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