Looking forward to the opening round of the 2011 Deepwoods Championship and feeling like I hadn't played enough this year to properly evaluate my game, I decided to try one of these "play all day" deals that a number of golf courses offer. The club I chose was Westview, a 27-hole facility that has been serving Greater Toronto Area patrons for over fifty years.
I've played almost every 18-hole golf course in the GTA, or at least those that are full length (6,000+ yards) and open to the public. For whatever reason however, I had never played Westview. Thus, it was with some anticipation that I ventured to the Aurora area course. Arriving at 7:30 am, I decided I would squeeze 54 holes out of the day, provided I didn't get slowed down by a throng of other patrons.
Homestead / Middle
Playing as a single, I opened with a round on the Homestead and Middle nines, in that order. We've had a lot of rain over the past month, which has left a lot of local courses somewhat soggy. Grass has been growing faster than most homeowners could cut it, so I'm sure golf courses have been struggling with the same issue. The grass cutting crews at Westview were out in full force, but much of my first round was played before they were able to finish the job. As a result, it was very tough going. Playing from the fairways was fine, but hitting anything out of the rough was a monumental task.
I held my own, playing bogey golf for six of the first nine holes. The remaining holes, a couple of which were of the par-5 variety, resulted in triple-bogeys. In each case, my drive found the rough and I struggled to hack the ball out safely. I was forced to use highly lofted clubs, thereby giving up a lot of distance. My drives were generally pulled, while my irons were hooking more than desired. Putting was fine. It was more of the same on the back nine, with a triple-bogey and a couple of doubles ruining an otherwise decent stretch of bogey golf. Putting faltered a bit as I racked up a trio of 3-putts.
Score: 102
Putts: 38
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
Lakeland / Homestead
With 18 holes under my belt, I moved on to the next round over the Lakeland and Homestead nines, in that order. Lakeland is the toughest of the nines at Westview, featuring a pair of par-5 holes that are particularly tricky. Hole #3, which measures 592 yards from the white tees, demands length off the tee and in the setup to the approach. Thick woods swallow up any errant shots. I sliced my tee shot into the woods on the right, forcing a second attempt. After making my way to the 200-yard marker, I foolishly decided to go for the green with a 3-iron. It was foolish because the fairway narrows approaching the green, pinched on the right side by a large pond. Sure enough, my ball found the water and I took my second penalty of the hole, which I finished with a score of 10. Nasty!
My score on the Lakeland nine was a despicable 60, so I needed my second look at the Homestead nine to be good in order to salvage a respectable 18-hole score. Thankfully, I proceeded to play my best nine holes of the day. By this time, the crews had cut most of the grass. The sun also made an appearance, helping to dry out the course substantially. I made one par and one double-bogey while registering bogey on the rest of the holes. I hit four of seven fairways thanks to some much better drives. I stopped analyzing my drives and just hit the ball. I also got my irons to straighten out slightly. Chipping and putting was excellent.
Score: 105
Putts: 31
Fairways: 4
Greens: 1
Penalties: 6
Middle / Lakeland
The last round of the day took place with my second look at the Middle and Lakeland nines, in that order. By this time, my feet were getting pretty sore. I should mention that I walked and carried my bag for all 54 holes. I changed socks and shoes after 27 holes, so at least my sore feet were dry. Anyway, my score on the Middle nine actually got worse the second time around. It was a Jekyll and Hyde period, as I played some really solid holes along with some stinkers. On one hole, I striped my best drive of the day, leaving just 115 yards to the green. Par was the result. On the very next hole, I pulled my drive 30 degrees left of target, smacking a cluster of trees 50 yards from the teeing area. Notably, two stinkers came on holes #8 and #9, as I started to fatigue in earnest.
I won't lie. The last nine holes of the day were a struggle, as I hobbled along on my sore feet. I could tell my swing was also getting sloppy. It didn't help that these were played on the tough Lakeland nine. Even so, I improved my score over Lakeland by four strokes. Two of those strokes were saved on hole #5, the second of the tricky par-5 holes that I mentioned earlier. At just 480 yards from the white tees, the hole is not long. However, it features two carries over water and a dogleg left. I hit a great 3-wood off the tee and survived a bad second shot to reach the green in four. Even with a silly 3-putt, the result was better than the first time around.
Score: 109
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 6
Overall, it was an interesting experience. I don't think I'll be playing 54 holes again in a single day any time soon though. If I ever do it again, I'll probably take a cart! I'm not happy with my scores, but I have to take them with a grain of salt. I had never played this course before and the long, wet grass early on was difficult. That's not saying anything about the fact that I played three rounds in a row! A few times when I played through groups I also rushed way too much. You want to maintain your focus, but at the same time, you don't want to hold up people who are generous enough to let you play through.
Ready or not, Deepwoods here I come!
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