I woke up this morning and looked out the window to find that the rooftops nearby were lightly dusted with snow. That's a sure sign that golf season is finished here in southern Ontario, so let's take a look back at the year that was.
In many ways, the season transpired like the one that preceded it. I played a total of 30 golf rounds, compared to 31 the year before. The rounds this year took place over 30 separate outings, while last year's total took place over just 27 outings. That's because I played 36 holes on two occasions last year, plus a remarkable 54 holes on another. Those particular outings came on “all you can play” days at Westview Golf Club, which I failed to play even once this year. Whether you look at rounds played or at outings, I've played much less over the past two years than I did from 2006-2010. During that time, I averaged 47 rounds per year. The reduced playing time is perhaps the main reason my skill level has dropped significantly.
Once again, I did not play much competitive golf this season. Years past included stints on various tours, including the GTA Amateur Tour, but there was none of that this season. For the second year in a row, the only competitive golf I played was with the Deepwoods Golf Association. My second best score of the year (94) came in the Deepwoods opener at Copetown Woods, but in reality, this was one of the most disappointing rounds of the season. That's because I was on pace to challenge my personal best of 81, but collapsed in epic fashion late in the round. To put it in perspective, consider this: I was just 5 over par through 14 holes, then went 17 over on the last four holes! I had a decent score of 95 in Round Two at Peninsula Lakes, but my point total with the modified Stableford system was nothing special. I struggled over the final three rounds, registering scores of 103, 103, and 102. When all was said and done, I finished the season in the middle of the pack, well behind the leaders.
As I try to do every year, I managed to find a couple of new courses to play in 2012. In June, I visited Victoria Park East for the first time, and was happy to finish below the century mark with a score of 99. I enjoyed the course enough to return in August, when I registered my best score of the season (93). I also broke the century mark on my debut visit to Tarandowah, scoring 98 despite a terrible start. The course was fine, but in retrospect probably not worth the lengthy drive to get there.
I didn't play any other new courses, but did return to a few that I had played sparingly in the past. In March, I returned to Tangle Creek for my second ever visit after a 6-year hiatus. I had a pretty good round for that early in the season, but there were just enough mistakes that led to a score of 100 even. I returned to Tangle Creek later in the season and fared better with a score of 95. My second ever visit to Royal Ashburn, albeit just a year after my debut, also produced a score of 100. Other courses that hosted my second ever visit in 2012 were Horseshoe Resort (Highlands Course), Bond Head (South Course), and Turnberry. The result at Bond Head (115) was easily my worst of the season. Wind on the front nine absolutely ate me up, as did the much-contoured greens. I played well on the back nine, but it was too little, too late.
The course I played most in 2012 was King's Forest, with a total of three visits. The second of these was the most successful (97), while the remaining results left something to be desired (102, 104). Like a lot of my rounds, I had long stretches of good golf, but a few blowup holes destroyed my scores. Nevertheless, King's Forest was always enjoyable, as I quite like the routing, layout and overall design. The courses that I played twice this year were: Century Pines, Tangle Creek, Granite Ridge, Lowville, Victoria Park East, Hidden Lake (Old Course), and The Highlands.
In terms of performance, my game slipped even further than it did last year. My handicap factor shot up from 17.4 at the start of the season all the way to 22.2 by the end. What a huge disappointment! Golf is a struggle to improve, so you never want to give up ground that you worked so hard to attain. At one time, my handicap factor was as low as 15.7, so I've given up quite a bit of ground indeed.
My average score this year (not counting the final round at Turnberry) was 101.4 – in other words, pretty pathetic. Of 29 rounds played (again, not counting Turnberry), just 11 (or 37.9%) were below the century mark. For me, anything below 100 is adequate, while anything at or above that level just doesn't cut it. I scored 100 even on three occasions, but even if I were to consider those rounds satisfactory, I was adequate just 48.3% of the time.
Delving further into my stats, I averaged 35.3 putts per round. I hit 30.8% of fairways and 15.9% of greens in regulation. I also averaged 3.8 penalty strokes per round. The putting numbers are not at all surprising. In a typical round, I have a large number of 2-putts, accompanied by as many 3-putts as there are 1-putts. Some of the 3-putts are not terrible – for example, when I reach a green in regulation, but have 100 feet remaining to the cup and finish with a bogey. The real problem is that some of those 2-putts should be 1-putts. Typically, these come after mediocre or poor chip shots. I really have to improve my chipping so that I get up-and-down a lot more often.
The percentage of fairways hit doesn't concern me so much. Often times, I hit a good drive that is just a yard or two into the rough. Those fairways are officially missed, but with most rough that I play, those drives are just as good as a fairway hit. What concerns me more is the low percentage of greens in regulation. All season long, I made inadequate approach shots into greens. Many of these came from the fairway, or from tame rough, with an unobstructed path to the target. Distance is not even the issue. I missed so many greens from 50-150 yards away that it's not even funny. How I manage to miss a green with a wedge in my hands is beyond me. Sometimes, I hook the ball slightly. Other times, I duff the ball completely, hitting a very fat shot that dribbles a few yards ahead. Those are wasted shots!
At this stage in my golf career, I really have to address the fundamental flaws with my swing. For a while, I improved merely by managing my game better. However, this will only take you so far. You could make all the right decisions, but if your swing is fundamentally flawed, you're not going to score well. The problem with my swing is that it varies so much. If I'm swinging over the top, or with an outside-in swing path, I can pretty easily make an adjustment. Unfortunately, I usually over-do the correction. Soon after addressing an outside-in move, I will find myself coming too far from the inside. Thus, I find myself oscillating back and forth wildly. Sometimes, I find something that seems to help with a particular shot. It may be shortening my backswing, weakening my grip, hinging more at the wrists, or focusing on my weight shift. Whatever it is, it lasts for a certain amount of time, before a new problem seems to emerge. Often, the very adjustment that previously helped is now the culprit, because I've gradually taken it too far. Without practice, it's hard to be consistent.
I'm not giving up – that's never been in my makeup – but the truth is, my golf game faces a serious challenge right now. I have to take the disappointments of this year and use them as fuel for next season. I am going to work on fundamentals over the winter and come back strong next spring. My immediate goal is to start shooting in the eighties once again and to never shoot 100 or more again...EVER!
November 25, 2012
November 23, 2012
Turnberry Treat
The treat, in this case, was simply the fact that I was able to get out and play some golf. It was just a day after my last round at Hidden Lake, but days like this are rare for late November. The venue was Turnberry, a par-3 course that I played once before. I prefer to play a full-length course, but the round was booked at the last minute and choices were slim. I thought quite highly of Turnberry after my first visit, but this time around, I found it merely satisfactory. I guess some of the novelty has worn off.
Turnberry begins and ends with par-4 holes, both of which are quite challenging. I like courses that ease you into things with a couple of easier holes, so I found the opener pretty stiff. I pulled my drive way left, into a fescue-covered dune. I recovered well to get back to the fairway, but then mis-hit a 4-iron into the fescue once again. It took five shots to reach the green and I 2-putt for a triple-bogey.
I closed out the opening nine averaging bogey golf. In addition to six bogeys, I registered one double-bogey and a par. This being a par-3 course, it's all about hitting greens. I hit very few of them – just one in fact. That came on hole #4, a straightaway affair measuring just 103 yards. I duffed the tee shot on an even shorter hole, but most of the time, I simply had a little too much draw to my iron shots. This usually put me left of the green trying to get up and down for a par.
I made a couple of nice chip shots, including one that helped save bogey on hole #3, but the rest were just mediocre. As a result, I had a lot of 2-putts for bogey. My best chip shot may have been on hole #9, a good distance from the flag. I landed softly on the green, allowing the ball to release slightly. It caught a slope at the perfect pace and settled very near the cup. Unfortunately, I missed the par putt from inside three feet.
Things started poorly on the back nine, when I missed two putts from within 3 feet on hole #10. A nice chip left me in good position to earn par, but the miscues with the flat stick turned that into a double-bogey. Putting woes also cost me on hole #13, which measures just 125 yards. On the green in two, I proceeded to 4-putt for a disastrous triple-bogey. Now, this particular green is rather extreme, featuring a very deep gulley that crosses through the middle. On this occasion, the cup happened to be located right in the gulley, at the extreme left. Still, I should not have had so much trouble.
The rest of the way, I was pressing to earn some of these lost strokes back. The fescue left of the green barely snagged my ball on hole #14, but that was enough to produce a double-bogey. I had a decent chance to save bogey, but my putt burned the edge of the cup. I made par on hole #15, thanks to an excellent 7-iron off the tee. With the flag at the back of the green and a solid wind in my face, club selection was paramount. It ended up being the only green I hit in regulation on the back nine.
With holes running out, I pressed a little too much and finished with a pair of double-bogeys. Overall, I felt like my irons were a little suspect, but I was hanging in nicely. My chip shots were mostly good, but the exceptions were costly. Finally, I felt like my putting let me down. I only made one putt of significant length, while I missed three or four that should have been gimmes.
Score: 80
Putts: 39
Fairways: 1 (out of 2)
Greens: 2
Penalties: 0
Turnberry begins and ends with par-4 holes, both of which are quite challenging. I like courses that ease you into things with a couple of easier holes, so I found the opener pretty stiff. I pulled my drive way left, into a fescue-covered dune. I recovered well to get back to the fairway, but then mis-hit a 4-iron into the fescue once again. It took five shots to reach the green and I 2-putt for a triple-bogey.
I closed out the opening nine averaging bogey golf. In addition to six bogeys, I registered one double-bogey and a par. This being a par-3 course, it's all about hitting greens. I hit very few of them – just one in fact. That came on hole #4, a straightaway affair measuring just 103 yards. I duffed the tee shot on an even shorter hole, but most of the time, I simply had a little too much draw to my iron shots. This usually put me left of the green trying to get up and down for a par.
I made a couple of nice chip shots, including one that helped save bogey on hole #3, but the rest were just mediocre. As a result, I had a lot of 2-putts for bogey. My best chip shot may have been on hole #9, a good distance from the flag. I landed softly on the green, allowing the ball to release slightly. It caught a slope at the perfect pace and settled very near the cup. Unfortunately, I missed the par putt from inside three feet.
Things started poorly on the back nine, when I missed two putts from within 3 feet on hole #10. A nice chip left me in good position to earn par, but the miscues with the flat stick turned that into a double-bogey. Putting woes also cost me on hole #13, which measures just 125 yards. On the green in two, I proceeded to 4-putt for a disastrous triple-bogey. Now, this particular green is rather extreme, featuring a very deep gulley that crosses through the middle. On this occasion, the cup happened to be located right in the gulley, at the extreme left. Still, I should not have had so much trouble.
The rest of the way, I was pressing to earn some of these lost strokes back. The fescue left of the green barely snagged my ball on hole #14, but that was enough to produce a double-bogey. I had a decent chance to save bogey, but my putt burned the edge of the cup. I made par on hole #15, thanks to an excellent 7-iron off the tee. With the flag at the back of the green and a solid wind in my face, club selection was paramount. It ended up being the only green I hit in regulation on the back nine.
With holes running out, I pressed a little too much and finished with a pair of double-bogeys. Overall, I felt like my irons were a little suspect, but I was hanging in nicely. My chip shots were mostly good, but the exceptions were costly. Finally, I felt like my putting let me down. I only made one putt of significant length, while I missed three or four that should have been gimmes.
Score: 80
Putts: 39
Fairways: 1 (out of 2)
Greens: 2
Penalties: 0
Close, But No Cigar at Hidden Lake
We were gifted with a couple of warmer than usual days and clear skies, so I jumped on the chance to play some golf. I returned to the Old Course at Hidden Lake, where a late-round collapse ruined a previous visit earlier this year. My tee time was a little earlier than ideal, which meant the first hole was played before all the fog had lifted. Once it was gone, the rest of the round was played under ideal conditions.
Beginning on the back nine, I struggled to a double-bogey on hole #10. It had been a long time since I hit any balls, so I needed a few strokes to get loose and regain the proper feel. By hole #11, I was feeling better and started with a 280-yard bomb off the tee. I was a yard into the right rough, but it was fairly tame and my path to the flag was unobstructed. I missed the green from 100 yards, finishing with a chip and two putts for bogey.
Hole #12, a par-4, demonstrates how strokes can quickly add up to ruin a score. I hit my drive a fair distance and about a yard into the left rough. I had some trees to my left, but I could go straight at the flag. Unfortunately, I pushed a shot with the pitching wedge, coming dangerously close to out of bounds. I had one of those brutal lies, where the ball is lying in a tangled mess of weeds, twigs, grass, etc. I barely hacked it out, then failed to clear a bunker between me and the green. It ultimately took five strokes to get on the putting surface, leading to a triple-bogey.
The next four holes were fabulous. I pounded a straight, 260-yard drive on hole #13, but failed to hit the green on this par-4 from just 90 yards away. My chip was not that great either, leading to two putts and a bogey. On hole #14, a par-3 perched on the side of a hill, I hit a sweet 9-iron off the tee. I hit it so pure, that I actually carried the green by about five yards. No worries, as I made a beautiful chip and solid putt for the up-and-down par. On hole #15, a par-5, I started out with a good drive to the right fairway, followed by a 3-iron that left me just 50 yards from the flag. I made a good pitch, followed by two putts for another par. Hole #16 also produced par, though it was more of a scramble. My drive was pulled left of target. I punched a 5-iron under some tree branches toward the green, but my ball skidded about 5 yards off the back. My chip was good, but with the green falling away from me, my ball ended up quite a distance from the cup. No worries, as I drained the long, uphill putt.
Hole #17, a par-4 perched at the top of the hill overlooking Lake Medad, was the one that killed me. It all started with the position of the tee blocks. I was playing the blue tees, which on this day were set up at the extreme left of a chute through which your tee shot must travel. The trees on the left side were incredibly close, just a few yards ahead of the teeing area. Starting the ball right is scary, because the fairway slopes to the right, where a massive waste bunker catches many balls. I tried to hit one straight, but pulled it directly into the trees on the left. I found my ball under a spruce tree. It was all I could do to hack it out to an opening that was covered in weeds. From there, all I could do was chip out to a small flat area in front of the forward tees. With a bad lie and a small target, I carried the ball about two yards too far. It ended up under a log. I was forced to declare the ball unplayable and took a drop a few yards behind that location. I was lying four and was still on the forward teeing ground. A pair of shaky iron shots put me right of the green. Next, I duffed a pitch, failed to carry a bunker, then splashed out to reach the green. Two putts ended the misery with a score of eleven.
To my credit, I regrouped quickly. I made a great chip shot and putt for an up-and-down par on hole #18. On hole #1, I hit another 280-yard drive straight down the middle. Disturbingly, I once again failed to hit the green from just 80 yards. The penalty wasn't too severe, as I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Another up-and-down salvaged bogey on hole #2, a short par-3. I found the green in regulation on hole #3, but a 3-putt led to another bogey. The green was covered in sand, which made reading the speed of putts very difficult. I also hit the green on hole #4, a medium length par-3. This time, I read the putts well, earning a par.
Triple-bogey was the result on hole #5, and I really deserved better. This is a par-5 measuring 498 yards. I hit a perfect drive on this dog-leg left, skirting the trees on the inside of the dog-leg to end up in the middle of the fairway, just 210 yards from the green. Next, I hit a pretty good 3-iron, but it found a bunker short and right of the green. It was a fairly long bunker shot, but the problem was that I inadvertently picked the ball clean, sending it 50 yards or more past the green. The area is covered in fescue, so the ball was lost. After a penalty, my next attempt from the bunker was better, ending up just left of the green. I was pretty far from the flag, so it took another chip and two putts to finish things up. Really, one bad bunker shot turned a potential birdie into a triple!
I played bogey golf the rest of the way, including a fabulous up-and-down from 50 yards away on hole #8, a long par-3. I finished with a score of 95, which is okay, but if not for the fiasco on hole #17, this would have been a round of 90. Still, I was pleased to register six pars on the day.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
Beginning on the back nine, I struggled to a double-bogey on hole #10. It had been a long time since I hit any balls, so I needed a few strokes to get loose and regain the proper feel. By hole #11, I was feeling better and started with a 280-yard bomb off the tee. I was a yard into the right rough, but it was fairly tame and my path to the flag was unobstructed. I missed the green from 100 yards, finishing with a chip and two putts for bogey.
Hole #12, a par-4, demonstrates how strokes can quickly add up to ruin a score. I hit my drive a fair distance and about a yard into the left rough. I had some trees to my left, but I could go straight at the flag. Unfortunately, I pushed a shot with the pitching wedge, coming dangerously close to out of bounds. I had one of those brutal lies, where the ball is lying in a tangled mess of weeds, twigs, grass, etc. I barely hacked it out, then failed to clear a bunker between me and the green. It ultimately took five strokes to get on the putting surface, leading to a triple-bogey.
The next four holes were fabulous. I pounded a straight, 260-yard drive on hole #13, but failed to hit the green on this par-4 from just 90 yards away. My chip was not that great either, leading to two putts and a bogey. On hole #14, a par-3 perched on the side of a hill, I hit a sweet 9-iron off the tee. I hit it so pure, that I actually carried the green by about five yards. No worries, as I made a beautiful chip and solid putt for the up-and-down par. On hole #15, a par-5, I started out with a good drive to the right fairway, followed by a 3-iron that left me just 50 yards from the flag. I made a good pitch, followed by two putts for another par. Hole #16 also produced par, though it was more of a scramble. My drive was pulled left of target. I punched a 5-iron under some tree branches toward the green, but my ball skidded about 5 yards off the back. My chip was good, but with the green falling away from me, my ball ended up quite a distance from the cup. No worries, as I drained the long, uphill putt.
Hole #17, a par-4 perched at the top of the hill overlooking Lake Medad, was the one that killed me. It all started with the position of the tee blocks. I was playing the blue tees, which on this day were set up at the extreme left of a chute through which your tee shot must travel. The trees on the left side were incredibly close, just a few yards ahead of the teeing area. Starting the ball right is scary, because the fairway slopes to the right, where a massive waste bunker catches many balls. I tried to hit one straight, but pulled it directly into the trees on the left. I found my ball under a spruce tree. It was all I could do to hack it out to an opening that was covered in weeds. From there, all I could do was chip out to a small flat area in front of the forward tees. With a bad lie and a small target, I carried the ball about two yards too far. It ended up under a log. I was forced to declare the ball unplayable and took a drop a few yards behind that location. I was lying four and was still on the forward teeing ground. A pair of shaky iron shots put me right of the green. Next, I duffed a pitch, failed to carry a bunker, then splashed out to reach the green. Two putts ended the misery with a score of eleven.
To my credit, I regrouped quickly. I made a great chip shot and putt for an up-and-down par on hole #18. On hole #1, I hit another 280-yard drive straight down the middle. Disturbingly, I once again failed to hit the green from just 80 yards. The penalty wasn't too severe, as I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. Another up-and-down salvaged bogey on hole #2, a short par-3. I found the green in regulation on hole #3, but a 3-putt led to another bogey. The green was covered in sand, which made reading the speed of putts very difficult. I also hit the green on hole #4, a medium length par-3. This time, I read the putts well, earning a par.
Triple-bogey was the result on hole #5, and I really deserved better. This is a par-5 measuring 498 yards. I hit a perfect drive on this dog-leg left, skirting the trees on the inside of the dog-leg to end up in the middle of the fairway, just 210 yards from the green. Next, I hit a pretty good 3-iron, but it found a bunker short and right of the green. It was a fairly long bunker shot, but the problem was that I inadvertently picked the ball clean, sending it 50 yards or more past the green. The area is covered in fescue, so the ball was lost. After a penalty, my next attempt from the bunker was better, ending up just left of the green. I was pretty far from the flag, so it took another chip and two putts to finish things up. Really, one bad bunker shot turned a potential birdie into a triple!
I played bogey golf the rest of the way, including a fabulous up-and-down from 50 yards away on hole #8, a long par-3. I finished with a score of 95, which is okay, but if not for the fiasco on hole #17, this would have been a round of 90. Still, I was pleased to register six pars on the day.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
November 13, 2012
Last Hurrah at King's Forest
My last two rounds of golf were quite satisfactory, so with the weather getting too cold to play, I was content to let the season end on something of a high note. However, an uncharacteristically warm day proved to be too tempting. I snagged a perfect tee time at King's Forest – a course I've come to like quite a bit over the past couple of years.
For the first seven holes, it looked like a smart decision. I collected two pars and five bogeys primarily by staying out of trouble. I hit a good drive on hole #1 and a rocket on hole #2, leaving just 100 yards to the flag from the middle of the fairway. A 3-iron off the tee on the short hole #3 was hit off centre, but I was still in the middle of the fairway, 160 yards from the flag. The driver served me well on hole #4, a par-5, while the 3-iron came around with a pretty good tee shot on hole #5, a long par-3.
I played safely, not only from the tee, but also on approach shots. I took a cluster of trees fronting the right side of the first green out of play by laying up to the left, 30 yards short. I avoided woods that pinch the left side of the sixth fairway by taking quite a bit off my swing and aiming right. When I needed a chip shot, I focused simply on making the greens. This avoided any duffs or sculled shots. My putting was solid, as I 2-putt all holes, except for one that required three strokes from distance after hitting the green in regulation.
The turning point came on the tee of hole #8. This is not a difficult hole, a straightaway par-4 measuring just 358 yards. I opted for driver and topped the ball badly, dribbling into the bush just below the slightly elevated tee. I was forced to take a penalty and hit my third off the tee once again. I smacked a beautiful drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. I was proud of myself for following up a terrible shot with a great one. The feeling didn't last long, however, as I completely duffed my next two shots. With my sixth shot, I finally reached the green, then 2-putt for a momentum shattering score of eight.
Though I felt like I put the hole behind me immediately, I hit a badly pulled drive off the very next tee. A sideways chip to the fairway was followed by a weak approach that came up short. After a medium length pitch shot, I 3-putt for a triple-bogey. Through seven holes, my score was a very nice 33. After just two more holes, I was at 48. Ugh!
Still, I was comfortably on pace to break 100, so I pressed on. I made bogey on hole #10 before entering the hardest stretch of the course. Holes #11 through #13 didn't destroy me completely (that would happen on the very tame hole #14), but they definitely put a chink in my armour. On #11, I flared my first tee shot right, but less so than one of my playing partners. The area was full of leaves and while I managed to find my partner's ball, I did not find my own. Typical. I was forced to continue with the provisional I had played earlier, and finished the hole with a triple-bogey as a result.
I mis-hit a 3-iron off the tee on hole #12, but it put me in a position to hit a 9-iron, gap wedge to about a yard or two off the back left of the green. A chip and 2-putt produced a double-bogey. A perfect 4-iron off the tee on hole #13 was followed by an 8-iron to a greenside bunker. I hit the sand shot way too thin and sailed 30 yards past the green into the weeds. Next, I hit an amazing shot to make the green. I 2-putt for another double-bogey.
I was hanging in there, but the next hole was my undoing. A poor pitching wedge shot on this short par-3 left me between two large tree trunks left of the green. Going straight at the flag meant flying over a bunker, and I had no backswing on that line. I made a good decision to aim away from the flag, avoiding the bunker altogether, just looking for a piece of the green. Unfortunately, I mis-hit the ball completely and it ended up – you guessed it – in the bunker. Sheesh! The worst part was that this bunker looked like it had been hit by mortar fire. There were massive footprints all over that had not been raked. Of course, my ball was right in one. I took three shots to get out of that bunker and two of them were from giant holes. For patrons to leave the bunker in that condition is absolutely inconsiderate and unacceptable. I ended up with a quadruple-bogey and was psychologically done for the day.
I closed out the round with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I was no longer focused and knew that breaking 100 was unlikely. It's a shame because the round began with such promise. So, instead of ending the season feeling good about a couple of rounds, I ended it with another disappointment. Sigh.
Score: 104
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
For the first seven holes, it looked like a smart decision. I collected two pars and five bogeys primarily by staying out of trouble. I hit a good drive on hole #1 and a rocket on hole #2, leaving just 100 yards to the flag from the middle of the fairway. A 3-iron off the tee on the short hole #3 was hit off centre, but I was still in the middle of the fairway, 160 yards from the flag. The driver served me well on hole #4, a par-5, while the 3-iron came around with a pretty good tee shot on hole #5, a long par-3.
I played safely, not only from the tee, but also on approach shots. I took a cluster of trees fronting the right side of the first green out of play by laying up to the left, 30 yards short. I avoided woods that pinch the left side of the sixth fairway by taking quite a bit off my swing and aiming right. When I needed a chip shot, I focused simply on making the greens. This avoided any duffs or sculled shots. My putting was solid, as I 2-putt all holes, except for one that required three strokes from distance after hitting the green in regulation.
The turning point came on the tee of hole #8. This is not a difficult hole, a straightaway par-4 measuring just 358 yards. I opted for driver and topped the ball badly, dribbling into the bush just below the slightly elevated tee. I was forced to take a penalty and hit my third off the tee once again. I smacked a beautiful drive to the centre of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. I was proud of myself for following up a terrible shot with a great one. The feeling didn't last long, however, as I completely duffed my next two shots. With my sixth shot, I finally reached the green, then 2-putt for a momentum shattering score of eight.
Though I felt like I put the hole behind me immediately, I hit a badly pulled drive off the very next tee. A sideways chip to the fairway was followed by a weak approach that came up short. After a medium length pitch shot, I 3-putt for a triple-bogey. Through seven holes, my score was a very nice 33. After just two more holes, I was at 48. Ugh!
Still, I was comfortably on pace to break 100, so I pressed on. I made bogey on hole #10 before entering the hardest stretch of the course. Holes #11 through #13 didn't destroy me completely (that would happen on the very tame hole #14), but they definitely put a chink in my armour. On #11, I flared my first tee shot right, but less so than one of my playing partners. The area was full of leaves and while I managed to find my partner's ball, I did not find my own. Typical. I was forced to continue with the provisional I had played earlier, and finished the hole with a triple-bogey as a result.
I mis-hit a 3-iron off the tee on hole #12, but it put me in a position to hit a 9-iron, gap wedge to about a yard or two off the back left of the green. A chip and 2-putt produced a double-bogey. A perfect 4-iron off the tee on hole #13 was followed by an 8-iron to a greenside bunker. I hit the sand shot way too thin and sailed 30 yards past the green into the weeds. Next, I hit an amazing shot to make the green. I 2-putt for another double-bogey.
I was hanging in there, but the next hole was my undoing. A poor pitching wedge shot on this short par-3 left me between two large tree trunks left of the green. Going straight at the flag meant flying over a bunker, and I had no backswing on that line. I made a good decision to aim away from the flag, avoiding the bunker altogether, just looking for a piece of the green. Unfortunately, I mis-hit the ball completely and it ended up – you guessed it – in the bunker. Sheesh! The worst part was that this bunker looked like it had been hit by mortar fire. There were massive footprints all over that had not been raked. Of course, my ball was right in one. I took three shots to get out of that bunker and two of them were from giant holes. For patrons to leave the bunker in that condition is absolutely inconsiderate and unacceptable. I ended up with a quadruple-bogey and was psychologically done for the day.
I closed out the round with four consecutive double-bogeys, as I was no longer focused and knew that breaking 100 was unlikely. It's a shame because the round began with such promise. So, instead of ending the season feeling good about a couple of rounds, I ended it with another disappointment. Sigh.
Score: 104
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
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