit the asphalt, there really was no chance to stay in bounds. It's silly, because it really wasn't a bad shot.
I returned to where my previous shot was played and dropped a ball. Since I carried the ball so far with a 9-iron, I clubbed down to a 52-degree wedge, which I usually hit 115 yards. Again, I struck the shot perfectly. Howver, this time the ball failed to clear the water! I dropped another ball and now split the difference with a pitching wedge, which landed on the green safely. I then 2-putted for an ugly score of nine.
The second silly play took place on hole #17, a par-5 measuring 510 yards. I hit a beautiful drive to the right fairway, leaving 240 yards to the flag. There seemed to be enough room leading up to the green, so I tried to hit a 3-wood to the front of the green. It was a tentative swing - the kind you take when you fear something bad might happen. Sure enough, I didn't make good contact and the ball pushed right into the fescue. The area was staked red, so I was able to drop near point of entry. I then caught my sand wedge thin and sent the ball behind the green. I made a nice chip shot back, but the green runs away when shooting from back there. I did well just to stay on the green. From 70 feet, I hit perfect weight but pulled the ball left of the hole. Next I burned the edge of the cup on a 5-footer, so I walked away with triple-bogey. Why did I try to hit the 3-wood? From 240 yards out, all I needed was a pitching wedge, sand wedge combination to reach the green in regulation. In hindsight, it was a bad decision.
I said in a recent post that I wouldn't focus on the negatives, and here I've just outlined in great detail, the two worst moments of the round. Oh well. Apart from these two plays, the round was very good. I figured out a way to keep my driver on plane during my backswing and I hit a few beauties with it. For example, on holes #10 and #11, I hit drives that travelled about 270 yards. It's no surprise I made par on both of those holes. I also hit many good irons throughout the day. I must say however, that my worst iron shots came off the tee on par-3 holes. It's a weird thing. From the fairway 150 yards out I hit some nice approaches, but from the same distance off the tee, I made some mis-hits. It's completely a mental lapse.
My chipping was excellent on the day. I don't remember making a single bad chip shot. My putting was also good, but you wouldn't know it by looking at my total number of putts - 39. It seems I have been putting pretty well, but the number of putts says otherwise. I either have to chip better to make more 1-putts, or I have to lag the first putts better in order to avoid the 3-putts after a burned edge.
My handicap is back over 20 now, but the good news is I have strung together quite a few good rounds recently
Score: 95
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
The first trouble surfaced on hole #4, a par-5 measuring 550 yards. Two good shots left me on the right side of the fairway with only 135 yards left to the flag. From that position, the approach is all carry over water. I hit a 9-iron to be sure I would carry the wet stuff. A 9-iron for me usually travels 140 yards. I struck the shot perfectly, but it carried to the back of the green. I thought it was just behind the green, but when I walked up I discovered that the ball had bounced out of bounds. There is a cart path there, which is where carts loop around. Once the ball hit the asphalt, there really was no chance to stay in bounds. It's silly, because it really wasn't a bad shot.
I returned to where my previous shot was played and dropped a ball. Since I carried the ball so far with a 9-iron, I clubbed down to a 52-degree wedge, which I usually hit 115 yards. Again, I struck the shot perfectly. Howver, this time the ball failed to clear the water! I dropped another ball and now split the difference with a pitching wedge, which landed on the green safely. I then 2-putted for an ugly score of nine.
The second silly play took place on hole #17, a par-5 measuring 510 yards. I hit a beautiful drive to the right fairway, leaving 240 yards to the flag. There seemed to be enough room leading up to the green, so I tried to hit a 3-wood to the front of the green. It was a tentative swing - the kind you take when you fear something bad might happen. Sure enough, I didn't make good contact and the ball pushed right into the fescue. The area was staked red, so I was able to drop near point of entry. I then caught my sand wedge thin and sent the ball behind the green. I made a nice chip shot back, but the green runs away when shooting from back there. I did well just to stay on the green. From 70 feet, I hit perfect weight but pulled the ball left of the hole. Next I burned the edge of the cup on a 5-footer, so I walked away with triple-bogey. Why did I try to hit the 3-wood? From 240 yards out, all I needed was a pitching wedge, sand wedge combination to reach the green in regulation. In hindsight, it was a bad decision.
I said in a recent post that I wouldn't focus on the negatives, and here I've just outlined in great detail, the two worst moments of the round. Oh well. Apart from these two plays, the round was very good. I figured out a way to keep my driver on plane during my backswing and I hit a few beauties with it. For example, on holes #10 and #11, I hit drives that travelled about 270 yards. It's no surprise I made par on both of those holes. I also hit many good irons throughout the day. I must say however, that my worst iron shots came off the tee on par-3 holes. It's a weird thing. From the fairway 150 yards out I hit some nice approaches, but from the same distance off the tee, I made some mis-hits. It's completely a mental lapse.
My chipping was excellent on the day. I don't remember making a single bad chip shot. My putting was also good, but you wouldn't know it by looking at my total number of putts - 39. It seems I have been putting pretty well, but the number of putts says otherwise. I either have to chip better to make more 1-putts, or I have to lag the first putts better in order to avoid the 3-putts after a burned edge.
My handicap is back over 20 now, but the good news is I have strung together quite a few good rounds recently
Score: 95
Par: 72
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
July 12, 2009
Handicap Factor Dips Into Teens - For Now
I played a very consistent round on the Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge Golf Club. Playing from the blue tees, I managed to score 90. It was enough to push my handicap factor down to 19.5 (which as far as I can remember, is the lowest it has ever been since I started keeping track).
It will be hard to keep my factor below 20 after the next round, since my best round ever (an 81, also on Granite Ridge Cobalt) will drop off the list of my last twenty rounds played. Unless I have a great round at Grand Niagara (the site of my next round, which I have never played before) my factor will rise back to about 21.
I'm feeling good about my game right now. That happens when you string together a few good rounds. If I could get hot with the putter, a round in the 80's is not impossible.
Score: 90
Par: 72
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
It will be hard to keep my factor below 20 after the next round, since my best round ever (an 81, also on Granite Ridge Cobalt) will drop off the list of my last twenty rounds played. Unless I have a great round at Grand Niagara (the site of my next round, which I have never played before) my factor will rise back to about 21.
I'm feeling good about my game right now. That happens when you string together a few good rounds. If I could get hot with the putter, a round in the 80's is not impossible.
Score: 90
Par: 72
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
July 06, 2009
Could Have Gone Lower at Angus Glen
I played my latest GTA Amateur Tour event on the South Course at Angus Glen Golf Club - home of the 2002 Canadian Open. I got off to a good start. If not for a couple of near misses with the putter and a mis-hit into the green on hole #9, I could have made the turn about three strokes better than 45.
Hole #13 killed me. I amassed three penalty strokes on that hole alone, leading to a score of 9. I only had one other penalty stroke for the entire round. Nevertheless, I made three pars on the back nine, just as I did on the front. I finished with a score of 94, which is pretty good.
I figure a sub-90 round was within reach, but a couple of missed putts, a couple of mis-hit approaches from close in, and a couple of penalties did me in.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Hole #13 killed me. I amassed three penalty strokes on that hole alone, leading to a score of 9. I only had one other penalty stroke for the entire round. Nevertheless, I made three pars on the back nine, just as I did on the front. I finished with a score of 94, which is pretty good.
I figure a sub-90 round was within reach, but a couple of missed putts, a couple of mis-hit approaches from close in, and a couple of penalties did me in.
Score: 94
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
July 04, 2009
Solid Round at Deer Creek
I usually approach a round at Deer Creek Golf Club with some anticipation, since it is the site of my lowest golf round ever - a 10-over-par 81 registered a couple of years ago. If not for a pointless triple-bogey on the very last hole, that score could easily have been a 79.
My latest visit began in horrific fashion. Teeing off on Sapphire #1, I took a very tentative swing which sent the ball to the trees right of the fairway. That one was lost for sure. After re-teeing, I over-compensated far too much and sent the ball into the trees left of the fairway. After getting the ball back close to the fairway, I had a medium-sized tree between me and the green. I hit an 8-iron flush, but it smacked the very top of the tree trunk. Unfortunately, I did not see where the ball went. Another lost ball meant another penalty stroke. My next attempt made it to the front of the green, where I was able to chip and 1-putt for a score of 9. Yikes! How does one clear his mind after a start like this?
A good way to start is to make a birdie on the next hole. I hit a good 3-wood off the tee, followed by an equally good 6-iron. I followed that up with a perfect putt of about 13 feet. Par would have been a good result on hole #3, but because I hit my first tee shot out-of-bounds, double-bogey was the result. Still, I made a very good approach shot of about 60 yards, followed by a putt from about five feet. I've had success in the past on hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 137 yards over water. This time, I had the club face way too open on my tee shot, sending the ball right of the water. On the subsequent pitch shot, I failed to carry the water by about two yards. It ended up as a triple-bogey, which effectively nullified the birdie a couple holes earlier. How does one get back on a roll after a roller-coaster ride like this?
One way is to make a solid bogey, followed by a brilliant birdie. At 473 yards in length, hole #6 is a shot-maker's par-5. Players must hit a straight tee shot, no longer than about 200 yards, in order to set up a second shot that angles almost 90 degrees in a different direction. The second shot is over a creek, ideally to the 100 yard marker. From there, players can attack the green with a wedge, flying over the creek once more as it loops back in front of the putting surface. I executed all the shots, leaving a 15-foot putt which I also drained.
I closed out the front nine with a triple-bogey, bogey and par, for a score of 49 at the turn. It was an up and down nine holes for sure.
The Emerald nine was a completely different experience, as I seemed to settle down and played very consistently. I tallied two pars, six bogeys, and one triple-bogey. The triple was the result of an errant tee shot and the associated penalty stroke. After re-teeing, I effectively scored bogey on the hole.
This round was similar to the last round at Hidden Lake in many ways. My driver was extremely unpredictable, but the rest of my game was great. Full irons were struck well, and I didn't make any mistakes chipping. Putting was also pretty good.
If I could get my driver back in check and gain some confidence, I feel like I can break 90. My next round is a GTA Amateur Tour event at Angus Glen South - that would be a great place to do it!
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
My latest visit began in horrific fashion. Teeing off on Sapphire #1, I took a very tentative swing which sent the ball to the trees right of the fairway. That one was lost for sure. After re-teeing, I over-compensated far too much and sent the ball into the trees left of the fairway. After getting the ball back close to the fairway, I had a medium-sized tree between me and the green. I hit an 8-iron flush, but it smacked the very top of the tree trunk. Unfortunately, I did not see where the ball went. Another lost ball meant another penalty stroke. My next attempt made it to the front of the green, where I was able to chip and 1-putt for a score of 9. Yikes! How does one clear his mind after a start like this?
A good way to start is to make a birdie on the next hole. I hit a good 3-wood off the tee, followed by an equally good 6-iron. I followed that up with a perfect putt of about 13 feet. Par would have been a good result on hole #3, but because I hit my first tee shot out-of-bounds, double-bogey was the result. Still, I made a very good approach shot of about 60 yards, followed by a putt from about five feet. I've had success in the past on hole #4, a short par-3 measuring 137 yards over water. This time, I had the club face way too open on my tee shot, sending the ball right of the water. On the subsequent pitch shot, I failed to carry the water by about two yards. It ended up as a triple-bogey, which effectively nullified the birdie a couple holes earlier. How does one get back on a roll after a roller-coaster ride like this?
One way is to make a solid bogey, followed by a brilliant birdie. At 473 yards in length, hole #6 is a shot-maker's par-5. Players must hit a straight tee shot, no longer than about 200 yards, in order to set up a second shot that angles almost 90 degrees in a different direction. The second shot is over a creek, ideally to the 100 yard marker. From there, players can attack the green with a wedge, flying over the creek once more as it loops back in front of the putting surface. I executed all the shots, leaving a 15-foot putt which I also drained.
I closed out the front nine with a triple-bogey, bogey and par, for a score of 49 at the turn. It was an up and down nine holes for sure.
The Emerald nine was a completely different experience, as I seemed to settle down and played very consistently. I tallied two pars, six bogeys, and one triple-bogey. The triple was the result of an errant tee shot and the associated penalty stroke. After re-teeing, I effectively scored bogey on the hole.
This round was similar to the last round at Hidden Lake in many ways. My driver was extremely unpredictable, but the rest of my game was great. Full irons were struck well, and I didn't make any mistakes chipping. Putting was also pretty good.
If I could get my driver back in check and gain some confidence, I feel like I can break 90. My next round is a GTA Amateur Tour event at Angus Glen South - that would be a great place to do it!
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
July 03, 2009
Good Round at Hidden Lake
I played the New Course at Hidden Lake recently and it was perhaps the most enjoyable round of the year. There was a chance of rain, but it didn't arrive until we were finishing up the eighteenth hole. The round was not without struggles, but there were enough good shots to give me some hope for the future.
The most troublesome part of the game was my driving. On the first tee, I pulled a low screamer and smacked a tree just 50 yards away. It was not even close to being on line. Pulled drives were also the story on holes #2, #4, #5, and #7. In most of these cases I was able to recover, either by lofting an iron shot over some trees, or by punching a low shot under some branches. Hole #8, a par-5 measuring 519 yards, is the only one I hit a good drive on. Not surprisingly, it resulted in a score of par, rather than bogey or worse.
The problem with my driving is related to swing plane, tempo, and weight shift. It's the same problem I have with every club, but the extra length of the driver and its bulky head seem to exacerbate the problem for me. On the back nine I was able to make some adjustments, resulting in more fairways hit. Nevertheless, I still did not feel very confident with the big stick in hand.
The good news is that my irons worked well all day long. Whether I was hitting from the fairway or the rough, I was able to make good contact and hit the ball squarely. My recent visit to the driving range seems to have paid off. If I could translate the same lessons to the driver, I would be in good shape. Officially, I hit four greens in regulation. However, there were four other occasions when I was putting from the fringe. These are (or should be) almost as good as greens in regulation. There were a lot of front pin placements at Hidden Lake on the day I played, so an uphill putt from the fringe is not bad.
Putting itself was neither good nor bad on the day. Although I amassed 43 putts, that number is misleading. All those putts from the fringe inflated the total. On the other hand, if I was putting well, I should have been able to 2-putt from those positions. I didn't make any notable putts, but I felt like I was lagging the ball near the hole very consistently. Undoubtedly, I have to improve my putting in order to score well. I simply can't afford to 3-putt as often as I do.
At the end of the day, my final score was 93. That's my best score of the season so far. Let's hope I can start breaking the 90 barrier.
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
The most troublesome part of the game was my driving. On the first tee, I pulled a low screamer and smacked a tree just 50 yards away. It was not even close to being on line. Pulled drives were also the story on holes #2, #4, #5, and #7. In most of these cases I was able to recover, either by lofting an iron shot over some trees, or by punching a low shot under some branches. Hole #8, a par-5 measuring 519 yards, is the only one I hit a good drive on. Not surprisingly, it resulted in a score of par, rather than bogey or worse.
The problem with my driving is related to swing plane, tempo, and weight shift. It's the same problem I have with every club, but the extra length of the driver and its bulky head seem to exacerbate the problem for me. On the back nine I was able to make some adjustments, resulting in more fairways hit. Nevertheless, I still did not feel very confident with the big stick in hand.
The good news is that my irons worked well all day long. Whether I was hitting from the fairway or the rough, I was able to make good contact and hit the ball squarely. My recent visit to the driving range seems to have paid off. If I could translate the same lessons to the driver, I would be in good shape. Officially, I hit four greens in regulation. However, there were four other occasions when I was putting from the fringe. These are (or should be) almost as good as greens in regulation. There were a lot of front pin placements at Hidden Lake on the day I played, so an uphill putt from the fringe is not bad.
Putting itself was neither good nor bad on the day. Although I amassed 43 putts, that number is misleading. All those putts from the fringe inflated the total. On the other hand, if I was putting well, I should have been able to 2-putt from those positions. I didn't make any notable putts, but I felt like I was lagging the ball near the hole very consistently. Undoubtedly, I have to improve my putting in order to score well. I simply can't afford to 3-putt as often as I do.
At the end of the day, my final score was 93. That's my best score of the season so far. Let's hope I can start breaking the 90 barrier.
Score: 93
Par: 71
Putts: 43
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
July 02, 2009
Blaming The Rain at Peninsula Lakes
The second round of the Deepwoods Golf Asociation championship took place on a rainy Sunday at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club. Prior to the round, I spent some time on the driving range reinforcing the things I had been working on recently. My irons in particular were working wonderfully. By the time I teed off on Quarry #1, the rain started to fall. It was a struggle keeping grips dry on the first three or four holes. The third hole was the worst, as my club slipped in my hands on the first two shot attempts. After four holes the rain stopped and we played in dry conditions the rest of the way.
The Quarry nine passed without incident, except for a triple-bogey on hole #7, a par-5 stretching 525 yards from the white tees. I hit a bad tee shot and was forced to chip out of some vegetation to get back near the fairway. The rest of the Quarry nine consisted of bogeys and double-bogeys. I wasn't playing terribly, but was off my game just enough to amass too many doubles. A couple of drives missed the mark, as did a few chip shots and a couple of putts. Mind you, I hit some good approach irons and made some putts as well. It all added up to a score of 51 at the turn.
On the Hillside nine, I played quite a bit better. Again, there was a lone triple-bogey on hole #6, a medium length par-3. Hitting 7-iron off the tee, the ball travelled flag-high, but drifted right into a greenside bunker. It took two shots to get out and then I pulled off the dreaded 3-putt. Aside from that, I collected two pars, four bogeys and two double-bogeys. Stretches like these make me feel like I should average bogey golf quite comfortably.
One of the pars came on Hillside #4, rated the most difficult hole on the course. A par-4 measuring 396 yards from the white tees, players must hit a straight drive to avoid ponds both left and right of the fairway. The ideal drive is 250 yards, leaving a 150-yard approach over water to a green protected on the right by more water and on the left by out of bounds. My drive was perfect, coming to rest directly beside the 150-yard marker. My approach was straight but fat, coming up short of the green but safely over the water. From there, I hit a little bump and run, leaving a putt of about five feet for par, which I drained calmly. It was a well earned par.
Overall, I ended up with a score of 98, which is okay but not great. Unfortunately, I didn't score a lot of points in the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. As a result, I have my work cut out for me at the next Deepwoods event, which will be played at Dragon's Fire Golf Club in about a month or so.
Score: 98
Par: 71
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
The Quarry nine passed without incident, except for a triple-bogey on hole #7, a par-5 stretching 525 yards from the white tees. I hit a bad tee shot and was forced to chip out of some vegetation to get back near the fairway. The rest of the Quarry nine consisted of bogeys and double-bogeys. I wasn't playing terribly, but was off my game just enough to amass too many doubles. A couple of drives missed the mark, as did a few chip shots and a couple of putts. Mind you, I hit some good approach irons and made some putts as well. It all added up to a score of 51 at the turn.
On the Hillside nine, I played quite a bit better. Again, there was a lone triple-bogey on hole #6, a medium length par-3. Hitting 7-iron off the tee, the ball travelled flag-high, but drifted right into a greenside bunker. It took two shots to get out and then I pulled off the dreaded 3-putt. Aside from that, I collected two pars, four bogeys and two double-bogeys. Stretches like these make me feel like I should average bogey golf quite comfortably.
One of the pars came on Hillside #4, rated the most difficult hole on the course. A par-4 measuring 396 yards from the white tees, players must hit a straight drive to avoid ponds both left and right of the fairway. The ideal drive is 250 yards, leaving a 150-yard approach over water to a green protected on the right by more water and on the left by out of bounds. My drive was perfect, coming to rest directly beside the 150-yard marker. My approach was straight but fat, coming up short of the green but safely over the water. From there, I hit a little bump and run, leaving a putt of about five feet for par, which I drained calmly. It was a well earned par.
Overall, I ended up with a score of 98, which is okay but not great. Unfortunately, I didn't score a lot of points in the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. As a result, I have my work cut out for me at the next Deepwoods event, which will be played at Dragon's Fire Golf Club in about a month or so.
Score: 98
Par: 71
Putts: 36
Fairways: 3
Greens: 1
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