To say it has been a tough season would be an understatement. Nobody likes to see their game regress, but that's exactly what I have observed early this season. It's not as though my game has been a complete mess. I fixed some early trouble with my irons and have been largely satisfied with my short game and course management. On the other hand, driving has been a complete crapshoot all season. All it takes is a few wild drives each round to rack up the penalty strokes and some big scores.
Thankfully, I managed to keep the driver in check during my last round. It was just enough to register my first decent score of the season. It was Round 2 of the Deepwoods season at Peninsula Lakes, where I played a bit of a warmup just two weeks before. As luck would have it, Deepwoods members played the same 18 holes that I played during my prior visit. In previous years, Deepwoods had always played the Quarry and Hillside nines, but this time it was Orchard and Quarry, which suited me just fine.
I began with a par on Orchard #1, which was a good ice-breaker. My drive was two feet left of the fairway and my approach was the same distance short of the green. A great lag putt left a tap-in for the easy par. Hole #2, a par-3 measuring 136 yards from the white tees, resulted in a hard-earned bogey. I duffed my tee shot, sending it 70 yards to the closely mown area leading to the green. My pitch shot skidded over the green, forcing a chip shot next. I was left with a 10-foot putt that I drained to maintain some momentum.
Hole #3 was one of my problem holes on the day, producing a triple-bogey. Guarding against a pull shot off the tee, which would end up out of bounds, I hit a big fade right of the fairway. I was amidst the trees, but had a clear chute toward the green. Unfortunately, my ball was lying terribly in a hole. A lofted club would help extract the ball, but overhanging limbs meant I had to keep the ball low. I took a hack and advanced the ball a mere 40 yards or so. Now I was under a tree with branches impeding my backswing. All I could do was advance the ball another 40 yards to a fairway bunker. My approach from the bunker was hooked to some trees left of the green. From that position, I was pleased to hole out with just three more strokes.
I got right back in the groove with a par on the very next hole. I hit a perfect drive deep and straight. I followed up with a perfect 3-iron, leaving just a 50-yard pitch into this par-5 green. I actually messed up the pitch, coming up short of the green. It probably had something to do with the sucker pin at the very front of the putting surface. No worries however, as I two-putt from off the green. And so it was for the rest of the Orchard nine. I wasted some shots here and there, but usually followed up with a good streak that earned par or bogey. I finished Orchard with a satisfactory score of 46.
The Quarry nine is where my game really came together. I registered eight bogeys and one par, for a score of 43. I love looking at a scorecard where none of the holes are worse than bogey. More pars and a birdie would look even better, but I'm not greedy. A long stretch of bogeys or better speak to consistency and I know that over 18 holes that means a score below 90, which for me is an important watermark.
There were many highlights on the Quarry nine, including nice drives that found the fairway on holes #1, #4, #5 and #7. Irons were also working off the tee, including a 170-yard 6-iron on hole #6, which set me up nicely for a birdie attempt on this par-3. In fact, my irons seemed to be working from all distances, ranging from 100 to 200 yards. I even hit great bunker shots on holes #2 and #4. Imagine that! Putting was solid, though I didn't drain any putts of significant length.
When all was said and done, I finished with a score of 89, my best of this season so far. Let's hope this is the start of something good.
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 1
June 27, 2011
June 22, 2011
Eleventh Hour Collapse Ruins Round
Eager to turn my season around, I headed out for a morning round at Century Pines Golf Club. The first hole is a straight par-5 with out of bounds along the entire left side. As a right handed player, if you're going to miss your tee shot, you're better off slicing it into the opposing fairway, which is #18. From there, you can salvage bogey, maybe even par if you put together a couple of good shots. Despite knowing this, I pulled my drive wickedly off the tee out of bounds. It was a terrible start and disconcerting to know that I had no control of my driver whatsoever. I had to hit my third from the tee and finished with a triple bogey.
I didn't make the same mistake on hole #2, that's for sure. A par-4, this hole also features out of bounds along the entire left side. I promptly sliced my drive into the #3 fairway on the right side. I followed up with a pitching wedge over some tall trees to get back to the #2 fairway, about 35 yards in front of the green. After a smart pitch to the front edge of the green, I two-putt for a respectable bogey. There is a pond right of the green on this hole which often comes into play, so I was happy with my result.
I was relatively happy with the rest of the front nine. I made par on hole #4 after wisely electing to hit 4-iron off the tee. A somewhat lengthy putt also helped my cause. I hit a nice punch through the trees on the preceeding hole, as well as a decent bunker shot. I had a nice chip on hole #5 and a nice approach on hole #9. I felt like I was doing quite a few things well. The real problem was still the driver. On hole #6, I pulled my drive left into some long weeds. With no chance to find balls in there, I was forced to re-tee. All of a sudden, I drilled a perfect drive to the fairway, a full 275 yards. What the hell? On hole #8, I plastered another drive straight and deep, this one flying 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. However, on hole #9 I hit a brutal drive once again, pulling it left into some trees. I just had no idea what would show up with each drive.
On the back nine, I started heating up. I hit a perfect 4-iron off the tee on #10 to find the middle of the fairway. My pitch bounced into a mound fronting the green, but still managed to reach the back of the green. With the pin at the extreme front, I unfortunately three-putt for bogey. My 4-iron wasn't so good on the next hole, as I hit a bit of a pull-hook into a hazard. When I finally got to the green, I three-putt again for double bogey. On hole #12, I "murdalized" my tee shot, driving the ball 270 yards down the fairway, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. Par was the result. I also made par on the subsequent par-3, a 150-yard carry all over water. Despite a bad drive on hole #14, I still made par. A 3-iron from 250 yards away, followed by a 40-yard pitch and solid putt did the trick.
The par streak ended at three in a row, but I was still playing solid golf. I made bogeys on holes #15 and #16 with smart, conservative play. On #15, a par-3 measuring 150 yards, my tee shot was flag-high, just right of the green. On #16, I hit a 3-iron off the tee, but missed the sweet spot, losing about 30 yards of distance. I was 160 yards from the green, but blocked out by some tall trees. This green is also surrounded by water, so there's no reason to be a hero. I pitched my second shot through the end of the fairway to some rough, leaving an unobstructed 100-yard shot to the green, which I nailed exactly as planned.
This is when the stupidity began. On hole #17, a lengthy par-4 measuring 440 yards, I hit a small tree 50 yards in front of the tee and off to the left side. It was the type I affectionately refer to as a "Vince" tree. Some of my fellow golf enthusiasts will know what I am talking about. The ball rebounded backward, right into a pond on the right. After a re-tee, I hit my third shot left of the fairway. I topped my fourth shot and that was enough to ruin the hole. I finished it five over par. On hole #18, which is a par-5, I made a mental mistake. I tried to "make up" for the previous hole, which was the wrong thing to do. My drive was another terrible one short and left, leaving a bad lie. After two more shots, I was still 210 yards from the green, which is fronted by a meandering creek. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood and of course ended up in the creek. After taking a drop, I mis-hit a pitch shot and that was all she wrote. I hit another pitch to the green and two-putt for my second 9 in a row.
I shot 32 through the first seven holes of the back nine, which is good. Unfortunately, I added 18 on the last two holes. That is simply unacceptable! I have to stop this Jeckyl and Hyde type play. I feel like I'm doing many things well. I've fixed the hook that was plaguing my irons early in the season and my low irons are especially good. I am hitting nice pitches and chips around the greens and also putting well. I have made some inventive shots when called for and been conservative when dictated by the situation. My driving is all over the map though and that is the big problem. I either stripe a great one straight, or more often pull one terribly, leaving me in a bad position from which it is difficult or impossible to recover.
My handicap factor has climbed all the way to 19.8 after being as low as 15.7 two years ago. I am heading in the wrong direction.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
I didn't make the same mistake on hole #2, that's for sure. A par-4, this hole also features out of bounds along the entire left side. I promptly sliced my drive into the #3 fairway on the right side. I followed up with a pitching wedge over some tall trees to get back to the #2 fairway, about 35 yards in front of the green. After a smart pitch to the front edge of the green, I two-putt for a respectable bogey. There is a pond right of the green on this hole which often comes into play, so I was happy with my result.
I was relatively happy with the rest of the front nine. I made par on hole #4 after wisely electing to hit 4-iron off the tee. A somewhat lengthy putt also helped my cause. I hit a nice punch through the trees on the preceeding hole, as well as a decent bunker shot. I had a nice chip on hole #5 and a nice approach on hole #9. I felt like I was doing quite a few things well. The real problem was still the driver. On hole #6, I pulled my drive left into some long weeds. With no chance to find balls in there, I was forced to re-tee. All of a sudden, I drilled a perfect drive to the fairway, a full 275 yards. What the hell? On hole #8, I plastered another drive straight and deep, this one flying 260 yards to the middle of the fairway. However, on hole #9 I hit a brutal drive once again, pulling it left into some trees. I just had no idea what would show up with each drive.
On the back nine, I started heating up. I hit a perfect 4-iron off the tee on #10 to find the middle of the fairway. My pitch bounced into a mound fronting the green, but still managed to reach the back of the green. With the pin at the extreme front, I unfortunately three-putt for bogey. My 4-iron wasn't so good on the next hole, as I hit a bit of a pull-hook into a hazard. When I finally got to the green, I three-putt again for double bogey. On hole #12, I "murdalized" my tee shot, driving the ball 270 yards down the fairway, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. Par was the result. I also made par on the subsequent par-3, a 150-yard carry all over water. Despite a bad drive on hole #14, I still made par. A 3-iron from 250 yards away, followed by a 40-yard pitch and solid putt did the trick.
The par streak ended at three in a row, but I was still playing solid golf. I made bogeys on holes #15 and #16 with smart, conservative play. On #15, a par-3 measuring 150 yards, my tee shot was flag-high, just right of the green. On #16, I hit a 3-iron off the tee, but missed the sweet spot, losing about 30 yards of distance. I was 160 yards from the green, but blocked out by some tall trees. This green is also surrounded by water, so there's no reason to be a hero. I pitched my second shot through the end of the fairway to some rough, leaving an unobstructed 100-yard shot to the green, which I nailed exactly as planned.
This is when the stupidity began. On hole #17, a lengthy par-4 measuring 440 yards, I hit a small tree 50 yards in front of the tee and off to the left side. It was the type I affectionately refer to as a "Vince" tree. Some of my fellow golf enthusiasts will know what I am talking about. The ball rebounded backward, right into a pond on the right. After a re-tee, I hit my third shot left of the fairway. I topped my fourth shot and that was enough to ruin the hole. I finished it five over par. On hole #18, which is a par-5, I made a mental mistake. I tried to "make up" for the previous hole, which was the wrong thing to do. My drive was another terrible one short and left, leaving a bad lie. After two more shots, I was still 210 yards from the green, which is fronted by a meandering creek. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood and of course ended up in the creek. After taking a drop, I mis-hit a pitch shot and that was all she wrote. I hit another pitch to the green and two-putt for my second 9 in a row.
I shot 32 through the first seven holes of the back nine, which is good. Unfortunately, I added 18 on the last two holes. That is simply unacceptable! I have to stop this Jeckyl and Hyde type play. I feel like I'm doing many things well. I've fixed the hook that was plaguing my irons early in the season and my low irons are especially good. I am hitting nice pitches and chips around the greens and also putting well. I have made some inventive shots when called for and been conservative when dictated by the situation. My driving is all over the map though and that is the big problem. I either stripe a great one straight, or more often pull one terribly, leaving me in a bad position from which it is difficult or impossible to recover.
My handicap factor has climbed all the way to 19.8 after being as low as 15.7 two years ago. I am heading in the wrong direction.
Score: 101
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 5
June 20, 2011
Pen Lakes Warmup
Anticipating the next event of the Deepwoods championship, which will be played at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, I invited a friend to join me in something of a practice round at the Fenwick, Ontario course.
Prior to the round, I had an opportunity to work on some things at the driving range. I began with my irons, working my way from pitching wedge to 3-iron. For most of the season, I have been hooking my irons. This time, I was pleased to see the ball travel consistently in a straight line. I concentrated on ball position relative to my stance. I also focused on club face angle, both at address and at impact. I find opening the face at address by a couple of degrees helps me keep it square at impact. My 4-iron and 3-iron were especially strong. It's funny because low irons were a nemesis of mine years ago. Today, they're my favourite irons to hit.
While my irons were working like a charm on the range, the same could not be said of my driving. I was searching for some consistency and just couldn't find it. For most of the year, I have been pulling my drives low and straight off the tee. On this occasion, I was hitting a lot of high, weak fades. I tried various adjustments, but was frankly at a loss for a solution. I wrapped up the practice session and set out to try my luck on the course.
Opening on the Quarry nine, I began with a trio of bogeys. A lovely approach with the 4-iron saved me on the first hole after I topped my second from a bad lie in the rough. On the third hole, I played a 3-iron off the tee, followed by another to the edge of the green. The long irons were certainly working well for me. The next few holes brought a few double-bogeys, for various reasons. On one hole, I accidentally picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker. On another, I registered a dreaded 3-putt. On yet another, I topped my second shot from the rough. I finished the front nine with a score of 49, but felt pretty good about my game nevertheless.
Moving to the Orchard nine, my game continued in much the same fashion. Just as on the practice range, I was driving the ball poorly, but making up for it with nice long irons. The best example was hole #4, a par-5 measuring 532 yards. I hooked my drive terribly off the tee. Luckily, I caught the ball on the heel of the club, so it didn't travel far. Next, I hit a beautiful 5-iron out of the rough, sending the ball deep to the right side of the fairway. With 200 yards still remaining to the green, I hit a perfect 3-iron flag high and left of the pin. Par was the final result. The only real blemish on the back nine came on a couple of par-3 holes, where I needlessly found a couple of water hazards.
When it was all said and done, my final score was 96. While not great, that's the best score I've posted this year, so I can't complain. More importantly, it was a great day and I had a good time.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
Prior to the round, I had an opportunity to work on some things at the driving range. I began with my irons, working my way from pitching wedge to 3-iron. For most of the season, I have been hooking my irons. This time, I was pleased to see the ball travel consistently in a straight line. I concentrated on ball position relative to my stance. I also focused on club face angle, both at address and at impact. I find opening the face at address by a couple of degrees helps me keep it square at impact. My 4-iron and 3-iron were especially strong. It's funny because low irons were a nemesis of mine years ago. Today, they're my favourite irons to hit.
While my irons were working like a charm on the range, the same could not be said of my driving. I was searching for some consistency and just couldn't find it. For most of the year, I have been pulling my drives low and straight off the tee. On this occasion, I was hitting a lot of high, weak fades. I tried various adjustments, but was frankly at a loss for a solution. I wrapped up the practice session and set out to try my luck on the course.
Opening on the Quarry nine, I began with a trio of bogeys. A lovely approach with the 4-iron saved me on the first hole after I topped my second from a bad lie in the rough. On the third hole, I played a 3-iron off the tee, followed by another to the edge of the green. The long irons were certainly working well for me. The next few holes brought a few double-bogeys, for various reasons. On one hole, I accidentally picked a ball clean out of a greenside bunker. On another, I registered a dreaded 3-putt. On yet another, I topped my second shot from the rough. I finished the front nine with a score of 49, but felt pretty good about my game nevertheless.
Moving to the Orchard nine, my game continued in much the same fashion. Just as on the practice range, I was driving the ball poorly, but making up for it with nice long irons. The best example was hole #4, a par-5 measuring 532 yards. I hooked my drive terribly off the tee. Luckily, I caught the ball on the heel of the club, so it didn't travel far. Next, I hit a beautiful 5-iron out of the rough, sending the ball deep to the right side of the fairway. With 200 yards still remaining to the green, I hit a perfect 3-iron flag high and left of the pin. Par was the final result. The only real blemish on the back nine came on a couple of par-3 holes, where I needlessly found a couple of water hazards.
When it was all said and done, my final score was 96. While not great, that's the best score I've posted this year, so I can't complain. More importantly, it was a great day and I had a good time.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 1
Penalties: 2
June 02, 2011
Struggle Continues at Deepwoods Event
The first round of the Deepwoods Golf Association Championship took place at Copetown Woods Golf Club. The course has hosted Round 1 of the Deepwoods Championship for many years. I played well at Copetown in seasons past, setting the stage for a win and two second place finishes over the last four years. This year was different.
I went into the round with very little confidence, owing to the poor showings I've had early this year. I was encouraged when I found myself able to control my drives and iron shots on the practice range. I was still pulling my drives and drawing my irons more than desired, but at least the path of the ball in the air seemed to be predictable.
That all went out the window when I teed off on my first hole of the day, which was #10, a short par-5. I popped my drive straight in the air, maybe 50 yards. Hitting next from the rough, I topped my 5-wood. I followed up with a trio of good shots and a couple of putts, but the damage had been done. Double-bogey was not the start I was looking for.
The rest of the back nine was a struggle all the way through. I especially made a mess of holes #13 and #14, collecting a penalty stroke on the former for a pulled drive into a pond, and another on the latter for a hooked iron into deep fescue that swallowed my ball never to be seen again. Triple-bogey was the result on both holes. The back nine produced a lone par, which came on hole #15, a rather straightforward affair.
The front nine was much better, as I managed a birdie on hole #6, followed by a par on hole #7. I also posted five bogeys on this half of the scorecard. I hit two or three drives that I was happy with, along with some nice approach shots. Nevertheless, I still had two disaster holes, which ruined any chance of offsetting the back nine that began my day.
The only real positive I can take out of this round was the fact that I broke 100. You know things are going badly when breaking 100 is considered encouraging. I have to figure out why I'm pulling all my drives. I also have to find a way to prevent the clubface from shutting on most of my iron shots. At least chipping and putting are OK.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
I went into the round with very little confidence, owing to the poor showings I've had early this year. I was encouraged when I found myself able to control my drives and iron shots on the practice range. I was still pulling my drives and drawing my irons more than desired, but at least the path of the ball in the air seemed to be predictable.
That all went out the window when I teed off on my first hole of the day, which was #10, a short par-5. I popped my drive straight in the air, maybe 50 yards. Hitting next from the rough, I topped my 5-wood. I followed up with a trio of good shots and a couple of putts, but the damage had been done. Double-bogey was not the start I was looking for.
The rest of the back nine was a struggle all the way through. I especially made a mess of holes #13 and #14, collecting a penalty stroke on the former for a pulled drive into a pond, and another on the latter for a hooked iron into deep fescue that swallowed my ball never to be seen again. Triple-bogey was the result on both holes. The back nine produced a lone par, which came on hole #15, a rather straightforward affair.
The front nine was much better, as I managed a birdie on hole #6, followed by a par on hole #7. I also posted five bogeys on this half of the scorecard. I hit two or three drives that I was happy with, along with some nice approach shots. Nevertheless, I still had two disaster holes, which ruined any chance of offsetting the back nine that began my day.
The only real positive I can take out of this round was the fact that I broke 100. You know things are going badly when breaking 100 is considered encouraging. I have to figure out why I'm pulling all my drives. I also have to find a way to prevent the clubface from shutting on most of my iron shots. At least chipping and putting are OK.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
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