Golf can be weird. Sometimes you play poorly and score relatively well. At other times, you play well and score poorly. My latest round at Hockley Valley Resort offers an example of the latter.
I teed off late in the afternoon and was paired with a couple of guys who turned out to be pretty good company. On the opening hole, a par 4 playing 386 yards, I hit a sweet drive 250 yards to the centre of the fairway. The swing was so smooth and the result so perfect, that I actually heard gasps of admiration from my playing partners.
I added a bit of wrist cock to the swing and that made all the difference. It allowed me to keep the backswing short, while feeling like I was fully coiled to unleash some fury on the ball. In the past, whenever I consciously added wrist cock to my swing, I would lose control. It resulted in topped balls, shots hit fat, shanks or smotherings. I think I would simply overdo it. The key is to make these adjustments in moderation. Only a slight wrist cock is necessary. It seems to help me keep the backswing short and, more importantly, on plane.
I followed up my opening shot with a pitching wedge that ended up a couple yards in front of the green. We had a lot of rain the day before and the fairway was still saturated with water. I sliced through it like butter. Conscious of the moisture, I didn't want to duff my chip attempt, so I caught the ball a bit thin and sent it well past the hole. I would have been happy with a 2-putt bogey, but after a decent lag, I missed a short putt, settling for double-bogey.
On the second hole, a par-4 measuring 397 yards, I hit another 250-yard beauty off the tee. The ball faded slightly, which is the ideal shape for this hole, coming to rest in the middle of the fairway at the 150-yard stick. With a sharp rise to the green that I wanted to carry, I opted for a 7-iron on my next shot. I trapped the ball nicely, hitting the very front of the green. Unfortunately, the ball released all the way to the back of the green. A very poor lag putt resulted in another 3-putt and bogey. My playing partners were rather excited about my first two shots, which felt good.
Hole # 3 was a 146-yard par-3, featuring a severely elevated tee, as do all but one of the par-3 holes at Hockley Valley. I hit a pitching wedge and it landed on the green like a dart. I was feeling the mojo at this point and relishing it. I finished up with a routine 2-putt for par.
I hit another fairway on hole #4, a challenging par-5. My approach to the green, which is blind, was caught thin and settled in the rough 20 yards short. I made the perfect pitch shot, flopping the ball past a mound to the very front of the green, but once again it released to the back. I 2-putt from there and walked away with bogey.
Bogey golf through the first four holes had me feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, I scored an 8 on the next hole, a 185-yard par-3. This illustrates how quickly things can go bad at Hockley Valley. When you miss a shot on this course, the consequences are extremely penal. There are many forced carries off the tee and anything off the fairways finds long fescue and vicious weeds. Balls in those areas are almost always lost. If you do manage to find your ball, it is almost always unplayable. Add to this the fact that wayward balls can disappear behind large mounds, so you can't even track their flight path. I hit my tee shot off the heel of the club, hooking it over a large mound on the left side. Two unplayable balls resulted in a pair of penalty strokes. It was truly an adventure getting to the green after the miscue on the tee.
As bad as the last hole was, I wasn't really perturbed. I made just one mistake off the tee, albeit an extremely costly one. The inflated score had more to do with the impossibility of recovering from a bad position on this course than it did with my ball striking ability. I bogeyed hole #6, a pretty par-5, and all seemed well again.
On hole #7, my tee shot was a few yards left of the fairway. Unfortunately, this put me up against some large vegetation, which interfered with my backswing. I took my medicine and hit a half-swing 8-iron to the 100-yard stick. From there, I hit a very pure sand wedge, but the ball didn't stay on the green. The green is angled, with the left side short and the right side long. The pin was right at the back. I was aiming for the centre of the green, which I nailed. However, the ball released off the back. Had I gone right at the pin, the result would have been perfect. With the green sloping away from me, I faced a delicate chip shot. I got too delicate and left the ball in the rough a few feet ahead of me. My second attempt rolled well past the hole, but I still managed a 2-putt. With the exception of the first chip attempt, I felt like I played the hole very well. Nevertheless, triple-bogey was the outcome.
I rounded out the front nine with a bogey and double-bogey. They bogey came after I was robbed on a par putt. The double came on hole #9, which I really don't like at all. In fact, I described it as a Mickey Mouse hole in an old post.
The back nine was a contrast in results. I made 3 pars and one bogey on the par-3 holes, but exploded for big scores on two out of three par-5 holes. If not for a missed short putt on hole #17, I would have made par on all of the par-3's. Some of my approaches on these holes were breathtaking. On hole #10, my pitching wedge helped me hit the back of the green like a dart. On hole #12, a beast of a hole measuring 201 yards with danger everywhere but the green, I hit a laser 3-iron into the wind. It ended up flag-high, 15 feet left of the pin. On hole #17, I hit another laser 180 yards right at the pin. I was surprised that the ball spun back a yard, as I was expecting it to release forward.
As I mentioned, success on th par-3 holes was tempered by difficulties on the par-5's. On hole #11, my tee shot was pulled slightly, ending up lost in fescue and weeds. En route to the green, I hit one shot fat and pulled another into the woods off a side hill lie. I finished that hole with two penalty strokes and a score of 10. On hole #16, I layed up to the top of a ridge with my second shot. My third, from 200 yards out, was a wicked pull into the woods. A subsequent approach from 100 yards was hit so pure that it trickled into more vegetation behind the green. The final damage on that hole was two more penalty strokes and a score of 9.
The last hole was played after sunset and it was difficult to see anything. We should have been done much earlier, but a tournament was being played and pace along the course was slow. Nevertheless, we played through the darkness and managed to complete the round in its entirety.
At the end of it all, I feel good about this round, but the score doesn't show it. The wrist cock adjustment helped my driving greatly, I hit some excellent irons from intimidating positions, as well as some excellent wedges. If there's a part of my game that let me down it was putting. I had too many 3-putts and missed too many short ones.
Score: 102
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 7
August 26, 2011
August 22, 2011
Shell Shocked at Dragon's Fire
It was Round 4 of the Deepwoods Golf Association championship and I turned in a complete stinker. Already out of contention for the overall title, I just wanted to show up and put in a decent performance. I failed miserably, shooting a demoralizing score of 126. To put that in perspective, consider that anything over 99 is a loser in my books. I've had far too many rounds of 100 or more this season, including one as high as 109. As bad as that was, this round was 17 strokes worse!
Opening on hole #10, my drive was pulled slightly. With some luck, it would have cleared a bunker and come to rest in the fairway, 150 yards from the flag. With my luck however, it failed to clear the bunker and came to rest close to the front lip. I tried to play the next shot as you generaly play from a fairway bunker: contact the ball first, taking a divot in front of the ball. I used a loft wedge to ensure the ball would get up quickly over the edge. Two attempts at this shot failed, both hitting the lip. I was forced to play like one generally does in a greenside bunker: hit behind the ball, lifting the ball up and out of the bunker on a cushion of sand. It worked, but of course I had already wasted two strokes. After an approach to the green and two putts, I finished with a triple-bogey.
I hit my drive on hole #11 to a perfect position on the left side of the fairway, just 120 yards to the flag. The only real danger was a bunker right of the green. Of course, I pushed the approach shot slightly, just enough to find the sand. I hit a good shot out and 2-putt for bogey, but the pattern had been set. I would find fairway and greenside bunkers with disturbing regularity for the remainder of the round. Hole #12 is a medium length par-3 with a large bunker on the front left side. I avoided the bunker this time, hitting the right edge of the green. I was far from the hole, but manged a 2-putt for par.
Hole #13 is a long par-5, not reachable in two unless you're a pro. In fact, even a pro would be challenged to reach the green in under regulation. I pulled my drive into a bunker, but the ball skipped over the front edge, leaving me with a flat lie in the rough. That was the good part. The bad part was that trees were blocking my advance toward the green. I tried to hit a low hook around the trees. The ball hooked slightly, but not enough to avoid another bunker on the right side of the fairway. Recalling my experience on the first hole of the day, I decided not to flirt with the lip of this bunker, which was fairly close. I opted to play the greenside bunker shot, just to get the ball into the fairway. It worked in the sense that I got out of the bunker easily. It failed in the sense that the ball travelled to the right of my target line, landing in another bunker just a few yards ahead. With no lip threatening my advance this time, I took aim at the green 180 yards away with my 5-iron. I hit a fabulous shot flag high, but on the opposite side of the green. With the cup on a hard-to-read slope, I 3-putt for double-bogey.
With everything that went wrong so far, the round was still far from lost. In retrospect however, my next shot was the one that sent me on a downward spiral from which I would not recover. On a par-3 measuring 186 yards, I hit a 5-iron thin, sending the ball to some fescue just ahead of the forward teeing ground. I extracted the ball with a good pitching wedge, but it bounded toward and into a front right bunker. My first attempt out of the bunker was fat, while my second was fine. I then 3-putt for a quadruple bogey.
Hole #15, a par-4 that is reachable from the tee, provided an opportunity for a quick turnaround. Unfortunately, I hit my tee shot thin once again. The ball travelled 120 yards, coming to rest just behind the 150-yard marker. I considered myself lucky as I reached for a 7-iron. I duffed my next shot to the edge of a fairway bunker. I was not in the bunker, but the ball was well below my feet. I caught the ball fat and now I was in the bunker proper. One fat shot later, I was still in the bunker. The next attempt was over the back of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for another quad.
That was pretty much it as far as this round was concerned. I scored an 11 on the ensuing par-5, with a penalty stroke mixed in. To be honest, it's a day later and I don't even remember how the hole played out. At this point, it got really cold and the skies opened up. After a brief delay, I made par on hole #17, a par-3. On hole #18 I was back to my regular antics. I duffed a tee shot as a wet grip slipped in my hands. I hit a great 7-iron out of the fescue to advance the ball, but then things got silly. I poured three consecutive balls into the water on the right side of the fairway. I finished with a score of 12 for the hole.
And so it continued for the entire back nine. The lone bright spot was a par on hole #2, a par-3 that was playing about 160 yards long. I would find bunkers again on holes #3 and #5. The one on #3 was not bad, as I splashed out nicely onto the green and proceeded to 2-putt. The one on #5 was much worse. I striped a 3-iron from 215 yards out and it looked like the ball would roll onto the green. However, it just caught the left edge of the bunker and dove inside. Surprise, surprise. After another rain delay, my bunker shot (from wet sand) carried clear past the green, landing in some horific weeds. I tried to play the ball as it lay, but it squirted right into another hazard. After a penalty stroke, my pitch shot almost went in, but I needed one more tap-in for a triple bogey.
At this point, I think I gave up. I sliced my drive on hole #6, but found the ball in the rough 160 yards from the flag. Tall trees stood between me and the green, but since I had nothing to play for, I decided to go for it. I proceeded to pour three consecutive balls into the woods. I finished with a score of 10 on this par-4. I had some good shots on hole #7, a par-5, that resulted in a rare bogey. The respite was short, as I limped into the finish with scores of 10 and 6 on the final two holes, a par-5 followed by a par-3.
I am hoping this is rock-bottom. Only time will tell.
Score: 126
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 11
Opening on hole #10, my drive was pulled slightly. With some luck, it would have cleared a bunker and come to rest in the fairway, 150 yards from the flag. With my luck however, it failed to clear the bunker and came to rest close to the front lip. I tried to play the next shot as you generaly play from a fairway bunker: contact the ball first, taking a divot in front of the ball. I used a loft wedge to ensure the ball would get up quickly over the edge. Two attempts at this shot failed, both hitting the lip. I was forced to play like one generally does in a greenside bunker: hit behind the ball, lifting the ball up and out of the bunker on a cushion of sand. It worked, but of course I had already wasted two strokes. After an approach to the green and two putts, I finished with a triple-bogey.
I hit my drive on hole #11 to a perfect position on the left side of the fairway, just 120 yards to the flag. The only real danger was a bunker right of the green. Of course, I pushed the approach shot slightly, just enough to find the sand. I hit a good shot out and 2-putt for bogey, but the pattern had been set. I would find fairway and greenside bunkers with disturbing regularity for the remainder of the round. Hole #12 is a medium length par-3 with a large bunker on the front left side. I avoided the bunker this time, hitting the right edge of the green. I was far from the hole, but manged a 2-putt for par.
Hole #13 is a long par-5, not reachable in two unless you're a pro. In fact, even a pro would be challenged to reach the green in under regulation. I pulled my drive into a bunker, but the ball skipped over the front edge, leaving me with a flat lie in the rough. That was the good part. The bad part was that trees were blocking my advance toward the green. I tried to hit a low hook around the trees. The ball hooked slightly, but not enough to avoid another bunker on the right side of the fairway. Recalling my experience on the first hole of the day, I decided not to flirt with the lip of this bunker, which was fairly close. I opted to play the greenside bunker shot, just to get the ball into the fairway. It worked in the sense that I got out of the bunker easily. It failed in the sense that the ball travelled to the right of my target line, landing in another bunker just a few yards ahead. With no lip threatening my advance this time, I took aim at the green 180 yards away with my 5-iron. I hit a fabulous shot flag high, but on the opposite side of the green. With the cup on a hard-to-read slope, I 3-putt for double-bogey.
With everything that went wrong so far, the round was still far from lost. In retrospect however, my next shot was the one that sent me on a downward spiral from which I would not recover. On a par-3 measuring 186 yards, I hit a 5-iron thin, sending the ball to some fescue just ahead of the forward teeing ground. I extracted the ball with a good pitching wedge, but it bounded toward and into a front right bunker. My first attempt out of the bunker was fat, while my second was fine. I then 3-putt for a quadruple bogey.
Hole #15, a par-4 that is reachable from the tee, provided an opportunity for a quick turnaround. Unfortunately, I hit my tee shot thin once again. The ball travelled 120 yards, coming to rest just behind the 150-yard marker. I considered myself lucky as I reached for a 7-iron. I duffed my next shot to the edge of a fairway bunker. I was not in the bunker, but the ball was well below my feet. I caught the ball fat and now I was in the bunker proper. One fat shot later, I was still in the bunker. The next attempt was over the back of the green. I chipped on and 2-putt for another quad.
That was pretty much it as far as this round was concerned. I scored an 11 on the ensuing par-5, with a penalty stroke mixed in. To be honest, it's a day later and I don't even remember how the hole played out. At this point, it got really cold and the skies opened up. After a brief delay, I made par on hole #17, a par-3. On hole #18 I was back to my regular antics. I duffed a tee shot as a wet grip slipped in my hands. I hit a great 7-iron out of the fescue to advance the ball, but then things got silly. I poured three consecutive balls into the water on the right side of the fairway. I finished with a score of 12 for the hole.
And so it continued for the entire back nine. The lone bright spot was a par on hole #2, a par-3 that was playing about 160 yards long. I would find bunkers again on holes #3 and #5. The one on #3 was not bad, as I splashed out nicely onto the green and proceeded to 2-putt. The one on #5 was much worse. I striped a 3-iron from 215 yards out and it looked like the ball would roll onto the green. However, it just caught the left edge of the bunker and dove inside. Surprise, surprise. After another rain delay, my bunker shot (from wet sand) carried clear past the green, landing in some horific weeds. I tried to play the ball as it lay, but it squirted right into another hazard. After a penalty stroke, my pitch shot almost went in, but I needed one more tap-in for a triple bogey.
At this point, I think I gave up. I sliced my drive on hole #6, but found the ball in the rough 160 yards from the flag. Tall trees stood between me and the green, but since I had nothing to play for, I decided to go for it. I proceeded to pour three consecutive balls into the woods. I finished with a score of 10 on this par-4. I had some good shots on hole #7, a par-5, that resulted in a rare bogey. The respite was short, as I limped into the finish with scores of 10 and 6 on the final two holes, a par-5 followed by a par-3.
I am hoping this is rock-bottom. Only time will tell.
Score: 126
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 3
Penalties: 11
Two-Glove to One-Eye at Lochness Links
Years ago, I used to play wearing both a left and right golf glove, which earned me the nickname "Two-Glove" from a couple of my playing partners. I went back to a single glove for some time, before abandoning the gloves completely. "No-Glove" would be a more appropriate moniker for me these days. After my latest round, played at Lochness Links in Welland, Ontario, I thought of a completely different nickname altogether. I was spending a week nearby and happened to lose one of my contact lenses. I didn't bring any spares, so I was forced to make do with a single lens. "One-Eye" seemed to be an apropos nickname as I stood on the first tee early in the morning.
I had only played Lochness Links once before, scoring 85 in one of my best rounds ever. A triple-bogey on hole #17 and double-bogeys on holes #6 through #8 were the only blemish on a scorecard that also featured five bogeys, eight pars, and one birdie. With fond memories of a previous visit and a true appreciation for the course design, I was really looking forward to this round.
Unfortunately, the start was pretty rough. My opening drive drifted slightly right, but it was enough to find the gnarly fescue that abounds at Lochness. My attempt to advance the ball failed, with the ball landing in a hazard that crosses the fairway. After a penalty stroke and drop, my approach to the green was pushed well right. I required a pitch shot to reach the green, then 3-putt for an ugly quadruple-bogey.
After a bogey on hole #2, a par-3 measuring 189 yards from the white tees, I exploded for another quad on hole #3. My drive on this par-5 found the left edge of the fairway, 250 yards from the flag. Now it was decision time. A large pond hugs the left side of the fairway from 150 yards out all the way to the green. The last time I played this hole, I tried to lay up near the 150-yard marker. I pulled the ball slightly and quickly ended up in the pond. This time, I opted to blast the ball over the water. Gripping my 5-wood, I took a swing at my target, but caught the ball a little fat and ended up wet once again. It got worse from here, as my approach to the green after taking a drop was short and right, landing in some fescue. The ball was unplayable, meaning another penalty stroke. Poor chips ensued and the final tally is something you already know.
The rest of my round was really a mixed bag, which is a phrase I've used frequently to describe my game this year. My driving was the best it has been all season. I hit eight fairways in my previous round at Ussher's Creek. That was my best tally of the year, until I eclipsed it with nine fairways hit at Lochness. I was swinging calmly but freely. I was making contact at the centre of the clubface, propelling the ball straight and deep. It was a wonderful feeling, but perplexing at the same time. My driver had been so bad at times this season, how could it be so good now? Even missed fairways were not really misses. On hole #13, a dog-leg right, I piped a beauty so straight and so deep, that it ran through the end of the fairway 270 yards away. Driving was definitely not the problem on this day.
The problem was with my irons, specifically short irons and wedges. I hit some nice long irons, inlcuding a 3-iron off the tee on hole #8 that travelled 215 yards to finish flag-high on this par-3. After a fantastic chip, I missed a 3-footer for par, but that's besides the point. Long irons were working well. The same could not be said for my short irons. I pushed a 7-iron into a greenside bunker on hole #7, leading to a triple-bogey. My bunker shot sailed across the green into some bad fescue. Two shots were required to get out of there. On hole #9, I hooked my second shot with the 7-iron into the water, leading to double-bogey. On a couple of occasions, I sculled an approach shot with a wedge well past the green. On hole #10 for example, my approach with a sand wedge from 100 yards actually travelled 180 yards. I managed to save bogey, but that represents a lost stroke. The way I was driving the ball, I should have hit many more greens in regulation.
Going into the final hole, I had a chance to break 100 with a par. My driving finally abandoned me, as I pulled one well left of target. Still, I should have been able to recover from there. The lie was not bad, but I pushed my 7-iron clear across the fairway and into some water. After a drop, I once again found the water, which wraps to the front of the green. I ended up with a quadruple-bogey and easily over the century mark.
I was not happy with the score, but there was enough good in this round that I felt encouraged.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
I had only played Lochness Links once before, scoring 85 in one of my best rounds ever. A triple-bogey on hole #17 and double-bogeys on holes #6 through #8 were the only blemish on a scorecard that also featured five bogeys, eight pars, and one birdie. With fond memories of a previous visit and a true appreciation for the course design, I was really looking forward to this round.
Unfortunately, the start was pretty rough. My opening drive drifted slightly right, but it was enough to find the gnarly fescue that abounds at Lochness. My attempt to advance the ball failed, with the ball landing in a hazard that crosses the fairway. After a penalty stroke and drop, my approach to the green was pushed well right. I required a pitch shot to reach the green, then 3-putt for an ugly quadruple-bogey.
After a bogey on hole #2, a par-3 measuring 189 yards from the white tees, I exploded for another quad on hole #3. My drive on this par-5 found the left edge of the fairway, 250 yards from the flag. Now it was decision time. A large pond hugs the left side of the fairway from 150 yards out all the way to the green. The last time I played this hole, I tried to lay up near the 150-yard marker. I pulled the ball slightly and quickly ended up in the pond. This time, I opted to blast the ball over the water. Gripping my 5-wood, I took a swing at my target, but caught the ball a little fat and ended up wet once again. It got worse from here, as my approach to the green after taking a drop was short and right, landing in some fescue. The ball was unplayable, meaning another penalty stroke. Poor chips ensued and the final tally is something you already know.
The rest of my round was really a mixed bag, which is a phrase I've used frequently to describe my game this year. My driving was the best it has been all season. I hit eight fairways in my previous round at Ussher's Creek. That was my best tally of the year, until I eclipsed it with nine fairways hit at Lochness. I was swinging calmly but freely. I was making contact at the centre of the clubface, propelling the ball straight and deep. It was a wonderful feeling, but perplexing at the same time. My driver had been so bad at times this season, how could it be so good now? Even missed fairways were not really misses. On hole #13, a dog-leg right, I piped a beauty so straight and so deep, that it ran through the end of the fairway 270 yards away. Driving was definitely not the problem on this day.
The problem was with my irons, specifically short irons and wedges. I hit some nice long irons, inlcuding a 3-iron off the tee on hole #8 that travelled 215 yards to finish flag-high on this par-3. After a fantastic chip, I missed a 3-footer for par, but that's besides the point. Long irons were working well. The same could not be said for my short irons. I pushed a 7-iron into a greenside bunker on hole #7, leading to a triple-bogey. My bunker shot sailed across the green into some bad fescue. Two shots were required to get out of there. On hole #9, I hooked my second shot with the 7-iron into the water, leading to double-bogey. On a couple of occasions, I sculled an approach shot with a wedge well past the green. On hole #10 for example, my approach with a sand wedge from 100 yards actually travelled 180 yards. I managed to save bogey, but that represents a lost stroke. The way I was driving the ball, I should have hit many more greens in regulation.
Going into the final hole, I had a chance to break 100 with a par. My driving finally abandoned me, as I pulled one well left of target. Still, I should have been able to recover from there. The lie was not bad, but I pushed my 7-iron clear across the fairway and into some water. After a drop, I once again found the water, which wraps to the front of the green. I ended up with a quadruple-bogey and easily over the century mark.
I was not happy with the score, but there was enough good in this round that I felt encouraged.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 2
Penalties: 6
Average at Ussher's Creek
I spent a week in the Niagara region, so I booked a couple of golf rounds at nearby courses. The first of these was a late afternoon outing at Ussher's Creek.
Things started well enough with a drive just off the fairway and a green in regulation on the opening par-4 hole. Unfortunately, I 3-putt from about twelve feet for a bogey. I had not taken any practice putts and as a result, blasted my first well past the hole. Shaking it off, I managed to par the next hole, which was a par-5. My drive hit the fairway and I was once again on the green in regulation. This time, I judged the speed of my lag putt correctly, leaving just a tap-in.
I was playing bogey golf through the first three holes, but the wheels came off on holes #4 and #5. I shanked my drive on #4, then pushed another off the tee into the woods right of the fairway. After tacking on my second penalty stroke of the hole, I hit two bad pitch attempts. I was just trying to get back to the fairway, but still found myself behind a tree. I reached the right side of the green with my next attempt, but followed that up with a sculled chip that ended up on the left side. I actually chipped the next one in from this position for a score of nine. On hole #5 I had different problems. My drive found a bunker and I needed two more shots just to get out. My fourth barely reached the green and I followed this up with a 3-putt for triple-bogey.
As quickly as my game went bad, it suddenly reversed course and turned good once again. I piped my drive on hole #6 to the centre of the fairway. This was a great shot, considering the pond that hugs the left side of this hole from tee to green. I missed the green to the right, but chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Thus began a stretch of better-than-bogey golf, which lasted for twelve holes. Over this stretch, I recorded four pars, six bogeys, and two double-bogeys. Thick rough was the cause of the double bogeys, giving me trouble with my second shot on hole #15 and with my third just off the green on hole #17. Aside from that, everything was going well. I hit seven of nine fairways with the driver dialed in nicely. I added four greens in regulation, while the short game remained steady.
The streak came to an end on the final hole, which produced a triple bogey. This is a straight, 394-yard par-4. A wide creek bed crosses directly in front of the green, with severe mounding behind. My drive was a yard or two into the right rough, so I decided to take no chances. I chipped the ball to the middle of the fairway, leaving 80 yards to the flag. Unfortunately, I caught my next shot fat, sending the ball into the creek. For all of my caution, designed to avoid going into the creek, I ended up there anyway. Golf can be so unfair! After a penalty stroke, I found the green with my next shot and 2-putt to finish the round.
Overall, I was happy that I recovered from two horrific holes early. The 12-hole stretch from #6 to #17 was lots of fun. This was spoiled somewhat by what transpired on #18, but on the back of my previous round, this is another decent result.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
Things started well enough with a drive just off the fairway and a green in regulation on the opening par-4 hole. Unfortunately, I 3-putt from about twelve feet for a bogey. I had not taken any practice putts and as a result, blasted my first well past the hole. Shaking it off, I managed to par the next hole, which was a par-5. My drive hit the fairway and I was once again on the green in regulation. This time, I judged the speed of my lag putt correctly, leaving just a tap-in.
I was playing bogey golf through the first three holes, but the wheels came off on holes #4 and #5. I shanked my drive on #4, then pushed another off the tee into the woods right of the fairway. After tacking on my second penalty stroke of the hole, I hit two bad pitch attempts. I was just trying to get back to the fairway, but still found myself behind a tree. I reached the right side of the green with my next attempt, but followed that up with a sculled chip that ended up on the left side. I actually chipped the next one in from this position for a score of nine. On hole #5 I had different problems. My drive found a bunker and I needed two more shots just to get out. My fourth barely reached the green and I followed this up with a 3-putt for triple-bogey.
As quickly as my game went bad, it suddenly reversed course and turned good once again. I piped my drive on hole #6 to the centre of the fairway. This was a great shot, considering the pond that hugs the left side of this hole from tee to green. I missed the green to the right, but chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Thus began a stretch of better-than-bogey golf, which lasted for twelve holes. Over this stretch, I recorded four pars, six bogeys, and two double-bogeys. Thick rough was the cause of the double bogeys, giving me trouble with my second shot on hole #15 and with my third just off the green on hole #17. Aside from that, everything was going well. I hit seven of nine fairways with the driver dialed in nicely. I added four greens in regulation, while the short game remained steady.
The streak came to an end on the final hole, which produced a triple bogey. This is a straight, 394-yard par-4. A wide creek bed crosses directly in front of the green, with severe mounding behind. My drive was a yard or two into the right rough, so I decided to take no chances. I chipped the ball to the middle of the fairway, leaving 80 yards to the flag. Unfortunately, I caught my next shot fat, sending the ball into the creek. For all of my caution, designed to avoid going into the creek, I ended up there anyway. Golf can be so unfair! After a penalty stroke, I found the green with my next shot and 2-putt to finish the round.
Overall, I was happy that I recovered from two horrific holes early. The 12-hole stretch from #6 to #17 was lots of fun. This was spoiled somewhat by what transpired on #18, but on the back of my previous round, this is another decent result.
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
August 21, 2011
Getting the Hang of Things at Westview
I played with a couple of old golf buddies who booked the round at a familiar club: Westview, where I've played a good chunk of my golf this season. It was a quiet Sunday morning when we tackled the Middle / Lakeland combination.
I played solid, but unspectacular, golf on the Middle nine. I hit only the first and last fairways, but drove the ball to workable positions nevertheless. My irons were not always crisp, but they were good enough to advance the ball comfortably. Near the greens, I was able to make some good pitch and chip shots. I was very comfortable with the flat stick, registering a trio of 1-putts, while 2-putting the rest. I finished with seven bogeys and two double-bogeys for a score of 47 at the turn. It goes to show that you don't have to strike the ball perfectly to play bogey golf. All you need to do is avoid the wasted shots: duffs that fail to advance the ball, and wayward shots that result in penalty strokes. If you can do that while chipping and putting reasonably well, then things should be okay.
I opened the Lakeland nine with a very satisfying par on hole #1, an uphill par-4 that was playing about 410 yards. I hit my drive straight, but not very far. I caught the ball low on the clubface, producing a low trajectory that failed to reach the top of the hill. From 195 yards, I hit perhaps the best shot of the day: a blind 3-iron that started right as it crested over the hill, then drew slightly left in the direction of the flag. The ball stopped about 12 feet past the hole, setting up a conventional 2-putt for the par result.
The remainder of the round was less steady than the beginning, but a couple more pars seemed to smooth things out. I collected a penalty stroke on each of holes #3, #5, and #9. On hole #3, a par-5, my approach to the green was pulled left into the woods. On hole #5, another par-5, my second shot was fat, sending the ball into a hazard that crosses the fairway. On hole #9, a par-3, I topped my tee shot, sending the ball dribbling into a pond just right of the teeing ground. Despite these mistakes, I still managed to shoot 48 on the back nine.
Overall, a decent round I could build on.
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
I played solid, but unspectacular, golf on the Middle nine. I hit only the first and last fairways, but drove the ball to workable positions nevertheless. My irons were not always crisp, but they were good enough to advance the ball comfortably. Near the greens, I was able to make some good pitch and chip shots. I was very comfortable with the flat stick, registering a trio of 1-putts, while 2-putting the rest. I finished with seven bogeys and two double-bogeys for a score of 47 at the turn. It goes to show that you don't have to strike the ball perfectly to play bogey golf. All you need to do is avoid the wasted shots: duffs that fail to advance the ball, and wayward shots that result in penalty strokes. If you can do that while chipping and putting reasonably well, then things should be okay.
I opened the Lakeland nine with a very satisfying par on hole #1, an uphill par-4 that was playing about 410 yards. I hit my drive straight, but not very far. I caught the ball low on the clubface, producing a low trajectory that failed to reach the top of the hill. From 195 yards, I hit perhaps the best shot of the day: a blind 3-iron that started right as it crested over the hill, then drew slightly left in the direction of the flag. The ball stopped about 12 feet past the hole, setting up a conventional 2-putt for the par result.
The remainder of the round was less steady than the beginning, but a couple more pars seemed to smooth things out. I collected a penalty stroke on each of holes #3, #5, and #9. On hole #3, a par-5, my approach to the green was pulled left into the woods. On hole #5, another par-5, my second shot was fat, sending the ball into a hazard that crosses the fairway. On hole #9, a par-3, I topped my tee shot, sending the ball dribbling into a pond just right of the teeing ground. Despite these mistakes, I still managed to shoot 48 on the back nine.
Overall, a decent round I could build on.
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
August 11, 2011
Ready to Snap at Hidden Lake
I booked an early morning round on the Old Course at Hidden Lake. While taking my clubs out of the car, I realized that I left my golf shoes at home. I was forced to play in running shoes. That was fine, except that my feet were soaked by the morning dew after playing just one hole.
My game sucked. I bogeyed the opening hole after a drive to the intermediate rough right of the fairway and a 120-yard approach to a greenside bunker. I actually made a decent out from the bunker, but settled for a 2-putt. On hole #2, a short par-3, I hit a pull-hook into the hazard left of the green, leading to a double-bogey. I've played this course many times and never been that far left, ever!
A pulled drive on hole #3 put me in the opposite fairway. My recovery shot clipped a treetop, deflecting the ball to the 100-yard stick. My third shot found a greenside bunker, which in retrospect, was the start of my collapse. I didn't catch enough sand, sending the ball 40 yards past the green. With trees in my way, it took two more shots to reach the putting surface. I added two putts for a quadruple bogey. Can you feel the rage?
I finished the remainder of the opening nine with three bogeys and three double-bogeys. A couple of the bogeys came on par-5 holes. I made a mistake on each of these, but the rest of the shots were good enough to save a decent score. A couple of the double-bogeys came on par-3 holes. In both cases, it was a 3-putt that killed me. Those were not timely at all!
The back nine began with another bogey on a par-5. At this point, there was still a chance to salvage a satisfactory round. That chance vanished on hole #11, a par-4 measuring 406 yards from the gold tees. I hit a nice straight drive, though it was a bit low. A creek bed crosses the fairway 210 yards out, but it looked like my ball carried safely. Well, looks can be deceiving. I could not find my ball. The only place it could get lost was the creek bed. I was forced to take a penalty. My third shot was right of the green, but then things got really ugly. I duffed a pitch shot into a bunker, then barely got out with my next one. I was on the green in six and finished with a quadruple bogey.
I never recovered from that episode. I bogeyed the next hole, a par-4, but it was a 3-putt bogey. On hole #13 I hit five bad shots in a row, en route to a triple-bogey. Pulled drive off the tee to a bunker near the third green, followed by a wedge that hit the base of a tree, a duffed punch shot from the rough, a fat wedge from the fairway, and a sculled pitch that rolled off the back of the green. Pathetic stuff, really.
A bogey and par on the next two holes fooled me into thinking I could still break 100. Incidentally, the par came on another par-5. On the 16th tee, I hit another brutal pull with the driver, smacking a tree 100 yards away. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood into a hazard on the right side. Next, my pitch shot came up short in another bunker. The bunker shot was another one that carried over the green. Yadda, yadda, yadda...chalk up another quad.
With no chance to break 100, I mailed it in for the final two holes. Why bother?
Through the end of 2009, my game was improving slowly, but steadily. In 2010, my game hit a plateau. I didn't get better, but I didn't get worse either. This year, I am taking a big step backwards. At least I tell it like it is.
Oh yeah, go to hell.
Score: 106
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
My game sucked. I bogeyed the opening hole after a drive to the intermediate rough right of the fairway and a 120-yard approach to a greenside bunker. I actually made a decent out from the bunker, but settled for a 2-putt. On hole #2, a short par-3, I hit a pull-hook into the hazard left of the green, leading to a double-bogey. I've played this course many times and never been that far left, ever!
A pulled drive on hole #3 put me in the opposite fairway. My recovery shot clipped a treetop, deflecting the ball to the 100-yard stick. My third shot found a greenside bunker, which in retrospect, was the start of my collapse. I didn't catch enough sand, sending the ball 40 yards past the green. With trees in my way, it took two more shots to reach the putting surface. I added two putts for a quadruple bogey. Can you feel the rage?
I finished the remainder of the opening nine with three bogeys and three double-bogeys. A couple of the bogeys came on par-5 holes. I made a mistake on each of these, but the rest of the shots were good enough to save a decent score. A couple of the double-bogeys came on par-3 holes. In both cases, it was a 3-putt that killed me. Those were not timely at all!
The back nine began with another bogey on a par-5. At this point, there was still a chance to salvage a satisfactory round. That chance vanished on hole #11, a par-4 measuring 406 yards from the gold tees. I hit a nice straight drive, though it was a bit low. A creek bed crosses the fairway 210 yards out, but it looked like my ball carried safely. Well, looks can be deceiving. I could not find my ball. The only place it could get lost was the creek bed. I was forced to take a penalty. My third shot was right of the green, but then things got really ugly. I duffed a pitch shot into a bunker, then barely got out with my next one. I was on the green in six and finished with a quadruple bogey.
I never recovered from that episode. I bogeyed the next hole, a par-4, but it was a 3-putt bogey. On hole #13 I hit five bad shots in a row, en route to a triple-bogey. Pulled drive off the tee to a bunker near the third green, followed by a wedge that hit the base of a tree, a duffed punch shot from the rough, a fat wedge from the fairway, and a sculled pitch that rolled off the back of the green. Pathetic stuff, really.
A bogey and par on the next two holes fooled me into thinking I could still break 100. Incidentally, the par came on another par-5. On the 16th tee, I hit another brutal pull with the driver, smacking a tree 100 yards away. Not content to lay up, I hit a 5-wood into a hazard on the right side. Next, my pitch shot came up short in another bunker. The bunker shot was another one that carried over the green. Yadda, yadda, yadda...chalk up another quad.
With no chance to break 100, I mailed it in for the final two holes. Why bother?
Through the end of 2009, my game was improving slowly, but steadily. In 2010, my game hit a plateau. I didn't get better, but I didn't get worse either. This year, I am taking a big step backwards. At least I tell it like it is.
Oh yeah, go to hell.
Score: 106
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 4
August 09, 2011
Looking for Revenge at King's Forest
Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but my last round at King's Forest left such a foul taste in my mouth that I was inclined to serve some up while it was still piping hot. Thus, I returned to King's Forest for my very next round.
It rained all morning, but stopped before I teed off in the early afternoon. The course was deserted when I arrived, which was kind of nice. In fact, I was the first person they sent off after the rainstorm. I spent a few minutes on the practice green before being joined by another single. We played the round together under cloudy skies, but it stayed dry the entire time.
I hit a 230-yard drive to the middle of the fairway on hole #1, leaving 200 yards to the pin. Focused on avoiding pull or hook shots, I blocked my approach with the 3-iron to the right, finding a hazard. After taking a drop and penalty stroke, I punched a low shot under some trees toward the green. Another shot was then required to find the putting surface. From above the hole, I blasted my first putt way too far. I thought the wet greens might require some extra power, but I went overboard. I ended up with a 3-putt and quadruple bogey. This was not the start I was looking for.
I'm happy to say that I didn't let the opening hole fiasco ruin my composure. I was nine over par for the remainder of the front nine, thanks to some serviceable drives, respectable iron shots, and workmanlike chipping and putting. I hit just one additional fairway and two greens in regulation, but most of the misses were slight. On hole #3, a short par-4 measuring 346 yards, I took a half swing with the driver, to avoid running through the end of the fairway. The drive was pulled off line, but I was surprised at how the ball jumped off the face of the club. Contact was really crisp and distance was fine. This set the tone for the remainder of the round. With the driver, as well as the irons, I resolved to swing smooth and easy. It's a great feeling when a controlled, compact swing produces good trajectory and distance. I realized I may have been overswinging the clubs in recent rounds.
The back nine is where King's Forest really shows it's teeth, particularly holes #10 through #13. I'm sad to say that these holes got the best of me on this occasion. Hole #10 is long, with a severely sloped fairway that funnels all balls to the left rough. My third shot into the elevated green carried over the back, leading to a chip and two putts for double bogey. Hole #11 plays from a severely elevated tee. My drive drifted slightly to the right, leaving a small pine tree in my backswing. I attempted to punch the ball to the end of the fairway, but it rolled much further than I expected and into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and two shots to get on the green, I tacked on a couple of putts for a triple bogey.
Hole #12 is a tight dog-leg right. How it is the #10 handicap on the course is beyond me. I consider it the hardest. Looking to avoid a pull or hook, I blocked my 3-iron off the tee, finding the woods like many do on this hole. It took two shots to get out to the fairway, 160 yards from the pin. There isn't much room near the green on this hole. My approach was a couple yards to the left, leaving a chip to reach the putting surface. My first putt was pretty good, but lipped out due to an abundance of pace. Another triple bogey resulted.
Hole #13 is my nemesis. The hole does not suit my eye at all. A river crosses the fairway, but does so at an awkward angle. Drives to the left side can reach the hazard margin, while the margin on the right side is substantially further away. For some reason, I always pull a low drive, either into the hazard or to a position where I'm blocked out by trees. It was no different this time. I was forced to pitch out to the centre of the fairway. From 190 yards out, I duffed the 4-iron. It seems I always duff a shot from this position! It must be the raging river directly in front that plays games with my mind. My fourth shot came up short of the green. Worse yet, I 3-putt after chipping on, missing a shortie that broke hard. The final damage was a quadruple bogey.
With the difficult stretch of holes behind me, I resumed the solid play that I exhibited on most of the front nine. I was three over par for the last five holes, including a birdie on hole #14, a medium-length par-3. A par on hole #17 was also impressive. This par-3 measures 168 yards from the white tees. My 7-iron off the tee caught a front bunker, with the ball coming to rest right up against the lip. Using my most lofted wedge and closing the face severely, I took a mighty swing, allowing the club head to die right in the sand. The ball popped up almost vertically, stopping five feet from the cup. Thankfully, I drained the straight uphill putt.
A par on the last hole, a par-5, would have produced a score of 99. Unfortunately, I made bogey, finishing at the ever-disappointing and annoying century mark. I came for revenge and with a triple digit score, I didn't get it. Nevertheless, I felt a lot of positives. My scorecard looked pretty good, with the exception of hole #1 and the stretch from #11 to #13. It's the same old story - three holes or so that kill me while the rest looks pretty decent. That's golf. I'll get it done next time.
Score: 100
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
It rained all morning, but stopped before I teed off in the early afternoon. The course was deserted when I arrived, which was kind of nice. In fact, I was the first person they sent off after the rainstorm. I spent a few minutes on the practice green before being joined by another single. We played the round together under cloudy skies, but it stayed dry the entire time.
I hit a 230-yard drive to the middle of the fairway on hole #1, leaving 200 yards to the pin. Focused on avoiding pull or hook shots, I blocked my approach with the 3-iron to the right, finding a hazard. After taking a drop and penalty stroke, I punched a low shot under some trees toward the green. Another shot was then required to find the putting surface. From above the hole, I blasted my first putt way too far. I thought the wet greens might require some extra power, but I went overboard. I ended up with a 3-putt and quadruple bogey. This was not the start I was looking for.
I'm happy to say that I didn't let the opening hole fiasco ruin my composure. I was nine over par for the remainder of the front nine, thanks to some serviceable drives, respectable iron shots, and workmanlike chipping and putting. I hit just one additional fairway and two greens in regulation, but most of the misses were slight. On hole #3, a short par-4 measuring 346 yards, I took a half swing with the driver, to avoid running through the end of the fairway. The drive was pulled off line, but I was surprised at how the ball jumped off the face of the club. Contact was really crisp and distance was fine. This set the tone for the remainder of the round. With the driver, as well as the irons, I resolved to swing smooth and easy. It's a great feeling when a controlled, compact swing produces good trajectory and distance. I realized I may have been overswinging the clubs in recent rounds.
The back nine is where King's Forest really shows it's teeth, particularly holes #10 through #13. I'm sad to say that these holes got the best of me on this occasion. Hole #10 is long, with a severely sloped fairway that funnels all balls to the left rough. My third shot into the elevated green carried over the back, leading to a chip and two putts for double bogey. Hole #11 plays from a severely elevated tee. My drive drifted slightly to the right, leaving a small pine tree in my backswing. I attempted to punch the ball to the end of the fairway, but it rolled much further than I expected and into a hazard. After a penalty stroke and two shots to get on the green, I tacked on a couple of putts for a triple bogey.
Hole #12 is a tight dog-leg right. How it is the #10 handicap on the course is beyond me. I consider it the hardest. Looking to avoid a pull or hook, I blocked my 3-iron off the tee, finding the woods like many do on this hole. It took two shots to get out to the fairway, 160 yards from the pin. There isn't much room near the green on this hole. My approach was a couple yards to the left, leaving a chip to reach the putting surface. My first putt was pretty good, but lipped out due to an abundance of pace. Another triple bogey resulted.
Hole #13 is my nemesis. The hole does not suit my eye at all. A river crosses the fairway, but does so at an awkward angle. Drives to the left side can reach the hazard margin, while the margin on the right side is substantially further away. For some reason, I always pull a low drive, either into the hazard or to a position where I'm blocked out by trees. It was no different this time. I was forced to pitch out to the centre of the fairway. From 190 yards out, I duffed the 4-iron. It seems I always duff a shot from this position! It must be the raging river directly in front that plays games with my mind. My fourth shot came up short of the green. Worse yet, I 3-putt after chipping on, missing a shortie that broke hard. The final damage was a quadruple bogey.
With the difficult stretch of holes behind me, I resumed the solid play that I exhibited on most of the front nine. I was three over par for the last five holes, including a birdie on hole #14, a medium-length par-3. A par on hole #17 was also impressive. This par-3 measures 168 yards from the white tees. My 7-iron off the tee caught a front bunker, with the ball coming to rest right up against the lip. Using my most lofted wedge and closing the face severely, I took a mighty swing, allowing the club head to die right in the sand. The ball popped up almost vertically, stopping five feet from the cup. Thankfully, I drained the straight uphill putt.
A par on the last hole, a par-5, would have produced a score of 99. Unfortunately, I made bogey, finishing at the ever-disappointing and annoying century mark. I came for revenge and with a triple digit score, I didn't get it. Nevertheless, I felt a lot of positives. My scorecard looked pretty good, with the exception of hole #1 and the stretch from #11 to #13. It's the same old story - three holes or so that kill me while the rest looks pretty decent. That's golf. I'll get it done next time.
Score: 100
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
August 05, 2011
Playing the Jester at King's Forest
After an encouraging showing at Westview, I was pumped up to return to King's Forest for my latest round. It ended up being a colossal waste of time. Every aspect of my game was poor, producing one of the worst results of the year.
I hit good drives on the first three holes, only to waste them with woeful iron shots. On hole #1, I smothered and hooked an attempted approach with the 6-iron. On hole #2, I hit more dirt than ball with the 7-iron. On hole #3, I hit the 60-degree wedge a little thin, sending the ball over the green. On hole #4, my driver abandoned me as well. Over the remainder of the round, I smothered and hooked two drives, while pulling the rest straight off the tee. These pull shots had good contact and distance, but no direction whatsoever. Apparently, straightening out the left elbow and opening up the clubface are not the cure to my driving ailment.
As I've already hinted, my irons were pathetic. I hit some good ones every now and then, but the bottom line is there were far too many mis-hits. I was struggling to keep all my iron shots from hooking. A perfect example is hole #5, a par-3 measuring 203 yards from the white tees. I have never played this hole without hooking or pulling my tee shot, either into some fescue short of the green or to the bottom of a hill flanking the green. There is absolutely no need for this! The hole plays straight away from an elevated tee and there is lots of room available. This problem with the irons surfaced earlier in the year, but I had it under control for a good chunk of the season. Now, it's back. The only clubs I can seem to shoot straight with right now are my wedges.
Pitching and chipping were okay, but still not as consistent as I would like. Many of my pitch shots worked perfectly, but there were a couple that I hit short. On a day when nothing else is working, okay just isn't good enough.
My putting left a lot to be desired. I 3-putt three of the first four holes, producing double-bogeys when bogeys should have been the result. In fact, I started the day with five consecutive double-bogeys. This had the effect of ratcheting up the pressure, which inevitably blew up with a quadruple-bogey on hole #6. The putting stayed poor for the entire round. Long lag putts were short, medium length putts just burned the edge, and a couple of short putts were also missed.
Mentally, it was a frustrating round. Nothing ever went my way. Though I had quite a few decent holes on the back nine, it was not enough to overcome the poor start, combined with a couple of blowups.
Score: 107
Putts: 41
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
I hit good drives on the first three holes, only to waste them with woeful iron shots. On hole #1, I smothered and hooked an attempted approach with the 6-iron. On hole #2, I hit more dirt than ball with the 7-iron. On hole #3, I hit the 60-degree wedge a little thin, sending the ball over the green. On hole #4, my driver abandoned me as well. Over the remainder of the round, I smothered and hooked two drives, while pulling the rest straight off the tee. These pull shots had good contact and distance, but no direction whatsoever. Apparently, straightening out the left elbow and opening up the clubface are not the cure to my driving ailment.
As I've already hinted, my irons were pathetic. I hit some good ones every now and then, but the bottom line is there were far too many mis-hits. I was struggling to keep all my iron shots from hooking. A perfect example is hole #5, a par-3 measuring 203 yards from the white tees. I have never played this hole without hooking or pulling my tee shot, either into some fescue short of the green or to the bottom of a hill flanking the green. There is absolutely no need for this! The hole plays straight away from an elevated tee and there is lots of room available. This problem with the irons surfaced earlier in the year, but I had it under control for a good chunk of the season. Now, it's back. The only clubs I can seem to shoot straight with right now are my wedges.
Pitching and chipping were okay, but still not as consistent as I would like. Many of my pitch shots worked perfectly, but there were a couple that I hit short. On a day when nothing else is working, okay just isn't good enough.
My putting left a lot to be desired. I 3-putt three of the first four holes, producing double-bogeys when bogeys should have been the result. In fact, I started the day with five consecutive double-bogeys. This had the effect of ratcheting up the pressure, which inevitably blew up with a quadruple-bogey on hole #6. The putting stayed poor for the entire round. Long lag putts were short, medium length putts just burned the edge, and a couple of short putts were also missed.
Mentally, it was a frustrating round. Nothing ever went my way. Though I had quite a few decent holes on the back nine, it was not enough to overcome the poor start, combined with a couple of blowups.
Score: 107
Putts: 41
Fairways: 3
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
August 03, 2011
Encouraging Signs at Westview
It was the Tuesday after a long weekend, which meant I could "play all day" at Westview Golf Club. I set out to complete 36 holes, looking to improve upon my earlier appearances at the Aurora area club.
Middle / Homestead
Kicking things off on the Middle nine, I got a huge monkey off my back by bogeying hole #1. As I've disussed previously, the opening holes on the Middle and Lakeland nines are true beasts. That said, it's always a nice boost to start out with bogey or better there. Riding the positive vibe, I played quite well over the next eight holes. I hit just a single fairway and only one green in regulation, but my misses were to reasonably safe areas from which I could recover. On hole #2, my second shot was a great punch through an alley of trees and back to the fairway. On hole #3, my third shot was a solid out from a greenside bunker. Whenever I found myself in trouble, I reminded myself to focus even more than usual. The goal was not to make two errors in a row. It also helped that my putting was very good. I had no 3-putts over the Middle nine and made quite a few 2-putts from a healthy distance to the cup. At the turn, I was shooting a respectable 46.
On the Homestead nine, my driver got hot. I hit four fairways on the five occasions when I teed off with the big boy. This included a 270-yard smash on the par-5 third hole and another of the same length on the par-4 fifth. The former was wasted somewhat after I topped my second shot. At 195 yards from the green, I was licking my lips in anticipation of reaching the putting surface in two. Oh well. The latter was not wasted at all, as I went on to par the hole, just missing a birdie putt. Nearly half of the ball was hanging over the edge of the hole when it came to rest, but close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades, as the cliche goes. I played Homestead with 44 strokes, to finish the first round of the day at 90. This was my third-best score of the year, but probably my best in terms of overall play.
The turnaround with the driver actually began inadvertently with Middle #6. This is a medium length par-4 with a sharp dog-leg to the right. I set up to hit a big fade off the tee. My feet, hips and shoulders were pointed straight down the fairway, while I opened the club face a couple of degrees to produce the desired fade. You can imagine my surprise when the ball was piped straight in the direction that my body was pointed. It was the wrong hit for this particular hole, as I ran well past the end of the dog-leg. However, it was something I could reproduce (and did) later on when the situation called for a straight drive down the fairway. Along with the straightening out of my left elbow, which I tinkered with at my previous round, this opening of the club face seemed to restore my driving confidence. For a while there, I really felt in control with the big stick - something I haven't felt for most of this season.
Score: 90
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
Lakeland / Middle
The second round of the day began on the Lakeland nine. This time, I failed to overcome the opening hole challenge, finishing with a double-bogey. An approach that kicked just a foot off the green, followed by a dubious putt, clinched my fate. A 3-putt on the next hole produced another double. On hole #3, I finally hit a drive that put me in serious trouble. This one looked like it would finish just right of the fairway, but it faded enough to find the forest lining the right side. Due to unplayable balls, I would collect my first two penalty strokes of the day on this hole, leading to a quadruple bogey.
After a terrible tee shot on hole #4, a par-3 measuring 161 yards from the white tees, it looked like the ugliness would continue. I hit my 7-iron fat, sending the ball to the edge of a creek bed, short of the green. With my feet in the creek bed and the ball nestled a foot and a half higher in some long vegetation, I choked down on my 60 degree wedge. The ball was so high above my feet that I actually had to grasp the club below the grip. I managed to pop the ball on the green, then drained a lengthy putt for an unconventional par. It was a turning point, as I managed to play the rest of Lakeland under much control, as I had played during the first round of the day. I was five over par for the last six holes, finishing with a 49 at the turn.
Moving to the Middle nine, the dreaded first hole got the best of me once again. My third shot, from 110 yards out, was the cause of my undoing. I caught the ball very thin, rolling it to a position short of the green. Next, I sculled a chip shot off the back of the green. From above the hole, this position is treacherous. Despite a good chip that challenged the hole, I finished with a triple bogey. As a testament to my renewed focus, I regouped immediately and went on a solid run. I played the next six holes six over par, recovering whenever I needed to with excellent shots. I hit a great punch shot from a wooded area left of the green on hole #4. After an errant tee shot, I hit a nice pitch on hole #5, a par-3.
The challenge over the last few holes was a bit of fatigue. It was a hot day and I was carrying my clubs, so that was to be expected. I hit the wall after my 34th hole of the day. My tee shot on the second-last hole to be played was a big hook with the driver. I shut the club face and smothered the ball, while reverse-pivoting in the process. My left foot came right off the ground. I was unlucky on my next shot, as I attempted to punch the ball back into the fairway. An overhanging branch deflected the ball, stopping it short of the fairway, in a position that was still blocked out by trees. I tried to draw a 5-iron around the trees, but the ball flew straight, nestling against a tree root on the other side of the fairway. I struggled to a triple-bogey on this par-5.
Looking at my scorecard, I did some math before playing the last hole, and I really shouldn't have. I was sitting at 93 for the round, so all I needed was a double-bogey or better on the last hole to break 100. I hooked a 5-iron off the tee, then duffed an attempted chip shot trying to get back to the fairway. Still blocked out partially by trees, I then played a great low punch shot that skidded to just in front of the green. All I needed now was to get on the green and 2-putt. Easy breezy, right? Well, I decided to putt the ball through the 10 feet or so of fringe between me and the green. I totally misjudged the speed, blasting the ball 15 feet past the hole. Still, I thought there was no problem. After all, I could 2-putt from 15 feet, no problem. Well, my first putt came up six feet short. Now I really had a problem. Six feet is no "gimme" and this one had some break to it. Of course, I missed it and had to settle for a final score of 100. I hate that!
Overall, it was a good performance on the day. The first round was great and the second was only marred by some sloppiness on the opening and closing holes. The eleventh hour collapse was no doubt caused by some mental fatigue, so there's no need to get too upset. Incidentally, my handicap dipped to 20.0 after the first round, only to jump back to 20.5 after the second. That's cruel!
Score: 100
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
Middle / Homestead
Kicking things off on the Middle nine, I got a huge monkey off my back by bogeying hole #1. As I've disussed previously, the opening holes on the Middle and Lakeland nines are true beasts. That said, it's always a nice boost to start out with bogey or better there. Riding the positive vibe, I played quite well over the next eight holes. I hit just a single fairway and only one green in regulation, but my misses were to reasonably safe areas from which I could recover. On hole #2, my second shot was a great punch through an alley of trees and back to the fairway. On hole #3, my third shot was a solid out from a greenside bunker. Whenever I found myself in trouble, I reminded myself to focus even more than usual. The goal was not to make two errors in a row. It also helped that my putting was very good. I had no 3-putts over the Middle nine and made quite a few 2-putts from a healthy distance to the cup. At the turn, I was shooting a respectable 46.
On the Homestead nine, my driver got hot. I hit four fairways on the five occasions when I teed off with the big boy. This included a 270-yard smash on the par-5 third hole and another of the same length on the par-4 fifth. The former was wasted somewhat after I topped my second shot. At 195 yards from the green, I was licking my lips in anticipation of reaching the putting surface in two. Oh well. The latter was not wasted at all, as I went on to par the hole, just missing a birdie putt. Nearly half of the ball was hanging over the edge of the hole when it came to rest, but close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades, as the cliche goes. I played Homestead with 44 strokes, to finish the first round of the day at 90. This was my third-best score of the year, but probably my best in terms of overall play.
The turnaround with the driver actually began inadvertently with Middle #6. This is a medium length par-4 with a sharp dog-leg to the right. I set up to hit a big fade off the tee. My feet, hips and shoulders were pointed straight down the fairway, while I opened the club face a couple of degrees to produce the desired fade. You can imagine my surprise when the ball was piped straight in the direction that my body was pointed. It was the wrong hit for this particular hole, as I ran well past the end of the dog-leg. However, it was something I could reproduce (and did) later on when the situation called for a straight drive down the fairway. Along with the straightening out of my left elbow, which I tinkered with at my previous round, this opening of the club face seemed to restore my driving confidence. For a while there, I really felt in control with the big stick - something I haven't felt for most of this season.
Score: 90
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 0
Lakeland / Middle
The second round of the day began on the Lakeland nine. This time, I failed to overcome the opening hole challenge, finishing with a double-bogey. An approach that kicked just a foot off the green, followed by a dubious putt, clinched my fate. A 3-putt on the next hole produced another double. On hole #3, I finally hit a drive that put me in serious trouble. This one looked like it would finish just right of the fairway, but it faded enough to find the forest lining the right side. Due to unplayable balls, I would collect my first two penalty strokes of the day on this hole, leading to a quadruple bogey.
After a terrible tee shot on hole #4, a par-3 measuring 161 yards from the white tees, it looked like the ugliness would continue. I hit my 7-iron fat, sending the ball to the edge of a creek bed, short of the green. With my feet in the creek bed and the ball nestled a foot and a half higher in some long vegetation, I choked down on my 60 degree wedge. The ball was so high above my feet that I actually had to grasp the club below the grip. I managed to pop the ball on the green, then drained a lengthy putt for an unconventional par. It was a turning point, as I managed to play the rest of Lakeland under much control, as I had played during the first round of the day. I was five over par for the last six holes, finishing with a 49 at the turn.
Moving to the Middle nine, the dreaded first hole got the best of me once again. My third shot, from 110 yards out, was the cause of my undoing. I caught the ball very thin, rolling it to a position short of the green. Next, I sculled a chip shot off the back of the green. From above the hole, this position is treacherous. Despite a good chip that challenged the hole, I finished with a triple bogey. As a testament to my renewed focus, I regouped immediately and went on a solid run. I played the next six holes six over par, recovering whenever I needed to with excellent shots. I hit a great punch shot from a wooded area left of the green on hole #4. After an errant tee shot, I hit a nice pitch on hole #5, a par-3.
The challenge over the last few holes was a bit of fatigue. It was a hot day and I was carrying my clubs, so that was to be expected. I hit the wall after my 34th hole of the day. My tee shot on the second-last hole to be played was a big hook with the driver. I shut the club face and smothered the ball, while reverse-pivoting in the process. My left foot came right off the ground. I was unlucky on my next shot, as I attempted to punch the ball back into the fairway. An overhanging branch deflected the ball, stopping it short of the fairway, in a position that was still blocked out by trees. I tried to draw a 5-iron around the trees, but the ball flew straight, nestling against a tree root on the other side of the fairway. I struggled to a triple-bogey on this par-5.
Looking at my scorecard, I did some math before playing the last hole, and I really shouldn't have. I was sitting at 93 for the round, so all I needed was a double-bogey or better on the last hole to break 100. I hooked a 5-iron off the tee, then duffed an attempted chip shot trying to get back to the fairway. Still blocked out partially by trees, I then played a great low punch shot that skidded to just in front of the green. All I needed now was to get on the green and 2-putt. Easy breezy, right? Well, I decided to putt the ball through the 10 feet or so of fringe between me and the green. I totally misjudged the speed, blasting the ball 15 feet past the hole. Still, I thought there was no problem. After all, I could 2-putt from 15 feet, no problem. Well, my first putt came up six feet short. Now I really had a problem. Six feet is no "gimme" and this one had some break to it. Of course, I missed it and had to settle for a final score of 100. I hate that!
Overall, it was a good performance on the day. The first round was great and the second was only marred by some sloppiness on the opening and closing holes. The eleventh hour collapse was no doubt caused by some mental fatigue, so there's no need to get too upset. Incidentally, my handicap dipped to 20.0 after the first round, only to jump back to 20.5 after the second. That's cruel!
Score: 100
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
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