An earlier visit to Dragon’s Fire Golf Club was cut short by thunderstorms, so I returned with a 9-hole rain check in hand to get the complete experience. Things began fairly well, but I was just a little inconsistent with my iron play. After hitting the centre of the fairway on hole #1, I pulled the approach shot from 115 yards, just missing the green. Bogey was the result. I followed that up by hitting the green on hole #2, a par-3 measuring 170 yards. This time, a par ensued. After slicing my drive on hole #3, I made another excellent iron shot. From the right rough, 180 yards away from the green, I placed the ball flag high, enabling me to save bogey. However, on the very next hole I wasted a perfect drive by pulling an approach shot just left of the green. I had some trouble emerging from the fescue cleanly, resulting in a double-bogey. A pulled approach shot, albeit through an opening between two trees, was the cause of a bogey on hole #5. All things considered, I did well to remain five over par through five holes.
On the sixth hole, I hit my 3-wood thin off the tee, sending the ball into a hazard in front of the fairway. I recovered well, but my fourth shot into the green came up a bit short and landed in a bunker. I made a decent out, but 3-putted for an ugly score of 8. Looking back, I just couldn’t afford to be in the bunker after that bad tee shot. When mistakes add up, so does your score! Sand also gave me trouble on hole #7, the first of back-to-back par-5 holes. My third shot into the green found the left side bunker. I came out too hot and crossed the entire green into the right side bunker. It all led to a double-bogey. Fortunately, I had some positives on the next hole. My tee shot trickled into the fescue left of the fairway. I whacked the ball loose with the pitching wedge, but this left 225 yards to the green. Next, I hit an absolutely gorgeous 3-wood straight onto the putting surface. Nice! I 3-putted the hole, but bogey was a decent result. A 3-putt on hole #9 was harder to take and it resulted in a double bogey. After 9 holes, I had a score of 50. That’s certainly not great, but I felt like I could still salvage a respectable result.
On holes #10 and #11, my approach shots came up a tad short and landed in bunkers. On both occasions I got out of the sand cleanly, but still required two putts to hole out. A pulled tee shot gave me some trouble on hole #11, a par-3 measuring 146 yards, but I managed to save bogey with a nice chip and putt. On hole #14, I caught my approach shot a little fat, coming up short of the green as a result. The same thing happened twice on the next hole, leading to a double-bogey. It seems I was either pulling my approach shots just a hair, or catching them a tad fat. These weren’t disastrous mistakes, but when they happen consistently, they add up to a few strokes over the course of eighteen holes.
The last three holes at Dragon’s Fire consist of a tricky par-3 sandwiched between two par-5 holes. I made a textbook par on hole #16 before taking a double-bogey on #17. I played my tee shot too cautiously, sending the ball to a left side bunker. The other three sides of the green are surrounded by water. I then picked the ball clean out of the trap, almost sending it into the water on the other side. Fortunately, I closed out the round with a solid bogey on hole #18. This was thanks to an incredible lag putt from 90 feet, which missed the cup by a mere two inches.
Score: 98
Par: 72
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
August 26, 2009
August 20, 2009
Just a Few Glitches at Osprey Valley Heathlands
I drew an unfortunate tee-time for my latest event on the GTA Amateur Tour. Playing the much-admired Heathlands course at Osprey Valley, I teed off at 7:40 am in the second group of the day. At that particular time, the course was being pelted by rain. Literally two seconds after putting my umbrella down, my club, glove, and everything else was soaked. A stiff wind was driving the cold rain horizontally against my back. It was also very dark. Any shot off the fairway would surely be lost, if not due to darkness then certainly due to the gnarly fescue that covers most of the Heathlands course. Sure enough, I topped my tee shot, sending the ball just past the teeing ground. On a downhill lie in wet rough, with water between me and the fairway, all I could do was chip the ball a few yards ahead to the forward teeing area. From there, I hit a nice 5-wood to the fairway, followed by a good 4-iron and equally good 9-iron to the green. On the water-logged green, I did well to three-putt and escape with a triple-bogey.
At this point, a Tour official notified us that play was being suspended momentarily to allow the rain to pass through. Ten minutes later, the rain stopped and weather was beautiful for the rest of the day. Had they suspended play 20 minutes earlier, my group and the one ahead of me would have teed off under good conditions. As it was, we played a hole under ridiculous circumstances, while everybody behind us escaped completely unscathed. Luck is definitely a factor in golf, and the first two groups got a huge dose of the bad variety on this particular occasion.
After the rain, I settled into a nice groove over the next six holes. The stretch included three pars, two bogeys and one double-bogey. The double came on a par-5 after my approach from 110 yards finished left of the green. I tried a putt through a long stretch of fringe and barely got on the green. Unfortunately, I took three putts to hole out from that position. Overall, my driver was working well and the rest of my game was satisfactory. Given that the driver was working well, I had no hesitation pulling it out on hole #8, a par-4 measuring 372 yards. It ended up being the wrong decision, as I promptly sliced two drives into the trees right of the fairway. For a hole of that length, I could certainly use a 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee, perhaps even a 3-iron. As it was, I tallied a grim total of 10 for the hole.
On the back nine, I played well enough to salvage a respectable score overall. A birdie on hole #10 helped greatly. After hitting the fairway with a 5-wood, I attacked the green with a 9-iron. I caught the ball a tad thin, but it cozied up nicely to within five feet of the pin. I recovered well on hole #14 after losing my tee shot in the right fescue. Hitting three from the tee, I put another ball in the fescue on the opposite side of the fairway. Luckily, I was able to find it. I hit a good out to get the ball back in the fairway, but the final approach from 190 yards was the one that helped me save triple-bogey. I hit the green and made two putts to hole out. The hole could have been much worse.
Pars on a couple of par-3 holes helped me close out strong. After hitting the green on hole #16, a 111-yard carry entirely over water, my birdie putt just missed, leaving an easy tap-in. Hole #18 is also a carry entirely over water, though a little longer at 138 yards. The flag was on the lower tier of the green, a small segment at the very front of the putting surface. My tee shot rolled just past the cup, but climbed the ridge and ended up on the upper tier. I made a very nice birdie attempt on the hard breaker, missing the cup by mere inches. The easy tap-in was a nice way to earn par.
This could have been a good round, if not for the 10 on hole #8. Still, I enjoyed myself and the result was satisfactory.
Score: 95
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 6
At this point, a Tour official notified us that play was being suspended momentarily to allow the rain to pass through. Ten minutes later, the rain stopped and weather was beautiful for the rest of the day. Had they suspended play 20 minutes earlier, my group and the one ahead of me would have teed off under good conditions. As it was, we played a hole under ridiculous circumstances, while everybody behind us escaped completely unscathed. Luck is definitely a factor in golf, and the first two groups got a huge dose of the bad variety on this particular occasion.
After the rain, I settled into a nice groove over the next six holes. The stretch included three pars, two bogeys and one double-bogey. The double came on a par-5 after my approach from 110 yards finished left of the green. I tried a putt through a long stretch of fringe and barely got on the green. Unfortunately, I took three putts to hole out from that position. Overall, my driver was working well and the rest of my game was satisfactory. Given that the driver was working well, I had no hesitation pulling it out on hole #8, a par-4 measuring 372 yards. It ended up being the wrong decision, as I promptly sliced two drives into the trees right of the fairway. For a hole of that length, I could certainly use a 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee, perhaps even a 3-iron. As it was, I tallied a grim total of 10 for the hole.
On the back nine, I played well enough to salvage a respectable score overall. A birdie on hole #10 helped greatly. After hitting the fairway with a 5-wood, I attacked the green with a 9-iron. I caught the ball a tad thin, but it cozied up nicely to within five feet of the pin. I recovered well on hole #14 after losing my tee shot in the right fescue. Hitting three from the tee, I put another ball in the fescue on the opposite side of the fairway. Luckily, I was able to find it. I hit a good out to get the ball back in the fairway, but the final approach from 190 yards was the one that helped me save triple-bogey. I hit the green and made two putts to hole out. The hole could have been much worse.
Pars on a couple of par-3 holes helped me close out strong. After hitting the green on hole #16, a 111-yard carry entirely over water, my birdie putt just missed, leaving an easy tap-in. Hole #18 is also a carry entirely over water, though a little longer at 138 yards. The flag was on the lower tier of the green, a small segment at the very front of the putting surface. My tee shot rolled just past the cup, but climbed the ridge and ended up on the upper tier. I made a very nice birdie attempt on the hard breaker, missing the cup by mere inches. The easy tap-in was a nice way to earn par.
This could have been a good round, if not for the 10 on hole #8. Still, I enjoyed myself and the result was satisfactory.
Score: 95
Par: 71
Putts: 38
Fairways: 6
Greens: 6
Bad Start at Oakridge
My last round of golf was the fourth event in the season-long run for the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship. Returning to Oakridge Golf Club for the second year in a row, I was anxious to improve on a bad performance last year. Unfortunately, I dug a hole for myself very early on and spent the rest of the round playing catch up. That approach doesn’t really work in golf, which rewards patience and control.
Just as I did last year, I put a couple of approach shots in the water on hole #1 after hitting a respectable drive. Adding penalty strokes for each failed attempt, the result was four strokes without even advancing the ball! I simply hit the ball fat and didn’t get the distance I should have with the given clubs. On hole #2, I also repeated the mistake I made last year. Teeing off with a 4-iron on the 186-yard par-3, I pulled the ball straight into some trees left of the green. Hole #3 was equally disastrous. I hit a decent 5-wood off the tee, but pulled it a tad too much and landed out of bounds. After re-teeing and finding the fairway, I chunked another approach shot that barely avoided the water on the right side of the fairway. After three holes, I had scored zero points in the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods.
On holes #4 through #9, I actually played well. I wisely left my tee shot below the hole on the par-3 fourth. With the flag at the front of the green, that meant I was chipping from just off the fringe. I wanted to keep the chip shot below the hole, but I left it well below the hole, requiring two putts to hole out for bogey. On hole #5 I hit a fantastic drive to the middle of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. I pulled the approach shot with my gap wedge, but chipped on and two-putt for another bogey. On hole #6 I hit an even better drive, avoiding ponds on either side of the fairway in the landing zone. From 120 yards out, I hit the ball near the pin, leaving a legitimate birdie opportunity. I missed the birdie putt, but tapped in easily for par. On hole #7, a solid drive was followed by a very nice 4-iron into the green. This is a par-5, so I was putting for eagle from the fringe. I made a nice lag putt and tapped in for birdie! Hole #9, a par-4 measuring just 321 yards, was also notable. I hit a great drive over the bunkers on the left side of the fairway. As I approached the green, I spotted my ball in the bunker right of the green. I had the distance to be on the putting surface, but just missed. After splashing out of the bunker I took two putts to hole out for par.
At this point, I felt like I had turned my game around, but I still felt like I needed to make up for points lost on the first three holes. That’s why I hit driver on hole #11, a par-4 measuring just 311 yards. The plan worked, as I hit a beauty right down the pipe, leaving a 70-yard approach to the green. What followed was utter disaster. I hit a lazy approach with the sand wedge, finding a bunker in front of the green. Then I picked the ball clean out of the trap, sending it sailing way past the green into a hazard. A penalty stroke ensued, followed by a chip shot. I ended up three-putting to finish it all off. The hole killed me and took some of the wind out of my sails.
On holes #12 through #16, I once again played reasonably. There were disappointing moments, including my drive on #12, my chipping and putting on #13, and my approach on #15. Despite these moments, I managed to recuperate and was scoring a decent number of points. On hole #16, a par-3 measuring 132 yards, I hit a nice tee shot directly in line with the flag. It came up a tad short, stopping in the fringe, but I made a great putt for birdie. Had I been able to hang on for a couple more holes, I would have escaped with a decent number of points for the round. Unfortunately, I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #17, leading to a triple-bogey. On hole #18, I cut the corner too aggressively with my tee shot and ended up with a lost ball. Trying to make up for the lost ball and associated penalty, I tried driving the green of this par-5 in two shots. To do so, players have to carry a pond in front of the green. I didn’t clear the water and that was the end of it. I finished with another triple-bogey.
I will need a miracle in the final Deepwoods event in order to defend my title from last year.
Score: 105
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Just as I did last year, I put a couple of approach shots in the water on hole #1 after hitting a respectable drive. Adding penalty strokes for each failed attempt, the result was four strokes without even advancing the ball! I simply hit the ball fat and didn’t get the distance I should have with the given clubs. On hole #2, I also repeated the mistake I made last year. Teeing off with a 4-iron on the 186-yard par-3, I pulled the ball straight into some trees left of the green. Hole #3 was equally disastrous. I hit a decent 5-wood off the tee, but pulled it a tad too much and landed out of bounds. After re-teeing and finding the fairway, I chunked another approach shot that barely avoided the water on the right side of the fairway. After three holes, I had scored zero points in the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods.
On holes #4 through #9, I actually played well. I wisely left my tee shot below the hole on the par-3 fourth. With the flag at the front of the green, that meant I was chipping from just off the fringe. I wanted to keep the chip shot below the hole, but I left it well below the hole, requiring two putts to hole out for bogey. On hole #5 I hit a fantastic drive to the middle of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. I pulled the approach shot with my gap wedge, but chipped on and two-putt for another bogey. On hole #6 I hit an even better drive, avoiding ponds on either side of the fairway in the landing zone. From 120 yards out, I hit the ball near the pin, leaving a legitimate birdie opportunity. I missed the birdie putt, but tapped in easily for par. On hole #7, a solid drive was followed by a very nice 4-iron into the green. This is a par-5, so I was putting for eagle from the fringe. I made a nice lag putt and tapped in for birdie! Hole #9, a par-4 measuring just 321 yards, was also notable. I hit a great drive over the bunkers on the left side of the fairway. As I approached the green, I spotted my ball in the bunker right of the green. I had the distance to be on the putting surface, but just missed. After splashing out of the bunker I took two putts to hole out for par.
At this point, I felt like I had turned my game around, but I still felt like I needed to make up for points lost on the first three holes. That’s why I hit driver on hole #11, a par-4 measuring just 311 yards. The plan worked, as I hit a beauty right down the pipe, leaving a 70-yard approach to the green. What followed was utter disaster. I hit a lazy approach with the sand wedge, finding a bunker in front of the green. Then I picked the ball clean out of the trap, sending it sailing way past the green into a hazard. A penalty stroke ensued, followed by a chip shot. I ended up three-putting to finish it all off. The hole killed me and took some of the wind out of my sails.
On holes #12 through #16, I once again played reasonably. There were disappointing moments, including my drive on #12, my chipping and putting on #13, and my approach on #15. Despite these moments, I managed to recuperate and was scoring a decent number of points. On hole #16, a par-3 measuring 132 yards, I hit a nice tee shot directly in line with the flag. It came up a tad short, stopping in the fringe, but I made a great putt for birdie. Had I been able to hang on for a couple more holes, I would have escaped with a decent number of points for the round. Unfortunately, I mis-hit my tee shot on hole #17, leading to a triple-bogey. On hole #18, I cut the corner too aggressively with my tee shot and ended up with a lost ball. Trying to make up for the lost ball and associated penalty, I tried driving the green of this par-5 in two shots. To do so, players have to carry a pond in front of the green. I didn’t clear the water and that was the end of it. I finished with another triple-bogey.
I will need a miracle in the final Deepwoods event in order to defend my title from last year.
Score: 105
Par: 71
Putts: 42
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
August 17, 2009
Brampton Yields Another 89
Coming off scores of 90 and 89 in two consecutive rounds at Osprey Valley Hoot, I was primed for my next event on the GTA Amateur Tour. This one was held at Brampton Golf Club, a classic parkland course in the heart of Brampton. The threat of thunderstorms loomed all day, but we managed to play the round shower free, except for a single hole during the back nine. It was hot and humid all day however.
I started the round with two bogeys, followed by two pars. The bogeys were a bit unlucky, as I was playing well, but found myself in some tough spots. On hole #1, my approach to the green was partially blocked by a lone tree on the left edge of the fairway. I tried to avoid it altogether, but clipped some branches and had to pay the price. On hole #2, a par-5 with OB on both sides of the fairway, I was in excellent position after two shots. In the middle of the fairway 120 yards away from the flag, I caught the approach shot fat, which sent the ball left of my target line and into a greenside pond. After taking a penalty stroke, I made a nice up and down from 75 yards away! Holes #3 and #4 were textbook pars.
All the trouble in this round came on holes #5 through #8. I made par on hole #7, a par-3 measuring 164 yards, so actually the trouble came on the other three holes. A tough side hill lie caused problems for my second shot on hole #5. A skulled chip shot and a duffed chip shot later on in the hole led to a triple-bogey. An errant tee shot on the next hole led to a lost ball and subsequent penalty stroke. My approach to the green was actually struck very well, but the result was terrible. The approach was right at the flag, which was hidden behind a cluster of spruce trees. When I approached the flag, I discovered that a bunker lay between the trees and the green. Sure enough, I was a yard short of clearing the bunker. My first shot from the sand was fat, while my second was thin, sending the ball to the fringe on the opposite side of the green. A three-putt was almost inevitable from there, leading to a score of 9 for the hole. On hole #8, I thought I could get my second shot over a short pine tree on the right side of the fairway. I smacked the trunk of the tree and then struggled with a couple more approach shots. I was also in a bunker on this hole and hit a mediocre out. The result was a score of 8 for the hole.
It seems as though I got all the bad shots out of my system on the eighth hole, as I played extremely well for the rest of the round. In fact, I shot a remarkable 38 on the back nine! A clutch putt saved bogey on the par-4 tenth. A good tee shot and two putts were good enough for par on hole #11. Hole #12 is when the rain came, leading to double-bogey. After the rain passed, I made a beautiful birdie on hole #13. The tee shot on this par-3 must carry water all the way to the green. I picked the right club and struck it well, leaving a straight 12 foot putt, which I drained.
A good putt from the front of the green set up a tap-in par on hole #14. I had hit a solid drive and pair of approach shots to get things going. I made an even better putt from the front of the green on hole #15. The flag was at the back of the green, so this one traveled a good 90 feet to get there. The ball stopped just inches from the cup. It was another tap-in par on hole #16, a beautiful par-3 from an elevated teeing ground. This one was set up by an excellent 4-iron off the tee into the wind. The par streak continued on hole #17, a par-5 measuring 456 yards. After a shaky second shot, I hit a nice 6-iron to the edge of the green. A good lag putt set up the easy tap-in. The par streak ended with a bogey on hole #18, but I broke 90 for the second consecutive round, so I didn’t mind at all. I finished fourth for the tournament, which was my best finish so far on the GTA Amateur Tour.
Score: 89
Par: 71
Putts: 31
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
I started the round with two bogeys, followed by two pars. The bogeys were a bit unlucky, as I was playing well, but found myself in some tough spots. On hole #1, my approach to the green was partially blocked by a lone tree on the left edge of the fairway. I tried to avoid it altogether, but clipped some branches and had to pay the price. On hole #2, a par-5 with OB on both sides of the fairway, I was in excellent position after two shots. In the middle of the fairway 120 yards away from the flag, I caught the approach shot fat, which sent the ball left of my target line and into a greenside pond. After taking a penalty stroke, I made a nice up and down from 75 yards away! Holes #3 and #4 were textbook pars.
All the trouble in this round came on holes #5 through #8. I made par on hole #7, a par-3 measuring 164 yards, so actually the trouble came on the other three holes. A tough side hill lie caused problems for my second shot on hole #5. A skulled chip shot and a duffed chip shot later on in the hole led to a triple-bogey. An errant tee shot on the next hole led to a lost ball and subsequent penalty stroke. My approach to the green was actually struck very well, but the result was terrible. The approach was right at the flag, which was hidden behind a cluster of spruce trees. When I approached the flag, I discovered that a bunker lay between the trees and the green. Sure enough, I was a yard short of clearing the bunker. My first shot from the sand was fat, while my second was thin, sending the ball to the fringe on the opposite side of the green. A three-putt was almost inevitable from there, leading to a score of 9 for the hole. On hole #8, I thought I could get my second shot over a short pine tree on the right side of the fairway. I smacked the trunk of the tree and then struggled with a couple more approach shots. I was also in a bunker on this hole and hit a mediocre out. The result was a score of 8 for the hole.
It seems as though I got all the bad shots out of my system on the eighth hole, as I played extremely well for the rest of the round. In fact, I shot a remarkable 38 on the back nine! A clutch putt saved bogey on the par-4 tenth. A good tee shot and two putts were good enough for par on hole #11. Hole #12 is when the rain came, leading to double-bogey. After the rain passed, I made a beautiful birdie on hole #13. The tee shot on this par-3 must carry water all the way to the green. I picked the right club and struck it well, leaving a straight 12 foot putt, which I drained.
A good putt from the front of the green set up a tap-in par on hole #14. I had hit a solid drive and pair of approach shots to get things going. I made an even better putt from the front of the green on hole #15. The flag was at the back of the green, so this one traveled a good 90 feet to get there. The ball stopped just inches from the cup. It was another tap-in par on hole #16, a beautiful par-3 from an elevated teeing ground. This one was set up by an excellent 4-iron off the tee into the wind. The par streak continued on hole #17, a par-5 measuring 456 yards. After a shaky second shot, I hit a nice 6-iron to the edge of the green. A good lag putt set up the easy tap-in. The par streak ended with a bogey on hole #18, but I broke 90 for the second consecutive round, so I didn’t mind at all. I finished fourth for the tournament, which was my best finish so far on the GTA Amateur Tour.
Score: 89
Par: 71
Putts: 31
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Break 90 on Return to Crosswinds
Earlier in the year, I played a very frustrating round of golf at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club. In fact, I played so poorly that I stopped keeping score halfway through the round. Looking back, that round was a bit of a turning point in my season. It reminded me to examine the technical flaws in my swing and to work on specific techniques to fix them. The renewed focus must have worked, as I went on to score eleven consecutive rounds under 100. Nine of those rounds were 95 or better, while three of them were 90 or better. My handicap factor also dropped by almost four points.
I returned to Crosswinds recently, looking to make up for the poor round on my previous visit. I got off to a poor start on hole #1, a short par-4 measuring 272 yards. I pulled my tee shot just left of the fairway, under a spruce tree. I was forced to play a low chip just to get the ball back in the fairway. After my approach shot came up short, I used the putter from the fringe. With no putts under my belt yet, I struggled to get the right weight and finished with a triple-bogey.
The rest of the front nine was excellent – the kind of golf I know I can play, but don’t seem to do it consistently enough. Over the remaining eight holes, I was four over par. This pretty stretch included four pars and four bogeys. One of the bogeys was the result of a three-putt on hole #2. Another was the result of hitting an approach shot fat on hole #7. Aside from those two minor mistakes, there was nothing else I could criticize. I hit some fairways and some greens, chipped well when I had to, and made some putts. The game seems so easy when you avoid mis-hits and penalty strokes.
A par on hole #10 was followed by a trio of holes that tested my resilience. On holes #11 through #13, I went double-bogey, triple-bogey, double-bogey. On each of these holes, a big problem was getting out of bunkers. I picked a couple of balls way too clean, sending them sailing over the other side of the green. When I tried to adjust, I over-compensated, leaving the ball in the bunker after hitting it fat. Hole #14 provided a brief respite as I registered bogey, but this was followed by a disastrous triple-bogey on #15. I spent a lot of time on the teeing ground waiting for the beverage cart girl to drive away, and then duffed one into the weeds left of the fairway.
To salvage a good round, I needed to finish strong on the last three holes and I did exactly that. Playing aggressively on hole #16, a short par-4 measuring 305 yards, I hit driver straight down the pipe, leaving an approach of 65 yards to the flag. I placed the approach flag high, and then took two putts to hole out for par. On hole #17, a par-3 measuring 145 yards, my approach came up five yards short of the green. It turned out to be no problem, as I hit a perfect chip shot that tracked directly into the cup for birdie! Finally, I finished with a par on hole # 18. My drive found the fairway, while my approach landed just in front of the green. I lagged one near the hole with the putter, and then tapped in to finish with a score of 89. Nice!
Score: 89
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
I returned to Crosswinds recently, looking to make up for the poor round on my previous visit. I got off to a poor start on hole #1, a short par-4 measuring 272 yards. I pulled my tee shot just left of the fairway, under a spruce tree. I was forced to play a low chip just to get the ball back in the fairway. After my approach shot came up short, I used the putter from the fringe. With no putts under my belt yet, I struggled to get the right weight and finished with a triple-bogey.
The rest of the front nine was excellent – the kind of golf I know I can play, but don’t seem to do it consistently enough. Over the remaining eight holes, I was four over par. This pretty stretch included four pars and four bogeys. One of the bogeys was the result of a three-putt on hole #2. Another was the result of hitting an approach shot fat on hole #7. Aside from those two minor mistakes, there was nothing else I could criticize. I hit some fairways and some greens, chipped well when I had to, and made some putts. The game seems so easy when you avoid mis-hits and penalty strokes.
A par on hole #10 was followed by a trio of holes that tested my resilience. On holes #11 through #13, I went double-bogey, triple-bogey, double-bogey. On each of these holes, a big problem was getting out of bunkers. I picked a couple of balls way too clean, sending them sailing over the other side of the green. When I tried to adjust, I over-compensated, leaving the ball in the bunker after hitting it fat. Hole #14 provided a brief respite as I registered bogey, but this was followed by a disastrous triple-bogey on #15. I spent a lot of time on the teeing ground waiting for the beverage cart girl to drive away, and then duffed one into the weeds left of the fairway.
To salvage a good round, I needed to finish strong on the last three holes and I did exactly that. Playing aggressively on hole #16, a short par-4 measuring 305 yards, I hit driver straight down the pipe, leaving an approach of 65 yards to the flag. I placed the approach flag high, and then took two putts to hole out for par. On hole #17, a par-3 measuring 145 yards, my approach came up five yards short of the green. It turned out to be no problem, as I hit a perfect chip shot that tracked directly into the cup for birdie! Finally, I finished with a par on hole # 18. My drive found the fairway, while my approach landed just in front of the green. I lagged one near the hole with the putter, and then tapped in to finish with a score of 89. Nice!
Score: 89
Par: 72
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
August 03, 2009
Mill Run Outing Eases The Pain
Okay, I feel better now. I visited Uxbridge and played the Grist / Wheel combination on the Championship Course at Mill Run Golf Club. There were a couple of bad holes, but overall I played quite consistently and managed to finish with a respectable score of 95.
A couple of par-3 holes on Grist got the better of me. On hole #3, measuring 212 yards, my second shot from the greenside bunker traveled over the green and bounced into a water hazard. I chipped on and two-putted for triple-bogey. On hole #5, my tee shot came to rest in some weeds short and right of the green. It wasn't a terrible lie, but my pitch shot travelled no more than a couple of yards. Determined to pop the ball out the second time, I flew the green and found my ball in a wooded ravine. I opted to replay the last shot (under penalty of stroke and distance). This time, I made a nice up and one-putt to save a triple-bogey.
The only other hole that gave me trouble was Wheel #1, a par-5 measuring 546 yards. It is rated as the most difficult hole on the Wheel nine, and deservedly so. Thick woods line the entire fairway on both sides. It's not narrow, but the woods still intimidate. I sliced my drive into the woods on the right side. The second shot on this hole is key. Ideally, players should advance their ball close to the end of the fairway, inside 150 yards. This is because the final approach must cross two streams to an elevated green. If players leave 170 yards to the green, as I did, it makes the final approach much more difficult. From that position, I hit the ball into the hazard, chalking up another penalty stroke. I had to settle for a score of 9 on this tough hole.
As I said, all the other holes were played quite consistently. I wasn't happy with my driving, as I was cutting the ball far too much. There were perhaps three drives that I really liked. I was happy with my iron play, though a couple of shots that I thought I hit well came up short of target. My chipping was good, including a couple that left me with easy one-putts. And finally, my putting was satisfactory, except for a two-footer that I missed on the second-last hole. Doh!
Score: 95
Par: 71
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
I should mention that the round prior to this one followed the third round of the Deepwoods Golf Association championship. Held at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, located in Carlisle, Ontario, the round was suspended due to bad weather. Before play stopped, I was six over par through six holes. It's too bad we couldn't finish, because I felt like I could score well that day. Oh well.
A couple of par-3 holes on Grist got the better of me. On hole #3, measuring 212 yards, my second shot from the greenside bunker traveled over the green and bounced into a water hazard. I chipped on and two-putted for triple-bogey. On hole #5, my tee shot came to rest in some weeds short and right of the green. It wasn't a terrible lie, but my pitch shot travelled no more than a couple of yards. Determined to pop the ball out the second time, I flew the green and found my ball in a wooded ravine. I opted to replay the last shot (under penalty of stroke and distance). This time, I made a nice up and one-putt to save a triple-bogey.
The only other hole that gave me trouble was Wheel #1, a par-5 measuring 546 yards. It is rated as the most difficult hole on the Wheel nine, and deservedly so. Thick woods line the entire fairway on both sides. It's not narrow, but the woods still intimidate. I sliced my drive into the woods on the right side. The second shot on this hole is key. Ideally, players should advance their ball close to the end of the fairway, inside 150 yards. This is because the final approach must cross two streams to an elevated green. If players leave 170 yards to the green, as I did, it makes the final approach much more difficult. From that position, I hit the ball into the hazard, chalking up another penalty stroke. I had to settle for a score of 9 on this tough hole.
As I said, all the other holes were played quite consistently. I wasn't happy with my driving, as I was cutting the ball far too much. There were perhaps three drives that I really liked. I was happy with my iron play, though a couple of shots that I thought I hit well came up short of target. My chipping was good, including a couple that left me with easy one-putts. And finally, my putting was satisfactory, except for a two-footer that I missed on the second-last hole. Doh!
Score: 95
Par: 71
Putts: 33
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
I should mention that the round prior to this one followed the third round of the Deepwoods Golf Association championship. Held at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, located in Carlisle, Ontario, the round was suspended due to bad weather. Before play stopped, I was six over par through six holes. It's too bad we couldn't finish, because I felt like I could score well that day. Oh well.
August 01, 2009
Agony at RedCrest
I've never been stabbed in the heart, but I imagine it feels like my last round of golf at RedCrest, a new course that opened this summer at Cardinal Golf Club.
Through the first six holes, I was even par! My scorecard read par, bogey, birdie, birdie, par, bogey. The par on hole #1 was utter perfection. Hit the fairway, nail the green, lag a putt and tap another in. The bogey on hole #2 was the result of a 3-putt after a good tee shot. The birdie on hole #3 was of the scramble variety. After a pulled tee shot, trees blocked me from going at the flag. All I could do was place the ball about eight yards in front of the green. It worked out well, as I knocked one in from there using the putter!
The bogey on hole #4 was no scramble. It was more like a thing of beauty. Hit the fairway, stick the approach right beside the flag, and sink the putt. Nice! Par on hole #5 was equally fulfilling. Hit the fairway bunker with a tee shot, knock it out 15 yards in front of the green, chip to within three feet and sink the putt. I was robbed a little bit on hole #6, a par-5. I drove the ball into the fairway, then hit a good 3-wood to a bunker fronting the green. The bunker shot sailed way past the flag. I then had another 3-putt for bogey.
The stab to the heart came on hole #7, another par-5. Actually, it was more like eleven stabs to the heart in quick succession. That's how many shots I took to complete the hole. Quickly, here's how it played out: worm-burner off the tee to the start of the fairway, topped 3-wood to a fairway bunker, barely get the ball out, pulled 5-wood to a puddle in a muddy area left of the fairway, penalty stroke for an unplayable ball, approach to a greenside bunker, launched over the green, duffed chip after being informed that my aim is off, chip past the flag, and two putts. Stab, stab, stab, etc.
Of course, I get a triple bogey on the very next hole, a par-5 measuring 148 yards. I hit a good tee shot, but could have used an extra club as my ball failed to clear a bunker fronting the green by a mere yard. It took me three shots to get out of the bunker! The sand in the bunkers at RedCrest is unlike any sand I've played in before. It's very loose and fluffy, but different from the fluffy varieties I've seen before. It seems somewhat unnatural, almost like a manufactured gravel.
I settled down on holes #9 through #13, averaging bogey golf. It wasn't the magic that I experienced through the first six holes, but continuing at that pace would put me near the 90 mark for the round, even with the adventures on holes #7 and #8.
Then came more stabs to the heart, and these would continue for the remainder of the round. I found water off the tee on hole #14, as well as the greenside hazard. Chalk up a couple of penalty strokes and a triple-bogey. An atrocious drive on the next hole, along with a short approach shot and a chip shot that I can't even describe led to a quadruple-bogey. Water came into play twice on hole #16. Two penalty strokes and a triple-bogey was again the result. Oh hole #17, a par-3 measuring 201 yards, I added another penalty stroke en route to a double-bogey. Stab, stab, stab, etc.
And then the cruelty got really bad. I hit a drive on hole #18 that was just three or four yards right of the fairway. When the ball landed, it veered right almost 90 degrees into some rough vegetation! When I walked over to the landing area, I was looking for mounds or other features that might have caused the ball to veer off like that. There was nothing that could possibly cause that, except for a little sign on the cart path at the 200 yard mark. These signs are on every hole at RedCrest, usually at the 100, 150, or 200 yard mark. They are raised wooden signs attached to the cart path. Why they didn't simpy paint the numbers on the path is beyond me. Paint doesn't deflect balls. Geez! I was forced to take a penalty stroke, after which I hit a 5-iron to the side of the green and chipped on.
Now, all I needed was two putts from about 13 feet to salvage a score of 99. I wouldn't be happy with that, but I could live with it. However, one extra stroke (and a score of 100) and I would be livid. I really thought there was no chance I would 3-putt. My first putt was 5 feet short! At that point, I still felt like I would make the next putt. I didn't. I tapped in stroke #100, then promptly tossed my ball into the bushes.
After being bludgeoned repeatedly over five holes, the golf gods decided to inflict one final stab wound. For their final act of violence, they stabbed me deep in the heart, then gave the knife a good wrench to make sure I was done.
I am reeling right now, but don't worry. I'll be back.
UPDATE: A reader pointed out that I should not have taken a penalty stroke on hole #7 after my ball was found in the puddle left of the fairway. The puddle was casual water, from which a player can take relief without penalty. He is absolutely right! As a result, my correct score was actually 99 and all is well in the universe again.
Score: 99
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
Through the first six holes, I was even par! My scorecard read par, bogey, birdie, birdie, par, bogey. The par on hole #1 was utter perfection. Hit the fairway, nail the green, lag a putt and tap another in. The bogey on hole #2 was the result of a 3-putt after a good tee shot. The birdie on hole #3 was of the scramble variety. After a pulled tee shot, trees blocked me from going at the flag. All I could do was place the ball about eight yards in front of the green. It worked out well, as I knocked one in from there using the putter!
The bogey on hole #4 was no scramble. It was more like a thing of beauty. Hit the fairway, stick the approach right beside the flag, and sink the putt. Nice! Par on hole #5 was equally fulfilling. Hit the fairway bunker with a tee shot, knock it out 15 yards in front of the green, chip to within three feet and sink the putt. I was robbed a little bit on hole #6, a par-5. I drove the ball into the fairway, then hit a good 3-wood to a bunker fronting the green. The bunker shot sailed way past the flag. I then had another 3-putt for bogey.
The stab to the heart came on hole #7, another par-5. Actually, it was more like eleven stabs to the heart in quick succession. That's how many shots I took to complete the hole. Quickly, here's how it played out: worm-burner off the tee to the start of the fairway, topped 3-wood to a fairway bunker, barely get the ball out, pulled 5-wood to a puddle in a muddy area left of the fairway, penalty stroke for an unplayable ball, approach to a greenside bunker, launched over the green, duffed chip after being informed that my aim is off, chip past the flag, and two putts. Stab, stab, stab, etc.
Of course, I get a triple bogey on the very next hole, a par-5 measuring 148 yards. I hit a good tee shot, but could have used an extra club as my ball failed to clear a bunker fronting the green by a mere yard. It took me three shots to get out of the bunker! The sand in the bunkers at RedCrest is unlike any sand I've played in before. It's very loose and fluffy, but different from the fluffy varieties I've seen before. It seems somewhat unnatural, almost like a manufactured gravel.
I settled down on holes #9 through #13, averaging bogey golf. It wasn't the magic that I experienced through the first six holes, but continuing at that pace would put me near the 90 mark for the round, even with the adventures on holes #7 and #8.
Then came more stabs to the heart, and these would continue for the remainder of the round. I found water off the tee on hole #14, as well as the greenside hazard. Chalk up a couple of penalty strokes and a triple-bogey. An atrocious drive on the next hole, along with a short approach shot and a chip shot that I can't even describe led to a quadruple-bogey. Water came into play twice on hole #16. Two penalty strokes and a triple-bogey was again the result. Oh hole #17, a par-3 measuring 201 yards, I added another penalty stroke en route to a double-bogey. Stab, stab, stab, etc.
And then the cruelty got really bad. I hit a drive on hole #18 that was just three or four yards right of the fairway. When the ball landed, it veered right almost 90 degrees into some rough vegetation! When I walked over to the landing area, I was looking for mounds or other features that might have caused the ball to veer off like that. There was nothing that could possibly cause that, except for a little sign on the cart path at the 200 yard mark. These signs are on every hole at RedCrest, usually at the 100, 150, or 200 yard mark. They are raised wooden signs attached to the cart path. Why they didn't simpy paint the numbers on the path is beyond me. Paint doesn't deflect balls. Geez! I was forced to take a penalty stroke, after which I hit a 5-iron to the side of the green and chipped on.
Now, all I needed was two putts from about 13 feet to salvage a score of 99. I wouldn't be happy with that, but I could live with it. However, one extra stroke (and a score of 100) and I would be livid. I really thought there was no chance I would 3-putt. My first putt was 5 feet short! At that point, I still felt like I would make the next putt. I didn't. I tapped in stroke #100, then promptly tossed my ball into the bushes.
After being bludgeoned repeatedly over five holes, the golf gods decided to inflict one final stab wound. For their final act of violence, they stabbed me deep in the heart, then gave the knife a good wrench to make sure I was done.
I am reeling right now, but don't worry. I'll be back.
UPDATE: A reader pointed out that I should not have taken a penalty stroke on hole #7 after my ball was found in the puddle left of the fairway. The puddle was casual water, from which a player can take relief without penalty. He is absolutely right! As a result, my correct score was actually 99 and all is well in the universe again.
Score: 99
Par: 71
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 5
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