The latest stop on the GTA Amateur Tour took me to Georgian Bay Club, located in Clarksburg, Ontario, just west of Collingwood. Nestled between the Blue Mountains and Georgian Bay, this was the most scenic course I've played this year, if not the best overall. Hole #3 and hole #14 are perhaps the most spectacular, featuring elevated tees, overlooking well-bunkered fairways and greens below. On the horizon, the deep blue water of Georgian Bay meets the light blue of the sky, framed on either side by towering trees. It truly is a magnificent location.
I got off to a terrible start, mostly because of the slippery greens, which were the fastest I've played this year. Coppinwood is the only course I played this season where the speed of the greens was comparable. To illustrate how quick they were, consider that I three-putted six of the first eight greens! Even short putts were tough, as the closely mown surface would punish putts that were out of alignment by just a fraction of a hair. The putting woes affected me mentally, causing some miscues off the tee on holes #6 and #7. After just seven holes, I had already amassed four quadruple-bogeys and one triple.
At that point, something clicked. I just got used to the speed of the greens and it no longer seemed to bother me. It's not surprising, really. When you're used to the relatively slower speeds of many public golf courses, it takes a few holes to adjust to greens that play fast. With my new-found confidence, I drained critical putts for par on holes #11, #16, and #17. The last one was especially satisfying, since I two-putt from the fringe, a considerable distance away from the cup. During the good stretch of play, I made my share of bad shots, but I always followed them up with very good recoveries. I shot 54 for the final eleven holes, which is better than bogey golf.
It took me seven holes to settle down, but I'm happy with my play from that point forward. If I return to Georgian Bay Club, I will be better prepared for certain.
Score: 103
Par: 71
Putts: 44
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
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