Those who read this blog regularly (all 1.5 of you) will know (OK, might know) that Kedron Dells Golf Course has been a bit of a nemesis for me over the years. I know the course well, having played there many times, but I always seem to score poorly there. In fact, I don't think I have ever broken 100 at the course.
Fortunately, that monkey is now off my back. On a recent visit, I scored a solid 96, which was good enough to erase a lot of bad memories. I thought it might be worthwhile to record what made the difference this time, in the event that I return to face the course some time in the future.
I thought I hit a good drive on hole #1, a long par-5 that plays straight as an arrow. The ball was cutting slightly toward the right side of the fairway. Apparently, it cut more than I thought, sice I found it under a tree right of the short grass. I was forced to chip the ball sideways, which led to a double-bogey. The key to this hole is to hit straight shots. There is no chance of being near the green in two, so three straight shots is the minimum required to reach the green.
On hole #2, my tee shot always seems to leak toward some trees on the right side, probably owing to the fact that the left side is out of bounds all the way to the green. Conscious of this, I chose a line that flirted with the left side more than I usually do, and ultimately paid the price. The ball clipped the branches of a mature tree just ahead of the teeing ground, which led to another double-bogey.
After two tough holes, #3 offers a chance to catch up a bit. I hit an aggressive drive to the left side of the fairway, which is the better side to approach the green from. My approach was left and short of the green, but that is the perfect place to miss, as there is trouble right and behind the green. I made a beautiful pitch shot and single putt to tally a par.
The respite provided by hole #3 is short, since #4 is a challenging par-4. A good drive puts golfers in position to go for the green with a long iron or wood, but I sliced my drive into the forest on the right side. I did well to chip back to the fairway and advance the ball to within 120 yards. I caught the approach shot fat and then struggled with the putter for a quadruple bogey. Things were looking bad.
Hole #5 is a long par-3 with small ponds and large bunkers coming into play. A long tee shot is better than short, so I hit an aggressive 5-wood. The ball flight was higher than normal, so I ended up just in front of the green. After a good chip shot, I had a chance to save par, but burned the edge of the cup and had to be content with bogey.
Hole #6 is another long and straight par-5. The length of par-5 and par-3 holes at Kedron Dells is really what makes it a challenge. My tee shot was pulled into the trees on the left, so I needed four shots to reach the green. From that position, I put together a couple of putts to record a bogey.
Hole #7 is not a long par-4, but tee shots have to be placed in the centre of the fairway if golfers are to have a clear approach to the green, which plays over a creek. Trees pinch the fairway on both sides near the creek, making approaches from the left or right sides very tricky. I was forced to approach from the right side, playing over the tree tops. I hit a good shot, but it came up five yards short of the green. Next, I hit a great shot with the putter. It reached the green and tracked right into the cup at the back of the putting surface. It was a great way to make birdie!
Hole #8 is a rarity as a short par-3, but golfers can easily get in trouble with woods on either side of the narrow green. The place to miss is short, which is where I ended up. I chipped on to the green, but inexplicably 3-putt for a double-bogey.
Hole #9 is only the second one on the front nine that I would classify as easy, so I was looking to make up some strokes there. I was on the green in three on this par-4, but once again a 3-putt killed me. Double bogey was the result on a hole where I should have done better.
At the turn, my score was 49 - barely on pace to break 100.
Golfers tee off from an elevated green on hole #10 and have to be careful to avoid a creek that crosses the fairway in the landing zone. I hit a 5-wood just short of the creek, giving me a chance to go for the green. My approach shot was straight, but short. I chipped on and two-putt for bogey, a good score on this hole.
Hole #11 is another straight-as-an-arrow par-5, of considerable length. My tee shot was perfect, but my second shot with the 3-wood drifted toward some trees right of the fairway. I had no backswing on my next two shots, so I was on the green after five. Unfortunately, I 4-putt for an ugly score of 9.
Hole #12 is another long par-3 at 197 yards. I was flag high with the 5-wood, but in the rough right of the green. I chipped on and almost saved par with a nice putt. The ball burned the edge of the cup, leaving a tap-in for bogey.
On hole #13, I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway. I followed it up with a perfect iron to the right side of the green, which was actually not visible from my position in the fairway. The flag was on the opposite side of the green, so I needed a great couple of putts to make par. It didn't happen and I walked away with bogey.
Hole #14 is a monster of a par-3, measuring 232 yards. The left side of the green is out of bounds, while the right side is blanketed by thick forest. The smart play is to play for bogey, laying up in front of the green. With a good pitch shot, par is attainable. I layed up as planned, but was right of target. On my pitch shot, I was forced to go over a tall tree between me and the flag. I pulled it off, leaving a 4-foot putt for par, which I drained. Par is excellent on this hole!
Hole #15 is a tricky par-4 that bends strongly to the right, following the path of a nearby creek. I hit a 5-iron off the tee, but it ran through the left side of the fairway and came to rest underneath a tree. A low punch shot was required to get the ball back in the fairway in a position where I could attack the green. My approach shot from 100 yards was solid, leaving about 13 feet to the cup, which I navigated with a couple of putts for bogey. That is a good score on this hole.
Hole #16 is the first on the back nine that I would classify as easy. A good drive put me in the lower part of the fairway. From there, I hit a pitching wedge close to the flag. I missed the birdie putt, but tapped in for par. To be successful at Kedron Dells, one must take advantage of the easy holes like this one.
Hole #17 is a tricky par-5 that requires two very good shots to set up an approach to the green. I hit my drive well right of the fairway, but that was by design. The fairway slopes severely to the left, making second shots from there very hard. From the top of the hill well right of the fairway, golfers have a much better lie. My second shot was perfect, leaving 130 yards to the green from a flat lie. I used an extra club to guarantee that I would carry the creek that crosses in front of the green. Despite the wise move, my ball failed to clear the creek. I must have mis-hit it slightly, since I got nowhere near my normal distance out of it. After a penalty and a drop, I pitched the ball over the creek to the green. It was too bad that I 3-putt for a triple bogey.
The final hole at Kedron Dells is an easy par-3, which is not something you find at most golf courses. By this time, the damage is usually done, so perhaps the course designer wanted golfers to end on a positive note. My tee shot was a yard short of the green. I chipped on and made two putts for a ho-hum bogey.
My final score was 96, so I was happy. The Kedron monkey is off my back!
Score: 96
Par: 71
Putts: 40
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
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